The Nation January 28, 2013

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Banks get CBN’s N356b monthly

•Cash boosts liquidity

BUSINES S USINESS Page 25

Varsity student, five other kidnap suspects arrested •Collection of N25m ransom turns awry

NEWS

Page 9

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VOL. 8, NO. 2385 MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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•CAF sacks questionable penalty referee •Moses out of match against Ethiopia •South Africa, Cape Verde qualify for Q/F •AND MORE ON PAGES 23,24,41&63

$620,000 bribe: Lawan for trial this week

•Carnage: Locals help evacuate injured victims as clubbers look on in horror following the nightclub fire

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

A

LL is set for the trial of House member Farouk Lawan for allegedly receiving $620,000 bribe to doctor his committee’s report on fuel subsidy investigation.

His trial will begin this week, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) said at the weekend.

Lawan, Chairman of the House adhoc committee that probed the fuel subsidy payments by the Federal Government, is to face trial for allegedly receiving $620,000 from the oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola, to exclude Zenon Oil from the list of indicted firms.

Otedola alleged that the

BELOW: •Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, right, consoles relatives of victims of the fire ...yesterday

Continued on page 4

245 die in Brazil niteclub fire

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FIRE swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early yesterday, killing no fewer than 245 people and leaving 200 others injured, police and firefighters said.

Police Major Cleberson Braida told reporters that the 245 bodies were brought for identification to a gymnasium in the city of Santa Mar-

ia.

That toll makes it the deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade in the country.

Braida said the club had only one working exit, and the majority of victims died trampled in an attempt to flee.

The cause of the blaze was still under investigation but authorities said fireworks, perhaps shot off by the band, erupted in

the midst of the performance and one hit the roof.

Michele Schneid, a 22-yearold cashier, said people began to shout “Fire!”, setting off the stampede.

“Many people ran for the bathrooms and wound up dying suffocated,” he said.

Newspaper Diario de Santa Maria reported that the fire Continued on page 4

Cash gifts, board jobs set PDP chiefs against Tukur Party is stinking, G-84 writes Jonathan ‘Frank’ talks today

M

•Tukur

ORE facts emerged yesterday about the crises crippling the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Besides the power struggle, there is a disagreement over an end-of-year “palliative” for the National Working Committee (NWC) .

The palliative row has pitched eight

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

deputy members of the NWC against the 12 members, who run the party at the National Secretariat.

But National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur will today hold a “frank session” with the deputy NWC members.

The G-84 members have written President Goodluck Jonathan, raising the alarm that the party is stinking.

G-84 comprises the eight deputy members of the National Working Committee (NWC), 24 ex-officio members, 37 state chairmen and some former leaders.

They alleged that the NWC is becom-

ing “cultish”, with total exclusion of elected officers.

They begged President Jonathan, as the national leader of PDP, to save the party from brinkmanship.

They claimed that their letter had nothing to do with the ongoing feud between Tukur and the sacked NationContinued on page 4

•SPORT P23 •CEO P32 •JOBS P37 •MOTORING P43•POLITICS P45

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

2

NEWS WAR IN MALI

Mali crisis, Sudan, South Sudan feud top AU talks A

•Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo (second left) and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Gambau, unveiling the design of the National Council of Ulama of Jibwis Islamic Centre and fund raising at the Eagle Square , Abuja...at the weekend. With them are Sultan of Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III (left) and Sokoto State Governor Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN

•From right: Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Founder and Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Cathedral Church, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, his wife Ifeanyi Adefarasin and Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi, at a special thanksgiving service to mark Pastor Adefarasin’s 50th birthday anniversary at the church in Lekki, Lagos ...yesterday.

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (second left), presenting the state’s Fflag to immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petiinrin and former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Mashal Muhammed Umaru Dikko (right), at a reception held in honour of the retired Service Chiefs at the Government House, Osogbo...at the Weekend. With them is Aregbesola’s deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori.

FRICAN leaders, under the auspices of African Union (AU), met in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital yesterday.

The conflict in Mali and the lingering territorial dispute between Sudan and South Sudan dominated discussions.

The AU resolved to deploy a force in Mali, where French troops have been helping the government army to dislodge Islamist extremists.

United Nations (UN) SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon is attending the two-day summit in Addis Ababa, where Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, took over from President Yayi Boni of Benin as Union’s chairman.

The leaders expressed a desire to make quicker progress in Mali by deploying substantial number of African troops.

As the African leaders met, French Special Forces, fighting alongside Malian troops, were pushing farther North into the Malian desert in an offensive against al Qaeda-linked Islamists, who took control of Northern Mali more than nine months ago.

“While we are proud of the progress made in expanding and consolidating peace and security on the continent, we also acknowledge that much still needs to be done to resolve ongoing, renewed and new conflict situations in a number of countries,” AU Commission Chairman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Dlamini-Zuma said the Peace and Security Council of the Union will report to the summit on efforts to resolve conflicts in countries including Mali and Madagascar.

In a statement on Saturday, the Peace and Security Council of the Union said it wanted “the early operationalisation of the African Standby Force” in Mali.

The Council also expressed its full support for Malian President Dioncounda Traore and urged him to put in place a roadmap to free and fair elections.

It also restated AU’s commitment to preserve the unity of Mali, saying said it would “spare no efforts” to safeguard its territorial integrity.

A number of African countries have pledged to send troops to

Mali.

The AU is billed hold a conference of donors with hopes that money will be raised for the Mali force tomorrow.

The Peace and Security Council of the Union urged member states to “seize the opportunity of the donors’ conference to meaningfully contribute toward the mobilisation of the necessary resources.”

The Council also urged the international community to contribute generously to the Mali force.

Also at the Summit, the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan met at in Addis Ababa. But the AU officials said they did not expect them to make much headway.

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir agreed earlier this month to “the unconditional and speedy” implementation of deals they had reached in September last year.

But a subsequent meeting of the two countries’ negotiating teams that should have outlined the timetable for the deal’s implementation ended in a stalemate.

Ban urged the two Sudans to resume direct talks, pointing out the “dangerous humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

“In Sudan and South Sudan, the parties have taken positive steps to resolve outstanding issues. But they should make more progress in meeting their agreements,” Ban said.

Mediators led by former South African leader Thabo Mbeki have until July to push the two sides to agree on the status of the disputed Abyei region as well as other contested border areas.

‘

While we are proud of the progress made in expanding and consolidating peace and security on the continent, we also acknowledge that much still needs to be done to resolve ongoing, renewed and new conflict situations in a number of countries

’

Outgoing AU chair c

O

•From left: Dr. Xi Xun, Director of International Cooperation at Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company ( SMEPC), Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman of Forte Oil Plc, Mr. Deng Bo Qing, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, SMEPC’s Vice President Mr. Chen Fang Zeng and Mr. Christopher Adeyemi, a Director of Forte Oil Plc, at the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, when Otedola visited the embassy.

UTGOING African Union (AU) Chairman Boni Yayi yesterday criticised the continent’s slow response to the Islamist insurgency in Mali.

Yayi is the President of the Republic of Benin.

France responded to a call for a military help from Mali as rebels advanced towards the capital, Bamako more than two weeks ago.

The response has helped in reversing the gains made by the militants linked to al Qaeda as French and Malian troops regained Timbuktu on Saturday.

But Africa has been struggling to contribute a meaningful ground force to the mission seen by foreign powers as a counter-strike against the threat of Islamist militants, using Mali’s remote Sahara region as a launch pad for international attacks.

“How could it be that when faced with a danger that threatens its very foundations, Africa, although it had the means to defend itself, continued to wait,” Yayi told other African leaders at the opening of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday.

The AU appealed to the United Nations for money and emergency logis-

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

3

NEWS WAR IN MALI

•Malian soldiers waiting at a checkpoint near Sevare...yesterday

•Idrissa Maiga, a Malian farmer, standing in-between the graves of his wife and three of his children in a cemetery behind the Konna school...yesterday. Maiga’s wife and children were reportedly killed by French army air strikes on January 11.

TIMELINE •Refugees from the Gao region sharing a meal in Ayorou...yesterday.

March 22, 2012 •Soldiers seize power from President Amadou Toumani Toure as a protest over the government's ineffective handling of a campaign PHOTOS: AFP against northern rebels turns into a coup.

•The African Union suspends Mali the next day.

Sadou Diallo, who had taken ref- •Coup leader Captain Amadou uge in Bamako during the Islamist Sanogo expressed readiness for occupation, had been reinstalled as talks with rebels but wants to prethe head of the local administration. serve Mali's territorial integrity.

The French, Malian, Chadian and March 30, 2012 Nigerien troops surrounded the •Tuareg separatist insurgents entered the key town of Kidal in the town after securing it.

The rebels include: fighters from North after soldiers abandoned al Qaeda's North Africa wing of al positions.

Qaeda In Islamist Maghreb (AQIM), •Sanogo called for external help Malian Islamist group - Ansar Dine against rebels, who gradually and AQIM splinter-MUJWA. Kidal, gained control over the Northern the third town seized and occupied half of Mali. by the rebels, has not been re- April 6, 2012 claimed by the French Special Force •Rebel group - the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), and Mali troops.

The United States (U.S.) and Eu- proclaimed independence for rope are backing the U.N.-man- Northern Mali and renamed it dated Mali operation as a Azawad after announcing an end counterstrike against the threat of to fighting. radical Islamist jihadists using the April 8, 2012 Sahara desert in Northern Mali as •President Toure resigneds, paving a spring board for international at- the way for the soldiers who ousted him to stick by a deal to restore citacks. vilian rule and hand power to parliamentary speaker Dioncounda Traore.

Malian-controlled government back in Timbuktu

F

RENCH and Malian troops yesterday began the reinstatement of government control over the fabled Saharan trading town of Timbuktu.

Timbuktu is the latest gain in a fastmoving French-led offensive against al Qaeda-allied fighters occupying Northern Mali.

The Islamist militant rebels have pulled back Northwards to avoid relentless French air strikes that have destroyed their bases, vehicles and weapons, allowing French and Malian troops to advance rapidly with air support and armoured vehicles.

A Malian military source told Reuters the French and Malian forces arrived at “the gates of Timbuktu” late on Saturday without resistance from the Islamist insurgents who had held the town since last year.

The advancing troops, working on securing the town, a UNESCO World

Heritage site and labyrinth of ancient mosques and monuments, were ready to flush out Islamist fighters, who might still be hiding among the population.

“Timbuktu is delicate. You can't just go in like that,” the source, who asked not to be named, said.

On Saturday, the French-Malian offensive recaptured Gao, which along Timbuktu, was one of three major towns occupied in Nothern Mali by Tuareg and Islamist rebels.

Malian-controlled government was restored in Gao on Saturday, after French special forces backed by warplanes and helicopters seized the town's airport and a key bridge.

About a dozen “terrorists” were said to have been killed in the assault, while French forces suffered no losses or injuries, France's Defence Ministry said.

Officials said the Mayor of Gao,

r condemns Africa’s response to crisis tics to get the regional intervention force known as AFISMA fully deployed.

Army Chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have said a total of 7,700 African soldiers would be dispatched to the troubled Mali.

Boni said the door was open for further troop pledges to help wrestle back control of Northern Mali, a vast desert expanse roughly the size of France.

He said: “The list is not closed. I would like to thank countries whose troops are already in the battle zone and in advance, the other countries

whose troops will follow, be they from Africa or elsewhere.”

He thanked Paris for its intervention which has seen French warplanes pound rebel positions and French ground forces alongside Malian troops recapturing several towns.

There has appeared to be some embarrassment among African leaders that the continent had to rely on a former colonial power to take the lead in the Mali campaign.

According to AU officials, the AFISMA is severely hampered by “logistics shortages and needs air-

lift support, ammunition, telecoms equipment, field hospitals, food and water.”

Addressing the AU summit, United Nations (UN) SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said he had given the Security Council his recommendations on a logistics support package for AFISMA, a force that had been in the making months before France’s intervention.

The UN, Ban said, is ready to undertake peace-building, governance and security sector reform in Mali “once the regrettably necessary combat operations are over.”

April 9, 2012 •Members of Mali's Arab community in Timbuktu form the Azawad National Liberation Front (FLNA), an armed group to fill the void left by the army's retreat from the North.

April 11, 2012 •Dioncounda Traore was sworn as interim President.

May 26, 2012 •The Tuareg-led MNLA and Islamist militant group Ansar Dine agreed to merge and create an independent state in the North. The Tuaregs ditch the pact a week later.

December 20, 2012 •The United Nations (UN) Security Council unanimously authorised the deployment of an African-led military force to help defeat al Qaeda and other Islamist militants in Northern Mali.

•The international African force is not expected to begin operations before September this year.

January 4 •Ansar Dine announced the suspension of a ceasefire it agreed with the government the previous month, accusing Bamako of making a mockery of the deal by gearing up for war.

January 10 •Mali appealed for urgent military aid from its former colonial master, France.

January 11 •French President Francois Hollande announced French military intervention to halt advances by the rebels and French air strikes helped Malian government troops drive Islamist rebels from the strategic central town of Konna.

January 24 •Ansar Dine, which helped seize the North from the Malian government, splits from its al Qaeda allies and opted for a truce.

January 26 •Following French air strikes, French and Malian troops seized the Gao, one of three major Northern towns occupied by the rebels last year.

January 27 •French and Malian troops began the restoration of government control over Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

•The third town of Kidal, remained in rebel hands.

•Crisis dominated talks at African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

4

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

NEWS $620,000 bribe: Lawan for trial this week, says govt Continued from page 1

•President Goodluck Jonathan (second right) Ivorian President Alasane Quatara (right) and other Heads of State during the African Union (AU) 20th ordinary session in Addis-Ababa…on Saturday

Cash gifts, board jobs set PDP chiefs against Tukur Continued from page 1

al Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

They said they are not in support of Tukur or Oyinlola.

All they want is sanity in the party, the group said.

The crux of the crisis in PDP, which also borders partly on the palliative, emerged from the letter written to the President by G-84.

An influential member of the G-84, who spoke in confidence, said: “Greed is a major challenge facing the party. We also have problem of management of funds.

“For example, when deputy NWC members were sidelined, we took our case to one of our leaders who said we should do a memo for end of year palliative.

“But as soon as the money was released, the National Chairman got N7.5million end-of-year gift, the Deputy National Chairman and Secretary received N6million each; each member of the NWC was given N5million and National Vice-Chairmen got N2.5million each.

“As for the eight deputy members of the NWC who ini-

tiated the end-of-year palliative, each of them was allotted N150, 000. The amount offered to us was least expected. We unanimously wrote a letter of rejection to the National Chairman.

“The chairman is on N2m per month, Deputy National Chairman and National Secretary earn N1.5m, and other NWC members get N1.2m each. In addition, the NWC members get N100, 000 to N150, 000 per sitting.

“At a point, one NWC member used to collect N10million every month for sundry issues until the National Chairman stopped it following observations that the money was not being properly utilised.

“Apart from salaries and allowances by the 12 NWC members, each of them got a car loan of N8million, furniture allowance of N5million, and annual rent of between N12million and N5million. But none of the deputy members of the NWC got anything, in spite of the high cost of living in Abuja .

“Since we were all elected, the deputy members of NWC only got N50, 000 in July 2012 when we had the last NEC

meeting. As a sign of rejection, they allocated only one office to deputy NWC members some of who were former Senators, members of the House of Representatives, ex-Ambassadors and ex-commissioners in their states.

“Deputy members of the NWC do not receive anything at the end of the month. No sitting allowance. Yet we have to rent houses in Abuja and feed our families too.

“The Presidency also gave NWC and their deputies 14 chairmanship slots for boards of parastatals and 55 membership. The 12 NWC members shared everything among themselves without anything for their deputies.

“You can see why there is tension constantly in the party. There is gross injustice among elected officers of the party. The PDP is in a tinderbox. Those leading us are selfish. The President must ensure justice.”

Besides the palliative palaver, the G-84 members also highlighted alleged breaches of the party’s constitution An investigation by our correspondent revealed that the G-84 wrote the letter on Janu-

ary 19, 2013 to the President.

Copies of the letter were sent to the Vice-President, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, among others.

It was gathered that it was on the strength of the letter and the directive of the President that Tukur will meet with the deputy members of the NWC today.

It was learnt that before resorting to writing the President, the G-84 members, led by the deputy members of the NWC had met with Tukur and Oyinlola four times on their grievances but no action was taken to address the issues.

The deputy members of the NWC are the Deputy National Secretary; Deputy National Treasurer; Deputy National Financial Secretary; Deputy National Organising Secretary; Deputy National Legal Adviser; Deputy National Publicity Secretary; Deputy National Auditor; Deputy National Woman Leader and Deputy National Youth Leader.

According to sources, the aggrieved members had on NoContinued on page 60

Lawan-led adhoc committee demanded $3 million, out of which he gave $620,000.

Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo last Tuesday threatened to begin private prosecution of Lawan should the AGF fail to bring the lawmaker before the court.

But, the minister on Friday told reporters in Abuja that the trial of the lawmaker will start this week.

Adoke spoke through Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who has secured the AGF’s fiat to prosecute Farouk.

Reacting to Keyamo’s statement on the issue, Awomolo said the office of the AGF is too responsible and busy to react to “market talk”, but that he is sure that the police have finished investigating the allegation, and they have made verifiable facts to the AGF to enable the government begin prosecution of the lawmaker. ‘’Verifiable facts can only come from the police that investigated the matter. You don’t investigate such matters base on what you read in the newspapers or heard over the radio and television. No; that

is not investigation. The police, as a responsible organisation have investigated the matter and I can assure you that the AGF will not react to the market talk. The matter will be in court next week.’’ ‘’We will prosecute and not persecute. We are men of integrity, honour and learning. Nobody should think that he can use the market language or draw us to open debate on this matter. We are not a civil society organisation. ‘’The AGF is the chief law officer under the Constitution and he will exercise his power responsibly and not irresponsibly to satisfy whims and caprice of civil society organisations. Prosecution is a serious business and a serious statutory duty; it is not a frivolous thing; you don’t do it to catch fancy or to make people to hail you. These are persecutors and not prosecutors.’’

Keyamo had requested Adoke to indicate whether he was prepared to prosecute Lawan or not.

Keyamo accompanied the letter with a draft charge in readiness to begin prosecution of Lawan, if Adoke fails to do it.

245 die in Brazil niteclub fire Continued from page 1

started at around 2 a.m. at the Kiss nightclub in the city at the southern tip of Brazil, near the borders with Argentina and Uruguay.

Ezekiel Corte Real, 23, was quoted as saying that he helped people to escape. “I just got out because I’m very strong,” he said.

Police estimated 900 people were in the club when the fire broke out.

The fire led President Dilma Roussef to cancel a series of meetings she had scheduled at a summit of Latin American and European leaders in Chile’s capital, Santiago, and was headed to Santa Maria, according to the Brazilian foreign ministry.

“It is a tragedy for all of us. I am not going to continue in the meeting (in Chile) for very clear reasons,” she said.

“Sad Sunday”, tweeted Tar-

so Genro, the governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. He said all possible action was being taken and that he would be in the city later in the day.

Santa Maria is a university city with a population of around a quarter of a million.

A welding accident reportedly set off a Dec. 25, 2000, fire at a club in Luoyang, China, killing 309.

At least 194 people died at an overcrowded working-class nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2004.

A blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub in Perm, Russia, broke out on Dec. 5, 2009, when an indoor fireworks display ignited a plastic ceiling decorated with branches, killing 152 A nightclub fire in the U.S. state of Rhode Island in 2003 killed 100 people after pyrotechnics used as a stage prop by the 1980s rock band Great White set ablaze cheap soundproofing foam on the walls and ceiling.

$67b reserves: Fed Govt hits back at Ezekwesili

A

ABOUT three days after it was accused of squandering $67billion reserves left by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the Federal Government yesterday denied it all, saying only $43.13billion was left.

Former World Bank Vice President for Africa Oby Ezekwesili, who was Education Minister in the Obasanjo administration, leveled the allegation.

Information Minister Labaran Maku said Ezekwesili was juggling fictitious figures to mislead the public. He asked her to account for N352.3billion she collected while in office as Education Minister.

Maku added that it was fallacious for Mrs. Ezekwesili to assume that the Yar’AduaJonathan administration misapplied the reserves.

But Mrs. Ezekwesili, who had no apology for her allegation, said the government should account for how it spent the “$67billion” reserves.

Maku told reporters in Abuja that the reserves had experienced fluctuations by “rising from $43.13 billion in May 2007, peaking at $62 billion in Septem-

•Ex-World Bank Chief: I’ve made my point From Yusuf Alli and Augustine Ehikioya Abuja

ber 2008 during the Yar’Adua/ Jonathan Administration when oil prices peaked at $147 per barrel, and falling subsequently to a low of $31.7 in September 2011.”

“The statement by the former World Bank Vice President that the governments of Presidents Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan have squandered $67 billion in reserves (including $45 billion in external reserves and $22 billion in the Excess Crude Account) left by the Obasanjo Administration at the end of May 2007 is factually incorrect.

“At the end of May 2007, Nigeria ’s gross reserves stood at $43.13 billion - comprising the CBN’s external reserves of $31.5 billion, $9.43 billion in the Excess Crude Account, and $2.18 billion in the Federal Government’s savings. These figures can be independently verified from the CBN’s records. The figure of $67 billion alleged in her statement is therefore clearly fictitious.

“However, since President

Obasanjo left office, the reserves have experienced fluctuations, rising from $43.13 billion in May 2007, peaking at $62 billion in September 2008 during the Yar’Adua/Jonathan Administration when oil prices peaked at $147 per barrel, and falling subsequently to a low of $31.7 in September 2011.”

Maku added: “This fall in reserves was a result of the vicissitudes of the global financial crisis which caused CBN interventions in the currency market to defend the value of the naira.

The Excess Crude savings, a component of the reserves, was also used to stimulate the economy at the height of the global financial crisis to the tune of about $1 billion (or 0.5 percent of our 2009 GDP). “As a result, Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world that did not seek assistance from international financial institutions.

“It should be noted that the fiscal stimulus used to shore up the economy during that period was shared by all three-tiers of government, including commitments of about $5.5 billion

made under the Obasanjo Administration for power projects.

“On the use of reserves, it is fallacious to say that the nation’s external reserves were dipped into or misapplied by the Federal Government. It is important to note that the Federal Government cannot dip its hands into external reserves.

“Like in other countries, the management of external reserves is one of the statutory mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Section 2 subsection (c) of the CBN Act (2007) states that the Bank shall “maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency” – in other words, to defend the value of the Naira.

“No President since the democratic dispensation has contravened this Act. Other uses of the reserves are to settle both public and private sector foreign currency obligations of Nigeria, including the importation of goods such as equipment for power sector.

“Whenever a ministry or agency of government needs to

incur approved expenditure in foreign currency (e.g. payment of goods and services, settlement of external debt, etc) it must provide the naira equivalent to the CBN before the Bank sells the required foreign currency. As a former World Bank Vice-President for Africa, surely, Mrs. Ezekwesili must have known this.”

On the rot in the Education sector, Maku asked Mrs. Ezekwesili to account for the N352.3billion she collected while in office.

“We also found Mrs. Ezekwesili’s interrogation of the educational system somewhat disingenuous and borderline hypocritical. During her tenure as Minister of Education between 2006 and 2007, she collected a total sum of N352.3 billion from direct budgetary releases. In addition, she received about N65.8 billion under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Fund, and over N40 billion from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) during her time as Minister of Education.

“In view of these humongous allocations, a few le-

•Ezekwesili

gitimate questions arise. What did she do with all these allocations? What impact did it have on the education sector? One Continued on page 60

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

5

NEWS

Rainy season has not begun, says NIMET HE Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has said the rainy season is yet to start.

The Director-General of the agency, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, said this at the weekend in Abuja during a joint news conference organised by NIMET and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

He said the rainfall experienced in some parts of the country in recent time was not permanent, but a transient one, adding that harmattan would return soon.

Said he: “Nigeria’s weather is determined by the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity Line (ITD).

T

From: Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

“The condition is such that when the ITD moves northward, the dry cool air blowing from the Sahara Desert meeting with the wet cool air showed from the Mediterranean causes sudden rain.

“It is the same system causing severe winter in Europe. It’s a low pressure. So when it passes through Africa, it carries severe moisture through Nigeria, making the ITD to recede and harmattan coming back.”

Dr. Anuforom said the agency had acquired modern weather prediction equipment capable of providing precise and accurate information.

Frowning at a newspaper report, the NIMET DG said Nigeria is a member of the World Meteorological Organisation and this makes the agency to operate with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) manual that ensures its operation conforms with the world standard.

“NIMET has weather equipment to make adequate observations. The Upper Air Station was the only one in the country before this administration, but there are now up to seven Upper Air Stations in the country,” he added.

He said with the aid of some of the modern equipment installed in the

Instrument Calibration Laboratory, as well as the Wind Tunnel, the agency could measure weather with greater precision.

Anuforom said besides Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Kenya have the Wind Tunnel in Africa.

The Managing Director of NAMA, Nnamdi Udoh, said his agency would start a 24-hour services that would end the flight rescheduling at the nation’s airports in March.

He said besides the restoration of air lighting at the domestic wing of the Lagos airport, the agency has also completed the decongestion of the total VHF coverage in the Lagos area.

•The Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) held a Welcome and Thanksgiving Service at St. Jude’s Cathedral, EbuteMeta, Lagos, yesterday, for the new archbishop of the province, The Most Revd.(Professor) Adebayo Dada Akinde. The Archbishop Akinde, second from right, is congratulated here by former Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, left, The Most Revd. Peter J. Akinola, the immediate past Primate of the Church of Nigeria, and The Most Revd. Ephraim A. Ademowo, the former Archbishop of the Province of Lagos, after the service.

PHOTO: SUNMI SMART-COLE

T

Police colleges: Jonathan urged to set up commission of enquiry

HE Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a democracy and development-focused non-government organisation (NGO), has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry comprising tested and trusted patriots to be led by a serving justice of the Supreme Court, to unravel the circumstances and identify persons involved in the corruption and massive theft of budgetary releases to the Nigeria Police from 1999 to date.

The group faulted the decision of the serving Minister of Police Affairs, Retired Navy Commander Caleb Olubukolade, to establish ministerial committees to uncover the reasons for the rot in the police colleges.

HURIWA believed that an accused could not constitute himself into a prosecutor and judge in his own case, even as the rights group said only an

independent Judicial Commission of Enquiry could determine the characters responsible for the decay in the Nigeria Police.

The group wants the Judicial Commission of Enquiry to invite all former and serving Police Affairs Ministers and Inspectors-General of Police and interrogate them on the whereabouts of the billions of public funds voted and released to the police authority since 1999.

It said the commission must ensure that the anti-graft agencies retrieve and prosecute those indicted for “this monumental heist of fund belonging to the Nigeria Police since 1999 to date.”

HURIWA enjoined the National Assembly Constitutional Review Committee to include a new provi-

sion in the proposed Constitution for the creation of an effective and efficient state and municipal policing institutions as done in civilised countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

According to the rights group, the reason why the Nigeria Police has collapsed and the operatives unable to tackle insecurity is because it is unwieldy and made up of persons with past and current criminal records.

The body said the Nigeria Police must start from a clean slate to solve inefficiency and professional incompetence.

In a statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Officer, Miss.

Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said the re-

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By Eric Ikhilae

Supreme Court justices should be paid not less than N5million basic monthly salary, with justices of the Court of Appeal and judges of the High Court and other courts in that grade earning not less than N4million basic monthly salary.

“If we can hire a foreign coach and pay him N10 million monthly, I wonder why we should pay our judicial officers peanuts, thereby encouraging corruption,” he said in a statement, entitled: ‘Red alert: Justices of Supreme Court earn lower than Magistrates in the USA.’ The lawyer, who was reacting to a claim allegedly made by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Olufonlula Adekeye, in an interview that justices of the superior courts were poorly paid, urged concerned authorities to remedy the situation.

He said: “The Chief Justice of the USA earns $223,500 annual basic salary. If converted to Naira, it will stand at N33.5million. That is almost four times more than what the Chief Justice of Nigeria takes as his annual basic salary, going by the provisions of

By Eric Ikhilae

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has quizzed a former presidential aspirant of the Nigeria Liberation Party (NLP), Chief Osita Emmanuel Okereke, for alleged conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and extortion.

EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement yesterday that Okereke allegedly “heads a syndicate masquerading as members of a self-styled ‘National Task Force’ set up to combat importation and smuggling of small arms, ammunition and light weapons.”

He said although Okereke claimed his body was duly recognised by the government, investigation by the EFCC revealed no evidence of such registration.

Uwujaren said the syndicate, which maintained offices in the geo-political zones, allegedly defrauded the unsuspecting public “by deceitfully selling recruitment forms to them at N5,000 each on the pretext of offering them employment with the Federal Government.”

He said the scam was uncovered through intelligence reports, following which, EFCC’s operatives, after weeks of painstaking surveillance, stormed the third floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Independence Layout, Enugu, office of the syndicate and arrested the Zonal Co-ordinator, Obinna C. Onyekwelu and nine others.

Uwujaren gave the names of other suspects as Ajuani Uchenna, Emmanuel Ngwu, Kenneth Ambrose, Ogunjimi Charles, Uzoamaka Ikwunne, Chinwe Ogbu, Onyia Fidelia, Eze Amobi and Anioke Obinna.

He said several documents and cash were recovered after EFCC’s operatives searched the suspects’ office.

The EFCC spokesman said they had been released on administrative bail after making statements.

He said the suspects would be sued as soon as investigation was concluded.

Okah’s conviction: Jonathan enjoined to retract statement From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

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•Jonathan

cent visit of President Jonathan to the Police Training College in Ikeja, Lagos, during which he expressed shock at the extent of rot and collapse of the infrastructure, showed that those in power were shut out from the realities on the ground.

Lawyer seeks improvement in judges’ pay SENIOR Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Sebastine Hon, has advocated an increase in the salaries and emoluments of judges to discourage corruption and unethical conduct among judicial officers.

Hon, in a statement yesterday, said Nigerian judges are paid pittance compared with what their counterparts earn in countries such as the United States and Canada.

He said it was embarrassing that a magistrate in the US earned more than a justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court, and that a justice of the US Supreme Court earned four times more than a justice of the Nigerian Supreme Court.

Hon faulted the grouping of judges with other state officials in the Salaries and Allowances of Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders Act, 2008.

He noted that if the country was serious about addressing unethical conduct at the bench, the least ranked judicial officer in the country should earn not less than N1million as basic salary.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria suggested that

EFCC quizzes ex-presidential aspirant for alleged fraud

the Salaries and Allowances of Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders Act, 2008.

“Also, whereas an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the USA earns an annual basic salary of $213,900, which translates to N32.08million, his Nigerian counterpart earns an annual basic salary of N10.8million.

“From 1987, the salary of a magistrate in the USA has been pegged at 92 per cent of the basic salary of a District Court Judge. A District Court Judge’s basic annual salary is $174,000, which translates to N26,100,000. This is N16million more than what a Justice of the Supreme Court takes home annually in Nigeria.

“Also, 92 per cent of $174,000 is $160,000. If we convert this to Naira, we will have N24million. This is the annual salary of a Magistrate in the USA, which is more than the annual basic salary of a Supreme Court Justice by N14million.

In Canada, the Chief Justice receives an annual basic of $370,000, while a Justice of the Supreme Court of that country receives basic package of $342,800, which rates are even higher than those in the USA.

GROUP, the League of Voters in Nigeria, has enjoined President Goodluck Jonathan to retract the statement he made on October 1, 2010 after the Independence Day bombing in Abuja.

It said now that a court of competent jurisdiction has convicted the mastermind of the act and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) leader, Mr. Henry Okah, President Jonathan should retract his statement.

Speaking yesterday in Makurdi at a news conference, the group led by its leader, Comrade Benedict Kokoiwen, while hailing Justice Neels Claassen and the South African judiciary for the judgment, said it also showed that the President was guilty of promoting or defending his ethnic group as the number one citizen of the country.

It said: “President Jonathan should retract his statement and apologise to Nigerians, particularly the bereaved, injured and other nationals that suffered psychological trauma following the bomb blast.”

The group said it is only this that would redeem the embarrassment his statement caused.

Shortly after the bombing that claimed lives and injured many during the 2010 Independence Day celebration, President Jonathan exonerated MEND and other Niger Delta militants from the act and accused the opposition as the mastermind.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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NEWS Medview Airlines makes air return on Lagos-Abuja flight •Aviation Ministry begins probe

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EDVIEW Airlines’ Boeing 737 -400 aircraft bound for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, yesterday made an air-return to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, when the pilot noticed a surge in one of the aircraft engines.

The aircraft had 74 passengers on board.

According to a source at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, a few minutes after the aircraft hit the skies, the pilot observed a surge in one of the engines of the Boeing 737400, and took safety precautionary measures by initiating an air-return back to the aerodrome.

Shortly after the aircraft returned to the MMA 2, Ikeja, Lagos, another aircraft belonging to Medview Airlines flew the passengers back to Abuja.

Air-return, according to the Director-General of the Niger-

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

ia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, is a safety precautionary measure taken by pilots during a flight.

Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, said yesterday that investigations have begun into the circumstances surrounding the air return involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft belonging to Medview Airlines.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, Mr. Joe Obi, said: “NCAA officials and technicians are currently on ground looking at the circumstances surrounding the air return.

“It must, however, be pointed out that air-return is a normal procedure usually applied by pilots and airlines all over the world whenever there is a compelling reason to discontinue the flight.”

Afe Babalola, others to get honorary doctorate at UNILAG

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IVE years after the legal icon, Aare Afe Babalola, left the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as its ProChancellor/Chairman of Council, leaving behind a resounding success, he will return to the institution on February 8 to receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters at its Golden Jubilee Convocation.

Babalola was nominated for the Honorary Doctoral Degree with two others- former Prime Minister Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and Arthur Mbanefo.

The legal icon was Unilag’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairmanof-Council between 2002 and 2007 during which he won the ‘Best Pro-Chancellor Award’ in 2005 and 2006.

Aare Babalola was given an Honorary Doctor of Letter by the Kogi State University, Ayingba in November last year.

A letter dated November 5, 2012, signed by Unilag’s Registrar, Mr. Oluwarotimi Shodimu, reads: “The award is in recognition of your immense contributions to the development of education, advancement of knowledge, learning and research. Also, note is taken of your unrelenting philanthropic contributions to the advancement of education and your passion for seeking the general welfare of the society.

The university noted in particular that as a former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council for the two periods that you were appointed, you contributed immensely to the development of the university and you have remained consistent, putting the university on the world map. You laid the foundation and provided the roadmap for the present enviable ranking of the university

By Adegunle Olugbamila

as the best in Nigeria and 16th in Africa. Your unrelenting drive and passion for excellence are unquantifiable.

“The university’s memory is filled with the remarkable achievements you made in the course of restoring values on the academia, providing the blueprint for income generating units and creation of new avenues of endowment in the university. The benefits remain obvious till today…”

Aare Babalola, also the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), described the honour as ‘the most fulfilling’ of his career, adding that the experience at Unilag helped him establish and nurture ABUAD to a reference point today.

Said he: “Of all the letters of award I have received from Nigeria and beyond, the letter of award dated November 5, 2012 addressed to me by the University of Lagos, is the most inspiring, exciting and moving.

“Significantly, it was my experience garnered at that time which, in large measure, has assisted me in the planning and execution of ‘the project ABUAD’, which has now metamorphosed into a model, reference point and pace-setter university in reformatory education in Nigeria.”

•Aare Babalola

ON MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS

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

From left: Hon. Ayo Omidiran; Alhaji Najeem Folasayo Salaam; wife of Osun State Governor, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola; and Senator Mudashiru Oyetunde Hussain, during the turbanning of the Speaker as the Asiwaju Adinni of Ejigbo land and Bashorun Adinni of Ejigbo land at the Central Mosque, Ejigbo, Osun State... yesterday.

FIRS revenue hits N5 trillion T

HE Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) closed the 2012 financial year with collection of N5.007trillion; N1.806 trillion (36.07 per cent) of which came from non-oil taxes.

A statement issued by Mr. Emmanuel Obeta of the Communications and Liaison Department at the weekend said this is an indication that FIRS has continued to record steady increases in the collection of the taxes. The statement recalled that the oil taxes contributed N3.201 trillion (63.93 per cent and was N3.070 trillion in 2011.

FIRS noted that the money is more than the estimated budget of N3.635trillion for all its taxes. Compared with 2011,

•Non-oil tax is N1.8tr From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

the all-taxes figure grew by N379.4 billion or 8.20 per cent on. FIRS collected N4.628 trillion in 2011. The contribution of non-oil taxes increased from N1.557 trillion or 33.65 in 2011 to N1.806 trillion or 36.07 per cent in 2012.

The statement reads: “The N5.007 trillion is the highest cumulative tax collected in the history of the FIRS. “This performance reflects the FIRS’ unwavering commitment to its vision of making taxation the pivot of national development. It is noteworthy in this regard that all

the non-oil components of the taxes collected by the Service maintained the rising trend seen in previous years.

“Compared with the N715.4billion seen in 2011, Companies Income Tax (CIT) returned N847.5 billion in 2012. Value Added Tax (VAT) was N710.5billion against N659.15billion in 2011, while Education tax (EDT) recorded N188.43 billion against the N130.74 billion in 2011. National Information Technology Development Fund (NITDF) accounted for N9.13 billion against the N8.67 billion it returned in 2011. The sum of N51.59 billion was realised from the Personal In-

come Tax (PIT), Pre-Operational Levy (POL), Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Stamp Duty (SD), all pooled together in the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund account.

“However, the total tax yield with the inclusion of Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) for the year ended 2012 stood at N5, 007 trillion resulting in a landmark achievement when compared with the annual provisional budget of N3.635 trillion.

“By implication, the Service surpassed the provisional annual budget with N1.372 trillion or 37.74 per cent more than the total realisation of tax revenue collection for 2011, which stood at N4.62 trillion.)”

Concern over ECOWAS oil pollution judgment

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MNESTY International, London and SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have sent a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the Federal Government “seeking information on the measures the government is taking to implement the judgment by the ECOWAS Court of Justice on the right of the people and communities of the Niger Delta to a general satisfactory environment and to an adequate standard of living.”

The joint letter dated January 25, 2013 was signed on behalf of the two organisations

by Adetokunbo Mumuni, and sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Muhammed Adoke.

The ECOWAS Court in December last year unanimously ordered the government to: ensure reparation for the collective harm done to the communities; restore within the shortest possible time the environment of the Niger Delta; prevent recurrence of damage to the environment; and hold oil companies and other perpetrators of the environmental damage accountable.

Amnesty International and SERAP are seeking information within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of the letter on: “the names of all oil companies’ represent-

•Amnesty, SERAP seek information from Fed Govt atives based in state and Federal Government ministries and duration of their stay in the ministries; the details of their salaries and their remit; who authorised their work in the ministries and the reasons thereof; the details of gifts paid by oil companies to the ministries or their employees or donations made; and the steps the government is taking to end the practice of oil companies placing their employees or other agents (paid or unpaid) within government ministries.”

“We want to know exactly the level and nature of fines

imposed on oil companies for breach of regulations over the past 10 years; and the measures taken by the government to punish the companies. We want to know whether the government has ever investigated the role that oil companies and others have played and continued to play in the environmental pollution in the region, and the outcome of any such investigation,” the organisations also said.

They said they want to know “the steps the government is taking to publicly acknowledge the oil judgment and to express the government’s commitment to com-

ply fully with the judgment; and the concrete measures the government is taking to prevent further oil pollution and to restore the environment damaged by oil and gas activities in Niger Delta.”

The organisations also “want to know the time-frame for the effective implementation of any such measures if they exist; and the areas of the Niger Delta the measures cover, and whether any such measures include the making of new laws or adopting of new policies and if yes the role the National Assembly will play in this respect.”

10 officials suspended at Ondo ministry

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VER N800 million fraud has been uncovered at the Ondo State Ministry of Education, it was learnt.

Sources said 10 officials allegedly linked with the fraud have been suspended.

It was gathered that the money, which was part of the ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), was earmarked for the placement examination for public primary schools and purchase of shuttle buses to convey pupils to school.

Concerned indigenes have

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the fraud and prosecute the perpetrators.

The panel that investigated the fraud recommended that besides the 10 suspended officials, the Permanent Secretary and 10 Area Education Officers (AEOs) should also be suspended.

Sources said two of the officers earlier suspended provided information that more officials in the ministry were involved in the fraud.

The accused officers alleg-

edly opened secret accounts with two new generation banks in Akure, the state capital, which they used to siphon the money.

The alleged fraud was discovered during a retreat organised by the state government for top officials in ministries and corporations at the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in Ondo, where Governor Olusegun Mimiko directed that the AEO in Ondo West Local Government should be summoned to shed more light on the issue.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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NEWS

ACN condemns ‘poor handling’ of Chime’s illness

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HE Action Congress of N i g e r i a (ACN)yesterday condemned what it called the poor handling of the reported illness of Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime, saying it fits into the growing pattern of shrouding the health problems of elected officials in secrecy.

The party said: It calls to the need to do things properly to advance the nation’s democracy rather than personal interests.

In a statement in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Ahaji Lai Mohammed, the party also criticised the choreographed visit to Chime in London by a delegation of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), which was apparently designed to reinforce the line being peddled by Chime’s supporters rather than keep the people of the state better

By Precious Igbonwelundu

informed of the true situation of things.

It said there is no doubt that the reason behind all the shenanigans is the desperation by public office holders to hold on to power at all costs, even when it is clear that their health has failed to such a level that they are better off stepping down so they can attend to their health problems. ‘’We do not have details of what is wrong with Chime and honestly that is not the reason behind our intervention. Our concern is that the conspiracy of silence being perpetrated by the state governors who are reported to have taken ill and abandoned their duty posts, as well as their supporters especially the NGF, does not serve the interest of our democracy.

•Berates Governors’ Forum The party said:’’In the case of Chime, how can a man who is purportedly on vacation disappear for over 135 days and the people who voted him into office are not expected to ask questions? Does the Constitution provide for such a long ‘vacation’ without consequences? Is Chime’s deputy, whom he reportedly handed over to, given enough latitude to adequately preside over the affairs of the state. If not, how has this affected governance in the state? And to what extent have the people been denied the dividends of democracy by this unnecessary controversy?

The party went on: ‘’These are the issues that should be of interest to all lovers of democracy, not the antics of some Governors who are frittering

away taxpayers money by gallivanting to London to see Chime and thereafter releasing a picture showing a ‘hale and hearty’ Chime, dressed-up like a Soviet-era spook, which has now generated even more controversy. ‘’The governors said Chime is recovering well but did not say from what illness. They say he is in good shape but has not said why he has been away from his duty post for so long.

If he is so hale and hearty as they claim, let him come home and end the endless controversy over his illness. In any case, who made the governors the spokespersons for the people of Enugu state? Are they the ones who voted him into office? Do they really care how this whole controversy has af-

fected governance in Enugu state? Is this the way democracy is run in other climes?’’

ACN queried. The party said since any human being can take ill anytime, no one, especially public office holders, should be ashamed to admit his or her illness through a full disclosure and, if necessary, cede full power to those constitutionally empowered to take over. ‘’Nigeria and its democracy have yet to recover from the secrecy thrown around the illness of late President Umaru Yar’Adua and the anti-democratic antics of his ‘kitchen cabinet’. It is time we stopped this practice that only serves the purpose of those who are hell bent on clinging to power, not considering the interest of the people who voted them into office,’’ it said.

Newswatch returns

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IVE months after it was taken off the newsstands for restructuring, Newswatch, Nigeria’s premier weekly newsmagazine is back.

The 120-page preview edition of the repackaged magazine was printed in the United Kingdom and brought into the country on January 22.

Printed on 80gm part-mechanical newsprint with glossy cover, the magazine is a rdical departure from the rested edition of the 28-yearold magazine. With beautifully designed logo, inner pages, generous use of photographs and colour, the magazine compares favourably with magazines in advance economies.

A statement by its editor, Demola Abimboye said: “While Nigerians and key operators in the various sectors of the economy wait for the Monetary and Credit Policy Guidelines to be issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the preview edition of the newlook publication features a complete analysis of the 2013 budget. With the title: “Tough Year Ahead: What Budget 2013 Portends for you,” the magazine is a must read for Nigerians to prepare them for the challenges this year.

The magazine also took a look at various issues in the polity. There are rich sections ranging from Nation and Politics to Across the States, Grassroots, Metro, Defence and Security, Life and Style and Ivory Tower.

•Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi (middle), his Benue State counterpart, Gabriel Suswam (left) and Senator Mohammed Sani Saleh at the 50th African Union meeting in Adis-Ababa...yesterday.

Maduka was not sacked by CBN, says Access Bank

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HE management of Access Bank Plc has refuted the allegation that one of its former directors, Dr Cosmos Maduka, was sacked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over infringement on the rules and regulation set down by the apex bank.

A statement jointly signed by the lenders’ legal adviser, Fatai Oladipo, and its head, media relations, Segun Fafore, said contrary to the report, Dr Maduka left the board on completion of his tenure. The allegation that he was sacked was ‘spurious, baseless and a tissue of lie, the statement added.

The statement went on: “As you may be aware, Dr. Cosmas Maduka had been on the Board of Access Bank since 2000 and therefore in line with the CBN policy on Banks Directors tenure, which stipulates that no Director shall serve more than 12 years, his tenure expired and ceased to be a Director of the Bank effective December 2012, having served meritoriously in that capacity for the maximum period allowed by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Policy.”

According to Access Bank, Dr Maduka’s retirement from the bank’s board had nothing to do with the outcome of the riskbased examination of the bank that took place in September 30, 2011.

“We, therefore, find the report that he was removed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disturbing as his retirement from the board has nothing to do with the apex bank’s directive to the bank on the outcome of the risk based examination of September 30, 2011 as reported,” the statement added.

The report had insinuated that the banking watchdog had kicked Dr Maduka out of the board on the strength of a letter purportedly written by the Banking Supervision Department of the apex bank over the outcome of the risk-based examination in 2011.

Quoting from the letter, the publication had alleged: “The bank contravened section 20(1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), 1991, as amended by granting credit facilities to Westcom Group to the tune of N38.4billion, which was above its single obligor’s limit of N36.4 billion.”

2015: Crack in Jonathan’s camp as group seeks sack of Orubebe, oil Minister

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FRESH crack occurred in President Goodluck Jonathan’s camp yesterday as one of the groups seeking his re-election in 2015 demanded the removal of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The group, Goodluck Transformation Monitoring Group, played an active role in the election of the President in 2011.

It is also one of the covert groups seeking a second term mandate for Jonathan.

In a statement by its Chairman, Moses Siloko Siasia, the group accused the two ministers of not adding “marginal value” to Jonathan’s administration.

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

The statement said: “We the members of the Goodluck Transformation Monitoring Group have watched with dismay the poor performance of two of the ministers from the Niger Delta Region- Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and Godsday Orubebe, who hail from the same zone with Mr. President.

“We are sad that since their appointment as ministers since 2010, the two ministers have failed to adequately assist Mr. President in accelerating the Transformation Agenda, thereby bringing undue negative publicity to the president and his government and by exten-

sion the people of Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general.

“We are uncomfortable with the presence of the two ministers in the cabinet of Mr. President for their obvious failure to add even marginal value to the administration and the wellbeing of Nigerians thereby adding to the hardship of the people of the country.

“We, are, therefore calling for the immediate sack of the two ministers for the following reasons: “The Petroleum Minister has shown complete ineptitude and visionlessness in transforming the oil and gas industry since she was appointed minister.

“It is painful that under her supervision, Nigeria is still un-

able to know the exact quantity of oil pumped, sold and what amount is generated. Sadly too, the minister has proved to Nigerians that she does not know what quantity of PMS Nigeria imports daily and what the country is paying for.

The group also listed some allegations against Orubebe.

The statement added: “Godsday Orubebe, who has been Minister of Niger Delta since 2009, should also be shoved aside with immediate effect because he has shown clearly that he lacks the capacity and the commitment to bring about the development of the region.

“It is on record that Minister Orubebe has woefully failed to complete any single project in

the last three years of his ministerial outing, the most shameful and disastrous being the scandalous East-West Road , which is now a source of deaths and sorrow to the people of Nigeria .

“It is sad that as an indigene of the region, who should show sympathy and empathy with the suffering of the people, Orubebe has taken interest in satisfying personal interest than meet the needs of the people of the Niger Delta region and Nigeria .

“Most shameful and disappointing of Orubebe is that he lacks ideas and innovations capable of attracting investments into the region, which has suffered decades of monumental decay and deprivation.

Ex-Militant leader hits Dokubo-Asari, Ateke, others PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has received the backing of one of the key commanders of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) who accused his former ‘comrades’ of criticising the president because of ‘failed expectations.’

Chief Bibopiri Ajube, alias ‘general shoot-on-sight’ during the militant days, urged government not to succumb to the blackmail by his ‘compatriots.

Former leader of the Niger Delta peoples Volunteers Force Mujaheed AsariDokubo, Ebikabowei VictorBen (Boyloaf), Ateke Tom and Pastor Reuben have criticised the government for alleged inaction and the President’s plan to vie in 2015.

They are also urging the president to ease out some of his ministers, especially Niger Delta Minister Godsday Orubebe and Petroleum Minister Diezani AlisonMadueke, both from the Niger Delta for alleged incompetence.

But Ajube who was the operations leader of MEND in a statement at the weekend said: ‘Asari, Boyloaf, Ateke and others have lost the goodwill and character expected of leaders of freedom fighters’ He said: “I am particularly amazed at some media reports to the effect that certain leaders of the Niger Delta struggle have now resorted to smear campaign against some targeted officials of the government including Mr. President.

“In all honesty, I do not hold brief for such government officials, however, as a matter of morality and conscience, it behoves on me to put the records in proper perspective.

“To be precise, Boyloaf, Ateke Tom, Farah Dagogo and a few others either deliberately inflated the actual number of disarmed youths under them.

“Today, it is either that the boys feel cheated and vent their anger on the ordinary Niger Deltan, therely heightening insecurity in the region or they have confronted most of their leaders to the extent that they no longer go their communities. The noise about third phase amnesty is the consequence of this unfortunate development.

“As if this is not painful enough, these compatriots of mine also later became beneficiaries of the NNPC pipeline security contract. The idea of the deal was, and still remains, that all such jobless youths who did not pertake in the amnesty be meaningfully engaged.

“It is therefore very sad that people like Asari-Dokubo, Farah, Ateke and Boyloaf decided to show the failed side of leadership in this noble direction because in spite of the millions of naira paid to them by the NNPC, they refused to justify the huge payments. They are the least qualified to label anyone as fraudulent and nonperforming as they have done in the past few weeks.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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NEWS

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•Part of the crowd with Aregbesola (arrowed) acknowledging cheers during the walk... at the weekend.

Osun residents, dignitaries in seven-km walk with Aregbesola

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HOUSANDS of residents of three local governments joined Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Saturday for the ninth edition of “Walk to Live”, the government’s initiative to encourage physical exercises among the citizenry.

A representative of the Ekiti State Governor was there. So was Deputy Governor Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori.

Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Moshood

Two drown in Ibadan From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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WO middle-aged men yesterday drowned in a well in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The incident occurred at a petrol station on SangoEleyele road around 9am.

It was learnt that the first victim was hired by the owner of the filling station to clean the well.

An eyewitness said the first victim removed his clothes and entered the well, but could not come out after some minutes.

The development attracted passers-by, who gathered round the well.

It was learnt that a man in his 40s offered to rescue the victim and went into the well, but also failed to return.

The bodies of both men were later evacuated by policemen and officials of the State Fire Service.

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Adeoti; Chief of Staff Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and many others were there.

Chief Femi Akande from Okuku and former Super Eagles Coach Chief Adegboye Onigbide participated in the walk.

Scores of traditional rulers from Aagba, Inisa, Ekosin, Ororuwo, led by the Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Adedeji; the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba

Ayotunde Olabomi; the Olona of Ada, Oba Abimbola Abioye and the Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Oluronke Oyebode, were also present.

Nollywood stars also added glamour to the programme.

After a seven-kilometrewalk, which started from Ada in Boripe Local Government Area, Aregbesola addressed a crowd at the open field of the Akinorun Grammar School in Ikirun, Ifelodun Local Government Area.

He said the crowd that came to welcome him in Ikirun was “a clear testimony of the total acceptance” of his administration.

The governor said with the support and cooperation of the people, his administration would continue to initiate people-friendly policies and programmes.

He said: “The large number of people that trooped out to welcome us is a clear sign that you people still support our government. This is an

undoubted testimony that people still believe in us and our programmes and policies.

“I am promising you today that we will always put your interest at heart in discharging our responsibilities.”

Aregbesola emphasised the need for people to keep their environment clean, eat nutritious food and exercise regularly to stay healthy.

The Akinrun, who spoke on behalf of the traditional rulers, praised the administra-

Fayemi: no plan to sack workers

tion for its people-oriented programmes in all sectors.

He said ongoing road projects across the state would improve the its fortune.

Trade organisations, dressed in colourful attires, danced and walked with the governor through Ada, Iragbiji and Ikirun.

Each of the groups displayed symbols of their trade.

They said they had benefited from the grassroots development programmes and policies of the Aregbesola administration.

•383 council staff get N121m loans

E

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi has said no worker has been sacked in the ongoing audit of local government councils.

The governor spoke at the weekend on the premises of the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while disbursing cheques worth N121,150,000 as housing and car loans to 383 council workers.

He denied the rumour that some council workers were sacked, saying: “This government would rather consolidate on its enviable record of job provision and employment generation

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

than sack workers.”

Fayemi urged the people not to mistake the cleaning up of the local government system for workers’ sack.

He said: “If anybody has been discharged unjustifiably, he should report to the appropriate quarters for immediate action. This government has neither retrenched nor have the intention to do so now or later.

The ongoing staff audit should not be mistaken for retrenchment.

“The audit is to enable appropriate placement and redistribution of the

•Dr. Fayemi (left) presenting a cheque to Mr. Owoeye Rotimi...at the weekend. Watching is Mr. Adebisi.

workforce for optimal performance and eliminate those who have over-stayed in the service by falsifying their ages and through other

means.”

LGSC Chairman Ranti Adebisi said the loans are aimed at making life meaningful for workers.

He said the government would continue to ensure fairness and transparency in the selection of beneficiaries.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

9

NEWS

Varsity student, five others held for ‘kidnapping’

A

FINAL-year student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye in Ogun State, Adeyinka Adesina and five others were arrested yesterday by the police for allegedly abducting Mr. Aremu Oluwasogo from his Ijebu-Ode home.

Bode Kolawole, Seun Obakoya (27), Adesina Adeyinka, Biodun Ajomale and Segun Samuel allegedly trailed Oluwasogo from his office to his home in Iwesi quarters, Ijebu-Ode, around 8pm last Thursday and “kidnapped” him at gun point.

They allegedly took him to their hideout at Ajobo in Odeda Local Government Area.

While the suspects were working out how to collect part payment of the N25 million ransom demanded from the victim’s family, men of

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

the State Vigilance Service got wind of their hideout and alerted the police.

The police and the vigilance team stormed the suspects’ den and arrested them, freeing their captive.

Narrating his experience, Oluwasogo said the kidnappers collected his car key and forced him into the car boot before driving away.

He said: “They stopped at a filling station to fill the car tank and continued to an unknown destination. When we arrived at their den, I was tortured and asked to make a call to my family. The gang leader, Kolawole, demanded N25 million ransom.

“They threatened to kill me if my family failed to pay the ransom within 24 hours. After much pleading, they re-

duced the ransom to N5 million. I told my family to sell my house and valuables to raise the ransom.

“They tied my hand and fed me bread, soft drink and water. A member of the gang told me that their leader, who happened to be one of my customers, planned the kidnap.”

Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said: “The police noticed the gang around Odeda and followed them. We later arrested them at their hideout with the help of men of the vigilance service.

“The case will be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eleweran. We are happy to have made the arrest. This shows that the police are doing everything necessary to rid Ogun of kidnappers.”

200 OYES cadets for training in Germany

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WO hundred cadets of the Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES) have been selected to travel to Germany for a twoyear training on Agriculture and Soil Management.

Chairman of the OYES Implementation Management Committee Femi Ifaturoti spoke yesterday at a news conference marking the exit of the first batch of the scheme, tagged: “Parade of Progress”.

Ifaturoti said five cadets were in Cuba for leadership training and three in India for training on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and e-medicine.

He said three cadets participated in the manu-

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

facture of the first locally manufactured hydroturbine for electricity generation under a partnership of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the state government.

Ifaturoti said 74 cadets are in Leventis Foundation School for training in modern agricultural practices.

He said 610 cadets in the Osun Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Programme (OREAP) have started cultivating farms under a profitsharing scheme.

German envoy to partner Ekiti

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HE Consul-General of the Republic of Germany in Nigeria, Mr. Walter Von den Driesch, has said the Eight-point agenda of the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration would speed up development in Ekiti State.

He hailed the administration for creating a friendly environment for investors through its urban renewal programme.

Von den Driesch pledged his country’s support to the administration on youth empowerment and job creation.

The consul-general spoke during a meeting with stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti, the

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

state capital.

Von den Driesch said Ekiti has an atmosphere where “meaningful industrialisation can take root”.

He said he would influence private organisations in Germany to work with the state government on empowerment.

The consul-general offered to assist in the training for undergraduates of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) to make them “job providers, rather than job seekers”.

Permanent Secretary of the

Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation Kola Ajumobi intimated the consulgeneral of the administration’s programmes.

When the consul-general visited EKSU, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oladipo Aina, said the university was working towards establishing an auto-mechanic workshop to offer practical hands-on training for the engineering students.

During a visit to the Ikogosi Resort, the consul-general described Ekiti as “a peaceful state with vast natural endowment” and hailed the administration’s effort to develop tourist centres.

Alaafin's palace fire: sue PHCN, says Falana

L

AGOS lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Oyo State Government to sue the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) for the recent fire at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, which gutted 21 rooms.

He said the State Fire Service should be investigated for "not responding to the fire promptly".

Falana sympathised with the Alaafin on the incident and urged the government to insure public structures.

In a statement yesterday, the lawyer said: "A fortnight ago, a section of the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, was gutted by fire. The fire, which started around 6am on January 8, was reported to have raged uncontrollably before the arrival of fire-fighters an hour later. In the process, the inferno destroyed about 21 rooms in the ancient palace. Although no life was lost, the damage to the palace is said to be extensive.

"I join other concerned Nigerians in sympathising with

the Alaafin on the unfortunate incident. Oba Adeyemi is indeed lucky that a more beautiful and befitting palace will emerge from the rubble, as both the federal and the Oyo State governments, as well as some political leaders, have pledged to rebuild the palace.

"While the official undertaking to rebuild the palace is a demonstration of sensitivity on the part of the government, the lessons from the fire incident should not be lost on Nigerians. Since the early morning conflagration resulted from a power surge, according to palace sources, the Oyo State Government should direct the Ministry of Justice to sue PHCN for negligence.

There are cases recently decided by our courts where PHCN was made to pay colossal monetary damages in similar circumstances.

"As the fire brigade office is a stone's throw from the Alaafin's palace, the late arrival of the fire-fighters should be investigated. The criminal negligence displayed by the fire-

fighters in the circumstance should be taken up by the Oyo State Government to serve as a deterrent to other disaster management agencies.

"It is pertinent to state that in a capitalist society, the government has no business rebuilding burnt buildings, which were not insured due to the carelessness of the owners. Instead of channelling public funds to rebuilding the burnt houses of the rich, governments should ensure that all public buildings and places of monuments are insured.

"A former head of government was singing and dancing when his mansion was on fire.

He did not hesitate to announce to all and sundry that the edifice was going to be rebuilt with public funds! If the practice of assisting a few people to rebuild their burnt homes is not discontinued, governments may soon be compelled to compensate every victim of natural and man-made disasters. After all, all citizens are equal before the law and entitled to the same rights and privileges."

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

10

CITYBEATS

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World War veteran Fadoyebo remembered I

SAAC Fadoyebo was just 16 when he ran away from his home in southwest Nigeria. Then, he signed up to fight for Britain in World War II, a decision made out of youthful exuberance that saw him sent to Burma to fight. He nearly died.

Courage and luck kept him alive behind enemy lines as local farmers protected him for months until the British broke through and found him. When he returned home to Nigeria, his story and those of his fellow veterans largely fell away from the public’s mind as independence swept through the country and a devastating civil war and political unrest later followed.

Fadoyebo, who died in November at the age of 86, represents one of the last so-called “Burma Boys” in West and East Africa. On Thursday, his family and friends gathered for a final worship service and celebration of his life, as new attention has been paid to his sacrifices and those of other Africans drawn into the fighting.

“There was this allegiance to the British; we would sing ‘God Save the Queen.’ ... Those who joined the war then were of course celebrated as he-

roes, not as we were celebrating them now,” said Elizabeth Adenike Ajayi, a daughter of Fadoyebo. “But like much of Africa’s history, there wasn’t an attempt to get the history from the perspective of the Africans.”

Fadoyebo served as a medical official in the Royal West African Frontier Force, a military comprised Britain’s then-colonies of Gambia, the country that would become Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Coupled with recruits from Britain’s eastern colonies as well, authorities recruited some 500,000 Africans to fight.

Fadoyebo ran away from home and joined the force out of curiosity, the desire to have an adventure, the money that British forces paid and a “youthful exuberance,” Ajayi said.

Historians say many others joined for the same reason. Fadoyebo sailed with others around the Cape of Good Hope and toward India, later arriving in Burma, the country now known as Myanmar.

Shot in the leg and chest in battle, Fadoyebo drew the attention of Japanese soldiers who approached him with bayonets on their rifles. However, they left him alone, likely believing he’d succumb to his serious wounds. He survived, crawling to a

•The lateFadoyebo died in the 1990 peacekeeping missions to Sierra Leone and Liberia has trees growing out of the graves and overgrown bushes blocking people from entering a memorial there.

Fadoyebo ended up writing a book about his experiences. It was entitled, “A Stroke of Unbelievable Luck,” while still receiving his disability payments from the British for

his injuries into his eighties. He later was profiled as part of a documentary about Africa’s contribution to British forces during World War II, drawing new attention to his incredible story.

“It is a surprise that I survived it. It’s a miracle,” Fadoyebo told journalist Barnaby Phillips in the documentary that aired on the satellite news network Al Jazeera. “I never thought I could sur-

Police pensioners seek entitlement payment

Obalende to get facelift THE Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) and Messrs Capital Media Limited, an Outdoor Advertisement Practitioner, are working to transform the Obalende Bus Terminus as part of the state’s infrastructure renewal agenda.

Speaking on the new initiative, LASAA’s Managing Director, Mr. George Noah, said under the project, which is a public private partnership initiative, the terminus would be beautified and branded.

Noah said: “The project offers key advertising benefits for advertisers who will be willing to connect their brand to the new infrastructure. The project will parade various outdoor advertising platforms which offer a totally new experience for advertisers and commuters.

“The most striking of the project is the iconic billboard structure which combines both ultra-wave and LED technology. The iconic structure stands at a dimension of 12metres in height and 9metres width. The structures will overlook Third Mainland Bridge as well as major parts of Lagos Island.”

Capital Media Managing Director, Mr Tony Udensi said innovation and teamwork were his outfit’s key success factors.

fellow soldier still alive from Sierra Leone. Villagers later took them in and protected them for months, even though they could have been killed for aiding the African soldiers, according to accounts from him and his family.

Fadoyebo returned home to Nigeria, still then a British colony despite a growing call by nationalists for the nation’s independence. Soldiers who took part in World War II from Ghana later sparked the 1948 Accra riots, the start of the nation’s march toward independence. However, their Nigerian counterparts largely faded back into normal life as the nation gained its independence from Britain in 1960. Later that decade, some soldiers fought during the nation’s civil war that saw 1 million people killed. At that time, most of the military commanders in the nation came from a later generation.

History, however, has a way of fading quickly in Nigeria, a young nation that has seen its population boom to more than 160 million people. The British Commonwealth still pays to have a portion of a Lagos cemetery where the graves of World War II dead still lie. A Nigerian military cemetery next to it for those who

S

OME retired policemen have appealed to the National Assembly to prevail on the Police to pay their entitlements.

A retiree, Abiodun Sanni, who retired as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said he, along with others, was redeployed from the Army in 1979 to reinforce the Police, but has not been paid his entitlements since he left service in 2006.

He named the others as Tiamiyu Adeyemi, Solomon Jegede, Waheed Bello, the late Kayode Bamidele, Olawale Oludotun and Jimoh Rabiu.

Sanni said of the seven retirees, the late Bamidele and himself have neither been paid pension nor gratuity since leaving service, adding that the rest had been paid only gratuities.

According to him, those that were

By Jude Isiguzo

paid gratuities only received payments covering 25 years instead of the 35 years they put in service.

“We were all transferred from the Nigerian Army to the police and we were asked to pay back the money we collected from the army to the treasury, which we all did in order to receive our full benefits on retirement.

But to our surprise, some of us were paid for 25 years instead of the 35 years we put into police service, while others were not paid at all,” he said.

Sanni urged the National Assembly to come to their rescue and save them from hardship, lamenting that the late Bamidele, who was yet to be paid pension and gratuity, was killed in an accident recently and his family

has nothing to survive on.

He said: “One of us, Bamidele was killed by a hit-and-run driver while doing commercial motorcycle business because there was nothing he could do after retirement. Up till today, the driver of the vehicle which hit him has failed to show up and four of the victim’s children have dropped out of school because of lack of funds to pay their fees as their mother who is the only one assisting them has fallen sick and can’t do anything.”

All efforts to get the Police Pensions Office to have their papers processed, he said, have proved abortive.

“We have sent all our papers to the police Pensions Office, but have not heard from them. It has been a matter of ‘come today, come tomorrow’. The office keep telling us that our files are

•Police IG,Mohammed Abubakar still being processed but we heard nothing has been done since the police pension scam was uncovered,” he said.

‘I removed seat belt inside the lagoon’ •Man whose car plunged from Third Mainland bridge recounts ordeal THE man who drove his vehicle into the lagoon on Saturday in Lagos yesterday recounted how he found himself inside the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

Mr Olusola Oladimeji, who was discharged from the hospital in Ikeja where he was taken after being rescued by emergency workers,denied that he was on top speed and unable to control the car

when the accident occurred.

Oladimeji, a Chrstian minister, who was driving a Toyota Sienna said his survival was by the Grace of God. He said he was on his way home from work when the incident occurred. he told reporters yesterday:, “I was driving on the bridge and when I got to Ebute Meta bypass, I saw two vehicles involved in an accident but I kept on driving. I was

not driving fast and was on the side of the median not the water.

“Suddenly, everything went black, I couldn’t see anything again, I just found myself falling into the lagoon.”

Oladimeji said while inside the lagoon, he was able to loosen the seat belt.

He said, “I loosened the seat belt and noticed that one of the doors of my car had flown off so I came

out.. I swam out of the vehicle to the surface of the water even though I did not know how to swim.

“It was while I was waving my hand that fishermen saw me and quickly came to my aid.

They took me away from the scene and took me to a clinic located on the water where they administered first aid but I told them I was fine.

11

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

08033054340, 08034699757 E-mail:- ynotcitybeats@gmail.com

‘

Shot in the leg and chest in battle, Fadoyebo drew the attention of Japanese soldiers who approached him with bayonets on their rifles. However, they left him alone, likely believing he’d succumb to his serious wounds. He survived, crawling to a fellow soldier still alive from Sierra Leone. Villagers later took them in and protected them for months, even though they could have been killed for aiding the African soldiers, according to accounts from him and his family

‘

vive it. I thought I was going to die.”

Yet through it all, Fadoyebo remained humble, raising six daughters and retired from his job as a civil servant. His will calls for much of his estate to go toward establishing a clinic in the village where he grew up, Ajayi said.

“He was a focused man,” his daughter said.

Source: JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

Fire at Mile 12 market

Ibori: Seized Lekki mansion was built in 1994

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AILED former Delta State Governor James Onanefe Ibori yesterday criticised the report that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered and seized his “secret mansion” located at 5, Alpha Beach Road, Lekki, Lagos.

He claimed that because the report was credited to EFCC’s spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, “actually made it more bizarre.”

Uwujaren, had, in a statement on January 24 said the property is suspected to be one of the proceeds of money laundering for which the ex-governor was convicted in the United Kingdom.

He had added that “the attachment of the property is the fall out of continued efforts by the antigraft agency to trace, find and seize properties that were acquired with stolen funds by the former governor.”

Ibori’s Media Assistant Tony Eluemunor, in a statement yesterday, argued that the mansion could not have been secret at all as it was listed down in Asset Declaration Forms he filled in 1999, 2003 and 2007. He added that the house has never been a secret.

Ibori said: “Despite EFCC’s insinuations to the contrary, the Alpha Beach Road house was built as far back as 1994, and so could not have,

A fire broke out last night at the Mile 12 market in Lagos.

The fire started from the frozen food area. It stretched from Dada Aga Street to the side of the police station.

As at 1140pm, firemen from Ilupeju and Alausa were battling to put out the fire at the market where foodstuffs are sold.

Policemen from Alapere police station in Ketu were also on hand to keep criminals at bay some of the traders were frantically trying to rescue some of the wares.

By Eric Ikhilae

by any leap of the imagination, been built with proceeds of corrupt or not corrupt, from my office as State Governor because I began to live in that house five good years before I was voted into office.

“For the records, Chief Ibori reiterates that the house was not only built in 1994 before he became Governor, it has featured in his asset declarations. Also, Ibori has been cooperating fully with the London Metropolitan Police since the preliminary stages of the confiscation process began, in line with the United Kingdom Criminal Justice Act (CJA) of 1988, so he does not see why the house has become an issue – especially as Nigeria has surrendered her jurisdictional sovereignty to Britain.

He went on: “Most of all, the house in question could never have been new to the EFCC as it was mentioned in one of those sponsored and politically motivated petitions (to the Code of Conduct Bureau) against Ibori in November 2006.

“Details about that petition featured in the print and electronic media. So, even if EFCC never saw that house listed in Ibori’s Asset Declaration Forms, the agency could not have been totally blind

•Ibori and deaf to those cacophonous November 2006 mentions of the house in both the print and electronic media.

“It is likely that the same political persecutors who were relentlessly after Ibori even by 2006, and who sponsored that baseless petition then, are still the ones behind this claim that EFCC, like a later day Mungo Park, has just discovered the River Niger,” the statement said.”

Well, Nigerians should note that this is one more evidence that what Ibori has faced, and is still facing even after he has been sentenced, is just political persecution,” Eluemunor, said.

Foundation empowers 700

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O fewer than 700 less-privileged Nigerians have been assisted to enjoy a new lease of life. They got various items from a faith-based charity organisation, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation (ZSF) yesterday.

United States’ Consul General, Lagos, Mr Jeffery Hawkins, one of the special guests on the occasion, praised the organisation for helping people to live a worthy life.

Hawkins said: “No one knows the need of average Nigerians better than organization like this; that is why we would like to partner with them to reduce poverty in the society.”

Apart from cheques, other empowerment materials worth N35 million given out to the beneficiaries in Lagos, included sewing machines, tri-cycles (Keke Marwa), grinding machines, wheel chairs, deep freezers, clutches, refrigerators and electricity generating set.

Speaking further, Hawkins said the role of charitable organisations is germane to helping the government to empower the people.

The Foundation’s Executive Director, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib explained: “The gesture is part of our contributions to creating an enabling environment, boost our economy to make it more productive, to provide qualitative and quantitative educational and medical supports for the teeming and rising youth population in the country.”

Shuaib decried the poor living standard in the country with unemployment

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By Jeremiah Oke

A

MAGISTRATE court has adjourned till March 1, the alleged certificate forgery case against a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate, Busari Ayinde Kola, in the October 25, 2011 council election The matter, which came up for hearing last Friday, was adjourned following the absence of Magistrate F.O Aighokhaevbo, of the Igbosere Magistrate Court in Lagos.

He was said to be on official assignment.

Lead Counsel to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Mr. David Adeyemi told reporters that he was ready for the trial before the adjournment.

Busari was arraigned before the court on a four-count charge of forgery and two-count charge of perjury on December 14 last year.

Book on Tinubu for launch A BOOK entitled “Financialism – Water from a Dry Well” written on the National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be launched in Nigeria on February 21.The launching would hold at Eko Hotels and suites.

A 6-man committee has been set up, comprising Mr. Olawale Edun, Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje, Mr. Brian Browne, Mr. Jide Sanwo Olu, Mr. Shobowale and Mr. Sunday Dare.

Hawkins (second right) presenting a Tri-cycle to Mukaila Aderoju, one of the beneficiaries. With them are (from right) Imam Shuaib; Prince Olagunju and the foundation’s Administrative Secretary Mallam Ma’aruf Ahmed... yesterday.

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

on the increase and thus gave room to unemployed youth to engage in reckless activities that is threatening the country’s collective destiny.

“The challenges, he said, require all hands to be on deck now,” adding: “The Foundation’s aim is to give hope and raise the spirit of the less-privileged people and assure them that there is a place they can turn to for assistance when the need

arises.”

Shuaib added that the Foundation was out to help the rich to enrich the poor, to cater for and touch people’s lives and to benefit humanity in general.

Speaking earlier, the Foundation’s Chairman, Prince Sulayman Olagunju said: “The occasion is an avenue to showcase the good work of our Foundation, render account of how Zakat funds are being disbursed, who the beneficiaries are and

some of the challenges we face among others.”

In his sermon, Director, World Assembly Muslim Youth (WAMY) Sheikh Shamy An-Nushi El-Shamy reminded that “it is un-Islamic for a Muslim to be comfortable while his neighbour wallows in abject poverty,” therefore challenging all Muslims to collaborate with the Foundation with a view to alleviating suffering of humanity.”

Lagos to implement 27.5 per cent teacher’s pay HE Lagos State Government has agreed to implement the 27.5 per cent Teachers Salary Structure, according to Mr Momodu Braimah, the secretary, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

Braimah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview yesterday that there was hope for teachers in Lagos.

“Lagos State Government has assured teachers that the new salary structure will be implemented in our January payment,” Braimah said, adding that there would be no need for the teachers to go on strike since the government is ready to comply with the agreement.

The NUT nationwide had given states

PDP candidate’s alleged forgery case for March 1

until January 31 to pay the 27.5 per cent salary increase, but 18 out of them are yet to implement the pay.

On September 24, last year, teachers in Lagos went on one-day strike over the non-implementation of the agreement. The strike was suspended after acceptance by Governor Babatunde Fashola agreed to meet the teachers’ demand this January.

The 27.5 per cent increase in teachers’ salary was approved in 2008 and implemented by 17 states.

LASAA partners Capital Media to transform Obalende Bus Terminus.

The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) has

signed a Public Private Partnership agreement with Capital Media Limited, an Outdoor Advertisement outfit, for the redesign of Obalende Bus Terminus.

The partnership, according to a statement signed by LASAA’s Corprate Affairs Manager, Temitope Akande, will bring world class advertising and outdoor infrastructure to Obalebde as part of government’s renewal agenda.

Speaking on the new initiative, the Managing Director of LASAA, Mr. George Noah, noted that the project will see the entire bus terminus improved with the complement of various branding opportunities.

Noah stated that “the project offers key advertising benefits for advertisers who will be willing to connect their brand to the new infrastructures”. He explained further that “the project will provide a parade of various outdoor advertising platforms which offers a totally new experience for advertisers and commuters.”

According to Noah, a striking feature of the initiative is the 12 metres by 9 metres billboard, which will combine the ultra wave and LED technologies to project adverts across the Third Mainland Bridge and other major parts of Lagos Island.

Road show for youth employment holds

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NATIOWIDE road show targeted at the employment of youths will begin on Thursday at Law School complex of the University of Nigeria, Nnsuka (UNN), Enugu Campus.

The show, tagged: “Empower Nigeria”, is being promoted by Anabel Leadership Academy.

It is designed to sharpen the creative skills of millions of Nigerians across the country with the skills and prevent them from chasing nonexistence jobs in blue chip companies.

The academy recently hosted the first Nigeria Leadership Summit, in which more than 3000 delegates participated to fashion out a new direction in leadership for the country.

The “Empower Nigeria” conference is an off-shoot of that summit with a more practical approach to inform, educate and motivate youths in different parts of the country.

Expected as speakers Southeast zonal conference are: Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Chief Executive Osita Chidoka, Special Adviser to the President on Technical Matters and Secretary to the Subsidy Reinvestment Program (SURE-P) Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, Special Assistant to the President on Jobs Creation Ms Josephine Washima and the Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Dr Sam Amadi,among others.

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 28, 2013

12

NEWS Demarcate Ebonyi, Cross River boundary, says Ndoma-Egba From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

S

ENATE Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba has called on the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to properly demarcate the boundary between Amagu people in Ebonyi State and their Adadama neighbours in Cross River State.

This, he said, is to forestall incessant clashes between the two communities.

In a statement by his Media Adviser, Sam Arikpo, NdomaEgba, who represents Cross River Central, where Adadama falls, condemned the resort to violence each time there was a disagreement between the communities.

He said they did not exhaust all avenues of dialogue before going to ‘war’. Ndoma-Egba appealed to them to lay down their arms as their approach would retard progress and development.

The Senate Leader described the alleged attack on Adadama community by Amagu indigenes as barbaric, especially at a time Cross River State was trying to develop its rural communities.

He advised stakeholders in Ikwo Local Government in Ebonyi State and their counterparts in Abi Local Government in Cross River State to find a solution to the conflict.

The Senate Leader appealed to the people of Adadama to avoid any reprisal attack.

He called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide the Adadama people with relief materials.

One killed in Cross River car crash

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NE person was killed in a crash at the weekend on the Odukpani axis of the Calabar-Itu Road.

A car with registration number, Lagos ML854 KJA, rammed into a stationary truck.

The deceased, an unidentified young man, was a passenger in the vehicle, which was said to be coming from Obubra.

Five others, including the driver, were injured in the accident, which occurred at 7am.

The truck, with registration number, Akwa Ibom XA 304 AED, was said to have been abandoned after it developed mechanical faults on Friday.

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the police were on the scene.

A survivor, Ms Blessing Osim, said she boarded the vehicle at Ugep.

She said when she got in, the young man was sitting in front with another girl.

“I do not know where he entered but the vehicle came from Obubra,” she said.

Ms Osim said the accident happened during a rain, which caused poor visibility.

She said the driver was on top speed.

“The driver did not see that the truck was parked

here until he got close to it.

But he could not stop the vehicle,” she said.

Ms Osim said the vehicle had five passengers, adding that the girl sitting in front with the deceased had a deep cut on her forehead while the driver sustained the same injury.

It was gathered that few minutes after the accident,

the vehicle was ransacked by hoodlums.

It was learnt that some items were stolen from the pockets of the deceased, making it difficult for FRSC officials to identify him.

State Sector Commander Yusuf Salami said the driver was on top speed.

Salami also said the vehicle was over loaded.

Ezekwesili advises youths

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N ex-Vice-President of the World Bank, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has said democracy is not complete, until citizens begin to participate in political activities.

She said such participation would create a platform for

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

Nigerians to demand accountability and good governance from their leaders, especially public office holders.

Mrs Ezekwesili, who is also a former Education Minister, spoke in Port Harcourt at the Open City Ideas and Innovation Conference.

She said it was not enough for youths to depend on their talents without showing interest in governance.

Mrs Ezekwesili said: “The citizens must understand that only the country’s success can guarantee their success.

“You can be the best brand manager or even productively engage your talents but you will be limited by a failing Nigeria.”

Governor Rotimi Amaechi reiterated his administration’s commitment to transforming the state.

Amaechi, who was represented by Commissioner for Information and Communications Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said his administration places emphasis on human capital development.

The Chief Executive Officer of Sahara Energy Resources, Tonye Cole, said the youths possessed the power to determine who would lead the country.

Dickson donates land to Muslims

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HE Bayelsa State Government has donated a piece of land to the Muslim community to enable them build a mosque in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Governor Seriake Dickson announced the donation when a delegation of Muslim leaders visited him at the Government House.

The governor, who also promised to provide a bus, said the government would not only make the land available but support the Ummah in building a central mosque.

Dickson directed the Commissioner for Lands and Survey to map out the area in accordance with the city’s master plan.

The governor said: “All humanity is one, if God had chosen to make all of us adherents of one religion, He would have done so without our asking.

“We are all children of God regardless of the religion you practise.”

The leader of the delegation, Alhaji Abdulrahman Zikiye Enewari, praised the Dickson-led administration for its efforts at promoting security, infrastructural development as well as transparency in governance.

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NEWS

•Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Obateru Akinruntan (left), speaking at a book launch at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). With him are former board member, Central Bank of Nigeria, Chief Samuel Amoye, representative of the UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Omololu Soyombo and the author, Dr. Abiola Loto.

•From left: Mufti, Conference of Islamic Organisations, Sheikh Dhikrullahi Shafi’i, Director, Muslim Awareness International (MAI), Mallam Luqman Balogun and Vice-Chairman, Council of Ulamau Sheikh AbdulFatai Thanni during the Aqsa Day organised by MAI at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

•Executive Director, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation (ZSF), Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaib speaking at the Eighth annual Zakat Distribution Ceremony (ZDC) at Syrian Club, Ikoyi, Lagos...yesterday.

With him are United States' Consul General, Lagos Mr Jeffery Hawkins (left) and Head, PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN Human Rights, Consulate General, Lagos Mr Ben Lazarus .

•Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson (left) reviewing the guard of honour mounted by a detachment of the Police on his arrival from a two-week vacation at the Government House in Yenagoa.

•Director-General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi, addressing a safety compliance conference for private schools at the Banquet Hall, Island Club, Lagos. With her are Safety Ambassador, Mrs. Omoboye Alebiosu (left) and Assistant Director, Lagos State PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL. Safety Commission, Mrs. Ronke Odeneye.

•From left: President, Paediatric Association of Nigeria, Dorothy Esangbedo, Paediatric Consultant, Agozie Ubezie and External Relations Manager, Procter and Gamble Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Adebusola Odanubi at a news conference on Pampers Production in Enugu

•R-L: Prince Remi Adejuwon, Sola Sholaja, an engineer, Prince Richard Olawale, Prince Bayo Olayisade, Prince Babatope Akinyele, Prince Deji Kosoko, Prince Akinyele and Mr Tayo Bamgboye at the 80th birthday of Olori Sabainah Adeyeni Olayisade at the Ekiti Parapo High School, Ido-Ekiti.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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COMMENTARY EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

Mint-fresh fraud •The Mint is not a place where we can tolerate stealing

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LTHOUGH corruption has become a national problem, with almost every aspect of our lives compromised, there are some institutions that we expect should have zero tolerance for it. One of these is the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Ltd (NSPMC), otherwise known as the Mint.

Located in both Abuja and Lagos, the Mint prints the country’s banknotes, postal orders as well as stamps.

These are sensitive functions that require utmost honesty. Unfortunately, the cankerworm of corruption has infested the organisation, with allegations of fraud rocking it. At least about N2.1 billion reportedly disappeared from its vaults last month, prompting the House of Representatives to set up a probe panel to investigate it, after considering a motion sponsored by 61 legislators. Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Albert Sam-Tsokwa, led the debate on the matter.

Perhaps what is equally curious is the fact that no one knows exactly by how much the institution has been defrauded.

According to Sam Tsokwa: “We are disturbed that there has been conflicting information on the actual amount of money declared missing. While the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it was about N2 billion, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) has claimed that the amount was N1.5 million, and the media adviser to the managing director claimed that the actual amount missing was N900,000.

It is saddening that this is happening in the Mint, which once was a place that many fresh graduates longed to work.

The pay was good, things were done professionally such that people accounted not only for finished products but also wastes, and no one involved in production was allowed to go home unless figures tallied.

All these appear to have gone with the winds, given the rate at which fraud is being perpetrated in the organisation nowadays. At least 70 of its members of staff have been sacked in the Lagos office alone over fraud-related matters in recent times. Last September, one of them was allegedly caught with N1.5million, being his share of stolen money from the Lagos office. Some reports even alleged that in the last audit of the organisation, over 750,000 pieces of unfinished notes estimated at about N371million were alleged to be missing.

What is obvious is that there are security breaches in the Mint. And that is why both the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) whose governor is the chairman of its board, and the House of Representatives, have set up committees to investigate the circumstances that made such thefts possible.

Even as we await the findings of both panels, one other thing that we cannot gloss over is the fact that welfare matters have been relegated in the organisation, compared to what used to obtain. This is evident in the high staff turnover as well as the inability of the organisation to honour its obligations to its retirees, some of whom were there a few days ago on appointment, only to be told to come back for their entitlements. These do not augur well for an organisation where trust is essential for optimum performance.

It is unfortunate that the Mint has be-

come a victim of a national malaise in which there is no connection between what people do and the reward. Otherwise, some of its junior staff would not have been caught with the huge amounts they were alleged to have stolen. Perpetual injection into the economy of such cash not backed by productivity is part of the crises that the country is facing today.

Unfortunately, nobody takes responsibility for the crimes against the state and hardly is anyone punished.

We know we have sunk to the extent that people are no longer shocked by the amount of money stolen, no matter how huge, but we should not allow this to be the norm, especially in a sacred organisation like the Mint. We welcome the investigations into the NSPMC’s affairs and hope that they would be thorough and productive. If the Mint is not safe, where then can be safe?

‘We know we have sunk to the extent that people are no longer shocked by the amount of money stolen, no matter how huge, but we should not allow this to be the norm, especially in a sacred organisation like the Mint. We welcome the investigations into the NSPMC’s affairs and hope that they would be thorough and productive. If the Mint is not safe, where then can be safe?’

Okah’s conviction •The lessons of speedy justice dispensation have been taught Nigeria from S/Africa AST week, the media feasted on the news that Henry Okah, Nigerian militant leader, has been convicted by a South African court, for masterminding the 2010 Nigeria’s 50th Independence Day car bombing that killed 12 people and left several others injured.

The interesting news was not only Okah’s conviction but the promptness of that country’s judicial system. Okah’s commendably speedy trial took three months: October, 2012 to January, 2013.

Justice Neels Claassen, presiding judge at the Johannesburg High Court convicted Okah on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit terrorism, to detonating explosives, and concluded that “… the state proved beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused.”

Okah’s antecedents in terrorism gave

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‘The Nigerian justice dispensation train has increasingly become an embarrassment.

What explanation can be given to defend the fact that Okah’s brother and two others, facing trial for a similar case can still not predict when their trial will come to an end?

Their trial, which started before that of Okah in South-Africa, is still foot-dragging in the country’s court’

him up because he was as far back as 2007 arrested on gun-running charges in Angola. He was transferred to Nigeria in 2008, but was never convicted. Okah was released after two years under an amnesty for oil militants, and returned to South Africa, where he has been living since 2003.The conviction has clearly shown that South Africa is no haven for international terrorists.

The Nigerian justice dispensation train has increasingly become an embarrassment. What explanation can be given to defend the fact that Okah’s brother and two others, facing trial for a similar case can still not predict when their trial will come to an end? Their trial, which started before that of Okah in South-Africa, is still foot-dragging in the country’s court.

James Ibori, former Delta State governor, who was jailed by a UK court even when the crime was committed in Nigeria would still have been standing trial, were he to still be in the country.

Unfortunately, things seem to be getting worse in the country’s justice dispensation train. It is in this country that Ebenezer Egwuekwe, 62, aka Otokoto, from Imo State, spent 16 years behind bars before he could get justice at the appellate court. Apart from being slow, the justice chain is highly ineffective - a systemic rot that has been routinely overlooked by constituted authority. Otherwise, we expect that the killers of Bola Ige, late Minister of Justice and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, killed over a decade ago, should have been found.

Several other notable Nigerians and even uncountable number of other citizens have been killed without any trace of their killers. Due to avoidable systemic fault, those criminals still move freely in the society, wreaking more havoc in the process.

While it has taken the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) the judgment in South Africa, to wake up from its deep slumber to belatedly realise the need for judiciary overhaul, we state that the refit has for long been overdue. The criminal justice system is a long chain comprising the police, the prison and the court. Except the major components of this chain become refined and reformed, it would not be long before the people lose complete interest in the judiciary, nay the criminal justice system.

When that happens, it would be an open invitation to anarchy.

The NBA and other stakeholders should speak out and positively act more to correct this anomaly because many of its members, through odious professional tactics, contribute largely to bringing the judiciary into disrepute.

We call on Justice Maryam Aloma Mukhtar, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), to quickly unfold her reform agenda for the judiciary. However, the criminal justice system would be better off if the professional delinquency of counsel, impunity of judges and tyrannical deceits of policemen can be stopped immediately.

Band of brothers and sisters The decision to allow women to serve in combat reflects our times, and military reality.

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ECRETARY of Defense Leon E. Panetta’s decision to rescind restrictions on women in combat is being compared to President Harry Truman’s order to end racial segregation in the armed services (which took years to implement) and Congress’ vote in 2010 to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that allowed for the expulsion of openly gay service members. But in some ways Panetta’s decision is even more significant than those earlier actions.

Although regulations excluding women from ground combat units date back only to 1994, the practice long predates those rules and reflects notions about differences between the sexes that until recently were almost universally held across a variety of cultures. Panetta’s decision would have been inconceivable had it not been for the larger emancipation women have achieved in the civilian workplace, in access to education and in their personal lives.

It also reflects changes that already have occurred in the military. Politicians routinely refer to the “brave men and women in our armed forces,” and for good reason. As Panetta pointed out in announcing the new policy, women now account for 15% of service members. During the last decade, 61 female service members were killed in action in Iraq and 23 were killed by the enemy in Afghanistan. To a great extent, the idea that women have not been involved in combat operations has been a legal fiction. At the same time, the fact that women have been “attached to” or “co-located with” combat units rather than officially assigned to them has made it harder to achieve promotions.

The new policy has its critics. Some worry that the Pentagon is purporting to repeal biology by ignoring the fact that, in general, men are physically stronger than women. But Panetta indicated that there will be no weakening of physical requirements for strenuous assignments. It may be that some “gender-neutral” physical qualifications will disproportionately exclude women; that is no reason to discriminate against those who can meet the standard.

Other arguments against women in combat are rooted in psychology, such as the notion that the presence of women would undermine “unit cohesion” (the same argument was made about openly gay soldiers) or former Sen. Rick Santorum’s suggestion that chivalrous male comrades would neglect their mission because of “the natural instinct to protect someone that’s a female.”

The best refutation of those arguments is the experience of men and women who have served together in Iraq and Afghanistan, a band of brothers and sisters that made Panetta’s action both possible and necessary.

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

• Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

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• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •Chief Internal Auditor Toke Folorunsho •Senior Manager (sales) Akeem Shoge

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: Shaped by discrimination and bias, the society, especially in the Third World, has dealt the girl-child a rough blow even before birth. In her journey through life, the girl-child, when lucky enough to be spared, undergoes a lot of harrowing experiences ranging from early marriage, low level of schooling exposure to violence, HIV infection, maternal death and Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF).

Although child marriage is against the law in many countries including Nigeria, it is estimated that about 51 million girls are forced into early marriages world-wide.

Invariably, these early marriages deny girls the opportunity for quality education in addition to depriving them of their childhood.

Among the more than 10 million children not in school, approximately 40% are girls.

In Nigeria, women and girls constitute 60% of the illiterate population. Also, most young wives are burdened by growing up responsibilities, household chores, rearing of children, and consequently do not get a chance to interact with their peers or carry on friendships outside the household. This put them in a state of complete dependency on their husbands.

As a result of the age gap existing between the child brides and their spouses, they are often exposed to domestic violence and other forms of abuse. Today, of all girls and women’s fears, that of being raped is the darkest. The rape epidemic in our society reflects the extent to which women’s and girls’ (human) rights are being violated. It has

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Protecting the girl-child gone so bad that minors, as young as 4 years old, are now being raped with resultant effect of preventing the victims from socializing or settling down later in the future.

Experiences have shown that investments in girls’ education translate directly and quickly into poverty reduction, better health care, better nutrition for the whole family and better overall economic performance. Therefore, one of the best strategies for protecting the

girl child is to improve her access to good quality primary and secondary education. By the time she leaves the secondary school she would have been armed with some basic knowledge on how to cope and interact with the opposite sex and the challenges of child rearing. Elimination of gender gaps in school enrolment should be top priority.

Public awareness should also be created about the dangers inherent in child marriages. Citizens also

have to report cases of gender based violence to the police. Machinery should be put in motion to provide support for girls who are victims of early marriages and gender based violence by providing them with options for schooling through part- time or evening classes and in some cases skill acquisition programmes to empower them to be self reliant. Rehabilitation homes should also be built for them for their protection and psychologi-

What to do about LASSA fever

IR: Lassa fever is an extremely fatal, viral hemorrhagic illness named after Lassa town (in the Yedseram River Valley) in Borno State where it originated in the year 1969. It then spread through West African countries. The virus enters through the bloodstream of the human body, lymph vessels, respiratory tract, and/or digestive tract and can be transmitted to human beings following contamination of broken skin or with the urine droppings of rats that live around homes in rural areas of endemic countries.

Its symptoms are nausea, bloody

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vomit, bloody diarrhoea, stomach ache, constipation, hearing deficit, seizures, swallowing difficulty, cough, chest pain, and meningitis, among others. Usually patients who will survive begin to defervesce two to three weeks after onset of disease but patients who have greatest risk of dying usually develop shock, agitation and sometimes grand seizures.

This kind of disease usually occurs more in the dry season than in the rainy season and it becomes dangerous when the fever is delayed and the symptoms are ignored, hence, the need for immedi-

ate check-up and treatment when any of these symptoms are noticed.

It is also advised that environments are kept clean this season especially as the heat wave has started to resurface.

As of January 16, a case of this dreadful disease, Lassa fever, causing three deaths, was confirmed in Benue State. Acting on this, the Federal Ministry of Health donated 4,500 doses of both Ribavirin and Virazole tablets including intravenous drugs to the Benue State government to control the spread of the fever in the state. The warning given by the National Emergency

ACN/CPC merger is hope for new Nigeria

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IR: If everything goes as planned with the proposed merger between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Nigeria may be on the way to greatness from 2015.

An attempt was made in 2011 to confront the arrogance and impunity of the ruling party, PDP but the efforts were not sufficient to checkmate the moles and blacklegs who put spanners in the works. That inability to drive the merger got Nigeria into another big mess for another four years. We have been paying the price of our lack of commitment since 2011.

ACN has put together a 19-man

cal rejuvenation for renewal of interaction with the public. An example that readily comes to mind is the one put in place by the Lagos State government at Ipaja for the rehabilitation of victims of domestic violence, Efforts should be intensified to provide sexual and reproductive health services in form of counselling on family planning methods, safe sex and protection from HIV infection. More funds should be made available for corrective surgeries for victims of VVF. It is imperative for policy-makers to bear in mind that the worth of a nation is measured by the number of its empowered girls and not the amount of money in its foreign reserve.

• Biliqis Bakare Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

committee of decent men and women to work with committees of the other parties to produce a blueprint for the real merger. There is little doubt about the potentials of this merger that is leaving the PDP deeply troubled.

After 16 years of confused and inept leadership, Nigeria needs a change of leadership to move forward. After 16 years of waste, we need real men among men to be in the driver’s seat. After 16 years of foolishness and selfishness in governance at the highest level in Nigeria, Nigerians need a break. Nigeria needs a recreation. Nigeria needs reinvention. Nigeria needs rehabilitation for it has been

wrecked in 16 years of recklessness, corruption, impunity and incompetence.

Let the committee members of the various opposition parties realise that Nigeria is at cross roads and therefore make conscious and spirited efforts to make their own history.

Mindful of the need to sustain the argument that history remembers only the winners and that leaders make decisions that create the future they desire, I urge the committee members to declare war on those who throw big stones on the project Nigeria. Men among men who can make the difference here in Nigeria are not in short supply. They live with us.

They see our problems and they have

solutions to those problems. History beckons on them. More than half of the country’s eligible voters do not vote because they do not believe in the process. They are undecided voters. The people get the kind of leaders they deserve. In 2015 Nigerians must take a stand for change. All must endorse the merger plan for the change that we all need. Yes, real endorsement is the right word. We must be mindful that this is our last chance to pull the chestnut out of a raging fire and we cannot afford to miss this golden opportunity. We will continue to suffer the rule of idiots if we fail again to do what is right.

• Joe Igbokwe Lagos

Management Agency in 2012 against possible outbreak of diseases such as cholera, Lassa fever, measles and other skin diseases as a result of the recent flooding that ravaged most states of the federation, readily comes to mind. With the agency’s constant awareness of Lassa fever on its social media platforms, it is really up to everyone to decide whether or not Lassa fever should continually be a threat or not.

Lassa virus affects approximately 100,000 to 300,000 people in West Africa so we need to be more vigilant and precautious when it comes to the surroundings and littering of the environment. Even if it’s not close to your home, the mindset of “It’s not mine, it’s yours, so why should I care?” should be stopped; we should help each other fight this disease. Keep rodents out of homes and food supplies so that they do not leave droppings on the food; maintain personal hygiene, cover food properly, trap the rats/rodents and keep the home clean. The advantage of sterilizing equipments cannot be over-emphasized in this case and most importantly, for everyone, especially doctors, when in contact with an infected person, wear gloves, masks, laboratory coats, and goggles. Besides, cleanliness is next to Godliness.

• Ojo Adetola National Emergency Management Agency, Abuja.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

COMMENTS

Sanusi, are you killing the banking sector?

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O far, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has emerged as the most controversial Governor the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ever had. More than any of his predecessors, he seems to have been demonstrating supremacy that suits his will beyond the purpose of his office and the benefit of the citizenry.

Last week, it was reported that CBN has set new deposit limits for all categories of account holders and introduced three-tier Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for banks.

The new policy is creating three levels of depositors and what would be allowed as deposits. It nails the newly-created Low Value Account to a maximum single deposit of N20,000 and maximum cumulative balance of N200,000. For its tagged Medium Value Account which is on Level Two, N50,000 will be the maximum single deposit while the maximum cumulative balance would not be permitted to go beyond N400,000. But for the wealthy who would be operating the Level Three High Value Account, the cumulative account would be unlimited – no ceiling for what could be deposited.

Talk of controversial banking policies, Sanusi’s administration has been terrific. As soon as he assumed office, in his bid to reform the banking sector, he knocked out some hitherto seemingly flourishing top bankers, especially his perceived adversaries.

Many hailed him then for the daring steps. But today, the positive impact of his banking reformation on the nation’s economy remains debatable.

Before long, Sanusi pronounced his intention to integrate Islamic banking into the nation’s system. After a prolonged roar, the policy became

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dormant, and still remains sleeping till date. Soon, he came up with cashless policy, with Lagos as starting point. Today, the workability of the guiding principle can hardly be branded as remarkable accomplishment. Not long ago, it was his pushed idea of N5,000 currency note and coins that started rocking the already battered nation. Many regarded it as elitist policy that would further ruin the long devastated naira. The presidency had to step in to suspend the

distracting controversy. It still remains shelved even after it was believed contracts for printing the constitutionally unapproved currency note had been awarded.

As if Sanusi was appointed to stir controversies in all forms, one day he came into his corporate office in his traditional chieftaincy regalia, showcasing his dream to replace the incumbent alive and well Emir of Kano who was attacked by terrorists few weeks ago. Shortly before the heartrending incident that has now taken the Emir and his injured princes out of the country, the CBN boss openly advocated the outlaw of notable religious and regional groups like CAN, JNI, ACF, Afenifere and so

on. How such ban would transform the baking sector he is heading remains inexplicable and puzzling.

As if all these diversionary tendencies of the contentious banker were not enough, he has now again brought forth a horrific policy at the wrong time when the people are groaning in penury. First, why should bank customers be categorized based on their savings? Is he working to widen the already diversified class gap and create a new class war? Why limiting only the low and medium value customers, leaving the high value category where he belongs unlimited? Did Sanusi think many are earning his level of fat salaries and allowances? How many non-

Yes, please fight demons and cabals

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ROFESSOR Chinedu Nebo, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka says he is ready to go into spiritual war against the many demons and cabal sabotaging the nation’s power sector. This was the assurance he gave the Senate as a nominated minister, preferably to take charge of the Power Ministry where Prof.

Barth Nnaji was recently flushed out.

He declared he would launch spiritual warfare against those frustrating the essential power sector that keeps dragging the nation and the economy down.

Prof. Nebo did not sound as a greenhorn. Aware of the challenge facing the nation, he was quoted: “In this country, some highly placed people are believed to be witches responsible for the problems in our power sector; I believe God will give me the power to chase out these demons.” First was his recognition of the banana peels that swept of Prof. Nnaji in spite of his commendable professionalism; second was also that the sector is not working because of the exasperating selfish

HILE working on the official data released last year by the police on the serial killings taking place in Kano State, which stated that between March and June 2012, a total number of 45 people were killed by bikeriding gunmen, another sad news filtered in.

Gunmen, the news report stated, riding motorcycles, stormed Dakata area of Kano and shot dead five people. This January alone, a conservative estimate shows at least 21 people were killed by gunmen on motor bikes.

Apart from being antithetical to ideal city transport system, the environmental hazards and dangers the trade poses to the health of the rider and the passenger, the bike is now used by hoodlums — given its runaway pliability — to kill innocent people.

But Nigerians seem to be at home with the country’s underdevelopment. We loathe changes but love development. We seem so averse to progressive changes, yet we always yearn for changes. We are good at making comparison with advanced countries on issues of development or sanity, yet any attempt by leaders to bring sanity into the system is criticized by the same critics of underdevelopment.

Any leader who is not progressive in his approach in this age, he is, obviously, doomed for failure. Our social system is ailing. It is the responsibility of a leader to provide the antidote or required pills needed to relieve the indisposed system — however bitter the pills may taste.

While some people wrongly argue that Kano State government is alienating the people’s “rights to movement” (as if government has banned motorcycles completely) as ‘guaranteed’ by the constitution, they blink over the fact that the right to life is also guaranteed under section 33 (1) of the 1999 constitution. “Every person,” says the 1999 constitution, “has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life save in the execution of a sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria”.

That aside, the responsibility of securing the life and welfare of the citizenry rests squarely on the government. This truism is boldly highlighted by section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 constitution which states: “The security and welfare of the people shall be the PRIMARY purpose of government”. (Emphasis mine).

Now, how will you score a leader who makes no effort to discharge his PRIMARY purpose? In a serious clime, failure to do this can spark impeachment sessions in the legislative chambers.

Until the late 80s (some say early 90s), Nigerians never knew achaba/okada, and the transport system was less chaotic as it is today. We boarded taxis and buses in those days and nothing happened to us. Where, in any advanced society, is achaba/

interest of some people called “highly placed.”

Significantly was his spiritual trust in God’s ability to overcome the demonic activity being manipulated against the glory of a nation originally destined for greatness. Demons are lovers of darkness. It is in it that they hide to destroy the good of the land. The “highly placed” witches Nebo referred to are the prime corrupt leaders in and out of government, using their positions and links to scoop the nation’s treasury. Failure of the power sector that has kept the nation’s economy depressed has been source of wealth to the business and government witches – which is why they manipulate sustenance of the people in destitution. It is encouraging that he knows he needs Divine support to flush them out.

Nebo was wise by not hastily assuring, like others before him, uninterrupted power supply, if appointed as power minister. He asserted the need to first have full knowledge of what is on ground in the sector before making proclamation of when

light would begin to shine upon the darkened nation. Recall the tenureship of late Chief Bola Ige who, with his determined heart, was unable to make any meaningful impact in the power sector under Obasanjo administration.

Beyond fighting the power cabal, Nebo’s optimism is that the power reform programme of the Jonathan administration would only turn around the sector if implemented to a logical conclusion. To him, “we need the political will to do so.”

Truly, if President Goodluck Jonathan could just make the power sector his focus and ensure the accomplishment of bringing uninterrupted light across the nation to the level of what was being enjoyed in neighbouring Ghana since more than two decades, he might need less sweat in his campaign for re-election. This is what could give practical meaning to his transformation agenda.

Aftrall, we now know that Nigerians appreciate impactful efforts of whosoever performs well while in power.

corrupt civil servants will have N200,000 as cumulative? This is a blatant discrimination against the poor.

To the average Nigerian, this complicating policy is hard to comprehend and amounts to nothing as it would only make more people keep their monies at home in contention with the same administration’s yet-unworking cashless policy. The argument that the proposed deposit limits will reduce the risk of money laundering and financing of terrorism is hollow and dismal. The reality is that the common Nigerian will continue to suffer incalculable hardship in banking operations which will favour only those who become big as beneficiaries of the nation’s flapping corruption.

It is obvious that it is only the moneybag politicians, public servants and business tycoons that have money to launder. A truly devoted CBN administration ought not to think of widening the gap between the idle rich and the maneuvered poor. It should focus more on rational policies that will improve the standard of living of the people. Actualising CBN’s position that small scale enterprises should not benefit financial support from banks because of the nation’s poor infrastructure will only tie the economy down the miry valley. Rather than help to re-build the nation’s economy, coming up with weird and outlandish economic theories and policies amount to protecting self interest, leaving the masses to continue suffering in the midst of plenty.

Since Sanusi is not the Finance, National Planning or Trade and Investment Minister, he should be counseled to pay more attention to his obliged official responsibilities without propelling unrewarding controversies. He should not be allowed to kill the weakened banking sector by discouraging customers and his own cashless policy. If he knows things would not work his own unconventional way, let him relinquish the banking chair and sit back to await his aspiration to becoming the Emir of Kano.

Kano and the inevitable pill of ‘Okada’ ban

By Jaafar Jaafar okada operating? It is a sign of chronic underdevelopment.

Statistics at the emergency units of our hospitals however shows that most of their patients are either the commercial motorcyclists or their passengers. In just Murtala Mohammed Hospital Kano alone, a total of 8,428 cases of male accident victims related to motorcycles were recorded from January to December 2012. Within the same period, 2,367 female sustained injuries through motorcycle-related accidents. And now the sad story: a total of 2,018 people lost their lives last year through road accidents —90 percent related to motorcycles— in just one hospital!

Given this ugly record, any right-thinking person should applaud a leader who is making efforts to reverse the trend and discharge his PRIMARY constitutional responsibility.

I hear varied arguments from the sophistry commentariat, with some people arguing that government should have taken some palliative measures before taking the decision in order to forestall the domino effect. Let us first look at what the present administration so far put in place. An abridged overview of government’s empowerment policies reveals not just mollifying measures but a solid empowerment bedrock.

As part of sanitizing the transport system and empowering the teeming youths, Kano State government established Kano Road Transport and Traffic Authority (KAROTTA). So far KAROTTA employs nearly 1,000 personnel, and soon it’s manpower strength would hit 1,500. A total of 4,004 people have been employed in the civil service. Government has procured 1,000 ordinary taxis, 1,000 luxury taxis (brand new Toyota Corollas under the Graduate Drivers Scheme), about 700 buses in order to sanitize, ease and provide employment opportunities to people.

The present administration, in terms of providing micro credits is second to none. The CBN stated this when the governor of the bank pronounced Kano highest in terms of provision of micro-credits last year. In terms of empowerment initiatives, Kano also tops the index as the administration received various local and international awards. Toward building a solid empowerment bedrock, the present administration has established 44 craft

schools and 44 micro-finance banks in each of the 44 local governments of the state. These craft schools are open for interested indigenes of Kano to enroll as no qualification criteria is emphasized. There are also 21 training institutes established by Governor Kwankwaso on assumption into office. In terms of education, one can boldly say Kano steals the limelight. Now, what better palliative than government’s commitment to education and vocational trainings?

A grotesque elevation of commercial bike business also gives government worries as findings show that most of them are coming from other states. Take a tour to our major motor parks and see how motorcycles and their owners are transported in trucks into Kano in the morning. Take a detour in the evening and see how they are transported back to their abodes. They come from neighboring states in trucks in the morning and return to their base at night. Ban on motorcycles in Jos, Abuja, Lagos and four other states, has brought about the influx of motorcycles into Kano State, further bringing chaos into the system.

No doubt there is good intention in government’s decision to bring sanity into the system and safeguard the lives of the citizens.

I just hope the critics now see the merit —and the merit— of Kwankwaso’s decision.

• Jaafar is Special Assistant to Kano State governor on Media & Public Relations

‘In Murtala Mohammed Hospital Kano alone, a total of 8,428 cases of male accident victims related to motorcycles were recorded from January to December 2012. Within the same period, 2,367 females sustained injuries through motorcycle-related accidents’.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

22

COMMENTS

R

ECENT altercations between Rivers state governor, Chibuike Amaechi and Minister of Niger Delta, Godson Orubebe, may after all, stand out for their dialectical value. The issue is not that some quarrel erupted between the two brothers. Quarrels or contradictions have long been recognized as integral part of the human society. It is therefore not enough that some argument ensured.

What serves the society better is that at the end of such arguments, the society is able to move better through the lessons they throw up.

The goal of society is better served when such inquisitions come with some heuristic value. If there are lessons for society in the diatribe between the two kinsmen, then we are better for it. And I think there are.

What are the issues? Amaechi had criticized the Niger Delta ministry for its inability to re-build the East-West road notorious for frequent accidents. He had also boasted that the nine Niger Delta governors would take up the reconstruction of the road to underscore the failure of the ministry.

Apparently irked by these uncomplimentary remarks, Orubebe took up Amaechi accusing him of inability to address the developmental challenges of his state in spite of the enormous resources at his disposal. He said it was ridiculous for Amaechi to be pontificating on the EastWest road when Port Harcourt is a ghost of its former self with many roads crying for urgent attention. Besides, he berated him for his disrespect for President Jonathan because (he) Amaechi is nursing a vice presidential ambition in 2015.

According to him, it is sad that Amaechi sees himself as bigger than the president and uses the resources of Rivers State to bribe the people of Nigeria for whatever

‘It is clear that the Niger Delta has been trapped in a complex web of contradictions that will do it no good. The same forces that held the region down these past years are at it again’.

Emeka OMEIHE 08121971199 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

Amaechi and Orubebe feud purpose. Orubebe was further piqued that if there are any set of people that should work against the interest of President Jonathan it should not be governors from the South-south as Amaechi has lent himself to.

But in a swift reaction laden with intemperate language unbefitting of the office of the governor, Amaechi gave it back to Orubebe. He refuted allegations of non performance citing what he considered the remarkable development projects that stand out his administration. He argued through his spokesman that he gave the president the highest votes by any single state in the last presidential election and this to him, underscores his love and respect for the president. Accusing him of diverting attention from his inability to perform, Amaechi challenged Orubebe to show him any single project that has been completed in the Niger Delta by his ministry.

On face value, there is nothing inherently wrong in the two key public functionaries constructively engaging themselves in the court of public opinion. If the motivation is to serve the overall public good, then the exercise is worth the trouble. After all, those in public offices have it as a bounden duty to regularly give account of their stewardship to the people to whom real power belongs. The need for regular accountability by public functionaries is further reinforced in our clime that has been notorious for corruption and official cover up of sundry misdeeds by public functionaries.

It was therefore good a development reading the duo engaging themselves in what they ought to do to enhance public confidence in their capacity to deliver public goods and services. If such open confron-

tations especially from members of the same ruling party have been part of our political culture, the festering culture of sleaze among public officers would have waned very considerably. But that has not happened. What has played out over the years has been the mindless looting of our collective patrimony by sundry buccaneers who circulate power amongst themselves and their cronies; doing all sorts of things to protect selves from facing public scrutiny.

That is why till date, no former governor has been successfully prosecuted and jailed by the EFCC in spite of the drama that usually trail such arrests and subsequent arraignment. With such a background, it will be hard to convince any one that Amaechi’s unsolicited inquisition into the activities of the Niger Delta ministry is guided by altruistic considerations. Nobody will buy that. And as Orubebe argued, there are many projects in Rivers State requiring his attention than this self-assigned senior prefect role in the Niger Delta ministry. If this is true, then there must be more to it than we are being made to believe. By lampooning the Niger Delta ministry, Amaechi is vicariously accusing President Jonathan of inefficiency because the buck stops on his table.

The inevitable impression the development conjures is that it may have to do with Amaechi’s speculated ambition to run for the vice presidential slot with a northern candidate in 2015. And there are other events that lend credence to this.

A couple of months back, the same Amaechi was said to be the brain behind the protests by some traditional rulers

from his state accusing Jonathan of ceding some of the oil fields in Rivers state to Bayelsa. The dust of that is yet to settle.

Only last week, Amaechi again told Rivers State indigenes in the United States of America USA that the federal government was working against the interest of their state. According to him, waivers sought by that state from the federal government on the purchase of security helicopters and agricultural equipment are being frustrated by the same authorities. All these are clear indications that Amaechi is not getting on well with his brothers in Aso Rock. In the face of this glaring inability to have some of his ideas sail through official quarters, he has opted for the court of public opinion as events have clearly shown. He is entitled to whatever option he consider appropriate for his crusade. But in them can be gleaned some form of desperation and frustration. More so coming from a high ranking governor from the Niger Delta region that is now enjoying the comfort of the highest political office in the land. What could be the matter except he is seen to be working against the interest of the presidency which mother luck gave them?

Jonathan is said to be interested in the 2015 race. Amaechi by the same account is eying the vice presidential seat within the same time frame. Assuming it is possible for Jonathan to be voted for a second term, does it make any sense for any Niger Delta person to be talking of a vice presidential seat when one of theirs could comfortably win the presidency? This is the contradiction that has been brought to the front burner by the issues in contention.

Jonathan was vice president under Yar’Adua for two years. By 2015 he would have been president for four years. If he has not been able to transform the region in his current capacity, what is there to repose hope that a ‘spare tire’ would perform any magic. Is it possible for a vice president in the person of Amaechi to serve the interest of the Niger Delta better than a sitting president who even has the prospects of securing another term?

It is clear that the Niger Delta has been trapped in a complex web of contradictions that will do it no good. The same forces that held the region down these past years are at it again. Even the idea of the region retaining the vice presidential slot after Jonathan is funny in a multi-ethnic and plural society like ours.

On parties’ merger and realignment

T

HE ultra-democratic supposition that majorities necessarily midwife the truth has few enthusiasts these days. We can be grateful that almost the sum of Nigeria’s opposition parties have thus far averted many blatant errors in their bid, this time around, to merge as a progressive party to replace Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), but there is always the danger that it could someday force a compromise that will prove fatal.

The history of all the parties involved in the ongoing merger talks abound in examples of this process of merger cum renewal. The Action Congress (AC) under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu before the 2007 Presidential and gubernatorial elections absorbed and gently domesticated the populist impulse that gave birth to the ACN. Much later, the ACN after 2007, co-opted most of the views that had been championed by Asiwaju Tinubu’s progressive thoughts and action in that year.

These were the acts of a party out of national power, seeking to make fresh alliances for the struggles ahead. It was not surprising, therefore to find certain elements in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) South-west zone, in the early 2007s during a period out of power, reaching beyond its previous power bases and seeking to join hands with new socio-political forces in the South-west.

The evidence is fast accumulating that the time for a party realignment that will accommodate the progressive elements within the PDP may at last be ripe. In the National Assembly especially, the failure of the present ruling party to reflect adequately the political desires of a majority of voters is painfully manifest.

‘There is no reason why this century’s great experiment with freedom must end in failure. It was men and women who created the opportunity, and they who have botched it; and they can rescue it, even now, if they only will’

By M. Ade. Shoyebo Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the Peoples’ Democratic Party has had majorities in both the Lower House and the Senate, yet this overwhelming predominance has resulted in few policy initiatives that can with any seriousness, be regarded as expressing the will of a majority of the Nigerian people, or even any specific proclivities of the party. The opposition parties with the National Assembly spectrum reaching from ACN to CPC and others have stood for just about everything for our nation, while the PDP in their generality have responded by standing for practically nothing. The result has been that neither of them, taken all in all, has stood for much of anything.

In presidential terms, the performance of the ruling party at the centre has been proved to be the worst in the annals of governance in Nigeria.

Might not a realignment of the parties be brought about in which the “liberal/progressive” values endorsed by so substantial a proportion of the population find expression in a party specifically designed to express them?

spontaneously, without reference to the presidential candidacy of any particular individuals. Certainly it must never be allowed to become merely the lengthened shadow of a single man. But in practical terms, the party ought to be able, almost from the very outset, to point to reputable and responsible individuals who at least might, if the circumstances were propitious, accept its presidential and vice-presidential nominations. “You can’t beat somebody with nobody” is one of the oldest and soundest rules in politics, and such essential tasks as recruiting personnel and raising funds for the new party will be well-nigh impossible if there is no one visible on the horizon who at least might make a plausible race for the presidency under its banner.

Above all, let us restore to generations yet to come, the old and all-but forgotten pride in this country and its heritage. Let us give still further solid and visible grounds for that pride, by making the nation’s streets safe, eradicating corruption from our systems, and let there be light perpetually in the country. Let us make way for ability wherever it exists and remember our obligation of compassion, where it does not.

We reject the counsels of demagogues who promise something for nothing, and will speak instead the truth, even when it hurts. Above all, we will restore to the Nigerian political process some part of the joy and optimism it has lost.

For if we succeed, we will have accomplished a mighty thing. We will have reversed in Nigeria, where it counts most – the whole downward-spiraling tide of the 21st Century. There is no reason why this century’s great experiment with freedom must end in failure. It was men and women who created the opportunity, and they who have botched it; and they can rescue it, even now, if they only will. It is up to us, and the means are at hand, a large and devoted majority of the Nigerian people, and a new majority party, under tested leaders, ready to express their will. Together they can save, and formidably reinvigorate our beloved and imperiled country.

It is not a new idea, on the contrary, I shall demonstrate that exactly such a political movement has been on the very verge of success in this country slouching around Bethlehem, as it were, trying to be born. Once it came to the brink of realization only to be thwarted by the black mischance of the PDP assassin’s bullet. On another occasion the liberal/progressives themselves, momentarily yielding to the temptation of what appeared to be expedient compromise, threw away a golden opportunity. The attempt being made now for all the liberal/progressive forces to unite and promptly sweep everything before it is welcomed as this is certainly the right time to build a new party together to reflect the true distribution of political forces. Many observers believe the time is opportune for a new major party consciously designed to free PDP’s hold on the jugular of the Nigeria masses’ vein.

Ideally, the new party to be announced with whatever • Engr. Shoyebo is the author of the book: “WANTED name that will be attached to it, should originate and grow Genuine and Patriotic Nigerian Politicians”

Innocent Amomoh

NIGERIA/ETHIOPIA CLASH

Taofeek Babalola

FROM

Moses, Yobo doubtful

REPORTING

REPORTING

SOUTH AFRICA

Pg. 16

from

SOUTH AFRICA

Sport

Monday, January 28, 2013

PAGE 23

NIGERIA / ZAMBIA MATCH

CAF wields big stick •Expels Egyptian ref who awarded questionable penalty

A

S a direct consequence to the threat of protesting the biased officiating of the referee at the center of the Nigeria versus Zambia match in Mboembela, Nelspruit on Friday, the CAF Committee on Referees has come out with a sledge hammer and sanctioned the Egyptian referee, Grisha Ghead, who was in charge of the

From Segun Ogunjimi, Nelspruit

match between Nigeria and the defending Champion Zambia which ended in a 1-1 score draw.

The equalising goal was as a result of the questionable spot kick call by the referee who adjudged that SS Lazio of Italy midfielder Ogenyi Onazi held a goal bound Zambian attacker in the

83rd minute of the game.

A very competent source close to CAF told NationSport on condition of anonymity that the referee has been sent back to his home country, Egypt.

“The Egyptian referee, Grisha Ghead, who was in charge of the match between Nigeria and Zambia has been sent packing. Ghead, who was in charge of the match between Nigeria

and Zambia has been sent packing.

He was sent home because of his mishandling of the match”, the source told NationSport.

“The penalty call was by the referee was wrong. “If there was a foul, it was definitely outside the 18 yard box and not a penalty. Referees are not allowed to re-write the rules of the game”, A top official of CAF was quoted.

25

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

ISSUES

THE CEO

PPP: Service delivery with ease - P. 29 News Briefing RMAFC to give LGs account DESPITE pressure from governors, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) may create a separate account for local governments in the proposed new revenue formula.

- Page 26

Banks to develop mining sector DEPOSIT MONEY Banks have indicated interest in partnering with the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for the development of the country’s mining sector.

- Page 27

- Page 28 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

-N7.560 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion

RATES Inflation 11.9% 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 $35.8b FOREX CFA 0.2958 EUR 206.9 £ 242.1 $ 156 ¥ 1.9179 SDR 238 RIYAL 40.472

‘Local banks can fund power projects’- P. 32

CBN loans banks N356b to shore up liquidity T

HECentral Bank of Ni geria (CBN) advances an average of N356 billion to deposit money banks monthly to boost their liquidity, The Nation has learnt.

The fund, a Standing Lending Facility (SLF), is given at 14 per cent as approved by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

The SLF is an overnight fund available on banking days between 2 pm and 3.30 pm, with settlement done on same day value. The SLFs are available only to banks and discount houses that have executed the Nigerian Master Repurchase Agreement (NMRA) with

By Collins Nweze

the regulator.

According to a CBN Financial System Stability Report, the total SLFs granted to banks last November was N356.83 billion, compared with N319.71 billion in the preceding month. Average daily request for SLF was N16.99 billion, compared with N15.99 billion in October.

Also, total assets and liabilities of the deposit

Mfbs sell shares to recapitalise

‘How workers frustrate NHIS’ GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has accused workers of frustrating state government’s willingness to implement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

At the moment there is an average of about 18 hours per day of constant power supply to different parts of the country. This feat was brought about by the implementation of the integrated power sector reform programme anchored on the power roadmap.

- Minister of Information, Labaran Maku

S

OME operators of microfinance banks (MfBs) are selling their shares to meet the recapitalisation deadline imposed on them by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), The Nation has learnt.

It was gathered that the banks are seeking higher bidders in the subsector as the clamour for the extension of the deadline to December 2014 continues.

The Chairman, National Association of Microfinance Banks(NAMBs), Mr Olufemi Babajide, confirmed the development, saying the liquidity squeeze in the industry has made it imperative for operators to seek a new lease of life.

Babajide said sales are ongoing in the sub-sector, adding that the pace is slow because of lack of funds.

He said: “ Merger and acquisition, outright sales are going on among the banks, but the pace has been slow because of lack of funds and the need to carry out due dili-

By Akinola Ajibade gence. The subsector is not attractive to existing and new investors in view of the economic meltdown of 2008, and the revocation of the licences of some of the banks in 2010.”

He said the categorisation of the banks in line with the required capital base is a welcome development, adding that the banks want the deadline to be extended to December 2014.

According to him, the CBN’s support fund, NIRSAL fund and others would have been disbursed to MfBs. This, he said, would make the banks attractive to investors.

“Under the NIRSAL programme, which is an initiative of the CBN, farmers have already been paired with the branches of MfBs. If such branches are closed, it will be a setback for the programme. This will compound the low productivity in the agricultural sector, and Nigerians would go hungry” he added.

Costs threaten job growth, competitiveness

M

ANUFACTURING businesses are be ing challenged by increasing costs, including corporate taxes and energy, Director-General,Kaduna Business School,Dr Dahiru Sani has said.

He said manufacturer’s performance is under threat following rapid escalation in cost of production and profit-sapping demands which drove spending to record highs.

On the balance, Sani said the underlying costs are slowly eating away at the ability of manufacturers to compete effectively.

The burden coming from

By Daniel Essiet

such costs, he explained, puts the sector at a substantial competitive disadvantage with its largest industrial trading partners.

He said concerted efforts should be taken to address challenges, adding that this would yield positive results for the economy.

According to him, the loss of a strong manufacturing base will have unfortunate consequences for the standard of living as well as national security.

He said these challenges underscored why manufacturing was low.

money banks (DMBs) amounted to N21.8 trillion, showing an increase of three per cent compared with the level at the end of October.

Such funds were sourced mainly from mobilisation of time, savings and foreign currency deposits (N324.8 billion) and demand deposits (N317.4 billion). The funds were used, largely, to buy Federal Government securities (N454.7 billion), extend credit to the private sector (N250.2 billion) and unclassified liabilities (N173.0 billion).

At N13 trillion, commercial banks’s credit to the domestic economy grew by 5.4 per cent, compared with the growth of 3.4 per cent in the

preceding month. Monthly, the credit to the private sector rose by 2.7 per cent, while credit to the government rose by 17 per cent relative to the level in the preceding month.

On January 21, the CBN retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 12 per cent for the for eighth time consecutively, since November 2011, due to inflationary concerns and uncertainty in the global economy.

The CBN retained the MPR at 12 per cent with a corridor of plus or minus two per cent, Standing Deposit Facility at 10 per cent and SLF at 14 per cent.It also maintained the Liquidity Ratio (LR) at 30 per cent and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 12 per cent.

Analysts insist that the decision means that other forms of monetary policy, such as Open Market Operations (OMO), would continue to be the preferred method for managing liquidity.

Razia Khan explained that with the threat of a higher benchmark crude price being adopted in this year’s budget, there is the likelihood that the CBN would leave the rates unchanged today. She said there are some interesting points to note about the December inflation figure, which decelerated to 12 per cent yearly from 12.3 per cent.

According to her, the key driver of Consumer Price Index appears to have been a rise in core inflation – up to 13.7 per cent as at December last year.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

26

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

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

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

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

D

ESPITE pressure from gov ernors, the Revenue Mobi lisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) may create a separate account for local governments in the proposed new revenue formula.

A source at the commission told The Nation that “the position of RMAFC is that local governments should keep their funds. RMAFC wants separation of accounts for both states and local governments.”

The source said the commission has been under pressure from governors to retain funds meant for lcal governments.

The source also said the pressure was being mounted by the governors after the National Assembly passed the 2013 budget and it was revealed that funds had been pro-

From Nduka Chiejina (Asst. Editor), Abuja

vided for disbursement according the new revenue formula.

According to the source, “governors say they want to hold funds for local governments, because there are only two tiers of government recognised all over the world. So they want to keep holding local government funds.”

But RMAFC, he said, was not comfortable with that position and has made it clear to the governors that “the RMAFC wants separation of accounts for states and local governments.”

The intrigues surrounding the new revenue formula is, however, not limited to who controls local government allocations. It was further revealed that both states and local governments are also

maneuvering to have Federal Government’s share reduced.

Their argument: “They should have more because they have more responsibilities that impact directly on the lives of the people.”

The source noted that funding for the new revenue formula has been reflected in the 2013 budget “and once the budget is signed and distribution is made, RMAFC will go round the country to get final views.”

So far, the commission, he added, had collected memoranda from governors, councillors and other Nigerians on the new revenue formula. But the RMAFC wants to go to the six geo-political zones to meet the people and get their views directly on the issue.

08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20 12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

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

08.40 08.40 14.55 15.10 17.40

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LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

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

08.50 09.45 14.00 15.45 19.55

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

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

• Govs mount pressure on commission to retain LG funds

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40

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

1. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik

RMAFC to give LGs separate account in new revenue formula

08.00 18.00

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

• From left: Managing Director, RSL Derivatives Global Services Limited, Mr Lekan Abiola; Chief Financial Officer, Sterling Bank PLC, Mr Abubakar Suleiman and Group Head, Consumer Lending, Mrs. Kikelomo Kuponiyi, during the press conference on Rent-a -Month Launch in Lagos.

Experts seek help for courier business

D

EARTH of loanable funds, perception and the prob lems in the capital market have been identified as the major challenges affecting the courier industry.

Stakeholders in the business said if these factors were addressed, the industry would not only create more job opportunities to absorb the growing army of the unemployed, it would also grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

During separate interviews with The Nation, the Secretary, Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (Anco), Siyanbola Oladapo, and the Head, Operations and Logistics, Bestlink Express Limited, Luke Nwalor, lamented that the activities of illegal operators were also taking a toll on their business.

“The greatest asset the (big operators) have is access to capital

By Lucas Ajanaku

which we do not have. A typical bank in Nigeria is ready to give FedEx N1 billion (as loan), but they cannot give that kind of money to any indigenous operator,”Oladapo said.

He said another challenge is perception. He claimed that some people prefer foreign operators. He said though foreign operators charge exhorbitant fees for the same service, some Nigerians still patronise them, adding that it was high time the perception was changed.

Nwalor said the capital market crunch has added to the woes of the indigenous opertors, because frims no longer go to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) to raise funds as they did in the past. This development, he said, had taken toll on the profit margin of the operators.

“The capital market crunch has affected the industry adversely. In the past, so many companies gave us their annual report, dividend warrant, public offers but since the crisis began in the last three or four years, no company has gone to the capital market to raise funds. That means we have lost a substantial amount of revenue. So many companies have also not hold their annual general meeting (AGM) in the last three years. This also translates to loss of revenue to the courier sector. The companies are not oing well, that is why they cannot hold their AGMs while we too that would have carried their annual reports are losing too,” Nwalor lamented.

He said because of the harsh economic climate, some people too started cutting corners by giving out businesses that ought to have gone to courier firms to bus conductors.

NAGAFF to protest non-refund of container deposits

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HE National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has warned that unless urgent steps are taken to correct the anomalies being perpetuated against them, the nation risks industrial disharmony and unrest in the maritime sector.

Its Secretary-General,Increase Uche, said the group’s grouse is the refund of container deposits to importers by shipping companies instead of paying to them who made the deposits.

The group said it has written to the Registrar, Council for the

By Uyoatta Eshiet

Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) of the likely implication to the nation if the issue was not sorted out soon.

Uche said: “We have drawn the attention of the Registrar to the seeming unprofessional conduct and disregard to the relevance of freight agents whose names appeared in the register of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria by the shipping companies. It is a fact that CRFFN under Act 16 of 2007 of the National Assembly has the

mandate to regulate and control the freight forwarding agents in Nigeria.

“It is also a fact that the statutory responsibility of the Act is to protect and enhance professional conduct and practices of the members whose names appeared in the register. It is also a fact that under common contract law the freight forwarders act on behalf of the principals and that explains why non-negotiable import documents are endorsed and entrusted to registered members to act on behalf of the principal.”

NSE moves trading index

By Tonia Osundolire

A

NOTHER index is on the way to bring the total number of indices to seven.

The Nation at the weekend confirmed from a source close to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) that NSE 50 will be the new addition to the family.

These include NSE 30, NSE LII while the remaining four are sectoral indices which include NSE Consumer, NSE Banking, NSE Insurance and NSE Oil & Gas. According to the source, NSE 30 and NSE 50 will have the top 30 and top 50 equities each with different criteria to justify their position. But the possibility of having all or most of the stocks in the top 30 equities reappear in the top 50 equities cannot be ruled out.

It would be recalled that the NSE began publishing The NSE 30 Index in February 2009 with index values available from January 1, 2007. On July 1, 2008, the NSE developed the four sectorial indices with a base value of 1,000 points, designed to provide investable benchmarks to capture the performance of specific sectors. The sectorial indices comprise of the top most capitalised and liquid companies in the sector.Just last month, as a prelude to the yearend review of The NSE 30 Index and other Sectorial Indices, the Index Committee of The NSE undertook a pseudo-review of the indices and released the names of the likely incoming and exiting equities.

The composition of the indices became effective on Wednesday, January 2, 2013.The pseudo review of NSE 30 and Sectorial indices, which is done twice yearly in June and December is a run-up to the actual review to be undertaken at respective month ends.

According to the committee’s recommendation, the number of stocks comprising the NSE Consumer Goods Index increased from 10 to 15; NSE Insurance Index increased from 10 to 15 while the NSE Oil/Gas Index increased to 7 stocks as against the 5 it initially operated with.

The NSE 30 Index and the NSE Banking Index retain their 30 stocks and 10 stocks respectively. Reason given was to allow for adequate portfolio diversification.

Imo acquires oil spill, sabotage detection equipment

By Ambrose Nnaji

T

HE Imo State Ministry of Pe troleum and the Environ ment has acquired an equipment called Ultrasonic thickness Metre (UTM) for detecting oil spill and sabotage.

The equipment, which measures the integrity of the pipe, can detect if an oil spill is caused by equipment failure or by sabotage.

Industry experts say oil spill can be as a result of equipment failure resulting into corrosion.They say with time as the equipment gets weak, they are corroded. Crude oil itself, according to them, can also cause corrosion if the pipe is weak.

He said the nature of the pin hole would tell whether spill is caused by sabotage or not.

A Director in the ministry, Ifeanyi Onyicha, said: “There is what we call clock reading of the pipe; so any leak between 12 and three pm or between 10 am and noon is suspected to be sabotage. In most cases, it is sabotage except the pipe is weak.

“At times, an oil company may write to us for joint investigation about oil leakage or spill. It is unfortunate what we see at times. We see a situation where technically a valve between an oil pipelines is being technically or operationally opened and the valve is being fixed with a long host drawn to a tanker.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

27

BUSINESS NEWS Transcorp gains on power plant raises stock price

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EPORTS that Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc would take over the Ughelli Power Plant it won in a bid in the on-going privatisation of the power sector has pushed the price of the conglomerates shares in the capital market.

The stock gained 6.7 per cent to N1.11 being it’s the biggest increase since April 11, 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. More than 12 million shares have been traded, David Adonri, Chief Executive Officer, Lambeth Trust and Investment Company, has said.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said Nigeria will hand over power plants to winners of bids within two weeks. Transcorp won a bid for the Ughelli Power Station with a $300 million offer, the National Council of Privatisation said on September 25, last year.

“Transcorp is consolidating its entry into the power sector,” Adonri said. “There has been a sustained demand for Transcorp based on its fundamentals and entry into new businesses.”

Investments made and plans in agricultural processing are also pushing demand for the stock, said Raheem Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of Kundila Finance Limited. “By the time the company succeeds in these businesses, it will become a sought-after stock,” he said.

Transcorp is planning to invest in processing plants for fruit juice, rice and cassava, Chief Executive Officer, Obinna Ufudo, said in May. Transcorp opened a fruit-processing plant in Benue State in March, last year, he said.

Port Harcourt: Customs surpasses N48b target

By Oluwakemi Dauda

T

HE Nigeria Customs Serv ices (NSC), Port Harcourt Area One command surpassed the Federal Government’s target of N48billion, with about N456,693,603.01.

The command generated N48,456,693,603.01 last year.

A break down of the figure shows that in January, the command realised N2,074, 664,712; in February N3,181, 967,282. 73, and in March, the command generated N3,935,528,912.13.

The Nation gathered that in April, last year, the command raked in N2,911,371,535.13 and N3,575,656,683.64 in May; in June, it realised N10,620,574, 018.11, the highest.

Investigation also revealed that in July, the command realised N1,840,253,935.68; in August N2,762,269,807.99, and in September, it made N2,164,778,077.07.

In October, last year, the Customs realised N7,722,348,263.93 ; N2,180,074,107.31 in November and N5,487,186,258.88 in December.

The Customs Public Relations Officers in-charge of the command, Mr Samuel Harry, said the amount was realised as a result of the pragmatism and efficiency of the Comptroller of the command, Mr Dan Garba Kuffi, whom he said, was focused and determined.

He said the comptroller was determined to surpass the revenue profile of others in Zone C, which comprises Bayelsa in Area One, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Anamabra, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia as well as Edo and Delta (Warri) command.

Banks to develop mining sector

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EPOSIT MONEY Banks have indicated their in terest in partnering with the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to develop the country’s mining sector.

The banks expressed their interest when the Managing Directors of Guaranty Trust Bank and Fidelity Bank, Mr Segun Agbaje and Mr Reginald Ihejiahi led delegations on different occasions to the Minister, Musa Mohammed Sada, in Abuja.

The Deputy Director of Press, Marshall Gundu, in a statement, quotedAgbaje as saying the purpose of their visit was to introduce the bank to the ministry and to express their desire to partner with stakeholders in the development of the mining industry.

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Agbaje added that GTBank would support the ministry in developing the mining industry.

Also, Ihejiahi said the purpose of their visit was to show the readiness of the bank to key into the sustainable exploitation of the solid mineral resources of the country, adding that Fidelity Bank was poised to learn more about the mineral and metals sector to develop it.

In his response, Sada thanked them for their visit and plans for the minerals and metals sector.

He said the necessarylaws, regulations and institutional frameworks have been put in place to grow and develop the mining industry. He added that

the sector was making remarkable progress.

The minister said the Road Map for the development of the minerals and metals sector would be publicly presented to Nigerians and investors in Abuja before the end of January 2013.

He said the government has realised the need for funding for infrastructural development and operators to facilitate the development of the sector, adding that the banking industry partnership would go a long way in addressing those challenges.

The minister also said part of the Natural Resources Fund would be sourced for mining infrastructure development and assistance of operators in the mining industry for wealth and

job creation.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Linus Awute, said the Minerals and Metals Sector Road Map is a document for mutual understanding required for the development of the sector and the diversification of Nigeria’s economy.

Mr Awute invited the Managing Directors of Guaranty Trust Bank and Fidelity Bank to the public presentation of the sector’s Road Map that would be presented in Abuja before the end of January 2013.

He noted that the banking industry and the private sector could add value to the implementation of the sector’s Road Map through sound financial ideas.

• From left: Area Manager, Central Asia, Middle East & Africa, Konica Minolta, Mark Oldfield; Izzat Debs, Managing Director, Skysat Technologies Ltd; and President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr. Ademole Ajayi, at the unveiling of Konica Minolta’s range of digital printers at Ikoyi, Lagos.

MTN ready for Mobile Number Portability

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ELECOMS giant MTN is ready to implement Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in compliance with the policy of the industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The NCC recently announced plans to kick off MNP in the first quarter of this year.

Speaking at an internal stakeholders’forum in Lagos, MTN’s Chief Executive Officer, Brett Goschen, said the company had been making efforts to make MNP a reality for mobile phone users who are eager to join the country’s most expansive network.

“We have made necessary investment in infrastructure and manpower and we are finalising the process of making this

By Lucas Ajanaku

project a reality. We are confident that when the NCC is ready to blow the whistle for the kick off of this project, we will be ready,” Goshen said at the weekend.

He said tests had been carried out on the company’s systems and infrastructure, adding that more tests will be carried out in the days ahead to ensure that the project takes off without any hitch.

“We are excited that customers who wish to join the network with the most coverage of Nigeria will be able to do so without worrying about losing their mobile numbers. As you know, we have made far more investment in our network than any other operator

in Nigeria has done, with the result that we are the clear leader with effective network coverage of more than 85 per cent of Nigeria’s land mass and population.

“We have nearly 100 per cent coverage of most major highways in Nigeria and we are gradually moving towards the final laps of a massive, nationwide network modernisation and swap-out exercise that is bound to give the network unequalled capacity and much improved quality of service. We have, no doubt, in our minds that mobile phone users on other networks in Nigeria will be eager to port into MTN to avail themselves of these and other benefits they can only find on the MTN network,” he said.

Apart from its massive investment in its core services, MTN remains the only operator that has created a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vehicle, MTN Foundation, to implement lifeimpacting social projects across the length and breadth of Nigeria, Goshen said.

He added that the company through MTNF had invested over N5 billion in such social projects which have impacted on millions of lives in health, education and economic empowerment.

He affirmed the company’s commitment to continue to seek for ways of adding value to the lives of Nigerians both through the company’s core services and corporate social investment initiatives.

Shippers’ Council to boost export market

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HE Nigerian Shippers’ Council has promised to boost the country’s export market.

Sources at Council told The Nation that the Acting Executive Secretary of the council, Mr Hassan Bello, is backing manufacturers and exporters of leathers to encourage small and medium scale industries.

One of the function of the Council, established in 1978, is to facilitate import and export, as well as to encourage transportation of goods to consumers.

By Oluwakemi Dauda

When contacted, Mr Bello confirmed the story.

He said associations are free to come to the council for support on matters bordering on their trade, especially transportation and export of leather.

He assured stakeholders that the Council would ensure that the transport system they would become accessible, available and affordable.

He said: “For those of us who don’t know, Nigeria has the best

leather in the world. The so-called Moroccan leather is nothing, compared to the leather from Sokoto red coat which have been exported and that is why we have these Italian shoes. ”I am happy that we have rare people visiting us today, they didn’t come with paper or terrorists, they came with their products, we must support our small and medium scale industries, we must have advantages in certain sectors. ”It is our duty to facilitate trade; it is also our duty to increase production, because if there is no pro-

duction then we cannot have trade. We must encourage exportation, emphasis should not only be on importation,” he said.

The Chairman, Association of Leather and Allied Industrialists of Nigeria (ALAIN) Mr Chinonso Ememchukwu said the group would collaborate with the council to have a better working relationship, and to seek the assistance and cooperation of the council in carrying out their trade.

He said the association has so many branches across country, but the Lagos chapter was inaugurated last year.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LABOUR

Civil servants seek holistic reform T

HE Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has urged the Federal Government to ensure a genuine restructuring of the civil service for an effective service delivery.

Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, ASCSN’s Secretary General gave this advice this while fielding questions from reporters at an interactive session in Lagos.

This advice is coming against the backdrop that the Federal Government was about restructuring the civil service. Head of Service, Alhaji Isa Sali, had given the hint at a strategic planning retreat for permanent secretaries and directors in Lagos that the Federal Government

Stories by Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu

had called for a review of the vision and mission of the civil service.

Lawal said only a genuine reform would help the government to achieve its planned review of the public service.

“There should be new ideas to enhance capacity to deliver public services. Restructuring should not be a way to embezzle government fund.

“In the past, consultants had used reform or restructuring to make money from civil service without any impact. It should no longer be like that,’’ Lawal warned.

He lamented that civil servants, instead of reporting cases of corrupt enrichment they discover, usually turned the other way for fear of being sacked.

The union’s scribe further warned of a nationwide strike or court action if Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State failed to reverse the appointment of a retired military officer as permanent secretary in the state.

He said the appointment contravenes Section 282 Subsection 2 of the Constitution on appointment of civil servants.

“The appointment of a retired military officer as permanent secretary breaches the provision of the

constitution. You can only appoint qualified civil servants as permanent secretaries,’’ he said.

He urged the governor to reverse the appointment in order not to promote the culture of impunity.

Lawal said the union had invited the governor to a roundtable meeting without success.

He added that civil servants in the state were disappointed about the appointment and the recent sack of their colleagues.

About 22 Chief Inspectors of Education and 19 Local Education Secretaries were sacked recently for not being on their duty posts when the governor paid unscheduled visits to their schools.

‘How workers frustrate NHIS implementation in states’

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OVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has accused workers of frustrating state government’s willingness to implement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Uduaghan, who made this known in Asaba, while contributing to discussions at the First National Health conference organised by Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), said the workers do this through their refusal to embrace the scheme.

According to him, NHIS may not be replicated in the states, unless the workers agree to contribute to

it.

He said he was aware that a legislation to compel every employer and employee in the country to be enrolled on the scheme was in the offing, adding that beyond a law, advocacy was needed to make the scheme operational at the state level.

According to him, relevant government authorities need to carry out serious advocacy and enlightenment on NHIS beyond just enactment of an act to compel workers to register in it.

He said NMA had a big role to play in the acceptability of the scheme.

Uduaghan urged NMA leadership to organise sessions to educate their members on the need to embrace the programme by agreeing to contribute from their salaries.

The governor noted that workers in the state were quick to accept contributing to the Retirement Pension Scheme “not just because it is lawful, but because it has direct financial benefit to them.

“With the pension, the workers quickly accepted to contribute because they know that they will get the money when they retire,” he said.

On ways to achieve universal health coverage in the country, he called for training of physicians on preventive medicine, especially for those working in degraded environment.

“The environment in states in the Niger Delta has been adversely affected, with water, air, soil and everything polluted,’’ he said.

He noted that in such areas, ailments among the people were more in their psyche.

The governor, therefore, said they need not just regular curative medication but more of counselling on preventive methods.

NRC to recruit level crossing keepers

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HE Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) is set to recruit more level crossing keepers to minimise rail accident.

The corporation’s Director of Administration and Human Resources Mr Aminu Gusua, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said the NRC was about to hire new level crossing keepers to reduce the incidence of people being killed while crossing the rail line.

He said there was also the need for public enlightenment on how to cross the rail line to minimise accident and death.

Gusau said when the gate keepers are hired, they would be trained to meet the expectations of the reforms going on in the rail transport sector.

He added that rail tracks would not be left unused after undergoing repairs, to forestall further damage.

“That is why the corporation will soon start the recruitment of new workers to enhance rail service.

“The more people with new knowledge and approach are employed, the better the service they will render,’’ he said.

The director said with efficient service, the NRC would make more profit, especially in freight services He appealed to private business operators to patronise the corporation in transporting their goods across the country.

Gusua said law enforcement agents would ensure adequate security of the goods and other luggage.

“It is of essence to ensure adequate security of the goods because that is where the money is coming from.

“We charge very low tariff on passengers because it is for affordability and comfort,’’ Gusua said.

He said rail service would help to reduce the number of road accidents caused by articulated vehicles.

Ex-Deputy Governor urges govt to create jobs through agric

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• From left: Mrs Bolanle Afolaogun; winner of the Leadership Excellence Award, Mr Rotimi Afolaogun; and a Director, Fidson Healthcare PLC, Mrs Olufunmilola Ayebae, during the presentation of the award in Lagos.

Fidson rewards workers for excellence

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IDSON Healthcare Plc has taken another step in its effort to ignite the passion for excellence among its employees with a newly instituted staff award.

Named the Acknowledge and Celebrate Excellence (ACE) award, the maiden edition was attended by the company’s staff, who came to the venue from different parts of the country, wearing dark suits and ties.

The Managing Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr Fidelis Ayebae, congratulated the staff on their commitment to duties in 2012, adding that the six recipients of the award, displayed

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

exceptional performance.

“We are here to acknowledge and celebrate the best among the best - our teammates who have shown exceptional capabilities in the course of a very challenging financial year in 2012. You nominated them for this award.

You have shown exceptional team spirit by nominating them.

They are being celebrated today because you not only played with them, but you played for them. You have lighted their candles. They sparkle today because of the light you shone on them.

You are all worthy men and

women of excellence”, he said.

Six staff won in different categories of the awards. They are Mrs Adejoke Alli, Corporate Impact; Mr Kunle Ajayi and Femi Ajala joint winners in the Customer Services Excellence category; Mr Rotimi Afolaogun in the Leadership Excellence category; Mr Abubakar Elemeje Process Improvement while Mr Sunday Adeyeye the Role Model Award.

Mrs Joke Alli, the Training, Learning and Development Manager, was nominated for the ACE, for starting the department from the scratch.

Mr Kunle Ajayi, Credit Control-

ler and Femi Ajala, Product Manager received the award for their exemplary performance in customer service.

Rotimi Afolaogun, Divisional Manager (North and West) also won an award for his outstanding leadership qualities. According to the citation, he transformed the northern sales team from mediocrity to excellence and winning the Best Region Award consistently in the past two years.

He was said to have instilled confidence and zeal in his team during a period of intense crisis in the north and leading them to expand the organisation’s business in the region.

FORMER Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mr Abiodun Ogunleye, has advised the Federal Government to promote agriculture, through better funding, to tackle unemployment in the country.

Ogunleye gave the advice in Ikorodu in Lagos, at the fourth edition of the free computer training organised for youths in the area by a state lawmaker, Mr Sanai Agunbiade.

He said agriculture could be the largest employer of labour in the country, adding that the neglect of the sector by successive governments had contributed to the economic woes experienced in the country. “’When a country that has large scale arable land cannot feed itself, it is a big shame and calls for urgent attention,’’ he said.

The former deputy governor in the Tinubu administration, said agriculture would have to take the “centre stage’’ to eventually eradicate poverty in Nigeria.

He commended the lawmaker for the yearly event, which, according to him, was to empower youths in Ikorodu and its environs.

Earlier, Agunbiade (ACN-Ikorodu I), said that Information Technology is dominating the world, adding that the training will afford the beneficiaries the opportunity to earn a living.

Mr Taiwo Hassan, one of the beneficiaries, praised the lawmakers for giving youths in the area the opportunity to acquire skill in computer appreciation.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

29

ISSUES To make its impact felt, government at all levels has adopted an initiative which it believes will work.Through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), the Federal, State and local governments have been addressing many public needs. But more needs to be done, reports DANIEL ESSIET.

PPP: Service delivery with ease •Lekki Expressway,Lagos.

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OVERNMENTS face challenges in the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure. Some of these challenges stem from bureaucratic bottlenecks in the civil service.

To overcome the bureaucracy, which accounts for delays, high cost of projects, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is now being embraced by governments.

It is a contractual agreement between public agencies and private sector entities, for faster delivery of infrastructure, projects and services.

In such partnerships, public and private resources are pooled and responsibilities divided so that the partners' efforts are complementary. In general, PPP borders on collaboration between public authorities and the private sector to finance, construct, renovate, manage, operate or maintain an infrastructure or service, which also involves risk sharing between the public and private sectors.

Origin PPP arose from pressure to change the standard model of public procurement following concerns about the level of public debts, which grew during the macroeconomic dislocation of the 1970s and 1980s.

Until recently, there was simply no regulatory framework for PPP in Nigeria. There was a gap in regulations dealing with issues.

The government has filled that gap with the passage of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) law.

The first known Federal Government project executed under PPP is the Bi-Courtney. The National Council on Privatisation also concessioned some seaports in

Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt under the PPP arrangement.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture under the National Food Reserve Agency (NRFA) is undertaking PPP in its silos and reservation facilities. At the state level, the Lagos State Government has a special office coordinating PPP activities in the Ministry of Finance.

Importance Stakeholders in the economy speak glowingly about the benefits of PPP. At a seminar on PPP in Lagos organised by ICRC, the Head, Centre for Infrastructure Policy, Regulation and Advancement (CIPRA), Lagos Business School (LBS), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, said private investment in municipal waste management has been successfully mobilised through PPP. He highlighted the importance of understanding the skills and motivations of private sector partners and the impact they can have on long term development of utility systems. The government, he said, is promoting the involvement of the private sector in the development of public infrastructure.

This policy is partly driven by the

need to finance the provision of infrastructure, but also by a strongly held belief that the private sector will be more disciplined than the public sector in designing and constructing infrastructure related projects and be more commercially minded in operating them.

Ndukwe said the development of a national PPP competence centre is an advantage for the development of national know-how and provision of assistance to local authorities.

A faculty member of LBS, Dr Bongo Adi, said the PPPs can reduce development risks, provide more cost effective and timely infrastructure delivery, offer the potential for better ongoing maintenance, and leverage limited public sector resources, while maintaining the appropriate level of public control over the projects.

He noted that a strong and functional institutional framework is the primary success factor for any PPP arrangement. Also, the PPP initiative demands a transparent process, which is necessary for confidence-building among the participants in the initiative, particu-

larly on risk sharing.

States are executing PPP projects.

For instance, Lagos State Government not only hosted an international workshop on the Public-Private Partnership initiative, it also has a special Unit in the Ministry of Finance which coordinates PPPrelated activities.

The Lekki Concessioning Company (LCC) is undertaking the construction of major roads in Lagos, such as the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) terms for 30 years.

Many local governments in Lagos State have also latched on to the PPP initiative to combat rural infrastructure challenges.

Rotimi Amaechi's administration in River State has resorted to the Public-Private Partnership scheme to fund its public health and housing programmes.

Caution In mainstreaming PPP initiative, cognizance must be given to the social character of the policy. Thus, while the PPP arrangement should guarantee profit for the private investors on their investment, it should not repudiate states’ social

‘Despite the advantages, there are misperceptions about PPPs that lead to criticisms and quick dismissal without proper evaluation. A complete and proper evaluation of project delivery incorporates a number of considerations that provide a more comprehensive look at the total costs associated with procurement than is traditionally conducted’

responsibility to the citizenry.

Despite the advantages, there are misperceptions about PPPs that lead to criticism and quick dismissal without proper evaluation.

He said a complete and proper evaluation of project delivery incorporates a number of considerations that provide a more comprehensive look at the total costs associated with procurement than is traditionally conducted.

Many public agencies have multiple PPP arrangements that have been in place for more than a decade. Furthermore, they continue to invite the private sector to compete for the opportunity to develop, finance, operate, and maintain public facilities for terms ranging from 30 to 50 years.

Adi said a successful PPP will include appropriate performance measures for the maintenance and condition of physical infrastructure, as well as management of user charges and rates, where applicable.

An Executive Director at the Centre for Infrastructure Policy, Regulation and Advancement, Dr Ese Owie, said governments revenues are finite and PPPs complement government's investment in infrastructure, adding that PPPs are the most effective and efficient ways of improving public infrastructure and stimulating economic development.

Adoption and achievements Owie said governments started adopting PPP following pressure to change the standard model of public procurement which arose initially from concerns about the level of public debt, which grew •Continued on page 30

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

30

ISSUES

PPP: Service delivery with ease •Continued from page 29

rapidly during the macroeconomic dislocation of the 1970s and 1980s. According to him, citizens get access to best services from private sector entities collaborating with government.

He said there has been resistance to using PPPs in some areas. The resistance comes in part because of a misunderstanding of how much control the public sector has over the partnerships, a focus on a few poorly structured PPPs, as well as an attitude by public officials that "this is not the way we do it," which can lead to unnecessary process delays and even the failure to reach an appropriate deal.

He listed laws supporting PPP to include Public Enterprises(Privatisation & Commercialisation) Act 1999, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act 2005, Public Procurement Act 2007, Lagos State Public Private Partnership Law 2011 and the Edo State PPP Policy 2010.

He said the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission was conceptualised as an agency that would engender a comprehensive, competitive and attractive PPP industry in Nigeria, to attract significant private sector resources for infrastructural development.

Specifically, he said the ICRC handles PPP at the national level, while state PPP offices handle such programmes at the state level.

The key strategic objective for the ICRC is to accelerate investment in national infrastructure through private sector funding by assisting the Federal Government and its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to implement and establish effective PPP process. The scope of the Federal Government's programme for PPP is the creation of new infrastructure and the key expansion and refurbishment of existing assets at the federal level.

Owie, who is an experienced international trade law and policy lawyer, said the government should use all the tools at its disposal to facilitate private investment financing for the development of infrastructure. This, he noted, include bringing in new investors into the nation's infrastructure; introducing new sources of revenue, such as tolling; allowing local authorities more flexibility in the way they use local receipts to fund major infrastructure in specific circumstances; and being willing to consider guarantees against specific risks that the market cannot bear.

He said the Edo State Government established a PPP office in 2010 headed by a cabinet ranking executive director. Apart from developing a state PPP policy, the office has attracted over $3 billion worth of investments since inception; successfully incubated all PPP projects; developed critical human capital and competence in the conceptualisation and structuring of PPP transactions and interfacing with the private sector more effective and efficient on sustainability strategy.

Owie listed PPP projects in the state to include Edo-Azura 450MW IPP, Ultra-modern Shopping Centre, star-category Hotel, Agbado Shopping Mall, Ihonvbor Industrial Estate, Benin Airport Concession, Trailer Park and Urhonigbe Rubber Plantation.

Also the River State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Chamberlain Peterside, said there was a substantial need for investment in infrastructure and this requires the harnessing of all viable investment methods.

He said the parties must access the most effective type of PPP for a given project with the appropriate parameters, balanced distribution of risks, appropriate duration, and clarity of responsibilities within the various regulatory environments.

He highlighted the need for rigorous preparation and planning to ensure that the PPP approach delivers value for money and is sustainable. He said governments must justify the use of PPP's, which includes a demonstration that the structure will be more cost-effective than the traditional procurement methods and that it will deliver superior value for money. This, Peterside

• Ndukwe

observed, is important for justifying a PPP approach, but also generally for assessing whether the project design is the most effective and where the strengths and weaknesses of the project lie.

Peterside said conducive legal, regulatory and financial framework would help the development and implementation of PPPs. Speaking on the topic, "Addressing the Infrastructure challenge in Nigeria: The PPP imperative," the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Mansur Ahmed, said the ICRC is working to ensure that economic operators have better access to the various forms of public private partnership in a situation of legal certainty and effective competition. Ahmed, who spoke through the Head of Communications, Olugbenga Odugbesan, said the commission encouraged private sector involvement in the upgrade of public utilities and infrastructure through PPPs. In most cases, PPPs have been implemented either through 'design-build-operate' (DBO) contracts or 'design-build-finance-operate' (DBFO) contracts, in which the private sector had also contributed to finance the assets.

He said the commission has also undertaken considerable work to define the principles of PPP and to assist in their application. The considerations that influence the form and structure of PPPs include the project's size, scope, complexity, regulatory and operational requirements, application of user charges and risk allocation. The degree of risk transfer, he noted, is a crucial issue to the success of PPP projects.

In many cases however, Ahmed observed that a comprehensive evaluation is neither contemplated nor completed, leading many decision makers to dismiss a project delivery option that could potentially protect the public interest while maintaining cost-effectiveness.

He said the ICRC wants government agencies to undertake realistic and rigorous project preparation,particularly on affordability and financial sustainability factors, as these are critical to project success.

According to him, the main objectives of the PPP are to enhance the quality and the efficiency of the services to the public by attracting the best technology and expertise available.

He said there was need for a coherent legal environment essential to support the development of effective PPPs. This should be coordinated with a policy and strategic approach to overall financing of infrastructure and service provision.

• Oforiokuma

Considerations To build a successful PPP in any sector, Ahmed said a diligent and sophisticated costbenefit and competition analysis must be carried out, which ensures the long-term viability of the project without public financial support. He said problems arise when government agencies which do not possess sufficient understanding of the PPP process or the analytical framework required to assess the true costs and value for money of a PPP solution carry out such assignments. Ineffective structuring of projects, Ahmed noted, could lead to substantial costs to the state, which could have been avoided through better analysis and more effective tendering.

The Managing Director, Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Opuiyo Oforiokuma, said successful PPPs require an effective legislative and control framework and for each partner to recognise the objectives and needs of the other.

He said road construction by PPP represents the largest capital investments. This is to be expected given the scale of projects and the investment requirements. Again, he said that road construction represents the longest project contract durations often over 20 years. This is inherent of the relationship between the size of capital invested, degree of private sector involvement and length of time required to ensure investment and profit recovery.

According to him, risk transfer is a key factor, which is at the heart of effective PPP design and if a good balance is not achieved, it will result in increased costs and the inability of one or both parties to fully realize their potential. For project to be sustained, he said the private contractor must be selected through international competitive tendering standards. The terms and conditions of the agreement are considered consistent with international best practice. The agreement would help create a source of capital to support an upgrade and extension of the system.

He said political and public pressures can play a negative role on the further expansion of PPP projects or the further expansion of private sector participation. According to him, the potential disruptive effects of public outcry should also not be underestimated.

Citing the example of the Lekki Express Way, Oforiokuma said a PPP approach was considered necessary. To run the project, Oforiokuma said experienced technical, traffic, financial and legal advisers were involved to achieve a satisfactory allocation of risk and an appropriate revenue support mechanism.

Oforiokuma explained that the financial viability of a capital-intensive road project is dependent on achieving loan maturities of acceptable length. Even without the improvement on overall economic position, he said

‘The considerations that influence the form and structure of PPPs include the project's size, scope, complexity, regulatory and operational requirements, application of user charges and risk allocation. The degree of risk transfer, he noted, is a crucial issue to the success of PPP projects’

• Owie

the rate of return to investors would have been significantly improved by refinancing the initial borrowings, once construction risks had disappeared and the financial results for a number of the early operating years can be made available to lenders.

He said LCC project is a good example of what can be achieved through a pragmatic approach to developing infrastructure projects through PPPs. Delivering a paper entitled: "Strategies for promoting Public-Private Partnerships," the Chief Knowledge and Responsibility Officer of Chiers Company Limited, Mr Kehinde Sogunle, said PPP is a win-win relationship between the government and various private sector players. It shares the risks and rewards of the venture under a contractual obligation.

Challenges Speaking on some of the challenges in PPP, Sogunle said many PPPs have left the contractual parties dissatisfied. This indicates that either the authorities or investors may have had too high expectations to what could be achieved. Conceivably, some contracts have been granted under circumstances subject to corrupt practices or contingent upon political links. This makes them susceptible to changes in the political environment.

Sogunle said bona fide PPPs have also suffered from inflated or unrealistic expectations. He said award procedures often lack transparency and are not based on objective evaluation criteria. He said many private investors have had to contend with conflicting public authorities, for instance, central versus sub- national governments, or regulatory bodies versus ministries. In addition, nonexistent or inexperienced regulators created avoidable uncertainty about price and tariff setting.

Risk reduction - Given the size of many infrastructure projects, cost overruns and delays are common, especially if there are subsequent modifications to the design as a result of political or environmental concerns. The private sector typically bears this risk, even when the project will, ultimately, be run by a public entity.

Currency Risk - Perhaps the greatest risk to the profitability of a project involves the risk of devaluation.

Infrastructure projects are often financed in part through international lending.

These debt rep ayments, together with payments of dividends, must be made in foreign currencies while profits usually accrue in the local currency.

As a result, any sudden devaluation can modify the profitability of a project. Therefore, there is need to understand the challenges of PPPs and to be committed to continuous improvement in the delivery model. There is a substantial private investor base with a significant appetite for investment in public infrastructure projects, thus making PPPs a viable option in spite of a 'turbulent' capital market.

PPPs have consistently been found to deliver more projects on time and on budget than traditional arrangements. Particularly for largescale, high-value projects, the use of private funds for capital expenses can mean that PPPbased projects achieve faster groundbreaking and more rapid construction once negotiations are complete, rather than waiting to secure public financing.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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MONEY MARKET REPORT

DMO’s N110b bond drains liquidity

T

HE Debt Management Office (DMO) last week raised N110 billion from bond auction, thereby draining liquidity in the financial sector. The bond issuance is also within the range of N85 billion to N135 billion in DMOs calendar for the first quarter of 2013.

The FBN Capital said the exercise was higher than expected, but can be explained by the fact that the 2013 Budget has not yet been approved, urging the DMO to be cautious.

“The popularity of local currency paper can be seen by the recent launch by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) of a small naira bond issue. Interest rates, exchange rate, quantitative easing, liquidity ratio, net open position, Open Market Operations and Cash Reserve Ratio are monetary tightening tools deployed by the apex bank to many liquidity in the economy,” it said.

Olukunle Ezun Fixed Income & Currencies Analyst at Ecobank Nigeria said the Central Bank of Nigeria’s liquidity management remains active and supported by the decision to leave Monetary Policy Rate unchanged throughout last year.

Last week also saw a successful auction of treasury bills by the CBN. Nigeria has become a favourite of the offshore fixed-income investor despite the yield compression of about 500 basis points on bonds since August. We see another 100 basis points in the next three months, and single digits by year-end.

Naira The naira last week strengthened, paring a weekly loss, as foreign investors brought dollars into the country to buy Nigerian debt after sales.

The currency gained 0.2 per cent at 157.2 against the dollar and had depreciated less than 0.1 per cent last week, according to Bloomberg report. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said relative stability in the currency may be attributed to more foreign exchange from oil companies and investor inflows. The bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record high 12 per cent for an eighth monetary policy meeting on January 21.

“Last week, we have again seen the strength of investor demand for naira debt instruments,” Gregory Kronsten and Olubunmi Asaolu, analysts at FBN Capital Ltd. Said. They said Nigeria has become a favorite of the offshore fixed-income investor despite the yield compression of about 500 basis points on Federal Government naira bonds since August. “We see another 100 basis points in the next three months, and single digits by year-end,” they said.

Deposit limit The CBN last week set new deposit limit for all categories of account holders and introduced three-tier Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for banks. The apex bank pegged a maximum single deposit amount at N20, 000 and maximum cumulative balance at N200, 000 at any point in time on the Low Value Account. It also places a maximum single deposit at N50, 000 and a maximum cumulative balance at N400, 000 on the Medium Value Account. However for the High Value Account, no limit was placed on cumulative balance.

A circular to all banks and other financial institutions (OFIs) signed by CBN Director, Financial Policy and Regulation, Chris Chukwu, explained that the policy became exigent after the CBN recognised that access to basic banking facilities and other financial services is necessary in achieving the policy on financial inclusion. He advised banks to adopt the new KYC requirement adding that the proposed deposit limits is meant to reduce the risk of money laundering and financing of terrorism.

Cheque truncation The commencement of cheque truncation scheme in the country’s financial system will raise banks’ transaction risks, The Nation has learnt. Sales Manager, Sybrin Systems Limited, Daniel Parreira, who con-

FGN bond yields (%)

By Collins Nweze

firmed this development in an interview, said banks should invest in sophisticated payment solutions, adopt integrated management systems as well as anti-fraud mechanisms.

Sybrin Limited, a software technology firm in South Africa, provides automated cheque truncation and other payment solutions amongst Africa’s leading banks, clearing houses and corporations.

According to him, the firm is doing a pilot scheme in many of the banks and will also be discussing with the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) on its operations.

Cheque truncation entails that clearing cycle will reduce by one day, such that a customer can deposit a cheque early on Monday and value is obtained on Wednesday as against Thursday same week. He said forwardlooking banks are getting set to decentralise the cheque truncation processes to their branches. According to him, such steps would further reduce the pressure on the clearing centres.

The CBN had after due consultation with the banks, issued fresh guidelines to assist banks clear their cheques online. The policy is expected to provide for the regulation and management of cheque truncation in Nigeria to reduce cost and days of clearing instruments. It was also meant that it would articulate the rights and responsibilities of presenting and paying banks through the Cheque Truncation System.

Banking assets Five out of the 21 banks operating in the country control 53.14 and 51.64 per cent deposits and assets within the sector, CBN Financial Stability Report for June 2012 has said.

The report showed that the figure is an improvement from 52.06 and 53.01 per cent deposits and assets recorded at the end of second half, 2011. The report okayed by CBN Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, said the market share of the largest bank with respect to assets and deposits, stood at 14.05 and 15.60 per cent. This, he said, is also an improvement when compared with 13.84 and 15.15 per cent recorded a year ago.

“The average market share of assets and deposits of five largest banks stood at 51.64 and 53.14 per cent compared with 53.01 and 52.06 per cent at the end of second half, 2011. The market share of the largest bank with respect to assets and deposits, stood at 14.05 and 15.60 per cent respectively. This compared with 13.84 and 15.15 per cent in 2011,” the report said.

Earnings The Federal Government earned N841.56 billion last November, an increase of 3.8 per cent above the preceding month’s level, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Economic Report has shown.

The report said at N630.95 billion, gross oil receipts exceeded both the monthly budget estimate and the preceding month’s level by 14.1 per cent and four per cent.

The apex bank attributed this to the rise in receipts from petroleum profit tax (PPT) and royalties. Non-oil receipts, stood at N210.61 billion, 17.3 per cent lower than the monthly budget estimates, but exceeded the receipts in the preceding month by 3.2 per cent. The rise in non-oil revenue relative to the preceding month reflected, largely.

It said that Federal Government estimated retained revenue was N245.44 billion, while total estimated expenditure was N397.01 billion. The fiscal operations of the Federal Government resulted in an estimated deficit of N151.56 billion, as against the estimated monthly budget deficit of N94.68 billion.

The end-period headline inflation rate (year-on-year), in November 2012, was 12.3 per cent, 0.6 percentage point above the level in the preceding month. Inflation rate on a twelve-month moving average basis was 12.1 per cent, compared with 11.9 per cent in the preceding month.

•Sources: Debt Management Office (DMO), FBN Capital Research

‘Last week also saw a successful auction of treasury bills by the CBN. Nigeria has become a favourite of the offshore fixed-income investor despite the yield compression of about 500 basis points on bonds since August. We see another 100 basis points in the next three months, and single digits by year-end.’

LCCI The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has, expressed concerns over the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to retain the current regime of tight monetary policy.

In a statement, LCCI Director-General, Muda Yusuf said the decision will lead to depressed economic activities which had manifested in low sales, weak consumer demand, huge inventories by manufacturers.

He said liquidity squeeze and tight cash flow conditions in the economy, high cost of funds which impede competitiveness of firms, high risk of loan defaults, poor access to credit, weak financial inclusion.

According to him, the limited capacity of firms to retain or create new jobs, crowding out of domestic investors by foreign investors.

“What is paramount at this time is the stimulation of the economy and that is the norm globally. Affordable and long time finance may not be a sufficient condition for economic growth, but it is a necessary condition. We acknowledge the structural and institutional bottlenecks in the economy and their impact on economic growth,” it said.

BPP Director-General of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Emeka Ezeh, has said the agency has reduced the cost of contracts in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by over N400 billion in the last one year.

Speaking in an interview in Lagos, at the sidelines of retreat for federal permanent secretaries, he explained that through engagement programmes organised by the bureau, public officials are now coming to the realisation that public funds should be spent with care as well as a high sense of responsibility.

He said the BPP achieved the feat after consolidating its core role as the ombudsman of public procurement, even as it has not relented in encouraging prudence in public expenditure.

He explained that barely five years after the Public Procurement Act, 2007 became law, the bureau has continued to consolidate the charting of new paths in institutionalising of methods in the public contracting process.

Audit Committee The Audit Committee Institute of Nigeria is working with the National Assembly and Law Reform Commission on the proposed amendment of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), The Nation has leant.

Chairman, Audit Committee Institute of Nigeria, Christian Ekeigwe, made this known this when our correspondent contacted him by phone. According to him,

the CAMA needs to be amended to address pressing issues that hinder auditors from carrying out their responsibilities effectively.

Speaking at the 2012 Annual Audit Committee Roundtable in Lagos, he said the CAMA has to be reviewed to check management excesses and protect the interest of shareholders and other stakeholders.

He advised investors to be careful in choosing companies to invest in, saying they should choose those companies that have developed the right governance environment. “Good governance is a control against fraudulent financial reporting. Firms with good governance would have enterprise risk management framework that helps deter and detect fraudulent financial reporting,” he said.

Bank to bank report Sterling Bank last week unveiled its Rent-A-Month Scheme designed to assist Lagos tenants pay their house rents with ease. Speaking at the launch of the product in Lagos, the Bank’s Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Abubakar Suleiman, said many tenants earn their salaries on monthly basis, making it difficult for them to pay their rents yearly or every two years.

According to the CFO, by subscribing for the Rent-A-Month Scheme, the Bank will step in at the due date and provide the needed fund for such expenditure at a reduced rate. According to him, the scheme creates an opportunity for prospective and existing tenants in well-structured paid employment and self-employed professionals to access rent finance and pay on a monthly basis over a maximum period of two years.

Fidelity Bank Plc yesterday gave out five Hyundai Accent cars to five winners in its ongoing Cars and Cash Savings Splash held in Lagos. Twenty one other winners also went home with cash prizes ranging from N100, 000 to N500, 000.

Some of the customers that won cars are Okororie Daniel Ifediora from the South South region; Godson Chima Eqwuonwu, South East; Mshelia Esther Pinbar, Abuja and North Central; and Ekenechukwu Eze Nnalua, Lagos and South West among other.

For the cash prizes, Ibrahim Obi Iro won N1 million; Tabitha Allu Anvah, Peters Adaora Jessica, Euse Chidi among others won N250,000 each while Abdul Bello among others won N100,000.

Speaking during the promo draws, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Reginald Ihejiahi said the draw was the second in a series to mark the 25th anniversary of the bank. He said the bank took the decision in order to reward its customers who have been supporting it since it commenced business 25 years ago.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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THE CEO

‘Local banks can fund power projects’ There are some businesses which require high stakes. One of them is power. Since it is in the big league, it requires those with financial muscle to play in it. In the past, those in the business sought funding from financial institutions abroad.

They no longer need to do so to participate in the ongoing privatisation of the sector. Nigerian banks, says Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bank, Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, can take up the challenge.

He spoke with Group Business Editor AYODELE AMINU. HAT is your forecast for the money and capital markets this year?

For the banking industry, I think what you will get in 2013, is more of what happened in 2012. We expect to see more consolidation of the banks. The banks are behaving well, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regime is strong in terms of supervision and corporate governance and risk management practices in all the banks are good. So, we don’t expect any shock this year. For the stock market, we saw a trend in the last quarter of the year. Between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), there are lots of initiatives they are taking to deepen the market and they are quite novel. They are doing a lot to make the market robust. The inclusion on the JP Morgan index has helped, though what you have there is ‘hot money,’ a lot of short-term money that can go as quickly as they come, depending on how good or bad the economy is, and there is no how you won’t have some bad news that can affect their behaviour. Some of them, based on certain news, may take their money out. But we feel that 2013, for the stock market, should be more of what we had in 2012.

The CBN has deferred the implementation of the cash-less policy in other states and one of the reasons given was that some banks are not making enough investment in Point of Sale (PoS) terminals and other alternative channels. With that, do you see the policy as a failure?

I think the cash-less policy is laudable. This is something the Bankers’Committee of which I am a member supported. We dis-

W

• Durosinmi-Etti

cussed this at the Bankers’ Committee. If you look at the time the PoS started, they were probably less than 10,000 machines, but as at October, we had over 200,000 machines.

That is a phenomenal growth. There are challenges, the biggest of which is communication and infrastructure, just like our telephones and the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee have done a lot of work trying to overcome these challenges, but as we see, with our telephones, these challenges have been with us for a while. Like other things, such as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and Information Technology (IT) in general, infrastructure is always a challenge, but we always invest a lot more to get the required service delivery. Why it is difficult here is because the service delivery is with individual merchants, not banks. ATMs are managed by banks, so you can make sure that the installation works. But if a PoS, which is with the merchant doesn’t work, it’s discouraging. Some banks have embraced it. If you are a bank that is focused on retail, if you are a large money-centred bank, you focus on it, if you are a niche bank that has a few

branches and is not focused on retail; you are not focused on PoS. So, some banks have so many PoS while others have very few.

But it is out of choice. That is competition and nobody is forced to do it. Really, it is due to your appetite and interest.

Do you foresee the cash-less policy assuming a national spread this year?

The plan was to do Lagos and then roll out to five major cities across the country. The performance of these only was to determine how many more to follow in the remaining parts of Nigeria. The limited success and the issues encountered have called for more introspection and a review of what we have done so far, and that has slowed down the pace of rollout. Twice we wanted to move ahead to new cities, but we felt that we should take a look again. So, there are learning points and we are looking at how best to approach other cities that we want to go into.

So, the Central Bank, along with the banks is looking at these things. I am sure that, in due course, we would determine what to do.

Whether we would be able to take on the whole of Nigeria in 2013, I am not sure if we

‘But the question I would ask is: what is motivating the House of Representatives to seek to strip the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of its banking supervisory power? What is their motivation? The CBN has done a very good job in sorting out the banking crisis and it is supervising banks much better than before’

would achieve that with the level of caution that is being employed now. But I feel that we would take on quite a few more cities and locations in this year.

The power sector privatisation is on and we understand that some of the preferred bidders are negotiating with the banks. Do you think that Nigerian banks have the financial muscle to finance the acquisition of the power assets?

Definitely, our banks have the capacity and capability to fund power projects. Already, banks are funding multi-billion dollar projects either through syndications or club deals. Both local and international banks are doing that in other sectors. So, the power sector is going to get a lot of investments from banks and other investors that are nonbanks would put money in equity. So, the banks in Nigeria have the capacity to fund the power sector adequately.

So, how many of the firms is Skye Bank negotiating with?

Well, we are talking to two of the winners.

We would participate in the programme. We are leading a syndicate and other banks have shown interest also because there is a lot of values added in the sector.

How will you assess economic performance in 2012?

2012 was an interesting year both for country and the economy. For the country; the Federal Government settled down to work.

Key areas, such as power, agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure were addressed and, at the end of the year, privatisation took place in the power sector and the process is ongo•Continued on page 33

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

33

THE CEO

‘Local banks can fund power projects’ •Continued from page 32

ing and we feel that with a lot of investment in power, production will go up in 2013. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) got involved in agriculture few years ago and the Minister of Agriculture has stepped up and done a miraculous work.

Bank lending to agriculture has increased from one to three per cent and the target for 2017 is 10 per cent of aggregate lending. We are involved in new initiatives in lending to agriculture. We are trying to make it more bankable. You would see that agricultural production went up in 2012 and this should continue in 2013. Banks were involved in cropping, animal husbandry and processing in 2012, and there were direct initiatives in fertiliser and seeds financing. So, you see fertilisers getting to the end users much more and also better quality seed is being distributed at affordable prices to farmers. So, that has helped production a lot and we should see that improving in 2013. On infrastructure, we have seen the airport and we have seen a lot of road contracts taking place. The states and the Federal Government are doing a lot on infrastructure.

Security, however, is still of concern, but it is fairly under control. A lot more still has to be done. I believe that the assistance of the international community where you could get better technological assistance would be of great help in resolving a lot in security. In banking, I think 2012 was a year of realisation of the efforts of the industry.

With the support of the CBN, the Asset Management Corporation reported ground breaking profits. The banks are relatively sound and are all behaving responsibly and ready to support the growth of the economy.

There are good signs for the banking industry today as competition is back. We have seen relatively stable interest rates with inflation at 12 per cent, still high, but stable.

Interest rates are still a bit high, but that was necessitated by the fact that government borrowing is still high and also due to the need to stabilise exchange rates. So, the tightening of money supply pushes the rates up.

But we feel that 2013, interest rates should slide a bit. One of the things still holding interest rates where they are is the need to maintain exchange rate. So, the tightening would continue and the CBN would continue to maintain that stance as long as there are signs that the exchange rate may go out of control. The stability in the exchange rate has enabled banks and companies to plan and has created a platform for us to work What is the market share of Skye Bank and how does the bank intend to grow?It is believed that Skye Bank is public sector biased. Is that true?

The market share of Skye Bank is about 4.5 per cent of the industry and we have about 270 offices all over the country. We believe that we have a decent market share as we are a mid-sized bank. We believe that we have the ability to compete with all the banks and we do compete with all the banks in all lines of business. In terms of growth, our strategy is to grow organically and in growing organically, we shall do so in tandem with the growth in the industry. But we would also look at opportunities to acquire or merge with other banks as the opportunities arise. You know, in this environment, merger and acquisition is not a common thing like abroad where you can approach a bank and you guys would just marry each other. So, when the opportunity arises, we would look at the situation and see what is possible to decide on what to do. Really, merger and acquisition is not the answer because it is not the size of the bank that is critical, but the level of efficiency, the strength of the capital, and the quality of its loan which all translate to efficiency. We believe that you must be have the sizeable and we believe that Skye Bank has this as we have a N1.3 trillion balance sheet and we feel that at that size, we can take up 80-90 per cent of the transactions in the industry by ourselves and we can syndicate or arrange funding where necessary. We have taken up many sizeable projects and we have seen a lot of leadership, innovation and have carried out landmark transactions in the economy. So, we believe that we also want to do the right things at the right time. We believe that as an institution, with bias for prudence, probity and the core values that we have in the way we do our business, our bank would sustain growth over time. The bank plays in all sectors; we do not discriminate and public sector is the largest spender in Nigeria. So, we have to focus on public sector and we add a

• Durosinmi-Etti

lot of value to public sector. But likewise, we do more business with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other areas of the economy such as manufacturing, oil and gas.

On the single obligor limit, I think it is okay.

It cannot be reviewed upwards; at best it can be reviewed downwards because as banks grow in size, the obligor limit can only go one way-downwards. But I think for now, it is okay.

Talking about growth and opportunities, the process for the sale of the three banks wholly owned by AMCON will start this year. Which of them will Skye Bank consider for possible acquisition?

That would be pre-mature. But we would look at them; we cannot say which one we would go for, because we do not know what is in there. But we would look at all of them

• Durosinmi-Etti

when the time comes.

Given the number of banks that we have at present, will you say the country is under banked or over banked?

Well, it is not the number of banks that determines whether you are under banked or over banked. It is the level of penetration that determines that. The kind of environment also can determine the number of banks you can have. Like in the United States, we have over 10,000 banks, in some countries you have about four banks and in others, a few hundred. I think that our culture, our diversity, and our varied interests determine the number of banks that we have.

At one point, we had almost 130 banks and, today, we have about 24 plus another two coming up, and over the next few years, maybe more would come. Some people say

it is not sustainable, but what I say is that it is really the penetration that matters. Banks are all able to carve a niche, there is a lot of money in Nigeria. There is a lot of interest.

Nigeria is diverse and there are lots of interests. So, banks can create niches for themselves and are able to play as niche players.

You can’t have so many big banks. I think that is where the confusion is, because every bank is looked at to attain a big size. So, really, it is more of the penetration because if you look at it, in urban areas, they say we have as much as 80 per cent penetration within the adults and in rural areas, only about 30 per cent. Really, we are still very far from what we can attain. Also, the government is the biggest player in business and if a lot of government businesses are privatised, what that does is that it grows the wallets of the banks. Also, if a lot of the accounts that are being lodged with the CBN are taken out of its domain that would increase the wallet for banks. Then, there is so much cash outside the banks. So, really, what would determine a lot of all these factors is the size of the market and how the players would play. I believe that our level of diversity and the depth of the economy can sustain the number of banks we have.

Fingers are being pointed at the banks and bureaux de change over the rising cash trafficking these days. What is your take on that?

Well, the bureaux de change have done nothing wrong. If you want to take money out of the country, you declare it. And dollar is not under cash-less, so you can go and buy dollar from the banks or the bureau de change in any quantity you like. There is nothing wrong, but if you want to take dollars out of the country, you declare it. That is all. So, there is no law that has been violated in the ordinary way.

The House of Representatives says it intends to push for a legislation that would strip the CBN of its banking supervisory power and create an independent body to regulate he banks. Do you support the idea?

I read it in the newspapers and was surprised. You know it is difficult to have an opinion. But what I can refer to is that in the United Kingdom, years ago, they took out the supervisory arm from the Central Bank and created the Financial Services Authority (FSA). After the crisis, they said the FSA did not do a good job and so they want to return that function to the Central Bank. But we are thinking the opposite. So, there is no one that is right and there is no one that is wrong.

But the question I would ask is what is motivating them to do that? What is their motivation? The CBN has done a very good job in sorting out the banking crisis and they are supervising banks much better than before. I think it is more of the focus and the leadership that drive the result as opposed to the structure. Either structure could work; that is my take.

Is the $79 per barrel oil benchmark sustainable?

On the oil price benchmark, I like to be a bit more conservative. I will favour more of the $75 per barrel. Really, I think it is slightly political and also to try and maximise cash into the budget, that is why we have the $79 per barrel. Now, the issue of oil price today in Nigeria, in the short-run, it may be sustainable. You have every West African country producing oil, even East Africa, but in five to eight years, the oil will not add up to something significant and if the United States is not importing oil again because they are almost self sufficient, the oil price would even be half of that. That is a bigger worry for us as a country. If we do not get our act together within the next five to eight years, we would be in trouble as a country. So, I think the next five to eight years is extremely critical to us as a country. We need to diversify, we need to invest in infrastructure, we need to take care of security, we need to sort out all our problems and become a wealthy, up and coming country.

We understand Basel 111 implementation has been shifted forward. What is the level of implementation of Basel 111 by Nigerian banks?

For Basel 11, you know Basel in itself is more applicable to international banks while Basel 111 takes care more of capital requirements. So for Basel 11, the aspect of it that relates to us is being implemented and we believe that in the course of 2013, we would have full implementation of the aspects that relate to banks.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

34

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 25-01-13

Flour Mills notifies NSE on merger

T

HE Nigerian Stock Ex change (NSE) said Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc has notified that its board and that of the Niger Mills Company Limited, have been in discussions and negotiations with regard to merging their respective businesses.

Report from the Exchange stated that the proposed Scheme of Merger will be undertaken pursuant to Part XII of the Investment and Securities Act No. 29 of 2007.

Flour Mills currently holds 99.97 per cent equity in Niger Mills and the proposed merger will facilitate the consolidation of the companies’ operations and processes into a single enlarged entity.

However, the proposed merger, according to the notification, is expected to build a more efficient company, positioned to create potential savings through the optimisation of overhead costs, particularly administrative costs relating to maintaining two distinctive entities.

The report said the merger will be achieved by the transfer of all of the assets, liabilities and undertaking of Niger Mills to Flour Mills, in exchange for which ordinary shares of Flour Mills will be issued to the minority shareholders of Niger Mills or alternatively a cash consideration in lieu of the allotment of the said Flour

By Tonia Osundolire

Mills shares be made to the minority shareholders.

Upon the Scheme becoming effective, all shares held in Niger Mills shall be cancelled.

The Board of Flour Mills believes that the enlarged Entity will consolidate Flour Mills’ leading position in the flour milling industry, accessing positive economies of scale and realizing significant synergies through enhanced operational and administrative efficiency and a unified product delivery platform, and thereby providing immense benefits to the shareholders and customers of Flour Mills.

The Federal High Court has directed that separate meetings of the shareholders of the merging entities be convened at a Court Ordered Meeting scheduled to hold on 20th February, 2012; at Zinia Hall, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos by 10.00 a.m. Entitled to attend and vote at the meeting are those shareholders, whose names appear on the Register of members on 29th January, 2013, the report added.

Meanwhile, trading on the floor of the NSE in the last one week of four trading sessions saw a turnover of 2.612 billion shares worth N19.152 billion in 27,186 deals in contrast to a total of 3.259 billion shares valued at N21.636 billion that exchanged hands

the previous week in 34,651 deals.

The Financial Services sector was the most active accounting for 1.969 billion shares valued N11.081 billion carried out in 16,303 deals.

The top three sectors represented by the Financial Services, Consumer Goods and Services sectors accounted for 2.353 billion shares valued at N16.900 billion traded in 21, 988 deals, thus accounting for 90.06 per cent, 88.24 per cent and 80.88 per cent, of the volume, value and number of deals respectively.

Also traded last week was 196 units of New Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) valued at N504,481 which exchanged hands in four deals in contrast to a total of 565 units valued at N1.440 billion transacted last week in fourdeals. There were no transactions through the stock market in the FGN Bonds, State/Local Government Bonds and Corporate Bonds/Debentures sectors.

The NSE All-Share Index appreciated by 2.12 per cent to close Friday at 31,583.49 while the market capitalization of the listed equities also appreciated by 2.12 per cent to close at N10.103 trillion.

Likewise all the NSE sectorial indices appreciated: the Bloomberg NSE 30, Bloomberg NSE Consumer Goods, Bloomberg NSE Banking, Bloomberg NSE Insurance, Bloomberg NSE Oil/Gas and NSE Lotus II appreciated by 2.41 per cent 0.06 per cent, 1.41 per cent, 1.26 per cent, 1.20 pet cent and 3.26 per cent respectively.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 25-01-13

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

35

MONEY LINK Access Bank appoints director

‘CBN’ll sustain tight monetary policy’ T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is ex pected to sustain firm monetary policy this year, analysts at Renaissance Capital (RenCap), an investment and research firm has said. In an emailed report obtained

by T h e N a t i o n , t h e f i r m said, given its view on inflation, there is scope for a 100 basis point rate cut in 2013 to 11 per cent, although such slash will not take away from the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC’s) firm policy stance.

“Downward adjustment of the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) would be more effective at relaxing the policy stance, than a rate cut. It is evident from the January MPC statement, that the committee would prefer to keep monetary policy from becoming overly ac-

Stories by Collins Nweze

commodative, so that it can contain inflation and sustain a firm naira,” it said. It said the apex bank does not expect a change to the Cash Reserve Ratio from 12 per cent in 2013.

Also, analysts at Cordros Capital Limited, said the CBN may not reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) within the first quarter. It said the CBN also retained the MPR at 12 per cent with a corridor of plus or minus two per cent, Standing Deposit Facility at 10 per cent and Standing Lending Facility at 14 per cent. It also maintained the Liquidity Ratio (LR) at 30 per cent and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 12 per cent.

The firm explained that the decision means that other forms of monetary policy, such as Open Mar-

Fidelity asks Citi to raise $100m debt

F

IDELITY Bank Plc has mandated Citi to raise $100 million via a twoyear loan from the international debt market, to help increase its foreign currency lending capacity, a senior executive told Reuters last Friday.

Head of Strategy Francis Ikenga said Citi was in the

debt market to secure the loan through a book building process and that yield on the paper will be determined at the end of the transaction.

Ikenga said Fidelity had seen an increase in demand for foreign currency loans from all sectors of Nigeria’s economy especially within the oil and gas and telecom sectors.

A

ket Operations (OMO) will continue to be the preferred method for managing liquidity.

It said inflation still remains above the CBN’s single-digit target, noting however that the pressures are expected to ease in upcoming months.

•CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido

‘DMBs provide 70% of total banking credit’

T

HE deposit money banks (DMBs) pro vide close to 70 per cent of total credit in the banking system, FBN Capital has said.

It said that net loans from the banking system including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the private sector, defined as the domestic economy other than the Federal Government, contracted by 0.9 per cent month on month in December and increased by just 7.4 per cent year on year.

It said the modest rate of loan growth over the year may surprise, given GDP growth of more than six per cent. “We could query both data series but we can also observe that the marked slowdown of lending

growth since the twin bank bailouts of 2009 has had a limited effect on Gross Domestic Product expansion,” it said.

FBN Capital said although some might argue that the banks’ cash reserve requirement (CRR) of 12 per cent inhibits lending growth but the growth was subdued before the increase in the CRR by the Monetary Policy Committee in July 2012.

“Over this period the banks have enjoyed higher and safer returns in the government debt market although this advantage has been eroded by the yield compression of about 600bps on FGN bonds and NTBs since August 2012,” it said.

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

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 25-01-13 SYMBOL

O/PRICE

JBERGER INTBREW UNITYBNK DIAMONDBNK AIICO TRANSCORP FLOURMILL ETERNA CAP MRS

46.84 21.72 0.66 6.16 0.79 1.04 70.00 3.82 31.97 22.58

C/PRICE

51.52 23.89 0.72 6.70 0.85 1.11 73.49 4.01 33.56 23.70

O/PRICE

AIRSERVICE UPL ABBEYBDS NASCON AFRIPRUD UBCAP NPFMCRFBK OANDO DANGSUGAR DANGCEM

5.50 4.56 1.57 10.00 1.33 1.09 0.99 14.40 7.58 150.00

C/PRICE 4.97 4.35 1.50 9.62 1.28 1.05 0.96 14.00 7.40 147.00

companies do pay through their agencies while it pays directly and promptly. In most cases, Promasidor calls us to their office that our payment is ready.” He enjoined other companies to emulate Promasidor and be tax complaint.

Head, Legal and Public Relations, Promasidor Nigeria, Andrew Enahoro, said the firm is excited to be given the award.

“We take paying tax seriously. As a company, we try as much as possible to ensure that all our documents are intact.

We do not wait for them to come and tell us we are owing rather we go to them that this is our tax levy,” he said.

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

Current Before

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

Dec ’11

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% 12.6%

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

NSE CAP Index

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

Date 2-7-12 27-6-12 22-6-12

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

CHANGE -9.64 -4.61 -4.46 -3.80 -3.76 -3.67 -3.03 -2.78 -2.37 -2.00

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8 155.7

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

CHANGE

9.99 9.99 9.09 8.77 7.59 6.73 4.99 4.97 4.97 4.96

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m 113m

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12

LOSERS AS AT 25-01-13

SYMBOL

L

AGOS State Govern ment has pre sented Corporate Organisation Tax Compliance award to Promasidor Nigeria Limited, in recognition of its compliance with the state’s tax laws.

The award was presented to the company by Lagos Sate Governor, Babatunde Fashola at the sixth Lagos State Taxation Stakeholders’ conference held in Lagos.

Executive Chairman, Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue, Tunde Fowler, said Promasidor Nigeria has always been consistent and regular in paying its taxes. “This company has been regular in paying its taxes, without being pushed. Some other

Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 350m 150m 350m 138m 350m 113m

Currency OBB Rate Call Rate

Promasidor gets Lagos tax compliance award

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

Ndukwe was former Nigeria Communication Commission Chief Executive Officer and has served as the Chairman of the Administrative Council of the African Telecommunications Union and Chairman of the West African Telecom Regulators Association (WATRA).

Ndukwe is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, an alumnus of Lagos Business School. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institute of Management and Nigerian Academy of Engineering.

He heads the Centre for Infrastructure Policy, Regulation and Advancement (CIPRA), Lagos Business School.

DATA BANK

Tenor

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

CCESS Bank Plc at the weekend announced the appointment of Ernest Ndukwe to its board as a non-executive director.

The appointment has been ratified by the bank’s Board of Directors and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The bank’s Chairman, Gbenga Oyebode said the lender is committed to increasing shareholders’ value and is delighted to have him on board. Chairman of the bank’s Governance and Nomination Committee, Emmanuel Chiejina, said having reviewed a broad range of highly qualified candidates , the Committee recommended his appointment as an Independent Director to the board.

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE 9.17 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE 137.16 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 139.93 LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.80 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.13 BGL NUBIAN FUND 0.96 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,782.25 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 13.64 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 10,129.50 THE DISCOVERY FUND 193.00 FIDELITY NIGFUND 1.67 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

9.08 1.00 136.77 139.81 0.78 1.13 0.94 1,781.21 12.97 1.33 1.80 9,839.01 191.08 1.62

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2011

Current 07, Aug, 2011

8.5000 8.0833

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28 , 2013

36

DUE DILIGENCE

Afromedia: Spiralling downward A

FROMEDIA'S performance outlook has worsened considerably with latest audited report indicating continuing decline in turnover and four-digit percentage increase in net loss. The resultant adverse impact halved total assets and shrank equity base by about 91 per cent. With debt-to-equity ratio of 264 per cent and decline in equity funds from about N4.9 billion to N450 million, the performance in 2012 marked an alarming level in the recent worrisome performance trend of the marketing media company.

Audited report and accounts for the year ended September 30, 2012 showed that while turnover dropped by 49.3 per cent and cost of sales moderated by about 38 per cent, operating expenses and interest expenses jumped by 183 per cent and 45 per cent respectively, setting the stage for dramatic increase in net loss after tax from N301 million to N4.42 billion.

The worsening fundamentals appeared to compound shareholders' losses, with net loss per share of 99.5 kobo in 2012 as against 7.5 kobo in 2011 and reversal in net assets per share from N1.21 to 10 kobo. This brings the company, which share price has stiffened at nominal value of 50 kobo, to lower realisable value and tends to suggest a lower market consideration of less than nominal value.

The profit and loss performance also coloured the balance sheet; denoted by high financial leverage, low liquidity and negative working capital.

However, Afromedia has continued to demonstrate commitment to timely disclosures, which keep stakeholders in view of the company's performance. While it had paid dividend and made bonus issue on the net loss in previous year, the company did not recommend any further distribution for the 2012 business year.

Financing structure Afromedia's balance sheet structure appeared overstretched and tenuous. With the proportion of equity funds to total assets slipping

Fiscal Year Ended Sept 30 Nmillion Profit and Loss Statement Main Business Segment Total turnover Cost of sales Gross profit Operating expenses Interest and other incomes Finance expenses Pre-tax profit(loss) Post-tax profit (loss) Basic earnings per share(kobo) Gross dividend (Nm) Cash dividend per share (kobo) Net Assets per share (kobo) Balance Sheet Assets: Fixed assets Total long term assets Trade debtors Current assets Total assets Liabilities: Trade creditors Bank loans Current liabilities Long-term liabilities Total liabilities Equity Funds Share capital Total Equity Funds

•MD, Afromedia Plc, Mr Akin Olopade

2007

By Taofik Salako

from 55.4 per cent in 2011 to 10.3 per cent in 2012, gearing ratio spiralled from 15.3 per cent to 263.6 per cent.

Long-term liabilities/total assets ratio stood at 5.3 per cent in 2012 as against 4.5 per cent in 2011. Current liabilities/total assets ratio was more precarious at 84.3 per cent in 2012 compared with 40.1 per cent in 2011.

The company's paid up share capital had increased by 10 per cent from N2.02 billion in 2011 to N2.21 billion in 2012. The increase was due to a bonus issue of one for 20 shares made in 2012. However, shareholders' funds dropped by 91 per cent from N4.87 billion to N450 million. Total assets dropped by 50.5 per cent from N8.79 billion to N4.35 billion. Total liabilities remained stable at N3.90 billion in 2012 as against N3.92 billion in 2011.

Efficiency The company witnessed significant reduction in its average productivity and cost efficiency. Although there were no details to pinpoint actual average reduction per head, other related variables suggested considerable declines in both indi-

2012 12 months 1,644 1,644 1,127 517 4,558 6 338.70 -4,374 -4,416 -99.5

% change

2008

2009

2010

cators. Total cost of business- excluding financing charges, significantly surpassed total income at 345.8 per cent compared with 105.6 per cent in previous year. This underlined the worsened bottom-line performance.

Profitability Both outward and underlying indicators showed a generally low profit outlook as rising operating and financing costs compounded decline in sales to push the company to its lowest ebb. Negative threedigit pre-tax profit margin and returns underlined the negative actual profit and loss figures. Total income declined by 49 per cent to N1.64 billion as against N3.24 billion. With 37.7 per cent decline in cost of sales from N1.8 billion to N1.13 billion, gross profit slumped by 63.8 per cent to N517 million in 2012 as against N1.43 billion in 2011.

However, operating expenses leapt to N4.56 billion in 2012 as against N1.61 billion in 2011. While the previously negligible non-core business income dropped marginally, interest expenses spiked to N339 million, about 47 per cent on N234 million recorded in previous year.

With these; loss be2011 fore tax in12 months creased by 967 per cent from N410 million to N4.37 bil3,240 lion.

After 3,240 taxes, net loss 1,810 mounted to 1,430 N4.42 billion in 2012 as 1,612 against N301 7 million in 2011.

10

-49.3 -49.3 -37.7 -63.8 182.8 -9.7 44.6 967.2 1366.2 1226.7 -100.0 -100.0 -91.7

234.26 -410 -301 -7.5 100.9 2.5 121

1,703 2,387 1,224 1,967 4,354

-10.2 -16.9 -77.3 -66.8 -50.5

1,897 2,872 5,400 5,918 8,790

2,003 1,186 3,672 232 3,904

-13.6 58.8 4.1 -41.6 -0.5

2,319 747 3,528 396 3,924

2,210 450

9.5 -90.8

2,018 4,866

2011

2012

Beyond the surface, gross profit margin dropped from 44.1 per cent to 31.4 per cent. On the average, the company nearly made thrice a loss on every unit of sale. Average profit before tax margin melted further from -12.6 per cent to -266.1 per cent.

This trickled down to all stakeholders. Average return on total assets worsened from -4.7 per cent to -100.5 per cent while average return on equity plummeted from -6.2 per cent to -981.3 per cent.

On the implications for shareholders, average net basic loss per share jumped to 99.5 kobo in 2012 as against 7.5 kobo in 2011. Net assets per share shrank to 10 kobo from 121 kobo, underlining huge depreciation in the residual claims of shareholders. The board of directors did not recommend any dividend for 2012, the most realistic decision in the light of the general performance trend.

Liquidity The financial resilience of the company became constrained in 2012 as it struggled with negative working capital and a shortfall in easily available finances relative to similar liabilities. Current ratio, which measures easily convertible assets against likely emergent liabilities, dropped from coverage of 1.68 times to 0.54 times. Working capital/turnover ratio reversed from 73.8 per cent in 2011 to -103.7 per cent in 2012. Debtors and prepayments stood at 61 per cent of creditors and accruals in 2012 compared with 232.9 per cent in 2011.

Governance and structures Afromedia is publicly traded,

Fiscal Year Ended Sept 30

wholly-owned Nigerian company.

Incorporated in 1959 and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2009, the Afromedia Group consists of five subsidiaries and associated companies. These include Afromedia Gambia Limited, Afromedia Africa Propriety Limited, Optmedia Limited, Outdoor Exchange West Africa Limited and Independent Poster Care Limited.

There were no major changes in the board and management of the company during the period under review. Dr. Onaolapo Soleye still chairs the board of directors while Mr. Akin Olopade leads the executive management as managing directors and chief executive. The company complies broadly with codes of corporate governance and best practices.

Analyst's opinion Afromedia's performance reflected the tough outlook for service-based companies, especially media and marketing companies as companies generally respond to tough macroeconomic situation with cuts in budgets and expenses.

The latest performance outlook Afromedia raised a red flag on the urgency of a down-to-earth corporate review to halt the spiral decline and braced the company for recovery. While the performance in 2011 had dubbed the year as the signal year for restructuring, the performance in 2012 brought home the inevitability and urgency of such. Afromedia's restructuring focus remains the same. It needs to deleverage its balance sheet, recapitalize and align capital base to business size and prospects, improve asset utilisation and efficiency and realign its outstanding share capital into a more compact manageable size. All these are painful but almost inevitable to stop the downtrend and quicken recovery.

2012 %

2011 %

Financing structure Equity funds/Total assets Long-term liabilities/Total assets Current liabilities/Total assets Debt/Equity ratio

10.3 5.3 84.3 263.6

55.4 4.5 40.1 15.3

Profitability Gross profit margin Pre-tax profit margin Return on total assets Return on equity Dividend cover (times)

31.4 -266.1 -100.5 -981.3

44.1 -12.6 -4.7 -6.2 -3.00

Efficiency Pre-tax profit per employee (Nm) Staff cost per employee (Nm) Cost of sales, operating exp/Turnover

NA NA 345.8

NA NA 105.6

Liquidity Current ratio Working capital/Turnover Debtors/Creditors

0.54 -103.7 61.1

1.68 73.8 232.9

JOBS THE NATION

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

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

37

• Health safety and environmental experts at work. (Inset: fire fighters at oil site)

Succour in health, safety management Health Safety and Environment appears abstract on the surface but it has potential of providing thousands of jobs, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE.

F

OR job seekers, it is time to look inward and tap into opportunities around them as white collar jobs have become difficult to come by.

The situation is getting trickier as companies are either closing down or relocating to neighbouring countries where they hope to get comparative advantage.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), in a report, said the prevailing economic condition is taking its toll on the sector as millions of people have lost their jobs. More people, it said, would join the labour market as the country continues to grapple with epileptic power supply, among other problems. It added that capacity utilisation has

dropped because companies operate with a few hands.

Tower Aluminum Nigeria Plc is facing that kind of crisis. The company, in a statement, said it is facing extinction because of shortage of materials. The company said its over 1,500 direct workers would be affected by the development.

With no jobs anywhere, the unemployed are faced with the reality of creating jobs for themselves.

An area with job prospect is Health Safety and Environment (HSE). It has to do with the safety and welfare of workers. It lays emphasis on the health and ecological protection of workers and ensures that companies achieve their objectives of posting good

returns on investment. It presupposes that companies operate in a friendly environment where physical and natural disasters are averted to some extent.

Introduced in the oil and gas industry decades ago to reduce the effects of effluents or oil discharges, HSE has taken a multi-disciplinary dimension. Companies have realised the need to employ HSE experts for growth.

In the past, oil and gas and maritime firms mandated their workers to get a certificate on HSE, in addition to their academic qualifications to fit into the system. They later realised that they needed skilled personnel to handle such issues. This development has opened opportunities for trainers and consultants to earn a living.

President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr Babatunde Ogun, said there are untapped opportunities in HSE. Ogun said the prospect of getting jobs as health and safety management experts was high, advising the unemployed to try the area.

The area, he said, has opened job windows for people, since Nigeria is one of the largest producers of oil in the world.

He said HSE has the potential to create thousands of jobs, adding that people can work on their own or with the oil com•Continued on page 38

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

38

JOBS

Succour in health, safety management •Continued from page 37 panies.

Ogun said: “There are lot health, safety and environmental issues in the (Onshore and Offshore) segment of the oil industry. There are issues relating to the physical condition of oil workers, safety of the oil sites, effects of oil leakages, gas flaring, among others. These must be handled by experts. Because the oil industry is broad, different safety and health related issues do comes up daily. People working in the area of health, safety and environmental management have a wider scope of activities. They work in line with the situations on ground. They carry out maintenance jobs, ensure safety of equipment, workers and oil sites.”

Multinational oil companies, he said, have not been able to employ enough people to render HSE services, adding that more workers are needed by the companies.

He said HSE workers are needed in the banking industry, too.

“Every sector of the economy requires the services of health safety and environmental personnel.

Unfortunately, such workers are not enough in Nigeria. When there are oil leakages in the industry, multinationals cover them up to escape punishments. Such things cannot happen, if there are enough local safety and environmental experts on ground. The awareness is growing. With time, more people would go into safety and health area because of its immense opportunities,” he opined.

Ogun said the government must compel foreign oil majors to comply with safety and environmental guidelines, arguing that the development would provide job opportunities for people.

An expert, and a consultant on HSE, Mr Suleiman Ikhanaede, said HSE is a promising area for graduates willing to go into it.

Ikhanaede said people must be certified before they can work in those areas. He said the training has exposed him to the rudiments of environmental and health management, arguing that people would earn a living once they can apply the right skills.

He said companies are looking for those, who can train their staff on health, safety and environmental issues, adding that trainers earn good income.

Companies, he said, are yet to give the area the desired attention, stressing that the future is bright for people that specialise in health and environmental areas.

A geo-physicist, Mr Oyetunji

• Minister of Labour Emeka Wogu

Balogun, said people make a lot of money through consultancy.

Balogun said HSE management is broad, arguing that people can consult for companies.

“As many people that know their onions can go into consultancy.

Thousands of companies are looking for means of mitigating natural and human disasters. Such companies are ready to hire anybody who understands the terrain

• PENGASSAN President Ogun

well,” he said.

The former President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Alhaji Bashir Borodo, said the country lacks adequate manpower in health safety and environmental management.

Borodo said companies spend fortunes on physical and material assets, adding that the safety of the assets must be guaranteed before meaningful growth can be re-

‘Every sector of the economy requires the services of health safety and environmental personnel. Unfortunately, such workers are not enough in Nigeria. When there are oil leakages in the industry, multinationals cover them up to escape punishments. Such things cannot happen, if there are enough and local safety and environmental experts on ground’

corded. He said people must be employed for the safety of the workers and the environment in which companies operate.

“There is a dearth of workers in that segment. We need specialists in the area of health safety and environmental management to promote economic growth. That area is for educated and intelligent people. We have a pool of unemployed graduates who can easily fit into it.

Safety and environmental issues are all encompassing. They cut across different sectors of the economy. This implies that various sectors need such workers to survive.

He advised Nigerians to start their own businesses, adding that it will have a multiplier effect on the economy. He said this can be achieved when people originate their ideas, and execute them well.

CAREER MANAGEMENT

10 things that can go wrong with your job search

I

AM sure you had asked: “Why am I still unemployed in spite of my serious efforts and very strong desire to get the job my dream job?” This is even very pertinent at the beginning of a new year. In the next three weeks or so, we will go further to help you get this your out-of the-world dreamjob you want so badly. That was the promise we made earlier. We will take you through the dashboard of job hunting and see the value that not right/correct/within range.

Many expect a simple, short and precise answer to the question above. Unfortunately there is nothing like that. The reason for this is that the employment process is complex, and usually in stages.

And progress often depends on success at the previous stages.

The other reason is that the recruitment process is imprecise, varying from company to company, and from one individual responsible for recruitment to another. The least you can do is to position yourself for better chance by acquiring the relevant job hunting skills. For you, it may just be that you are not getting one particular stage or skill right; for others, it may be two or three or more!

So, what can be wrong?

• Poor understanding of self I hope this do not surprise you-

By Olu Oyeniran

most of us do not know ourselves enough to make informed decision about our job/career direction. I was talking to an applicant sometimes ago.

He majored in one of the Modern European languages, worked in one of the nation’s security services for four years, and has been ‘helping’ his uncle for the past three years. Now what does he want from me? He wants me to advise him on what work he should be looking for. I asked him what skills he thinks he has for a possible clue on career direction.

He could not say precisely. This is often the case when an applicant says he/she is ready to do ‘any job that is available’. Really your job and career goal depends on the skills you have, personal preferences/aptitude, and life and career, goals. Skills are the foundation of job search. Employers want to know what it is you can do for them.

What are skills you may want to ask? A simple but appropriate definition is that a skill is anything you can do now. Everyone has skills, hundreds of skills, many of which employers are looking for. Yet most people can only identify a few, and are not able to describe then to the employer. Experts agree that skill identification is essential to a successful job hunt.

Now do you have personal goals in life? Where do you want to be in

five, 10, 20, 30, 40 years with a vision, most young people today are just drifting in the sea of life?

For a job search to be purposeful and focused, applicants need to have a job objective- please not the meaningless verbosity you see in most Résumé/CVs. What do you enjoy doing? What are your personal qualities and traits? Does your identified attitude, style and temperament fit your career direction?

• Poor understanding of hiring process The second thing that may be the cause of your prolonged unemployment is your poor understanding of the employers hiring process and attitude. In most situations, employment/hiring has been turned to a two- lane expressway – where there is little or no contact between on coming and on going vehicles. For example, declaring a vacancy via newspaper advert is the last option for most employers.

Unfortunately, a significant number of applicants depend on want-add alone for their job lead.

However, over 80 per cent of positions are not advertised before they are filled. When was the last time you saw job advertisement from Guaranty Trust Bank, NNPC, CBN, Shell, Dangote Group, etc.

When you desire to work for any organisation what do you do? You

approach the personnel department for information and possible assistance. Right? Wrong. The major role of personnel department in the recruitment process is to screen you out!

• Poor management of change/joblessness Whether you are unemployed, under employed, employed by looking for a better job, or entering the work for the very first time, or entering after a long absence, you are facing change. And change affects our emotions – relief, anticipation, or renewal, or you may fell anger, sadness, fear, depression or confusion. These feelings are natural.

The key to successful management of change (and attendant transition) is attitude. Williams James, the father of modern psychology, said: “We can alter our live by altering our attitudes.” If we learn to manage our attitudes, we won’t feel paralysed, and benefits will follow. Related to this your attitude to job search. Are you hopeful or pessimistic? Do you feel challenged or defeated?

The next important consideration is how much of you time, energy and money are you willing invest in yourself, or better still in your future? I have seen a lot of applicants who feel that they should not be expected to pay for seminars/services that will en-

hance their chance for good employment in the shortest possible time (never mind that most of them possess state-of-the-art GSM handsets and make at N50 or more worth of call or take at least a bottle of Coke everyday).

If you are looking for a job that will pay you N800,000 p.a., how much should you invest to make it happen this year, and not next year?

If your current pay is N900,000 p.a., how much should you invest to get a N2.9 million job instead of a N1.7m p.a. job?

Form the foregoing, it is obvious that job hunting is complex, and requires some specific skills, knowledge and attitude. So we won’t be able to cover everything today. We will continue next week.

Good luck in 2013.

PS From me to you: You really want a good job. I know. But do you know how to get one? I am not sure. Get yourself a complete jobhunting toolkitvisit www.jobsearchhow.com.ng/ jobhuntingmanual for additional information.

•Oyeniran is the Lead Consultant, EkiniConsult & Assoiciates & Author. Author Jobsearchguru’s Job-Hunting Manual. Website: Jobsearchhow.com,ng Tel 08083843230 (SMS Only).

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

39

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

T

HE White House has delivered a strong message to Wall Street, taking the unusual step of choosing two former prosecutors as top financial regulators, CNN.com reports.

But translating that message into action will not be easy, given the complexities of the market and Wall Street’s aggressive nature.

At a short White House ceremony, President Obama named Mary Jo White, the first female United States attorney in Manhattan, to run the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr Obama also renominated Richard Cordray as the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a position he has held in the last year under a temporary recess appointment without Senate approval.

With the appointments, the president showed a renewed resolve to hold Wall Street accountable for wrongdoing, extolling his candidates’ records as prosecutors.

Ms. White spent more than a decade as a top federal prosecutor in

Obama picks two financial regulators New York City, overseeing the prosecution of the crime boss John Gotti and those responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. As an Ohio prosecutor, Mr. Cordray filed lawsuits against Bank of America and the American International Group.

“It’s not enough to change the law,” Mr. Obama said. “We also need cops on the beat to enforce the law.”

Still, Ms. White and Mr. Cordray face their own challenges.’’

While Ms. White, 65, is best known as an aggressive prosecutor, she also built a lucrative legal practice defending Wall Street executives, a potential concern for consumer advocates. And she lacks experience in the financial minutiae central to a regulatory role.

Mr. Cordray, 53, presents another potential problem for the White House. The Senate last year declined

to confirm him in the face of Republican and Wall Street opposition to the newly created consumer bureau.

Several Republicans on Thursday again voiced their concerns.

“There’s absolutely no excuse for the Senate to wait any longer to confirm him,” Mr Obama said.

Both Midwestern natives, Ms. White and Mr Cordray arrived in Washington as outsiders. A five-time “Jeopardy” champion from Ohio, Mr Cordray became the consumer bureau’s enforcement chief after losing re-election for state attorney general. As Ohio’s top prosecutor, he became known as the Midwestern sheriff of Wall Street.

Ms. White, who was born in Kansas City, Mo., changed career paths after graduating with a master’s degree in psychology. She obtained a law degree from Columbia University in 1974, and a few years later,

• President Obama with Mary Jo White and Richard Cordray (left) at a news conference, where the two financial regulators were named.

Japan trade deficit soars to $78.3b

J

APAN’s trade deficit in 2012 rose to a record ¥6.93-trillion ($78.3billion US), as fuel imports surged and a bitter territorial dispute with China hammered its exports.

The provisional figures reported by the Finance Ministry last week, Globe and Mail reports , showed the trade deficit narrowed, however, in December, to ¥641.5-billion ($7.25billion) from the ¥954.8-billion shortfall in November. That’s despite a 5.8-per-cent drop in exports for the month.

Energy imports surged 34 per cent last year, to ¥24.08-trillion ($3.3-tril-

lion). Rising costs for fuel and other commodities have pushed costs for Japanese manufacturers sharply higher after Japan’s nuclear plants were taken offline following the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant accident after the earthquake and tsunami disasters in March, 2011.

December was the sixth straight month of deficits. Exports have suffered from plunging demand in crisis-stricken Europe and troubles with China after a flare-up over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea prompted anti-Japanese protests last fall.

The annual trade deficit was a 170-

per-cent increase from the deficit of ¥2.56-trillion recorded in 2011.

Japan’s exports to China sank 10.8 per cent last year, to ¥11.5-trillion ($130-billion) while imports rose 2.7 per cent to ¥15.03-trillion ($170-billion), leaving a deficit of ¥3.52-trillion ($39.8-billion).

Exports to the European Union likewise fell, by nearly 15 per cent, leaving a deficit of ¥139.7-billion ($1.6-billion).

But trade with North America, mainly the US, rebounded, with exports climbing 12 per cent and imports about two per cent, for a surplus of ¥4.9-trillion ($55.4-billion).

Argentina risks IMF’s ‘red card’ with its puzzling prices

A

S the International Monetary Fund (IMF) moved closer last week to sanctioning Argentina for inaccurate inflation data, The Associated Press reports that it checked prices in Buenos Aires, and couldn’t find a can of soda for less than eight pesos.

Even a ham and cheese sandwich cost 13 pesos at a downtown kiosk.

That’s without lettuce or tomato.

Food purchased at supermarkets is more economical of course, but even there, 6 pesos bought just one can of green peas, or a pound of raw rice – hardly enough for a complete and healthy diet.

The official inflation rate is based in large part on what the national statistics service says is the total cost of 27 items in the basic food basket – a measure of the bare minimum that a person needs to consume.

Monday’s update said that monthly basket for a family of four cost 719 pesos ($143.17) in December. That works out to 5.99 pesos per day, per person.

The IMF has lost patience with these numbers after urging Argentina for years to improve this consumer price index, which lost credibility in 2007 after political appointees replaced career statisticians. The new methodology, which has kept official yearly inflation in the range of 10 per cent ever since, has not been fully explained, even as consumers complain about soaring costs of beef and other staples.

IMF experts and Argentine economists have spent months working privately with government officials to recommend very detailed ways to get accurate numbers again, but the government has yet

to adopt them.

The IMF is now on the 12th step of a 15-point process for flagging Argentina with what IMF Director Christine Lagarde called “the red card” for countries that don’t follow the rules. On Thursday, she announced that a board meeting will be held February 1 to consider whether to censure Argentina and eventually suspend its voting rights and membership in the world body.

Even close government allies have given up defending the official statistics service, known as INDEC, which announced Monday that Argentina’s annual inflation was just 10.8 per cent in 2012. Private economists have estimated that Argentina’s inflation was actually 26 per cent or more, making it the worst in all of Latin America.

began her first stint as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan.

She, ultimately, became the United States attorney in Manhattan, earning a reputation as a tenacious prosecutor with an independent streak.

Ms. White embraced the often-repeated joke that her office was the United States attorney for the “sovereign,” rather than Southern, district of New York.

In 1997, aides to Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau accused her of trying to thwart a state insider trading investigation by al-

lowing a defendant charged by the district attorney’s office to plead guilty to federal charges. Doing so effectively ended Mr Morgenthau’s case, but Ms. White was unapologetic. “To prosecute such crimes under only state law diminishes their seriousness,” she said at the time.

As the chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan, Ms. White pursued white-collar crime and Wall Street fraud. She secured a $340 million fine against Daiwa Bank for illegally covering up trading losses and other crimes.

Italy, South Korea enter Cyprus energy search

C

YPRUS has signed licence agreements with Italy’s ENI and South Korea’s Kogas for exploratory drilling to exploit offshore oil and gas deposits, Globe and Mail reports.

Commerce Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis called it a “very significant step” for the recession-hit east Mediterranean island’s future prosperity.

“Today we take another decisive step toward realising the hope of a new path to prosperity, progress and peace in our country and the surrounding region,” he told reporters.

Last October, drilling permits subject to negotiation were approved for blocks 2, 3, 9 and 11 of Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone, and in December block 10 was added to the list.

Last week the Italian-South Korean partnership signed a deal reportedly worth •150-million ($200million U.S.) for permits to explore blocks 2, 3 and 9.

In December, talks with preferred bidders for block 9 – a French-Russian tie-up involving Total ENP Activities and Novatek – ceased after proving “unsatisfactory.”

France’s Total is still in the running to exploit block 11 on its own and the government has also decided to negotiate directly with it for block 10.

U.S. firm Noble Energy Inc. was the first to drill when awarded block 12, and in December, 2011, said it had discovered gas reserves

of up to eight trillion cubic feet (226.5 billion cubic metres), with an estimated value of 100billion euro.

This would satisfy domestic needs for decades and could enable Cyprus to become a regional player by exporting gas to Europe.

In the long term, Cyprus estimates it can supply up to 10 per cent of the EU’s energy demand, making the bloc less dependent on Russia.

Authorities believe there could be greater riches, not only of gas but also of oil, in adjacent blocks.

It is also estimated that there could be around 60 trillion cubic feet of gas lying beneath the seabed off southern Cyprus.

Cyprus is banking on its energy bonanza to eventually rescue it from recession as it seeks a European Union bailout.

Turkey has protested strongly against Nicosia’s energy search, branding it illegal and beginning its own exploratory drilling off the breakaway north.

President Demetris Christofias has said the energy search will continue regardless, and that any finds will be used to benefit all Cypriots.

Ankara has warned that companies involved in the Cyprus process could be shut out of Turkey’s energy investment.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece.

Samsung makes $6.6b profit

S

AMSUNG Electronics has posted a profit of $6.6 billion in the last three months of 2012 marking a 76 per cent increase from the previous year.

While this represents a new record quarter for the world’s largest maker of smartphones,CNN.com reports that Samsung’s share price had slumped more than two per cent by mid-day trading in Seoul after the company predicted consumers will buy fewer smartphones in 2013.

“The furious growth spurt seen in the global smartphone market last year is expected to be pacified by intensifying price competition compounded by a slew of new products,” said Samsung in a press release.

“In the first quarter, demand for smartphones in developed countries is expected to decelerate, while their emerging counterparts will see their markets escalate with the introduction of more affordable smartphones.”

Tokyo court rules in favor of Samsung Samsung’s quarterly earnings release comes one day after Apple, its biggest rival in the smartphone and tablet markets, also announced record quarterly earnings of $13.1 billion in its last quarter.

However, Apple’s share price

plunged more than 12 per cent after the company missed its revenue estimate by about $200 million. Analysts had expected quarterly revenue of $54.7 billion; Apple announced actual revenue of $54.5 billion. iPhone and iPad sales, which continued to be strong, failed to impress investors who have become used to the tech giant far exceeding its own sales and profit forecasts.

Samsung, which surpassed Apple as the world’s largest vendor of smartphones in early 2012, maintained its number one position for the year by shipping 213 million smartphones worldwide, according to Strategy Analytics.

“Despite tough competition in stores and courtrooms, Samsung continued to deliver numerous hit models, from the high-end Galaxy Note2 phablet to the mass-market Galaxy Y,” wrote Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, in a press release.

The company added Samsung’s 2012 shipment volume was the largest number of units ever shipped by a smartphone vendor in a single year.

Apple followed in second as its global smartphone shipments grew 46 per cent in 2012 sending more than 135 million smartphones around the world.

The Finland-based Nokia kept its third place position.

40

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

BUSINESS AFRICA

Kenya begins construction S of ‘silicon’ city Konza

I

T will take 20 years to build Konza Technology City, BBC .co.uk, has reported.

Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki has launched a $14.5billion (£9.1billion) project to build a new city intended to be an IT business hub and dubbed “Africa’s Silicon Savannah”.

It will take 20 years to build Konza Technology City about 60km (37 miles) from the capital, Nairobi.

It is hoped that more than 20,000 IT jobs will be created in Konza by 2015, and more than 200,000 jobs by 2030.

Despite Kenya’s usually divisive politics, the project has the backing of all political parties.

Konza is part of the government’s ambitious Vision 2030 initiative to improve much-ne-

glected infrastructure over the next 18 years.

Correspondents say the government also wants to take advantage of the growing number of software developers in the East African nation.

“It is expected to spur massive trade and investment as well as create thousands of employment opportunities for young Kenyans in the ICT (information communications technology) sector,” President Kibaki said at the ceremony to launch the construction, adding it would be a “game-changer” for the country’s development.

He called on domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of Konza’s “tremendous opportunities”.

The 5,000-acre (2,011-hectare)

site was a ranch to the south-east of Nairobi on the way to the port city of Mombasa.

When the plan was announced after the last elections property prices in the area soared, reporters say.

According to the Konza information website, the city wants to attract business process outsourcing, software development, data centres, disaster recovery centres, call centres and light assembly manufacturing industries.

A university campus focused on research and technology as well as hotels, residential areas, schools and hospitals will also be built.

The government has appointed the Konza Technopolis Development Authority to oversee the building of the IT hub, which will be built in four phases - starting with the technology centres first.

South Africa tribunal okays Xstrata, Glencore merger OUTH Africa’s Competition Tribunal has given the green light to the proposed take-over of global miner Xstrata PLC by commodities trader Glencore International Plc, Globe and Mail re-

ports.

However, the tribunal attached some conditions to the $33-billion (U.S.) deal to limit the merger’s impact on job losses in the crucial mining sector.

One of the conditions stipulates that job losses among skilled workers be limited to a maximum of 80 workers, the tribunal said in a statement.

Job losses among unskilled or semi-skilled workers shall be limited to 100 and may only take place more than two years after the merger has been fully approved by affected jurisdictions.

The job loss conditions do not include voluntary leave or early retirement packages and would also not apply to workers who refuse to be redeployed.

The approval of the merger in South Africa went through smoothly after power utility Eskom withdrew its objections last week following an agreement with Glencore that would limit the impact of the merger on its coal supplies.

The utility relies on coal-fired plants to generate 85 per cent of the electricity that powers Africa’s biggest economy and was keen to ensure the merger did not hamper its ability to obtain timely, sufficient and competitively priced coal.

Glencore is still waiting for the go-ahead for the deal from antitrust authorities in China, having already received a conditional approval from European regulators.

Last week Glencore pushed back the date for completion of the longawaited tie-up to March 15, citing lengthy regulatory processes in South Africa and China.

Iamgold Corporation to reduce Mali exploration

A

•From left: Specialist Michael Pistillo at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Libya steps up security at oil fields

L

IBYA is boosting security at its oil fields to avoid a repeat of the deadly terrorist attack last week in neighboring Algeria, the country’s deputy oil minister said, in the latest illustration of how the In Amenas hostage crisis is reverberating through the global energy industry.

Hellenicshippingnews.com reports that Libya will also send more troops to police its border with Algeria, which runs close to the gas field attacked by the Islamist militants, Libya’s deputy oil minister, Omar Shakmak, told the Wall Street Journal.

The assault on the field, operated

by BP PLC, Statoil ASA (STL.OS) and Algerian state oil company Sonatrach, left at least 37 foreign workers dead and exposed a formidable new threat for oil companies operating throughout the Sahara region.

Several regional experts have highlighted Libya’s oil industry-where many international companies in-

cluding U.S.-based ConocoPhillips, Italy’s Eni SpA (E) and France’s Total SA operate-as one of the most likely targets of a terrorist attack following the Algerian incident.

Many of the country’s oil and gas exploration and production sites are located in the sparsely-populated deserts of Western Libya, not far from the Algerian border. And following the toppling of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, experts also say Libya also suffers from lax security.

In Libya, “the government is weak and the early signs indicate (the country) will take longer than anticipated” to stabilise the security situation, said Tarek Alwan, head of SOC Libya Ltd., which advises oil companies on the North African nation.

There is evidence that heavilyarmed militias, some tied to alQaeda, are operating freely in the country. Only last September, Islamists attacked the U.S. consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi, killing the

U.S. ambassador.

The Algerian authorities currently believe that the Islamists attacked the In Amenas complex after crossing over from the Libyan side of the border, which is just over 30 kilometres from the site, a senior Algerian security official told the Wall Street Journal. The arsenal of weapons they used are also thought to have originated in Libya, the security official said.

Algerian authorities believe the terrorist group was led by an Algerian national, but included citizens from many North African countries.

Mr Shakmak said he had no knowledge of a particular threat to Libya, but said Tripoli was sending more troopswhich are made up largely of former freedom fighters in the war against Mr. Gadhafi-and boosting communications capacity as a precautionary measure.

“We have a concern since last week,” when said Mr. Shakmak. In response to the In Amenas attack, “the Ministry of Defence is increasing security at the border (with Algeria) and at oil fields’ in the desert, he said.

Grain exports from France fall, Algeria cuts wheat buying

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RAIN exports from the French port of Rouen, Europe’s biggest wheat-shipping hub, declined 29 per cent from a week earlier on reduced Algerian demand, Hellenicshippingnews.com reports.

Shipments totalled 114,223 metric tons in the week through January 23, against 160,349 tons in the prior period, the Seine River port

wrote in an e-mailed report today. Wheat cargoes fell to 76,485 tons from 126,900 tons. Barley shipments, including feed and malting varieties, rose 37 per cent to 37,738 tons.

Algeria was the top single destination for grain, taking 29,785 tons of wheat. Still, purchases from the North African country were down from 116,600 tons a week earlier. Shipments in-

creased within the European Union, with Cyprus taking 21,738 tons of feed barley, and the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal each buying some French grain.

Rouen accounted for 41 per cent of France’s grain exports by sea in 201011, exceeding the 17 per cent share for La Pallice on the Bay of Biscay and Dunkirk on the North Sea with 11 per cent of the total, according to port figures.

MOVE by Iamgold Corp. to reduce exploration in Mali marks the latest move by the Toronto-based company to protect itself from political risk in the region, Globe and Mail reports.

Iamgold has operations in Canada, South America and Africa, but half its output comes from mines in Mali, and neighbouring Burkina Faso. In Mali it is a 41-per-cent owner in the Sadiola gold mine and a 40-per-cent owner in Yatela, also a gold mine.

“Although it is business as usual at the Sadiola and Yatela mines operated by the company’s joint venture partner and which are approximately 1,300 kilometres by road from the regions of conflict, the company is reducing its exploration activity in the region at this time as a precautionary measure,” Iamgold stated in a news release last week.

The company said, however, that production at the joint venture operations had not been disrupted by the conflict in Mali, where Islamic militants have taken over a large swath of the territory.

Iamgold, one of the largest mining companies operating in Mali, has been shifting its focus away from the African continent for the past two years, selling stakes in mines in Ghana in early 2011.

The shift in strategy coincided with an investor shift away from Africa after the 2008/09 global economic crisis and a subsequent wave of resource nationalism that has swept the developing world in its wake.

Iamgold redeployed much of the proceeds from the Ghana sales a year later in Canada, where it acquired Trelawney Mining and Exploration Inc., and with it exposure to a large gold deposit, called Cote Gold – in northern Ontario, or practically in its backyard.

The deposit will likely take $1-billion to develop and is years away from production, but early signs have been positive. On Tuesday, the company said it raised the indicated resource estimate on the asset by 114 per cent.

In the short term, however, Iamgold appears to have some challenges.

Several analysts lowered their recommendations on Iamgold stock on Wednesday after the company said full-year gold production was slightly below the lower end of guidance, primarily due to poor performance at the Sadiola joint venture.

The company also said total cash cash costs per ounce would likely rise this year due to inflation and lower ore grade.

Rio reviews Mozambique’s coal mining

R

IO Tinto Group has begun a review of the Mozambique coal mining operations that cost it a $3-billion (U.S.) write-off, reconsidering development plans, partners and its options for getting the coal from pit to port, Globe and Mail reports.

Rio’s troubles in Mozambique offer a cautionary tale on big projects in new areas, which have become increasingly unattractive for miners under pressure from shareholders to control spending and improve returns.

A source familiar with the project said the review was under way. “The reality is that Rio has to look at what it has, and at what options there are,” said the source. The focus is not currently on a sale, although a new project partner could help Rio to share the infrastructure and development costs.

Rio sacked chief executive Tom Albanese last week when it wrote off $14-billion on the value of its aluminum arm and the Mozambique coal assets it bought in 2011. Mozambique’s infrastructure had proved more challenging than expected, Rio said, and estimates of recoverable coking coal used in steel production were lower than expected.

Benga mine, in which India’s Tata Steel Ltd. owns a minority stake, began exporting last year but the amounts remain a small fraction of the eventual estimated capacity of Rio’s total Mozambique coal assets.

The coal write-down and review come less than two years after Rio took control of the assets by buying the Riversdale mining company for $4.2 billion. This embarrassment is likely to deepen miners’ reluctance to tackle big projects from scratch, particularly where infrastructure is poor.

Rivals Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd. have already begun pulling back from big African bulk commodity projects, where overcoming infrastructure problems is vital for success. This reflects investors’ demands for more cash control and less profligate spending. However, Rio has Simandou, a major iron ore project in Guinea.

Vale of Brazil remains a major player in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique, where a common language has helped it to build close ties with the government. However, Vale has retreated from its portion of Simandou in Guinea, where it is facing uncertainty over the right to develop the asset.

PHOTO PANORAMA 42

Monday, January 28, 2013

•Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene of Zambia scores a goal from the penalty spot during the 2013 AFCON match between Zambia and Nigeria from Mbombela Stadium on January 25, 2013 in Nelspruit

•Ethiopian soccer fan cries after the team lost its AFCON Group C match against Burkina Faso

•Ivory Coast's Emmanuel Eboue, background center, celebrates with teammates after Yaya Toure, unseen, scored their second goal against Tunisia

•Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor celebrates his

•An Ethiopian fan enjoys the atmosphere

goal during their African Cup of Nations Group D

during the 2013 African Cup of Nations match

soccer match against Algeria at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa

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

MAYUKA wants

ALGERIAN COACH

'deeply ashamed'

A

LGERIAN coach Vahid Halilhodzic has no explanations. Although the Foxes came into the Africa Cup of Nations highly rated, they failed to score in Saturday's match against Togo, losing 2-0, and saw themselves eliminated.

"Well, what can I say? Today was disastrous ... I don't know what happened.

We built a team to win, (and) it is a team with a bright future. I feel deeply ashamed. It's hard to analyse. I can't blame anybody," the 60-year-old Bosnian said Saturday night.

"We had our opportunities to score, but we did not score. I really do feel deep shame and I take responsibility for what happened today. We are now going to sit down and think about the future of Algerian football. I feel a very deep attachment to this team and its players."

Halihodzic said his side had two legitimate penalty calls ignored and that it had dominated the Togo game, as it did against Tunisia, however, finding the net in both matches was the problem.

"So many missed opportunities. We could perhaps talk about refereeing. We had two clear penalties we should have been given.

The players are not happy about that. We dominated the game, but didn't manage to score," he said.

qualification

E

G

HANA believes a physical and defensive Niger will pose their biggest challenge yet when the teams clash in a decisive Africa Cup of Nations Group B tie on Monday.

Second favourites behind Ivory Coast to win the tournament, the Black Stars of Ghana top Group B with four points after an openingday stumble against the Democratic Republic of Congo when they drew after squandering a two-goal lead.

"We have watched Niger play DR Congo and Mali. They are a very physical and tactically disciplined team and this match will be more difficult than our first two," warned midfielder Derek Boateng.

"Niger are no pushovers and we have to do more to beat them," added Bristol City midfielder Albert Adomah.

"No game is easy here, but we are getting better as a team and, hopefully, we will move to the next stage."

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said his team will have to be very fit and prepared for a physical battle at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in this Indian Ocean city.

"We have to be very prepared for this match against a very tactically disciplined side because this will most likely be our biggest test so far," said Appiah.

"But I have total confidence in my players even though many of them

are featuring at this tournament for the first time. We will take this competition one match at a time."

Espanyol midfielder Mubarak Wakaso misses the game as he is serving a one-match ban after picking up his second booking of the tournament for his goal celebration against Mali.

Wakaso is also nursing a knee complaint, but coach Appiah disclosed he should be fit for the quarterfinals, assuming the Black Stars qualify.

Ghana's only injury worry is Italy-based striker Richmond Boakye-Yiadom, who has not fully recovered from a groin injury sustained during a training camp in Abu Dhabi.

MMANUEL Mayuka is opportunistic Zambia will on Tuesday qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup quarterfinals.

The Southampton striker said the team was not feeling any pressure ahead of Tuesdays must-win game against Burkina Faso at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

"In football you just have to be positive," Mayuka said.

"I believe we will get the result we need against Burkina Faso. But we just have to win."

After two games played, Zambia are tied in second place on two points with Nigeria and are two points behind leaders Burkina Faso who they face in their final Group C game.

"It is just people who are talking about pressure but we are taking it easy and just a game at a time," Mayuka said.

TODAY’S MATCHES Congo DR v Mali Niger v Ghana

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MOTORING THE NATION

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 possesses a six-speed transmission to replace the old four-speed automatic, which improves the RAV4’s fuel economy. It has been given style that is more sculpted and aggressive, enhanced by a body that is an inch narrower, lower and nearly an inch closer to the ground, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO with agency addition

•RAV4

RAV4: Impressive, stylish, aggressive I

N just half a decade, crossover Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) have become popular choices among car buyers. It is no accident; the full-size SUV craze of 10 years ago had most drivers addicted to their cavernous cargo spaces, elevated driving positions and eye-watering gasoline bills. The Toyota RAV4 was among the first models to downsize that addiction into a manageable package.

With the 2013 Toyota RAV4, the fourth generation of the popular crossover, the automaker has given and also taken away. Notably, the RAV4 no longer offers a V6. Although the burly six-cylinder could catapult the mild grocery hauler from zero to 60 mph in just 7.3 seconds, it was more engine than the RAV ever needed and few buyers signed on for it. The 2013 RAV4 also dispenses with a third-row seat, another option that Toyota says fewer shoppers deemed important.

The RAV4 does, however, get a six-speed transmission to replace the old four-speed automatic, which in turn improves the RAV4’s fuel economy.

It has been given styling that is more sculpted and aggressive, enhanced by a body that is an inch narrower, an inch lower and nearly an inch closer to the ground. The new RAV4 also gets a roofhinged liftgate, thereby eliminating the old design that swung out to the right and hindered curbside loading.

The RAV4’s redesign could not have come soon enough. The small crossover class is full of interesting choices, including the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Mazda CX5. With impressive styling, a contemporary look

and feel to its cabin and electronics, loads of cargo capacity and improved fuel economy, the RAV4 reclaims its standing as a top choice for a small crossover SUV.

Body styles The RAV4 is a five-passenger compact crossover offered in LE, XLE and Limited trim levels.

The LE comes standard with 17-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, power folding mirrors, rear privacy glass, full power accessories, air-conditioning, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40-split and reclining second-row seat, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a six-speaker sound system with six-inch touchscreen, a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.

The XLE adds 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, heated side mirrors, roof rails, a sunroof, dualzone automatic climate control and sportier front seats. An optional package further adds a navigation system, Toyota’s Entune smartphone integration system, satellite radio, HD radio and voice controls.

The top-level Limited comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, a height-adjustable power liftgate, keyless entry/ignition, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, an eight-way power-adjustable driver seat with memory settings, heated front seats and premium synthetic leather upholstery. The naviga-

•Interior of the car

tion system with Entune is available and can be bundled with a premium 11-speaker JBL audio system.

Powertrains and performance The RAV4 is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder that produces 176 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is standard, and the RAV4 is available with either frontor all-wheel drive.

Toyota says the front-drive RAV4 will accelerate from zero to 60 in 8.9 seconds. The front-drive RAV4 returns an EPA-estimated 24 mpg city/31 mpg highway/26 combined, about the same as the CR-V and Escape. The all-wheel-drive model, meanwhile, achieves 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.

Safety Antilock disc brakes, stability control, traction control, whiplash-reducing front head restraints, front-seat side airbags, a driver knee airbag and full-length side curtain airbags come standard on every 2013 Toyota RAV4. The Limited model offers optional blind-spot detection and rear cross-

traffic alert systems.

Interior design and special features The new RAV4 features a striking new interior design that shares themes with the new Camry and Avalon models. Pronounced angles and lines form a more streamlined dash and center stack, replacing the rounded, pedestrian look of the outgoing model. It is a distinctly modern look, and overall interior materials quality is better than average for this class.

It still embodies practicality, though. The rear seats recline, but no longer slide fore and aft, the result of the RAV4 scrapping its optional third row. Behind the rear seats are 38.4 cubic feet of cargo space, which opens up to a generous 73.3 cubes when the second row is folded - one of the largest capacities in the class.

The almost flat load floor is also quite low for the class, minimising the strain of loading groceries, household project materials or even just a couple of large dogs. In a significant break from tradition, the new RAV4 gains a roofhinged liftgate (height-adjustable on the Limited), replacing the right side-hinged design that often impeded easy curbside loading.

44

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

45

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

‘True federalism is the answer’ Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan spoke with Correspondent BISI OLANIYI on the agitation for true federalism, state police, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crises and other issues.

T

HERE is war in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). What is the way out of the crisis?

There is no war in PDP. As a governor of a PDP state, as the leader of the party in my state, and a leader of the party at the national level, by virtue of being a member of the National Executive Council (NEC), I tell you that there is no war in PDP. Yes, there are challenges in the party and these are challenges that are common in every big party like the PDP. There was never a time the governors decided to move against the national chairman of PDP. Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is an elderstatesman. We have a lot of respect for him. What you call the war in PDP is simply imaginary. It is not real. Whatever is being put in the media is being done by certain persons in Abuja.

What is your position on the constitution review and contentious isusues like the state police and power generation, transmission and distribution?

I am a strong advocate of state police. Security is too important to be played with.

States across the country have been doing so much to empower the police. Power generation, transmission and distribution are still being controlled by the Federal Government, through the Power Holding Company of Nigeria. Some states are generating power, but there are challenges in the areas of transmission and distribution. My position on the constitution review is that this is the time to entrench true federalism in the country. There is no point paying lip service to it. Only true federalism will allow the component parts of the country to develop at their own pace. It will allow you to control power, security, resources and a lot of things.

Are you comfortable with the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before the National Assembly?

We not only have polluted air in the Niger Delta, the soil is so badly destroyed that nothing can grow on it again. As for the rivers, they are so badly polluted that all the fishes in them are now dead.

People should be sympathetic with what is happening in the Niger Delta, because of the environmental damage. They can no longer farm or fish, as a result of pollution and environmental degradation.

The ten per cent to the host communities, as stated in the PIB, is not too much. I would have preferred 50 per cent, to address the developmental challenges. There are communities all over the world that have such funds, which sometimes are put in trust, that are managed locally or internationally. If

the crude oil is in other parts of this country, the debate will not be on. Other people should show understanding.

What if the PIB does not scale through legislative approval?

I do not want to think about that. I am just praying it goes through.

Do you believe in death penalty for kidnappers?

As a person, I do not believe in death penalty for kidnappers. No crime has been solved by the death penalty. Death penalty leads to more desperation. Notable people have been unnecessarily killed and the evidence brought to the court, sometimes, is not accurate and innocent people are sentenced to death. We have the right to life.

The public execution in Nigeria has not stopped armed robbery.

Kidnapping is a big challenge to us. It has become an easier criminal activity than armed robbery. It is a bit of migration from armed robbery to kidnapping. There is no dividing line between the two. For me, a kidnapper is an armed robber. Instead of stealing money, he is stealing human beings and forcing people to negotiate. It is another form of armed robbery.

We are dealing with kidnapping, first by strengthening our security agencies. Secondly, we are ensuring that our intelligence network is greatly improved upon. We are using various bodies for that. We are using vigilantes, traditional rulers, religious leaders and some of our youths. Intelligence is very key in this regard.

The case in Delta State is a little more complex than it appears. Apart from the economic reason, it has a political undertone.

At a time, the focus was on government appointees and their relatives, persons that are close to the governor. But notwithstanding, we are making progress.

The case of the mother of the Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, about two months ago was a sore point indeed. But since then, things have been more on the quiet side. What has actually assisted us in tackling kidnapping is the ban on the use of commercial motorcycles (Okadas) in our major cities. Commercial motorcycles are major tools the kidnappers were using. Once

we succeeded in banning motorcycles in some of our major cities, those cities have been quiet. We are moving to other areas, where we still have pockets of kidnapping.

Even the Boko Haram suicide bombers have been using motorcycles.

How was your experience like during the kidnap of the mother of Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala?

The truth is that every human being is important. Every human being kidnapped is a big challenge. Of course, there are still some human beings that give more challenges, if anything happens to them. Her own was more challenging, first, she is from the royal family - the queen of a community.

Then, she is the wife of a prominent traditional ruler in the state.

It is not just about the minister, but about the fact that the kidnappers went inside the palace to take a queen. It was very challenging.

When will your administration’s power plant be ready?

From the port in Port Harcourt, we have brought by road, the turbines to where we are building the power plant. The turbines are not more than six kilometres to the site.

We still have the challenge of moving them to the site. By the end of this year, the power plant will be ready.

We still have the challenge of transmission. The Federal Government is still totally in charge of transmission of power. Our hope is that when we start generating power, the people of Delta State should be the beneficiaries, rather than just take it to the national grid.

How far have you gone with your administration’s “Delta Without Oil” initiative?

We started with “Delta Without Oil”, but it is now “Delta Beyond Oil.” It simply means an economic agenda developing other areas of the economy, different from oil and gas, but using the current funds coming from oil and gas to develop such other areas of the economy, especially in the areas of agriculture and solid minerals. In terms of agriculture, we have our emphasis on the value chain of agriculture, by being able to encourage our farmers at the local level to pro-

‘My position on the constitution review is that this is the time to entrench true federalism in the country. There is no point paying lip service to it. Only true federalism will allow the component parts of the country to develop at their own pace. It will allow you to control power, security, resources and a lot of things’

•Uduaghan

duce so much. First, to feed ourselves. It is very important that we are able to feed ourselves and then we produce extra for economic gain.

A typical cassava farmer is able to produce enough during the year to feed his family and will simply produce more that he can sell. When they are encouraged to produce so much and they do not have anything to do with the excess that they produce, they will be discouraged. When they produce so much, the price will drop.

When we are talking of the value chain, we are talking of a situation where the farmer produces cassava and there is a system that ensures that for the fact that he produces it, it is taken off and processed. That is where the issue of processing comes in. We have a value chain from the farmer to the processing and packaging. We are encouraging the peasant farmers and large investors that will bring in cassava processing machines. I just used cassava as an example.

One thing about agriculture is that it can employ massively and it can ensure that we do not go hungry. A society that is not hungry will be peaceful. If you are hungry, you are angry. If you are angry, you tend to be violent. A society whose people are able to feed themselves tends to be more peaceful, than when people are not able to feed themselves.

We are placing emphasis on agriculture.

We are using the economic agenda, believing that crude oil is a commodity that is very volatile. We are not sure of the price of oil at any particular time and will affect the state and national economies. It can also finish with time and we may not have the oil again.

What happens? That is why, we, as a state, we put in place the economic agenda. So that in the future, with or without oil, we can survive. I am glad that all over now, in Nigeria, everybody is talking of Nigeria beyond oil.

Anambra 2014: ACN, PDP, APGA begin mobilisation The next governmorship election is expected to hold in February 2014 in Anambra State. Correspondent NWANOSIKE ONU writes on the preparation for the exercise by the political parties.

•Ngige

P

OLITICAL parties are on the track in Anambra State. Eyes are on the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Which one

among the big three will produce Governor Peter Obi’s successor?

Obi assumed the reins seven years ago. His party is formidable. But the ACN and PDP cannot be ignored in the state. They both have senators in the National Assembly.

The parties have begun underground activities aimed at outsmarting one another.

However, the major problem with them is that they are deeply enmeshed in intra-party crises. The only exception is the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Other smalleer parties, including Labour Party (LP), are also assailed by leadership tussles.

The fallout is that their members have been defecting to the ANPP and ACN. For ACN, negotiating the bends towards the election has been smooth, beginning from the wards to the council level. Before, only former Chris Ngige, who now represents Anambra

Central District in the senate, was the only prominent figure in the party. There is mass migration to the opposition party. Sources said that former Central Bank Governor Charles Soludo is fraternising with ACN. The source added that his romance with the party was responsible for his current ordeal in the hands of the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC. Anambra State ACN leader Senator Ngige has not formally said anything about his governorship ambition. However, In December, last year, he gathered the ACN faithful at his campaign office inAwka and showered them with gifts, including cars and bags of rice. Besides, he launched a scholarship scheme with 100 million naira to carter for the less privileged and widows in his senatorial zone.

Ngige also gave N10m to the state secretariat of the party. He promised party mem-

bers that, by March 2013, the second phase of the empowerment programme will hold in the state.

A source said Ngige may surprise many people in the state with his delay tactics. He cited the senatorial race involving him and former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili. Nobody expected him to appear in the race.

ACN chairman Chief Amechi Obidike declared that his party will produce the next governor.

He warned other political parties to stop blackmailing ACN and face the reality. He said the crisis-ridden parties are not fit to rule the state because they have failed to put their house in order.

One of the ACN lawmakers from Idemili South Constituency, Ebele Obi, said ACN will transform the state, if voted into power.

46

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

POLITICS

Tribute to home boy at 47

‘Centenary celebration will foster unity’ Secretary to the Federal Government Senator Ayim Pius Ayim spoke with reporters in Lagos on the proposed centenary celebrations.

EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

Y

F

OR Henry Seriake Dickson, the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and reality of tomorrow.

Many years ago, Dickson suffered from bad governance and lamented, in particular, the underdevelopment of Bayelsans and the Ijaw nation as a whole. The cop - turned lawyer dreamt about how to develop his people, if he got the opportunity to lead.

The Almighty God and the good people of Bayelsa State gave him the mandate to give hope to his people and translate his dream to reality, with his overwhelming election as the fourth executive governor of the oilrich Bayelsa State on February 11, 2011.

Lke the former leader of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kwan Yew, who turned around the fortunes of his country by leapfrogging Singapore from third world to first world, Dickson hit the ground running, laying a solid foundation for the rapid development of Bayelsa State.

It will be recalled that Dickson inherited a hugely indebted state running into over N66 billion,with a bloated monthly wage bill of over N6billion, in spite of the over N650 billion collected as federal allocation by his predecessor. Staff audit conducted by government showed that the bulk of the money went to ghost workers and ghost institutions and the governor has since brought sanity to public service by stopping the fraud and prosecuting the culprits.

While taking his oath of office on February 14 last year, Dickson, popularly known as Countryman because of his manifest connect with the grassroots and Ijaw cause, proclaimed free and compulsory education in the state. He promised to drastically trim the cost of governance, deliver developmental deliverables to the people and change the governance culture in the state through the enthronement of purposeful leadership that is anchored on justice, fairness, transparency and accountability.

Barely one year into his administration, he has walked the talk so much so that ordinary Bayelsans now call him the ‘‘talk na do governor.’’ The Dickson’s administration has already constructed 41 roads, built 18 buildings which include schools and a multi-million naira world class diagnostic centre as well as a door court house which are to be commissioned on February 14, as his government turns a year.

There are other ongoing projects in the state such as the Deep Sea Port in Agger, Yenagoa Airport, the three senatorial roads and to mention but a few.

The governor has promised to complete the Tower hotel, Yenagoa and any viable projects inherited from past administrations. And above all, there is peace, security and social justice in the once restive state. Thanks to the huge investments in security and the financial autonomy granted the state judiciary by the Dickson’s administration.

The governor showed leadership by starting his reform with his office. His predecessor used about N1.685 billion monthly to run government house, Yenagoa otherwise known as Creek Haven. The countryman showed clearly that he is a leader of conviction and not convenience when he denied himself the luxury of living like a king kong. He cut it to about N657,460,000 million, thereby saving over N1 billion for the hugely indebted state.

He has turned a hitherto pariah Bayelsa to a tourism and investment haven. The question those who may not have keenly followed his government may ask is, how did he achieve this feat? First, Governor Dickson invested heavily in security, outlawed kidnapping, secret cultism and all forms of criminalities hitherto used by politicians especially incumbents to oppress their opponents and drive away contractors from sites. The governor also enacted the Compulsory

•Dickson

By Francis Agbo

Savings Law, Transparency and Accountability Law which made it mandatory for him to be prudent and accountable to the people. And with the savings regime, the state is fully prepared for the rainy day. This also implies that it will neither be indebted to businessmen nor be broke and investors are assured of great returns for their investments.

Indeed these measures coupled with the governor’s integrity and track record of service, helped to restore investors’ confidence in the state and that was the magic wand that made them to scramble for investment opportunities in Bayelsa.

As Governor Dickson marks his 47th birthday on Monday, January 28, he exudes six cardinal qualities which make him stand tall in the comity of governors: Integrity uncommon courage, vision, conviction, service to mankind and fear of God. Indeed, it takes a man with fear of God and audacity to sacrifice his comfort by cutting Creek Haven allocation, banned cultism and made it punishable by 10 years imprisonment without option of fine.

Similarly, it takes a man of conviction to honour late General Sani Abacha for creating Bayelsa State. Like the wordsmith of our time, Chief Dan Agbese posited in his column, the award came at a period in Nigerian history when identifying with the late general was like committing political hara-kiri. But Governor Dickson reputed for working according to his conscience immortalised the late General by naming an estate in the state capital after him and conferred Ijaw name on his first son, Mohammed.

It takes a man with these qualities to declare a functional free and compulsory education in Bayelsa State.

Before Dickson came to judgement in Creek Haven, no governor dared to implement free and compulsory edu-

‘In 1998, when the bigwigs in Bayelsa were either in PDP or APP (now ANPP), Dickson chose to pitch tent with the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and was elected its chairman between 1998 to 2000. He led the party to winning all the elections in Bayelsa West Senatorial District. Indeed Bayelsa State was the only state the party recorded such victory outside the core Yoruba-speaking area

cation. The thinking especially during the immediate past administration was that if education was free, there may not be enough money for the power elites to share.

Today, the entire education sector has changed. Government provides the following items free to pupils and students: textbooks, uniforms, sandals, bags, and writing materials. Government is also responsible for the payment of WAEC, NECO, and JAMB forms fees for students. Already 400 primary schools with 400 headmaster/ principal/staff quarters are under construction across the state.

Similarly, Dickson has spent about N2 billion, the first of its kind, on the education of indigent post graduate students of Ijaw nationality who are covered by the Bayelsa State Scholarship Scheme.

Born on the 28th January, 1966 in the rustic riverine Toru- Orua in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Nanaye Dickson of Orua, a descendant of the famous King Kpadia Royal House of Tarakiri Kingdom, Dickson is also a descendant of the renowned Obu warrior family of Orua whose trademark is valour, bravery and honour Dickson attended Kolobiriowei Primary School, Toru-Orua from 1972 to 1978 where he got his First School Leaving Certificate and proceeded to Government Secondary School, ToruEbeni between 1978 to 1983 and obtained his West African School Certification (WASC/GCE).

Dickson joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1986 to raise money to further his education, because his parents could no longer cater for his schooling. He gained admission in 1988 at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt to study Law from where he graduated with LL.B (HONS.) in 1992. He then proceeded in 1993, to earn his Bachelors of Law (B.L.Hons) from the Nigeria Law School, Lagos and was called to the Nigeria Bar the same year.

He was Cadet Assistant Superintended of Police in 1994 but withdrew his service to start legal practice in Port Harcourt where he worked with Serena David Dokubo & Co. He was an associate solicitor from 1994 to 1995 and moved to Aluko & Oyebode, a prominent Law firm in Lagos in a similar position.

In 1998 when the bigwigs in Bayelsa were either in PDP or APP (now ANPP), Dickson chose to pitch tent with the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and was elected its chairman between 1998 to 2000 and led the party to winning all the elections in Bayelsa West Senatorial District. Indeed Bayelsa State was the only state the party recorded such victory outside the core Yoruba-speaking area.

OU said the federal government will not fund the centenary celebration. Is that pos-

sible?

The centenary project will be private-sector driven. Foe example, the Abuja Centenary City Project, which will be a commercial, technological and tourist centre, will occupy 1,000 hectares of land. N15 billion US dollar investment is being attracted. The project may take a longer time and we are carrying the private sector along. This project will boost employment. It will be accomplish through land swamp arrangement. We will not be in partnership with them. We will only tell them the direction we are going. They are not taking the land free, but according to the existing arrangements. So, we have no business with ICRC. All the meetings and consultations we have been holding are not funded by the government. It is like when you enter Monaco. The city will have a chartered status. It is not going to be an estate.

It will be built with security consciousness.

How do you convince ordinary Nigerians that the celebration will not be another jamboree?

The celebration is not for the federal government alone. States are expected to participate in it by coming up with their own programmes for the celebration in their states. Individuals and corporate bodies will have suggestions to make. What we are proposing is not final. The programme is still evolving. But government will not fund it.

Is the National Assembly convinced about the project?

We told the National Assembly that there will be no public funding.

What David Mark said was that, if there will be no public funding, the question and answer session will not be needed. It is only in this part of the world that we think that nothing is possible without getting money from government. When government says it is bringing money, everybody will say it will be an abandoned project.

So, left or right, the problem is the government. David Mark only said, if there will be no money coming from the government for it, there would be no need for me to brief them. Then, I asked, ‘is it only when there is money that I have to come to the National Assembly?’. Many people were waiting for how much would the government put into it.

When we were mooting the idea, the President said government cannot by any means come into it. It took us four months to come up with the idea that the private sector will fund it.

The private sector will take the projects item by item. We are presenting our logo, we are presenting our theme, we are presenting the song, we are presenting our banner.

Take one item, advertise on it and pay money. This is how to raise the money we are looking for. So, the

National Assembly was surprised that government was not paying.

Nigeria will gain from the celebrations economically, socially, culturally and politically and even beyond that.

Will the opposition parties not think that the celebration is meant to promote the image of the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan, ahead of the 2015 elections?

One thing I will recommend is this.

Take time to study the document.

There is no political activity there. It is only in Nigeria that selfish interest is promoted at the expense of the progress of the country. When it comes to issues like this, people think it is meant for another thing. In other places, they think about deepening democracy. That is why people don’t usually contest election results in the developed world. That was why Al Gore allowed George Bush to go.

Even with the little margin, Obama’s opponent congratulated him. It is time to know those who are patriotically wishing this country well and those who believe that, if not them, there will be no Nigeria. I ran in any election before. I won my first senatorial election at 37. I came back the second time and became a senator at the age of 38. I left at the age of 42. I didn’t think about what I will be tomorrow. I did not have the idea of what next, other than the fact that I am a farmer and my father has a large farmland. We must join hand to promote the cause of the country about personal interest. We should elevate the corporate interest of the country over and above narrow, personal interest. The President is humble with power and he has the interest of the country at heart.

Looking at the concept document, Lagos and Calabar, which are former federal capitals, are not specially mentioned. Is that not an omission?

The document is not final. We have said that states will have their activities which we will incorporate with.

Individuals and groups may even have their programmes. It is an evolving thing.

•Anyim

ACN flays PDP over attack on al-Makura

A

Nasarawa State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has decried the statement credited to the People Democratic Party (PDP) that the state is witnessing communal crisis for the first time.

ACn said PDP was being mischievous, adding that its leaders lacked understanding of the situation in the state.

ACN chairman Alhaji Bashir Moh Jabiru said in a statement that PDP was deliberately inciting the people against the government.

He recalled that Nasarawa South Senatorial District engulfed in crisis during Abdullahi Administration.

Jabiru said that the former Commissioner for Women Affairs and

By Jeremiah Oke

Socuial Development Maimuna Katai was killed during the crisis.

He added: The 2001 crisis also led to the murder of a third class paramount ruler of Azazi, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim. This traditional ruler was even slaughtered and his head was taken away. PDP was in power then. In fact, Tiv people were thrown out of Nasarawa South to Benue State because many of them were killed and their houses burnt.

Benue State was saddled with problems of refugee.

“Then, we opposition, because I’ve been in this party since 1998 when it was AD, did not say communities were up in arms against one another”.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

47

With ekpoita :funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08077706130

Behind The Phrase Cool As Cucumber Meaning: Calm and unruffled.

Origin Cool here means imperturbable rather than having a low temperature. Cucumbers are cool to the touch.

First recorded in John Gay’s Poems, New Song on New Similies, 1732: “I ... cool as a cucumber could see The rest of womankind.”

BUSINESSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Price (4) 3. Financial Instrument (6) 7. Money, in relation to wants (6) 8. Single Item (4) 9. Merchandise (4) 11. Wagers (4) 13. Trade (4) 14. An Eastern Currency(3) 16. Buoyant (5) 18. Sell (4) 20. Amass, as in profit (4) 21. Book of Records (6) 22. Financial Institution (4)

DOWN Teller (7) Divides (6) 4.Comany’s Shares (6) 5. Item entered in book (5) 6. Card with highest value (3) 10. Measuring Device (5) 11. Unwritten Cheque (5) 12. Number (5) 15. Sum up (3) 17. Relax (4) 19. Cash Box (3)

PHOTO PUZZLE

RICHSINGLES Mabruka Mai Deribe

SIMPLY WEIRD PEOPLE & PLACES

Find alternative words for the words in the clue below. The numbers beside the words indicate the spaces in the grid where the letters that make up the alternative words should be placed. when done, the name of a forerunner of the seat occupied by the person whose photograph appears inset the grid would be spelt. The first one has been solved to spur you on.

The Black Blondes of Melanasia

A B CLUE Arunma Oteh, DG. SEC

Mabruka Mai Deribe is the daughter of late super rich Mai Deribe. A fashion designer of repute and held in high esteem in the fashion circle, Mabruka Mai Deribe is the designer behind Mabs couture. Her line of fashion include hand- made fashion accessories- earrings, bracelets and rings , crystallized ankara print fabric and dressy kaftan dresses.

What’s more? She is blessed with a beautiful body which keeps men gaping and gazing in awe and admiration.

Fortunately she is still single but for those who would dare to get fresh with her, they must according to her, be imbued with the qualities of her late billionaire father.

Hmm, a seemingly tall order!

Pep Talk

1. Bleat of sheep (7, 8) 2. Noise (9, 6, 1) 3. Freedom (10, 3, 2, 5, 4)

They are noteworthy because they manifest the conventional Melanesian physical type, but their hair has a blonde cast to it. When you ask the people why there are so many blonde people on the islands, they answer 3 things: they have white ancestors, they receive too much sun, or they do not eat enough vitamins! – Langania village, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

sudoku Simply fill in the missing spaces in the grid to ensure that every row, column and 3 by 3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9

They are the Melanasians, a native group of people living on the Soloman islands of northeast Australia famous for their beautiful black skin and naturally blonde hair.

The odd combination has got scientists wondering about how such a color combo develops over time.

What’s truly beautiful in this fascinating discovery is that it’s a great example of convergent evolution, where the same outcome is brought about by entirely different means. The variant is completely separate from what causes blond hair in Europeans, and doesn’t even exist in the European genetic set.

The diamond may adorn royalty, regardless of personal worth; but jewels of thought render even poverty illustrious and sublime - Gems for the Fireside

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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82nd KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

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ODAY, Wednesday 23rd January, 2013 (11th Rabi’ul Awwal, 1434 AH) Council sitting was presided over by Gov. Rabi’u Kwankwaso FNSE during which 17 memoranda were submitted by 11 MDAs for deliberation. An expenditure of N1,252,366,347.61 covering 12 projects was approved for execution by the Council.

Thus; 1. MINISTRY OF HEALTH Presentation of a request for endorsement by Gov. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso FNSE of a document on 2013 Nigeria Immunization Leadership Challenge:Since the inception of this administration, health sector has been an area of great concern to the Government because of its direct bearing on the well-being of the teeming population of the State. Government, therefore, is ready to collaborate with any organization either public or private in the provision of healthcare facilities. The Ministry of Health presented a document requiring endorsement by the Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso FNSE. The document called for indication of interest by the State to participate in the program called ‘Nigeria Immunization Leadership Challenge’, which was launched last year at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to sensitize and encourage the level of support for the fight against polio. Participation at the program will further cement the relationship established with the Bill and Melinda Foundation as well as the Dangote Foundation. Again, there is a chance of winning 500,000 US Dollars in each of the two programs.

Council noted, considered and appreciated compliance of the Governor in signing (endorsing) the pages indicated on the document.

2. MINISTRY OF RURAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT This Ministry presented one (1) memoranda for Consideration and approval by the Council.

Thus; a. Presentation of notification of some selected vandalized electrification projects earmarked for rehabilitation:The sum of N70,000,000.00 was highlighted by the Ministry of Rural and Community Development as the amount of money required for the rehabilitation of eleven (11) vandalized electrification projects shortlisted from nine (9) LGCAs. These are from among the already approved twenty five (25) such projects spanning fourteen (14) LGCAs but the ones specified are adjudged to be the most critical. Council approved the execution of the rehabilitation of the following vandalized facilities: i. Faragai-Batayya I.T.C Maintenance - Albasu Local Government –N10,682,028.00 ii. Gwagwaranda I.T.C. - Albasu Local Government - N 5,575,181.00 iii.Rehabilitation of I.C.T. at Jibia - Gaya Local Government - N 6,123,894.00 iv. Fita ITC/S/Garin Durbunde TDN - Takai Local Government - N 5,096,609.00 v. Dambazau/Diribo ITC Maintenance – Takai Local Government - N 5,183,214.00 vi. Kuki and Anadariyya ITC - Bebeji Local Government - N11,84,085.00 vii.

Yadakwari-Danmauri ITC G/Malam Local Government N 8,598,371.00 viii. Kura-Kosawa-Guraza-DomawaITC- Kura Local Government - N 6,222,987.00 ix. Yargudau ITC Maintenance - D/Tofa Local Govt - N 2,288,922.00 x. Karari-Dutse Karya - Bichi- Local Govt - N 1,865,222.00 xi. Rogo-Tsamiya–Rogo-Bari/Falgore,Tasha Baduku-Kanwa ITC - N 7,279,487.00 TOTAL - N70,000,000.00 3. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT The office of the Secretary to the State Government submitted 6 memoranda on behalf of other MDAs for deliberation by the Council as follows; a. Request for release of Counterpart Funds for the provision of free Tuberculoses Treatment in the State using WHO recommended observed treatment (DOTS) started 2003:The sum of N9,852,000.00 was approved for release as requested, by contents of this memorandum, to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, which presented the request on behalf of the Ministry of Health. This was done in compliance with earlier agreement reached between the State Government and World Health Organization (WHO). b. Request for approval and release of funds to host the Super-4 (pre-season tournament):The Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture reminded the Council of its approval and release of funds to host the 7th Congress of Nigerian Premier League by Kano Pillars Football Club. The money approved and released was N5,000,000.00.

The event was not held in Kano but shifted to and held in Abuja.

Nevertheless, another hosting right was granted to the Kano Pillars by the newly established Nigeria Premier League (NPL) Board to host the Super 4 (pre-season tournament) comprising Kano Pillars, Rangers, Lobi and Heartland Football Clubs. So, the Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture requested for the release of an additional fund in the sum of N9,460,000.00 to augment the initial sum of N5million to cater for hosting the Super 4 pre-season Tournament, which is projected to gulp the sum of N14,460,000.00.

Council noted, considered and approved the release of an additional sum of N9,460,000.00 to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government for onward payment to the Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture to enable the hosting of the Super 4 pre-season League Tournament for the year 2013. This was in support of Sports generally and Football in particular in the State. c. Request for funds to enable the payment of 13,000 Litres of Diesel (AGO):The sum of N2,860,000.00 was approved for release by the Council to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government for onward payment to the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, as requested for the payment of 13,000 Litres of AGO supplied to Farmers Radio by Alhaji Yahaya Mai Kifi.

The gesture was to smoothen, continuous performance of the Farmers’ Radio whose activities champion the sensitization efforts rendered for farmers to improve their performance to improve yield and general production for economic and social advancement. d. Request for funds to settle expenses incurred by the Task Force Committee on Streetlights for six (6) Months (i.e January-June, 2012):Office of the Secretary to the State Government requested, on behalf of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport, for the release of the sum of N134,421,760.00 to enable settlement of expenses incurred by the Task Force Committee on Streetlights for Six (6)

months (January-June, 2012).

Essentially, diesel (AGO) was supplied to the Committee to keep their Electricity Generators operational.

Supply of the commodity (AGO) was confirmed, and Council approved the release of the requested sum of N134,421,760.00 to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government for onward payment to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to enable the settlement of expenses on AGO incurred by the Task Force

Rabi’u Musa Kwankawaso

Committee on Streetlights. Streetlights are currently seen functioning almost everywhere as envisaged by the incumbent administration under the leadership of Gov. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. e. Presentation on an arithmetic error and request for additional release of funds to enable conduct of the empowerment/training program for less privileged Women:The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, through contents of this memorandum, as submitted by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, drew the attention of the Council to its earlier approval granted for the release of the sum of N1,164,500.00 to enable conduct of the referred program.

However, in the course of implementation, it was discovered that there was an inadvertent arithmetical error in putting the proposal for 500 women at N10,000.00 each to read N500,000.00 instead of N5,000,000.00.

As such, Council was requested to approve the release of the sum of N4,500,000.00 to bridge the gap so as to ensure successful and effective execution of the program.

Council approved the release of the sum of N4,500,000.00 to actualize conduct of the empowerment program since it is among the cardinal resolutions of the present administration. The Community Re-orientation Committee is to be involved in the selection of participants. f. Presentation on “Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA)-Establishment of Staple Crop processing Zone in Kano State:Council was reminded of the establishment of the staple crop-processing zone for rice, sorghum and tomato in Kano State, which is sited at Kadawa. Nine (9) Local Government areas are to serve as the ready source of supply of raw materials for the processing zone.

They include Kura, Garun Malam, Rano, Kiru, Madobi, Bunkure, Tudun Wada, Bebeji and Doguwa.

Details on the general arrangements were presented in this memorandum, which culminated to a request for the Council to consider and approve the release of a piece of land under KNARDA’S control along Bagauda/Kura road for the establishment of Staple Crop Processing Zone.

Council noted and approved the proposal on the establishment of the Staple Crop Processing Zone in Kano State. This is in agreement with the State Government effort to increase farmer productivity in addition to the millions being expended in the provision of bulls, ox-carts, and ridges. This action and the resources committed in agriculture have attracted the attention of both domestic and international organizations to partner with the State to improve agricultural production.

4. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION Two (2) memoranda were submitted by this Ministry for deliberation by the Council as follows; a. Presentation on the need and request to release funds to augment the earlier approved sum of money for the provision of school furniture using 2011 and 2012 UBE Matching Grant for 187 Kwankwasiyya blocks of classrooms:The Ministry of Education reported variation of an earlier approved expenditure on the provision of School furniture using 2011 and 2012 UBE Matching Grant through contents of this memorandum. An augmentation to the tune of N162,316,000.00 was requested for in order for the Ministry to enable the provision of comparably high-quality school furniture for 187 Kwankwasiyya blocks of classrooms designed to accommodate 15,708 pupils and 2,168 teachers.

Council approved the augmentation and release of the sum of N162,316,000.00 to the Ministry of Education to enable the provision of high-quality school furniture for 187 Kwankwasiyya Blocks as the project is in line with the resolve of the present administration to provide qualitative education in the State. b. Request for funds to facilitate additional repairs and renovation works on existing structures at Government Girls Secondary School, Madobi, Madobi Local GovernmentRequired additional repairs and renovation works on existing structures at GGSS Madobi was brought to the attention of the Council by contents of this memorandum. The Ministry of Education requested for the release of the aggregate sum of N53,847,380.32 to enable the execution of fourteen (14) projects itemized and respectively estimated by contents of this memorandum.

Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requested sum of N53,847,380.32 to the Ministry of Education to effect the required repairs and construction of new structures at GGSS Madobi so as to provide efficient teaching and learning atmosphere in the school , Colleges and places of teaching and learning across the State.

5. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, YOUTHS, SPORTS AND CULTURE Request for funds to Sponsor Kano Pillars Basketball team for the 2013 DSTV National Premier Basketball League:The Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture informed the Council through contents of this memorandum, of having received an Invitation Letter from the Nigerian Basketball Federation requesting the State to register its players for the year

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 2013 DSTV National Premier Basketball League beginning on 23rd February, 2013. Contents of this memorandum reminded the Council of the fact that the Kano Pillars Basketball team was the runner up of last year’s (2012) final-8 Championship, which qualified the team to represent Nigeria at the West Africa Zonal Qualifiers that took place in Liberia in which they emerged champions of the West Africa Sub-region and won the trophy. So, the Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture requested on behalf of the Sports Council for the release of the sum of N23,957,000.00 to cater for registration, feeding, accommodation, allowances, sign-on fees and other logistics for the new season so that the Kano Pillars Basketball team can participate in the 2013 DSTV Premier Basketball League Season.

Council considered and approved the release of the sum of N16,241,000.00 to the Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture to enable the Sports Council to facilitate for the stated purpose.

6. MINISTRY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Request for funds to enable the provision of furniture and equipment for Academic Staff, Computer Center, E-Library and supply/installation of air-conditioners at Northwest University, Kano:The aggregate sum of N130,774,023.06 was approved for release by the Council to the Ministry for Higher Education to enable provision of furniture and equipment for Academic Staff, Computer Center, E-Library and supply/installation of Air-conditioners at Northwest University, Kano.

Details on how the money approved for release is to be utilized were presented for Council’s consideration. It was understood that; i. Provision and Installation of furniture for Academic Staff Offices, Computer Center, E-Library and Senate Chamber = N 97,640,481.84 ii. Supply/Installation of air-conditioning units for 1-6 Floors = N 33,133,541.22 Total = N130,774,023.06 7. MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES Presentation on EU-Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Program (EU-WSSSRP) and request for funds to address shortfall in the payment for Works Executed:Water is life and has to be available in required quantities and suitable quality for use by man for his existence to be normal and comfortable. This explains the present administration resolve to expend billion of Naira in order to provide and make water available to its teeming population. All possible strategies are used to make this possible. Among them is the agreement entered into between the State Government and the European Union (EU)Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Program (EU-WSSSRP). The purpose of the program is to increase access to safe, adequate and sustainable water supply and sanitation services in six focal States, which include Kano. A lot has been achieved since the commencement of the program in which joint financing provided the money for all the works executed-thus; i. European Union N219,489,512.13=48% ii. Federal Government N104,705,331.88=25% iii.Kano State Government N62,823,299,.13 =15% iv. Local Government N29,317,492.93 =7%(11 LGCs) v. Communities N39,396,341.31 =5% (N18,455,274.93 in kind) Total N455,731,877.36 A total of thirteen (13) contracts were successfully signed and executed while the various Communities are enjoying the facilities provided. A shortfall of N10,516,547.31 remains to be paid to contractors on retention for sanitation facilities and allowances. So, the Ministry of Water Resources requested for the release of the sum of N10,516,547.31 by the Council to enable the payment of the shortfall.

Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requested sum of money to the Ministry of Water Resources to facilitate for the stated purpose.

8. MINISTRY OF FINANCE Notification on money owed the State Pension Trustees Fund by the 44 Local Government Councils and SUBEB:Contents of this memorandum substantiated to the attentive Council that the sum of N5,977,066,064.38 is owed to the Kano State Pension Fund Trustees by the 44 Local Government Councils (LGCAs) and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). These organizations have for years failed to remit their mandatory pension share on every employee in accordance with the Pension and Gratuity Law of 2006 (as gazetted 11th January, 2007). Details are; i. 44 LGCAs 17% non-remitted December 2011 – N203,244,413.55 Jan-Dec 2012 N2,626,333,585.63 Total = N2,829,577,999.18 ii. SUBEB Jan-Dec 2012 iii.Grand total

=

N3,147,488,065.20 N5,977,066,064.38

Council noted, considered and approved gradual settlement of the owed amount of money in nine (9) months. Specifically, N664,118,451.59 is to be jointly remitted to the Pension Fund Trustees every month for nine (9) months –thus; i. LGCAs = N314,397,555.40 ii. SUBEB = N343,720,896.10 iii.Total = N658,118,451.50 The gesture is to ensure that the scheme’s objectives are achieved in that every person who worked in Kano State Public Service gets his benefit as and when due.

9. MINISTRY OF WORKS, HOUSING AND TRANSPORT Two (2) memoranda were submitted for consideration by the Council from the Ministry of Works, Housing and transport, thus; a. Request for funds to facilitate the re-construction of the wall fence at BUK Old Site along Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Road:The Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport informed the Council, through contents of this memorandum, that a portion of the perimeter wall fence at BUK Old Site had to be demolished to pave a way for the road construction work in progress along Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Road. The wall had to be re-positioned 3metres into the University’s premises. So, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport requested for the release of the sum of N43,563,550.80 to facilitate the demolition and reconstruction of the wall fence at its new location so as to pave a way for the road construction work in progress.

Council considered and approved the release of the requested sum of money to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to expedite action in the execution of the stated project so

as to ensure timely completion of the road construction project along Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Road, which is in line with the laudable policies of the present administration. b. Request for funds to enable Renovation and Conversion of Former “ICRISAT” Center situated at Kadawa into a Horticulture Institute:The Horticulture Institute is among the skill acquisition and empowerment provision establishments embarked upon by the present administration. The Institute is to provide training in modern ornamental farming (Gardening) agriculture in the State. As such, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport requested for the release of the sum of N19,747,634.53 to facilitate the renovation and conversion of “ICRISAT” Center at Kadawa into the envisaged Horticulture Institute.

Release of the requested sum of N19,747,634.53 was approved by the Council to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to facilitate for the stated renovation and conversion projects so as to actualize the provision of the required site for the envisaged Horticulture Institute.

UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE 82ND SITTING 1. GOVERNOR’S OFFICIAL WORKING VISIT TO INDIA Council noted the successful official working visit by the State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and members of his team on Saturday 19th January, 2013 to India where they met with different investment personalities and organizations such as PRIMUS Hospital, Garment Factory and, Vocational School for Teaching of Garment, Sewing & Embroidery.

This working visit was meant to attract foreign investments and the setting up of industries in the State.

2. TRAINING OF YOUTHS FOR THE AMANA LUXURY TAXIS In its effort to eradicate poverty among the citizens in the State, Council recalled the successful launching of 1000 fairly used taxis and 500 fairly used buses last year. Similarly, Council having observed the beneficial development of the previous program, also approved the supply of an additional 1000 luxury taxis to ameliorate commuters problem within the State. Already an organized training of the 1st phase set of selected unemployed youths to drive the luxury taxis had began in conjunction with the Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria, on Friday 25th January, 2013 at Murtala Mohammed Library.

3. ATTACK ON THE EMIR OF KANO Council noted with dismay the sudden attack on Emir of Kano, Alh. (Dr.) Ado Bayero and his entourage on Saturday after attending an Islamic School launching/graduating ceremony.

During the attack, three (3) lives were lost and many had sustained injury. Accordingly, the State Security Agents discovered that those suspected to have carried out the attack and numerous others (attacks) use motorbikes as a means to, and a getaway of transport. This convinced the Government to announce the prohibition of carrying of two or more persons on motorbikes within the metropolitan area to ensure safety of lives of innocent individuals in the State.

Similarly, Council condoled with the families of the attacked victims, which included the Interim Management Officer of Kumbotso Local Government and three (3) of the Emir’s servants. The State Government also gave the sum of N1million and 3 Bedroom Flat each to the families of those who lost their lives. Council prayed for the gentle souls of those killed to rest in peace. The sum of N250,000.00 was released to the other three (3) victims each who are presently in hospital receiving medical attention while Government will continue providing free medical treatment to all the victims of the attack.

4. LAUNCHING OF THE MALARIA PROGRAMME Council noted the launching of malaria program on the distribution of free malaria drugs across the State Hospitals coming up on Tuesday 29th January, 2013, which was donated by Medshare International of United States of America to the State towards the eradication of malaria parasites.

5. GOVERNMENT POLICY ON PLACING POSTERS Council publicly announced the prohibition of placing posters on official buildings and roundabouts across the State. Accordingly, Council urged politicians and general public to respect the environment and bear with the prohibition in order to beautify the surroundings, which will attract more investors into the renowned city.

Useful telephone numbers: I. KANO ROAD TRANSPORT AUTHORITY (KAROTA) USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS Contact KAROTA for: Breakdown Vehicles blocking roads Traffic Congestion Accident Illegal/Wrong Parking Call Karota on – 08091626747 i.

For security call the Police on the following numbers; 08032419754 08123821575 08099831808 064-977004 064-97705 ii For Fire Service call the following numbers 064-895435 07051246833 08191778888 08190548888 08190548888 08107888878 For further information on Government activities visit us at www.kano.gov.ng/new

Signed: Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports andCulture

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NEWS Remediation: Saraki hails Jonathan •Senator donates N.5m to lead poison victims From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

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•Abia State Governor Theodore Orji (left); Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma; Governors Martin Elechi (Ebonyi, third left); Rochas Okorocha (Imo, third right); Peter Obi (Anambra) and Enugu State Acting Governor Sunday Onyebuchi and Senator Ayogu Eze (second left, back row), at the meeting of Souteast governors and leaders on the Ohanaeze Ndigbo crisis in Enugu...yesterday.

Three Fulani herdsmen killed in Benue

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HREE Fulani herdsmen, including a husband and his wife, were at the weekend killed at Amla village, near Otukpo, Benue State.

Eight of their cows and settlements were burnt down.

The Nation gathered that the killing followed the destruction of the farm produce of the host community, which the af-

From uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

fected farmers were said to have complained about to no avail.

The farm produce included yams, beans and cassava, which the herdsmen’s cattle allegedly destroyed during grazing.

Besides the farm produce, the Amla and Emichi commu-

•Residents flee for fear of reprisal nities were said to have expressed concerns over the attitude of the herdsmen and their cows as they trespassed into streams and ponds, making it difficult for them to have potable water for domestic use.

Also, residents of neigh-

bouring Otukpo-Icho, Otukpo-Nobi, Odudaje, and other communities, have fled their homes for fear of reprisal from the Fulani community and are taking refuge in Otukpo.

The Och’Otukpo, Chief John Eimonye, expressed shock over the incident and

urged the residents to remain calm.

The monarch said the matter would be investigated and the culprits brought to justice.

Public spokesman Daniel Ezeala, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the killings.

He said investigation has begun, adding that no one has been arrested.

10 injured as hoodlums invade prayer for Kogi ex-Governor Idris

Borno to Fed Govt: you’re doing little to fight Boko Haram

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EN people reportedly sustained gunshot wounds last Friday when hoodlums reportedly invaded the prayer for former Kogi State Governor Idris Wada for his successful completion of his two-term tenure.

The hoodlums were said to have clashed at Abejukolo and Ola wards of Omala Local Government, during the prayer held in the morning for the former governor.

Several property worth millions of naira were also reportedly destroyed.

The thugs were allegedly hired from Benue State by the Liaison Officer 1 (LO1) of the local council, Aminu Atabor.

The hoodlums were said to have stormed the former governor’s home with weapons as they searched for the opponents of their pay master.

The assailants allegedly mounted road blocks at the gate of the former governor’s home,

From Muhammad Bashir, Lokoja

hurled missiles at those who refused to sing the slogan of their sponsors.

It was learnt that the prayer turned bloody when Idris allegedly “anointed” a particular candidate for the coming local government election in the state.

An eyewitness said as early as 7am, people had begun trooping to the former governor’s home before the prayer at the Jumaat service.

It was learnt that the hoodlums frisked and prevented perceived enemies of the council chairman from entering the compound.

The source said those challenged the hoodlums were beaten up, while cars’ wind screens were shattered.

It was also learnt that the Commissioner for Commerce

•Idris

and Industry, Ali Ajuh, escaped death by the whiskers as the side glass of his Hilux van was smashed.

Another guest, Ibrahim Inuwa Abagana’s Honda Prelude was riddled with bullets as the hoodlums shot at his car in front of the former governor’s home.

Almost all the local government chairmanship aspirants, who wanted to attend the event, had their vehicles pelleted with stones and sticks, while some of their supporters were frogjumped and stabbed.

Firm accuses Yari of mounting pressure on judges A FIRM, Barbedos Venture Limited, has accused Zamfara State Governor Abdualazeez Yari of mounting pressure on a judge of the State High Court to set aside an order against the government.

The firm said the court garnished Zamfara State FAAC Account by its Order Nisi of November 29, last year, in its favour against a first generation bank.

The total judgment sum as at the date was N2,012,616,752.20.

On the January 8, the Garnishee Order Nisi was made absolute in favour of Barbedos Ventures Limited and a cost of N50,000 award-

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

ed jointly against the bank and the Zamfara State Government.

In a statement in Abuja, Barbedos Venture said: “Following the service of the order on the bank and the state government, the governor summoned all the judges of the State High Court for a meeting wherein he intimidated and rebuffed the High Court 2 judge for granting the application.

“Presently, the judge is under pressure to grant all application filed by the bank and the Ministry of Justice to deprive

the judgment creditor (Barbedos Venture Limited) from reaping the fruit of the judgment.

“It is a trite fact that the Federal Government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still obey the Rule of Law. We wonder why the state government is putting the High Court judge under pressure to pervert justice.”

The firm said it took out a writ on January 10, 2011, under the undefended list claiming N1,062,000,000, being the outstanding balance of the money due to it, based on a contract agreement for the supply of fertiliser.

ORNO State government yesterday accused the Federal Government of doing little to end the Boko Haram crisis.

It also accused government of failure to equip security agencies adequately to battle insurgents.

Borno State Deputy Governor Alhaji Zanna Mustapha expressed the state’s misgivint yesterday in Maiduguri.

Borno, along with Yobe, is the experience of the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

He said though the federal government had in the last two years budgetted billions of naira to strengthen security and purchase hitech equipment, “ little or nothing has been seen on the ground.”

He said: “The federal government cannot be said to be serious about ending this Boko Haram problem when billions of naira is said to have been allocated to the security sector, yet the deployed troops which lack common modern gadgets to detect arms or sniff buried explosives.’

“We cannot continue like this; we have said it time and again that the Boko Haram conflict is not something that must be tackled with boots and bullets alone”, he said, adding that “apart from using force, we also have to use gadgets and intelligence just like it is being done in the advanced worlds’.

Mustapha added: “in this modern day Nigeria coupled

Joseph Abiodun, Maiduguri

with the huge funds being pumped into the security sector, the fight against terrorism is still being done manually. If the federal government is not deceiving us, how come the military and other sister security agencies cannot boast of having common devises used in tracking phones – let alone arms detecting machines’.

“This is quite frustrating and it is compelling some of us to ask questions about what happened to the much money released for the purpose of tackling insecurity, why are we not seeing modern equipment being used here in Borno state by the military?’ He queried.

The deputy governor who also critised Abuja for not keeping promises especially as it concerns the welfare of Borno state people. He said the federal government failed to release the about N260 million it allocated to Borno State last year as its share of fund released to states ravaged by the last flood disaster across the country, as worrisome.

“Up till date our government has not received a dime to that effect as announced in the media “we cannot say what our crime is to suffer such cold attitude towards Borno. It is rather disappointing, to say the least, for such fund to be denied Borno up to this time when other affected states were given theirs long ago”.

Governors meet

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OVERNORS are meeting in Abuja today to take a stand on Constitution amendment and the suits they instituted against the federal government on Excess Crude Account and the Sovereign Wealth Fund. It was gathered that the 23 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors will also meet on the crisis in their party.

HE Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Dr Bukola Saraki, has hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for his interventionist funds for the remediation of Bagega community in Zamfara State.

He said the President’s gesture would save the lives of over 1,500 children in the community.

In a statement by his media aide, Bamikole Omishore, the senator said: “…The campaign to Save Bagega has been growing in recent weeks, and Senator Bukola Saraki had led calls from the Senate to the Federal Government for a swift re-mediation.

“The Committee on the Environment had received a brief from a non-governmental organization (NGO), Medicin Sans Frontiere (Doctors Without Borders), on the need to take immediate action to avert further deaths of children.

“Their report suggested that over 400 children had died as a result of lead poisoning and another 1,500 were at risk of death, due to the environmental damage arising from poor mining procedures.

“The release of funds from the Federal Government for the environmental clean-up in Bagega is great news for the community as well as the thousands of people that added their voices to the campaign.”

The former Kwara State governor noted that despite initial delays, the President and the ministry must have been working closely to fast-track the re-mediation process.

He also expressed his support for the national Save Bagega campaign and urged the Federal Government to clean up the village before the next rainy season.

The senator also at the weekend donated N500,000 to women who were affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara State.

Saraki was in the state as part of his oversight activities.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Bamikole Omishore, said the senator was in Bagega to “review how best to enable relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Environment and the Federal Government, to deal with the environmental challenge of lead poisoning currently ravaging Bagega”.

The statement said Saraki was accompanied by Zamfara State Commissioner for Environment.

It said the delegation visited the Emir of Zamfara to assure him that work would soon begin to remediate the land.

The statement reads: “Early last December, the committee received a delegation from a non-governmental body MSF (Doctors Without Borders).

“The MSF came to brief the committee on the state of affairs in the area and the need to take immediate action to avert further death of children. Their report suggested that over 400 children have died already and another 1500 are at risk of death due to the effects of lead poisoning.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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FOREIGN Jonathan meets Sudanese leaders From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

TO resolve the crisis between Sudan and South Sudan, President Goodluck Jonathan has continued mediation between the Presidents of the two countries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Jonathan, who was in Ethiopia for the 20th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union (AU), had separate close door meetings with the two leaders at different locations.

Details of the discussions between Jonathan and the South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayanditt and the Sudan President, Umar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir were not made known.

But it was confirmed that the meeting centred on brokering peace between the two warring nations.

While Jonathan on Saturday met with South Sudan President at the Presidential suite of the Sheraton Hotels, he met with Sudan President at the VIP floor of the same hotel.

President Jonathan told reporters that the meeting centered on finding peace between the two nations.

He said: “We are here for discussions to solve the problems between Sudan and South Sudan. Discussions will continue, thank you.”

Before his meeting with the leaders in Ethiopia, the two leaders had sent their envoys to meet with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Four killed in Egypt’s port city

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OUR people were shot dead and hundreds were injured in Egypt’s Port Said yesterday during the funerals of 33 protesters killed at the weekend, part of a wave of violence piling pressure on Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

State television said Mursi would address the nation later.

A total of 46 people have been killed in demonstrations around the country since Thursday and his opponents have called for more protests today.

“Down, down Mursi, down down the regime that killed and tortured us!” people in Port Said chanted as the coffins of those killed on Saturday were carried through the streets.

Port Said’s head of hospi-

tals, Abdel Rahman Farag, told Reuters an 18-year-old man and three other people died from gunshot wounds yesterday.

More than 429 people suffered from teargas inhalation, while 38 were wounded by gunshots, he said.

Gunshots had killed many of the 33 who died on Saturday when residents went on the rampage after a court sentenced 21 people, mostly from the Mediterranean port, to death for their role in deadly soccer violence at a stadium there last year.

A military source said many people in Port Said, which lies next to the increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula, possess guns. But it was not clear who was be-

hind the deaths and injuries.

In Cairo, police fired teargas at dozens of stonethrowing protesters in a fourth day of clashes over what demonstrators there and in other cities say is a power grab by Islamists two years after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.

The protesters accuse Mursi, elected in June with the support of his Muslim Brotherhood group, of betraying the democratic goals of the revolution.

Most of the deaths since Thursday were in Port Said and Suez, both cities where the army has now been deployed.

The violence adds to the daunting task facing Mursi as he tries to fix a beleaguered economy and cool tempers before a parliamentary election expected in the

next few months which is supposed to cement Egypt’s transition to democracy.

It has exposed a deep rift in the nation. Liberals and other opponents accuse Mursi of failing to deliver on economic promises and say he has not lived up to pledges to represent all Egyptians.

His backers say the opposition is seeking to topple Egypt’s first freely elected leader by undemocratic means.

Although Sunday’s violence was less severe than the previous two days, Mursi may have little respite. The opposition Popular Current and other groups have called for more protests on Monday to mark what was one of the bloodiest days of the 2011 uprising.

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T least 11 people have died and several others have been injured in two separate landslides in western Indonesia, officials have said.

In Agam district, in West Sumatra province, 15 houses were buried beneath mud and rocks, killing seven.

Hundreds of people were forced to flee their homes on the mountainside.

In the neighbouring province of Jambi, heavy rain triggered a landslide in a drilling field owned by a staterun energy company.

In a statement, PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy said that four of its workers had died, one remained missing and five had been injured.

Sixty workers survived the landslide, the firm said.

Flash-floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, triggered by seasonal downpours.

Many in the chain of 17,000 islands live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.

Heavy rain in the capital Jakarta this month caused 32 deaths and, at its peak, forced nearly 46,000 people to flee their inundated homes.

Gun control rally in Washington

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US pastor jailed in Iran AN Iranian judge has sentenced an American Christian pastor to eight years in prison after he was tried for his religious beliefs, a U.S.-based religious group said yesterday.

Saeed Abedini was swiftly sentenced by a member of the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Court, according to the American Center for Law and Justice, an organisation founded by television evangelist Pat Robertson.

CNN was not immediately able to confirm what went on in the court proceedings.

Abedini, who was born in Iran and now lives in Idaho, has been jailed in Iran since September, the group said.

“This is a real travesty a mockery of justice,” said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the ACLJ, in a statement. “From the very beginning, Iranian authorities have lied about all aspects of this case, even releasing rumors of his expected release.”

“Iran has not only abused its own laws, it has trampled on the fundamentals of human rights,” added Sekulow, who represents Abedini’s wife and children, who are in the U.S.

Landslide in Indonesia

•Protesters throw stones towards riot policemen and other demonstrators who have taken the side of security forces during clashes near Cairo’s Tahrir Square...yesterday

Berlusconi defends ‘good’ Mussoloni

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ORMER Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi praised Benito Mussolini for “having done good” despite the Fascist dictator’s anti-Jewish laws, immediately sparking expressions of outrage as Europe on Sunday held Holocaust remembrances.

Berlusconi also defended Mussolini for allying himself with Hitler, saying he likely reasoned that it would be better to be on the winning side.

The media mogul, whose conservative forces are polling second in voter surveys ahead of next month’s election, spoke to reporters on

the sidelines of a ceremony in Milan to commemorate the Holocaust.

In 1938, before the outbreak of World War II, Mussolini’s regime passed the so-called “racial laws,” barring Jews from Italy’s universities and many professions, among other bans.

When Germany’s Nazi regime occupied Italy during the war, thousands from the tiny Italian Jewish community were deported to death camps.

“It is difficult now to put oneself in the shoes of who was making decisions back then,” Berlusconi said of Mussolini’s support for Hit-

ler. “Certainly the (Italian) government then, fearing that German power would turn into a general victory, preferred to be allied with Hitler’s Germany rather than oppose it.”

Berlusconi added that “within this alliance came the imposition of the fight against, and extermination of, the Jews. Thus, the racial laws are the worst fault of Mussolini, who, in so many other aspects, did good.”

More than 7,000 Jews were deported under Mussolini’s regime, and nearly 6,000 of them were killed.

Outrage, along with a demand that Berlusconi be

prosecuted for promoting Fascism, quickly followed his words.

Among those voicing condemnation were prominent Jewish figures abroad.

Mussolini “modeled his anti-Jewish laws after the Nazi Nuremberg Laws barring Jews from civil service,” Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said in a statement.

“It is the height of revisionism to try to reinstate an Italian dictator who helped legitimize and prop up Hitler as a ‘reincarnated good guy,’” said the rabbi, whose

Jonathan seeks more commitment from African leaders RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged African leaders to be more committed to reducing child, maternal mortality in the continent.

He spoke in Ethiopia at the official presentation of Campaign for the Acceleration of Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMA).

Jonathan said there was

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TODAY IN HISTORY 1986: Seven dead in space shuttle disaster The American space shuttle Challenger explodes killing all seven astronauts on board.

•New AU Chair emerges From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

need for action to prevent deaths from preventable diseases.

Jonathan, who is co-chairman of the United Nations (UN) Commission on LifeSaving Commodities for Women and Children, said: “We should rededicate ourselves to this important cause of saving the lives of our women and children from

preventable diseases.”

He noted that Nigeria has made progress in the implementation of the 10 recommendations to increase assess to the 13 essential commodities.

He said: “We are focused on improving access to maternal and child health services through primary health system, providing additional reproductive health services and commodities,

improving routine immunisation, providing commodities for diarrhea and antibiotics for pneumonia, prevention and treatment of malaria and preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.” Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalgen yesterday emerged as the new Chairman of the AU. He succeeds Boni Yayi of the Republic of Benin who held the position in the past one year.

HOUSANDS of people have rallied in Washington DC calling for stricter gun controls as they marched from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.

The crowd included residents of Newtown, Connecticut, where a primary school shooting last month revived a debate over security and gun safety.

They carried banners carrying the names of gun violence victims and daubed with messages like “Gun Control Now”.

Speakers urged them to lobby politicians to back gun control reform.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said one student had died from guns every two weeks while he was chief executive of Chicago’s public schools.

‘Chavez recovering’

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ENEZUELAN President Hugo Chavez has overcome a respiratory infection he contracted after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba last month, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas told reporters Saturday.

But the president still has some breathing problems and his treatment continues, Villegas said.

“The general evolution of the patient is favorable,” said Villegas, who spoke in Santiago, Chile, where he is attending a meeting of European and Latin American leaders.

“The severe respiratory infection has been overcome, although there remains a certain degree of respiratory inefficiency, which is being treated,” he said.

Villegas said that doctors have also started a “systematic medical treatment for the underlying illness, as a complement to the surgery on December 11.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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NEWS

Why politicians can’t be good Christians, by Uduaghan

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ELTA State Governor E m m a n u e l Uduaghan yesterday said it was not an easy task for a politician to run the Christian race.

This, according to him, was because politicians are liars.

Uduaghan spoke in Benin City at a thanksgiving for a Zonal Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Abel Obi Umahi, who was recently promoted to Major-General in the Army.

Umahi was the former Commander of the 4 Brigade.

Uduaghan said a politician would continue to lie even when the people know the truth.

“As a politician, so many obstacles will come your way. We politicians will come to you and lie.

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

“We know that you know we are lying but we will continue until we get what we want.

“It is not easy to run the Christian race as a politician and as a military personnel.

“In the military, there are so many things to draw you down.”

The governor said his comments on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was for more money to be given to oil producing communities to avert another crisis in the Niger Delta.

He said communities in the oil-rich region usually suffer from crisis in the region.

The governor described Umahi as a brave soldier.

He said Umahi helped reduced kidnapping in Delta State.

Umahi said the thanksgiving was to appreciate God for

Kidnapped lecturer freed From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

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LECTURER of the Federal College of Education, Technical, Omoku, Rivers State, I. F. Nyanabo, who was kidnapped last Monday, has been freed.

It could not be confirmed if any ransom was paid, before Nyanabo was freed yesterday.

Police spokesman Ben Ugwuegbulam, in a telephone interview yesterday, confirmed the release.

He said no kidnapper has been arrested.

Nyanabo was seized from his home on his way to work.

Bayelsa gets 15 patrol boats HE Bayelsa State Government has procured 15 armoured patrol boats.

Next month, Governor Seriake Dickson is expected to inaugurate an ultramodern driving school worth N97million.

Briefing reporters on the activities of the Dicksonled administration in the transport sector, Commissioner for Transport Mrs. Maria Ebikake said the armoured patrol boats would make the waterways safe.

The driving school would assist in training and retraining of the drivers and reduce carnage on the highway.

She said the foundation stone of the driving school, adding that the school was laid on July 7, last year, would be completed next month.

The Commissioner said the government will build three car parks and expand Ekeki Motor Park.

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protecting him through difficult times.

Umahi recalled how the juju prepared for him by his father failed when he went to Liberia as part of the ECOMOG mission.

He said he got a bullet on his left hand where the juju was placed.

“In 1991, I went back to Liberia but by then I had burnt the juju.

“The battle was fiercer this time but I was delivered by God. I am a living witness to God’s blessings.”

Dignitaries included Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was represented by Deputy Governor Pius Odubu; Oshiomhole’s former Chief of Staff Osarodion Ogie, a lawmaker, Razaq Belo-Osagie, and members of the Delta State Executive Council.

Rivers warns fire servicemen From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

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ORRIED by the inability of men of the Rivers State Fire Service to contain the spate of fire in Port Harcourt, the government has warned the officers to improve their services or quit.

Commissioner for Special Duties Dickson Umunakwe gave the warning at the weekend when he visited the Fire Service.

Umunnakwe said: “You either shape up or leave because the administration of Governor Rotimi Amaechi is very passionate about the state of the fire service.”

The commissioner said the administration is out to correct the wrong perception of the public.

He said all the challenges facing the effective operation of the service would be tackled.

The ministry, he said, would liaise with the Ministries of Urban Development and Physical planning and Environment to create the right of way for service trucks during emergencies.

Ijaw clans bicker over Chevron fund

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HE tussle over the control of Chevron Nigeria Limited multi-

billion naira budget for the development of Ijaw communities in Delta State is creating tension in Warri.

It was gathered that the election of new executives of Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF) last week ended in a stalemate after the police was called in.

Sixteen Ijaw communities are grouped in the EGCDF, which is the platform for Chevron’s developmental module - the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) It was gathered that the tenure of the Edmund DoyahTiemo-led exco ended last August.

Consequently, the communities nominated new members to fill the vacant posts

From Shola O’Neil, Warri

but the process was stymied by the failure of one of the communities in Gbaramatu to agree on its nomination.

The people of Egbema are not happy about the development.

Already, a group, Concerned Citizens of CNL Host/Operational Communities in Egbema, has given the executive a 10-day ultimatum to inaugurate the nominated members into the council.

A protest letter by James Ukulor (Opuekeba Field), Moses Odibo (Dibi Field) and Sunny Ukuto (Olero Field) expressed disappointment that the inauguration has not taken place months after they submitted names of representatives.

They said their communities are running out of patience.

UNICEM introduces product From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

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HE United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) has introduced a new product, UniCem 42, 5.

Introducing the product to stakeholders in Calabar at the weekend, the Managing Director, Olivier Lenoir, said the new product is for heavy specialised construction, such as high rise buildings, long span bridges, dams, flyovers.

On fears by some manufacturers that there is a glut in the cement market, he assured there is a market for the new product as it addresses a specific requirement of our customers.

He said: “It is for infrastructure, so this market is here in Nigeria. Infrastructure is really needed. We are confident that this product has its market.

We anticipate an increase of consumption.”

He said cement consumption in Nigeria grew by 10.4 per cent annually over the last eight years to reach 18.5 million metric tonnes in 2012 from 8.4 million in 2004.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

60

NEWS Cash gifts, board jobs set PDP chiefs against Tukur Continued from page 4

vember 28, 2012 met with VicePresident Namadi Sambo on the challenges facing the party.

The issues tabled before the President by the G-84 are as follows: •breach of PDP constitution by not holding National Executive Committee(NEC) meeting; •wrongful and consistent misinterpretation of PDP constitution; •management of the party in a cultish nature; •exclusion of elected party officers by NWC; •wasting of party resources on personal events, functions, and chartering of aircraft; •fixing of wages and allowances by NWC members to the detriment of other elected officers; and •arbitrary sharing of honourarium both in cash and kind.

A top source in G-84, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have met with the National Chairman and National Secretary four times but nothing has been done on issues we have raised.

“We are unhappy with the cultish nature in which the affairs of the party are being conducted by the NWC with total exclusion of other elected officials. The party is really stinking; things are not being done properly. We itemised all the infractions of the NWC in our letter.

“One of our grouses is wrongful and consistent misinterpretation of PDP constitution. The recent suspension of the National Vice-Chairman, North-East, Senator Girigiri Lawal, by the NWC was done in line with Article 29 Section 2(b) but without adequate reference to Article 57.

The NWC has been arrogating to itself the power it does not have.

“At least, due process was not followed in exercising disciplinary action against the National Vice-Chairman. It means the NWC can wake up one day to suspend either the

President or the Vice-President. This same attitude made the NWC to revolt against Tukur on January 11, 2013.

“We also noticed consistent breach of the party’s constitution by not holding NEC meetings. Article 31, Section 4 of the party’s constitution says that ‘NEC shall meet at least once per quarter.’ The last NEC meeting was held in July 2012.

“These breaches and grievances accounted for the delay in convening NEC meetings because members are angry.

People talk of Tukur being afraid of the PDP governors as the main reason for not summoning NEC. But I think the fear of the revolt of G-84 members is behind the footdragging on NEC meeting.

“We have threatened to pass vote of no confidence and walk out if our grievances are not addressed.

“Mr. President is a good man; he wants the party put on sound footing in a democratic manner but the present crop of NWC members prefers cultish style.”

Responding to a question, another source in G-84 said: “The situation in Wadata (PDP National Headquarters) does not show fairness. We are meeting the National Chairman at our request and based on the intervention of the President.

“This audience with Tukur on Monday has nothing to do with the crisis of confidence between him and Oyinlola at all.

“For instance, the party leadership has excluded dep-

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$67b reserves: Fed Govt hits back at Ezekwesili Continued from page 4

•Dr. Jonathan

uty members of the NWC from the conduct of the affairs of PDP. Yet, they were all elected in March 2012 together.

“Our agitation has no sympathy for the chairman or Oyinlola. If they listen to our agitation, it means peace and more cordiality between NWC and deputies, ex-officio members and the 37 state chairmen of the party.

“On June 27, 2012, we wrote a letter to the former National Secretary of the party (Oyinlola) on the continuing exclusion of elected deputy NWC members from the affairs of the party. We complained against the inability of the NWC to comply with Article 37(2) to 44(2) which says that deputies shall deputise.

“Oyinlola only replied us that by virtue of Article 13 of the PDP constitution, “deputies to NWC members are to perform party functions only when the need arises. We were shocked and we wrote the BOT Secretary on 16th July 2012 to draw his attention to the anomalies in the management of the affairs of the party.”

wonders if our educational system would have been better today if these allocations were properly applied.

“No one disputes that Nigeria still faces challenges, most of which were built up over a long time. But we need to acknowledge the significant achievements of this Administration in the aftermath of difficult but necessary macroeconomic and structural reforms being implemented in the country.

“This administration has restored macroeconomic stability against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, slow growth in the United States and high unemployment and unsustainable debt in Europe.

“In the first three quarters of 2012, Nigeria’s economy grew by about 6.4 per cent and is set to continue at a similar pace in 2013 according to independent forecasts. We have reduced our fiscal deficit to only 2.17 per cent of GDP in the 2013 budget, while rebalancing our spending in favour of capital expenditure.”

“At a time when many advanced and emerging markets are being downgraded, Fitch and S&P have upgraded our sovereign credit ratings.

“The inclusion of Nigeria ’s sovereign bonds in the emerging market bond indices of JP Morgan and Barclays also testifies to the growing confidence of the international investment community in our economy.

“We have also focused our attention on removing the bureaucratic and structural bottlenecks in the economy to enable the private sector create more jobs for our youths.

“In the power sector, most Nigerians will attest to improve-

ments in power supply even as the 10 new power plants being built by this Administration are yet to fully come on stream.

There have also been improvements in rail services; for example, the Lagos — Kano rail line is now fully operational and serving Nigerians for the first time in over 20 years. There have been significant improvements in road development; aviation – in particular refurbished terminals; and agriculture, where new jobs are being created every day.

“Serious work is ongoing to improve our ports and lower the cost of doing business and the cost of consumption. The government has further launched a number of initiatives targeted at creating jobs for our youth, including support for entrepreneurship through the YouWin Programme; work for the unskilled through the Community Services programme of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme; and support for unemployed graduates through the Graduate Internship Programme.

“This administration is squarely focused on promoting a stable, non-inflationary, and inclusive economic environment to ensure that Nigerians can live better and more fulfilled lives.”

On the threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to resume violence following the conviction of its leader Henry Okah by a South African court, he said: “It is very shocking for any person or group of Nigerian to take this against the government.

“Acts of threats and vandalism should be condemned by all. The challenges we have now

are more, let us not create more problems for the country. We must give peace a chance,” he added He said President Jonathan should not be castigated for the slow pace of action by the corruption agencies, saying: “All the public officers accused of corruption, the cases are in court and people have continued to condemn the President for this. The President is not the one that will commit these persons to jail.

There are institutions in charge.”

Among those present at the briefing yesterday were Special Adviser to the President on Performance Evaluation Monitoring, Prof. Sylvester Monye and Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

Ezekwesili yesterday refused to take up issues with the minister when her reaction was sought on the government’s response to her claim. She said: “All I have asked for is just accountability for the resource flow.

Considering what was left by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and the increasing oil price per barrel over the years, why is it that our reserve has not grown and only depleted? Even the Excess Crude Account (ECA) is depleted.

“All I simply said is: Where is the money? What has it been used for? They are not answering the question.”

On the allegation of fictitious figure levelled by Maku, the former World Bank VP said: “Go and research, you will know actually what was left by Obasanjo administration. The records are there.”

Southeast raises committee on Ohanaeze crisis

COMMITTEE led by Senator Ben Obi was yesterday raised by leaders of the Southeast to find solution to the crisis of leadership in the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Governors from the zone announced the decision after a meeting with political leaders in Enugu.

All the governors in the South-

From Chris Oji, Enugu

east attended.

Host Enugu State was represented by Acting Governor Sunday Onyebuchi.

On January 12, a national executive led by Mr. Nnachi Enwo-Igariwey as PresidentGeneral, was elected.

But a group led by secretary of the 16-member election commit-

tee, Prince Richard Ozubu, attempted to hold another election in Abakaliki last week.

A court stopped the election as the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) also threatened showdown should a new election hold.

Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum, Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, told re-

porters at the end of the meeting that the committee was also mandated to see how to make the umbrella Igbo organisation stronger.

The forum appealed to all those involved in court cases on the Ohanaeze election to withdraw them.

On Friday, an attempt by a group to hold a meeting aimed at reconciling the two camps at

Awka was dispersed by some youths.

At yesterday’s meeting were Senators Uche Chukwumerije and Ayogu Eze, Hon. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma and Chief Vita Abba.

Past presidents of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Amb. Ralph Uwechue, Prof. Joe Irukwu and Dr. Dozie Ikedife, were also there.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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NEWS

Ezu River floating bodies mysterious, says Obi

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NAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi yesterday said the floating bodies in Ezu River of Amansea community remain a mystery to him and everybody else in the state.

The governor spoke in Awka, the state capital, during a town hall meeting.

He noted that the bodies were flowing from somewhere else into the boarder river at Amansea.

Obi said: “I authorised the autopsy for all the bodies and I am spending money to get to the root of the floating bodies. But it is not the best for people to get there and start crying… Those using it for politics should desist because it is not good to use human beings to play politics.”

The governor advised the community and its leadership to stop making remarks on the bodies recently found floating on the river until investigations into the matter are concluded.

The governor explained that this is necessary to avoid misleading the public.

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

The Commissioner for Local Governments, Mrs Azuka Enemuo, and her Health counterpart, Dr Lawrence Ikeakor, conveyed the governor’s message to the community.

They warned the residents to stop telling reporters that the bodies were dumped into River Ezu by police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) until the autopsy is concluded on the bodies.

They spoke during a visit to the community.

But the villagers are not happy about the development.

A princess of the community, who spoke in confidence, said: “The governor has asked us to stop speaking. At least, you heard the Commissioner for Local Governments telling us that with the Health Commissioner. The Awka North Head of Local Government, Mrs Azuka Okpala, and Chairman, Joy Enweluzor, were there when they said so.

“They said the governor

does not want conflicting reports. Therefore, we should stop speaking until the investigation and autopsy are out. You know the news has been that security agents are being suspected.”

Efforts to speak on the matter with the Chairman of Awka North Local Government, Joy Enweluzor, were unsuccessful, as she switched off her phone.

The Nation reports that exhuming the bodies for autopsy will start today, according to an announcement by Dr Ikeakor.

The borehole drilling company brought by the government is expected to be on site this morning.

The villagers have depended on water from vendors from the government and sachet water from individuals.

President of Obinnah Uzoh Foundation, Dr Obinna Uzoh, visited the river at the weekend and donated over 15,000 bags of sachet water and 5,000 bottled water as well as cash to the affected communities.

Orji’s aide faults Kalu on 2015 presidential ABIA State Governor’s Chief Emezue alleged that Kalu posters Press Secretary Ugochukwu spent Abia money on frivoliEmezue has faulted the allegation by former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu that Governor Theodore Orji is planning the printing and pasting of Kalu’s presidential posters.

In a statement in Umuahia, the state capital, Emezue said the government cannot waste its scarce resources to print the posters of a former governor, who he said had nothing to show for his eight years in power.

The governor’s spokesman was reacting to an allegation that Orji was allegedly planning to cause trouble between

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From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

the former governor and the government at the federal level.

He said Kalu’s “antics” are well known to Nigerians.

Emezue said the former governor is a desperate man who is capable of doing anything to seek relevance and sympathy.

The governor’s aide urged Abia residents and Nigerians to ignore the former governor.

ties, adding that he is being intimidated by Orji’s achievements, which shows his desperation to distract the governor.

He said the former governor cannot come into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after allegedly destroying it through the window.

The governor’s spokesman urged Kalu to clear allegations of corruption against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a judicial panel of enquiry, if he wishes to be taken seriously.

Cleric chides Okorocha’s aide on chair HE Archbishop of OwHe said: “I won’t allow any reservation distraction. erri Arch Diocese, Rev. Anyone who

Anthony Obinna, yesterday criticised a protocol officer to Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha for reserving the front row seats for the governor and his entourage who were not present in the church.

The cleric spoke during the dedication of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Catholic Church, built by Computer merchant, Leo Stan Ekeh.

He frowned at the attitude

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

of politicians, who he said do not respect church proceedings.

Rev Obimma said he would not permit the reservation of seats for people who were not in church, while those present have no seats.

The cleric gave the good example of Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who he said had seated before the church programme began.

comes late should sit anywhere. Governor Obi was here before the church service began, even though he came from Anambra State. He was here before everybody; that is how to show respect to God.” In his sermon, the archbishop bemoaned the rate of insecurity and suffering in the country.

He stressing that the nation has abundant human and material resources to ensure that the people enjoy better life.

Kalu’s kinsmen reject his return to PDP

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and stakeholders in his Igbere Ward, Bende Local Government of Abia State have opposed the return and re-registration of former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu to the party.

They issued a communiqué at the weekend after emergency meeting at the council headquarters.

The PDP chiefs described Kalu’s re-registration at his Igbere Ward A as illegal, adding that those who registered him had resigned from the party a week before the former governor’s re-registration.

They demanded clarification on the identity of those who reportedly re-registered Kalu at the ward.

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

But in a telephone chat with reporters, Kalu described the party’s ward leaders as jokers who were massaging the egos of their paymasters.

They described Kalu as an unrepentant chieftain of the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA), adding that as the founder and BoT chairman of the party, the former governor has no intention to abandon the PPA. The PDP chiefs alleged that the former governor clandestinely entered the PDP to destabilise it.

The communiqué was signed by 48 leaders and stakeholders, including two law-

makers from the area Princewill Onyegbu and Ndukwe Ojukwu - as well as Dr Eme Okoro, Prof S. O. Igwe and Iboko Imo Iboko, among others.

Baptists meet

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HE monthly Executive Committee meeting of the Itesiwaju Baptist Association holds today at 6:30pm at Araba Baptist Church, Ilasamaja, Lagos. It will be presided over by the moderator, Rev. Gbenga Ojo of Araba Baptist Church and consultant, Rev. Femi Ajayi of Victoryland Baptist Church, Isolo, Lagos. Issues affecting the association and memberchurches will be discussed.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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SPORT EXTRA AYC FRIENDLY

Cape Verde joins Bafana in last eight

Flying Eagles battle Egypt, Benin

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T

APE VERDE joined hosts South Africa in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after a come-frombehind 2-1 victory over Angola at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Sunday evening.

A first half own-goal from Cape Verde captain Nando had put the Sable Antelopes in charge, but late strikes from Fernando Varela and Heldon saw the Blue Sharks to their first victory in the AFCON and secured a place in the next round, as Bafana Bafana

drew 2-2 with Morocco in a concurrent game in Durban.

Angola were the first to threaten a goal, as captain and star striker Manucho headed just wide of the far post from a 12th minute free kick. The Sable Antelopes dominated the opening 20 minutes, but it was soon the turn of the Islanders to begin to find a foothold in the game and pose some tough questions for their opponent’s defence.

On 33 minutes Angola finally scored their first goal of the tournament and took the lead. Gilberto whipped

in a low cross from the left flank that was sliced into his own net by Cape Verde defender Nando.

The Blue Sharks almost came up with an immediate reply, as Babanco’s free kick was flicked just wide of the target

by Julio Tavares in the 36th minute. A short while later Angola goalkeeper Lama had to palm away a well-hit drive from Platini.

Cape Verde introduced both Heldon and Djaniny at the start of the second half and nearly forced an equaliser

CHIDI NWANU EXPLODES

Eagles lack real team leader in AFCON

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ORMER Super Eagles' defender Chidi Nwanu has blamed the absence of a recognisable leader in the Nigeria's squad at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations for the sloppy outing of the team but assured the country would book a ticket to the next round in South Africa.

Nwanu who played for

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri ACB of Lagos before his trip to Europe where he featured in Belgium and Holland affirmed that the Eagles have lost the rhythm required to excel with the lack of an highly influential player who could bark instructions on the field with prompt response.

The Mbaise, Imo born member of the Eagles' class of 1994 that won the Nations Cup in Tunisia and got to the second round of the FIFA World Cup at their debut outing stressed that Nigeria has the wherewithal to cross the hurdle called Ethiopia but said the task won't be made any easy at all.

Pillars’ boss tips Eagles for quarter final

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ANO PILLARS' chairman, Alhaji Abba Galadima has charged the technical crew of the Super Eagles led by coach Stephen Keshi to boost the morale of the players ahead of the key tie against Ethiopia on Tuesday at the ongoing 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Galadima in a brief interview, opined that the spirit in the

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri Eagles' camp according to reliable information indicates that is at its lowest ebb stating that it doesn't look good a report ahead of the must win fixture in Rustenburg.

"We need to raise the team spirit. It is not too good at the moment. We need to win against

Ethiopia on Tuesday and all hands must be on deck to achieve that.

"Two draws did not look good after two matches against opponents we ought to beat conveniently. Let the technical crew put their acts in order and let the players too be motivated to get to the pitch on Tuesday and get the job done after 90 minutes," Alhaji Galadima said.

soon after the restart, with Julio Tavares seeing a goalbound header cleared off the line by Manucho Dinis.

On 66 minutes Heldon almost forced a goal for the Blue Sharks with a well-struck free kick, but Lama pushed the ball away to keep his side in the ascendancy.

Finally, with just under 10 minutes to play, Fernando Varela was able to force home a header from a rebound at a corner kick, making it 1-1 and giving Cape Verde genuine hope that they could progress.

In the final minute of regulation time the Islanders’ dream came true when Heldon latched onto a rebound off goalkeeper Lama and fired home a left-footed shot to make it 2-1 and secure a famous victory.

South Africa finished top of Group A with five points.

Cape Verde had the same tally, but were ranked second due to an inferior goal difference (the teams played to a 0-0 draw in their head-tohead match).

Cape Verde (0) 2 (Fernando Varela 81’, Heldon 90’) Angola (1) 1 (Nando og 33’) Cape Verde: Vozinha, Carlitos, Gege, Nando, Fernando Varela, Marco Soares, Babanco, Toni Varela (Djaniny 46’), Ryan Mendes, Platini (Heldon 46’), Julio Tavares Angola: Lama, Marco Airosa, Dani Massunguna, Amaro, Bastos, Manucho Dinis, Zuela (Yano 85’), Gilberto (Geraldo 80’), Mateus (Dede 64’), Djalma, Manucho.

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has lined up three international warm-up games for the country’s Under-20 team, the Flying Eagles, against Egypt and Benin Republic, preparatory to the AYC. The Flying Eagles will first host Benin in Abuja on February 16.

Both teams, who will feature at the AYC in Algeria in March, played out a 1-1 draw when they clashed in another friendly in Cotonou in September.

The Nigeria U-20s are also billed to fly out to Cairo for two more international test matches against another

2013 AYC finalists Egypt.

They will take on the Young Pharaohs on February 20 and then on February 22 to test their readiness for championship of which they are the defending champions.

Both teams also clashed in Dubai prior to the 2011 AYC in South Africa with the Egyptians winning 2-1.

The team will then fly out to Tunisia from Cairo for a two-week training camp.

The 2013 AYC will be staged by Algeria in Oran from March 16 with the four semi-finalists qualifying to represent Africa at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Turkey.

Colourful opening ceremony for Rivers 2013 NSSF

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HE fifth edition of the National School Sports Festival, NSSF, tagged 'Rivers 2013 Friendly Games' officially kicked of yesterday with a very colourful opening ceremony at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt.

Graced by several thousands of school children from across the nation, the event started with the hoisting of the three flags of: Nigeria, Rivers state and the Festival.

With the Police Children's school band in charge, the march-past commenced immediately after the flag hoisting ceremony as school children from about twentythree states and the Federal

From Florence Nkem Israel, Port Harcourt Capital Territory, paraded, with Police Children's School, Port Harcourt leading the parade.

The Rivers State commissioner of sports, Fred Igwe took the salute flanked by the President, National School Sports Federation, Ibrahim Mohammed and Rivers Sports Council Director, Sir Daobu Harry and other members of the Local Organising Committee.

Anambra State did not march-past unnoticed as they stole they day with their fascinating traditional dance.

WHO SAID WHAT

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

‘The citizens must understand that only the country’s success can guarantee their success. You can be the best brand manager or even productively engage your talents but you will be limited by a failing Nigeria’ VOL 8 NO 2,385

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

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E all love pictures, and we all resent them. We are not indifferent to that piece of technology that can record in still accuracy what we do not want seen for the ignominy it broadcasts, or what we want to keep as evidence of glory.

The word accuracy was celebrated in the early days of photography. It announced the concept of the picture as the sacrosanct reporter. The phrase, “a picture cannot lie” became part of the lore of story telling. The picture canonised journalism, vindicated and defamed witnesses, convicted felons in court, exonerated the noble, froze for posterity earthquakes, floods, a war hero’s soldiery, a coward’s perfidy, a traitor’s kiss, a cuckold’s evidence, a son’s fidelity.

It comes in evidence in a family tiff as it erupts for salvation in a political quarrel. We just had it in the past week over governors who propounded evidence of pictures to assure us of their health status. The two men are Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State and Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State.

Before the pictures came to light, speculations filled the air. Suntai, who was away at a hospital in Europe, had apparently survived a plane crash that he piloted into a crisis. Stories flooded the media about plots to succeed him as some of his foes believed he could not return with mental acuity and his active limbs.

Then he jolted us with pictures. One of them was about him sitting upright with his twins and wife. The other one was with another governor, Jonah Jang of Plateau State. He stood full length with his colleague. The family photo preceded that picture. He looked better relaxed in the picture with his colleague as though family asphyxiated his ability to project an expansive mood.

Last week, Chime also reinforced the trend.

He appeared in full length with three governors, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and Gabriel Suswan of Benue State. All four were apparently in a chat not unaware of the camera click, not unaware that it could travel to the front pages of newspapers. Their outfits and background reflected a car park in a wintry Europe.

But the pictures have failed to answer some questions for those who believe that still photography, as definitive evidence, is passé. The naysayers say both governors are not saying the truth with the pictures. Some have said the Enugu State Governor’s publicists sandwiched a photo of pre-illness Chime between the governors. Some other cynics have argued that Chime took the picture sometime ago with the governors when they were in Europe.

The same tirades of doubt came from Suntai’s critics. They say the family photo betrayed a sick man propped up for a credulous public.

One thing is clear: the picture has lost its

L

AST Wednesday, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour interviewed President Goodluck Jonathan on sundry issues affecting Nigeria. As usual, the president’s responses, which many commentators felt were neither guarded nor reflective, nor even accurate, drew much flak. Many of the answers indeed are examples of how not to engage the international media. However, on account of the increasingly visible role Nigeria seems prepared to play in international conflict, Jonathan must cultivate the habit of reassessing his rather distracted performances on the international stage in order to guide his future interactions with the sometimes scabrous and relentless international media.

The question that elicited the most controversy was the one on the homegrown terror group, Boko Haram. Amanpour had asked Jonathan whether the terror group didn’t pose existential threat to Nigeria. It did, replied the president. But he went further very controversially to offer what seems to him to be the sect’s driving force. Said he: “The sect was not borne out of misrule, definitely not; sometimes people feel it is a result of poverty; but no. Boko Haram is a

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchsam@yahoo.com 08054501081(sms only) •NMMA Columnist of the Year

Photocracy

•Suntai

•Chime

innocence. In the post-modern age of Facebook, Twitter, blog, Photoshop, television, films, and what technologists call media convergence, it is difficult to vouch for the integrity of any medium.

The governors did not err by sending us their pictures, but the issue of transparency is not about pictures alone. It is about transparency. When the late President Umar Yar’Adua’s illness hid inside a fog, his publicists sent us a voice tape, and it did not answer many questions.

Part of the problem is that the governors have failed to understand that transparency is about faithful updates from the beginning.

When they fell ill, they should have told us.

When they undertook tests, the publicists should have sent a press release. Before they travelled, they should have unveiled the state of diagnoses and why they had to travel abroad. Then they ought to have told us what hospital and in what country.

While in the hospital, we ought to know step by step how the treatments went. Were they making progress? The doctor would tell us and also report the prognosis. If there were

complications, we ought to know.

If they followed these steps, no one would be speculating as to what kind of illness they suffered or whether they were dead or alive.

They leaped over those stages by sending the pictures. Expecting many Nigerians to believe the pictures was therefore a leap of faith.

Last week, a source told me that Chime was operated successfully for cancer around the nose area. Before that, speculations were rife about the man dying from leukemia. Some speculated AIDS. When the governors’ men came out with the pictures, they expected Nigerians to believe them instanta.

The pictures were clear but they befogged the mind. If they had followed these steps, they would have fulfilled the fundamental feature of modern democracy: communication between the governed and the elected.

A chasm gaped between them and that is why the pictures did not settle the matter. They eased the general frenzy in some circles, but doubts still linger. The absence of evidence gave them away to critics as evidence of absenteeism. What is at stake is not the governors or their health, but the integrity of the rule of law and due process but above all, decency and honour. There are hospitals to

OBY EZEKWESILI

improve, roads to build, schools to upgrade, and lives to elevate.

It is an irony that our military leaders understood this more than some of our modern democrats. When military president, Ibrahim Babangida, had leg injury known as radiculopathy, no Nigerian ached with doubt. Before he left the country, we knew about it. A picture of him squinting with pain at the offending leg revealed him. He travelled abroad and we knew the hospital, his progress and he returned in the full view of television. The Guardian ace reporter Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo counted for posterity the number of steps he took on the tarmac.

When General Domkat Bali took ill, he told us. Even in this democracy, Senate President David Mark, a former soldier, also was transparent about his situation. We have some redeeming evidence when Abubakar Atiku was ill as vice president and when Governor Bola Tinubu went abroad to treat his distracting leg.

We don’t have such transparency today.

We live in a world of technology, and technology trumps technology. But what we needed in this matter was an old and thriving technology: the written word.

For the governors to follow the steps of communication, all they needed was to convey them in words couched in press releases.

They were sure to subvert the photo.

If pictures are worth a thousand words, it is not the case in this instance. Words would have created the right pictures as novelists, poets, dramatists and, of course, reporters would. Words did it in the case of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Hilary Clinton of the United States and Viktor Yushchenko of the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine.

When the words are credible, the pictures come alive. Or if the pictures come out early when the illness begins, its truth will inspire sympathy like the story of Tancredo Neves of Brazil whose infirmity drew tears and group prayer sessions across the country.

Up till the time of writing, the governors have not told us anything other than still photography. But what we want is not just pictures but facts.

The Emir of Kano attack

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HEN Sambo Dasuki was appointed the national security adviser, his first mission was to visit and solicit the support of the emirs and royal fathers of the North over the surge of militancy. In my column titled: A Prince and the Pauper, I mused that the problem went beyond the royal fathers since class inspired the crisis. The underclass militants looked askance at the northern traditional elite, and the emirs are also targets of their rage. They had no solution to the problem.

So I thought Sambo’s pick and approach did not address the matter. The unfortunate attack at such a lofty and apparently impregnable position of the Emir of Kano only puts my column in perspective. If the Emir of Kano is vulnerable, then we must understand that the royal fathers of the North also cannot offer the kind of intelligence that Sambo or any other top flyer of Jonathan’s regime needs to stop the problem.

HARDBALL

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Jonathan’s CNN interview

oil a day were looted from the country in just one month, and the International Energy Agency’s calculation that $7 billion dollars was lost annually to oil theft, Amanpour sought to know how Jonathan was tackling the issue. “Frankly speaking,” began the president incredulously, “I want the international community to support Nigeria because this stolen crude is being bought by refineries abroad and they know the crude oil was stolen…The world must condemn what is wrong.”

Jonathan assumes the world cares. More, he assumes the world is not irritated by our helplessness and sloppiness. How does he expect the international community to help those who don’t help themselves? And in any case, it is not true that all the stolen crude is taken to refineries abroad. With the discovery of hundreds of makeshift refineries in the Niger Delta creeks by the military Joint Task Force (JTF), enterprising Nigerians are apparently also participating in the refining bazaar, even as a significant part of what is left is stolen directly and brazenly from vandalised pipelines.

Hardball rates the Jonathan interview below average.

local terror group and that’s why we call on the rest of the world to work with us, and that is why we are talking about Algeria, we are talking about northern Mali, and our belief is that if you allow terror to exist in any part of the world, it will not just affect that country or that state, it will affect the rest of the globe and we should not play politics with Boko Haram.”

The president gives the impression that the international media are unaware of how he had dithered on the violent sect, how he had unwisely tried to mollify its rage, how he virtually begged for rapprochement with it, and at a point how he even seemed willing to concede that it smelled of roses in spite of murdering thousands of innocent people.

Does Jonathan think Amanpour and the international media could not see through his answers? The value of the Amanpour interview, we must console ourselves, is that finally, and with the world as a witness, Jonathan has made up his mind to fight Boko Haram. Let us hope he can walk the talk better

than he answered Amanpour’s questions.

But on the brief Algerian standoff shortly after France went into Mali, Jonathan was simply unprepared. He had been asked if Nigeria, which is also in Mali, was prepared to contain terror attacks like the one that happened in an Algerian gas plant on January 16 leading to the killing of about 38 workers.

“Yes, what happened in Algeria was unfortunate. That is why the government has been working day and night to make sure that we prevent such excesses,” Jonathan replied evasively. It was obvious that after two failed hostage rescue attempts, Nigeria is apparently not ready to confront similar massive terror attack with anything superior to Algeria’s. Amanpour’s question on Nigeria’s preparedness was probably perfunctory anyway.

But by far the most amusing of Jonathan’s replies to Amanpour’s questions is the one on crude oil theft. Against the background of the Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s estimation last April that 400,000 barrels of

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