The Nation July 02, 2013

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Service chiefs jobs voided

NEWS

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•Court: appointments wrong

News Sports News

ASUU begins indefinite strike P6 Enyeama gets three-year deal P23 Legal Council lists 43 for SAN P4 www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 8, NO. 2534 TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

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•AKEREDOLU FOR SUPREME COURT AS MIMIKO’S ELECTION IS UPHELD P7

Army puts 18 on trial for alleged Boko Haram link A

LIEUTENANT and 17 other ranks were yesterday arraigned before a court martial for leaking official information to terrorists. .

The 18, who are all members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno and the Special Task Force (STF) in Jos, were taken before the military court sitting at the 3 Armoured Division Headquaters, the Marxwel Khobe Cantonment, Rukuba, Jos the Plateau State capital.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Armoured Division, MajorGeneral Ebiobowei Bonna Awala, inaugurated the court martial.

The accused were said to have been investigated for various offences ranging from communication with the enemy, cowardly behaviour, murder and manslaughter, among others.

They were being tried by the 3 Armoured Division because the offences were committed within its area of operational responsibility.

It was learnt that some of the suspects may have been implicated in the invasion of Baga community in Borno State when some soldiers were reported to have committed some acts against the rule of engagement.

Chief of Army Staff Gen Azubuike Ihejirika recently lamented that some soldiers gave out information to terrorists, thereby compromis-

•ON TRIAL: The suspects at the inauguration of the General Court Marshal in Jos…yesterday

GOC promises justice as soldiers stand trial for murder, others From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

ing the nation’s security.

Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika on May 22 said soldiers, who leaked information to terrorists had been arrested and would face

a military court.

He spoke at the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Army transformation and Innovation Centre on Personnel Management and Development at the Command Officers Mess, Abuja.

Information about the movement of troops to Mali for AFISMA operations was leaked to terrorists. They were ambushed and two soldiers were killed on the OkeneLokoja road.

The Army Chief said some

Govt to scrap BPE, NAPEP, NEIC, 217 other agencies

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HE Federal Executive Council (FEC) has agreed to scrap the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and 219 other parastatals and agencies.

There are about 540 of such agencies.

Besides, the government is to merge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the In-

PHOTO: NAN

dependent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

A “proper investigation of the allegations made by the National Boundaries Commission against the Office of

the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) over the funding of two non-existent boundary demarcations is to be conducted.

The OSGOF will also be probed for alleged illegal extension of Nigeria’s maritime Continued on page 4

Army by leaking information via the Internet or to insurgents will be “disciplined severely”.

Plateau State is enmeshed in communal clashes, leading to the death of many Continued on page 4

Military threatens coup as protests spread in Egypt

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HOUSANDS of protesters erupted into cheers after Egypt’s military leaders warned that they would intervene if the president failed to resolve a political crisis within 48 hours.

The military threat set the stage for a coup a day after millions of Egyptians thronged the country’s streets demanding the president’s resignation.

The statement came hours after eight people were killed in Cairo as rioters ransacked the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is President Mohammed Morsi’s power base. Protesters also regrouped yesterday in the capital’s central Tahrir Square and in front of the president’s

•It’s speculative, says Presidency From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

soldiers had been helping Boko Haram with intelligence and conspiring with the sect to frustrate military operations against terrorists in the North.

He warned that disloyal soldiers whose actions negatively affect the work done by the

•Morsi

Continued on page 4

•OKOROCHA TO INEC: RELEASE RESULT P59 •SIM CARD DEADLINE STAYS P11

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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NEWS

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•From left: Chairman, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Mr Bisi Ogunjobi; Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Ms Amal Pepple and Managing Director Mr. Gimba Kumo, at the FMBN workshop on National Housing Fund in Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

• First Vice-President, Institute of Directors (IoD) Mr.Yomi Akeju (left), President Mrs. Eniola Fadayomi; 2nd Vice-President Mr. Ahmed Mohammed; and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Stock Exchange Mr.Oscar Onyema, during the induction of new members of the institute in Lagos.

PHOTO: ADEOLA SOLOMON

•From left: Senior Brand Manager, Maltina Ms Ngozi Nkwoji, Corporate Media and Brand Public Relations Manager Edem Vindah and the Assistant Brand Manager, Maltina Mr. Abayomi Abidakun at a news conference for Maltina Dance All Season 7 ''The Evolution'' at the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos...yesterday.

•From left: Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment and Pensions Mrs. Florence Oguntuase, Commissioner for Finance Mr. Adetokunbo Abiru, Chairman, House Committee on Public Finance Mrs. Funmilayo Tejuosho and Mr. Balogun AbdoulBaq at the 2013 Retreat for management staff in Lagos.

T the hospital bedside of ailing Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, two women take turns to hold his hand and speak softly to him.

His wife Graca, who sleeps at the hospital to be near him, has formed an extraordinary bond with Mandela’s ex-wife, the colourful and often-controversial Winnie.

They spend hours together talking about ‘our husband’ and their hopes that he will recover. Winnie describes Graca as her younger sister.

Mandela, 94, the world’s bestloved revolutionary and father of the South African nation, is entering his fourth week in hospital.

He spent 27 years in prison for his political beliefs, and has suffered chronic lung problems due to contracting tuberculosis while incarcerated on Robben Island.

In a moving interview, and close to tears, 76-year-old Winnie talked to The Mail on Sunday about the true state of Mandela’s health and how his large extended family is struggling to cope.

She told of tender moments at his bedside recently when he was struggling to talk.

She could not hear what he was saying through his oxygen mask. ‘I called a doctor and he listened up close,’ she said.

‘He told me my husband wanted me to sit down. He was so weak but he still cares so much, he is still so concerned for others, and of course he is still telling me what to do.’

Winnie, with a big smile, clearly enjoyed the notion that her ex-husband was the only person likely to try to order her around. Her lifelong reputation has been of a strongwilled, fearlessly outspoken woman.

Seated next to Zindzi, the younger of her two daughters with Mandela, in the pretty garden of Winnie’s home in Soweto, Johannesburg, she said she was learning to face the reality of Mandela’s plight.

“Of course I am also reliving our long life together,” she said. “I cannot escape it. We were married for more than 30 years and I still love him. I’m the mother of his children.”

She said she wanted to reassure people who were sending messages from all over the world that the family was not discussing switching off Mandela’s life-support.

“We are at the hospital every day.

We want to give him moral support.

The most painful thing is to see him struggling.

“He is breathing through an oxygen mask and there are drips for nutrition and sedation.

“Most of the time he is comfortable and still very much with us. He often opens his eyes and can squeeze my hand.”

She said she was shocked when she found out about how the ambulance taking Mandela to hospital had broken down but said: ‘At least he is in a safe place now and that is in the past.’

Winnie explained that in the tradition of the Xhosa – Mandela’s tribe – it was forbidden to speak of an elder’s death in advance, adding: “But realistically in this case we have to.”

Dressed in black with leopard trim and a gold waistcoat, Winnie dabbed her eyes as she talked. She has a natural charisma and a forceful clarity of speech – a characteristic that the apartheid-era authorities found hard to ignore.

In 1969, leaving her small daughters behind, she spent 18 months in prison, mostly in solitary confinement, under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Afterwards she was banished hundreds of miles from her home to Brandfort, an Afrikaans stronghold in the Orange Free State where she was harassed constantly by the secret police.

Then, in 1988, she was accused of the kidnap and murder of a teenage boy after he was killed by her pri-

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My vigil man I still vate army of supporters – dubbed Mandela United because they wore football shirts.

In 1991 she was convicted of being an accessory to murder and sentenced to six years – reduced to a fine on appeal. And in 2003 she was given a six-month suspended sentence for fraud and theft.

Today she rejects the accusations, and says she ‘doesn’t give a damn’ about them. Winnie is proud of her work in recruiting youths to the ANC revolution and would do it all again.

“All of the accusations against me were done to tarnish the ANC and the Mandela name,” she said.

She is clearly no longer hurt, just angry at past sufferings. But that is nothing compared to the reality of her ex-husband’s illness.

“Words cannot describe our pain and hurt when people talk or write of him as if he had already passed on,” she said.

“He has actually shown improvement in the past few days. His doctors are amazing and we are very happy with them.

“There is no intention whatsoever of discussing intervention by the family. What is happening is God’s wish.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

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NEWS

•Graca, Mandela and Winnie during the ex-president’s 86th birthday in 2004

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The cherished prison photograph Nelson Mandela kept this picture of his young wife in his cell on Robben Island.

The black-and-white photograph of Winnie in traditional Xhosa dress was his most treasured possession during his 27 years in captivity.

l for Nelson, the ll love, by Winnie Zindzi, 53, who joined her parents’ activism against apartheid from the age of 12, said she had a personal touching moment with her father last week.

“I was holding his hand and stroking his shoulder and telling him interesting things happening in the country. I told him about President Obama’s visit and his eyes opened and he looked happy. Then I told him about our plans for his 95th birthday on July 18.”

She said when the end came, it would be President Jacob Zuma who would make an announcement.

“In the meantime I am sitting here in hospital with my dad and he is alive and breathing and well. If people love him so much they should avoid rumours about his death.

“There is a bizarre excitement about all these rumours on Twitter and other sites. It removes all the humanity around him and it hurts us.”

Winnie criticised Zuma for recently taking a delegation into Mandela’s home, surrounding him as he sat motionless in an armchair, staring into nothingness, clearly unaware of anything around him.

A grinning Zuma afterwards said

he was happy to see Mandela looking so well. “You see he is up and about and in good spirits,” he said outside the house.

Winnie described the intrusion as ‘the most insensitive thing anyone could have done’.

“He was obviously so unwell. Less than a month later he was in hospital. They compromised his dignity and the family’s dignity. It was terrible to see an old man in that state.

We are after all human beings with emotions.”

INDZI said it was some times overwhelming to cope with her father’s health crisis and she felt afraid about his inevitable death. ‘I know he’s fighting,’ she said. ‘He was born a boxer, and he’s still fighting today.

“It is so hurtful and insensitive when we hear that people are gathering for his death and funeral, and even worshippers are praying for us to have the strength to let him go.

“We will not be letting him go – we will be letting God and nature take their course. We are not going to switch off anything or intervene to stop any treatment.

“This is a 94-year-old man who we love, a father and a husband. He is

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the one choosing to hang around.”

She said that ‘both of my mothers’ – Winnie and Graca – were always there and both part of the Mandela extended family, and that it helped them to see crowds outside the Pretoria hospital where Mandela is being treated.

‘I was so touched to see a small child giving a policeman a cup of coffee one cold evening,’ she said.

“That was a small act of compassion and kindness that would have been typical of my father.”

Zindzi and her mother talked of turbulent times when they turned to Mandela’s humour to get through.

She remembers his favourite joke about getting to Heaven. ‘He said he would open a branch of the African National Congress there, but first he would take his belongings in paper bags up to the Pearly Gates and ask if Oliver was inside.

That’s Oliver Tambo, his friend and fellow activist. They would tell him Oliver was busy, so he would ask to see Luthuli, another great father of the ANC. He would also be busy.

“But then my father would see Adolf Hitler scrubbing the floors. He said, “You’ll know that you’ve gone to Heaven if you are in a place where dictators are humbled.” ’ Zindzi, who has her father’s famous smile, suffered a difficult childhood without him, and experienced her mother being arrested by the security squads.

In one 2am raid on their home in Vilakazi Street in Soweto, at the heart of the struggle against the former racist government, Zindzi held on to her mother’s skirt as police dragged her away.

After that, with her mother imprisoned on trumped-up charges, she was sent to boarding school.

Aged 12, she wrote to the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid, demanding better security for her mother.

And aged 25, Zindzi stood up at a packed football stadium to read her father’s message from prison.

It was 1985 and he had refused a cruelly manipulated offer to release him if he renounced violent action against the apartheid state.

Zindzi spoke in a clear declamatory tone as she read his words: “I cherish my own freedom dearly but I care even more for your freedom. Too many have died since I went to prison, too many have suffered . Only free men can negotiate.

“Prisoners cannot enter into contracts . I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I and you, the people, are not free. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated. I will return.”

Zindzi had to summon extraordinary reserves of courage to appear like that in public. Her father was in prison and her mother was confined to her home between 6am and 6pm and forbidden to speak out.

During our interview, Winnie revealed how, that day, she had put on a hat and slippers, wrapped herself

in a blanket and mingled with the crowds to proudly hear her daughter read her husband’s brave words.

ODAY Zindzi says it was a bittersweet moment for her.

She was desperate to have her father home.

She was only four months old when he was first arrested, and only four years old when she stood outside a Johannesburg courtroom with her mother while he was sentenced to life imprisonment. She didn’t meet him on Robben Island until she was 15.

“It was such an important moment, finally seeing the man beyond the myth,” she said. “I finally understood at that moment what charm and humour he had, trying to make me feel better despite the surroundings and the three prison warders.

“He told me to imagine us all at home, when I once sat on his lap in front of the fire while we had Sunday lunch as a family.

“I embraced the fact that I really did have a father and he really was here.”

When Mandela was released in 1990 the family still found it hard to live a normal life. By then Zindzi had three children by three different fathers, but Mandela still believed she should be part of his household and under his control.

She moved into the family home where Winnie lives today – a twostorey house popularly known as ‘Parliament’ in Orlando West, Soweto. The front room has a huge circular table where intense political debate took place in the years immediately following his release.

Elsewhere in the house there is the evidence of normal family life: rooms cluttered with family photographs and historical mementoes and paintings Winnie lives there with her daughter and son-in-law and their children.

Zindzi recalls her father, in the aftermath of his release, as a possessive man who loved her young children but who treated her ‘as if I was still in pigtails and bobby socks’.

He tried to impose a curfew if she went out, and wanted her to have a chaperone.

When Zindzi’s son Bambatha was five months old, Mandela, a doting grandfather, persuaded her to stop breastfeeding him so that he could have the baby sleep with him and Winnie in their bed.

Zindzi said: ‘He wanted to make up his bottle and feed him and change him. He wanted a second chance to be a real dad.’

Bambatha was a confident little two-year-old when he answered his grandfather’s phone one day and found himself talking to George Bush Snr, then President of the United States.

Bush had recently collapsed on a visit to Japan and Bambatha told him: ‘You must look after yourself better and drink lots of water.’

An amused Bush later sent him a postcard from the White House thanking him for his concern.

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But, Winnie explained, life for the Mandela family was far from normal. ‘His release had been the greatest moment of my life. I equated it with freedom for everyone.

“Until then I hadn’t been able to speak out in my own country. Now I was trying to heal myself with a normal husband and father around the dining table.

“But it wasn’t to be. He was busy morning till night. It was a circus and impossible to have a normal life. We separated in 1991. We were both emotionally brutalised.”

For Winnie there was an unexpected development. Now she could stand for election to parliament and take up a career of her own.

She became a passionate campaigner for the poor, heading the ANC Women’s League and amassing a following of millions as she fought for housing and jobs.

Today she is a member of the powerful National Executive Committee of the ANC, still fighting the cause for her people.

She said Mandela would be disappointed if he knew of South Africa’s lack of progress in dealing with poverty, and that white people were still in control of most wealth.

“As president he did what he could,” she said. “He did more than enough. But he was already in his 70s when he became president.”

Winnie said she feared that South Africa was facing a bleak future with massive unemployment among the youth.

“This is not what he fought for,” she said. “Our Freedom Charter declares the land belongs to all of us but our land reform programmes have failed and every day now you read of corruption.

“Mandela had no magic wand, but better policies. In many ways the ANC is splintered today and needs to go back to the drawing board.”

HEN her parents sepa rated in 1992, Zindzi was devastated. She had spent many hours talking to her father about her childhood because he wanted so much to fill in the gaps of his lost prison years.

During those years she had had many difficulties of her own. ‘I went through a period of anger, bitterness and depression especially at defining moments in my life when I thought my father should have been part of it,’ she said.

Winnie said Zindzi had been a naughty, difficult child. At the age of six she angrily demanded to know why her father was in prison.

“I tried to tell her that many daddies were in prison to fight for freedom for all of us. It was hard to explain why a man would be in prison if he wasn’t bad.

“And Zindzi said I was lying. Her friends next door had their daddy at home, so it wasn’t true that all daddies were in prison.

“She suffered badly during those prison years, as I did. I was the most unmarried married woman. My husband was away from me for 27 years.

“But still no one knows me better than him. It is extremely painful to see him now, but I know it is God’s wish.”

She said the family could not have managed the idea of his death without the world’s sympathy pouring in daily through messages, prayers, letters and the crowds outside the hospital and his home in Johannesburg.

Zindzi said her father still had no real concept of the impact he made on people. He would be amazed to know of people gathering in their thousands to pray and sing for him.

“When he was first released from prison I went with him on a tour of America,” she recalled.

“There was a woman who collapsed weeping in the street and had to be helped to her feet. Daddy and I drove back, very quietly, and had lunch.

“He said he could not understand why that lady was so emotional – it upset him. He had no idea how people were affected by what he had done in his life.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

NEWS Legal Council lists 43 for SAN

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•From left: Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, and DIG (D’ Dept.), Mr Peter Gana at a PHOTO: NAN workshop on corporate fraud in Lagos…yesterday

Military threatens coup as protests spread in Egypt Continued from page 1

Ittihadiya Palace for a second day of demonstrations, which appeared to be some of the largest in Egypt’s history The headquarters of another political party, Al Wasat, was also showed being torched, allegedly by anti-government protesters.

“If the people’s demands are not met, the military, which is forced to act according to its role and duty, will have to disclose its own future plan,” said Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, Egypt’s defence minister and the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in a

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televised address. “These steps will include discussions among all political powers, specifically the youth, who were and continue to be the spark of the revolution. No one party will be excluded or marginalised.”

Gen. Al Sisi didn’t say what kind of “solution” it expected Mr. Morsi to provide or say what he planned by way of an “intervention.” But the general cautioned that the military wouldn’t become politically involved as it did in February 2011, when it assumed power after the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.

Gen. Al Sisi said the armed

forces would continue to “supervise the situation” and “support the people.” Minutes after his speech ended, five military helicopters carrying large banners representing each branch of the armed forces flew over the protests, eliciting another round of ecstatic cheers.

The ultimatum ratcheted up pressure on Egypt’s first elected president, one year after he assumed power in elections that the military itself organised.

The presidency remained quiet in the hours following the statement. But members of the political opposition—

many of whom had said they didn’t welcome military intervention—rejected negotiations and greeted the decision as a sign that the military intended to oversee the president’s departure.

“When you praise the demands of the people and then declare 48 hours, I think that the message is clear,” said Khaled Dawoud, a spokesman for the National Salvation Front, an umbrella group that helped lead Sunday’s protests.

“I hope that the Muslim Brotherhood doesn’t mess it up.”

“There is no reconciliation with a president who faced Continued on page 60

Court voids appointment of Service Chiefs

USTICE Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday voided the appointment of the nation’s three Service Chiefs.

He declared illegal and unconstitutional the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff by the President without “first seeking and obtaining the confirmation of the National Assembly”.

The judge granted an order restraining “the President from further appointing Service Chiefs for the federation without first obtaining the confirmation of the National Assembly”.

The judgment was in a suit instituted in 2008 by rights activist Festus Keyamo.

Keyamo argued that side-

stepping the constitutional requirement of the National Assembly in the appointment of Service Chiefs began under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He stated that subsequent administrations have adopted the illegal practice.

By implication, such appointments made before now without the confirmation of the National Assembly were unconstitutional.

Keyamo sought a determination of the following questions: •Whether by the combined interpretation of the provisions of Section 218 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and Section 18 of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the President can appoint Service Chiefs without the

The Federal Government in 2011 inaugurated the Oronsaye Panel to restructure and rationalise Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies of the government as part of measures to reduce the rising budget profile.

After the submission of the report, a White Paper Committee was set up to look at the recommendations of the Presidential Committee.

The Federal Executive Council ratified the recommendations of the White Paper Committee.

According to a document obtained by our correspondent, some of the agencies to be scrapped are the BPE; National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP); Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC); Public Complaints Commission (PCC); Nigerian Export Promotion Council; Public Complaints Commission (PCC); National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC); Federal Highways Department; Utilities Charges Commission; and Na-

tional Economic Intelligence Committee, among others.

The approval of the EFCC – ICPC merger was in line with the recommendation of the Oronsaye Panel.

The panel’s report said: “Extant anti-corruption laws should be repealed, while a new one is enacted to accommodate the consolidation of EFCC, ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“The establishment of strong departments, among others, in the proposed consolidated structure is desirable as they would handle the following areas: (i) Prosecution; (ii) Investigation (iii) Prevention (Advocacy); and (iv) Asset declaration/ forfeiture. The Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit(NFIU) should be made autonomous.”

The highlights of FEC decisions are: .abolition of Fiscal Responsibility Commission.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice directed to initiate necessary action for the abolition of the Commission; .RMAFC is already empow-

ered by the Constitution to carry out the function of Fiscal Responsibility Commission; .the law establishing Police Service Commission be amended to make Minister of Police Affairs head of the Commission; .EFCC and ICPC consolidated into one anti-corruption agency: .a “Sunset Clause” is to be introduced to the BPE to conclude its assignment and wind down; . withdrawal of the Military from the Contributory Pension Scheme should be reversed; .PCC is to be merged with the Human Rights Commission, which has the capacity to perform the functions of the PCC. The PCC Act to be removed from the Constitution by amending Sections 153 and 315; and .the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) is to be abolished and its law repealed. Its functions are to be transferred to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMA-

From Eric Ikhilae and Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

Continued on page 60

HE Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee has short-listed 43 lawyers for interview, preparatory to their elevation to Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN).

The committee also asked Nigerians to screen the list and comment on the reputation of the short-listed candidates.

According to a statement by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr. Sunday Olorundahunsi, observations on any of the candidates should be forwarded to the committee on or before July 15.

The 43 candidates include a notable Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, Godwin Odumu Obla; ThisDay Legal Page Editor Olufunke Aboyade; David Maiwada Mando; Johnson Olalekan Ojo; Joshua Olukayode Olatoke; Afolabi Hakeem Olatunde; Ocha Petersen Ulegede; Victoria Olufunmilayo Awomolo; Joe Ad’ojo Abrahams and Kehinde Kolawole Eleja Also on the list are Olalekan Fatai Yusuf; Olasheni Ibiwoye;

From Yusuf Alli and Eric Ikhilae Abuja

Elema Emenike Sylvester; Emeka Benson Etiaba; Nwufo Kevin Chukwudi; Anthony Ikechukwu Ani; Anthonychukwuemeka Anaenugwu; Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume Gerald Godwin E. Ezeuko, Jnr; Fredson Chijioke Alexander Okoli; Ejelam Ahamefula Ikechukwu Ike; Sylvanus Aghumele Ogwemoh; and Adele Eberechi.

Others are Wilcox Achace Abereton; Samuel Otseilu Zibiri; Biriyai Dambo; Emmanuel Chinwenwo Aguma; Mba Ekpezu Ukweni; Chukuka Olujimi Chukura; Uko Essien Udom; Tawo Eja Tawo; Olayinka Adebola Abiose; Moyosore Jubril Onigbanjo; Olumide Olusoga Sofowora; Adeniyi Ayodele Adegbonmire; Akinlolu Timothy Kehinde; Akinlolu Oluyinka Osinbajo; Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo; Olusola Olaseni Idowu; Dr.Theophilus Akinpelu Onigbinde; Adekola Adeyeye Olawoye; Aliyu Maitasamu Abdullahi and Suraj Sa’eda.

Army puts 18 on trial for alleged Boko Haram link Continued from page 1

people. Many of the times, terrorists or gunmen had been accused of wearing military uniform while attacking their victims.

The STF has been battling communal attacks on the Plateau.

Gen. Awala described the General Court Martial as one of those instruments conferred on him by the Armed Forces Act Chapter A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria to address problems of this nature.

He said “discipline is the foundation on which the military career rests”, adding that “discipline and loyalty are two essential requirements no officer or soldier who wants to succeed in professional soldiering can afford to lack.”

He said: “It is the duty of superiors to observe, correct and instantly deal with negligence or any misconduct on the part of subordinates. When there is any breach. It is expected that appropriate disciplinary measure must be taken by commanders to forestall future occurrences.

“This way, the Nigerian Army can continue to play its constitutional role and sustain its accolade as the pride of the nation.”

Gen. Awala, said he is not happy convening the court but said: “It is with a heavy heart though, that I have to convene this General Court Martial, being the first within four months of my assumption of duty as the GOC of this Division. However, I must state Continued on page 60

•Gen. Awala...yesterday

Govt to scrap BPE, NAPEP, NEIC, 217 other agencies Continued from page 1

boundary from 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles at $12 million without consulting.

These are the highlights of the outcome of a review of the White Paper on the report of

the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals and Commissions, which was headed by exHead of Civil Service of the Federation Mr. Steve Oronsaye.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) spent the last three weeks to review the report and concluded the exercise on June 26.

But Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati described the scrapping of the agencies as speculative.

“The report is still at the FEC level and the committee was set up to review the White Paper.

“There is no final decision yet. Anything outside that is mere speculation.”

FC).

The government directed that the enabling law of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) be amended to reflect the directive of FIFA that the Organisation should be renamed a Federation.

“The NYSC will be restructured with a view to developing a framework to cover critical areas of national socio-economic development to which Corps members would be deployed for their primary assignments.

“The Government accepts the Presidential Committee’s recommendation that COREN should no longer receive budgetary allocation from 2015 Fiscal Year.

“FERMA and the Federal Highways Department of the Federal Ministry of Works are to be transformed into an extra-ministerial department.

The enabling law of FERMA is to be amended to reflect the change of status The government accepts the Presidential Committee’s recommendation for the proper

investigation of the allegations made by the National Boundaries Commission against the OSGOF over the funding of two non-existent boundary demarcations as well as the alleged illegal extension of Nigeria’s maritime boundary from 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles at $12 million without consulting.

“The Government directs the Border Communities Development Agency(BCDA) to relocate to the Presidency with its own line budget and be strengthened.”

The recommendation that NEMA be merged with the NaContinued on page 60

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

NEWS

Senate to suspend plenary today for Ewherido

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HE Senate will today suspend plenary session as a mark of respect for the late Senator Pius Akpo Ewherido who died on Sunday.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Media to the Senate President, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that Mark stated this when he led Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and other Senators to the late Ewherido’s home in Asokoro, Abuja.

“In line with our tradition and as a mark of respect for our departed colleague, the Senate will suspend plenary tomorrow (Tuesday).

“We share in your bereavement, pains and sorrows at this moment of grief,” Mark told Ewherido’s wife, Doye.

He urged the members of the Ewherido’s family to continue to have faith in God, noting that death always subjects man’s faith in God to test.

He said: “As Catholics, it is easy to say the Creed that I believe in God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. But when death comes, we question God. This is the time to increase our faith in God. “If there was anything we could have done to save the life of our distinguished colleague, we would have done it but the Lord owns his life.”

•Mark, Uduaghan visit senator’s family

ACN, Ashafa mourn ‘a great man’

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HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Gbenga Ashafa, have described as a great national loss the death of Senator Pius Ewherido.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party commiserated with the family of the senator.

It said the death of such a man of sterling achievements at the age of only 50 was a big blow to all.

“We pray that God will strengthen the family he left behind and also grant repose to the soul of the departed,” ACN said.

Ashafa said he received the sudden demise From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

Also extolling the virtues of the late Ewherido, Uduaghan described the late Senator as “a strong voice from Delta.

Uduaghan said the late lawmaker was an experienced lawmaker, having been a deputy speaker and later an Acting Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly.

He said, “In the last two

with a heavy heart.

He said: “ Just last week Sunday, Senator Pius Ewherido among other lawmakers at the National Assembly came to Lagos to commemorate with our National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the death of his mother; hearing his untimely death is too shocking to bear.

“Sen. Ewherido was a true Nigeria, a soft spoken seasoned professional, an indefatigable soldier of democracy and a committed, magnanimous brother and motivator. The sudden and untimely loss of Senator Ewherido is too painful to comprehend by the entire National Assembly.”

years, he has brought his experience to bear on the floor of the Senate.

“We have lost a strong voice in Delta.”

The elder brother of the late Senator, Rev. Fr. Anthony Ewherido, who received the delegation, was quoted to have expressed the family’s gratitude to the President of the Senate, Uduaghan and senators across party lines “for standing by us as this means so much

to us.

He said: “He was your distinguished colleague. I have always been proud of him but am more proud of him in death.”

Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba said that he received with great pain and shock the news of the death of Ewherido Ndoma-Egba said: “Senator Ewherido was the quintessential legislator, cerebral, insight-

ful, clear in language and thought.

“He had the courage of his convictions and had an excellent grasp of legislative practice drawing from his experience as speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and natural endowments.

“Only recently, Catholic Senators met with Catholic Bishops of Nigeria and his characteristic courage and condour questioned doctrinal positions of the church which in his view impaired the faith.

“He was not one who feared to state his position on any issue and his positions were clear and well thought out.

“His death, coming just when the Senate is about to start her debate on constitutional amendment, and at the age of 50 years when his life was about to start, is an unspeakable tragedy.

“We will miss his erudite and depth, his conviviality and his ever-present smile.”

Other Senators, who joined Mark and Uduaghan on the condolence visit, were Senator James Manager; Senator Ifeanyi Okowa: Senator Ahmed Lawan; Senator Suleiman Adokwe; Senator Emmanuel Paulker; and, Senator Mohammed Magoro.

Corruption rising in Nigeria, says Ribadu

By Olatunde Odebiyi

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HE former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said corruption is on the rise in the country.

He said the Federal Government was undermining anti-corruption war.

Ribadu spoke in Lagos at the weekend during a public lecture organised by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Muslim Alumni Association.

He said the government has not built on anti corruption foundations that the previous government left behind.

Ribadu said: “So many corrupt people get away with their acts, because of their relationships with heads of institutions that ought to counter or expose their abuse of office. Some convicts are being granted state pardon, thereby rubbishing the whole effort at corruption.

These practices have turned corruption into a sort of culturally-or ethically-accepted trend. The corruption we are fighting can be won, if the leader shows the way all the other people would follow but, when the leader takes the other way, we are in a problem.

“Before the coming of EFCC in 2003, there were very few high-profile cases of corruption that were successfully prosecuted. EFCC’s interventions led us into various networks that have previously enjoyed impunity and notoriety, from the internet scams that dent the image of the country to abuse of office at private and public sectors.”

Ribadu said only an incorruptible leader ready to subject his cronies to processes of the law, in case of infringement, could lead the nation against corruption.”

House of Reps decries rot in National Theatre

By Ozolua Uhakheme

THE House of Representatives’ Committee on Culture has condemned the rot at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

The committee made its position known during a visit to the theatre at the weekend.

The Ben Nwankwo ledHouse Committee House Committee expressed concern on the concession agreements on projects at the theatre.

Nwankwo said: “The renovation or rehabilitation of the theatre complex craves for attention. Unfortunately, government does not have the resources to do it alone, hence the PPP arrangement. In fact, culture and tourism should play key roles in national development. The theatre, which is a cultural monument, is susceptible to encroachment. But government is desirous of developing it into an income earning project.”

On the crisis over the relocation of some culture agencies, he called for amicably settlement.

He asked: “Why was the National Troupe of Nigeria was sent packing from the theatre? Has the act establishing the two bodies as one management been reviewed?”

Culture Minister Chief Edem Duke said the National Theatre project was at its conceptualisation stage and that all would be carried along, including the National Assembly.

“We must find the will to ensure the property benefits from new investment that will grow its potentials…For us, it is a legacy thing and must pull through a transparency process,” he said.

British Airways ‘okays passengers phone use’

•Mark signing the condolence register for the late senator...yesterday

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Amaechi, Oshiomhole, Atiku, Akume mourn senator

IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, his Edo State counterpart, Adams Oshiomhole, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Senate Minority Leader Senator George Akume have described the death of Senator Pius Ewherido as “unfortunate”.

Amaechi said Ewherido was also a public-spirited man and a community leader.

Amaechi, who paid the tribute in a statement he personally signed, said Ewherido’s passage was “no doubt a monumental loss to our nation”.

The statement said: “We hereby condole with the Nigerian Senate, the government and people of Delta State and the entire Ewherido family on the sudden death of Senator Pius Ewherido, who, until his death, represented Delta Central Senatorial District on the platform of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP),

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja and Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

“It is unfortunate that the hardworking, independentminded senator, a political icon, and one of the most accomplished politicians in our country passed on at a time our country needed his invaluable service most. His loss is no doubt a monumental loss to our nation.”

Oshiomhole described the death of the late Ewherido as a “rude shock”.

The governor said: “The news of the death of Senator Pius Ewherido came as a rude shock. He had served his people with all his resources and energy and his death has robbed Delta State and indeed the nation of a bright young mind.

“Ewherido truly distinguished himself in the Senate

with his incisive contributions to debates and will be sorely missed not only by his Constituents but also by others who have come to love his style.”

In a condolence message by his media office in Abuja, the former Vice- President said the late Ewherido was a remarkable good, tolerant and patient neighbour.

He said: “Anyone that lived peacefully and respectfully with his neighbours without a hint of suppressed grudges must be one in a million, especially in a country like ours where some big men spare no efforts to be noticed.”

Akume said: “The late Distinguished Senator Ewherido was no doubt an accomplished businessman, astute politician and a legislator per excellence who brought his wealth of

•Oshiomhole knowledge and experience to bear on the Delta State legislature and the Nigerian Senate.

His contributions to the entrenchment of democratic ideals were second to none, therefore, I regard his death as a tragedy which has befallen not just the Senate and people of Delta state but indeed the entire nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Senate, the people of Delta state and his family at this difficult time.”

BRITISH Airways will be the first airline in Europe to allow its customers to switch on their mobile phones and other handheld electronic devices after landing.

Previously, customers have been forced to wait until their aircraft has come to a complete stop and the doors were opened before they could use their iPads, Kindles, eReaders and mobile phones.

Once the aircraft has vacated the runway, cabin crew will make an announcement to customers to let them know they can use their handheld mobile devices.

Ian Pringle, British Airways’ flight training manager, said: “Customers will no longer have the frustration of having to wait until their plane has arrived at the terminal building before being able to use their mobile phones and other handheld electronic devices.

“Now they’ll have that extra time to phone ahead for that important business meeting, check their emails, or make sure someone is there to meet them at the airport.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY JULY 2, 2013

NEWS

NUPENG strike: Fuel scarcity hits Abuja, Calabar, others

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ONG fuel queues have resurfaced in most petrol stations in Abuja, the nation’s capital, following a three-day warning strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The strike began yesterday.

NUPENG said it started the strike to press home its demand for what it called unfair labour practices by some oil companies toward its workers.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited some major petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday, said there was chaos as motorists jostled to get petrol.

At the popular NNPC Mega Station in the Central Area, the queue resulted in a partial blockage of the adjoining road and a horrendous traffic hold-up.

NAN spoke with some motorists at the petrol station. They expressed dismay at the development and urged relevant government agencies to address the situation.

Mr Pius Adejoh, a civil servant, described the situation as a setback to the Transformation Agenda in the oil and gas sector.

He said: “I think it’s really very sad

•Union threatens showdown with Oyo over ‘members’ victimisation’ •Govt: They’re not sincere •Kaduna branch joins warning action From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan and Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

that we are back to those days when we had to queue at filling stations to get fuel.

“The Federal Government needs to step in and meet with the oil unions to find a lasting solution to this perennial problem.”

Mr Kayode Olagoke, a taxi driver, condemned the sudden queues at the petrol stations.

He warned that it would lead to an increase in transportation fares, if not urgently addressed.

The situation was also not different at the Conoil Filling Station in the Central Area, opposite the NNPC Towers. Long queues of vehicles were seen around the station.

NUPENG President Achese Igwe told NAN that the union called the strike “due to unfair treatment of our workers by some oil companies including Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Chevron Nigeria Limited and Agip Oil Company”.

ASUU begins indefinite strike over unpaid allowances, others

He accused the oil companies of unfair treatment of Nigerian workers through casual labour and outsourcing of workers, among other matters.

Igwe said the leadership of the union directed its members to stop loading petroleum products to press home its demand.

He warned that the union would go on an indefinite action after the three-day warning strike, if government and the relevant authorities failed to address its grievances.

Several petrol stations in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, were closed yesterday.

The few that sold in the morning were later forced to close by a Task Force from NUPENG. Black market operators took advantage of the situation, selling petrol for between N250 and N300 per litre.

Fares also doubled as scores of commuters were stranded due to the scarcity of taxis and buses.

The Oyo State branch of the union has threatened to begin an indefinite strike over what it called the harass-

ment and infringement of the rights of its members by sanitation officers of the Oyo State Government.

The Deputy National Chairman of the Petrol Tankers’ Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Apata, Ibadan, Comrade Salimon Oladiti, addressed reporters in his office on the ongoing strike.

He also alleged that members of the Oyo State Traffic Road management Authority (OYSTRMA) have been arresting NUPENG members for committing “minor traffic offences”, which should have been handled by the police.

According to him, the alleged offenders were not given a fair trial.

Oladiti said: “After their arrest, they were charged exorbitant fees, which ranged from N250,000 and above as penalty; otherwise, they would be sent to jail.”

Oladiti assured that the union would soon resolve the matter with the Federal Government.

He said: “We are also concerned about the bad roads and the incessant oil bunkering, which the Federal

Government has failed to tackle.”

But Commissioner for Environment and Habitat, Mr. Lowo Obisesan, alleged that NUPENG was being economical with the truth.

He said it is a criminal offence in Oyo State to unlawfully park or offload goods between 6am and 6pm, because such actions obstruct traffic.

Also, the Kaduna branch of NUPENG has joined the three-day warning strike by its national body.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that petrol stations have closed down while tanker drivers have parked their vehicles “awaiting further directives” from union officials.

NUPENG’s Deputy Secretary General, Adamu Song, told NAN in a telephone interview that the Kaduna branch had set up a task force to monitor filling stations and sanction defaulters.

Transport fares have, however, remained stable in the city but officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were meeting to appraise the situation and consider the possibility of an increase.

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan and Adegunle Olugbamila

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HE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday declared an indefinite strike.

The union adopted a resolution to go on strike after its ASUU-NEC meeting at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, from Sunday till yesterday.

Fifty-one of the union’s 53 branches unanimously agreed to embark on the strike.

The action, The Nation learnt, followed the default by the Federal Government to honour the Academic Earned Allowance (AEA) which formed a component of the 2009 agreement the government signed with the union.

Declaring the strike, ASUU Chairman at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, Dr Karo Ogbinaka, told reporters yesterday that the strike was a “painful yet inevitable decision”.

He said ASUU was tired of the government’s inconsistency, adding that the union could no longer tolerate the insults.

Throwing more light on the AEA, Ogbinaka said it includes allowances paid as part of excess work load responsibility allowance and the allowance for supervision of postgraduate programmes, for lecturers, heads of departments (HoDs), deans, examination officers, among others.

He said the highest AEA is N12,500 per month, wondering why it was difficult for the government to live up to its promises.

Ogbinaka recalled that following the 2009 agreement, the Federal Government entered into an MoU with the ASUU and other academic bodies.

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N25.7b theft charge: ‘Atuche, others have case to answer’

AGOS High Court, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday dismissed the application filed by the former Managing Director of Bank PHB Plc, Francis Atuche, seeking the dismissal of the theft charge against him and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Lateefat Okunnu said the defendants must answer charges preferred against them.

She fixed July 17 for Atuche to open his defence.

The judge held that the defendants have a case to answer, saying they should provide explanations on the evidence provided by the prosecution.

Justice Okunnu also said the explanation to be provided by the defendants would enable the court go through the matter judiciously.

Atuche, his wife Elizabeth and the former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu, were arraigned before Justice Okunnu for

By Adebisi Onanuga

allegedly stealing N25.7 billion belonging to the bank.

The defendants, through their lawyers, urged the court to discharge them of the 27-count charge filed by the EFCC on the grounds that they have no case to answer.

The defendants, in a “nocase” submission filed through their counsel, Anthony Idigbe (SAN) and Sylva Ogwuemor, and brought pursuant to sections 35(3), 36(5) of the Constitution and Section 239 of the Criminal Administration Laws of Lagos State, urged the court to dismiss or acquit them of the charges.

Atuche and his co-defendants told the court that the evidence by the witnesses were unreliable because of the contradictions of facts on the actual money they allegedly stole and acceptable banking procedures.

Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till July 17 for the defence to open its case.

•From left: Chairman, Anti-Corruption Commission of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yusuf Ali (SAN); Justice Mukhtar and Wali (SAN), at the seminar in Abuja...yesterday

Fed Govt unfolds National Anti-Corruption Strategy

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•CJN, NBA president advocate new approval against graft

HE Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), yesterday said the Federal Government will soon put in place a National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS).

He also said the government is backing the ongoing cleansing of the Judiciary by the Chief Justice of Nigeria ()CJN), Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar.

The minister urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to rid the Bar of corrupt elements to make the ongoing reforms of the Judiciary meaningful.

Adoke spoke in Abuja at the opening of a seminar on: Practical Ways to Combat Corruption in the Justice Sector in Nigeria, organised by the NBA. He noted that to accelerate the quicker dispensation of justice, prosecutors need a Code of Conduct.

Adoke, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Prof. Peter Akper (SAN), said: “As you are well aware, the Federal Government is concerned about the

From Yusuf Alli and Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

deleterious effect of corruption in the polity, especially its negative impact on development.

“To tackle the scourge, a comprehensive legal regime consistent with Nigeria’s obligation as a state party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) was put in place in 2000. This gave rise to the establishment of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that year, the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) in 2004 to complement the Code of Conduct Bureau established by the Constitution. “This administration has therefore been working assiduously to strengthen these anti-corruption agencies to ensure the effective discharge of their statutory mandates.”

Also, Justice Mukhtar, and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Okey Wali (SAN) yesterday said the nation must redefine its approach to fighting corrup-

‘This administration has therefore been working assiduously to strengthen these anti-corruption agencies to ensure the effective discharge of their statutory mandates’ tion to avoid being consumed by the scourge.

While Justice Mukhtar said the current anti-corruption effort was insufficient, Wali argued that the responsibility was on the government to exhibit the political will and firm leadership in the fight against corruption.

They spoke at the opening a two-day seminar on: Practical Ways To Combat Corruption in the Justice Sector in Nigeria, organised by the NBA’s Anti-Corruption Commission.

The CJN regretted that despite the nation’s growth potential, corruption and impunity have made it impossible for it to grow.

She said: “Unfortunately, however, economic mismanagement, corruption and lack of accountability as well as transparency have been the main reason for the poor economic performance and rising poverty. The amount of money lost within a certain period in the country was unimaginable.

“Painfully, corruption in Nigeria has generated an adverse effect on social and economic development as well as in nation building.

This has in turn led to an offspring of negative effects, such as diversion of development resources for private gain, loss of tax revenue, negative impact on quality of infrastructure and public service and reduction in the pace of economic growth.”

Wali noted that combating corruption in the country requires the political leadership to provide a clear and firm leadership.

“Most importantly, the legal framework and institutions need to be reformed and this should be complemented by a re-orientation of Nigerians,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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NEWS

Aregbesola’s second term bid gets boost

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•From left: Member, House of Representatives, Rotimi Makinde; Assistant Director on Community Forum, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Bosun Oyintiloye; Alademure of Ibokunland, Oba Festus Awogboro; Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun; and Sheikh Mustapha Mubarak, during a Town Hall Meeting to seek support for Governor Aregbesola’s re-election at the Aregbesola Campaign Office, Ibokun, Osun State.

Akeredolu heads for Supreme Court as Mimiko’s election is upheld

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HE Court of Appeal in Akure yesterday dismissed the appeals filed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the 2012 governorship victory of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State.

The ACN candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu and his PDP counterpart, Chief Olusola Oke, had appealed against the judgment of the Election Petitions Tribunal, which dismissed their petitions on the outcome of the October 20, 2012 governorship poll.

The tribunal under the chairmanship of Justice Andovar Kaka’an on May 3 affirmed that Mimiko, the Labour Party standardbearer, was duly elected as the winner of the election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on October 22, 2012.

Five candidates, including Oke and Akeredolu, filed petitions before the tribunal to challenge the results of the election and joined INEC as respondents in the matter.

However, only the petitions of the PDP and the ACN candidates survived till May 3 when the judgment was delivered.

The tribunal dismissed both petitions on the grounds that the petitioners failed to prove allegations on the conduct of the election beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr. Akeredolu yesterday reacted to the judgment of the Appeal Court on his petition challenging the legality of the conduct of the election based on a heavily-compromised voter register.

He said: “As it happened in the lower tribunal, I receive the judgment with equanimity and hasten to confirm my decision to proceed to the Supreme Court for final adjudication in this matter.

“I take this step imbued with an unshaken belief in the justness of our cause. I appeal to our supporters, who may be taken aback by

•Party reacts to Appeal Court’s judgment •Oke: verdict defeat of people’s expectations Governor to opposition: sheathe your swords

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NDO State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has described the judgment of the Court Appeal as the wish of the people.

The Governor, who addressed reporters at the Government house yesterday, hailed the judges for standing by the truth.

He said the judgment would spur him to work for the people.

Mimiko, however, urged the opposition parties to sheathe their swords and work for the progress of the state.

He said in any election there must be a winner, enjoining politicians to accept defeat.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

the current situation, to be more patient. I reach out to party faithful to keep hope alive and remain steadfast until victory is achieved. I shall not abandon our people in this hour of need.

“The Court of Appeal, in its wisdom, agreed that there were injections of names into the voter register; disagreed with the lower tribunal that it was a preelection matter, but did not accept that this curious act of subterfuge calls to question the credibility and validity of the election and that same affected our chances negatively.

“We shall be proceeding to the apex court for a final determination of the legal effect of the use of this compromised voter register for the election of October 20, 2012.

“We are convinced, beyond any doubt, that a heavily- compromised register cannot form the basis of an election adjudged valid, let alone being credible and fair.

“The beneficiary of this electoral heist, who was allotted 41 per cent of the total votes cast, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ostensibly partisan electoral umpire and those who perpetrated the fraud, know

this as the truth.

“As we expect the Supreme Court to pronounce on the propriety of this brazen act of subversion of the people’s wish, we know that the people themselves, conscious of their deprived state, are the ultimate decider of the political fate of those who offer to serve them.”

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State yesterday faulted the Appeal Court for upholding the victory of Governor Olusegun Mimiko in the last October 20 governorship election.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, the party said the judgment of the appellate court is a setback for the judiciary, which is under re-branding by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

The party noted that the Appeal Court, in upholding the victory of Governor Mimiko for a second term, has approved that injection of illegal names are allowed in future elections.

The statement reads: “The judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure upholding the ruling of the lower tribunal on the appeal brought before it by ACN/ Rotimi Akeredolu has come to the party as a shock and is a worrisome development.

“This is more so consider-

ing the fact that a bad precedent is being set in our legal jurisprudence to accommodate illegal injection of names into the voter register in subsequent elections.

It is rather unfortunate that the judiciary, through the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, has again delayed justice and deprived the Ondo State people of the much-desired freedom from the rudderless government of the Labour Party (LP).

“One cannot help but laugh at the rationalisation given by the appellate court that the appellants did not prove how the manipulated voter register substantially affected the outcome of the election. If that is the case, then what happens to this popular saying in the legal parlance that you cannot build something on nothing.

“Also amusing is the issue of compromised voter register, which was termed to be a pre- election matter by the lower tribunal but has now assumed a new status that needs to be proved to have substantially affected the result of the election.

“The party viewed the judgment as a miscarriage of justice that must be put to legal scrutiny at the apex court. Consequently, this judgment is going to be challenged at the Supreme Court by the party and its candidate. We appeal to our members, sympathisers and the good people of Ondo State to remain calm and steadfast in their support for this noble cause as there is a light at the end of this seemingly unending dark tunnel.”

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Olusola Oke yesterday said the Appeal Court’s judgment constituted a brazen defeat of the expectations of the Ondo State people, who desired light after four years of darkness.

OVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola’s campaign for re-election is gathering momentum in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State.

Traditional rulers, traders and artisans have supported the bid.

The endorsement was made in Ibokun, headquarters of the local government, on Sunday at the birthday of the Assistant Director (Community Forum), Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, which was dedicated to the re-election of Aregbesola.

The event, held at the Aregbesola Campaign Office in Ibokun and facilitated by Oyintiloye, was attended by traditional rulers, women, the Hausa community members, political office holders and members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Speaking on behalf of the monarchs, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Al-Maroof Magbagbeola and the Alademore of Ibokun, Oba Festus Awogboro, said the developmental programmes and policies of the Aregbesola administration would facilitate his re-election next year.

Oba Magbagbeola said Ar-

egbesola has impacted positively on the lives of the people.

Oba Awogboro said Aregbesola has shown commitment to the transformation of the state and its people, adding that there is need for the people to give him a second chance.

Congratulating Oyintiloye, the duo stressed that the dedication of his birthday to the second term bid of Aregbesola was a demonstration of his loyalty to his boss.

The Chief of Staff to former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Elder Peter Babalola, said Osun State has witnessed development during Aregbesola’s tenure.

He said giving him another chance to rule the state would turn it into a model of development.

The Guest Speaker, Sheik Mustapha Mubarak, stressed that a government can only be said to be performing if it affects the lives of the people positively, “which Aregbesola’s administration has done”.

According to him, once a government is confirmed to be proactive and alive to its responsibilities, there is nothing better than giving such a government an opportunity to continue.

Alao-Akala’s ex-aide rates Ajimobi high

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HE Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Akinrogun Segun Taiwo, has rated the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration high.

He said what Alao-Akala could not achieve in four years as a governor, and another two years after the impeachment of Rashidi Ladoja, was achieved in two years by the present administration in Oyo State.

Taiwo urged former

From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be wary of what he described as the subterranean antics of Ladoja’s and Alao-Akala’s surrogates.

He spoke at the maiden meeting of former PDP members in the state held at Saabo, Oyo town.

To Taiwo, the alliance of the two ex-governors is not only deceitful and incompatible, but also dead on ar-

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

CITYBEATS Tragic end of a teenager

CITYBEATS LINE: 07059022999

Training for teachers

By Adebisi Onanuga

•Dies in canal trying to rescue his drowning friend

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MOTIONS rose last Friday when the body of a teenager was being pulled out of a canal at Ajayi Aina Estate, Ekoro Road, Ishaga, a Lagos suburb.

Sympathisers broke down in tears.

It was 24 hours after a frantic search for the body of the victim, 13-yearold Moses Abalogu.

Last Thursday, he slipped into the 150-foot-deep canal while trying to rescue his drowning friend. His body was eventually recovered by some divers.

The Nation gathered that the victim, a Junior Secondary School (JSS 2) student at P.P High School, Agbele, went to the canal around 4 pm on the fateful Thursday with his twin brother and a friend to "catch fish."

His parents were said to have been "kept somewhere", nursing the grief of the loss. But his elder brother, Richard Abalogu, who was at the canal when Moses’ body was recovered, said: "I warned my brother and others not to go to the canal before I left for work that morning. Their father also warned them. He went to church with his mother, but he returned home to change his clothes.

When he came home, he played football with his brothers before his friend came to take him to the canal."

Richard added: "It was the friend that fell inside the canal. As Moses made to rescue him, he too fell inside; unfortunately for him, there was nobody to help him out."

A 17-year-old student of Commu-

• The ‘canal of death’

By Seun Akioye

nity High School, Meiran told The Nation details of how he risked his life in his failed bid to rescue Moses: "I was coming from school around 5 pm when I saw some boys fishing in the canal. I drove them away because the canal is very dangerous.

Then around 6 pm, I saw them there again, shouting that someone was inside the water. I rushed down and being a swimmer, I jumped inside and went deep into the water.

"I saw him (the late Moses) inside the water and made his hand to grab my feet so I could drag him out. His grip was firm and we made progress until we got to the top when he suddenly let go of my leg and sank back into the water. I could not locate him afterwards because the water was dirty. At that time, my own life was in danger, so I ran ashore to call Fire Servicemen."

Another eyewitness, Femi Adeyemo, a resident of the estate said the depth of the water pre-

Damaged bridge brings pains

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ESIDENTS on Sebiotimo Street around Mangoro/National bus stops in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State and road users have called on the state government to quickly fix the damaged bridge on the street.

The bridge, built on a canal, is wearing dangerously and users fear it may cave into the canal soon if not quickly rehabilitated.

The important street is a mini byepass from the main Agege bye-pass.

It is an escape route from the traffic congestion that normally builds up during peak periods. The street links Agege, Iyana Ipaja, Ashade-Oba Akran, Ikeja and Ogba.

According to a vulcaniser on the street, Ajibade Sulaiman, said: "The bridge has been showing signs of collapse since last year, but now, it is serious. I normally put disused tyres on the holes so alert motorists of the danger. Just yesterday, a motorist, who did not know the situation of

D

EPUTY Chairman, House of Representatives' Committee on Human Rights, Honourable Rotimi Makinde, has urged religious leaders and traditional rulers to join hands with government to ensure peace in the country.

The lawmaker representing the Ife Federal Constituency made the call at the graduation ceremony held for products of the Soludero Computer Scheme after donating a motorcycle each to youth leaders in the 42 wards in the constituency.

Makinde noted that traditional rulers "are the custodians of our sociocultural heritage who should continue to be fathers to all and ensure maintenance of peace in their domains."

He said further: 'The critical ques-

PHOTO: SEUN AKIOYE

vented many people from attempting further rescue efforts.

Firemen searched frantically for the victim's body that Thursday from about 7 pm until 10pm without success. The next day, they resumed, but failed to recover the body until some Hausa divers were contacted. They eventually recovered the boy's body at about 12 noon.

However, some residents blamed the incident on the shoddy work done by a government contractor, who built the canal in 2008. They added that they had made several futile efforts to draw the government’s attention to the canal.

"This canal is a death trap. It is too small for the water being diverted into it from Ijaiye, Jankara, Amikanle and Oke- Odo. Whenever it rains, we are in trouble. The abandonment of the canal is what has claimed this boy's life," Ayodeji Ibrahim, an official of the estate's residents' association said.

Another resident, Tope Awolaja,

said the community had spent more than N3million to fight erosion, adding: "For the abandonment of the canal, the volume of water flowing in it over the years has created gullies in that axis. All the houses in this estate are at risk. We have complained and the contractor has even boasted that we couldn't do anything to him."

From Imulokanle Street, where the canal joins the estate, there are construction errors that cause flooding whenever it rains. Also, on Ekoro Road by Ishaga Junction, the canal's outlet is small, thus precipitating flooding.

Meanwhile, the victim's body has been handed over to his family for burial. The Chief Fire Officer in charge of Agege Fire Service, Ayantompe Oluwasegun, told The Nation: "We got a call at exactly 6.31pm that Thursday and we immediately mobilised to the scene.

We searched the canal but the rain that fell that day disturbed our men."

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

the bridge, drove over the hole. His vehicle got stuck and we assisted him to pull it out. But it got damaged. By then, traffic jam had built up."

A resident, who simply identified herself as Mama Maryam, said if the bridge was not repaired in time, it would precipitate serious traffic gridlock in that axis. "Before now, the bridge could contain two vehicles passing side-by-side, but now, one has to wait for the other to move.

The ripple effects include extension of the traffic flow to the main Agege bye-pass. Also school children crossing to their various schools won't be at ease as they can no longer guarantee tension-free traffic," she said.

A motorist said he preferred to connect with Ile-Zik en-route Oshodi from Abule Egba, instead of the Abeokuta Expressway because it is faster. But with the situation of the bridge now, he said: "I don't

tion of leadership has been one of the subjects that feature most prominently in public discussions in Nigeria. The irony of it, however, is that it remains one basic requirement in the management of human society that is grossly in short supply, particularly in the political arena.

"A political manifesto has become a list of promises that are not meant to be kept, but are designed for mere mentioning while the welfare of the people is relegated to the background.

Efforts are only concentrated on personal comfort and material security."

Ogun councillor lifts youths

A councilor in Ogun State, Hon Baiyewunmi Ayoola Ismail, has moved to tackle social vices among youths in his constituency. Thus, he has initiated efforts to discover soccer talents at the grassroots by floating an under-20 football competition in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The maiden edition of the contest involved 12 teams from Ward 9, Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Ismail, leader of the council's legislature, said the final contest for the "Sabo Youth Cup 2013," will hold on Saturday at the Holy Trinity Primary School Playing Ground, Abeokuta.

He explained that "the tournament is designed to discover soccer talents at the grassroots level and take the youths off social vices."

'The competition has given the participating youths a platform to express their God-given talents," he stated.

Council offers free GCE forms

•The damaged portion of the bridge ... yesterday

know what next to do because many of us avoid the gridlock on Mangoro-Railway-Ashade. Somebody in authority should please expedite action."

The Chairman, Agege Local Government, Hon Jubrin Abdulkareem,

told The Nation: "I have been there personally to observe it. We are considering the best way to repair it. I can tell you we are going to get it done, but the time-frame is not what I can talk about now because some logistics are involved."

Rep gives back to constituency

By Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

THE Chairman, Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, Mr Shamsudeen Olaleye, has advised teachers to rededicate themselves to promoting qualitative education.

Olaleye gave the advice at the opening of a two-day educational workshop organised for primary and secondary schools’ teachers in the area.

The programme, "Training the Trainers," was organised by the Education Department of the LCDA in conjunction with a South African organisation, Educational Solutions and Services Partners (ESSP).

He said: "To develop our educational system, there is need to always retrain teachers. Parents these days prefer to take their children to private schools because they have lost confidence in public schools. This is why we organised this workshop to bring back the lost glory of our public schools."

Mrs Adejumoke Akinyemi, who heads the department, stressed the need for capacity-building especially for public schools’teachers through educational training.

She said 50 teachers were selected from all the schools in Isolo for the training.

Mr Pedro Nwangala, Programme Manager, ESSP-Nigeria, said that the training was aimed at equipping public schools with the tools for training minds that would ultimately help in national transformation.

Mr Akin Sijibomi, who spoke on behalf of the participants, said: "We promise to be attentive. We will go back and train other teachers and pass the knowledge on to our students for the development of our country."

At the empowerment programme attended by Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Laoye Tomori, 120 beneficiaries of a six-month computer training under scheme were also given certificates amid praises for Makinde, who also gave cash grants to 150 market women to assist them start up small-scale businesses.

Makinde also gave out free eye glasses to about 1000 residents after free eye tests in Ife South Local Government area.

Items like dryers, sewing machines, grinding machines, clippers, among others, were also distributed to people at the event.

Makinde said: "Following my election in 2011, I pledged to serve with commitment. This is why I have been unrelenting in the empowerment programmes. I believe contributions by federal lawmakers should end at the chamber but be extended to the people at home. Being fortunate to occupy an elective office poses a great challenge because it is a call to serve and a sacred duty and one must not fail in discharging it dutifully."

He said the empowerment efforts were aimed at complementing the people-oriented exploits of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in the state.

THE Chairman, Mushin Local Government, Lagos State, Hon. Olatunde Adepitan, has advised youths in the area to collect free General Certificate of Education (GCE) forms at the council’s secretariat tomorrow.

He said the gesture is meant to assist brilliant pupils from indigents homes to fulfil their academic dreams, adding that only those resident in Mushin will be considered.

“This is another way of luring our youths off the streets,” he said.

• Makinde

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

9

BEATS CITYPupils visit varsity

CITYBEATS LINE: 07059022999

'Govt will renovate police colleges'

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HE Federal Government yesterday pledged to rehabilitate all the police colleges across the country. It noted that the rehabilitation of police training institutions was the only way to breed genuine officers to revamp the image of the institution.

Vice President Namadi Sambo made the commitment at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, while inspecting police trainees' classrooms and dining halls rehabilitated by the Nigerian Army Engineers Corps. He remarked that by the reconstruction, the college "has now met international standards."

He said he was pleased with the work done by the Army engineers, describing it as commendable. "I am highly im-

'NDLEA, leave Tonto Dikeh alone'

By Jude Isiguzo and Ebele Boniface

pressed with what I have seen.

I want to commend the Nigerian Army for a job well done. I am impressed with the landscaping of these infrastructure.

We thank the President for his intervention in the condition of the college," Sambo said.

He added: "I want to assure you that all police colleges in Nigeria will be rehabilitated like the Police College, Ikeja. I charge you to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities."

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, who was also on the inspection tour, expressed delight at the gesture by the federal government. He also assured that training of officers and men

•From left: Vice President Sambo, IGP Abubarkar and other guests during the inspection ... yesterday PHOTO: EBELE BONIFACE

would soon commence since the army had delivered to them, a renovated police college.

A

non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Writers' Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday urged the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to beam its searchlight on drug barons rather than wasting time over unfounded issues.

The group reacted to the controversy trailing famous actress Tonto Dikeh over alleged posting of a marijuana picture on Instagram, a social medium, which culminated in a rumoured arrest threat on the actress by the agency.

NDLEA's spokesman, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, had said at the weekend: "Our attention has been drawn to the post … action will be taken on it. The law is clear and NDLEA has been very clear on the issue. No one is permitted to sell, use, cultivate or encourage the use of Indian hemp in Nigeria. The substance is one of the banned narcotics in the country."

The group, in a statement jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, said the antidrug agency was chasing shadows by threatening to arrest the

•Tonto

actress over a spurious allegation.

HURIWA said: "We are shocked that the NDLEA has deviated from its mandate of going after big drug barons who have brought international opprobrium to the image of Nigeria and is now engaged in a 'media circus show' of attempting to arrest an innocent Nigerian lady, Miss Tonto Dikeh, over an allegation that falls flat on its face as an irredeemably unsubstantiated contraption that will inevitably fail any good test of credibility in a competent court of law.

Law enforcement is not done by emotion or sentiment, but on hard-core evidence, empirically tested to be credible. Now that Miss Tonto Dikeh has denied ever appearing in that allegedly forged photograph on the social media, NDLEA should leave her alone and go after big barons".

‘Lagos won’t allow illegal structures'

C

OMMISSIONER for The Environment, Lagos State, Mr Tunji Bello, has warned residents against erecting structures on drainage channels, saying that government would soon demolish such structures.

He identified Iwaya/Makoko and Iddo-Oyingbo axis on the mainland as major culprits, adding: "Governor Babatunde Fashola is deeply concerned about the plight of those that would be affected by the demolition and he is considering alternative accommodation for the residents."

Bello spoke at the second quarterly scholarship scheme he instituted for indigent stu-

dents of tertiary institutions on the Mainland, which was held at the Professor Ayodele Awojobi Park, Onike, Lagos.

Over 50 students received cash awards.

The Chairman, Mainland Independent Group, a non-governmental body, Hon Kayode Aransiola, commended Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Bello for their commitment to alleviating poverty. Alhaji Ibrahim Megida and Alhaja Nimota Moronkeji, Coordinator and women's leader, also lauded Senator Oluremi Tinubu's empowerment programmes in the Lagos Central Senatorial District.

THE feast of St. Jose Maria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei was last Saturday celebrated at Our Lady of Apostle Catholic Church Ilupeju, Lagos. The feast began with a thanksgiving mass, with the teaching of the principles and doctrines of Opus Dei. Rev. Fr. Wilfred

Nwachukwu urged members to imbibe Opus Dei's principles by showing kindness and lending helping hands to the underprivileged in the society.

Church leaders Chief Mrs. Kasamu and Mrs. Ifeoma Ufot also enjoined believers to emulate the charitable life of Maria Escriva.

By Tunde Awe

Catholic faithful celebrate

A

Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, urged the manage-

ment of the college to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities.

PUPILS of Total Child Schools, Ofada Road, Mowe, an Ogun State community, will on July 12, embark on an excursion to the University of Ibadan in Oyo State.

The proprietor of the schools, Pastor Moses Ijekoli, said: "We are taking our pupils in Basic Three and Nine classes on excursions to places of interest at the University of Ibadan. We intend to visit its Sports Centre and Zoology Garden.

“Interestingly, some of our teachers are alumni of the institution. We want to expose our pupils to practical aspects of what they have been thought in areas of physical health education, Agricultural Science and other sciences. They will also visit recreational facilities in the institution. We also intend to show the pupils both domestic and wild animals in their natural settings.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

10

NEWS

•From left: Juliet Ibekaku, Director, NFIU; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ekpenyong Ntekim, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Retired DIG, Mrs. Olori Abimbola Ojomo; and Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Fraud Unit, Compol Tunde Ogunsakin, at a five-day workshop organised by the Special Fraud Unit in collaboration with the City of London Police at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Osun court convicts 31 motorists From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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HIRTY-ONE traffic offenders have been convicted in one day by a mobile court on the Osogbo-Gbongan Road in Osun State.

According to the Sector Commander of the Osun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Imoh Etuk, the court, presided over by Senior Magistrate Mr. Ademola Ayeni convicted the 31 traffic offenders, comprising motorists and motorcyclist during a special operation of the commission.

Speaking with reporters in Gbongan, the headquarters of Ayedaade Local Government, he said the move was to curb reckless driving by motorists.

Four feared dead in car crash

F

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

OUR young men were feared dead in the early hours of yesterday when a car on a high speed on the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, near Olowu junction, Ikeja crashed into a concrete electric pole, pulling it completely from the ground.

According to sources, the driver of the car was over-speeding and as he approached a bend, he lost control.

The four occupants were said to be returning from a party about 3am.

Sources said the person at the driver’s seat died on the spot.

Those seriously injured were rushed to hospital where they later died.

The accident has caused power outage in the area as electricity supply has been disconnected.

Fashola inaugurates 166 lighting poles on Carter Bridge

M

By Miriam-Ekene-Okoro

OTORISTS plying the Carter Bridge, a major arterial road connecting Lagos Island with the Mainland, can now heave a sigh of relief as Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has inaugurated 412 light fittings on the bridge.

The aim is to improve security and encourage human and vehicular traffic at night.

The bridge, first built by the colonial government in 1901 and later rebuilt in 1973, had, for many years, been abandoned at night by motorists, motorcyclists and pedestrians because it was always dark and considered unsafe.

In a brief ceremony performed atop the bridge on Sunday night, the old facility took on a new life as the 166 poles holding the lamps, 52 attachments on the poles to illuminate the walkways, 204 indicator lights and 48 blue reflective lights placed underneath the bridge as well as a lighting under the bridge that reflects the Lagos State colours on the water came alive to the joy of residents and traders.

54 freed inmates re-arrested in Ondo

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HE Ondo State Police Command yesterday said 54 freed inmates have been re-arrested and returned to the Olokuta Prison.

Its spokesman, Wole Ogodo, said yesterday’s report was a fallacy and a misrepresentation of what transpired during the attack.

The command refuted the report that 10 travellers were killed during Sunday’s invasion by gunmen.

Ogodo said nobody died during the jailbreak, stressing that the attack was aimed at freeing some members of the gang, who were in prison custody.

He said the attackers were bandits, and not Boko Haram members as being speculated.

“I want to tell the public that nobody died. The media should crosscheck their facts before going to bed,” Ogodo said.

According to him, efforts are on to re-arrest other fleeing inmates.

A group, Ondo Awareness Security Network, has attributed the attack to police lapses.

It noted that security in the state, which has been porous in recent time, gave the armed robbers the opportunity to

Minister decries attack on Olokuta Prison

M

INISTER of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, yesterday decried the attack by ‘hoodlums’ on the Olokuta Prison in Akure, Ondo State, where about 175 inmates were set freed.

Moro, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Geoge Udoh, described the attack as unreasonable, perpetrated by the people he described as the enemies of progress.

He said about 48 freed inmates have been rearrested and security men are working to rearrest others.

The minister added that government would do everything to bring to book the perpetrators of the attack.

He urged the people of Ondo State to go about their activities without fear, saying government From Damisi Ojo, Akure

operate.

A statement by the group’s Chairman, Sola Odundun, slammed the police for security lapses.

According to the statement, if the police were fully on ground in Akure before and during the attack, the operation would have failed.

The group said before the Sunday jailbreak, the activities of night marauders were high in Akure and other towns.

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

has deployed more security personnel in the area.

The Comptroller- General of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Mr. Zakari Ibrahim, has reportedly expressed displeasure on the jailbreak.

He was said to have spoken yesterday when he visited Akure prison to ascertain the level of damage to the facility.

At press time, the Prisons spokesman, Mr. Ope Fatuminu, who accompanied the NPS boss, could not be reached for comments.

A prison source said efforts are being made to ensure that the remaining escapees are rearrested.

The group said with the jailbreak, robbery and other crimes would be rampant in some parts of the state.

The statement reads: “In recent times, police have not been up-and-doing in the area of crime control in some areas of the state. Hardly will a day pass without robbers not striking in Akure and other towns.

“Kidnapping and other crimes, such as armed robbery have become the order of the day.

“We urge the police to

wake up from their slumber and face the insecurity squarely before the situation gets out of hand.”

Reacting to the allegation, police spokesman Mr. Ogodo said the group’s opinion was based on ignorance.

He said the prison service had its security guards trained to provide security.

Ogodo refuted the allegation that crime was high in the state. He urged the group to get its facts instead of relying on hearsay.

Akure jailbreak is dangerous, says Lagos Assembly

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AGOS State House of Assembly has decried the bombing of Olokuta Maximum Security Prison in Akure, Ondo State and the unlawful release of about 175 inmates by unknown gunmen on Sunday.

Speaking on behalf of the assembly yesterday, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security

By Oziegbe Okoeki

and Publicity, Segun Olulade, described the incident as a dangerous signal to the country and another black spot on the country’s image.

He added that more disturbing situations might occur if the Federal Government fails to take drastic measures to tighten security.

According to Olulade, the alarming security situation in the country calls for innovations that are unprecedented.

The lawmaker stressed that the Ondo State incident showed that many arms and ammunition were in circulation in the country, and not only in the North.

He said the pervading culture of impunity in govern-

ment circle, endemic corruption and high poverty level among the people should be blamed for the criminal activities.

Olulade urged the police and other security agencies to conduct investigation into the jailbreak and ensure that all the re-arrested inmates and hoodlums are brought to book.

Ekiti opens sexual offenders’ register

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ONVICTED sexual offenders are to face a tough time in Ekiti, with the opening of a black book in which they will be listed.

The news of the sexual offenders’ register was broken by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda when he received the Gender-based Violence Prohibition Law (GBVL) management committee in his office.

The team was led by Ekiti State Governor’s wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in her capacity as the chairperson of the committee and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola RichieAdewusi.

As part of efforts to strengthen the new law, the delegation also visited the

Vice- Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Prof. Oladipo Aina; Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama; and Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola.

Judging by the emotional and psychological trauma experienced by rape victims, the commissioner said the sexual offenders’ register would ensure that perpetrators were ostracised.

Fapohunda hoped that the step would act as a deterrent to men, who find pleasure in assaulting women and young girls.

Erelu Fayemi urged the commissioner to assign GBVrelated cases to lawyers trained for the purpose and who are sensitive to gender issues.

She enjoined the retention of such lawyers for a reasonable period of time as prosecuting GBVL counsel before they are

transferred to other departments of the ministry.

To give legal teeth to the GBVL, the governor’s wife requested the commissioner to ensure that gender-related cases are prosecuted under the new law.

Hailing the committee for the efforts put into the GBVL, Mr. Fapohunda said the ministry would ensure that the cases related to the new law were handled with despatch.

He told the visitors that the ministry was proposing a bill on the rights of persons with disability, especially women and children, adding that work on the Equal Opportunities Bill had reached an advanced stage.

The commissioner said the ministry was poised to raise the profile of justice in the state.

Governor Kayode Fayemi on November 25, 2011 signed into law the gender-based vio-

From left: Prof. Aina, wife of State Governor, Erelu Fayemi and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Richie-Adewusi, at the event.

lence bill, which was initiated and promoted by his wife.

Other players in the sponsorship of the bill were the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Office of the Special Adviser to the Gov-

ernor on Planning and Millennium Development Goals and the state chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers.

The new law was in response to gross abuses affecting individuals or groups dispropor-

tionately because of their sex across the state.

It seeks to protect the human rights and fundamental freedom of women, children and a minority of men against physical, economic, mental or sexual harm or suffering.

BUSINESS

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Private investors to execute new railway lines

By Yinka Aderibigbe

T

HE proposed new railway lines to be constructed across the country will be executed through Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Minister of Transport, Alhaji Idris Umar, has said.

Addressing reporters in Gombe, the minister said the involvement of the private sector was informed by the capital intensive nature of the projects.

He said feasibility studies of all affected corridors would be completed by October.

Umar named the new corridors as East-West line; the Coastal line; the Central corridor and other branch and spur lines.

He said: “Nigeria has to be in tune with other countries of the world that have allowed the private sector to play a key role in the railway transport sector while government would provide the enabling environment which we have done.”

The minister explained that the Federal Government embarked on the rehabilitation of all the moribund system of the railways to resuscitate the rail transportation.

“As you are aware, the Lagos-Kaduna has been revived with the train now back on track.The hitherto moribund railway system has been revived with the trains now back on track from Lagos to Kano,” he said.

11 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

No extension for SIM card registration, says NCC H

Firm to commit $2.5b to Africa’s power sector

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EGULATOR of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), yesterday insisted that there will be no extension to the Sunday, June 30 deadline placed on the nationwide subscriber identification module (SIM) cards.

The commission maintained that the action is in the interest of national security.

It noted that a directive to effect massive disconnection of all unregistered line on the network had been conveyed to the operators yesterday.

Director, Public Affairs of NCC, Tony Ojobo, told The Nation that any subscriber who could not register his or her SIM card for 27 months deserve to lose the line.

Ojobo explained that there was a deeper interest in SIM card registration as unscrupulous elements were hiding under the anonymity they enjoyed with unregistered but active SIM cards to unleash terror on their fellow human beings.

“There shall be no exten-

•Orders disconnection of erring subscribers

By Lucas Ajanaku

sion to SIM card registration in the country. The exercise was supposed to end in April but the operators pleaded for more time. It was granted.

Now they are asking for more time. The NCC would not acquiesce to such demand. SIM card registration has gone on for 27 months. If within these months, any subscriber could not go and do his or her SIM registration, such a subscriber deserves to lose such line,” Ojobo said.

He noted that the operators tried through text messages, codes and other forms to sensitise their subscribers on the need to register their SIM cards, lamenting that some subscribers ignored the messages.

He said any operator who failed to provide short codes to its subscribers to enable them (subscribers) know their SIM card registration update must lose those sub-

scribers.

“What people don’t seem to understand is that there is a security dimension to SIM card registration. Therefore, it cannot continue to go indefinitely. It has to end. The more you extend it, the more you create opportunity for unscrupulous elements to commit terror against the nation. The national security dimension is usually not played up because security matters are usually not discussed on the pages of national dailies. So, SIM card registration must end and those unregistered SIMs deactivated from the networks,” Ojob said.

The operators, acting under the aegis of Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON) had in a letter dated June 28 addressed to the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah, pleaded with the regulator to extend the exercise that

commenced on March 28, 2011.

Signed by its Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, the operators craved the regulator’s indulgence to extend the exercise by another three months, citing recent security challenges in some parts of the country that has had taken a toll on people’s movement and livelihood.

National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), also asked for an extension. President of the group, Deolu Ogunbanjo, said that if the NCC acquiesced to the group’s demand, more subscribers will not lose their SIM cards to disconnection for no errors of theirs.

Ojobo however, said there is still a window of opportunity for any subscriber that fall victim of the disconnection.

According to him, what they (subscribers) will lose is the old line while they could still buy new SIM cards, register them and continue to enjoy the dividend of the revolution.

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

Ndanusa’s investiture holds Thursday

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EIRS Holdings Lim ited, a pan-African proprietary investment company, chaired by Tony Elumelu, has promised to commit $2.5 billion to Africa’s power sector.

The Director, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Heirs Holdings, Moky Makura, in a statement, said Heirs Holdings is the single largest investor included in the White House statement announcing the Power Africa initiative by United States President Barack Obama during a town hall meeting in South Africa.

Makura explained that Power Africa is a multistakeholder partnership between the United States, the governments of Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Ethiopia, and the African private sector, with the shared objective of accelerating investment in Africa’s power sector over the next five years.

Makura said the initiative was launched in South Africa during Obama’s town hall at the University of Cape Town, adding that earlier this year, Elumelu’s holding company, through its investee company, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp), purchased the Ughelli power plant, one of Nigeria’s largest power assets, which it plans to restore to its full generating capacity of 1000 megawatts.

On the investment, Elumelu said: “The investment we are making demonstrates our intent to become a significant player in the power sector. It also shows in a clear and meaningful way that African capital can and should be part of the solution to Africa’s challenges. We need more African companies to step up and get involved in Africa’s development.”

•From left: Ali A. Mufuruki, Chairman/CEO Roundtable of South Africa; Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank; Mimi Alemayehou, Executive Vice President, US Overseas Private Investment Council (OPIC); Tony O Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings; and Phillips Oduoza, GMD/CEO, United Bank for Africa Plc, at a panel on investing in Africa organised by the Corporate Council on Africa(CCA) in Dar es Salam, during United States President Barack Obama’s visit to Tanzania

‘Fed Govt’s YouWin programme creates 15,000 jobs ‘

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HE Federal Govern ment’s job creation strategy, the YouWin programme, has recorded its first 15,000 jobs.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during the visit of some of the beneficiaries of the programme to her office.

She said at least 15,000 jobs had been created in the first phase of the YouWin entrepreneurial initiative from the estimated 80,000 jobs targeted under the

From Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor) and Briget Adah Agiounim

phase.

The Federal Government, she said, has staggered the job creation initiative into three phase of 80,000 jobs each.

Okonjo-Iweala noted: “With the entrepreneurial capacities exhibited so far by the 1,200 winners, the introduction of the programme by the present administration was not misplaced after all.”

The minister offered to take some of the products

of the YouWin participants to President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo to show the programme was yielding positive results.

O k o n j o - I w e a l a commended the young entrepreneurs for their creativity, ingenuity and managerial capacities, and expressed the hope that if all stakeholders and partners to the programme give the needed support to the participants, they would become the bedrock of new entrepreneurs.

She commended the coordinator of the YouWin pro-

gramme in her office Mr. Supo Olusi, for ensuring that the process of selecting the young entrepreneurs embraces the principles of fairness, merit and equality.

The Minister told the youths that they “made her proud because you showed it works. You have brought the products and you brought your spirit into the whole thing. So, we will do it and if we can continue the way we are going that means we can give more and more entrepreneurs a chance in future budgets and this is what we are aiming at.”

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HE Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commis sion (SEC), Dr Abdu Suleyman Ndanusa will be installed as the President, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) on Thursday at the NICON Luxury, Abuja.

According to a statement by ICSAN’s Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Dele Ogunde, Ndanusa ‘’is a technocrat par excellence, thorough bred professional and an excellent administrator. He is a man whose path cuts across the private and public sectors of the economy”.

Ndanusa has Bsc(Economics) and MBA from the Ahmadu Bello University(ABU), Zaria. He began his career in the former Continental Merchant Bank (CMB) and left as Assistant General Manager (AGM) in 1993 for Empire Group Ltd as Group Managing Director (GMD). He left as chairman.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

BUSINESS NEWS

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Oil thefts threaten economy, environment

HE first drops of crude float in the languid muddy currents of Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta, then slowly grow into the splatter of a massive crime scene.

Oil thefts, long a problem in the Niger Delta, according to AP, are growing at an ever-faster rate despite government officials and international companies offering increasingly dire warnings about the effect on Nigeria’s crude production.

Some 200,000 barrels a day — representing about 10 per cent of Nigeria’s production — are siphoned off pipelines crisscrossing the region.

While drums end up leaking in villages and used to make crude kerosene and gasoline, the major thieves appear to belong to international criminal gangs that sell it into

world markets, analysts and experts say. And the same Nigerian politicians and military leaders now targeting the small-scale local refineries that dot the delta likely are the ones benefiting from those massive thefts.“ This oil that you are buying is bought is the same thing” as blood diamonds, said Patrick Dele Cole, a former Nigerian ambassador now spearheading a group trying to call attention to the thefts.

“It is bought at the expense of people’s blood in the Niger Delta.”Oil is the lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.

Since the company that would become Royal Dutch Shell PLC discovered the first commercially viable well in 1956, oil earnings grew to account for some 80 per cent of all government revenue in Nigeria, a nation of more than

160 million people.

While corruption sees much of that money frittered away, it still provides needed funding for projects in the country.A government-sponsored amnesty programme largely halted militant attacks in the delta in 2009, allowing production levels to return to more than 2 million barrels of oil a day.

But while production grew amid the relative peace, the level of thefts grew quietly and quickly across the region of winding creeks and mangroves about the size of Portugal.Locals call the practices “bunkering,” which sees thieves use hacksaws and blades to cut into the pipes.

When the companies see the pressure drop on their lines, they dial back the pressure on the lines just long enough for thieves to attach spigots to the

lines. As the pressure rises back up, the thieves simply divert some of the oil out of the line to their own uses.In Diebu, a village in Bayelsa state, the home of President Goodluck Jonathan, children ran and played around leaking drums of stolen crude oil.

The crude likely came from lines run by Shell and Italian oil company Eni SpA, though residents there demanded money from visiting journalists to see the sites of the thefts.

Many here view the thefts as their opportunity to have a taste of a commodity that built Abuja, a city of gleaming towers and massive highways.

In Diebu, the locals pointed out a large clinic of empty rooms without medicine and a local doctor’s quarters that appeared to have squatters inside. The dilapidated schools had large holes where win-

dows were supposed to be.Amid the neglect, locals rationalise the thefts with a simple question: If governors, politicians and everyone else stole the money, why shouldn’t they steal a taste as well?“We are bleeding,” said one man working at a nearby illegal oil refinery, who gave his first name as Prince.

“We need this one to balance out our life.”

But that balance comes at an environmental cost as well.

Operations at local refineries, which produce crude gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel, see oil spilled everywhere, soaking the ground into a mix of mud and crude that can swallow a leg up to the knee.

Large dug-in pits hold the crude until it passes through makeshift piping to create fuels sometimes so volatile

they can explode at will. Massive fires that send plumes of smoke towering into the air fuel the process.“It is the only job we are doing,” said an illegal refiner who gave his name as Ibeci. “There is no other job.”The military, which maintains a presence in the delta since the militant attacks, has begun targeting illegal refineries in the region. Local refiners such as Ibeci say they now work only at night, as the smoke plumes draw soldiers to their operations during the day.

Dangote vies with China over tomato market

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HITTU Ibrahim ekes out a living for his two wives and 11 children by selling tomatoes he grows to passers-by along a highway that runs through the Kadawa Valley near Kano, the biggest city in the north. With no way to find new customers, about twothirds of his crop rots.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and richest man, Aliko Dangote, have teamed up to establish a $25 million tomato-paste factory that could boost income for Ibrahim and the 8,000 farmers who live in the valley.

Tomatoes are sold in a market in Maiduguri.

Aliko owns businesses including flour mills, fruit canning plants and palm oil refineries.

“We are doing this only to feed, as you can see, I can’t afford the luxuries of life,” the stocky 56-year-old said as he sat on a stool on June 6 outside his mud-walled house, which is surrounded by tomato fields as far as the eye can see. “There are better prospects in supplying Dangote because people will buy from them from all over the country. We hope that things will improve,” he told AFR. The intervention by the apex bank, which commissioned a study to show that processing local tomatoes is cheaper than importing paste from China, is part of the government’s drive to cut annual food imports of more than $10 billion. It also plans to boost agriculture in a country that was food self-sufficient in the 1960s, and create jobs in the north where poverty and unemployment have fueled an Islamist insurgency.

“We want to take Kadawa as a model and prove that with the right application of government policy we could get finance to the sector, improve productivity, create jobs and raise income,” CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi said in a June 25 e-mailed response to questions.

The 2011 study according to AP, showed that Nigeria pays $360 million to import more than 300,000 metric tons annually of tomato paste from companies including Hebei, China-based Baoding Sanyuan Food Packing Co. and Singapore’s Olam International Ltd (OLAM). a year. Nigeria produces 1.5 million tons of tomatoes annually of which about 900,000 tons rot, Agriculture Minister Akinwunmi Adesina said at a June 13 presentation in Abuja.

ENERGY

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TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

THE NATION

HALF YEAR REVIEW

Things were at a low ebb in the energy sector in the first half of the year. The non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) constituted a major setback on investment drive. The government, however, continued to push its power sector reforms, EMEKA UGWUANYI reports.

Oil and gas industry

Things were at a low ebb

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RUDE oil theft took centre stage in the upstream sector of the industry reaching an all-time high. The government and operators admitted that crude theft reached an alarming level in the first half of the year, indicating that the crude thieves were winning the crude theft battle despite the joint task force (JTF) comprising officers of the armed forces and the police.

Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited (SPDC), which is the most affected company, a couple of weeks ago announced its intention to divest all its onshore and near offshore assets because the assets are accessible to the oil thieves.

Shell’s pipeline, especially the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) was shut several times within the period under review. The company declared a couple of force majeure on oil supply as a result of continued vandalism of the pipeline and sometimes explosion arising from the activities of vandals.

On the review of SPDC Joint Venture interests, the company said: “Today, Shell’s 100 per centowned subsidiary, SPDC, announced the initiation of a strategic review, consultation with partners, and the potential exit from the interests it holds in some further onshore leases in the Eastern part of the Niger Delta, subject to partner and regulatory approvals. The SPDC JV produced around 750,000 barrels of oil equivalent (kboe) per day in 2012 from 28 Oil Mining Licenses (OMLs) across the Niger Delta, both onshore and in the near offshore. SPDC has been following a strategy of selective divestments of its onshore portfolio, concentrating the operating footprint into a smaller, more contiguous area, while supporting the Government’s policy of encouraging investment by indigenous companies in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Since 2010, SPDC has sold its interest in eight OMLs for a total of $1.8 billion.”

The Federal Government has been seeking assistance of foreign governments in the fight against crude theft as it contributes to rea-

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sonable decline in revenues and oil export.

The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) continued to stall fresh investment in the oil gas industry in the first half of the year. Besides the award of the $3.1 billion contract for the construction of the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for Egina deepwater oil field to Samsung Heavy Industries, a project owned

by Total and NNPC Joint Venture, no very significant project took place within the period under review.

The Federal Government and industry stakeholders are prevailing on the members of the National Assembly to harmonise various interests and pass the bill into law.

Drilling results also showed hope of commercial discovery in Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 310 and Oil Mining Lease (OML) 113. Both assets are located offshore Nigeria and close to Lagos State. OML 113 interest holders include Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum (Operator), Vitol Exploration Nigeria, Chevron, P.R Oil and Gas and Lekoil. OPL 310 owners are Optimum, Afren Plc and Lekoil.

Apart from some marketers that are still being interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over involvement in fuel subsidy fraud, the downstream sector ran smoothly in the first half.

Despite a couple of attacks on the products distribution channels, products supply was regular and the government made part payment to marketers who imported fuel during the period under review.

Gas The dispute on payment of levies between Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) worsened within the period under review.

NIMASA has blocked NLNG’s Bonny channel in the past 11 days preventing exit from or entrance of NLNG’s owned and charted vessels into the channel. The NLNG took the case to court and despite court order that NIMASA shouldn’t obstruct NLNG’s operation or further request to pay levies pending determination of the case, nothing has changed.

NLNG’s General Manager of External Relations,Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, said because of the blockade, “we have had to drastically reduce production and gas intake. Because of the

blockade, we cannot meet obligations to our buyers. We have, therefore, had to declare Force Majeure as at June 28, 2013.”

He also said the cost of the blockade in terms of revenue loss is huge. He said the cost couldn’t be quantified until the blockade is lifted but certainly it is huge. The company is contemplating to shut down operation if the blockade continues.

NIMASA’s Deputy Director/ Head, Public Relations, Isichei Osamgbi, said the blockade of the channel was necessitated by NLNG’s action. He said: “This course of action was forced on NIMASA by the NLNG’s subsequent refusal or/and failure to abide by the outcome of the negotiated settlement arrived at the mediation process it willingly instigated and subscribed to, after reaching agreement with NIMASA on its outstanding debt and paying US$20million out of it and its continued flagrant disregard for Nigerian laws.

“By its action, the NLNG has trivialised the mediation process and the position of the Federal

Government of Nigeria whose Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation owns and holds 49 per cent of the shares in NLNG and which endorsed the agreement reached that NLNG should pay its taxes/levies and observe all its obligations under the laws of Nigeria in which it is operating.”

The dispute is costing the country huge revenue loss, and if the force majeure lasts longer than necessary, it would negatively affect domestic supplies.

Also, the Federal Government, according to the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. David Ige, is on the neck of oil firms in the country to meet their gas supplies obligation to meet domestic demands including supplies to thermal power plants.

He also said the government is building pipelines for some of the power plants to ensure increased gas and power supply to Nigerians.

Some Nigerian companie in the first half of the year increased their efforts to deepen consumption of gas as fuel by Nigerians. They include

Dangote, Oando, NIPCO and Lagos State Government through promotion of use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LPG) by vehicles and households.

The period saw change of baton in leadership at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) with the entrance of Mr. George Osahon and exit of Mr Osten Olorunsola.

Power The Federal Government continued with its efforts to accomplish some milestones in the power sector reform. The buyers of the generation and distribution assets were given up to October to complete payment of the outstanding 75 per cent cost of their purchases. The assets include 11 distribution companies and six generation companies.

Also, the process of selling the 10 power plants of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) started in the first half of the year. The roadshows aimed at sensitising prospective investors locally and internationally to buy into the project is still ongoing and the sale is expected to be completed before end of this year.

•From left: National Association Petroleum Explorationist (NAPE) President, George Osahon; Chairman of session, Dr. Emmanuel Enu; guest speaker, Dr. Layi Fatona; and Prince Gbenga Lufadeju of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), at NAPE’s monthly technical meeting in Lagos.

Shell probes Trans Niger pipeline fire

JOINT team has investigated the cause of the June 19 explosion and fire on the 28" Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), which led to the facility’s shutdown by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The shutdown resulted in the deferment of 150,000 barrels per day.

According to Shell, the team comprised regulators, including the Ministry of Environment, community members, SPDC and independent observers.

Shell said: “The TNP had previously been targeted by crude thieves and shut down several times to take out crude theft points.

To ensure that the facility continued to meet operating standards,

SPDC deployed a team to Bodo West on May 22, 2013 to remove and repair crude oil theft connections on both the 24 and 28-inch sections of the TNP. “The repair team’s presence and mandate to remove crude theft points were made known to the community, which granted them access. No sectional replacement work was underway. One operations support barge, one environmental barge and two tug boats were the only authorised vessels at the Bodo West worksite. Environmental barges are typically used to store and transport recovered oil.

The Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu, said: “Unfortunately, crude thieves continued to operate at night even as the repair

team worked to remove illegal connections during the day, such that, on the day of the incident on June 19, two unauthorised Cotonou boats were reportedly present at the time of the initial explosion and fire. The established operations routine at any repair site comprises a team of SPDC staff, contractors and regulators who only work during daylight hours and leave the site at the end of each day. This means that no SPDC authorised people could have been on the ground at the time of the incident.

“Having shutdown and isolated the pipeline, but with oil continuing to flow from the pipeline under gravity to the low point on the TNP, the only other practicable option in

the circumstance was to allow the fire burn out naturally. To prematurely extinguish the fire without functioning containment equipment on site could have resulted in further environmental damage. We continued to monitor the fire while also mobilising replacement oil spill containment and response equipment to site. With the fire out, a residual leak was observed at the site contained within the crater caused by the initial incident. We are currently mobilising crews to evacuate the pit, access the leak point prior to the joint investigation visit and complete repair.”

On the reported arrest of some employees of SPDC’s contractors and sub-contractors on suspicion of in-

volvement in crude theft activities, Mr. Sunmonu said: “We appeal that the arrested suspects be treated in line with the principle of presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and hope for a speedy and transparent dispensation of justice for anyone found to have violated the laws of the land.

“We are committed to operating transparently, which is why we have invited the National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spill in the Niger Delta (NACGOND) to join the investigating team as independent observers.

“We will continue to run our operations as safely as is possible and in accordance with both industry regulations and Nigerian laws.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

ENERGY

Why banks are reluctant to finance oil projects T HE Managing Director, Intelligent Flow Stations Limited, Babs Oyeneyin, has explained why banks are banks’ reluctant to finance oil and gas projects. Their reluctance is informed by the lack of meaningful structure or business framework to guarantee safety of funds for execution of such projects, he said.

Oyeneyin, who spoke at a forum in Lagos, said that all over the world the oil industry is funded by banks with the aim of generating more money that could be extended to other sectors of the economy including the small and medium enterprises.

He said the Nigerian situation is

By Ambrose Nnaji

different because the government has not created meaningful structure that would guarantee banks to provide money for execution of oil and gas projects. Such structures include business plan and rebate for funding specific projects.

The banks need to be properly equipped. He adding “Our banks need to have the right education as to what the oil and gas industry is all about. In the business, you need to bring bank guarantee because the bank guarantee is the field you have. The banks need to do their due diligence and if you have a field that you can estimate its reserves, it is enough for the banks to pro-

vide the finance to do the business.”

The international oil companies (IOCs), he said didn’t use their money for projects execution; rather they use the assets they have as guarantee. “Because they have fields make them to be able to borrow from banks to fund the fields,” he explained.

Oyeneyin said marginal fields’ development has not failed but noted that those working are doing so by virtue of personal efforts. He said the banks need not to be blamed so much because the framework is not there to educate them. He urged the government to facilitate the processes to support the banks.

He said the government should

not be involved in spending personal money to fund private businesses but should create the policy and partnership. He said for a bank to be able to fund field development, it must have people who would assess the business plan. The business plan includes what to do in the field, resources available, available reserves and how to go about the development as well as engineers who would be able to do the assessment.

“The banks need to do their due diligence to make sure of the plans they have in place to do their business, the cost, the bank independent assessment, which will make it decide to give you money to fund the development. But they don’t have

Oil field operators advised to use technical experts

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ARGINAL oil field operators have been advised on the need for technical experts. Such experts will provide indepth knowledge of well reservor and guide the operators on the completion and well-testing process.

The Technical Supervisor, Expro, who Marcel Ahaneku, who gave this advice at a forum in Lagos, said some operators who acquired marginal fields neither had the necessary understanding to produce the well nor the funds to pay the services companies.

“It is not enough to acquire oil well, you have to pay for services such as completion and clean out as well as acquire early production facilities to be able to produce from the well before thinking of what to earn from the field,” he said.

He stated that good knowledge of how to produce from marginal fields is important, noting that out of the 24 marginal fields given out in 2004, only about eight have started production. The delay in bringing these fields into production was attributed to lack of technical knowhow and inadequate capital to fund the project.

Ahaneku said the major challenge in developing a well is lack of proper engineering, explaining that “if a well has a difficult terrain, it could be as a result of its being abandoned for many years before re—entry. With such long period of abandonment, it might pose some difficulties trying to look at the casing integrity.” He added that if a marginal field owner doesn’t have enough manpower and resources, it might be hard in achieving easy and successful re-entry.

Expro, he said, is a multinational oil service company, which provides a range of solutions across six areas of capability including exploration and appraisal, well testing, subsea

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By Ambrose Nnaji

safety systems, drilling and completion, flowback and clean-up, production and well integrity and intervention.

He said the company is positioned to help marginal field operators to develop their wells by giving them all the necessary engineering services in order to accomplish their objectives from their projects Ahaneku said the company offers market-leading technology and expertise to provide a full package of exploration and appraisal, and well testing services, with specific strengths in subsea wells and high flow rate gas wells.

The company also provides integrated solutions across the exploration and appraisal phases of the value chain in oil production. It offers the complete well test package, utilising some of the industry’s most reliable technologies including surface well testing packages, landing string assemblies, drill stem testing, tubing conveyed perforating, fluid sampling, well site chemistry and realtime data services, among others.

He said the company is committed to providing marginal field operators assistance in specialised areas, adding that the company recorded a major breakthrough in the orient oil and gas well in Anambra State by putting about 60 per cent of the resources in terms of manpower, engineering and development.

The expert said the company works for Chevron, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), ExxonMobil, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on various projects including well intervention for the NPDC, a system which he said is used to isolate the well in case of emergency.

Shale oil feasibility remains controversial

HERE has been a torrent of contradictory reports and information about shale oil and its feasibility, however one fact is contested, that cost of extraction a barrel of this oil is higher by US$75 as compared to production of one of the crude produced with traditional means.

Although US officials have repeatedly said that the nation will be the number-one exporter of shale oil by 2025 or 2035 worldwide, many critics cast serious doubts at this strategic prospect.

For now, cost of a barrel of shale oil stands at $80-85 as compared to $3-6 per barrel of the “traditional oil,” thus this fact is in favour of the critics who doubt the US forecast.

According to KUNA report, US prospects of eventually depending totally on shale oil are unrealistic, they said, noting that high demand for oil and foreseen enormous envi-

the infrastructure to do that, they don’t have the people, and even when they recruit engineers, they just sit on the counter. It is a cash and carry business that the banks do. They need to grow from that.

Nigeria has been in the oil business for a long time. The IOCs are only helping to support of SMEs. “The banks need to be educated on what their responsibilities are, the government has to provide the inducement for banks to actually see that this is an opportunity for development, and at the same time the banks are not charity organisations, they want to see that there is the right framework for them to be able to support,” he said.

ronmental dangers resulting from the extraction of shale oil from underground rock strata.

Solid shale oil reserves worldwide are now estimated at five trillion, including 3.3 trillion in the US and Canada, compared to 1.37 trillion of the traditional liquid oil.

Very sophisticated processes are warranted for extraction of both shale oil and shale gas. For extraction of one barrel of shale oil four barrels of water are needed for processing.

Energy companies and relevant quarters are seeking to limit the cost of producing shale oil at only $50 per barrel to render this new industry feasible. Indeed, modern technology has proven effective in exploring large regions in the north of US and Europe in search and pumping of the hidden precious oil. Moreover, tentative researches indicate presence of shale oil in some regional countries, namely Saudi Arabia and possibly Kuwait.

•From left: (Front Row): Mr. Michael Lakota, MD/CEO, Siemens Limited, Nigeria ; Dr. Markus Tacke, Global CEO, Siemens Industrial Power, Mr. Gamaliel Onosode, Chairman Proton Energy Ltd; Mr. Oti Ikomi, Executive Vice Chairman, Proton Energy Ltd. Back Row: Nasir Giwa, General Manager, Oil & Gas Siemens Limited Nigeria; and Mr Matthew Jacob, Commercial Manager, Siemens Limited Nigeria Oil & Gas at the signing of an agreement between Siemens and Proton Energy Limited for the development of a power plant.

ExxonMobil supports environmental awareness Atim Enoh, commended HE Ibom Programme on Entraining ExxonMobil for supporting the environmental Awareness

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(IPEA), an initiative of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources in partnership with ExxonMobil, has held a workshop for advocacy team members in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

The one-day training, according to a statement, was designed to empower IPEA personnel to effectively enlighten people at motor parks, schools, abattoirs, restaurants and other locations as part of the recently-launched environmental awareness campaign in Akwa Ibom State.

IPEA is aimed at creating awareness on pollution, and helping the citizens of Akwa Ibom State develop positive environmental values that will enable them manage instances of environmental pollution that may occur, as well as prevent potential environmental hazards from happening.

The General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mr Paul

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

Arinze, represented by Mrs Regina Udobong, called on the participants to live up to expectation on the campaign.

According to him, ‘ExxonMobil expects the participants to take full advantage of the training programme to sharpen their skills to educate target audiences and encourage best practices to curtail all kinds of environmental pollution – air, water and earth pollution.’

Arinze reiterated ExxonMobil’s commitment to the environment, which had been demonstrated by the company’s partnership with Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources to achieve a cleaner and safer environment.

Declaring the training open, the Commissioner for Environment & Mineral Resources, Prince Enobong Uwah, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Mineral Resources, Mrs

vironmental awareness campaign.

According to her, ‘the state Ministry of Environment & Mineral Resource is grateful to ExxonMobil for sponsorship of IPEA. This gesture by ExxonMobil reflects its commitment to cleaner environment in Akwa Ibom State’.

Uwah advised the participants to make good use of the opportunity offered by the training to ensure that objectives of the campaign were achieved.

The training witnessed presentations by resource persons, including Dr. James Asuquo, a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, University of Uyo and Mr. Stephen Erakpotobar, an environmental expert. The training focused on key issues such as sources of water, air and land pollution and remedies and behavioural change communication in environmental management.

The Ibom Programme on Environmental Awareness was launched on June 5, 2013 in Uyo by Governor Godswill Akpabio.

United States’ crude oil output soars

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NITED States’ crude oil output rose 16.9 per cent from a year-earlier in April, to 7.353 million barrels a day, the highest level since February 1992, data released by American government showed.

The rise of 1.063 million barrels a day was the biggest since December and led to a 10 per cent yearon-year drop in crude oil imports, which dropped to their lowest April level since 1995, data from

the Energy Information Administration showed.

According to Dow Jones Newswire, as U.S. domestic crude oil output has surged with increased use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal techniques to extract crude from shale deposits in North Dakota and elsewhere, more crude oil exports have been trickling across the border to Canada, which is the U.S.’s biggest source of oil imports, the data

showed Crude oil exports climbed to a record 132,000 barrels a day in April, with all of the oil going to Canada, EIA data showed. Exports are broadly forbidden and allowed only under government license.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 7.726 million barrels a day, up 3.6 per cent from March, but 865,000 barrels a day below the year-earlier level.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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AVIATION HALF YEAR REVIEW In the first half of this year, the new civil aviation policy which some believe is target against private jet owners;the face-off between theFederal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and some concessionaires characterised aviation sector. KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR, reports

The sign of things to come

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LOT happened in the aviation sector in the past six months. The Federal Government went after private jet owners, remodelled airports and tinkered with the idea of a national carrier. The sector witnessed some upheavals. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and some concessionaires clashed. FAAN also had a face-off with the Harry Akande-led AIC Group over land ownership. Airlines and their workers too were at each other’s throat.

Airport remodelling After over 30 years of abandonment by previous administrations, the Federal Government continued to address the huge gap in infrastructure deficit. It remodelled some airports, leading to the inauguration of terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Benin, Owerri and Enugu.

Construction is still ongoing in airport terminals in Jos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Makurdi, Ilorin, Ibadan,Akure and Maiduguri in the second leg of the first phase of airports to be remodelled. But these laudable projects have been criticised by some operators in the industry.

Among such critics is the outgoing Secretary-General of the Airline Operators of Nigeria ( AON), Captain Mohammed Joji, who described the projects as cosmetic.

Joji said the airport terminals may be wearing a new look, but the project lacks transparency, as the contract allegedly did not pass through due process.He opined that the minister of aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, should do more than just mere renovation of airports.

But, two former ministers of aviation, Felix Hassan Hyat and Mr Samuel Mafuyai, have expressed satisfaction with the airport remodelling project, which they described as long overdue.

They reasoned that there could have been no better time to fix the rot and decay in airport facilities other than now.

Airport concessions The aviation sector has also been awash with controversies over concession agreements the government signed with some operators. The FAAN has come under the spotlight in its unending face off with one of its concessionaires: Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited; the operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, otherwise known as MMA2.

FAAN has consistently argued that the concession agreement it signed with the firm is skewed against public interest.

It has also insisted that it is on the right track, according to the airport authority, of violating court orders.

FAAN revoked the concession agreement with the firm on the gigantic hotel and conference centre it is building at the local wing of the Lagos Airport.

FAAN said it had taken over the projects on account of failure of the firm to complete the project at the agreed time.

Spokesman of aviation agencies and FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati said: “The two projects were to be completed in 2008, but FAAN graciously extended the construction period to July, 2009 however, Bi-Courtney still failed to complete the two projects at the expiration of the extended period.

“Thus by that termination order, the premises in respect of the two projects have reverted to FAAN automatically, in line with the terms of the agreements.”

But Bi-Courtney said this is just a figment of FAAN’s imagination as the property validly belongs to BiCourtney.

Hardly had the dust over the termination of the four star hotel and conference centre settled, when the sector was thrown into more confusion as both FAAN and the firm engaged in a game of accusation and counter accusation over the hiring of thugs to pull down billboards at the disputed hotel site.

FAAN insisted that the firm was acting against the rule because it had lost ownership over the hotel.

Bi-Courtney said FAAN violated a court order on the issue.

Airport land at MMIA Also still ragging is the tussle over ownership of a large parcel of land at the international wing amid claims

by FAAN that it had secured ownership via a court ruling last month.

But, the concessionaire - AIC Hotel Limited, which was supposed to construct a five star hotel at the site has gone to the Court of Appeal to contest the ruling by the Federal High Court, which ceded ownership of the land to FAAN. However, Mr Dati said: ”The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reclaimed the airport land, in protracted dispute between the Authority and AIC Limited owned by Chief Harry Akande, for the construction of a hotel complex at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja, following a judgement delivered by the Federal High Court in Lagos on June 19, 2013, in favour of FAAN.” He said by this judgment, the parcel of land in question has become free for massive infrastructural development at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, under the aerotropolis project, including an ultramodern hotel complex, a multi-storey car park and other related projects, designed to expand facilities at the airport.

Chinese investment The Federal Government aannounced plans by Chinese investors to build some airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. The investment is by a consortium under private-public partnership.

To achieve the objective, a template for investment is being packaged by the government to ensure that the deal’s transparent.

However, some players in the sector continue to query the rationale for the choice of Chinese investors, who are not known to be key players in the global aviation sector especially in the area of managing airports.

National carrier The goverment’s quest a national carrier was also on the front burner.

•Some workers of Chanchangi Airlines protesting the airline’s alleged failure to pay them their outstanding s.

Officials of the aviation minister unveiled the conditions under which the national carrier could be control.

According to the minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, efforts at remodelling the airports nationwide would not yield results to make them work.

As lofty as the plans of government may appear, some stakeholders have cautioned on how to bring about such an airline. Mr Chris Aligbe, chief executive officer of Belujane Konzult, said the time to have a national carrier is long overdue.

He hinged his clamour on the premise that a national carrier would uphold the image of the country abroad1.

But the Conference for Aviation Unions and Professional Associations (CAUPA) has said the coming of such an airline should be preceded by the settlement of labour and pensions issues arising from the liquidation of the Nigeria Airways.

The union according to its convener, Mr Sheri Kyari and the secretary, Mr Austyn Njoku said it was worried by the unsettled labour and related matters as they affect the workers of the defunct airline who are wallowing in poverty and want.

The group said it is not opposed to the establishment of a national carrier , but argued that it would create jobs for Nigerians and curtail capital flight that characterized the country’s aviation industry.

But, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) called on the government to create a level playing field for all carriers, alleging that plans to facilitate over N5billion loan for the promoters of the proposed national carrier is discriminatory.

Joji said such underhand support for the proposed national carrier was not fair to existing domestic operators, who have been lacking access to such facility.

He also that the deal by promoters of the proposed national carrier to secure aircraft leasing deal with a European carrier lacks transparency, as the carrier does not have the capacity to deliver, having been indicted previously in an aircraft deal with liquidated national carrier – Nigeria

Airways.

NCAA’s economic regulation of domestic airlines The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) came under the searchlight amid observations of its weak oversight on domestic carriers.

Though, the former directorgeneral of NCAA, Dr Harold Demuren, was fired by the government during the period under review amid outrage by some industry players, not much could be said to have been achieved after his ouster. But operators believe the new helmsman will do better. Domestic airlines are also grappling with challenges bordering on inability to pay salaries to their workers, which constitute a major threat to safety and security in the sector.

Though the NCAA is stepping into the crisis, many airlines still owe their workers arrears of salaries.

Only last months, some 53 workers protested the non-payment of over 36 months’ salaries by Chanchangi Airlines. The workers narrated how they are coping with the ordeal, even as the NCAA had waded into the crisis, but it is yet to yield positive results.

Another domestic carrier, IRS Airlines is also alleged to owe some category of workers arrears of salaries running into a few months.

But an official of the airline, who crave not to be named, assured that the matter would be resolved with the intervention of the NCAA. Aero crisis One of the oldest domestic scheduled operators - Aero Airlines - had its fair share of crisis when its workers went on strike for weeks, leading ultimately to the grounding of its operations by the NCAA. The management of the airline had directed the sack of over 600 workers, but following pressure by aviation unions, and the Ministry of Labour and Productivity,

‘The airport terminals may be wearing a new look, but the project lacks transparency, as the contract allegedly did not pass through due process.He said the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, should do more than just mere renovation of airports’

the workers were recalled and the airline has since resumed operations.

Its temporary shutdown of carrier exposed the challenge of under capacity by domestic carriers in the industry as passengers were forced to pay outrageous fares on routes flown by a competitor.

Flouting of aviation regulations There was also ‘willful flouting’ of aviation regulations by some private and corporate aircraft operators. Aviation agencies alleged that the Bombardier Global Express belonging to the Rivers State Government flouted aviation rules by not filing a flight plan and declaring passengers manifest at the Akure Airport.

The aircraft was said to have operated in the airport with expired documents and was subsequently grounded at Port Harcourt Airport.

The controversy over the ownership status of the aircraft pitched the Rivers State Government against the Ministry of aviation and its agencies, which accused the operators of the aircraft of not adhering to aviation regulations.

The matter is yet to be resolved, as the aircraft is still grounded at the Port Harcourt Airport.

Hardly had the dust generated over the Rivers State Aircraft settled when a chopper belonging to AOS Helicopter, scheduled to fly the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to Awka from Benin was delayed at the airport for what aviation agencies described as failure by the pilot to declare passengers manifest and file a flight plan.

The imbroglio however, forced the governor to abort the trip, even as aviation agencies faulted the pilot for infractions against aviation regulations.

New Civil Aviation policy The Federal Government unveiled a new civil aviation policy, which replaced the provisions of the 2006 civil aviation policy that granted autonomy to theNCAA. Though some industry players including the AON alleged non-inclusion and input in themakingofthenewpolicy,theysaidnothing was wrong with the 2006 civil aviation regulation endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO).

They, however, faulted some provisions in the new policy, which seeks to establish the creation of an autonomous economic regulation arm for the industry, other than the NCAA, as well as the creation of a general aviation directorate in the mmnistry of aviation.

18

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

MARITIME HALF YEAR REVIEW

Poor policy execution, inconsistency and lack of skilled manpower, among others, combined to hinder the actualisation of the maritime sector’s potentials in the first half of the year, writes OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

T

HE Federal Government extended for the second time this year, the Destination Inspection contract with the service providers following the Customs’ inability to train its officers to take over the N257 billion scheme.

The seven-year contract, which was to expire on December 31, last year, was first extended on January 1, this year by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The new six months extension was granted last month, by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance.

The seven-year Build, Own, Operate and Transfer DI contract entered in January 2006 with Cotecna Destination Inspection Nigeria Limited, Globalscan Systems Limited, SGS and Webb Fontaine; ought to have expired last Sunday.

Stakeholders said Customs’ supervising ministry also did not see the preparedness of Customs officials to take over the job from the service providers and that the Federal Government was worried because it was afraid of creating crisis at the ports and the border stations.

Sources, however, said the Federal Government expects Customs to build adequate capacity to ensure smooth takeover of the scheme before the end of the year.

US sanctions/ ISP code A 90-day ultimatum was issued to Nigeria by the United States government to improve on security at ports and waterways or face a ban on ships from entering the country.

The US threatened to stop shipping services to Nigeria and to also mobilise its allied countries to do the same if the port security situation was not improved upon.

The 90-day ultimatum started in May and will expire at the end of August.

Following the threat by the US to stop shipping services to Nigeria and to also mobilise its allied countries to do the same if the port security situation was not improved upon. Consequently, the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and other maritime stakeholders called for the implementation of International Ships and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.

ISPS code is the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) convention to secure and safe-

A sector in search of redemption

• Anenih

• Abdullahi

• Akpobolokemi

• Bello

guard ships and port facilities around the world following the renewed global terrorism.

Speaking at the opening of a two day General Stakeholders Conference on “Reviving ISPS Code Implementation in Nigeria” held in Lagos last month, NIMASA’s Director General, Mr Ziakede Akpobolokemi, said what concerns the country is the protocol put in place by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), in the form of the ISPS Code, to ensure that the global maritime arena is free from the threat of terrorism and other.

He said, the gains of compliance with the ISPS Code are immense and serve as an aesthetic for any short-term discomfort which the implementation agenda might cause in the interim.

On the flip side, he said, the risks of non-compliance with the ISPS Code are frightening and given the threats the country faces from the growing menace of global terrorism and other maritime crimes, non-compliance, he said, would prove disastrous.

In their efforts to facilitate trade and stop arbitrary charges by terminal operators, both the NPA and the Shippers’ Council have been jostling for the position of technical regulator at ports .The legislative body is trying to create a technical regulator that will promote the interest of importers and other port users.

But the two agencies are yet to get the nod of the Senate to take the position.

Speaking in Houston Texas, United States, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Zainab Kure, said the senate would not consider the two agencies in their legislative efforts to create a technical regulator for port operations in the country.

She said the Senate was not in support of any of the two agencies to regulate the industry.

But stakeholders said the failure of the government to appoint commercial regulator for the ports are part of the reason why the cost of doing business is high and urged the government to address the issue before the year runs out.

uncovered about 1,200 fake certificates for vessels operating on Nigerian waters.

Also, indigenous participation in the shipping sector, which is the core responsibility of the agency was at its lowest ebb during the period because of lack of fund from the government and the current war between it and NLNG. Operators urged President Jonathan to prevail on NIMASA and NNPC/ NLNG to end the crisis as they see it as an embarrassment to the nation.

company on January 25, this year.

Unless some issues, including the Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA’s) allegedly owing their members 11 months unpaid salaries, are promptly resolved, there would be crisis.

The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in a petition dated June 12, 2013, and addressed to President Jonathan, alleged that NPA had for the past 11 months not paid tally clerks, on-board security men and others.

They threatened last week, to shut the ports this week if the 11 months unpaid salaries of its members are not paid by NPA.

Commercial regulators The plan by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to become the commercial regulators at the ports was dashed by the Senate Committee on Marine Transport. The bill for the creation of a Technical Regulator is before the National Assembly.

NIMASA and CVFF Operators say NIMASA performed well during the period under review as the agency is showing the ability to carry out its core responsibilities of assisting indigenous ship owners through the disbursement of the Cabotage fund to six applicants. The agency also

NPA row and port facilities The award of the contract for the dredging of the Calabar port to Niger Global Engineering and Technical Company Limited, by the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi, became a serious issue between him and the Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih during the period under review.

In a five-page letter titled: Appointment of Calabar Channel Management Company Limited to Manage the Calabar Channel Under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) sent to the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar raised questions about the award of the contract. He said it did not follow due process.

The Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) for the contract was said to have been signed by NPA and the

Foreign ship owners Foreign ships owners still dominated the nation’s waters – a development, which indigenous ship owners have persistently criticized.

Other stakeholders said the foreign dominance costs Nigeria huge revenue losses yearly.

Shippers’ NIWA

Council/

The appointment of Mr Hassan Bello as the Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) was confirmed by the government. He was the first person to be appointed internally to hold the position in almost 20 years of the agency.

The Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) got the first female Managing Director, Hajiya Inna Maryam Ciroma.

‘High interest rate is killing shipping’ Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda Maritime Correspondent

• Akinderu-Fatai

T

HE Federal Government has been asked to reduce interest rates to enable ship owners upgrade their facilities and compete with foreigners.

In an interview with The Nation in Lagos, some stakeholders urged the government to build a vibrant investment climate for the maritime sector.

The Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Compliance Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai said there should be policies to create linkages between the maritime industry and other sectors, such as bank-

ing and manufacturing.

He suggested measures like dedicated institutional financing mechanism for the shipping and maritime sector, a comprehensive maritime regulatory policy, to clearly delineate the role and responsibilities of the government and private sector in the development of the maritime sector and building.

The purchase of modern vessels, Akinderu-Fatai, a shipper said, would also provide jobs for millions of Nigerians and the restive youths across the country.

He said there was need for a sustained partnership between the private and public sectors for effective funding.

The country, he said, had not enjoyed the commercial benefits of transporting large quantities of cargoes because the local ship owners lack the necessary capital.

He suggested that the Federal Government should integrate maritime education and training

into the national university system so that Nigerians who are interested in seafarers’training can get the necessary education needed to promote the sector.

While lamenting the lack of foreign exposure for better performance, he said many operators were bugged down with only practical experience, with little or no academic performance.

“There is need for more government intervention aside from CVFF to actively encourage the banking sector to support local ship owners to acquire modern fleet, which can sail anywhere in the world,” he said.

The President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, said 60 per cent of the inward and outward bound seaborne trade in the West and Central Africa subregion passes through the nation waterways and called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor and the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar to assist in developing the maritime industry.

He said the country needs to expand its merchant fleet based on

the high volume of bulk liquid, gas and dry cargoes that pass through its waterways.

“The fleet to carry the enormous

quantity of cargo is estimated at 200 size tankers including combo general cargo vessels and liquefied natural gas vessels,” he said.

Customs seizes N131m goods

T

HE Customs has seized contraband worth N131, 461,840 in Owerri, Imo State.

The Customs Area Controller, Mr Victor David Dimka told The Nation that two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, adding that they have been charged to court.

Some of the seized goods, Dimka said, included 410 jumbo bales of second hand clothing worth N74,808,240; 1,517; cartons of imported frozen turkey and chicken worth N31,913,000; a truck load containing 333 50kg bags of rice, which he said, were impounded along Calabar axis worth N7,550,800 and 3,594 pairs of used footwear worth N7,368,520.

Also seized were nine sacks of Indian hemp worth N2,625,000 and 23 rolls of textile materials worth

N2,238,000.

According to him, 140 bales of second hand clothing were concealed with 18 tonnes of scrap metals along the Calabar axis.

His words: ”No smuggling activity will elude the eagle eyes of Customs Officers because the Comptroller –General of Customs (CGC), Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde and his management have ably empowered us and provided the platform for achievements through the various capacity building programmes aimed at equipping officers with the necessary skills for improved performance in tracking down smuggling activities.”

He urged smugglers to desist from engaging in illegal business, adding that the Service would not relent in its fight against smuggling in the area.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

19

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

FROM OTHER LANDS

Yet another gaffe

T

•President Jonathan’s insensitive remark about Boko Haram killings rankles

HOUGH Nigerians may have come to accept the now obvious verbal challenges and frequent gaffes of President Goodluck Jonathan as his method but we, as a matter of duty, must continue to point them out with the hope that he and his handlers would be capable of making amends. We had in the past, heard such clangers as “I don’t give a damn”, when the president was confronted as to why he would not declare his assets publicly. He also once said that his cabinet may harbour some members of the Boko Haram sect, in response to the Police Headquarters bombing about two years ago.

What has the president done this time?

A fortnight ago, at the opening session of a meeting with the Honorary International Investor Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Jonathan told

‘In his starkly impolitic and insensitive remark, the president was only keen on playing politics with a grave matter of life and death. We do not see what point he needed to score by claiming so flippantly that more Muslims than Christians have died in the conflict, other than to cozy up to one section of the country’

his audience, including Baroness Lynda Chalker and her team that the events in the three northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa confirmed his believe that religion was not the cause of the wave of insurgency spreading through that part of Nigeria.

According to the president, “People thought the insurgency is about religious issues but the pattern of attacks shows clearly that it has nothing to do with religion. Just as there are threats to churches, so also are threats to mosques. They attack everywhere, killing Muslims and Christians. Even more Muslims have died in the conflict than Christians have.”

And if there are no religious undertones to Nigeria’s terrorism, what would it be?

Mr. Jonathan suggests that insecurity in Nigeria is as a result of the activities of some nebulous “internationally-backed terror groups.”

Of course the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), among several other groups, has condemned the president’s comment, describing it as an “attempt to distort facts.” Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, CAN president, has said that no fewer than 2,000 Christians have been killed in the Boko Haram insurgency, reminding that the sect is unambiguous about its targets from the outset. He said though people may have been killed near mosques, that there is no record that mosques have been targeted and bombed during worship the way several churches have been violated by gunmen, torched and bombed, especially on Sundays in the

course of service.

Also, Christians in the north of the country took exception to the president’s remark in very strong terms, describing it as unpardonable statement.

President Jonathan’s gaffe this time, for that is clearly what it is, exposes the lack of rigour and introspection in the governance and administration of the country today. The Boko Haram insurgency is, without doubt, the most contentious issue being tackled by the Jonathan presidency. If the president was not grounded and hands-on on any issue, it could not be Boko Haram. If there had been proper reckoning of the activities of this sect, including a careful documentation of the victims, the president would have been briefed about the details of casualties. But that does not seem to be the case; this government is lackadaisical about the living just as it is about the dead and the ‘damaged’.

In his starkly impolitic and insensitive remark, the president was only keen on playing politics with a grave matter of life and death. We do not see what point he needed to score by claiming so flippantly that more Muslims than Christians have died in the conflict, other than to cozy up to one section of the country. We hasten to point out that divisiveness, which is beginning to signpost this administration, does not win laurels for any government. Governance is a very serious issue and we urge the president to brace up for the enormous responsibilities he has elected to bear.

Mbu Joseph Mbu

F

•Is the Rivers police boss a policeman or politician? IGP must call him to order

ROM his outrageous comments, this question is imperative: is Mbu Joseph Mbu, the commissioner of Police in Rivers State, a police officer or a politician?

Mr. Mbu has been blabbing, and blowing hot and cold: Governor Rotimi Amaechi is a dictator; Governor Amaechi has no respect for the Police; Governor Amaechi is Rivers State chief security officer, he (Mbu) is only 2iC [regimentalspeak for second-in-command], the governor is my friend, the governor is my boss, the governor is my brother; only that, the press is blowing the Mbu-Amaechi affair out of context, blah, blah, blah!

In fairness to Mr. Mbu, his utterances have been provoked by grave gubernatorial accusations, that the police commissioner had been remiss in his duty: allegedly partisan in the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis, allegedly leaking security information to those who should not know, being allegedly prompted to mastermind a sinister change in the security details of the governor and his top staff, and aiding and abetting anti-Amaechi protests while allegedly suppressing pro-Amaechi rallies.

Mr. Mbu perhaps was exercising his right of self-defence, in the face of all these grave allegations; and his not-toohidden body language, that spoke of a misguided viceroy at Abuja’s pleasure, despatched down to contest the limelight with the elected governor, or even outright boss him.

But the more Mr. Mbu opened his mouth, the more he sank into the quicksand of one blundering into matters not exactly his forte; and causing himself grave professional embarrassment, in the

mind of any right-thinking citizen.

Indeed, since the President Vs Governor tussle in Rivers State started, no thanks to his unguarded, if not outright reckless utterances, Mr. Mbu has been a classical example of how not to be a police officer: loud, reckless, explosive, partial and outright insufferable.

Rather than, as his high security office demands, being a dignified official of state, he has turned himself into a wretched serf for occupiers of state offices, no matter how high. Even for a partisan Police, he is an ultra-bad advertisement.

Mohammed Abubakar, the inspectorgeneral of police (IGP), should call this errant officer to order. But maybe the hammer should start with the IGP himself: from which school are his officers made these days and what orders does he give them? Whatever the IGP’s operational briefs to Mr. Mbu, the police commissioner has exhibited a profound lack of tact and wisdom, that any dutiful policeman must be embarrassed on his behalf.

But perhaps the IGP and his errant police commissioner are only the symptom, not the root cause of the problem. The root cause is a 1999 Constitution (as amended) that is eminently a mockery of itself. How can a constitution claim it is federal, and yet stipulate such centrist doctrines that border on legal idiocy? How can a constitution claim a governor is chief executive officer of his state and yet the police commissioner in his state takes orders from his IGP, who is not even elected? And yet, there is no state police!

Even, the amendments in the works point to another legal idiocy. The states, it is being suggested, would take over prisons. Sure, there are state high courts. Soon,

if the amendment passes, there would be state-exclusively controlled prisons. Yet, there is no talk of state police! So, how complete is the criminal-justice system at state level, without state police?

A stop must be put to this constitutional self-mockery. But even before then, something is clear: the constitution, warts and all, does not still provide for a presidential viceroy come to muddle up security waters in a state, even if the state governor does not see eye to eye with the president. That is the ignoble role Mr. Mbu is playing. It is downright ugly!

Having said that, however, even with the all-too-obvious provocation, Governor Amaechi himself should temper his utterances. Declaring he was ready to be shot by an insufferable police commissioner adds no gloss to gubernatorial prestige and dignity.

‘Mohammed Abubakar, the inspector-general of police (IGP), should call this errant officer to order. But maybe the hammer should start with the IGP himself: from which school are his officers made these days and what orders does he give them? Whatever the IGP’s operational briefs to Mr. Mbu, the police commissioner has exhibited a profound lack of tact and wisdom, that any dutiful policeman must be embarrassed on his behalf’

Morsi takes Egypt towards the abyss

• Divided country needs consensus and statesmanship OHAMED Morsi became Egypt’s first elected president one year ago, pledging to govern for all Egyptians. Instead, manipulated by the Muslim Brotherhood that brought him to power, he has been divisive and incompetent. The streets of Egypt are boiling.

Mass protests by an opposition bent on forcing Mr Morsi out are set to convulse the country on Sunday, preceded by a show of strength by the Brotherhood and other Islamist groups.

Violent clashes look inevitable amid army warnings it will not stand by and see the country sucked into a “dark tunnel” of instability.

This is not the future for which hundreds of thousands of Egyptians risked their lives when they overthrew the army-backed regime of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

The transition from dictatorship was always going to be messy. Yet Mr Morsi’s performance has been abysmal. He inherited a collapse in public security, but instead of building the consensus needed to tackle it, he and the Brotherhood have sought to monopolise power and win control of institutions such as the judiciary.

Even the one act that won the president wide respect – his swift firing of the top generals who had been running Egypt since the fall of Mubarak – cemented an alliance with the new army leaders, whose extensive privileges are embedded in the constitution the Brotherhood bulldozed through last year.

After decades of semi-clandestine existence, Mr Morsi and his entourage are understandably anxious about Mubarak-era forces trying to stage a comeback. But a rambling three-hour address to the nation on Wednesday made him sound paranoid and power-hungry when what Egypt needs is a statesman.

The Brotherhood, moreover, is operating a parallel government. This makes Mr Morsi beholden to them rather than accountable to Egyptian citizens. So long as the Brothers place their trust in their own extensive welfare networks, there is less pressure to reform a wasteful fuel and food subsidy system that is bankrupting the state.

While popular support for President Morsi has halved, his opposition is still a shambles: fragmented between liberals and leftists; leaders inciting the army from gated compounds; unable to decide to seek power through elections or the street. In a recent poll, the only public figure who could command a majority in Egypt was Bassem Youssef, the satirist.

Mr Morsi’s speech made vague gestures towards the opposition. He should now flesh them out, ideally through a national unity government built around an emergency programme to re-establish security, get the economy going again, revisit the constitution and prepare elections for a new parliament. Egypt desperately needs inclusive governance. Consensus is Mr Morsi’s only way forward.

M

– Financial Times

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

S

IR: It was soothing news on Tuesday June 4, that Nigerian House of Representatives had finally criminalized the same-sex marriage in Nigeria, with punishment of 14 years behind the bar without option of fine for the offender.

It takes patriotism, courage and integrity on the part of the legislators to stand up and be counted in this crucial and dawning challenges; to be noted among those that stood to protect our core values and tell the depraved western world that we still have our own culture, norms societal ethnics and values as a leading light on the African continent, and that we can decide what we think is best for us as a people.

It is a giant stride on the part of our democracy, it will send strong signals to the international community that we are maturing and coming up by taking our destinies into our hands.

It is the time for the President to tell the world that he also is a man that fears God and place premium on our core value and esteemed culture.

Why were America and Britain so particular that the bill should not be passed and signed into law? If they have failed morally, is it binding on us to fail also? Let them go with their aids as Senate President,

S

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG

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Nigeria and same-sex marriage from them and frontally reject their domineering spirit and superiority complex over us as a people.

Let us provide a conductive environment for our children to develop their potentials and reach their inimitable heights on our soil, instead of wasting away in whiteman’s land. Let’s encourage the farmers to go back to the farm and

produce more food to feed the nation, instead of importing food from them. If the manufacturing sector is genuinely focused, it will create mass employment for the army of jobless youths and stabilize our national security.

Let make living and working in Nigeria more pleasant and attractive and less stressful, protecting the

IR: Let me start by accepting that the level of power supply in Nigeria by the present administration is better than what obtained in previous administrations. Nonetheless, one cannot say it is yet uhuru in the sector given the level of power supply in the country.

Right from Nigeria’s independence, power supply has been a major problem. It has been tales of woes in the sector. All the past and

present leaders keep promising Nigerians stable power supply but the more they talk, the less Nigerians enjoy power supply.

In his inaugural speech President Goodluck Jonathan noted that “the era of lamentation in the power sector is over”. This was widely reported in the print and electronic media. Since then however, it has been lamentation upon lamentation in the sector. If all the talk about the amount of megawatts

being put into the national grid is matched with action, epileptic power supply in the country would have been a thing of the past by now. One is not saying that the president is not keeping his promise, but simply put, there is too much talking without corresponding results and that is not what Nigerians want.

Nigerians are paying for electricity not consumed as PHCN officials these days have adopted the esti-

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation by his Letter Ref: No. PNB. 1662 fo 19th July, 2012.

Gleefully and in a well-merited triumph, I wrote my first letter of demand dated 6th August, 2012, to the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, floating on the wings of victory but I soon realized that I was in a utopia. Let me remind or rejuvenate the minds of my readers that I have used the words “triumph” and “victory” because it took me six agonizing years before the Head of Civil Service of the Federation approved

my application for pension. I was already a victim of obsession in my thought for litigation by the time I received the approval. Coming from my cognitive powers I indulge in systematic economy of words and energy because they may be in greater use in future. Now is another time! My second letter of demand was dated 20th September, 2012 and the third was 6th March, 2013. None was replied and this dangerous and unethical silence explains to any rational being the type of beings in our state bureaucracy: the civil service: I have

been mentioning the words “Civil Servant” which can be defined to mean whole but in this sense I do not mean to condemn across board because nature is not monolithic.

Like one cannot say that a whole tribe is evil. However, the deaf hears the blind sees that civil servant has facilitated the death by hunger of number less pensioners who were denied their pensions.

Let the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development pay my pension.

• Oladele Osunbote Ibadan, Oyo State

David Mark had brilliantly responded to their threat in the past.

It is high time we started taking legitimate and bold decisions to tell them that without their meddling in our internal affairs we can sort things out maturely by ourselves.

It is obvious that the same white people are major players in our economic woes. Let us stop taking loans

S

Power supply: Not yet uhuru

FG should pay my 25 years pension

IR: The civil servant is at it again in their drift. He does great harm in the subterranean and come to the market place wearing the holy but deceptive look. He wears the teeth that is whiter than snow and spit out white saliva but inside him is the venom that is the killer more venomous than the venomous snakes of Mexico. This time the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and his director of human-resources refused to pay my 25 years of pension since the approval was given to me by the

rights of everybody. Our leaders can domesticate what good things they can learn about western democracy and throw away their illicit culture, as in the case of legislation against same marriage, Like the word of Barrack Obama on Jan 12, at his second inaugural speech that ‘’we do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few”.

We can make Justice accessible and available to the people. The government should walk the talk by fulfilling their electoral promises and make politics a level playing field for everybody to participate without intimidation from anybody in authority.

• Pastor Mark Debo Taiwo [JP], Ogbomoso

mated billing system for consumers. It is no longer news that for a whole month one pays for light, the consumer enjoys power supply for only one or two days.

Recently, it was reported in most newspapers that there was going to be power outage in Abuja on a particular Saturday as PHCN officials were to work on one of the transmission stations in Katampe.

The question that readily came to mind was: what of other days that residents of the Federal Capital Territory don’t enjoy power supply?

Do the PHCN officials work on the transmission station on such days?

On that particular Saturday, there was no light in most parts of Abuja.

Was it to imply that work was still on-going or what has PHCN got to offer? In Abuja, most residents use alternative sources to powers their homes because of epileptic power supply.

My humble appeal is that the present administration should talk less and ensure steady power supply to citizenry because power is the bedrock of national development. The time for action is now.

• Awunah Pius Terwase Abuja.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

COMMENTS

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21

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HEN Nigerian playwright, Joseph Conrad and his Heart of Prof. Ola Rotimi (God bless his Darkness. Wole Soyinka used soul!), wrote his hilarious play, this same English language to win the Nobel, the prime gloOur Husband Has Gone Mad Again, he cerbal literary prize. wa Thingo tainly did not have Britain in mind. has enough literary clout to live But is the Queen’s own country capable in exile’s happy pain, as his naof the sick joke of a proposed visa bond tive Kenya treats him like the targeted at former colonies in Africa and Biblical prophet without honAsia: Nigeria, Ghana, India, Pakistan, our.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka?

Olakunle But to every Achebe, wa The hilarity is not in Britain’s right to Thiongo and Soyinka, there are lordbeek@yahoo.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) Abimbola control its immigration. That is legitimyriads of economic flotsam mate and serious business. It is rather in and jetsam, churned out by a its hypocrisy of comic pretence: playing disarticulated Africa and, to dumb that its cruel empire past has caught some extent, Asia. This is the up with it. global class that has come to So, the mortal fear of forfeiting three their parents were; before getting lost in the Diaspora. Yet, in plague Britain and it co-western imperialists. It is therefore a thousand Pounds Sterling, courtesy of a visa bond, would keep the Yoruba motherland, only the raven mad would kill in the question of the Brits’ ancestors having eaten sour grapes; and desperate economic barbarians off their former Metropolis, name of religion. The Yoruba credo of religious freedom and their offspring’s teeth set on edge! That is Mr. Cameron’s genwhen the former colonies are in all but ruins? Ah! faith liberality is long settled. eration; and that explains his bond!

Coming from a Tory government, headed by The Right HonSo, how did Britain hap on this monstrous duo that caused But not even Mr. Cameron’s visa bond would remove that ourable David Cameron, which name ironically sounds like universal pain and anguish, with their gruesome murder of that plague.

Still, a fairer international economic system could. If Cameroun, another raped victim of German, British and French innocent British soldier? more Africans and Asians live and earn productive living in colonial greed, the policy has all the notoriety of Thatcherite Because of this bone-chilling outrage, the Brits are perhaps their home continents, then maybe Westminster would need racism. more than justified to design policies that ban, from their counless punitive visa bonds to control immigration.

But did Westminster think that after decades of blind plunder try, African and Asian barbarians; the first of which is Mr. But the humongous western greed is yet to be sated; and Afunder many fanciful names – Pax Britannica, British Raj, British Cameron’s proposed visa bond. rica, mostly run by pre-programmed cretins, is not about to Pacification of the Natives, etc, etc, – citizens of its former coloBut perhaps if the colonised peoples too had had the muscle to surrender its notoriety as global economic laggard. That is why nies would just melt away, while the colonisers live happily repress the colonising Brits, with the invaders’ pacification (euMr. Cameron must reveal his callowness by trying to bully his ever after? phemism for mass murder of the resistant, which ran into milfavourite African retards to join the 21st century Sodom and Meanwhile, the most pleasing irony: if at the height of British lions), and the ensuing mass physical, psychological and spirGomorrah his country and Uncle Sam unashamedly lead; and imperialism the chaffing colonies screamed “Africa for Afriitual dislocation over endless years, there would not have been daring any African moron, on the pains of aids, to raise his voice cans!” or “India for Indians!” it is sweet comeuppance Britain brainwashed monstrosities like Abdulmutallab, Adebolajo and against same sex marriage, the West’s latest abomination! now wants to bawl, “Britain for the British!”, but is too hypoAdebowale. Nor would there be economic migrants.

Still, a Ghanaian that goes flocking to Britain only has himself critically restrained, stiff-upper lip tradition, to scream! Hence, Chinua Achebe’s famous Things Fall Apart spoke of such spiror herself to blame. Ghana is no El Dorado. But by somewhat Mr. Cameron’s proposed racist policy. But good to know the itual and psychological disorientation, using his native Igbo as gathering its best hands over time, despite the western hysteria Brits also cry! case-study. So, did Kenyan Ngugi wa Thiongo’s Weep Not Child, that subverted Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and nearly aborted the Still, you must feel their anguish. Umar Farouk a classical match-up between greedy British ruffians and land Ghana dream, the old Gold Coast is well on the way to attain its Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian-born Al-Qaeda terrorist who gained grabbers using the missionaries as front and an equally determanifest destiny. global notoriety as the “Underwear Bomber” despite his failed mined though pitifully less armed locals, insistent on reclaimNot so for Nigeria, ruled from the beginning by Whitehall’s mission, used the Queen’s own city as his own Londonistan to ing their land; thus creating the classic Yoruba fabled confrontacynically programmed Uncle Toms. And that is bad news for savour hate sermons and hone his terror skills. tion between the happy killer and the merry suicidal.

Mr. Cameron’s visa bond. So long as there is economic paralyThen, the evil Michaels: Michael Adebolajo and Michael Even Brit, Edward Morgan (EM) Forster, in his A Passage to sis at home, the economic barbarians from here would do whatAdebowale, Islamist twin-loonies ironically bearing the ChrisIndia, painted the snickering bigotry and allied evils of the Britever it takes to hang in there, visa bond or no! tian name of the fiery archangel, and GOC of the heavenly ish against natives in the so-called British Raj of India which, by The bottom line? The Nigerian government must wake up. hosts, Angel Michael. The loonies subjected the holy streets of the way, had as victims most of today’s India, Pakistan, BanglaMr. Cameron’s visa bond might well graduate into mass expulLondon to the most profane slaughter of a British soldier, Drumdesh and Sri Lanka, the latter-day pariahs of callow Mr. sion of Nigerians from Britain. Such reverse forced exodus mer Officer Lee Rigby.

Cameron’s new visa bond! forebodes nothing but ill.

The irony is these two loonies are ethnic Yoruba – in any case, Did Mr. Cameron think something would not give, after his The angry and bitter repatriates would settle for nothing less ancestors’ brutal repression of other peoples, and making away than where they were coming from. Meanwhile the local mis‘It is therefore a question of the Brits’ with their wealth; and thereafter installing near-imbeciles to fits holding mediocre courts are absolutely incapable of upping the British gravy continued long after flag independtheir game. Before you know it, the happy-to-kill clashes with ancestors having eaten sour grapes; ensure ence? the merry-to- die!

True, the likes of Achebe used the dominator’s language to If a better Nigeria emerges from the smoke, then something and their offspring’s teeth set on edge! achieve global fame, a far cry from the self-fulfilling prophecy good, though unintended, would have come from Mr. Cameron’s That is Mr. Cameron’s generation’ of congenitally challenged Africa and Africans, by the likes of visa bond.

epublican ipples

Westminster has gone mad again!

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ROM all indications, the British government may have, at least for the time being, backed off from its earlier proposal to impose a ‘punitive’ £3,000 (N730,000) visa bond on travellers from a group of six Afro-Asian countries deemed to pose “high risk” of immigration abuse. Last week, UK’s The Guardian quoted a member of the Liberal Democrats, the coalition partner of the ruling conservative government as saying that the policy has not been “signed off’. However, far from suggesting that the proposal was off the table, he gave hint that the government still agreed in principle with the policy although he noted that the “exact details of how it is to be piloted, including the size of the bond, is still being discussed in the government”.

In other words, whether the six countries affected by the policy likes it or not, the visa bond policy which targets India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana — all non-white Commonwealth nations may have come to stay.

The collective outrage by the nationals of the affected countries about a measure they considered as discriminatory, although understandable is somewhat misdirected. To start with, visas are by their nature inherently discriminatory; countries put visa regimes in place to restrict the influx of immigrants into their territory. It is elementary that not every one that applies for a visa ever gets one, including applicants ordinarily deemed as qualified!

What are the arguments against the measure? That Her Majesty’s government, as leader and primus inter pares in the Commonwealth has no business imposing such patently unfair visa regimes on fellow commonwealth members?

And that because of the rich historic ties between her and the group of six, the measures are simply unfair! In the first place, those who bandy the argument obviously forget or chose to forget, that the sun of the British Empire is said to have set in different parts several decades ago. It set in India and Pakistan in 1947; Sri Lanka 1948; Ghana in 1957; Nigeria 1960, Bangladesh 1971. Just as it seems fashionable for my generation to recall a time when they needed no visas to

‘The act of singling out of six countries as “high risk” immigration violators is apparentlyin bad taste.

And if you ask me, it is unlikely to deter the potential illegal immigrant; it simply jerks up the cost of procuring the exit card!’

Policy Sanya Oni sanyaoni@yahoo.co.uk 08051101841

A visa bond of trouble

travel to Britain, part of the problem is the temptation to relapse into nostalgia; to reset the relations buttons to the 60s and the 70s!

The issue here is that Her Majesty’s Government has already determined that the targeted countries posed high risk of immigration abuse! That is the judgment by a sovereign government to which they are entitled! Shouldn’t we have spared ourselves the emotionalism while making the case that our citizens seeking sojourn in UK are model citizens?

Today, the global economy is in a flux; In UK for instance, youth unemployment is 7.8 percent, moderate by the standard of its peers in Western Europe. Before the global crisis, it was a little over five percent. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) for instance reports that the number of people looking for work for over a year has more than doubled since 2007, up from 391,000 to more than 902,000.

Like America, the subject of immigration remains a hot button one. A Britisher put the issue in perspective when he observed rather wryly: “You don’t need a PhD to understand that when the number of unemployed people vastly outnumbers the number of job vacancies, and public housing stock is under huge strain, it’s a very bad idea not to radically restrict immigration. This isn’t rocket science”.

So, is the £3,000 the answer to the immigration problem?

I agree that the policy lacks rigour. What it does is adjudge the potential traveller as guilty until proven otherwise.

Moreover, the act of singling out of six countries as “high risk” immigration violators is apparently in bad taste. And if you ask me, it is unlikely to deter the potential illegal immigrant; it simply jerks up the cost of procuring the exit card!

However, I think the problem is that we pay too much

attention to what the Brits are doing to fix their problem.

My problem is that we are not even about to start dealing with ours which is to fundamentally address the question of why our youths have found the lure of foreign pastures irresistible despite the dangers and frustrations, or why many would readily pay the ultimate price than stay to work things out.

Last week for instance, we heard Foreign Minister Gbenga Ashiru swear to “defend the interest of Nigerians by whatever means we can”. With what? A tit-for-tat wouldn’t be a bad proposition except that in our circumstance, it would be a most laughable one. What would that amount to given that the migration is almost wholly one-way?

I say take it easy; we have seen similar posturing before.

Didn’t one minister, Stella Oduah once threaten to ban British Airways from flying the Nigerian airspace over claims of unfair discriminatory practices? Has the world ended since the threat came to no effect?

At the root of our problem is governance. We churn out graduates into a labour market already bursting in its seams.

We cannot even guarantee admission for our children in higher institutions preferring instead to outsource admissions to Ghana, Ukraine and other foreign universities. In the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME held in April for instance, of the 1.7million that sat for the exam, only 520,000 spaces are said to be available – less than a third. For our army of youngsters, theirs is an annual sentencing into an uncertain, bleak future.

If you ask me, I’ll insist that our enemy is within; at least the Brits are not nearly the enemy we think they are – not anywhere those foreign investors who pose as friends but act like fiends by bringing in labour for jobs that locals can conveniently do.

As always, the point must be borne in mind that the right to travel is nowhere guaranteed; not even in No-Man’s-Land.

‘My problem is that we are not even about to start dealing with ours which is to fundamentally address the question of why our youths have found the lure of foreign pastures irresistible despite the dangers and frustrations, or why many would readily pay the ultimate price than stay to work things out.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY, 2013

22

COMMENTS

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T is fashionable these days to blame all our woes as a nation on Britain, the colonial master that coupled together the northern and southern protectorates of the territory around River Niger in 1914 to birth a country christened Nigeria.

The British no doubt have had more than a hand in our fortune or misfortune as a people since we were forced to be together as a country a century ago next year, but we should take the praise for what we have done well and accept the blame for every misfortune that might have befallen our dear country.

Among the colonial masters that Britain sent to administer Nigeria before independence in 1960, one name stood out and will forever be remembered as long as we remain a country: Lord Frederick Lugard.

He, it was that merged the northern and southern protectorates to create the country Nigeria, so named by his girl friend then (we were told) to describe the area and the people around River Niger.

Down the years up till independence the British sent different officials to administer the country and their decisions had profound effect on us as a people. Independence did nothing to reduce the British tendencies to make policies and legislations that have impacted well or badly on us. Remember the botched Anglo/Nigeria Defence Pact immediately after independence that was fiercely opposed by Nigerians, especially students of the University of Ibadan.

There had been more, and one in particular that is still with us today was the decision of the British under their iconic Tory Prime Minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher to impose visa restrictions on Nigerians traveling to the United Kingdom. Prior to that time, Nigerians, as citizens of the British Commonwealth (of nations) had easy access to the UK, but Thatcher changed that and today hundreds if not thousands of Nigerians queue at the gate of British High Commission every week day seeking entry visas into the United Kingdom.

By the way, the visa is not for free and some of them even had to borrow to raise money to pay for the visa and even some among the very few that were lucky to be granted the visa had to sell or use their properties as collateral to raise money to buy air tickets and meet other sundry expenses. Some emigrated to seek better life in the UK only to be disappointed by the reality of the situation that the streets of London are not littered with Pounds Sterling. To come back

A

PRIL 24, was like no other day in Umuahia, capital of Abia State. For those who were witness to history, the city happily embraced thousands of Abia youths who had thronged the Michael Okpara Auditorium and the Umuahia Township Stadium for two epoch-making events. They had come from all the nooks and crannies of the state and beyond, to participate in the Abia Youth Empowerment Summit – a policy initiative aimed at uplifting young men and women in order to harness their creative potentials.

The spontaneous show of solidarity and appreciation for the driver of the event, Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji, was overwhelming.

In their numbers and colours, thousands of youths cheered as he made for the podium in the company of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ), who had been billed to speak to the youths.

Sanusi, ever engaging and never shy to address important subjects, did not disappoint as he made a meal of the instructive topic, “ Youth Empowerment as Panacea to Insecurity in Nigeria.” His appearance at the 1st Ochendo Annual Lecture Series which was symbolically dedicated to the youths, was as pioneering as it was thought-provoking. Indeed, the occasion served as a reminder to the fact that one of the greatest challenges confronting leadership, especially in emerging economies, is the task of harnessing the huge deposits of human capital.

To state that this critical resource remains the most strategic of all factors of production is to repeat the obvious. Does elementary economics not teach that labour is the factor that bears the brunt of managing other elements in the production equation? And where else can we readily find a better stock of ‘Labour’ if not amongst this vibrant strata of our populace ?

Available data gleaned from reputable global agencies continue to support and lend credence to the above assertion. While this fact is held as correct, there is also a constant reminder that each economy remains unique in the shape and size of its demography. The matrix of this relationship is, perhaps, the reason some societies have been celebrated for the large number of youths that make up their population.

No doubt, a robust and youthful population is a huge asset waiting to be deployed for greater deliverables. And, this is where Africa nay, it’s components, is generally believed to hold a comparative advantage. Or, what would you make of an economy where nearly 45 percent of

Thinking aloud home became a problem to them, not only because of the shame of being labelled a failure by their folks back in Nigeria, but most importantly because the resources to return were not just available. So they became a burden on the British.

And now to heap more miseries on these unfortunate/desperate Nigerians who still believe they can’t succeed in life unless they get to the UK, another Tory Prime Minister David Cameron plans to introduce a £3,000 indemnity fee for all Nigerians seeking visa to enter the land of Queen Elizabeth. The money would be forfeited to Her Majesty’s government should they overstay the time on their visa. And if and when they are caught, its straight back to Nigeria.

Immigration is a hot political/economic issue all over Europe and even the United States and Cameron might just be pandering to the extreme right of the political spectrum in the UK who blame every economic, social and even political misfortune of the British society on immigrants, especially those of Africa and Asian origins.

While the British are within their rights to regulate entries and even departures into their territory, singling out Nigeria and a few other so called high risk countries for this new visa regime is discriminatory and smacks of racism.

Are Nigerians the only people that overstay their visa in the UK? It is good that the Nigerian government has decided to fight this new British visa regime, but that is not all. Our government should vigorously pursue and implement policies and programmes that would make going to Britain unattractive to Nigerians especially our youths. It is a fact that most of these people emigrate for economic reasons. Millions of our youths are not employed and in some cases unemployable.

I am sure if there is something good for them to

do at home they wouldn’t be rushing and desperate to emigrate to any other country. So, while the federal government fights to get Britain to dump this new visa regime targeted at Nigerians, it should also fight to create employment, make our schools and hospitals better, world class, and make the roads and other social infrastructures better. We can start with uninterrupted power supply and we would be amazed at the number of jobs, especially small scale businesses that this would create.if we can achieve this it would be thanks and no thanks to Britain.

May be we need to fight this battle harder so as to safe our youths in particular from being exposed to the kind of sexual culture that is so pervasive in the western world including the UK. The other day Prime Minister Cameron was chiding Nigeria for our government’s (national assembly) strident opposition to same sex marriage. Leaving the insult aside that Britain still believes she can dictate to us, especially our social life, same sex marriage is alien to our culture and it is those demented few amongst us who engage in it that wants to destroy our culture and the fabric of human existence. Under the guise of protection of fundamental human rights Cameron, Barack Obama and their cotravelers in Europe and America want to destroy us and our culture, tradition and existence, we should not allow them. They should let Africa be.

The other day some of these demented Nigerians protested against the arrest and prosecution of some members of the so called Nigerian Gay and Lesbian community by the police in a Magistrate court some where in Anambra state.

It was also recently reported that some of them had a meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and even issued a press statement to that effect.

The Abia youth empowerment model

By Eze Chikamnayo its ever-growing population is within the age bracket of 18-35 years? Now, you know why Africa would continue to remain a source of envy even though the industrialized economies continue to hold the levers of technology, dictate the pace of development, and largely determine what price to pay for what they lack.

Indeed, this is the crux of the matter. To argue that Africa’s rich endowments and poverty of ideas is a huge paradox would be an understatement. Her comparatively younger population, largely unskilled, illiterate, sick and malnourished has become a bomb waiting to explode.

And, it may, indeed, explode if the growing class of emerging leaders insist on playing politics with the future of youths.

This piece, therefore, lauds the exemplary policy initiative aimed at redirecting the course of development and hinging same on youth and people empowerment. First, while the Ochendo Annual Lecture Series is designed as a fertile ground for intellectual exchange, the Abia Youth Empowerment Summit, A- YES, organized in collaboration with the Ochendo Youth Foundation ( OYF ) is the vehicle through which the governor is systematically investing in the future of Abia State. This was why after the Lecture at the auditorium, everybody moved to the Umuahia Central Stadium where hundreds of free equipment for self reliance were distributed to young beneficiaries from across the state.

Governor Orji’s several interventionist programmes are the reason the state has now attained an enviable height in peace and security management.

Central to the Abia youth development model is the aggressive pursuit of education-for-all policy. Under this scheme, education is being offered free to all Abia children up to secondary school level. This is in addition to the return of schools to their original owners and the total infrastructural overhaul of remaining public schools. This scheme is further complemented by scholarship grants which is enjoyed by students at both local and international universi-

ties as well as the regular retraining of well motivated teachers to cater for citizens who cannot afford to attend private schools. Thousands of young Abians are currently reaping from this novel initiative.

The state, in partnership with the CBN, has disbursed agricultural loans worth over a billion naira with special focus on areas that support young farmers. The Ochendo Liberation Farms which are located in the 17 local government areas of the state attest to this fact. Statistics show that over 20,000 youths are currently engaged in the return-to-land project involving the revitalization of many farm settlements and plantations across the state. The resuscitation of all the plantations in Abia State has created so many opportunities. Viable palm plantations, cocoa, rubber, plantain and most recently cassava is now found in the three senatorial districts.

The state is also aggressively pursuing the agriculture value-chain concept by introducing hybrid seedlings and developing processing factories which hold ample job opportunities for youths in the rural areas. The process of fertilizer distribution has been made less laborious for rural farmers with the youths being given free fertilizer allocations to encourage their involvement in this critical sector.

Self-employment is also being driven to the zenith by training and equipping youths with both financial support and the asset base that support the growth of their businesses. The cab operators and other services is located within this sphere. For the first time in the history of Abia State, Governor Orji gave out over 200 brand new commercial vehicles free to young beneficiaries. This, in addition to easing the transportation challenges facing the state, has created a trickle down effect in the economy. This initiative has been complemented by the First Lady, Mrs Odochi Orji, with her efforts focused on girlchild education and skill acquisition. Today in Abia, you can see proud young owners of fashion shops, hair dressing salons, bakeries and other ancillary businesses feeding their aged parents and sustaining their families.

What is this country turning into? Sodom and Gomorrah? I think the police should be alive to their responsibility here. Anybody that violates the law against same sex conduct or marriage should be made to face the music. The problem with our police is that before you know it, some bad eggs in he force would turn the law into an opportunity to extort and even frame innocent people. Yes our police men and women are poorly paid and badly treated, but extortion is not the way out of their plight.

May be the government has found a way out of the problem of underfunding of the police with the recent decision to give one percent of revenue from the federation account to the police. The amount would be treated as first line charge, meaning that the money would be removed first before whatever is left is shared among the three tiers of government. This is good. But can we trust the Nigeria Police and indeed the politicians in the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Presidency and even the Police Service Commission to spend this money judiciously and for the right purpose?

Over the years there have been reported cases of massive corruption in the police. Some former Inspector General of Police have been indicted and even convicted on fraud, in some cases, outright stealing of police funds. If they could do that with the ‘little’ that gets to them now, you can imagine when one per cent of our consolidated revenue is remitted to them in addition.

But this is not enough reason to deny the Police better funding. One strongly believes that poor law enforcement and not inadequate laws is responsible for most of the crimes committed in this country, including fraud, election rigging, money laundering et al. If our police are well trained, remunerated, and properly quartered they will curb most of these crimes and our society would be the better for it. But if we leave them the way they are, then we should be pleased to live with the consequences of such a rotten system. The way you lay you bed is the way you sleep on it.

Finally, the Sunday newspapers were awash with the photograph of President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi shaking hands at the Port Harcourt International airport. That the two are sworn enemies is not in doubt, but let’s hope this photo op is not a photo trick after all. This is hoping the hatchet has been buried. The better for the nation.

To further drive youth employment in the rural areas, the state recently met the partnership requirement to enable her participate in the Rural Access and Mobility Projects ( RAMP ). Under this initiative, over 500 kilometers of access roads is being tackled in rural Abia with multiplier effects on the agro-economy and youth employment. Indeed, nearly 7000 youths have been trained and absorbed in the direct labour scheme of the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission ( ASOPADEC ) and Abia Road Maintenance Agency (ABROMA). These youth centered initiatives of Governor Orji has wiped off all manners of criminality in our rural areas.

Many more have become self - employed even in the urban areas. Specific mention must be be made of the biggest industrial market in Umuahia and Ohiya Artisans Village which have productively engaged over 5000 youths. These two specialized centers were specifically conceptualized by the governor to target the thousands of freed apprentices who roam the streets because they are unable to start their own business. Today, if you go to the industrial market and the artisan village, you will see proud young shop owners living their dreams as a result.

A lot more could be said but even ardent critics have come to acknowledge that Governor Orji’s response to governance is providing answers to the dilemma confronting his peers in the quest to strike a sustainable balance between resource and management. In Abia today, enterprising young people are gainfully engaged, the rate of crime is at its lowest ebb. There is security of lives and property and with the current revolution in infrastructural provision coupled with the conducive political environment.

Abia State under Ochendo is witnessing unprecedented renaissance .

Any surprise then that accolades continue to trail his several engagements with Abia youths which has turned Abia from a pariah of sorts to a Mecca for major national events. In the last 12 months alone, NUJ, JAMB, NYSC, Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, Senate Press Corps and many other organizations have held their Annual retreats in Abia. These and more are golden testimonials to what can be achieved when a creative,committed leader is in the saddle. From kidnapping and other social vices , Abia youths are now the fulcrum around which the new era of liberty and prosperity is hinged. For Ochendo, it is time to say a well deserved well done.

INSIDE

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com

Why we can’t empower every Nigerian youth

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Abuja celebrates amnesty

Honour for FCT Minister

- Page 28

•Pilots trained by the Amnesty Programme at the event in Abuja

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Glo entertains Abuja youths

- Page 28

OR a time, it looked as though nothing else mattered at the nation’s capi-

tal.

The prestigious Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, was filled to capacity. Guests who turned up late had to endure standing. Representatives of the Federal Government as well as staff of the Amnesty Programme were in high spirits. Beneficiaries of the programme could not be happier.

Hard work, determination and hope paid off in the end. Youths of the Niger Delta who once bore arms against the Federal Government and its facilities lay down their weapons and forsook agitation. They embraced rehabilitation, choosing to acquire skills. Today, many of them are pilots, engineers, skilled farmers, among others.

The event left no one in doubt that the celebrators, the Federal Government and erstwhile militants, now preferring to be ad-

From Dele Anofi

dressed as ex-agitators, came to celebrate the success of what was once thought to be a hopeless situation.

Hours before the celebration of the fourth anniversary of the Amnesty Proclamation and third year of the implementation of the Amnesty Programme, at the prestigious Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, the expansive hall

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

was filled to capacity.

Almost half of the hall was occupied, not by the staff of Amnesty Programme office or civil servants but the beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme.

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) was fully represented, and it almost looked like it was the INC that was being celebrated when the Chairman, Amnesty Programme, who doubles as the Special Adviser to

Kuku said the country is enjoying peace, which has boosted the Nigerian economy, adding that crude oil production now hovers around 2,6 and 2.3.8 million barrels per day

President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku, took the podium and invited contributions from each member of the Congress to the ‘struggle’. He went from how the journey started back in their school days to the Kiama Declaration, to the protests borne out of sheer determination, to the arrests and down to the success of the day.

The event began with Lawrence Pepple, Head of Reintegration Department, who took the guests through how disarmament began with 20,192 persons, through 6,166 for the second phase before ending with the third and final phase of 3,64216.

In highlighting the positive side of the Federal Government’s programme, Kuku said the country is enjoying peace that has boosted the Nigerian •Continued on page 26

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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ABUJA REVIEW

T

HE Coalition of Youth for National Development (CYND) has described the fragmentation of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) as unhealthy and inimical to the development of youths.

The group, therefore, urged the various factions to drop their ambitions in the interest of the Nigerian youths and national development.

In a communique signed by its National Coordinator, Mustapha

Group seeks end to youth association feud From Dele Anofi

Aliyu, after its meeting in Abuja, noted that the best interest of the teeming Nigerian youths should be paramount in the minds of the various factional leaders.

It reads in part: “The much desired transformation and devel-

opment of the country’s teeming youths population can never been achieved under an acrimonious atmosphere.

“The CYND is urging all the parties in the council to embrace peace so that youths can make great progress. There is no way the youth of Nigeria can benefit from the positive development

•From left: Jacinta Okoye; Chris Echi; Bunmi Aina Craid and Obinna Ogbuagu, all lawyers, and Planning Committee members at an annual lecture with the theme: “Amnesty: God’s Mercy and Human Clemency” at the Pope John Paul II Catholic Centre, Wuse, Abuja.

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

Abuja celebrates amnesty •Continued from Page 25

economy, adding that crude oil production now hovers around 2,6 and 2.3.8 million barrels per day. The volume of savings, according to him, translates to about N33.4b per day. Ironically, he noted the country needed about N4 trillion for its national budget but the region was able to provide an estimated N6.3 trillion last year.

Though he assured Nigerians that the youth will not return to militancy, Kuku took time to debunk insinuations that the reformed youths were involved in oil theft. He hinged his argument on the fact that Niger Deltans are too poor and technically disadvantaged to partake in the lucrative and highly technical illicit venture. He said the illegal trade was perpetrated by some highly placed Nigerians and their international collaborators, adding that the only Niger Delta indigenes that could be found in the circle would be manual labourers that have no real consequence on the illicit trade.

“Oil theft is highly technical and capital intensive and there is no way you can find Niger Delta youths involved in it.

These products are transported in vessels; no Niger Delta indigene has a vessel. Also, it is a supply and demand thing, meaning that if there is no demand, there won’t be supply. In other words, there must be international collaborators involved, Niger Delta youths

don’t have such connections. In addition, where would Niger Delta youths have the resources to pay for demurrage running to months in many instances?

Peasants can’t engage in such business and majority of Niger Delta youths are peasants,” he said He, however, assured that the menace would soon be a thing of the past as President Goodluck Jonathan has taken up the issue with his colleagues around the world. ”It is an international crime of demand and supply but the President is dealing with it because highly placed people in and out of Nigeria are involved, not our Niger Delta youths”.

Kuku presented 22 trained pilots and instructors who graduated from the African Union Aviation Academy. All of them have been certified as CLPs (Commercial Licensed Pilots) including a 20-year-old Favour Odozor, who is the youngest pilot in the country. She was also presented alongside her colleagues. Fifteen out of 40 exmilitants who became gainfully employed after their formal training by the Amnesty Office were also in the hall as well as 25 ex-militants that also completed their Masters Degrees in various disciplines in the United Kingdom. Several trained ex-militants that have been offered formal employment in the private sector

going on currently in the country under an atmosphere of war and crisis.

“It is time all aggrieved parties in the crisis sheathe their swords and support the leadership that has emerged.

“We must at this time show we are the next generation leaders and that we are ready to lead when we are called upon. This present ugly situation can never help our cause it is time to let go all our differences and embrace one another in the interest of youth development.

“We cannot continue like this if we are to be taken serious by the society. We must show commitment, sincerity and passion as youth leaders to move our country forward and this is the time to do it”.

The group, however, advised the incumbent executive to focus on its primary assignment of advancing the interests of the Nigerian youths as well as working with and carrying along other groups.

“In the same vein, CYND, appealed to the new National President of the NYC, Yakubu Shemda to reach out to the aggrieved to support his very good intentions of moving the country’s youths forward.

“The president must show that he is the true youth leader that has led Nigerian youths in the past by reaching out to the others to work for the common interest of the youth.

“The challenge confronting Nigerian youths will be better addressed with a united team and he must offer the leadership with his transformative agenda to improve the fortunes of Nigerian youths.

“This is the time to mobilise all segment of the youth population to stand and be counted in our quest to reinvent our nation and ensure the youth take their place in furthering a better Nigeria.

“It is believed that Shemda can achieve a lot if he is totally supported by all youths.

We must show we are the next generation leaders and that we are ready to lead when we are called upon. This present ugly situation can never help our cause; it is time to let go all our differences and embrace one another in the interest of youth development were also invited for the event. ”Four years on, the Amnesty Proclamation has generally met the desired goal, which is the stabilisation of security conditions in strategic Niger Delta. A total of 30,000 persons were enlisted in the Amnesty Programme. Of this number, 14,000 have been deployed to universities as well as vocational training centres both within and outside the country. Over 11,700 have graduated in various fields and several of them have been employed including 10 with the Nigerian Army and six with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), 40 with the Century Energy Group, five with SAP Drilling Oil and Gas Ltd and 30 with the

•From left: Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor, Mr Tunde Lemo; Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama; Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman and Vice President Namadi Sambo at the National Economic Council Meeting in Abuja

Proclad Group, Dubai, UAE,” Kuku said.

The Presidential aide also reiterated government resolve to terminate the programme by 2015.

He said though there is no going back on the exit date of 2015 for the Programme, Kuku however disclosed that the Amensty office would complete the training of all enrolled exmilitants. ”Beneficiaries who are pursuing long-term educational programmes shall duly hand over existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) who are statutorily empowered to oversee scholarship and training programmes of the Federal Government”.

Kulu said the Federal Government will pay a N65,000 monthly allowance to 30,000 ex-militants for the provision of critical infrastructure and impactful development projects in the region as contained in the Amnesty Proclamation to help stimulate economic growth of the region.

Four years on, the Amnesty Proclamation has generally met the desired goal, which is the stabilisation of security conditions in strategic Niger Delta

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

27

ABUJA REVIEW

T

FCT slates media walk for sickle cell

HE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has expressed its readiness to sensitise residents on sickle cell anaemia this month.

The Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Ademola Onakomaiya, said this at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.

He decried the stigma as well as sicklers’ lukewarm interest in sensitisation programmes.

“I intend to call people with sickle cell disease, people that are genotipically challenged because it’s not their own doing , we have been doing a lot on that, we have been having loads of sensitisation programme with some NGOs and the department of public health.

“We will enlighten them, empower them to know that this is you, you are better than the rest

Stories from Bukola Amusan

of us, you should explore your preventive strategy, don’t stress yourself, don’t do this emotionally. But because of the stigma associated with it, many people will not even want to come unless they have crisis, that is why it’s not that vibrant.

“You know you empower people, when you empower them, they decide better. Prevention is better than cure.

“We can have a media walk on sickle cell in July; it’s something that we can do. I tell people if we don’t do it, nobody will do it. Seventy per cent of our population is young. It’s for us to take charge of our country. It is for us to de-

We can have a media walk on sickle cell in July; it’s something that we can do. I tell people if we don’t do it, nobody will do it.

Seventy per cent of our population is young. It’s for us to take charge of our country. It is for us to decide where we want to go

cide where we want to go” On bone marrow transplant as a cure for sickle cell anemia, he said, “You can have a bone marrow and die tomorrow and have sickle cell and live forever.”

On the Karu District Hospital in FCT, the Secretary said it is expected to take off fully before the end of the year .

The secretary said all the various equipments needed are already on ground.

He said the contractors handling the construction of the hospital caused the delay,adding that the inability of the contractor to complete the job has brought untold hardship to residents of the area.

The completion of the hospital, he further stressed, will reduce the problem of congestion in hospitals especially those in the city

•Dr Onakomaiya

centre as well as the Asokoro and Nyanya General Hospitals.

Expressing disappointment at the slow pace of work on the contract which was awarded in 2005, with a completion period of 84 weeks, he urged the company to work towards meeting up the deadline or have it revoked and given to a more serious contactor.

According to him, four months is enough to complete the job insisting that the people of the area have suffered and that the FCT administration would not condone unserious approach towards important projects.

Agency takes measures against flooding

A

Nigerian youths

‘Why govt can’t empower every Nigerian youth’

T

HE Federal Government has said inappropriate placement of youth-related programmes in some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and poor implementation of government policy are responsible for the challenges facing youth empowerment programmes.

The Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdulkadir who made the position of the Federal Government known at the ongoing Ministerial platform in Abuja, said the non-implementation of the National Youth Policy is part of challenges hindering the ministry from making progress in youth related matter. ”The National Youth Policy provides that there will an inter-ministerial council to be called the National Youth Development Council under the chairmanship of the President.

“It will comprise all the chief executives of the core relevant ministries, to serve as forum and clearing house on all youth policy matters of national interest, this has not been implemented,” he said.

Abdukadir also decried lack of cooperation of some state and local

government authorities in the establishment of skill acquisition centers as stated in the national youth policy across the country. ”Problems associated with land allocation within areas where centres are to be built, as well as lack of appropriation for the ruining of the youth development centres and personnel,” he said.

The minister who further mentioned insufficient and late release of funds as part of challenges militating against the ministry, however, recommended “the need to refurbish and upgrade the existing the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (C&LTC) to meet up with its challenges and execute

its mandates”.

Abdulkadir maintained that in spite of challenges, the ministry would ensure “the completion of on-going national youth development centres in all the six geo-political zones of the country. ”Ensuring more young unemployed graduates are given required entrepreneurial, vocational and skills training in specialised vocation, so as to grow youth economy and thereby create wealth. ”Articulating integrating leadership and skill development modules in the training of youths as part of the ministry’s input in human capacity development for future

Inappropriate placement of youth-related programmes in some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and poor implementation of government policy are responsible for the challenges facing youth empowerment programmes in the country

leadership roles”.

On the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the minister noted that “the implementation of the approved expansion of the administrative structure of the scheme has worked, as it has helped to drive the policies of the scheme, thereby enabling it to cope with the dynamics of youth mobilisation and management for national development and self-reliance”.

He disclosed that “658 corps members were trained and empowered under the Millennium Development Goals to establish agro-enterprises and not less than 131, 659 corps members were given skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development training in the year 2012”.

Consequently, the minister called for the “release of more funds to the NYSC scheme for the implementation of its core programmes and for the conduct of skill acquisition training/empowerment of corps members, as well as the establishment of Youth Development Fund in line with global best practices”.

S part of effort to prevent flooding, the Department of Urban Affairs of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council said structures at flood- prone areas and under high tension wire will soon be demolished.

The FCTA said many of the buildings close to the flood plains have already been marked for demolition and clearing of drains has begun to allow free flow of water The Acting Directorof the department, Alhaji Liman Ibrahim disclosed this in Abuja at the flagoff of FCT flood awareness campaign.

The one -week sensitisation campaign that would be carried out in all the six area councils may not be unconnected with the recent predictions by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

Ibrahim stated that the sensitisation campaign was a wake-up call by all stakeholders to prepare for flood and adopt measures aimed at preventing, averting and containing flooding incidents.

According to him, “it is a wakeup call on our relevant stakeholders to take proactive measures towards preventing and tackling the incidence of flooding in the FCT, these measures include but not limited to clearance of drains to allow for free flow of storm water, demolition of illegal structures built on flood as well as early warning system”.

The sensitisation teams include officials from National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Fire Service, and Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.

Part of the flood- prone areas visited includes Dutse Alhaji, Dutse Magaranta, and Kubwa all in Buhari Area Council.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

ABUJA REVIEW

Honour for FCT Minister From Grace Obike

•Senator Mohammed

T

HE FCT Administration has won for Nigeria a United Nations’ Public Service Delivery Excellence Award in a keenly contested competition that had 601 entries across the world.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed received the prestigious award through the FCT Millennium Development Goals (MDG) performance on its mobile Public Health Care programme (MAILAFIYA) at the ongoing 2013 United Nations Public Service Forum in Manama, the capi-

tal of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

This is the first award won by Nigeria since the commencement of this global competition about 10 years ago, organised by the United Nations Organisation to encourage good governance and improve the standard of living of ordinary persons worldwide.

The elated FCT Minister after receiving the award expressed gratitude to God who made the day possible, the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan for his unwavering support as well as the FCT MDG team for its uncommon innovation to put smile on the faces of ordinary people who hardly get access to quality health services.

The minister expressed happiness for being able to use the FCT MDG programme (MAILAFIYA) to touch on the lives of ordinary residents of the Federal Capital Territory who in the past had suffered neglect.

Senator Mohammed remarked that the award is a certification of excellence by the United Nations which is the highest award, giving confidence to the donors and development partners.

According to him, “it is only a

sick person that knows the value of healthcare delivery and FCT Administration would continue to improve on this achievement in consonance with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan”.

He said further: “Our vision in creating the ‘Mailafiya programme’ is to establish a world class model of primary healthcare delivery through an integrated data managed mobile health strategy especially at the inaccessible areas in and around the entire 8,000 square kilometers of the Federal Capital Territory”.

The minister revealed that the programme has afforded the FCT Administration the desired op-

portunity to really reach out to the underserved like the rural poor; adding that Mailafiya is now an household name in 336 communities of the territory who have been enjoying this quality service.

Senator Mohammed disclosed that over 85,000 patients have enjoyed the Malaifiya programme in about four years of its existence.

He seized the opportunity to appreciate the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon for the special interest he has in Primary Health Care delivery and recalled his last visit to Nigeria where he commissioned the Primary Healthcare Centre in Dutse-Alhaji, a suburb

The ‘Mailafiya programme’ is to establish a world-class model of primary healthcare delivery through an integrated data managed mobile health strategy especially in inaccessible areas in the Federal Capital Territory

of Abuja.

The Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria came second in the public service delivery category while South Africa came first.

The Galaxy Backborn, Nigeria also came first in the fourth category, ‘Promoting whole-of-government approaches in the Information Age’.

Meanwhile, delegates from FCT Administration namely the Directors of Establishment and Training and the Economic Planning, Research and Statistics/ Chairman Project Implementation Committee of FCT MDG respectively earlier attended preaward seminar “Transformative e-Government & Innovation: creating better future for all” at the Bahrain International Circuit.

It may be noted that in all the categories, there were only 43 winners with Africa accounting for only six comprising Nigeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa.

The FCT Minister who was a guest of King Ahmed ibn Isa Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in company of some other governments’ delegations from other parts of the World were hosted to a private lunch at the King’s Palace.

Senator Bala also participated in a Ministerial Roundtable prelude to the award proper, where experiences and expertise were shared amongst the comity of nations.

Glo entertains Abuja youths

I

T was a night to remember as telecommunication giant Glo held Abuja residents spellbound at the maiden edition of the Glo Slide and Bounce.

The event, which took place at the expansive Thisday Dome, featured Nigeria’s finest artistes in concert.

But for the dexterity of the anchorman, Okey Bakasi, the restless youths were almost set to abandon the show which was scheduled to start 7pm. His hilarious jokes and recharge card freebies helped to defuse tension.

Eventually, at about 11pm, the concert started with the delectable Chi, whose youthfulness charmed the crowd. Next came Bezhiwa Idakula, otherwise known as Bez. His performance, tailored along Asa’s style, was refreshing for the crowd that has started warming up to the party.

Waje and her sonorous voice stepped onto the stage with some cool tunes before Naeto C climbed the stage to pull the roof down with one hit song after another. He gave Abuja a tip of what made him a top-rated music artiste in Nigeria. Being a showman, the youthful crowd did not only follow him round the hall as he climbed one table after the other to get closer to the crowd; they sand along with him.

By this time, the crowd went wild when Burna Boy took to the stage. The Port Harcourt-based new sensation did not disappoint the crowd as he lived up to his rating. The crowd sang along with him too as he reeled

•Lagbaja performing on stage From Dele Anofi

out his hits.

Omawumi took her turn and the energy she brought to the stage was electrifying. The Abuja youths did not disappoint her as the response showed that she was well appreciated.

In the words of the Glo Divisional Director, North West), Kemi Kaka, the idea behind the concert was not only to give back to the teeming customers of the telecom outfit but also to show appreciation to the youths from the federal capital city and its environs.

“As you can see, we have to control the crowd which was

why we stated that it is strictly on invitation. The size of this crowd shows how much our brand is appreciated. The event mainly is to provide opportu-

nity for our youths and so that is why we are also going to unlock one youth here”.

The Minister of Culture, Duke Edem, who came in a little after

Government’s role is to provide the enabling environment for events like this to be sustained, going by the added value attached to them for our youths.

As a government, we are encouraging other private sector players to emulate what Glo is doing

midnight, expressed the appreciation of the government for the event while assuring that government is determined to provide the enabling platform for such events to take place around the country.

“Government’s role is to provide the enabling environment for events like this to be sustained, going by the added value attached to it for our youths. As a government, we are encouraging other private sector players to emulate what Glo is doing,” he added.

The masked one, Lagbaja and P Square also ensured that the show lived up to its billing with scintillating performances.

29

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

‘

“The risks that a person may be wrongly convicted of a crime he or she has not committed will always remain with society, so long as justice systems are managed by humans who are liable to error. It is tragic to err with human life, and the death penalty is basically about saying that it is okay to take the chance. No, it is not okay to take the chance.

’

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

INSIDE: Lawyer seeks true federalism -Page 31

Mandela as the ultimate beacon

See page 31

Capital punishment remains a thorny issue. The execution of four condemned men in Edo State on June 17 shows how emotional the issue can be. The men were executed following President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to governors to sign the warrants of those on death the row. Global watchdog Amnesty International and rights activists have condemned the action, but the Presidency insists that the Edo government acted in good faith. Can death penalty deter capital crime? ADEBISI ONANUGA asks.

Should death penalty be abolished?

• Execution of four condemned men in Edo stirs controversy

-Page 32

‘Pitfalls to avoid in money laundering cases’

-Page 33

A push for efficient criminal justice system

-Page 34

Courts and budget: Implications for access to justice

•Jonathan

•Adoke

• SEE STORY ON PAGE 30

Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN), a graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was called to the Bar in 1985. He obtained his Master of Law (LL.M) and Doctor of Philosophy in Law (Ph.D) in 1989 and 2000 from the University of Jos. He is the chairman, Criminal Justice Reform Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He is also a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, near Jos in Plateau State. In this interview with Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU, he speaks on the standard of legal practice, criminal laws, his committee and national issues.

-Page 35

Lawyers urge caution on foreign colleagues

C

-Page 36 •Garba

‘Our criminal laws are dead’

an you tell us your experience on the first day in court?

It was not a very pleasant experience, though I stood my ground because I had my facts and the law on my side. I did tremble for a while for lack of experience, but I was confident. At the end of the case, my confidence was justified.

How will you compare law practice in your early days at the Bar with it is now?

During my early days at the Bar, lawyers were more serious and wellgrounded in the law; we were more disciplined. Our main preoccupation was to learn by all means at our own expense. I started practice without receiving a kobo.

I was sent to places and the only thing I earned was my transport allowance. The •Continued on page 31

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

30

LAW COVER CONT’D

Should death penalty be abolished?

• Continued from page 29

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan stirred up the hornest’s nest when he directed governors to sign the death warrants of condemned prisoners.

Speaking at the Fathers’ Day celebration organised by the Presidential Villa Chapel, he urged the governors not to shy away from their statutory responsibility by not signing the warrants.

It is believed that the president issued the directive to hasten the execution of the over 900 convicts awaiting the hangman’s noose and to decongest the prisons.

Jonathan said governors must be willing to carry out their responsibilities, “no matter how painful”, in accordance with the law.

“These days, because of modern life, discipline is almost gone. Discipline can be in various forms. In the states, it could be admonition. Magistrates can just admonish and allow him (offenders) to go. From admonition to various forms of punishments, it could be imprisonment. The extreme is capital punishment.

“In the case of capital punishment, the governors will sign (the death sentence). Even governors sometimes find it difficult to sign. I have been telling them that they must sign, because that is the law. The works we are doing have a very sweet and a very ugly part and we must perform both. No matter how painful it is, it is part of their responsibilities,” Jonathan said.

But it seems the governors are reluctant tp sign such warrants since the return to civil rule in 1999.

Their reason was reinforced by the civil societies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who have remained at the vanguard of agitations for the preservation of the life of condemned prisoners.

The Criminal Procedure Act of states provides that governors should okay death sentences of condemned criminals before execution. Of the 36 governors, only two, the former Governors of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, have confirmed the sentences passed by the court on some convicts, since 1999.

Four condemned prisoners, Osaremwinda Aiguohian, Chima Ejiofor, Richard Igagu and Daniel Nsofor, were executed in Edo State on the second day of the presidential directive while another, ThankGod Eboha, is waiting to be executed by firing squad as stated in the judgment of the court that condemned him. The appeals of the condemned prisoners were said to have gone through the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria before the Edo State Governor, Comrade Oshiomhole, signed their death warrants.

The action of Oshiomhole has, however, been trailed by condemnations by civil society groups, Amnesty International, National Human Rights Commission and the international community, among others, which are campaigning for the abolition of death sentences on the ground that it is no longer fashionable.

The administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, brought the country back into the fold of the Commonwealth countries, from which it was suspended in 1995, following the execution of Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa by the late Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

In January 2000, Obasanjo pardoned convicted prisoners who had been awaiting execution for over 20 years.

He also commuted to life terms the death sentences of some who had spent between 10 and 20 years awaiting the hangman.

In October 2002, Obasanjo told a meeting of an HOC delegation visiting Nigeria that he was committed to saving lives and not eliminating them.

He said he adhered to HOC’s campaign for a moratorium on executions and that he was committed to it “here in our country and internationally.”

•Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloma Mukhtar

•Hon (SAN)

•Falana (SAN)

Accordingly, Obasanjo set up two groups to look into how the prison system could be reformed and decongested.

The National Study Group on Death Penalty, established in 2004, and the Presidential Commission on Reform of the Administration of Justice, established in 2007, recommended a moratorium on executions because the criminal justice system could not guarantee fair trial.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun granted amnesty to seven prisoners, including two condemned prisoners, Messrs Rasidi Yisau and Saburi Adebayo, whose death sentence was commuted to life in January last year.

Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, to mark the Democracy Day in 2011, commuted the death sentences passed on three people, Sunday John, Ayodele Ikuomenihan and Oluwatimilehin Ifaramoye, who were to die by hanging for murder, and have been awaiting execution since September 2006, to life imprisonment.

Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema commuted the death sentence on eight prisoners to life imprisonment in commemoration of Ramadan on August 21, 2011. They were Musa Dauda, Shehu Idi Magaye, Nura Sabo, Samanu Salisu, Shittu Jubrin, Aminu Sada, Abdulkarim Mohammed and Friday Patrick due to good behaviour, their length of stay in prison, and the fact that they had not killed anyone.

Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on February 2012, at a town hall meeting in Umeh Community, Isoko South Council Area, said he would not sign death warrants.

He said as a medical doctor he was trained to save lives and not to kill. As at December last year, there were about 970 inmates on death row. The figure comprises 951 males and 19 females. They are alive because of the refusal of past governors to sign their execution orders.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Kayode Odeyemi, said the figure was high because the prison authority cannot carry out executions without the green light from governors whom he said were reluctant to sign death warrants.

In Huntsville, State of Texas, believed to be the United States of America (USA) most busiest death penalty state, a confessed killer, Elroy Chester, was executed on June 13, this year.

Chester, convicted for being responsible for the 1988 shooting of Port Arthur firefighter Willie Ryman III, was the 499th prisoner to be executed in Texas since 1982.

The state also had another solemn moment in criminal justice last week with the execution of another convicted killer, Kimberly McCarthy. She

was the 500th person executed. The 52year-old also would be the first woman to be executed in the US since 2010.

Lawyers, citing relevant provisions expressed divergent views.

They include the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, Mohammed Adoke; Mrs Funke Adekoya (SAN); Sebastine Hon (SAN); Femi Falana (SAN); Abujabased lawyer Paul Nnamdi; Executive Director, Access to Justice, Mr.Joseph Otteh; the National Coordinator, Legal Defence &Assistance Project (LEDAP), Mr. Chino Obiagwu.

Adoke said death penalty is provided in the Constitution as punishment for capital offences.

He said the global campaign against it has not reached the stage where everybody agrees on the need to abolish death penalty. He noted that most offences that attract death sentence are state offences created by state laws. He said the states, under existing laws, are right in signing death warrants and urged them to sign the warrants of those on death row. He said if the need arises for the abolition of death row, the law would be amended by the states.

Mrs. Adekoya said it was unfortunate that Nigeria has decided not to comply with the UN moratorium on executions after it gave an undertaking to do so to the international community. But she noted that each country has to take whatever decisions it believes to be in the best interest of its citizens. Texas in the United States implements the death penalty in spite of the 2006 UN moratorium and the fact that the US has a seat on the UN Security Council. According to her, our Foreign Affairs Minister would have to make the case to the UN as to why we have reneged on our undertaking.

On whether the president was on the right with the directive on death warrants, she said he was right in directing that the provisions of the Constitution be enforced.

To her, Nigeria is not in breach of the 2006 moratorium “since our Constitution, specifically, allows for the death penalty while the 2006 moratorium is, at best, a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ not to apply our constitutional right to execute felons who have been sentenced to death.

The moratorium is not binding and enforceable in the same manner as a treaty would be under international law, until it is domesticated into our national laws.

On how best to handle condemned prisoners, Mrs. Adekoy, said: “The Nigerian Bar Association and human rights activists should challenge the death penalty on the ground that it constitutes cruel and inhuman punishment, as does an extended period

of imprisonment on death row, having been found guilty, been sentenced to death but not executed.

On those grounds their sentences should be commuted to life imprisonment.”

Hon said though the world is a global village, the level of interference in the internal constitutional and political affairs of sovereign nations by the so-called superpowers was disturbing.

He condemned what he termed the bare-faced perfidy and shameless double standard that accompanies such unsolicited interventions.

“A 58-year- old Black American was executed in the USA in compliance with a court judgment! While this was going on in the USA, the NGOs and human rights organisations did not pull down the heavens. Why are they always breathing down orders on sovereign states? Where is public international law? Also, unlike other climes, Section 33 of our Constitution clearly permits death sentence.

Without amending these provisions, how can we suddenly start following the superpowers willy-nilly? I mean that this posturing is most annoying and smacks of neocolonialism. I detest it without apology,” he said.

Though he admitted not having had the privilege of seeing the terms of the UN moratorium and the extent of our commitment, he said a moratorium in legal parlance is suspension of action and that it cannot be permanent.

“If, at all, such moratorium is binding, why was a Black woman executed last week in the USA? Or is the USA not part of the deal that led to the signing of the moratorium agreement? If death penalty has become such a devilish governmental policy, why would the USA refuse to be part of an agreement that would suspend it even if for a short period?

Anyhow one answers these posers, the double standard element will poke out its nose very patently,” he said.

Hon recalled that the Supreme Court, over time, has refused to declare death penalty unconstitutional.

According to him, a former NBA President, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), in 1994 took up the matter with the Supreme Court. But the apex court maintained a straight face. As late as 2012, the Supreme Court still held in Amoshima vs. State that the death penalty is constitutional.

He is, however, pessimistic about supporting the president in view of the “high rate of violent crimes or there is the need to decongest our prisons. I can only say that since Section 33 of our Constitution remains unamended, the Edo executions are valid in the eyes of the law. Having said that, I think the President acted too fast in his response. If I were him, I would keep mum but still support Mr. Oshiomhole. Silence is golden in such situations, especially, if the other side is highly unreasonable or has some insidious intentions”, he said.

He, however, stressed the need for prison reforms. To him, condemned prisoners still enjoy some constitutional rights. “Even if one is condemned to death and is on death row, he enjoys all the rights enjoyable by

‘The Nigerian Bar Association and human rights activists should challenge the death penalty on the ground that it constitutes cruel and inhuman punishment, as does an extended period of imprisonment on death row, having been found guilty, been sentenced to death but not executed. On those grounds their sentences should be commuted to life imprisonment.’

other human beings, within the precincts of the prisons. If, for instance, you murder him, you will be guilty of murder, his death row status notwithstanding. So the solution is prison reforms. We can talk about that one on a later date,” he said.

A Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), said: “If the directive is carried out in utter violation of the constitutional right of appeal of over 900 convicts and they are killed before the determination of their appeals, it will tantamount to crime against humanity for which the president may be charged and tried before the International Criminal Court.”

Falana said the call by the President did not take cognizance of the moratorium placed on the death penalty in 2006 by the UN. “As a responsible member of the international community, Nigeria has so far honoured the terms of the moratorium. Indeed, it is on the basis of the moratorium and the recommendations of the Prerogative of Mercy Committees of the states that a number of condemned prisoners have had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment by some governors,” he noted.

Falana drew the attention of Jonathan to some decided cases to back his arguments on why governors should not be compelled to sign the warrant for the immediate execution of condemned prisoners. “In the case of Nosiru Bello versus Attorney- General(AG) of Oyo State (198) 2 N.S.C.C. 1257 the Supreme Court condemned the government of Oyo State for executing a convicted armed robber whose appeal was pending at an appellate court.

Speaking for the apex court, the Late Justice Anthony Aniagolu said: “This is the first case in this country, of which I am aware, in which a legitimate government of this country – past or present; colonial or indigenous – hastily and illegally snuffed off the life of an appellant whose appeal had vested and was in being, with no order of court upon the appeal, and with a reckless disregard for the life and liberty of the subject and the principles of the rule of law. The brutal incident has bespattered the face of the Oyo State Government with the paintbrush of shame.”

He added: “It is pertinent to draw the attention of the President to the recent decision of James Ajulu and others versus Attorney-General of Lagos State (Unreported Suit No. ID/ 76M/2008) where the Lagos High Court (Per Olokoba J.) held that while the death penalty is not unconstitutional the execution of the applicant (condemned prisoners) by firing squad or hanging is unconstitutional as it violates the fundamental right of the applicants to dignity guaranteed by Section 34 of the Constitution.

“When Nigeria was under military rule there was no right of appeal from special military tribunals set up by military dictators to try people charged with treason, armed robbery and other capital offences. In fact, I had to obtain a court order to restrain a military governor from approving the execution of the so called 12 “kid robbers” who were wrongly sentenced to death by an armed robbery tribunal in Lagos State in 1989. ”But the situation is different under a democratic dispensation where anyone sentenced to death is entitled to the constitutional right of appeal. To that extent, the President’s directive cannot be carried out in respect of most of the condemned prisoners whose appeals are pending in either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court,”he said.

Falana wondered why President Jonathan was expressing concern over prison congestion when he has just signed the so-called Prison Exchange Bill, which has legalised the dumping of Nigerians convicted abroad on our • Continued on page 31

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

31

LAW AND SOCIETY

Lawyer seeks true federalism

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LEGAL practitioner, Dr. Kanyinsola Ajayi (SAN), has said for Nigeria to move forward, it must embrace true federalism.

Dr. Ajayi stated this in a lecture titled “Agenda for reform of Nigeria Tax System” he delivered to mark the 50th birthday of the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka.

Dr.Ajayi (SAN), who is a Managing Partner at Olaniwun Ajayi Law Firm, said fiscal federalism should allow for independence and responsibility of the respective tiers of government and that every state should have the authority to develop their sources of revenue within their own ambit.

He faulted the generally acceptable mode of allocating power, functions and resources among the federal, state and local governments.

“Historically, Nigeria has faced a long battle with developing a generally accepted mode of allocating power, function and resources among the federal, state and local governments. At the centre of most national conflicts in Nigeria is the determination of what constitutes Federal revenue and how it should be shared”, he said.

Ajayi while criticising the revenue sharing formula of the country

By Adebisi Onanuga

noted that the Federal Government is allocated over 50 per c ent of the revenue from the federation account while all the states and local governments in the federation share the remaining.

“In view of the little allocation to the States and Local Government, most states of the Federation repeatedly agitate for increase in revenue allocation to the state and also feel compelled to activate their revenue generation capacities by imposing on their citizens a universe of taxes,” he said.

He commended the tax policy of the Lagos State Government which has focused on improved internally generated revenue by widening the tax net, noting that the funds so generated were been spent judiciously to fund development projects in the state.

He also noted that revenue collection and administration among levels of government should be bases on administration efficiency and fiscal independence with each level of government having the capacity to raise adequate resources to meet its needs and responsibilities.

Ajayi remarked that the effort of Lagos State Government is impressive, especially concerning the establishment of an independent and efficient agency, the Lagos State

Internal Revenue Services, for tax administration.

He, however, cautioned the state to always ensure that it does not fall into the class of law-breakers in its bid to generate revenue towards maintaining its pride of place as the state of choice in Nigeria.

The Attorney-General expressed joy at the honour given to him by the university community and the tax club for such a wonderful idea and the guests for making the lecture memorable.

Ipaye said under the fiscal federalism, certain aspects of the tax system are unconstitutional and hence called for an urgent review of the federal tax law.

He said the revenue allocation formula where by 52 per cent goes to the Federal Government, 26 per cent to the 36 states and about 20.7 per cent to local government is faulty and should be reviewed.

Ipaye said the state government generates revenue internally for the development of the state, as the federally allocated revenue is grossly inadequate.

The lecture which was organised by the tax club of the Faculty of Law, UNILAG, was in recognition of Ipaye’s immense contribution to tax reform and development of tax administration in Nigeria.

Should death penalty be abolished?

• Continued from page 30

prisons. He also wondered why the President, who is desirous to liquidate 900 prisoners on death row would direct the local ill-congested prisons to receive about 1000 Nigerians serving jail terms in British prisons.

He said it had become immoral to continue to execute victims of official corruption while the perpetrators of the heinous crime are allowed to enjoy their loot under dubious plea bargain deals arranged for them by the Federal Government.

He urged President Jonathan to stop his directive. “Instead of asking for the blood of those described as victims of socio-economic injustice in the land, the President Jonathan should declare a state of emergency on official corruption which has become a component part of the Transformation agenda,” he advised.

Nnamdi, who is based in Abuja, said since the Constitution provides for death penalty and there are laws supporting it, there is nothing anyone can do about it. He noted that even the US death penalty has not been abolished. He cited the State of Texas where the penalty is practised. He also cited Singapore, China, Korea, among others, which still allow death penalty.

He noted that since offences that attract death are capital, people campaigning for their abolition should direct their energies to discourage people from engaging in crime.

He wondered why people who commit murder, engage in armed robbery are afraid to die.

High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton, also condemned the execution of the criminals, describing it as the “most regrettable setback to Nigeria’s human rights record.

“I deeply regret the execution of four prisoners in Edo State, Nigeria,” Ms. Ashton said.

“This represents a break of a sevenyear moratorium on the death penalty and is a most regrettable setback to Nigeria’s human rights record. It goes against the commitment repeatedly made by the Nigerian authorities, most recently at the EU-Nigeria human rights dialogue held in Abuja in March and at the annual Ministerial meeting in Brussels in May, this year, to maintain the de facto moratorium on executions.”

Though the envoy said she

•Mrs. Adekoya (SAN)

•Otteh

recognised the serious nature of the crimes involved, and sympathised with the families and friends of the victims, she said the executions can never be justified and reiterated EU’s long-standing opposition to the use of the death penalty.

Ashton, who restated the importance of the UN Resolutions calling for the establishment of a moratorium as a first step towards abolishing the death penalty, urged the Federal government to refrain from further executions.

While calling for a review of the laws authorising governors to sign execution warrants, the diplomat also urged Nigeria to join the strong abolitionist trend which prevails on the African continent, adding: “As a first step towards abolition, I strongly encourage Nigeria to amend its legislation in order to end the use of the death penalty as sole sentence for a number of crimes.”

Otteh described President Jonathan’s call misplaced and unprincipled. “Let’s address the lack of principle first. Not long ago, President Jonathan took the unpopular and widely denounced step of the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who is both a fugitive from justice and a convicted felon.

“Why does one felon deserve a state pardon and another the enforcement of the death penalty?

Some of those whose lives hang on a balance on death row have probably only robbed out of a necessity to survive. Those who get the pardon rob out of what? Because they did not know where their next

meals will come from?

“Is it not the State’s failure to provide Nigerians with decent livelihoods or employment arising from the horrendous stealing of public resources that fuels economic crimes? Coming from President Jonathan, the advice to Governors has quite a bit of the scent of hypocrisy,” he said.

He said death penalty is so objectionable because it carries social costs no society will want to contend with.

“The risks that a person may be wrongly convicted of a crime he or she has not committed will always remain with society, so long as justice systems are managed by humans who are liable to error. It is tragic to err with human life, and the death penalty is basically about saying that it is okay to take the chance. No, it is not okay to take the chance,” he added.

Similarly, Mr Obiagwu said LEDAP’s position on death penalty is also borne out of the conviction that the government cannot continue to ignore the need for reform of the criminal justice system. This was aptly captured in the report of the National Study Group on Death Penalty set up by the government in 2004. It states that a system that must take life must first give justice.

“LEDAP uses this medium to call on Mr President and the governors to respect the existing unofficial moratorium on death penalty in the country; implement the findings of its own commission; and adhere to its international and regional obligations on peoples’ right by waiting for the outcome of the communication against it pending before the African Commission,” he pleaded.

Our criminal laws are dead •Continued from page 29

emphasis then was learning and training. Nowadays, young lawyers are no longer interested in learning and training. They are not well grounded and are not ready to learn. They are only chasing money at the expense of their clients, some can neither speak nor write good English which is the basic tool for advocacy. I believe it is the educational standard that is falling drastically. Even some of the teachers are not well trained. What you have is garbage in and garbage out.

What is happening to the Criminal Justice Reform Committee?

The Criminal Justice Reform Committee was recently reconstituted by President, Okey Wali (SAN). It was hitherto chaired by A. B. Mahmud (SAN) between 2010-2012. I am privileged to Chair the same Committee now. It is a matter of delight that I have eminent and committed members of the Bar who are serving in the committee. As soon as I took over from Mahmud, I mooted the idea that although a committee of 12, there was the need to break it down into subcommittees for effective delivery.

Consequently, we constituted the policy and Practice Committee which’s chaired by Prof. Yemi AkinseyeGeorge (SAN); Action/Implementation Committee is headed by the alternate Chair and former General Secretary of the Bar, Hon. Nimi WalsonJack and I preside over the Conference Committee.

This committee has been working in synergy towards the fulfillment of its mandate which are to ensure that law enforcement policies and practices employed to investigate, charge and prosecute individuals are appropriate and accurate to organise conferences, colloquium, workshop and round table that will ensure an effective system by making policy makers evaluate and propose recommendations for better criminal justice system in Nigeria; to study and come out with recommendations on the administration of criminal justice bill worked upon by the PIJR set up by the HAGF; to redefine the roles of Security and AntiCrime Agencies in the attainment of Criminal justice; o unify, harmonise and modernise the Criminal Code and the Penal Code and keep them relevant to the needs of our contemporary society; and to identify obstacles in the apprehension and prompt prosecution of offenders.

Another is to formulate practice direction for prosecutors and a total revamp of criminal trials to enhance the speedy dispensation of justice.

The committee has written to various bodies and organisations, both governmental and civil societies to partner with them towards the fulfillment of its mandate. We have visited the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), among others, to make our presence felt and to solicit for support of stakeholders. The challenges in the administration of criminal justice are enormous, but with commitment they shall be overcome.

The welfare of young lawyers has remained the cardinal focus of every NBA administration. How do you think we can keep improving on this?

The welfare of young lawyers must be of importance to the NBA. They are the future leaders and unless we invest in them, the future of the legal profession will be uncertain. It is, therefore, fundamental that the young lawyer, realises his full potentials, define, identify his position and role as the future leader at the Bar, this is the beginning. It is only a serious minded lawyer that is bound to make his future certain and his welfare guaranteed. The Bar must support the effort of the young lawyer and help him not only in having a conducive atmosphere to practise, but also in living in accordance with the sweat he exacts to make legal practice worthwhile for his seniors. The seniors must be ready at all times to support their juniors realise their potentials both in terms of

•Garba

training, learning and their welfare. It does not hurt a senior to ask his junior to handle certain personal briefs that attract some money that will make him a little comfortable without looking back and asking whether such treatment were meted out to him while he was a junior lawyer.

Our laws have been blamed for the hitches in criminal justice administration. What do you think and how would you appraise the role of the legislature in this respect?

There is no gainsaying that our criminal laws have outlived their usefulness for almost half a century. What baffles me is that it is only recently that some serious thought was given to the administration of criminal justice system. The reforms that have been engineered by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Legislature (House of Representatives) are commendable. This is the first step that is taken by the government to reform the criminal justice system. The challenges are, no doubt, enormous but I must commend the leadership of the House of Representatives and the Ministry of Justice for the bold initiative.

The Administration of the Criminal Justice Bill now before the House of Representative has come out with a lot of reforms and it is gratifying to note that Victim-Compensation regime has finally landed on safe grounds.

What are the achievements of your committee since its inauguration?

The committee was inaugurated towards the end of November 2012. I have said the committee has reached out to stakeholders to partner with them to fulfil its mandate and have been receiving favourable response and the committee has been part and parcel of the reform effort that has culminated in the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill that is before the House of Representatives.

What informed your choice of the topic of this year’s conference?

The committee will organise the Third Criminal Justice Reform Conference in Minna, Niger State, between July 23 and 25, this year and this time, it will be a conference with a difference. The theme of the conference is: “Criminal justice reform in Nigeria: Implementation by stakeholders, the two previous conferences had concentrated on academic and intellectual discourse. This one will be looking at how the recommendations of the previous conferences have been implemented.

We want to be practical and pragmatic in our approach so that the common man will feel the impact of the proposed reforms which we have started witnessing by the administration of Criminal Justice Bill. We will assemble stakeholders and showcase the reforms they have recommended, strategies for implementation and how far they have gone with the implementation.

There have been calls for the globalisation of legal practice. What is your view?

Globalisation is inevitable in every sphere of our lives. This world has become a global village. The legal world has since realised this trend which is the reason behind the International Bar Association. I fully support the idea.

32

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

LAW AND SOCIETY LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com

Mandela as the ultimate beacon

•From left: Island Club Vice-Chairman Alhaji Deji Salako; Tambuwal; Club Chairman Prince Ademola Dada and Lagos Commissioner for Special Duties Dr Wale Ahmed who represented Governor Babatunde Fashola

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How Legislature can be independent, by Tambuwal

O legislature can be truly independent if it relies on another branch of government to supply it information, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has said.

He said the legislature cannot wait on another arm to help it analyse data or lead the way in finding solutions to the myriad problems plaguing society.

“It must insist on participating in the formation of policy and not be a rubber-stamp for executive proposals,” the Speaker said.

According to him, if Nigeria’s democracy must grow, the challenge is to see how the legislative branch can be developed to remain true to the tenets of representative democracy and the legislative system.

Tambuwal, a lawyer and member of the Body of Benchers, delivered this year’s Business Lecture of the Island Club. He spoke on the theme: The Legislature and the growth of our democracy.

According to him, constitutionally, the legislature has three fundamental functions: representation, legislation and what is often referred to as oversight, and for it to be effective, it must be able to perform creditably in the three areas.

To perform those functions, the Speaker said the legislature must first develop a capacity to think independently, to understand complex issues of governance and policy, and to be capable of verifying information through its own sources and techniques.

He said any legislature performing its representative functions, therefore, must have firsthand knowledge of the real needs of the people and must be at the forefront of making sure those needs are met.

He believes it is not only odd, but brazen arrogance for anyone to pretend to know what is good for the country better than those that the people elected to be their voices, their representatives and their mouthpiece.

Tambuwal said when the House insists on having a say in the determination of constituency projects, the members are merely saying that they have first-hand knowledge of what the people’s needs are more than anyone else.

This, he explained, is because they represent and interact more

By Joseph Jibueze

intimately with those who will use the infrastructure, services and facilities.

“When we say the budget for this or that should be raised or lowered, we are not just engaging in idle talk or muscle flexing.

“We speak because the lives of our people are involved, because we are the voice of those who do not have the financial or political clout to make their words count.

“We speak because we must, because it is our job to hold brief for the people who elected us to prosecute their case.

“When we insist on asking how the money appropriated was spent or try to hold some government official to account, we are merely acting as guardians of the commonwealth, and making sure that the people get value for their money so that a nation blessed with such abundance does not continue to remain at the bottom rung where poverty, diseases and death are rampant,” Tambuwal said.

The Speaker said democracy demands sovereignty of the people and equality before the law, adding that a people cannot be said to be sovereign unless their interests become the foremost reason for governance.

This, he said, cannot happen unless the arm of government which represents them exercises the latitude to do its work without threat or blackmail.

“Part of the duty of the legislature is to act as a counterweight and constantly balance the powers of the executive so that we can avoid the problems that will otherwise arise.

“If we fail to act as a check and a balance, we would be aiding and abetting a crime.

“There is no way that democracy can thrive unless the three

arms of government respect their constitutionally assigned roles and cooperate together for the benefit of our country.

“As members of the House of Representatives, we shall continue to work towards the sustenance of our hard earned democracy for the benefit of our people,” Tambuwal said.

At the end of the lecture, the Speaker was conferred with a membership of the Island Club, with number 7620.

“I accept with a sense of humility to be a member of the Island Club. I will abide by the rules and regulations of the club so long as they don’t conflict with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Tambuwal said.

Before the lecture, members of the club had jokingly asked him to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join the newlyformed All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Speaker said he would put it to a voice vote. Although those in favour of him joining APC were in the majority with the large chorus of “Ayee!” Tambuwal said: “The “Nays” have it.”

He was also presented with a commemorative plaque to mark the lecture.

Among lawmakers who accompanied Tambuwal are Yomi Ogunnusi, Rafeequat Onamamiro, Lanre Odubote, Deji Jakande, Moruf Fatai, Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, Babatunde Adewale, Usaman Bawa, Chief Whip Ishaka Bawa, Deputy Minority Whip Garba Muhammed, Adenekan Ifelodun, Victor Ogene, Razaq Bello-Osagie, and Akinloye Hazeez.

Among Island Club members present were Secretary Diji VeraCruz, Treasurer Deacon Femi Aborowa, Social Secretary Aare Kamorudeen Danjuma, Assistant Social Secretary Jide Winsala, among others.

When we insist on asking how the money appropriated was spent or try to hold some government official to account, we are merely acting as guardians of the commonwealth, and making sure that the people get value for their money so that a nation blessed with such abundance does not continue to remain at the bottom rung where poverty

T

HE African political desert is sprouting oasis here and there. The economies of a number of countries in the continent are reportedly growing, at an average of five per cent plus. Even the widespread brutal war-fare in the past decades, as alternative to politics or brinkmanship, seems to peter out. What is, however, not certain is how long it will take the people to feel safe enough, to intuitively demand accountability in the exercise of public power as a right; instead of a rare privilege or aberrations in a continent desolate for centuries.

Interestingly as Africa totters at this historic juncture, the supreme iconic brand for the continent, Nelson Mandela, is graciously bowing out.

Even more interesting is that Africa has also been able to export what it lacked most - accountable public service, to the most powerful country in the world – the United States. In the past week, that proud export of our continent, President Barak Obama, as a dutiful son should do, came home to wish our dear Madiba, a safe journey to the ancestral homestead. President Obama, however, made sure that he sent a historic warning to the wayward siblings, particularly Nigeria and Kenya; that the time for accountability has come, by ignoring their sense of entitlements, and refusing to visit them. This natural cycle of departure as epitomised by Madiba, and new birth, as represented by Barak, shows that Africa can not forever remain entirely bad news; as her time will surely come.

Madiba’s ascendency as the ultimate world hero did not come cheap.

It cost him 27 years in jail. Even before that life changing journey to prison, Mandela had with his comrades in the African National Congress (ANC), devoted their whole being to the liberation of their people from the apartheid regime. While in prison, he grew in stature to become the scourge of the regime, the ultimate national sacrificial lamb, and the beacon of hope for a free country. When he regained his personal freedom, his country also gained its freedom. As the first President of a multiracial South Africa, Madiba refused to be vengeful.

He did not use his executive powers to hunt down his jailers and their collaborators. He resisted the common malaise of his colleagues, to turn to an ‘African big man’, with fat bank accounts and mansions in Europe and North America that they never get to sleep in. He served for a single term in office, and went ahead to hand over to the younger generation, in a free and fair election.

Mandiba did not seek to continue to determine who gets what in his country, after leaving power. He did not organise dubious fund raising ventures for personal aggrandisement while in office; or corner for himself and his cronies’ prime national assets through fraudulent privatisation exercises. While in office, Madiba, did not appropriate the natural resources of the country through a criminal licensing process, neither did he acquire prime real estates of the people, through a dubious legislation. President Mandela resisted the company of criminals parading themselves as leaders, and was ready to call their bluff, despite that they could donate to dubious projects in his village.

He rejected the temptation that power is everything, preferring always the high moral ground, whether while in power and out of political power; marking him out today and for a very long time to come, as the ultimate world moral authority.

His company and endorsement was sought after by the most powerful political, economic, religious and social leadership of the world.

Entertainment icons, business moguls, presidents, kings, athletes, all sought to meet him. President Obama, equated him with Ghandi of India, as his moral mentors. To underscore their spiritual bonding, Obama’s earlier planned trip to Africa coincided with President Mandela’s final journey, to immortality. It is hoped that President Obama will also go further than peddling his huge influence, to practically help Africans. He could use his powers to design programs that will force political and economic changes in Africa. President Obama can use his intellect to convince his white cousins that Africa is not an immutable basket case; particularly as modern economic growths have confirmed.

The United States, no doubt, has the biggest influence in the world, and President Obama can use that to help Africa to fight corruption and economic underdevelopment. Obama can use his adopted country’s intelligence to track and repatriate corrupt African monies across the world. He can influence as I have previously argued on this column, the establishment of International Economic Court, to try the ‘African Big Men’ who have grown too big for their local judicial systems. He can also weigh in economically in Africa by establishing something akin to the Marshall plan that elevated the European economy after the world wars.

The political elite must also wake up on their own, even when President Obama has chosen to allow them to slumber in their mess.

They must realise that it is in their self-interest to stop their doodling in corruption. It is also foolhardy on their part to think that our country will continue to exist, if they don’t stop the economic rape passed off as political leadership in the country. From the presidency to the councilors, our leaders should take a lesson in the life of the Madiba.

As his life clearly shows, the stature of a leader is not measured by how much of the public wealth, such a leader has appropriated for personal benefits. Rather, it is selfless sacrifices that endear leaders to their people. As President Obama makes his preferences, the Nigeria’s political leadership for one can not blame him, for ignoring our country, which clearly is not abhorrent to corruption.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

33

LAW & SOCIETY HOW lawyers can avoid being held for money laundering as a result of their clients’ activities was among the issues discussed at the yearly law week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos branch. PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU reports

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‘Pitfalls to avoid in money laundering cases’

LTHOUGH the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has chal lenged the legality of the Money Laundering Act 2011, which compels lawyers to declare financial transactions with the clients in court, lawyers were last week taught how to relate with their clients in order to avoid being indicted for money laundering.

Participants at the NBA Lagos branch “money laundering vs the legal practitioner” session, which was part of events to mark the branch’s law week, were enlightened by renowned legal scholars and practitioners on how to do their jobs without aiding and abating the crime.

The session, which was chaired

by Rickey Tarfa (SAN), had Mrs. Funke Adekoya (SAN), Prof. Akin Oyebode and Mrs. Ngozi GiwaAmu as speakers.

Referring to countries such as Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom, Mrs Adekoya noted that legal practitioners across the globe have always staged a legal war against enactments that conflict with their codes of professional ethics.

She said lawyers indirectly get involved in money laundering through the use of the lawyer’s client account by criminal clients as a bank account to deposit criminal proceeds for onward transmission to various payees on the instructions of the client; through management of clients’ money or other assets; using his/her name to acquire bank accounts, credit cards or loan agreement for the client;

creation of companies and trusts, among others.

The attorney-client privilege is a fundamental concept in the relationship between a lawyer and his client, Adekoya said. ”It provides protection for both the lawyer and client from disclosing communications made in confidence for the purpose of enabling the client to obtain legal advice or assistance. The lawyer cannot be compelled to disclose it, even by an order of court.

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (“the Constitution”) guarantees every person the right to a legal practitioner of one’s choice (Section 36(6)(c)) and, thereby, entitlement to attorneyclient privilege. Section 37 of the Constitution also guarantees the right to privacy,” she said.

On how lawyers can protect themselves from such liability, Adekoya urged them to ensure client’s due diligence checks and further enquiry; report suspicious activity; do in-depth oversight of the client’s business; assess the client’s objectives and provide requisite staff training.

She said they should ensure awareness of transactions with heightened money risks; avoid the provision of banking services for clients; refuse cash payments above a certain limit at the law office or into the firm’s bank account as well as the monitoring by accounts staff to ascertain if funds received from clients are from credible sources.

Citing the rules of professional conduct, Mrs Adekoya advised law-

•Ojo, Sagay; Chairman, NBA Lagos, Taiwo Taiwo and Lawal Pedro (SAN) at the opening ceremony.

yers to terminate relationships with clients who are criminal dealings, adding “a lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster the course of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner.”

Oyebode noted that contrary to widely held opinion, the privilege of confidentiality between lawyer and client is not absolute as the law has envisaged circumstances when the privilege can be impugned.

He argued that the Money Laun-

dering Act does not directly remove the lawyer-client confidentiality privilege but obliquely criminalises failure by any person to report an international transfer of funds or securities required to be reported under the Act, which was merely following the precedents laid down by earlier legislation such as the ICPC Act, 2000 and Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011.

Oyebode said lawyers would enjoy no protection under the law for any property that they hold on behalf of their client if it can be established that such a property arose from transactions involving money

laundering.

“It should be clear to all concerned that lawyers carryout their duties under the law and have to abide by whatever strictures and constraints envisaged by the law in furtherance of the larger interests of society,” he said.

The event also had sessions on security; the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), legal ethics, with Justice Ayotunde Philips, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN), Emeka Ngige (SAN) and Babatunde Ogala, among others, in attendance.

Firm queries court’s refusal to try Jega, INEC for alleged contempt

•Jega

C

AN a court grant a prayer not sought by parties?

Why would a court refrain from safeguarding its integrity and powers by refusing to penalise a party it established wilfully breached its orders?

These, among others, are questions set for determination in an appeal filed before the Court of Appeal, Abuja by a firm, Bedding Holdings Limited (BHL).

The appeal, particularly, queries a portion of a May 28,2013 ruling

by Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where the judge stayed proceedings in a contempt case initiated against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), its Chairman, Attahiru Jega for failing to obey orders made by the court.

In the ruling, Justice Bello refused applications by INEC, Jega and a contractor with INEC, Emchai Limited, seeking to stay the execution of the court’s judgment of June 5, 2012 pending appeal.

Justice Bello had in the judgment given in the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CS/82/11 held among others, that the plaintiff, BHL owns

valid and subsisting patent rights over Transparent Ballot Boxes and Electronic Collapsible Transparent Ballot Boxes being used for elections in the country.

Specifically, the court upheld BHL’s claim to being the bona fide patentee and the exclusive owner of the invention named “Transparent Ballot Boxes” on which it was issued certificate of registration patent rights No. RP12994 and registration of industrial designs rights No. RD5946 by the Registrar of Patents on January 12, 1998.

The court also upheld the subsequent certification of an improvement on the invention named “Electronic Collapsible Transparent Ballot Boxes” (with certificate of registration of patent rights No. RP16642 and registration of industrial designs rights No. RD13841 issued on November 27, 2006 which are still valid.

The judge voided the rights over similar inventions purportedly issued later, to three firms - Emchai Limited, Tambco United Nigeria Ltd and Anowat Project and Resources Ltd - by the Registrar of Patent, for being illegal.

Justice Bello granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and any other person from utilising or dealing with the patented boxes of the plaintiff “except with the express and prior consent, license and authority of the plaintiff to that effect.”

Rather than abide by the court’s injunction, INEC and Jega deployed the same ballot boxes for the conduct of the Kwara State House of Assembly rerun election on June 30, 2012 in Ilorin Northwest Local Government; governorship elections in two states - Edo

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

(July 10, 2012) and Ondo (October 20, 2012) without the consent of BHL. These developments informed the contempt proceedings.

Convinced that the contempt proceedings were properly initiated, Justice Gladys Olotu (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja) in a ruling on August 29, 2012 set the contempt proceedings down for hearing and determination expeditiously.

In his May 28, 2013 ruling, Justice Bello equally found that INEC and Jega violated his court’s order, and came down hard on them (INEC and Jega) for acting in disregard of the court’s order.

He frowned at the decision of the electoral body and its Chairman to deploy the same ballot boxes for the governorship elections held last year on July 10 in Edo State and on October 20 in Ondo state without the consent of the plaintiff and in disregard of the court’s subsisting order made on June 5, 2012.

Justice Bello held that it was funny that INEC and Jega would approach his court for an indulgence having willingly disregarded and flouted its order.

“They (INEC and Jega) conducted the elections on July 14 and October 20, 2012 using the same ballot boxes as averred by the plaintiff/respondent (BHL) in its counter affidavit, which has not been denied by the 6th and 7th defendants (INEC and Jega) in the two further and better affidavit, in total disregard to the injunctive or-

der, the execution of which they now seek to stay by their application.

“Since the elections have been conducted, the need for staying the execution of the injunctive order granted by the court has abated, at least for now. “And even if the need for the order for stay of execution has not abated, the defendants by proceeding to conduct the two elections, using the same ballot boxes, the use of which was restrained by the court’s judgment, have soiled their hands and can not therefore seek the indulgence of the court.

“He, who comes to equity, must come with clean hands. The 6th and 7th defendants have not come with clean hands before the court and can not therefore seek for equitable relief of stay of execution of the order in the judgment.

“Consequently, I refuse to grant the application, as granting it will tantamount to the court encouraging further breach of its own judgment order, which subsists until set aside by the Court of Appeal.

“The only order I am mindful to grant pursuant to the omnibus prayer in the motion, is an order staying proceedings in the contempt proceedings initiated by the plaintiff/respondent, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal by the 6th and 7the defendants,” Justice Bello held.

However, the contention of BHL in its appeal, is that Justice Bello had no business staying proceedings in the contempt case having noted that INEC and Jega diso-

beyed his court’s order.

It also argued that since contempt proceedings are separate proceedings from the cases from which they emerged, they could run separately.

BHL queried Justice Bello’s decision to make the consequential order staying proceedings in the contempt case when no party sought for such order.

It raised four grounds of appeal, the first being that the trial judge erred in law when he made the consequential order of stay of proceedings thereby occasioning a “grave miscarriage of justice.”

BHL also faulted the trial judge decision to stay proceedings even when it found “that prima facie, the 6th and 7th defendants willingly disregarded and flouted the order of the court contained in its judgment of June 5, 2012.”

It contended that the trial judge was in error when he relied on the omnibus prayers in the motions before him to make the consequential order for stay of proceedings in the contempt case, having found that prima facie, INEC and Jega flouted the court’s order.

BHL also argued that the trial court’s decision of May 28, 2013 “is against the weight of evidence.” It therefore prayed the Court of Appeal to set aside the portion of Justice Bello’s decision of May 28 staying proceedings in the contempt case.

The appellant also prayed the appellate court to either set the contempt proceedings down for prompt hearing or remit it back to the Federal High Court for hearing and determination on merit, within one month.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

34

LAW & SOCIETY THE Panel on Implementation of Justice Reform (PIJR) set up by the Federal Ministry of Justice is proposing some changes aimed at ensuring efficiency in the criminal justice system.

These are contained in a Bill for a fresh law to guide criminal prosecution. ERIC IKHILAE, who was at a workshop held by the panel in Abuja to fine-tune the Bill, reports.

A push for efficient criminal justice system

I

T is a fact that the justice admin istration system suffers from a lot of problems, the major one being delay.

It takes years for the court to resolve minor disputes that ordinarily not take months.

The case is even worse where, under the criminal justice process, an accused, with political and economic means, could easily sabotage his/her trial. With funds to hire senior lawyers, such an accused person successfully stalls his/her trial by exploiting existing inadequacies and loopholes in the system, including corruption.

A recent research has it that it takes an average of 10 years for a case to move from the court of first instance to the Supreme Court. To the effect that when it is decided by the apex court, some of the parties would have either died or the decision becomes a mere academic exercise, because events would have overtaken the case. This development has, undoubtedly resulted in the growing loss of faith in the court system by the people; increasing insecurity and violent crimes and heightening competition for the increasingly dwindling economic opportunities in the land.

Also, more people are being tempted to resort to self help in the face of an inefficient justice delivery system.

To reverse this ugly trend, there are calls for an urgent identification of the various problems responsible for the inefficiency of the justice system and the evolution of ways of ensuring its efficiency.

This is why all eyes are now on the effort by the Federal Ministry of Justice’s Panel on Implementation of Justice Reform (PIJR) to take the necessary measures.

Already, the panel, headed by Justice Ishaq Bello of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has identified areas requiring attention, particularly in relation to the criminal justice system. It has also made far-reaching recommendations.

The panel is working on a Bill to be submitted to the National Assembly to give legal backing to its recommendations.

The Bill seeks an Act to repeal the Criminal Procedure Act, Cap C4 Law of Nigeria (2004), the Administration of Justice Commission Act, Cap A3 Law of Nigeria (2004) and enact the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2013.

The panel has held a workshop in Abuja to put finishing touches to the Bill, before its presentation to the National Assembly. At the event held in conjunction with the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) were Justice Bello, Prof. Yemi AkinseyeGeorge (SAN), Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation, Simon Egele, among others.

Justice Bello stressed the relevance of an efficient criminal justice delivery system to the nation’s quest for economic growth.

He observed that the drive by various governments for foreign investment would yield no result in the face of a weak and inefficient justice delivery system. He argued that investors are only attracted to environment where their investments and lives would be safe; civil and criminal cases resolved promptly and where they are sure of redress if wronged.

Justice Bello, who expressed delight about the work done by his panel so far, said the Bill, when passed into law, has the capacity to ensure efficiency in the criminal justice system. He said the panel is looking towards July this year for the Bill to become an Act. “The Act will ensure that the system of administration of justice in Nigeria promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions; speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime, and protection of the rights and interests of the defendant and the victim,” he said.

He explained that the Act will apply to criminal trials and other criminal proceedings in courts and tribunals established by an Act of the National Assembly, except Court Martials.

Prof Akineye-George, in a presentation, gave a picture of what new ideas the Bill proposes. One of such is the need to reverse the current lop-sided underlying philosophy in criminal trial, where the state assumes prosecutory role and total control of criminal trials, without roles or consideration for the victims.

The panel identified problems of lack of reliable statistics or data for criminal cases; lack of victims protection, absence of timeliness (undue process delay); poor application of information and communication technology (ICT) in court processes; lack of accountability among relevant agencies involves in criminal justice system - the police, the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Federal and states ministries of Justice, prison service, court, among others.

It also identified weak coordination and interaction between these agencies; congestions in courts and prisons, and mounting unresolved cases.

As a way out, the Bill has made wide-range recommendations, which when adopted by the Legislature, will transform the criminal justice system.

As a solution to the problem of inadequate statistics,the Bill is proposing the creation of a central criminal records registry with the police headquarters. Every police station shall replicate this, from where the central registry will be fed with records of cases from the police stations.

The panel suggested the involvement of victim in the process and that they be restore to their formal state, through compensation, at the completion of the case. To address the problem of delay, the panel is suggesting the attachment of time to the role of each player in criminal trial process. For instance, the DPP is expected to issue its advice within 14 days, parties to a trial are allowed at most, five adjournment per side for the life of the case.

Also, frivolous request for adjournment shall attract penalty in cost. As part of its witness protection initiative, the panel has recommended the payment of witness’ fare by the court.

Under the arrangement, a witness is paid what it cost him to transport himself to court every time he/ she is invite to testify.

The amount will be calculated by mileage to be determined from the

• From left: Prof. Akinseye-George, Justice Ishaq Bello and Egede during the seminar.

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

•Secretary, Federal Justice Reform Coordinating Committee, Felix Oya-Okojie and PIJR Secretary, Timothy Emeje

•Dr. Elijah Oluwatoyin Okebukola and DPP Kwara State, Jimoh Mumini

summons served on such a witness.

Where a witness os in court an proceedings could not go on owing to the fault of a party, the party will be made to pay the cost of the witness’ transportation for that day.

The initiative is also intended to enhance witness’ cooperation and motivation.

The Bill is also proposing the deployment of ICT to aid the process’ speed and efficiency.

It is suggesting, for instance, electronic recording of police’s interrogation of suspects, court’s proceedings, among others.

This is partly intended to ensure

‘

reduce police’s reliance on torture in eliciting confession from suspects.

To ensure accountability among relevant agencies, the panel has also suggested that the magistrates or judges involved in criminal trials, engage in periodic visits to detention centres to ensure that prison officials play their roles as required.

The panel is also proposing the establishment of a coordinating platform, to be known as Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ) Monitoring Committee, to coordinate the activities of the relevant

The Act will ensure that the system of administration of justice in Nigeria promotes efficient management of criminal justice institutions; speedy dispensation of justice, protection of the society from crime, and protection of the rights and interests of the defendant and the victim

‘

agencies within the ACJ system.

As a measure of decongesting the prisons, the Bill is proposing the adoption of alternative to custodial sentence in the mold of noncustodial sentence.

By this, people with less offences like minor theft, are sentenced to community services as against imprisonment. There are also the recommendations for day-to-day trial in criminal cases; elimination of interlocutory appeal; creating a peg on the number and interval of adjournment that could be granted in the life of a case, among others. Prof Akinseye-George said, when passed, the Act would occasion fundamental changes in criminal justice administration in the country.

He said what is required now is urgent passage of the Bill by the National Assembly and its prompt replication by the various states in the country. Egele, who was delighted about the steps taken so far, said he believe the various recommendations in the Bill would help in ensuring prompt trial of criminal cases in the country.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

35

LAW & SOCIETY A paper delivered by the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN), at the 18th Commonwealth Lawyers Conference in Cape Town, South Africa

Courts and budget: Implications for access to justice •Continued from last week

THE courts that were reviewed are the Court of Appeal, the National Industrial Court, the Federal High Court, the state high courts, the Sharia Court of Appeal and the Customary court of Appeal.

Court of Appeal In the year 2008, only 11.4 per cent of the cases allocated to all the divisions of this Court was disposed of. 10.3 per cent of the cases was disposed of in 2009, 12.6 per cent of allocated cases was disposed of in 2010 and only 9.9 per cent of the cases was disposed of in 2011.

Court of Appeal: percentage of cases disposed in the period 2008 - 2011 Figure 7 Federal High Court In 2009, only 14.8 per cent of cases recorded were disposed of. In 2010, 10.3 per cent of the allocated cases were disposed of while 24.3 per cent of the cases were disposed of in 2011.

Figure 8 National Industrial Court For the period that was period; 2009 – 2011, the court did not dispose up to 50 per cent of cases allocated to it in any year.

National Inustrial Court: percentage of cases disposed in 2008- 2011.

Figure 9 State High Courts For the State High Courts, Most Courts disposed of less than half of the cases recorded per year, with the exception of Kebbi where 50% and 51.9 per cent were disposed of in 2010 and 2011 and Zamfara where 64.2 per cent was disposed in 2008 respectively. However, these states had fewer recorded cases compared to Courts in the Southern part of Nigeria.

State high Courts: percentage of disposed cases Figure 10 Sharia Court of Appeal

19 States from the NJC data have Sharia Court of Appeal. FIG C4 shows the disposal of cases on the merit in these states. Most states were able to dispose up to 50 per cent of the cases recorded.

Figure 11 Customary Court of Appeal 16 States from the NJC data have Customary Court of Appeal. Only Imo State was able to dispose up to 50 per cent of the cases recorded.

Figure 12 Flowing from the above illustrations, almost all the courts both at the federal and state levels have not been able to dispose up to 50 percent of cases allocated to them in any of the years under review. A conclusion can thus be drawn that in the last four years, with particular reference to the periods reviewed above, the courts in Nigeria have disposed less than half of the allocated cases.

This situation is responsible for the spillover of cases to the following year, and then to the next. As a result, it is not strange to find a case which was initiated in 2003 still being heard in 2013.

7.

Way Forward For Nigeria i.

There should be an intensification of legal aid. The legal aid council should be empowered to ensure that more people gain access to justice. Its scope and mandate should be broadened and widened so as to enable less privileged people to have the benefit of legal representation. ii.

Legal clinics should be available in various institutions in order to proffer advise before it is ripe for litigation. By this, a number of matters will already be resolved and there would not be any cause for court action. So also, legal advice will help determine which matter should or should not be instituted in law courts.

This will reduce the burden on the courts. iii. The burden of dispensation of justice should not be wholly put on the courts and attention should be given to other ways by which

• Prof Azinge

disputes can be settled. Alternative Dispute Resolution should be encouraged as this will not only lift the burden off the courts, it will also ensure speedy dispensation of justice as the process is potentially far quicker than recourse to courts of law, it is cheaper than litigation, and it tends to maintain the relation-ship between the parties. iv. Traditional administration of justice should also be accorded recognition as research shows that an average of 100 cases are brought before traditional councils each year and each case takes an average of two months to be disposed of amicably. People at the local level should be encouraged to make use of the traditional administration of justice instead of bur-

dening the law courts with series of minor disputes. v.

Court connected Multi door courts should be encouraged the more. These have the benefit of offering different “doors” for resolving disputes in respect of cases that may or may not already be within the court system. Since these are multi door courts which run and are managed independently of the government, the burden of funding is lifted off the shoulders of the courts. High court Judges and Magistrates should be encouraged to refer more existing cases that he/she deems suitable for ADR. In the same vein, people should be educated to apply directly to the Multi-Door Court for resolution of their disputes, with or without having first commenced court action. vi. Legal practitioners should be sensitised to take more of pro bono cases as this will encourage and assist the less privileged in our society to have equal access to justice along with others who are economically empowered to do so. vii. In the same vein, cost of litigation in terms of filing fees and other fees besides the lawyers’ fees should be made reasonably affordable. viii. There should be judicial integrity to make sure that justice is dispensed without fear or favour. ix. There should be an increase in the allocation to the judiciary. Looking at the 2013 budget in Nigeria, the NJC was given N67 million ministry of health was given N279,533,895,955, ministry of youth development was given N85,429,970,319, ministry of foreign affairs was given N70,201,724,387, and ministry of education was given an allocation of N427,515,707,889. It is observed that the allocation to the NJC is low when compared to these other ministries. The allocation to the NJC in 2013 was less than that of 2012 which also dropped from that of 2011.

•Continued next week

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

36

NATIONAL BAR LAWYERS have scored this year’s Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Business Law (SBL) conference held in Lagos high. They urged the government to exercise caution in opening the borders to foreign lawyers seeking to open shop in the country. Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU spoke to them.

Lawyers urge caution on foreign colleagues

A

KEYs feature of this year’s Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Busi ness Law (SBL) conference was the international dimension which it took.

It was as a result of the call by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for countries to open their gates to lawyer from other jurisdictions to practise law in a globalised world.

The conference examined other numerous topics, and had the theme: “The role of lawyers in an emerging economy.”

Lawyers, who spoke to the The Nation after the conference, scored high. They also spoke on how they benefitted.

ference and the quality of presentations, I am indeed impressed.

“We are happy that so many people have taken off time from their busy schedules to be here with us today, it is indeed a worthwhile experience, we tried so hard to put up sessions that would have something for everybody.”

to play in an emerging economy.

“In turning things around in this country, as we aspire to be one of the 20 most prosperous economy in the year 2020, which is just few years away from now, we want to know exactly how ready we are , the number of things that need to be in place for us to attain that and as has been canvassed here since morning, the issue of knowing what the law is at any point in time is critical, certainty of the law, respect for the property of people and of course, respect for contracts, particularly when it involves international practice, these things are critical and a lawyer has a major role to play in ensuring that all these things are done so that if these things are put in place, we will be ready for the 2020 vision.”

law, I can now understand international transactions, I can now understand trans border transactions and so on. It is only when you come to conferences like this that you will be able to know what you are supposed to do because you cannot sit in your law office and think that law practice is all about going to court, coming back and that is the end of things, no.

“For instance, this morning, they were discussing about the World Trade Organisation (WTO) liberalisation of legal services, how the government will collaborate with the NBA so that we will get the best from this idea of liberalisation of legal services, all their programmes were really very good, it was indeed a very good conference.”

•Mrs. Okorocha •Wali

NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN) said: “Well, if you had aggregated everything that was said here today, one thing has come out clearly and that is the fact that we have to be careful.

“As I said, I recognise the fact that in opening the doors, we could actually be opening the doors for jobs for lawyers, We have to be every careful on what we are doing.

“We have to be sure that the regulatory steps are in place, it is very key and very critical to what we are discussing and I still make my point that there is a reciprocity, if we open our doors for everybody to come and practice law here, do we have such opportunities in their jurisdictions, if that is not addressed, I am afraid that it won’t be an easy sell to Nigerian lawyers.”

Chaiman, Intellectual Property (IP) committee of the SBL, Mrs. Chinyere Okorocha, said: “I am delighted with the conference, we had a full house, the attendance was fantastic. This year, the Intellectual Property committee has chosen the theme “Intellectual Property issues in an emerging economy.

“As we all know, intellectual property helps to drive the economy in terms of innovations, new ideas that ultimately can be commercialised and lead to some sort of income generating venture for the nation and help to improve Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), so I had a wonderful panel of experts who did justice to the session ad we eventually had a lot to learn to help the IP world.”

•Mrs Ugboma

•Mr Anga

Mr Fubara Anga, who has qualification to practise law in three different jurisdictions, said: “My position is that those doors have to be opened whether we like it or not and my belief is that we should control the speed, the manner and the extent to which the door is opened and if we don’t open the doors, others will open the doors for us. “ Even from the panel today, you can see that Nigerians are practising law all over the world, now whether they are Nigerian firms practising law all over the world is a different matter.

“What we are saying is that the nature of legal practice has become so global and so virtual that even without coming here, foreign lawyers are already practising here or taking a chunk of the legal briefs and not calling it Nigerian law. What I am saying is that the way legal services are delivered have changed and the Bar and Nigerians lawyers have to adapt to the times.”

•Gbenga Oyebode

For the chairman of the SBL, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, the conference was a huge success.

He said: “The conference has gone extremely well, we have met the usual standards of our conferences and we have also surpassed those standards.

Oyebode said: “The conference was very well attended, our keynote speakers sent the massage that we wanted them to send, Governor Kayoed Fayemi of Ekiti State, Mr. Harold Prisner of BLP and our key sessions in the afternoon; firstly, lawyers as catalysts in an emerging economy and the second one about international law firms looking at entering the Nigerian market. The plenary sessions went on extremely well and we surpassed the registration numbers that we had last year, so, I am very happy and enthused.”

•Mr Tunde Ayeni Mr Tunde Ayeni said: “ This is brilliant, it cannot be better than this and I commend the organisers for this fantastic idea, this is what I refer to as a continuous legal education system. “ It has really exposed our members, we should really start doing things the way advanced countries do them, especially, if we want Nigeria to be a destination for investment, we must grow our legal system and this is the way to start it. “ I am happy with what is going on, and I associate myself with it I associate myself with the people that are involved, I congratulate the NBA President and the team that he has successfully put together to organise this.”

•Dr. Elias

Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Dr. Gbolahan Elias (SAN), said: “ I am highly impressed by the number of people that attended the con-

•Egbadon Mr Matthew Egbadon said: “We all know the issues that are involved really and there is no doubt that lawyers have a major role

•Ibrahim Eddy Mark

Former General Secretary, NBA, Ibrahim Eddy Mark said SBL chairman and Council members put up a very good show. “ They have done very well and I wish that other Sections will borrow a leaf from them.

From the cocktail to the opening session was well attended and the topics which they have chosen for discussion here are very apt.

“Every lawyer that did not attend this conference has really missed a lot because as I have always said, these Sections and the professionalisation of legal practice is the best thing that has happened to us, this is the kind of conferences that our members should be attending because this is where they can get their optimum best, this is where they can acquire the best continuing legal education.

“From participation in conferences like this, they will be bold claim that yes, I can now understand Alternative Disputes Resolution Mechanisms (ADR). I can understand aviation

Former President, International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) Mrs Stella Ugboma said it was “a very good conference of international standard”.

“I have really learnt a lot. As you know, in the past, the SBL has always been very good, so they have not changed.”

•Mrs.Usoro

Mrs. Mfon Usoro spoke on allowing foreign lawyers practise in Nigeria.

She said: “At the moment, Nigeria has not scheduled legal services in its schedule of specific commitments under the (WTO) and our Legal Practitioners Act (LPA) requires that somebody should be enrolled as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria after passing the Nigerian Law School examinations or by a special warrant before the person can practice law in Nigeria. These are the only people qualified to practice law in Nigeria.

“But you should note that this law was drafted in 1982 and does not accommodate present day realities because they were not contemplated at that time. At the moment, the reality is that foreign lawyers are providing legal services in Nigeria through cross border, through consumption on board and even through some other ways, but these were not provided in our LPA.

•Dodo

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

37

NATIONAL BAR

Lawyers urge caution on foreign colleagues

D

AMIAN D. Dodo (SAN) said: “ The biggest impression that I came out with is how well organised the conference has been. That is the matter I was discussing with my brother silk, Mr. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), just some minutes ago, it shows that some preparations and planning has gone into the whole exercise and we have seen the fruits and the way it has turned out, so, we must commend the SBL for a conference well organised and in which we have very commendable numbers.”

On his area of particular interest, Dodo said: “It has been in the area of competition law, but unfortunately, I was unable to attend that session today because of other commitments, but since I already have the conference materials with me, I intend to avail myself of the thoughts and perspectives of others who have looked at the issue and hope that it will help us to put in place, the proper regimes that will ensure that there is no dominance in any particular sector by any operator, so that competition becomes a key aspect of our economic and social life.”

Tare Yeri said having been a member of the SBL for six years, she feels it is a welcome development to the NBA. “It is a session that is driving the association to meet its needs in terms of being the largest gathering of commercial lawyers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“The different committees have done marvellously well in their respective sessions in terms of taking on relevant topics and highly qualified resource persons to deliver them. All the topics we dealt with and the seasoned resource persons that we brought here really brought out that knowledge and information that really helps young lawyers to grow and become better lawyers that play their roles well in an emerging economy.

“We have this session on the Presidential Amnesty programme to talk about the value of the programme, the benefits that it has brought to the country regarding peace. Many people have different views about this laudable initiative of the Federal Government but we have seen that it is a welcome development, though it may not be the lasting solution to the Niger Delta problems, it brings the desired peace because a lot of these militants are being taken out of that environment that breeds fear and violence and are taken out to be trained.

So, I always say that an idle educated mind is better than an idle uneducated man, once you give them that opportunity to be trained and become better persons, in turn, that brings about peace in the society and more income for economic growth and development”

•Ajogwu

Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) said: “ First of all, let me commend the organisers of the conference; it was well organised, but, most importantly is seeing globalisation and the impact it has on the way we work as lawyers.

“We had a lot of things to learn; we have seen that you cannot practise law to the point of excellence in isolation. You have to learn what global best practices are, to improve the standards, emphasis on ethics and excellence in the profession.

“And, finally, to look in the fields of disputes resolution, how to deal with disputes in terms of arbitration, mediation and conciliation and other modes of Alternative Disputes Resolution Mechanisms (ADR), there is something for ever body in this conference.”

• Yeri

P

•Akpabio

Aniedi Akpabio said: “ I have actually participated in this conference and I am mostly impressed with the quality of presentations from all the speakers. I took part in some sessions on the first day of the conference, one of them talked about the expansion of the frontiers of legal practice in Nigeria and what should be the role of the international law firms and from the presentations, we realised that there is need for collaboration, even if we don’t have competitions between the local and international law firms, there is actually the need for this collaboration for efficiency and high service delivery for our clients.

“The theme of this conference itself is a very good one, the role of lawyers in an emerging economy and from what we gathered, is evident that there are certain skill that we need to be part of what is happening in the globalised world.

“We have discovered that to do this, you need an entrenchment of the rule of law, we need law reforms and must ensure the independence of the judiciary.

•Ajakpovi Mena Ajakpovi said: “Well, this is an improvement on last year’s conference and the issues that we have canvassed here will be harnessed to drive policies and to give directions to the face of business law practice in Nigeria.”

•Kalu Former Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Umeh Kalu said: “Talking about the business session, which this conference is all about, it is the pivot of law practice if one must say. It touches on our economy and how we can go about issues involving the finances of state and commerce generally.

“It was very well-organised. I am highly impressed with what I saw. I just left the ADR session and I am well impressed with the papers presented, the issues raised and the questions asked in the session. ”It is really a very good conference and is really what every lawyer should be involved as an annual event. It will really help not only in law practice, but in the quality of our service delivery to our clients and this will assist in the development of the legal profession in the country.”

•Elachi

Mr. Agada Elachi said: “ The SBL conference has always been the flagship of all NBA activities and this year’s conference is no different. The organisers have done a wonderful job, the leadership of the section has done a fantastic work, bringing together the best brains to come and talk how to move business forward.

“I had the privilege of going round a number of sessions, the plenary was fantastic, the key note address by the Governor Fayemi of Ekiti State was great, very deep and very intellectual.

“The session that really stands out for me is that on competition law, it underscores the importance of the passage of a competition law quickly, it also underscores the importance of lawyers paying more attention to bills that go before the National Assembly.

Right now there is a bill there that seeks to amend the Customs law which will bring about pure injustice and discouragement of trade and business in Nigeria.”

•Oye Mr. Dele Oye described the conference as an eye-opener for everyone. “It is, indeed, a very rich conference because it touched on very serious national issues, where we have had a convergence of both the regulators and the practitioners meeting together.

“In the session, which I chaired, the session on competition law, we had the permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trad e a n d C o m m e r c e a s o n e o f t h e speakers and someone from the Bureau of Public Enterprises and we all discussed the issue of competition law and the urgent and imperative need for competition law in Nigeria.

“We also discussed the recent Customs bill which is currently before the National Assembly and why that bill should not be passed in its current form because it contains a lot of anti competitive provisions which needs to be re examined and amended so that we can have global competitiveness.

“The bill also has some penal provisions which infringes on the fundamental human rights and also on the rights of other several other laws which gives the duties of several other agencies like that of the Police and other agencies to the customs, so we must find a way out of this and make some of those agencies self regulatory.

The NBA has to find a way to stop the bill and ensure that all the critical stakeholders should have an input before the bill is passed.”

Protect your children, SAN urges parents

ARENTS have been urged to protect their children against abuse. Mrs. Titilola Akinlawon (SAN) gave the advice at the annual lecture organised by the African Women Lawyers Association(AWLA), Nigeria to mark the ‘Day of the African Child’.

Akinlawon, who chaired the event spoke on the topic, “ Child protection; culture and responsibilities.”

She urged parents to inculcate high level of discipline and integrity in their children.

Female children, he said, shout when they are being abused by the opposite sex,in order not to lose their dignity and self-respect.

She said the right of every child is protected and guaranteed in the Lagos State Child’s Rights Law

By Adebisi Onanuga

enacted in 2010 and in the child law put in place by the Federal Government.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted that though the present generation of children have the privilege of Internet and other electronic media network around them, she counselled them not to abuse such priviledges by visiting websites that would not advance their academic pursuit.

“You are our future if we fail to pay attention to your welfare, then what does the future holds for you”, she asked.

Speaking on ‘Child Protection’, Mrs. Tam George, said a recent report by United States stated that over 10.5 per

cent of children of school age in Nigeria are out of School.

“You have a right to sound education, you have a right to leisure and recreation, you have right to move together in group, you have right to ask and to express yourself, you have right not to be physically abused.”

George however charged the children to pursue their goals and also seek more information that can assist them in their academics.

Similarly, Mrs. Lara Williams who spoke on “Culture and Religion”noted that culture has taken away over 90 per cent of the daily activities in Africa.

She said that there was need for male children to have respect and dignify their female counterpart.

According to her, there should be an end to the attitude of discrimination between the male and female child in the family.

She frowned at the public discrimination against disable children in the society.

“Disable children are always not being properly taking care of. They are always being hidden from the public even by their parents” she lamented.

Williams urged the children to desist from rebellious act and instead package themselves and behave well in their respective homes.

She also tasked children to listen to instructions from their parents, adding: “Parents have responsibilities to you and you children also have responsibilities to them”.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

38

LAW REPORT

‘Courts have power to formulate issues for parties in cases when justice of case so demands’ In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Date: April 19, 2013 SC. 135/2004, 2013(4) LEDLR-16 Before their Lordships CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL CHUKWUMA ENEH IBRAHIM TANKO MUHAMMAD SULEIMAN GALADIMA NWALI SYLVESTER NGWUTA STANLEY SHENKO ALAGOA BETWEEN ALHAJI RASAKI ABIOLA EKUNOLA

APPELLANT

AND CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

RESPONDENTS

ALHAJI SAIDU MOHAMMED (Director of Personnel, CBN) SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA •Continued from last week

T

HE crucial documentary exhib its in this matter inter alia in clude: ‘(1) Exhibit ‘A’ - Letter of appointment dated 25/5/1965; Exhibit C Letter of appointment to the post of Assistant Director dated 29/1/99; Exhibit D - staff manual for Central Bank of Nigeria; Exhibit E - Query letter dated 19/3/99; Exhibit F - Response to the Query dated 23/8/99; Exhibit G - Letter of suspension dated 14/11/99; Exhibit K - Letter of Dismissal from the Bank’s Services dated 1/2/2000.

Exhibit M1 - Main report of the Central disciplinary committee held between 8th and 21st September 1999. Exhibits M-M3 report on Special investigation for the period of October, 1998 - February 1999. Exhibit M3 - Report of the Central Disciplinary Committee dated 14/9/ 1999.”

The parties have made written submissions as directed by the court.

The trial court in its considered judgment has dismissed the plaintiff’s claim in its entirety; in doing so it has struck out the 2nd defendant/respondent in the matter.

Dissatisfied with the judgment the plaintiff has appealed the case to the Court of Appeal Lagos which in its judgment also has dismissed the appeal. Wherefore the instant appeal to this court as per the Amended Notice of Appeal filed on 28/10/ 2001 of 17 (seventeen) grounds of appeal. The plaintiff and the defendants are in this appeal the appellant and respondents respectively.

In accordance with the Rules of this court the parties have filed and exchanged their respective briefs of argument. The appellant has distilled 11 (eleven) issues for determination by this court as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. They read as follows: 1. Whether the entire judgment is not perverse in law. This issue relates to ground one.

2. Whether the learned justices of the Court of Appeal were right when they affirmed the findings of the trial court and also held that the appellant was given a fair hearing by the 1st respondent who was alleged not to be involved in the disciplinary process. This issue relates to ground two.

3. Whether the learned justices of the Court below were right when

•Chief Judge Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajana; former NBA President, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and former NBA president, Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN) during the stakeholders symposium on the implimentation of the 1999 constitution held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

they held that the evidence of DW2 debunked appellant’s case and that there was no truth in the appellant’s allegation that 2nd defendant usurped the powers of the 1st Respondent. This issue is relative to ground three.

4. Whether the learned Justices of the court below were right when they held that the 2nd Respondent was properly struck out from the suit. This issue relates to ground four of the Ground of Appeal.

5. Whether the learned Justices of the Court below were right when they held that the 2nd respondent did not usurp the powers of the 1st respondent and that the appellant was given a fair hearing.

This relates to ground five.

6. Whether the learned Justices of the Court below properly appreciated the appellant’s case before affirming the findings of the trial court. This issue relates to ground six of the Ground of Appeal.

7. Whether the learned Justices of the Court below were right on the facts of the case when they held that “The complaint of lack of fair hearing by the trial judge has not been made out’’ and/or that the learned trial judge did not breach the “principle of fair hearing in not calling upon counsel to address him on the two issues formulated” suo motu. This issue relates to ground seven of the grounds of Appeal.

8. Whether the learned Justices of the Court below were right when they held that the appellant’s complaint of composition of the

Photo-journalist sues TOS Funeral Services for N50 million

A

PHOTO journalist with Lead ership, Mr. Benedict Uwalaka, has sued an undertaker, TOS Funeral Services Limited and its officials who allegedly assaulted him while covering the release of the remains of the Dana crash victims in August, last year for N50million.

In a suit filed before an Ikeja High Court, Uwalaka is asking the court to declare that the “assault, beating, battery” inflicted on him by the respondents on the day was “capable of of infringing on the Applicant’s right to life, and was therefore, an attempted violation of Applicant’s right to life”.

The co-respondents in the suit are a Director of TOS Funeral Services Limited, Mr. Bayo Ogunsola, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Management Board and the state Attorney-General.

Nwalaka in his motion is praying the court to declare that the assault and the beating which inflicted injury on him by Ogunsola and his associates, was an infringement of his rights and to the dignity of his person as guaranteed under section 34(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Arti-

By Adebisi Onanuga

cle 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, as ratified by the government of the federation.

He urged the court to declare that the assault and injury inflicted on him by the respondents, particularly the acts of Ogunsola and his associates by “overwhelming the applicant and seizing his the Applicant’s camera (his tool for the practice of his photo-journalism profession) constituted an infringement of his right to freedom of expression and the press guaranteed under Section 39(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,” and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

In his 39-paragraph-affidavit in support of the motion on notice, Uwalaka averred that he was sent through a text message by his Deputy Editor, Mr Kassim Akintunde, directing him to cover the release of the remains of the victims of Dana Airline plane crash that occurred in Lagos on June 3, 2012, to relatives of victims, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Mortuary.

He claimed to have got there at

8.30 am, and on arrival, he met only one photo journalist, Mr. Idowu Ogunleye of the PM News, who informed him that the bodies were yet to be released.

He said some persons who were presumed to be relatives of the victims started arriving the premises of the mortuary as a result of which he and other colleagues started taking photographs of the relatives, pending the actual release of the bodies from the mortuaries.

He said about 12pm when it was certain that the bodies are to be released to the family, he alongside other photo journalists move closer to the entrance of the morgue to stay at vantage position to take their shots.

He claimed that he and others took harmless snapshots and immediately this happened he was attacked by Bayo Ogunsola, who “started wrestling my camera from me, intending to forcibly snatch it from me.”

He added however, that his failure to yield to the forceful attempt to snatch the camera by Ogunsola and one Idowu, earned him “severe, skullcrushing blows”, in a bid to get his camera released.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.

Central Disciplinary Committee is of no consequence and that the quorum was complete, Constitution of the committee cannot be impugned and finally that the composition of the CDC and actions taken by the Director of Personnel are in accordance with Exhibit “D’’.

9.

Whether the learned Justices of the Court below were right when they concluded on the basis of Ex-

W

hibit ‘F’ alone that appellant knew that Exhibit E, G, L1 and J as well as the summoning of the appellant to the IDC emanated from 1st Respondent. This relates to ground ten.

10. Whether the conclusion of the learned Justices of the Court below are supported by the facts and evidence on record.

•Continued next week

LEGAL JOKES

HILE summing up the State’s case against the alleged despi cable conduct of the defendant, the Prosecutor addressed the jury, “Ladies and gentlemen — all I can say is that if Moses had known the defendant, there would have been two or three more Commandments.”

After his motion to surpress evidence was denied by the court the angered attorney spoke up, “Your Honor,” he said, “what would you do if I called you a stupid, degenerate, old fool. ” The Judge, now also angered, revered, “I would hold you in contempt of court and seek to have you suspended from practicing before this court again!”

“What if I only thought it?” asked the attorney.

“In that case, there is nothing I could do, you have the right to think whatever you want.”

“Oh, I see. Then, if it pleases the court, let the record reflect, that I ‘think’ you’re a stupid, degenerate, old fool.”

George and Harry set out in a transAtlantichotairballoonrace.After37hours in the air and appearing lost, George offers, “We had better lose some altitude Harry so we can see exactly where we are.”

Hesitantly, Harry lets some hot air out of the balloon, and it begins to slowly descend below the cloud cover.

Still confused as to their exact location George again offers, “I still can’t tell where we are Harry, let’s ask that gentleman down there on the ground.”

Harry yells down to the stranger, “Hey, Mister can you tell us where we are?”

“You’re in a balloon about 100 feet up in the air,” came the reply.

“That man must be a lawyer,” George quipped.

“How can you tell?” said Harry.

“Because the advice he just gave us is 100% accurate and totally useless!”

The Chief Justice of an Appellate Court invited the newly appointed Justice over for dinner. During the meal, the new appointee, Justice Johnson, couldn’t help noticinghowattractiveandshapelytheChief Justice’s housekeeper was. Over the course of the evening he started to wonder if there was more between the Chief Justice and the housekeeper than met the eye.

Reading the new appointee’s thoughts, the Chief Justice volunteered, “I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, my relationship with my housekeeper is purely a professional one.”

About a week later the housekeeper

came to the Chief Justice and said, “Your Honor, ever since your new appointee came to dinner, I’ve been unable to find that beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don’t suppose he took it do you?”

The Chief Justice said, “Well, I doubt it, but I’ll write him a letter just to be sure.”

So he sat down and wrote: “Dear Justice Johnson, I’m not saying that you did take a gravy ladle from my house, and I’m not saying you didn’t take a gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.”

Several days later the Chief Justice received a reply letter from Justice Johnson which read: “Dear Chief Justice, I’m not saying that youdosleepwithyourhousekeeper, and I’m not saying that you don’t sleep with your housekeeper. But the fact remains that if you were sleeping in your own bed, you would have found the gravy ladle by now.”

Ajudgewasridinghorsesonedaywith a young lawyer friend. They came upon an open stretch of country and noticed a hangman’s noose hanging from a tree, solemnly waiving in the wind.

The judge turned to his riding companion and jokingly said, “Jacob, if that gallows had its due, where do you suppose you would be?”

“Riding alone,” quickly came the reply.

A man walking along the beach one day finds a bottle. He rubs it and, sure enough, out popped a genie.

“I will grant you three wishes,” said the genie. “But there is a catch.”

“What catch?” the man asked.

The genie replied, “Every time you make a wish, every lawyer in the world will receive double the wish you were granted.”

“Well, I can live with that! No problem!” replied the elated man.

“What is your first wish?” asked the genie. “Well, I’ve always wanted a Ferrari!” POOF! A Ferrari appeared in front of the man.

“Now every lawyer in the world has TWO Ferraris,” said the genie. “Next wish?” “I’d love a million dollars,” replied the man.

POOF! One million dollars appeared at his feet. “Now every lawyer in the world has TWO million dollars,” said the genie.

“Well, that’s okay, as long as I’ve got my million,” replied the man.

“What is your third and final wish?”

The man thought long and hard, and finally said, “Well, you know, I’ve always wanted to donate a kidney!”

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

39

ABUJA REVIEW NEWS

•Vice-President, Namadi Sambo (third right); former Head of Service, Isa Bello Sali (fourth left); Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Joan Ayo (second right); Head of Service, Bukar Goni Aji (right); Mr. Anthony Ozodinobi (third left); Dr. Ibrahim Daudu (second left) and Adefemi Olayisade during the 2013 Civil Service Dinner and Award Ceremony at State House, Abuja

•From left: Director-General, National Boundary Commission, Dr Mohammed Hamman; Kogi State Deputy Governor, Abayomi Awoniyi; Minister of State, FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide; Kaduda State Deputy Governor, Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga and Ahmed Ibeto of Niger State during joint meeting of officials of FCT and neighbouring states in Abuja

•From left: President, Association of Housing Corporation of Nigeria, Dr Ifenna Chukwujekwu; National Co-ordinator, Housing Show, Festus Adebayo; National President, Nigerian Institute of Building, Chucks Omeife; Representative of Minister of Housing, Mr. Bamidele Salako and UN Habitat Programme Manager, Nigeria, Mallam Kabir Yaring during the Seventh Housing Show

•From left: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Habiba Lawal; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina and Former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, at a National Stakeholders De-Briefing Meeting on the outcome of the 57th session of UN Commission on the status of women in Abuja PHOTO NAN

•From left: Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of State, FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide and Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

•From left: Ministers of Aviation, Princess Stella Odua; Information, Mr Labaran Maku and Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, at the 2013 Ministerial Platform briefing in Abuja

•Members, House of Representaives, Mohammed Galadanci (left); Jerry Alagboso and Ajibola Famurewa after a committee meeting at National Assembly, Abuja

From left: Chairman, South-East Traditional Council, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya; Bride’s mother, Mrs Eby Ilomuanya; newly wedded Mr and Mrs Kelechi; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and wife, Nwanneka during the Eze Cletus Ilomuanya daughter’s wedding at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, Abuja.

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

40

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

ABUJA REVIEW

T

NUJ panel to probe alleged blackmail, extortion

HE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has inaugurated a three-man committee to investigate allegations of blackmail and extortion levelled against Mallam Tukur Mamu, publisher of a Kaduna-based weekly magazine, Desert Herald, by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The FCTA recently accused Tukur of serial blackmail of the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and an attempt to extort N15 million as gratification to discard a controversial book on alleged rot within the FCTA. The committee was inaugu-

Stories from Bukola Amusan

rated at a brief ceremony held at the national secretariat of the NUJ in Abuja by the union’s national

President, Malam Garba Mohammed.

The panel is chaired by a former Vice President of NUJ and a Deputy Director with the Federal Radio Corporation of Ni-

NUJ President, Mallam Garba Mohammed urged the panel members to do a thorough job, stressing that the image and integrity of the union were at stake due to rampant unethical practices

Kogi, Kano urge FERMA to repair roads

T

HE Kogi and Kano states’ Road Maintenance Agencies asked the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency to maintain their roads.

Dr. Abubakar Adama and Mr. Abubakar Jibril, Managing Directors of Kogi State Road Maintenance Agency (KOGROMA) and Kano State Roads Maintenance Agency, respectively, made the appeal recently while leading delegations of officials of their agencies on study tour to FERMA’s headquarters in Abuja.

They said their agencies were still in infancy, having just been created early this year by their respective state Houses of Assembly in line with the resolution of

the National Council on Works held in Lagos last year They said their agencies look up to FERMA to assist them build their own technical and human resource capacities, having already established an enviable reputation for effectively maintaining the Federal roads network.

FERMA’s Managing Director, Engineer Gabriel Amuchi however expressed the agency’s happiness at the establishment of the State Road Maintenance Agencies.

He said Nigerian roads will be much better if all tiers of government established road maintenance mechanisms to drive routine and periodic maintenance of

Nigerian roads will be much better if all tiers of government established road maintenance mechanisms to drive routine and periodic maintenance of their networks

their networks.

That way, he said, the situation where roads belonging to the Federal Government are serviceable while those belonging to other tiers are in poor condition would be eliminated.

Amuchi further averred that state road maintenance agencies needed to learn from the experiences FERMA garnered over its 10-year history, especially measures and strategies adopted to achieve sustained maintenance of Federal roads.

Among such measures are preventive maintenance and road surveillance programme, development of FERMA cold asphalt and establishment of production centres in different parts of the country, as well as effective monitoring and supervision of field operations by senior engineers and management to ensure set specifications are met.

He also called for concerted efforts of all state road maintenance agencies enacted by law to press for the actualisation of the five percent fuel user’s charge 40 percent of which accrues to FERMA and 60 percent to the State road maintenance agenciesfor sustainable funding of maintenance of the entire national road network.

geria (FRCN), Mr. Gbenga Onayiga.

The other two members of the committee are the Chairman of Kaduna State chapter of NUJ, Mallam Yusuf Idris and Mr. Akin Orimolade of the Daily Newswatch newspaper who will serve as secretary of the committee.

Inaugurating the committee on, the NUJ President, Mallam Garba Mohammed urged the members to do a thorough job, stressing that the image and integrity of the union were at stake due to rampant unethical practices.

He formally handed over the petitions and other documents received on the matter to the committee chairman, Onayiga.

Speaking on behalf of the members, Onayiga assured the president and members that they would do a thorough job by discharging their duties dispassionately.

He pledged to be neutral and fair to all the parties concerned. The event was attended by the Deputy President of the union, chairmen of 10 state chapters of the union and four vice presidents of the NUJ among others.

For nearly two months there has been altercation between the FCTA and the Desert Herald Magazine following the latter’s claim to have written a 284-page book detailing alleged rot in the FCTA. Following repeated publication of the allegation in successive editions of the magazine and a particular national newspaper (Leadership), the FCTA recently wrote a petition to the NUJ and the Nigerian Guild of Editors calling on them to call the magazine to order and investigate an alleged attempt by its publisher, Mallam Tukur Mamu to extort N15 million from the FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed through his SA Media, Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi.

FCT records drop in HIV/AIDS prevalence

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HE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has recorded a 10 per cent drop in HIV/AIDS prevalence in the last two years, the FCT HIV/AIDS Programme Coordinator, Dr Yakubu Mohammed has said. The figure was 8.6 percent in 2010 and 7.5 in 2012.

He said the programme may not have achieved peak performance over the period in terms of intervention on HIV/AIDS in the territory, it has made tremendous progress compared to two years ago. FCT is one of the high risk HIV burden areas in the country as identified by the National HIV Control programme.

According the Coordinator, who made the disclosure while fielding questions from newsmen during a one-day FCT HIV/AIDS Stakeholders Consultative Meet-

•Commercial motorcyclists wash their motorcyclists on a flooded road in Mararaba, Nasarawa State after a downpour

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN

ing on Acceleration of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) Scale- Up in Abuja over the weekend, the reduction is due to a paradigm shift in addressing the challenge of the scourge by the FCT health sector response strategies.

“What this means is that the prevalence is reducing; and we are committed to sustaining the success recorded so far, as what we want is that by the end of 2015, the HIV/AIDS prevalence in the FCT to be less than five percent “With the support of other key stakeholders in the fight against the scourge, we will come out with a blue print that will drive the process for the attainment of our target, for prevention of new cases of HIV/AIDS in the FCT. “We have made tremendous progress; and we are still making progress; and although we can’t really say that we have reached where we are expected to be, but we know that our performance has increased, and is still increasing over the period”, he said.

Earlier in her remark, the Director, Public Health, Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) of the FCTA, Dr Folasade Momoh, noted that given the peculiar HIV/ AIDS epidemic profile of the nation characterised by high prevalence rate, high MTCT burden, low PMTCT and ART coverage, low retention rate of persons living with HIV, what is required is strong commitment, efficiency and accountability by all stakeholders, in order to accelerate the attainment of various Universal Access (UA) targets for the elimination of various PMTCT by 2015.

According to her, the HIV/AIDS epidemic situation in Nigeria still remains a major public health challenge of high magnitude, in spite of enormous resources government is committing to combat it at the national, state, and local government levels.

She therefore urged all stakeholders collaborating with the secretariat to embrace its initiatives and vigorously pursue the course, in order to contribute towards the realisation of the set objectives; “and in turn reinforce our policy trust and facilitate our ownership and sustainability drive in FCT.”

POLITICS

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

43

THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

It has been 15 years since the last local government elections were held in Anambra State. October 5 has been fixed for the elections. NWANOSIKE ONU reports that stakeholders are skeptical about the possiblity of the polls.

Scramble for grassroots power in Anambra T

HE last local government elec tion in Anambra State was conducted 15 years ago by the military in 1998. It was followed later by the governorship election that brought Governor Chinwoke Mbadiuju’s administration into office Once the tenure of that set of elected council executives ended in 2002, successive administrations in the state have constituted one caretaker committee or the other for the administration of the councils.

On few occassions, however, such duties have been entrusted into the hands of the heads of service of the councils.

There are 21 local government areas in the state with a total of 326 wards. An additional ward was created to bring the total tally to 327.

During the tenure of Senator Chris Ngige, preparations for the conduct of the council elections got to an advanced stage in 2004.

All the materials were ready, but hoodlums, who were alleged to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disrupted the process.

The incident occured during the infamous November 2004 mayhem when the headquarters of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANIEC) was set ablaze and vital electoral materials destroyed.

It was alleged then that the onslaught was perpetrated by those who wanted Ngige out at all cost, following the failed bid to abduct him at the Choice Hotels in Awka.

Soon after, in February 2005, another attempt was made by Ngige, but former President Olusegun Obasanjo allegedly threw a spanner in the works. He was said to have advised Ngige not to go ahead with it on the ground that security reports did not favour the conduct of local government elections.

Last year, it was generally believed that the polls would hold in December. In fact, the chairman of the state’s Independent Electoral Commission, Prof Titus Ezeh, described the proposed December 4, 2012 date as “sacrosanct”. But certain technical challenges came up.

First, it was discovered that the voter’s register was full of fictitious names from the North, Southsouth and Southwest and it was stopped following a public outcry against it.

Before then, ANSIEC had carried out large scale sensitisation in all the 21 council areas. And some political parties had collected millions of naira from their aspirants through the sales of nomination forms.

There was the case of a particular party, which imposed N1 million on each of its chairmanship aspirants for the nomination form.

The party allegedly collected millions of naira only for the elections not to hold. That incident remains a talking point and it is causing ripples in the party till date.

Ever since the failed attempt of last year, the commission and the government have been playing hide and seek on the issue.

Expectedly, the attitude of the state government and ANSIEC

From left: ANSIEC Commissioner (Security Matters) Mrs Patience Nnamezie, the commission’s Acting Chairman, Mr Sylvester Okonkwo, and the secretary, Mr Benji Uzoka, at the meeting with stakeholders in Awka.

pitched them against some groups and individuals. The government became jittery as civil society groups such as the Civil liberties Organization (CLO) led by Alloy Attah; Intersociety led by Comrade Emeka Umegbelasi; Movement for the Conduct of Local Government Elections, led by Comrade Osita Obi and Transform Nigeria Movement led by Comrade Obi Ochije turned the heat on the government and the commission.

This forced Governor Peter Obi into making some pronouncements in that direction at some public functions but nothing concrete came out of them all. His common excuse has been that the court cases instituted by those at the helm of affairs in the commission were hampering his plans to conduct the elections.

Former ANSIEC chairmen, Chief Cornel Umeh who served during the era of Ngige till Obi came in and Prof Titus Ezeh, who Obi had described as the man for the job, had both gone to court to challenge their removals from office by the state government without due process at different times.

Some of these cases, which the governor referred to, are still pending in different courts till date. And until they are vacated, it would be difficult for the election to hold in Anambra.

Furthermore, the constitution does not allow an acting chairman to conduct such an election, therefore, the commission, as it is presently constituted without a substantive chairman, may be wary of conducting the election, considering the fact that money, resources and time would have been waisted in no small measure.

Besides, the chairmen of some po-

• Obi

litical parties in the state, believe that the Governor Obi Administration is not sincere in its quest to get democratically elected individuals to pilot the affairs of the council areas.

Critics in the state say that the reluctance to conduct local government elections is not just a problem that is peculiar to Governor Obi but a general political malady plaguing the system in the country. They argue that the desire to control allocations from the federal government, was the reason behind the reluctance of state governors to conduct council polls.

They further claim that governors are more comfortable working with transition committee chairmen and their members because they are more amenable to doing the biddings of state executive governors.

However, Governor Obi last week told members of the Movement for the Conduct of Local Government

Election at the Government House, that he is now ready to conduct the council polls.

Speaking to over 200 members of the group, at a meeting he held with them at the Conference Hall of the Government House, Obi said that if the money made available for ANSIEC in the 2013 appropriation bill was not enough, he would ensure that funds were made available to facilitate the conduct of the election.

But in an omnious note, Obi reminded his visitors that he is not the commission that would conduct the polls.

“I am not the commission, I have become your member today, but go to the ANSIEC and liaise with them to fix a date for the election and you will be assured of my assistance” Obi told them.

The Nation learnt that ANSIEC was allocated 400 million naira in the 2013 budget, an amount political observers say is too meager for the conduct of council polls.

Osita Obi, the leader of the group and his members had threatened that if the council polls was not conducted in the state, the governorship election in the state may also not hold.

The activist said that he was ready to lay down his life to actualize his campaign, saying that Anambra and indeed, the aspirants had become a laughing stock in the society after 15 years.

Following the agitation, ANSIEC acting chairman Sylvester Okonkwo, named October 5, 2013 as date for the conduct of the election. However, he did this without releasing the other necessary guidelines as earlier planned by the commission.

He postponed that to this week.

He merely announced that all nomination and completed forms by aspirants should be submitted to ANSIEC on or before August 15,

‘ Some of these cases, which the governor referred to, are still pending in different courts till date. And until they are vacated, it would be difficult for the election to hold in Anambra. Furthermore, the constitution does not allow an acting chairman to conduct such an election, therefore, the commission, as it is presently constituted without a substantive chairman can’t conduct the polls’

2013.

But curiously, what he tagged as interactive sessions with stakeholders was not to be. He moved quickly into his office after the announcement, leaving the state party chairmen.

Okonkwo’s action sparked instant protests from the party chieftains, who sat glued to their seats, waiting for the acting chairman to come and offer some explanation. But when he failed to turn up, they left in anger.

The Nation learnt that what the acting chairman of ANSIEC did was a mere smokescreen designed to deceive the party leaders. It was alleged that the acting chairman did what he did under duress. Furthermore, a government source, who spoke with The Nation in confidence, last week said there will be no local government election. He added that “The Governor is planning to put sole administrators at the helm of affairs at the councils”.

The tenure of transition committee members expired on June 12, 2013, and The Nation learnt also, that the aim of giving lawmakers 12 million naira each as constituency funds by the state government was to have its way on the plan.

Anambra State PDP chairman Kenneth Emeakayi, told The Nation that as far as he was concerned, their mission at ANSIEC office was a jamboree. “The aim of the meeting, according to ANSIEC, was to have an interactive session with the stakeholders; rather, what we saw was a different thing. The acting chairman of the commission just refused to speak with us”.

Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Hon Sam Oraegbunam said the date of the election as announced by ANSIEC is not feasible.

He told The Nation after the meeting that ANSIEC was only playing to the gallery and that it lacked focus.

As for the chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Chief Pat Orjiakor, the entire arrangement by ANSIEC was “pure deceit”. He said the electoral body was not sincere to the project. “Anybody who holds any office should be a man of honour and integrity”.

The same argument was put up by the state chairman of Advance Congress of Democrats (ACD), Lolo Oby Okafor. She said that ANSIEC called the party leaders to “ridicule them”. According to her, “the public can testify that there are no plans by anybody to hold council election, we were happy when we were summoned to come for this meeting, but on getting here, it was another thing altogether” Okafor said.

But the chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Mike Kwentoh and the factional chairman of the party Egwuoyibo Okoye, commended ANSIEC moves.

The state chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Amechi Obidike told The Nation that the possibility of the election holding is remote.

According to him, the fact that there are some impending cases in court against the commission that have not been dispensed off, and that the acting chairman of ANSIEC has no powers to conduct council polls and as such the whole project is doubtful.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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POLITICS

Dickson’s antidote to insecurity in Bayelsa B

EFORE now, Bayelsa State was under siege by the cultists. Locked in a supremacy battle, members of rival cult groups turned the state, especially its capital, Yenagoa, to a killing field.

Staccato of gunshots were a regular feature of daily life in Yenagoa.

It was common to see people running in different directions to escape from a sudden violent scene created by cultists.

Gun-wielding and machete-carrying youths overran the city at night and in broad daylight and mowed down their rivals with impunity.

Each day, a group of armed youths raided pubs, beer parlours, eateries and other relaxation centres and killed their perceived enemies including innocent fun-seekers.

September 2011, was particularly bloody in the state. It recorded a harvest of deaths. No day passed without stories of violent skirmishes. In fact, within one week in September, about 11 persons were reported killed at different parts of the city.

Cultism had hitherto defiled solutions in the state. In flamboyant display of wealth, cultists lived large, own business empires and occupied juicy political positions.

Membership of a cult group was believed to be part of a bargaining power for allotment of political positions.

It was obvious that the then government lacked the will to tackle the menace. Security ,especially the police, appeared handicapped as superior orders were issued to them to release cultists in their custody.

The development dealt a deadly blow on the state’s economy. Investors avoided the state like a plague. Panic-stricken business owners closed their shops and retired home early to escape the anger of the marauders.

Clubs, beer parlours and other business owners prayed earnestly for the end of cultism and the reign of terror in the state.

The question, however, on all lips is: can the efforts of the current administration of Governor Seriake Dickson eradicate cult-related activities in the state?

The governor had from inception toed a path of zero-tolerance to crime and declared his readiness to stamp out all forms criminalities including cultism.

Dickson went further to give legal backing to the war against cultism by signing into law, the Bayelsa State Secret Cult, Kidnapping and Similar Activities (Prohibition Bill, 2012), a law that prescribes 10-year jail term for convicted cultists.

Shortly after assenting to the bill, he said: “In the last few years, this state became the headquarters of cult-related violence.

“I want to thank the security agencies for heeding our call for normalcy to return because in the past three months, we are witnesses to a semblance of normalcy, that has returned to the state, particularly, the streets of Yenagoa. But this is not good enough.

“This government has said it over and over that we had no room for criminality and violence. Especially, criminal activities that are violent in nature, whether they are products of militancy or cult related activities.

“We are very serious about that and to underscore our seriousness and to show that in this government there would be no room for tolerance of crime, we sent a bill to the House of Assembly and they have passed it into law.

• Dickson From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

“The consequences of this law are very severe. The security operatives now have the authority to go after all those who are members of cult groups listed in the law.

“By my signature to this law, I have hereby proscribed all of them.

They are hereby proscribed as associations and groups in Bayelsa State. By this laws that I have signed, it is a crime to belong to any of these groups in Bayelsa State”, he said.

The law also made it a crime for any landlord to provide accommodation for cultists or allow his premises to be used in anyway by cultists. Governor Dickosn said this much when he declared that: “It is also a crime for any household or landlord and landlady or anybody who is in control of any premises whatsoever to allow that premises to be used for any cultrelated activities or to allow any cult member to stay in any such premises.

“Once it is proved and upon conviction, such premises, however big it is, will be forfeited to the state government. I want to use this opportunity to call on landlords and landladies to be vigilant and watchful, because I will see to the strict implementation of this law,” he warned.

But the governor gave a lifeline through the law to the cultists. He made a provision for renunciation, an opportunity for members of secret organisation to publicly renounce such membership and benefit from a rehabilitation and reintegration programme.

In pursuant of his olive branch, the Governor, through his Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society, Mr. Tony Ile, proposed amnesty for cultists.

Ile described the proposed amnesty as part of government’s efforts to further extend the olive

‘Following the approach described by many people as “carrot and stick”, 11,000 of the youths from the eight local government areas of the state, converged on the Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, to formally take oaths denouncing cultism’

branch to repentant cultists, especially, those hiding in coastal communities and higher institutions.

He urged such persons to register their names and submit their profiles to his office. He gave March 20 and April 5 as the period for such registration.

“Government is therefore, calling on cult members to take advantage of this window of opportunity created to turn a new leaf and do something meaningful with their lives.

“To demonstrate government’s commitment to this project, His Excellency, Henry Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa state, will meet with all repentant cultists at a later date to discuss and arrange for proper security of their lives as well as ways to engage and empower them”, he said.

Following the approach described by many people as “carrot and stick”, 11,000 of the youths from the eight local government areas of the state, converged at the Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, to formally take oaths denouncing cultism.

The youths who wore white Tshirts, symbolising peace, took the oaths administered on them by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Francis Egele in the presence of other government representatives led by Governor Dickson.

Dickson, who was happy at the development, informed the youths that the government had earmarked N1bn as soft loans for young entrepreneurs.

He said the government had concluded plans to hold a youth summit in the state to identify their problems. He said the youths would undergo training on skill acquisitions after their verifications.

Addressing them he said, “If we do not help to build you all, then our future will not be assured. You are all aware of what our restoration government is doing; building schools, roads, hospitals, investing in security and making our state safe, talking to people to come here to invest so that we can create jobs for you.

“All of these will come to nothing, if we don’t equip you with the skills that you need to partake in the economy to protect our future.

“This exercise is not the end but the beginning; by the time my team concludes the verification exercise, which will be detailed, local government by local government, when we are through with all of these, we are going to engage you in a special youth empowerment programme.

A total of 10,000 youths will be engaged.”

He said the beneficiaries would be trained in agriculture, traffic management and the special surveillance system.

Also the Commissioner for Youths Development, Mr. Akpoebide Alamieyeseigha urged the youths to embrace the vocational programmes initiated by the government.

Following the reintegration programme of the government for the repentant cultists, he said anybody caught indulging in criminal activities would henceforth be penalised in accordance with the law.

A petty trader who identified herself as Preye Ezekiel believes that the efforts of the governor are yielding dividends citing the existing peace in the state.

She, however, asks Dickson to sustain the peace by creating jobs for the youths. “We cannot develop without peace. Let us encourage the governor, who has shown uncommon determination to secure our lives”, she said.

PERSPECTIVE In this piece, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar reflects on the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and suggests the way out of the logjam.

How to resolve PDP crisis, by Atiku

A

T the onset of the present democratic dispensation, it was clear to the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party that the major challenge confronting our nation was the establishment of an enduring democratic platform with a sustainable legitimacy. We were also convinced that such platforms should possess credible internal capacity to produce leaders who will be committed to the public purpose and whose leadership will be informed by a common good and sustained by the popular will of all citizens.

The PDP was conceived as a national party not only because of the desire to provide responsive leadership, but also because it is within such a national party that we can guarantee national harmony, promote human development and safeguard the freedom and dignity of all citizens. The constitution of the party was designed to promote collective leadership that is inclusive and upholds the principles of justice and fair-play without denigrating the legitimacy of dissent.

I have said it and I will continue to say it that the party is headed in the wrong direction as it moves from one crisis to the other. It appears that in the pursuit of our personal ambition, we have continued to trample with impunity on the rights not only of the members, but also on the freedom of Nigerian citizens who deserve a right to choose who should govern them and for how long.

Sometimes, progress involves stepping backwards. In the South West, this is such a moment for the Peoples Democratic Party.

The PDP became a very strong political party in the South West as a result of the efforts and commitment of leaders who commanded the respect of the generality of the people of the South West. By the year 2009, the party had 5 of the 6 Governors in the zone, 14 of the 18 Senators, 46 out of the 71 House of Representatives seat, 102 members of the State Houses of Assembly, and 115 Local Governments. Members of the PDP also occupied all commissionership and special advisers positions, in addition to all statutory board membership.

However, the fortunes of the PDP in the South West took a startling reverse from 2011 such that today, the party has no Governor in the region, has only 1 Senator, 7 Members of the House of Representatives and only 18 Members in all

• Alhaji Abubakar

the State Houses of Assembly. Of course, not a single Local Government administration is PDP-controlled in the entire region.

It is not only in the interest of PDP, but indeed that of the Nation that this trend be reversed.

As a founding member of the PDP, the prevailing situation of the party in the South West is very disturbing.

I am sure that our party didn’t come to this sorry state in the region because the party men failed to deliver good governance to the people. Landmarks of achievements

by PDP governments dot the region.

It still remains a paradox to me how the presidential candidate of the party would win massively in all but one state of the South West, yet the party failed to produce a single state Governor in the region and could only produce 18 State Assembly members in the same election. My experience in politics tells me that this paradox can only be explained in one way that is the leadership of the party must have abandoned the party and negotiated the victory of the President at the expense of the Party.

Recent events have shown that the leadership of the party has demonstrated insufficient sincerity in resolving the numerous crises which are pitching the party members against themselves. Political manoeuvring that relies on the politics of patronage and arbitrary application of sanctions will not sustain the popular will of the people through which the party can recover the lost ground.

A group of concerned professionals with PDP interest from the South West carried out a study in which a state-by-state analysis of the crises in the party was made. The body made far-reaching recommendations in their document which was submitted to the leadership of the Party. If the party leadership had paid attention to some of their recommendations, the outcome of the election in Ondo State could probably have been different.

It will be useful for the incoming South West Executive Committee to study this report and prepare a blueprint for the reversal of the dwindling fortunes of the party in the region.

The eloquent silence of respected leaders on the various crises is a disturbing sign which leaves majority of the members confused.

The national leadership of the party needs to respect the democratic wishes of party members in the zone and discourage the deliberate creation of factions, and upturning the results of duly conducted elections at the various congresses and the national convention.

In all we do, the adherence to the constitution of the party in the conduct of the party’s affairs is the only hope for sustaining the existence and legitimacy of the party. Also, the legitimacy of the party can only be sustained if the provision of the welfare needs of Nigerian citizen takes precedent in the heart of the leaders rather than primordial politicking.

There is need to reverse the declining trend of PDP in the South West. PDP cannot afford to depart from the South West.

Atiku Abubakar is the Turaki Adamawa and former Vice President of Nigeria

HEALTH

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

No fewer than 20 babies born with cleft lips will soon undergo surgeries to correct the anomaly, courtesy of a non-government organisation (NGO), Health, Education, Work and Shelter Foundation (HEWF), reports OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA.

Succour for babies with cleft lips

•Baby Ahmed

•Baby Ibezim

•Baby Waris

•Samuel

HEY were born with cleft lips, an anomaly which prevents them from using their mouths. But all hope is not lost for these toddlers whose ages range from three to five months. Their lives are being transformed, courtesy of a non-governmental organisation (NGO),Health, Education, Work and Shelter Foundation (HEWF). They are Tijani Ahmed (five months), Ibezim Wisdom (three months), Osindero Ayoluwa (four months) and Olayinka Waris (four years). They all awaited surgeries at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, under the sponsorship of the foundation.

Sixteen others have also been identified and billed for the free cleft lip and palate surgeries billed for LASUTH . The patients were recruited by the NGO based on the standing directive that the tertiary institution should notify it of any patient who cannot afford the costs of treatment for such conditions.

Samuel Oladele is a 12-year-old pupil of The Resourceful Secondary School in Alakuko, a Lagos suburb. He had lived in trauma, stigma and inferiority complex. This is due to a growth on his lower jaw. Doctors call it abnormal growth. He longed to be and look like other normal school children, but the growth sets him apart. His mother, Mrs Mary Oladele, has taken him to traditional healers and faith-based organisations in search for solution but the growth did not disappear. Now, aid has come to Samuel as a non-governmental organisation, HEWS Foundation, has enrolled him along with 21 other patients for reconstructive maxillofacial surgery, especially lip palate and cleft lip.

Most of these children will never be able to speak or eat properly and some will go through life without being able to smile. The greatest

tragedy is that virtually every one of these children can be helped with surgery that takes as little as 45 minutes but for the fact that majority of them are too poor and cannot afford to pay for the surgery.

Mrs Oladele, a 37-year-old petty trader, who lives at 13, Gbeleyi Street, Alakuko Bus stop, is all smiles. According to her, the condition of her son had been a thing of concern to her since his birth. "Doctors called the condition one big sounding name and since birth we had been seeking for solution to the growth, but not until we came across this NGO through LASUTH that we are able to get answer that it can be removed and this NGO can pay for it. I am so happy my child will survive this surgery," she said.

She is not the only happy mother. Mrs Grace Inayacha, a hairdresser, is grateful that her three-month-old baby, Wisdom, is billed for the surgery. According to her, when her baby was delivered on the 16 of March this year, "The baby was not given to me out rightly but to my husband. I called him and asked him why. He later find a way of describing the facial outlook to me and said the hospital don't know how I will react to the baby if I see her face. He was told that surgery can correct the abnormality. I was short of words. I asked if scan did not pick it, and I was told no.

"Doctor told me it was a medical reaction, that I must have taken a strong drink or eaten something. Since then, we had been trying to get the surgery done. Though we are comfortable but the cost would have created a dent in our finances. So it is a big relief that now help has come and an NGO is picking the bill. Am happy my baby will not have to grow up with such abnormality but with a perfect face. It is a big relief to me."

According to the Consultant and Head of Burns and Plastic Unit, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof Idowu Fadeyibi, the health mission is poised to leave a lasting smile on the faces of its beneficiaries.

The NGO’s effort is supported by other Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons from within the institution, along with other Healthcare professionals from various units across the state.

"The problem with cleft lip and palate is not only about the visual appearance but has psychological component to it. Some that have grown with the condition are traumatised and are not really integrated in to the society.

“After the surgery, we want to reintegrate them back into the society because they had undergone different pschological trauma. That is basically counsellin and it is part of the post operative care,” he said.

On the cost of the surgery, HEWS Foundation Founder/President, Remi Adeseun, said: "We do not treat lives by percentage but holistically. The hospital has conceded certain things in the costs of the surgeries. One cannot put amount to the cost per patient because it is a comprehensive surgery that involves other examinations.

“Because the hospital has conceded some

things like waving off of some screenings, the money meant for that will further be push back to the pull of our resources and used for other focus of the NGO that are health related.”

HEWS Foundation mission is to help pull people out of poverty, ignorance, disease and homelessness by providing grants/scholarships, and micro-credit to indigent Nigerians.

Adeseun wants more people to assist him either in cash or in kind to continue to put smiles on the faces of the needy. According to him, “Some estimates suggest there are hundreds of thousands of children in Nigeria, who are strug-

gling through life with a cleft lip and palate.

Most of these children will never be able to speak or eat properly and some will go through their entire lives without being able to smile.

The greatest tragedy is that virtually every one of these children can be helped with surgery that takes as little as 45 minutes but for the fact that majority of them are too poor and cannot afford to pay for the surgery.

“HEWS Foundation is very much aware that even with the best intentions, no one or organisation will ever be able to adequately provide for all those in need in our society.”

T

•Adeseun

•Clothes spread outside by patients’ relatives at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

•Expectant mothers sitting on the floor while awaiting their turn to see the doctor at Ifako PHOTOS: OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA Ijaiye Mother and Child Centre (MCC) in Lagos.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

HEALTH

Who will save these children?

These children were born with spinal bifida (split spine) and hydrocephalus (water in the brain), which are congenital conditions. They need help to have a good future. WALE ADEPOJU reports.

T

HE future of Aliyah Yusuf, 6, Oluwasegun Adeniran, 6, Michael Mbonu, 4 and Victor Odusola, 8, may be in jeopardy unless the government or corporate organisations come to their rescue.

They were born with neurological disorders such as hydrocephalus and spinal bifida.

They couldn’t play, study or do things their age mates do because of their condition, which has hampered their growth.

Mrs Bilkis Yusuf said her daughter, Aliyah was born with spinal bifida. “Since her birth, we have become customers to the clinic, going for treatment every fortnight.

Mrs Yusuf, a petty trader, said she couldn’t do anything serious since Aliyah was born as she has to be around her at all times.

“She urinates and excretes intermittently, which was why she still uses pampers at six. Her education was also affected. She is in Nursery 2.

“Aliyah couldn’t stand and walk around. At her age she still crawls. So, I have to carry her about anytime I go out. The experience is really terrible,” Mrs Yusuf said.

She said her husband income as a commercial bus operator couldn’t sustain the family, stressing that Aliyah’s condition was an added responsibility.

Mrs Yusuf, who lives at 9, Sarah Olakunbi Street, Sholebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos, said her landlady has been threatening her family because of their baby whose condition seems strange to them.

She said the child is improving because to recommended exercise she takes and drugs being administered on her.

She lamented that drugs and pampers are too expensive for the family to afford.

For Master Oluwasegun Adeniran, things are getting better.

His mother, Mrs Morenike Adeniran, said the six-year-old only started working three months ago.

“Before his head was too big for his body to carry it. He had a surgery when he was only 14 days old.

“My son was turned down when he wanted to register in a school because he could only crawl.

He was also urinating and excreting on himself without control. But another school has admitted him now,” she said.

Mrs Adeniran, who lives at 68, Jubrilla Street, Ijesha, Surulere, Lagos, said FFF has helped in no small way by ensuring that her son gets his regular massage of arms and legs. “This was done about five times. When the charges of the physiotherapists was hiked at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the foundation took us to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).”

Mrs Bisi Odusola, recounting her ordeal, said she lost her marriage, after her husband, Mr Oluwole Odusola walked out of it when her son Victor was born with spinal bifida.

She said: “He came to the hospital and he became astonished with the baby. He started saying all sort of things and eventually he abandoned us.”

•Miss Yussuf

•Master Adeniran

•Master Mbonu

•Master Odusola

Mrs Odusola, who lives at 12, Apollo Street, Makoko, Lagos, said she is the only person taking care of their children. It is hard to get money to take him to the clinic for treatment. My salary was not enough to support me let alone two other children with one challenged by spinal bifida.”

She said it was not easy taking care of Victor.

“I can’t even go to work. I have to be with him all the time. When I’m going out I carry him on my back,” she added.

The situation of Master Mbonu is not different from his pairs. His mother said People sometimes run from her and his son when they see his big head.

“There was a time I wanted to ask for direction of an address and I called out to a group but I got the shocker of my life when one of them started shouting “Blood of Jesus” and others run.

She said Michael was normal at birth before he started changing at four months,” she added.

She said her family and extended family members have been very supportive, adding that it wasn’t her fault nor that of the child that he was born with the condition.

Mrs Mbonu said she couldn’t engage in any active lifestyle as she has to be with son every time.

She said her son has had two surgeries to correct the defect, adding that his head can’t grow beyond what it is but “he will need gather strength to walk”.

FFF Founder, Mr Afolabi Fajemilo said the foundation needed the support of government, companies and kindhearted people for surgery and rehabilitation of babies born with hydrocephalus and spina bifida.

He said the foundation also needs project

bus to take children out for social inclusion/ integration and bigger office space.

“We also need help to continue with our monthly support group meeting, especially on nutritional support for the children,” he said.

He said more awareness about the condition was necessary, adding that the Federal Government and other state government should have consideration for children with special needs by supporting them, saying only Lagos State has identified with the foundation.

Consultant Neurosurgeon, LUTH, Dr Tayo Ojo said spina bifida is a congenital condition because it develop before the child is born.

He said it develops in the third week of life, most essentially before the mother even knows that she is pregnant. “In most instances, spinal bifida doesn’t come alone. There are other abnormalities that come with it; there is hydrocephalus, leg deformities, urinary deformity is most especially those babies would not be able to control their urine and faeces.

They are always leaking urine and soiling themselves,” he added.

Ojo said countries with good policies have been able to fortified all foods with folic acid.

“This is because we don’t know what causes Spina bifida but we know that at about the third week of life many cells are actively dividing. Where folic acid is not enough in the body, they don’t divide very well or do what they should do. But they’ve congenital anomalies. When folic acid is enough all those processes go as they should go,” he said.

Ojo said most women in Nigeria start taking folic acid when their pregnancy is about five months old a time that is too late. “But the advocacy is to ensure that all women of child bearing age are taking folic acid to prevent such occurrence. “When bread, flour, sugar, salt and other stapple food have folic acid.

Everbody will take it and nobody will be deficient of folic acid and the incidence of spina bifida will reduce.”

He said spina bifida is treatable with surgery, which is used in repairing it. “This, however, doesn’t mean what they’ve lost will come back. It would only ensure it would not get infected again because infection can go directly to the brain and kill them,” Ojo noted.

The surgery, he said was not expensive, it is part of intermediate minor surgery. But many people don’t know its treatable and they don’t come forward for the repair of the condition, he added.

Ojo said awareness should be created on the conditions, stressing that the Federal Government should make it a policy to fortify staple foods.

Nigeria, he said, has no data or register for the condition.

Ojo suggested that there should be a National Registry “so that if there’s any of such occurrence experts can look at the document after a year to know which part of the country has more of it and what is causing it and what month of the year it occurs and others.”

Group seeks lab kits regulation

H

OW can wrong diagnosis be eliminated? It is by the regulation of importation, distribution, storage, sale of laboratory kits, reagents and equipment, says a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Initiative for Medical Diagnostic Awareness (IMDA).

At a public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Health, IMDA warned that if adulterated kits/ reagents were allowed to flood the markets, then laboratory results would to be flawed. It said the sale, importation and storage of these kits and reagents should be supervised. The medical laboratory experts with right education and acumen to determine the best condition for storage, importation and sale.

The imported equipment, it added, should be regulated and standardised for use in a tropical country like Nigeria.

According to its Executive Director, Adekoya A. Julius, the motion moved by Hon. Patrick

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

Ikhariale on the floor of the House expressing his concerns over sharp practices of some medical laboratories in Nigeria was timely. “This motion is timely and commendable,” he said.

It is in the light of the content of the debate that IMDA in pursuant of its noble objective wished to buttress the cogent point of the members of the House on the debate and make the following submissions: The Minister of Health through the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria as directed by the House should map out the strategies to regulate all the medical laboratories managed or operated by unqualified personnel.

“The statutory body responsible for the regulation of the practice of medical laboratory in Nigeria, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria should be allowed to work without

From left: Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O and G), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof Boniface Oye-Adeniran; Managing Director, Benjamin Michaels Limited, Mr Yemi Amuwo and Dr. Efena Efetie, Chief Consultant and Head of Department, O and G, National Hospital, Abuja at the launch of Matruell Nutritional Supplement for women of child bearing age.

borders in the country. The list of the approved Medical Laboratories in Nigeria should be pub-

lished in the Nigeria national newspapers yearly or possibly in a medical laboratory gazette.

And the regulation of education and training of medical laboratory scientist is important.”

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With ekpo:funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08138168825 TRAVEL & LEISURE The financial crisis slammed global banking hubs around the world. Were it not for government bailouts, Wall Street, The City and other banking hubs may never have recovered.

The traditional financial powerhouses stand weakened, and others, long hungry to steal their business, are taking advantage.

THE WORLD’’STOP EMERGING FINANCIAL CENTERS

Dubai — a desert financial dream Dubai spent healvily in recent years to position itself as a regional financial center and a player in international finance.

But its debt-fueled, spendthrift ways finally caught up with the UAE member in late 2009; Dubai was forced to take a $10 billion bailout from Abu Dhabi and remains in serious financial trouble

Sao Paulo — it’s just more fun As Brazil emerges as Latin America’s leading economy, investors are increasingly looking to Sao Paulo to play the country and the region. Brazil’s banking sector is relatively underdeveloped and security remains a concern in Sao Paulo, but there’s lots of upside.

Luxembourg — safe and exotic Luxembourg is growing as a financial center because of its Swiss-like secrecy rules, but that could be its downfall.

There’s plenty to find attractive.

Luxembourg’s marketing materials claim “it’s the second largest investment fund centre in the world after the United States, the premier captive reinsurance market in the European Union and the premier private banking centre in the Eurozone.” It’s also the second-

SANDS OF TIME

CROSSWORD

Dizzy Gillespie

largest mutual fund market after the U.S.

Johannesburg infrastructure

—

Sophisticated financial

Johannesburg is poised to be the financial hub of a continent which represents more than 900 million consumers and one of the world’s fastest growing markets.

John Birks Gillespie was born October 21, 1917, in Cheraw, South Carolina, to John and Lottie Gillespie. The last of nine children, Gillespie’s father was abusive and unusually strict and the youngest Gillespie grew up hard and strong. When Gillespie was ten, his father died and left the family in terrible financial trouble. Around this time Gillespie’s English teacher introduced him to music, and he soon joined the school band. At first he played the trombone, but switched to the trumpet after borrowing a neighbor’s and immediately falling in love with the instrument. Over the next several years Gillespie played with local bands—to both black and white audiences— until his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Gillespie was influenced by Roy Eldridge and played with the big bands of Cab Calloway, Earl Hines, and Billy Eckstine before leading small groups in the mid-1940s.

When Gillespie was in the Frankie Fairfax band in Philadelphia he carried his new trumpet in a paper bag, an act that inspired fellow musicians like Bill Doggett to call him “Dizzy.” In 1989, the year he turned seventytwo, Dizzy Gillespie received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences’ Grammy Award ceremonies. The honor—one of many awarded to the trumpet virtuoso—recognized nearly fifty years of pioneering jazz performances. That same year he received the National Medal of Arts from President George Bush (1924–). Not letting age slow him down, in 1989 Gillespie gave three hundred performances in twenty-seven countries, appeared in one hundred U.S. cities in thirty-one states and the District of Columbia, headlined three television specials, performed with two symphonies, and recorded four albums. The next year, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ceremonies celebrating the centennial of American jazz, Gillespie received the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers’ Duke Award for fifty years of achievement.

Although Gillespie’s failing health was due to pancreatic (having to do with the organ that helps digestion) cancer, Gillespie continued to play the music that he loved late into his life. His last public appearance was in Seattle in February of 1992. Gillespie passed away quietly in his sleep on October 6, 1993, at the age of seventy-five.

Pep Talk

FIRST BANK GOES GLOBAL ON BRANDING

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Correspond (9) 2. Pinch (3) 3. Sexual Desire (4) 4. Ourselves (2) 5. Moisture (3) 6. Discourage (4) 10. Expression of Surprise (3) 11. Get with Difficulty (3) 15. Enumerate (4) 17. Bird (3) 18. Taxi (4) First Bank of Nigeria has taken a further step in consolidating its position 20. Father (2) as the leading bank in Nigeria by taking its outdoor branding outside the shores of the country.

SUDOKU Sudoku is simply a game of logic and needs no The banking giant has its beautifully designed billboard displayed at mathematical skills to play. All you are required terminal 5 of the London Heathrow airport in what might be a move to to do is to fill in the blank spaces in the grid to position itself to take advantage of the Federal Government’s vista of ensure that every row, column and 3 by 3 box new investment incentives for potential foreign investors in the country. contains the numbers 1 to 9.

The novel branding move which may well be regarded as country branding, drawing attention not just to the bank but also the country is has the propensity of triggering a new trend with advertising in corporate Nigeria.

Companies all over the world are looking to expand their businesses into foreign markets.

With the dropping of trade barriers and improvements in communication, many firms aspire to go global.

With increasing globalization, MNCs are becoming stateless players, detached from individual nation states.

However, the consumer’s brand evaluation process is a complex one with a number of variables. One key, albeit often ignored, factor is the Country of Origin (COO) of the brand. COO has been an important factor in consumer purchasing decision making.

The FBNbillboard is strategic, given the fact that Nigeria has become the focus for Direct Foreign Investment.

1. Finalised (9) 7. Employ (3) 8. Tear (3) 9. Succeeded (3) 10. Consumed (3) 12. per Unit (4) 13. Bird (4) 14. Beer (3) 16. Imitate (3) 18. Bed (3) 19. Resort (3) 21. Justly (9)

Our ideas like orange plants, spread out in proportion to the size of the box which imprisons the roots.

– Edward Bulwer Lytton

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

51

FOREIGN NEWS

South Africa plans Mandela’s birthday S

OUTH Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has told the nation to begin planning for Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July.

The former president and global statesman, who will turn 95, remains critically ill in hospital in Pretoria.

He was admitted on 8 June with a recurring lung infection.

President Zuma’s comments come after Mr Mandela’s ex-wife criticised his governing African National Congress (ANC) party for filming the former president at his home in April.

The footage showed Mr Mandela looking dazed and unsmiling during a visit by

•Mandela

agnosed with tuberculosis in the 1980s while he was a prisoner on Robben Island.

After his release, Mr

Mandela said that the tuberculosis was probably caused by dampness in his prison cell.

South Sudan resumes oil shipping via Sudan

S

OUTH Sudan said on Sunday it had shipped its first oil cargo through Sudan to international markets since 2011, while its vice president visited Khartoum to defuse a row that threatened the cross-border flows vital to both.

Sudan told its landlocked African neighbour three weeks ago it would close the two cross-border export

A

one of the ANC’s leaders to his home.

Winnie MadikizelaMandela told ITV News: “I honestly cannot put in words how hurt the family was and it was one of the most insensitive things for anyone to have done.”

Responding to criticism at the time, the ANC defended its filmed visit, saying it was not a “publicity stunt”.

On Monday, President Zuma put out a statement reminding “all South Africans to begin planning for Madiba’s birthday”, using the former leader’s clan name.

“We must all be able to do something good for humanity on this day, in tribute to our former president,’’ he said.

Mr Mandela is revered for leading the fight against white minority rule in South Africa and then preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was elected president the following year. He left office in 1999 after a single term.

Mr Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has rarely been seen at official events since.

He has a long history of lung problems, and was di-

China to adults: Visit your mother or go to jail

pipelines to Port Sudan within two months unless Juba gave up supporting rebels operating across the shared border.

South Sudan, which needs to export oil through Sudan, denies the claims. In a previous dispute over pipeline fees, South Sudan in January 2012 shut down its entire output of around 300,000 barrels per day, but both

agreed in March to resume the flow.

South Sudan’s information minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said the first cargo of state-owned oil had left Port Sudan on the Red Sea, without giving details. The African country previously sold 1 million barrels of oil in its first tender since restarting output.

The first shipment of nongovernment South Sudanese

oil took place earlier this week, and traders said it probably belonged to China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), which had sold 1.2 million barrels at the start of June.

Khartoum had said it will allow the sale of oil already on Sudanese soil.

South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar met yesterday with Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-

US: Arizona wildfire kills 19 firefighters

T least 19 United States (U.S.) firefighters have been killed battling a wildfire in central Arizona, local officials say.

They died while fighting the blaze threatening the town of Yarnell, about 80 miles (130km) Northwest of Phoenix.

The fire was started by lightning on Friday and spread rapidly amid high heat, low humidity and strong winds. At least 200 homes were burned.

Arizona and other parts of the western US - including California - had near-record temperatures over the weekend.

It is the highest death toll for firefighters in a single incident since 9/11.

US President Barack Obama said the firefighters were heroes who had “put themselves in harm’s way to protect the lives and property of fellow citizens”.

Arizona Senator John McCain said the families of the dead firefighters were in the thoughts and prayers of all Americans.

“This devastating loss is a reminder of the grave risks our firefighters take every day on our behalf in Arizona and in communities across this nation. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he

said in a statement.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said it could take “days or longer” to reveal how the deaths occurred.

“This is as dark a day as I can remember,” she said.

“It has been confirmed that 19 wildland firefighters have

lost their lives on the Yarnell Hill fire Arizona,” the US Wildland Fire Aviation said in a statement.

The firefighters were part of a specially trained “hotshot” unit who had battled other wildfires in New Mexico and Arizona in

recent weeks, officials say.

They were forced to deploy emergency tent-like structures meant to shield them from flames after becoming trapped and “something drastic” happened, said Dan Fraijo, fire chief in the nearby city of Prescott.

Bashir at the start of a two-day visit, a Sudanese official said.

Machar’s delegation also included Oil Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau. The dispute between the neighbours threatens to hit supplies to Asian crude buyers such as CNPC, India’s ONGC Videsh and Malaysia’s Petronas, which run the oilfields in both countries.

Diplomats said they doubted Sudan would close the two cross-border export pipelines, because its economy also has been suffering without South Sudan’s pipeline fees.

Oil was the main source of revenue for Sudan’s budget until the south’s secession in July 2011, when Khartoum lost 75 percent of its oil production and its status as oil exporter overnight.

Riot police clash with demonstrators on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Tens of thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets this month in the biggest protests in 20 years, fuelled by an array of grievances ranging from poor public services to the high cost of World Cup soccer stadia and corruption.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Obama declares a new era of US-Africa relations

B

•Obama

ASKING in an exuberant welcome, President Barack Obama yesterday declared a new era in the United States (U.S.) relations with Africa based on strategic investment as opposed to charitable aid.

Obama’s visit to Tanzania, the last stop on a three-country tour of the continent, offers him a unique opportunity to meet with a fellow U.S. president hailed for his Africa aid programs. Former President George W. Bush plans to be in the same capital city for a conference on

•...defuses Snowden spying fall out African women organized by his institute.

The presidents’ brief meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, highlights how the U.S. philosophy on relations with the developing continent has evolved since the time when Bush was in office.

Obama praised Bush’s funding for AIDS treatment in particular during a news conference with President Jakaya Kikwete, shortly after his arrival to teeming crowds cheering along his motor-

cade route.

“I think this is one of his crowning achievements,” Obama said of Bush’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. “Because of the commitment of the Bush administration and the American people, millions of lives have been saved.”

But Obama said he wants to change the approach.

“We are looking at a new model that’s based not just on aid and assistance, but on trade and partnership,”

he said. For example, he said he doesn’t want to just provide food aid but help for Tanzanians to grow their own.

“Ultimately, the goal here is for Africa to build Africa for Africans,” Obama said.

“And our job is to be a partner in that process.”

Meanwhile President Obama played down a controversy over whether Washington had spied on its European allies, saying at a Tanzanian press conference that the U.S. would address the concerns raised.

GROWN up children who do not visit their aged parents regularly could be fined or even jailed according to a law that took effect yesterday.

Exactly what “enough” means is not specified in the law, which will make it hard to enforce, but the legislation underlines how radically China’s modernization and its “one child policy” have transformed the country over the past 30 years.

Market reforms have contributed to the break up of the traditional extended family, as more and more young people leave their hometowns to seek work, and population control efforts mean parents have only one child to lean on when they are older.

More than 194 million Chinese are over 60-yearsold, according to official figures. By 2030 that figure will have almost doubled.

Hollande: spy row threatens EU-US trade talks FRENCH President Francois Hollande demanded yesterday that the United States immediately stop its alleged eavesdropping on European Union diplomats and suggested that the widening surveillance scandal could derail negotiations for a free-trade deal potentially worth billions.

The Obama administration is facing a breakdown in confidence from key allies over secret programs that reportedly installed covert listening devices in EU offices. Many European countries had so far been muted about revelations of the wide net cast by U.S. surveillance programs aimed at preventing terrorist attacks, but their reaction to the latest reports indicate Washington’s allies are unlikely to let the matter drop without at least a strong show of outrage.

Pope Francis to visit migrant island POPE Francis will make a trip to the Italian island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea on July 8. He will pay homage to the migrants and refugees, mainly from Africa, who have drowned while trying to make it to Europe.

Being closer to Africa than the Italian mainland, Lampedusa is the frequent destination for migrants and refugees, mostly from Africa.

The Vatican’s Press Office explained yesterday that the Pope was profoundly touched by the recent episode of a boat loaded with migrants from Africa that sank in the sea, the latest in series of similar tragedies.

During the morning trip, the Pope will pray for those who have lost their lives in sea, visit the survivors and refugees, encourage the inhabitants of Lampedusa, and appeal to everyone’s sense of responsibility to care for these brothers and sisters in extreme need.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

53

NEWS

Etisalat holds 2013 international sustainability conference

Court orders Diya, others to pay N5.5m for assaulting ex-worker

A

O

NE of Nigeria’s frontline telecommunications company, Etisalat, has held this year’s edition of International Sustainability Conference.

The event was put together through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Centre in partnership with the Lagos Business School (LBS) of the Pan Atlantic University with various stakeholders in attendance.

The conference, with the theme: Sustainability Management in Growing Emerging Markets, was held at the Honeywell Group Auditorium of the Pan Atlantic University, Lekki, Lagos.

The conference was a gathering of chief executives and other top executives in the business community and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who were responsible for CSR/sustainability.

•The former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (second left) laying the foundation stone of Promenade Housing Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja.He is being assisted by the Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (second right) and his Niger State counterpart, Dr Mu’azu Babagida Aliyu (right) in Abuja...yesterday.

Group to Suswam, Jang: stop destabilising Taraba A SOCIO-political group, Taraba Justice Forum (TJF), has alerted the public to the alleged destabilising roles of Plateau and Benue State Governors Jonah Jang and Gabriel Suswam in the political drama in Taraba State.

The group urged wellmeaning Nigerians to prevail on the governors to stop overheating the Taraba State political space.

In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Bala Yaya, the group described as morally shameful and politi-

cally unhelpful “the picture show” recently embarked upon by Suswam and by Jang five months ago.

It alleged that the two leaders were promoting divisions and undermining the constitution by meddling in Taraba politics.

The statement reads: “We all remember that Governor Jang months ago came back with pictures published in several newspapers. Now it is

the turn of Governor Suswam with pictures also syndicated in major newspapers. We are waiting for the video clip of Governor Suswam’s visit to be aired on NTA. We hope this time around the audio will be available unlike the last time when the audio not available on NTA was fully aired on AIT. “We wonder why it is difficult for the ailing governor to directly address the people

Mark: Senate’ll end impunity in pension administration

Afenifere urges govt to compensate Boko Haram’s victims

•Committee to reconsider stand on new states

S

ENATE President David Mark has assured Nigerians that the Senate will end the era of impunity and corruption in pension management in the country.

He said the determination stemmed from a joint resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives to stop impunity and corruption in the nation’s pension industry.

Mark spoke at a public hearing on a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Pension Reform Act, 2004 and Re-act the Pension Reform Act 2013 to make provisions for the contributory pension scheme and for connected matters.

The two-day public hearing ended in Abuja at the weekend.

Describing the bill as a positive response to the joint resolution of the National Assembly, Mark noted that it showed that the pension industry plays a formidable role in the socio-economic development of the country.

The industry, he said, guarantees a befitting welfare for senior citizens as well as makes available huge investment funds for the real and capital market sectors.

The Senate President said this is why it could not be allowed to be mismanaged or abused by operators/administrators.

Mark noted that the introduction of the bill demonstrates the effectiveness of the Executive arm in its quick

By Olamilekan Andu

T

From Onyedi Ojiabor (Assistant Editor), Sanni Onogu, Abuja and Tony Akowe, Kaduna

response to the cries of pensioners.

He said the bill would ensure a paradigm shift and overhaul the apex regulatory agency, the PENCOM. The Senate President stressed the role of an effective pension administration on the well-being of pensioners is clear.

Mark said the efforts of those who laboured for the fatherland would always be appreciated through adequate payment of their pensions and gratuities.

He said: “This is why I, as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives do urge the Joint Committee to do justice to this bill by making sure the merits of its passage will address the expectations of the ultimate beneficiaries.”

Also, there were indications yesterday that the Senate Committee on State Creation may reconsider its earlier stand on more states.

It has given agitators of new states a second chance to correct the anomaly in their requests for new states and re-present their requests to the committee.

A member of the committee and Senator representing Kaduna South, Nenadi Usman, said those requesting for new states were asked to

of the state on public television. We are at a loss as to why these governors cannot take NTA, Channels and AIT to the USA to interview the governor on his sick bed. In fact, Governor Suswam could have helped his friend by taking these broadcast stations along instead of joining in the shameful pictorial politics that has only serve to expose the lies and deceit of those behind them.”

•Mark

correct their mistakes and return to the committee.

In its report, which was presented to the Senate recently by its Chairman, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the committee said none of the requests conformed with the provisions of Section 8(1) of the Constitution, which stipulates that two-thirds of elected representatives of the area requesting for a state must sign the document.

Usman told leaders and stakeholders of Southern Kaduna, who are requesting for Gurara State, that only 17 of the requests for state were processed by the committee.

According to her, none of the 17 complied with the provisions of the constitution.

She said: “At our last meeting, those of us who are from areas requesting states made a case to the committee. We told the committee that as representatives of the people, we should be able to make provisions for state creation and that we be given the chance to correct the errors in the submissions.”

HE Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, has urged the Federal Government to compensate military and civilian victims of the Boko Haram insurgents.

In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr ‘Yinka Odumakin, the group gave reasons for asking the government to compensate the victims of the insurgents.

The statement faulted a statement allegedly made by the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North, Taminu Turaki, that the victims would not be compensated.

It reads: “The attention of Afenifere has been drawn to a statement credited to the chairman of Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North, Taminu Turaki, that there would be no compensation for the victims of Boko Haram insurgency.

“Turaki, who spoke at a gathering of Muslim leaders at the national conference organised by the umbrella body of Muslims in the North, the Jama’atul Nasir Islam (JNI), was quoted to have said: ‘Government cannot pay compensation... It will compensate military personnel that were affected by this insurgency… Government will not have the capacity to give compensation because the number of victims involved in the insurgency incidents.’ We are at a loss as to what message the committee chairman is putting across...”

By Adebisi Onanuga

LAGOS High court, Ikeja, presided over by Justice Opeyemi Oke, yesteday ordered former Chief of General Staff (CGS), Gen. Oladipo Diya, and other directors of his company to pay N5.5million as compensation for assaulting and battering Mr. Oluwatosin Onamade in 2008.

Onamde was a former worker at Diya’s company.

He had sued Gen. Diya, his firm, LOTAD Funeral Services Limited, and four directors of the company for assault and battering. The directors are: Kehinde Diya, Dele Obakoya, Emmanuel Ilori and Dele Oyesanya.

Delivering judgment yesterday, Justice Oke held Diya, LOTAD Funeral Services Limited and the four directors of the company “jointly and severally” liable for the assault and battering of the claimant.

The judge also held that the actions of the defendants amounted to acts of impunity.

“The actions of the defendants are condemnable; it is an arbitrary use of power,” Justice Oke said.

She ordered the defendants to immediately return the claimant’s belongings, which were unlawfully seized from him. They include a Mercedez Benz 190 model with its keys, one HP laptop DV 6000, wedding ring and a Rolex wristwatch.

The judge also ordered Diya and the other defendants to return to Onamade a bag containing N72,000 cash, personal documents/credentials, complimentary cards, file and a seal stamp.

Other items to be returned to the claimant are: a Reltel Nokia mobile phone, 6280 Nokia phone, N76 Nokia phone and two wooden caskets.

Justice Oke averred that the notice of resignation given to the claimant by the management of LOTAD Funeral Services Limited was a breach of the six-month notice provided for in the parties’ terms of agreement.

“If they had given him the notice six months earlier, the claimant would have had no choice other than to pack his things and leave,” she said.

Tofa backs Akande as APC chairman

T

HE presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in the June 12, 1993 election, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, has hailed the recent nomination of the interim leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said the future of the new party is bright.

Tofa, who described the interim chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, as a gentleman of impeccable character, incredible humility and integrity, said the former Osun State governor’s wealth of experience as well as his sense of fairness and justice would enable him to lead the party effectively.

Re-affirming the fitness and confidence he has in those nominated to hold various positions in the APC, Tofa expressed confidence that Chief Akande would deliver the new party’s interim chairman.

In a statement yesterday in Kano, Tofa noted that Akande has consistently piloted the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to its enviable position in the nation’s political landscape.

He said: “What I must ad-

WHO, NAFDAC, others tackle fake drugs

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

vise is that these interim leaders, who are among the best fruits of the party, must be encouraged to contest those or other positions at the National Convention. There cannot, for example, be a better Publicity Secretary than Lai Mohammed.

The fact that they are the interim leaders now, must not be a reason to preclude them from the next permanent executive of the party.”

LAND FOR SALE LOCATION:Airport Road, Abuja.

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1,233 Sq mtrs.

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C-Of-O

Contact:

08059571798

PUBLIC NOTICE

UTI I, formerly known and addressed as MISS. ANNA UTI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ANNA UTI-BRAYBROOKE . All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

COKER I, formerly known, called & addressed as Mrs Coker Aderanti Adunni, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Miss Bakare Aderanti Adunni. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note .

By Wale Adepoju

T

HE World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday began a collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as well as some African countries’ food and drug regulatory agencies to fight counterfeit drugs.

Its Technical Officer, Quality Assurance and Safety: Medicines (Essential Medicines and Health Products), Michael Deats, said fake drugs are threats to the human health.

Deats spoke yesterday at a WHO/NAFDAC workshop on surveillance and monitoring project for substandard/spurious/falsely labelled/falsified and counterfeit (SSFFC) medical products in Lagos.

The workshop was for the training of NAFDAC and other regulatory agencies’ workers across Africa.

PUBLIC NOTICE CHANGE OF NAME AGADA I formerly known and addressed as MISS JOY AGADA now which to be known and addressed as MRS JOY UYO VICTOR. All documents bearing my former names remain valid. General Public should please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE CHANGE OF NAME ARIOLE I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ariole Tega Jennifer now which to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluku Tega Jennifer. All documents bearing my former names remain valid. General Public should please take note.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

NEWS

F

54

FirstBank: Efficient profit

BN Holdings (FBNH) Plc, the holding company for First Bank of Nigeria and its previous subsidiaries, made a strong start in 2012 with improvements across businesses and underlying fundamentals.

From 32 per cent growth in the topline to 306 per cent increase in the bottom-line, the top-down cost efficiency and improved productivity during the period showed a well-rounded overall performance.

Audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2012 outlined the immediate benefits of the transformation of the financial services group with significant improvements in assets quality, cost management and returns. A steady financing and liquidity position strengthened the profit outlook, underlining a reassuring congruence of stability and growth.

Underlying fundamentals were generally impressive with increase in average pre-tax profit margin from 13.1 per cent in 2011 to about 26 per cent in 2012. Return on total assets doubled from 1.3 per cent to 2.9 per cent while return on equity more than tripled from 5.1 per cent to 17.2 per cent. With 288 per cent increase in basic net distributable earnings per share, the company increased cash dividend per share by 25 per cent while strengthening its future sustainable dividend outlook with a dividend cover of 2.33 times in 2012 as against 0.75 time in 2011.

As total balance sheet surpassed the N3 trillion mark, improved credit risk appraisal, control and monitoring impacted on the overall health of the balance sheet. The proportion of non-performing loans to gross loans dropped to a low of 2.5 per cent, a commendable level against the industry’s target of 5.0 per cent. Balance sheet performance was driven by increasing customer confidence, with customer’s deposit rising by 23 per cent to N2.4 trillion.

Emerging results showed impressive consolidation of the FBNH as the largest and most profitable financial services group. With total assets of about N3.46 trillion, gross earnings of N99.47 billion and profit before tax of N31.41 billion in the three-month pe-

2008

2009

By Taofik Salako

riod ended March 31, 2013, FBNH was far ahead of its closest rival in the highly influential top-three banking league.

However, while the company reined in operating expenses in 2012, the profitability of the core banking operations was muffled by higher cost of fund, which could not immediately be passed on to loans and advances.

The slowdown in primary segment of the capital market also obviously suppressed the non-interest income.

Capital adequacy

FBNH’s total assets increased by 11 per cent to N3.19 trillion in 2012 as against N2.86 trillion in 2011. Customer deposits rose by 23 per cent from N1.95 trillion to N2.40 trillion.

Total liabilities meanwhile increased by 10 per cent from N2.49 trillion to N2.75 trillion. While paid up share capital remained unchanged at N16.32 billion, shareholders’ funds increased considerably by 19 per cent from N368.58 billion to N438.85 billion.

The overall capital adequacy was relatively stronger. The proportion of equity funds to total assets increased from 12.9 per cent in 2011 to 13.8 per cent in 2012. Equity funds’ coverage for loans and advances steadied at 28.5 per cent in 2012 as against 29.4 per cent in 2011. The proportion of equity funds available for earnings assets was also steady with fixed assets-to-equity funds ratio of 17.2 per cent in 2012 compared with 17.2 per cent in 2011.

Asset quality

The company rode on the back of increasingly efficient credit risk management to further minimise credit risks while substantially growing its loans and advances. Gross loans and advances grew by 23 per cent from N1.29 trillion in 2011 to N1.58 trillion in 2012. Classified loans however stood at N39.32 billion in 2012 as against N32.94 billion in 2011, indicating further reduction in the proportion of possibly impaired risk as-

2010

Fiscal Year Ended December 31 Profit and Loss Statement Gross earnings Interest income Interest expense Net interest income Total non-interest income Total non-interest expense Profit before tax (loss) Profit after tax (loss) Balance Sheet Assets: Cash and balances with other banks Short-term investments Loans and advances (net) Total earning assets Fixed assets Total assets Liabilities and Capital: Total deposit liabilities Total liabilities Paid-up share capital Shareholders' funds Liabilities and equity

2011

2012

sets to gross loans and advances from 2.6 per cent in 2011 to 2.5 per cent in 2012. The company continued to make full provisions for classified assets, which possible threat remained muted with non-performing loans/equity funds ratio of 9.0 per cent in 2012 as against 8.9 per cent in 2011.

Besides, the company enhanced the security of its loans and advances, hedging against default risks. Loans and advances secured against real estate increased by 72 per cent while unsecured loans dropped by 57.5 per cent. Loans secured against equally volatile quoted shares reduced by 48.4 per cent. The proportion of unsecured loans and advances to gross loans and advances dropped from 20.2 per cent in 2011 to 6.96 per cent in 2012, underlining the improving strength of the company’s loans portfolio.

Profitability

FBNH recorded considerable growths in actual profit and loss figures and underlying fundamentals in 2012. Broad growths across businesses and improved cost management underpinned the company’s largest growth in returns in recent years.

Gross earnings grew by 32 per cent from N273.81 billion to N360.35 billion. Group’s top-line performance was driven by considerable growths in subsidiaries, with commercial banking operations still providing the linchpin for overall performance. Interest income had increased by 35 per cent from N212.98 billion to N287.27 billion. With 69 per cent increase in interest expenses on customers’ deposits, net interest income, however, recorded lower growth rate of 28 per cent to close 2012 at N225.19 billion as against N176.19 billion in 2011.

Non-interest income totaled N73.07 billion in 2012 compared with N60.84 billion in 2011, representing an increase of 20 per cent.

Total operating expenses increased by 32 per cent from N146.06 billion to N192.17 billion. These consisted mainly of staff costs, which rose from N57.54 billion to N68.80 billion. Average number of employees had increased from 8,421 persons to 8,830 persons. Average staff cost per employee thus stood at N7.8 million in 2012 as against N6.8 million in 2011. Profit before tax grew by 158.5 per cent to N92.70 billion as against N35.86 billion in previous year. After taxes, net profit stood at N75.67 billion, a hefty 306 per cent increase on N18.64 billion recorded in 2011.

While relatively higher cost of fund impinged on the net interest margin, from 82.7 per cent to 78.4 per cent, the company mitigated the impact with midline cost management, thus pushing average pre-tax profit higher to 25.7 per cent in 2012 as against 13.1 per cent in 2011. In-

2012 12 months Nm

% change

2011 12 months Nm

360,345 287,274 62,082 225,192 73,071 192,171 92,701 75,670

31.6 34.9 68.8 27.8 20.1 31.6 158.5 306.0

273,811 212,975 36,784 176,191 60,836 146,064 35,863 18,636

711,960 706,675 1,541,687 3,110,743 75,386 3,186,129

7.5 1.8 23.1 11.3 14.4 11.4

662,084 694,269 1,252,462 2,794,295 65,874 2,860,169

2,400,860 2,747,282 16,316 438,847 3,186,129

23.0 10.3 0.0 19.1 11.4

1,951,321 2,491,589 16,316 368,580 2,860,169

terest income from customers’ deposits/customers’ loan and advances ratio had increased marginally from 12.1 per cent to 13 per cent, but interest expense/total deposits ratio was faster at 2.3 per cent in 2012 as against 1.4 per cent in 2011. FBNH held down operating expenses to 53 per cent of gross earnings while it further reined in staff costs at 19 per cent of gross earnings in 2012 as against 21 per cent in 2011. Meanwhile, average pre-tax profit per employee doubled from N4.3 million to N10.5 million.

The strong bottom-line performance trickled down to shareholders’ returns. The company increased gross dividend from N26.11 billion to N32.63 billion, indicating dividend per share of N1 for the 2012 business year as against 80 kobo paid for the 2011 business year. In spite of the substantial increase in cash payout, future dividend outlook was more robust with a dividend cover of 2.33 times in 2012 as against 0.75 times in 2012. Earnings per share had jumped from 60 kobo in 2011 to N2.33 in 2012. Larger-than-actual intrinsic returns further underscored the value retention. Returns on equity increased from 5.1 per cent to 17.1 per cent while return on total assets improved from 1.3 per cent to 2.9 per cent.

Liquidity

The liquidity position of the company was steady. The proportion of cash and bank balances to total liabilities stood at 25.9 per cent in 2012 as against 26.6 per cent in 2011. While loans and advances/total assets ratio closed 2012 at 48.4 per cent as against 43.8 per cent in 2011, the proportion of loans and advances to total deposits was stable at 64.2 per cent over the years.

Governance and structures

FBNH became the holding company for FirstBank of Nigeria and its previous subsidiaries following the full formal implementation of a holding company structure by the financial services group. The shares of First Bank of Nigeria were delisted and FBNH was instead listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Besides its largest operating structure, FBNH is probably the company with the largest

•Maccido

shareholders’ base with about 1.24 million shareholders. With average number of Nigerian investors at the stock market estimated at five million, one out of every four shareholders holds the shares of FBNH. At the last count, retail shareholders hold 53.5 per cent of equities while more than 79 per cent of shareholders hold between one and 10,000 shares. It has no significant shareholder, who holds more than 5.0 per cent of its equities.

FBNH consists of four broad business groups, including commercial banking, investment banking and asset management, insurance business and other financial services. It has 13 subsidiaries and associated companies including mainly First Bank of Nigeria Limited, FBN Capital Limited, FBN Life Assurance, FBN Insurance Brokers and FBN Microfinance Bank Limited. The newly constituted board of directors of FBNH is chaired by Oba Otudeko, erstwhile chairman of FBN Group while Bello Maccido, former executive director of erstwhile FirstBank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc, leads executive management as chief executive officer. FBNH generally complied with extant codes of corporate governances.

Analyst’s opinion

The performance of the company underlines the early gains of its transformation and these are expected to expand further as the streamlined businesses become more assertive. This is already evident in the first quarter performance for 2013. While its capital position remained strong, FBNH may consider additional capital to support its rapid expansion and forestall capital adequacy gap. Overall, there is reasonable basis to expect improved performance in the years ahead.

Fiscal Year Ended December 31

2012 %

2011 %

Asset Quality Gross Loans and Advances (Nm) Classified loans (Nm) % of classified loans Loan Loss Reserves/Classified Loans Classified Loans/Equity Stock

1,581,011 39,324 2.5 100.0 9.0

1,285,404 32,942 2.6 100.0 8.9

Capital Adequacy Equity/Total Assets Equity/Loans and Advances Permanent Assets/Equity

13.8 28.5 17.2

12.9 29.4 17.9

Liquidity Ratios Loans & Advances/Total Assets Cash & Bank Balances/Total Liabilities Loans & Advances/Total deposits

48.4 25.9 64.2

43.8 26.6 64.2

Profitability ratios Pre-tax Profit Margin Return on Total Assets Return on Equity Net Interest Margin Interest Income/Loans & Advances

25.7 2.9 17.2 78.4 13.0

13.1 1.3 5.1 82.7 12.1

Interest Paid/Total Deposits Operating Expense/Total Revenue Non-Interest Income/Total Revenue Pre-tax Profit Per Employee (Nm) Staff Costs per Employee (Nm) Staff Costs/Gross Revenue

2.3 53.3 20.3 10.5 7.8 19.1

1.4 53.3 22.2 4.3 6.8 21.0

Earnings per share (basic)(kobo) Dividend per share (kobo) Dividend cover (times)

233 100 2.33

60 80 0.75

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

55

News

Ugandans accuse StarTimes of cheating

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HINESE payTV provider StarTimes has been accused of cheating subscribers in Uganda and will face prosecution for the allegedly doing so.

StarTimes is accused of selling Ugandans outmoded decoders, which will be switched off at the end of this month in compliance with the internationally acceptable Digital TV Broadcasting standards.

Two Ugandan citizens, Mulwani Taminwa and Muzamiru Kasamba, recently received clearance from the commercial section of the High Court to file a case on behalf of more than 130,000 complainants whom, the Chinese company duped into paying for

soon-to-be obsolete decoders.

The duo will be joined by the Uganda Consumers Protection Awareness Association (UCPAA) to push for a refund from StarTimes, unspecified compensation for taking Ugandans for a ride as well as costs of prosecuting the case. The victims will also demand that the decoders be replaced with compliant ones.

Richard Omongole, a lawyer, has already filed a public interest lawsuit, with a preliminary application

by Mulwani, Kasamba and UCPAA, to bring a representative suit on behalf of the conned subscribers.

Thaddeus Opesen, Ugandan High Court’s deputy registrar, allowed the

application, which will be served on the management of StarTimes through a press advertisement.

The offending decoders are called DVB-T Set Top Box, which are products of outdated technology, as pronounced by the 2006 International Telecommunications Union Conference that held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Since the Uganda Communication Commission’s announcement that analogue TV broadcasting will be switched off this month, the plaintiffs allege, the StarTimes slashed the prices of the obsolete decoders and as a result, attracted hordes of cheap commodity-loving Ugandans.

The commission has since an-

nounced a policy and issued a public notice announcing that the country is to adopt digital television broadcasting technology, thereby condemning StarTimes’ decoders that are exclusively suited to analogue television broadcasting.

“UCC instructed the parties involved to stop the sale of DVB-T Technology, but StarTimes, continued to do so,” asserts Mulwani in affidavit he swore before Commissioner of Oaths. Mulwani attached a list of the recent purchases by Ugandans of the outdated and banned devices.

Even last September, when the UCCPAA issued a statement demanding a halt to StarTimes’ con-

tinued breach of the UCC ban, the company ignored it despite the fact that the letter was copied to the Ugandan Parliament, ICT and Trade Ministry and the Chinese Embassy.

Many suspect that the government did not intervene in the matter, as required by the Geneva Conference resolution to phase out obsolete decoders, because it did not want to anger the loaded Chinese investors as well as their government, which is bankrolling many projects.

Among these are the President’s Office. More curiously, the Uganda Responsible Investment (URI), went on to rate StarTimes as the Best Digital TV Providers of the year.

Unsecured lending rises

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•African mothers and children

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EU aid to Africa badly spent

BRITISH parliamentary inquiry has heard that more than $650 million (£420 million) worth of European Union aid to Africa may have been badly spent.

The House of Lords Committee on External Affairs is looking into about $1.3 billion worth of water projects in sub-Saharan Africa during the past decade.

Fewer than half of a sample of 23 projects met poor people's needs, the committee heard from EU auditors.

The problems ranged from the planning stages to the projects' implementation.

Auditor David Bostock told the committee that his sample study

was fairly representative of the water aid worth over $1.3bn (£800m) that had been undertaken by the EU in the past 10 years.

A spokesperson for the European Commission said that in most projects, several needs were identified of which at least one or more were met. A lot of projects were very ambitious and some needs, mainly secondary ones, were not fulfilled, the spokesperson said.

Water aid projects are usually a combination of supplying clean water and, equally importantly, building toilets that stop the spread of disease.

The auditors found that the equipment managers chose - like pumps and pipes - was, on the

whole, appropriate.

The problems came in the sustainability of the projects.

In some cases, not enough local people were trained in how to maintain the necessary equipment - so after a few years it just stopped being used.

But the biggest problem was finance - or getting long-term agreement from the communities and governments of poorer countries on how the water supply would be funded.

The BBC's International Development correspondent Mark Doyle says that unless such agreements are made, and then stuck to, there is a danger that European aid money could continue to be badly spent.

Botswana auctions diamonds at home

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OTSWANA, the world's largest diamond producer, has started to auction its own diamonds for the first time instead of selling them in Europe.

The auction is by the government-owned Okavango Diamond Company.

Later in the year, diamond giant De Beers, which owns the country's main mining firm with the government, will also move its sales to Gaborone.

Botswana has long campaigned for its diamonds to be processed, sorted, marketed and sold from the country.

Last year, De Beers moved its rough stone sorting operation, which had been based in London for nearly 80 years, to Botswana.

The auction is going to be small, but its symbolism is huge. It should earn more money for Botswana than the previous system. The diamonds which are being sold were mined in Botswana

and are being sold by Botswana.

For decades, the auctions have taken place in Europe.

Staff from diamond giant DeBeers in London are also relocating to Gaborone, and locals are being trained and employed.

Soon, DeBeers will sell about $6bn worth of the precious stones annually in Gaborone; that is the equivalent of a third of the size of the economy.

It has seen by those in power as the beginning of "bringing the diamonds home". There is excitement among many here, especially the business community which hopes to benefit from a related economic boom. The plan is a long-term one - to set up a diamond hub similar to Antwerp and Tel Aviv that will continue once the diamond mines close.

The BBC's Rob Young in the capital, Gaborone, says about a dozen diamond buyers from

around the world are in the city for the auction, which lasts for two weeks as they inspect the diamonds first and then bid for them in several rounds.

The government hopes diamond sales operations will bring more value-added jobs to the diamond sector, including clerical and jewellery-making work, our reporter says.

Its long-term plan is to set up a diamond hub similar to Antwerp and Tel Aviv that will continue once the diamond mines close, he says.

When De Beers relocates its sales operation later in the year, it will be selling about $6billion (£4billion) worth of diamonds a year in Gaborone.

Philippe Mellier, chief executive of De Beers, told the BBC that moving diamond sales was part of a deal agreed with the government of Botswana. Together they own Debswana, the country's main mining company.

NSECURED lending by South Africa's six commercial banks is increasing, the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) said on Friday.

In the SARB's financial report for the year ended March 31, it said unsecured lending by the six banks increased from R321.36 billion in December 2011, to R441.27billion in December 2012.

The six are Capitec, African Bank, Absa, FNB, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. Unsecured lending to retail markets included credit cards, personal loans, and overdrafts.

The SARB said growth in unsecured loans appeared to be "moderating somewhat" and would continue to be under supervision in the next financial year.

In her statement in the report, governor Gill Marcus said the past financial year had been challenging, as the global recovery was "hesitant and fragile".

She said the US economy showed signs of recovery, but the outlook was initially overshadowed by the possibility of a severe fiscal contraction which had the potential to derail the recovery.

Another factor in the global economic recovery was that the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone had come close to a break-up of the monetary union.

"But strong intervention by the European Central Bank (ECB) was successful in reducing these risks," Marcus said.

The domestic economy also had its share of problems.

"Widespread labour disputes and strikes reduced output and exports, and undermined investor and business confidence," she said.

Consumer confidence weakened and the economy grew at a rate of 2.5

percent in 2012.

"The outlook is poor following the 0.9 percent annualised growth rate in the first quarter of 2013."

Marcus said that during the reporting period, the bank's monetary policy remained the same, apart from a 50 basis point reduction in the repo rate in June 2012 to five percent.

She said the period was characterised by a weak global economy with volatile financial markets.

"These upside risks constrained the scope for monetary policy to provide further accommodation."

Inflation was expected to average 5.8 percent in 2013, and 5.2 percent in 2014.

The bank was able to conduct its domestic money-market liquidity management operations in "an orderly manner".

The actual daily liquidity requirement was R23.2bn on March 31 this year, compared with R21.2bn at the end of March 2012.

Official gross gold and foreign-exchange reserves declined marginally from US50.7bn (R505.9bn) on March 31, 2012, to US50bn (R499bn) on March 31, 2013.

This decline reflected adjustments emanating from the appreciation of the US dollar against other major currencies, a decrease in the market price of gold, and foreign payments on behalf of government departments.

On November 6, 2012, the bank unveiled new banknotes in honour of former president Nelson Mandela.

The SARB said the value of banknotes in circulation reached a peak of R109.6bn on December 28, 2012 as compared to a maximum value of R99.2bn on December 28, 2011.

Kenya's economic growth quickens

K

ENYA'S economy expanded by an annualised rate of 5.2 per cent in the first quarter of this year from 3.9 percent in the same period last year, boosted by a strong performance of the agricultural sector, the statistics office said on Friday.

"The first quarter of 2013 experi-

enced improved weather conditions for some key crops compared to the same quarter of 2012," it said in a statement.

The central bank said overall growth had been constrained by the presidential elections held in March, which had suppressed business activity.

Renamo laments disruption

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OZAMBIQUE opposition party Renamo, suspected of killing two civilians last week in a nascent guerrilla campaign, said on Friday it regretted disruption of the economy and called for more dialogue with the government.

Two decades after the end of a long civil war, Renamo is stepping up pressure on the Frelimo ruling party, sparking concern a return to violence could derail Mozambique's commodity-fuelled economic boom.

Global miner Rio Tinto this week suspended coal shipments from northwest Mozambique af-

ter the former guerrilla group threatened to disrupt the Sena railway used to move coal to the Indian Ocean.

"We want to see more investors coming into Mozambique, but the current moment of political tension does not permit this," spokesman Fernando Mazanga told Reuters, adding the party "lamented" the disruption to growth in the former Portuguese colony.

"That is why we want to accelerate the talks with the government."

Last week, gunmen killed two people in ambushes on vehicles.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

58

NEWS Terrorism: ‘don’t compare Nigeria with Somalia’

By Precious Igbonwelundu

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PAIN’S Ambassador to Nigeria, Alvaro Aguilar, yesterday said the menace of terrorism in the country was minimal and should not be compared to the situation in Somalia.

Aguilar, who spoke at the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Apapa, Lagos, during a joint press briefing of the Nigerian Navy and crew members of a visiting Spanish War Ship, MV RAYO, expressed his countries readiness to partner with Nigeria in eradicating piracy, terrorism and other sea crimes from the Gulf of Guinea.

Aguilar said: Although, the spate of terrorism in the country was of great concern to the international community, the situation was far below what is obtainable in Somalia, where the Spanish warship had been engaged in an antipiracy mission coded Oparation Atalanta’.

He said: “There is no doubt that the issue of terrorism is a source of concern to us, but in no way can we compare the situation in Somalia with that of Nigeria in that regard. Even piracy in that part of the continent cannot be compared to what we have here. It is not potentially as dangerous as in Somalia.

“Spain is worried about the situation of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. Spanish navy asked for permission from Nigeria for the vessel to berth here and perform a couple of joint exercises. The navy came here as a result of the importance of Nigeria in the continent. MV RAYO is among the world’s best three ship design with highly equipped technology.”

Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Navy, Captain Abraham Adaji said both Navies will train in fire fighting and other aspects of naval operations. He noted that the issue of piracy was not peculiar to Nigeria alone, disclosing that advanced colloborations have been reached at a recent meeting in Yauonde, Cameroon, for countries to harness their resources and military information to combat the menace.

‘Disqualify shady candidates from IYC polls’

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GROUP, the United Front for a Progressive Ijaw Nation (UFPIN), has called for the disqualification of candidates with criminal records from running for positions in the forthcoming Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) elections.

Disturbed by the antecedents of a candidate, the UFPIN stressed the need for a probe of the aspirants.

The UFPIN leaders said the candidate recently confessed to have founded the ICELANDERS cult group in Rivers State and later the GREENLANDERS in Bayelsa State.

They said: “We cannot surrender our reputation and peace as a people to a criminal who will end up taking us back to those gory days, when our most vibrant and promising youths were sacrificed in the name of senseless cult wars and rivalries.

“Allowing him to run as a candidate is a big smear on the reputation of the Ijaw nation, not to talk of having him hold any position at all.”

JTF discovers three illegal crude oil loading points T HREE illegal crude oil loading points have been discovered in Bayelsa State by the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield.

Its Media Co-ordinator, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the points were found at Igbemotoru, Oyeregbene and Mbikiba creeks.

He said the illicit depots were uncovered by the operatives of the 343 Regiment of Sector 2, led by Lt-Col. Adamu Mukhtar.

The spokesman said the JTF called on the Nigerian Agip Oil Company to investigate and seal the illegal depots.

Nwachukwu added that the operatives also intercepted seven Cotonou boats in Akasa and Sangana rivers.

He said troops in different operations arrested 25 suspected oil thieves.

In one of the operations, he said operatives of 146 Battalion impounded two self-propelled barges and arrested six crew members at Bonny in

• Vessels impounded •25 suspects arrested From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

Rivers State.

He said the barges were loitering around the waterways without proper documents.

Nwachukwu said: "The arrest was made during a recent anti-oil theft patrol operation that saw the troops comb the general maritime area of Peterside, Kalaibiama community, Bonny anchorage and Onne.

"During the interrogations that followed, the crew members on board the MT ASKJA and MT IBINABO failed to tender the required documents and could not explain their mission in the waterways.

"The six crew members and the barges have been taken into custody for preliminary investigations."

The spokesman said the troops of 3 Battalion discovered and scuttled nine illegal crude oil distillation camps in Gbekebor, Okpogbene, Isaba, Agedeben and Ajudaibo in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said the troops found that oil thieves stole the products by connecting a pipe from a wellhead to a large Cotonou boat.

"Ten large plastic reservoirs, 20 drums, 15 metal surface tanks, 25 crude oil cooking ovens, 11 pumping machines, five welding machines and several networks of hoses were also scuttled in the camps.

"The troops also arrested six suspected illegal oil thieves with six Cotonou boats loaded with product suspected to be illegally distilled Auto-

mated Gas Oil. "Eleven Cotonou boats were also impounded by the patrol team at Aruton Open River, also in Warri South West Local Government Area.

"Anti-oil theft patrol troops of 19 Battalion of Sector 1 of the JTF at Ekpemu community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State arrested two suspects caught reactivating a previously scuttled illegal oil bunkering and crude oil distillation camp.

"The suspects were arrested with two pumping machines and one welding machine.

"The patrol team also arrested 11 suspects conveying illegally-distilled petroleum products in three Cotonu boats at Otuama flow station, Warri North Local Government Area.

Ex-INEC Deputy Secretary dies

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FORMER Deputy Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Steve Osemeke, is dead. He was 60.

The deceased’s son, Ogochukwu Osemeke (Jnr), who broke the news in a statement in Abuja, said his father died on June 24 after a brief illness.

The statement said Osemeke held various positions before retiring as a deputy secretary of INEC in 2010.

The statement listed some of the positions as Director of Public Affairs and Personnel Management as well as the Administrative Secretary of the commission. It said the deceased was chief press secretary to many governors.

The statement said Osemeke was also a former Features Editor at the Nigerian Observer . He was the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in old Bendel State from 1982 to 1984.

According to the statement, Osemeke is survived by his wife, children, grand children, brothers and sisters, among other relations.

The statement said funeral arrangements would be announced later.

Court to hear joiner application in Rivers PDP dispute Sept 30

A •Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Dr. Paul Orhih flanked by Senior Regional Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa, U.S Food and Drug Administration Dr. Beverly Corey (left) and Analyst, Quality Assurance and Safety Medicines, Essential Medicines and Health Products Ms Pernette Bourdillon Estave at NAFDAC and World Health Organisation (WHO) collaboration on drug counterfeiting in the West African Sub-Region held in PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS Lagos…yesterday.

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Guards foil convicts’ escape from court

OURT proceedings were yesterday disrupted as two convicted robbers made a daring escape bid after being pronounced guilty of a twocount charge of conspiracy and robbery.

The trial judge, court officials and lawyers scampered for safety as sporadic gunfire from prison guards boomed.

The judge gave a death verdict on the convicts.

The convicts were re-arrested after one of them (Elvis Agbofodo) aka Fete was shot in the leg by a prison guard

P

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

who pursued him to a church about 100 metres from the court; the other robber who ran towards a different direction was apprehended by bystanders.

Armed prison officials who later showed up in large numbers after receiving distress call rushed Agbofodo to an undisclosed hospital within the state capital for medical treatment.

Agbofodo and Frank Okedema both from Ekpan community of Uvwie Local Gov-

ernment Area were reported to have robbed residents of Ekpan, including Mrs. Omatseye Mercy, of valuables and various sums of money on the July 8, 2010, after a clash with a rival group over N40million royalty paid by an multinational oil company operating in the area.

They were also accused of rape and illegal stockpiling of weapons.

In a related development, another attempted escape bid by two inmates awaiting trial from another court within Asaba was reported indicat-

ing that their bid to escape may be premeditated.

Nine gunmen attacked a van conveying robbery suspects to court, killing two prison warders and a civilian.

A robbery kingpin was freed during the audacious attack.

Two prison warders were wounded in the attack and were hospitalised at the Warri General Hospital.

The jail break led to the death of two prison warders and several prisoners regained their freedom.

FEDERAL High Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, will on September 30 hear the application by the third claimant to the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship seat, Merinoe Okiriaja, who is asking the Chairman, Felix Obua and two others to join in the suit.

An Abuja court in April sacked the former chairman, G.U. Ake, and pronounced Obua the winner of the October 2011 party delegates’ congress.

Ake headed for the Appeal Court, alleging that Obua was not a candidate in the October congress. The matter is still in court.

Last month, Okiriaja filed a suit before Justice Suleiman Aliyu, claiming to be the authentic chairman and not Obua or Ake. He alleged being unlawfully excluded from the chairmanship election last October, despite fulfilling the required conditions within the stipulated time.

He is asking the court to either declare him the rightful chairman of the party or quash the election Obua and Ake are hinging their victory on, and order a rerun.

Jonathan urges ministers, agencies to implement anti-flood measures

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday warned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that flood control measures are implemented to forestall a recurrence in the country.

The President spoke during his meeting with ministers and top government officials at the Presidential Villa, Abujato review ongoing flood containment measures.

Jonathan warned that he would not tolerate any excuse for a repeat of last year’s flood disasters, which displaced communities and ravaged farmlands.

He directed relevant agencies to ensure that necessary action are taken to prevent a recurrence.

Jonathan said: “We have no excuse to be caught unprepared again.

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

“I expect all relevant MDAs to be very proactive in speedily implementing required flood prevention and management measures.”

The president also directed the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Flood Prevention and Control to establish effective liaison with governors of flood-prone states.

He ordered the committee to ensure proper coordination between federal agencies and the states in the implementation of flood control measures.

Members of the committee include the ministers of the Environment, National Planning, Water Resources, Finance, Health, Transport and Aviation.

He stressed the need for greater public enlightenment and advocacy to ensure compliance with measures that had been evolved to prevent a recurrence of the devastating floods across the country.

The technical team established by the Inter-Ministerial Committee presented a National Climate and Flood Control Framework to the President.

The framework detailed short term, mid-term and long term measures recommended to solve the problem of perennial flooding in parts of the country.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) also informed the President that it was constantly monitoring soil moisture saturation across the country since the onset of the rainy season.

The agency added that its real time monitoring of weather conditions would enable the agency to give early warning of floods.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2 2013

59

NEWS

Release rerun result, Okorocha tells INEC

I

MO State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the result of last weekend’s House of Assembly rerun election for Oguta Constituency.

INEC withheld the result of the election by declaring it inconclusive due to what he described as widespread violence that forced the election to be cancelled in some polling booths.

But the governor, who faulted the claims of the commission, alleged that INEC officials colluded with politicians to cancel the election, which he insisted was won by the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA)candidate, Walter Uzonwanne.

Speaking during a postelection briefing, Okorocha urged INEC to resist apparent pressure to frustrate the people’s effort in electing their own representatives.

“We have authentic result sheets duly signed by INEC

•Why election was inconclusive, by commission

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

where the APGA candidate emerged winner with a convincing margin. But at about the time the election result was to be announced, a phone call came and after that INEC said the election was inconclusive.

“I am appealing to INEC to redeem its integrity and issue a Certificate of Return to the APGA candidate. How can it be inconclusive since the document/report of the conduct of the election had been signed by the Returning Officer, Cynthia Oguike.”

The governor accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of masterminding the problems that trailed the election, positing that it was the first real election in Oguta. Where else in Nigeria has election held for four consecutive times and yet no headway?

Okorocha added: “There are 129 polling units of which election was conducted in

121 and the remaining eight booths have about 4,000 voters. Supposing the election in the remaining eight polling booths was won by the PDP, APGA still has a comfortable margin.

“I have personally endured humiliation so that peace may reign in the state.

I believe that the election is not worth the blood of any resident but the PDP will not allow peace to reign.

“I want the PDP national leadership to warn its members in Imo State who are fomenting crisis because they have lost grip at home.”

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Celina Oko, agreed that the difference between the first and second candidate in the election was 2,011 votes.

The REC, who declined to mention the candidate who was leading, noted that the commission was adhering to the provisions of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that in an election where the

number of voters in an area where election failed to hold is higher than the difference between the winner and the runners up, it would be declared inconclusive.

The PDP state chairman, Mr. Bar Duruiheoma, said the government was mischievous.

He said: “The government created the situation; we are the victims of their criminality.”

The police have paraded 118 suspected political thugs who were arrested in some parts of Oguta during the election.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Katsina Musa Mohammad, said the suspects were arrested in various locations during and immediately after the elections.

They are undergoing interrogation for various offences, including breach of public peace, unlawful assembly, unlawful possession of firearms, malicious damage, among other criminal offences.

National President, Olivet Baptist High School Old Students Association, Mr. Olusegun Ahmadu (left); presenting a plaque to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chair, Prof Attahiru Jega at the school’s Annual Dinner and Awards Night at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos...at the weekend. With them is Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Plc/ Chairman of the ocassion, Prince Ajibola Afonja.

A

T

Ray Ekpu, others no more shareholders of Newswatch, says Court pany had sought a declaration that former directors have ceased to be shareholders of the company.

Abang had also held that the former directors could not validly declare a trade dispute in a company in which they were no longer shareholders.

“It is the judgment of this honourable court that the case of the plaintiff succeeds and judgment is accordingly entered in their favour.

“The reliefs of the plain-

tiff is hereby granted and cost is awarded against the defendants in the sum of Ñ45, 000.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), report that NCL Chairman, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim and Global Media Mirror, had instituted the suit.

The plaintiffs prayed the court to declare that the four men had since ceased to be directors of the company.

The company had also prayed the court to declare that the ex-directors have no

competence to declare a trade dispute under a Share Purchase Agreement between them and the NCL. They prayed the court to restrain the former directors from embarking on measures which they said might be inimical to the interests of the media outfit.

On June 14, Mr Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), counsel representing the plaintiff and Mr Adekunle Oyesanya (SAN), the defendants had both adopted their written submissions, and the court had reserved judgment.

Wike: Jonathan didn’t shun me at Port Harcourt Airport

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INISTER of State for Education Nyesom Wike has denied reports that President Goodluck Jonathan shunned him at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Simeon Nwakandu, accused the Rivers State government of masterminding the reports.

The minister said Jonathan not only shook hands with him, they both walked round the airport and waved at the people.

F

OR accusing the trial judge in his case of bias, a former Director, Pension Accounts, in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Shaibu Teidi is to remain in Kuje prison, Abuja indefinitely.

Teidi is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding the Head of Service pension accounts to the tune of N18.3million.

He was arraigned alongside Udusegbe Eric Omoefe and their companies on a 22-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to commit fraud and concealing the illicit origin of stolen pension funds.

The court was to rule on their bail applications yesterday when Justice Adeniyi Ademola drew parties’ attention to a petition written by Teidi, accusing the judge of being bias in the way he was handling his case.

The petition was addressed to the Chief Jugde of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta.

When the judge confronted Teidi with the petition, he looked blank. His lawyer, Sunday Ameh (SAN) denied knowledge of the petition written by his client.

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Justice Ademola consequently deferred ruling on the bail applications until the issues raised in Teidi’s petition were fully resolved.

“By law, when there is allegation of bias against a judicial officer, a matter can’t proceed, all proceedings has to be suspended until the allegations are cleared”, the judge held.

He adjourned the case sine die, (indefinitely). The judge ordered that the accused be remanded in Kuje prison until the issues around Teidi’s petition were cleared.

Also, Aliyu Bello, a former special assistant to the Director of Administration (Pension Accounts) in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and Abdullahi Omeiza, a Sokoto school teacher, standing trial for criminal conversion and obtaining over N1billion under false pretences in another pension fraud case have been admitted to bail.

The accused were granted bail at N366, 000,000 each and a surety in the same amount.

The case has been adjourned to October 14, for commencement of trial.

Akiolu berates British govt’s planned 3,000 pounds visa bond

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA

FEDERAL High Court, Lagos yesterday declared that four former directors of Newswatch Communications Ltd. (NCL), have ceased to be shareholders of the company.

The ex-directors are: Messrs Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Yakubu Mohammed and Soji Akinrinade.

Justice Okon Abang, made the pronouncement while delivering judgment in a suit filed by NCL against the directors.

The communication com-

Court remands ex-pension director in prison indefinitely over petition

He said the architect of the reports were only out to achieve selfish end.

“On Sunday, June 30, major national newspapers in the country published a planted report from the Rivers State Government House. Most of the papers replicated a story that was emailed to them by propaganda officials of the Rivers State Government.

“The storyline which the propagandists wanted to shove down the throat of Nigerians was the falsehood that Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom

Wike and his loyalists were shunned by His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan whilst he arrived the Port Harcourt International Airport enroute Abuja. They copiously quoted from the same source.

“A clearer insight into this deliberate falsehood aimed at misinforming Nigerians emerged in the similar paragraphs extracted by the different newspapers in a bid to create the false impression that there was a conflict between the President and the

Honourable Minister of State for Education.

“We have taken the pain to highlight the obvious premeditated falsehood of events at the Port Harcourt International Airport and sponsored by the Rivers State Government. In the last one month, Nigerians have been fed with one form of concocted report or the other by the same set of reporters, who refuse to rise to their professional calling and have chosen deliberately to mislead their editors and the Nigerian public.

HE Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, has berated the decision of the British government to slam a £3,000 visa bond as a requirement for any Nigerian and citizens of some other countries, who want to travel to the country, saying the move was an insult on the country.

Oba Akiolu spoke yesterday at a five-day training workshop, entitled: “Corporate Fraud: Insider abuse in financial institutions and the implication on developing economy”, organised by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), held at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

He said: “Nigerians do not welcome the idea and the

T

By Jude Isiguzo

government of the United Kingdom (UK) should do something urgently to reverse the decision.”

However, the Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Carter, who was one of the guests on the occasion, in a swift reaction, said the decision was meant to checkmate high risk applicants.

The diplomat said the media report over the matter had caused a lot of upset.

He said the UK Home office initiated the pilot scheme involving a lot of countries, but said no form of decision had been taken yet over the matter.

Row over Ubah’s LP status

HE governorship ambition of oil magnate Ifeanyi Ubah has suffered a setback, with some leaders of the Labour Party (LP) denying him.

Ubah went to his Nnewi ward to register after which he visited the party’s secretariat in Awka to declare his ambition last week.

He was received by the State Chairman, Sam Oraegbunam and other executive members.

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

But party leaders in his Nnewi ward said Ubah would tell the people where he registered when the time comes, adding that as far as they are concerned, he is not a member of LP. One of the LP leaders, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “You know we have factions in LP; where he claimed to have registered in Otolo ward I in Nnewi is not the real LP.”

Ngige faults Obi’s zoning stance

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HE Senator representing Anambra Central, Chris Ngige, has faulted Governor Peter Obi on the statement that the governorship position should be zoned to the North Senatorial Zone.

He spoke at a meeting with aspirants from the Central Senatorial Zone.

Ngige asserted that there has never been a time the governorship slot was zoned since the creation of the state 21 years ago.

He wondered why every person has kept quiet and refused to reject Obi’s imposi-

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

tion of zoning.

“When we left Enugu we felt all of us were the same, there was nothing like this person is from here or there.

“But if we must “dash” out the governorship slot to the North, we must discuss it. Let us know when it will start,” Ngige said.

He said it was not the fault of Anambra Central Zone that it has successful children and therefore should be skipped out of the governorship race, insisting, “Governor Obi is not all knowing. We can’t keep shut.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

60

NEWS Military threatens coup as protests spread in Egypt Continued from page 4

opposition and demands for his resignation by over 20 million people,” Mr. Dawoud said, offering his own estimate for the size of Sunday’s protests.

“If Morsi wants to talk to us as an Egyptian citizen, we are open for any discussions,” said Mahmoud Badr, a spokesman for Tamarod. “But if he thinks he can talk to us as an official, then we would like to confirm that he has lost any legitimacy he might have had.”

Govt to scrap BPE, NAPEP, NEIC, 217 other agencies Continued from page 4

Like Mr. Morsi’s year-long rule, the military’s 16-month stint in power after Mr. Mubarak stepped down in February 2011 saw frequent, often violent protests and economic decline.

Also yesterday, 11 ministers submitted their resignations as protesters continued to demand the removal of the government. But President Morsi and Prime Minister Hisham Kandil refused to accept their resignations.

“A stable and secure Egypt is crucial for regional stability and security,” United Nations

•Morsi

is really a three–way traffic – Justice for the appellant accused of a heinous crime of murder, justice for the victim, the murdered man, the deceased, whose blood is crying to heaven for vengeance and finally justice for the society at large, the society whose social norms and values had been desecrated and broken by the criminal act complained of.”

The GOC implored the General Court Martial to ensure that no effort is spared to achieve the three–way traffic of the justice system for the accused, the Army and the state.

Said Gen. Awala: “At the point where a person is convicted of an offence, sentence ought to be passed. Such sentences must be humanely meted out. Punishment is among the means available for the maintenance of discipline in the Nigerian Army. As such,

the kind and amount of punishment should be adequate enough to achieve its purpose and serve as deterrence to others.

“Due consideration should also be given to first–time offenders and those who plead guilty while bearing in mind the gravity of the offence. Justice must be seen to be done.

With this in mind, let me urge the President and members of this court to uphold the tenets of fairness and impartiality in the proceedings of the court and the dispensation of justice.”

The President of the Court Martial, Col. Afolabi Olonisakin, who inaugurated the five–man panel, said the sitting would begin immediately.

Most of the accused, who appeared at the first sitting of the court, pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to them.

Secretary-General Ban Kimoon said Monday through a spokesman. “The world is watching Egypt and what Egypt does with its transition will have a significant impact on other transition countries in the region.”

Army puts 18 on trial for alleged Boko Haram link Continued from page 4

that if this Division is witnessing this Court Martial, it is because I want to sustain a high level of professionalism required to confront the mounting security challenges in the Division’s Area of Responsibility.

“I, therefore, enjoin all parties to this Court Martial to discharge their duties expeditiously and with a degree of commitment that will ensure the accused persons know their fare in good time.”

He continued: “To be effective however, the legal system must be fair and just. In this regard permit me to once more quote a renowned Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice C. A. Oputa, when he said: “Justice is not a one way traffic. It is not Justice for the appellant only. Justice is not even only a two–way traffic. It

tional Refugees Commission into one agency to be known as the National Emergency Management and Refugees Commission was rejected.

The government accepted the scrapping of NAPEP and directed that the functions of NAPEP be merged with those of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

“The government accepts the recommendation for the abolition of the Utilities Charges Commission and repeal of its enabling law. The government approves the redeployment of Staff of the Commission to the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, provided they are civil servants.

“The government rejects the recommendation of the Presidential Committee that the National Christian Pilgrimage Commission (NCPC) and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) be abolished and their functions transferred to a department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The government has also directed that the law establishing Police Service Commission be amended to make Hon. Minister of Police Affairs to head the Commission.”

Some of the agencies that survived are Code of Conduct Bureau; Council of State; Federal Character Commission; Federal Civil Service Commission; Federal Judicial Service Commission; Independent National Electoral Commission; National Defence Council; National Economic Council; National Judicial Council; National Population Commission; National Security Council; Nigeria Police Council; Revenue Mobilisation Allocation & Fiscal Commission; Bureau of Public Procurement; Central Bank of Nigeria; Code of Conduct Tribunal; Economic & Financial Crimes Commission & Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to be consolidated into one anti-corruption agency; Infrastructure Concessionary & Regulatory Commission (ICRC); National Pension Commission (PENCOM):; Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC); National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); and National Institute for Sports. The others are Nigeria Football Federation/ Nigeria Football Association; Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre; Council for Registered Engineers (COREN); Surveyors Registration Council (SRC); FERMA and the Federal Highways Department of the Federal Ministry of Works; Office of Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF); National Boundary Commission; Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA); National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies; National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); National Commission for Refugees; Debt Management Office; Niger Delta Power Holding Company ; National Planning Commission; National Bureau of Statistics; Centre for Management Development (CMD); National Institute of Social and Economic Research; and National Identity Management Commission. There are also Nigeria National Merit Award; Federal Road Safety Commission; Niger Delta Development Commission; New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA); Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC);National Lottery Regulatory Commission; National Lottery Trust Fund; Service Compact with All Nigerians

(SERVICOM); Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI); National Centre for Women Development.

SCRAPPED Fiscal Responsibility Commission Bureau of Public Enterprises Nigerian Export Promotion Council Public Complaints Commission (PCC) National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC); National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) Utilities Charges Commission National Economic Intelligence Committee PARASTATALS, COMMISSIONS & AGENCIES TO BE RETAINED Code of Conduct Bureau Council of State Federal Character Commission Federal Civil Service Commission Federal Judicial Service Commission Independent National Electoral Commission National Defence Council National Economic Council National Judicial Council National Population Commission National Security Council Nigeria Police Council Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre: The Centre is to be refocused on moral values and re-orientation Council for Registered Engineers (COREN): The Government accepts the Presidential Committee’s recommendation that COREN should no longer receive budgetary allocation from 2015 Fiscal Year Surveyors Registration Council (SRC): Budgetary Allocation to SRC shall be stopped with effect from 2015 Fiscal Year Federal Roads Maintenance Agency: FERMA and the Federal Highways Department of the Federal Ministry of Works are to be transformed into an extra-ministerial Department.

The enabling law of FERMA to be amended to reflect the change of status

Office of Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF): Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA): The Government directs the BCDA to relocate to the Presidency with its own line budget and be strengthened National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA): The Government rejects the recommendation that NEMA be merged with National Refugees Commission into one agency to be known as the National Emergency Management and Refugees Commission National Commission for Refugees Debt Management Office Niger Delta Power Holding Company National Planning Commission National Bureau of Statistics Centre for Management Development (CMD) National Institute of Social and Economic Research National Identity Management Commission Nigeria National Merit Award Federal Road Safety Commission: The Government rejects Presidential Committee’s recommendations that the Act setting up the FRSC should be repealed Niger Delta Development Commission New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA) Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC): The government rejects the recommendation of the Presidential Committee that the NCPC and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria be abolished and their functions transferred to a department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

National Lottery Regulatory Commission National Lottery Trust Fund Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM) Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) National Centre for Women Development

Continued from page 4

sembly is illegal, unconstitutional and void; •Section 18 (1) & (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, is in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution so as not to fall within the category of existing laws under Section 315 (2) of the Constitution that the President may, by order, modify its text to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the Constitution; and •an order restraining the President from further appointing Service Chiefs without first obtaining the confirmation of the National Assembly.

Justice Bello upheld his arguments; answered the questions in his favour and granted his prayers.

Court voids appointment of Service Chiefs

confirmation of the National Assembly first sought and obtained; and •whether Section 18 (1) and (2) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A.20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 is not in conformity with the provision of the 1999 Constitution so as to fall within the category of existing laws under Section 315 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, that the President, may, by order, modify its text, to bring it into conformity with the provisions of the Constitution.

The lawyer also sought a declaration that: • the appointment of Service Chiefs without the confirmation of the National As-

Jonathan, Service Chiefs meet

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan met yesterday with the Service Chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Details of the meeting, which lasted for about three hours, were not made public.

But it was gathered that the meeting discussed the attacks in Plateau and Yobe states.

It was also said to have centered on the impact of the State of Emergency declared in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states in May.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

61

SPORT EXTRA

FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUP BRAZIL 2013 FALLOUT

Eagles emerge 5th best team

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IGERIA'S Super Eagles have been rated the 5th best team at the just concluded FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil despite failing to progress to the semi-final of the competition.

According to a release by the world's soccer governing body, FIFA, moments after Sunday's match between Brazil and Spain

From Uchenna Ajah in Brazil at the Estadio de Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, the African champions were named in fifth position behind the likes of Brazil (1), Spain (2), Italy (3) and Uruguay (4).

A further breakdown of the competition summary released

by FIFA revealed that the

Stephen Keshi-tutored side, who finished third in Group B, garnered three points, scoring a total of seven goals and concedeing six in three matches to finish with a plus one goal advantage at the end of the preliminary matches.

Mexico finished 6th while Asian kings, Japan and debutants Tahiti finished 7th and 8th respectively.

•Nigeria players celebrate scoring the opening goal during the soccer Confederations Cup group B match between Tahiti and Nigeria in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Photo: Yahoo Sports

AFRICA CUP GROUP C

Nigerian rugby team comes third

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HE Nigerian rugby team to the Africa Cup Group C rugby

tournament held in Cote d’Ivoire over the weekend achieved their best ever result in the Confederation of African Rugby annual championship by finishing third.

The tournament was won by Cote d’Ivoire that has now been promoted to Africa Cup Group B. In their opening game Nigeria defeated Mauritius 633 before losing to tournament favourites Morocco 38-8 on Wednesday. Nigeria then defeated Zambia 45-10 in their

By Innocent Amomoh third and final game on Saturday.

It was the best ever result for Nigeria whose opponents were ranked higher on the International Rugby Board’s list of rugby playing nations.

Nigeria turned on a power display against Mauritius scoring 11 tries against the Indian Ocean islanders who had beaten them in both previous encounters.

Nigeria were however outgunned in their second game by a powerful Moroccan side ranked 33rd in the world.

The Confederation of African

Rugby's annual Group C tournament was played by six nations in Cote d'Ivoire and is part of the qualification process towards the IRB World Cup to be played in England in 2015.

The winner of Africa Group A qualifies for the World Cup. Against Morocco, ranked 4th in Africa, Nigeria came up against a settled side whose players play most of their club rugby in France.

Nigeria is currently ranked 15th in Africa and 90th in the International Rugby Board’s world ranking list.

In their final game on Saturday Nigeria defeated Zambia, ranked 75 in the IRB list, 45-10.

2ND EDITION OF NIGERIAN SPORTS AWARD

Entries open for nominations

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OMINATIONS for the second edition of the Nigerian Sports Award opened officially yesterday and will close on Saturday September 7, 2013.

According to a statement by the General Manager, Unmissable Incentives, Kayode Idowu, the award committee decided to extend the period of nomination for this year’s edition to two months to afford many sports-loving Nigerians the opportunity to nominate their favourite athletes for awards.

By Stella Bamawo He urged members of the public to visit the Nigerian Sports Award website, www.nigeriansportsaward.com where they would be required to complete the process of nominating their most outstanding sports personalities in each of 15 categories for this year.

The fifteen categories for the award include Football – (Male & Female, Foreign & Domestic); Track and field (Male & Female; All races. Long Jump, Javelin, Discus, Shot Put, High Jump), Ball

Sports (Table Tennis, Tennis, Basketball, Volley ball & handball), Combat Sports ( Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, Kungfu, Wrestling) and Weight Lifting (Male & Female).

Others are Boxing, Team of the Year, Sports Man & Woman of the Year, Coach of the Year, Discovery of the Year (Male & Female), Special Sports Person of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports, School Sports Award, Sports Journalist of the Year (Print & Electronic) and the newly introduced Sports Governor of the Year category.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

62

SPORT EXTRA Adeshina sure of F/Eagles

FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP

F

We'll avenge Eagles’ loss to P Uruguay, says Shehu

LYING EAGLES rightback Abdullahi Shehu has declared that the team will avenge the Super Eagles’ loss to Uruguay at the just concluded FIFA Confederations Cup when

By Innocent Amomoh they meet at the ongoing U20 World Cup Round of 16 today at Istanbul, Turkey.

F/Eagles must take their chances —Ugbade

F

ORMER youth international, Nduka Ugbade, has urged the Flying Eagles of Nigeria to utilise every scoring opportunity they get when they take on Uruguay in a Round of 16 match at the ongoing FIFA Under 20 World Cup at the Ali Sami Arena in Istanbul tonight.

Ugbade, who captained Nigeria to her first Under 17 World Cup win in 1985 in China, was also part of the

•Ugbade

By Akeem Lawal Nigeria team that placed second and won silver at the Saudi ’89 FIFA U-20 Football World Cup. Now an assistant coach of the Nigeria Under-17 national football team, the Golden Eaglets, Ugbade said: “The Flying Eagles have to score goals against the Uruguayans. The strikers have to take their chances whenever there is an opportunity because football is about scoring goals.

“We need something to cheer us up in this country.

Since we were unable to win the African Under 17 Championship, we hope that we will be able to do well in Dubai (FIFA under 17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates) come October, but this one at present (U-20 World Cup), we need to get somewhere.

“I wouldn’t want to talk much about the trophy but I want us to go match by match, so that at the end of the day we’ll get to the final.

Once we get to the final, I’m quite sure we can do something better,” he noted.

The Kano Pillars defender argued that the Nigeria senior national team was better than the South American champions at the Confederations Cup second group match despite the 1-2 loss. He described the Uruguayans’ victory as a fluke.

Shehu in an exclusive chat with NationSport said: “We have a lot to prove against the Uruguayans. First, to avenge the loss of our senior team at the last Confederations Cup. Secondly, to prove to the world that Nigeria is superior in terms of the

round-leather-game.

“Playing against them (Uruguay) will be a very good game for us, because we qualified from a very tough group. Now we have to focus on the next game and hope to play better than we did in our last game.”

Shehu stated that the team’s target is to win the tournament, while hinting that his personal target is to score a goal.

The John Obuh-led team will advance to the quarterfinal today if they defeat the Uruguayans. The game is slated for 7pm Nigerian time.

RIME FC technical adviser, Ademola Adeshina is confident the Flying Eagles will emerge victorious against their Uruguayan opponents.

Both sides will clash in today's round of 16 matches in Istanbul, Turkey to determine who progress to the last eight of the biennial global football fiesta.

The nation's campaigners were runners-up in their group behind leaders, Portugal same as the South America foes heading into the knockout stage of the competition.

Adeshina said the Uruguayans are tough opponents but insisted that the Nigerians will undo them for the last eight spot.

"Uruguay are certainly tough opponents but definitely beatable.

Make Nigeria proud, Glo tells AJOR sponsor of Flying Eagles Nigerian national

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•Flying E a g l e s celebrate with John Obuh

"Nothing is impossible in football, once the Flying Eagles could show discipline, calmness and composure especially at the goal area they'll surely excel.

"Though the Uruguayans are fast, rugged with good physique I'll always bet the Flying Eagles won't disappoint, they'll come out victorious," said the former Nigerian player to supersport.com.

Adeshina equally tipped the coach John Obuh-tutored lads for the final of the competition.

"I see them progressing beyond the round of 16 and going as far as the final.

"The Flying Eagles create chances, once they're able to solve the problem of scoring the begging chances they're sure to go places," said the former IICC (3SC) star.

teams, Globacom, has urged the Flying Eagles to fly over their Uruguayan counterparts when they clash tonight in the second round match at the on-going FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.

The John Obuh-coached junior national team scaled through to the second round by beating the Republic of Korea by a lone goal on June 27 to enter into the knockout stage.

“The Flying Eagles are rising up to the occasion and we believe they will consolidate on their performance as they advance in the competition,” Globacom said in a statement in Lagos yesterday.

“We are aware of the challenge posed by Uruguay, but we equally have strong faith in you to qualify for the quarter finals. Indeed,

Nigerians will want you to use the match to avenge the defeat of the Super Eagles by the Uruguayan national team in the just concluded FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil,” Globacom said in the statement.

Globacom stated further that the team should be focussed and work towards surpassing the quarter final qualification attained by Nigeria at the 2011 U-20 World Cup in Colombia.

The leading telecommunications operator advised the Flying Eagles’ technical crew to evolve a winning formula that would put the encounter beyond Uruguay.

Globacom is the official telecommunications partner of the Nigeria Football Federation and the major sponsor of the Nigerian national teams.

Your Sexual Health & You: Novelty Tips, Questions & Answers

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ear Uche, I’m a 38 year old woman, seriously deprived of sex and romance, and each time I talk about it my husband just tells me to sit down and take care of my children. I know he has extra marital affairs. I do finger myself sometimes. Am I going to remain like this for the rest of my life? What should I do? – Rita Dear Rita, are there other problems that you are having with your husband that might have caused him to switch off totally like this? Has he ever complained that you nag him or that he does not enjoy sex with you? Incidents like this can cause such problems. Men typically enjoy sex a lot and when they cheat, it is often because they want more sex. Many married men who cheat also have sex with their wives. So when a man suddenly stops having sex with his wife completely, there are usually much bigger problems behind it. He may be experiencing erectile dysfunction and does not want you to know. The problem can also be because of how you make him feel. It may also be that he is a homosexual and only got married as a cover. A lot of married people are gay but people often ignore this reality. So, you know your husband better than I do. I need you to consider the most likely causes of this problem so as to enable us pin point the appropriate solutions. I look forward to more details from you – Uche I am 29 years and I just started making love with my boyfriend. I have been a virgin until April, 2013. My problem is that right from the first time I indulged in love making, I have not been able to feel anything at all. I can’t feel my man inside of me (he is well endowed and a passionate gentle lover), not even a little friction and “No Orgasm”.

This has been a major embarrassment to me. So, I want to know if your vaginal tightener and Orgasm Gel will work for me – Tina

Dear Tina, when you say that you don’t feel anything at all, do you mean to say that you feel no pleasure or that you have absolutely no sensation when he enters you? If you feel no sensation, then I have to wonder if you are attracted to men at all. If you are attracted to him but just cannot enjoy intercourse, then lack of fore play could be the problem.

There are step by step procedures involved in love making, without which the woman will not enjoy intercourse.

Passionate talk, kissing, touching, heavy petting and genital stimulation with the fingers, toys and other body parts are usually the first things you do before actual intercourse.

Books like Sex Secrets and movies like How to Boost Your Libido will teach you more of these steps. Arousal gels and vibrators will also help you but you do not need a vagina tightener yet. You only just started having sex a couple of months ago – Uche I have an extreme case of premature ejaculation. Most times, I don’t even last up to one minute before climaxing – Marvis Dear Marvis, apply an ejaculation delay ointment all over your penis and then wear a penis sleeve afterwards before having intercourse. This will enable you last for fifteen to twenty minutes before ejaculating. Use the Love Stuff All Night Long Delay Cream and the Nasstoys Penis Extender Sleeve for this. They work better together – Uche Mr Edochie thank you for your help. This Xzen 1200 is working. So far, I get a strong erection whenever I want to have intercourse and I don’t feel tired anymore – Philip You are welcome. That’s it for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 07086754515 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

63

SPORT EXTRA 15TH MILO SECONDARY SCHOOL FINALS

HOSTING OF CHAN QUALIFIER

NFF yet to contact us, say Ahmadu Bello Stadium officials

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FFICIALS of Zone 6 of the National Sports Commission (NSC) said yesterday that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was yet to contact them over the hosting of this weekend’s clash between the homebased Super Eagles and their Ivoirian counterparts.

Coordinator of the zone, Ademola Areh, told NationSport in his office at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium that even though preparation for the match which is expected to be held in Kaduna had begun, they were yet to hear from the football house over the match.

The Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna is expected to host Nigeria’s qualifying match for the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) strictly for home-based players.

However, when NationSport visited the Ahmadu Bello Stadium,

‘Gboko girls don’t scare us’

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna there were no indications that such an important match would be held there except for the grass which was being trimmed.

Nevertheless, Areh said even though they are still waiting for the NFF, they have begun preparations for the match.

“As far as the government who are the owners of the stadium are concerned, we are doing everything possible to ensure that the Super Eagles have a good outing when they come to Kaduna. But for the hosting proper, the NFF should be able to explain better. Here we have the facilities and we are ready for them.

“Crowd control is part of the logistics we are talking about as well as security, medical and so many other areas. But right now as I talk to you, we are still expecting people from NFF to come over to the stadium so that we talk on some of these things. But I have not seen anybody”.

A

Sthefinalofthe15thMilo Secondary School Championship dunksoff today at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium Surulere, Monica Ezekiel, skipper of St. Jude Girls Secondary School Amarata, Bayelsa has said that Government Secondary School Gboko pose no threat as they are in Lagos to retain their crown.

Ezekiel, who emerged as the Atlantic Conference champions’ MVP (Most Valuable Player) in a chat during her team's training session yesterday said: "We want to thank God for journey mercies down to Lagos. Having been on the road for hours on Sunday, we loosened up with a light shooting, slamming and dunking session.

We also tried to put finishing touches to our team play."

Commenting on their opponent, she said: "Having emerged winners from the Confluence Conference in Lokoja, they are surely a good team but I think we have all it takes to beat them even if it’s going to take our last breath to do that."

Tony Nelson, Coach of the Bayelsa team stated: “I have a team that can go all the way to reclaim the crown. So, today's game against the Gboko girls, who are regarded as one of the best in the championship, is going to be one many basketball fans will not forget in a hurry.

"Kudos to Nestle the organisers of the championship as the standard of play has improved tremendously. They have also been impressive with the quality packages they have given the schools from jerseys down to cash sums."

Onyali now Elegbeleye’s SA Technical •Ex-track queen promises not to disappoint

F

ORMER Atlanta Olympics bronze medallist, Mary Onyali, has been appointed as Special Assistant on Technical matters (SA Technical) to the DirectorGeneral, National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye.

She was directed to start work immediately.

The letter of her engagement as Special Assistant to the Director-General, National Sports Commission (NSC) with reference no: NSC/HRF/APD/DD/RQ/ 2010/CON/12 which was signed by the Director, Human Resources and Finance of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mustapha Muhammed read thus: “Sequel to the appointment of Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye as Director-General National Sports Commission, I have been directed to convey to you your engagement as Special Assistant to the DirectorGeneral.

“Your duties would be as directed by the DirectorGeneral including advising on technical matters, policy issues, and other general

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja affairs as related to sports administration. You are to report to report to the Director-General for additional information.”

Onyali was however warned by the D-G of the NSC not to dabble in the affairs of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

An elated Onyali said: “I am beyond words. I cannot express my happiness as regards the appointment given to me by the new D-G of the National Sports Commission. This is a step in the right direction for true believers, true sports lovers, true believers of the abundant talents we have in this country and the African nation as a whole.

“For Hon. Elegbeleye to deem it fit to appoint me as a Special Assistant (Technical) on Sports means that the likes of me, as far as the ex-athletes are concerned, are going to see why it is necessary to do the right thing and give your best, the ultimate best at all times for you will be rewarded when the time is right”, she said.

•Onyali

•Uche Kalu undergoing a medical in Turkey yesterday

FOUR YEAR RIZESPOR DEAL:

Kogi United’s position worries Wada

Uche Kalu passes medical G

I

NJURY-TROUBLED Nigeria striker Uche Kalu has passed a medical to rejoin newly promoted Turkish club Rizespor.

Kalu failed to make the Super Eagles’ final squad to the recent AFCON in South Africa due to a major knee injury, which also forced Rizespor to cancel his first contract.

The former Enyimba striker was certified fit for the new season after he passed the Rizespor Football club medical at Bakirkoy Acibadem Hospital, according to the club’s official website.

The club announced that a comprehensive test which included blood, eyes, ears, nose and throat for the

player had been completed.

Kalu thus sealed a fouryear contract with the Turkish side who will campaign in the top-flight Super Lig after they won promotion from Lig 1.

He played for the team on a year’s loan deal last term and scored nine goals before injury sidelined him.

LAGOS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

Pillars' opponents uncertain

G

LO Nigeria Premier League champions, Kano Pillars, will now face one of Asante Kotoko SC, RCD Espanyol or Ismaily SC in September in the Lagos International Football Tournament (LIFT).

The tournament organisers announced yesterday that the new date for LIFT will be from September 5 to 8. The four-team competition was earlier billed to hold between July 25 and 28.

Initiator of the pre-season programme and former Super Eagles midfield player, Mutiu Adepoju said the change in date was forced by the month of Ramadan which takes place between July and August.

“It has become very necessary to postpone the tournament which was earlier scheduled for July 25 to 28 to September 5th through 8th to allow our Muslim brothers in the participating

teams observe the month of Ramadan which starts on July 7 and ends on August 6.

"We are very sensitive to issue like this, so we have no choice than to respect the rights of our Muslim brothers who are training hard ahead of the tournament,” said Adepoju.

Lagos State Football Association chairman, Seyi Akinwunmi, also explained that the schedule of the Federation Cup (formerly the FA Cup) also forced a change in the tournament's date.

The Federation Cup final stages are expected to hold this month at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos and Akinwunmi said the Lagos FA wants to avoid a jammed calendar next month.

“Apart from the fact that the Ramadan is coming up in the month of July, the Federation Cup is also coming at the same period, with Lagos State as the host of the two tournaments. We definitely

have to re-schedule one of the events. So after a meeting of all stakeholders, it was unanimously agreed that the best period after July is to target the Fifa Free Week, which runs from September 6th to 10th,” said Akinwunmi.

LIFT has also received the guarantee of the Lagos State government.

“If the postponement will translate to good organisation and overall success of the tourney, the Lagos State government is in full support. Let me tell you, from day one, His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State has pledged his support for the tournament, not only for this year, but for the subsequent editions. We must all work together to make the first edition a success, with this, the next edition will be a piece of cake,” the Lagos State Commissioner for Sports & Youth Development, Hon Waidi Enitan Oshodi said.

OVERNOR Idris Wada of Kogi State is unhappy over reports that Kogi United could be relegated from the Nigeria National League at the end of the season, SavidNews Nigeria has reliably gathered.

A top source who pleaded anonymity disclosed to SavidNews Nigeria that Wada was surprised and sad at why the club could be facing relegation in spite government’s huge commitment to it.

“The governor invited the Kogi Sports Commissioner (Puke Anthony) for enquiries over the club’s critical position in the league and management of funds made available to the ministry,” the source revealed.

The official also hinted that the governor asked the Commissioner of Sports about reports relating to deductions on the funds released to execute the club’s current league campaign.

The source said the Commissioner’s reply was that “the funds were being saved for the club to cater for other miscellaneous expenses”.

To rescue the situation, two top officials who were key members of the dissolved Kogi State Administration Football Technical accompanied the team to Kaduna for its Week-27 Nigeria National League match against Distance Sporting Solution, DSS last weekend. The match ended 10 in the home team’s favour.

TODAY IN THE NATION

‘Our government should vigorously pursue and implement policies and programmes that would make going to Britain unattractive to Nigerians especially our youths. .’

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 8

NO.2,534

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

L

AST week, as the civil rights community and African Americans in particular awaited the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Shelby County vHolder, the mind called up an incident that had occurred some 19 years earlier, in 1994.

I was on assignment in Washington, D.C., and had gone to the sprawling Barnes & Noble Bookstore downtown during a break, more to feed my eyes than to purchase all those seminal books I wished I could add to my collection, based on their rave reviews and the reputation of their authors.

As I was leafing through one volume, I noticed a middle-aged man stop as he approached me from the other end of the aisle, take a close look at me, and then move one. When he went through this procedure a second time, and then a third, I could hardly contain my discomfort.

On his fourth round, he stopped just a few feet from me, and taking my full measure with his eyes, said, in a voice that was non-threatening but inquiring: “Sir, would you be Justice Clarence Thomas?”

I still had a fairly decent head of hair and a moustache sprinkled with grey, was roughly of the same age, and might indeed be thought to bear some resemblance to the contemporary associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, the second black person to hold that distinction.

My discomfort grew into panic.

The last person you want to be mistaken for in progressive circles or in the African American community is Justice Clarence Thomas. In his three years on the Court, he had more than earned the denunciation that greeted his nomination and the vilification that dogged his confirmation hearings. He was the polar opposite of the great legal icon he was named to replace, Justice Thurgood Marshall, whom The New York Times described on his retirement as “a model and a monument.”

If word went round that Thomas was in the neighbourhood, there was no knowing what might follow. Any trace of panic on my part could make matters worse.

So, I summoned my voice at its most untroubled, looked my interlocutor in eye and said, “No, sir. I am not Justice Thomas. I do not know him. I have never met him. I have never . . .”

Apparently sensing my deep unease, he cut in.

“You are not Justice Thomas, I can tell,” he said. “You have an accent.”

Was I mightily relieved!

But the feeling was short-lived. As if determined to prolong my agony, he said, almost off-handedly, “But you sure look like him.”

As soon as he turned the corner, I dropped the book, ran out of the store and jumped into the first available taxicab.

To return to Shelby County v Holder, the case that called forth the foregoing recollections: the case originated in a petition by a county in Alabama, a state with an odious record of racial discrimination, urging the courts to strike down a law that bars nine states from changing their voting laws in ways that could disenfranchise residents without the approval of the United States Department of Justice.

The law, revalidated by the Court’sunanimous decision in 2006, was enacted as part of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made it possible for generations of African Americans to register to vote for the first

RIPPLES YOU ARE FAKE NGF CHAIRMAN –Amaechi tells Jang

...no NAFDAC NUMBER

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

In America: A sad day for civil rights

•Justice Thomas

time, without having to pass stultifying literacy tests and without having to show that they owned property.

The tests were so brazenly manipulated that very few even among educated and propertied African Americans could pass them, leading a frustrated the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., to complain that, at the rate at which it was being carried out, voter registration of the black residents of the state of Alabama would take about 150 years.

Some five decades later, the right to vote continues to be circumscribed, especially in states controlled by the Republicans, in ways that on their face seem to apply to the general population but are at bottom designed to suppress the votes of African Americans and Latinos who tend to support the Democrats.

It is notorious, for example, that African Americans generally flock to voting centres to cast early ballots after Sunday worship. To prevent that, some states outlawed Sunday voting. In a variation of that theme, they also cut early voting so drastically that, as happened last November, voters in many cities had to wait in line eight hours to cast their ballots, a

steep price for persons at the lower end of the economic scale.

In yet another variation of that theme, the Republican majority in many states redrew electoral districts in such a way as to dilute the black vote and make the election of African Americans or a Democrat virtually impossible. So that, today, although Republican candidates polled at least a million votes fewer than Democratic candidates, they hold a commanding majority in the U. S. House of Representatives.

It took spirited legal challenge mounted by disaffected citizens, with the backing of the Justice Department, to block the enforcement of the more brazen of these voter suppression laws during the 2012 U.S. General Elections.

Scarcely five months later, a county in Alabama – a state in which an election was cancelled recently because an African American was favoured to win despite all the mago mago – was asking the Supreme Court to void the federal law mandating Department of Justice to vet changes of that kind to the state electoral laws.

Last week, a month to the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington and its highpoint, Dr King’shistoric “I Have a Dream Speech,” the Court did just that, effectively cutting the heart out of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, in a 5-4 ruling that seems to have been scripted from the oral arguments it had heard in March 2013.

Chief Justice John Roberts, for the Court, said as he had said during the oral arguments, that the United States had changed to the point that the law no longer reflected current racial realities in the United Sates.

His four fellow conservatives on the Court, including Clarence Thomas, duly concurred.

Separately, Thomas, who as is his habit had

HARDBALL

P

LATEAU State has no doubt become Nigeria’s killing field. Hardly any day passes without news of bloodbath in one part of the state or the other. The way they have kept at it relentlessly for about ten years, you would think that the place is populated by savages. But no matter how blooddrenched the once-beautiful table land has become, every single life cut down needs to be accounted for and accorded a proper rite of passage. But not anymore in Plateau State; they have become blood weary. Mass slaughter and counter slaughter have become something of a way of life and nobody seems to care anymore.

Last Thursday, when Governor Jonah Jang was busy in Abuja leading his renegade team of governors to some worthless, politicallymotivated dinner in Aso Rock, his enclave was burning. Some blood-thirsty marauders suspected to be Fulani cattle herdsmen invaded Langtang South Local Government Area of the state and wreaked havoc on the land to their heart’s content. For hours, they operated unhindered and unchallenged as if Nigeria was an ungoverned jungle; killing, maiming and razing houses. The savages had come on bikes and were said to have chased down even escapees dealing them gruesome death blows as if they were wild animals.

While Jang was away About 32 dead bodies were counted when the dust settled.

According to report, chairman of the Provincial Church Council of COCIN, Rev. Nandip Miri, lost his aged father and brother in the attack. While the chairman, Management Committee for Langtang LGA, Mr. Narman Darko was said to have confirmed the death of 32 people and the torching of about 100 houses in three villages. Some of those killed were said to be students writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.

It is true that carnages of this magnitude have become commonplace in Plateau State but it still does not exonerate the chief security officer’s dereliction of duty in carousing in Abuja and pretending to be chairman of the inconsequential Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) while his state is bedeviled by one of the worst fratricidal crises to happen in Nigeria since the end of the civil war. The pattern of violence has been long defined to

WAHEED ODUSILE

sat impressively through the 79 minutes the oral arguments lasted and had asked no question nor demanded any clarification from attorneys to the parties,entered it as his opinion that voiding Section 4 of the Act requiring the nine states to obtain federal clearance before changing their voting laws did not go far enough.

He said he would also have struck down Section 5, which seeks to prevent the 9 states from circumventing the prohibitions of Section 4.

He went on to note gleefully that, with Section 4 voided, Section 5 had become otiose.

In a powerful dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reached back to a speech by – who else? – Dr King about how the “moral arc of justice,” though long, “always bends justice” to admonish the Court’s majority for the great harm it had just done to civil rights and justice.

Its decision, she said, was an egregious error and a disservice to Dr King’s legacy and the nation’scommit-ment to justice.

The Court’s ruling is only the latest in a long line of illiberal judicial opinions that have curtailed class actions, made it harder to sue manufacturers of dangerous drugs, employees accused or discrimination in the work place, and, in the words of the commentator Frank Rich, continued to do “everything to permit the abridgment of the rights of minorities even as it strengthens the rights of corporations.”

This is the company Clarence Thomas keeps and revels in.

Planting Clarence Thomas in the Court was a masterstroke by President George W. Bush and the Conservative Establishment to slow down, if not reverse, the march of civil rights and indeed the progressive agenda in America.

And it has worked beyond their most optimistic calculations.

The first President Bush probably spoke a greater truth than he realised or intended when he declared that Thomas, who had no judicial experience whatsoever, was “the best man for the job.” Their job.

In the African American community, there were dozens far more qualified than Thomas on every score. But none could be counted upon like Thomas then – and even now — to be the scourge to his own people.

The U.S. Supreme Court could not have gutted perhaps the single most important piece of legislation from the civil rights era without Clarence Thomas’s collaboration. His abstention would have saved it, at least for now.

Next time anyone in the African American community tells me that I look like Clarence Thomas, Iwill call 9-1-1.

•Portions of this comment first appeared in my March 5, 2013, column, titled “In the Shadow of Rosa Parks.”

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above the point of predictability. In a few days’ time, there is bound to be a reprisal attack of mind-numbing magnitude – on and on, the orgy of bloodletting has continued. How could a large gang of armed bandits move into a community and attack for hours on end without the state’s security agencies rousing from slumber?

Governor Jang has failed hopelessly in dealing with the problem. In fact, after six years in the saddle, he seems to now live in denial if not abeyance, hoping the killings would stop or that the press would get tired of reporting them just the way he has deadened his conscience over them. It is a shame that people seek positions for which they have no clue about the inherent responsibilities.

As far as Jang is concerned, there is no solution to the ‘complex’ problem scourging his domain; or on the other hand, he has escaped into the nether regions of effete helplessness.

This column wonders how a man who is assailed by such soul-searing problem as we have in Plateau State would have the time or resource to engage in the banality known as NGF. What is Mr. Jang thinking of? It is either he is extremely soulless, heartless or both. And as for the Federal Government’s attitude to the blood count on the plateau, we say hmmn!

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