July 14, 2014 by The Nation

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APC seeks probe for Boko Haram’s backers

•Opposition party is afraid, says PDP

Jonathan ‘plans life Presidency’ NEWS Page 5

NEWS Page 4

•Kwankwaso knocks Confab

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 9, NO. 2907 MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

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Resource control row rocks Conference

ORTHERN delegates to the National Conference remained unyielding yesterday in their opposition to the 18 per cent derivation principle proposed by the Committee on Devolution of Power. Today’s concluding session of the conference has be tagged “a make or break

From Onyedi Ojiabor and Dele Anofi, Abuja

session.” A source close to the leadership of the conference said the refusal of the leader of the northern delegates, former Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Coomasie and others to sign some proposed amendments to the key recommendations of the Devo-

lution of Power committee was a source of worry to the leadership. Apart from Coomasie, others who did not endorse the proposed amendment are Alhaji Mohammed Umara Kumalia, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu and Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama. The proposed amendment

OSUN 2014

is entitled “Amend recommendation (a) on page 39 of the report of the committee on Devolution of Power by substituting with the following.” The new document was endorsed by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Adamu Maina Waziri, Senator Ibrahim Ida, Chief Olu Falae, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Gen Ike Nwachukwu, Continued on page 4

•APC, PDP trade accusations over rigging plot AND MORE •Poll materials being delivered, says REC •ON PAGE 8 •LP ‘ll win, says Nwanyanwu•PDP advises APC

•CHAMPIONS: Germany’s defender and captain Philipp Lahm (front-2R) holds up the World Cup trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup final football PHOTO: AFP match between Germany and Argentina 1-0 following extra-time at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...last night. SEE STORY ON PAGE 60

Boko Haram on Lagos fuel depot bombing: we did it ? L Sect claims Abuja attack Police ‘studying video’ Arewa rejects terror

WHERE ARE THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15?

AGOSIANS got yesterday perhaps the first hint of Boko Haram’s imprint in the city. Abubakar Shekau, leader of the violent Islamist sect, claimed responsibility for the explosion in Apapa – one of the key homes of businesses with na-

tional and international relevance, including the port. It also owned up to the bombing in Abuja, in the 16-minute video given to the French news agency AFP. Shekau said his group was responsible for a bombing in the capital Abu-

ja and an attack at the fuel depot in Lagos on June 25. The Lagos attack was described by government officials as an industrial accident. “I ordered (the bomber) who went and detonated it,” Shekau said. “You

said it was an accidental blaze. You can hide before the people, but not before Allah. “We were the ones who detonated the bomb in filthy Abuja” that killed at least 22 people, the leader of Boko Haram

Continued on page 4

•MALALA PLEADS FOR CHIBOK GIRLS P4 •TELCOS READY FOR STOCK EXCHANGE P25

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS

Our ultimate go

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (second right); his Deputy, Mrs Grace Laoye-Tomori (right); National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at a fundraising for the re-election of Govenor Aregbesola in Lagos... at the weekend PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

United States Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Ms Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in a LiveAtState interaction with reporters, addressed issues, such as terrorism, sit-tight syndrome and the Chibok girls, among others.

•From left:CEO, Sweet Sensation, Mrs. Kehinde Kamson, CEO, Slimmer You, Mrs. Carol Eyiteme, CEO, EbonyLife TV,Ms. Mo Abudu, Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe and film producer Mrs. Tope Oshin-Ogun at the launch of 'The W', one of the largest women networking platforms in Africa by Access Bank in Lagos.

•From left: Regional Sales Director, South West, Guinness Nigeria, Mr. Afeez Ajibowu; Guinness Distributor of the Year and Managing Director, Edinho Nigeria Limited, Chief Edmond Okafor; MD/CEO, Guinness Nigeria, Mr. Seni Adetu and Regional Sales Director, Southeast, Guinness Nigeria, Mr. Chizoba Ojielo during the 2014 Guinness Nigeria Sales and Distributors Award Ceremony in Lagos.

•From left: Head, Debit Cards, Mr Obinna Uma; Team Lead, Debit Cards, Mrs. Funmi Fagbulu; and Divisional Head, eBanking, UBA Plc, Dr Adeyinka Adedeji, during the formal introduction of U-Advance, a credit card that allows workers who operate their salary account with UBA to get up to 50 per cent of their salary ahead of payday, in Lagos

HAT happened to the U.S. efforts regarding the seizure of about 200 girls in Nigeria by the Boko Haram? I was surprised I didn’t get a question on Boko Haram and the seizure of the girls earlier. As you know, both President Obama and Secretary Kerry indicated that we are going to work closely with the Government of Nigeria as well as countries in the region to do everything possible to bring these girls home. We are working with the Nigerian Government, both as – on the security side, but also in addressing broader issues related to the girls. We have a team, as you know, in Nigeria. The team is multiagency. We have individuals there from the civilian side who can provide assistance on negotiations. We have individuals from USAID who are there to assist those girls who escape or the girls who are recaptured, to help them reintegrate back into their communities and into society. And we’re working very, very closely with regional partners. The French Government hosted a heads of state summit bringing together Nigeria and the four neighbors back in May. The UK Government brought the foreign ministers together a few weeks ago, and Nigeria will be bringing the neighbors together on September 3rd to look at how we can further cooperate with each other, share information, and also fight the attacks that Boko Haram has made throughout Nigeria as well as in neighboring countries. It is still an ongoing battle. Our ultimate goal is to stop Boko Haram, to stop the kidnappings, and to bring the girls home, as well as others who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram. Unemployed youth are easily recruited for terrorist activities in Africa, with reference to Boko Haram in Nigeria. Don’t you think it’s time to locate the headquarters of the Africa High Command or AFRICOM to West Africa to deal with Boko Haram and other terrorist groups? It’s not so easy. The – dealing with these terrorist groups require a multifaceted, multidimensional response. It requires a response that addresses the needs of these young people who are not vested in the futures of their countries. They are attracted by the extremist ideology because they have no other ideology to focus on, and this is what the Young African Leaders Initiative is about. It’s about finding a way to provide for the futures of these young people so they’re not attracted to the Boko Harams of the world; they’re vested in the futures of their country. They are employed, they’re in successful businesses, they’re educated, and then they are less attracted to extremism. So the answer is not the U.S. Government sending Africa Command to address this in a military way. This is not just a military response; it’s much

•Oshiomhole

more a response that requires looking at economic development, looking at education programs, looking at services and infrastructure being provided to these communities that are impacted by Boko Haram. Regarding the rise of extremist groups such as the Boko Haram, the AQIM, and al-Shabaab, how much time will be devoted to discussing the problem and to creating mechanisms to combat extremism? A huge portion of the – of our time will be used to discuss these issues. There is a segment of the summit that will focus on peace and security, and during that peace and security discussion I expect – and I can’t predict, but I expect – that issues related to extremism, issues related to alShabaab, Boko Haram, AQIM, will be discussed by leaders. When I was in Malabo recently for the AU summit, this was an issue that was raised consistently by all of the African leaders I met with – their concern about the spread of extremism, their concern about how to effectively address extremism, and their request for U.S. assistance and coordination with neighbors to stop the spread. What will be the format at the U.S-Africa Summit and what will be the topics of discussion? This is something that we have been working on for months in Washington after the President was in Cape Town and he announced that he would invite African leaders to the United States to broaden the partnership with countries across the continent. So, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, the conference will take place over three days, August 4 through 6. The first day of the conference, August 4th, we will have a series of what we are referring to as signature events. They will focus on areas where we have partnered with Africa in the past. We will be looking at the issues related to health. We will be looking at issues related to wildlife. We will be looking at power and how we have improved and worked on these issues across the continent. On the 4th, also there will be a series of small dinners with heads of state hosted by Bloomberg philanthropy with the Department of Commerce, and each of these small dinners will be hosted by individual members of Cabinet. On the 5th, we will have the actual CEO leaders forum which will bring together about 200 companies from across Africa and the United States, companies interested in investing in Africa, and we will have some very quality engagement between these companies

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

te goal is to stop Boko Haram, says U.S.

•Obama

•Ms Thomas-Greenfield

and African leaders. That evening of the 5th, the President will host a state dinner for African leaders and their spouses. And then the 6th is the actual day of the Summit, “Investing in the Next Generation”. We will have three thematic events during that day. The President will be participating in all of these. The first will be “Investing in the Next Generation, Investing in the Future”. The second theme will focus on peace and security. And then the third theme will focus on democracy and governance, looking at how we invest in the future in Africa. We look forward to these discussions. The President has expressed the desire that this is an interactive discussion. We’re not asking heads of state to come with long speeches, but we’re looking for engagement, we’re looking for dialogue, we’re looking for an opportunity for heads of state to share their views with our head of state, and for the President to share his views with African leaders. So, it really is going to be an exciting time, and we’re all looking forward to it. On June 30, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa, President Obama announced Power Africa, a new development to double the number of people with access to power in SubSaharan Africa. What is the progress of this initiative? We have made tremendous progress in working with the six initial countries that are part of Power Africa, and working with the private sector to ensure that we get more investment on the continent. So, we have moved forward in working with these companies that are looking at how they might improve power on the continent of Africa. And from everything I’ve heard in speaking with companies and countries – I was just in Malabo – there was great excitement about Power Africa and the improvements that have been made in terms of companies investing in power on the continent and countries opening up markets so that it is easier to invest in power on the continent. So we’ve made a great deal of progress. We’re looking forward to sharing that progress with African leaders during the summit and seeing how we can further the efforts to improve power on the continent of Africa. Last month, the United States announced the relocation of some of its embassy staff in Kenya to other countries because of the recent changes in Kenya’s security situation. Has this position changed or the staff still stay away due to the insecurity in Kenya?

•Shekau

Let me just start by saying that we have a strong relationship with the Kenyan Government. We have a strong partnership in terms of working with the government on fighting terrorism that has really been quite prevalent in Kenya over the past few months and past year. We did announce that we are making some changes in our footprint in Kenya. We’re looking at moving those individuals who are involved in regional programs that focus outside of Kenya because we had a huge regional operation in Kenya. And we’re looking at how we can decrease that footprint, but more importantly, we’re looking at how we can be more proactive in countering the acts of terror that are taking place on the continent. So this is for us now a temporary move, but we’re hoping that we can work with the Kenyans to change the security situation not just for Americans who are working and living in Kenya, but also for Kenyans, because the terrorist attacks have had a greater impact on the Kenyan population. And so we need to work with the government to ensure that we address this issue that impacts all of us. In some African countries, elephant and rhino poaching have so far continued to take place, which means the action downplayed President Obama’s initiative to tackle international wildlife trafficking. As per this, what do you expect from President Obama to African leaders during the U.S-Africa Leaders Summit? This is a serious, serious concern and a high priority for the Administration addressing wildlife trafficking on the continent of Africa. And we work with a number of countries to address this issue. One of the signature events that will take place on August 4th will focus on wildlife trafficking and how we can better cooperate with countries to address these issues, but more importantly, how we can work with those countries that are recipients of trafficked wildlife and help to deal with issues related to those countries’ purchasing. So we are looking at this very broadly. It will be an issue for discussion during the summit, and we know that this is something that is important to a number of African leaders. What is the importance of the YALI summit for the U.S. as well as the young African participants? President Obama said in Ghana that the future belongs to Africa. What does that mean in the frame of the African and American relationship, and how many Africans will attend the YALI summit, and was their selection criteria?

Okay. That was a long, long question. Let me see if I can answer it all. I’m not sure I’m going to get it all, but it – if you want to come back you can. In terms of the future of Africa, if you look at the statistics, 65 percent of the population is 35 and under. That is a huge, huge youth bulge, and it is that population that will be the future of Africa. So the Administration, President Obama has made it a major priority to help African countries prepare for the future, to mentor young people, to support them, to train them so that they are prepared to lead in the future. And when we talk about leadership, we’re not just – we’re not talking necessarily about political leadership. We’re talking about leadership across the board, leadership in the private sector, leadership in the public sector, leadership in communities, in civil society – all of these areas need to have young people prepared to take over and to lead in the future. It’s our future that they’re leading for. So, the Young African Leaders Initiative and the summit that’s going to take place in Washington is going to bring – has already brought, in fact, 500 young people from across the continent. We had 49,000 applications – in fact, close to 50,000 applications for these 500 slots. And there were a total of about 80,000 who attempted, so 30,000 didn’t get their applications completed. That says to us that there is a huge, huge need, and we want to work with countries to address these needs, to invest in the future, to invest in these young people so that they are vested in the futures of their countries. The 500 who are here now are getting mentoring in entrepreneurship and civil society and public service, and they will end their six weeks with the summit here in Washington where they will engage with senior leaders from across the United States, including a town hall meeting with the President. And we hope that these young people go back inspired, inspired to lead but also inspired to be successful so that they can contribute to their countries’ future. And this is what investing in the next generation is about. How is the U.S. responding to increased radical Islamic attacks on the continent? And why did the U.S. military only recently admit its presence in Somalia since 2007? I think the reason we are in Somalia and the reason we are working so closely with African governments is that terrorism has impacted a large swath of the African continent. As we look at AQIM, we look at al-

Shabaab, we look at Boko Haram, there is a concern that extremism will cause – continue to cause problems as it did in Mali, as we’re seeing in Somalia. We see an opportunity in Somalia for the first time in over 20 years for this country to move into the community of nations. Somalia has not had a government until now, and we, among other countries in the international community, are working with the Somali Government to help them try to build a society, to build a democracy that can address the needs of the people of Somalia. So as you may have heard, secretary – Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman’s speech a few weeks ago, we have a Somalia strategy that tries to focus on helping Somalia invest in the future of its people. And part of that strategy is to have our military work with – a small cell of our military work with the Somali military to build their capacity to address the kinds of attacks that we saw happen yesterday at the villa and other attacks that we’ve seen around the continent. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say Kenya mistreated Somali refugees recently in its program to purge foreigners believed to be sympathising with alShabaab. Is this something you have raised with the Kenyan Government, and how should they do it? This is something we have raised with the Kenyan Government. Kenya has been an extraordinarily hospitable host to refugees for many, many years. And we would like the Kenyan Government to continue to offer that hospitality to people who are fleeing persecution from their countries. So, the recent roundup of individuals in response to the terrorist attack brought into its mix individuals who UNHCR and humanitarian organisations have identified as meeting the status of refugees. So we did raise this with the Kenyans and we’re working with UNHCR and the government to address this to ensure that those people who were in Kenya in refugee status continue to maintain the hospitality, but also the protection that is being provided by Kenya and by UNHCR for those who are living in Kenya. The USA recently suspended aid to Uganda because of the anti-gay laws. May we know how so much a move impacts cooperation between your country and Uganda from common issues like the hunt for Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army and the quest for solutions to the crisis in South Sudan? We have made very, very clear to the Government of Uganda as well as other governments around the world our strong views on discrimination against the LGBT community. Uganda’s passing of the AHA legislation was a huge setback for human rights, and we’ve made our views very, very clear that we believe that human rights are a universal right and that discrimination against any population, to include those in the LGBT community, is unacceptable to the U.S. Government. So, as a result, we have reviewed our relationship with Uganda, particularly looking at those programs that are supporting individuals or supporting programs that are supporting organisations that discriminate against the LGBT community, and as you know, we issued a statement outlining changes in our support for those programs as well as statements indicating we are prepared and have sanctioned individuals who have discriminated against the LGBT community in Uganda as well as other places in the world. That said, we have a very, very

strong partnership with Uganda in terms of fighting terrorism and fighting the LRA and supporting Uganda’s efforts in providing peacekeeping across the region. So those efforts will continue; they’re in our national interest. At the same time, we will continue to raise our concerns about the AHA until that law is repealed. The return of Madagascar into the AGOA is a hot topic right now in Madagascar. AGOA will come to an end in 2015. Could the USA extend it again? And if yes, for how many years?” One of the best phone calls I had to – I made recently was to your president to inform him that a decision had been made to readmit Madagascar into AGOA. So I’m happy that that’s the news that is making news across Madagascar. As you know, the AGOA legislation expires in September of 2015. The President has announced that there will be seamless renewal. How long it will be extended is the prerogative of our Congress, our legislature, and they are looking at the AGOA legislation now, and it is our hope that they will make a decision on extension in – before the September 15th – September 2015 deadline. How long that extension will be I’m not at liberty to say. We’re all waiting for that decision. What’s your government’s position regarding the DRC and Burkina Faso’s president’s apparent plan to revise the constitution to stay in power? Does the U.S. consider doing something to prevent this from happening? We have made very clear what our policy is on this issue. As the President said in his speech in Ghana when he first visited, that Africa needs strong institutions. They don’t need strong men. Strong institutions are institutions like your constitution. If constitutions do not allow for – if constitutions call for term limits, then those term limits need to be honored. And we have been very clear in discouraging African leaders from making changes in their constitution that will benefit one person, one party; to allow that person to stay in power longer than the constitution intended for them to stay in power. We have made, again, our views known to all of the leaders where there are attempts to make changes in the constitution. There is absolutely no confusion on what our position is there. AU leaders have met in Malabo two weeks ago.What do you say about it, and did you think of the setting – or did you think of setting specific strategies to address AU 2063 agenda, among other AU policies in the scope of YALI? We work very, very closely with the AU as the AU is moving forward with this agenda for the future and addressing the needs of youth in the future. They have a very proactive youth program as well, and we want to see how we can work with them to prepare leaders for the future, to prepare youth for future leadership roles in all of the various sectors across the continent of Africa. It’s a huge challenge, and I think it’s a challenge that the AU has taken on, I think, with a tremendous amount of energy. And we want to encourage that effort and support that effort. At the same time, we also want to continue to work with individual African countries to help those countries also prepare for the future, to make commitments and investments in their young people. This is one of the outcomes that we’ve asked African leaders to bring to the summit, and that is an announcement of how they are investing in the future of their youth on the continent. Because we know if we don’t invest in these young people, they will be attracted, as we have seen, by an extremist ideology that does not provide a future for Africa.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

APC seeks international probe of Boko Haram sponsors

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for an international inquiry into the activities of the terror group Boko Haram to unravel its modus operandi and sponsors as well as any individual or group that may have links with the insurgents, with a view to ending, once and for all, the debate over its backer and how to tackle it. In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the inquiry should include intelligence experts from the United States (U.S.), Britain, France and Canada, as well as representatives of the UN and Nigeria’s neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger. It also said that representatives of the military and other security agencies, especially the police and the Department of State Security (DSS), governments of the states worst-hit by the Boko Haram insurgency, including Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi and Jigawa, the Federal Capital Territory and the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) should be part of

APC is afraid, says PDP

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said last night that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is apprehensive, hence its call for an international probe. The statement, signed by its spokesman, Olisa Metuh, said: “The party finds it very curious that the statement by the APC calling for international enquiry to unravel the sponsors of terrorism in the country is coming less than one week after an inquest into its links with insurgency was tabled before the British Parliament. “Indeed, the APC statement betrays a party that has become unsettled and highly apprehensive the inquiry. Also to be part of the inquiry, the APC said, are civil society organisations, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association and any other relevant individuals or groups. Major political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC, must be represented on the panel of inquiry, whose findings must be made public and those found to have any links with the insurgents be made to face the law.

following the increasing demand by the British parliamentarians for an enquiry into their links with the insurgency and violence ravaging our dear nation. “We ask, is the APC in a desperate move to pre-empt the British Parliament for fear of indictment or are they seeking to promote an orchestrated inquest to exonerate themselves? “We urge Nigerians to see beyond the surface, to continue to be alert and note the actions of the APC and their efforts to frustrate genuine fight against insurgency and terrorism in our country.”

Said APC: ‘’We hope the PDPled federal government, which has led the incessant but baseless campaign to point accusing fingers at the opposition, especially our party the APC, will give its total support to the immediate constitution of this international panel of inquiry. We have no doubt that the international community will give its unalloyed support to this inquiry, in view of the transnational nature of the insurgency and the threat posed by terrorism to global peace and security,’’ the party said. APC added: ‘’On our part, we pledge our total support for this

inquiry anytime it is launched, but hopefully very soon. Our party, which is barely one year old, has been at the receiving end of diversionary, carefullychoreographed and blatantly irresponsible point-blank accusations as well as insinuations of sponsoring Boko Haram, not minding that the group’s activities date as far back as 2002 when there was no APC. ‘’These accusations and insinuations have become so virulent and have indeed reached a level where one begins to wonder whether those behind Continued on page 55

Anxiety as Adamawa House meets on Nyako’s, deputy’s fate DAMAWA State lawmakers are meeting today to consider the report of the seven-man Panel which investigated allegations of misconduct against Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari. There is anxiety in the state, following the speculation that the Assembly might impeach Nyako and Ngilari, who never appeared before the panel. It was learnt that some lawmakers in Abuja might be flown to Yola in a chartered jet for today’s sitting. Members of the Assembly have been directed to report for a session to consider the panel’s report. Members of the panel, led by Buba Kaigama (Mubi Northern

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Zone), are: Laraba Hassan (Michika Northern Zone), Njidda Kito (Song Central Zone), Joshua Abu (Hong Central Zone), Binanu Esthon (Guyuk Southern Zone), Sa’ad Lawan (Mayo-Belwa Southern Zone) and Esthon Gapsiso (Genye Southern Zone). A source said: “The Assembly will meet on Monday to receive the report of the Kaigama Panel and decide whether or not to impeach the governor and his deputy in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution. “Barring last-minute horsetrading, the Assembly may impeach the two leaders after getting the report. Continued on page 55

Boko Haram on Lagos fuel depot bombing: we did it Continued from page 1

added. In the same recording, Shekau voices support for the extremist militant group ISIS, which has taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria. “My brethren... may Allah protect you,” Shekau said in the video, listing ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri and Taliban leader Mullah Omar. He also mocked the “Bring back our girls” campaign, calling for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, on April 15. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the abductions, showing some of the girls in a video as they recited part of the Holy Quran.

Shekau released his video as Malala Yousafzai, the teenage Pakistani schoolgirl who became an education campaigner after she was shot by militants, spoke in Abuja where she met the missing girls’ relatives. “Thank you so much for telling the world that this is happening here,” Yousafzai said. “We need to raise our voices for them so that they can be released and be free as well as other girls in Nigeria who also need full protection and security.” Police spokesman Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said last night on telephone: “We are studying the video. It will go through information technology and forensic analyses in order to confirm the Continued on page 55

Resource control row rocks Conference Continued from page 1

Prof. Anya O. Anya and 18 others. The proposed amendment states: “1(a) Provided that the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than 18 per cent of the revenue accruing to the federation account directly from any natural resources. “1(b) That not less than 50

•Malala speaking at a dinner to mark her 17th birthday in Abuja…at the weekend.

per cent of the total derivation fund accruable to a mineral bearing state shall be due and payable to the host communities within the state where the resources are derived in accordance with the production quota contributed to such community. “2, There shall be established a mineral’s development fund which shall not be less than 5 Continued on page 55

I’ll speak up for Chibok girls until they’re released, say Malala

AKISTANI rights activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived after being shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education, pledged yesterday to help free the 219 schoolgirls being held by Boko Haram since April 15. Malala spoke in Abuja when she met with some parents of the schoolgirls. There were 15 parents at the meeting and five of the 57 girls who escaped from the Boko Haram custody. Some of the parents broke down in tears as Malala spoke at a hotel. “I can see those girls as my sisters ... and I’m going to speak up for them until they are released,” said Malala, who celebrates her 17th birthday today. She is scheduled to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Villa this morning. “I’m going to participate actively in the ‘bring back our girls’ campaign to make sure that they return safely and they continue their education.” The girls’ abduction drew unprecedented international attention to the insurgency in the Northeast and the growing security risk that Boko Haram poses to Nigeria. A #BringBackOurGirls Twitter campaign supported by

Escapee girls feel guilty, says Ezekwesili

OME of the 57 girls who escaped from the Boko Haram custody after their abduction from the school hostel on April 15 are feeling guilty, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili said yesterday. The former World Bank Vice President (Africa), who is one of the leaders of the #BringbackOurGirls protesters, spoke yesterday on the meeting his group and others had with Malala in Abuja. She said one of the girls who escaped from Boko Haram custody told the meeting that she was feeling guilty and United States First Lady Michelle Obama and singer Angelina Jolie heaped pressure on authorities to act, and President Jonathan pledged to save the girls, drawing promises of Western help to do so. But several weeks on, the hostages have not yet been freed. The Boko Haram activities are intensifying. The police said on Saturday they uncovered a plot to bomb the Abuja transport network, using suicide bombers and devices concealed in luggage at major bus stations. “I can feel ... the circumstances under which you are suffering,” she said. “It’s quite difficult for a parent to know that his daughter is in great danger. My birthday wish this year is bring back our girls now and alive.”

From Grace Obike, Abuja

could no longer visit her friend’s mother because the mother always asked her why she left her friend behind. Mrs. Ezekwesili spoke at the protesters’ sit-out in Abuja. “I have got to the point where I am no longer bothered with soulless Nigerians who everyday ask me if I’m truly sure the girls were abducted. Thank God that the presidential committee finally put to rest that there was truly an abduction. “We know that the government has

Taliban militants shot Malala for her outspoken views on women’s right to education. She survived after being flown to Britain for treatment and has since become a symbol of defiance against militants operating in the tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. She has won the European Union’s prestigious human rights award and was one of the favourites to win the Nobel Peace Prize last year, although the award ended up going to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The Pakistani activist met separately with leaders of the BringBackOurGirls campaign group and some 15 parents of the abducted girls, along with

reassured us that it is doing its best in the process of the rescue but we continue to ask, what are the milestones so far? “When speaking to Malala, one of the girls in tears said, ‘I no longer want to go and visit my friend’s mother because each time I do, she says to me, why did you not hold my daughter’s hand when you were running off’? “Our girls are here today so that we will be able to demonstrate to them that they are not alone in the sadness. We are here for the Chibok girls; any other thing is not our concern.”

five of the girls who escaped from their abductors. “The situation at Chibok is the same with the situation in Swat where some extremists stopped more than 400 girls from going to school,” Malala told the escapees after listening to their stories. Swat is her birthplace in Pakistan where she was shot in the head in 2012 on her way from school. “And I believe your voices are more powerful than any other weapon. So believe in yourself and go and continue your journey. Continue learning and you will succeed because we did succeed in our journey. There is peace in Swat. Every girl is going to school. “The same way, we will be

here one day we will see all of you going to school, getting your education,” she added. “She (Malala) has an appointment to meet President Goodluck Jonathan 11 am (1000 GMT) tomorrow,” her aide told an AFP correspondent after the meetings. Malala urged the Nigerian government to take the girls’ plight seriously for the sake of the country’s future. “My request to the government is that they should take you serious. They should definitely take you serious,” she told the five escapee girls. “If you don’t focus on the future generation it means you are destroying your country. Think about these girls.” She urged Nigerian

authorities to ensure the safe release of the remaining girls being held hostage by the Islamists. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Malala, who began a three-day visit to Nigeria on Saturday was at a dinner in Abuja held in her honour at Transcorp Hilton hotel. She spoke exclusively to NAN after the dinner that ended at about 10.40 p.m. “On my 17th birthday my wish is to see every child go to school and I want to see my Nigerian sisters being released from their abduction and I want them to be free to go to school and continue their education,’’ she said . Malala was accompanied to the dinner by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai and members of the Malala Fund, including Shiza Shahid, the 25year old founder of the organisation. A 32-man guest list at the event included members of civil society organisations and representatives of international organisations in Nigeria such as Continued on page 55

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THE NATION MONDAY JULY 14, 2014

NEWS

Falana urges NBA to publish voters’ register •Association’s election tomorrow By Adebisi Onanuga

AGOS lawyer Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Electoral Committee, Okey Amechi (SAN), to publish the voters’ register compiled for this year’s election. The Bar election will hold tomorrow in Abuja. The frontline lawyer said there was a reason to suspect that the register may contain fictitious names, including the names of dead lawyers, as it happened in the 2012 poll. Falana said unless the voters’ register is published before the day of the election, he would not hesitate “to approach the appropriate High Court to stop the manipulation of the electoral process by the NBA leadership”. He added: “Lawyers cannot afford to fix election results as they are entrusted with the responsibility of filing and defending election petitions in the country.” The activist explained that to ensure transparency in this year’s NBA poll, he was compelled, last week, to apply for a copy of the voters’ register under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. He said he was assured that the register would be published ahead of the election. “But for some inexplicable reasons, the NBA Electoral Committee has refused to publish the voters register 48 hours to the election,” Falana said. The lawyer alleged that “with the connivance of the leadership of the NBA, those lawyers were allowed to vote from the grave! Even though the credibility of the election was called to question, those who were genuinely dissatisfied with the fraudulent results were advised to allow sleeping dogs to lie. Falana said: “I have drawn the attention of the Secretary of the NBA Electoral Committee to the evidence at my disposal that the voters’ register compiled for the election contains the names of many lawyers who are not qualified to vote. For instance, some concerned members of the NBA have reliably informed me that the list of the 47 delegates representing the Abuja branch of the NBA was compiled in utter breach of the Constitution of the NBA. “I have equally confirmed that the list of co-opted members of the National Executive Committee of the NBA contains 135 names, contrary to the clear provisions of the NBA Constitution. “In a similar situation in August 1992, I had cause to obtain a court order to stop the NBA election when I discovered that the then military junta had concluded plans to hijack the electoral process with a view to installing and imposing its stooges as leaders of the Bar. “It is hoped that history will not be allowed to repeat itself by the NBA Electoral Committee.”

Jonathan plotting life presidency, says Kwankwaso K ANO State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has said the convocation of the National Conference by President Goodluck Jonathan was designed to perpetuate the President in power. Kwankwaso addressed reporters in his office at the Government House. The governor accused Jonathan of smuggling a new constitution into the conference and using divide-andrule tactics to balkanise interest groups to make himself a life President. He stressed that if Jonathan’s agenda scaled through, he would get another eight-year mandate in 2015, in the bid to perpetrate himself in power and achieve his life ambition. Kwankwaso said: “These people are desperate. They want to continue by all means. That is the idea of divide-andrule. They want to rule forever. I think he (Jonathan) wants to be a life President.” The governor expressed misgiving about most of the issued so far debated at the National Conference. He said: “You have seen recently that he (Jonathan) took a bill to the National Assembly, wanting the National Assembly to approve a six-year one term. The implication is that he wanted to lift himself. He got two years after the death of (Umaru Musa) Yar’Adua. Now, he is spending four years. And he wants

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

another six years of one term, making 12 years, at least, for now. That seems not to be working. Now, we are hearing that they smuggled a new Constitution through the Conference. “The arithmetic of the handlers there is saying that they want to throw away the six years, have a new Constitution and, by 2015, start another eight years. This is because we have seen it during the first term of the governors of Yobe, Taraba, Ogun, Kogi. These were friends who were governors during the aborted Third Republic and people took them to court so that they regained their first term. The courts said: ‘No, no, no, this is a new Constitution.’ Now, there is a new Constitution on the ground to start another eight years by 2015.” Kwankwaso said Nigeria needs a change, adding that the nation would continue to pray for the President to sail the ship to safe shores in 2015. The governor also prayed that there would be no crisis that would degenerate into a religious war. Kwankwaso maintained that he had always opposed the National Conference because it was a waste of resources. The governor said Nigeria

needs an equitable distribution of its vast resources to its impoverished people. He noted that the Conference would be harmful to the country because it was designed to extend the President’s tenure from the proposed single term to eight years by 2015. Kwankwaso said if the new constitution is endorsed, it would empower Jonathan to extend his tenure. The governor said Jonathan’s reason for convoking the National Conference was to transform into a life President. He said the President had concentrated his prosecutions on the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the aim to destabilise it to achieve his ambition of becoming a life President. Kwankwaso decried the constant interference “from above”, particularly in Rivers, Adamawa and, lately, in Kano. The governor recalled how the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced its candidate as the Emir of Kano without waiting for the announcement of the approved Emir, Alhaji Mohammad Sanusi, who was among those shortlisted. He said Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako was not as bad as he was being portrayed.

According to him, the ruling party is always jittery about APC and will blame the party’s leadership for anything. Kwankwaso said he supported state police, a position he earlier opposed when his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, was calling for same. The governor urged Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper, adding that they should help their compatriots instead of debating resource control and derivation. He said: “I do not see anything wrong in the revenue sharing formula of the country, rather than agitating for an upward review from 13 per cent to 18 per cent, which is the contentious issue tearing the house apart.” On Boko Haram activities in the Northeast, Kwankwaso was worried that Jonathan had failed to assert himself as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to halt killings and destruction of property. The governor suggested that the President should either negotiate with the sect or use force to stop the incessant killings. He said: “This stoppage should either be by negotiation of by the use of force on any of them. I tell you that most of the confusion is coming from Mr President’s handlers, the people around him, just to cause more problems.”

•Minister of Mines and Steel, Mohammed Sada (middle) congratulating Executive Secretary, TETFund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro, for his Academic Life Dialogue and Peace Award 2014 presented to him by Ufuk Dialogue Foundation. With them is President, Nigeria Guide of Editors (NGE), Mr. Femi Adesina.

2015: INEC urges adherence to guidelines on political adverts I NDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, has urged political parties and their candidates to follow best practices in their advertising ahead of the 2015 elections. Jega spoke at the weekend in Abuja during an international seminar on: Political Advertising, Perception Building and Voter Education at the Yar’Adua Centre, organised by Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). Jega said: “As we approach the general elections in February 2015, no effort should be spared by stakeholders in promoting civic enlightenment among the electorate and global best practices

By Adedeji Ademigbuji

among the political elite. One of the major requirements of liberal democracy is mobilisation and participation of the people in the process. We should learn about international best practices in grassroots mobilisation, perception building and voter education.” The INEC chairman said the commission had revised the regulations in its Code of Conduct for political advertisements and campaigns to ensure strict compliance among parties and their candidates.

He said: “It is very important that we regulate and sanitise our campaigns. A lot of that sanitation can be done without regulation, if only politicians can change their attitudes and mindsets. But we in INEC have revised the regulations governing campaigns and we have already shared a draft of those guidelines with political parties. “We hope to finalise it and, very soon, we will put it into effect so that political parties will know clearly where to draw the lines and the sanctions that would apply, if they do not act according to the rules and regulations.

“I think what this seminar has shown is that you can learn a good practice from other countries and factor it into your own preparations. It is very important that we sanitise the electoral process and political campaigns. They should be research-based, well informed and expertise should be brought to bear in the preparation and conduct of political campaigns.” All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Chairman Victor Umeh said political advertising is critical to electioneering process. He urged advertising practitioners to collect the code of conduct already signed by political parties at the INEC headquarters.

NSE DG, others hail Dangote for cement quality •’42.5 is the way to go’ By Olamilekan Andu

STAKEHOLDERS in the stock exchange, led by the management of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), have said the investment of the Dangote Group in the cement industry is a revolution that will transform the economy into more productivity. The group, led by NSE Director-General Oscar Onyema, with major investors, leading players in the exchange and top stock brokers, visited the Ibese, Ogun State plant of Dangote Cement Plc. They were surprised at the huge technologies being used at the production plant. Onyeman was delighted at the near completion of work on the two additional lines of three million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), which will push up the total production at the Ibese plant to 12 MMTPA and the latest technology in the equipment deployed. The NSE director-general said Nigeria needs more investors like Dangote. After seeing the quality control mechanism and the robotic laboratory with the end product of the quality checks and assurances of 42.5 grade of cement, Onyema said: “If this is the case, the 42.5 grade is the way to go. “What we have seen here is amazing: the high technologies here. I know for sure that this saves time and cost, couple with the technical capabilities, quality control and the quality of the end product. I can speak on behalf of my colleagues that what we have seen is fantastic and Dangote Cement is incomparable...”

Strike continues, says COEASU From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

UNLIKE the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), which is expected to resume work tomorrow, after suspending its 10-month strike, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) said yesterday it has not called off its seven-month old strike. COEASU’s General Secretary Nuhu Ogirima told our correspondent in Abuja that the union would end the strike only after the government shows clear commitment to meet the remaining parts of the union’s demands. Ogirima, a senior lecturer in Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State, said: “We (COEASU) are yet to call off our strike. We are waiting for some commitment from the Federal Government. We had a closed-door meeting with the new Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, last Thursday, separate from the one he had with ASUP. We discussed meaningfully at length. His remarks were quite impressive. “We could see that the new minister is really determined to ensure that the issue is resolved. He made a very strong appeal to us to call off the strike. He promised to meet with us next Thursday, after studying our demands, to give us feedback and let us know the government’s position. He assured us that the issue will be properly resolved.”

THE NATION MONDAY JULY 14, 2014

NEWS

Mark, Amosun, Oshiomhole, others G hail Soyinka at 80 OVERNORS, lawmakers, scholars, critics and other frontline Nigerians yesterday poured encomiums on Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka on his 80th birthday. They noted that Soyinka has been one of the most outstanding contributors to Nigeria’s educational growth, knowledge and global Literature. Senate President David Mark said Soyinka is a rare breed of the writer and intellectual. In a statement yesterday in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, the Senate President said Soyinka has been touching lives and shaping the future of younger generations. He said Soyinka brought pride and honour to Nigeria when he won the Nobel Laureate Prize in 1986. Mark said: “Prof Soyinka is a pride to Africa. His kinds are few. We cannot appreciate him enough. His intellectual prowess is equal to none. Many successful Nigerians passed through him. Many more would profit from his fountain of knowledge and wisdom. “As the erudite Professor marks his birthday, I pray and wish him good health, peace and abundant wisdom to continue to contribute to the development of Nigeria.” He said the Senate and the National Assembly congratulated “this son of Africa and a true citizen of the world on this special occasion of his birthday”. Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun said Soyinka is an international and intellectual icon for his globally - acknowledged literary accomplishments. The governor rued the absence of role models for the youth, adding that this does not augur well for the country and its future leaders. He said this was the reason his administration was always celebrating good things about Ogun State. According to him, this is to encour-

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja, Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta and Evelyn Osagie

age the younger generation to emulate or learn good lessons. Amosun spoke yesterday at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, the state capital, at a Wole Soyinka project to mark the literary icon’s 80th birthday. The ceremony featured a spelling competition, a debate and reading contests among selected secondary school pupils. The governor, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Media(Print), Mr Sola Balogun, urged youths to aspire to international intellectual figures, like Soyinka, who he said attained his global status through literary works. Amosun said: “The nice things about Ogun State we are bringing forward so that the younger ones can learn something positive from them. Our youths can challenge themselves to be like Wole Soyinka, who was once a youth. “You can study to be an international figure. The problem we have now is that we are becoming more and more bereft of quality role models for the youths. But all hope is not lost for Nigeria. We can still pick good role models for ourselves, and in the interest of the family, state and the country.” Also, former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel described Soyinka as a “rare breed and one of the greatest writers” that has ever lived. In a congratulatory message, Daniel noted that Soyinka’s literary prowess and advocacy of native culture, humane social order and critiques of repressive military governments stood him out among his contemporaries as a fiery fighter and legendary

statesman. In the statement by his media aide, Mr Ayo Giwa, the former governor said: “Without any doubt, Prof Soyinka’s outspoken criticisms, which earned him extra-judicial arrests and imprisonment, shaped the political history of modern Nigeria in no small measure. They make his comments on national and international issues reference points at different fora. “The award as a Nobel Laureate in 1986 further cemented his invincibility in his chosen career... No doubt, the ‘Kongi’ has etched his footprints in the sands of time. “At 80, we cannot but celebrate this fierce fighter and legendary peacemaker whose patriotic ideals have earned a permanent place at national and international Halls of Fame. “As one of the most celebrated sons of Ogun State, Nigeria and Africa, I share in the joy of the landmark celebration as Ogun State Government did on the occasions of the 70th and 75th birthday anniversaries. I wish the literary giant a very warm birthday and pray for his robust health in years ahead for more colourful years of irreplaceable memories.” Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said Soyinka’s life and work are sources of inspiration to many. The governor described the Nobel laureate as an innovative “social change agent” who is constantly seeking a better society for Nigeria, especially through his writing. “Soyinka’s writings have been a source of inspiration to me. Through original insight and personal convictions, he has been driven by his regard for a fresh society that would subscribe to equity, justice and freedom. We hope to continue to draw for a long time to come from his example,” Amaechi said. Edo State Governor Adams Oshi-

omhole said Soyinka remained a source of inspiration and pillar of support. In a congratulatory message yesterday to the renowned writer, Oshiomhole said: “Over the years, whereas many to whom our nation has given so much often conduct themselves in a manner that undermines national unity. But, Soyinka, who has brought global glory to Nigeria, has done more to cement our nationhood without demanding much. You have not only written volumes seeking to cement our nationhood, but at some point even had to endure 20-month solitary confinement to keep Nigeria one. “As a global statesman today, your greatness lies not only in your extraordinary literary talent and creativity but also the tireless energy you always exert in the pursuit of your convictions. “For you, art is nothing if not deployed as a weapon to extend the frontiers of liberty and elevate the human civilisation. From your classic, titled: The Man Died, we draw timeless inspiration never to be afraid of telling truth to power. That it is more honourable to die fighting on our feet than on our knees before the oppressors. “As a hardcore labour man myself with the privilege of leading the Nigerian workers’ movement as a twoterm president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), I attest that you are a true comrade at the barricade in the true sense of the word. “In the popular resistance of military dictatorships in the 1990s, you joined us on countless occasions on the street to fight for freedom. Even when the ‘Praetorian Guard’ drove you into exile and sentenced you to death in absentia, you never failed to connect with those of us left at the barricade at home to deepen the struggle for liberation. “With the return of democracy in 1999, age would still not deter you from joining us in street marches against government’s anti-people pol-

Soyinka is conscience of our nation, says Tinubu

ORMER Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka is the conscience of the nation. In a statement yesterday in Lagos by his Media Office, Tinubu said: “No word can describe what you have achieved as a professional and a patriot. You are one of a kind. You have become the conscience of our nation, pricking us and alerting us to the dangers ahead. You have not stopped there; you have gone further to proffer solutions in a timely and com-

prehensive manner on how to move things forward. Your words and interventions continue to resonate here at home and globally. “You remain one of the few truly celebrated Nigerian icons and a solid and powerful voice. Indeed, one of the very few powerful voices who continue to speak up against injustice, inequality and creeping fascism. The more they try to diminish you, the more your status rise in distinction to their incoherence and verbiage. Each time they try to silence you, your voice rings out louder and clear-

er. You have always said: ‘The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.’ And you are being proved right with our experience. We take instruction in these words of yours. “Nigeria’s search for true democracy remains on course because of your unrelenting and lucid interventions. Through the years, you have demonstrated a fierce commitment to the Nigerian project and worked assiduously with different groups and organisations in the singular effort to ensure that Nigeria’s democ-

racy survives and we achieve an egalitarian society. “I identify with you in this struggle for a better and greater Nigeria and stand side by side with you in your condemnation of the impunity of the present administration and the demand you have made that the current Nigerian government has a case to answer for all the unconstitutional acts it is perpetrating. “I celebrate with you today. May you grow in wisdom and knowledge. May you find peace and remain in good health. Happy birthday.”

• From left: Federal Commissioner, Agriculture Board of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Dr. Rafiq Olayiwola Ounbambi; Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa; Principal and Director, Kings College, Lagos, Otunba Dele Olapeju and his wife, Helen, at the annual speech, valedictory and prize-giving presentation in Lagos...at the weekend. PHOTOS: ADEJO DAVID

•Prof Soyinka

icies, even in the face of the ambush of armoured tanks. “For us, the government and good people of Edo State, you have remained a source of inspiration and pillar of support, in our determined effort to liberate our people from the shackles of political oppression by a few political ‘godfathers’ and expand, in a meaningful way, the frontiers of good governance, democracy and development.” Acclaimed poet Prof Niyi Osundare said Soyinka’s contribution to Literature is groundbreaking. He noted that the globally renowned writer is “epochal and phenomenal” in his writing. Osofisan described Soyinka as “an outstanding personality”, adding that words are not enough for a tribute to the literary giant. According to him, Soyinka is an inspiration to younger generations of writers. He said: “One significant contribution, however, is his creation of what I will describe as a ‘condition of plausibility’ for the existence of an authentic African drama in the English language. After him, all of us became empowered, and credible.”

‘Govt committed to implementing UNEP report’ From Yomi Odunuga and Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

HE Federal Government yesterday said it is committed to the implemention of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendations on the clean –up of Ogoniland in the Niger Delta. To begin the process, it has set up the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to study the report, which could lead to the final implementation of the report. The board chairman of the National Oil Spill Response and Detection Agency, Maj. Lancelot Anyanya (rtd), addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja on the report. He said the government was studying the UNEP’s final report to ensure the proper implementation of its recommendations. The board chairman explained that the process required a delicate planning. Anyanya said: “I know that there has been specific pronouncements regarding government’s commitment to not just address the implementation of the UNEP report but to address the wider issues of oil spills across the region. “President Goodluck Jonathan is committed to implementing not just the UNEP report, but to ensuring that the people of Niger Delta and all other communities that produce oil do so in a manner that does not force them or compel them to sacrifice their very existence. “It is, therefore, understandable that the implementation of the UNEP report requires delicate planning because it is not just about going in to clean the place. There are issues relating to the dynamics of community relationship.” Anyanya urged oil companies to be mindful of the negative impact oil spills have on the environment, adding that most environment pollution is the result of oil spills.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS

APC petitions tribunal on Ekiti poll

‘Ex-NIM chief urges govt to solve economic problem’

•PDP: Party chasing shadows

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

FORMER President of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Dr Lugard Aimiuwu, yesterday advised the Federal Government to profer urgent solutions to its economic challenges. He spoke at the NIM Chartered’s 2014 Centenary Distinguished Management Lecture with the theme: “Resetting Nigeria: Applying Transformational Disciplines” in Abuja. His wordse said: “More than ever before, Nigeria needs an urgent solution to the many leadership challenges besetting it which are threatening the nation’s economic, infrastructural and ethical revolution and the role of the transformation in making these lofty ideals realisable cannot be over emphasized. “The nation urgently needs vibrant, proactive and people-oriented transformational policies to stimulate visible and sustainable development in the critical sectors of national development.” He urged Nigerian leaders to utilise the opportunity presented by world powers to better the lives of its citizenry. The expert said:”The world is interconnected, interdependent, and competitive. Globalisation has raised the stakes, and is increasingly intolerant of failure. You cannot expect those who cannot handle a pole to do well at pole vault. The globe is now technically one market, and this market waits for no-one. “It takes leadership awareness to know that things are not alright under his watch. It takes sensitivity to want to do something about it. It takes professionalism to know what to do about it. It takes wisdom to know how to rein in the forces against change. It takes courage to get the job done.”

Army trains personnel on conflict control By Precious Igbonwelundu

HE Army is training its personnel on conflict management to enhance their skills during operations. The three-day workshop at the headquarters of the Nigerian Army College of Logistics (NACOL), was organised in conjunction with the Impact for Change and Development as well as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany. Declaring the workshop open, the Commandant, NACOL, Gen. A.B.M. Gana said the workshop was part of the security agencies’ resolve to address national issues in order to enthrone peace and development. The Deputy Commandant of NACOL, Gen. J.O. Oni, highlighted the need to train and improve skills for all cadres of the security apparatus since military and paramilitary personnel are increasingly involved in conflict management.

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

•Dr Fayemi

HE Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has filed a petition challenging the results of the June 21 governorship election.

The interim Chairman of the party, Chief Jide Awe, told reporters at the weekend that he submitted the petition on behalf of the party on Saturday “since the law allows the tribunal to also operate during weekends”. He said the petitioner is urging the Tribunal to “unravel the hidden fact surrounding the election,” adding: “The poll was more of a mechanical exercise than conventional casting of votes.” Awe said: “The results of the election were embarrassing to us as a party and we hold the view that there is no

smoke without fire.” He said the petition was not opposed to the earlier position of Governor Kayode Fayemi, who had accepted the outcome of the poll and congratulated the winner, Mr Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said: “The governor does not own the party. It is the party that owns the governor, and so the party can decide for him. You will observe that there is no name of Dr Kayode Fayemi on the ballot papers. What was contained on it was the name of the party and its logo. So, the issue is beyond the governor. “Let it be known to you that our candidate, Dr Fayemi,

only conceded victory to guarantee continued peace that was prevalent in the state at the time as well as allow the siege laid on the state by the military to cease. “You can see that as soon as he announced that he had accepted defeat, the soldiers immediately vacated the state.” The PDP said “the APC is going there to chase shadows”. Its chairman , Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, yesterday in a telephone interaction with reporters, said he was “not surprised because I knew that the APC would look for what to do and by all means too, to remain in the news following their crushing at the

Headless body found in Ondo community

OLICE in Ondo State are battling to unravel the mystery behind the killing of a woman by unknown assailants, who also cut off her head. The body of the deceased was found on old Ogbagi/Arigidi Akoko Road in Akoko North West Local Government Area. It was gathered that the body was discovered by a passer-by, who raised the alarm, thereby attracting residents. As at press time, the identity of the deceased was yet to be ascertained. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Wole Ogodo confirmed the incident, saying investigation has begun to unravel those behind the killings.

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

Ogodo said: “The policemen at Irun-Akoko Division were hinted on Saturday morning that there was a headless body of a lady whose name and address are yet to be known and suspected to be between 25 to 30 years of age lying on Old Ogbagi/ Arigidi Akoko Road. “A team of policemen under the command of ASP Ezeala Obiora visited the scene and it was observed that the body must have been dropped by some ritualists. A photograph of the body was taken. The body has been deposited at the mortuary of the Specialist Hospital in Ikare-Akoko.”

Govt alerts Lagosians to Ebola virus

AGOSIANS got at the weekend a wake-up call on the Ebola virus, which has killed many in some West African countries. The state government told residents to observe and maintain high standard of personal and environmental hygiene. Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris urged residents to always wash their hands often with soap and water, avoid close contact with people who are sick and en-

sure that objects used by the sick are decontaminated and properly disposed. The Commissioner, in a statement at the weekend, also advised health workers to be at alert, wear personal protective equipment, observe universal basic precautions when attending to suspected or confirmed cases, and report same to their Local Government Area or Ministry of Health immediately. Ebola virus disease is caused by a virus which natu-

ral reservoir of virus is not completely known. Fruit bats have been considered to be the natural host of the virus. Idris said: “Ebola Virus Disease is caused by the Ebola virus and outbreaks occur primarily in villages of the Central and West Africa. The virus can be spread through, close contact with the blood, body fluids, organ and tissues of infected animals; direct contact with blood, organ or body secretions of an infected person. The transmission of

the virus by other animals like monkey and chimpanzee cannot be ruled out. “Early symptoms of disease include fever, headache, chills, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains. Later symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding from the mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain blood. It could progress to coma, shock and death.”

Why National Conference must not fail, by Anglican Bishop

HE Bishop, Diocese of the Lagos West, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. James Odedeji, has urged delegates to the National Conference not to fail the nation. He described the conference as the last hope. Addressing reporters yesterday during the collation of archdeacons of the Anglican Communion, at Church of the Pentecost, Festac, Lagos, Rev Odedeji said the conference must find a solution to the country’s problems. He said: “I am afraid if this conference fails, this country will enter into another year of

By Musa Odoshimokhe

difficulties. It is expected to find solution to unemployment, insecurity, unity and harnessing the resources of the country.” The Bishop, who spoke against the backdrop of the division between the North and South over resources control and other issues. He said the people have invested so much on the conference, explaining that anything short of solution would be counterproductive. “We expect the conference to tackle issues of our children roaming the streets.” He urged the government

to expose Boko Haram sponsors. The cleric said government should expedite action on the release of the Chibok girls, who have been in captivity for 90 days, adding that if negotiation with the group will bring back the girls, it should do that. “If releasing the relations of Boko Haram in prison will back our children, government should do that. The parents are already dying of hypertension. The Bishop of Ijebu West,Rt. Rev. Babatunde Ogunbanwo in his sermon, urged politicians to better the lots of their people and charged the arch-

Osun pays N813m compensation

SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has paid N813 million as compensation to owners of properties affected by infrastructural development. Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development Muyiwa Ige toldf the NUJ Correspondents Chapel in Oyo State at the weekend that arrangements had been made for the payment of the N2billion balance. Among the property owners and affected traders who got the palliatives, according to the commissioner, are those around the Railway Station corridors as well as shop owners at Ajegunle and Ayetoro. Ige said: “We have paid over N813 million as compensation in the last 30 months inclusive of palliatives. Yes, we still

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

have about N2billion to pay because of paucity of funds, but we have continued to engage the affected, the claimants to let them know the true position of things, we had a meeting with them a week and half ago. “ The commissioner said a minimum of N100, 000 was given as palliative to the traders who were tenants in the affected buildings to enable them relocate “because the government believed that once they are affected, the businesses would affect their livelihood”. He said the beneficiaries include 295 shop occupiers and tenants at the Train Station corridor who were given N65million; 581 shop owners at Ayetoro who got N58.1million at N100,000 each; and some settlers at the Airport area of the city.

deacons to focus on winning converts to God. The newly collated archdeacons are Rev. Canon Babatunde Adegoroye, Rev. Godwin Danniel, Rev. Humphery Chjindu, Rev. Emmanuel Dosumu, Rev. Canon Ebenezer Adedipe and Rev. Canon Solomon Okeowo.

election by the Ekiti people”. Ogundipe added: “It would be interesting to see what they have this time against an election that has been the talk of the world in terms of freeness, credibility, fairness, organisation and security. “Even the people of the state, who voted massively for the candidate of our party, Dr. Ayo Fayose, would laugh at the mockery the APC is surely out to make of itself at the tribunal. “It is either their natural mischief or their usual deliberate deception of the people that has made them to act in feigned ignorance of extant court judgments on the issues they took to the tribunal as grounds to challenge the election.”

Ex-Oyo SSG Raimi dies at 80 From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

FORMER Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG), Dr Dejo Raimi, is dead. He died yesterday at a private hospital in Ibadan. He was 80. Raimi was also one-time Chairman, Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). According to a source close to the family, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain was hale and hearty throughout Saturday but was said to have complained of uneasiness around midnight following which he was rushed to the nearby private hospital. Trained at a Moscow, Russia university in Medicine, Raimi rose to become the Chief Medical Officer in the old Oyo State. He later went into politics in the Third Republic when he joined the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). He was appointed SSG by the late former Governor Kolapo Ishola, after winning the election in 1991. Friends of the family have been commiserating with them. Among the early callers were former Governor Rashidi Ladoja’s wife, Mutiat and former SUBEB Chairman Prof. Soji Adejumo.

THE NATION MONDAY JULY 14, 2014

NEWS OSUN 2014

Aregbesola to Omisore: your lies won’t give you victory

SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Iyiola Omisore’s lies would not ensure his victory in the August 9 governorship poll. Aregbesola, through a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, said Omisore should tell the people his manifesto, instead of trying to discredit the landmark projects of the Aregbesola administration. “We acknowledge his capacity for lies, fraudulent claims, innuendoes and fallacies. We, however, note that this is only the last resort of a candidate who knows the degree of the rejection he has suffered from the good people of Osun. “Omisore must take the people for being daft to believe they will embrace his lies. In recent times, he has woven a litany of lies around the projects of the Aregbesola administration such as Opon Imo, road contracts, school reforms, financial engineering, youth empowerment schemes, environmental development projects and others. “But what Omisore appears to forget is that the people are at the centre of these programmes, therefore they are the direct beneficiaries. Any attempt to discredit them will fail,” the statement further said. It asked the PDP candidate how he intended to explain his almost one year of dubious claims of heavy indebtedness after the Debt Management Office came from the Presidency and faulted his claims. “In other countries that revelation and confirmation are enough reasons for Omisore to back out of the contest, having been found not to be credible in his claims on the socalled Osun debt. “But his shamelessness knows no limit. He has moved from one lie to another as if lies are all it takes to win an election,” the statement said. The statement reminded the people that all the PDP candidate had done since he began his campaigns was to muddle up facts and figures. “He has sought to set workers against the government. The workers, who have witnessed changes in the conditions of service since the Aregbesola administration came on board, would take the best decision by re-electing Aregbesola.” Advising Omisore to tell the people what ideas he had to improve their condition, the statement said it is not enough to tell lies at rallies and rely on the proposed militarisation of the state to capture power. “This arrogant reliance on the power of the Federal Government-controlled forces to subjugate a people in order to rob them of their rights to choose their leaders and endless lies will not help Omisore. At best, they will make him enter the hall of infamy in the politics of our land,” the statement concluded.

PDP to APC: start campaign now From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the All Progressives Congress (APC) to start campaigning ahead of the August 9 governorship elec-

tion. It asked the party to stop “political blackmail and empty propaganda in the media.” A statement yesterday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party and its governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, have been campaigning in the nooks and crannies of the state. The statement added that the PDP was not resting on its oars but was working hard to ensure victory. The party boasted that the factors, which gave it victory in the June 21 election in Ekiti State, including “a popular candidate with grassroots appeal, strong and well accepted message as well as the humble and effective leadership of its leader, President Goodluck Jonathan are still at play.”

LP to take over Osun, says Nwanyawu

HE National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Dan Nwanyawu, has said the party was set to take over Osun State. Speaking at the weekend at the launch of the campaign of the LP governorship candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, he said there was need for a change of government because the All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola had not met the people’s aspirations. Nwanyawu promised that the LP would reduce tuition

APC alleges INEC, PDP plot to rig

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged yesterday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was executing a “sinister plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to manipulate the electoral process ahead of the August 9 governorship election.” In a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, a lawyer, APC alleged that a plot had been made to rig the August 9 poll. “Thousands of APC supporters in the 30 local governments are being disenfranchised as INEC is preventing them from obtaining their permanent voter cards (PVCs) without which they will not be allowed to vote,” the party alleged.

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

APC alleged that INEC had introduced a “wicked formula of dispensing the PVCs by asking voters with temporary cards what party they belong to before the permanent voter cards are given.” “In the process, those who have identified themselves as APC supporters have been told that their PVCs are not ready and INEC could not tell these prospective voters when they would be ready. This is part of what the PDP wants and this why it has removed the former Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Rufus Akeju.

“Information from the PDP leadership has also shown INEC’s alleged involvement in a massive ballot stuffing plan that will be secured by security forces and presented as votes of designated polling booths. The rigging plan of the PDP in Osun, therefore, is a coordinated exercise between the party and corrupt INEC officials under the protection of the federal security forces. “Besides, the APC is reliably informed that the ink, which INEC will use in the majority of the local governments, will be similar to the one used in Ekiti State that fades off within hours of voting. “The APC is therefore

warning that INEC’s integrity as a fair umpire may have been compromised, and it is impossible to believe that these manipulative activities of the electoral process are being done without Prof. Attahiru Jega’s knowledge.” The REC, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, denied the allegation, saying it was false. He said he went round the councils and did not see where eligible voters were denied the right to collect Permanent Voter Cards. Agbaje warned against “unnecessary heating up of the electoral process through baseless allegations.” He advised reporters to investigate allegations rather than publishing whatever politicians told them.

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (second left), Acting Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Elder Adelowo Adebiyi (left), Senator Bayo Salami (third right), Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Wale Afolabi and his Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs counterpart, Hon. Kolapo Alimi, during Aregbesola’s endorsement for second term by former local government chairmen (between 1999 and 2002) and the presentation of three campaign vehicles at the APC secretariat in Osogbo...at the weekend

Election materials being delivered, says REC

HE Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, said yesterday that non-sensitive materials to be used for the August 9 governorship election have started arriving. In a telephone interview with The Nation, he said the materials would soon be distributed to the 30 local governments. Agbaje said the sensitive materials to be used, except the ballot papers, would

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

soon arrive in the state. He said the materials, particularly the ballot papers, would arrive three days to the election and stakeholders, parties’ representatives, reporters, rights activists and others would join the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to check the materials, which would be kept with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before distribution to the local

governments. He said the commission was prepared for the poll, adding that it would be free and fair. INEC’s National Commissioner supervising the Southwest, Prof. Lai Olurode, has denied the allegation that the Ekiti State governorship election was rigged. Speaking with reporters in Iwo, Osun State, yesterday, he said about 10,000 votes were voided, saying the fig-

ure was less than three per cent of the total votes cast. Olurode, who described the INEC officials and ad hoc workers as essential for the success of an election, said the commission had extended the training of its workforce for three days from two days. He said those working for INEC operated from the police guideline of the electoral process, to ensure a credible poll.

‘Aregbesola ‘ll have easy re-election’

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

fees in tertiary institutions and offer quality education at all levels if voted into power on August 9. He said the party’s programmes and policies, which he noted the Ondo State people are enjoying, will be replicated in Osun State when the LP takes over. Nwanyawu stressed the need for the people to embrace the LP, saying it is the only party with the interest of the masses at heart. Akinbade promised to implement the party’s cardinal programmes if voted into power.

It’s false, says REC

HE Director-General of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola Campaign Organisation, Senator Sola Adeyeye, is sure the governor will be re-elected. In an interview with The Nation, the lawmaker said Aregbesola would be reelected on August 9. He said: “Aregbesola’s superb performance will make his re-election easy.” Adeyeye noted that Aregbesola would defeat his opponents in a free and fair poll. He hinged his optimism on his sterling performance, his pro-people

By Adekunle Yusuf, Assistant Editor

policies and programmes as well as his style of governance. Said he: “I believe it will be an easy victory for him. I am of this opinion because Aregbesola is a fantastic product; he is a product that does not need any advertisement. He has done what any objective observer will admit to be a superlative performance. “If it is to assess him on his record, if it is to look at him based on his performance, if it is to look at him based on

‘I believe it will be an easy victory for him. I am of this opinion because Aregbesola is a fantastic product; he is a product that does not need any advertisement’ his character versus the character of his opponent, I have no doubt that Osun people will re-elect him for another four years.”

Adeyeye added that the campaign team would, however, not underrate the opposition, especially Senator Iyiola Omisore, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate. He alleged that the “Federal might” may be used to subvert the desire of the Southwest people, who prefer a progressive government. Adeyeye, formerly a Professor of Biology at the Duquesne University, United States, warned of the consequences of subverting the people’s electoral will.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS Ebonyi lawmaker interested in governorship’

•Executive Secretary , Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Godswill Obioma (middle) speaking at the opening ceremony of a workshop on Natural Medicine Curriculum in Lagos. With him are Director, Curriculum Development Centre, Prof. Ismail Junaid (left) andDirector of Special Programmes Centre, Prof. Kate Nwufor.

Igbo youths advocate Iwuanyanwu as Ojukwu's successor

GBO youths under the aegis of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) have advocated Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the successor of the late Ndigbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. They described him "as the man whom the cap fits." OYC's position was contained in a statement issued yesterday by its leader, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.

From Chris Oji, Enugu

He said the group visited Iwuanyanwu at his Owerri home a few days ago and urged him to take over the Igbo leadership from Ojukwu. Stressing the need to fill the vacuum created by Ojukwu's death in November 2012, the OYC leader noted that Iwuanyanwu had paid his dues.

Isiguzoro, who re-affirmed Iwuanyanwu's position as the grand patron of OYC, said his contributions to the progress of the Igbo nation were outstanding, adding that he was the bridge between the Ndigbo younger and older generations. "He has been a beacon of hope for the Ndigbo younger generation the way the late

Disquiet over plot to drop Madumere as Okorocha’s running mate

LTHOUGH Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has not shown interest to seek re-election, the choice of who becomes his running mate has polarised his camp. Some commissioners and political appointees, headed by a top government official in the Government House, are said to be mounting pressure on the governor to drop his deputy, Eze Madumere, as his running mate and choose from among them, as part of the conditions to support his second term bid. The Nation learnt that some of the names suggested by the group included that of the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Sir Jude Ejiogu, the Commissioner for Finance, Deacon Chike Okafor, the Commissioner for Internally-Generated Rev-

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

enue, Nick Oparandudu, among others. A source at the Government House, who preferred anonymity, said the government officials, the move against the deputy governor as a fall back plan, in case the governor decided to run. The source said the renewed plot against Madumere might not be unconnected with the calculation that he might likely succeed Okorocha if he pursued his presidential ambition. “The plot to drop the deputy governor has reached an advanced stage. Those masterminding it will visit the governor tomorrow (today) to introduce their candidate for his consideration,” the source added. It alleged that the same peo-

ple were behind the failed attempt to impeach the deputy governor a few months after his assumption of office, but were reprimanded by the governor, who warned against any unguided ambition that could derail the administration. “Having failed to impeach the deputy governor or turn the governor against him, the group is doing everything to ensure that the governor does not field him as his running mate. They want him to pick somebody from their camp. Their fear is that if the deputy governor is re-elected, it may be difficult to remove him in 2019 after Okorocha may have completed his two terms.” The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said Okorocha

Don’t scrap local govt system’

HE Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Southeast chapter, has urged the National Conference members not to advocate the scrapping of the local government system. Speaking after their meeting in Umuahia, the union’s National Vice- President, Eze Idima, said they were worried about the statement by the National Conference that the three-tier government be reduced to two. He said it baffled the union that the National Conference made a recommendation that would throw away the gains made in the local government system from 1976 to date, adding that the recommendation was retrogressive and would drag the country back to the native administration era. Idima said the union re-instated its commitment

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

to the autonomy of the local government system, which was the wish of the masses, as demonstrated during the public hearing conducted by the National Assembly. He enjoined the conference members not to be influenced by the federal or state government, alleging that most of them were handpicked by the governors. “This is why they are tools in their hands to take over the affairs of the councils for selfish reason.” The NULGE national vice- president said the union during its meeting deliberated on the proposed takeover of the revenue windows of local governments in Abia by the government, describing it as what would happen should the system be handed over to states.

Senator to empower 700 constituents

HE Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Margery Okadigbo, said yesterday that she had concluded arrangements to empower 700 people in Anambra North. She urged doctors to call off their strike in the interest of the masses. The lawmaker, who spoke at a news conference in Abuja, said Senate President David Mark is expected to lead other National Assembly lawmakers to her district for the empowerment programme. She noted that iced coolers,

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

motorcycles, grinding machines, beauty generators, barbers’ kits “and other things that will make a difference in the lives of widows, youths and other vulnerable groups will be distributed.” Mrs. Okadigbo described the strike in the health sector as personal to her because of the manner her late husband, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, died 11 years ago. She said: “I will be two years in the Senate on July 17, but I will say I was effectively in the upper chamber for one year be-

cause the first year was spent in the court room chasing judgment. “I feel it is right to appreciate the district that stood by me throughout the struggle. “On July 18 I will organise my empowerment day, which will be the first in the district. “The people are excited about it because it has never happened in such a large scale in the seven local governments comprising 99 wards of the district. “We will empower about 700 people, giving them items. Mark will be the special guest of honour.

MKO Abiola was a beacon of hope for the younger generation of the Yoruba. Iwuanyanwu, having paid his dues in the cause of Ndigbo during and after the civil war, should step into Ojukwu's shoes," he said. The OYC leader said God kept Iwuanyanwu alive to mentor the younger generation, who are the leaders of tomorrow, adding that he should be cherished as a symbol of respect for Ndigbo and Ohanaeze. He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to accord him the respect he gave Ojukwu. The OYC National Secretary, Okwu Nnabuike, enjoined other Igbo leaders to emulate Iwuanyanwu's selfless service, commitment to the cause of his people, love for the younger generation and desire to carry everybody along.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, at the weekend reiterated his interest in the Ebonyi State governorship. The lawmaker before now had declared his intention to contest the governorship election next year. Speaking with reporters in his Oriuzor, Ezza North Local Government country home, the senator said security would be his priority if elected, as no development could take place without the security of life and property. He said he had the experience and qualification to become the third civilian governor. Nwagu said: "If you know me well, I don't talk too much. But once I'm determined to do something, believe me, I will not go

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

back on it. I'm out to pursue my 2015 governorship ambition to enable me serve the state and I have the capacity to do that. "I have declared my intention to contest the governorship. I have served in all capacities starting as a councillor, chairman, House of Representatives member and now a senator. My next ambition is to become the governor. "Security is number one as far as any country or state is concerned. Even as you strive to put in place infrastructures, security should be number one." The lawmaker representing Ebonyi Central disagreed with zoning the governorship to Ebonyi South as canvassed by some members of his party.

Youths urged on morals YOUTHS have been urged to combine academic excellence with good character, to make the society great. The Chairman, Board of Governors, Jextoban Secondary School, Ketu, Lagos, Pastor E.A. Ojo, who spoke at the weekend at the school’s 16th Valedictory Service/Graduation Ceremony of Class of 2014, said youths should be studious and disciplined. He said: “We expect our graduating pupils to combine good character with sound knowledge so that they will stand out. We have zero tolerance for indiscipline and will uphold our identity and integrity at all cost. “There can be no success without self discipline, dedication, diligence, determination to succeed and of course, God. The God factor centres on the fear of God.

By Tokunbo Ogunsami

We have taught you to be disciplined and to respect constituted authorities. I have no doubt that you will build on these virtues and values.” The head teacher, Mr. E.A. Adegoke, said the school expected its pupils to aspire for greatness through vision, values and virtues. Said he: “Everybody desires growth and advancement in life, but only a few make it to the top because of the absence of the components and essentials that help people to get to the top.” The event, held at the school’s permanent site at Ibafo in Ogun State, was attended by the Proprietress, Mrs. A.A. Ojo; the Special Guest of Honour and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria and other personalities.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

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Man bitter over son’s disappearance

HE Lagos State Police Command yesterday said the killer of a human rights lawyer and visiting member of The Guardian Editorial Board, Mr. Kunle Fadipe has not recovered from the severe injury inflicted on him during his attack. Lagos State police spokesperson Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) told The Nation yesterday that the suspect was still in the hospital responding to treatment. Braide also said the fact that the suspect is in chains at the hospital had not in any way disturbed investigations into the matter. She said: “The suspect is

HESE are indeed turbulent times for Mr Olabisi Alao, whose last child has been nowhere to be found since May 1. His voice quaked in infectious anguish when he unveiled his agonies to this reporter last Friday. “I desperately want my beloved son back; please try all you can to help pull my life back on track,” he pleaded. Thirty-one-year-old Olatubosun Opeyemi Alao, an electrical engineer with Procter and Gamble (P&G), left his Ibadan home between 12 noon and 1pm on the fateful day for Lagos, where he was recently transferred to, but he did not get to Lagos. His wife, Rukeme, called his mobile phone severally, but the calls remained unanswered, prompting her to inform her father-in-law, who in turn asked her to inform the police station near their home. The police declared Olatubosun missing following which he was said to have been sighted in front of a church some days later. But he reportedly disappeared again shortly after. The family is now displeased with the “suspicious” role of the police and the involvement of a popular church at Ajebo along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the matter. “The day after my son’s disappearance, my family, his friends, colleagues and well-wishers searched every nook and cranny around the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, including hospitals and mortuaries, but there has been no clue for my son’s whereabouts,” Alao said. “During our search on the third day, we sighted a police post near an abandoned

By Jude Isiguzo

still very ill; you know he was seriously wounded and as such, we need to give him time to recover a bit before interrogations. “In few days, we will know whether it was purely an armed robbery case or other motives. For now, he is still in a terrible state but that does not mean that we are not doing investigations. We shall brief you about our findings soon.” The lawyer was murdered in his Harmony Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos home on Thursday, July 3, in a most brutal manner by the suspected assailant.

‘My husband is beastly’ •Alao By Basirat Braimah

fuel filling station at Alapako, a sleepy village along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; we stopped by to narrate our ordeal. A man who identified himself as a policeman told us about an accident which occurred few hours ago. Getting to the scene of the incident, which was few metres away from the post, we saw Olatubosun’s car, a Toyota Camry marked GGE 371 BD. There were no bloodstains on or around the car. Its windshield was broken while valuable items in the car had been removed. The incident had not been reported to the police until we got to Alapako Police Station where it was suggested that the car should be taken to the police station,” he added. On May 5, Olatubosun’s picture was taken to P&G, Ibadan where over 1000 copies were printed, the fa-

By Basirat Braimah

•Olatubosun

ther said, adding that Olatubosun was said to have been seen in the Ajebo area – a few metres away from the accident scene. “I went to the church at Ajebo with some P&G workers since I was told he was sighted there. Showing my son’s picture to the church’s security man, he said cleanshaven Olatubosun was seen stark naked in front of the church, where people mistook him for a ritualist who was only pretending to be insane,” Alao said. He added: “The camp’s manager of the church told its patrol team to chase him away, which they did. I thought a church is for people who need succour in times of trouble. I was embittered and repeatedly asked about details of my son’s whereabouts but without any clue.” Alao, who suspects a foul play in the case because the police team at the camp-

ground that day is yet to provide answers for the matter, especially regarding where it allegedly took his son to. Alao and the management of P & G Nigeria Limited have petitioned the Ogun State Police Command on Olatubosun’s disappearance. “I went as far as hiring a criminologist who told me he would embark on a two-day search. The cost was too massive that I could only afford a day. Each time I go to the police station, they keep referring me to Abuja because of my insistence on taking the matter up. I pray for God’s intervention. I intend to bring my son’s wife (an expectant mother) and her two-yearold daughter to live with me because she has been traumatised from the outset. I wouldn’t want to lose any of them because my wife is now a shadow of herself,” said Alao.

‘We hate poverty with passion’

“

I HEARD good things about him. He was made Deacon after he swore to do away with alcohol. I was delighted thinking he was ‘already made’. I never knew he was a beast until we got married.” Middle-aged, Iyabo Abidakun, trader, said as she prayed the Customary Court, Alagbado, a Lagos suburb, to dissolve her marriage of over eight years with her husband, Abiodun Abidakun. Their union was sealed under the Native and Customary Law and has produced two children. Micheal Abidakun (7) and Israel Abidakun (5). With trembling voice, she narrated how her husband always destroyed her valuable items each time there was an argument. “The moment we are seen together, there is a problem. My husband stood on my chest, accusing me of stealing his money. He forcefully pulled out my hair as if he was uprooting an unwanted weed during our last argument. Even in the presence of his friends, he beats me. He claims I am his bank; he has never brought money from work. He prefers to spend heavily on alcohol. On several occasions, I have been called to take my drunken husband home but still he doesn’t appreciate my efforts. “My husband has never brought common bread home for my children, yet he would inform me of the huge money he gets from his contracts. Should I say he is loyal? I hawked sachet water on neighboring streets to fend for our children, but it doesn’t bother him. I seek for dissolution,” Mrs Abidakun prayed the court. However, Abidakun, with his bloodshot eyes, claimed to be a responsible father and husband. “My wife used to be my bank and I gave her money if she was in need of it. I use stick on her when she provokes me and slap her mouth each time she rained curses on me. I don’t love her anymore. If she wants her children in her custody, she is free to have them.” The Court President, Mr Olubode Sekoni, advised both parties to maintain peace. He adjourned the matter till July 21.

Monarch clocks 40 on throne

“

OUR avowed commitment is catering for the less-privileged and indeed, our community. We are out to develop the youth. The so-called hoodlums in our midst need empowerment for them to be useful to themselves and the society; our commitment to killing poverty and deprivations is total.” With these words, the President-Elect, Leo District 404B1 Nigeria (2014/2015 Lions Service Year), Leo Jennifer Benson, has unveiled the humanitarian body’s programme for her tenure. It was at a media briefing held at Yaba, Lagos Mainland. Alongside other officers of the club (the youth wing of the Lions Club), including Leo Adekunle Akinremi, District Coordinator for Information and Publicity, Benson will be inaugurated in Lagos on August 16, when N5 million will be raised to fund the club’s projects. “Our theme for the year is “Light of our future.” In line with this, our core project is youth empowerment, which

Fadipe: Suspect still in hospital, say police

• Benson (right) with Akinremi... at the media briefing By Basirat Braimah

will span Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states among others, with some parts of the north. We believe that a jobless youth is nuisance to the society nay the world. The programmes will be held quarterly and the maiden edition will be held in Badagry. We urge the rich in our midst to support this cause of making the deprived lot smile because in Leo, we only smile

when other people smile,” said the president-elect. Expressing the club’s readiness to work with vocational centres to achieve its aim, Benson explained: “We shall be visiting empowerment centres randomly and so choose graduating students from every skill and empower them with major equipment for easy start-up. There will be HIV/ AID awareness campaigns, free eye tests and eye glasses;

breast cancer awareness, donation of writing materials to pupils and students; community-based projects like erection of sign post and Zebra crossing etc, will also be carried out.” To sustain and strengthen the club’s programmes, Benson hinted that all the Leo clubs in the district would be enabled to have at least one Alpha Club to complement the efforts of Omega Clubs.

HE traditional ruler of Igbide Kingdom in Isoko South Local Government of Delta State, His Royal Majesty, Edward Obukeni 1, the Ovie of Igbide, has clocked 40 years on the throne. Arraignments are in top gear for the celebration of the anniversary beginning from Saturday at the Eru Primary School, Igbide, under the chairmanship of retired Major General Paul Ufuoma Omu. Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour. Ovie Obukeni who ascended the throne in July 1974 while in his 30s will use the occasion to confer chieftaincy titles on notable personalities within and outside his kingdom. Obukeni is the most senior Ovie (King) in the whole of the Oil Producing Isokoland and distinguished member of the state council of tradi-

•Ovie Obukeni By Jude Isiguzo

tional rulers. A Lagos-based media consultant and prominent son of Igbide, Sir Odafe Othihiwa, described Obukeni’s reign as peaceful and development-oriented. Othihiwa, a former General Manager of Daily Times and African Independent Television (AIT), congratulated Obukeni for the milestone.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

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Fashola gives Fed Govt wake-up call on second visit to Apapa

•Fashola (left) listens to the Ogbogo (right) and Ogungbemi (middle), during his second visit to the Apapa area ... yesterday

ISTURBED by public outcry over the stubborn traffic gridlock in Apapa, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola visited again the Tin Can Port and Creek roads yesterday. He urged the federal government to live up to its responsibility by restoring the infrastructural damage which, he said, is threatening to destroy the area. Fashola expressed dismay at the traffic gridlock created by the tankers, especially on Creek Road and other roads leading to both Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports, met with the leadership of the tanker drivers’ association and extracted a promise from them to create at least one lane to enable other road users in the area to access their homes and businesses. Fielding questions from reporters after the inspection of the Tincan Port Road and Creek Road, Fashola frowned at the deterioration in the area, saying the government is paying heavily for the damage caused by the mismanagement of the Ports and fuel distribution by the federal government. He said: “You can see, this is where tankers fall every day, claiming lives, damaging peoples’ vehicles. It is a herculean task everyday that we have to remove one container or one fallen tanker from here all because of the mismanagement by the federal government of its Ports responsibility and of its fuel distribution responsibility”. “Our land has been desecrated; you can see the destruction, people living on the road simply because the federal government cannot manage the distribution of fuel. People are defecating in open drains, all the drains here have become refuse dumps all because the federal government wants to give us fuel”, he said. Saying that the state government does not benefit from all the revenue generated at the Ports and from the fuel distribution, Fashola noted, “The federal government wants to run a Port. The roads here have all gone. And we don’t get derivation from oil but we pay so heavily for the distribution of fuel”. “Residents must know this is a federal problem, it is not the state’s problem; the distribution of fuel is a Federal problem. The federal government must get up now and change the game and live up to its responsibility. Its mismanagement of fuel and the Port is de-

By Basirat Braimah

stroying Apapa and destroying Lagos; this must stop”, the governor said. Asked what option the federal government should adopt to solve the problem, Fashola said: “Well I don’t know what options the federal government has but clearly road haulage of fuel by tankers and containers is not going to work. The roads cannot stand it no matter how hard you build them. So, instead of its slogans and propaganda about transformation, this place needs to be transformed”. The governor recalled that when the state government started the work to improve the situation at Apapa, the federal government indicated its intention to work with the state, but added that one year after that expression of intention, the federal government had not shown up. Speaking to some leaders of the National Road Transport Owners at the Apapa Ports entrance, Fashola said everyone, including the transporters, the cargo owners and other stakeholders, has a role to play in the effort to restore sanity in the area adding that the State Government is ready to work with other agencies to make things better. He told them: “I promised to be here this week and I am here; and as you have acknowledged, we have at least achieved some progress over one week. Although it is not all yet done, we have established one lane compliance from two, three lanes on this Creek Road and access to the Port. “What I don’t understand is how this federal government left the Apapa Port and fuel distribution to deteriorate like this. Because this is the oldest or one of the oldest ports in the country and if this is the largest contributor to the economy of the country, I think there should be a more responsible management approach to this Port by the federal government”.

“All the roads here are Federal roads; I have just passed the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway leading to Tin Can Island and what you see there just makes the heart bleed. By mismanaging the Ports, by mismanaging the distribution of fuel, the federal government has just paralyzed the Apapa Industrial Estate and the GRA”, he said. He described as tragic, the fact that the distribution of daily good and the distribution of fuel which, according to him, “many countries have taken for granted”, has become a big problem for Nigeria adding, “We are at the point where we must choose between our life and fuel”. The governor promised to continue to work through the agencies to improve the situation in the area and monitor the progress while the state’s transport management agency and other law-enforcement agencies would be deployed to bring sanity to the area. Earlier, the President of the Maritime Truck Owners Association, Mr. Remi Ogungbemi, had said that the major problem was that while many businesses have come into the estate in the last 40 years, there had been no corresponding increase in infrastructure adding that the places designated for parking vehicles have been taken over by other businesses. The General Manager (Admin) for the Nigerian Association of Road Trasport Owners (NARTO), Mr. Aloga Ogbogo, also thanked the governor for his continued intervention in the estate in spite of the fact that the federal government owns the business there. He, however, appealed to the governor to assist in an ongoing negotiation between the association and landlords of a 61 hectare land area around Mile 2 saying if the association could acquire the land, it would solve the problem of parking space for all the tankers and trailers presently causing traffic gridlock in Apapa.

NIPR inducts members

HE Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) will on July 18 induct 101 new members, constituting the first batch of its 2014 membership drive, it was learnt yesterday. In a release by the Special assistant to NIPR President on Media, Dr Grace Achum, the event will hold at the popular RoofTop, LTV 8, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State, by 11 am. The Guest Speaker of the day, said Achum, is Dr Isah Momoh of the Lagos Business School (LBS), adding that the theme of the programme is: Identifying opportunities in PR for self reliance and national development. Among other dignitaries expected to grace the occasion, she said, is the Provost, Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Dr Lizzy Ikem.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS Amosun preaches unity

Supreme Court orders release of students’ results By Joseph Jibueze

GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has reiterated the need for Nigerians to be united. Amosun, who spoke at an Iftar (breaking of fast) at Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, described the fasting period as a time to extend hands of fellowship to all and sundry irrespective of religion or tribe, noting that, “there is no household in Yorubaland where you won’t find both Christians and Muslims”. He ascribed the problems facing the nation and various states to bad governance, saying “things were not like this in the days of our fathers.” “We have to make ourselves one. Why then do we have to encourage disharmony and things that separate us? Bad governance is the reason for the problems in our nation and various states today. We have to go back to the basis to really get it right. Things were not like this in the days of our fathers,” the governor said. Amosun, who decried the call for stomach infrastructure making rounds in the country today, said: “It is not possible to feed everyone in a state of 7 million population, “insisting that, the present administration in the Gateway State was putting necessary facilities in place to attract investors, create wealth and improve human life.” Thanking the residents of the state for their support in the last three years, he urged the traditional rulers to be involved in public enlightenment, assuring that the mission to rebuild the state was gradually being achieved. The guest lecturer and Professor of Law from Ado Bayero University, Auwalu Yadudu in his lecture, titled: “Islam, the Ummah and National Challenge cited Bashoru Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and the late Chief Abdulazeez Arisekola as well as the late Alhaji Lateef Adegbite as selfless Muslims, who lived exemplary lives, calling on all to live each day as though it is the last.

Amosun (second left) with some clerics in Abeokuta...yesterday.

Borno APC chair warns Sheriff against defection to PDP T HE All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Borno State, Ali Bukar Dalori, has warned ex-Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and other members against defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also denied that 21 members of the House of Assembly will defect to PDP. The chairman said Borno APC is not under threat by rumours of defection of some of its leaders. Delori, who gave the warning in a statement, said the PDP will not give the defectors a sense of belonging. The statement said: “We will prefer to have a united APC in Borno. “But to be honest with you Borno APC is not under any threat at all. “We have the masses, we are very strong and Insha Allah we are waiting for inauguration

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

of our candidates next year. “God has blessed us with so many credible and popular aspirants so much that for any body who leaves, we will have even more popular aspirants who will take his seat. “There is no position that we don’t have two or more popular aspirants. “Anyone who leaves the APC has lost out in 2015 in Borno State this I can assure anyone. “The problem is they will turn themselves into visitors in their own home. “I know that they will want to return to APC, we will receive them but I hope it will not be late for them to aspire for anything.”

He asked those planning to defect to learn from past experiences. “Politicians are very funny people, sometimes political rivalry exists for life. “For instance, ex-Governor Sheriff was governor under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) he did so much to destroy the PDP. “He ended the aspirations of many people, some of them lost everything. “Do you think all these people will watch him come back and take the PDP to achieve something when they know he is in PDP mainly because he is aggrieved in the APC? “ It is in very rare cases that a governor accommodates political associates he meets through defection.

“Governor Kashim Shettima was able to embrace PDP people who defected to ANPP in 2011 because he gave powers to the deputy governor who came with them. “This was because of Shettima’s large heart and that is very rare to find among politicians.” On the likelihood of 21 members of the State Assembly joining PDP, the APC chairman said it was a “joke”. The statement said: “One other issue is that, I saw a bulk SMS last night, saying 21 APC members are following Sheriff to PDP, what a joke! “Sheriff has not told us he is going to PDP but then, these Assembly members are very loyal APC members. “Let me even ask, does anybody think they are crazy? If they leave the APC and they are looking for tickets, how can PDP give 21 tickets to defectors?

Suswam files N1b suit against Ugbah

ENUE State Governor Gabriel Suswam has sued the former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now All Progressives Congress (APC), 2011 governorship election, Prof Steve Ugbah for defamation. Also joined in the N1 billion suit are a People Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Terver

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

Kakih and publisher of a Kaduna magazine, Tom Oga Uhia. The governor said: “When I contested in 1999, 2003 and 2007, nobody raised any issue of certificate with me until 2011.” He said he was ready to die for the sake of clearing his name, especially now that the apex court has cleared him of the allegations.

The governor ‘s counsel, J.S Okutepa, said he has filed a defamation charge before a High Court in Makurdi against Ugbah and Kakih,who was in the PDP primaries with Suswam, . He said he has filed another suit before an Abuja High court against the publisher of Power Steering magazine and its editors. The Supreme Court at the weekend threw out an appeal

by Kakih, who was challenging Suswam’s election. In the 60-page judgment by Justice Suleiman Galadima, the seven-member panel of justices held that Kakih’s appeal lacks merit. The court upheld the concurrent judgment of the trial and the appellant on the matter, adding that the appellant failed to prove the criminal allegation of certificate forgery against the governor.

Six charged with ‘abducting’ Wamakko’s friend

HE Federal Government has filed charges against six men for last year’s abduction of Alhaji Abu Dankure, a deceased friend of Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko, . In the case file, Dankure, who was 70, travelled abroad on medical grounds. He was kidnapped on November 6, few days after he returned, on the Western By-pass, Sokoto by four gunmen. Dankure was released on November 11 after he paid his abductors, who had demanded $300,000. He was said to have died 11 days after he was released. Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Akin Akintewe said

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

the accused, who have made confessional statements, had planned to kidnap the “father of the owners of Rahamaniyya Petroleum in Sokoto, until they settled for the victim whom they believe was wealthier”. Mustapha Isah, 31(aka Ali Habibu); Mohammed Bukar (31); Faruku Waziri, 27 (aka Umar Abubakar); Usman Iddah, 31 (aka Ele Atuluku); Mohammed Bello Magaji (aka Ruwa) and Zailani Tukur (52) were said to have collected the $300,000 from one of the victim’s children at Kwali Village in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). They were said to have later lodged in a hotel in Benin, Edo State, where they

shared the ransom. The suspects were said to have been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), who allegedly recovered from them, one AK47 rifle, a Russian pump action rifle, two AK47 rifle magazines, 26 live cartridges for pump action and 39 rounds of AK47 rifle ammunition. Their scheduled arraignment, before Justice Adeniyi Ademola was stalled because two of the accused could not get a lawyer. Prosecution lawyer Magaji Labaran agreed with the judge’s suggestion that the arraignment be rescheduled to enable the two hire their lawyers. Justice Ademola adjourned till September 26.

HE Supreme Court has ordered the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, to release the withheld results of its former student union activists, Olanrewaju Akinola and Rasheedat Adesina. Justice Mary Peter-Odili dismissed the university’s appeal against a Court of Appeal, Ilorin, verdict delivered on June 8, 2007. The appellate court had upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ilorin, delivered on June 21, 2006, which declared illegal and unconstitutional, the withholding of Akinola’s academic record and degree. The Supreme Court, in the judgment delivered on June 11, awarded N7million to Akinola as exemplary damages against the university. In a related verdict by Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs, the Supreme Court, on June 6 dismissed the university’s appeal against a case involving Adesina. The lower court had ordered that her academic records and degree should be released, but the university appealed against the verdict. The Supreme Court also awarded N5million to her as exemplary damages. Akinola and Adesina, represented by Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika of Citipoint Chambers, successfully completed their studies in 1999 and 2001 but the university withheld their academic records and degrees over their involvement in student unionism and campaign for better conditions on campus. They were victimised due to their opposition to what they called the university’s “draconian” policies.

I’m the best governor, says Lamido From Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

IGAWA State Governor Sule Lamido has said he is the best governor in terms of delivering campaign promises. The governor spoke yesterday at a Ramadan breakfast at the Government House. “I can brag and say it with no apology to anyone that I delivered my campaign promises in 2007. “Today, I am proud to say that I have delivered all the promises I made during my campaign. “We provided the best roads, best airport, best working environment for civil servants, best health care service, best education system, best judicial system, solid foundation for economic and infrastructural development. “We promoted discipline, due process, rule of law, patriotism and respect to human dignity.” “I add value to everything and everyone in Jigawa. “I challenge anyone to judge my statement with the book I presented during my inaugural speech in 2007. “In the next few months, all of us would be gathered to select our next governor who will continue from where we stopped...”

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

Primary, secondary schools set to teach Natural Medicine

rimary and secondary schools nationwide will soon begin the teaching of

Natural Medicine in order to give pupils and students an early head start in the knowledge and efficacy of natural medicine. The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), Prof. Godswill Obioma spoke at the opening session of the planning and writing workshop for Natural Medicine Curriculum which held in Lagos.. According to him, issues in Natural Medicine that are pertinent to the lives of school children will be adequately

infused into the curriculum, adding that the curriculum contents will be adequate in terms of coverage. His words: "The curriculum objectives will be well stated in simple terms, adequate in scope, measurable to a large extent, exhaustive in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The activities of teachers and learners in the curriculum will be

Winners hail Grand Oak Predict and Win promo

inners of the football Predict and Win Promo organized by Grand Oak Nigeria Limited, marketers of Calypso Coconut Liqueur and Dark Sailor Rum have applauded the company following the presentation of prizes at the company's head office in Lagos. The promo which aims to reward the first set of correct 5 World Cup predictions for selected matches saw lucky winners smiling home with 1 unit of DSTV Walka7 with one month subscription, a Calypso T-shirt, a unique football jersey and a pack of either Calypso Cool Twista drink. The first two winners to be rewarded, Mr. Loye Opeoluwa and Miss. Siyanbola Muyibat expressed gratitude to the company as they collected their prizes at the company's Oregun office. Opeoluwa, a photographer commended Grand Oak for putting smiles on the faces of consumers. Speaking excitedly, he said: “I feel very special to win these prizes. This is a typical example of a genuine promo that everybody should participate in.” According to him, after buying a pack of Dark Sailor Rum, he followed instructions and visited the company's Facebook Fan Page where he submitted prediction for the Nigerian match against Iran and was elated for being able to prove unconvinced consumers wrong by emerging as a winner. Muyibat, a former student of Lagos State University (LASU) praised the company for designing the World Cup promo for its teeming fans. Muyibat who claimed to be confident of emerging among the lucky winners of the promo advised the management to make it bigger and introduce more prizes in the next edition. Grand Oak's General Manager, Marketing, Brajesh Kumar said, “the presentation of the gift is an attestation to the company's dedication to redeem its promise to fans.” He added that apart from the set of 5 lucky winners from selected matches, 280 people will also be rewarded with packs of Calypso or DSR and footballs before the end of the ongoing world football fiesta. The Football Predict and Win promo features premium brands which include Dark Sailor, Calypso Cool Twista and interested consumers can visit the Facebook pages to participate.

comprehensive enough for the topics, will be hazard free and will recognise the environmental and cultural background of learners". Obioma said: "The teaching and learning materials to be spelt out by the curriculum will be comprehensive, available and affordable, can be improvised and appropriate for the age, level

and experience of learners". The professor of Mathematics Education assured that since Nigerian curricula encourage learning by doing and selflearning strategies, the contents activities of the Natural Medicine Curriculum will be presented in practically oriented steps and stages that will enable learners to see, touch, handle and feel, so that they can internalize what they learn and use it for solving health-related problems.

The NERDC boss, who will be completing his second and last term in office next year, said that the development of the curriculum on Natural Medicine will bring to limelight the contribution of natural medicine to national healthcare delivery services as well as showcase the complementary role which natural medicine plays to western medicine, explaining that the knowledge about the efficacy of natural medicine has been part of the African culture before the re-orientation towards orthodox medicine. He said pupils and students will be taught the use of plants and herbs to promote their well-being. Obioma revealed that the ongoing development of the Natural Medicine Curriculum is in tandem with the current commitment of the Federal Government to the promotion of Natural Medicine in the country. According to him, the Senate in April this year passed a bill backing the moribund Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Abuja, adding that the Senate last month also commenced deliberations on a bill to establish the Complementary and Alternative Medical Council of Nigeria for regulating the practice of Natural Medicine. After the completion of the planning, writing, critique and editorial stages of developing the curriculum, obvioma said that the curriculum has to be approved by all stakeholders of education before presenting it to the Joint Consultative Council on Education (JCCE) and the National Council on Education (NCE) for scrutiny and final approval. Both experts in natural medicine and specialists in curriculum from across the country participated at the week-long planning and writing workshop. At the event were the President of Natural Medicine Promotion Agency (NMPA), Dr. Ayodeji Amoo; the Executive Secretary of NMPA, Dr. Chigoziri Moses; Professor Ismail Junaid, Director of Curriculum Development Centre, NERDC Professor Kate Nwufor, Director of Special Programmes Centre, NERDC; Dr. Moses Salau, the Director of NERDC South-West Zonal Office and other important dignitaries.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

COMMENTARY FROM OTHER LANDS

EDITORIALS

Restore trust to douse the fire in Gaza

Democracy of soldiers

• Whether to cause mayhem, guarantee election or an impeachment, deployment of soldiers endangers this political order

E live in what is clearly on the surface a civilian dispensation. But how come we have soldiers as formidable and even ominous presences today? Is the civil order ceding its preeminence to the logic of primitive force? This conundrum stalks us as a nation today. Just over a week ago, on the streets of Lagos, soldiers sparked into rampage and parts of Nigeria’s biggest city, precisely Ikorodu Road, was held hostage to beatings, harassments, mauling and murder. It was a case of footloose impunity. The beginning of the story was rather clumsy. A BRT driver reportedly killed a soldier on an okada riding on the BRT lane, forbidden for other commuters. The soldier died. That provoked the soldiers to fury, and they surged onto the main arteries in a part of the city, and descended on all BRT buses they could lay their hands on. In the end, they mauled some of the BRT drivers and murdered two. They also made a bonfire of some of the buses. They returned to their barracks after the carnage. This is, to say the least, an irresponsible act by those employed on tax payers’ sweat to protect the country. Soldiers are not expected in decent environments to operate in civil societies except in states of emergency, and such instances are rare. But that act of highhanded butchery was inexcusable. Granted that the BRT driver killed the soldier, and the fellow military had a right to be enraged. The way to pursue their indignation was not to take the laws into their hands as they did in the previous weekend. The BRT driver ought to have been prosecuted, and a thorough investigation would have shown whether the BRT killed the soldier as an act of manslaughter or deliberate foolishness. That would have saved us the carnage and the disgrace to which they exposed the military institution. They also by their acts tarnished a force that has paraded many men and women of honour over the years. Yet we are surprised that the military brass has not condemned the act. Rather, the public relations officer of the Nigerian Army said it was not the soldiers that fomented the primitive show. “It’s not true that soldiers destroyed buses or set any bus on fire,” he said. “What happened was that a BRT bus knocked down a soldier and killed him. As usual in Lagos, so area boys and a few soldiers stopped at the scene. The GOC has dispatched military policemen to the scene to help restore order.” That sort of language of denial does not elevate the dignity of the army. All witnesses, including media reporters unani-

mously testify to the culprits as men in uniform. Pictures also abound to corroborate the incidents. Apart from the buses that burned down to skeleton and the two persons killed, a sense of panic gripped the citizens on Ikorodu Road during the unfortunate episode. We see no reason why citizens would lie against the army and we see also no justification for the soldier not to accept what went wrong and hold its men to account. What happened is a reflection of the length to which the military has been allowed to intrude on the civil order. Since they left the corridors of power in 1999,

the civilian political class has not pried itself loose from the strings of the army. It has resorted to various acts of fiat in defiance of the constitution, and this has led to the employment and deployment of soldiers. This has become routine, and it increasingly teases the soldiers out of their traditional role as guarantors of the territorial integrity of the nation. We witnessed similar show of military force in the recently held Ekiti election. Prior to the election, soldiers were deployed for partial acts of impunity. While some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs had thoroughfare into the state, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) bigwigs were barred from entering to attend legitimate campaigns. This

invoked past debates about diarchy in the country, which is a misnomer. Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State reported he was barred from any access once he arrived the Akure Airport. A captain with gun-toting men said they were acting on orders to stop him. He reportedly watched while the defence minister of state, Musiliu Obanikoro, cruised through on his way to Ekiti State. This is not just a case of the military being deployed to intimidate the opposition in a binary political order of two parties, but also to intimidate the citizens. Inside Ekiti State, soldiers were deployed everywhere. Although the election proper was adjudged fair, the process did not rise up to civilised standard because of the air of intimidation and regimentation. In Adamawa State, soldiers were also ordered to surround the residence of the chief judge of the state because of the sword of impeachment Damocles hanging over the state governor Murtala Nyako. Whatever warranted such an air of terror is not clear. It is obvious that the soldiers have taken up roles that traditionally belong to the police force. What this means is that the civilian authorities have done little in the way of enriching the principal ingredient of political order: adherence to the supremacy of the rule of law. Secondly, the pervasive presence of soldiers imbues the civil society with a sense of force as normal. During the antisubsidy riots and shutdown of many cities in the country, we also witnessed the show of force by the soldiers in Lagos. This bred great resentment in a people who saw it as throwback to a forbidden era when a few uniformed men struck terror down the spines of a nation. The Jonathan administration was not able to justify its argument that the Lagos State Government requested the Federal Government for the troops. This is democracy, and when soldiers increasingly act as though they are not subordinated to civil authority or when the political brass uses them as cynical instrument to mow down opposition, we have in our hands a system roiling with poor portents for tomorrow.

‘This is democracy, and when soldiers increasingly act as though they are not subordinated to civil authority or when the political brass uses them as cynical instrument to mow down opposition, we have in our hands a system roiling with poor portents for tomorrow’

HE LATEST mini-war between Israel and the Hamas movement is as unwinnable for either side as previous rounds in 2009 and 2012. Though it has stockpiled thousands of rockets and some longer-range missiles, Hamas lacks the ability to inflict serious damage or casualties; a new anti-missile system has blocked most of the warheads headed toward Tel Aviv and other populous areas. Israel, for its part, can target Hamas commanders and infrastructure in Gaza but probably can’t entirely silence the rocket launchers. A ground invasion of Gaza, for which troops are now being mustered, would cause heavy casualties and, if it destroyed Hamas, leave Israel with the task of governing the territory and its nearly 2 million people. Both sides thus seem to be playing for tactical rather than strategic gains. Israel would like to reduce the military power Hamas has built up since the last conflict, slightly more than 18 months ago; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said his aim was to stop the rocket attacks and restore “quiet.” Hamas hopes to win concessions, including the release of operatives recently rounded up by Israel and the opening of its border with Egypt, in exchange for a cease-fire. Those goals hardly seem worth the bloodshed — nearly 50 people reportedly had been killed in Gaza by late Wednesday, including civilians — or the economic losses to both Palestinians and Israelis. In fact, neither side wanted war. Hamas had just agreed to back a united Palestinian government with the West Bank-based Fatah movement, while Israel quietly offered a truce before the escalation of hostilities on Sunday. As so often happens in the Middle East, acts by extremists forced these events: the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers allegedly by Hamas militants apparently acting on their own; the revenge murder of a Palestinian by Israeli thugs; the initial firing of rockets from Gaza by small militant groups challenging Hamas’s authority. The first imperative in these circumstances is to stop the fighting before it escalates beyond the control of either side. That will be harder than in 2012, when the Obama administration teamed with Egypt’s then-Islamist government, but contacts at least have begun. The larger challenge will be finding a way forward from what, before the new fighting, was already a dangerous low point in IsraeliPalestinian relations. Since the collapse of U.S.sponsored peace talks in April, both sides have been gravitating toward militant strategies: Israel is contemplating new settlement construction, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is relaunching his campaign to obtain Palestinian membership in international organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, that then can be directed against Israel. Obama administration officials argue that this deterioration proves that it was right to pursue a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement. In our view, the failed U.S. effort, with its tight timetable and disregard for the obvious unwillingness of leaders on both sides, merely raised expectations that could not be met, making a backlash inevitable. What’s needed is not another diplomatic blitz but a more patient, incremental and sustainable effort to restore trust between Israelis and Palestinians, improve economic conditions in the West Bank and Gaza, and create the foundations for an eventual settlement. That is if the fire in Gaza can be put out. Washington Post

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh

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THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: Energy management entails reducing the cost of energy used by an individual, organisations, households, schools, businesses and various offices in order to minimise waste. With a population of 160 million people, only about 40% of Nigerians have access to electricity supply and a very large majority of these people reside in the urban areas. Energy efficiency management entails improvement in practices and products that reduce the energy necessary to provide services. For example, to light a room with an incandescent light bulb of 60W for one hour requires 60 W/h (that is 60 watts per hour). A compact fluorescent light bulb would provide the same or better light at 11 W and only use 11 W/h. This means that 49 W (82% of energy) is saved for each hour the light is turned on. If we use energy efficient appliances, it will help to

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Why Nigerians should conserve power reduce the energy necessary to provide services like lighting, cooling, heating, manufacturing, cooking, transport, entertainment etc. Energy efficiency helps to save money, while increasing Nigerians access to electricity. Unlike vandalism which is a common and visible malaise, energy loss is a hidden cankerworm which has silently affected performance and revenue generation. Loss of energy amounts to revenue loss.

Nobody needs to be told that for the realisation of stable power supply in Nigeria, energy loss must be tackled. Essentially, power is needed daily throughout the year for national growth and development. But in and around major cities, loss of energy is evident in the number of incandescent electric bulbs turned and wasting away on in the day time which ranges from street lights adorning major roads, that of Mai suya to various residential and

organisational security lights which are never switched off year in year out. Energy tends to lose its form, strength and weight as it travels from the transmission networks to distribution substations. Functional meters that will accurately plug energy leakages at all metering levels all over the nation should be in place. The new distribution companies should aggressively promote the Credit Advanced Payment Metering Implementation (CAPMI), a

Do we really need additional states?

IR: Some Nigerians rolled out drums in celebration following the recent recommendation by delegates at the on-going National Conference for the creation of 19 additional states. In the breakdown, three additional states will be created in each geopolitical zone with the South-east, which already has a state less be given four additional states. Rather than jubilate, I think Nigerians and of course the delegates should take a critical look at the consequences especially at this stage of our national life. Indeed, concerned Nigerians have stressed the need to cut down on the cost of running the government as the only way out to ensure availability of more money to fund capital projects and to generate employment. It has been said that the bulk of the annual budgets of states is being spent to maintain the structure of government. Apart from this, most of the existing states have internally generated revenue (IGR) that is nothing to write home about, hence, their dependence on federal allocations. More than 60 percent of these allocations are spent on the structure of government. Payment of workers’ salaries is increasingly becoming a challenge

in most of the already existing states. Workers are being owed their monthly wages; the plight of state pensioners are better imagined than experienced as these senior citizens are often subjected to unnecessary hardship and treated like out-casts, ex- convicts and second class citizens by state governments. Mass retrenchment of workers has often times become a means devised by some of the

governors to cut-down on spending. Some inter-state boundary disputes that followed the May 27, 1967 creation of states have not been resolved till date as border communities in different states have continued to maim and kill each other even after so many years and subsequent creations of states was not devoid of inter-state boundary crisis and bloodletting.

Nigeria cannot afford another round of inter-state boundary disputes which would eventually follow the creation of the recommended states in view of the present security challenges. With due respect to delegates at the ongoing national conference, Nigeria doesn’t need new states for now. •Hussain Obaro Ilorin – Kwara State.

scheme designed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for customers to access meters without delay. This scheme is voluntary for customers who do not want to wait until meters are provided for them. This scheme encourages customers to pay an advance into a designated escrow account; while he will be repaid overtime through a percentage reduction in the amount billed him for fixed charge. It is in the interest of customers to take advantage of this CAPMI, but for the scheme to succeed, it must be dissected for customers benefit and aggressively promoted through an enlightenment campaign by the distribution companies. A state of emergency on energy loss should be declared in Nigeria. This should form a strategy to activating the consciousness of Nigerians to honestly cultivate the habit saving energy, remind the operators of the sector of the need for better and efficient service delivery and for the sustenance and survival of the new distribution companies. Finally, Nigeria should tap from the UNDP report on Promoting Energy Efficiency in Residential and Public Sectors in Nigeria which called for the need to phase out inefficient incandescent lighting in all applications; put in place energy efficiency policy and legislations; set minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), and create awareness to change behaviour. •Sunday Onyemaechi Eze Samaru Zaria

Stopping examination malpractices

IR: Malpractices at examination centres these days have snowballed into uncontrollable proportion. And if no drastic measures are taken urgently to nip the monster in the bud, the standard of education in the country would definitely be dragged to the mud. It is no longer a secret that students are being assisted by their subject teachers in collaboration with the WAEC and NECO invigilators in the examination halls. All the students need to do is to pay what they call signing fees and other financial benefits to the invigilators and subject teachers who in turn take the question

papers to a secluded corner to solve. The solved questions, which are carbonated, are later shared to the students who finally copy them into their answer scripts. In other words, students no longer cudgel their brain for anything since their subject teachers do the entire job. This practice is now commonplace in virtually all the centres in the country. The financial benefit derived from the practice by their subject teachers and the invigilators is so juicy that exam invigilation is being lobbied for by teachers. Unfortunately, this irregularity is taking preeminence now the federal government is striving to

restore the standard of education. The year 2015, the utopian year education is expected to regain its sterling quality, in addition to being available and affordable for all is very much at the corner but apparently little or nothing has been done to attain the enviable height. Because of the monetary benefits derived from the deal by the players, it cannot be stopped unless our examination bodies, including the educational system are sanitized and restructured. To achieve this aim, proper orientation should be given to WAEC and NECO staff especially those that are dispatched for

invigilation. Proper screening should be carried out on schools applying for exam centre, and only when they satisfy all the Ministry of Education conditions that approval should be given to them. Furthermore, any invigilator found guilty of the offence should be disciplined. I therefore call on the Minister of Education to intervene in this crucial matter with every amount of seriousness in order to save the country from total collapse. Otherwise, the country is likely to be infested with uneducated graduates in the near future. •Nkemakolam Gabriel Port Harcourt

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

COMMENTS

EYOND the ceremonialism that highlighted the sensational return of two Benin bronze works removed from the ancient kingdom over a century ago, a creative reading of the subtext could be eye-opening. Perhaps only Dr Adrian Walker, the Briton at the centre of the tale, could shed light on striking grey areas in his reported remarks at the event organised last month to celebrate the homecoming of the long-gone artefacts in Benin City, the Edo State Capital. He was quoted as saying: “It is morally wrong and unethical to hold on to works that do not belong to one legally. I was pleased to be in possession of them because they reminded me of my grandparents. I knew I had to do something to protect my children’s future and these artefacts.” Just one question: Was his intention to protect his children’s future from these artefacts? Certainly, it is unclear what Walker meant by the reference to his “children’s future,” which was metaphysically suggestive. However, he was possibly alluding to a sense of poetic justice by which wrongdoers are expected to get their comeuppance in due season. Was his seeming anxiety or apprehension a consequence of a conscientious view of right and wrong? Or could it have been, more mysteriously, a function of the possible supernatural powers linked with the artefacts? It may not be exactly farfetched to consider the likely potencies of the artworks, especially given the fact that they were originally created to serve religious and ritualistic purposes. Lost in the context of the historically famous Benin massacre following the 1897 invasion by British expansionists, the two bronze works, the Ahianmwen-Oro and Egogo, also known as the Ibis and the Bell, had indisputably sacred qualities from the perspective of their provenance. The description of the works and the inspiration that produced them must be enlightening. The narrative goes thus: “The Ahianmwen-Oro effigy was first cast during the reign of Oba Esigie after his victory

‘Perhaps regrettably, the artefacts were returned to a place that had evolved 117 years beyond the historic confrontation between the Benin warriors and the British invaders. Definitely, things are no longer the same, which may be a euphemistic way of saying that things have fallen apart; and despite the euphoric expressions on the receiving end, it is apt to wonder whether the entire episode could transcend ordinary symbolism’

MONG the literary creatures of Ilorin emirate, my brother, Ishaq Moddibo Kawu stands tall in the contemporary generation and he has never hidden that fact and the privileges it attracts. One of such privileges was the opportunity he had to speak to some members of the PDP as he recalled in his most recent literary production in The Vanguard. Of course as one of the leaders in the media industry he has a veritable platform to process his thoughts for consumption sometimes, and very unfortunate, without giving due consideration to the quality of such products. That is why reading through that piece, like many others in the recent past, on rebranding Kwara according to his dream and that of some leaders of the PDP, one is left with no other conclusion other than that he allowed what is now very clear as personal hatred or what a colleague referred to as pathological vendetta, for an individual to blot the edge of his pen. But upon all the literary assault unleashed upon the person of Senator Bukola Saraki and the incumbent administration in Kwara State which the PDP has enlisted his support to unseat, it is clear that Modibo has failed the test of a true critic. A sincere critic will look at issues dispassionately, not allowing personal biases becloud his sense of judgment because he knows that many would use his conclusions as basis for further judgment and might be unwittingly misled if the critic had thrown away the garb of the impassionate observer and don the cap of I-am-one-of-them participant. I was bewildered when I read from Moddibo Kawu that allowing private investors to undertake businesses in the state where public ownership had proved unfruitful is misgovernance or illegal. In basic economics, I was taught that government has no business in business, or has Kawu forgotten that elementary principle of economics? Or was that not the basis for setting up the Bureau of Public Enterprise by the federal government, to transfer moribund and unprofitable public enterprises to private investors who can then manage them and bring profit to government? This is why I believe the government rightly transfered the management of the state diagnostic centre for proper social and professional management while retaining ownership. It is easy for Kawu to dismiss the relevance of the Harmony Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre since he can afford the luxury of traveling abroad for medical examination, but not the likes of Abdullah Abdulganiyu whose detection of stones saved him from early death. Abdullah had suffered all weekend from what he assumed to be food poisoning. A timely scan at the Diagnostic Centre revealed he had kidney stones which were flushed out during a procedure at the centre. When a visiting foreign radiologist saw the films produced at the centre, his astonished response said it all: “These are beautiful pictures. They must have used the most current CTs”.

Dr Walker’s example against the people of Idah. It is said that Oba Esigie while in pursuit of Idah rested under an Iroko tree along with his fighters. He heard the bird cry ‘oya-o oya-o’, which sounded like ‘Oya’ in Edo language, meaning suffering and pains. Oba Esigie believed the bird was predicting doom for his army. He ordered the bird killed and proceeded to battle and was victorious.” The story continues: “He returned to Benin and ordered the Guild of Bronze casters to cast an effigy of the bird in bronze and introduced the Ugie Oro in which a participating chief holds a replica of the bird. The Egogo is used on shrine altars and is used to summon spirits to receive offerings. It is also worn by Benin warriors to keep them safe.” It is worth contemplating whether Walker was aware of these histories, which may possibly be the case and the calculation behind the apparent rethink of the import of keeping the works with him. He inherited them; his great grandfather, Captain Hubert Walker, was said to be a British spy who was on the punitive expedition that dishonoured the Benin kingdom. Interestingly, he said of his ancestor, who reportedly kept a diary of events at the time, “The diary is in disrepair and I could not bring it. Other accounts written by white men used derogatory terms to describe the people of Benin but he did not. He described them as gentlemen. My great grandfather seemed to be ahead of his time.” To go by this filial account, which is unsurprisingly charitable, the Captain may indeed not have been a Negrophobe; but we have only his great grandson’s words to go by. Still on the probable metaphysical dimension of this intriguing happening, it is remarkable that Walker gave a hint that could be understood outside a strictly physical context. He said: “I am pleased to say that I am here to return two bronzes taken away from Benin. Before my mother died I took the precaution of asking her if I could

take care of them. I knew she would not consent to my returning them at that time. She was materialist.” It is a compelling consideration, the idea that Walker’s hi-tech western environment and its suggestion of spiritual exclusion could habour what the unenlightened may call a superstitious imagination, which is the larger implication of his definition of his mother as “materialist” as against his own possible non-materialism, or perhaps spiritualism. The fact that he took personal action that led to an internet research on Benin bronzes, which culminated in awareness gained from the Richard Lander website, apparently demonstrates his conviction that the works were not only in a wrong place, they were in wrong hands as well. “I contacted them on the return of the bronzes,” he said. “They arranged for a visit to the Nigerian High Commission in London and we are here to return them to a place where they could be of great cultural and historical significance.” Perhaps regrettably, the artefacts were returned to a place that had evolved 117 years beyond the historic confrontation between the Benin warriors and the British invaders. Definitely, things are no longer the same, which may be a euphemistic way of saying that things have fallen apart; and despite the euphoric expressions on the receiving end, it is apt to wonder whether the entire episode could transcend ordinary symbolism. Ironically, in today’s global village, against the background of western cultural dominance and the systematic loss of ethnic values across the country, and the serious complication arising from the pauperisation of the people, it does not require looters from foreign lands to carry away cultural treasures. For instance, men of the Nigeria Customs Service recently seized 18 artefacts from local smugglers at Seme, the country’s border with Benin Republic. It is easy to imagine that illegal trafficking of cultural objects by the natives themselves must be happening on an industrial scale. It is instructive that an art historian, Philip J. C. Dark, in his work titled, “Benin Bronze Heads: Styles and Chronology,” said that about 6, 500 Benin artefacts could be found in an estimated 77 places across the world. Of this number, the British Museum is believed to be in possession of 700 while the Ethnology Museum in Berlin holds over 500. It would appear that the campaign to bring back these cultural gems, among others, may be no more than sentimentalism; and tragically, they may be better appreciated where they are. It is sad that they were lost in the first place, and even more pathetic that the loss is progressive. It might just be wishful thinking that more people in possession of such artefacts would learn positive lessons from Dr Walker’s example.

Kawu vs Saraki: limits of hubris By Abdulkadir Alabi It is of course easy for a critic of Kawu’s acknowledged political bias to see nothing good in the establishment of the International Aviation College. But then, the impact of having the aviation college, solely owned by the state government (to correct the deliberate distortion that it belongs to private investor) in Ilorin cannot be overestimated. Apart from providing jobs for some indigenes of the state, it has added to the social and economic influence of the state. Khadijat Adigun who got her life time ambition fulfilled as the first female pilot from the state will definitely not agree with any skewed position on the college. Other trained pilots from the state now in the fleets of both local and international airlines will spit at any jaundiced and hatred-laden opinion from the likes of Kawu. Just like the Shonga Farms, jointly owed by the state government, the farmers and the consortium of banks, which Kawu continue to disparage. No doubt, Kawu would earn approbation in the midst of men and women whose only goal now is to bring Bukola Saraki down. And the latter’s offences are very well known: he has refused to side with those who believe they should be the only ones he would, to borrow from Kawu, “cycle, recycle, rehabilitated” etc. But Saraki has made local government chairmen, honourable members of state and national assemblies, senators and governors, of children of those who hitherto were followers and watchers of those who had the privilege of coming from “renowned” and “well-to-do” families. To Kawu and his new comrades, we should continue to be second class citizens. God forbid. If anyone had grievances with the way Saraki ran the state in eight years, there are legal avenues to tackle him which, I am aware, people opposed to him have tried severally. And if they have not succeeded in almost 12 years, that should tell us there is something wrong with them or their approach. As an observer, I don’t think the problem is with their approach; rather I think the problem has to do with their persons; their inner beings and what is actually pushing them to seek a Bukola downfall. I think they actually want to be like Bukola; they want to be called Leader, even if they have not done anything to justify that appellation. It is an inner dream being covered with the cloak of criticism against the man Bukola. And seeing that they could not achieve that aim after the demise of his father, the reverred Olusola Saraki, the next most convenient thing is to descend on the son and seek to destroy him.

If not, why would anyone claim Bukola Saraki has done nothing, first for Ilorin and then for Kwara State? Kwara State University is nothing? Ilesha-Kosubosu Road, which the then federal government promised to do when Bukola was a toddler but refused to do until the then toddler came to the throne and did is nothing? Putting Professor Shuaib Oba in the Federal Character Commission is nothing? Was it wrong of him to have insisted in 2011 that fielding another candidate from his family to succeed him was unreasonable; that it would expose the state and the family name to ridicule? Would a social critic have applauded that choice? So it was wrong when in 1999 Nigerian political leaders agreed to allow the South-west produce the then president to assuage the feeling of alienation the region had suffered over the years? If Bukola Saraki is leader today, was it his making? His father had many notable contemporaries in the field of politics but who among them could do what he did and did for Kwara until his death? Is this the first time to have a political hegemony? Has vendetta beclouded Moddibo Kawu’s sense of history? One expected a well read Kawu to always review his speeches before going viral with them. No doubt, a piece like the one in reference has done great damage to his reputation among some of us who used to look up to him. People now say that he vowed to bring Bukola Saraki down because he has offended him and hence would never forgive him. Haba! What about the teaching of the holy Qur’an? Even in this holy month of Ramadan? If the path Moddibo has chosen is vengeance, let it be separated from the business of Kwara State’s liberation. Abdulkadir writes from Ilorin.

‘If Bukola Saraki is leader today, was it his making? His father had many notable contemporaries in the field of politics but who among them could do what he did and did for Kwara until his death? Is this the first time to have a political hegemony? Has vendetta beclouded Moddibo Kawu’s sense of history?’

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

COMMENTS

ITHIN the last two weeks or so, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has found himself embroiled in some controversy. During the burial church service of erudite legal icon, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa in his country home Oguta, the first son of the late Justice, Charles Oputa alias Charly Boy reportedly snatched the microphone from the officiating priest after he had called on Okorocha to speak thus preventing him from addressing the distinguished audience. Charly Boy rationalized his action on the grounds that he did not want his father’s burial to be politicized. A visibly enraged Okorocha was said to have maintained his cool and later left the church with his entourage. Charly Boy’s strange conduct no doubt, took the audience by surprise and adversely affected the entire burial arrangement as many of those in attendance did not bother to follow the corpse to its final resting place. Imo State government has since been griping over the incident. It did not only deprecate Charly Boy’s conduct but has gone ahead to adduce reasons why he acted the way he did. In a well publicized statement, the state government went at length to show that before the burial day, there was no misunderstanding between Charly Boy, the Imo State government or Governor Okorocha. The only matter, for which the government initially disagreed with the Oputa family they said, was the burial programme which the government considered lopsided and subsequently set up a new committee that came up with a more befitting programme. It therefore came to the seemingly inevitable conclusion that Charly Boy “acted out an illmotivated script drafted by some politicians from the state, based in Abuja who have sworn to disturb the peace of the state”. For the government, those who sponsored this ‘coup’ inside a church were intimidated by the hilarious ovation that greeted the earlier introduction of the governor and they feared a repeat should Okorocha be allowed to speak. The state government is within its rights to view the matter the way it chooses. This is especially so given that the incident showed no respect for the office of the governor. If Okorocha is seriously piqued by that treatment, his feelings ought to be appreciated. He is the governor of the state and deserves all the respect that goes with that office. To have been publicly prevented from speaking at that occasion and inside the church, Charly Boy

Emeka OMEIHE 08121971199 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

Okorocha, Senate and Charly Boy

showed scant regard for his high office and should be condemned by all right thinking people. It was a bad example of how to pay last respect to his distinguished father. Yet, it is difficult to swallow hook, line and sinker the claim by the government that his conduct was the outcome of a script crafted for him by politicians from Imo State in Abuja. If Charly Boy could be so induced to sabotage the burial of his father, he should solely take the responsibility for his action. Before that day however, the state government had entered into an altercation with Charly Boy over its claim that it had doled out about N20million to the family for the burial. The issue was within the public domain. Since after that burial, Charly Boy has granted press interviews in which he made clear his grouse with the government. He told anybody who cared to hear that the family was angered by the manner the state government went public to announce its monetary contributions for the burial. He was also not enthused that the government never made any contact with him before Okorocha went to their family house in Oguta shortly after his father’s death and in his absence. All these are matters of public knowledge. If Charly Boy has given these as his reasons for the unruly conduct, simulating imaginary enemies writing a script for him to embarrass the governor strikes as a very cheap proposition. It is also curious why the state government ignored these grouses when it claimed it had no issue with Charly Boy prior to the inci-

NEVER gave a thought to the idea that I could be a teacher. But teach I did when I could not secure a job several years after completing my national service. For five years, I did the little I could in preparing young minds for post tertiary institution examinations. Until journalism took me away from the classroom, I derived great pleasure in seeing those young faces look up to me almost in awe as I imparted knowledge into them. Years later, I got a joyful surprise when a young lady ran up and gave me a bear hug in, of all places, Oshodi, Lagos. She turned out to be one of the many young people who went through my tutelage. To put it mildly, I felt like a king for the rest of that day convinced that I played my part in a profession that can has all the hallmark of the divine given its contribution to the relevance of every generation or civilisation. Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that given the teachers’ noble efforts, there ought to be no debate on the need for them to get the best in terms of societal reverence, remuneration and or perks of duty. Sadly, whereas this is the case in civilised climes, the situation in Nigeria has tended to run along the opposite direction, advertised mainly by the regularity of the ding-dong battle between them and governments, both at the state and federal levels. The result is that Nigerians are now more familiar with teacher’s strike than they are with power supply. But efforts to right the ugly trend have not been in short supply given that all levels governments appear committed to the search for both a lasting solution and the need to turn education sector around for the better. In this, Edo State government has demonstrated remarkable determination. For instance, as part of its quest for a lasting solution, the Oshiomhole administration initiated the teachers’ competency test intended to ensure that the sectoral reform heralded by the construction of new school buildings and provision of other relevant infrastructure across the state, also took into account the very vital issue of individual teacher’s readiness to function professionally. The initiative became imperative following the discovery that a number of those claiming to be teachers were neither qualified nor in possession the requisite professional qualification to function as such. Unfortunately, instead of embracing the proposal, the teachers, prompted by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, hauled bricks at it, the same way they attack even the noblest policy decision of the state government. In the end, they reduced the proposal to a design deliberately orchestrated by the administration to witch-hunt or retrench them. No explanation to the contrary would ease their opposition, hence amicable solution became virtually impossible.

dent. Yet, all these cannot justify the treatment he gave the governor at that church ceremony. That government is also mired in another controversy over its alleged plans to register and issue identity cards to northerners in the state to guarantee free movement. The matter came up in the senate with the upper chamber condemning the plan. It went ahead to call on security agencies not to cooperate with the Imo State government in this nebulous plan. The state government did not take kindly to the reprimand, contending that it came after it had refuted the existence of the plan. It asked for apology from the senate and accused political opponents of being the purveyors of the purported registration plan. But the senate rebuffed that idea of an apology with some of its members insisting there was sufficient evidence to show that such a policy was in the offing. Amidst this, there was the speculation that the plan to register northerners was at the instance of the northern community as part of their contributions to ensuring their ranks are not infiltrated by dangerous elements in the wake of heightened security concerns in the state. If this was so, the state government ought to have owned up to that reality. Had it done so, perhaps, the anger that attended the matter when it came up at the senate would have been considerably staved off. The state government would have saved itself the embarrassment of denying a plan which some of the senators said they had sufficient evidence

of its existence. As things now stand, that government has not succeeded in disabusing the minds of the public that there was smoke in the matter without fire. Neither is it being implied that it had no plans to safeguard the state in the wake of the discovery of bombs planted within a church premises; the arrest 486 Boko Haram suspects in Abia State, among them, a wanted kingpin of the terrorist cell. There is everything to suggest that the state government, confronted with the new security challenge may have been tinkering with several safety options. That may have included the idea mooted by the northern community. But as soon as it became a matter of public knowledge, it rushed into denying its very existence. That is where it got it wrong. It would have gone ahead to clarify the genesis of the idea which was yet to be adopted instead of out rightly denying it. It is the manner of denial rather than the idea itself that turned out the greatest undoing of that state government. As a government, it is bound to make mistakes. Not each and every of its policy will tally with public expectations. When the situation calls for it, the government should not run away from robust public debate on some of its policies. The Okorocha’s administration must cultivate the habit of standing by and defending its policy decisions instead of this quick resort to easy escape routes or heaping blames on phoney enemies when they run into problem. Not long ago, the same government had signed into law a bill from the state assembly which gave legal backing to aspects of abortion. The church kicked against the law. The next thing the governor did was to coax the House of Assembly to reverse itself as if that piece of legislation emerged from the blues bereft of the rigours that should usually go with it. Such hasty and temperamental reversals speak a lot of the depth of rigour that goes into policy formulation and implementation in that state.

‘There is everything to suggest that the state government, confronted with the new security challenge may have been tinkering with several safety options. That may have included the idea mooted by the northern community.’

Oshiomhole’s Olive branch By Ernest Omoarelojie However, while negotiations remained ongoing, stakeholders mounted pressure on the administration that reversing the proposal will be of more benefit to all. To demonstrate that the administration has not reneged on its let-the-people-lead mantra, the state governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, did the needful and cancelled the decision on Thursday, July 3. As part of the design to end the long drawn battle with the teachers, the governor also announced that the 936 teachers whose names were deleted from payroll over certificate forgeries and age falsifications would not only have their names restored but also be paid outstanding salaries. Thirdly, he declared that public school teachers will now benefit from the state’s relativity pay. For members of the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, and Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, who were at the meeting, the largely unexpected offer was an “Olive Branch” worthy of commendation. Long before the coming of the Oshiomhole administration, education in the state was in a mess. Undoubtedly, there was the need to bring dignity to the sector. It took no time before the administration began to initiate deliberate policies to standardise the quality of the sector’s physical infrastructure as well as its human capacity. Thus, having built schools for which it received plaudits, the administration moved to the next stage of auditing the quality of teachers manning its classrooms. Not unexpectedly, the move unearthed an endemic rot that required urgent surgical cleansing hence the decision to conduct the now rested competency test. Unfortunately, the move resulted in an unusually illogical and politicised resistance orchestrated, as earlier pointed out, by the opposition. In taking the step of cancelling the test, the administration also announced the adoption of a corresponding policy which emphasises training and re-training for both teachers and the state’s other workforce with the hope it will provide the impetus needed to ginger them into reciprocating the gesture. One can only hope that calm will return to the sector soon, after all, to whom much is given, much more is expected. But while waiting for calm to return, it must be noted there is a tinge of hypocrisy in some of the teachers’ demands that snowballed into the deadlock that has just been broken by the cancellation announced by the governor.

Part of their demand is that they also must be paid the relativity pay. The disparity came into force when the federal government introduced the Teachers Special Allowance, TSA. With it, the salary of a teacher in, for instance, grade level 8, step 2, became bigger by 25 per cent than that of a fellow public servant of the same category in another branch of the state’s public service. In an attempt to bridge the differential, the state government introduced the relativity pay to bridge the gap between the allowances earned by the teachers and their other public service counterparts. The allowance reduced by 10 per cent the 25 per cent disparity between the wage earned by teachers and other workers in the state’s public service. Despite an obvious 15 per cent difference, the teachers insisted that they also must be paid. The point being made here is that while the competency controversy raged, the teachers argued that the government had no reason to exclude its other workforce from the test if the policy was not meant to witch-hunt them. In other words, they sought to make the point that what is good for the goose should be sauce for the gander. But the question begging for an answer is this; if indeed, the teachers are concerned about the need for equity and fairness, how come they conveniently chose to forget that their counterpart in other sectors of the state’s public deserve equal pay and allowances? While the purpose for asking the question above is not to ruffle already calmed feathers, one must not fail to reiterate the point that to whom much is given, much more is expected. If that is true, the teachers ought to understand that there is need for them to be good enough for the job for which they are being paid so much. In other words, if they are deserving of special pay and allowances, they ought to be ready for special assessment. Fortunately, the governor has done what appears to be the needful. What remains to be seen is that the beneficiaries of his gesture must find the moral courage to reciprocate it in kind. The people of Edo are waiting eagerly to see not only the colour of their response but also how soon it will manifest. But whatever colour or hue the response takes, they must not forget the reasons given by the governor for initially insisting that the competency test must be conducted: basic education is like the foundation of a house; if it is weak, the building will collapse. Right now, the foundation is in the teachers’ hand. • Omoarelojie writes from Benin City

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

BUSINESS THE NATION

Europe is a good market for gas. Incidentally, Belgium has important terminals, such as the Port of Antwerp, through which Nigeria hopes to get its gas to the rest of Europe. We’ll start marketing our abundant gas resources to Europe.s •Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

JOBS

CEO

‘Economy can’t grow without steady power’ - P. 27

Reforming power sector, creating jobs - P. 37

News Briefing

‘PIB, others vital to deep offshore’s growth’

NAMA to sanction domestic carriers THE axe of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) may soon descend on some domestic airlines over their failure to pay en route domestic navigational charges to the agency. –Page 26

By Akinola Ajibade

BoI seeks new funding windows THE Bank of Industry (BoI) said it will seek additional funding sources so as to make sufficient impact in line with the Federal Government’s industrialisation effort. –Page 26

NAICOM releases firms’ quarterly reports THE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has stepped up its regulatory duties by releasing information on insurance companies’ financials to the public and has begun release of insurance firms’ quarterly reports. –Page 35

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil

-$117.4/barrel

Cocoa

-$2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

- ¢132.70/pound

Cotton

- ¢95.17pound

Gold

-$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

-$163/lb MARKET

CAPITALISATIONS NSE

-N11.4 trillion

JSE

-Z5.112trillion

NYSE

-$10.84 trillion

LSE

-£61.67 trillion RATES

Inflation

-8%

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

-15.87%

Savings rate

-1%

91-day NTB

-15%

Time Deposit

-5.49%

MPR

-12%

Foreign Reserve

$45b

FOREX CFA

-0.2958

EUR

-206.9

-242.1

-156

-1.9179

SDR

-238

RIYAL

-40.472

•From left: Managing Director, Philips West Africa Hub, Abdallah H. Khamis; CEO Philips Africa, Senior Vice President, JJ van Dongen; General Manger Africa, Peter van de Ven; Vice President Market Group EMEA and Marketing Director Africa, Sharon Karuga,unveiling Philips' new ultra-mobile ultrasound system VISIQ during media session at its yearly pan-African Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow.

NCC clears coast for telcos’ listing on stock exchange R

EGULATOR of the telecom sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the weekend, cleared the coast for telcos in the country to take their business to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for listing. The Commission unveiled a 31-page document titled: Code of Corporate Governance the Telecommunications Industry 2014, arguing that it embodies time-honoured virtues of accountability, responsibility and integrity that will ensure sustainable growth for the industry. The sector has achieved subscriber figures above 130 million and $35 billion in direct foreign investment (FDI) into the economy. Absence of a corporate governance code in place has been identified as one of the factors responsible for the reluctnace of the telcos to list of the NSE. Already three of the telcos: MTN, Airtel and Etisalat are already listed in Johannesburg, Abu Dubai Stock Exchange and Na-

By Lucas Ajanaku

tional Stock Exchange, India respectively but they could also cross list on the NSE too. Onlt Globacom, a wholly indigenous operator with footprints in other African countries is not listed a any stock exchange. Presenting the document, NCC’s Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Eugene Juwah, said the combined factors of the strategic importance of telecommunications and unprecedented growth of the sector with extensive reach across all social and demographic groups in the economy makes it imperative that operators in this critical sector align to uphold a code of corporate governance which is specific to the industry. He said corporate governance codes globally could take several forms, some are generic or national in scope while others are drawn up for specific

groups of firms (sector specific) or designed to address a specific aspect of corporate governance such as board practices, transparency and disclosure standards. He said national codes of corporate governance are typically focused on country-specific issues and are aimed at improving and guiding governance practices within a country’s specific legal environment and business context, sectorspecific corporate governance codes on the other hand address the specific peculiarities of the affected sector (in Nigeria’s case, telecommunications) that are not typically dealt with under national or broadly-aimed codes. He said with the growing relevance of corporate governance beyond capital markets where compliance with best practice is enforced through listing rules, sectorspecific codes have become increasingly more beneficial

in those sectors where private unlisted firms operate. He said: “Recognised corporate governance principles of accountability, responsibility, transparency, integrity and ethical conduct, independence and others are important for all types of companies operating in the telecommunications industry whether public or private, large or small as the requirement for good corporate governance does not wane on account of size or type of business affiliation.” Juwah recalled that the journey to getting the code began June last year when the NCC organised the second stakeholders’ consultation on Corporate Governance with Enhancing Stakeholders Responsibility as it theme, adding that the first was consultation was in April of 2012 with Corporate Governance on the Telecommunications Industry-Compliance with Standards, Processes and Procedures as its theme.

IGERIA needs full implementation of the Local Content Act and swift passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to unlock the potential in the deep-offshore and improve earnings in the industry, the Chief Executive Officer, Ladol Free Trade Zone, Dr Amy Jadesinimi has said. Jadesinmi told The Nation, said the country’s inability to fully maximise the opportunities offered by the Act and the Bill would affect the industry’s growth. She said huge investments abound in the deep-offshore, urging the government to fast-track the passage of the bill. She said: ‘’With the right operating environment in place, Nigeria’s oil and gas industry would record huge growth and the stakeholders would be better for it. The country would be the hub for offshore industry in West Africa, and this would translate to big earnings for the operators and the government in particular.’’ She said free trade zones provide immense opportunities for investors that are ready to tap them. She advised operators at the zones across the country to collaborate to further the growth of the petroleum, maritime and other sectors, arguing that the development would create immense job’ opportunities. ‘’Ladol has living up to its responsibilities as the only operational deep offshore’s logistics base by creating thousands of jobs for Nigerians. If the operators can collaborate, they can create over 50,000 jobs in the next few years,’ she added. She said tax exemptions, duty free importation are some of the benefits enjoyed by investors operating at the zones, advising firms to make key into them.

Monopoly in oil, gas service sector inimical, says Jagal chief

N operator in the oil and gas sector has decried lack of competition, which he described as ‘coercive monopoly’ that exists in the sector’s logistic services, urging the Federal Government to address the issue to ensure competitive prices for products and services. The operator alleged that it is only one company that plays effectively in the oil and gas logistic services sector following government’s support. It is in view of this development that he has urged the government to create equal opportunities for entrepreneurs who

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

want to operate in the sector. Chairman, Jagal Group, owners of the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone (SIIFZ), Mr. Anwar Jarmakani, who spoke to The Nation on the issue on the sideline of an event in Lagos, said without competition, the goals of the Nigerian content agenda will not be achieved. He said: “Another issue the free zones relates to the coercive monopoly prevailing in the oil and gas logistic services sector. We believe that when there is a level playing field in the economy; competition will be

the driving force in the regulation of the market forces. “Competition will ensure consumers have competitive products and prices. Without a level playing field, the goals of Nigerian Content in the oil and gas sector will not be achievable. We believe strongly that the free zones will continue to be the engines through which the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) can effectively promote the achievement of significant local content in oil and gas related activities. All efforts should therefore be geared towards encouraging healthy competition within the

Nigerian economy.” He also sought the government’s urgent intervention in the Oil and Gas Free Zone’s (OGFZA’s) intention to take over SIIFZ from NEPZA. He said: “It is our view that the principal aim of the OGFZA Act as enacted in 1996, is to provide for the establishment of an Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne/Ikpokiri. The reference under Section 5 of the Act to OGFZA’s takeover of certain functions being performed by NEPZA is only as they relate to Zones engaged in the export of oil and gas. SIIFZ is not involved in such activities.” He explained that SIIFZ doesn’t engage in ac-

tivities and functions that OGFZA oversees, therefore, it should be NEPZA that will be overseeing its activities. He said: “I wish to state that we at SIIFZ will through our activities continue to give practical expression to Mr. President’s transformation agenda and vision of a greater Nigeria,” adding that SIIFZ was primarily promoted as an integrated deepwater oil and gas service and support location capable of attracting and combining the engineering and component manufacturers, as well as service companies, into one interconnected environment.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

BUSINESS NEWS Group urges creation of BoI seeks new funding windows industrial clusters, access to finance to drive industrialisation P

HE Bank of Industry (BoI) said it will seek additional funding sources so as to make sufficient impact in line with the Federal Government’s industrialisation effort. Its Managing Director, Rasheed Olaoluwa, who spoke over the weekend, said the bank, in alignment with the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP), will direct its funding to support agro-allied industries, oil and gas, energy , solid minerals and manufacturing. He said: “Although we are confident that our key shareholders , that is Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoFI) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), will continue to support us with some equity injection. We take cognizance of the fact that there is a lot of demand on government’s resources.” Olaoluwa said all hands must be on deck towards ensuring that BoI strengthens its operations for global competitiveness and be at par with some of the world’s leading development finance institutions. He stated that the task of increasing the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) cannot be achieved by the bank alone. According to the CEO, for the bank to effectively deliver on its mandate, the institution will have to work closely with other relevant stakeholders towards addressing the

By Toba Agboola

non-financial issues facing the manufacturing sector and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Olaoluwa said the bank is developing strategies to improve stakeholders’ access to funds. He said: “BoI is trying to achieve a balance in its functions as a development finance institution in terms of delivering social impact and maintaining a sustainable loan infrastructure. “Although we are confident that key shareholders in the NIRP initiative Ministry of Finance Incorporated and the CBN, will continue to support the bank with some equity injection, considering the fact that there is a lot of demand on government’s resources. “Consequently we are exploring alternative modes of funding such as continuation of sector specific intervention funds by the CBN, Ministry of Agriculture, Solid Minerals and others; managed funds from various state governments and foundations; long-term loans at very low interest rates from multi-lateral/international development institutions.” He further said BoI will explore domestic and international bond issuance and other sustainable annuity sources that may become statutorily imperative in the me-

dium to long term. According to him, in pursuance of the success of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda, a major focal point of the bank was to help promote employment generation and wealth creation through access to development funds. “We have met with Business Support Firms (BSFs) to address the large percentage of substandard loan applications as we have discovered that a good way out is to engage with BSFs who will receive the applications and help review them as they better understand how a bankable proposal should look like,” he said. He said the SMEs sector will receive adequate attention from the development bank and their funding challenges addressed not through talk but with concrete and visible steps. “As you are aware, our Minsiter of Industry Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, is leading the efforts to industrialise Nigeria and to create millions of jobs in the process. At BoI, we’re passionate about these objectives,” he said. He said he had also met and discussed with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina on issues relating to the various agricultural development funds managed by BoI as part of the minister’s efforts to transform the agricultural sector.

RESIDENT, Agro-Chemical and Animal Health Producers Association (AAHPA) Mr. Babatunde Adewoye has urged the government to provide industrial clusters for the group where they can manufacture their products to reduce cost. He said in advanced economies, industrial clusters are built to service small holding firms to prevent them from dying as government provides the needed infrastructure needed to service to small scale industries. He said as Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) who have need to continuously be in business as the engine growth of the economy, government needs to fashion out robust polices that will support them both in infrastructure upgrade and access to finance. He said: “As manufacturers of agricultural products and medications, we provide jobs and contrib-

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

ute to the growth of the GDP; we also create entrepreneurs, government therefore have the responsibility to protect the local manufacturers from harmful competition. “Before now, we were required to register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ministry of Trade and Commerce, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). We are not averse to regulation because our businesses can only get better with it but over regulation is not good for any business.” Adewoye said the group had the challenge of funding and dearth of infrastructure. He appealed to the government to make access to development funds from Bank of Industry (BoI) and other financial institutions available to them to help them build capacity.

NAMA to sanction domestic carriers over en route charges

HE axe of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) may soon descend on some domestic airlines over their failure to pay en route domestic navigational charges to the agency. Plans by the agency to sanction the erring carriers is coming on the heels of compliance by other carriers that have commenced payment of domestic en route navigation charges since February 2014. In February, NAMA got a verdict from the Supreme Court directing domestic airlines to commence payment of en route charges. According to a source in NAMA, many domestic airlines since last year started the payment of navigation charges after the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), lost its legal contest to avoid payment. The source said NAMA, has since between 2010 and 2011 earned over N600 million from such payment after it evolved the pay as you go system. The agency said the encouragement it has received from compliant operators will force it to take drastic steps against erring operators. In the coming weeks, NAMA will

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

communicate with the affected airlines on how it intends to recover its debts accruing from en route navigation charges running into hundreds of millions of naira. The source said: “I can assure you that very soon NAMA will soon sanction airlines that are not paying us en route navigation charges. Some have paid and about N600 million has so far been collected. That means our victory at the Supreme Court is paying off. “The few airlines that are not paying would soon be sanctioned. We are making efforts to reach out to them, and if they refuse to comply we would soon sanction them. “We know how to recover our money from the airlines if they refuse to heed to the voice of reason. “Why would domestic carriers pay for navigation services rendered to them in other countries but, at home they would not want to pay? “That is not good for business. The recovery of the debt would assist the airspace agency to cater for the needs of its work force and maintain its facilities nationwide.”

‘Friendly environment key to economic growth’

•Executive Director, Lagos & South-west of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Femi Bakre

(left), presenting a prize to Mr Kamaru Okesoto, a winner of the FCMB 30th anniversary promo, at the Lagos & Southwest regional draws in Lagos.

‘Fed Govt not monitoring capital projects, expatriate quota’ T HE Federal Government has failed to enforce strict compliance with the terms of contract for capital projects. It is also not complying with the expatriate quota policy with regard to local content provisions, the President, National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) Comrade Amechi Asugwuni has said. Amechi, who spoke in Lagos, said the government has failed in the area of monitoring capital project sites to ensure compliance with health, safety and environment (HSE) standards. He said: “The union calls on the Federal Government to consider strict compliance with the terms of

By Chikodi Okereocha

contract for capital projects. This will enhance proper articulation of all factors of production including labour, especially as contracts are not awarded strictly on the basis of use of casual staff.” He also advised that contracts should be awarded to only genuine contractors that are prepared to comply with local and international labour laws. “If you award contracts, there is standard to adhere to. Government does not implement the terms of contracts,” he said, calling on the labour minister to recruit genuine factory/site in-

spectors to monitor health and safety at work places and penalise erring employers who disregard workers safety. Amechi said the situation arose partly from government’s failure to comply with its policy on expatriate quota especially with regards to local content. He accused government of failing to prevail on Chinese construction companies to adhere to the expatriate quota policy. “The non-adherence to the provisions of the local content policy by Chinese construction companies has made human resources/industrial relations practice difficult,” he said. According to him, this is why about 90 per cent of Nigerians in the employ of Chinese construction companies are casuals.

ROMOTING an enabling business environment is key to improving economic performance, President, Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN) Prince Saviour Iche has said. Speaking with The Nation, Iche said Nigeria has huge potential for growth, but there are also substantial hurdles to overcome in triggering the high growth process. He said developing infrastructure bases, particularly power, is urgently needed to improve investor confidence. He said much more needs to be done if Nigeria is to address structural changes required to improve the economy. Iche has called more investments in infrastructure to revamp the economy. Iche noted that overall growth indices was weak. He explained that the economic performance was being held back by weak investment and low industrial activity, adding that the situation remained fragile and uncertain, clouding the prospect for rapid improvement and a return to more robust economic growth. Downside risks to this include: a stalling of progress and a sharp slowing of investment.

By Daniel Essiet

According to him, the government will need to improve the business environment to assure resilience to risks. To this end, he said the government needs to focus on raising the growth potential of the economy, while strengthening buffers to deal with risks affecting small businesses. Despite the situation, he said micro entrepreneurs have remained remarkably resilient thus far,but that major multinationals were relocating to Ghana and others . According to him , bureaucracy is obvious and arguably it has become part of the economy’s way of life, and the government must act now to attract locals into business for development. Despite promises by authorities to improve business environment, he said people and companies who wish to start a business are still discouraged by the level of bureaucracy embedded in almost all public institutions. This, he said, is caused by multiple taxation and it is cumbersome for members of the business community including entrepreneurs.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

THE CEO

‘Economy can’t grow without steady power’

•Abubakar

Electricity, it is said, is essential to the development of a country’s economy. Where there is regular power supply, according to Alhaji Munir Abubakar, Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), jobs will generally be created. In this interview with TOBA AGBOOLA, Abubakar urges the government to invest in infrastructure to drive the economy.

HAT are the primary objectives of the NSITF? The primary objective of the scheme is the protection of citizens against problems associated with disruptions. The scheme also protects against changes in their income status which could expose them to poverty, suffering and indignity. The SITF/NECA safe workplace intervention project and Claims and Compensation Manual of operations (CCM) are now concluded and the NSITF management now exploring strategic alliance with established government registered vocational and rehabilitation centres across the federation with a view to outsourcing that aspect of the implementation of the Act. It is the effort of the NSITF and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to ensure safe workplace intervention project as well as maintain interactive sessions with participating employers. The management will continue to explore the option of moral suasion for the time being, rather than sanction. Can you throw some light on the importance of Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 to employers and workers? The enactment of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA), 2010 which repealed the obsolete Workmen’s Compensation Act (WCA) of 1942, is of immense importance to Nigerian workers as the scheme has achieved tremendous success considering that as at the end of last February, over 12,043 employers have registered from the Organised Private Sector (OPS), while about 4.2 million estimated employees are covered

Profile Institutions attended

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Qualifications

B.Sc (Administration).

Previous positions

Executive Director (Admin), NSITF.

Present position

Managing Director, NSITF.

Experience

Over 25 years.

from that sector. Under the scheme, the Federal Government has so far paid for treasury funded MDAs from 2011 up to December, 2013 and the number of employees covered still being reconciled and the compu-

terisation project to provide e-operations for the fund has reached advance stage. The number of employers that had keyed into the scheme is continuously increasing by the day.

‘One thing I think the government can do to jump start the process of turning around the economy is the provision of infrastructure. I believe when there is regular power supply, jobs would be naturally created because the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will spring up from every sector of the economy and millions of Nigerians will be employed’

What is the fund doing to ensure the scheme’s implementation in accordance with the law? All our efforts are aimed at ensuring accountability and transparency in the operation of the ECS. We also make sure that administrative cost of managing the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) does not exceed the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s benchmark for Social Insurance Scheme. The NSITF has also inaugurated the Independence Investment Committee as provided by Sections 62 and 63 of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA 2010). What is the compliance level by employers in the private and public sectors? A reasonable number of employers in the public and private sectors of the economy have registered, although, not all of them have fully complied yet, but appreciable progress is being made in claims and compensation payment. In the same vein, it must be said also that virtually all the commercial banks in Nigeria have been authorised to collect ECS contributions on behalf of the NSITF, making it possible for employers not to be restricted to any bank across the federation. Moreso, defaulting employers are regularly served with demand notices for payment of their one per cent of their total emoluments as provided in the Act, and they are complying now; some via additional legal letters. Most employers claim they are not fully aware of ECS. Is there any awareness programme? •Continued on page 28

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

THE CEO

‘Economy can’t grow without steady power ’ •Continued from page 27

NSITF’s enlightenment campaigns via sensitisation programmes and seminars across the country in collaboration with employers’ and employees’ organisations are on. This is done with appropriate flyers, pamphlets and booklets on ECS. They have been printed for wide distribution to all stakeholders. Alongside that are radio jingles in Pidgin and English which are on air; video versions on the television are underway with human capacity development for staff. There are local and overseas trainings, seminars; workshops are also ongoing, and remarkable progress is being made. How would you assess the progress so far made by the fund? The scheme is working out strategies to train more field workers to step up implementation. No fewer than 935 applications for settlement of claims by employers have been received, while the fund had settled over 567 in 2013, apart from some having one issue or the other that hindered the settlement of their claims. The NISTF is moving away from the orthodox role of the voice of employers to providing social responsibility such as providing technical and vocational skills for the development of the youth.It is ensuring improved safety at work as typified by the NSITF/NECA safe work intervention and providing shelter for members and employees through a partnership with Federal Mortgage Bank. Also, existing offices nationwide are at various stages of completion, after inspection of the offices in collaboration with the appropriate agencies of the Federal Ministry, in line with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act. New offices have been opened in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Aba in Abia State, Lafia in Nassarawa State, Jalingo in Taraba State, Mararaba and Zuba in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Abakaliki and Awka. Modalities for the assessment of employers, preparatory to the statutory review of contribution rates are being worked out, while consideration of other social products/ services additional to the scheme have started with NECA’s capacity building programme . What are the challenges affecting the operations of the scheme? The public awareness of the ECS is still a challenge as the scheme’s features and benefits are not yet fully understood.Underreporting of occupational accidents/diseases to pre-empt corporate negative image and/or evade full compliance with the provisions of the ECA.The improper documentation with respect to claims affects the genuineness of medical health providers and practitioners from where stakeholders get medical bills.This is part of the earlier challenges experienced, but it is currently been addressed. Operational challenges in claims and compensation administration, particularly the slow pace of processing still being experienced in the area of confirmation of degrees of disability by the medical team has affected the automation and provision of other infrastructures, in view of the need to follow due process in procurement, following the provisions of the Public Procurement Act. Another aspect of the challenge is in securing collaboration with as many institutions, bodies, or organisations, local and international which are relevant to the effective implementation of the ECS. Social security culture in Nigeria is still posing some constraints to seamless buy-in to the scheme. The culture of compliance with legislations that require parting with money among employers and employees; the tendency for evasion of compliance by some employers using flimsy excuses, or playing pranks, affects the public perception of the efficiency and/or effectiveness as well as trustworthiness of NSITF as the implementing agency; based generally on past failure of public institutions in Nigeria also forms part of challenges of the scheme. How can unemployment be tackled? One thing I think the government can do to jump start the process of turning around the economy is the provision of infrastructure. I believe when there is regular power supply, jobs would be naturally created because the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will spring up from every sector of the economy and millions of Nigerians will be employed. For instance, if there

• Abubakar

‘All our efforts are aimed at ensuring accountability and transparency in the operation of the ECS. We also make sure that administrative cost of managing the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) does not exceed the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) benchmark for Social Insurance Scheme’

• Abubakar

are one million new SMEs employing at least five people, then, five million would have been employed. And that is what constant electricity generation can do in any economy. What is your take on Federal Government’s crusade against corruption and the enthronment of quality leadership in the country? The Federal Government has established

many institutions to fight corruption. And in doing this, government has done well, but beyond establishing these institutions, the government has put in more effort to ensure a more open and transparent governance in such a way that will involve the people more and enable people to express themselves in a way that the government begins to represent the true yearnings of the people. The anti-corruption agencies

are institutions that serve as benchmark to measure the activities of other agencies.These agencies look up to them in measuring standard of public conduct. Our call is for all the anti-corruption agencies to work together through mobilising people more in the fight against corruption and we hope to see a lot of partnership between the agencies and the civil society in achieving the objectives of the anticorruption war. The civil society groups in the country have important role to play in bridging the gap between those in leadership position and the people given their privileged position. They can influence the policy implementation by going back to the communities to educate them on ways to checkmate the leaders. Apart from labour unions, the civil society groups can enlighten the local communities on how to ensure that their leaders should be accountable to them and sensitise the people on how to influence their leaders so that decisions are made in their interest. The CSOs at times, are able to mobilise the people against any policy that is not right and in most cases, such policies are dropped. The CSOs also have the responsibility to ensure that the executives work closely together with the implementing agencies and also with the legislatures that have the responsibility to appropriate the resources that would be used for the MDGs projects. I am aware that majority of the CSOs contributes immensely to projects that would transform the rural communities in the country and continent where even the government presence is felt. What is your assessment of the recently concluded International Labour Conference (ILC)? The recent International Labour Conference in Geneva was a success. I am very much impressed with it. The most interesting aspect of the discussions has to with social security and the aspect that dealt fully with workers’ welfare. The discussions and decisions made were far better than the previous years’ because of the added values on the issues of protecting workers’ right, migrant workers’ right and the aspect that has to do with the informal sector. Now for us in NSITF, these discussions made and the resolutions reached would in both short and long run boost our efforts to ensure that the issues of workers’ compensation and all other issues that have to do with workers’ welfare in Nigeria are well taken care of in line with the international standard. Are you saying that the discussions and resolutions’ made at the conference are in line with the mandate of the ILC for Nigerian workers’ welfare? Yes. It is almost the same. First of all, let me say social security protection is a little bit different but have the same goal. Social security protection is over 100 years in existence but there is no harm in starting late. I keep on saying the issue of welfare of workers is not debatable and we are putting all resources at our disposal to make sure the issues are addressed. Nigeria is at the forefront of addressing social protection floor initiative banner issues in Africa. And that is why we are putting every effort in place to get all issues surrounding it stabilised. Do not forget that most countries that are developed give unemployment benefits to the unemployed and with the social protection policy in Nigeria, we shall get there. We are aware that Nigerians are already yearning for these benefits and what we are doing in NSITF is to ensure that we take care of workers’ welfare in line with social protection floor initiative banner in the areas of shelter, clothing and all other aspects of the policy. It is obvious that we have to start from somewhere and we shall surely get to th right destination. What is your message for the employees? I use this opportunity to call on the employees to complete the necessary compensation claims form and submit appropriately for processing and payment.Equally where injury is involved the particulars of the injury or occupational disease on the prescribed ECS Form (duly completed by the hospital/clinic where the employee received treatment. This is because the employees have it as an implicit obligation to monitor through their union representatives the compliance status of the employer.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

MONEYLINK

Bayelsa targets $1b capital inflows from investors

NVESTORS expected to attend the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum (BSIEF) holding this week in Yenaogua will bring in investments worth $1 billion to the oil rich state, its Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Kamela Okara has said. Speaking at the weekend during a meeting with journalists in Lagos on the forum which holds from July 16 to 18, he said the key elements that would make the programme a success had been put in place. With theme: “Unlocking Bayelsa State economic potential, opportunities and challenges”, the forum is expected to facilitate a dialogue with the private sector knowing that they are the target audience for the event. Okara said Bayelsa generates one quarter of the total oil production in Nigeria and also has abundant gas needed for power generation. “So what we are doing is to encour-

Stories by Collins Nweze

age power companies that want to set up presence in Bayelsa State to take advantage of the accessibility of gas and site their power plant in Bayelsa State because we want the state to become the power hub of Nigeria. “We know that in the short time, if we are able to get power companies to site and generate as much as say 3000 megawatt of power, if we add that to the current say 3,500 to 6000 megawatts of power, it will make a huge difference in Nigeria. So that is one major area we are looking for investors,” he said. Continuing, Okara said Bayelsa has a natural geographical environment for cultivation. If you look at rice cultivation belt across the globe, it falls within the same belt such as Thailand, Vietnam and other countries. He said the state’s mangrove forest environment is good for rice

farming and remains another major area investors can key into. Okara said the state is rich in fish farming, adding that it plans to expand the value chain in oil and gas through the Nigeria Local Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDM). In partnership with the NCDM, it also wants to expand the access of small and medium scale enterprises into the entire value chain. He said tax holiday is strictly the incentive of the Federal Government adding that taxation is within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government. “It is under the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) and Export Promotion Council, among others. But we will try to ensure that there is no local taxation in those free trade zone,” he said. He explained that what makes an economy very strong is its strength of human capital have, that is the key backbone. When the governor came

Skye Bank, Nasarawa partner on e-payroll

HE Nasarawa State Government has partnered with Skye Bank Plc on the deployment of pay roll solutions as well as the execution of a biometrics data capture of all civil servants in the state. In a statement, the lender said the partnership was in line with its quest for an efficient payroll system in the state. This, it said, would eliminate fraud and ensure that salaries are uniformly co-ordinated for efficiency. The staff biometrics data capture, it added, would enable the state have a reliable and current data base of the civil servants to

prevent fraud and block loopholes that currently exist. Kicking off the exercise in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Tanko Umaru Al-Makura, said the data capturing became necessary following the alarming increase in wage bill of the state after its implementation of the minimum wage. Al Makura clarified that the exercise was not aimed at retrenching civil servants but targeted at ensuring that salaries were centrally coordinated for efficiency in salary payment and disbursement. He said his government was keen in putting in place an efficient payroll system that would eliminate inef-

ficiency, loopholes for fraud and abuse through which the state loses money. He noted that the choice of Skye Bank as a partner in making the idea a reality was borne out of the lender’s experience and track record in developing effective payroll systems for states and local governments. “The government is committed to bringing on board a platform for improved integrity in the payment of salaries. It is our duty and responsibility as government to know the actual number of staff working in the state”, he said. The Governor also urged the civil servants to be available for the exercise.

on board, one of the first things he did was the emergency in education and there has been a major drive to build more schools. Continuing, he said: “We are linking the entire state with a serious road network; this is in addition to the seaport I mentioned earlier. The airport, as we speak, is under construction in the state. These are the key things-infrastructure, human capital are creating the needed conducive environment for business is like creating another Dubai. Dubai ensured there is infrastructure, which they have qualitative human capital, and their laws are business friendly”. He said that in Bayelsa, the Internally Generated Revenue (GR) is still on the low side. “We not so concerned about IGR today because we are now concerned with what we can build for the future. So our focus is how we can transform Bayelsa economy to what we want it to be.

Offer Price

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

168.45 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.39 1,663.89 1,663.89 1,05.92 1,087.30 1.3504 1.3662 1.0471 1.1857

NITED Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc at the weekend announced the introduction of a new product “U-Advance Card,” a payment card that allows workers who operate a salary account with UBA to get a credit advance ahead of pay-day. Divisional Head, e-Banking, UBA Plc Dr Adeyinka Adedeji said: “The U-Advance Card is an internationally accepted card payment solution designed to address the salary account holders’ need for easy and quick access to extra funds during their monthly salary cycles, in form of a revolving, secured credit facility.” The U-Advance product will complement UBA’s existing suite of

167.01 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.33 1,663.89 1,663.89 119.71 1,087.00

GAINERS AS AT 10-07-14

retail credit products in the form of a Naira based, short term, secured financing targeted at salary account holders and will provide frictionless access to much needed credit with the cardholder’s monthly salary as security. Though available only to salary account holders with UBA Plc, nonUBA customers can pre-qualify by opening a salary account with UBA. Ideal for staff of reputable organisations, affluent and high networth individuals (HNIs) who receive regular monthly salary; individuals wishing to obtain the UAdvance credit card can approach the nearest UBA business office for details on eligibility and how to apply.

DATA BANK

Bid Price

1.3413 1.3662 1.0282 1.1857

Our major focus today is to grow the economy and once we do that, internally generated revenue will grow so our plan is to diversify the economy, provide opportunity, provide the jobs, the foundation will have a knock effect on the IGR that will accrue,” he added.

UBA launches Salary Advance Credit Card for workers

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

•Okara

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS) Transaction Dates 7/9/14 7/7/14 7/2/14

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Amount Offered in ($) 300m 350m 300m

Amount Sold in ($) 279.08m 342.8m 254.7m

CBN EXCHANGE RATES July 9, 2014

Inflation: May

8.0%

Monetary Policy Rate

12.0%

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

154.73

155.73

CHANGE

Foreign Reserves

$38.1bn

US Dollar

0.54

8.00

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$110.44

Pounds Sterling

264.9287

266.6409

220.50

234.06

0.15

Money Supply (M2)

N15.9 trillion.

ASHAKACEM

31.00

32.55

5.00

Euro

210.4173

211.7772

MCNICHOLS

1.28

1.34

4.69

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N16.76 trillion

Swiss Franc

173.0954

174.2141

Yen

1.5192

1.529

CFA

0.3029

0.3229

238.5186

240.0601

Yuan/Renminbi

24.9395

25.1015

Riyal

41.2558

41.5255

SDR

238.8876

240.4315

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

NIGERINS

0.50

AGLEVENT

1.33

1.39

4.51

HONYFLOUR

4.12

4.27

3.64

JAPAULOIL

0.55

0.57

3.64

REDSTAREX

4.70

4.85

3.19

AIICO GUINNESS

0.80

0.82

2.50

200.00

205.00

2.50

LOSERS AS AT 10-07-14

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

CHANGE

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

Rate (%)

Overnight (O/N)

10.500

12.175

12.101

13.328

13.225

14.296

14.-85

IKEJAHOTEL

0.80

0.76

-5.00

PORTPAINT

5.40

5.13

-5.00

EVANSMED

2.43

2.31

-4.94

UPL

4.45

4.23

-4.94

CAVERTON

6.80

6.47

-4.85

AIRSERVICE

2.34

2.23

-4.70

R-DAS ($/N)

157.29

LEARNAFRCA

1.74

1.66

-4.60

Interbank ($/N)

162.75

UBCAP

2.27

2.17

-4.41

Parallel ($/N)

167.50

CUSTODYINS

3.86

3.71

-3.89

COURTVILLE

0.58

0.56

-3.45

WAUA

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

July 4, 2014

July 7, 2014

T-bills - 91

9.98

10.00

T-bills - 182

10.00

10.07

T-bills - 364

10.22

Bond - 3yrs

11.26

11.37

Bond - 5yrs

11.36

11.41

Bond - 7yrs

11.77

11.86

FOREX RATES

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-07-14

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-07-14

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

EQUITIES

Nigerian, global equities retreat on cautious sentiments

IGERIAN and global investors were overtly cautious last week as investors continued the countdown to the second quarter and half-year earnings, which are expected to provide further indications on the corporate outlooks for the year. Across the advanced and emerging markets of Europe, America, Africa and Asia, equities bowed to bearish sentiments. The benchmark index for the Nigerian stock market, the All Share Index (ASI), indicated average loss of 0.46 per cent at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The largest African market, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) of South Africa, as represented by the JSE All Share Index (JSE ASI), recorded average return of -1.8 per cent. In Europe, the German XETRA DAX declined by 3.8 per cent. The France CAC 40 lost 3.7 per cent

Taofik SALAKO Capital Market Editor

while United Kingdom’s FTSE dropped by 3.0 per cent. In the Asian region, the Japan Nikkei and Hong Kong Hang Seng slipped by 3.7 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively. Besides concerns over earnings, market analysts have linked the widespread bearish sentiments to concerns over the fundamentals of the banking sectors. In Nigeria, all common value indices and gauges of activities indicated a slowdown in the market momentum. The ASI closed weekend at 42,832.82 points as against its week’s opening index of 43,031.81 points. This depressed the average year-to-date return to 3.64 per cent. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the NSE dropped by N66 billion from the week’s value-on-board of N14.209 trillion to close the week at N14.143 trillion. The negative market situation at

the NSE last week was driven largely by losses by Dangote Cement, which pulled the sectoral index to the highest loss during the week. Most sectoral indices showed broad underlying rally but the decline in the influential industrial goods sector coloured the overall market performance. The NSE Industrial Goods Index dropped by 0.69 per cent while the NSE Insurance Index declined by 0.55 per cent. Meanwhile, the NSE 30 Index, which tracks Nigeria’s 30 most capitalised quoted companies, inched up with a gain of 0.03 per cent while the NSE Banking Index indicated average week-onweek return of 0.17 per cent. The NSE Consumer Goods Index rallied a gain of 0.73 per cent while the NSE Oil and Gas Index rode on the back of impressive run by Forte Oil to close with the high-

est week-on-week return of 4.99 per cent. Analysis of the price movements showed that 40 equities appreciated while 37 depreciated. A total of 123 stocks closed flat. In the previous week, 35 stocks had depreciated as against 43 stocks that appreciated while 122 stocks were flat. Total turnover stood at 1.83 billion shares worth N19.39 billion in 26,521 deals, lower than a total of 2.27 billion shares valued at N28.62 billion traded in 26,730 deals in previous week. The financial services sector remained the dominant sector accounting for nearly threequarters of the market turnover. Financial services stocks recorded a turnover of 1.31 billion shares valued at N9.53 billion in 12,356 deals; representing 72 per cent of the aggregate turnover volume. The conglomerates sector staged a distant second with a turnover of 241.57 million shares worth N1.46 billion

in 2,788 deals. The oil and gas sector placed third with 118.22 million shares worth N2.77 billion in 4,684 deals. The trio of FBN Holdings Plc, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc were the most active with a turnover of 662.81 million shares worth N6.01 billion in 5,125 deals, representing 36 per cent of aggregate turnover. Also traded during the week were a total of 836,683 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N18.094 million executed in 21 deals compared with a total of 223,359 units valued at N4.452 million transacted in 19 deals in the previous week. Also, 10,600 units of FGN bonds valued at N13.64 million were traded in two deals compared with a total of 730 units of FGN bonds valued at N863, 405 traded in a deal two weeks ago.

Capital Bancorp launches online stockbroking portal for investors

APITAL Bancorp Plc has concluded arrangements to formally launch its online stockbroking portal that provides on-line, real time access to investors to personally execute their orders on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The portal, known as Bancorp e-Trade, enables retail investors with as low as N1,000 to open stockbroking accounts and trade on these accounts. Managing director, Capital Bancorp Plc, Mr. Higo Aigboje, said the portal will provide investors with round-the-clock access to their portfolio and cash statements while investors can also place their orders within and outside the trading hours of the NSE. According to him, Bancorp eTrade is designed as a convenient and transparent means to ensure investors are in control of their investments at any time. He added that the new portal would lead to significant reduction in cost of investment with the removal of such costs as travelling and opportunity costs. Higo pointed out that with the user-friendly nature of the portal, investors would be able to optimize their investments by avoiding errors and lack of clarity of orders or signature forgery and theft of shares. According to him, Bancorp eTrade is carefully crafted to provide access to stockbroking services for the busy executives and upwardly mobile young adults and would assist in the realization of the financial inclusion agenda of the government. To be eligible to trade on the portal, one needs only access to

internet, a functioning e-mail address, any active bank account, a fair understanding of the workings of the stock market and a stockbroking account with Capital Bancorp. He outlined that his firm has simplified the account opening process for new investors as they only need to fill account opening form and upload scanned passport photo, scanned utility bill that is not later than three months, scanned specimen signature, scanned mode of

identification and their bank details. The features of Bancorp eTrade, which sits on the infoware e-business suite platform, included display of balance in any currency of choice, online mandate, ability to specify expiry dates on orders, display of portfolio balance and portfolio analysis, statement of account, ability to view and download contract note in different formats, ability to view certificates and verification status, live streaming of stock

market prices, live portfolio valuation, amendments or cancellation to undone transactions, graphs and charts and online real-time client information. Higo assured that the portal has several levels of security that ensures optimal protection for clients including login credentials, password that is encrypted at the backend and real-time alerts that notify the investor of any change or trade. “With access to internet, clients can trade in shares and bonds through their computers and mo-

bile devices from the comfort of their homes from any part of the world. With a minimum of N1,000, clients can trade in shares,” Aigboje said. He pointed out that Bancorp eTrade is a tested platform as it has continuously been operational since it was launched in July 2013 adding that the number of clients who registered on it had grown by 56 per cent while the value and commission recorded growth of 322.9 per cent within the first half of this year.

Caverton restructures to boost diversification plan

AVERTON Offshore Support Group (COSG) Plc has restructured the management of its helicopter subsidiary-Caverton Helicopters, to enhance the group’s diversification plan. As part of the repositioning plans, Caverton Helicopters yesterday named Captain Josiah Choms as its new managing director with effect from August 1, 2014. Captain Choms will take over from Mr. Sola Falola who will step down on July 31 as the pioneer managing director and accountable manager of the leading provider of aviation support services to the oil and gas sector. Having successfully served out two terms of four years apiece, Mr. Falola is stepping down in line with the company’s corporate governance practice. An economist and a former banker, Mr. Falola will however remain a member of the board of COSG, Caverton Helicopters’ parent company, and is expected to play critical roles as the company diversifies into the provision of first-of-its-kind aviation training and aviation main-

tenance, repair and overhaul services in Nigeria. Chairman, Caverton Offshore Support Group (COSG), Mr. Aderemi Makanjuola, said the management change was aimed at strengthening the company’s capacity to single-mindedly pursue its diversification plans. “It is expected that the change will enable more focus by the group office management on the new business initiatives while Captain Choms and his team will focus on deepening the aviation logistics part of the COSG business,” Makanjuola said. According to him, Falola has served the company meritoriously as he has contributed in lifting Caverton Helicopters to enviable heights and into becoming the pride of the aviation logistics services sector in Nigeria and beyond. Apart from retaining his position as a board member of the Caverton Group, Falola will also continue to be the chairman of Caverton Aviation, Cameroon. Choms has had over 15 years of

continuous aviation experience and is the erstwhile Shell Contract Manager for Caverton Helicopters. He holds the Airplane Transport Pilot Licenses (Aeroplanes and Helicopters) and is a Certified Flight Instructor and an Authorized Examiner for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. He is also an ISO 9001:2008 Lead Auditor. “Captain Choms has deft leadership, organization and inter-personal skills which he will bring to bear in the management of Caverton Helicopters. He has held several positions of increasing responsibility as part of a progressive senior management development. He was at the heart of the introduction of the stateof-the-art AW139 helicopter type into Caverton Helicopters,” Makanjuola said. This management change is coming at a time that Caverton is embarking on new business initiatives namely the Aviation Training Center (ATC) and Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Facility. It will be recalled that at its last annual general meeting which was

held in Lagos on June 5, COSG announced plans to build a 40,000 square metres facility at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos for incountry training of pilots and engineers and aircraft maintenance, two areas that have serious implication for national capacity development, efficiency and safety in the aviation sector. In furtherance of this plan, on June 10 in Montreal, Canada, Caverton Helicopters signed a landmark agreement with CAE, a global leader in the provision of flight simulators, for training centre operation services at Caverton’s flight simulation training centre in Lagos. Expected to take-off next year, the facility will be the first commercial flight simulation training centre in Africa. CAE will provide a turnkey solution that will include the startup, maintenance and operation of the centre for a specified period pending the full transfer of knowledge and skill-sets to Nigerians.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

ISSUES One of the impediments to the growth of the agric sector is lack of infrastructure, which has created a barrier between farmers and consumers. It has also reduced market opportunities and incentives for investing in farm productivity. DANIEL ESSIET writes that closing the infrastructure gap holds the key to enhancing the competitiveness of the sector.

‘

• Mechanized farming

Why infrastructure holds key to agric sector’s competitiveness

GRICULTURE is Nigeria's lifeline. It holds the key to eliminating hunger and ensure food security. About 70 per cent of Nigerians are employed in the agricultural sector, making it the largest employer and perhaps, largest contributor to economic growth and development. However, despite being crucial to economic transformation, the sector is in dire need of massive investments in critical infrastructure to boost its productivity and competitiveness, encourage research, and open up new employment opportunities for many unemployed youths. Experts say that the agricultural sector lacks critical infrastructure, such as roads, access to reliable sources of energy, clean water, and modern Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools, particularly Internet. For instance, studies

have shown that poor road, rail and port facilities add as much as between 30 and 40 per cent to the cost of moving agric produce and other activities in the sector. This adversely affects private sector participation and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow in the sector. Because of the scary statistics, experts say that adequate infrastructure, such as roads, for instance, would enhance increased productivity and growth of the sector. The Programme Coordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Mr. Victor Olowe, believes that investment in rural roads would link farmers and their produce to profitable markets. He said sufficient and quality roads between farms and markets would enable farmers transform their business, as roads would link them to vital input, such as seeds and fertiliser, while also offering them access to competitive markets where they have

the opportunity to sell produce for a better price. Olowe argued that the government cannot talk about encouraging farmers to make farming a business without investing in infrastructure to enable them move their produce from their farms to available markets. For agriculture to strive as a business, he said government needs to ensure that roads, railways and airports are boosting and not hindering the link between the farms and the markets. By ensuring that produce arrive on time to link with consumers in local towns and cities, he said farmers have the opportunity to compete with one another Less than 30 per cent of the rural population live close to quality roads, which poses difficulty for farmers to transport inputs and produce. This coupled with poor storage facilities lead to post-harvest losses with nearly

The government is also recapitalising the Bank of Agriculture to lend at single-digit interest rates to farmers, while the Ministry is working with Germany’s KfW to create an impact investment fund for agricultural finance, with the goal of injecting the equivalent of $130-260 million in capitalisation

’

half of farm produce arriving in poor condition or never making it to the consumer at all. While insisting that reliable transportation in rural areas is critical to connect farmers to markets, Olowe added that value chains linking raw material producers to end users can play a vital role in promoting value addition to agriculture and the primary commodities. • Continued on page 33

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

ISSUES

Why infrastructure holds key to agric sector’s competitiveness • Continued from page 32

According to him, local markets are a convenient entry point in the initial stage of value chain development and it is in the interest of the economy that government address existing and emerging bottlenecks. He was emphatic that the nation's huge infrastructure deficit is holding back progress. He pointed out that because of inadequate infrastructure, agriculture continues to suffer from weak linkages with other sectors, including agro-processing and agribusiness, fragmented markets and weak regional integration of commodity chains. These, he said, render, the sector vulnerable to external shocks due to inelastic commodity demand and price volatility. The result, he argued, is that Nigeria continues to be a net food importer despite her huge land and agricultural potential. Olowe is not the only expert who is worried over the nation's decrepit infrastructure necessary to drive the growth and competitiveness of the agric sector. The President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) Tola Faseru is also worried. He said the challenge of infrastructure must be addressed if the issue of waste at farm level must be addressed. He said there must be improved infrastructure along the supply chain such as efficient freighting, temperature-controlled distribution, and improved storage and packaging system. These, he noted, could make a substantial difference to overall productivity.

What experts say Olowe could not agree less, noting that growth in productivity without significant improvement in marketing is an opportunity lost. He said farmers need to be assisted to participate in higher value-added market chains than they can at present. To harness markets, he said investments should be directed towards increased valueaddition, involving the promotion of public private partnerships, improving post harvest handling, storage and rural market infrastructure. The Director, Africa Region, Cassava Adding Value for Africa, Dr Kola Adebayo, said boosting rural investment is key to improving food production with the steady rise in the number of poor people and their concentration in rural areas. According to surveys, two thirds of the nation's population live and work in rural areas, which offer huge land surfaces, and agriculture represents 65 per cent of jobs available there. Yet, farmers in rural areas are often neglected. He said boosting agriculture and building a strong rural economy around it is crucial, as it would create jobs, wealth and food security. Adebayo further noted that the agric sector is highly dependent on energy, telecommunications, water security and transportation and so there is a close alignment between improving infrastructure and national development. If farmers are to produce enough food to feed a growing population, whilst also sustaining a living from agriculture, he said sufficient infrastructure needs to be in place. "Infrastructure can connect farmers with markets, linking them to the inputs needed for the sector to survive," he argued. However, investment in infrastructure do not come cheap. For instance, experts say that an estimated $93 billion a year over the next decade would be required to close Africa's infrastructure gap. The include new investments and maintenance of existing infrastructure. Potential internal sources of finance include raising additional taxes and harnessing domestic capital markets. Experts also say that Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative sources of financing and tapping into global savings for investment in infrastructure

•Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina

development can help the government address infrastructure needs, increase aggregate demand and address the twin problems of low growth and imbalances. Indeed, lack of stable long-term finance, high sector specific risks as well as high macro-risk arising from political considerations and poor governance have held the sector down. But one sure way is to grant credit to farmers to enable them build proper storage facilities and infrastructure to access markets and develop a credible business. Experts however, say that sustaining such investment depends on the development of a strong agricultural finance sector that addresses industry structure, incentives, capabilities and regulation. Financing and risk management are other major riders in agricultural investment. Farmer institutions are also seen as important forums for mobilising farmers around a common objective, delivery of services as well as policies that support agricultural development. They form key entry points for service delivery to individual households or communities. Farmer organisations also play a leading role in technology promotion, market organisation and value addition. Yet majority of the farmer institutions are still characterised by low capacity to effectively perform their roles and to demand for delivery of agricultural advisory/extension services. It means that financing efforts should focus on strengthening the capacity of these institutions to fully participate in the commodity value chain development and combating climate change and ensuring accountability of public resources. The Executive Director, National Centre for Agric Mechanisation Ike Azogu said with strategic vision, investing in infrastructure will stimulate engineering education. Citing the increasing use of renewal energy in agric, Azogu stressed the need to train the next generation of engineers to build and maintain such infrastructure. For him, training in engineering should be a performance standard in agric merchanisation. He said such strategy will enhance the impact of agricultural development on wider industrial activities, as engineering skills from this foundational sector start to diffuse into the rest of the economy.

Agric Transformation Agenda More than anything else, the administration's Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ARA) is responsible for the recent calls by experts on government to address the challenge of infrastructure in the agric sector. At the core of the transformation agenda is the need to diversify the economy, and the agric sector is leading this drive with the goal to add 20 million Metric Tonnes (MT) to the domestic food supply - or five million MT per year - by 2015. It also targets a total of 3.5 million jobs by 2015. ATA was launched in 2012. The focus is on expanding domestic food production, reducing import dependency, and expanding value addition to locally-produced agricultural products. In its first year, domestic food supply increased by 8.1 million MT, representing 41 per cent of the sector's cumulative target for 2015, and created 2 million new jobs, exceeding its target by 200,000. ATA saw the launch of the

• Olowe

• Adebayo

‘

But one sure way is to grant credit to farmers to enable them build proper storage facilities and infrastructure to access markets and develop a credible business. Experts, however, say that sustaining such investment depends on the development of a strong agricultural finance sector that addresses industry structure, incentives, capabilities and regulation.

"Nagropreneurs" initiative, aimed at creating a new generation of young commercial, market-driven farmers. In terms of investment, in 2012, the agenda attracted $8 billion in commitments for current and upcoming agriculture projects across the value chain. This includes projects by Dominion Farms, Cargill, SABMiller and AGCO - the world's largest manufacturer of Massey Ferguson tractors. The World Bank, African Development Bank, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) have, in total, committed $1.25 billion to Nigeria's agriculture sector. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has also selected Nigeria as a priority country for its investment in agriculture, while the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Ford Foundation and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are providing significant technical support.

Indigenous firms Nigerian companies are upbeat about taking advantage of the agricultural transformation agenda. Dansa Foods owned by Dangote Group, is establishing a tomato processing plant in Kano as well as a fruit concentrate processing plant; Famag-Jal has a large investment in Halal-certified meat processing plants in Abuja; Teragro of the Transcorp Group has invested in the processing of fruits in Benue State; and Flour Mills of Nigeria, Multitrex and Olam have all begun deploying capital to develop new agricultural operations. The Leventis Group has also embarked on new investments to revive all its previously abandoned farms and processing facilities, all due to the new reforms in the agricultural sector. Cargill, Flour Mills of Nigeria and Transcorp Group have also embarked on a major investment that will produce 250,000 MT of starch from cassava to replace all the corn starch the country currently imports, as well as new investments to produce 100,000 MT of sweeteners from cassava syrup. Similar successes include the securing of investors in pineapple concentrates in Cross River and Benue states, tomatoes in Kano, and sorghum in Borno and Jigawa. The largest manufacturer of Massey Ferguson tractors in the world, AGCO, also began operations in Nigeria in the last year, investing over $100 million in new tractor assembly plants and tractor parts and supply services in Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, Rivers, and Ogun states. Such local and international responses must have been encouraged by Federal Government's direct intervention aimed at driv-

’

ing the ATA. Government is prioritizing expanding farmers' access to financial services to allow them build their productive assets, diversify income sources, and enhance their resilience. For instance, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) established $350 million risksharing facility (NIRSAL) to reduce the risk of lending by banks to farmers and agri-businesses. The facility will leverage $3.5billion of lending from banks to agriculture. It will also reduce interest rates paid by farmers from 18 per cent to eight per cent.

Govt’s efforts Government is also recapitalising the Bank of Agriculture to lend at single-digit interest rates to farmers, while the Ministry is working with Germany's KfW to create an impact investment fund for agricultural finance, with the goal of injecting the equivalent of $130-260 million in capitalisation. Fourteen high-production food areas (or Staple Crop Processing Zones) have been designated by government to benefit from efforts aimed at creating an enhanced climate for attracting further investment. Concentrating on higher-value crops and regions with existing markets, government is working to generate opportunities for the private sector through infrastructure upgrades, incentives and a favorable regulatory environment. For example, the Ministry attracted a $40 million investment in commercial rice production in Taraba State from the US agri-investment company Dominion Farms. Dominion has already commenced its operations and is investing on 30,000 ha of land, with young commercial farmers in what is hoped will enable the substitution of about 15 per cent of imported rice imported. Thirteen new private-sector mills have also been established in the last 12 months, buying and processing local paddy. The total capacity of the new mills is 240,000 MT. Local rice has been rolled out into the market on a commercial scale by Ebony Rice, Ashi Rice, Mikap Rice and Umza Rice, with its high quality, taste and price helping to replace imported rice. To ensure that Nigeria has industrial capacity in place for international quality grade milled rice that can compete with imports, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance have concluded arrangements to facilitate the acquisition of 100 large-scale integrated rice mills, with a total capacity of 2.1 million MT to be located across the country and owned and operated by the private sector. As a consequence, for the first time in Nigeria's history, the country will have the potential to mill sufficient rice to replace all current imports, as well as become an exporter of finished rice to other African countries, opening up significant opportunities.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

THE NATION JULY 14, 2014

THE NATION

BUSINESS INSURANCE

NAICOM releases firms’ quarterly reports T

HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has stepped up its regulatory duties by releasing information on insurance companies’ financials to the public and has begun release of insurance firms’ quarterly reports. The Nation learnt that the development is to end the dearth of timely collation of data that has befallen the Nigerian insurance sector as a result of late submission of annual returns by the companies. At present, the commission is working round the clock to provide accurate data of 2012 and 2013 for the sector. Some companies are also yet to get approval for their 2012 financials. On this list is one of the big composite insurance companies, NICON Insurance Plc. Others are Investment and Allied Insurance Plc, a company under NAICOM’s management, Goldlink Insurance Plc, whose management was sacked by the regulator and undergoing reforms, Alliance and General Insur-

•Law Union & Rock, Standard Alliance fail to submit Stories by OmobolaTolu-Kusimo

ance Company Limited, whose management dragged the regulator to court to contest alleged financial recklessness levelled against the company and the distressed Spring Life Assurance Limited. Apparently, only 16 companies were able to submit their financial reports for the year ended December 31, 2013 as at end of June, 2014 deadline as mandated by Insurance Law 2003. Presently, the submission status of 2013 financial statements of insurance companies as at July 9, released by NAICOM showed that 19 firms have gotten approval for their 2013 financial reports while 19 have submitted but are yet to get approval. Twenty-one are however yet to submit their reports. Based on insurance laws, the companies that have failed to meet the deadline are to pay N5,000 fine for each day they remain in breach of

the law. In a statement by Assistant Director, Corporate Communications, NAICOM, Mr. Salami Rasaaq, to the public on “companies that submitted first quarter financial returns,” out of the 59 existing firms, 10 companies failed to submit their QI financials while 49 submitted. He disclosed that the 10 non-compliant firms are Alliance & General Insurance Life Limited, AIICO Insurance Plc, Industrial & General Insurance Limited; Lasaco Life Assurance; Law union & Rock Insurance Plc; NICON Insurance Limited, Standard Alliance Insurance Plc, Unic Insurance Plc, Investment & Allied Insurance Plc and Spring Life Assurance Limited. Salami gave the names of compliant firms as African Alliance Insurance Plc; A & G Insurance Company Plc; ARM Life Insurance Ltd, Capital Express Assurance Ltd, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Con-

tinental Reinsurance Plc; Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Custodian & Allied Insurance Ltd, Custodian Life Assurance Ltd; Equity Assurance Plc; FBN Life Assurance Limited, Fin Insurance Company Limited and Goldlink Insurance Plc, Guinea Insurance Plc, International energy Insurance Plc, KBL Insurance Limited and Lasaco Assurance Plc. Others include: “Leadway Assurance Company Ltd, Linkage Assurance Plc; Mansard Insurance Plc, Mutual Benefit Life Assurance Ltd, NEM Insurance Plc, Niger Insurance Plc; Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation Ltd, Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation, NSIA Insurance Ltd, Oasis Insurance Plc, Old Mutual Nigeria Insurance Company Ltd, Old Mutual Nigeria Life Assurance Ltd, Prestige Assurance Plc; Regency Alliance Insurance Plc, Royal Exchange Prudential Life, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Staco Insurance Plc, Standard Alliance Life Assur-

ance Ltd; Sterling Assurance Nigeria Ltd, UBA Metropolitan Life Insurance Ltd, Union Assurance Co. Ltd; Unitrust Insurance Co. Ltd, Unity Kapital Assurance Plc, Wapic Insurance Plc, and Wapic Life Assurance Ltd. “Anchor Insurance Company Ltd, Great Nigeria Insurance Plc, Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, Universal Insurance Plc, Royal Exchange General Insurance Plc, Zenith General Insurance Company Ltd and Zenith Life Assurance Company Limited.” He further stated that firms that have got approval for their 2013 financial report are Mansard, Custodian General Insurance Limited, Custodian Life Assurance Ltd,Cornerstone, Zenith Life, NSIA; FBN Life; Wapic Insurances Plc; Wapic Life Assurances; Regency Alliance, Law Union and Rock; AIICO, UBA Metropolian, Oasis; Leadway, Zenith Insurance Company Ltd, Continental Reinsurance, Niger and Sovereign Trust.

Staco pays N1.87b claims

TACO Insurance Plc paid claims of N1.87 billion in 2013, its Managing Director, Sakiru Oyefeso, has said. Oyefeso, who made this known at the Insurance Brokers Evening in Lagos, said the firm paid about N900 million claims during the first six months of the year. Oyefeso said the modest achievements recorded by the company since its establishment 20 years ago, has been possible through foresighted leadership and excellent team spirit by the staff of the company. He stressed that the company’s strength lies in its passion for high standards and prompt claims settlement, pointing out that this and the notable quality services delivery by the company every time, has enabled it to win numerous awards in the recent past. Our vision is to be a world class provider of insurance and other financial services and we pursue this vision vigorously.” He called on insurance operators

to take insurance to the grassroots in order to increase the level of insurance penetration and density in the country, He said: “We must all reckon with the fact that the insurance industry has remained underdeveloped because we have over the years placed more emphasis on large government and corporate accounts, leaving the grassroots unattended to. “This is not the case in advanced countries where insurance is the way of life and the last hope of all citizens. The efforts of our regulator in deepening insurance penetration by introducing the six compulsory insurances and anchoring sustained campaigns should be supported by other key stakeholders like underwriters, brokers and loss adjusters. “We, as insurance marketers need to evolve strategies, structures and capabilities to ensure that we align our selling processes with the latest technology in order not to lose significant income to technological advancement.”

Industry faces high-impact emerging risks: Swiss Re

LOUD computing security, a contagious emerging markets financial crisis, a eurozone crisis leading to deflation, short-termism of macroeconomic policy measures and a significant increase in air pollution are among the high-impact emerging risks facing the insurance industry, according to a report by Swiss Re Ltd. The Swiss Re sigma report, published recently, outlines 26 emerging risks relevant to nonlife and life insurance and classifies them as high-impact, medium-impact or low-impact. The report was compiled using Swiss Re’s SONAR tool, which uses the company’s internal risk management expertise to identify and evaluate emerging risks. Medium-impact risks outlined in the report include: concussion risk in sports; consumer use of genetic testing; digital slander; potential health and safety issues surrounding e-cigarettes; increased financial consumer protection regulation;

changes from closed to open business models; food and water safety issues arising from companies’ focus on growth; secession risks in Europe; one-size-fits-all regulation; the threat to rubber production from plant pathogens; health risks associated with aluminium; socalled smart cities; demographic inclusion in the workplace; and urban farming. Swiss Re said that low-impact risks include epigenetics, or the study of heritable genetic changes not caused by changes to the DNA sequence; a move to 4-D from 3-D printing; and possible technological changes triggered by the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. “The future is not a simple linear extrapolation of the past,” said David Cole, group chief risk officer at Swiss Re, in a statement. “Rather it is characterized by rapid and continuous change, thus looking back and extrapolating past experiences into the future is not sufficient to assess tomorrow’s exposure.”

• Immediate past President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Alhaji Fatai Kayode Lawal (right) and National Missioner, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdur-Rahmad Ahmad during the Ramadan Lecture organised by the institute in Lagos.

Operators urged to uphold virtues

IRTUES as enshrined in the holy books will enable insurance practitioners contribute positively to the development of the economy, Associate Professor, Department of Religious and Peace Studies, Lagos State University Dr LateefAdetona has said. He spoke at the yearly Ramadan Tafsir (Lecture) organised by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) in Lagos. The event, second in the series, provided the platform for exchange of ideas on issues pertinent to sociocultural and political harmony. Delivering the lecture titled: ‘Towards rebuilding a serene society: An ideal Muslim Home to the rescue’, Adetona admonished

the participants comprising Muslims and Christians, to strive for harmony in their homes in line with the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Dr. Adetona called upon the listeners to entrench the teachings of the Holy Prophet in their everyday lives, stating that societal peace originates from the home. The CIIN Ramadan Tafsir also featured a lecture titled: ‘In the Spider’s Web’. It was delivered by the National Missioner, AnsarUd-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdur-Rahmad Ahmad. The lecture created a parallel between the Spider’s Web and the trappings of modern civilisation. Sheikh Abdur-Rahman also called on Muslims to avoid aping the lifestyles of other cultures and civilisations to the detriment of

their moral and spiritual well-being. The Chairman of the event, Prof M. A. Bidmos of the Department of Art and Social Sciences Education, University of Lagos, lauded the efforts of the CIIN in putting together the event to share and enhance knowledge of Insurance Practitioners. President CIIN Bola Temowo, who was represented by his predecessor Mr. FataiKayodeLawal, promised to sustain the event yearly as it is helping the spiritual well-being of members. The event was attended by CIIN Governing Council members, chief executives of insurance firms, CIIN members, members of the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) and friends of the insurance industry.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

MOTORING

Jaguar XF introduces new car

HE new Jaguar XF mediumsized executive is now available in all of Jaguar Land Rover sub-Sahara Africa’s markets, boasting more ground-breaking technology such as Extended Navigation. This feature, which combines two separate mapping packages offered for the first time as a single, integrated solution, will give Jaguar XF drivers an unprecedented trans-border navigation capability, allowing for safe and efficient travel across Africa. According to the Operations Director of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), Nigel Clarke, “The XF continues to offer a compelling blend of style, perfor-

Stories by Tajudeen Adebanjo

mance and refinement, and the changes effected from MY14.5 – as these updates are known internally – it remains a car which will appeal to those who are used to the finer things in life. “For these people, their time is one of the most important commodities and with Extended Navigation, they can use time even more efficiently by getting straight to where they want to go, with minimal delay thanks to exceptional intuitiveness and usability, not to mention an impressive array of features.” As well as Extended Navigation, the MY14.5 introduces additional

convenience features; including Rear Park Aid for Luxury derivatives, and Reverse Park Camera for Premium Luxury derivatives. All 3.0-litre diesel and 3.0-litre petrol models boast a rear spoiler as standard. This rear spoiler will be offered as an option on the 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol models, while a full aerodynamic – which adds a revised front bumper, black grille with chrome surround, bodycoloured rear valance and ‘R’ Style side sills – is also available. The Black Pack – available as a standalone or in addition to the Aero pack – adds further gravitas thanks to the gloss black side window surrounds, black grille/grille

surround and black bootlid garnish. As far as the interiors are concerned, Premium Luxury models can be enhanced with the Sport Pack; comprising heated and cooled electrically-adjustable (with a dual-position memory for the driver) sports seats in soft grain leather, bright stainless steel pedals, and Jet Morzine treatment for the headlining and the roof pillars. A number of sound system and interior veneers are also available as well as a television tuner. The MY14.5 XF range comprises eight models, with a choice of four engines – two turbodiesels (2.2-li-

Ford unveils Figo Concept

ORD Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) will give a glimpse of its vision for a new global B-segment compact car, in the form of the Ford Figo Concept, at the inaugural Go Further event in Johannesburg,. Highlighting premium design along with smart and safety features, the concept vehicle provides an indication of the design language to be used in a future version of the popular Figo. It is also confirmed that a production version of the Figo Concept is planned for South African and Sub-Saharan African (SSA) markets; however details and specifications have yet to be confirmed. Ford aims to set new standards for quality and craftsmanship in the B-segment, and exceed the expectations of consumers in emerging markets. Ford SSA Vice president for Marketing, Sales and Service, Mark Kaufman, said: “We don’t want consumers to have to compromise

•Jaguar XF

KIA Motors wins award at exhibition

IA Motors has won the Most Admired Car Exhibition Award at the Silverbird Auto Exhibition in Abuja. The auto giant showcased its latest achievements and technological advancements in its brand at the exhibition. KIA Motors paraded its award winning brand of vehicles that have continued to increase its market acceptance in the automobile industry. The strong consumer percep-

tion of KIA vehicles in the automotive markets has helped drive the brand’s success to earn top honour among rival brands. Following this suit, visitors at the fair again experienced the vehicles’ technical excellence, exceptional style and product culture at a zero distance to form unique memory of the KIA brands. With KIA Motors’ milestone achievements in the automobile industry, the company led the exhibition with game-changing cars that

push the horizons of their respective segments. The eye-catching and strengthened model lineup of KIA motors at the fair redefined the very best in automobile designs with the combination of aesthetically beautiful exterior styling that thrilled and stirred the emotions of customers. KIA Motors brought to the attendees and general public, designs and developments to reflect the huge potential and imagination in the automotive technology to stimulate

tre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6), a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with 177kW, as well as the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with 250kW and 450Nm. The flagship of the range is the V8engined XFR-S (405kW), offering a blend of exceptional performance along with superb dynamic ability. The 375 kW XFR remains available. “The XF range has been the Jaguar brand’s mainstay for a number of years and with this latest round of changes will continue to do so. Extended Navigation is especially significant in the sub-Saharan markets, where it will give us a unique selling proposition,” Clarke said.

infinite experiences and continuously increase market share with innovative and high-tech KIA brands. One of the vehicles showcased at the event was the KIA Quoris, the flagship super luxury sedan that is executed with passion and perfection to afford uncannily lively driving dynamics with a level of pure luxury that’s unsullied by an obsession with bells and whistles that tend to define more common highend models these days

when it comes to choosing modern design, value, safety, and technology in their cars. Figo Concept offers all of the above in a package that would surprise many.” Building on Ford’s compact car offerings, the Figo Concept illustrates how Ford plans to face growing global demand for compact vehicles. Despite its rapid growth, the compact car segment will remain highly competitive as increasingly savvy buyers look for ways to make their money go further. “Increasingly we are seeing everybody – from first time buyers to families looking at their second or third car – demanding more from their cars,” says Kaufman. “With the Figo Concept we explore the possibilities of offering fresh design, a roomy interior, as well as the latest safety and connected technologies.” With the goal of bringing unexpected levels of refinement to the compact car segment, designers created the Ford Figo Concept using design elements common to more expensive vehicles. “In designing the Figo Concept we took a no compromises approach,” says Moray Callum, Ford Motor Company’s vice president, Design. “The Figo Concept’s premium, long-lasting design was crafted from the ground up, building on Ford’s global small car expertise and success. The design is clean and elegant, to convey a sense of precision, efficiency and sophistication, and to provide our customers worldwide with the global standards of design, quality and performance they are looking for.”

VON refutes claims on vehicle price increase

ON Automobile Limited Managing Director Mr Tokunbo Aromolaran has described as baseless fragments of insinuations currently making the rounds that the implementation of the revised automotive policy could result in disproportionate price increase of vehicles. Aromolaran debunked claims of price surge, saying people naturally resist change to preserve the status quo instead of carefully studying the value chain arising from local vehicle assembly operations and

determine the immense benefits of new policy. Citing available new vehicular statistics of about 37, 500 imports to the country by May 2014, representing 72 per cent of annual imports, Aromolaran said price increase at this time would be spontaneous, uncalled-for and inexcusable. “The easiest campaign launched against the policy was the propaganda that it will lead to price escalation, unknown to critics that tariff was only used as a tool to

redirect incentives to the valueadding segment that is germane to the success of Nigeria industrial revolution agenda,” he said. Also dismissing critics’ allegations of infrastructural inadequacy, Aromolaran said: “No nation has had to wait until its infrastructures are in place to venture into production, remarking that resources are only channelled to areas where the country has comparative advantage, which when diligently developed could make it competitive.”

He recalled that the Federal Government was pre-emptive of the fall-out of the policy initiative and had introduced measures to cushion the effect of an adjustment in tariff of imported and locally produced vehicles with recourse to price. “At first, government delayed the implementation of the policy by six months to allow importers adjust their plans and afterwards extended the implementation of tariff on used vehicles to December 2014 to allow more inventories berth and

consequently drive down prices of vehicles,” he said. Similarly, some members of NAMA such as Stallion Nissan Motors Nigeria Limited had announced the commencement of ‘B’ segment compact sedan – Nissan Almera in May 2014 while Hyundai Motors Nigeria also proclaimed the beginning of production of A, B, C - segment Hyundai i10, Accent and Elantra and compact SUV iX35, all in a bid to ensure product availability and price stabilisation.

SAFE DRIVING

Road safety regulators and operators (3)

HE Governments and their agencies (including FRSC) should continue to do more of their public education or public enlightenment role which is different from the main training programme entrusted into the hands of the driving schools. All stakeholders (including driving schools) should also be involved in such public enlightenment programmes. • Governments and their gencies (including FRSC) as part of their public enlightenment

programmes should encourage and compel public and private sector organisations to regularly re-train their drivers in the driving schools that are certified to do so. • Driver retraining programmes must as much as required be accompanied with the relevant practical elements, not just theoretical training alone because vehicle technology is dynamic and changes frequently. • Without prejudice, there is a need for a good working relationship between the governments,

traffic agencies (including FRSC) and the driving schools to remove unhealthy rivalry and ensure the accomplishment of the goal of drastically reducing the rate of road crashes and fatalities in Nigeria. • Governments and their agencies (including FRSC) should take proactive steps to ensure that every learner actually learns driving in the driving schools with structured and uniform examination put in place among other measures to ensure total compliance by Nigerians.

• Governments (Federal, State and Local) must stop pushing their agencies to focus on income generation to the neglect of the safety of irreparable lives and properties. It is a sin to give life – saving organisations such as FRSC and other traffic management agencies revenue targets. There are lots of money to make in enforcement if properly and objectively done. Let us drop sentiments to save lives and valuable properties. We shall all give account to God.

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

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

THE NATION

BUSINESS JOBS

• Electric power facility

For some who were hitherto unemployed, the power sector reform is a blessing. They have been employed by the distribution and generation companies in a bid to ensure regular power supply. EMEKA UGWUANYI reports.

Reforming power sector, creating jobs A

LL is set for the hiring of fresh hands by the distribution and gen-eration companies–six months after they acquired the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The successor firms conducted a staff audit between January and March to determine those to retain among workers inherited from PHCN. At the end of the six months agreement with labour to retain the PHCN workers, the distribution companies (Discos) and their generation counterparts (Gencos) sacked those whose services were no longer required.

The disengagement created a huge employment gap. In Ikeja and Eko Electricity Distribution Companies, over 5,000 workers were laid off. The Nation learnt that the companies will employ no fewer than 1,000 workers each. About 90 per cent of them will be engineers and technicians. The Nation also learnt that the companies concluded employment of the first batch last month as part of measures to keep their operations running. The employment of the second batch, it was learnt, will begin next month. Those hired are degree and diploma holders. They will be in charge of fault clearing, repair of transformers and in-

stallation and commissioning of power equipment. An official of one of the Discos told The Nation in confidence: “We conducted staff audit in preparation for the six months agreement that we had with labour to retain former employees of PHCN, which expired by the end of April. Some of us engaged reputable auditing firms such as KPMC and PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) to carry out the exercise. The essence is to ensure transparent and professional job. The truth is that the era of family connection as a criterion to secure job in the power company is over. “In fact, the audit was purely scientific

and professional. We have decided to sieve the workforce, keep those that have the required skill, those who have the motivation to move the company to the next level, and have the operational excellence to give power to the man on the street, and disengage those without the required skills.” The Chief Executive Officers of Ikeja and Eko Electricity Distribution Companies, Abiodun Ajifowobaje, an engineer, and Dr. Oladele Amoda, told the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Privatisation and Com•Continued on page 38

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

JJOBS OBS

Reforming power sector, creating jobs •Continued from page 37

mercialisation during their oversight visits that the firms had aged workforce, which must be replaced. The other distribution companies in Ibadan, Enugu, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Benin, have also employed young engineers and technicians. President and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric (GE) Lazarus Angbazo said the company is constructing a manufacturing plant in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. The first phase of the multibillion naira project, which will manufacture power equipment, generator turbines for power plants, coaches for trains, engines for aircraft and hospital equipment, among others, is ongoing. He said GE’s engineering manufacturing plant would employ over 300 Nigerian professional engineers and technicians and ensure the training of young Nigerians through the company’s technology transfer programme. The investment, he said, was evidence that the present administration is making progress, adding that Nigeria would soon become the hub for GE’s operations in Africa.

•Angbazo

•Ajifowobaje

•Amoda

The Managing Director, Korea Electric Power Nigeria Limited, Yeom Gyoo Chull, technical partner to Sahara Energy Group, the core investor in Egbin Generation Plc, and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), told reporters during a facility tour that the management has been discussing on transformation of the plant and the workers. The strategy that is to restore Egbin to its fully built capacity of 1320Mw this year and build more turbines to provide additional 1,350Mw. The additional capacity, Chull said,

would begin in the next three years, adding that on completion it, will bring the combined output to 2,670Mw. He said the target is to achieve a total capacity of over 10,000Mw in 10 years if demand allows. He said: “I represent the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and we are proud to be involved in the power reforms through a Joint Venture between Korean Electric Power Corporation and Energy Resource Limited - managers of the Egbin Power station and New Electricity Distribution Company (NEDC) - managers of

the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) both members of the Sahara Group. “We intend to collaborate with our partners in Nigeria to initially restore Egbin to its fully built capacity of 1320Mw within the year and provide additional projected capacity of 1,350Mw commencing within the next three years, thus at completion we’ll have 2,670MW, with the aim of achieving a total capacity of over 10000Mw in the next decade if the demand permits.”

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Pauline Fredericks & Co. appoints GM, restr uctures

AGOS based communications firm, Pauline Fredericks & Co. has announced the appointment of Austin Udueni and Miebi Joseph Senge as General Manager and Media Manager, respectively. Their appointment by the company followed a major restructuring and transformation, which also led to name change to

PFCAfrica. A seasoned communications expert and journalist, Udueni until recently held fort as Executive Director at JSP Communications, before he left for private consultancy business. He brings into the new PFCAfrica a wealth of experience and expertise in public relations and communications business garnered over several

years in the industry. Senge, Media Manager, is a core journalist and a communications professional with a strong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Sports flair. He heads the company’s media operations. Until recently, Senge was acting head, ICT Desk, Vanguard and Managing Editor, Communication Week.

He also worked with a Lagos based Public Relations (PR) firm, XLR8 Ltd as Communications Executive, where he was part of managing communications direction team for several blue chip companies in Nigeria. According to a statement by the company, as GM Udueni who has since resumed at its high brow Victoria Island, Lagos office,

“drives the business as Chief Operating Officer (COO), while Senge leads the media team.” The statement said: “We are set to break new grounds in the industry and redefine the communications business in Nigeria and across Africa. We are confident in our vision and delighted with the team we have in place and the expertise of its leadership.”

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Making the best of newspaper job advertisements Y OU need to have a job search strategy to guide the search. And that a key element is that you need to have good quality job leads in the largest quantity possible. To achieve this you need to be proactive, taking steps to generate the leads, and to pursue them systematically. Vacancy announcement in newspapers is the most obvious and most easily tapped of all job leads. It gives you the number in a relatively short time and most probably with little effort and expense. This it is the main strategy for most job seekers, and it is okay if you pursue this avenue for job searching. But just keep this in mind: the odds are stacked high against you. For the fact that it is a means obvious to all job seekers, it cannot be an effective or efficient means of job search. Whenever you respond to an advert, regardless of your qualifications, you are playing the game of numbers, with the odds against you. See, the truth is that the vast majority of job opening never get advertised in the newspaper. On the other hand, there are people who believe that vacancy announcement are absolutely useless or are distrustful of them. They do not consider it all in their job strategy. They feel that most adverts are ruse, placed to “justify all righteousness”. Fortunately, this too, is largely incorrect. Adverts are expensive,

By Olu Oyeniran

and most companies cannot afford that kind of money just to play games. And they not require “due process” in their recruitment process. As a matter of fact, most employers place adverts after they have exhausted other means (believed to be better) like referrals, unsolicited adverts, internal promotions, etc. Even where some manager ‘have their own candidate’, it is not impossible for you to upstage such a candidate during the recruitment process if you are really good. Believe me companies can hardly resist taking exceptional candidates revealed during then selection process. So play the game, just keep the odds in view. And in playing the game, we will advise the following:

• Follow the job vacancy announcements closely, but do not allow them to dominate your job hunt campaign. Keep in mind that what the ads reveal to you us just a small slice of the Nigeria job market. • Search for vacancy announcement everywhere. The obvious are the national newspapers. Do not restrict ourselves to one popular for job adverts or professional/ specialist magazines and newsletters alone. Enlist help of close friends and family members who

have access or better access to newspapers. Tell them to be on the look out for you- get more 99 eyes for ‘full network coverage’!

• Be systematic and thorough when you are searching for job leads in the newspapers and magazine. Get a sense early on of the different headings under which job leads of interest to you may appear. And don’t base on purely job titles. A job described as Executive Assistant may in fact be a standard secretarial position. And a Personal Assistant to the managing director may require an individual who is sales – oriented, or manufacturing-oriented or finance –oriented. • Develop a system to allow you to keep track of all the ads you respond to (dates of publication and application, the CV sent- (if you have more than one), the position – if there are many positions you could have applied for etc. Develop a routine fro vacancy announcement search for job leads. • Keep in mind that if takes between six weeks and 12 weeks (sometimes six months) to fill a job of substance. Usually the bigger the job, the longer they look in most companies. So if you are really qualified, send in late application. • Keep a record of all correspondence received from employers- invitations letters, refusals, forms,

applications etc.

• Since pursuing job leads through job vacancy announcement is a number game, the general principal is for you to respond to any advertisement that sounds interesting. However, there is a caveat; if you are currently working, tread carefully where blind ads (ads where the advertiser is not adequately identified) are concerned. It may end on the desk of your employers friend, or worse still, on the table of your boss (don’t laugh)

• Do not allow the qualifications listed in the advert intimidate you. Usually they are put there to limit responses. You may respond to an advert that requires a “number of three years experience” if you have just one year experience. Just work on your covering letter to sound convincing, or stress you outstanding qualities, but don’t forget to point not your “deficiency”. • If the listed salary is somewhat below your set target, but the job looks like the one you will enjoy, apply. Similarly, if the job does not sound exactly exciting, but the company sounds interesting, apply. They are both a foot in the door. You will never know all about a job until you are have had an interview. • It should not be out of place to say again that your CV/resume

must be exceptional. Ideally, your CV should “this is a candidate we must talk to concerning this job opening.“ So the targeted resume will use the vacancy announcement detail to tailor it to the requirements as stated by the employers. That is amongst other things that make your resume exceptional. In addition, your covering letter, or more conventionally, application letter, must play well its crucial role of customising you CV and/or making your it a must read. It must stand you out. EkiniConsult & Associates is organising three free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 080-8384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free eBook only. •Oyeniran is Lead Consultant, EkiniConsult & Associates. He can be reached on Jobsearchhow.com.ng Tel 08083843230 (SMS Only).

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

BUSINESS

Hard times for geologists as mining boom busts

FTER 25 years working around the world as a highly paid geologist earning a sixdigit salary, Phil Scheimer is back in Australia weighing up his future prospects: day labourer or pizza delivery man. The collapse of the global mining boom is decimating the ranks of working geologists. With little chance of employment, many are being forced into unwanted career changes to pay the bills. Thousands of South African mine workers have returned to work after wage deals were signed with platinum producers. "I just want the phone to ring and for someone to say we've got work for you, any work," says Scheimer from his home in Perth, a city in west-

ern Australia that rode the mining boom over the past decade but is now facing tens of thousands of people returning from mining camps jobless. While scores of truck drivers, equipment operators, mechanics and other mining staff have also seen their numbers pared, geologists are among the hardest hit as companies abandon exploration and concentrate on working existing mines. "Times are dire," said Perth-based geology consultant Wendy Corbett. "I have been in the exploration industry for 41 years and this is the worst I have ever seen it." A second unemployed geologist, who has explored for nickel in Australia and Africa, said he had recently

completed a three-day barista's course and hoped for a steady paycheck after interviewing with a Sydney coffee house. He declined to be identified. At the height of the mining boom, which largely insulated commodities-driven economies like Australia's from the global financial crisis, miners such as BHP Billiton , Rio Tinto and Anglo American, paid handsomely for geologists like Scheimer to find more iron ore, coal and copper to sell to fastindustrialising China. Senior geologists working in Australia's outback could typically command salaries upwards of A$200,000 ($188,000 U.S.) a year, while newcomers with as little as one year's experience earned roughly half that.

• From left: Chief Corporate Services Officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Lee-Ann Cassie, Head, Regulatory Affairs, Ibrahim Dikko and Corporate Service Executive at MTN, Akinwale Goodluck at the 75th Telecoms Consumer Parliament at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

Tight regulation, others cripple U.S. banks

MAJOR engine for profits at the largest United States (U.S.) banks is sputtering as tranquil markets and increasing regulation squeeze trading revenues. A new round of bank earnings kicks off Friday with a second-quarter report from Wells Fargo & Co. and continues next week with a parade of trading heavyweights, including Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Analysts believe that banks experienced loan growth in the quarter and had few bad loans to grapple with, but the overall environment remained challenging. The end result is a lacklustre quarter: Only two of the largest U.S. banks, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley, are expected to post profit growth over a year ago, according to analysts sur-

veyed by Bloomberg LP. Revenues from trading - an area that once powered profits - continued to slump. Some banks have already braced investors for bad news. In May, Citigroup chief financial officer John Gerspach said he expected trading revenue to decline 20 to 25 per cent in the second quarter compared with a year earlier. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has predicted a 20-per-cent decline. The revenue drops may not end up as severe as banks forecast earlier in the quarter, but they nevertheless point to a deeper shift in how major financial institutions generate profit. The decline in trading revenues is driven by both shorter-term and longer-term factors - and there's a robust debate about whether a turnaround is likely. The more immediate cause is the

current quietude that prevails in financial markets, where measures of volatility and trading volume have fallen in recent months. For the units of banks devoted to trading fixed income, currencies and commodities, it is a time of deathly calm. "There is a general complacency out there," said Charles Peabody, a banking analyst at Portales Partners in New York. "People feel like there's no reason to change their positions." The more fundamental factor at play is the restructured regulatory landscape. Banks have jettisoned the trading desks that transacted for their own benefit, as required by the so-called "Volcker rule." In good times, such units minted money for their respective banks. Meanwhile, regulations have also forced banks to lower leverage and made some types of trading less profitable.

Philips showcases LED lighting

OYAL Philips, the global leader in lighting, has unveiled a lighting makeover of the well-renowned National Arts Theatre in Lagos, as part of its fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town road show. Philips has installed its latest range of red, green, blue (RGB) LED luminaires around the National Theatre complex, emphasising the beauty of the structure and cutting energy consumption by about 80 per cent as compared to the existing conventional lighting. Philips' concept is focused on highlighting the significance of this iconic building as an architectural masterpiece and as a source of national pride to Nigeria, and in so doing assist with the buildings energy saving performance. The new Philips lighting will transform the theater façade, while illuminating the distinctive, memorable and eye-catching mass and

By Alvin Afadama

structure. The visual lighting concept will provide the building with an imposing look in the Lagos skyline. Speaking on the occasion, its Chief executive Officer, West Africa. Abdallah Hussein, said: "The spectacular lighting of the National Arts Theatre demonstrates the incredible advances that are being made in the efficiency and beauty of LED illumination. LED lighting innovations provide completely new opportunities to policy makers and governments to enhance city beautification and at the same time contribute to energy saving. We are extremely proud to see how Philips' lighting solutions are contributing to improving the attractiveness of this stunning architectural marvel while reducing energy consumption in Nigeria."

The National Arts Theatre is a cultural landmark located at Iganmu, in the heart of Lagos. It is the primary center for the performing arts in Nigeria and, as such, is considered a monument and a celebrated icon within Lagos. Covering an area of about 23,000 square metres and standing well over 31 metres tall, the multipurpose National Theatre was established for the preservation, presentation and promotion of Arts and Culture in Nigeria. It is a sophisticated building which acts as a rallying point for both Nigerian and international artistes wishing to share experience with their Nigerian counterparts. The National Arts Theatre is already a popular attraction in the city, with thousands of visitors annually. The spectacular Philips LED lighting is likely to further improve the tourism value of the monument.

Issues Lafarge has not answered

AFARGE’s recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos at which it secured approval for its proposals, in what it termed, its new vision, approved by shareholders, indeed leaves much to be desired. This is more so in an era in which the global business community is not only preaching, but also enthroning Global Corporate Governance principles. If it were a local Nigerian business , one would shrug it off, but not a multi national with interests in the leading economies. This short piece should not be seen as an indictment but a call to more transparency and disclosures in the running of businesses to engender the confidence of investors. Before the AGM, a lot of issues, some of which have been subject of discussions in the corporate arena, have dogged the company, not only in Nigeria, but also in its subsidiaries elsewhere. Strident moves to sweep the issues under the carpet have failed, given that the resolution of the issues, or failure to do so, leaves a dent on the image of the company, or any organisation for that matter. More so, that it expects to go the market to raise funds to consolidate its operations in Nigeria. This is why the investing public is concerned. One of the issues that Lafarge has failed to address, or explain to its shareholders, in addition to the most recent regarding cement quality, dates back to 2001, or thereabout. It is on its resolve, which it may have now achieved through its AGM last week, to foist on its Nigerian minority shareholders, an overvalued asset. The asset, or plant, is based in its South African Holding. It was first advertised for sale in 2001 for $800 million. Ordinarily that transaction ought to have been a foregone conclusion. Curiously, thirteen years after, the same equipment, having failed to find buyers in the international market, is now offered for acquisition by its Nigerian subsidiary, Lafarge WAPCO Plc. The issue at stake is not the object of the sale. Any company can decide to dispose-off its assets as it deems fit, but the curious part of the transaction that intrigues the Nigerian minority shareholders and for which many of them

By Rotimi Ladega

are up-in-arms, albeit under cover, is why the equipment should cost $400million more than its estimated price more than a decade ago? “Lafarge should, at least explain to the Nigerian shareholders why it could not dispose-off the equipment since 2001, and why the the equipment has been revalued to above $1.3billion after so many years of usage, or being idle,” queried a shareholder, who asked not to be identified. He said the deal which has been concretised, leaves shareholders with what one of them termed, “an excess luggage,” given that the full value of the equipment, its bloated price notwithstanding, must be borne by all shareholders. The concern of the Nigerian shareholders who obviously are weighing the impact of the transaction on their ROI (Return On Investment), calls for redress. As they rightly observed, this move by Lafarge would have taken a large chunk of money out of its Nigerian shareholders, by grossly over-estimating the value of the assets. In addition, the return on the assets would be much lower than the Nigerian shareholders are enjoying currently. From their own calculation, the projected revenue from this line of investment, would not exceed $493million. Overall, the Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA), will come up to about 22.6 per cent, while Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) margin will average 18.2 per cent. One cannot therefore blame the indigenous investors for kicking, for they would eventually end up paying an inflated price for the assets, which eventually will result in much lower yield than they are currently enjoying. With its new size and market capitalisation of about $3billion (about N568billion), the new company, Lafarge Africa Plc to be listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange soon, such a firm with its international status, would be expected to address the issues so far raised so that it can be properly admitted into the circle of Global Corporate Governance players and assuage the feelings of its Nigerian minority shareholders. • Ladega is a financial Consultant

Blue Gate launches air conditioners, others

LUE Gate has launched another product into the market. Speaking with the Business Development Manager (Air Conditioner) on their foray into home appliances, Mr. Rolland Emuobor, he said the Blue Gate Air Conditioner is borne out of the need to offer the right and needed qualities in an AC specially configured to suit the local power and environmental conditions. He emphasised that Blue Gate Air Conditioners are built with innovative Low Voltage Technology (LVT) that consume about 70 per cent less energy for optimum performance even in areas of low voltage supply. This optimised COP (coefficient of performance) also helps in reducing electric bills. He explained that the Blue Gate AC's comes with a Wide Input Voltage window (170V-260V) to withstand power fluctuations. Speaking further, Mr. Emuobor enumerated other features of the Blue Gate Air Conditioners, to in-

clude power surge protection, lowest noise performance, auto restart functions, heat-exchange efficiency and timer function that allow users set the AC to desired runtime. "It also comes with a strong and durable rotary compressor, Special Fin treated anti-corrosion outdoor unit and a Highly Efficient Internal Thread Copper pipe as against aluminium pipe common in many other air conditioners,” he said. He stressed that the Copper Pipe used in the Blue Gate Air Conditioner is unique and ideal for optimum heat transfer, which ensures rapid cooling. Blue Gate Air Conditioners come in Split Unit Series (1HP, 1.5 HP, 2 HP) and Window Unit Series (1HP, 1.5HP and 2HP) to suit the different preferences of their informed consumers. BLUE GATE Air Conditioners come with a 24month warranty on the units and complementary full installation kits and are available nationwide.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

TAXATION

Effective strategies and techniques of risk profiling of a company

ISK profiling can be defined as an evaluation of an individual or organisation’s willingness to take risks, as well as the threats to which a company or organisation is exposed. The risk profile will outline the number of risks, type of risks, and potential effect of the risks. This outline allows a business to anticipate additional costs or disruptions to operations. It also describes how those risks will affect the operational strategy of a company. Tax risk management Risk has been defined in the European Commission’s guide on risk management for tax administration (fiscal guide) as: “Anything negative that can affect the organisation’s ability to achieve its objectives.” On this basis, ascertaining the objectives of the organisation in question is critical to the question of risk management. The objectives of taxpayers and the tax administration will not be identical and will sometimes conflict, although at other times they may overlap. Corporate taxpayers may have a range of tax strategies depending on their tax philosophy. Most large corporations will want to balance profit maximisation with other objectives, which include the reduction of risks such as unsatisfactory compliance which might retain reputation and the cost of dispute to the revenue authorities. They will also want to steer clear of too much volatility a reported profit, since this is disliked by the market. What they consider to be the correct balance between these factors will depend on the overall business and risk philosophy of the board of directors as filtered through to the tax department. The risk outlined will be dealt with by internal risk management and control of decision making within the context of broader controls exercised by the company. From the perspective of tax administrators, the relevant risk is the institutional risk of the revenue authority not achieving its objective of tax collection. Four broad categories of risk for the revenue authorities and government have been identified. These are unrelated to the risk that the expected level of revenue will not be collected. They have been identified as: i. Register risk the risk that tax yield is reduced by inaccuracies in tax registration; ii. Filling risk - the risk that the tax yield will be reduced by failure of taxpayers to file their returns; iii. Payment risk - failure to pay amount due; and iv. Declaration risk - where returns are incorrect due to errors or a deliberate act. All these risks have to be tackled with limited resources so those resources must be allocated efficiently to where they will have the best impact. It is the last of these risks which is of greatest importance in relation to large corporate taxpayers. The majority of corporations will wish to ensure that they have good systems in place for reporting and paying the tax which they believe is properly due within the law. The key risk for the tax authority lies in system failures and also in the areas of uncertainty and lack of agreement in relation to the amount tax payable. In this context, the risk borne by the tax authorities may be considered by them to include the risk of what the fiscal guides calls “barely legitimate tax avoidance.” There will be grey areas where the corporate taxpayer may believe that its actions are within the law but where the revenue authority takes a different view. There is a risk to revenue authorities of collecting less tax than they expected on their interpretation of the law, even if their interpretation comes out to be incorrect according to the court. It may be seen by the tax authority as creating a tax gap. Component of risk profiling for a company to be observed by the tax officer. 1.0 Background information: This is the basic information considered by the tax officer. Tin Number e.g. 00000001-00 Name of Company e.g International Nigeria Limited Turnover e.g N42,373,115,000 Registered Address e.g. Km 16, Yasmin road/ Halifa Express Way, Dutse, JIgawa. Date of Incorporation e.g. August 29, 1995 Date of commencement e.g. November 1, 1995 Nature of Business e.g. Provision of oil field transit and supply base facilities to the oil and gas Industry. Accounting Date e.g. December 31 Accounting Year e.g. January 1 – December 31, Share Capital (Authorised and Issued) YOA e.g. 2012 2011 Director’s Report Attached Yes Auditors Report Attached Yes Last Tax Audit e.g. 2008 – 2010 YOA (Criminal Investigation) 1.1 Auditor & Tax Consultants Auditor Khairat Muhd & Co. Address 6th Floor, Sadiq House, 15b Muhd Abubakar Street, Gwarmai. Phone 234 (1) 22222222 Email khrrrrrrrrr@yahoo.com Change of Auditor No Old Auditor No Date of Change No Tax Consultant Khairat Muhd & Co. Address 6th Floor, Sadiq House, 15b Muhd Abubakar Street, Gwarmai. Phone 234 (1) 22222222 Email khrrrrrrrrr@yahoo.com Change of tax consultant No. Old Tax Consultant No.

Risk Items 1.Dateofcommencementofbusiness:Thismeans,thedatethecompany started operations 2. Size of business: This means the capacity of the business in terms of turnover, level of tax assessed, number of staff, number of branches and or subsidiaries 3.Changeintaxconsultant: Thismeanswhetheracompanyhaschanged the existing tax consultant to another one e.g. from Muhd & Co. to Abba & Co. 4. Change in auditors: This means whether a company has changed the existing auditor to another one e.g. From Zarewa & Co. To Yesmin & Co. 5. Qualification in audit report: Any report called qualified audit report means that the report is not acceptable for tax return purposes. Therefore, the analysis should indicate the qualification or otherwise of the report. 6. Accounting system computerised: This is to indicate whether the company is using of computerised system of accounting records or not 7. Accounting system manual: This is to indicate whether the accounting system of the company is manually computed or not 8. Taxpayer’s compliance submission of returns (timeliness):- this is to indicate whether the taxpayer is complying with submission of tax returns as and when due. 9. Result of previous tax audit exercise (additional taxes): this means to indicate whether a tax audit exercise was taken in previous years or not. 10. (I) Cost of sales =opening stock + purchase – closing stock or cost of sales = purchases. Therefore, cost of sale turnover= Cost of sales/turnover x 100/1 = % (II) Tax assessed Turnover = Tax assessed/Turnover x 100/1 = % (III) Equity Debt Ratio = equity/debt X 100/1 = % Equity: - means anything belonging to owners of the business Total Debt: - long time liability + current liability (IV) Net profit Turnover = net profit/turnover x 100/1 = % (v) Current asset/Current liability = current assets/current liabilities X 100/1 =% (VI) Liquid Assets ratio or acid test ratio = current assets-stock/current liabilities x 100 /1 = % (VII) Gearing Ratio = Equity Ratio. Therefore, Gearing Ratio = Equity/Assets x 100/1 = % Turnover This is to ascertain whether there is a change in the level of turnover between the last year and the year under review; and to determine the level of changes thereon in percentages. Also compare the business turnover with the industrial average. Cost of Sales/Direct Cost This is to ascertain whether there is a change in the level of cost of sales between the previous year and the current year and the level of changes thereon. Also to compare the business cost of sales and that of industrial average. Administrative/ Operating expenses This is to identify the changes in the administrative/operating expenses of the years and make comparism between the current year and industrial average. Operatingexpenses: (a) Total operating expenses to line of industry average: - This is to make comprises with that of industry average. (b) Salary and wages to line of industry average: - This is to make comprises with that of industry average. (c) Interest on loan/bank charges to line of industry average: - This is to make comprises with that of industry average. (d) Repairs and maintenance to line of industry average: - This is to make comprises with that of industry average. 11. Debtors & Creditors Does the company have high amounts of debtors and creditors in it accounts for the period under review? The gross amounts may increased by some per cent of the previous years’ figure. Related party transaction Does the company have huge amounts stated in the debtor and creditors figure as amounts owing and due to associated company. If yes the figures should be critically reviewed as this might be a means to transfer fund to associated companies. Level gearing position Gearing ratio for the company should be computed to discover whether the debt/ liabilities owed by the company far exceeds the capital employed for the all years in the period under review. This might indicates that the company rely on huge borrowings or advances from third parties or related parties to carry out its operation. This might spell doom to the company in future and also loss of revenue to the FIRS if outstanding taxes are not collected soonest. 12. Company management • Mgt by owners: This is to indicate whether the company is managed by owners of the business or not. • Mgt by others: - this is to indicate whether the company is managed by others or not. • Change in mgt: This is to indicate whether there is change in management of the company who manage the activities of the company. • Loan to directors: This is to indicate if there is any loan g• If PLC: - This is to indicate whether the company is PLC (public limited company) or not.

• Acting Executive Chairman, FIRS, Alhaji Kabir

Mohammed Mashi • If LTD: This is to indicate whether the company is LTD (limited by share) or not. 13. General Opinion express on Account: This is for the Risk profiler to express general opinion on the account based on the various analysis he/she has made. 14. Conclusion: This is for the Risk profiler to make a conclusion based on the analysis been made. Ratio analysis Year of Assessment e.g. 2012 Current Ratio Current Asset e.g. 24,059,240,000 Current Liability 15,969,982,000 = 1.5 (1.5:1) Based on the above result, the company may be in a position to meet its current liability over a short period of time. Tax Payable Ratio Tax Payable e.g. 1,121,336,405 x 100 Turnover 42,373,115,000 =2.7% The tax payable by the company is inadequate compared to the turnover it generated. Cost of Sales Ratio Cost of Sales e.g. 30,952,666,000 x 100 Turnover 42,373,115,000 = 73% This indicates that the company expends 73% of its turnover on direct cost. This is an indication of inefficient cost management by the company. It should be critically reviewed. Gross Profit Ratio Gross Profit e.g. 11,420,449,000 x100 Turnover 42,373,115,000 = 27% The above result shows the profit in relation to turnover after all direct costs have been deducted. Admin/ Operating Expenses Ratio Admin/ Operating Exp e.g. 7,567,902,000 x 100 Turnover 42,373,115,000 = 18% The above ratio shows that the company expended 18% of its turnover on Admin/ Operating expenses. Net Profit Ratio Net Profit e.g. 1,581,498,000 x 100 Turnover 42,373,115,000 = 4% The above ratio is an indicator of the business ability to withstand adverse conditions that may arise from several sources e.g. fall in prices, rising cost, e.t.c. Return on Investment (ROI) Operating Profit e.g. 3,852,547,000 Current Asset – Current Liability 24,059,240,000 – 15,969,982,000 = 47.6% The above result from the ratio shows that the company is able to generate adequate return on investment. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Profit before Interest& Tax e.g. 3,911,609,000 Shareholders Fund + Long-term Liability 14,344,248,000 = 27.3% This is an indication that the capital employed is able to generate adequate returns. Gearing Ratio Long-term Liabilities x 100 e.g. 61,895,177,000 x 100 Capital Employed 14,344,248,000=431.5% This indicates that the company is highly geared. The company debt/ liabilities exceed the company’s capital employed. Verification of Fixed Assets Thecompanymakepurchasesoffixedassetineachyearofassessmentandthis in turn increase capital allowance claimable by the company. Fixed assets should be physically verified to determine their existence and the cost of acquisition. References 1. Tax risk management( 2009) by I.B.F.D writing by anuschka Bakker and sander kloosterhof. 2. www.businessdistictionary.com 3. www.investope.com

THE NATION MONDAY JULY 13, 2014

•CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY

Those on the outside, if they can’t get in there, decamp to the successful party and the situation gets really confusing. One of my anxieties is that from now until the election, the country is totally on hold. Nothing is moving. The election seems to be the only business in town. The business of governance is almost in abeyance. Everything is targeted towards 2015, with all the problems on the ground. I can say that for the past six months, everything has been about 2015. INEC seems to be learning and getting better with each election, but the desperation; the winner takes all mentality; the desire to capture territory that doesn’t belong to you; to turn constituencies into battlegrounds literally and figuratively. These are the anxieties I have about 2015. President Jonathan’s administration has been severely criticised for his handling of the Boko Haram insurgency. Do you agree that he has failed? Given all that is happening around, and given how reticent he himself has been about telling the public what substantive measures he’s taking, I would have to say that he has failed. There is no way of finessing it. I would have to say that he has failed. I am appalled that after so many days after the abduction of the Chibok girls, has he summoned the parents of those girls to talk to them one on one, or summon them as a group and talk to them? Each time he’s asked, have you any message for the parents of those girls, he says: ‘I’m appealing to them to cooperate with the government.’ It’s almost as if it’s their alleged failure to cooperate that is responsible for the impasse in getting those girls back. He has not shown enough empathy towards the victims. He underestimates the size of the problem. Just because America and France came in offering help, Jonathan says with the involvement of these outside forces, we can begin to see the end of the Boko Haram insurgency. And even they now are saying that they don’t know where the girls are. These people have their own agenda. They come in, harvest data which they don’t share with you, and for use against the future. By one account there were more troops in Ekiti for the election than have been deployed in the Chibok area so far. When you take all this into consideration, you have to say that he has not shown the empathy required. He has not shown the muscle and the firepower required; that he underestimates the problem. When you take all this into account, you have to say that he has failed in this respect. People do say the art of column writing has declined over the years, despite the fact that purportedly more educated people are coming on board. What’s your comment on that? I don’t agree. At the time people like Peter Enahoro, Alade, Gbolagbo Ogunsanwo and Sam Amuka were writing, it was almost a unidirectional effort, very little feedback; maybe an occasional letter to the editor, unlike

OLATUNJI DARE @ 70

'Why I think Jonathan has failed'

•Dare now where you have text messages, social media and that kind of thing. At that time you had only five universities in the country. We didn’t have the kind of sophisticated readership that you have today. Those guys were almost like oracles. Today some of us are almost like punching bags. You’re writing for people who are at least as knowledgeable as yourself, who can take you apart. Those guys who we used to idolise in those days got away with what contemporary columnists cannot get away with. We’re dealing with a much more enlightened, much more sophisticated, and much more critical readership. So I don’t think there has been a decline in the quality or art of column writing. What’s your view of the Nigerian column reader? It’s almost an oxymoron when you talk of social media at least in the Nigerian context. It is anything but social (laughter). The amount of cursing, the amount of swearing, the violence of the language – uncouth, and they’re not even addressing the issues you raised. Whereas in most other climes – I read the rejoinders to columns in the New York Times and others – they discuss the ideas contained in the column. It has nothing to do with the personality of the writer, his ethnicity or religion. Here, we abuse, we curse to the next generation; in fact, curse five generations back in the vilest language conceivable. I heard it being discussed on TV the other day. I think it was based on a comment that Prof Wole Soyinka made, that social media in Nigeria is devoted more to abuse than to a discussion of serious issues. You’re known to have a wide network of friends, including politicians, but you are never prejudiced or inhibited in your views. What is your guiding principle? Stick as much as possible to discussing ideas and concepts. Analyse the issues and the ideas and their implications, and of course don’t sound like an oracle. Try not to sound like you know it all, that this is the only way to think about an issue. ‘This is just one way of thinking about the issue. There are other possibilities.’ Don’t get too carried away by your own arguments or by your own bril-

liance. Just say: ‘This is my take.’ Have your say and move on. Let others have their say. Try not to answer back. One of the ‘oracular’ columnists Dan Agbese who turned 70 recently had a prescription: ‘Express, but don’t try to impress’. What’s your take on that? I think it’s two sides of the same coin really. In a way it may actually be a distinction without a difference. The impression comes from the way you express yourself, rather than from a desire to show how brilliant you are. The way you handle ideas, the way you present your arguments, the way you express yourself, the way you choose the precise words – this total expression is what is going to impress the reader, not the parade of learning and quoting people and showing how encyclopedic you are. You will be 70 on July 17. How does it feel to reach this landmark age? I almost can’t believe it myself (laughter). In the 70s, there was a columnist called J.V Clinton. He was 70-years-old, and he was like a dinosaur, as if from another age altogether. People marveled at the fact that this man is 70 and was doing a column for a whole Sunday Times. Now you just mentioned my good friend and contemporary at Colombia University Dan Agbese, who’s 70. There are others approaching that age. It’s a good feeling in a country where they say the lifespan is about 50. So, it’s good to have exceeded that lifespan. But at the same time, it’s a signal that what lies ahead is far less than what you had behind you. It’s a good feeling, I’m thankful for it, that I have enjoyed good health and have remained mentally productive, but there is no escaping it. When I walk through the news room…there was a day I asked for one of the desk chiefs; they said he wasn’t around. The next day I went into the next room and somebody day ‘Hey daddy…the man you’re asking for is now around.’ I said: ‘Me? Daddy?’ (laughter). I had a visitor and he told somebody he was looking for me and the fellow was trying to be helpful. So he called another fellow and asked: ‘Do you know where

that Baba Dare has his office?’ (Laughter). Or when you meet the young men who greet you reverentially; staffers who come here and almost prostrate; girls who courtesy deeply and that kind of thing, you know that you have attained the status of a senior citizen and you had better not mess up. So one gets those reminders. Memory fades. There was a time when I used to feel that if something was worth remembering, I wasn’t likely to forget it. I had telephone numbers and all kinds of things in my head. I hardly put stuff down in writing. I said if I don’t remember it, it’s because it’s not worth remembering. Nowadays if I don’t put it down I may not remember it. That happens, but I’m consoled by the fact that as a colleague of mine who’s much older, says: ‘All those things about Alzheimer and memory getting fuzzy, if you can’t find your car key when you need it, don’t worry. It happens even to younger people. What you should worry about is when you have forgotten how to drive.’ It happens. When Alzheimer strikes, you forget so many things, like how to drive. You even forget who you are. Ronald Reagan, in his dying years, had no memory of his presidency – he was president for two terms. It is a terrible thing. Are you pleased with the country as it is now? If you’re not, how can it be salvaged? One of the things that puzzles so many Nigerians is: How can a country so richly endowed be so thoroughly messed up? All kinds of factors have been blamed for it: leadership and the unwieldy nature and structure of the country and all that. All the countries that were at the same level with us – Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea – have moved on to greater things. See where we are, we can’t even generate enough electricity. I was reading somewhere that there is platinum mine in South Africa that generates more electricity for its own internal operations than the whole of Nigeria generates for public consumption – a platinum mine. When people say no lessons have been learnt, I ask: Have any lessons been taught? Those who have hijacked the national patrimony, those who have

PHOTO: Dayo Adewunmi desecrated our value system, those who have siphoned the nation’s wealth – we make a noise and go through the motions of prosecuting; they come back to even higher offices. Abacha’s son now wants to be governor of Kano State. Fayose has been returned as governor of Ekiti State. As the Ekiti election results were unfolding, I was discussing with somebody. He said Fayose was going to sweep the whole thing. I said what about that integrated poultry project that gulped several billion naira and didn’t produce a single egg? Not one egg. The fellow laughed. He said people have forgotten, and those who haven’t forgotten don’t care. He’s back there. We don’t punish those who are found wrong, and so impunity thrives, because we don’t make an example of those who have run afoul of the law or committed some wrongdoing. So, until we get serious about punishing those who are found to have been in breach of the law; until we make examples of those who have broken the law, and we learn lessons of the past, I’m afraid we’ll continue to go round and round in ever shrinking cycles. Babangida tried to grow wheat; the thing was a disastrous failure. They’re trying to do the same thing now. Babangida banned rice. It was unsustainable. In fact, there was more rice in the country after the ban than there was before. We had motor assembly plants – Peugeot, Volkswagen, Leyland and all the rest of them. They collapsed. We’re going back to the same policy again, without even finding out why they failed, just going round and round in an ever shrinking cycle. All that can be fixed. What really, really worries me the most is the collapse of the value system. There was a time we could say this was wrong and unacceptable and everybody would agree, nobody would quibble about it. Now you cannot say that this is wrong or right. It depends on what you can get away with. If you can get away with it, it’s right. This is what really worries me. The economy you can always rebuild. When the value system collapses, it takes a generation or even longer to rebuild it. This is my worry about

all that is going on in the country now. The collapse of the value system is not being addressed, and in fact everything that is being done today further debases the value system. This is my worry. The political arrangement and the economy can be fixed, but once the value system collapses, it takes a long, long time to reestablish it. What’s your assessment of commitment to service in Nigeria? One thing that keeps the USA going, and we have little of that in this country, is volunteerism – people who volunteer for all kinds of things. ‘I still have the skills; I still have the health; I can help teach a course here, I can provide some service here and hope that my expertise will motivate others and show how things are done’ – people who don’t need the money. I was scandalised that only four people turned down they N4million that they were being offered at this constitutional conference. Many of them are millionaires. They don’t need the money. What can be greater than being asked to serve your country at a critical moment of its history? Only four out of almost 500 rejected the money. That’s a measure of the level to which the commitment to public service has sunk in this country. We had in the second republic people like Dafinone – he wasn’t even taking a salary as a Senator. He said he didn’t need it. The country has given so much to many of us and if we could just give back – let the example spread, use our knowledge, influence and try in our own little way to make things better. What are your plans after retirement? I would be interested in continuing to impart knowledge. Two, I told you earlier that I have an autistic son. The problem is more widespread than is generally realised in Nigeria. People are not aware of the extent. It is very, very widespread. I had an idea of it while I was on assignment in AddisAbaba, Ethiopia. A Nigerian diplomat there organised lunch for me. In attendance were the ambassador, myself, a Nigerian diplomat accredited to a UN agency in Rome and another Nigerian diplomat in the embassy, four of us. I was meeting them for the first time. As we were discussing, one thing led to another. It turned out that all four of us had autistic children. All four. My host said his wife couldn’t handle it, that she just ran away. She just abandoned him. The diplomat accredited to the Nigerian embassy said each time he was traveling, he had to drug his son, really drug him hard, so that he would not be active during the flight. That gave me the idea that the problem may be more widespread than is generally realised and I have seen signs of it elsewhere. The symptoms are fairly easy to recognise. There is a Nigerian Society for Autism, but I don’t know how active it is. So, one of the things I plan to be actively engaged in is spreading awareness of autism, the level in society, and using whatever little influence I may have to raise awareness, to raise funds and generally help improve the quality of life of autistic children in Nigeria. That’s one of the goals I have set for myself at retirement.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS

Wealth means good health, food, bed, says Ex-Punch chair Ogunsola Chief Ajibola Ogunsola has reasons to call up friends and throw a party. Recently retired as the Chairman of Punch, he has seen a company he took over in 1987 resurrect from a near dead situation to become one of the leading dailies in Nigeria. Ogunsola, who is 70 today, went down memory lane, writes SEUN AKIOYE

Growing up

Ogunsola’s growing up could be likened to one of a fairy tale, his father, a high chief in the courts of the Olubadan of Ibadan was by no means a poor man. Things were even brighter for his mother who as a successful trader was richer than his father. But, as influential as they were, two unrelated events directed the course of his life; one was attending the prestigious Government College, Ibadan (GCI). “I have to admit that going to Government College, Ibadan played an important part in my coming out with excellent results. GCI was a big thing in those days and attending the school was a major factor in my life,” he said, still with that smile and the tingle in the eyes which one may mistake for arrogance.

But, his palm-kernels were not cracked for him by any benevolent spirit; he worked hard to crack them himself. Possessing more than an average intelligence, he came out with distinctions in secondary school, a feat he was quick to point out “was really a distinction in our days” and proceeded to study Mathematics at the University of Ibadan, though not without initial misgiving. “I didn’t want to do a Honours in Mathematics because we saw it as a narrow path. It was better to be a professional,” he said. But, like a guardian angel, his brother, the late Moyo Aboderin, told him about Actuarial Science and he decided to give it his best. “I have never heard of it until my brother told me about it and that changed my life,” he said. Ogunsola’s decision to study Actuarial Science later turned out to be the singular act that would prepare him for life in the media, though he did not know it at the time. After graduating in 1967, he took several courses in Actuarial Science and despite the odds, he became the first black African to qualify. “When I got the call that I have passed my exams and inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuary, I was so happy, I almost cried,” he recalled. Everything he did from there seemed to prepare him for the task at The Punch. He became Life Manager at Nicon Insurance and later the Chief Executive at Niger Insurance where for 11 years he learnt the rudiments of managing people and resources. But, family tragedies changed the course of his life and fate put on him responsibilities it had hitherto prepared him for. In 1984, the founder of Punch, Olu Aboderin died, followed by the death of Chief Moyo Aboderin three years later. Ogunsola recalled: “The death of my brothers changed the course of my life; I would never have been involved in Punch.” However, the stage was set for one of the most definite personalities to take the company beyond its dreams.

A perfectionist or Hitler?

When Ogunsola took over the helms at Punch in 1987, someone remarked that the paper was in “Intensive Care Unit” (ICU). It was not a metaphoric statement but a fact of the affairs at the time. Ogunsola also affirmed, saying it was a “hell of a time”, one he “wouldn’t want to go through again”. It was worse than starting afresh. The company was neck deep in debt from the banks and bills from long standing libel suits. “After Chief Moyo died, there was no big money coming in. I was not rich. I am still not rich; I inherited massive bank loans. So, no bank will borrow us money; so, if the fortunes fall, there will be nowhere to turn to. We had to rely entirely on our wits,” he said. Ogunsola had to take drastic actions, many of them painful and unpopular. His long reign was characterised by what many would call high-handedness and brutality. Some have even referred to him as the ‘modern Hitler who whipped the staff into line.’ Ogunsola smiled through it all. He did not seem to be

T is impossible not to feel contrasting emotion when you are in the presence of Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, especially when the venue of the meeting was Punch Place, the headquarters of Punch where for 25 years he was the Chairman. On one hand, you want to feel at ease with a man who at 70 still exhumes the radiance he possessed 25 years earlier and on the other it was to feel subsumed speaking to a man who got straight Distinctions in his West African School Certificate (WAEC) and bagged a degree in Mathematics, before he became the first Actuarial scientist in Nigeria. The Chief, it seems, has lost none of his usual briskness and aptitude for orderliness. He rearranged his personal items in such orderly manner taking care to ensure like items were put together. “I have to re arrange my table; so, it will not look disorderly,” he said with a smile as he finished the task. For those who are unfamiliar with Punch, it may be forgiven if you feel the story of the paper has always been rosy and rich. Founded in 1973 by the late Chief Olu Aboderin, the elder half-brother to Ogunsola, the newspaper had a fairy tale rise when it started. But that success was cut short a few years later and when the founder died in 1984, his elder brother, Moyo, invested heavily in the company and took over as chairman. He did not last long at the helm as he died in 1987, but by one of those ironies of which fate is never tired, it was the destiny of Ogunsola that seemed tied to that of the company in a strange and intriguing manner. “It was a series of family accidents that put me here, the circumstances of the time were such that I had no choice than to become the chairman of Punch. Could I do it? It was very obvious it would be a hard slug. Knowing I had no choice than to become the chairman, I had to face it,” Ogunsola said, suddenly wearing a serious look. His status at Punch is legendary. Fondly referred to as “Chairman Emeritus” after bowing out for the founder’s first son, Wale, he still commands the respect and awe which made him the dominant figure in the company for many years. Credit for much of the success of the company today could be attributed to him but he humbly deflected such praises to his team and insisted he was not just being polite.

I used to hide under my table when creditors came in those days. One man had come to execute a libel judgment against us and he wanted to take all the air conditioners. I begged him and promised to start payment in 48 hours. The next day, we went to court to ask for a stay of execution, which was the only way we could have survived

offended or affected by the unsavoury appellations attached to him. “Whatever was done was to make things better. I told myself that we must succeed because there was nowhere to turn to if we fail,” he said in a low tone. One could almost feel sorry for Ogunsola as he tried to justify his actions. “I had to behave the way I did. Throughout my chairmanship, we had problems on grammar, we had to train the staff,” he said. But that did not solve the problem and what followed was a string of retrenchment, which created a seeming atmosphere of job insecurity. “ A staff that is not competent will pollute the system. They are the ones who become politicians in the company, always saying things that were not true. They polluted the others. There was no point keeping them. One of the painful things we had to do was conduct periodic English test; if you didn’t show improvements, then you had to go.” Situation was dire and money scarce. Ogunsola recalled the creditors and the unpaid bills and how he employed, at times, unconventional means to wriggle out of the doldrums. “I used to hide under my table when creditors came in those days. One man had come to execute a libel judgment against us and he wanted to take all the air conditioners. I

•Ogunsola

begged him and promised to start payment in 48 hours. The next day, we went to court to ask for a stay of execution, which was the only way we could have survived.” The paper also had its fights with the military. “Oh the military,” he said, his voice rising with a little excitement. “ I think we were first shut down in 1990; the six weeks closure was intense. I am sure they wanted to kill us. We were just creeping out of the hole. If IBB (Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida) knew, closing us for one month more, Punch would have died.” So, what was the magic that saw the company rise to become one of the market leaders today? “There was no magic, only hard work,” Ogunsola revealed. His training as an Actuarial scientist also prepared him to take logical and deliberate steps after a thorough research. “We brainstormed a lot; my singular contribution was to insist and ensure we got information about the working of the system before we took decisions. We tried to measure everything.”

Not many low moments

The Emeritus chairman has lost none of his exactitude and deliberate approach. He took his time to collect his thoughts so he could get the exact dates and facts. He was deliberate about the use of language. It must convey his exact thoughts; there cannot be an in-between. When memory failed him-as it did a couple of times- it seemed to frustrate him. But the Managing Director of Punch, Ademola Osinubi was on hand to help him. A note was passed to him; he stopped, put on his reading glasses to read it, and then continued as if he never stopped at all. “At 70, I can say that I am fulfilled. I am not excessively ambitious, maybe that is why I am happy,” he said. But, Ogunsola’s definition of fulfillment and wealth may be a little strange to the materialistic for they are restricted to these three sentiments: Good health, good food and a good bed to sleep. He is very appreciative of being alive. Being the only one remaining of his mother’s six children, he counted it a privileged to be 70 years, a distinction some of his siblings did not have. Instructively, one of his low moments was when an unexpected death of a loved one occurred, especially those involving dramatic circumstances. 1984 was one of them. The other is when he loses money. “If I do an investment and it fails and I lost a substantial sum, it takes some time for me to recover,” he

PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUNMI

said.

Growing old, looking young

Someone remarked the Chief was looking good and asked for the recipe. “We have good genes in our family, if you look at my brother, Olu, he was fairly good looking. So, if you eat good food, have a good family and a decent house and you are fairly good looking, you will most likely look younger.” He has maintained a healthy diet too but in the hard way. Many years ago, while he had lunch with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade, he was mixing soft drink with beer and seemingly enjoying his life. The Olubadan cautioned him and since then he stuck with healthy lifestyle and eating habit. In his old days, Ogunsola continues to do what he knew how bestgiving directions and leading- but this time through the ongoing National Conference. He has been one of the prominent elders working things from behind the scene and coming to the front when necessary. “Everybody knows Nigeria is in trouble and we may continue to perform below par for a long time. Frankly, nobody knows what will happen after 2015,” he said. However, he believes that the recommendations of the conference, if properly implemented, may still rescue Nigeria out of the blues and wants the recommendations to be seen as total package not individual ideas. His is the story of a man who has been defined by one of the offices he has held: chairmanship of Punch. Only a few remember he was the first Nigerian Actuarial Scientist, fewer still remember he once held the strings at NICON and Niger Insurance. But everyone remembers the time of Ajibola Ogunsola at Punch and as President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN). For an unbiased interrogator, Ogunsola has contributed more to journalism. He holds the chieftaincy of Baa Royin (Chief Newsman) of Ibadan land. Today, the doyen clocks 70 years and congratulatory messages will flood the newspapers and perhaps airwaves. But has the doyen bid a final goodbye to the media? Not in the least. He sits on the board at Punch where he continues to give his expert advice and input into that company. To cater for his pecuniary needs, he relies on the dividends of past investments, which, he said, is enough to make him live a good life. At least in the Ogunsola fashion.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

DISCOURSE The Governance Predicament: Poverty, Terrorism and Democracy Conclusion of a lecture delivered at Freedom House, Lagos, Nigeria by Larry Diamond June, on 30, 2014 •Continued from Friday

think there is something to be learned from the experi ence of India in institutionalising the extraordinary power, independence, and administrative capacity of the Election Commission of India. The position of the Chief Election Commissioner is one of the most crucial and respected in India, equivalent in stature to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and it has been held by some of India’s most highly accomplished and talented career civil servants. Why not call one of them in to advise on elections here, or even to sit as an advisory member of the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission)? It is vitally important that the INEC vigorously advance its work, with the broad assistance of civil society and the Nigerian media, to educate Nigerians about the coming elections and strongly encourage them to register to vote. An election can only be as good as the electoral register, and it takes many months to ensure that the register of voters is as accurate, up to date, and inclusive as possible. It helps that we are in a new era now technologically, where biometric tools of voter identification can help to root out fraudulent inflation of the electoral register. But those tools, as well, must be applied in a rigorously neutral and transparent way. Every step in preparing the election must be open to scrutiny. Second, there is a clear and unimpeachable gold standard for monitoring the fairness of elections. Neutral monitors in civil society must have the freedom and resources to conduct a parallel vote tabulation (PVT). The technology for this is well established, and Nigerian civil society organizations are well experienced in this task. In previous recent elections, their parallel counts have not (to my knowledge) dramatically diverged from the official percentage tally of the vote. Nigeria must have neutral and credible judicial processes available should the parallel vote tabulation in2015 clearly indicate a different electoral outcome than the officially declared one. Third, there is a need to advance internal democracy within Nigerian political parties. There is a growing recognition internationally that you cannot have a quality democracy unless there

are adequate procedures for transparency, accountability, constitutionalism, and democratic procedures within political parties. This must include democratic means for the selection of candidates so that they become accountable to the voters more than to party leaders and “godfathers.” Fourth is the need to reform and modernise the state security apparatus. The military, police, and intelligence must be trained and equipped to wage the security response with the proper tools and strategy, and to target the use of force carefully and effectively. They must also be instructed and monitored to avoid needless civilian casualties, and they must be held accountable for violations of law and procedure. But reports of recent confrontations between Nigerian security forces and Boko Haram suggest that the former have often been significantly outgunned and outmaneuvered. It is the responsibility of civilian political leadership in the executive and legislative branches to work with the military and oversee the military to ensure it has the necessary weapons and other tools. International security cooperation is also needed to track and confront the shadowy movements of arms and money across borders. Fifth, the laws on paper against bribery, corruption, and conflict of interest are reasonably good in principle, but they have huge weaknesses in enforcement that must be repaired. Corruption is like water seeping into the ground; it will find any crack or crevice and make use of it. The only way to fight it is with a system of horizontal accountability that is vigorous, comprehensive, independent, and interlocking. A critical, indispensable condition for successful enforcement is transparency. What good is it for public officials to declare their assets if those declarations are not made publicly available? The Code of Conduct Bureau has never had the staffing, the manpower, the energy, and probably the will to vigorously investigate the veracity of all of these declarations. It needs the public’s help. And it needs the help of the international community. By l a w, a l l as s e t s d e c l ar at i o n s should be made available online for public scrutiny. And since Nigerian law forbids the President, Vice-President, Governors, and federal and state legislators from operating foreign bank accounts,

‘Like many people around the world, I have been deeply moved by the international campaign with the hashtag “#bringbackourgirls”. But let us use this opportunity to mobilize not only for these more than 200 abducted girls, but for the more than 2 million Nigerian girls who have died before their fifth birthday just in the last decade’ why not require them to sign, along with the Code of Conduct, a legal declaration foregoing any right of privacy or any claim to ownership of any foreign bank accounts that may bear their name. This still leaves open the question of accounts owned by their spouses and children, another loophole that would need to be addressed. They should also be asked to forswear ownership and invite surrender of any real property or other assets, foreign or domestic, that are discovered to be in their names, which they have not listed on their assets declaration. n the early 1990s, when I was researching the problem of corruption in Nigeria and the total inefficacy of the Code of Conduct Bureau at that time, it became clear to me that little sustainable progress in controlling corruption would be made unless politicians knew that the public, and the international financial system, would be mobilized against them if they accumulated vast wealth in office and then tried to hide it. It took me a long time to get a Nigerian politician to engage me in an honest conversation on the subject, but finally I found one. When I explained why I thought it was essential to make the assets declarations public, he agreed with the logic of my argument, but said it would be impossible, because: “If the people ever found out how much wealth the politicians have, there would be a revolution in this country.” Maybe it is time to declare a

financial amnesty: Account for what you have, bring your money back home, hand over the bulk of it, and you will not be prosecuted. Maybe the only way to begin is by following the maxim of the leading anti-corruption scholar, Robert Klitgaard, that you must “fry big fish” if you are serious about controlling corruption. But that requires a serious and independent anti-corruption apparatus. And that in turn means hard thinking about how to insulate these bodies from partisan political control and other forms of subversion. Nigeria needs to do some creative, hard thinking about how to appoint the members of crucial agencies of horizontal accountability—such as the Code of Conduct Bureau, the INEC, the Federal Judicial Service Commission and possibly some of the other bodies enumerated in article 153 of the Constitution. If the country gets a president seriously committed to good governance and political reform, then it works fine to have the president appoint and the Senate confirm the chairmen and members of these bodies. But constitutions should be designed to protect against the worst leaders, not to empower the best. Is there a way to involve civil society in the selection of these crucial positions to ensure that they are independent and vigorous personalities, dedicated to the role envisioned in the Constitution? Would the power of appointment to these bodies be better vested with the Supreme Court or some other body? If you want to think radically, here is a sixth possible policy reform. Give some of the oil money directly back to the people. There is growing international interest in the idea of “oil to cash,” essentially the “Alaska model,” wherein the state directly gives some of the oil revenue back to each individual citizen. With the growth of mobile phone access and mobile banking, this is a much more feasible approach in Africa than it would have been even a few years ago. And technology will make it increasingly feasible. Nigeria may be too populous a country to distribute revenue to everyone, but cash payments could at least be targeted on the poorest of the poor, as India is doing with income supplements. Some allege that the poor would waste the money on impulsive spending. But, can the poor really do a worse job than Nigerian politicians have done over the last several decades? If, as was reported in the recent Ekiti elections, Nigeria’s voters are going to demand that can-

•Prof. Diamond

didates for office pay attention to the “infrastructure of the stomach,”[13] maybe the state should do that directly and then let the voters decide who can best deliver development. would like to conclude with one final appeal. And it is ad dressed to my own country and to Europe, as much as to Nigeria. Whatever the total amount of money that successive generations of Nigerian politicians have embezzled and looted, some significant portion of it—probably well over $100 billion—sits outside Nigeria today in identifiable liquid and fixed assets: bank accounts, stocks, property, and other investments and luxury wealth. We cannot bring back to life the millions of Nigerian children who have died needlessly because their government leaders were more concerned about accumulating personal wealth than ensuring that their country’s children had clean water, decent roads, adequate food, comprehensive vaccinations, and effective education. But when the time is right, when Nigeria has a government that is serious about controlling corruption, we can help bring back as much of this stolen wealth as possible. And we can work with Nigerian government officials and civil society to help build the systems of accountability to minimize this hemorrhage of public resources in the future. Like many people around the world, I have been deeply moved by the international campaign with the hashtag “#bringbackourgirls”. But let us use this opportunity to mobilize not only for these more than 200 abducted girls, but for the more than 2 million Nigerian girls who have died before their fifth birthday just in the last decade. I would hope in the years to come that a similar level of international outrage and commitment can be mobilized behind a broader and more transformative campaign, led by Nigerians but eliciting unprecedented international partnership:

Thank you.

NEWS

•From left: Lagos State Commissioners Dr Wale Hamed (Special Duties); Mr Ayo Gbeleyi (Finance); Dr Jide Idris (Health) and Director, Recescor Health Liability •Choristers of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, Lagos District Headquarters, Partnership (LLP) Dr Ladi Awosika at the signing of Operations and Maintenance Oke-Ira Parish, Ogba during the Founder’s Anniversary. agreement between Lagos State government and Recescor Health at Alausa, Ikeja. PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUNMI

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS Abia State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Philip Nto wants the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy and save money needed to grow the economy and create more jobs. In this interview with journalists, he talks about the Nigerian economy and steps taken by his state to enhance transparent tax system and grow its revenue base. COLLINS NWEZE reports.

‘Why Finance Commissioners want fuel subsidy removed’

HAT is your assessment of the performance of the country’s economy in the first half of the

year? I will say the economy is not performing badly given the rebasing of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which ranked Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa. Nigeria economy is a major attraction to foreign investors given our market size. We have a population of about 170 million, large portion of arable land and untapped mineral resources. When we are assessing an economy, we look at it from different perspectives. If you look at the issue of industrialisation, you will notice that a lot of firms are coming into the country, you see a lot of inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) and all these show that the economy is not doing badly. The World Economic Forum (WEF) that took place in the country in the first half of the year was an indication that Nigeria is a major investment hub. Despite our security challenges, you still see foreign investors coming into the country. Though the growing rate of unemployment remains a challenge, but it is not something you can overcome within a short period given our growing population. When a population is growing, it may not be easy to checkmate unemployment given that this is a third world economy. One of the characteristics of a third world economy is the growing rate of unemployment because of lack of adequate plan. But with ongoing reforms in the country, some of these challenges would be overcome within a short period of time. So, the Nigerian economy is not doing badly. Is the rising rate of insecurity in some parts of the country and crude oil theft not likely to negatively impact on the growth of the economy? The issue of security is a systemic problem. It is not a problem you leave for government institutions alone to handle. It is a problem all the stakeholders including the citizenry need to come together to handle. It is not an issue you leave alone for President Goodluck Jonathan to handle, it is not something you blame the Military or the Police, it is something that everybody needs to come on board. Look at the spate of violence in the Northeast that is gradually entering Abuja. The best approach, I will say, is the ‘KnowYour-Neighbour’ strategy. Know the person that is standing by your side, know the person that is with you, know the person that is working with you and if you see anybody that is strange, you report the person to the Police or the nearest security agency. If you see any strange object, you call the Police or when you see any vehicle parked where it is not supposed to be parked, you call the Police. That is what all of us should be doing to assist the security agencies. The government as a matter of urgency should evolve communal and participatory approach in tackling the security problem. When we had kidnapping issue in Abia state, our governor mobilised the security agencies, the citizenry and everybody assisted the governor. That was a major factor that assisted us in solving the security problem in the state then. If the people were not ready to assist, there is no way the governor will know everything. So, without the people assisting the government, the government cannot do much as far as insecurity is concerned, since the criminals are not ghost. Also, oil theft, it is associated with our way of life. It is a clear case of sabotage to the Nigerian economy. If you see someone that is trying to break oil pipeline, you also report to security agencies. The security agencies cannot be everywhere at the same time. But there is no way somebody that is involved in pipeline vandalism will move from one location to another without seeing some people. Few weeks ago, the issue of removal of

• Dr. Nto

fuel subsidy came up again in one of the meetings of the committee of commissioners of finance which you are a member. What prompted your recommendation that fuel subsidy, which has been a contentious issue, should be removed? Yes, that assertion is right. But the Federal Government is not sleeping over the issue. Pragmatic approach towards reversing such fears is on-going. But beyond that, let me tell you something. Even before I was appointed the commissioner for finance, I was among those that always kicked against anything subsidy. Subsidy is not a healthy situation in any economic system. When you talk about subsidy, it means government paying for your expenditure. Now, we don’t have good roads, we don’t have electricity, we have unemployment that is rising by the day. So why waste all these monies just to fund a small aspect of our expenditure? Even when government says it wants to fund the fuelling of our vehicles and our generators, they are widening the gap between the rich and the poor. If you go to the house of a very wealthy man, you will see fleet of vehicles. Calculate how much a rich man that has five cars will be spending on fuel and calculate how much subsidy he gets when fuelling the five cars. That will give you an idea of how much you are empowering the rich man with. Then, you now see a poor man whom we said we want to protect having only one tricycle and it means that you are only subsidising the man that has tricycle with about 10 litres of fuel while the rich man that has five cars with about 500 litres of fuel. That shows that we are only empowering the rich more than the poor and by doing that widening the poverty gap. So, the rich will continue to get richer while the poor will continue to get poorer. Are there other reasons that make you think that the subsidy should go? Yes. In a situation where we are able to get part of the funds being invested in fuel subsidy, we can empower more youths; embark

on more road construction and on other developmental projects. If actually, we want to go into real subsidy whereby we want the poor to be empowered, we go back to what we used to have during the military era where the poor will buy from particular filling stations and the rich from designated filling stations. That is the only time you can say you are embarking on real principle of fuel subsidy. Apart from that, you are only widening the gap between the rich and the poor. So, that was why we decided that the fuel subsidy should be removed. I was among those that kicked against fuel subsidy because it is not healthy for our system and it is not healthy for Abia State. When do we expect the implementation of the recommendation by your committee? We have sent our recommendation to the President and we are waiting for his response. I believe very soon he will respond. But we are still mounting pressure and we are calling on all Nigerians to look at the negative implications of fuel subsidy. Subsidy is only meant to empower the rich and not the poor. What is your state government doing to tackle the challenge of ghost workers in some of the ministries? About two months ago, we sent out circulars to all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in Abia State. We asked the permanent secretaries and commissioners to supervise personnel audit in their various establishments and the reports are coming into my office. So, once we are through with that, we shall go into actual data capturing. Before the governor took over power, we had a situation where anything goes and nobody was interested. But this is a governor that is on a fast lane to lay a solid foundation for the state. He is going into all the facets of the state economy, including building a secretariat. Knowing the staff strength of the Abia state government, I can say authoritatively that Abia pays the highest amount of wage in the country because of this issue of ghost workers. But once we are through with data capturing, it would be a thing of the past. It is not only in the state civil service, even in the pension board. I had raised an alarm to the governor that the amount we are paying as pension is far above what we should be spending. We now decided to engage two banks to use electronic means of payment to pay our pensioners and not a situation where cash would be released to the subtreasurers who will now instruct that somebody that died several years ago should be paid while those living would be neglected. So, we have also set up a committee to find out the actual number of pensioners in the state. They are working hard and hopefully, before the end of October, we shall be through with the issue of ghost pensioners and ghost workers. But what we want to do is to make sure that we don’t hand over any fraudulent institution to the incoming administration. We shall hand over a clean state to the next governor come May 29th, 2015. What is Abia State doing to increase its internally generated revenue? The state is moving at a high speed to hit

‘We have sent our recommendation to the President and awaiting his response. I believe very soon he will respond. But we are still calling on all Nigerians to look at the negative implications of fuel subsidy. Subsidy is only meant to empower the rich and not the poor’

our budgetary target. We have a high monthly target based on our budget, which is meant to consolidate the legacy projects of the administration. So, we are working hard to meet up. The governor wants to leave a lasting legacy in the state. He wants to bequeath a legacy for the incoming administration. The governor approved that all payment of any kind of fee or levy in the state must be through designated bank accounts. You have a situation whereby in the past, we used to have agents moving round the whole of Aba, harassing traders coming to buy goods at Ariaria market, Aba and before you move from Ariaria to Port Harcourt, we used to have close to 20 toll gates mounted by touts who claimed to be working for the state government. But when the governor discovered that, he dissolved all of such and directed that all payments of levies and fees must be through banks. Why is the state working on harmonising these levies? Nobody likes to invest in a system where you don’t have an idea of the cost of doing business. Based on that, the governor directed that we should harmonise these levies. The committee has submitted its report and the governor is going through it and once the report is out, I know it would be a humane tax regime. It would be something that would be acceptable by everybody. Not only that, there is also another committee which I am heading because the governor said tax policy should not be decided by the government alone. We want to evolve a participatory approach where tax payers and the government would interface to chart a new roadmap on adequate tax procedure. So after considering the report, the governor will convoke for a State Revenue Summit whereby the public will look at the recommendations of the harmonisation committee and if it is what is acceptable to everybody then that forms the state’s tax policy. So, both the government and the people will decide on what should be paid. Currently, nobody is collecting any form of fee or levy until after the convocation of the revenue summit. What is the level of the implementation of the state’s budget? The 2014 budget was prepared based on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The reason was to ensure that transparency and accountability in the performance of the budget. Not only that, the foundation was laid on the principle of the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF). In that case, it is not a situation where you say the capital projects must be completed in a fiscal year. It is a budget that will last from 2014 through 2016 using 2012 budget as the base year. The essence of preparing the budget based on IPSAS and MTEF is to ensure high performance of the 2014 budget. In the past, we had so many abandoned projects because if a budget is prepared based on a particular fiscal year, once that year is over; you see so many abandoned projects. So, the governor said no because it was not in the best interest of a growing state like Abia. So this year’s budget was prepared under the medium-term expenditure project so that there will not be abandoned projects. So I may not state categorically the extent of budgetary performance in the state, all I know is that the budget is performing. You know the budget is divided into two the income and expenditure. Youth unemployment is a major challenge in most state. What is the government doing to tackle this problem? There is a youth empowerment scheme in the state which is running without any budgetary allocation. The governor is funding it from his salary and security vote. The state’s financial records are there for people to go through. When somebody is gainfully employed or engaged, there is no way he will indulge in criminal activities such as kidnapping, armed robbery and others because he can take care of his basic needs.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

POLITICS

MONDAY JULY 14, 2014

THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

ADAMAWA POLITICS As the Adamawa State House of Assembly tightens the impeachment noose around Governor Murtala Nyako’s neck, the governor’s camp is not relenting in its survival game, wide negotiations and reconciliation to abort the plot. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes.

• Nyako

•Ngilari

•Atiku

•Haruna

•Tukur

Tension in Adamawa over impeachment plot

URTALA Nyako, retired Chief of Naval Staff and governor of Adamawa State, is in the eye of the storm. He is fighting the battle of his life. Impeachment is not a conventional war, which a General like him is prepared for. In a battle of this nature, weapons of war are inferior to negotiation skills, persuasive talents and political inducement.

Survival game Nyako’s supporters woke up to this reality last week. The governor and 25 legislators who want to sack him from power are operating on the slippery field. Therefore, pro-Nyako forces decided to exploit the weakness of the impeachment process to weaken it. After it was set up, the seven-man panel chaired by Alhaji Baba Kaigama could not sit for two days because of lack of venue. Thus, Nyako’s men intensified their lobby of the House and party leaders to give him a soft landing. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains have alleged that the governor was highly inflexible. Nyako’s foot soldiers promised them that, if the plot is stepped down, the governor will henceforth be more condescending. A source said that the governor also reached out to some traditional rulers in the multi-ethnic state to save his political career. “Emissaries were sent to monarchs to help talk to the legislators from their domains. As at the weekend, the governor was still opening networks of contacts,” he said. Traditional rulers led by the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Mohammed Musdafa, who are concerned about peace, have appealed to the actors in the impeachment saga to embrace truce in the interest of the state. The Council of Pastors, led by Rev. Victor Ordinan, urged the aggrieved lawmakers to sheathe their swords. However, prominent PDP chieftains, who had already gazed at the future, rose swiftly to keep the lawmakers on their toes. A member of the PDP Elders and Stakeholders’ Forum, Dr. Umar Ado, warned the legislators against retracing their steps. He described the impeachment as a party assignment, stressing that only the PDP has the power to discontinue it. He emphasised that the party had no intention of backing out.

‘He is fighting a battle of his life. The impeachment process is not a conventional war, which a General like him is prepared for. In a battle of this nature, weapons of war are inferior to negotiation skills, persuasive talents and political inducement’ Last week, Nyako, who was at the Council of State meeting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), also, approached his old constituency for assistance. Sources said that he appealed to former military Heads of State Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar to speak to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the crisis.

Conditions for truce Many stakeholders agree that only a political solution can save the governor from the looming tragedy. But, the conditions are not easy. The President, said the source, received pleas from the former rulers. But, Dr. Jonathan was said to have complained to them that the dust stirred by Nyako’s letter to the Northern Governors’ Forum has not settled. He lamented that the governor has refused to withdraw the memo or apologise. But, Nyako’s men had ruled out the possibility of withdrawing it. In fact, the governor has insisted that he would not compromise the security of Adamawa State. In his controversial letter, Nyako complained that a full-fledged genocide was being committed against the Northern Nigeria in the name of fighting the Boko Haram sect. He alleged that ill-trained soldiers were drafted to curb the menace. ‘‘They are being poorly trained, totally illequipped, given only uniform and are killed by their trainers in Nigerian Army training centres as soon as they arrive in the Nigerian Army camps being used by the so-called Boko Haram insurgents. Virtually all the Nigerian soldiers killed or murdered in these operations so far are of Northern Nigeria origin. The administration has also hired militia men from across the continent, especially North Africa, who have been deceived into accepting to come because they were made to believe that they would be fighting infidels,” Nyako added. Another condition for truce offered

by the House is that the governor should render accounts properly to avoid being impeached like the Second Republic Kaduna State Governor Balarabe Musa. The House led by Speaker Umaru Fintiri accused the government of illegal deductions from the allowances of the civil servants totaling N142 million. Nyako has also been asked to submit bank statements showing income and expenditure and pay the withheld salaries of teachers who had embarked on strike. In addition, the legislators frowned at the meddlesomeness of the governor’s wife, Halimat, in state affairs. Nyako’s real offence is that he has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP. The prospect of his return to the party is dim. But, last week, he hurriedly inaugurated the chairmen and secretaries of 37 Development Areas Authorities (DAA). Many of them were nominated by the lawmakers. The move was to appease them. The last option, said a source, is the informal demand that Nyako should resign. But, since the option may jeopardise the chance of the APC it may not be considered.

Faulty procedure As the governor’s men continue with the reconciliatory moves, efforts are also made to discredit the impeachment process. Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, have shunned the panel, claiming that it was not properly constituted. They did not send any aide or counsel to represent them. Already, the panel has 22 exhibits against the governor and six against his deputy. But, two issues are being raised by the embattled governor and the deputy governor. The panel was not inaugurated by the Chief Judge because the Acting Chief Judge who set it up had to retire immediately. Also, the impeachment notice was not served on the governor. It was pasted on the wall of the state secretariat. Thus, one of the governor’s aides. Peter Elisha, submitted that the procedure is wrong. “The panel was not properly

set up. It was not properly constituted. It was not inaugurated,” he added. The APC Publicity Secretary in Adamawa State, Phineas Padio, also faulted the process, saying that it has violated the law. He said it was strange that the acting chief judge, who highlighted the guidelines for the impeachment, set up the panel when it was clear that the procedure had been breached. The Publicity Secretary pointed out that the method used by the lawmakers to serve the impeachment notice on the governor and his deputy was unconstitutional. “The acting chief judge had ruled that the notice of impeachment must be served through personal means. He even quoted a Supreme Court ruling that said it could not be served through the pages of newspapers as the House did. Yet, he went ahead to constitute the panel, although the notice was not properly served,” he fumed. Nyako’s spokesman, Ahmed Sajoh, defended the refusal of his boss to appear before the committee. Echoing Padio, he said: “It is an illegal body, which has no basis in law.” Sajoh said that the House should have served the notice directly, instead of pasting it. “They are supposed to serve it. Besides, the panel was illegally constituted because those behind it ignored a subsisting court order. The composition of the committee itself is faulty. Card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party are among the panelists,” he stressed. At the weekend, the panel concluded its assignment on a controversial note. It only sat for two days.

Forces against Nyako The forces against the governor are many. During the crises in the PDP. Nyako was accused of personalising the troubled chapter before he called it quits. Even, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is now in the APC with him, loathed his approach. Abubakar and former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Mallam Nuhu Ribadu are the only notable politicians

trying to pacify the Abuja forces to have a change of heart. However, PDP leaders are adamant. For partisan reasons, many of them want the governor to go to maintain a clean break from the past. Former PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has not forgiven Nyako for opposing his leadership. When Awwal, his son, unfolded his interest in the governorship, the governor rejected the aspiration. For a different reason, Joel Madaki had also fallen out with Nyako since 2011, following the primaries. Also up in arms against Nyako are his predecessor, Boni Haruna, former Education Minister Senator Jibril Aminu, former Lagos State Military Governor Buba Marwa, former Minister of State for Health Dr. Idi Song, former Presidential Political Adviser Ahmed Gulag and a governorship aspirant, Makus Gundiri.

Deputy governor versus Speaker Analysts have predicted a spilt in the anti-Nyako camp. Now, there is a struggle between Ngilari and the Speaker, who are from the same local government. If Ngilari is spared by the House, he will succeed the governor. He is a Christian. According to sources, Ngilari may be disposed to the choice of former federal legislator Awwal Tukur as the next deputy governor. This will nullify Fintiri’s chance of becoming the acting governor, if Nyako and Ngilari are impeached. In 2006, Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Hon. Sunday Aderemi became the acting governor when Governor Ayodele Fayose and his deputy, Biodun Olujimi, were shoved aside.

Litigation The governor is also strengthening his base at the home front. In Yola, the governor received many people on solidarity visits at the weekend. He was calm. A source said that, at the weekend, APC leaders were brainstorming over the likely outcome of the investigation by panel. A source said: “Initially, the governor ran to the court. He will return to the court again to challenge the process. In Adamawa, there may be a repeat of the impeachment saga in Oyo State during the time of Governor Rashidi Ladoja. He was not properly impeached. So, the court reinstated him to office.”

THE NATION MONDAY JULY 14, 2014

POLITICS Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe spoke with reporters in Lagos on the succession battle in the Centre of Excellence, the threat by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ‘capture’ Osun State and other partisan issues.

‘PDP can’t capture Osun’ W

HAT preparation is the APC making for the next year’s general elections in Lagos

State? Lagos APC is leaving no leaving no stone unturned, given the setbacks we had in Ekitti State recently. More than ever before, we are fighting and digging deep as if we are in the opposition. From state to the 57 LGAs, and to the 377 wards we are playing the real politics, realising that all politics are local. Since the setback in Ekiti State, Lagos PDP has been granting Press interviews, issuing press releases and conducting press conferences as if that is what it takes to win elections in Lagos State. Now, these idlers must be told in the strongest terms that Lagos State is not Ekiti State. We are living witnesses to the build up before the Ekiti governorship elections on June 21 2014. We saw the intimidation and harassment of APC leaders. We saw it all and if we tell you that we learnt nothing, we will be deceiving ourselves. We are waiting for the PDP in Osun, Ogun, Oyo, and Lagos in the Southwest. We will play the real politics and politics of the stomach too. Yes, that is what Ekiti people taught us in the 21st century. How is the party and the government tackling the challenge of stomach infrastructure in the state? I have told you that Ekiti people have added new words to our political lexicon and that is stomach infrastructure. We will play the politics to the letter. We will face the challenge with all the energy at our disposal. We have rice in abundance, especially the one produced in Ikorodu, Lagos. We are doing other things, which time and space will not permit me to recount here. Lagos has the capacity to carry out any assignment without let or hindrance. Thank God, we got seven months notice from Ekiti people that political equation in Nigeria has changed from politics of ideas to politics of the stomach. The PDP has impoverished Nigerians in

the past 16 years and they are now using stolen money to buy votes. The new trend in Nigerian politics is to get to the office, create poverty and steal as much as you can. Return four years after to use the same stolen money to buy their votes and life goes on. If this does not worry you, I wonder what else can. What are the qualities you expect from the next governor? Governor Fashola is leaving behind big shoes and anybody who will occupy that exalted office must be a leader of leaders. He must be lettered in the art of governance. He must be bold, experienced, firm, strong, courageous, wildly traveled, wildly exposed and very deep. He must have passion for service. He must be a good mobiliser, friend of the poor, and must have a third eye. He must have a developmental orientation, he is not a hut builder. He must have a big heart. He must believe in government of small things as well as government of big things. Only the best is good for Lagos because Lagos is not a place for mediocrity. What are the challenges that will confront the next governor of Lagos State? Development is work in progress. He will continue where governor Fashola will stop. The next incoming governor will have 25 million Lagosians to contend with. Building infrastructure will continue to pose a big challenge in Lagos, until every road, every street is upgraded in Lagos. Astronomical growth in Lagos population will continue to be a challenge, Security will always pose a challenge. Transportation, housing, refuse disposal, jobs etc will continue to be the big issue. The challenge to make Lagos to remain the Centre for

• Igbokwe

Excellence will always be there. Critics will be there to put him on the hot seat. The challenge to make Lagos the first destination among African cities will always be there. There are, at least, 14 governorship aspirants on the field. Will the candidate emerge through consensus or primaries? Please leave this great assignment for the party leaders. Lagos is not in short supply of great leaders but only one out of 14 governorship aspirants will be victorious. In taking the decision a lot is going to be considered. If we make a mistake we may end up with a meretricious mediocrity. The leaders must be extremely careful now that ethnic and religious politics are taking the front seat in Nigeria. Our leaders must shine their eyes because Lagos APC will not go into 2015 elections with a divided house. The PDP is threatening to capture the Southwest . What is the APC doing to prevent the repeat of that electoral defeat in Osun? What happened in Ekiti State will never, never happen in Osun State. Ekiti State was stolen and that robbery is unacceptable in Osun State. Even though we know PDP very well and their ugly antecedents we thought they will respect themselves in Ekiti and play to the rules but a leopard cannot change its skin. They will meet their waterloo in Osun State. In Osun State, the PDP will meet a lion in Governor Aregbesola. They will meet a man who is on ground, a cgovernor and an honest

leader. He is in touch with his people both the high and the low. He has shown leadership class in the state of Osun. Please take it from me. The PDP will never capture Southwest of the Fasholas, Ajimobis, Amosuns and Aregbesolas because light and darkness has no meeting point. What is your party doing about this tag a ‘Muslim party’ Ordinarily, I would not intervene on this stupid tag, which the PDP and its supporters feel will win them the sympathy of the same Nigerians they have raped and bestially decimated in nearly sixteen years of corrupt and visionless government. What makes a so called Muslim party? Is it a party created for Muslims? If so, why is there large number of Christians in our great party? Our National Chairman, His Excellency, Chief John Oyegun, is a Christian and so are many of our governors and party chieftains. Come to think of it, how come that at this age and time, the PDP is more interested in dividing Nigerians into Christian and Muslim tendencies after it had failed to use the enormous resources Nigeria has made in the last 15 and half years to make Nigeria livable for both Christians and Muslims? In a religiously heterogeneous society as ours, it is disheartening that a ruling party will spend its energies, not in bettering the worsening lives of Nigerians, but in stealing and inciting Christians that it is stealing for them. What a shame! The PDP is a big failure and it desperately want to plunge Nigeria into a big crisis by fanning the embers of religious intolerance and hate. The members of the PDP believe that Nigerians have short memories and will not ask how a PDP government stole $20 billion in one fell swoop, stole N3 trillion through a phantom petroleum subsidy, stole N1.6 trillion through a fake kerosene subsidy, stole billions of dollars through a fake power rehabilitation project, stole the hundreds of billions of naira Nigerian workers saved as pensions for the rainy day, stole the pensions of policemen, stole trillions through sham road contracts, stole billions through aviation votes, stole trillions from security votes while Nigerians live in the worst ever form of insecurity. Let me ask you. Did Diezani Madueke spend N10 billion hiring planes for Christians? Is the fate of Christians better than those of Mus-

‘The new trend in Nigerian politics is to get to the office, create poverty and steal as much as you can. Return four years after to use the same stolen money to buy their votes and life goes on. If this does not worry you, I wonder what else can’

Aspirant calls for creation of treasury ministry

AGOS State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant and former acting National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Adedeji Doherty has called for the creation of the Treasury Ministry at federal and state levels to curb corruption . He made the statement in a chat with newsmen in Lagos. He said: “The Treasury Ministry is the bedrock of accountability of government; it can cut corruption by 100 percent. I am advising President Goodluck Jonathan to create it at the federal level and governors to create it in their various states because, without the treasury ministry, corruption will continue.’ Explaning the responsibilities of the ministry, he said it will monitor the government income, receipts, accounting systems, expenses, allocations and the projected income. He added: “Treasury ministry must be represented in all government income-making offices of the government. It is the information from the treasury ministry that will help to make reliable budget. You can never have a substantive budget

By Adetutu Audu

that is workable, if you don’t have information from the treasury ministry.” Doherty said that the Treasury Ministry will foster reliability, accountability and responsibility. He stressed: “With the ministry in place, people will rely on the information that come from the account of the Federal Government and state governments. It will encourage accountability, eliminate fraud and cut corruption. Also, it indicates that the government is ready to protect the economy and the assets of the governmen. The Treasury Ministry will not overlap with the responsibilities of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance. “The CBN is for the monetary policies and it is the watchdog on banks and financial institutions while the Ministry of Finance is for government policies and budgetary policies, the creation and execution of government policies. Customs Service’s responsibilities will be restricted to the examination and the

• Doherty

assessment of goods while the money will be paid to the Treasury Ministry, which will account to the government.” “The creation of the Treasury Ministry will foster a strong economy and create job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the government’s finances and resources effectively.”

lims in this holocaust of the PDP’s government? Are Christians spared of the array of plane disasters that has marked PDP’s infection of the nation’s aviation industry? Do Nigerian Christians travel on better roads than Muslims? Are our collapsed educational, health sectors courtesies of the PDP’s thieving government, benefiting Christians more than Muslims? I can go on and on and on to enlist the shameful failures of the PDP. Indeed, Senator John McCain summed it when he dismissed the Jonathan PDP government as non existing. Senator Hilary Clinton summed it up when she summed that the Jonathan government is riddled with corruption and lack of clue. These are facts known to world leaders. APC states are shinning examples of performance and progress and it is the best way to showcase what we will do with power at the center. Be it Lagos, Imo, Edo, Ekiti, Osun, Kano, Nassarawa, Rivers, Sokoto, Adamawa, kwara, Ogun, etc, we are proud to showcase what the APC has done with power at a smaller level. The positive effects are not limited to Christians or Muslims alone. They are both for Muslims and Christians in these states. Lagos caters for all Nigerians, there is nowhere you see any policy of Lagos State favouring Christians or Muslims alone. That is what the APC is all about. Conversely, the PDP met 55 million poor people in Nigeria in 1999 and today, they have created 130 million poor people, PDP met Nigeria reasonably secured, today they have turned Nigeria into one of the worst countries to live in. The PDP met about 12 million unemployed Nigerians in 1999 and today, they have created 75 million unemployed Nigerians. Look at the Immigration tragedy some weeks ago. That is enough to lead to the resignation of any government with any iota of shame, but here is the PDP inciting religious hatred among Nigerians in a bid to stay in power. When is the next local government election holding in Lagos? Please leave that decision for the Governor and the leadership of the Party in Lagos. When the time comes the elections will hold. Could you shed light on the zoning of the governorship in Lagos State? Going by the thinking of the party’s leadership in Lagos, the Lagos West has produced a governor, the Lagos Central has produced one and now is the turn of Lagos East to occupy the exalted seat. I think this is a wonderful development that borders on justice, equity, and fair play. I am inclined to think that it is good for the commonwealth. I have no doubt in my mind that the Lagos APC will key in to this development. It is fair to all concerned and it is going to be beneficial to all.

Why I want to govern Imo, by Araraume

ENATOR Ifeanyi Araraume has said that he joined the governorship race in Imo State to serve the people with his wealth of experience. He called for unity in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that it is critical to victory at the poll. The politician recalled that he left the party in 2007 because of the injustice, adding that the party has learned from the past. Araraume addreessed party supporters at Afor-Oru, Ahiazu Mbaise, during his tour of the constituencies across the 27 local governments. He said that, despite his victory at the primaries and the ruling of the Supreme Court that he was the candidate in 2007, the PDP sabotaged frustrated his bid for the seat. The aspirant said that President Goodluck Jonathan has the stakeholders that there would be a level playing field at the primaries. He said: “President Jonathan is a democrat who will never allow anybody to be denied a ticket, if the person wins primaries”. He lamented that he was humiliated out of the party after expending time, energy and resources to build its structures. Araraume said that he had forgiven those who wronged him, assuring that he has now joined hands with other leaders to rebuild the party and position it for great exploits. He appealed to the people to support President Jonathan in his efforts to transform the country. He also appealed to his supporters across the 305 wards to work for the success of the party in 2015. Speaking at the event, a former Federal Commissioner, Chief Joseph Ndu described Araraume as the major pillar of the PDP, who cannot be be ignored by stakeholders. He said the senator will add value to the chapter during the elections. In his remarks, the Chairman of the PDP in Ahiazu Mbaise, Chief Mike Uzodinma, described Araraume as a major gift to the PDP. He advised the party leaders to promote equity, justice and fairplay at all times.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS RAMADAN KAREEM

Ramadan 17, 1435AH

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola flanked by Senator ‘Gbenga Ashafa and Alhaja Ramdat Okunola during Justice Muri Okunola Memorial Ramadan Lecture at Lagos TeleviPHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN sion (LTV) Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos

Islam is about fairness, justice, says Lai Mohammed

LL Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that Islam is all about fairness, justice and trust, especially among leaders, in dealing with fellow beings. Mohammed said this during the Ramadan lecture/Iftar Saim (Breaking of fast) organised by a member of the Lagos state House of Assembly representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun constituency II, Abdoulbaq Ladi-Balogun at Ajegunle. “The attribute of a leader is honesty, we must be caring, we must seek the interest of the people, we must not be greedy and we must not be selfish,” he said. According to him, there is no better time than the Ramadan season for leaders to understand that power is only held in trust and that power for power sake is unholy. “You must be able to

By Oziegbe Okoeki

use that power to the benefit of the people,” he said. APC National Legal Adviser Dr Muiz Banire said Ramadan is out to remind mankind about his responsibility not only to God but to fellow beings. “God himself said you need to know him before you can worship him, that is why lectures like this are meant to refresh us of our responsibilities not only to God but also to human beings,” Banire said. Ladi-Balogun said Ramadan lecture is a way of bringing people together. “It is part of the practice laid down by Prophet Muhammad to relate well with our neighbours, particularly this month and always give gifts to them. I urge people to have peaceful co-existence with their neighbours,” Ladi Balogun said. The guest speaker, Sheikh

Buhari Musa enjoined politicians to fear God, blaming them for all the crises in the nation. “Politicians, you are the ones that spoilt everything; our leaders are not thinking about the well-being of the people but how to amass wealth. Leaders elsewhere are not wasteful, greedy and selfish like the ones we have here. “It is Nigerians that asked for suffering and God gave it to them, or where else in the world do people use second hand clothes, cars and the rest, you buy a Peugeot car and find Datsun engine in it, this is insincere,” he said. “Whatever you do be mindful of death and be sure that people who find it hard to access you while you are alive will make jest of you when you die. Stop being miserly with your wealth, let it go round,” Musa said.

•Council chairmen (from left) Hons Hakeem Bamgbola (Itire-Ikate); Idris Muse-Ariyoh (OshodiIsolo); Akeem Sulaiman (Bariga) and Abiodun Mafe (Mosan-Okunola) during AbdulRasheed Mafe Quranic Foundation Ramadan lecture/Quran competition at Mosan, Lagos.

Ajimobi showers N10m Ramadan gift gesture as an epoch makYO State Governor on council the ing event in the history of the Abiola Ajimobi has

disturbed materials worth N10 million to associations in Ibadan North West Local Government to compliment the Ramadan fasting season. The council boss, Mr Wasiu Olatunbosun distributed the foods on behalf of the governor at the programme tagged: “Ajumose Ramadan Gift” “We are doling out 400 bags of rice, 300 bags of beans and 200 bags of garri to the associations within the council area. “It is not only targeted at politicians, but in appreciation of tailors, barbers, motorcyclists and other artisans in the local governments. We believe doing this is bringing succour to the harsh economic situation caused by the Federal Government. So it is just for the people to differentiate between the state and the federal government,” he said. Olatunbosun said the state government felt people suf-

Islam is against terrorism, says cleric

N Islamic Scholar Dr Muhammad Yahaya has condemned the perception and attribution of every terrorist act to Islam, saying Islam is against wantom destruction of life and property as being of fighting the course of Allah. Speaking during the Ramadan lecture organised by the Kaduna branch of Nasrul Lahi-L-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Yahaya described as unfortunate, the attribution of every attack or killing to Islam whereas the religion condemns gruesome murder of innocent lives under any guise. “It is now time for us as Muslims to let the world know that the destruction going on across the world

From AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

today has either some political or economy connection. We as Muslims know that, it is one of the Sunnah of the holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to always love our neighbours because Islam itself is a religion of peace and you cannot be preaching peace amidst rancour,” he said. He warned Muslims to beware of their ways of life, saying happenings today is due to negligence on the part of Muslims. If Muslims turn away from Allah’s teachings, he said, the evil ones will be given the chance to rule over them. the Director General, Media and Publicity to Gover-

‘It is now time for us as Muslims to let the world know that the destruction going on across the world today has either some political or economy connection’ nor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, said the theme of the lecture, “Muslims and the Contemporary Challenges: A Way For-

ward” could not have come at a better time than now considering the general insecurity in the country. Maiyaki urged Nigerians and residents of Kaduna in particular to embrace the principles of peaceful co-existence, saying the state government has made peace and security its top most priority. Speaking earlier, the Chairman NASFAT Kaduna branch, Alhaji AbdulWahid Adepoju Dangoje said the lecture was meant to encourage Muslims to live by the dictates and teachings of their religion. According to him, there was no short-cut to paradise except by strict adherence to the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith.

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

fering, hence the distribution of the materials to bring succour to the people. Chairman, Hospital Management Board, Ibarapa zone, Alhaji Abass Oloko, described

state. “We need to commend the state governor for remembering the needy during this period of prayer. I want to urge the citizens of the state to continue supporting the governor for continuity,” he said.

RAMADAN GUIDE WITH FEMI ABBAS e-mail: femabbas@yahoo.com Tel: 08122697498

Youths and the Mosque

T is heartening to note that Nigerian Mosques are full of Muslim youths today. A silent Islamic renaissance seems to be going on especially in the Nigerian society. It looks like a repeat of the situation that led to the formation of the Muslim Students’ Society (MSS) in 1954. With this development, two great possibilities are expected to sail Islam through the coast of good hope in the 21st century. One is the return of the Mosque to its original objective. The other is the inalienable continuation of Islamic dynamism in reshaping the destiny of mankind. The hope that these two possibilities are achievable in the hands of today’s teeming Muslim youths is in fulfilment of a fundamental prophesy about the signs of the last days. One of these signs is that ‘the sun will start rising where it used to set’. The reference here is not to the physical sun. The Prophet was referring to the spiritual photosynthesis of the souls of mankind for the ultimate metamorphosis of those souls from mortality to immortality. The photosynthesizer in this case is Islam. And, the fulfilment of this prophesy is gradually being confirmed today either by technology or by the scientists. Mosque is the meeting place for offering Salat five times a day. It is the centre of congregation for Ju’mat prayer every Friday. It brings the Muslims together twice in a year for congregational observance of Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. Yet, the meeting place called Arafah which is the climax of Hajj is a Mosque. The Mosques in Makkah, Madinah, and Quds (Jerusalem) serve the same purpose as those in Cairo , Jakarta and Rio Sydney . And, there is no difference between the Mosque in Sokoto and the one in Rio de Janeiro. Generally, the Mosque plays a central role in fortifying the unity of the Muslims wherever they are. But unfortunately, with time and crave for personal benefits, the Mosque has been relegated to just a place for Salat alone. That is the real cause of the backwardness in which the Muslim Ummah is now wallowing. It is ironic that the Imams who should manage the Mosques lack administrative prowess. And those who claim to be Mosques administrators lack Islamic knowledge. The result is that majority of unemployed Muslim youths who should find succour in the Mosque are frustrated even as the Mosque remains helpless. Where are we going from here?

RAMADAN DIET Prophet Muhammad says: "Ramadan has come to you. It is a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So, show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted." (Narrated by Tabarani). Sponsored by Chairman, Agege Local Govt Area, Lagos, ALHAJI JUBREEL ABDULKAREEM AND WIFE, ALHAJA SHERIFAT

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS 10-day power cut in Port Harcourt

3,000 PDP members join APC in Edo

PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Chairman of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) in Edo State, Johnbull Asemota, NUPENG Chairman Osahon Osamuyi, 20 PDP executives in Uhumwonde Local Government Area have joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). Also joining the APC train are over 3,000 NUPENG members. At a rally in Benin City, Asemota said he decided to join the APC to support Governor Adams Oshiomhole to develop the state. Oshiomhole said: “I am happy today that many people have continued to see the developmental projects of this administration, especially Uhumwonde people. “This man you see with

Oshiomhole raising Asemota’s hand at the event. With them from left are: APC Leader, Uhumwode Local Government Area, Charles Idahosa, State APC Chairman Anselm Ojezua; Mrs Asemota and APC Woman Leader Victoria Amadasun.

me is a comrade like me and those people who separated us before now have gone and he is with us today. In fact, PDP is finished in Uhumwonde Local Government. “I read a newspaper report last week where the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said I caused the trouble in Edo because I want to become vice-president. “Right there in the Villa

in Abuja, I told them that I am qualified to be the president because I have the qualifications, the integrity, the pedigree and the capacity to do so. “I have commanded productive forces as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President. “The issue of president or vice-president is not the problem. I have a job which I ap-

plied for. I have asked for the mandate to govern Edo State and I promised to deliver on my promises even without any stated point or agenda. “The APC government does not believe in any fourpoint or seven-point agenda. Ours is eye-marked and not ear-marked. “PDP, in its desperate move to win elections by all means in 2015, has decided to

buy over APC lawmakers in the House of Assembly. “Some of the lawmakers in their bid to complete their various hotel projects sold out. “The crisis in Edo State House of Assembly is a result of the failure of the four PDP lawmakers to obey court orders. Those who make law should not be seen breaking the law.”

Uncertainty as Edo Assembly crisis enters sixth week

HE crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly enters its sixth week today, amid anxiety among residents. Last week, two lawmakers- Emmanuel Okoduwa and Kingsley Ehigiamusoe- were suspended for aiding the four suspended lawmakers to break into the Assembly complex. Residents are apprehensive of another police blockade of major streets leading to the Oba Ovoramwen Square when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, led by the impeached Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea, resume sitting. The PDP lawmakers held their plenary in the unkempt chamber at the Assembly complex after they broke the

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

armoured door and iron protector. Six persons, including two former Assembly workers, Omoregbe Osagie and Okoh Godwin, who were sacked for certificate forgery, were present at the PDP lawmakers’ plenary. The hopes of the PDP lawmakers were dashed last week, when the Court of Appeal asked them to obey court orders. The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Lima, granted an interim order restraining the police from preventing or continuing to prevent the plaintiffs, including Assembly workers, from accessing the premises and their offic-

es, pending the hearing and the determination of the motion on notice. Justice Lima restrained the police from preventing the workers engaged by the Assembly from continuing the renovation of the Assembly. He, however, denied the prayer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to restrain PDP lawmakers from holding plenary or carrying out legislative functions, pending the hearing of the motion on notice. The judge held that the lawmakers’ prayers were within the jurisdiction of the State High Court”. What is perhaps certain is that the PDP lawmakers might continue sitting alone as the Assembly workers have been ordered to resume

duty at another location, pending completion of renovation work. A proposed solidarity strike by Organised Labour was put off last week after the Assembly workers assured labour leaders that normalcy has returned to the Assembly. The Chairman, State Parliamentary Association of Nigeria, Shugaba Aliyu, said the workers only recognised the legitimacy of Igbe as the de facto and de jure Speaker. He said: “Our members don’t see any need in embarking on any industrial action on account of threat to our personal safety. If anything, our only prayer today is that the renovation works at the Anthony Enahoro House be expedited so that some of our

members who have relocated to the old legislative chamber can return to their desks in the office by the Ring Road. The suspended PDP lawmakers have said they were not in contempt of any court order since their appeal was before the Supreme Court. Ebea, who spoke at a briefing yesterday, said they have respect for the rule of law and that they have appealed against the ruling of the Court of Appeal. He said they could not be in contempt when they have appealed against the ruling. “We have filed an appeal at the Supreme Court for stay of execution for interim order. Until a judicial pronouncement is made by the court one cannot be said to be in disobedience to any interim order.”

Three kidnap suspects killed From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

HE police in Delta State have killed three kidnappers in a gun duel and rescued two kidnap victims. Cyril Djebah and Godwin Augustina were kidnapped at Ughelli last week. Police spokesperson Tina Kalu said the police, acting on a tipoff, stormed the kidnappers’ den at Enwhen, Isoko South Local Government. According to Kalu, the kidnappers on sighting the police engaged them in a gun duel. She identified the deceased as Samson Ughomare, Wisdom Ezomare and Lucky (surname unknown). Kalu said some of the kidnappers escaped with bullet wounds. Items recovered include three locally-made guns. She said efforts are on to apprehend the fleeing criminals. The police have arrested 39 suspects in the festering communal crises between Ibabu and Iselegu communities in Ndokwa East Local Government. Kalu said 28 of the suspects were Iselegu, while 11 suspects were from Ibabu community.

4000 exhibitors for auto fair

O fewer than 4, 597 exhibitors from 74 countries are expected at the 2014 edition of Automechanika, an international trade fair for the automotive industry. The exhibition, which will hold in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, between September 16 and 20, will also host about 153,837 visitors from 176 counties. Managing Director of Exhibition and Trade Fair Services in Nigeria, Ms Omoni Itoya, said the firm would provide visa and hotel services to visitors from Nigeria. “Exhibition and Trade Fair Limited, the country representative is on ground to offer customised services which include consular, accommodation, flight and on-site support to intending Nigerian visitors to Automechanika 2014.

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (second right); CouncilChairmen; Akeem Sulaimon (left) Bariga Local Council Development Area Egbe-Idimu LCDA Adebayo Bello displaying his best performing Chairman Award at the second Eko Awards and Chairman, Badagry Local Government, Husitode Moses Dosu at the Governor’s Office.

Award for Council Chair

HE Chairman, EgbeIdimu Local Council Development Area, Hon Adebayo Bello, has been rewarded by second Local/ State Local Governments Conference and Eko Award 2014 as one of the best performing chairman in Lagos State.

The award of the excellence performance was given to him by by Ctru Concepts Nigeria. Bello, on his appreciation, thanked the council executive, employees and the good people of Egbe-Idimu for their support.

The council boss, dedicated the awards to Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Lagos State counterpart, Governor, Babatunde Fashola, for their mentorship in politics, said, following their footsteps made him to excel.

THE Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), yesterday, announced that it would cut power supply to Port Harcourt between July 13 and 23 for repairs and upgrade of facilities. The company’s Public Affairs Manager, John Onyi, told reporters in Port Harcourt that there would be power outage from 9 am. to 4 pm daily during the period. Onyi said the power cut was to enable the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to work on PHED facilities to boost electricity distribution in the city. He added that “The upgrade will enhance the power wheeling capacity of the transmission lines, thereby enabling PHED to provide better services to its customers.’’ The public affairs manager said the shortage of electricity supply in the state was due to insufficient megawatts the company received from the National Grid.

Journalists to monitor 2015 election By Joseph Jibueze

JOURNALISTS under the aegis of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) will be accredited to monitors the 2015 election. NAWOJ will also be coopted into the National InterAgency Advisory Committee on Voters’ Education and Publicity. This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a training on Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE), Media and Elections segment, involving NAWOJ, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), INEC and the European Union. Stakeholders agreed that more training programmes should be introduced to bridge the communication gap between the electoral body and the media. The communiqué added: “In as much as credible elections greatly depend on the ability of the media to function in an impartial and professional manner, the stakeholders agreed that the training was timely and appropriate, given the upcoming 2015 general elections. “The participants resolved that there is strong need for synergy between the media and the electoral management body (EMB). It was agreed that NAWOJ, beneficiaries of the training, be accredited by INEC (EMB) as observers for all elections in the country. “Stakeholders resolved that social media should not be seen as a threat to the practice of journalism. Rather, it should be used to enhance the profession. “The participants agreed that, to be able to deter the activities of fake journalists in the profession, it was necessary for INEC to liaise with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS (SHOWBIZ)

Peter Grimes comes to Nigeria

Shakira, Wyclef, others thrill fans at World Cup closing

•Wyclef

RAZIL’s famous Maracana Stadium, last night, resonated with high melodic energy, as sensational female singer, Shakira, serenaded fans with the hit song, ‘La la la (Brazil 2014). The spectacular show preceded the final battle between Germany and Argentina, the two finalists in the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Apparently, the song, owing to its popularity,got fans pumped up for the muchawaited final match. Fans were

By Victor Akande

seen singing along with the artistes, as the camera panned around the stadium. It was obvious many were acquainted with the “La La La” music video version, which features flags and fans from countries participating in the World Cup and athletes playing soccer during some portions of the clip. Shakira was the headline artiste of the show for the third time running, having closed the curtains for the 2006 and 2010 World

Cups in Germany and South Africa respectively. The Colombian pop star singer performed her song with Brazilian star Carlinhos Brown, with supporting acts such as Haiti-born Wyclef Jean, Carlos Santana and Alexandre Pires doing “Dar Um Jeito (We Will Find A Way)” - the World Cup’s official anthem. Although Shakira’s native Colombia and hubby’s country, Spain, came short of the World Cup, it was obvious

she sang from her heart. She and Spain defender Gerard Pique met when promoting her 2010 World Cup anthem, “Waka Waka — Time for Africa,” and the couple has an 18month-old son, whom she brought to the stage after her performance. Prior to her performance, Shakira, who is pregnant again, thanked football for changing her life. “I will never forget that I met the love of my life at the World Cup,” she said. At another end of the stadium, Ivete Sangalo and Pires added homegrown zest, with a medley of famous Brazilian songs and a samba display by local Rio de Janeiro school pupils. It was easy for Wyclef Jean to connect with Shakira with whom he had been acquainted, thereby making fans more enthusiastic.

Oando screens Kunle Afolayan’s October 1

UNLE Afolayan’s new movie, October 1, may still be in post-production stage, but it is already getting demands from corporate organisations, with a view to sealing sponsorship deals. Touted as one of the best films by a Nigerian director, Afolayan has continued to seek funds to complete the movie. “We still need funds to complete the movie; what we are showing is not the final cut,” he told The Nation. At the Eko Hotel and Suites, last night, where the movie was screened exclusively for top executives of Oando Group Plc., and the company’s clients, the event was a show of class for Oando, which staged the preview session for its high network of clients. This is the second time the movie was enjoying a private preview, the first being on May 18, when it attracted top shots like Waheed Olagunju, Executive Director, Bank of Industry; Segun Awolowo, CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council; Akin Salami, CEO, OHTV; Mo Abudu, CEO, EbonyLife TV; Francois Sastourne, Consul General of France; and Mokgethi Monaisa, Consul General of South Africa, at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The filmmaker is optimistic that more private screenings will be done for the movie, as a way to garner sponsorships for premieres in major cities in Nigeria and abroad. Asides the huge publicity for the film, interest from the business community started when in December 2013, the movie won ‘Best Fiction Trailer’ at the International Movie Trailer Festival. The award came with a price of $250 and Afolay-

•Afolayan and other cast members at the October 1 private screening

an saw it as a great way to end year 2013: “I’m happy about this award. It’s not about the money, but the recognition of the hard work, the efforts of the cast and crew of October 1. It is a pointer to the fact that the film has great potentials to go places when it is eventually released,” he said. Already, plans are ongoing to unveil the film at a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Canada, same way that Biyi Bandele’s Half of a Yellow Sun was first shown last September. The filmmaker is targeting October for its release date in Nigeria, obviously in tandem with the title of the film. October 1 is a psychological thriller set on the verge of Nigeria’s independence in 1960. It tells the story of a police detective in Northern Nigeria, who is dispatched to a trad-

ing post in Western Nigeria to solve a series of horrific murders. The movie stars Sadiq Daba, Kehinde

Bankole, Kayode Olaiya, Nick Rhys, Fabian Adeoye Lojede, Kunle Afolayan and Demola Adedoyin.

N a first of its kind screening in West Africa, FilmHouse cinemas will exclusively screen one of Britain’s most significant operas, Peter Grimes, by Benjamin Britten. The drama, as performed by the English National Opera, will start screening from July 25, in all its outlets in Lagos, Calabar and Ibadan. The screening is made possible due to the support of the UK’s Cultural Relations Organisation of the British Council and Altive Media. According to Ojoma Ochai, Director of Arts, British Council, the partnership with FilmOne Distribution and FilmHouse Cinemas aims to share high quality performances

from the UK, with new audiences in their cinemas across Nigeria. Peter Grimes is an opera in a prologue and three acts, and is the first revival of director David Alden’s 2009 five-star production. Peter Grimes paints a vivid picture of a small community’s descent into suspicion, gossip and mob mentality in the face of a tragedy. Stuart Skelton plays the lead role with Elza Van den Heever playing Ellen. Iain Paterson does justice to Balstrode’s role, while Rebecca de Pont Davies gives a spectacular performance as Auntie. It was directed by David Alden and conducted by Edward Gardner.

Tamara Eteimo’s Somewhere Down the Line premiered in style

By Mercy Michael N what may be described as a kind of solidarity with one of their ry of a couple, Tolu and own, a number of NollyGoke who, eight years into wood stars graced Tamara their marriage, remain Eteimo with their presence childless. They choose the during the premiere of her path of IVF, but it leads much-talked about movie, them down an emotional Somewhere Down the Line, at destination, causing more the Silverbird, Ikeji City sorrow than joy. Mall, Lagos, recently. The couple agrees on surOne of the highpoints of rogacy, but it turns out that the night was when Tamara, Grace, the surrogate, bewho played a twin character comes emotionally atin the movie, thrilled the tached ‘Somewhere Down guests with her singing the Line’ and does not want prowess. to part with the foetus in In a chat with The Nation, her womb. Tamara said: “Before the The red carpet, which was screening, I was tensed. Natsponsored by P&G, had in urally, you will be tensed attendance notable filmbecause you don’t want anymaker Kunle Afolayan, Sathing to go wrong. But at the heed Balogun, Ireti Ossame time, I had to tell myayemi, Doris Simeon, self, ‘Tamara, calm down. If Foluke Daramola-Salako, anything goes wrong, you Gbenga Adeyinka, Alex are still who you are.’ But Mouth, Thandekile Maseseeing people’s reactions ko, Sola Fajobi and Mary during the premiere, this is Lazarus, among others. just God telling me, ‘My daughter, I’m always strongly behind you. I’m really, really happy. And I’m encouraged to do more. But this is not for producers not to give me jobs because I’m still an actress.” Somewhere Down the Line, produced on the stable of Sola Fajobi’s Origin 8 and directed by Alex Mouth, centres on surrogacy. It features Bukky Wright, Yemi Blaq, Rachel Oniga and Mary Lazarus, Yinka Ayelokun, Adetomiwa Kukoyi, Yinka Salau, kingsley Ogboso and others. Somewhere Down •Eteimo the line tells the sto-

Ini Edo, Desmond Elliot admitted for Law at NOUN

OLLYWOOD stars Ini Edo and Desmond Elliot were among scores of students matriculated, at the weekend, for various degree programmes at the National Open University, NOUN. According to reports, the two actors were offered admission to study Law on scholarship by the university. The excited actress immediately shared the good news with her fans on her Twitter page: “I feel like some 12 years ago. @desmondelliot, we are doing this for real #openuniversity#lawstudent#educationist-

By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi

hekeytosuccess# if we can do it, you can do it; it is never too late.” Ini Edo, who first obtained a diploma in Theatre Arts from the University of Uyo, also bagged a degree in English from the University of Calabar. Since she joined the nation’s movie industry, otherwise called Nollywood, in 2000, she has appeared in a number of award-winning flicks. Ini Edo, who is also a producer, is recognised for her charity, as she has reportedly donated sundry items to orphanages at different times in

the past years. It was the same feeling of joy for Desmond Elliot, also a notable movie director, on the occasion. For some time, the rumour making the rounds is that the handsome actor is eyeing politics. Although he has not denied the reports, he doesn’t seem to be interested in calling it quits with acting. However, since the news of their admission into NOUN broke, not a few have expressed doubt about the likelihood of the two Nollywood stars completing their programme, given the engaging nature of their calling: acting. A group of commentators

•Elliot

also faulted the authorities of the institution for offering the actors admission on scholarship, adding that “it amounts to cheapening the admission process at the expense of others who are genuinely seeking higher education”.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NEWS I’ll speak up for Chibok girls until they’re released, say Malala Continued from page 4

USAID, DFID, British Council and DFID. The Managing Director of NAN, Mr. Ima Niboro, presented a birthday card and flowers to Malala on behalf of President Jonathan. “Thank you Malala for coming to Nigeria, Mr President personally signed this card, he shares your vision, your dreams and your ambitions and he is happy that you are here,’’ Niboro told Malala. She will also mark the Malala Day today in Abuja to champion her cause for free and

compulsory education for every child around the world. The education advocate informed the guests at the dinner that she would welcome ideas and opinions from them on how to ensure the safety and education of every child in Nigeria. Malala’s father, Ziauddin said: “since centuries we have been ignoring half of our population, so we should stop it now.’ “We feel very honoured and I want to share with you one thing: what you can do for your society as a social activist, women rights activist nobody else can do.

In a telephone interview with the NAN, Pakistani High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Muhammad Saleem said the High commission “was not informed of her visit to Nigeria. “However, we welcome her to Nigeria because she is doing a great job. “She is a daughter of Pakistan and we are proud of her achievements and we hope her visit to Nigeria will go a long way in resolving the issue of the kidnapped Chibok school girls. “She’s a great daughter of Pakistan and we welcome her campaign for education,” Saleem said.

Resource control row rocks Conference Continued from page 4

per cent of the revenue accruing to the federation accounts. The funds shall be applied to minerals development in the state. This is borne out of the need to urgently and practically expand the economic base of the country, increase the gross domestic product, generate employment and promote the general development of the country. “3, There shall be a national intervention fund which shall be 5 per cent of the annual revenue accruing to the account of

the federal government for the stabilisation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure in areas affected by terrorism and insurgency, especially in the Northeast zone of Nigeria and any other state in Nigeria that may be affected by terrorism and insurgency.” The source noted that “all entreaties to convince Coomasie and a few others to endorse these amendments have failed.” He added that “tomorrow’s (today’s) session will be the make or mar session of this conference.”

Information emerged yesterday that some southern delegates met on Saturday in Abuja to articulate how they would vote as block on some sensitive recommendations of the Devolution of Power committee. A source who attended the meeting assured that “we are united and resolved that it is 18 per cent derivation principle or nothing.” He added: “We have the believe that some northern delegates planned to break up the conference on the pretext of opposition to resource control.”

Adamawa House meets on Nyako’s, deputy’s fate Continued from page 4

“The only challenge facing the state is that it does not have an acting Chief Judge who can swear in the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Umaru Fintiri. “But the most senior judge or the president of the Customary Court of Appeal or the Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal may be asked to inaugurate the acting governor.” Another source spoke of how all the lawmakers were being recalled. “Those behind the impeachment are so desperate to hire a chartered jet to convey some of the Assembly members from Abuja to Yola,” he said. The provision for the removal of a governor and his deputy is contained in Section 188 (1-11) of the 1999 Constitution. The section says: “A motion of the House of Assembly that the allegation be investigated shall not be declared as having been passed unless it is supported by the votes of not less than twothirds majority of all the members of the House of Assembly.

“Within seven days of the passing of a motion under the foregoing provisions of this section, the Chief Judge of the State shall at the request of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, appoint a panel of seven persons who in his opinion are of unquestionable integrity, not being members of any public service, legislative house or political party, investigate the allegation as provided in this section. “The holder of an office whose conduct is being investigated under this section shall have the right to defend himself in person or be represented before the panel by legal practitioner of his own choice. “A panel appointed under this section shall (a) have such powers and exercise its functions in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly; and (b) within three months of its appointment, reports its findings to the House of Assembly. “Where the panel reports to the House of Assembly that the

allegation has not been proved, no further proceedings shall be taken in respect of the matter. “Where the report of the panel is that the allegation against the holder of the office has been proved, then within 14 days of the receipt of the report, the House of Assembly shall consider the report, and if by a resolution of the House of Assembly supported by not less, than two-thirds majority of all its members, the report of the panel is adopted, then the holder of the office shall stand removed from office as from the date of the adoption of the report. “No proceedings or determination of the panel or of the House of Assembly or any matter relating to such proceedings or determination shall be entertained or questioned in any court. “In this section, ‘gross misconduct’ means a grave violation or breach of the provisions of this Constitution or a misconduct of such nature as amounts in the opinion in the House of Assembly to gross misconduct.”

Boko Haram on Lagos fuel depot bombing: we did it Continued from page 4

motion picture. It is only after that we would take an evidencebased stand.” A state government official declined to speak on the development, saying only security agents could comment on it. The Arewa community in Lagos has said it will neither aid nor tolerate terrorist activities in Lagos. In a statement yesterday by the Chairman, Council of Arewa Chiefs and the leader of the Hausa in Lagos, Alhaji Sani Kabir, the group assured that “ the Arewa community will neither hide nor aid terrorists in any way”. It also condemned the activities of the Boko Haram sect, saying they do not represent the teachings of Islam. “Nigeria is facing challenges that are unprecedented in our recent history perpetrated by terrorists disguising as a religious group. “We have enjoyed peace in Lagos and for that reason, we are sensitising our people on the need to maintain the peace and to be security conscious. “We have also directed all our

Imams to consistently intensify the message of peace among the community. We have also directed that people should not be allowed to sleep in mosques and other places designated for worship” the statement said. The group also said that its leadership had instructed its members against sleeping or camping under the bridge or indiscriminate parking of vehicles along major highways. It urged its members in Lagos to participate in the proposed registration of residents. “We believe that these measures will further strengthen the bond of friendship among other ethnic groups in Lagos,” it said. Some suspected Boko Haram men at the weekend bombed a bridge linking Maiduguri with

Biu and Damboa using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). A large portion of the Madafuma Bridge was damaged, thereby making it impossible to link Maiduguri from Biu, Garkida, Numam and parts of Taraba. A resident, Mallam Musa Yakubu, said the incident took place on Saturday at about 2am. “We heard a loud bang and when we gathered in Madafuma village we found out that the bridge linking us with Biu Local Government Area and MA Dara Girau had been blown off. Motorists heading for Maiduguri from Biu especially long vehicles, had no option than to turn back to Gombe. Small vehicles managed to pass through the remaining thin portion which has not been affected by the blast.”

APC seeks international probe Continued from page 4

the finger-pointing are actually trying to divert attention from their own culpability and whether they have even more sinister motives for their fingerpointing. ‘’Whatever their motives are, let the international inquiry we are seeking be launched urgently and let the findings be

published for all Nigerians to see. Anyone opposed to this call for an international inquiry will have a lot of explanations to make to Nigerians as well as to the international community. ‘’Enough is enough. The daily killing, maiming and abduction of innocent Nigerians, as a clueless Federal Government looks on, must end.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

FOREIGN MUSINGS

Centenary of the Treaty of Versailles

T was billed to be the war that ends all wars. That was why the Treaty of Versailles, signed by German Forces and the Allied Powers on 26 June 1919 in the French city after which the treaty was named, effectively ended World War I and led to the birth of the League of Nations. Significantly, it also marked the end of rule by empires and a recalibration of sovereign nation-states as we know them today. How time flies. It is now 100 years after this historic event but unfortunately we have had World War II, the Koreas War between the North and the South, which only ended in Armistice; technically meaning that both nations are still at war. From the America-led NATO invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the war within in Syria is still raging, elections or no elections there, the aftermath of Libya after Gaddafi, Mali after France pulled out - all still tell us war is a very complex business. The late Jamaican Reggae superstar ‘Bob Marley reminded us about the presence of war and its connotation of injustice of humanity to humanity and that there is a propensity for war in all the four corners of our globe at some point in human civilization and existence. As you are reading this, the orgy of bloodletting being visited on Palestinians in Gaza is heart-rending and horrendous. And so the war, which was supposed to end all wars, actually became a mirage, as it did not. But the treaty cannot be categorized as a total failure. For one, it moderated the balanceof-power system with its inherent faulty apparatus which set it up, if not totally eliminate it. Second, granted post-WWI efforts made by the Great Powers under the treaty to re-shape the world failed, as it were, since it produced World War II, the aftermath of which bipolarism as in the East-West Axis of globalization emerged. Well, over the years, this might have created a suffocating hegemonic control in international relations, but the new reality is that with the emergence of other powers like China, their influence and dominance are no longer exclusive. It also led to the emergence of the present

United Nations Organization. With all its imperfections, the UN system has been able to provide succour to the needy around the world within the limitations of its resources. Watching the destruction of lives and property going on in Gaza yesterday on my television set, I just kept wondering what is it about war that makes nations not just wait and think deeply about consequences and outcomes before rolling out the tanks to settle disputes? Carl von Clausewitz , the Prussian General, in his three volume work on military theory noted that : “We see, therefore, that war is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse carried on with other means.” In other words, whenever we have disputes of any shape or form in the course of playing politics, be it personal, state or among non-state actors or nation-states, war is always on the table? As with our own tragic past, we had two and half pogrom called the Nigerian civil war, we needlessly and senselessly lost about one million civilian lives to mostly famine only to declare no victor nor vanquished. The point I am making is that if common sense had prevailed with tactful implementation of the famous Aburi Accord, signed in Ghana on the eve of the beginning of hostilities, we would have avoided the loss of so many human lives. Almost about the same number perished in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. We can go on ad infinitum. The point is a weak accord or treaty is better than none since institutions and procedures are human made and managed. An interesting development is coming out of Afghanistan where United States of America’s Secretary of State Bostonian John Kerry has to make an emergency dash to Kabul last Friday to end a stalemate between the two presidential candidates in the June 14 run-off elections, which gave a wide margin of victory to Ashraf Ghani-Ahmadzai (56.44) percent and to his opponent Abdullah Abdullah(43.45) percent. Ordinarily that should have settled the matter since the latter secured more votes than the former. But the issue is about

the integrity of the election itself and the process which produced it. The original election took place in April this year and the lead was secured by Abdullha, the country’s former Foreign Minister.

Global Focus DAYO FAKUADE, Foreign Editor sms 08134230367

daborgu@gmail.com

‘As you are reading this, the orgy of blood-letting being visited on Palestinians in Gaza is heart-rending and horrendous. And so the war, which was supposed to end all wars, actually became a mirage, as it did not’ Now within a period of two months, GhaniAhmadzai, an American-trained Professor of Economics, suddenly emerged the winner. Call it some kind of Nigerian electoral voodoo, where even governors cannot count 35 votes correctly in their Forum’s election. Anyway, John Kerry made both gentlemen agree to a recount and an audit of the a little over eight million votes (8.1) and both promised to abide with the outcome of the exercise. On board to assist in the supervision will be the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Remember the folks? They are the body which

some of its members were kidnapped by proRussian Supremacists in Southern Ukraine just not too long ago while trying to mediate in the secession bid by the rebels from Ukraine to join Russia. But the word on the street is an allegation that both Abdullah and Ghani-Ahmadzai have been promised that regardless of the outcome, there is enough in the kitty for everyone. Afghanistan is America’s baby; so don’t waste everybody’s time. Translation: Government of National Unity by both men. We shall wait and see. Iraq is still burning with problems from right and centre. The Kurdish, trying to forge an Islamist state, have taken control of disputed oilfields in Northern Kirkut. Already Mosul and Tikrit, the hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein have fallen into their hands and the fear now is whether a run on Baghdad is next. Of course, President Obama already has sent a strong warning to the jihadists that Washington will take any action to prevent it: Talking about the politics of oil. Meanwhile the new big boys on the block Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) - are having their two-day annual parley in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza. We shall be keeping you posted on the outcome. On a closing note, I sincerely apologize to our readers that this column could not come your way on the Centennial piece promised two weeks ago but published today. It is due to some logistic constraints. Finally, our globe is our heritage. Let’s continue to keep her clean in our everyday living. Go green, plant a tree in your neighbourhood and put a smile on a tight face, by doing an act of random kindness. See you next week.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

FOREIGN NEWS Russia warning as ‘shell hits border town’

#BringBack OurGirlsUS Coalition Position Statement

USSIA has warned of “irreversible consequences” after a man was allegedly killed on its side of the border by a shell fired from Ukraine. A Foreign Ministry statement blamed Ukrainian government forces for the “provocation”. Ukrainian Security Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said its forces were not firing on Russian territory. A rebel attack on government troops on Friday which left 19 soldiers dead has led to a spate of further clashes. At least four people died the following night when a suburb of the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk, Marinka, was badly damaged by rockets. The pro-Russian separatist rebel leadership and the government blamed each other for that attack. At least 12 civilians and three service personnel are reported to have been killed in other incidents since. The rebels, who declared independence in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in April, retreated towards the city of Donetsk last week after a government siege of their symbolic stronghold, Sloviansk. More than 1,000 civilians and combatants are believed to have died in the fighting since April. The latest alleged incident happened when a shell hit the courtyard of a residential building in a small Russian border town, also called Donetsk, early on Sunday. Fighting has been fierce in recent days after a Ukrainian government advance. A man was killed and at least one person seriously injured. This is believed to be the first time Russia has reported a fatality on its side of the border. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin described the reported incident as an “extremely dangerous escalation for Russian citizens on Russian territory”.

Ivory Coast rainy season death toll reaches 39 FLOODING and landslides during the Ivory Coast’s rainy season have killed 39 people over the last month, officials said Friday. The majority died on June 19, when 23 people were killed in overnight landslides in the economic hub Abidjan, but several weeks of torrential rain have continued to cause flooding across the country. “This toll also includes disasters that have happened in the interior of the country,” said Fiacre Kili, who leads the national civil protection office. Last weekend, five people were killed when flooding hit villages near Grand Lahou, west of the capital, while hundreds of houses were destroyed in the town itself, many of them because of landslides. Abidjan has seen a number of flooding-related deaths in recent years, with victims tending to live in slums with poor housing and infrastructure, backing onto land which gives way under heavy rains. In June 2009, 21 people died in the city, while seven lost their lives in 2008 and 11 in 2011. A month of almost-continuous rain has caused precipitation in the country to rise well above normal levels, although the situation has improved in the last few days.

•The city of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza has been one of Israel’s main targets...yesterday

PHOTO:AP

Thousands of Gazans flee after Israeli warning

HOUSANDS fled their homes in a Gaza town yesterday after Israel warned them to leave ahead of threatened attacks on rocket-launching sites, on the sixth day of an offensive that Palestinian officials said has killed at least 160 people. “Those who fail to comply with the instructions will endanger their lives and the lives of their families. Beware,” read a leaflet dropped by the Israeli military in the town of Beit Lahiya, near the border with Israel. Despite intensified Israeli military action - which included a commando raid overnight in what was Israel’s first reported ground action in Gaza during the current fighting - militants continued to launch rocket after rocket across the border. No one has been killed by the more than 800 rockets the Israeli military said has been fired since the offensive began, and during Saturday night’s barrage, customers in Tel Aviv beachfront cafes shouted their approval as they watched the projectiles being shot out of the sky. The Gaza Interior Ministry, in a statement on Hamas radio, dismissed the Israeli warnings as “psychological warfare” and instructed those who left their homes to return and others to stay put. The warnings cited roads that residents could use safely and said Israeli forces intended to attack “every area from where rockets are being launched”. The mili-

•165 killed; over a thousand wounded •UN calls for ceasefire tary did not say in the leaflet whether the strike would include ground troops. At least 4,000 people fled Beit Lahiya and crowded into eight U.N.-run schools in Gaza City yesterday, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency said. Some arrived on donkey carts filled with children, luggage and mattresses, while others came by car or taxi. One man, still in his pajamas, said some residents had received phone calls warning them to clear out. “What could we do? We had to run in order to save the lives of our children,” said Salem Abu Halima, 25, a father of two. Israel says a ground invasion of Gaza remains an option, and it has already mobilized more than 30,000 reservists to do so, but most attacks have so far been from the air, hitting some 1,200 targets in the territory. International pressure on both sides for a return to calm has increased, with the U.N. Security Council calling for a cessation of hostilities and Western foreign ministers due to meet on Sunday to weigh strategy. Hostilities along the Israel-Gaza frontier first intensified last month after Israeli forces arrested hundreds of Hamas activists in the Israeli-occupied West Bank following the abduction there of three Jewish teenagers who were

later found killed. A Palestinian youth was then killed in Jerusalem in a suspected Israeli revenge attack. A Hamas source commenting on the air strike against the Gaza police chief’s home said the officer, Tayseer Al-Batsh, was in critical condition. All of those killed in the air strike. which television footage showed was reduced to piles of rubble, were members of Al-Batsh’s family. Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants and facilities, including the homes of senior operatives. However, the United Nations has estimated that 77% of the people killed in Gaza have been civilians.The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire and peace talks on Saturday. It is the first time since Israel’s offensive began that they have issued a statement, with members previously divided on their response. Rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel on Saturday evening Palestinians mourned their relatives in a morgue in Gaza Early on Sunday, Israeli air strikes destroyed most of the security headquarters and police stations run by Hamas Islamist militants, the BBC’s Rushdi abu Alouf in Gaza reports. The homes adjacent to the security compound suffered extensive damage, as the headquarters are located in the densely populated neighbourhood of Tel al-

Hawa in south Gaza, our correspondent adds. It is believed to be the first time Israeli troops - thought to be naval commandos on this occasion - have entered Gaza since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, which it says is aimed at stopping rocket attacks and destroying Hamas’ capabilities. At least five Israelis have been injured this week by rocket and missile attacks, two of them seriously, but no Israelis have been killed by the attacks. Wars between Hamas and Israel tend to finish with some sort of ceasefire. Factors influencing the timing of a deal include the amount of blood spilt, and the level of international pressure on both sides to make a deal. It looks as if that point has not yet been reached. Neither side is ready for that yet. This conflict may have to get worse before the pressure for a ceasefire becomes unanswerable. On Saturday evening, four Israeli missiles hit a threestorey house in Gaza belonging to police chief Tayseer al-Batsh, a Gaza health official said. The strike killed 17 members of the same family, while Tayseer al-Batsh was wounded but survived, officials added. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri described the raid as “a heinous crime”, adding: “Israel will pay a heavy price for its aggression against the Palestinian people.”

Pope Francis: ‘About 2%’ of Catholic clergy paedophiles

OPE Francis has been quoted as saying that reliable data indicates that “about 2%” of clergy in the Catholic Church are paedophiles. The Pope said that abuse of children was like “leprosy” infecting the Church, according to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper. He vowed to “confront it with the severity it demands”. But a Vatican spokesman said the quotes in the newspaper did not correspond to Pope Francis’s exact words. He wants to show a more compassionate attitude towards Church teaching than

his predecessors, but this can sometimes cause consternation among his media advisers, our correspondent adds. In the interview, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that the 2% estimate came from advisers. It would represent around 8,000 priests out of a global number of about 414,000. While the incidence of paedophilia in the general population is not accurately known, some estimates have put it at less than five percent. “Among the 2% who are paedophiles are priests, bishops and cardinals. Others, more numerous, know but keep quiet. They punish

without giving the reason,” Pope Francis was quoted as saying. Above the interview La Repubblica ran the headline: “Pope says: Like Jesus, I shall use a stick against paedophile priests.” Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi denied that Pope Francis had said that there were cardinals who were paedophiles. Last year Pope Francis strengthened the Vatican’s laws against child abuse and earlier this month begged forgiveness from the victims of sexual abuse by priests, at his first meeting with victims since his elec-

tion. Many survivors of abuse by priests are angry at what they see as the Vatican’s failure to punish senior officials who have been accused of covering up scandals. Asked in the same La Repubblica interview about the celibacy rule for priests, Pope Francis recalled that it was adopted 900 years after the death of Jesus Christ and pointed out that the Eastern Catholic Church allows its priests to marry. “The problem certainly exists but it is not on a large scale. It will need time but the solutions are there and I will find them.”

WE demand action not mere talk: end the killings, stop Boko Haram, rescue our girls The Nigerian diaspora in the United States is distressed by the mess that our homeland has become in the last few years. We are profoundly troubled that more than two months after nearly three hundred high school girls were kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, the government has demonstrated nothing but gross incompetence, poor military strategy and utter disregard for the families of the girls. They have carried on as if the lives of these young Nigerians do not matter. What is the life of a Nigerian worth? What does government exist for, if not primarily for the welfare and protection of the lives of its citizens? 3.3 million Nigerians have become internally displaced as a result of the Boko Haram insurgence in the last five years making the refugee situation in the country worse than those of Iraq and Afghanistan combined. As members of the Nigerian diaspora in the United States, we are disturbed and angry about these conditions in our homeland. Nigeria is now a killing field where scores of innocent citizens are murdered everyday. An Abujabased journalist, recently told a US news network, “All you need to ask is how many [people] were killed today and not was there an attack because there [is] always… one.” We are distressed that efforts by the Nigerian government to rescue the girls have been cosmetic at best. The ruling party has invested more quality time in strategizing over elections than in solving the acute crises of insecurity in the country. Rather than taking real and meaningful action the government has attacked citizens exercising their human rights by protesting about the poor security situation in Nigeria. In light of all of this, we, a coalition of Nigerians living in the United States hereby make the following demands: We demand that the Nigerian government be more transparent about the search and rescue efforts, to date and moving forward, for the Chibok girls. We demand that certain politicians from the region where the Chibok community is, who have confessed knowing the movements of these girls and ‘powerful’ Nigerians alleged to be working with Boko Haram be thoroughly questioned.

•Pope

Father Lombardi also denied that these were the Pope’s exact words.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

NATION SPORT

PREMIERSHIP ...PREMIERSHIP ... Pardew's delight at first week's work

City beaten by Dundee

HE Blues, playing their first game since returning for pre-season, were understandably sluggish, while Dundee were a yard quicker and much sharper having begun their own pre-season a fortnight ago. Manuel Pellegrini opted to get the maximum use out of the game by playing two virtually different starting XI's in either half but the hosts were already two goals to the good by the break. First, Gary Harkins scored after his penalty had been saved by Willy Caballero with the Dundee man following up to force the ball home

on 26 minutes. Eleven minutes later and City were 2-0 down when Luka Tankulic's effort struck a sky blue body and wrongfooted Caballero and send the majority of the 6,859 home crowd wild. The Blues made wholesale changes as planned after the break with onlyy Callabero and Emyr Huws remaining from the team that began the first-half but apart from a halfchance from Alvaro Negredo and a Samir Nasri snap-shot, City created little in the way of presentable opportunities. City will resume action against Hearts next Friday.

LAN Pardew was delighted with the efforts of his squad in their first week of pre-season training - and equally pleased with the impact of new Head of Fitness Dave Billows. The former Everton fitness guru arrived in the summer and has been putting the Magpies' stars through their paces since their return to Tyneside on Monday. And United boss Pardew likes what he has seen so far. "I'm very pleased, we are looking in good shape," he told nufc.co.uk. "I'm very happy with Dave Billows. He has brought his vast experience from Everton to what we have been doing here. "Combine that, and we have come up with what we think is as good a pre-season as we can get.

•Pellegrini

Ozil criticism over the top —Arteta

IKEL Arteta believes Mesut Ozil has been unfairly singled out for criticism since arriving at Arsenal and is backing him to silence his doubters this season. Ozil became the Gunners’ record signing when he arrived from Real Madrid in a £40 million (•50m) deal last summer, but drew criticism from sections of the media and supporters for a perceived lack of effort and inconsistent performances. But Arteta believes his team-mate is being judged by unfair standards because of his hefty price tag, and is adamant the German will be better in his second season in England. “When you pay £40 million for someone there are always going to be critics,” the Spaniard told Goal at the launch of Arsenal's new PUMA kits. “It’s been over the top because Arsenal don’t usually spend that kind of money, so expectations are really high. “He’s never been in that situation before but he coped with it really well, he took it on the chin, he tried really hard and he was always in a

"The lads have enjoyed having him around. It's a new voice at the training ground, a fresh feeling to us, and that always helps too."

position to help the team. “People forget how well he started and how many good moments he gave us during the season. “People want to pick out the bad ones, but everyone has bad ones. When you cost £40m, people look at you with different eyes. “Mesut is really relaxed. He’s been under big pressure, but hopefully next season he can be even better for us.”

•Arjen Robben

Suso eager for Liverpool stay

USO is determined to fight for his place at Liverpool following a season on loan at Almeria. The 20-year-old Spaniard spent last term in his homeland with Almeria, making 33 appearances as Francisco's side avoided relegation from La Liga. Suso has now returned to Merseyside, and believes he is ready to make his mark at Anfield following a full campaign of first-team football.

"After the season in Spain, I think I have become a better player - I learned a lot," the playmaker told Liverpool's official website. "Obviously Liverpool are going to sign a lot of players because we are in the Champions League this season, and we have to have a good squad because there are a lot of competitions. "But if I fight for my place, I do my best every day in training and when I have the

McDonald allays West Ham injury fears

•Ozil

•Pardew

EST Ham assistant manager Neil McDonald has dismissed injury concerns surrounding Andy Carroll, Mauro Zarate and Carlton Cole. The trio did not feature as Sam Allardyce's men kicked off their pre-season programme with a 22 draw against League Two side Stevenage on Saturday. However, McDonald insists their omission was merely a precaution and that he hoped they would be back in action later this week. "We've had them in pre-season and they've been training but they just had little knocks or tightness, so we didn't want to take a chance and hopefully they'll be involved at Ipswich on Wednesday," he said. "We went to Ipswich two preseasons ago and we got a bit of a thumping and that put everything into perspective. "Hopefully, we will put in a good performance this time around ahead of our trip to New Zealand, where we'll also have two really good games." Zarate signed for West Ham from Velez Sarsfield in May,

while Carroll was a club-record £15million acquisition from Liverpool in 2013. Cole, meanwhile, is enjoying a second stint with the club having been briefly released last year.

chance to come on or start a game, if I do well, I could have chances to play a lot of minutes in the first team." Suso made his breakthrough at Liverpool as a teenager in 2012-13, as he made 14 topflight appearances in Brendan Rodgers' first season in charge. And the Spain Under-21 international revealed that he has held positive talks with Rodgers about his prospects with the Premier League runners-up. "I came here in December at Christmas when I had my week of holidays....I came here for two or three days to have a meeting with the manager," Suso added. "He talked to me, said he was happy with what I was doing and said that this season he wants me to stay here. "I want to stay here and sign a new deal - for me, there is no bigger club than Liverpoo.

•Sam Allardyce

Robben rejects Van Gaal's United proposal

OUIS van Gaal is expected to take at least one player from the Dutch national team to Manchester United but it will not be Arjen Robben. The Netherlands' 3-0 win over Brazil in the FIFA World Cup's third-place play-off on Saturday was Van Gaal's last game in charge before he takes over at United and, afterwards, Dutch attacker Robben turned down an offer from the 62-yearold to join him at Old Trafford. However, Robben's strike partner Robin van Persie, who is already on United's books, hinted Van Gaal would be taking at least one Dutchman from Brazil to the Premier League. "Admittedly, sometimes I know more than you guys," Van Persie told Dutch TV station NOS when asked if other Dutch national team members would be playing at United next season. After being dubbed Netherlands' best player in their penalty shoot-out defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals by Van

Gaal, central defender Ron Vlaar could be an option to move from Aston Villa to United. Stefan de Vrij of Feyenoord may also be targeted by Van Gaal as United look to replace long-standing central defensive pairing Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. Robben was arguably Netherlands' leading player of the tournament and was clearly one of Van Gaal's favourites but the 30-year-old looks unlikely to leave Bavaria. "After the match he did ask me to come to Manchester," Robben said. "I'm very happy with where I am now. I told [Van Gaal] that." "Van Gaal is the best coach I've had, we've got a very special relationship but I will not make a transfer. "I'm at the right place at Bayern so that has nothing to do with Van Gaal or United." Van Gaal has already signed Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera since taking over as United's manager.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

T R A N S F E R S . . .

NATION SPORT

Vidal relaxed over future

Luis Enrique backed Suarez N signing

De Jong appointed vice-captain

UVENTUS midfielder Arturo Vidal will not rush into making a decision on his future amid rumours of a move to Manchester United. Vidal has been heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford this close-season, with new United boss Louis van Gaal reportedly keen to take the Chile international to the Premier League. The 27-year-old is an integral part of the Juve team who have won three successive Serie A titles since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2011. Juve are sure to want to keep Vidal in Turin, but the player himself - who helped his country reach the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup last month appears to be keeping his options open. "I've heard about the rumours, but I haven't spoken more about this subject," Vidal told La Tercera in his homeland. "I'm enjoying my holidays, and when I return to Italy I'll see what happens. "I'm very calm, but anyone would love to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world."

ARCELONA president Josep Maria Bartomeu says coach Luis Enrique was delighted when he learned of the club's plan to sign Luis Suarez. The Blaugrana confirmed on Friday that they have agreed a deal with Liverpool for the Uruguay international, who will sign a five-year contract with the Catalans despite currently being banned from all football-related activity until the end of October for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup. However, the fallout from that con-

•Arturo Vidal

troversy has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of Bartomeu, who explained that everyone at Camp Nou has had their hearts set on adding the 27year-old forward to a front-line that already contains Lionel Messi and Neymar for some time now. "Suarez is one of the best strikers in the world and, at the end of last season, Andoni Zubizarreta, our sporting director, started to think we had to bring a striker to our club," the Blaugrana supremo told Sky Sports. "Luis Suarez was on the table and our new coach Luis Enrique, when he

Reina role to be discussed

EPE Reina says discussions will take place with Brendan Rodgers to see where he fits in at Liverpool after returning from a season-long loan at Napoli. The 31-year-old, who featured 30 times in Serie A during the last campaign, has been linked with a move to a host of European sides but his agent confirmed he is set to remain at Anfield. Reina fell out of favour with Rodgers last summer and Simon Mignolet was brought in from Sunderland to become Liverpool's firstchoice keeper, as the Spain international was shipped out to Napoli. It remains to be seen if Reina features in Rodgers' thinking for the new Premier League campaign, but agent Manuel Garcia Quillon is due to meet the Liverpool boss to find out. "Without a team? I have one - Liv-

erpool. I have a deal for another two years, even if I've not yet spoken with the coach to see what his plans are," he told El Mundo Deportivo. "Now I'm set to end my holidays and my agent is charged to do these things." Reina has also been linked with a switch to Barcelona but that now appears to be unlikely following their capture of Costa Rica goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who will

•Gonzalo Rodriguez

Stadio Artemio Franchi from Villarreal in 2012, has made 68 Serie A appearances during his two seasons at the club, contributing 10 goals. Rodriguez's deal was set to run out in 2015, but he has now declared his delight at having resolved his future. "I am very happy and there were never problems negotiating the renewal, so it was easy to sign the new contract," he said. "We need to improve, even if other teams have great players, as we want to win something this season. We’ve got important players too. "What are my objectives? I always say to win a trophy, whether it’s the Coppa Italia or the Europa League. "Of course, getting a place in the Champions League would also be wonderful." Fiorentina finished fourth in the Italian top flight last season to secure a European berth.

compete with fellow new arrival Marc-Andre ter Stegen for the number one shirt at the Nou Camp. However, Reina admitted that the Spanish giants did show an interest in him before he made the move to Napoli. "I have not thought about this a lot this season. Last summer - it's true there have been contacts, but during the last season I kept my concentration on Napoli," he said.

•Siem De Jong

City in talks over Mangala

Rodriguez signs new Fiorentina deal IORENTINA defender Gonzalo Rodriguez is set to remain at the club until 2017 after signing a contract extension. The Argentine, who arrived at

signed, we quickly explained everything and he said 'of course you can bring Luis Suarez to our club. Bring him - he's a fantastic player.' "It is incredible to join those three players [Suarez, Messi and Neymar] at the same club. It's something fantastic and something unusual. "It's rare in the world of football to have three top players plus [Andres] Iniesta, plus [Sergio] Busquets, plus [Gerard] Pique, plus [Javier] Mascherano and the young ones that are coming - it's incredible to have this team."

EWCASTLE United have confirmed new signing Siem De Jong as one of their new vice-captains for next season. Argentine ace Fabricio Coloccini will continue to lead the Magpies next term, but Alan Pardew has moved to appoint two vice-captains in the shape of De Jong and Cheick Tiote. "At Newcastle I have great faith in Fabricio Coloccini, but we have also just last week announced two official vice-captains in Cheick Tiote and Siem De Jong, who was captain at Ajax, giving us three players from different areas of the pitch to take that bit of extra responsibility," Pardew said in his Independent column. Coloccini has captained Newcastle since 2011, and Pardew is delighted to still count on the South America, who failed to make Argentina's World Cup squad. "Coloccini is a relatively quiet lad, who leads by example and presence and his calmness on the ball," he said. "The most vocal guy does not necessarily mean the best leader, although previously we had Kevin Nolan, who was very vocal in the dressing-room and a great organiser of the group."

•Reina

ANCHESTER City are in talks with Porto over the signing of defender Eliaquim Mangala, according to Sky sources. The 23-year-old has long been a target for City, with the France international viewed as the ideal player to slot in alongside captain Vincent Kompany at the heart of the defence. The club attempted to sign Mangala during the January transfer window but were unable to agree terms with the player. But reports in Portugal suggest Mangala, who was part of France's squad for the World Cup in Brazil, is now poised to head to Manchester for his medical. Mangala began his career with Standard Liege in 2008, before joining Porto in 2011 where he has won two league titles. City has already signed midfielder Fernando from Porto this summer, while Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero and Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna have also been added to Manuel Pellegrini's options.

THE NATION MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014

SPORT EXTRA 2014 WORLD CUP FINAL:

Germany pips Argentina 1-0 to lift trophy

ARIO Gotze’s sensational chest and volley in extra time gave Germany fourth World Cup, beatingtheir Argentina 1-0. These sides hadn’t met since the 1990 Final, when West Germany beat Diego Maradona’s Argentina 1-0 in Italy. That was also the Albiceleste’s last outing in a Final and the most recent German World Cup victory. Angel Di Maria did not recover in time from a thigh strain to start, while Sergio Aguero was also fit only for the bench, so Gonzalo Higuain, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Enzo Perez played. Germany had named Sami Khedira in their XI, but he pulled out during the warm-up with a calf injury and made way for Christoph Kramer at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, only his second start. Lazio striker Miroslav Klose was already the all-time top World Cup scorer with 16 goals. Higuain really should’ve given Argentina the lead after 20 minutes when Toni Kroos headed it back into his path, but Pipita scuffed the gift well wide from the edge of the box. Bastian Schweinsteiger was first

into Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli’s book for tripping Lavezzi from behind. Higuain did have the ball in the back of the net when getting on the end of a wonderful Lavezzi cross from the right, but the Italian linesman raised his flag for a correct call. Kramer’s World Cup Final lasted only 30 minutes, as he was practically carried off looking extremely dazed to make way for Andreas Schurrle. Kramer had carried on for 13 minutes after a very nasty knock to the head off Ezequiel Garay’s shoulder. Howedes was also booked for hacking down Pablo Zabaleta, while Mesut Ozil was offside and disturbing Sergio Romero when the Sampdoria goalkeeper brilliantly parried a Schurrle effort. Leo Messi burst past Mats Hummels down the left and flicked it over Manuel Neuer, but Jerome Boateng rushed back to clear practically off the line. At the other end, Kroos hit a tame finish straight at Romero. Germany almost scored on the stroke of half-time with a bullet Howedes header from five yards, but it thumped the upright and

Thomas Muller was offside on the rebound. Sergio Aguero replaced the lively Lavezzi and Messi sprung the offside trap, but his angled drive shaved a coat of paint off the base of the far post. Neuer rushed out to punch a ball off Higuain’s head, clattering into the striker on the follow-through. Rizzoli awarded a free kick to Germany, though it could so easily have been interpreted as dangerous play from the goalkeeper and a red card. Klose’s header was too weak to trouble Romero, but the tension started to rise with Javier Mascherano and Aguero booked in quick succession. Messi cut in from the right and curled just wide, then he went on a mazy run but Neuer smothered at Rodrigo Palacio’s feet. Muller threaded through for Howedes, but the defender was unable to turn on the penalty spot, then Kroos side-footed wide from the edge of the area on a fine Ozil pull-back. Klose was given an ovation on his substitution, as this is the last World Cup for the 36-year-old recordholder.

•Gotze volleys in with his left foot after taking a cross on his chest.Inset: Gotze (No 19) is surrounded by his ecstatic team-mates after he scored.

Messi wins Golden Ball

IONEL Messi has been chosen as the Golden Ball winner for the 2014 is handed out to The the player World Cup. award voted as the tournament's best, however, it came after a losing effort against Germany in the final. Messi turned 27 during the World Cup. He has spent the past handful of years carrying an extremely heavy burden for both Argentina and Barcelona, his club side. There were times during the tournament where you could see

that was taking its toll. The Straits Times commented that his father admitted the Forward wasn’t at ful strength It makes his accomplishments in Brazil even more astonishing. He only flashed peak form rather than sustain it for an extended period of time and was still voted the best player in the tournament, which featured no shortage of star power. Messi entered the World Cup with a resume that was

starting to solidify his place among the greatest players to ever step on a pitch. Yet, he had never won a title on the sport's biggest stage and the number of opportunities is limited compared to a domestic or Champions League trophy. Even though it was clear the Argentine stalwart was fighting through some fatigue, he still found a way to make an impact, as the great players usually do. He appeared in all seven of the team's matches, scoring four goals and chipping in an assist.

ARS: Rivers teams win Port Harcourt Zonal IVERS Team A in both to showcase their skills through male and female catego- Championship the ARS initiative and further

ries outclassed all other opponents from the Southsouth zone to win the Port Harcourt Zonal Championship of the Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) Season 4 concluded at the Sharks Stadium on Saturday. In the final of the male category, Rivers Team A emerged victorious by defeating Delta State team by 4-3 on penalties after the pulsating encounter had ended 1-1 apiece, while Akwa Ibom pipped Rivers Team B 2-1 to win the third place match concluded at the same venue. Also in the final of the female category, Rivers Team A withstood all odds by defeating hardfighting Akwa Ibom 3-1 on pen-

alties after the match ended 1-1 within regulation time. In the third place match Cross River stunned Bayelsa 3-0 to emerge victorious. Speaking to newsmen after the end of the competition, the Technical Adviser of the Southsouth Zonal Championship of the Airtel Rising Stars Season 4, Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah commended all the participating teams for playing to instructions and abiding by the rules of the competition. She also gave kudos to Airtel for giving upcoming footballers at the grassroots the opportunity

commended all the participants for exhibiting the spirit of sportsmanship. Sixteen outstanding players from both the male and female categories of the participants were selected to represent the zone for the national finals holding in Lagos later this month. “We are grateful for the successful completion of this zonal championship in Port Harcourt without any major incident. “From the quality of players discovered here, I’m very sure the Southsouth zone will emerge winners at the national finals in Lagos.

TODAY IN THE NATION

MONDAY, JULY 14, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL 9 NO 2,907

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

YO Fayose seems a happy man these days. After a short spell of humility when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced him as the governor-elect, he has cruised into a summer of blusters. He is not the sort of man that would heed the exhortation of former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who said, among other things, “in victory, magnanimity.” He is not only posting himself as the new king of Ekiti State, he is posing as the generalissimo of the Southwest and has put his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on notice. Any party wheel horse, who basked on the rooftops before fate unveiled his new rise, should understand that he can pull them down. Inside his exultant soul, he is swooning with the quote of the buoyant actor, Al Pacino, that “vanity is my favourite sin.” He has not even spared the Owu chief, Olusegun Obasanjo, his barb. And I know the second coming of Fayose is part revenge, part Oedipal vindication. Hear him: “This is the last time I would sound this note of warning to those people who want to disparage the party to stop. If you want to disparage the party, whether you are a former president, senator, irrespective of your position, we will sack you. When I fought with the party, I left the party, I did not stay in the party. You are free to go to any party you want, but don’t stay in the party and disparage it.” Not even when the military gave us parties did we hear such peremptory orders. As Americans would say, come over IBB. Stay humble in the grave, Abacha. Fayose acted not like a politician but an emperor. He has not even become a governor yet. He is a governor-elect, yet all over him he is preening with the feathers of an impresario. The alawada potential of his governorship era of the second coming promises us some excitement, to say the least. For me, it is the parable of the godfather and godson in a skein never before written in the Nigerian politics of prebendal deviance. When he was a governor in his first advent, he was the son as loyalist to Obasanjo. Fayose was the crony as point man, sometimes his Rottweiler. He had stood as the party stalwart. He did his biddings, as a humble servant. But this was the son in whom Obj was well pleased. But the story went sour. Fayose became the prodigal son, but in this case, the son wanted to return home to a big and lavish party. The father, now unhappy with the son with a vindictive fury, did not want the son under his eaves. Rather he heaved him out in the throes of impeachment. He was

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SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

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Father and son

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Fayose acted not like a politician but an emperor. He has not even become a governor yet. He is a governor-elect, yet all over him he is preening with the feathers of an impresario •Obasanjo

•Fayose

accused of thieving felony and that he was cat among the Ekiti chickens. The florid son turned philosophical as the unflinching father set the machinery of the state House of Assembly in motion. In one interview that must pinch anyone’s tender parts, he referred to a Yoruba proverb: anyone who sleeps in a mattress should have a mat around him, because he may need it someday. He left the soft, dream-suffused majesty of the mattress and was on the mat in the past half decade. Now, he is approaching the saddle, while his godfather is in his party’s wilderness. Power has changed hands. He now must wait to daze and to dream in the mattress of power. Hence he shouted to the rafters to an Obasanjo, whom he was referring to as former president.

HAT do you say to a man who heedlessly embarks on a fruitless journey? A man once was about setting off on an adventure to the evil forest; he was consumed by his dreams of boundless treasure in the uncharted terrain and would not be persuaded by superior arguments and logic. His lust was already far ahead of him into the forest; far ahead of his reason. Soon he took on the forest and soon enough he was back; indeed, lucky to be back for he was bruised, battered and left haemorrhageing critically. Now that Mr. ... (let’s call him) Heedless, has learnt his lessons the hard way and has returned to earth, what do we tell him? We told you so? Sorry, but no tears for you and we hope you have learnt your lessons? This little fable is actually about the recent misadventure of the federal government in Nigeria’s rice sector. That odyssey into the forbidden forest, so to speak, was led by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina. Apparently struck by a brain wave (or any other wave we dare not mention) one January morning in 2013, government jacked up the levy on im-

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Obasanjo in his era had the power to give Fayose power, keep him there, and order him out in a fleeting hurry. Obj exercised that power then not to a few sons of his party. Former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was one of them. He organised his exit. The thickset man who oiled over with dollar pride cascaded down the power trolley before the eyes of all. The Ijaw chief is undergoing a sort of renaissance of pride as the beneficiary of his political son who jumped from obscurity to presidency. He, at least, has the humility to abandon his fatherhood the way Esau did to Jacob. As Tolstoy noted in War and Peace, “it is better to bow too low than not low enough.” What is the meaning of Fayose’s boast? Is he going to trek out of his Ekiti precinct to

HARDBALL

Reversing the (rice) ruse ported rice to 100 per cent from 40 per cent and with the tariff at 10 per cent, rice, Nigeria’s main staple food was being imported into the country at 110 per cent duty. This was without consultation with the stakeholders in the rice sector and obviously without any thought of the adverse effects of this rash action on the economy. How could anyone hike duty on rice in Nigeria when neighbouring countries are on zero tariffs? You need not be an economist to fathom that it is a recipe for ruinous smuggling. That was what happened and pronto! Our ports dried up immediately as genuine importers were crushed under a heavy weight of duty while our borders became a bazaar for rice smugglers. So for about 18 months since early last year, our treasury bled profusely. Stakeholders in rice business who had

preen even in the vaporous vipers of Owu waters? It is common knowledge that Fayose has openly defied the man who gave him bread in the morning and vinegar at night. Now, he has woken the next morning with the power of dew and due for battle. What is going on in Baba’s mind, and is he saying to himself, “I should have thought differently when I supported that boy to be governor and kept him there long enough to insult his father’s age mate.” Or is he telling himself, “what do I expect when you put someone in office? He grows into his own, and I should have left him there. I should not have impeached him. Now, it seems he is the winner and I the loser.” Could Baba have that sort of soul-searching candour, a brutal introspection of selfaccusation? When he played godfather, he wallowed in the illusion that he would be father forever. A mistake indeed. Even natural fathers are not fathers forever. Sometimes, the sons become fathers, an idea that Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev played with when he examined the concept of nihilism in his classic, Fathers and Sons. But poet William Wordsworth’s immortal lines, the “child is the father of the man,” is the sort that a bloating Fayose would really love now, especially since he is the one issuing the orders. He is not interested in giving a bash even if the father- now-turned-son returns in his septuagenarian penitence. Knowing the Owu chief, penitence is not in the cards. So Fayose can keep his forgiveness. Obj may also have thought that a day like this could never come. He never knew about the transience of power. Few who are there think of the transience of power. After all he once sought a third term. No one ruminated on the transience of power more than the Nobel laureate, Garcia Marquez, in his novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude. In one of the passages, an old man who held sway over a community declared in a moment of hallucinated lucidity: “I have found immortality.” When he died by drowning, his main follower says he is not dead, but preserves his body as it decays in pestilential odours for long. The era is gone; the denial, however, has morbid consequences. Few leaders in history are like Charles de Gaulle, who did not want pomp or ceremony when he died, and visits from other leaders. Just him quiescent in his casket. He knew the time was up when he went down. That is the nature of power. Fayose also does not appreciate this, and that is why rather than release a blueprint to raise Ekiti lifestyle that no one heard in his campaign, he is flush with self-promotion, strutting like a peacock.

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above invested in local production of rice also suffered as cheap smuggled rice damaged their businesses. All entreaties to the government fell on deaf ears and the huge sums pooled in the Rice Fund through the levy on imported rice which is supposed to be deployed for local rice development remain a mystery. There is no account for it, there is no panel and there is no word about this fund since it was set up in 1999. Yet the idea as touted by Dr. Adesina was to stop the importation of rice by 2015. But how would that be if the federal government is being economical with the truth about this policy; if Dr. Adesina continues to hallucinate about a fictitious rice revolution? In spite of ourselves, we acknowledge that it is salutary that the federal government has finally back-tracked; it has seen the light seemingly and announced a reversal of that ruse of a rice policy. According to a report last week, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the slashing of that dubious rice levy to about 20 per cent. It has also directed a new fiscal policy on rice for 2014 to 2017. While we say welcome back (from the forest) we also ask: @whereisthericefund?

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