July 29, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

•EFCC grills Saraki’s wife, PDP BoT chair for hours P6 •Britain, Nigeria launch push for more investments P53 •Controversy as Customs seals rice importers’ stores PP662 •Osun judge refuses to appear before Assembly panel P8 •Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3290 WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

Gbajabiamila is House Leader

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

A

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

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Continued on page 4

N150.00

Tinubu seeks more time for Buhari

•Dogara bows to Buhari, APC ARTY supremacy advocates yesterday carried the day, with Femi Gbajabiamila becoming the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

The sharing of offices in the House had be contentious. It all ended peacefully as Speaker Yakubu Dogara announced Gbajabiamila the Majority Leader – in deference to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress(APC).

Dogara, by accepting the party’s list, opted for peace than a prolonged crisis in the House.

But, instead of riding his colleagues roughs-

NEWS Page 57

Troops rescue 30 from Boko Haram

•GOOD T O SEE YOU: President Buhari (right) with Asiwaju Tinubu at the Villa in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

LL Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is seeking a 100-day “honeymoon” for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari, in his view, should not yet be put on the performance scale.

Tinubu was answering reporters’ questions yesterday after meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

To the former Lagos State governor, it is too early to conclude that the President has been slow in bringing about change since he mounted the saddle on May 29.

Justifying his call, Tinubu explained that a Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: 27 GENCOS GET 30-DAY ULTIMATUM TO SHAPE UP P5 CHAIR FOR AMNESTY OFFICE P7

Ooni of Ife is dead Oba Sijuwade passes on at 85 in London

APC, PDP give Buhari nod to go after looters

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By Our Reporter

F

OREMOST traditional ruler Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Ooni of Ife, is dead. He was 85.

The royal father passed on at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London, United Kingdom (U.K), where he was being treated.

Sources close to the palace at Enuwa, IleIfe, Osun State, confirmed his demise last night.

He was reportedly flown out on Friday in an air ambulance for treatment at the London hospital when his health reportedly suffered a relapse.

It was not immediately clear last night what may have caused Oba Sijuwade’s death.

Family members did not pick their telephone calls.

Sources close to the state government said the palace was yet to inform Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the development.

St. Mary’s is a general acute hospital that diagnoses and treats a range of adult and paediatric conditions.

The hospital is one of the four Major Trauma Centres (MTCs) in London, acting as the hub for the northwest London trauma network and a vital part of the London-wide trauma system which connects a series of trauma units and rehabilitaWILL THE tion facilities.

CHIBOK It pioneered the use of GIRLS EVER RETURN? Continued on page 61

?

•The late Oba Sijuwade

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to fight corruption got a major boost yesterday.

His party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) - and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had a rare agreement – that Buhari should go after corruption suspects.

But the PDP cautioned him “not to victimise innocent citizens”.

Some prominent citizens have been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Others are being investigated.

To the APC, the investigation of those who plundered the nation’s commonwealth and prosecution is necessary to remind future officials that “holding a public office is a call to service”.

In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC noted that the unfolding revelations, especially in the oil sector, were too serious to be ignored by a forwardlooking administration like Buhari’s.

The statement reads: “Some people have insinuated that the Buhari Administration should ignore the massive looting of our patrimony and move on.

We say no responsible government can afford to do that, because it will amount to endors-

From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

ing corruption and impunity.”

“In the oil sector alone, billions of dollars have been skimmed off by pathologically-corrupt public officials,” the party said, wondering how the government can meet its obligations to the citizens if it refuses to recover the huge funds stolen by officials.

The APC went on: “It is an irony that those who are suggesting that the Buhari administration should turn a blind eye to the incomprehensible looting are the same ones accusing the government of not doing anything.

“It is even a cruel irony that the same party that presided over what is fast emerging as the worst governance Continued on page 4

•Mohammed •Metuh

•LIFE P13 •POLITICS P17 •SPORTS P23 •MONEY P26 •INVESTORS P28 •FOREIGN P59

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

2

NEWS

Senate’s search f With yesterday’s adoption of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and others as principal officers, peace seems to have returned to the House of Representatives. But, for the Senate, the search sure continues, writes VICTOR OLUWASEGUN, GBADE OGUNWALE and ERIC IKHILAE •Eminent journalist and publisher Kayode Soyinka (second left) sharing a joke with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on the latest edition of Africa Today with the picture of the president on the cover...on Monday. With them are former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Sir Shridath Ramphal (centre), candidate for Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Sir Ronald Sanders (left) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Bulus Lolo.

•From left: President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Otunba Femi Deru; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Vice president of ICAN, Deacon Titus Soetan and an executive member of ICAN, Mrs comfort Olujumoke Eyitayo, during a courtesy call by ICAN executives to the Vice President at the presidential villa in Abuja...yesterday.

•From left: Former l Mayor of London, Sir Roger Gifford; Lagos State GovernorAkinwumi Ambode and President, Nigerian stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede during a visit of UK-Nigeria emerging capital market projects task force to Ambode in Lagos...yesterday.

•Chief Executive, Media Craft Associates John Ehiguese speaking at the Media briefing on the 7th Nigerian Breweries' Golden Pen Award in Lagos... yesterday. With him are (from left) Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Kufre Ekanem, member of The Jurry, Nkechi Alli-Balogun,and Corporate Media and Brand PR Manager Edem Vindah.

H

OUSE of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and his challenger Femi Gbajabiamila cut the image of two friends who had not seen for some time on Monday. It was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where President Muhammadu Buhari had hosted them to a peace meeting. The duo talked, joked and laughed. At the end of the meeting, Nigerians were told that in a few hours the crisis in the House of Representatives would be over. Many took the claim with a pinch of salt and almost all major news medium reported yesterday that the meeting did not provide the desired result.

Yesterday was an eye-opener for many who doubted the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership who saw the end of the crisis. Gbajabiamila was yesterday announced the House Leader as the party had wanted. Alhassan Doguwa, who was earlier chosen by Dogara, did not object.

He accepted to be Deputy House Leader.

The magic behind the resolution of the crisis, The Nation learnt, is no other than Buhari, who Dogara decided to defer to. Dogara allowed the caucuses of the APC to have input in the choice of principal officers.

The horse-trading ran late into the wee hours of yesterday and at the end, all parties decided that it was time to face the business of law-making.

The Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on Information, Mallam Sanni Zorro, who spoke exclusively last night with our correspondent said: “It was the triumph of democracy, the House is the winner. The House has demonstrated political maturity because politics is about give and take.

“President Buhari is not only a leader but a game changer. Since 1999, past Presidents had always installed the leaders of the National Assembly but President Buhari decided not to interfere.

“There was pressure on him to interfere but he refused. It was only when the crisis got to a critical stage that he intervened. Yet, he did not impose his will. The party also did not use force.”

Zorro praised the Speaker for championing peace in the House.

He added: “To resolve the crisis, Dogara came up with a final consensus formula which took into consideration the interest of critical stakeholders including the nation, the presidency, regional politics, zoning and all those things that divided members.

“It is a win-win situation. There was no winner, no loser. With the crisis amicably resolved, the House is now open for business, legislative activities and engagement with public, private and non-governmental actors.

For the Senate, however, the search for peace continues. Like the House of Representatives, it resumed yesterday. At the sitting, Senator Kabiru Marafa tried to nullify the election of Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, on the ground that they were not duly elected.

Marafa (Zamfara Central) and a member of the Senate Unity Forum opposed to Saraki’s emergence, draw the attention of the Senate to what he described as an obvious error committed by the Senate during the in-

auguration of the 8th Senate on June 9.

The lawmaker, who raised order 1 (a)and (b) ; 13 1 and 2; and order 3 (2), said he was guided by the ruling of Saraki on June 24th that the Senate rules in force is the Senate Standing Order/ Rule 2015.

He said: “I am guided by your (Saraki) ruling of June 24 that the Senate Standing Rules in force is the Senate Standing Order 2015 as amended. I also rely on the wise counseling of Senator Ike Ekweremadu on the issue. Order 1 (a) talks about the proceedings of the senate in accordance with the book.”

The senator said going by the rules of the Senate in force, Order 13 ( 1 ) states that on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays except the second and third Fridays of the month, committee meetings are to hold between 9:00am and 12 noon.

He also referred to Order 13 ( 2 ) which states that on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, the Senate shall meet at 2pm and unless previously adjourned, it shall sit until 6pm .

He added that a substantive motion has to be moved by the leader of the senate or a senator acting in that capacity that the senate be adjourned by 6pm.

Marafa said Ekweremadu said the Senate rules had come into effect and that for them to be amended, order 110 had to be followed.

“I want to posit that the activities of the Senate on the 9th of June stands because it was covered by the proclamation of Mr. President which states that the proceedings of the chamber shall start by 10:00am.

“But all other activities of the Senate from the time but not limited to the oath of office, is a nullity because it was not done within the time frame stated in the rule book. The activities of the Senate on the 23rd and 24th are equally a nullity.”

But, Saraki cut him to size. He ruled that the issue of timing of the proceedings of the Senate Marafa raised would be referred to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa.

He said: “You came under three orders. Orders 1 and order 13 as regards to the timing of seating will be referred to the Clerk. Your interpretation of the Order on nomination of principal officers is not in order.”

He subsequently ruled Marafa out of order.

Yesterday, another amended version of the Senate Standing Order/ Rule 2015 was distributed to Senators.

The new rules essentially corrected the timing errors Marafa referred to in his point of order.

Saraki also asked members to pick up forms where they would signify not more than five committees in which they wish to serve. Significantly, Marafa and others case seeking to prevent Saraki from constituting committees came up yesterday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja declined the request of the five senators to restrain the Senate from constituting its standing and ad hoc committees.

The judge, in a ruling yesterday, refused an ex-parte motion filed by Senators Abu Ibrahim, Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuni - on the ground

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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NEWS

h for peace continues as House settles rift

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•Saraki

•Buhari

that it was without merit, because there was no urgency in the issue raised by the plaintiffs.

The five senators, who had earlier filed a substantive suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CS/651/2015, brought the exparte motion, containing the prayer, and which their lawyer, Mamman Osuman (SAN) argued yesterday.

They said their prayer, which is to stop the constitution of the Senate committees pending the determination of their application for interlocutory injunction, was informed by the fact that the Senate was operating with an illegitimate and unconstitutional Senate Standing ?Orders 2015 including using it to conduct the election of June 9 which produced its current leadership.

The plaintiffs alleged that the Senate Standing ?Orders 2015 was “contrived” from the amendment of the 2011 version of the Orders without following its relevant provisions and those of the Constitution.

They argued that the said amendment was in breach of the “prescriptive procedures” stipulated by the extant provisions of section 60 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Rule 110(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended).

The plaintiffs are of the view that the election of the current leadership of the Senate and other proceedings based on the unconstitutional Orders were null and void.

In his ruling, Justice Kolawole held that there was no urgency in the case because the plaintiffs had known about the purported illegal Standing Orders since June 9 when it was allegedly used for the election, but chose to file the ex parte motion barely 24 hours to resumption of the Senate from its about one month recess.

He further held that the court would hardly intervene in a matter relating to the application or misapplication of the internal rules of the Senate or the legislature when such action did not amount to “substantial infraction” of the provisions of the Constitution.

Justice Kolawole was of the view that, in matters relating to disputes over the “the decision reached by a

•Gbajabiamila

•Dogara

•Gemade

It is time we remind ourselves of the solemn promise to deliver to our people real change.

Leadership is secondary to our primary responsibility of good governance

•Ekweremadu

•Doguwa

•Odigie- Oyegun

APC will now reunite fully, says Odigie-Oyegun •Promises to address Senate matter differently

A

LL Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday hailed House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dograra on the resolution of the crisis in the lower chamber, noting that the settlement would heal the wounds of the party and re-unite it as a family.

He said : “ I want to commend the Speaker and his for their sense of patriotism. It is my hope and expectation that the wounds will now be totally healed that the APC family will now now reunite fully as one.”

Speaking with reporters in a telephone conversation, he said the crisis that rocked the Senate was different from that of the House owing to the emergence of an opposition member as the Deputy Senate President.

He added that the party would address the issue in a different manner.

Oyegun was reacting emergence of Femi Gbajabiamila as the House Leader of the lower chamber.

The House Leaders yesterday paid a surprise visit to majority of the members of the Senate”, aggrieved members of the arm of government could only seek a redress by mobilising their colleagues to reverse such decision.

He held that in various appellate courts’ decisions, courts had been warned “to be wary” in intervening in such internal legislative activities, let alone granting an order to restrain the activities of that arm of government at the stage of an ex parte hearing.

“In the light of the above analysis, I will be unable to grant the ex parte application dated July 24 and only filed on July 27, 2015 ?by only five out of the 109 senators constitutionally elected to the upper legislative chamber,” Justice Kolawole said.

He ordered the plaintiffs to serve the motion on notice, seeking the same prayer contained in their ex parte motion, on the defendants - Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; the Clerks of the National Assembly and the Senate and the National Assembly.

Justice Kolawole fixed August 5 for hearing of the plaintiffs’ motion on notice.

The plaintiffs are, in the substantive suit, seeking among others, the declaration of the Senate Standing

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

the party’s National Secretariat .

His words: “ I have already offered our regrets. This is part of growing, we are new to government and we are democratic and above all, progressive movement.

“We are in the process of welding all the various tendencies into one and today we have score one major victory and I can assure the country that the party has began the process of healing all the wounds and becoming one strong force. We are moving from being a movement into a one strong political party that will back the President for the good of the entire country.”

On the crisis in the Senate, Oyegun said : “ Senate is a different level and different situation. It is totally different if only we have sore thumb in the form of a PDP Deputy Senate President. So I think it is totally different and the approach and the way we are going to handle the situation will be totally different. But at the end of the day even the Senate issue will be sorted out too.”

Orders 2015 as null and void for being a product of an alleged illegitimate and unconstitutional amendment of the 2011 version of the standing orders.

They also want the court to nullify the amended order as well as the election of Saraki as the Senate President and that of Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, ?for being products of the alleged illegal orders.

If Saraki has his way, the aggrieved senators should just accept that the battle was won and lost. He enjoined them yesterday to stop bickering and face legislative duties.

In his welcome address at the resumption of plenary, Saraki reminded the senators that Nigerians elected them was to deliver on their mandate and not to struggle for positions on the floor.

Acknowledging the enormity of the hydra- headed challenges facing the country, Saraki spoke of the urgent need to address these challenges.

He said: “Distinguished colleagues, we have our work cut out for us. We cannot afford to frolic. Nigerians did not give us our mandate to come and pursue leadership; their mandate was for us to pursue governance and bring solutions to their burning is-

sues.

“It is time we remind ourselves of the solemn promise to deliver to our people real change. Leadership is secondary to our primary responsibility of good governance.

“As Senate President, you have given me responsibility to ensure that our primary responsibility is placed on the table, not under the table. Nigerians did not put their lives on the line for politics but for the delivery of good governance.

“My distinguished colleagues, the job of changing our corporate destiny starts today. Though the challenges are huge, they are not insurmountable.

“Let these challenges inspire us as leaders to show courage, statesmanship and valour. We have taken the right first steps out, we must now set out at dawn. We do not have all the time; indeed our clock is ticking.

“Distinguished colleagues, it is time; let’s get started and deliver meaningful change to our people.”

Saraki lamented the dwindling national revenue profile, which he blamed on falling oil prices, oil theft, indiscriminate granting of import duty waivers, dubious concessions and grants.

He continued: “Distinguished col-

‘

leagues, our country is passing through a difficult time. We cannot afford to watch the mind-boggling leakages in our oil receipt to go on.

This Senate is in tandem with Mr. President on this and is determined to turn every stone and shift every rock to ensure that all revenues due to the country from oil are recovered.

“We are not the only oil producing country in the world; oil theft cannot therefore become an acceptable part of our oil business.

“Furthermore, Nigerians are tired of the inadequacies in the power sector and want to see a reinvigorated power sector capable of delivering enough energy to power the new Nigerian economy.

“Our people dream to see a more open economy, they want to see legislative instruments that will help to open and stimulate private sector investment in infrastructure development, and enhance the ease of doing business in the country.

“Nigerians want to see the National Assembly tackle these obscenities in our revenue systems as they deny our people the right to good governance.”

He added: “Make no mistakes about it, the aim of these militant groups is simple; to test our resolve and disintegrate our unity. But let me reiterate the readiness and willingness of the National Assembly to support and work with President Muhammadu Buhari to comprehensively rout Boko Haram.

“We join Mr. President in saying that we will defeat terrorism in our country and region, because we have the will to win this fight. Our resolve is collective, we urge all friends of Nigeria, including the United States and the entire international community, to join us.”

For his opponents, who feel sad that he has exposed the party to ridicule by rejecting its position, he can tell all that to the marines. They certainly are not done with him. Not even his appointment of a key member of the group, Senator Barnabas Gemade, to chair an adhoc committee seems to have achieved any end.

The days to come will sure prove that all is not well with the Senate despite the vote of confidence passed on him by some 80 senators yesterday.

4

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

NEWS Gbajabiamila is House Leader

W

EEKS of acrimony yesterday ended in the House of Representatives as Speaker Yakubu Dogara announced Femi Gbajabiamila as Majority Leader.

There was spontaneous joy in the National Assembly as the news made the rounds that Gbajabiamila had finally become the majority leader - 49 days after the House abruptly adjourned due to fisticuffs on the floor because of disagreements over the sharing of positions.

The announcement came after Dogara left the chamber and returned after about an hour’s meeting at an undisclosed venue.

He also announced Buba Jibrin (Northcentral) as Deputy Majority Leader, The Chief

•Gbajabiamila fielding questions from reporters after his announcement as the Majority Laeder of the House of Representatives, at the National Assembly in Abuja...yesterday. With him are some representatives.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

APC senators kick as Akpabio becomes Minority Leader

S

ENATE President Bukola Saraki yesterday named occupants of the four principal offices reserved for the minority Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Red Chamber.

They are: former Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio as the Minority Leader; Emmanuel Bwacha (Deputy Minority Leader); Philip Aduda (Minority Whip) and former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi

•Bwacha, Aduda, Olujimi are principal officers From Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja

(Deputy Minority Whip).

But All Progressives Congress (APC) senators kicked against Akpabio’s choice, describing it as a violation of the ranking rule, which states that only returning lawmakers can occupy principal offices.

Akpabio is representing the Akwa Ibom Northwest district, Bwacha (Taraba South);

Aduda (Federal Capital Territory); Mrs. Olujimi (Ekiti South).

Announcing the officers, Saraki said the four principal officers’ introduction followed their nomination, endorsement and presentation to the Senate leadership by the PDP Caucus.

Kicking against the announcement of Senator Akpabio as the Minority Leader,

Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) faulted the selection.

He said that the selection violated Senate Standing Rule which stipulates that nomination for principal officers’ position should be based on ranking.

Before the Senate President asked the Sergeant-at-Arms to Continued on page 58

Opposition backs President's anti-graft campaign

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has supported President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign. But, the opposition yesterday warned that due process must be followed.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the party warned against using the campaign as a guise “to victimise innocent citizens and curtail the freedom of Nigerians”.

The PDP said the clarification became necessary to remove any misconception that the party was against Buhari’s decision to probe some past government officials, who are mainly members of the PDP. The statement said: “The PDP supports the decision of the Federal Government to fight corruption in our country. However, we make bold to state that it should not be used as a guise to

APC, PDP give Buhari nod to go after treasury looters Continued from page 1

in the history of our country is the same one that is daily bad-mouthing an Administration that is cleaning up its mess.

“Even if all the acts of corruption that were perpetrated during the tenure of the last administration are limited to what is now in the public domain, it is still absolutely exigent for the Buhari Administration to do all it can to bring the perpetraFrom Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

victimise innocent citizens.

“Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria and no citizen, irrespective of political, religious or ethnic affiliation, should be denied access to due process and the rule of law .

“In the same vein, we want to state categorically that the anticorruption war, whilst targeted at the immediate past adminis-

tors to book and recover the looted funds.

“Where does one start from? Is it the fact that the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) failed to remit N3.8 trillion to the Federation Account or the mind-blowing stealing of 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day?

“Is it the fact that the NNPC itself does not Continued on page 58

tration, should not by any means be blind to the impunity of the present leaders of the country, either in terms of borrowing and spending without recourse to the statutory arms and organs of government and dictates of transparency and accountability, or in terms of nepotism in appointments in key institutions, such as INEC and the DSS. “The anti-corruption effort

must not be blind to the corrupting of the security system resulting in the intrusion by over-zealous operatives on issues bordering purely on politics; the hounding, arrest and detention of Resident Electoral Officers and members of election tribunals in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and other PDP states.

“Furthermore, we make bold to state that he who comes to Continued on page 58

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

Whip is Alhassan Doguwa (Northwest) and Pally Iriase (Southsouth) is Deputy Whip.

While the new arrangement effectively eliminated the speculations that Deputy Speaker, Lasun Yussuf was being forced to resign, it also truncated the aspiration of Muhamad Mongunu to be part of the principal officers in the Eighth House.

Mongunu was vying to become Gbajabiamila’s deputy during the latter’s speakership campaign.

The development, it was gathered, was the result of the resolution reached by both parties after the Monday meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Continued on page 58

How Dogara bowed to Buhari, APC Continued from page 1

hod, Dogara allowed the caucuses of the APC to have input in the choice of principal officers.

The horse-trading ran late into the wee hours of yesterday but all the factions accepted to bury the hatchets in the interest of the party’s success.

Six factors accounted for the resolution of the crisis in the House, The Nation learnt.

A member of the House listed the factors as follows: •the Buhari 20-minute intervention on Monday night; •follow-up intervention by the party leadership after the session with Buhari; •Dogara’s design of a consensus formula; •the need to compensate Gbajabiamila for his role as opposition leader in the House for eight years and in making APC a reality; •Reps were crisis-weary; and •the need to save the nation’s democracy because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was trying to capitalise on the crisis to derail Buhari’s

administration.

The source said: “Dogara and APC members were moved by Buhari’s 20-minute appeal. We saw a President who was wearied that we were not united and Dogara seized the moment. He abandoned all prejudices to put the nation and the survival of APC first.

“I think Dogara has tremendous respect for Buhari and he decided to be his own man to defer to the President and APC. He kept on asking, without the party, would I have been here? What is so difficult that we cannot resolve?

“That meeting at the Presidential Villa changed the mood of the warring factions in the House.”

It was also gathered that Dogara was moved by the APC Chairman John OdidieOyegun and APC Follow-up Committee. He could not fathom why the elderly ones were begging him, it was learnt.

According to sources, shortly after the session between Buhari and APC members in the House on Monday, the parContinued on page 58

Tinubu seeks more time for Buhari Continued from page 1

lot of careful planning was required before implementation and that is exactly what Buhari has been doing.

He said President Buhari cannot perform magic to bring instant changes to the country, which he noted had been brought to its knees by the rud-

derless Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to him, Buhari needed more time to plan, examine, rejig, re-evaluate what was bequeathed to his administration to enable him apply accurate measures that will bring about the changes NigeContinued on page 58

Saraki to senators: it’s time to face legislative duties

S

ENATE President Bukola Saraki has enjoined his fellow lawmakers to put bickering for leadership positions behind them and face legislative duties.

In his welcome address at the resumption of plenary yesterday, Saraki reminded the senators that Nigerians elected them to deliver on their mandate and not to struggle for positions on the floor.

Acknowledging the enormity of the hydra- headed chal-

46 PDP, 35 APC members pass confidence vote in Saraki, Ekweremadu

T

HE Senate yesterday began its plenary on a dramatic note, with 81 senators passing a vote of confidence in Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu.

The vote of confidence on the leadership was unanimously adopted by senators.

The much-anticipated showdown on lenges facing the country, Saraki spoke of the urgent need to address these challenges.

From Gbade Ogunwale and Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja

the floor of the upper chamber failed to come to pass.

The motion for the vote of confidence was sponsored by Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East) and 80 others.

Of the 81 senators, 35 are All Progres-

From Gbade Ogunwale and Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja

Said he: “Distinguished colleagues, we have our work cut out for us. We cannot afford to frolic. Nigerians did not give us our mandate to come and pursue leadership; their mandate was for us to pursue governance and bring solutions to their burning issues.

“It is time we remind ourselves of the solemn promise to deliver to our people real change. Leadership is secondary to our primary responsibility of good governance.

“As Senate President, you

sives Congress (APC) lawmakers; 46 other supporters of the motion are of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Anyanwu noted “with dismay the continued harassment of the Senate and senators, the National Assembly management and spouses of senators by securi-

have given me responsibility to ensure that our primary responsibility is placed on the table, not under the table. Nigerians did not put their lives on the line for politics but for the delivery of good governance.

“My distinguished colleagues, the job of changing our corporate destiny starts today. Though the challenges are huge, they are not insurmountable.

“Let these challenges inspire us as leaders to show courage, statesmanship and valour. We have taken the right first steps out, we must now set out at

Continued on page 61

dawn. We do not have all the time; indeed our clock is ticking.

“Distinguished colleagues, it is time; let’s get started and deliver meaningful change to our people.”

Saraki lamented the dwindling national revenue profile, which he blamed on falling oil prices, oil theft, indiscriminate granting of import duty waivers, dubious concessions and grants.

He continued: “Distinguished colleagues, our country is passing through a difficult time. We cannot afford to watch the mind-boggling leak-

ages in our oil receipt to go on.

This Senate is in tandem with Mr. President on this and is determined to turn every stone and shift every rock to ensure that all revenues due to the country from oil are recovered.

“We are not the only oil producing country in the world; oil theft cannot therefore become an acceptable part of our oil business.

“Furthermore, Nigerians are tired of the inadequacies in the power sector and want to see a reinvigorated power sector capable of delivering enough energy to power the new Nigerian economy.

“Our people dream to see a more open economy, they want to see legislative instruments that will help to open and stimulate private sector inContinued on page 58

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

5

NEWS

26 Gencos may lose licences, says NERC

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WENTY-SEVEN power Generation Companies (GENCOS) must justify why their operating licences should not be revoked.

They have 30 days to do so, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said yesterday. It said the ultimatum followed the conclusion of an audit of licences granted to the GENCOS. NERC’s Head of Public Affairs Department Dr. Usman Abba Arabi said the cancellation of licences notice posted yesterday on the commission’s website was sequel to the discovery that the affected firms could not meet the terms and conditions for their licences.

The NERC has rated 63 GENCOS and Distribution Companies (DISCOS) as category one with no issues with the commission.

But 40 firms in categories one to four, however, have to justify their licences or get them withdrawn within 30 days or 12 months.

In category two are those licensees that have ceased operations. These are CET Power Projects promoted by West African Portland Ce-

•Regulator begins revocation process

‘

Licensees listed in category two are notified of the intention of the commission to commence the process for the cancellation of their licences on the grounds that the licensees have ceased operations

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

ment Company (WAPCO), Ewekoro, Ogun State and Contour Global Solutions of Nigeria Bottling Company of Apapa, Lagos State.

The commission said it would “start the process of cancellation of these licences in line with Clause 17 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005”, which listed five conditions for cancellation of licences.

Thirteen power generation firms in category three are “not in operations but satisfied their milestones.” These are Ethiope Energy; Supertek Nigeria; Mabon Energy; Bresson AS; Hudson Power; Knox J & L; Tower Power, Abeokuta; Zuma Energy Nigeria transferred to Itobe Coal 1, 2, 3 and 4 firms Others in this category are

MBH Power; Delta Electric Power; Wedotebary Nigeria; Century Power Generation and Supertek Electric.

They will “be required to satisfy their outstanding milestones and start construction in 12 months, failing which the commission will commence the process for withdrawal of their licences in line with Clause 18 of the NERC Application for Licences (Generation, Transmission, System Operations, Distribution and Trading) Regulations, 2009”.

In the fourth category are five power generation firms ‘’not in operations and have not satisfied their milestones.” They have 30 days to convince the commission not to withdraw their licences. In this category are ICS Power; Anita Energy; Ibafo Power Station; Minaj Holdings and

’

Gateway Electricity.

There are 19 others in category five that are “not in operation and are not submitting quarterly reports to the commission.”

They would be required to, within 30 days provide justification for their licences or get them revoked.

The commission, in its notice, said: “Licensees listed in category two are notified of the intention of the commission to commence the process for the cancellation of their licences on the grounds that the licensees have ceased operations.”

Those in categories four and five were “notified of the intention of the commission to commence the process for the withdrawal of their licences on the grounds that these companies have failed to commission their licensed

Court rules today on suit against Dogara

A

FEDERAL High Court in Abuja will, today, rule on whether or not to restrain the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and three others from appointing members as principal officers other than those suggested by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yesterday, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, after listening to applicants’ lawyer Seni Adio moved his client’s motion exparte for interim injunctions, fixed ruling for today.

The applicants, who are members of the House Abubakar Lado Abdullahi and Olajide Abdul Jimoh - are plaintiffs in a substantive suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/625/ 2015.

Listed as defendants are the Speaker, his deputy, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

The applicants, by their

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

motion ex-parte, sought an order of interim injunction restraining the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and Clerk of the National Assembly (listed as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents) and their agents “from presenting and or announcing” other members of the House for the positions of Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Majority Chief Whip and Majority Deputy Chief Whip except those nominated by the APC in its chairman’s letter of June 23, 2015.

The applicants also sought a similar order restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd respondents and their agents from preventing the announcement of the members of the House named in the letter by the party’s Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, for the five listed principal offices.

The party, in the June 23 letter, entitled: “Party posi-

tion on principal officers,” sent to Dogara, listed Femi Gbajabiamila for the Office of Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (Deputy Majority Leader); M.T. Monguno (Chief Whip) and Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip).

Adio told the court that the essence of the reliefs in the exparte motion, which he prayed the court to grant, was to preserve the res (subject of dispute) and prevent the respondents from foisting a fait accompli on the court.

He added that it was equally important that the court grants the applicants’ prayers to prevent the defendants from foisting a state of helplessness on the plaintiffs and others interested in the suit.

The applicants, in a supporting affidavit deposed to

by Sope Omisore, stated that the Speaker openly declared his refusal to implement the APC’s directive on the appointment of principal offic-

ers as contained in the June 23 letter.

They added that, as against the Speaker’s claim, the names sent to him by the party showed that the federal character principle was considered, with Gbajabiamila (from Southwest), Doguwa (Northwest), Monfuno (Northeast) and Iriase (Southsouth).

The applicants stated that their resort to court was informed by the disagreement between them and the Speaker and his deputy on “whether federal character is required by law to be considered with respect to the appointment of principal officers of the APC, who are to occupy the position of principal officers in the House of Representatives’’.

Abdullahi and Jimoh are, in the substantive suit, contesting, among others, the legitimacy of the defendants to ignore the party in the appointment of the principal officers.

generating power station within three years from the date of their licences”.

Licensees in category two would only be notified of the commission’s intention to cancel their licences, while those in category four and five have 30 days moratorium to convince the commission not to withdraw their licences. Firms in category three have 12 months moratorium to start construction.

Clause 18 of the NERC Application for licensees (Generation, Transmission, System Operations, Distribution and Trading) Regulations 2009 stipulates six conditions for withdrawal of a licence, which include “misrepresentation or non-disclosure of material fact.”

Other conditions are “wilful or unreasonable contravention of provisions of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 and other regulations governing the industry; failure to comply with milestones; contravention of licensing conditions; insolvency or bankruptcy and failure to commission licensed generation station within three years”.

Buhari asks Senate to confirm Service chiefs From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of the Service chiefs.

Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki yesterday read the President’s letter seeking the confirmation of the appointees.

Those Buhari asked the Senate to confirm include Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin as the new Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Tukur Y. Buratai as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff.

In the absence of a standing committee, Saraki is expected to set up an Ad Hoc Committee to screen the appointees.

Cameroon tightens security as Buhari visits today UTHORITIES in Cameroon have tightened security in Yaounde ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit today.

The President is billed to begin a friendly and working visit to the country for talks with Cameroonian President Paul Biya as part of efforts to defeat the Boko Haram terrorists.

He had visited Niger and Chad shortly after his inauguration on May 29. The Cameroonian trip was shifted following the Muslims’ Ramadan fast and the President’s invitation to the G-7 Summit in Germany.

The Nation reporter, who is in Cameroon, observed increased security patrols in the capital yesterday.

Armed security personnel, who have been drafted to major spots in Yaoundé and other areas towards checking the onslaught of Boko Haram, have increased their surveillance.

Besides, private and public vehicles, including those with diplomatic number plates, were undergoing

A

•President Muhammadu Buhari (right), being registered for the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja ... yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

From Augustine Ehikioya, Yaoundé

thorough checking.

Visitors were also being thoroughly screened at the airports.

Five suicide bombings, which took several lives, had been carried out by Boko Haram insurgents in the last two weeks.

Speaking to reporters in Yaoundé on Buhari’s visit, Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Cameroon, Ambassador Hadiza Mustapha said: “It is our tradition in Nigeria that when Presidents come into office, his first port of call should be African countries.

His visit shows the highest level of cordiality.

“There is need to synergise with the frontline states bordering both countries to confront insurgency, in order to build on the gains so far achieved.

“Nigeria’s relations with Cameroon have a long history of economic and political ties anchored on affinities and shared destiny.

“It is a significant visit and we are looking forward to it.

The President is going to spend a night, which shows you how much importance he attaches to it. I’m honoured to be receiving the second Nigerian President as an ambassador here.”

On the discussion of bilateral relations between the two countries, she said: “There are many issues at stake but the main discussion is up to the Presidents to define the scope and the content.

“I know that President Buhari is thankful for the help Cameroon has offered to our refugees, so I will not be surprised if such subjects come up.”

The President, who is due back in Abuja on Thursday, will undertake a one-day trip to Benin Republic on Saturday for talks with President Boni Yayi to round-off the diplomatic shuttle to neighbouring countries, initiated after assumption of office.

These are aimed at strengthening regional cooperation against terrorism and making it harder for Boko Haram to operate across national boundaries.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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NEWS

DSS probes alleged N2.5b bribe in Akwa Ibom T Rivers REC denies N700m bribe allegation R HE Department of State Services (DSS) is probing an alleged N2.5 billion governorship election bribery scam in Akwa Ibom State involving some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It was learnt last night that the DSS interrogated some INEC officials from Akwa Ibom.

The investigation followed a petition by the All Progressives Congress (APC) through its counsel, Mr. Victor Iyanam.

A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are already looking into a petition on alleged N2.5 billion scandal involving some top officials and workers of INEC in Akwa Ibom State during the governorship election.

“In fact, the DSS has interacted with some INEC officials, including a top shot. We are also in receipt of photographs of some houses allegedly bought with the bribe sum.

“After the comprehensive investigation, we will release the identities of those investi-

IVERS State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mrs. Gesila Khan has denied the allegation that she collected N700 million bribe from anyone as being claimed in some quarters.

Khan, in a statement by her lawyer Selekeowei Larry (SAN) , said she served diligently and challenged anyone with evidence to the contrary to produce it.

The REC, who was reacting to media report that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State accused her of “receiving a huge sum of money” from some individuals, challenged those behind the allegation to produce her statement of account that allegedly contained the money.

Mrs. Khan said she carried out her duty in accordance with the law and did not take side with any group, political party or per-

From Yusuf Alli and Kazeem Ibrahim

gated.”

It was learnt that some legal officers both in Abuja and Akwa Ibom might be questioned too by the security agency.

“The affected legal officers have shown very scant regard for the orders of the Election

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

sons as being alleged.

She described the allegation as baseless and a calculated attempt to tarnish her hardearned reputation.

Mrs. Khan said she was being unduly criticised instead of being praised for serving her country diligently.

The REC stated that the Department of State Services (DSS) at no time said it found the alleged money in her account.

The Rivers APC, in a statement last Sunday in Port Harcourt, challenged the state REC to explain the source of the N700 million reportedly found in her account.

The party accused a former president and a serving governor of being behind the N700 million allegedly found in the REC’s account.

Petitions Tribunal,” the source added.

INEC’s Public Relations Officer in Akwa Ibom State Mr. David Edak could not be reached on phone to comment on the list of those quizzed by the DSS in Abuja.

All calls made to his telephone line indicated that it was switched off.

But a source in the INEC of-

fice, who pleaded anonymity , said a “top official was invited by the DSS following the petition by the APC that a former governor allegedly bribed the REC N2.5 billion to work against the APC during the governorship poll.

The source said: “Yes, we learnt a top official was invited to explain the N2.5 billion bribery scandal allegedly

given to him by the ex-governor. We even gathered that the top official spent close to two days at the DSS office answering questions.”

In the petition, the APC claimed that the bribe was targeted at frustrating the petition of its governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana.

The petition reads in part: “It has, however unfortunately, come to our notice that the obstinacy of the top INEC official to carry out the tribunal’s orders or cooperate with our client to carry out the inspection owes principally to the fact that N2.5 billion was disbursed to him by a former governor prior to the general elections and the official now feels obliged to complete the corrupt process by doing everything possible to frustrate the governorship petition of the APC candidate, Umana Okon Umana.”

The APC also expressed displeasure that INEC also mutilated some electoral materials.

It added: “It is now obvious that the attitude of the INEC official stems from the irreparable damage he caused to be done to electoral materials in

Akwa Ibom State.

“Most electoral materials in Akwa Ibom State were deliberately destroyed; water was deliberately poured into the bags of materials while some were kept under the rain, contrary to the established practice of keeping the materials in envelopes according to their polling units “We attach samples of electoral materials deliberately mutilated or otherwise destroyed by the corrupt and irresponsible orders of the INEC official. Could this be allowed to be business as usual, especially for the change we desire as a nation?”

“The conduct of the INEC top official; absolutely criminal in content, reckless in execution and done with impunity is not only a breach of public trust, but would have catastrophic consequences if allowed to go unpunished to serve as a deterrent. It is a shame that notwithstanding the large-scale fraud perpetuated by the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, agents of the party and the government in power are still bent on doing more damage to our collective psyche and stand in the way of justice.”

Bid to nullify Saraki’s, Ekweremadu’s election aborted

•New Senate Rule resurfaces in chamber From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

S

ENATOR Kabiru Marafa’s bid to nullify the election of Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, of June 9, was aborted yesterday.

Marafa (Zamfara Central), who is also a member of the Senate Unity Forum, drew the attention of the Senate to what he described as an obvious error by the Senate during the inauguration of the Eighth Senate on June 9.

The lawmaker, who raised Order 1 (a)and (b) ; 13 1 and 2; and Order 3 (2), said he was guided by the ruling of Saraki on June 24, that the Senate Rules in force is the Senate Standing Order/ Rule 2015.

He said: “I am guided by your (Saraki) ruling of June 24 that the Senate Standing Rules in force is the Senate Standing Order 2015 as amended.

“I also rely on the wise counseling of Senator Ike Ekweremadu on the issue “Order 1 (a) talks about the proceedings of the Senate in accordance with the book.”

Marafa said going by the rules of the Senate in force, Order 13 ( 1 ) states that on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, except the second and third Fridays of the month, committee meetings were to hold between 9:00am and noon.

He also referred to Order 13 (2), which states that on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, the Senate shall meet at 2pm and unless previously adjourned, it shall sit until 6p.m.

He added that a substantive motion had to be moved by the Leader of the Senate or a senator acting in that capacity for the Senate to be adjourned, by 6pm.

Marafa said the Deputy Senate President said the Senate Rules had come in effect and that for it to be amended, it would have to follow Order 110.

He noted that based on the provisions of the rule, “I want to posit that the activities of the Senate on the June 9, stands because it was covered by the proclamation of Mr. President, which states that the proceedings of the chamber shall start by 10:00am.

“But all other activities of the Senate from the time, but not limited to the oath of office, is a nullity because it was not done within the timeframe stated in the Senate Rule book.

“The activities of the Senate on June 23 and 24 are equally a nullity.”

Saraki, in his ruling, said Marafa came under Orders 1 and 13.

He ruled that the issue of timing of the proceedings of the Senate that Marafa raised would be referred to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa.

He said: “You came under three orders. Orders 1 and Order 13 as regards to the timing of seating will be referred to the Clerk of the National Assembly. Your interpretation of the Order on nomination of principal officers is not in order.”

He subsequently ruled Marafa out of order.

But another amended version of the Senate Standing Order/Rule 2015 was yesterday distributed to senators.

The new rules corrected the timing errors Marafa referred to in his point of order.

Also yesterday, Saraki directed senators to signify interest in the standing committees they would want to belong to.

He asked senators to pick a form from the clerk to the Senate and signify interest in the committees they are interested in.

He added that the committees should be limited to five.

•From left: Mr Wole Abegunde, Board member, eTranzact International PLC, Company Secretary, Omowunmi Adedurotimi, Mr Felix Ohiwerei, Chairman, eTranzact International PLC and Mr Valentine Obi, MD/CEO, eTranzact International PLC at the 11th Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos.

EFCC grills Saraki’s wife, PDP BOT’s chair for hours

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OR about six hours yesterday, crack investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) grilled Mrs. Oluwatoyin Saraki, wife of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

The team also quizzed the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Haliru Bello Mohammed and ex-First Lady of Kebbi State, Hajiya Zainab Dakingari (the daughter of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua) over alleged N2 billion contracts in the state.

But Hajiya Zainab had a brief interaction with the EFCC team because of her ill-health.

Moved by her condition, the EFCC allowed a director to stand as surety for her, pending her being fit for questioning.

Her condition affected the planned interaction with the Chairman of the BOT of PDP, who will be re-invited by the anti-graft commission.

Mohammed’s invitation is said to be for alleged “unexecuted” contracts in Kebbi State.

The star attraction was Mrs. Saraki, whose invitation by the EFCC generated mixed reac-

•Ailing Yar’Adua’s daughter makes appearance •I ’ve nothing to hide, says Senate President’s wife From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

tions in the media.

According to a source, Mrs. Saraki arrived at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency at about noon.

She was accompanied by senators, members of the House of Representatives, wives of Kwara State commissioners and others.

Her supporters milled around the EFCC headquarters.

The source said: “For about five hours, our investigators interacted with her on some issues having to do with her tenure as the First Lady of Kwara State.

“She was calm and she responded to questions from the EFCC team. It was the first time she got to know why she was invited.

“We will not give you the details in order not to prejudice ongoing investigation.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “I cannot say whether she will be detained or not because we are still talk-

ing with her.”

The source said Mrs. Dakingari, “appeared briefly, but she looked frail and we had to give her time to take care of her health.”

“She is expected back after recovering from the ill-health.

Actually, we were to interrogate her alongside the Chairman of the BOT of the PDP, but we could not.

“The two people have questions to respond to on the award of some contracts in Kebbi State.”

Contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “The three people came and met with our team.”

After her release, Mrs. Saraki released a statement, in which she said she has nothing to hide.

She promised to cooperate with the EFCC and she asked the anti-graft commission to adopt global best practices.

The statement said: “As a citizen with utmost respect for higher standard of democratic accountability, Mrs. Saraki visited the EFCC at their invitation.

“Mrs. Saraki made herself available to assist the commission wholeheartedly with any lawful enquiries they may have.

“Mrs. Saraki will continue to cooperate with EFCC and she hopes for a prompt and positive resolution in the satisfaction of this enquiry.

“Having placed emphasis on the importance of accountability, transparency and diligent reporting, Mrs. Saraki maintained that she has always operated within the law and to the highest standard of global compliance in all her activities.

“Mrs. Saraki affirmed her willingness to assist the EFCC and expect that the spirit of this enquiry will follow global standard and principles of open democracy, transparency and impartiality that the EFCC and other similar organisations around the world are founded upon.

“Mrs. Saraki looks forward to drawing a line under this matter and will continue to focus on her global advocacy on maternal, newborn baby and child health.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

7

NEWS Amnesty Programme gets chief From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Brig.Gen. P.T. Boroh (rtd) as the coordinator of Amnesty Programme for former Niger Delta militants.

A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Brig.-Gen. Boroh’s appointment takes immediate effect.

He is taking over the responsibilities of the former Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Niger Delta, who also doubled as coordinator of the Amnesty Programme.

The appointment of a new coordinator for the Amnesty Programme, the statement said, is to lead to the speedy resolution of recent hitches in its implementation such as the nonpayment of outstanding allowances to ex-militants.

Entry for Golden Pen Awards opens

By Seun Akioye

J

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (second left); President, Nigerian Library Association (NLA) Alhaji Ridwan AbdulSalami (second right); Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left) and Chairman of the occasion Prof.

Eyitope Ogunbodede, at the 53rd Annual General Meeting/National Conference of NLA titled: “Omoluabi 2015” in Osogbo...yesterday.

Cash paucity: States’ support to NYSC decreasing, says D-G

S

OME state governments’ financial support to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has dwindled due to the prevailing paucity of funds in the country, its Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, has said.

Brig.-Gen. Olawumi spoke when he visited the Commander of 22 Armoured Brigade Brig-Gen. Ali Nani and Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Education (NASE), Brig-Gen. Lawal Abdullahi, in Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Kwara State.

He said he was at the barracks to look at the facilities, which NYSC planned to use for

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

its promotion examinations and interviews, which took place yesterday.

The director-general said: “It is true that subventions or support from state governments to the scheme has been dwindling in the past few years. I do not want us to put the blame on any governor. We know that in the country, there are so many things competing for attention.

Is it education, health, agriculture? So many things are competing for attention.

“So, if we are not getting support like we used to get in those days, it is not that they are not

happy with the scheme. All the governors that I have interacted with are happy with what the scheme is doing, but I think it is an issue of paucity of funds.

“Even at that, we must commend them for what they are doing. As you are complaining of no fund, some of them are building new camps, uplifting existing ones and improving remuneration to corps members.

“Having said that, we should not blame those who are not doing that. We know what issue of funding is in Nigeria. But let me seize this opportunity to call on those governors that we are still counting on their sup-

•Brig.-Gen. Olawumi

port.

“These are their children.

These children they can use them well in all areas of agriculture, health, education and infrastructure development.

They should take advantage of that. Once funds improve, let them do more.”

Cout refuses to stop constitution of Senate committees

J

USTICE Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja has declined a request by five senators to restrain the Senate from constituting its standing and adhoc committees.

The judge, in a ruling yesterday, refused an ex-parte motion filed by the senators - Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuni - on the ground that it was without merit, because there was no urgency in the issue raised by the plaintiffs.

The five senators, who had filed a substantive suit, brought the ex-parte motion, containing the prayer, and which their lawyer Mamman Osuman (SAN) argued yesterday.

They said their prayer,

T

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

which is to stop the constitution of the Senate committees pending the determination of their application for interlocutory injunction, was informed by the fact that the Senate was operating with an illegitimate and unconstitutional Senate Standing Orders 2015, including using it to conduct the election of June 9, which produced its leadership.

The plaintiffs alleged that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 was “contrived” from the amendment of the 2011 version of the Orders without following its relevant provisions and those of the constitution.

They argued that the said amendment was in breach of the “prescriptive procedures” stipulated by the extant provisions of Section 60 of the 1999

Constitution (as amended) and Rule 110 (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended).

The plaintiffs are of the view that the election of the leadership of the Senate and other proceedings based on the “unconstitutional Orders” were null and void.

In his ruling, Justice Kolawole held that there was no urgency in the case because the plaintiffs had known about the purported illegal Standing Orders since June 9, 2015, when it was allegedly used for the election, but chose to file the ex parte motion barely 24 hours to resumption of the Senate from its about one month recess.

He further held that the court would hardly intervene in a matter relating to the applica-

tion or misapplication of the internal rules of the Senate or the legislature when such action did not amount to “substantial infraction” of the provisions of the Constitution.

Justice Kolawole was of the view that, in matters relating to disputes over the “the decision reached by a majority of the members of the Senate”, aggrieved members of the arm of government could only seek a redress by mobilising their colleagues to reverse such decision.

He held that in various appellate courts’ decisions, courts had been warned “to be wary” in intervening in such internal legislative activities, let alone granting an order to restrain the activities of that arm of government at the stage of an ex parte hearing.

‘Electricity killed 277 persons in five years’

HE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said yesterday that about 277 persons were electrocuted and 303 injured in the country between 2011 and June 2015.

Deputy General Manager, Health and Safety Division of NERC, Abdul Mohammed, an engineer, who spoke in a meeting with the industry health and safety officers at Abuja, described the trend as alarming.

He said the commission was ready to start implementation of the safety code, which the

•Eko, Ikeja, Port Harcourt Discos to face query over safety reports From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Federal Government approved in March.

He added: “The code is ready for full implementation. We are going to implement this code to the letters. In advanced countries, one death is enough for a utility company to close down.

Henceforth, we will strictly monitor the industry and enforce the safety code.”

Mohammed said operators in the industry are required to sub-

mit regularly in a prescribed format, all safety reports to NERC as required by law, adding that any company that failed to submit this report when due would be penalised.

He said Eko, Ikeja and PortHarcourt Discos would be made to explain why they failed to comply with submission of safety reports, warning that any operators that failed to comply with the prescribed format might face sanctions.

He said the Electric Power

Sector Reform (EPSR) Act gives NERC the mandate to ensure safety, security, reliability quality of service and provision as well as delivery of electricity to consumers.

Mohammed noted that the commission has developed the Nigerian Electricity Industry Health and Safety Standards Manual and Health and Safety Code, which now mandate all operators to maintain and present safety reports on regular basis.

OURNALISTS have, until September 21, to apply for the Seventh edition of the Nigerian Breweries Golden Pen Awards.

The company’s Corporate Affairs Adviser, Kufre Ekanem, spoke yesterday at a news conference at its headquarters, Iganmu, Lagos.

Ekanem said the award, which was launched in 2008, was designed to promote professionalism and objective reportage of events in the country.

The award is also meant to reward journalists, who abide by the fine ethics of the profession.

He said the company would maintain the modalities used during last year’s award in rewarding and celebrating outstanding journalists this year. “ In agreement with the distinguished jury of the Nigerian Breweries Golden Pen Awards, we are happy to announce that Education, Youth Empowerment and Talent Development will form the theme for this year’s awards.

“A call for entry opens today and we expect you to submit entries for stories and photographs published in 2014 in Nigerian newspapers. The call for entries would close on Friday, September 21, 2015,” he said.

This year, the jury would analyse the entries for their originality, news value, use of resources, credibility and factuality. Other areas to be considered would be the use of infographics, layout/headline, clarity and social responsibility.

A shortlist of the top 10 entries would be made and winners will be named and rewarded at a glamorous ceremony on October 30, 2015. The cash prize includes: The Golden Pen Reporter of the year (N1 million), Golden Pen Nigerian Breweries Report of the year (N500,000) and Golden Pen Photojournalist of the year (N300,000).

The first and second runners up for Golden Pen Reporter of the year will get N300,000 and N200,000. The first and second runners up in the Photograph category will get N250,000 and N200,000.

The jury, which is headed by Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, also includes, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun and Mr. Gbenga Adefaye.

A member of the jury, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, who was at the event, said there had been a lot of improvements in the entries submitted in the past and urged journalists to do detailed and comprehensive reports that also proffer solutions to the issues highlighted.

A media agency, MediaCraft Associates, would collate and index all submitted entries for the members of the jury. According to its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Eluguese, the entries should be scanned in A4 size and emailed to: goldenpen2015@mediacraft.ng with one passport photograph and a short biography of the author. Journalists are however limited to three entries in all categories.

Saraki appoints Gemade as panel chair

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ENATE President Abubakar Bukola Saraki yesterday appointed Senator Barnabas Gemade as the chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Ecological Disasters and Bad Roads.

Observers said the appointment was strategic as Saraki aimed to use the offer to further consolidate his hold on power in the Senate.

Gemade is one of the leaders of the Senate Unity Forum, a group of senators opposed to the emergence of Saraki as Senate president.

The appointment followed the adoption of two motions on the state of disrepair of some major roads in Akwa Ibom State and landslide in parts of Isiukwuato and Arochukwu Local government Area of Abia State.

Besides Gemade other members of the committee included Senators Athanasius Achonu (PDP Imo North), Bassey Akpan (PDP- Akwa Ibom North East), Mohammed Shittu (APC-

•Gemade From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

Jigawa North East), Olarenwaju Tejuosho (APCOgun Central), Barau Jibrin (APC Kano North).

Others are Senators Matthew Urhoghide (PDP- Edo South), David Umaru (APCNiger East), Uche Ekwunife (PDP Anambra Central), Mohammed Hassan (APCYobe South), Binta Masi (APC- Adamawa North) and Donald Alasoadura (APCOndo Central).

The committee was asked to present its report to the Senate within two weeks.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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NEWS Ondo pensioners protest

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•From left: Corporate Communications Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Patrick Olowokere; President/Chairman of Council, Institute of Directors (IoD), Yemi Akeju; representative of Ataoja of Osogbo, Otun Eesa of Osogbo, Moshood Adejumo Aremu; Marketing Manager, KASAPREKO, Peter Adegor and Senior Brand Manger, Grand Oak Ltd, Amuwo Olayinka at a briefing on the forthcoming Osun Osogbo festival in Lagos... yesterday.

PHOTOS: BIODUN ADEYEWA

Petition: Judge refuses to appear before Osun panel J

USTICE Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede, who was to defend her petition before the Osun State House of Assembly’s investigative committee, did not show up yesterday .

She did not appear before the seven-member committee to defend her call for the impeachment of Governor RaufAregbesola and his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, for alleged misappropriation of public funds.

Justice Oloyede, who was represented by her counsel, Lanre Ogunlesi (SAN), said for her to appear before the committee headed by Deputy Speaker, Akintunde Adegboye, she must be given a copy of the governor’s reply to her petition to build her defence.

But the committee turned down her plea, asserting that

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

the judge had broken three rules of the parliament in wrongful filing, signing and appearance in line with Order 126 (1 - 6) of the Assembly.

The committee insisted that Justice Oloyede must be ready to defend the allegations in her petition, saying “according to the law the onus of proof lies on the accuser”.

The committee’s chair, who is also a lawyer, said in the fourth paragraph of the petition the judge was categorical on her readiness to appear with her evidence to back up her claim.

He said the committee could not play “Father Christmas” in giving what

was not requested abinitio.

Adegboye said the committee was set up to investigate the issues raised in the petition and should not be seen as a trial court.

He said the petitioner’s appearance would further confirm her resolve to pursue her cause and assist the committee in its work.

Adegboye added that Justice Oloyede could as well send her evidence, if she could not appear in person.

The petitioner’s lawyer assured the committee that the judge would appear before the panel if given another chance to which the committee chair agreed to give her two weeks.

Adegboye said the com-

mittee could ask for extension of time if there was need for it since the ultimatum given its members expires tomorrow.

He responded to the allegation of bias against his committee by the Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State, particularly on its composition, in which no lawmaker from the opposition was allowed to be a member.

The chairman said: “We are capable of doing justice.

We know what we are doing.

We are not a trial court but a fact-finding committee. This is an ad-hoc committee. We have our names to protect and we still have four years before us.”

Ekiti PDP gets eviction notice from secretariat

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has received a notice to vacate its secretariat, following unpaid rents.

Power supply to the building has been disconnected by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) due to unpaid bills.

Party leaders and members are embarrassed that the party in government will soon become “homeless” as they would soon be thrown out by the aggrieved landlord, Ropo Adesanya.

Adesanya, a two-term PDP state chairman, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) a month ago.

Adesanya, who said the party should pay him N1.5 million for rents owed, added that he was shocked when he (Adesanya) was allegedly issued a dud cheque.

Factional said the Chairman Tunde Olatunde said the situation degenerated because “Fayose refused to fund the party”.

Olatunde chairs a faction, which has 14 State Working Committee (SWC) members, who form majority of the executive.

He described the situation as “very embarrassing”.

Olatunde said Adesanya

•Power supply disconnected From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

had petitioned the commissioner of police on the alleged dud cheque, which he (Olatunde) claimed was “stopped for no just cause”.

He said the cash could not be drawn from the party’s account, although the account has a balance of N17 million.

Olatunde said: “The truth is that our party was ejected for not paying rent by our landlord, Chief Ropo Adesanya, a former party chairman and the man, who produced Mr. Governor in his first term.

“We owe the man N1.5 million and we issued him a cheque to be drawn from our account that has about N17 million but mysteriously, the cheque was stopped for no just cause.

“Chief Adesanya has petitioned the commissioner of police on the dud cheque and the police have confirmed that there is money in that account.

“The twist in the story is that Mr. Governor is saying that Adesanya bought the house nearly 10 years ago when they sent him (Fayose)

on exile.

“In fact, the power supply to the secretariat has been disconnected and we are suffering, despite the fact that our party is in power.

“This party has been in power for almost one year now, the government has not funded us. The state exco members have not been receiving their honorarium

and the activities of the party have been grounded.”

When asked if the exco talked to the governor about the situation, Olatunde said Fayose was indifferent.

Olatunde said the governor had been operating with the Faleye faction at the Government House, which he described as an illegality.

He said it was against the party constitution to be running the party from the Government House.

CORES of pensioners in Ondo State yesterday marched on the streets to protest unpaid gratuities, allowances and harmonisation arrears.

The protesters, under the auspices of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), converged on its office at 8am, singing solidarity songs.

They carried various placards with inscriptions, such as “Ondo State government owes us N13 billion” ; “Pay arrears of 15 per cent pension increase”; “Our gratuities yet to be paid since 2011 December to both state and local government pensioners” The aggrieved protesters demanded the removal of the Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, for saying the government did not owe pensioners.

They urged the government to pay pensioners from the Federal Government’s “bailout” fund.

A statement by the NUP Chairman, Raphael Adetuwo, Secretary Adejare Adesida and Treasurer L.F Omoniyi decried government’s insensitivity to their plight.

“We are, therefore, constrained to inform Gover-

F

O

GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has appointed former Military Administrator of Bauchi and Sokoto states, Navy Captain Rasheed Adisa Raji as the Amir-UI-Hajj.

Capt. Raji is expected to lead the state delegation of pilgrims to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

A statement by the Secre-

tary to the State Government Taiwo Adeoluwa said: “The governor wishes the AmirUI-Hajj and other pilgrims a worthwhile and rewarding pilgrimage.”

Urging them to adhere to the tenets of Islam, he enjoined them to abide by the laws of the host country and be good ambassadors of the state.

HoS apologises to Lagos Assembly

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HE Lagos State Head of Service (HoS), Mrs. Folasade Jaji, has apologised to the House of Assembly on the elongation of the tenure of members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The Assembly summoned the Head of Service to appear yesterday to explain the matter. This followed a letter to the House by members of the commission, stating that they had been confirmed for another four-year tenure by Mrs. Jaji.

According to the House, the continuation of tenure by members of the commission was in flagrant disregard of Section 199 of the 1999 Constitution, which states that tenure of public officers should

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

la’s exemplary leadership among other qualities”.

CCCS, a group of young professionals and civil rights crusaders with focus on nation building and sustainable development, said the honour was to recognise the legal luminary’s contribution to the country.

Ihekiare described Babalola as “an epitome of excellence, an exceptional thinker and master planner, who though from a very humble background succeeded in reaching the pinnacle of his career. He has been in legal practice for 47 years and an

nor Olusegun Mimiko that the government owes pensioners arrears of 15 per cent pension increase paid in 2012.

“We are also owed gratuities since December 2011 and 33 per cent pension increase approved by the Federal Government.

“Non-payment of pensioners for June and July, refund and stoppage of illegal deductions from monthly pensioners allowances from December 2013. Non-payment of 27.5 per cent pension increase yet to be paid to those retired on July 31, 2011 and arrears of pension since December 2011.”

The government has assured pensioners on its payroll of payment of their outstanding pension and gratuity after payment of workers’ salary this week.

A statement by Akinmade acknowledged that the pensioners were owed outstanding arrears and hinged the inability to pay on the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account as well as low internally-generated revenue.

Amosun names Amir-Ui-Hajj

Afe Babalola for African leadership award OUNDER and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola has been nominated for the Distinguished African Leadership Award by the Coalition of Concerned Civil Societies (CCCS).

The award is in recognition of Babalola’s contribution to the development of humanity, his exemplary leadership and contribution to national development.

CCCS Convener Declan Ihekiare, in a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday, said the Coalition resolved at its general meeting in Lagos “to recognise and celebrate Babalo-

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

•Babalola

active member of International Bar Association”.

According to him, when Babalola was the pro-chancellor of the University of Lagos, he established transparency, integrity and discipline as well as academic excellence.

end automatically when due.

Mrs. Jaji said she got an approval from the former Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye and former Governor Babatunde Fashola on February 24, a week after she was appointed.

She apologised for the mistake, and said she had written to the JSC members, including Mr. Teslim Animashaun, Mr. Kunle Othman, Mrs. Abisola O. Oshodi and Mrs. Folashade O. Iwajomo that their tenure had ended.

Ondo APC decries Okada ban From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has criticised the ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly called Okada, in Akure, the state capital.

A statement by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, said Governor Olusegun Mimiko cannot ban Okada riders without enabling laws by the House of Assembly.

This action, he said, must pass through public hearing, due consultations and sensitisation with relevant stakeholders and the public.

The statement said: “We reject the governor’s actions and pronouncements in its entirety. It is draconian, illegal, null and void, and we are sure, it will not stand the test of time.

“We, therefore, call on the Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, to stop the arrest and harassment of the people.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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NEWS

Oyo tribunal to rule on motions Friday, Saturday

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HE Oyo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday fixed Friday and Saturday to rule on two motions by the Accord Party candidate in the April 11 election, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and his party.

Ladoja is challenging the victory of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Also listed as respondents are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Rufus Akeju.

Richard Ogunwole (SAN) led 14 others to represent the petitioners.

Wole Olanipekun (SAN) led four counsel to represent the first respondent.

Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and Babatunde Aiku (SAN) led 20 others for the second respondent.

Mallam Yussuf Alli (SAN) and Prof Wahab Odewole (SAN) represented the third

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FOUR-MAN gang of i n t e r - s t a t e “kidnappers” has been arrested by the police in Oyo State.

The gang “kidnapped” Mr Arande from Omu-Aran in Kwara State and “collected” N800,000 from his family.

The “kidnappers” were also said to be responsible for robberies in Kwara, Ekiti and other states.

They were arrested by the Ambush Squad when they sneaked into Oyo to kidnap a traditional ruler.

Commissioner of Police Muhammad Katsina named the suspects as Babatunde Ibrahim, Yusuf Abdulahi, Isa Abiodun and Alabi Azeez, all from Balugu town in Kwara State.

Katsina said the suspects were arrested at their hideouts in Oyo. “Findings led detectives to Ekiti and Kwara states where 15 cows, one unregistered Peugeot 307, one Toyota Camry with Reg No: BEN 7199 RU and one Toyota Venza with Reg No: SHA 371 TW were recovered,” he said.

The police boss added that a manhunt was on to arrest a gang member, Bolaji, who is at large.

APC, Accord supporters clash All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord supporters yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, clashed outside of the Magistrate’s Court, Iyaganku.

The supporters were at the governorship election tribunal sitting to support the petitioner and the governorship candidate of Accord, Rashidi Ladoja, and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the APC. Ladoja is claiming that the April 11 governorship election was rigged in favour of the APC candidate.

An eyewitness said trouble started when Accord supporters started singing to spite APC supporters.

The quick intervention of armed policemen saw the arrest of two “troublemakers”.

Twenty armed policemen blocked the court entrance with an Armoured Personnel Carrier and a truck. They were kitted with ballistic shields and bullet proof vests. Traders within the court hurriedly closed shop.

An Accord supporter, Saheed Adigun, said they were in From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

and fourth respondents.

The two motions were filed by Ogunwole.

The first motion dated July 2, and filed on July 3 was meant to consolidate his other motions concerning the

pre–hearing formalities.

The other motion dated July 3 and filed the following day was a request to submit the report of an inspection team on the necessary data on the results of the election.

Ogunwole and his col-

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

the court to observe the proceedings but were prevented from entering by the security operatives.

“So we decided to stay out, but to our surprise some APC supporters started singing abusive songs and we warned them to stop.

“But they started throwing stones at us and it was the policemen who saved us. Three of our members were injured,” he said.

But an APC member, who pleaded for anonymity, claimed that Accord supporters have been threatening them.

“We believe Accord members must allow peace reign and desist from attacking our members unjustly. This is a democratic era and everybody has freedom of speech and movement.

“We are certain that at the end of this tribunal our governor shall remain victorious, no matter the amount of intimidation and attack,” he said. leagues argued to justify why the motions should either be granted or rejected as they adopted their various applications, affidavits, counter affidavits and written addresses.

The only exception was Alli, who sought the with-

drawal of the counteraffidavit to Ogunwole’s motions, which the tribunal granted.

The issue of whether Akeju could be sued in his name was also raised as Alli urged Ogunwole to go and re-

Tribunal upholds Ashafa’s victory

Kidnap suspects arrested after collecting N.8m

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

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•Kastina parading the suspects...yesterday.

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

Katsina enjoined the public to cooperate with the police by providing information about the suspect.

He said a gang, which

vandalised pipelines, was arrested by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

“The team arrested Jelili Omotoye on Wofin Road, Ogbomoso, after scooping petroleum product and filling same in 75 25 litres

kegs, which were loaded in two vehicles, a Mazda Bus with Reg No: XA CFZ YYY and a Mitsubishi Bus with Reg No: EZ 42 KJA.” A four-man gang, which burgled Onibonoje Printing Press, was also paraded Katsina said the gang was

arrested by the Ambush Squad while conveying armoured cables stolen from the press.

The suspects are Kolawole Tohib, Akeem Azeez, Abdulahi Jelili and Rilwan Bello.

T

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

istrate Court 2 in Ado-Ekiti.

The Magistrate, Idowu Aiyenimon, remanded him in prison custody and adjourned till Friday.

Speaking with The Nation at the family’s Oke Ila home yesterday, Olaide said life had not been the same since Monday.

He said his father was arrested naked before he requested that the policemen allow him wear his clothes.

Olaide insisted that his fa-

ther had no hand in Aderiye’s death as being alleged by the government.

He said: “My father’s arrest was politically motivated and it is very unfortunate that this is happening in a democracy.

We are not in the military era and we are not in an animal farm.

“How can somebody’s privacy be invaded without any search or arrest warrant because of desperation to hang a frivolous murder charge on an innocent man?

“My father has no problem with anybody and has no reason to kill anyone as he and others had been cleared of complicity by the police.

“I am angry that my father was taken away for no just cause and I challenged those policemen who dragged me out of the house.

“We, members of the Olanbiwonnu family, are demanding his unconditional release.

“The Ekiti State government should look elsewhere for the culprits. My fa-

•Olaide...yesterday

ther has no hand in anybody’s death.”

Four dead in Ibadan accident

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TRUCK yesterday lost control on the overhead bridge on Onipepeye Old-Ife Road Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, killing four persons and injuring six others.

The accident occurred at

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

10am on the spot where some traders were trying to take a bus to Lagos.

An eyewitness, Mrs. Ronke Salako, said the truck ran into the 18-seater Lagos bound bus,

killing four passengers and traders immediately.

Mrs. Salako said the driver lost control of the truck and swerved to the other side of the expressway.

Another eyewitness said the brake failed and the driv-

er lost control, with the truck skidding off the road, ramming into the waiting bus.

Yet another eyewitness, Sunday Badru, said among the victims was an expectant mother, who died on the way to the hospital.

HE Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal has dismissed the petition challenging the victory of Senator Gbenga Ashafa in the March 28 National Assembly election.

The tribunal upheld Ashafa as the senator representing Lagos East. The lawmaker hailed the verdict, describing it as justice for the people.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mrs. Olabisi Salis-Ayodele, challenged the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

Ashafa thanked his supporters for their patience and steadfastness, saying the verdict would afford him more time to focus on his business in the Senate.

He said: “This is not just my victory. It’s a victory for democracy and a victory for the party – a reflection of how the people voted. I believe that the APC will validate the mandate given to it and continue to strengthen our democracy.”

‘Return to work’ From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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Don’t punish my dad unjustly, detainee’s son begs Fayose HE son of the detained former Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Ekiti State, Rotimi Olanbiwonnu, Olaide, has said his father is being victimised.

Olanbiwonnu was arrested at 12.45am at his Ado-Ekiti home for the killing of former National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman, Omolafe Aderiye, last September 25.

He was arraigned at Mag-

flect on it.

Olanipekun and Akeredolu faulted Ogunwole’s motions, on technical grounds, as they insisted that he was supposed to articulate his arguments on points of law.

Olanipekun cited the inability of the petitioners’ counsel to sign the application.

He said: “We do not know which counsel presented a motion before your Lordship.

There is no competent application before your Lordship.”

Akeredolu adopted Olanipekun’s argument.

He noted that he objected because the petitioner filed a motion in areas where Labour Party (LP) won, adding that LP was never part of the petition.

The tribunal Chairman, Justice Mohammed Aliu Mayaki, directed the counsel to make available copies of legal authorities cited during their arguments today.

He declared that ruling on the two motions would be given on Friday and Saturday.

Badru said six others were taken to the Ibadan Central Hospital on Ring Road.

The victims’ remains were deposited at the Adeoyo mortuary, Yemetu.

The police could not be reached for comments.

HE Chairman of the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Felix Awofisayo, has appealed to teachers, who have been on strike for six weeks, to return to work.

He made the appeal yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, at a meeting of top SUBEB officials with the chairmen and secretaries of the Local Government Education Authority.

“The problem of insurgency and terrorism in the Northeast cannot be separated from lack of education and poverty. So, I am appealing to you to talk to the striking teachers to consider the future of their pupils. The long absence from school is a dangerous trend.

“So, please, I am appealing to you to interact closely with your teachers. I am not accusing anyone of anything but we want you to do more. Let’s consider the huge investment in education by this government.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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NEWS

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Oshiomhole: primitive looting reigned under Jonathan

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said there was massive looting of the nation’s commonwealth under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The governor said although he was not in a position to determine whether the former President was guilty or if he acquiesced to the looting, he added that Dr Jonathan should take responsibility for what happened under his watch.

In an interview with Sahara Reporters TV in Washington DC, the United States (U.S), Oshiomhole said although he had raised many questions on the tenure of the former Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, he had nothing personal

Unease over unpaid Amnesty stipends

against her.

He said: “What is obvious is that so much money was diverted and unaccounted for from government treasury, not just from Excess Crude Account (ECA) but also from other agencies of government.

The numbers are huge. For example, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) reports that it earned about N8 trillion within three to four years. But over the same period, it claimed to have spent N3.5 trillion and paid to the Federation Account about N4.1 trillion. So, the cost of running NNPC was as much as the cost of running the federation federal, state and local governments.

“That tells you the amount of primitive stealing that went on. The numbers are

mind-boggling. So, when we talk of excess crude, that is just one element.”

He said his grouse about Dr okonjo-Iweala was that as the Coordinating minister of the economy, so much sleaze and acts of malfeasance went on under her watch without raising an alarm.

Oshiomhole said: “She has to come clean. Having accepted the role of the coordinating minister, so many things went wrong with the Nigerian economy, even to the extent that for the first time in our history, even the Federal Government could not pay salaries; it had to borrow. The pension scheme has been drawn down, the social purpose of the pension scheme has now been defeated.

“So, first of all we are asking her to accept responsibil-

ity that she failed to manage the economy properly. Two, she never gave in, even when we argued that the economy was in distress. She is on record as always saying no, the economy was fine; the economy was strong, that we were the largest economy on the continent. Of course, people are not fooled. It was just revaluing our assets and playing with the numbers.

“What has changed in the quality of life of the people?

You have rebased the economy, but have you rebased the quality of life? You haven’t!

“If you claim to have the largest economy, you can’t also plead insolvency at the same time. What we are simply asking her to do is to open the whole book. “What the council has asked us to do is that the Committee of Four

Governors is to look at this excess crude thing and show what went in, who took what, when and who authorised it.

At least, we have a basis to start. But I think, going forward, we will need a forensic audit by competent auditors to look at the books so that the whole truth can be known, even if we can’t retrieve some of the money. But I believe a lot can be retrieved and it is good that we have a basis to identify who is responsible and who to be blamed.

“I think people need to recognise that from my own background, I am never intimidated. As a labour leader, I questioned authorities, I interrogated power. The fact of being in government doesn’t give me much comfort as to be indifferent about

Protest over killing of businessman

From Shola O’Neil, S’South Regional Editor, Yenagoa

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HERE is unease in the Niger Delta following the delay in the payment of stipends to beneficiaries of Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.

Investigation by our reporter confirmed claims by a leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), that ex-militant leaders were under pressure from the beneficiaries.

Tompolo had listed the delay in payment of the monthly stipends to beneficiaries as one of the reasons he convened the botched MEND convention.

Investigation in Port Harcourt, Yenagoa and other parts of the region showed that there was growing uneasiness among the beneficiaries and their families.

It was learnt that families of trainees within and outside the country were also under pressure from the children and wards demanding money.

A federal lawmaker in Delta State told our reporter that he was receiving incessant calls from Amnesty trainees in the United Kingdom (UK) and other parts of the world because they were unable to meet their basic needs.

“You know it is really embarrassing that students under scholarships of the Federal Government are being taunted abroad because they are not able to meet their financial obligations,” a source said.

Also, discordant tunes have continued to trail the abortion of the MEND meeting by security operatives in Yenagoa.

An official of the Bayelsa State government, who spoke in confidence, faulted the abortion of the meeting.

He said the government failed to hear the grievances of the MEND leaders.

“In a situation where you don’t allow people vent their concerns and express their feelings, you create room for sinister expression of those underlying issues,” the source added.

gross abuse of power and criminal diversion of funds.

“What should I hate her for?

What for? I am not a federal official; I am as privileged as any other governor. But I am troubled by people saying one thing in the afternoon and doing another at night.

“People should ask the question: How come each time the issue of corruption and abuse or diversion of funds was raised, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was the first to defend rather than show concern and have open mind?

“You remember when the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor (now Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II), who you can’t dismiss, talked about billions of dollars diverted. But Mrs Okonjo-Iweala was quick to say it was not $20 billion but only $10.8 billion...”

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•From left: Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III; President, Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Mr. Bern Akhigbe and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, at the opening of the institution's conference in Sokoto…yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Wike sued for restoring Omehia’s rights, privileges

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LAWYER, ThankGod Nwugha, has sued Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike at the State High Court in Port Harcourt for restoring the rights and privileges of a former Governor Celestine Omehia.

Wike’s action is said violate a subsisting Supreme Court judgment.

Nwugha is also the principal solicitor of T. G. E. Nwugha and Co., a firm of legal practitioners in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The defendants in the suit are: Wike, the state’s Attorney-General and Omehia.

Nwugha averred that Wike, by mere proclamation

•‘Governor’s action violates subsisting Supreme Court’s verdict’ From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

and announcement on June 25, restored the rights and privileges of Omehia and hung his portrait in public offices, despite the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court on October 25, 2007.

A former House of Assembly’s Speaker Rotimi Amaechi, then of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was replaced as the governorship candidate of the party on February 2, 2007 by Omehia,

his cousin, from the same Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration said Amaechi’s candidacy had “K-leg”.

Omehia took part in the election on April 14, 2007, won and was inaugurated as governor on May 29, 2007.

But he was sacked on October 25, 2007 by the Supreme Court, which held as follows: “In the eyes of the law, Omehia was never a candidate in

the election, much less the winner.”

Amaechi was inaugurated on October 26, 2007.

Nwugha said: “I know ...that the judgment of the Supreme Court is final and is binding on all other courts, persons, governments, principalities and powers.

“To my greatest consternation, the first defendant (Wike), on Thursday, June 25, 2015, proclaimed that he had recognised and restored the third defendant (Omehia) as a former governor of Rivers State with all the appurtenant benefits, privileges, entitlements and rights...”

Agency intervenes in psychiatric hospital’s crisis

T

HE Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has intervened in the crisis that recently engulfed the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Benin, the Edo State capital.

The crisis followed the alleged wrongful sack of 20 workers of the hospital by its Medical Director, Dr S. O. Olotu.

The commissioner representing Edo State on PCC’s board, Felix Alari, told reporters yesterday in Benin that the alleged harassment of the workers had become worrisome.

He pledged that the commission would use its power to resolve the crisis.

Alari said the commission had sent letters to the par-

•Bishop petitions Buhari From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

ties in the crisis.

The PCC commissioner also said the agency received over 350 petitions in the first six months of this year, adding that 100 cases had been resolved.

He said: “My brother, whether you are a governor or Chief Medical Director (CMD), MD or whatever, if you operate a system that is not in accordance with the law, you have us to contend with.

“We must not condone impunity, unnecessary harassment and intimidation of workers. Whether it is in the federal system, state or cor-

porate organisations, we will step in, if we get to know about it. Sometimes, we do investigations...”

A former member of the House of Representatives and cleric, Bishop Ezekiel Oise Orhevba, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to save the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin, from what he called “its present irretrievably monumental rot”.

Bishop Orhevba, whose petition to President Buhari was made available to our reporter yesterday in Benin, noted that unless the President intervened in the affairs of the over 50-year-old hos-

pital, there were chances that “it will experience a total ruin and abandonment”.

Efforts to reach Dr. Olotu to comment on the petition were unsuccessful.

But a statement by the hospital’s spokesman, Stewart Efe, said the hospital had neither witnessed “any steady retrogression nor reign of impunity since November 2014, when some of the workers, who were sacked, as speculated by the petitioner, will stop at nothing to throw stones into the glass house, after several unsuccessful attempts by him and his cohorts to plunge the hospital into chaos, using the machinery of union and cooperative activities”.

HERE were protests yesterday in Benin, the Edo State capital, over the alleged killing of a car dealer, Benson Obode.

Obode was allegedly killed by some policemen from Lagos State.

Obode was reportedly arrested on May 21 for allegedly buying a stolen vehicle and his whereabouts was said to have been kept secret from the family until July 27, when the police told some reporters in Lagos that he was dead.

The police said Obode died from what they called a “mob action” and that his body had been deposited at the Central Hospital’s mortuary in Benin.

At the mortuary, it was learnt that the late Obode was brought to the hospital by a policeman identified as Corporal Oniyon Musa the day he was arrested.

The protesters, who stormed the premises of the House of Assembly, the Government House and the headquarters of the police command, said they wanted an independent autopsy to ascertain the cause of Obode’s death.

The late Obode’s elder brother, Solomon, said the police had not informed the family what happened to his brother since he was arrested.

Solomon said the N200,000 cash, phones and ATM cards belonging to his late brother were still missing.

He said the late car dealer was deposited at the morgue as Benson Agu instead of Benson Obode.

Solomon said: “Until now, they have not told the family anything. They broke the news to journalists in Lagos and not to the family. We don’t know what happened to our brother. How could somebody you arrest be mobbed?

“We saw him at the morgue that he was killed by torture and was shot. His landlord, who was also arrested, said my brother was tied and hung on a tree while blocks were placed on his chest.

“We have informed our lawyers. They have written to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and we are asking the police to produce our brother. They said he bought a stolen car. Who is the complainant? We do not know.

How did he die? The police should tell the family what happened.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

Life Female artists explore design as personality – PAGE 15

‘Tourism can drive development’ – PAGE 16

Fresh push for Nigerian art, artists

– PAGE 50

13

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Text only: 08023058761 and 08112662687

‘My encounters with Soyinka’

•Fred Agbeyegbe.

SEE STORY ON PAGE 14

PHOTO: EVELYN OSAGIE

Desmond Tutu supports Rise Above Terror campaign ‘We have seen on our television screens the anguish of parents uprooted and robbed of their most precious possessions. Their anguish is our anguish and God’s anguish is the father’s and mother’s pain’ –SEE STORY ON PAGE 52

•Desmond Tutu

14

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Renowned playwright and lawyer Fred Agbeyegbe is 80. He joined the octogenarian club on July 22. At 80, Pa Agbeyegbe's pen and mind remain as sharp as when he wrote his first play over 60 years ago at 14. But Agbeyegbe is not your regular playwright or journalist; his articles and plays remain pungent. Three years ago, his play was staged alongside Wole Soyinka's The Lion and The Jewel at the London Olympics. He shares the same birthday month with the Nobel laureate. And, like Soyinka, he is also a social critic and activist. He is a roaring intellectual voice, clamouring for emancipation of the Niger Delta. Agbeyegbe marked his birthday with pomp and ceremony in Lagos. In this exclusive interview with EVELYN OSAGIE, he speaks on his encounter with Soyinka, his passion and regrets. everywhere but did not sell a copy. It did not sell because those milking this country don’t like the truth. Look at what happened at the national conference last year. They brought market women, bricklayers, lawyers, and so on, because they wanted everybody to participate. That sounded nice but meant nothing because the people brought there were not the issues. But what is the basis for that Nigeria that you say must preoccupy our minds? Nothing. I am President of the Lower Niger Congress.

‘My encounters with Soyinka’

My passion for writing At 80, I am still writing because writing is a way of life for me. Since an early age, I have been around so many books. In some of my law papers and books, you’d find poems and drawings that are meant to be sculpted. For me, the arts is a way of life.

Writing comes to me naturally. Without boasting, I can write a play in 30 minutes: all I need to do is to pick up a subject and a play would be in place. Even at 80, I can’t stop writing.

I have four plays that are uncompleted and on-going; let me show you. (Reaches for his computer). Man Beast, Marital Bliss, Festival Child, The Abortionist are the on-going ones that I have been able to put down but there are several in my head. I’ve never stopped writing.

I wrote my first book at the age of 14, Tomb of West Minister over 60 years ago in 1949; and at the last count, I have written about 17 plays; some are not in print.

My first play was inspired by an Urhobo lady, who set out to discover talents in every boy in our boys’ club. It was staged during the club’s first anniversary. And since then I have been writing and producing plays. The King must Dance Naked, which I wrote while I was in England in the 70s studying Law, is my first play that was staged in Nigeria in 1983.

Part of being 80 I don’t like

M

Y life has not changed significantly in any way from when I was 40 and now. I don't remember anything that has been greater or lesser pleasure because I was getting on in years; my interest in life and things remain exactly the same. If anything, as I grew older, and saw that Nigeria is nowhere changing to becoming the Nigeria that I know and envisage in my youth; I am pained, not because I am older, more because I am not now thinking I am near where I am going to. And I am feeling that the change may not happen in my lifetime. Those are the regrets that I have.

Growing up in Niger Delta We grew up in a free society where no one asked if one was from Itshekiri, Ijaw or Urhobo. Children played with each other; and the adults were always together. And people had their share of disagreements but their fights had nothing to do with land. They respected each other in the enclave that God put them, so they have no reason to fight over land. If all of us in Delta State put in a pool the proceeds from the resources gotten from the area and share it accordingly; it would be the Eldorado of this country. The resources would be more than enough for the population there. When I was Chairman of Warri Local Government, under NPN, I asked the Itshekiris, Ijaws and Urhobos to tell me the number of their abled-bodied men they had so that I'd worked it out as 100 per cent and would be able to create 101 jobs.

The only reason for discrimination and fights is when there are not enough resources to meet the wants of the people. It is simple economics.

My thought on militancy in the region Militancy came up as a result of the deprivation in the Niger Delta. People feel deprived of what they see as their rights. There is a lot of disconnect between those who say they are governing for the benefit of the generality of country and the people they are governing. I come from Itsekiri, from one of the parts that should be the Eldorado of this country because every ethnic nationality there are all oil-producing. But what is the evidence that this people are so Godendowed? Nothing except fight! It suits some people that we should forget what Nigeria can do for you and focus on what you can do for Nigeria. They are milking us on a daily basis. They come from the so-called centre where they are running Nigeria from to deal with the nincompoops of the society, who don’t have education or antecedents where they are from. They pick and raise them up to situations they’d never hoped they’d get to in life; so they’d owe those who made them allegiance at the expense of the interest of their people. That is why you never get any of these communities sending their first-eleven to represent them anywhere. It is a deliberate policy. They’d pick up your

My highest point in over 60 years of writing and producing plays

•Agbeyegbe and his wife, Tolulope and children.

INTERVIEW resources, go there and share it, give the nincompoops part of it, which makes them very happy.

Adding my creative voice to the struggle There are those who think that my works have contributed to the struggle. And they publicly examinined how my works have contributed to it at the celebration of my 80th birthday last week. The colloquium was in the morning; it had G.G.Darah as keynote

PHOTO: EVELYN OSAGIE

speaker. He delivered a lecture tagged: Drama and the Niger Delta Struggle: The Contributions of Fred Agbeyegbe. Other speakers examined The Socio-cultural Relevance of Fred Agbeyegbe Plays in Itshekiri Worldview; The Place of Fred Agbeyegbe Plays in the academia was presented by SONTA and a paper on The Place of Fred Agbeyegbe in Current Theatre Practice was presented by NANTAP. They spoke on how we can resolve this conflict called Nigeria. And my play, Conflict Resolution was chosen as the celebration’s play.

Besides creative works, I once wrote a book on the sovereign national conference: I printed 3000 copies and distributed them

‘Having my play, The King Must Dance Naked staged at the 2012 Olympics was the crowning victory for me as a playwright at that level. And to be sharing the honours with Wole Soyinka was indeed a delight...My first encounter with Soyinka was in the 70s in England. I was the Chess master in London University’

I have several. First, it was when I wrote Woe unto Death. I used to travel a lot then.

While I was returning from Warri with a West Indies girlfriend of mine, between 6 and 7 in the evening, after Ijebu Ode, a burial ground caught my attention and all I could see was a community of human beings. That is where Woe unto Death came from, the story of a young lady in love with death.

Having my play, The King Must Dance Naked staged at the 2012 Olympics was the crowning victory for me as a playwright at that level. And to be sharing the honours with Wole Soyinka was indeed a delight. Interestingly, in 1987 when the play won Play of the Year award in Ghana, NTA had announced it as a play written by Soyinka. (Laughs). And when I challenged them, the then Director at NTA Channel 10 said: “What right have you got to complain. Do you know what it means, in short, you should thank us.” (Laughs). So, Soyink and I have been coming parallel since a long time. I just hope that the people who gave him the title of Nobel laureate would remember me too. So that all these coming together cannot be in vain. (Laughs). But he is a wonderful person.

My encounters with Soyinka Wole Soyinka is a fantastic human being.

He is well-endowed; he is someone everybody would like to be like. The only irony about Soyinka is that it is the international community that had to identify him for what he is before we, Nigerians, realised we had such a person with us. And when eventually he had become a Nobel laureate and Nigeria gave him an award, he rejected as I would have done 10 times over. And the coincidences in our lives have been absolutely incredible.

My first encounter with Soyinka was in the 70s in England. I was the Chess master in London University and used to play chess with my professors. One of them was the •Continued on Page 15

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

15

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

T

HE concept of design as personality of an idea and that of the designer took centre stage at a group art exhibition by eight female artists at the Ford Foundation, Banana Island, Ikoyi Lagos. All the female participants at the show used diverse media to interrogate design as personality of idea, using individual beliefs, histories, experiences, interactions, societies and dreams to design our own reality.

The group show tagged: Design is the personality of an Idea; opened penultimate Sunday featuring Joana Choumali (Côte d’Ivoire); Nkechi Ebubedike (NigeriaAmerica); Akwaeke Emezi (Nigeria); Modupeola Fadugba (Nigeria); Selly Raby Kane (Senegal); Nkiruka Oparah (Nigeria); Moonchild Sanelly (South Africa) and The Venus Bushfires (Nigeria).

The exhibition, which will run till August 3, is organised by African Artists Foundation (AAF) under the Female Artists Platform and supported by the Ford Foundation, Lagos. It highlights among others, the most beautiful ways and the most banal and benign ways ‘we all exist in a world of our own design, our own creation, our own filter. Built with our beliefs, our histories, our traumas, our consumption, our interactions, our societies, our habits, our opportunities and dreams, we design our own reality.’

A statement by the organisers described art as an expression of ‘our reality and design is the personality of our ideas. The artists brought together use diverse media - film, fashion, paint, photography, digital collage, and sound - to create full worlds with the precision and intentionality inherent in the concept of design.’

It added that ‘yet all of us, with our unique delusions, perceptions and experiences, exist in the same physical world. The exhibition is an exploration of this kaleidoscopic amalgamation of our individualities. Through their works, the artists show the diversity and complexity of each of our worldviews: complete, distinct, nuanced and fantastical. They design and manifest their own distinct realities.

The Female Artists project was launched in 2010 as an annual initiative to promote a more gender equal creative industry.

Each year, artists are chosen to work on a project relating to a theme and provided with production stipends to complete their work. Along with the final exhibition, mentorship programmes for young girls and public discussions expand the dialogue to a larger community.

The Female Artists’ Platform aims to draw attention to female artists and designers living and working in Africa, unearth and develop new talent, introduce new art forms, and highlight the diversity of women, who are exploring ways to express themselves through visual art. It also

•Continued from Page 14

Dean of Students. He and Soyinka went to the same university and were friends as students. One day, Soyinka visited my professor, his friend, and he told him about me that I was also a wonderful cook. The professor called and asked if I could host them and I was excited. I had heard about Soyinka but had never met him. During his visit to my place, the professor was full of praise for me and told him how in the middle of my PhD the Commonwealth Secretariat insisted that they must give me a job because the job specification was tailor-made for me.

He also told him how someone in the Nigerian High Commission told them about me. On hearing that Soyinka said he was going to the toilet, which I showed him and went back to join the others. That was the last I saw of him. I did not know he had a problem with the Nigerian government then, perhaps immediately he knew that I was working with the Commonwealth Secretariat, he came to the conclusion that I must be a Nigerian diplomat; whereas I was the only person who was not a diplomat.

That was our first meeting and it took so many years after I came back for us to meet again in 1984.

He was the special guest of honour at the first showing of Woe unto Death. He could not recognise me and I didn’t talk to him. At another show at the Pep Repertory Theatre,

Festschrift for Darah at 70

By Evelyn Osagie

CELEBRATION

S

•Moonchild, by Sanelly

Female artists explore design as personality

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

VISUAL ARTS hopes to challenge these artists to take bold steps in their creative concepts and processes, so they may have the freedom to cre-

ate and exhibit works that are communicative, provocative and relevant. It seeks to shed light on the role of the artist in African society, to create awareness around female creative expression, and address her underrepresentation in the Nigerian contemporary art community.

‘My encounters with Soyinka’ I confronted him and asked him why he deserted me and Prof Dennis in my house; and did not eat the dinner I cooked for him. He was in shock. He said when he heard my name at my show that he had thought it was not the first time he was hearing it.

The third time was when I won the Soyinka Prize for Literature in the late 80s.

He was not a judge but he was one of those who presented the prize to me.

The fourth time was when we were plaintive in the Federal High Court in 2010.

The fifth encounter with him was during the 2012 Olympics in London when his play and mine were the Olympics plays. His was The Lion and the Jewel and mine was The King Must Dance Naked.

My journey into theatre arts It is a sojourn into a mystical world and everything that gives joy. You’d see a lot of other things people don’t see when you look at something. The depth of thoughts is what really makes a person see through things. For instance, each time I look at Nigeria, the superficiality is all that I see. Like I’ve said I wrote my first play at age 14. But I didn’t face the challenges most theatre people faced because it was not my profession. My only profession is Law. I believe I have been successful because I am not dependent on writing as a source of livelihood; and I have other things

that take care of all of those things that are problems to those practicing theatre arts and creative writing. When a publisher messed me up, I put my resources into publishing myself; that is why I may be those things that have been able to stop them have not stopped me. I am not waiting for a publisher to come and approve that my work is good enough for publishing. Some of the unpublished plays I talked about are over 10 years old. If it is my livelihood, it won’t be like that and it also means that the work may not have been so good because I would be rushing to make the market. So I am not a theatre person, because I didn’t live by it. Besides my plays and other creative works, I also write essays and articles published across diverse newspapers across the world; but I am not a journalist.

My journey into broadcasting/ journalism I came back from England as a lawyer and wrote for Daily Times, Sunday Times, The Guardian, Thisday, Vanguard, but people describe me as a journalist and broadcaster. I was never in broadcasting or in Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the way people put it. Each time I watched Nigerian television stations in those days, they were not saying anything which I could identify and thought there must be a lot of people like me

CHOLARS within and outside the country are set to celebrate the eloquent intellectual Gabriel Gordini Darah at 70 in grandstyle.

To celebrate this significant milestone and contributions of Darah, a professor of English at Delta State University and former Chairman of the Editorial Board of The Guardian, to intellectual and socio-cultural advancement, his colleagues at DELSU and abroad are planning a festschrift in his honour.

Although the scholar will turn 70 two years from now, the organisers of the festschrift are calling for well-researched essays ahead of his 70th birthday come November 22, 2017.

The essays would be published to celebrate Darah’s birthday in 2017, according the organisers.

Being a pioneer scholar of Udje performance poetry of the Niger Delta, founding president of the Nigeria Oral Literature Association (NOLA) and former Chief of Staff at Delta State Government House, Prof Darah’s eclectic career over the past four decades, according to them, deserves closer critical attention at this point.

The essays may focus on topics related to the wide-range of Darah’s scholarly interests or on his publications (including his public commentaries in the press). Essays of not more than 15 pages, following MLA format, should be submitted to darah70festschrisft@gmail.com not later than November 30, 2015, according to the organisers.

Darah is an alumnus of the University of Ibadan, where he also began his teaching career. He later taught at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. He now teaches at Delta State University, Abraka, where he has played a key role in the internationalisation efforts of the Department of English and Literary Studies, his home Department.

Darah’s most beguiling attribute is his versatile and profound insights into a wide range of academic endeavours. This is complemented by his utter commitment to the development of scholarship and culture. His scholarly and journalistic interventions are as penetrating as they can be controversial.

Apart from the field of Folklore and Literature, Darah’s abiding multidisciplinary engagements straddle the domains of Culture, Politics, History, Law, Sociology, Media and Communication, Philosophy, and more. But it is in Oral Literature that his specialisation has become most notable with, amongst others, the publication of his ground-breaking study of Urhobo poetry, Battles of Songs: Udje Tradition of the Urhobo (2005).

in this society. And later when a friend of mine was appointed Chairman of NTA by the then President Shehu Shagari, he drove to my house when he finished talking to Shagari and said: “Fred, you cannot just be talking theory you have to practicalise all you’ve been saying”. And before the end of the week that followed I already had a profile for having programmes on TV. I was made an ‘Honorary Editor’. Before the end of the month, I had worked out a programme on TV and was given a slot to air, Portrait of Nigerian Democracy. Chris Anyanwu, who is now a senator, was allotted to me to do the programme. So I was on TV every Monday evening: they gave me a room, which I furnished and designed to my taste. I took Chris and her cameraman to America to interview the older Bush, when he was Vice President.

And later, I wrote a book for NTA.

My Ajo Productions Ajo Productions is my ensemble. It is still on. Every now and then, we stage my plays.

Penultimate week, I was at the National Theatre and we talked about old times. I and guy managing the place have agreed that in September, when it would be 36, Ajo and National Theatre would do something. He gave me a space at the theatre to hold my event, while insisting that I use Cinema Hall One that they have put so much money to make the place a state-of-the-art.

16

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

‘Tourism can drive development’ Prof Rasaki Ojo-Bakare is a Nigerian playwright, scholar and choreographer. He has sown drama seed in many universities, including the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Uyo and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The former Artistic Director, Abuja International Festival, is now Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti. He speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on the rot in the arts, culture and tourism industry. He urges the Federal Government to rescue the sector and make it contribute meaningfully to the economy.

Y

OUR career in Arts and Culture industry traversed theatre practice, academics, administration and consultancy, how have you been able to cope with all of these?

Let me start by saying that I think the biggest secret to all of these is the fact that I align myself with nature.

Right from the time I was a kid, I was privileged to be able to know through the almighty creator the artistic deposits in me. Even as small as I was then, I was able to realise that I am a natural carrier of the seeds of performative arts and somehow, I made up my mind early enough to just be what I was created to be. So, I was very resolute and positively stubborn that I close my eyes to other fields. I was not prepared to do any other thing apart from practicing performing arts, teaching it, intellectualising it, creating it, directing it and performing it. I think that is the biggest secret. And while growing up, I think I have mastered this and didn’t get derailed or confused. Looking back now, I have come to realise that the best one can be is what one was created to be. So, I’m not playing someone else’s role in creation, I’m playing my role in creation. And once you are doing that, it becomes like magic and part of you because what you are practising is your own nature, you are doing it effortlessly. That is why since I left secondary school, even before I gained admissiont to the university, I have been practicing theatre. After acquiring university education in the field and further studies to PhD level in the same area, I started teaching and intellectualising it by teaching students who are willing to develop their careers in the field. Today, when I look back, I can only give thanks to God for giving me that wisdom early in life because it has been a smooth ride all the way. Of course like every human endeavour, there have been turbulent periods but one thing that is clear is that I have been able to combine a robust practice with scholarship at various levels with ease.

Therefore, performing Arts, whether it is scholarship or practice defines my life. I don’t have any other life outside this sector and so I concentrate on it fully. This, to me, is the reason I have been able to go this far and achieve what I have been able to achieve despite the many tasks that confront me daily in the cause of bringing out the best out of my chosen career.

No doubt, your achievement in this area must have paved way for you to be able to serve at the National Troupe and the Abuja International Carnival. What is your experience at the National Troupe?

Before I went to the National Troupe of Nigeria as Acting Assistant Director (Drama) I had served in The Gambia from 1994 to 1996; I was the chorographer and technical Director in charge of the National Troupe of The Gambia. I was in Banjul for two years; first to establish the country’s National Troupe and second, to handle it for two years. After the expiration of that contract, the country wanted me to continue with the National Troupe. At the same time, The Gambia Ministry of Information offered me appointment to establish the Performing Arts Department of their university, which was just taking off then. Meanwhile their National Television was also just taking off at the same time. As a matter of fact, my face was the very first face that was beamed on The Gambian National Television. When they were looking for material to test run the television station, they came to record my production in Banjul, which was a short drama on the HIV Aids epidemic, which I called Jangoroji. That was how they refer to the virus in their local language. It was a 30-minute drama, which the national troupe conceptualised to educate the people on the epidemic. That was how my face was picked, introducing the Jangoroji on the station. With that, the television was thinking of drafting me in, the country was willing to renew my contract with the National Troupe and the University of Gambia also wanted me. But, I retuned to Nigeria because of the passion I have for my country. I had told the authorities of the Ahmadu Bello University where I was lecturing before going to The Gambia that I would return. That was why the university gave me the two-year leave of absence to go. Therefore, when those offers came in The Gambia, I thought of the need to be a man of integrity by honouring my words.

On returning to Nigeria, the Ahmed Yerima led National Troupe of Nigeria, thought of what I did with the National Troupe of The Gambia and what I had been able to do in Nigeria, and then considered it necessary to invite me to join the National Troupe of Nigeria so that they could benefit from my experience. Prof. Yerima thus convinced the Federal Government to get me into the National Troupe in any directorial capacity, and fortunately, the position of the Assistant Director Drama was vacant and the minister then got me to fill that capacity. By then I was Head of Department at the University of Uyo, where I also took leave of absence and joined the National Troupe. We should not forget that every footballer wants to become the coach of his country’s national team and so I felt fulfilled to the extent that I didn’t mind to cut my university career short. The National Troupe for God’s sake is the culture equivalent of Super Eagles. In my view, the troupe should also be bringing whatever the Super Eagles of Nigeria is bringing to the country. The National Troupe should even bring more because here we are

• Prof Ojo-Bakare

INTERVIEW talking about our culture, different from football which was borrowed from another culture. The things that the National Troupe is asked to invent are the things that originally belong to us. With that belief in my mind, I joined the troupe with great expectations but I soon discovered that the politics of the place at that time was more than the work that was being done and I had to leave. I discovered it was another civil service contraption, not what it should be. Let me quickly add that the problem is not with those who are there, it is the way the system was designed from the beginning. It was not designed to succeed. That is the truth. If the National Troupe should serve Nigeria the way it should serve Nigeria, it needs a total overhauling. The entire structure must be redesigned from the beginning. If the structure of the troupe is correctly designed, the country would have a lot to benefit from the troupe.

What lessons did you learn from all of these and what suggestions will you give as the likely way out of the quagmire?

I left the National Troupe after that little spell in 2001 and eight years later, precisely in 2009, I was again appointed Artistic Director of the Abuja International Carnival. It was a different experience entirely, but again because most of these institutions are not properly structured, there is always a problem. The state carnivals like Calabar, Port Harcourt (Carniriv) and Lagos have well defined carnival structures.

In Cross Rivers State, there is a carnival commission. If this can be done at the state level, what then stops the Federal Government from having a national commission for national carnival? What we have is conceived to be part of the ministry; a carnival secretariat tied to the ministry. An artistic director who is to work on the carnival is brought from outside but has to work with the ministry according to the existing rules and regulations and contraptions, with other challenges the ministry is encumbered with already. Some of the problems that limit the ministry get naturally carried over to the carnival secretariat. So, you discover that carnival secretariat does not have its own pulse or purse and rules and so they get subjected to the politics of the ministry. Now if the administration is not what it should be, how do we get the best from the carnival? Again, it is a continuation of what characterises most government establishments in Nigeria. With my expe-

‘Culture and tourism can feed this country. Without oil, we can use tourism to drive development. When I was handling the Gambia National Troupe, I discovered that the country called Gambia does not have anything apart from culture and tourism. Gambia earns everything it earns from culture and tourism’

riences so far, I have been able to establish that the foundation of all these is corruption. Establishments in Nigeria are structured in a way that corruption can fester.

But despite these, you handled the carnival for five years.

How were you able to manage it this far?

We thank God again for the personal commitment of those of us that were involved. Let me emphatically state that in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, there wouldn’t have been a carnival in Abuja but for the personal commitment of those involved. From the state directors of the troupes to those that worked with me at the carnival office in Abuja, there was total commitment. I must also mention the personal commitment of our stakeholders in all the states of the federation and the FCT, who were keen on making success out of the carnival despite challenges.

The state directors were specially committed because of the personal contact and relationship we had with them from the carnival office. They saw it as a project that must not fail because we are all friends and professional colleagues. Some directors of culture would come with artists of 500 and above from their states with N500, 000 and their state governments expected them to spend a week in Abuja. They are expected to build costumes, build floats and provide accommodation for their crew. But because of professionalism and passion, the directors of culture from the states were determined to succeed and from our end at the Carnival Secretariat in Abuja, we kept encouraging them on why they should be committed. Some state directors would get to Abuja and would not be able to pay for accommodation and result to sleeping in primary schools with their artists on mats. We should not forget that some of these people are level 16 officers from the states. The permanent secretaries and the directors from the states, including those who worked with me in the carnival office are the heroes and heroines of that era.

In Nigeria today, everyone is talking of diversification of the economy, what roles do you think culture can play in the non-oil sectors?

Look, culture and tourism can feed this country. Without oil, we can use tourism to drive development. When I was handling the Gambia National Troupe, I discovered that the country called Gambia does not have anything apart from culture and tourism. Gambia earns everything it earns from culture and tourism. This is not what I heard but what I participated in. When I was in Gambia, the egg we ate was imported from Poland. That is, the stamp of Poland was found on every eggshell. They were importing Egg from Poland, Rice from Libya, Yam and Garri from Nigeria and Ghana.

The only thing they have produced in Gambia is the long bread and tea. However, the county is working because the revenue they earn comes from culture and tourism is huge.

What does Gambia have that Nigeria does not have?. Our tourism potential in Nigeria is huge but government is not sincere and professional with the handling of the sector. This is because most of the time, wrong people are appointed to head the ministry, it is politics you see instead of a professional development of the sector. With oil boom, it is easier to lazy about oil business and make or rather steal money .And so, everybody forgets about other sectors .Nigeria does not need oil to survive .Culture and tourism can feed this country very well. All we need is genuine intention from government and the will to do what is right. Nigeria should stop behaving like a suicidal husband whose wife is pregnant and instead of engaging the services of a gynecologist; he is engaging the services of a dentist. If you do that, you must patronise the mortuary. That is what Nigeria is doing.

Our problem in simple term is that we put square pegs in round holes. Yes, government may have good intention, but it is important to take the correct action. We should realise that not all actions should be politicised. There are people who are not politicians but are hard core professionals in their fields. If these people are engaged, they can make this sector to begin to work for Nigeria. And Nigeria will surpass the countries that called themselves the great nations of today in no distant time. I believe we have everything it takes to achieve this.

How do you rate the National Council for Arts and Culture today, vis – a - vis its strategic role of promoting the country’s diversified arts and culture?

The new Executive Secretary of the council, Mrs Dayo Keshi has turned the place around positively. The place was asleep for a long time, but with the appointment of Mrs Keshi, a quite positive revolution that will reposition the council for effectiveness is going on.

Having worked as a consultant to many states, do you see the states playing active roles in the reengineering of these cultural values?

Without sounding immodest, I have worked with most states in the country as a consultant. It is that experience that exposed me to the quality of what the Almighty deposited in Nigeria. All the states whose governments cannot pay salaries are ironically sitting on untapped tourism treasure. It is only when a governor that is aware of these treasures comes into office that you see attempts at developing culture and tourism in the states. Once the wrong guy is elected, the projects are discontinued. That is the problem with the states.

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WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

•Maiduguri residents inspect site of Boko Haram bombing

How fares the anti-Boko Haram war?

Since he took office about two months ago, President Muhammadu Buhari has put the war against Boko Haram terrorist group on the front burner, as a priority for his administration. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI examines the administration’s moves to contain the insurgency and what can be done to add pep to the battle.

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N spite of the resolve of President Muhammadu Buhari not to give the militant Islamic group, otherwise known as Boko Haram, any breathing space, the insurgents remain as daring as ever. Buhari had told the nation in an interview on Cable News Network (CNN) that he would deal effectively with the Boko Haram terrorists in two months when he gets into office.

In his inaugural speech, he had announced the relocation of the military command and control centre from the capital Abuja, which is about 800km to Maiduguri, the main city at the heart of the insurgency, until the conflict is resolved. The new command was widely expected to add vigour to the counter-insurgency campaign. In a follow-up to a number of initiatives on the matter, President Buhari on July 13 appointed new Service Chiefs and the National Security Adviser. This was another move that was expected to add pep to the battle against the insurgents.

Boko Haram appears to have changed tactics and is creating havoc here and there. In the view of security experts, this suggests that there are no easy solutions to the Boko Haram problem and that the federal government must do something differently to achieve the desired result. Intelligence and security sources believe the insurgency may fester for some time due to factors beyond the control of President Buhari. The sect, despite the successes recorded by the military. The militant group is said to have grown beyond being a Nigerian organisation. According to experts, it now has franchise covering lower part of West Africa from Nigeria across Ghana, Gambia and Sierra Leone to other countries in the region. The sect is believed to be working in concert with the Islamic State.

Buhari has acknowledged that the government might negotiate with the terrorists for the release of the over 200 girls kidnapped at a boarding school in Chibok, Borno State in April, last year. But, the idea of negotiating with the terrorist group is fraught with a lot of challenges A security and ancillary services consultant, Colonel Gabriel Ajayi (rtd), said from his experience of terrorist groups in other countries, Boko Haram insurgents would never negotiate from a position of weakness and would never surrender. He said: “There is no record in military history where generals have received instrument of surrender from insurgents or terrorists.

What usually happens is that their capacity to go on with the operation could be radically reduced and eventually it fizzles out. Hardly will you find insurgents entering into dialogues, signing of agreements.”

Ajayi added that the moves by the Buhari-led administration so far, to curb the insurgency is good. Nevertheless, he said there was no magic wand to counter insurgency. He said: “There is no textbook answer to tackling insurgency. It is an unconventional war that can only be tackled through unconventional means, such the application of native intelligence. The people of the area and the leaders of the North might hold the key to solving the problem.”

Ajayi does not believe that the insurgents are gaining the upper hand. His words: “It is not as if the insurgents are gaining the upper hand; what happened before the general elections was postponed was that Boko Haram insurgents took the Nigerian military for granted and started employing conventional war-

•President Buhari

fare tactics to fight a conventional army. They succeeded for a time, because the military was not equipped to face them militarily. But, in reality, they cannot use conventional methods to fight a conventional army and hope to win in the long run.

“Boko Haram changed tactics when they started acquiring territories and having an army of occupation to defend such territories. This method compels them to tie down their forces in the occupied territories. In their usual modus operandi, terrorists don’t acquire territories; they only strike and disappear. As guerrilla fighters, they are always on the move. So, it was easy for the army to fight them when they were holding grounds. There is no way they can win a straight fight with the military.

“So, it is not as if Boko Haram insurgents are gaining the upper hand; they have only changed their tactics. Realising the futility of their action, they have resorted to guerrilla warfare at the moment. It would not be easy for the military to tackle them because of the unconventional tactics they are using.”

The security and ancillary services consultant listed five strategies the military can employ to start winning the war. He said: “But, these are classified information and it would not be appropriate for me to begin to reveal them on the pages of a newspaper. I would reveal only about one or two. One of the strategies, in fact the number five strategy, is to start reconstruction immediately, using military engineers. The Bible in the Book of Nehemiah said, while we held the spear in one hand, we started rebuilding.

When you begin reconstruction, the people will see that you are • Continued on page 18

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2015

Secondly, at the highest level of command, they should set up a ‘think-tank, to brainstorm on this issue to keep the terrorists on the run. We must be proactive, rather than just reacting to their strikes ’

POLITICS

Ayo Akinola is the Coordinator of Osun Concerns Group, a group of professionals creating awareness on the political and social activities in the state. In this interview with our correspondent, SOJI ADENIYI, he notes that Governor Rauf Aregbesola is the most patriotic leader the state has had in recent times. He is also of the opinion that the governor is highly misunderstood, deliberately so by the opposition.

‘Aregbesola’s critics are ignorant’ Y

OU have been an avid supporter of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola since the campaign that brought him into office for the second term. Why is this so?

I have said it in different fora that this is the very first time in the recent past that we are having a semblance of good governance since the creation of Osun. Baba (Bisi) Akande set the ball rolling for a prosperous Osun but was hated for taking the bull by the horn as they often say. You know, people hate honest people. They will prefer those who will deceive them using cosmetic hand-out, cash here and there, patronages here and there. The then opposition propaganda machinery was very rife, coupled with the then federal might; the man was not allowed to finish what he started.

That was the beginning of the sorrow we are witnessing today in Osun. All what Baba did was overturned, to create a false Eldorado. That is what Ogbeni met on the ground and was managing to ameliorate. If this man was governing a more prosperous state like Lagos, he would have turned the state into a mini New York. He is a manager per excellence. Even as commissioner in Lagos, see what he did. Let me tell you this: all the criticisms on Ogbeni you see daily inside the newspapers and in the social media are handiworks of the opposition.

They criticize him because they are too lazy to dig deep and appreciate the enormous tasks ahead. And it is deliberate. They want to discredit him for them to return to power, which is impossible. Their time is gone for good and forever. They will soon be tired. See what is happening in Lagos. They have been criticizing and the more they do, the more they lose because they lack credibility. This is because our people in Osun and Lagos are no fools.

To come to your question, some of us from Osun who live in Lagos and witness the rapid development in Osun cannot just sit down and watch them retake our state. We worked underground in 2011 when he was robbed of the seat. I left my home and job in Lagos and relocated to my Irewole Local Government, mobilised the locals and made effective use of the media and, thankfully, he won. But the PDP machinery will not allow it. I have said it in an

article published in some dailies that great leaders are made great by horrible circumstances. This man will not let go. Vintage Ijesa man; he fought through the courts and some of us from Osun were almost saying this man should forget the mandate and go into another election, which was fast approaching. That is one lesson I took from him: fight your fight to the last. He did and his mandate was restored.

Within the short span of time, we noticed rapid infrastructural development and deliberate effort at raising human development. He was managing the resources like a private concern; the same way Papa Awolowo managed the economy of the Western Region, which pushed the region to the foremost position in everything: having the first television station in the whole of West Africa, the Liberty Stadium as well as the Cocoa House in Ibadan.

You can imagine the kind of criticism the then opposition would be heaping at him then, for having foresight, the same way Ogbeni is today being vilified as wasteful. Foresight is the difference. The opposition in Osun lacks it. The good thing is that our people are more enlightened than them. Some may be illiterate but they know good governance when they see one. These are the reasons why we supported him during the elections of 2014 and even now.

But the current travails of Osun workers are dire…

This is another annoying thing promoted by the faceless opposition. They are cowards, if not they should come out under the banner of their party with the allegations instead of dividing our loyal workers. A good opposition is never afraid to do so. When the APC was in the opposition, they talked under the banner of their party; they were not instigating the people. I think it is evil, if you ask me. Now, ask yourself or ask them, is Osun the only state in Nigeria owing its workers? Most of the states owing are or were ruled by the PDP. As at the last count, we have about 24 states, including the federal government under PDP owing workers.

Even most of the states whose revenues triple that of Osun, and some littoral states owe.

So, what are we saying? The Ondo state workers are threatening to down tools and nobody

•Akinola

Let me tell you this: all the criticisms on Ogbeni you see daily inside the newspapers and in the social media are handiworks of the opposition is shouting. Ondo is a littoral state that earns stupendous from the commonwealth, and nobody is shouting (Olusegun) Mimiko. Is it because Ondo is governed by the PDP, their party? So, with that alone, you can know where the noise is traceable to. I’ve always said it that Ogbeni is the whipping boy because they are envious of him and his achievements. Can’t they at least check the books and the records which are in the public domain? I’ve taken pains to go through it and put in the media, so also has unbiased columnists like Professor Niyi Akinnaso. These are people you cannot buy, even with all the wealth of Nigeria. They have all taken time to analyze the situation and given kudos to Ogbeni. And let me also say it that it is a miracle how Ogbeni has been able to steer the wheel of the state. That shows ingenuity and we must give it to him.

Are you aware that this situation was caused by three major reasons: the daily theft of crude, the fall in crude price and the recently exposed non remittance of revenue to joint account due to corruption? At least former President

Jonathan should have control over the first and the third. What did he do? So, it is a complex, yet simple situation for a determined leader.

Thank God for the change we now have.

What is the lasting solution to this problem?

Thank God we are in a new dispensation. A lot of things really have to change, if the change we voted for will have impact on our lives. And we will need everybody’s support in this regard. The structure of the country itself needs some change. We’ve been operating our federal structure as if we are in a unitary government. How can you, for example, explain a situation where the federal government will dictate to a state how much that state should pay its workers, without corresponding consideration on how such wage will be paid? Is that not absurd? What is the concern of the centre on that and so many other things? State A may decide to pay minimum wage of N30,000 based on its revenue base and other reasons, while another state B, may not be able to pay more than N15,000. If a worker decides that he is not satisfied with State B, he is free to migrate to seek employment in state A. Don’t forget that state A that is paying N30,000 is taking into consideration, probably, high cost of living in its state, which may not be as high in state B. So, a blanket wage increase for all states is an anomaly, as resources are not the same.

Second solution is that it is high time we started discouraging our citizens from depending on government or paid job for existence.

We need to educate our youths that self employment, creative thinking is the new order.

Gone are the days of yore when you finish school and get government or paid employment and your financial problem is solved, that is what we used to call job security. No more job security. It is a world-wide change. The only job security there is now is self employment. Nobody can sack you from the job you create. Look at the Pensioners. Those who receive theirs as at when due, is it enough for their upkeep? And the only way you can build wealth and help your state or country is to set up cottage industry, where you will employ people, take them out of employment and contribute in tax to your state. We must all tell our youths the home truth, not to rely on government or paid employment for our sustenance. It’s not really sustainable in the long run. It is like a rat race. Nobody becomes wealthy by relying on paid employment. This is what our politicians are afraid to tell our youths. And this is what Aregbesola has been tactically preaching through his various capacity building programmes.

How fares the anti-Boko Haram war?

• Continued from page 17 giving them a better alternative than what Boko Haram would give them, if they continue to support the group.

So, right away, the government should start reconstruction.

“Secondly, at the highest level of command, they should set up a thinktank, to brainstorm on this issue to keep the terrorists on the run. We must be proactive, rather than just reacting to their strikes. This think-tank should be extra-organisation; it would not be part of the military as an organisation.

This war is an unusual war, so we have to adopt unusual methods in dealing with it; we cannot handle it in the conventional way.”

A lawyer and public affairs analyst, Martins Agoziem, believes the insurgency was politicised from the outset. He said had Nigerians faced the issue the way it tackled the Ebola virus, terrorism would have been drastically reduced. He believed that the prejudice against the Jonathan administration blinded the sensibilities of those who should have proffered solution to the problem. He said rather than face the terrorist, the issue was used as a landmine to discredit the former government.

Agoziem added: “It is an irony that under Jonathan, the opposition party gloated over the fact that the then president was at a very tight spot because of the activities of the terrorists. In some more instances, some people tagged the war against terror as genocide against the North. I wish all Nigerians would see the war against terrorists like the war against Ebola. During the Ebola scare, everybody faced the problem with one spirit. There was no APC or PDP because Ebola didn’t know who was in party A or party B, and with the cooperation of all Nigerians, Ebola was defeated.

“If one Boko Haram member was killed, they would accuse Jonathan of wanting to wipe out the North.

Those who were opposed to Jonathan saw the case of insecurity as Jonathan’s Achilles heels and they took advantage of the situation and made a big issue out of it. If all Nigerians had seen the war against terrorists as a war that must be won just like the Ebola virus scare, I am sure that by now, insecurity would have gone down drastically. Ironically, those same people who always criticised Jonathan, but never proffered any solution on how the issue of terrorism could be tackled

are now asking Nigerians to support Buhari against Boko Haram.”

In the view of Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Boko Haram has thrived because stakeholders, such as Muslim clerics, community leaders, elected officials, democratic institutions and the media, have not played their roles effectively towards curbing the menace. Shettima, who made the observation in a paper he delivered during a fellowship and award dinner organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja last week, said the fight against Boko Haram cannot succeed unless leading Islamic scholars with mass followers come out of their silence to preach against the ideology from an intellectual perspective.

This, he said, would change the narrative to discourage young men from being recruited by the sect. In the paper titled, “Democracy and Security in Northeast, Nigeria — the Case Study of Borno” the governor said notable Islamic scholars have maintained silence because they are afraid of being killed like many of their colleagues who were left exposed without security details despite preaching loud against the ideology and marked as enemies by the sect.

He said: “Changing the ideology of the Boko Haram will require intellectual roles by leading Islamic scholars with mass appeal. It is most disturbing to note that today in northern Nigeria, there is no single Islamic scholar that preaches against the Boko Haram ideology and the reason is because everyone is afraid. Leading scholars like Sheikh Jaafar Mahmud Adam and Sheikh Albani Zaria who vehemently preached against the ideology have been killed.

“In Maiduguri, scholars, like Sheikh Ibrahim Gomari, Malam Bashir Gomari and over 30 scholars who were opposed to the Boko Haram ideology, have all been killed.

Today, the only group in the North that can speak against the sect are holders of public offices who have security men surrounding them. It is hugely important for us to identify Islamic scholars with the intellectual depth and mass followership to change the Boko Haram narrative so that we can save young souls from listening to the sect.

“We must support these scholars and provide them with maximum security for not only them but their families as much as public office holders are adequately protected.

•Ajayi These scholars will be performing very important national security assignments that are as important as those of any public office holder, no matter how highly placed.”

In the paper that was delivered on his behalf by his Deputy, Zannah Umar Mustapha, the governor blamed democratic institutions for failing to address the problem at the early stage. He also blamed leaders, including himself, for not rising up to the occasion. Shettima, whose paper went memory lane to discuss the evolution of the sect in Borno, also indicted journalists for unknowingly helping the insurgents.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Urgent need for police reform

Pay up •State governments owing WAEC should redeem their pledge

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LTHOUGH the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) did not name the 19 states owing it for the last May/June Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE), it is just honourable that the affected states redeemed their image by paying up immediately. According to the council, the states owe it about N4billion. WAEC’s Head of National Office, (HNO) Mr Charles Eguridu, who disclosed this said the debt is affecting the council’s operations. “As I speak to you now, we are cashstrapped as a result of the delay in offsetting the registration fees owed the council by some states. As a result, we are finding it difficult in meeting our financial obligations, particularly to our supervisors, examiners and service providers”.

We feel for the numerous candidates whose results would be seized if WAEC carried out its threat to so do should the state governments continue to ignore appeals to pay up. But what the states have done by defaulting in their payment obligation to WAEC is to betray the trust the council reposed in them. Without their assurance that they would pick up the SSSCE bills, the council would not have allowed their candidates to sit for the examinations because it operates a ‘cash and carry’ business policy.

If other West African states that also sit for the council’s examinations default in payment, the council would long have closed shop or its services would have deteriorated to the extent that its certificates would have lost the

credibility that they enjoy in many parts of the world.

We would have seen the development as fallout of the country’s present economic downturn but for the fact that this is not the first time some states have been defaulting in this self-imposed obligation. It had been happening even when the states enjoyed relatively healthy financial status. So, what we are witnessing with regard to the WAEC debt could be the consequence of financial recklessness and failure to prioritise expenditure in most of the states, which is unfortunate.

After all, the affected states knew long ago that they had such obligations.

We sympathise with some parents in Nasarawa State who do not want WAEC to withhold their wards’ results because, according to them, it is not the fault of the students that their state governments failed to pay their registration fees. But it does not seem litigation that the parents are recommending is the answer to the issue, too. We all know that justice travels here at snail’s speed. So, neither the candidates nor WAEC would derive any immediate benefit if litigation is the next resort. What should be done is to mount pressure on the affected states to pay up on time so that the students who need the results for the purpose of furthering their studies can do so without further delay.

It is important to state that any state government that knows it cannot afford to pay the registration fees for its candidates should indicate so on time for the parents to take their children’s

destiny in their hands. It is pointless promising to pay only to renege, thereby jeopardising candidates’ future. We know that in many of our states - corruption, impunity, fiscal recklessness - all reign supreme, making it impossible for the state governments to fulfil even their most basic obligations. But then, WAEC is not a charity organisation. It is in business and not many business concerns can stay afloat when it has a hefty N4billion debt to collect.

So, the state governments should not take their irresponsibility to new lows that defaulting in registration fees represent. As a matter of fact, WAEC should not shield such states; it should name them, perhaps that would make them pay their debt. If the state governments must be reminded, the children that they fail to educate today will only end up being the society’s albatross tomorrow.

‘As a matter of fact, WAEC should not shield such states; it should name them, perhaps that would make them pay their debt.

If the state governments must be reminded, the children that they fail to educate today will only end up being the society’s albatross tomorrow’

Still poles ahead •In spite of the advances on polio, it is not yet uhuru in Nigeria

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VEN though experts and donor agencies have warned that Nigeria may not be certified free of polio until 2017, it was exactly one year on July 23 that the country marked one year without polio. In a sense, this calls for celebration. But then, we have to be cautious doing this because the fact that we have not experienced any polio case in a year should not automatically translate to the eradication of the disease in the country.

This is why we align with the warning by the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science and Chairman, Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation, Oyewale Tomori, that we should neither be complacent nor congratulate ourselves now over this seeming triumph over polio.

‘It was exactly one year on July 23 that the country marked one year without polio. In a sense, this calls for celebration. But then, we have to be cautious doing this because the fact that we have not experienced any polio case in a year should not automatically translate to the eradication of the disease in the country’

In recent years, two health issues had afflicted Nigeria – polio, which had been with us for long before July, 20, 2014 when Patrick Sawyer flew from Liberia into Lagos airport, sick with the second health issue, Ebola Virus Disease. By the time Nigeria was finally declared free of Ebola, 20 people had been infected, eight of them died while three months were spent in tracing nearly 900 contacts.

As for polio, Nigeria went free of it for three months between May and July, 2014. This was taken as a good omen because, according to experts, “if we get our acts together and maintain zero polio case until the end of July 2015, Nigeria will be removed from the list of polio epidemic countries; that is, countries that have never interrupted polio transmission”. But Tomori said that we should not expect the World Health Organisation (WHO) to remove Nigeria from “the ignoble list of polio endemic countries” until about late August or early September, 2015, when all the samples collected on or before July this year would have undergone some tests and found negative for polio disease.

A step towards Nigeria being declared a polio-free nation is its delisting from polio endemic countries. But this can only happen if we can report “no polio case” for another two years after July, 2017. Tomori cautioned, “So, let us not bring out the drums and the palm wine tumblers in premature celebrations”. We support his call for sustained and real

commitment to polio eradication and routine immunisation at all levels of government, because, without these, “there is no guarantee that we can keep polio out of Nigeria in the next two years, to attain the polio-free status”.

We must exercise cautious optimism even as we note that the International Monitoring Board (IMB) has released a new report cautioning Nigeria on the impression among its politicians that polio is gone out of the country, and warning that Nigeria has not yet been certified polio-free. We identify with this caution and therefore warn that it may be too early to celebrate, as celebration can only come when the present marking of one year without polio is sustained and Nigeria certified free of polio, say in two years.

There is no point politicising the issue.

We appreciate the efforts of previous governments to stamp out this disease.

We note that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government tried on the matter but some rascals in the north were a clog in the wheel of progress. These detractors poisoned the minds of the gullible by saying that polio vaccine was a ploy to depopulate the north. This, of course, did not deter the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration from trying its best with regards to polio. The present administration should improve on past efforts so that we would, sooner than later, be certified free of polio.

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IR: One may not really appreciate how bad things are until one aggregates in figures the number of heinous crimes perpetrated in virtually every corner of the country. The Boko haram insurgency appears to have drowned the magnitude of the unprecedented crime rise and insecurity in the country. Most places you go in the country the story is the same – armed robbery, kidnap, rape, assault, intimidation in unprecedented numbers and mostly unchallenged and unreported. I asked a police friend once if the CID department of the police still works and I got a worrying but truthful expression of the existing situation. He responded that every CID posted anywhere in the country would want to identify himself to everybody as a policeman so that every benefit ‘accruable’ to the policeman will get to him. Summarily, he said the CID cannot work on an empty stomach. I suppose that benefits include illicit settlements, bribe and a host of others.

The Nigerian police is not the worst institution in terms of corruption, it may even be classed low in corruption when compared to some other institutions but emphasis on reforming the police to stamp out corruption must be given priority over any other institution because it is the police that maintains crime/corruption free societies. As true as the saying that the police is as good as its country, the converse is also true and that is that the country is as good as its police force.

The police reform as I conceive it should consider the following: Massive retrenchment/removal of the police hierarchy; isolation of a number of reputable young policemen to serve as a vanguard force for the new police; review of police recruitment methods/policy to eliminate dullards, dropouts, nepotism, mediocrity, criminals, etc; and graded and massive recruitment of new and qualified younger people.

It should also include, improved and adequate training and improved logistic provision; development of standard and verifiable means of locating erring police officers and prompt sanctioning; better cooperation between the police and the civil society than currently existing, and use of technology among others.

Police reform in Nigeria is critical if crime has to go down significantly. For the reform to have any meaningful effect on crime in Nigeria, it must be drastic and also take into considerations a lot of factors the authorities may consider peculiar to Nigeria. Several other countries have embarked of police reforms with varying degree of successes. It will not be difficult to adapt a template from some of these other countries.

Note must be taken that the police is an elite force as the reform takes place. This understanding creates no room for dullards, dropouts, criminals, etc. If the country is serious about crime watch, prevention and fight, Nigeria has to do a comprehensive police reform. The police as is presently constituted will fail in that responsibility no matter the amount of money allocated to it. They will also continue to make excuses for these failures.

• Asogu Ohaka, Imo State.

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

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: It is said that all cats are grey in the dark; this may explain why the feeling of “We are all in this together” in the bid by the APC to topple the PDP from power. The party seemed to have papered over the cracks in philosophy and outlook among the ‘crusaders.’ And now, the chickens are coming home to roost! Be that as it may, there are still 18-carat purveyors of progressive politics in the APC who are greatly bothered by the seemingly intractable leadership crisis in the National Assembly that has subjected the party to public ridicule and opprobrium.

These patriots can find solace in the knowledge that despite Judas’ betrayal, the remaining 11 disciples of Jesus focused entirely on how to successfully fulfil their master’s mission with as much energy and enthusiasm as possible. The authentic leaders of the APC must equally have the same mindset as the 11 disciples.

Right from the days of the struggle for independence, the ‘progressives’ have fantasized, envisioned and futilely schemed for an opportunity to control the central government and take Nigerians to the Promised Land and it would amount to an unmiti-

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Taming the legislature’s tigers gated disaster if by acts of commission or omission they allow the opportunity Providence has finally gifted them to slip through their fingers.

“A bad beginning,” averred Greek mathematician Euclid, “makes a bad ending.” This National Assembly has certainly started on a very bad note and its ending is predictable. What with the crass disdain for party authority, serial postponements of resumption date and allegations of forged 2015 Senate Standing Rules.

It is indeed very sad to accept that those we are entrusting with the onerous task of making good laws for the nation are turning out to be lawbreakers even before the first bill is passed! “The test of every religious, political or educational sys-

tem,” declared Swiss philosopher and poet Henri Amiel, “is the man which it forms. If a system injures the intelligence it is bad. If it injures the character it is vicious, if it injures the conscience it is criminal.”

People of good conscience must roundly condemn the unfolding shenanigans in the National Assembly.

Institutions don’t build men; it is men who build institutions. Let no one try to con us; yes, we must aim at building strong institutions in order to checkmate the domineering ten-

Still on gay marriage

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IR: Gay apologists, activists and practitioners all over the world recently rolled out drums in joyful celebration of the Supreme Court decision legalising gay practices all over America. President Barack Obama praised the ruling as “a victory for America.” The mammoth crowd of old, young and even innocent children who thronged the court and those who marched the streets and cities of Europe and America in solidarity with this aberration showed the abysmal level of degeneration and rot prevalent in the world.

Did the world see the devastation coming when Ireland which was the first country to have recognised same-sex marriage in May, dared God and the law of nature?

Some sane, morally and culturally conscious nations did and swiftly enacted anti-gay legislations to quarantine their people from this evil infection. Nigeria was proudly one nation which passed antigay law and stood against this “sodomic” evil practice that challenges the very foundation of our creation and the nature of

human existence. This ant-gay law in Nigeria is irreversible! Africa and other nations of the world must work against this evil and jointly resist this alien, repugnant culture America and the West intends to impose on the rest of all of us.

If you care to know, gay phenomenon will translate into a potent-subtle-coercive tool and strategic component of diplomatic relationship between America and the rest of the world. It has taken the dimension of a compulsory economic product which must be acquired by developing nations in return for aids or grants.

The western media must be held responsible for being a tool available in the hands of individuals conscripted to gradually ruin the world through its programmes and programming. It deliberately and willingly gave a voice and handed over the platform upon which the agitators and practitioners of this evil tradition ventilate their views. Did you notice that practitioners and agitators of this unholy and unwholesome act of gay and lesbianism are some of the most power-

•Tiko Okoye Lagos

The new sheriff in town

IR: The arrival of the new Sheriff in town is sending shivers down the spines of the conglomeration of thieves who sucked the nation’s treasury dry and left the nation’s

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dencies of political godfathers but not if those breaking loose from their cocoons are opportunistically scheming to be replacement godfathers Mafiosi style! It is said that there are no permanent friendships but only permanent interests in politics.

And no matter how those already warming up dice, spin or dance around it, the permanent interest at stake is who occupies Aso Rock Villa in 2019.

What I cannot yet fathom is PMB’s position in the unfolding chicanery.

Has he given room - through his private comments or body language - to ambitious northern politicians to conceive the notion that he would do a ‘Nelson Mandela’ by quitting the stage after spending a single of four years in office? If he has, then he should understand that the flagrant display at the National Assembly can only ultimately make the nation ungovernable for him. And if he hasn’t, then he should simply take charge.

To say that the All Peoples Congress (APC) is brimming with footloose and fancy free vagabond tigers is to state the very obvious. It, however, behoves the president and the APC leadership to timeously tame, and even castrate, them in order not to needlessly blur the president’s focus, else their famous mantra would only regrettably amount to a change in form but not in substance. God forbid!

ful and trending personalities in politics, religion, businesses, movies, music and sports which have continues to grab world news headlines?

In spite of all these, moral courage to resist evil has not taken flight from the nation of America as many thought. While Obama praised the ruling as a victory for America, so many individuals and religious groups including Chief Justice John Roberts who was among the five panel of justices voiced out their dissent. Justice Roberts among other things argued that the court was making “a decision better left to elected state legislatures,” in apparent disagreement with other learned colleagues of his. In his words, “If you are among the many Americans - of whatever sexual orientation, who favour expanding same-sex marriage by all means, celebrate today’s decision … but do not celebrate the constitution. It had nothing to do with it.”

• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, Kaduna

economy in tatters.

The ruination was as a result of the legacy of profligacy of previous permissive governments and many of those involved in such malfeasance are on their high way to public odium.

The new Sheriff, Muhammadu Buhari, a reputed anti-corruption crusader has over the years remained resolute in his vision and mission to stamp out corruption. The first time he gave a shot at the seat of power was over 30 years ago through the smoke of a gun powder. Before he could achieve the feat, he was deposed as military head of state, the same way he came in.

Even out of power, he remained resolute, his untainted integrity and his extra-ordinary insights and accomplishments over the years increased his personality cult and after many attempts at the seat of power as a repentant democrat, his ability to inspire people to key into his vision paid off on March 28. He became the first Nigerian to defeat an incumbent president in our nation’s history.

Before the 2015 general polls, the Sheriff, President Buhari had urged every Nigerian to give him their mandate. Seeing he was the only one qualified to come cleanse the Augean stables which over the years had been

incubated by thieves, majority Nigerians confidently gave him their votes at the polls.

The Sheriff has resumed and the national thieves – the “Ali babas” who in the past were law unto themselves, have all been clipped of their wings and like a vulture beaten by the rain, they have taken different directions to hibernate pending when their files would be opened.

In their dormant state, sleep has eluded them, they have been making concessions, some have allegedly surreptitiously returned some of their loot, while others have agreed to return what ever that is left of theirs.

Even the past “ogas at the top”, who were not too long ago described as the next best thing ever to happen to our democracy have all been abandoned on their lonely road to infamy.

Investigations are on going and the Sheriff has assured the international community that there won’t be any sacred cow among those who in their bulimic accumulation of unwanted wealth left our nation in ruins – members of the governing party, APC inclusive!

•Joe Onwukeme, Enugu

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUL Y 29, 2015

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COMMENTS

Our Girls; Hurray: Malaria vaccine & No polio; INEC Voter Register as Police ID Database ?

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UR Girls are still missing since April 15th 2014. The President is talking ‘dialogue’ with Boko Haram using perhaps the Sultan, the Emir of Kano and Conflict Tony Resolution experts like Marinho Professor Albert. It must be difficult for the President, or Nigerians to contemplate negotiation with malignant evil. Who dare sit with people who may personally have sent suicide bomber children or who may blow the negotiation table up at the opening ceremony or a celebrated ‘Peace at last Federal –Boko Haram Agreement?

July 2015 is ‘Wow’! Our Maternal Mortality Rate is 600+/ 100,000. Shame on African media for neglecting the ignorant citizen’s need for ‘LIFE SKILL’ knowledge and not doing more non-commercial 15 -30sec adverts for medical and social ignorance elimination! Shame on African governments for tiny health budgets! A million ‘hurrays’ for Nigeria’s ‘ONE YEAR WITHOUT POLIO’ thanks to Rotary International, WHO, UNICEF and local partners and the vicious murder of polio vaccine health workers. Five million ‘hurrays’ for the new GSK MALARIA VACCINE to end malaria in childhood with funds from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others WHILE AFRICA’S LEADERS STOLE 50% OF THE BUDGET and under-budgeted health. Africa countries, except South Africa, offered about zero ‘Medical Research Grants’ in Nigeria’s and Africa’s Budgets.

Over the last 30 years, Nigeria has made several very expensive, multibillion naira, and corruption riddled, attempts at getting Nigerians onto database. I personally have been forced into five or six databases. Any more? The Nigeria Police Service or Force has no access to or has not asked for or has no interest in using any or all existing databases as a template for a NIGERIA NATIONAL FINGER AND FACE PRINT DATABASE IN 2015. Yet it is over 120 years after fingerprints were identified as an essential tool for crime investigations and made famous by fictional characters such

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HAT the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is confronted with a Herculean task is no longer news. What is news is that Buhari, the self-proclaimed crusader, has pledged to tackle, head on, the quantum beast of corruption that runs free in the country. Already, there are indications that the president is sincere and determined to take a swing at the beast. However, if he must succeed, the judiciary should be a good starting point.

The judiciary is not a branch of the executive or the legislature; it is a distinct arm of government with, perhaps, the greatest responsibility in the coming months and years, if the ongoing fight against corruption must be won. We must not underestimate the importance of the judiciary in ridding the country of its dirty image. This is why the present administration can contribute to seeing that a truly independent judiciary is realised in the country and avoid the mistakes of past administrations.

It is sad to note that the noble profession has not been immune to the scourge of corruption and our lawyers and judges have been complicit. But with the coming of Yemi Osinbajo, a professor, former Attorney-General of Lagos State and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as the Vice-president, there seems to be a ray of hope. The time could not be better for a real overhauling of the justice system to ensure that it is equipped to carry out its duties as freely, fairly and promptly as the present situation of the country demands. Surely, the country needs to make up for lost time in the prolonged fight against corruption which has been ongoing with mul-

as the literary private detective invented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle –‘Sheer Luck’ Holmes, I mean Sherlock Holmes. Since 1892 when the first case was prosecuted, our Nigerian Police ignore and disregard obvious fingerprints and foot prints at ‘the scene of crime’. The Nigeria Police does not even set up a standard Crime Scene Protocol cordon and photography as seen in every international crime film. Nigerians, from watching CIS, NCIS etcetera, know what a normal Crime Laboratory or Forensic Lab looks like in sophisticated scientific content, delivery of spectacular clues and interpretation by genius police laboratory technicians. These are neglected jobs for hundreds of graduates.

No matter how far-fetched, the cases depicted in these films ‘based on real life criminality’ appear to be, the science is real and operational in other countries. Why are victims of crime denied such rights to scientific investigation in Nigeria? Finger prints and face prints, photographs, are not nuclear physics. They are the simple applications of basic science and the use of widely available cameras, even phone cameras and are the right of victims and their families to justice.

The largest database of adult Nigerians is not in the Passport Offices or FRSC Drivers Licence Records or BVN or State ID or National ID or the cell phone database or whatever other ID that has been cooked up in order to perpetrate the fraudulent extraction of funds. The largest, most expensive, recent and probably the most authentic database is the INEC database. This can be upgraded and modified by compulsory reporting of deaths and routine crosschecking. Even double registration does not matter.

The Presidency and/or the ‘changed’ National Assembly (NASS), if it changes, must initiate ‘ID DATABASE LAWS’ authorising and mandating the Police, EFCC and ICPC full access to state, Federal Finger/Face ID databases on routine request and corporate employees databases on a judge’s warrant authorisation. Of course there is some access by police to the massive cell phone database already. The police must not continue the apparent collaboration with crime by sabotaging or underutilising this available database.

Building immediately on this requires a ‘change’ instruction to all Police formations and Police stations that ALL

SUSPECTS MUST BE IDed PROPERLY WITH FINGERPRINTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, FRONT VIEW AND SIDE VIEW-THE MUG SHOT- AND ANY MARKS OR TATTOOS NOTED. Even the ear is a print. With a simple laptop computer or a photo camera, available from any big cell phone company, this information can be recorded and forwarded by internet, email or even WhatsApp or Instagram to a new Nigerian language password cyber-secure state, REGIONAL AND FEDERAL POLICE ID DATABASE run by serial teams of NYSC wizkids and cross-referenced with the INEC database and others as needed.

The facilities to bring the Nigeria Police into 2015 already exist. We only need to harvest, harness and direct them to reach Nigeria’s ‘change’ policing goals.

We can create a Police database and add a FOOT SECTION as many African thieves operate barefoot. It only requires the will of the Police itself to grow and ‘change’. There are today high enough quality phone cameras in the possession of every DPO in every single police station. Let them initiate the needed ‘change’. The Federal Government can get a database designed by patriotic Nigerians in IT in a week. In the unlikely event that it is not satisfactory, ‘for security reasons’, Nigeria can mistakenly spend good scarce foreign exchange on free Open Source or expensive Microsoft and other ‘secure’ Police packages or use any internationally acceptable existing Police format for interchanges from UK’s CID, INTERPOL, America’s FBI, the New York’s ‘Finest’ or EUROPOL.

‘ We can create a Police database and add a FOOT SECTION as many African thieves operate barefoot. It only requires the will of the Police itself to grow and ‘change’. There are today high enough quality phone cameras in the possession of every DPO in every single police station. Let them initiate the needed ‘change’’

Reforming the judiciary tiple anti-corruption agencies, schemes and master plans that come to nought before the muddied waters of the judiciary.

Over the years, judges and lawyers have been in cahoot with corrupt government officials and private individuals with deep pockets and their complicity has defaced the justice system. However, recent happenings in the judiciary seem to show a changing course within the judiciary. First, was the appointment of Justice Aloma Mukhtar as the Chief Justice of Nigeria in July 2012. Her tenure witnessed a toughening of the judiciary, with many disciplinary proceedings against lawyers, high and low, taking a new and determined shape. Under her leadership, the judiciary was determined to launder the image of the justice system, but this image laundry has yet to resonate in the lower ranks of high court judges and unfortunately, the bar itself.

The case of a former state governor who was fraudulently absolved of all the cases of embezzlement, money laundering and other acts of financial impropriety brought against him in Nigeria before he was finally tried and jailed in Britain is still very fresh in living memory. Mention must also be made of the celebrated “Police Pension Funds. Scam’ involving N32.8 billion purportedly diverted by some top civil servants. One of them who was involved in defrauding the Pension Fund of N27.2 billion and pocketing N2 billion of the

‘In changing the direction of the country as it is now, every institution, agency and arm has roles to play and the judiciary should be readied to handle the windfall of prosecutions that will inevitably emanate from the current shakedown by the government’

amount, was handed a jail term of two years with an option of N750,000 fine! This was clearly a signpost of the endemic corruption and rot in the country’s judiciary.

If the judiciary must live up to its responsibility of dispensing justice without fear or favour, then the status of courts and judges needs to be upgraded in terms of physical security around the courtrooms. Not once have we had news of thugsfor-hire overrunning court premises even while court sessions are ongoing. Bayelsa, Ekiti and Rivers are some of such states where the sanctity of the courtroom has been so derided by mischievous people who probably had a stake in whatever proceedings were being conducted at the courtrooms. The gripping thing is the ease and frequency of such happenings, an episode of which has also been recorded at the Apo High Court premises in Abuja in the past. The courts are manned by little-trained security personnel and the security measures in most courts leaves judges, litigants and lawyers as sitting ducks for intending troublemakers.

The problems go beyond infrastructure and security. The judicial workers are mostly underpaid and lack basic training in most cases. In the mix of corrupt judges, lack of infrastructure, disenchanted judicial workers, political meddling and low standard of ethics at the bar, justice is continually held to ransom. In some of the impeachment dramas that played out of some states, for instance, judges played a shameful role at times as political stooges rather than the custodians of the law that they are.

Similarly, lawyers engage in practices that abuse the law in order to satisfy the demands of clients that have no regard for the law. It has been said that the many strikes by judicial workers, although sometimes occasioned by legitimate grievances of the workers, are in a

few cases, carefully orchestrated by deep pockets with vested interests in ongoing proceedings who want them stalled until any outcomes are inconsequential.

The level of outside influence on the justice system is frightening in an otherwise independent judiciary. The search for solutions has led to the birth of views that attack the centrality of judicial power in the country. Many have criticised the power of the National Judicial Council on state judicial affairs and have gone as far as advocating the decentralisation of the judiciary with states having their own Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal not tied to the centre. This is the practice in the United States. The states already have considerable power over the state judiciary but the influence of the centre cannot be ignored. Other solutions have involved better pay for judges, better infrastructure and financial autonomy for the judiciary.

While all of the suggested measures may be good steps towards achieving the goals of an impermeable judiciary, the essential work of cleaning up the justice system lies in a re-orientation of all members of the judiciary and consequently, all who turn to justice to right wrongs. We all have to put the courts in the exalted position where they ought to be, which may have to start with physical reinforcement in the case of Nigeria. All who turn to the courts have to feel the reverence for the courts that they feel for the government house and the legislature. Even more so. The Nigerian Bar Association also needs to ensure that ethics are taken very seriously to boost public confidence in the process of justice as a whole. Most importantly, all semblances of camaraderie between politicians and judges ought to cease, to dispel even the faintest

Dele Agekameh hint of political influence on judicial outcomes. In the appointment of the Chief Judges of states, the most senior judges at any time can easily ease into the role or a form of secret ballot by all sitting judges should suffice. This will need constitutional changes, but these are the things the present administration should push for.

It is not enough to go after offenders and obtain convictions. The focus should be on finding a system that works in favour of transparency and minimal influence.

Under any system, wrongdoers will find a way to do wrong but the opportunities for going against carefully conceived practice should be scarce as a deterrent to the morally challenged. This fight is not a Buhari fight as we must now know, the judiciary should lead the charge and the effects will easily spread to other arms and to the populace. In changing the direction of the country as it is now, every institution, agency and arm has roles to play and the judiciary should be readied to handle the windfall of prosecutions that will inevitably emanate from the current shakedown by the government.

For comments Text (only) to : 08058354382

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

COMMENTS ‘It is well that EFCC has woken up from their slumber to fight corruption that has made us a laughing stock for years. EFCC should bite seriously corrupted leaders, so Nigeria can move forward. We cannot continue to answer Obi is a boy every year when few people are siphoning money meant for development of Nigeria.

EFCC should recover all the stolen money as a leader who dislike corruption is on the throne.

He as PMB. Judiciary should help EFCC to do their work by ensuring that corrupted leaders were sentenced according to the crime of corruption they committed for betterment of Nigerian. From Gordon Chika Nnorom’ •Buhari For Segun Gbadegesin Please sir, is it true tha the Acting INEC Chair, Mrs Amina Bala Zakari, is supposed to retire since last week? Anonymous Re: Much ado about acting INEC chair. Metuh did not see anything good about the woman for five years until now. It only tells us after the change of gear that, he (Metuh) deserves not to be taken serious. Anonymous.

Everyone has the right to suspect an action.

No one should expect less, from an opposition. As Metuh is free to make criticisms, others are free to defend any allegation. But I see nothing wrong in acting capacity! From Lanre Oseni.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants to be seen and heard now that they are in the opposition. They are so far doing it poorly. On this one too, they have failed woefully. Anonymous You mean this 2015 election is the freest and fairest till date? How about the 1993 election of the late Chief MKO Abiola? Anonymous.

The PDP must not be seen as a dead and buried party. Can they win the battle? Anonymous Your piece on acting INEC Chair which appeared in The Nation is superb. Keep up the good job and forget people like Metuh. From Joseph K. GBOKO. To me, what Metuh is doing is mere political hatred which the President Buhari administration does not give a damn about. What the administration is more concerned about is record. If your records are clean, then you are clean in the eye of law. Metuh can go to hell for all I care. Thank to The Nation for truth in defence of freedom. From Smat Shubee.

Sir, I read your view on the INEC Chair and wish to commend your analysis as it is sound and perfect. But will Metuh and his likes understand? Keep it up, Nigeria must move forward in spite of these dry woods at the centre of the ocean. Thanks. From Chinwo, PortHarcourt.

I think nobody should ever pay heed to these totalitarian thieves of our collective tilt. Remember it cost us tears, sweat and blood to dislodge them. If our PMB has another son or daughter, we want them positioned.Since Metuh and his men are never to be trusted.

Whence they landed us in a state we wish not our enemy. Anonymous I do not believe the PDP, even in its diminished state, is as silly as some are portraying it. From Aondona Diwa President Buhari’s appointment of Mrs Zakari as an acting chairman of INEC is well accepted

by Nigerians, PDP Publicity Secretary Olisa Metu is a drowing man . Cheers to PMB. From Hon Ify Esione. Anambra State.

Sir, as one of the good columnists, I have always cherished you when it comes to analysis of issues of national importance, I cannot hold back my thanks to you for a professional job on your piece: Much ado about INEC chair.

Objectively, she is the most qualified not only in terms of long serving commissioner but in terms of educational background. Above all, PMB has demonstrated that women should have a place in governance. No wonder all the women folk, including 13 political parties drum up their support for her except PDP. Like you concluded, if PDP wants this battle, they should go on. From Dahil Dakon Sambo, Plateau State.

The ease with which most of the looting politicians are often set free and declared innocent of such crime due to some legal technicalities, is simply the reason many Nigerians seem to prefer jungle justice to the constitutional requirements at that, whenever they apprehend robbers carting away their belongings. The major problem we have in recovering our stolen money from the looters comes from that aspect of our law which would insist

that the “accused” remains innocent until otherwise established by a court of law. And unless something is done to that portion of the law for good, both the common thieves among us and the corrupt politicians would continue to smile home with their ill-gotten wealth, all in the name of adhering to due process in our bid to retrieve what was stolen from us. The so-called plea bargain that even allows a corrupt politician own substantial parts of what he had looted, worsens the matter. From Emmanuel Egwu.

I want to say thank you for the article at the back page of The Nation newspaper of Friday July 24, 2015, Captioned “ Much ado about acting INEC chair”. It was very interesting. I would like to advise that the PDP looks for a better person, like Alhaji Lai Mohammed of the Governing APC, outside Mr Olise Metuh, who will properly manage the PDP information management when in opposition. Most of Mr Metuh’s reactions to national issues are his personal views and not the views of the PDP NWC members. He seems to see nothing good, in every of the actions of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). Who else does he want PMB, to appoint? Himself or who?

From Mr Andy Olude, Lagos.

For Prof. Olatunji Dare May Almighty God bless you for your well articulated article of The Nation. Anonymous Re: EFCC: So much bark, so little bite . Mr. President is definitely embarking on a national reform. However, the EFCC is not adequately ready and prepared .Its barking now is just a smokescreen by its leadership to remain in office. Like Prof.Dare observed,”The suspect has in his corner some of the finest legal minds that money can buy,”; while EFCC would send lousy and even learning lawyers who might not even know the right court, and on shoddy investigation. Thus, the suspect escapes, for instance, in all the 40 charges or when found culpable fined N3 million for defrauding several billions of naira or US dollars. This is why official stealing and corruption is on the rise. The EFCC definitely requires an overarch reform and a Special Court. The calibre of its prosecutors is very vital to be efficient in the war on official corruption. From Ladipo O. David, Gwagwalada.

Re: EFCC: So much bark, so little bite. You have aptly captured the reason why corrupt public officials have always gotten off easily in Nigeria. I have been an ardent follower of your column and l know you are close to people who are close to the corridors of power now. It will make a world of difference if you can have a way of getting this advice to the President thank God we have a President who is focused on tackling corruption.

A lot of us ordinary mortals are aware of this shortcoming coupled with corruption among the EFCC officials. Unfortunately, our voices cannot be heard; as such, we are reduced to watching and grumbling. Please do this as your contribution to our children and the future generations of this country. May God bless and keep you in good health as you continue to contribute to the greatness of our dear country.

Amen. Anonymous You’re in the right direction, indeed, with all you wrote concerning the killer of this country‘s economy and development called “corruption”. Do they read your column and see the way out in this country? This cankerworm has come to stay unless those big bosses realise that Mr death is awaiting them. I like your articles any day. From Ola Dare Akams.

True, none of the ethnic groups in Nigeria needs to grumble whenever omitted in appointments that should be done in reflection of the federal character principle, since it may not be possible to cover all the numerous ethnic groups of the country in such appointments at the same time. But even so, one would think

the three major ethnic groups have come to be, having their unique share of the nation’s burden in all things too, and ought not be so negligently omitted in whatever appointments that have to do with federal character.

But if that can’t be allowed at all times as the case may be, then such omission, I think, should better be made to be rotational, and not stationary. From the look of things, it appears the Igbo remain one major ethnic group in the country that is often, if not always, omitted whenever it comes to that. The recent appointments of the national security agencies by President Buhari simply point toward that direction. Too bad! From Emmanuel Egwu.

Last week, I responded to Olatunji Dare’s ‘emergence and re-emergence’ piece by starting with his masterpiece of November 8, 2011 on Senator Saraki, only to discover that it was not carried. You probably did not understand what I was saying. I was trying to say that the Saraki of 2011, who made Kwara State to take care of him for as long as he lives and probably after, is still the same shameless, selfish opportunist. From Gbola Gbolagunte.

It is well that EFCC has woken up from their slumber to fight corruption that has made us a laughing stock for years. EFCC should bite seriously corrupted leaders, so Nigeria can move forward. We cannot continue to answer Obi is a boy every year when few people are siphoning money meant for development of Nigeria. EFCC should recover all the stolen money as a leader who dislike corruption is on the throne. He is PMB. Judiciary should help EFCC to do their work by ensuring that corrupt leaders were sentenced according to the crime of corruption they committed for betterment of Nigerians.

From Gordon Chika Nnorom.

May I humbly propose that you do a proposal to President Buhari on this inspired article of yours of Tuesday, July 21, 2015. Kudos! From Solomon Aibangbe Esq. For Gbenga Omotoso Sir, your satire today reminds me of Chinua Achebe’s book, “Man of the People”. It reflects the insanity in our political system. You deserve the award as “BABA SALA “ of Nigeria. As Fela said in one of his lyrics, one does not know whether to laugh or cry about state of corruption in Nigeria. From Tunde Bankole Take your time o, this advisory go put you for wahala for Ekiti. Keep on advising, nice piece as always. Regards. From Hakeem, Foreign Languages Dept, University of Benin.

Though it goes more or less like a movie picture, your masterpiece, “An anti-graft war advisory”, is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Thanks. Anonymous Which side are you on this issue? They don’t need your help; they are doing exactly as you have said. We, on the other hand, need you to tell us how to go about recovery of most of our looted money. Thank you very much.

From Mrs SaaAondo Well done, brother. Your advisory on antigraft is, as usual, from a veteran satirist, very illuminating. Keep writing to release our cumulative tensions.

From A.A.Akingba (aka Triple A).

Your piece, “An anti-graft war advisory” is, actually, à satire and a lamentation but we will get through. They won’t always get away so easily. Sir, PMB means business and they now know. From Manasseh Ehile Manasseh Yea, you have said it all. They loot in mega but refund in bits, a real far cry from what was stolen. That’s why they keep on stealing with impunity. Thanks. From Okeoghene.

Our problem is not knowing the ills of the country but how to solve the problems. The nation is richly endowed with theoretical experts who would pride themselves of knowing the much that is wrong with the

•Lamorde country but unable to give a good solution because they are often part of the problem. For example, Chimaroke Nnamani as the then Enugu State governor was busy giving lectures here and there, with lengthy essays, condemning corruption in the country, among other things. Today, we have all seen how much he looted from his state even as he busied himself proffering “solution” to the nation’s problem.

This time, it is El-Rufai, whose administration of FCT and BPE then, left much to be desired, canvassing death penalty for NNPC for being corrupt. A Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi or an Aminu Kano stands in a better position to tell Nigerians what to do with the hugely corrupt NNPC; not the El-Rufais of this nation, I think. From Emmanuel Egwu Your “Anti-graft war advisory” editorial is a true picture of what has enabled corruption grow wings, only God will deliver us. You did a nice job. From Elder Giddy Elena,Enugu Exile.

Read your article. Brilliant. One template to serve them all and it does. The anti-graft war has been a charade but one wonders if that might change. Anonymous Keep it up. This is to wake government and anti-graft bodies not to pretend to Nigerians that they are working. From Tyotsugh Richard.

Abuja.

Re-An anti-graft war advisory. Sir, you said it all. As far as I am concerned, the Judiciary is the main problem of anti-graft war in Nigeria.

When EFCC brings a corrupt case to court, the case will be dragged to eternity and will later be frustrated. From Kunle Bello, Abeokuta I pray our politicians, lawyers, EFCC and judges will read your article on an anti-graft war advisory. May God bless you.

From Manulu Sylvanus, Ilorin.

Re: Anti-graft war advisory; I read this master piece with the submission that you Nigerian journalists are just gifted; in fact, you have covered all areas of how our money is being stolen and the aftermath. Only God can deliver Nigeria. Keep it up. From Ilori Ademola, Lagos.

For Tunji Adegboyega Re: Beyond minimum wage. Agreed, good governance should be the fundamental concern of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Where workers see Mr President, the vice president, governors, deputy governors, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and even the NLC president in bullet-proof vehicles with a retinue of convoys, what sinks in workers’ brains and thought is nothing other than ‘owoooooo’ (waoh, our money! Under such a circumstance, good governance breaks down and becomes secondary. Let me live and probably live well is the authentic need of workers/the common man. And not until about five eminent Nigerians proved to be fraudulent and corrupt are treated the ‘Tafa Balogun style’, denying workers their improved pay will not end.

Although NLC leadership does not seem to lead digital, it continues to lead analogue of minimum wage only. Workers’ motivation here is minimum wage rather than as an incentive! From Lanre Oseni.

Tunji, I read your comment on Sunday. Please let me advise that Labour shouldn’t be talking of salary increase, rather, they should be talking of price control. Thank you. From Dennis, Makurdi.

The agitation for salary increase from the NLC to the NASS is good but Labour should have made the lawmakers know that their jumbo pay is a setback for development. Let them cut their pay but workers’ salaries should be increased to meet up their needs in view of the economic situation in the country. From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Experts condemn importation of chicken, eggs

By Sina Fadare

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GRICULTURE experts have condemned the importation of chicken and eggs into Nigeria, urging the government at all levels to integrate rural women and youths into the poultry business.

One of them, Prof. Funso Sonaiya, a lecturer in the Department of Animal Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, who spoke at the launch of African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) in Nigeria, described the training and empowerment of rural dwellers as the best way of reducing poverty and improve food production.

Delivering a paper on “Chicken Genetics Resources and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Nigeria, he said: “A few chickens can be a step towards food security and poverty eradication in the rural areas”.

The Director, Biotech Centre, Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, Prof. Funmi Adebambo, explained that the project was aimed at the economic empowerment and improved health and nutrition of the rural dwellers.

She said: “Over 70 per cent of Nigerians living in the rural area covered by this definition of rural poor and who in 2001 were found to have contributed over 0.8 million tonnes of meat and 1.1 million tonnes in 2004 from over 117.3 million indigenous chicken in 2001 and 144.2 million in 2004 are still being neglected, rendered voiceless and left to their fate in abject poverty.”

She noted that the launching of ACGG programme would fashion the pathway for innovative and strategic integration of millions of Nigerians made up of women and youths into the poultry value chain.

Commercial banks are not manufacturing-friendly as their interest rates are usually very high; therefore, commercial banks remain a major challenge to the sector. Even the Bank of Industry’s (BoI) framework, which pegs interest rate at nine per cent, only finances machinery acquisition; it does not cater for working capital.

-MAN President, Dr Frank Jacobs

CBN warns banks against flouting N3.5tr cash transfer order

Bauchi warns Commercial banks over ATM machines

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HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned banks against flouting its directive to transfer the N3.5 trillion public sector funds with them to it.

CBN said the erring banks would face “severe financial and administrative sanctions”.

Sources told The Nation this while the deposits draw nearly zero interest, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are borrowing at double digit rates from the banks.

A source said CBN and Office of the Accountant-Gen-

By Collins Nweze

eral of the Federation (OAGF) would ensure that the deposits are kept with the supervisory bank for easy access whenever the need arises.

But the banks which have had a free run with the deposits for years seem not ready to comply with the directive.

The transfer is expected to be made within 24 hours of the value date of such collections, starting from February 28, 2015.

Warning banks of the consequences of non-compli-

ance with the directive, the office of CBN Director, Banking Supervision, said they risked being sanctioned. A source said their licences may be suspended.

“We have observed with dismay that most banks are yet to comply fully with the provisions of the circular directing banks to transfer all revenue accounts collected on behalf of the Federal Government and its agencies to CBN account within 24 hours of the value date of such collections,” it said.

The affected MDAs include Nigeria National Pe-

troleum Corporation, Nigeria Customs Service, Code of Conduct Bureau, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ministry of Aviation, Federal Civil Service Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Federal Road Safety Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, Ministry of Defence, National Population Commission, National Salaries Incomes & Wages Commission, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council and Nigeria Police Force.

•Customers on queue for the Bank Verification Number (BVN) exercise, at Igando, Lagos State ... on Monday PHOTO: JOHN EBHOTA

AUCHI State Govern ment has warned banks operating in the state that henceforth, they are responsible for any security threat at their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) points.

The warning was given by the Deputy Governor, Nuhu Gidado in an emergency meeting with Branch Managers and the Zonal Controller of the Central Bank on Nigeria in Bauchi, Musa Mohammed.

Gidado said the warning became necessary following yesterdays’ bomb-blast at ATMs points in Zaria, Kaduna State.

He said that a similar meeting was held recently between the Deputy Governor and the bankers, but expressed regrets that the banks refused to abide by their pledges as long queues have continued at the banks’ premises especially when Civil Servant were paid Salaries.

He lamented that the CBN as a regulatory body couldn’t compel commercial banks to abide by their pledges of improving services of their ATMs machines.

“So, as long as the situation persists, the state government would soon reach out to the Central Bank Governor’s office because no bank can explain a situation where some civil servants in Bauchi have to travel to neighboring states to cash their salaries,” he stated..

Unilever increases majority shareholding in Unilever Nigeria

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NILEVER Overseas Holdings, the United kingdom-based foreign core investor in Unilever Nigeria, might have successfully increased its majority shareholding in Unilever Nigeria Plc. Market sources yesterday said Unilever’s recent tender offer was successful, citing reports by parties to the offer.

Unilever had on June 25, 2015 closed acceptance list for a £144.5 million tender offer, which sought to increase its equity stake in Unilever Nigeria from 50.04 per cent up to a maximum of 75 per cent by buying additional shares from minority shareholders.

The tender offer sought to acquire about 942.42 million ordinary shares in Unilever Nigeria at a price of N45.50 per

By Taofik Salako

share in cash. The tender offer, which was initially scheduled to close on Wednesday June 10, was extended till Thursday June 25. The parties to the tender offer then said the extension was to give shareholders ample opportunity to consider the tender offer citing the disruption created by the fuel scarcity during the period of the offer.

Market sources in the know said Unilever has increased its majority equity holding to more than 70 per cent.

“They did their homework well and targeted the portfolio investors which held substantial shares, many of which felt they could bail out with the tender price. The Nigerian minority shareholders, which were protesting had relatively

Bank votes N3.1b for bad loans

insignificant shareholdings,” said a source.

The shareholding range analysis of Unilever Nigeria for the period ended December 31, 2015, which was presented in May 2015, indicated that the vast number of Nigerian minority shareholders, who constituted some 90 per cent of the number of shareholders, held less than 15 per cent equities in the company.

Unilever, a source said, had concentrated on some three per cent of the shareholders and had sought their buy-in in the finalization of the tender offer.

The downtrend at the stock market also buoyed the tender offer, with the company’s share price at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) mostly trailing the offer price.

Nigerian minority retail

shareholders had criticized the offer as self-serving and unfair.

Shareholders’ leaders said they would mobilize against the tender offer describing it as a disservice and another way to sideline Nigerians from the benefits of the company they had helped to nurture with their funds and patronage.

Shareholders said giving the foreign investor undue control could short-change the minority shareholders citing the voluntary delisting of Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) by the foreign core investors, who used their majority shareholdings to push through delisting of the iconic company.

But Unilever Overseas Holdings B.V, in a statement signed by its director Richard Hazell, said it was making the additional share acquisition as part

Local entrepreneur ‘beads’ her way to success - P26

- P 39

of long-term strategic plan by the conglomerate as it believes that Nigeria offers significant growth potential.

“The Unilever Group has had a major presence in Nigeria for many years and continues to believe that the country offers significant growth potential.

This makes Nigeria a strategic long term investment priority for Unilever Overseas. Globally, the Unilever Group is focused on investing in the foods, household and personal care categories and the long heritage and great brands of Unilever Nigeria in these categories in Nigeria make it attractive for Unilever Overseas to increase its holding in Unilever Nigeria, whilst maintaining its stock exchange listing,” Unilever stated in the statement enclosed in the tender offer.

President, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, said the tender offer was another way of taking control of Nigerians’ shares and it would detract from Nigerians’ ability to benefit from the wealth creation from their national and personal resources.

According to him, shareholders and other stakeholders need to look beyond the metrics of pricing, procedures and technicality of such tender offer to real national issue of economic wealth creation, participation and empowerment.

“I am totally against it, and the regulators should sit down and review the proposal. If they can stop GlaxoSmithKline from such transaction, I don’t see reason why they shouldn’t take a second look at this,” Nwosu said.

Africa woos private equity funds - P 40

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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THE NATION

BUSINESS MONEY

e-mail: money@thenationonlineng.net

AfDB to drive women development initiatives

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• From left: Managing Director/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc., Nnamdi Okonkwo; Executive Director, Lagos and Southwest Bank, Ikemuefuna Mbagwu; Executive Director, Risk Management, Onome Olaolu; Executive Director, Corporate Banking; John Obi and Chairman, Chief Christopher Ezeh, at a dinner in honour of the three retiring directors in Lagos.

Bank votes N3.1b for bad loans • Deposits down to N796.5b

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CHUNK of Fidelity Bank’s profit was cut by a N3.1 billion provision for bad loans between January and last month, an analysis has shown.

The analysis of the bank’s halfyear result for last month showed that Profit After Tax (PAT) grew by 39 per cent year-on-year to N4.3 billion, despite recording a flat Profit Before Tax (PBT) which stood at N4.96 billion year-on-year.

Head of Markets at FBN Capital Limited Olubunmi Ashaolu said the bank reported a negative result of (N1.2 billion) on the other comprehensive income line in half year ended June 2014 against N39 million during the same period in 2015.

He explained that Fidelity’s sizeable impairment charges is similar to that of other banks that have reported their second quarter 2015 results. This has confirmed worsening asset quality position for most banks due to the weak macro conditions.

“When annualised, Fidelity Bank’s second quarter 2015 provisions of N3.1 billion imply a cost of risk of 1.2 per cent. This is higher than the 0.7 per cent cost of risk that the bank reported in the first quarter of this year, and is slightly higher than management’s guidance of one per cent for the full year.

Further up the Profit and Loss, both revenue lines contributed strongly to the 20 per cent year-on-year expansion in profit before provision,” he said in an emailed report.

He explained that funding income, which advanced by 22 per cent year-on-year, was the stronger of the two, helped by relatively high yields, a five per cent quarter-on-quarter expansion in the loan book and a three per cent quarter-on-quarter decline in deposits.

Stories by Collins Nweze

Ashaolu said Fidelity Bank’s first half PBT of N9.7 billion appears to be tracking ahead of consensus 2015 PBT of N14.8 billion. However, its 2015 return on average equity (ROAE) performance of a company over a financial year, of 8.1 per cent is less compelling than the 16 per cent average for the banks.

Although profit before provisions was up by 20 per cent, a rise in loan loss provisions and a 15 per cent year-on-year rise in operating expenses led to a flattish year-onyear PBT. A loan loss provision is an expense that is reserved for defaulted loans or credits. It is an amount set aside by a bank to cover potential losses on loans.

Sequentially, the bank’s PBT grew by five per cent quarter-on-quarter. In contrast, PAT declined by 14 per cent quarter-on-quarter mainly because of a significant reduction in other comprehensive income.

The bank’s Managing Director/ CEO, Nnamdi Okonkwo, said businesses were challenged by a difficult operating environment, weaker government revenues, a tighter monetary policy environment during the first half of the year.

He explained that the bank’s Net Fee Income increased by 25.9 per cent year-on-year to N15.2 billion but declined by 25.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to lower forex income on the back of trading restrictions in the market.

Total Deposits declined by 2.9 per cent year-to-date to N796.5 billion and 0.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter as tighter monetary policy and the Cash Reserve Ratio harmonisation increased effective funding costs.

“With Private Sector Depositors accounting for 87 per cent of our deposits, we sterilised an additional N21 billion due to the CRR harmonisation. Though Interest expense increased by 9.1 per cent year-on-year, it declined by 1.9 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to the diversification of our funding sources,” he said in a statement.

HE African Development Bank has held high-level con sul-tations with the Dutch government about developing a platform for providing women with market information to enhance their participation in agricultural trade.

The bank’s Special Envoy on Gender, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi and experts from the Centre for the Promotion of Imports (CBI) from developing countries, a unit under the Dutch’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, explored options of designing a user friendly platform to ensure needs of women were met.

Of importance was how to address gaps prohibiting women from accessing relevant information that can help them reap maximum profits from agriculture. The SEOG emphasised the need for timely, accurate and transparent information, and the economic empowerment of women in the sector.

She pointed out that the initiative was opportune, given the African Union Commission’s (AUC) declaration of 2015, as the “Year of Women Economic Empowerment”.

The Special Envoy expressed the urgent need to go beyond conventional approaches in meeting the information needs of women. “It is time to employ innovative ways in

alleviating gender-based constraints in agricultural trade,” said Moleketi.

The discussions were held at the bank’s headquarters in Abidjan.

They focused on designing, developing and implementing an Agricultural Trade and Investment Market Intelligence Platform.

Just recently, the office of the SEOG completed a study on “Women in Agricultural Value Chains”, which identified gaps including information asymmetry, that compound market access constraints. The Market Intelligence Platform will serve as a knowledge-driven one-stopshop, closing market access information gaps that deter women, youth and men from equitable, profitable and sustainable participation in agricultural trade.

CBI experts lauded the platform’s market intelligence aspect, saying it provided exporters/users with practical tips that had a direct boost to their businesses and sustained market share”.

The bank’s Director of Agriculture and Agribusiness department, Chiji Ojukwu, reiterated the initiative’s potential to contribute to improved intra-African agricultural trade and regional economic integration. He described it as an innovative and transformative catalytic tool for Africa’s inclusive agricultural trade-driven economic and developmental growth.

• From left: The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Ladi Balogun and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FMDQ OTC Plc, Mr. Bola Onadele, during the listing of the Bank’s N26 billion Bond on the FMDQ platform held in Lagos.

Visa, MasterCard to face big competition in China

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ISA and MasterCard’s challenges in China are just be ginning. The country is set to open its $7 trillion bank card market to outsiders. But once in, Visa and MasterCard will face an entrenched incumbent and unpredictable online rivals like e-commerce group, Alibaba.

The duo’s shares have soared since Beijing’s announcement last October, but the hype around gaining a foothold in the People’s Republic looks premature.

Five billion bank cards, according to Reuters, had been issued in China as of the first quarter of this year.

Currently, payments made using those credit and debit cards – 12 trillion yuan ($1.9 trillion) in the first three months of 2015 – must go through UnionPay, the state-backed monopoly responsible for processing and clearing local transactions between banks and merchants.

For Visa and MasterCard, processing payments in what will be the world’s largest bank card market by

2020 looks attractive. Assume consumer spending on credit and debit cards increase at a compound rate of 20 per cent annually for the next 10 years. By 2024, card payments in China will hit over $42 trillion.

Yet card transaction fees are tightly regulated and much lower than in the West. Supermarkets, for instance, pay around 0.38 per cent for every card transaction while restaurants and luxury retailers pay up to 1.25 percent, according to Barclays. That fee is split: 70 per cent goes to the bank

that issued the card, 20 per cent to the merchant’s payments company, and just 10 per cent to UnionPay. In comparison, MasterCard charges supermarkets up to 1.48 per cent for certain credit cards in the US. If the average Chinese card transaction fee is around 0.5 per cent, a combined 10 per cent market share for Visa and MasterCard would translate to $1.1 billion in revenue from each company’s clearing business in 2025. While both companies already have strong ties to Chinese banks, convincing mer-

chants to switch to a different clearing network may be an uphill battle: the most popular payments company used by retailers is owned by UnionPay and had a 40 per cent share of the market in 2013, according to iResearch.

Online companies will also add uncertainty. Alibaba’s payments affiliate, Alipay, which is also applying for a clearing licence according to people familiar with the situation, can bypass UnionPay since it does not require customers to use cards and charges retailers lower rates.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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MONEY

SMEs: Keeping economy’s engine running The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has taken measures that will encourage banks to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Many banks have keyed into the policy, instituting internal measures and finding ways to woo SMEs, COLLINS NWEZE reports.

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ANKS product development and risk management units are becoming more creative on how they fund Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The banks, which have the backing of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), are thinking outside the box on their approaches to SMEs’ financing.

CBN set the ball rolling when it set up guidelines for the management of the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSME) fund it launched last year to support SMEs’ financing. It said the fund would be managed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). But CBN will manage the fund, pending the establishment/appointment of the SPV or Managing Agent (MA).

The regulator said many unserved and under-served clients are in the MSME sub-sector, stressing that to address the funding requirement of this critical segment of the economy, an 80:20 ratio for on-lending to micro enterprises and SMEs respectively has been designed.

The CBN said women’s access to financial services should increase by 15 per cent annually in order to eliminate gender disparity. It also said to achieve this, 60 per cent, N132 billion of the fund has been earmarked for providing financial services to women.

The regulator said that in operating the fund, special consideration will be given to institutions that will provide financial services to graduates of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs).

Also, 10 per cent of the fund will be earmarked for social and developmental objectives as grants, N11 billion; Interest Drawback Programme, N6.60 billion; MA’s Operational Expenses N4.4 billion. However, MA is expected to generate income from its operational activities to fund its future expenses on a sustainable basis.

It explained that N6.6 billion earmarked for Interest Drawback will be used to settle the rebates to financial institution’s customers under the fund who repay their loans as and when due while the N11.0 billion for grants will fund programmes that are aimed at developing the MSME sub-sector.

However, 90 per cent of the fund, amounting to N198 billion, will be utilised for the provision of direct on-lending facilities to participating financial institutions.

It said participating financial institutions can only finance agricultural value chain activities; trade and general commerce; cottage Industries; artisans among others.

The banking watchdog said to ensure that productive sectors of the economy continue to attract more financing necessary for employment creation and diversification of the country’s economic base, a maximum of 10 per cent of the commercial component of the fund will be channelled to trading and commerce.

Lenders’ responses Managing Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Yemi Adeola said the bank is introducing in an innovative manner competitions, ideas, innovations; making it possible for young entrepreneurs to be able to think beyond the negative society ills and build strong businesses.

The bank, he said, instituted the “Meet the Executive” programme meant to select three young Nigerian entrepreneurs that will not only get project-based grants but would be introduced to local and international investors.

Speaking during a meeting with participants in the programme, he described entrepreneurs as the backbone of the economy, adding that the programme is driven by the lender’s passion for helping budding entrepreneurs attain great heights.

“We plan to choose three out of the whole people, and work out the modalities or logistics of the fund with them, but it is easy money. The fund will be project-based,” he said.

Also, KPMG, an international consulting firm, has named First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited as the fourth most customerfocused bank in Small and Medium Enter-

• Wigwe

• Balogun

• Adeola

prises (SMEs).

The report on the ranking showed the bank got the recognition after scoring 74.94 per cent. It also came fifth in retail banking with 73.16 per cent based on comments by customers surveyed by KPMG. This performance, which is coming barely four years after the Bank transformed to become a retail and commercial banking-led lender, is an improvement when compared to 2014 when it occupied the eight and seventh positions in the SMEs segment and retail banking space, respectively.

The rating, as contained in the 2015 report of the KPMG Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS), was on the basis of Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), which took into account convenience, product/service offering, excellence, and value for money and customer care. The KPMG BICSS survey was launched in 2007 to heighten the consciousness of service delivery among Nigerian Banks. The survey has evolved over the years and in 2015, the scope covered over 23,000 retail customers, 2,800 SMEs and 400 corporate/commercial organisations across the country.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mr. Ladi Balogun, said that, “this is a welcome development”, adding that, “it shows that we are on the right path towards achieving our goal of attaining the highest levels of customer advocacy in the industry”. He further stated that the upward rating of the bank, “is a demonstration that the various initiatives we are driving in the areas of service, products offering and operations to enhance customer experience are yielding the desired results and our customers appreciate them”.

Skye Bank Plc has gone into a consultancy partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to evolve an effective lending framework for medium, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In a statement, the bank said the partnership would produce a new lending frame-

work for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that would de-emphasise relying on collateral rather than evaluating business viability.

Based on this new framework, when a business passes the viability test, the bank can consider nontraditional collateral options outside real estate to reduce the difficulty faced by business owners in their bid to secure credit facilities from banks.

It said the bank has also concluded plans to stop charging commission on turnover (COT) on all retail current accounts, well ahead of the deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Heritage Bank Limited expressed its commitment to building a network of Entrepreneurial Leaders necessary to drive the growth of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

Its Managing Director/Chief Executive Ifie Sekibo said the lender developed and introduced wide range of services to address the capacity and financing needs of MSME businesses.

“The goal of Heritage Bank’s MSME offerings is to build a network of entrepreneurial leaders that will drive the growth of the sector. This would enhance the ability of the MSME sector to effectively play its role as the engine growth of the economy,” he said.

Heritage Bank’s commitment to leadership building in the MSME sector is reflected in the bank’s SME Clinic. “The Heritage Bank SME Clinic is designed to enhance the entrepreneurial capacity of our SME customers.

Through the Clinic, Heritage Bank understands the different aspects of the customer’s business in order to identify areas where it can add value. As a result we are able to develop customised products and services based on the identified needs of each SME customer,” Sekibo said.

This, he added, is complemented with Heritage Governance Model, through which the lender introduces Corporate Governance Framework to its MSME customers. The

phase one of the scheme focuses company secretary services; auditing and assurance; accounting services; and tax consultancy.

These services, he said, are rendered to SME customers of the bank at subsidised fees by network of consultants.

Likewise, the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe has reiterated the bank’s commitment to financial empowerment of SMEs and youths in Africa.

Speaking at the Africa Sustainable CEO Business Roundtable held in Lagos, the bank chief who discussed how the lender is financing youth entrepreneurs and SMEs in the continent said traditional problems such as access to finance, environment and the right knowledge on the society where they operate are some of the factors affecting today’s youths.

Wigwe, who was represented by the Executive Director, Personal Banking, Victor Etuokwu disclosed that the lender has a team that drive and add value to SMEs in the country.

‘To ensure that productive sectors of the economy continue to attract more financing necessary for employment creation and diversification of the country’s economic base, a maximum of 10 per cent of the commercial component of the fund will be channelled to trading and commerce’

Fund disbursement However, the CBN has reported that only about 20 per cent of the N220 billion Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) fund has been disbursed to beneficiaries, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.

CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, said the supervisory bank was working on ways of ensuring that more funds get to the critical sectors of the economy.

Head, Relationship Management, MSME Development Finance Department, Tobin Jonathan, said CBN was jolted by low access to the fund by operators.

CBN, he said, is worried that since the fund was launched last August only insignificant portion has been disbursed to operators because of stringent conditions attached to accessing the funds.

MSME-operators, Ibrahim said, were complaining that the criteria were too difficult to meet hence CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele relaxed them to make the funds more accessible. He added that the CBN also addressed other complaints by participating financial institutions, including the spread of profit to cover their cost of operations.

“So, they can collect the forms at two per cent and give it out at five per cent. So they have seven per cent spread which is good enough. That has encouraged so many of them to begin to apply,” Jonathan said.

He said it is important as part of efforts to stimulate financing to the MSME sector in Nigeria, stressing that collateral registry would provide part of the infrastructure for pushing the initiative ahead.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

THE NATION INVESTORS

New helmsman to drive Total Nigeria’s profit Lafarge Africa’s expansion drops in first half T T

HE new group managing director, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Peter Hoddinott, who resumed on Monday, would drive the global cement group’s expansion plan in Nigeria and the West African region.

Hoddinott wears two caps as group managing director of Lafarge Africa and area manager for the LafargeHolcim business in the West African region.

Lafarge, the parent company of Lafarge Africa and Holcim of Switzerland recently concluded their business combination to create a new global leader in cement and concretes- LafargeHolcim.

Prior to the merger, Lafarge was already the world’s leader in cement and building materials with presence in 64 countries.

A management source at Lafarge said the appointment of Hoddinott was in furtherance of Lafarge’s long-term agenda for Nigeria as the focal point of its business within the region and the continent.

The source said the new group managing director would deepen the existing businesses of the Lafarge Africa, introduce new businesses and drive the group’s capital investments.

After it successfully combined its operations in South Africa and Nigeria to create Lafarge Africa, Lafarge recently said it planned to double its production capacity

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

in Nigeria as part of a new expansion programme that would see additional investments by the foreign majority shareholders in its Nigerian subsidiaries.

Lafarge, which had increased its capacity from 3.0 million metric tonnes to 8.0 million metric tonnes, said it would be making new investments in the next few years to double its capacity and strengthen its position as a leader in the Nigerian cement industry.

Immediate past group managing director of Lafarge Africa, Mr. Guillaume Roux would remain on the board of the company as a director.

Hoddinott, a British Mining Engineer, comes to Nigeria with considerable experience and global top management influence. He spent his early career in the mines of Southern Africa before joining the cement industry, Blue Circle in 1988. Prior to this appointment he worked as a lecturer in Imperial College of Science and Technology, London University from 1983 to 1988.

While at Blue Circle, he worked in the Technical Centre and also managed the United Kingdom cement plants before going to the Philippines as chief executive officer in 1999. When Lafarge took over Blue Circle he stayed in Ma-

nila to integrate the two companies, leaving in 2003 to become regional president for Lafarge in Latin America.

In 2007, Hoddinott became regional president for Western Europe - Cement, including Morocco.

In 2012, he became Executive Vice President – Energy and Strategic Sourcing responsible for worldwide energy strategy and sourcing of Lafarge’s $12 billion per annum externally sourced inputs. In September 2013, he was appointed Group Executive Vice President – Performance. He is currently President of Cembureau, the European Cement Trade Association.

Lafarge Africa’s share price remained unchanged at N99 per share on Monday at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

In its outlook for 2015, Lafarge Africa had stated that it expected cement demand to increase both in Nigeria and South Africa in 2015.

“In Nigeria, the demand growth should be supported by increasing needs for housing and infrastructures, but could be lower than normal growth levels given the exchange rate development. This should be partly cushioned through the South African cash flow. We remain very optimistic and highly committed to delivering innovative building materials while leveraging on the operational strength and pedigree of the Lafarge Group,” Lafarge stated.

OTAL Nigeria Plc struggled with slow top-line and de pressed bottom-line in the first half, raising concern that the current business year might reenact the slowdown that characterized the previous year.

Key extracts of the half-year report for the period ended June 30, 2015 showed that turnover dropped by seven per cent while net earnings declined by 10 per cent. The profit and loss performance also impacted on the balance sheet, with net assets dropping by eight per cent within the period.

Turnover dropped to N111.97 billion by June 2015 as against N120.16 billion recorded in comparable period of 2014. The flagging performance of the company was boosted by other incomes, which rose by 439 per cent to N2.65 billion in 2015 as against N491.3 million recorded in comparable period of 2014. With this, profit before tax increased by eight per cent from N3.42 billion in 2014 to N3.68 billion in 2015. After taxes, net profit dropped by 10 per cent from N2.18 billion to N1.97 billion. Earnings per share thus dropped from N6.41 to N5.80. Shareholders’ funds closed the first half at N12.84 billion, eight per cent below N13.93 billion recorded as at the year ended December 31, 2014.

Total Nigeria had recorded decline in its profitability in 2014. Audited report and accounts of the company for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that turnover increased slightly from N238.2 billion in 2013 to N240.6 billion. However, profit before tax decreased from N8.1 billion to N5.5 billion. Profit after tax also reduced by 17 per cent from N5.3 billion in 2013 to N4.4 billion in 2014.

Total Nigeria recently paid final dividend of N3.1 billion, bringing the company’s total dividend payout for the 2014 business year to

N3.78 billion. The company had paid interim dividend of N679 million.

Shareholders received a final dividend per share of N9, in addition to earlier interim dividend per share of N2, bringing total dividend per share to N11.

Chairman, Total Nigeria Plc, Momar Nguer, said the company plans to step up its business diversification programme by investing further in solar power business while consolidating the safety and efficiency of the current business.

He assured shareholders that Total Nigeria is constantly seeking new ways to expand its offerings and the company is currently implementing strategies to ensure that the company remains brand of reference and leading energy solutions provider.

“We plan to increase the number of our solar powered stations this year by eight additional stations and will be introducing our offer of solar home system. The solar home system is a solar power driven energy solution for homes,” Nguer said.

He said the company would be seeking to align its business and structures with the dictates of the environment in which it operates and through all these, create sustainable value for all the shareholders.

Nguer said the 2014 business year was a year in which the company experienced several challenges and difficulties which affected her performance and operating results.

He noted that interest expense was N2.6 billion, which was 32 per cent higher than the previous year mainly due to huge interests on borrowing as a result of unpaid sums under the Petroleum Subsidy Fund.

Managing Director, Total Nigeria, Alexis Vovk, assured of better days ahead, saying that the board would continue to do things solely in the interest of the shareholders.

Courteville declares N142m interim dividend

T

•Ms. Caroline Abel, Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles (right) presenting the Regulator of the Year Award to Mr. Olumide Orojimi, Head, Corporate Communications, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), at the 6th African Business Leadership Forum & Awards in London, United Kingdom

NSE wins African regulator of the year award

T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has been named the African Regulator of the Year at the 6th African Business Leadership Forum & Awards which took place in London, United Kingdom (UK).

The Exchange was also presented with a Special Commendation Award by the US Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.

According to the organisers of the award, African Leadership magazine, UK, the award was conferred on the NSE for its effective regulatory policies and programmess implemented across national, regional and international levels which has encouraged actions beyond compliance with applicable laws.

“We at African Leadership Maga-

zine UK recognize your efforts in enhancing stakeholder’s engagement while contributing to the growth of the national and regional brand through practical impact on the people. Your unflinching passion for creating a reliable, efficient and an adaptable exchange hub in Africa cannot be overemphasized,” the magazine stated.

Recipients of the award emerged from a survey of over 480,000 readers and fans who were asked to nominate their outstanding business leaders and institutions.

Commenting on the award, chief executive officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema said the award was strong affirmation of the audacious reforms the Exchange has been implementing to create a fair and orderly market

that inspires the trust and confidence of domestic and foreign investors.

According to him, the reforms have brought about major reviews of the Exchange’s governance, market structure and operations to create a stronger regulatory environment while implementing innovations required for delivering a robust, efficient and sustainable capital market.

“We thank the African Leadership magazine for following our success stories; according us this great recognition and my profound gratitude goes to the great team at the NSE, who are making significant contributions to the development of the Nigerian capital market and Africa at large,” Onyema said.

HE board of directors of Courteville Business Solu tions Plc has recommended distribution of N142.08 million to shareholders as interim cash dividends for the first half of this year.

A dividend recommendation by the board indicated that shareholders on the register of the company as at August 10, 2015 would receive an interim dividend per share of 4.0 kobo. The dividend will become payable on August 31, 2015.

Key extracts of the unaudited report and accounts of the electronic business solutions and outsourcing company for the period ended June 30, 2015 showed contrasting marginal growth in sales and marginal decline in profit. Gross revenue inched up to N822.17 million by June 2015 as against N806.7 million in comparable period of 2014. Gross profit rose by 21 per cent from N425.63 million to N513.98 million. Operating profit also grew by 15 per cent from N279.11 million to N320.13 million.

Profit before tax however dropped by two per cent from N279.76 million to N250.63 million while profit after tax declined from N215.68 million in first half 2014 to N210.53 million in first half 2015. Earnings per share also dropped from 6.07 kobo to 5.93 kobo.

Commenting on the results, group managing director, Courteville Business Solutions, Mr. Adebola Akindele, said the results reflected the company’s strength within a demand environment that was re-

silient through the business cycle.

He noted that Courteville Business Solutions has delivered consistent financial performance in its business process outsourcing platforms such as AutoReg, which handles registration for eight out of every ten vehicles on Nigerian roads.

“We also recorded over 30 per cent growth on Egole, our e-commerce portal. The results were achieved in a difficult and volatile economic environment driven by the drop in oil price, depreciating naira and uncertainty in the runup to the general election,” Akindele said.

He explained that as a result of the economic challenges, consumer spending and business confidence declined, while government budgets underwent deep cuts.

He said the company’s clients recognised its ability to help them simplify, optimise and automate their operations.

“That was why Courteville was recently named to a place of pride on Great Place to Work in Nigeria, because we outperformed our peers in the local and global ICT and professional services industries,” Akindele said.

He said in line with the company’s five-year strategy to diversify and expand internationally, it had acquired Priority Loss Adjusters Limited, a market leader in motor vehicle administration and testing in Jamaica, adding that it would begin operation in Zimbabwe next month.

9

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHWEST STATES

By tomorrow, it will be exactly 50 years that the first high rise building in Nigeria, Cocoa House, was inaugurated. BISI OLADELE examines its importance and how well the iconic superstructure has fared .

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

PAGE 29

Celebrating Cocoa House at 50

I

T has stood for 50 years and has dictated the pace for 50 years. It still stands strong and imposing, even at 50.

When Cappa and D’Alberto, a European construction giant, turned the sod on the soil of what is known today as the Central Business District (CBD) of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital in 1961, only a few elite in the government knew that a skyscraper that would become a source of pride for the Yoruba was to be born.

Standing strong and towering above every other building around, and in the entire city, Cocoa House is one building that continues to mould business, commerce and tourism in the city and the state.

Without oil money or federal allocation of any sort, the 25storey superstructure was among the heavy projects undertaken and completed from cocoa proceeds by the defunct Western Region of Nigeria. Others, which were constructed to prepare the region for modern socio-economic activities and bring Western civilisation to the Yoruba nation, include the Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) and the Liberty Stadium (now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium).

With the projects, the government, led by the late chiefs Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola, became the most outstanding in the history of Nigeria.

Subsequent administrations have not only been unable to surpass their feats, they have been unable to meet the standards laid by the performance of the two late leaders.

Today, the current owners, Odu’a Investments Company Limited, can roll out drums to

•Cocoa tree

•C oc oa se ed s

•Cocoa House, Ibadan

INSIDE

•Continued on pages 32-33

EKSUTH: The making of world-class institution

Firm takes oral health campaign to schools

‘Ease plight of the poor’ PAGE 34

PAGES 30-31

PAGE 35

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

30

SOUTHWEST REPORT

•Library

EKSUTH: The Ekiti State residents have access to good healthcare delivery following a gradual but thorough transformation of the major hospital in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital from a state hospital that had just one consultant to a teaching hospital that now boasts of many consultants in major fields of medicine. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

H

•Facilities inside one of the wards

•Another of the wards

•One of the facilities in the hospital •School of Midwifery

EALTH CARE delivery is one of the major components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and one of the most important indices of standard of living of any populace.

The health of the population should be of paramount concern to any responsible government because it has farreaching effects on the productivity of its citizens.

That is why government at all levels deploy enormous resources to the health sector in a bid to provide and maintain health facilities, provision of drugs, training and re-training of health personnel, among others.

From the days of Western Region, Western State, old Ondo State to the present-day Ekiti State, healthcare delivery had occupied a front burner in government’s commitment to the welfare of the citizens.

This explains why the former Military Governor of Old Western State, MajGeneral (then Brigadier) Robert Adeyinka Adebayo built and inaugurated a district hospital for Ekiti on March 9, 1971 to cater for the increasing population of Ado-Ekiti then.

At the time it was inaugurated, the hospital had very limited facilities and manpower and was patronised by people from all parts of Ekiti as many towns and villages then lacked such a facility they could make use of in times of emergency.

But the mustard seed planted by Adebayo was nurtured by successive administrations and it has grown to a big tertiary hospital which competes favourably with its counterparts in the West African sub-region.

As it widens its scope, operations and the number of patients patronising it, it was transformed into general hospital in the Second Republic, specialist hospital and now teaching hospital.

Attaining such status resulted from long, winding process of its evaluation and readiness to provide sound training for future medical personnel and availability of the required facilities, among others.

As the population of the city and, by extension, the state widen and the quest for medical education increases, the administration of former Governor Segun Oni saw the need to upgrade the hospital to a teaching hospital to meet these needs; hence the establishment of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado-Ekiti.

The Kayode Fayemi administration, which built on the foundation laid by the Oni regime by providing more facilities for it, even as it renamed the institution Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) following the con-

solidation of the three hitherto stateowned universities into one.

The current Ayo Fayose administration is also spreading the tentacles of the operations of EKSUTH to the grassroots with the recent approval of the takeover of the Joan Taiwo Daramola Hospital, Ire-Ekiti by EKSUTH management to make quality healthcare delivery available to many communities in Oye and Irepodun/Ifelodun local government areas.

With the upgrade and transformation of the hospital from a “glorified state specialist hospital to a teaching hospital”, the inconveniences experienced by patients on referrals to tertiary health institutions in nearby states have been consigned to history.

Critical surgical operations that were not hitherto performed in the state can now be enjoyed by needy patients at EKSUTH as a result of the commitment of the state government and members of staff of the hospital.

EKSUTH took off officially on April 1, 2008 with a mission “to preserve and improve the dignity of human life through the provision of a comprehensive programme of quality patient care, academic excellence and innovative research environment that is respectful of others.”

This is to make the teaching hospital operate uniquely in a friendly environment without compromising quality. The institution has been forging ahead in the actualisation of its mission despite the enormous challenges.

Up till March 31, 2008, the hospital had only one Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultant in the person of Dr. O. Olajuyin and other supporting staff.

The change in status on April 1, 2008 was effected with the aim of serving as the clinical laboratory for the College Medicine of the Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti.

The pioneer Acting Medical Director of EKSUTH, Dr. Patrick Adegun, a consultant Urologist assumed office in April, 2008. He became a substantive Chief Medical Director in July, 2010.

The first management board of the hospital was inaugurated in March, 2010 by the Oni-led government. The board was chaired by an emeritus Prof., Adelola Adeloye; a Neurologist.

In order to achieve its primary objectives in service, research and training, an administrative structure comparable to other teaching hospitals was put in place to superintend its day-to-day activities.

In January, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department of the hospital was inaugurated. The centre was successfully manned by Cuban eye specialists for 15 months as their Nigerian counterparts understudied them.

On June 15, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department made surgical history by successfully repairing retinal detachment in a young female undergraduate of the Ekiti State University, Ado–Ekiti.

The Ophthalmology Department has been acclaimed to be one of the best in Africa by the West African College of Surgeons (WACS).

With its short period of existence, EKSUTH has modified, renovated and constructed modern buildings on the premises of the old specialist hospital which it inherited.

A new expansive accident and emergency building was built, equipped and inaugurated. This facility is currently providing an ideal setting for the operation of emergencies comparable to any world-class accident and emergency complex in the world.

The complex is a mini-hospital as it has 50-bed wards–male and female, medicine and surgery, a triage room, a gynaecological ward, a state-of-theart theatre, a large reception area, a pharmacy outlet, a radiology room, a plasta–room, a conference room for doctors and paramedics.

The maternity complex has undergone lots of modification and repairs.

The complex boasts twin-theatre suites for emergency obstetrics care, elective obstetrics and gynaecology cases.

It also has a modern ultra-sound machine, resurcituire and cardiogram.

Water is available 24 hours as the complex has the management sunk some boreholes for it.

Also, new modern mobile beds were procured to replace the old rusty ones inherited from the specialist hospital at the natal, post-natal and isolation wards of the maternity.

The Mental Health Department (psychiatry) has been relocated to a newly completed building with the needed infrastructure. A modern laboratory was built and equipped with the internally-generated revenue of the hospital. The laboratory complex houses the haematology, histopathology, chemical pathology, anatomic pathology departments of the hospital.

Currently, the hospital boasts consultants in all areas of specialisation and eight Professors.

Over and above this, the management prioritises staff welfare.

Also, a capacity building committee has been put in place to enable members of staff to attend trainings, workshops and seminars periodically to update their knowledge in various areas of endeavours.

The Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology departments have been accredited by the West African College of Physician and West African College of Surgeons respectively; while other

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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SOUTHWEST REPORT

•Funmi Olayinka Diagnostic and Welness Centre

•One of the equipment in the hospital

making of world-class institution clinical departments have applied to these colleges for accreditation.

The automation of the departments and units of the hospital has begun at the Directorate of Accounts; with a view to extending same to other sections.

These departments would be linked to Medical Record Department, General Outpatient Department, Specialist Clinics, Accident and Emergency, Pharmacy, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Main Theatre and the Data Bank of the Ministry of Health.

The automation aims at achieving paperless consultation, prescription and record retrieval.

As part of the management’s development effort, the TUR equipment was procured to kick-start the endoscopy unit while business districts were created at the general out-patient and medical wards.

There are four suites complete with anaesthetic machines, bed monitors, suctioning machines as well as recovery room at the main theatre.

A new Mammogram Centre, named after the late Funmi Adunni Olayinka, a former Deputy Governor of the State who died of cancer in April, 2013 was put in place.

The centre is equipped with stateof-the-art GE mammogram machine, scanning machine, cosposcopy and endoscopy machines, echo-cardiogram machine as well as gymnasium equipment.

On July 29, last year, Dr Adigun completed his tenure and was succeed-

,

The management is not resting on its oars as it has envisioned various development plans such as construction of a threefloor building to serve as office and wards for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and a building to accommodate members of staff of Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN)...Construction of an 80-room office complex for consultants and the establishment of a medical oxygen plant through public-private partnership (PPP) to serve the hospital and others contiguous to it.

,

ed by Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and chairman, Medical Advisory Committee.

Upon assumption in office as the CMD, Dr. Ogundipe set out to reposition the hospital as the ‘preferred health care centre of excellence of world standard”.

The hospital’s vision changed to “to be the “preferred referred centre for quality, affordable tertiary health care, ethical medical research and training in Nigeria”.

The mission statement changed to “to provide quality, affordable tertiary health care topical medical research and ethical training services for our stakeholders with innovative technological processes and personnel integrity”.

The CMD identified three essential components of a teaching hospital which are training, services and research. He worked towards increasing the internally-generated revenue of the hospital by blocking all financial drain pipes.

Dr. Ogundipe made accountability, prudence and transparency his watchword. This has tremendously increased the internally-generated revenue of the hospital while the monthly subvention has also increased.

Achievements recorded by EKSUTH management under Dr. Ogundipe’s leadership include restoration of the accreditation status of the School of Midwifery. The West African College of Surgeons (WACS) granted full accreditation to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in EKSUTH. Renovation of the burnt administrative block of the School of Nursing, construction of Works Department, construction of the General Outpatient Department Annex building, construction of EKSUTH library and renovation of School of Midwifery hostels, construction of Patients’ Pavilion, construction and staffing of the new laboratory reception, setting up of a two-bedded intensive care unit (ICU) at the main theatre, intra-hospital communication system and opening of a wellfurnished patients’ waiting area at the maternity complex are some of the achievements of the hospital under Ogundipe.

The rest are renovation and re-organisation of the Specialist Outpatients’ Clinic, renovation of the Radiology Department and renovation of the old Accident and Emergency Department to accommodate the Health Information Management Department.

The Directorate of Administration was restructured for better performance while the management has succeeded in maintaining industrial harmony with various unions in the hospital.

Some of the patients, their associates and family members praised the turnaround of EKSUTH which they noted has rubbed off positively on people seeking quality health care services.

To Mrs. Celina Olojede, services at EKSUTH have improved as against what obtained in the past, urging the authorities not to rest on their oars.

“We commend the successive administrations for their contributions in making this hospital what it is today,” she said.

Another visitor, Ademola Onifade, commended the staff of EKSUTH for their commitment to service delivery, even as he advised that they should not rest on their oars if the health institution would sustain the momentum.

“The members of staff are trying their best possible, especially with the employment of more doctors in various fields.

My area of concern is frequent visits to the cash centres to make payments for everything purchased in the hospital.

“I advocate that the points of payment be decentralised so as to reduce the stress we go through in making one payment or the other.

Though the step was taken to ensure accountability, our convenience should also be taken into consideration”, Onifade pleaded.

Speaking with Southwest Report, Dele Osatimehin said he was impressed with the infrastructural development at EKSUTH; especially the new Accident and Emergency Ward.

He said: “I know how Accident and Emergency Ward here used to be but this ultra-modern one built has helped in reducing loss of lives.

“This is how an Accident and Emergency Ward should be. The former one was an eyesore. It shows that Ekiti State is no longer a backwater state and our people deserve the best.”

Commenting on the EKSUTH Ophthalmology Centre, an eye patient, Pa James Ajogbeje, explained that he didn’t know that such a facility existed at the hospital until a relation of his told him to come and be treated of cataract.

“I am a native of Ikere and I have been having problems with my eyes for about

12 years now. It was my nephew who told me that we now have an eye centre in this hospital where my problems can be attended to.

“I came and they conducted tests on me and I was booked for eye surgery.

Initially, I was afraid but I was encouraged by the testimonies of others who had been treated,” he said.

Despite the new gains recorded with its upgrade to a teaching hospital, the management is not resting on its oars as it has envisioned various development plans for the future; such as construction of a three-floor building to serve as office and wards for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and a building to accommodate the staff working with the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN).

Also on the cards is an 80-room office complex for consultants and the establishment of a medical oxygen plant trough public-private partnership (PPP) to serve the hospital and others contiguous to it.

There is also need to renovate, expand and equip the Dental Department of the hospital.

But as lofty and laudable the plans of the management are, the major challenge is funding, especially as states and its institutions are grappling with acute financial constraints.

An inside source said: “As good as the management’s plans are, the money to execute them is not readily available.

T h e monthly subvention from the state governm e n t , though increased recently, is only enough to pay workers’ salaries.”

Despite the challenges, EKSUTH has upped the ante and taken health care delivery, medical research and training of future manpower to another level and the people of Ekiti State are yearning for more.

•Dr. Ogundipe

32

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

SOUTHWEST REPORT

•Famakinwa

•Raji

Celebrating Cocoa House at 50 ,

•Continued of from page 29

celebrate the success of its founding fathers over Cocoa House as it continues to render relevant contributions to the growth of business, commerce and tourism, 50 years after.

The building Cocoa House, an imposing building, stands on a total land area of over 1.7 hectares in a fenced enclosure tagged “Cocoa House Complex.” It perches at the heart of the Central Business District (CBD) and surrounded by regional headquarters and branches of banks, multinationals and major business organisations.

The 25-storey building is made up of a ground floor, 23 floors, a pent house and basement with two functioning lifts serving the floors.

Two years ago, the pent house was converted to a museum christened “Odu’a Historical Museum and Hall of Fame.” It was inaugurated by the Nobel Laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka.

The complex also comprises three-storey annexes named “Kokodome Restaurant” used for office and commercial purposes. It has two floor annexes with a functional swimming pool supported with relaxation bays and other amenities.

Cocoa House was inaugurated on July 30, 1965 by the then Premier of Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, who was the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land.

The monument is described by municipal numbering as Number 1, Bank Road within the CBD. It stands at a vantage position on the major JAllen Junction where Obafemi Awolowo Road, Oba Adebimpe Road and Iyaganku/Abeokuta Road converge.

Prominent landmark within the highbrow neighbourhood which features the highest prime properties include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) building, First Bank

The sight of Cocoa House then, one of the very few high-rise buildings in Nigeria, sitting majestically in Dugbe, was something to behold.

Cocoa House challenges us all.

It continues to remind us that we have lagged behind the successes of our forebears and it tells us that come what may, we must not lose sight of the great work that is ahead of us all

,,

Cocoa House, Ibadan

Regional Headquarters, Skye Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank and local construction giant, Kopek Construction Limited.

The regional headquarters of the

Nigerian Postal Service sits opposite the building while the regional headquarters of the Federal Radio Corporation is adjacent to it. Behind it is the Ibadan Business School of the Lead

City University while the popular Aje House and Broking House are within the 500 meter radius.

Currently, Cocoa House is 100 per cent owned and managed by Odu’a Investments Coy Limited. The com-

pany, which later metamorphosed into a conglomerate playing in several sectors of the economy, was fully incorporated in July, 1976 to take over the business interest of the former Western Region of Nigeria, comprising Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states. It commenced business on October 1, 1976.

The company has its group headquarters on floors 20-23 with her historical museum and Hall of Fame sited at the pent house.

Like any important project, Cocoa House went through its own bad time when it was engulfed by fire on January 9, 1985, 20 years after it heralded a new vista in business and commerce in the South West Region.

But three years after the setback, renovation work begun. The exercise was completed in 1992. The restoration and modification exercise was undertaken by Cappa and D’Alberto PLC as the main contractor, Adebayo and Adebayo as the architects, Adeleye and Partners Interlink Consult as civil/structural engineers, Kabeaco Associates as mechanical engineers and Molecular Consultants and Associates as electrical engineers.

Immediately after its completion in 1965, Cocoa House attracted thousands of tourists who stood bewildered at the sight of the imposing building.

It was the first of its kind in Nigeria.

Farmers, whose sweat indirectly produced funds for the building, trooped to Dugbe in large number to catch a glimpse of the new magic building tagged: Ile Awon Agbe (farmers’ building).

After visiting the sky scrapper, it was common for the visiting farmers to describe it as ‘awo si fila’ (a house that makes cap to fall off while attempting to see its full length).

Cocoa House was then the tallest building in tropical Africa. Hence, it has been a major source of pride for the Yoruba.

It was built from proceeds from commodities chief of which was cocoa. Hence, it was renamed Cocoa House. Other commodities include

rubber and timber. They are all farm produce which were the sources of wealth of the Western State Government. Agriculture was the mainstay of government’s economy.

Wearing chocolate colour which communicates cocoa, the source of its finance, Cocoa House has since maintained an impressive presence in the district, still affirming the leadership ingenuity of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his team.

From the 25-storey building, an aerial view of the city reveals a sprawling Ibadan with its seven historic rocky hills that once tucked the town. They were later swallowed in view by rapid expansion of the city in the 20th Century. Ibadan is the largest city south of Sahara.

Historically, the city was the place where the armies of Ibadan unified to defeat the Fulani Caliphate in 1840 when they attempted to expand further into the southern region of modern-day Nigeria.

But the January 9, 1985 inferno forced business organisations that occupied it to relocate. The fire incident dealt a heavy blow on its beauty, importance and splendour, just as it also battered its economic strength. It brought tears to the eyes of many Yoruba, thinking that a major achievement of the Awolowo leadership and a major pride of the region had been destroyed. It lay in ruins for seven years before it was rehabilitated for use in August, 1992.

The rehabilitation notwithstanding, businesses refused to return fully to the building due to poor performance of facilities such as lift, water and electricity supply.

The latest renovation was undertaken by the business arm of the Western State Government, Odu’a Investments Company Limited, which was also occupying floors 20, 21 and 22 as at the time of the fire incident.

The conglomerate put the building back in shape in 2010. The company joined other tenants by occupying the topmost flours of the building to demonstrate confidence in the new facilities and attract more clients.

The new facilities, among others, include installation of two new KONE lifts to complement the existing ones, installation of a new 800 KVA electricity generating set to serve as an alternative power supply, uninterrupted water supply scheme with installed capacity of 200,000 litres, construction of new sewage treatment plant, expanded car park space and seven-daysa-week security surveillance.

The renovation and occupation by both owners and tenants have kept the building in good shape and functional for business activities.

Occupants of the building include African Independent Television (AIT), mobile phone retailers, travel agents, public relation firms, educational consultancy firms and other business concerns.

Cocoa House also retains its attraction for tourism in the city with its aesthetic splendour and central location.

Its fortune recently soared by the conversion of the former Odu’a Group headquarters and the former Sketch premises to a massive modern shopping mall named Heritage/Cocoa Mall. They are both located beside Cocoa House in the complex. The anchor tenant in the N3 billion malls, Shoprite, is the next door neighbour to Cocoa House.

The location of the malls has increased human traffic around Cocoa House to add to its prominence.

The current Group Managing Director (GMD) of the conglomerate, Mr Adewale Raji, described the monument as the symbol of pride for the Yoruba nation; being the first skyscraper in Nigeria.

He, however, posited that Cocoa House should have been replicated in other states in the region as a way of building on the efforts of the founding fathers.

On how better the building can be in the nearest future, Raji said: “I believe we need to enhance the value to be the first choice in Ibadan for office accommodation, business, leisure and entertainment. We, as an organisation,

are committed to achieving it by collaborating with the Oyo State Government to lift up the CBD for business and entertainment.”

On the goal and efforts of the conglomerate to reposition the entire business, Raji said: “Odu’a Group is poised for a better future to transform over the next five years to a successful business conglomerate that every Yoruba son and daughter will be proud of, based on its mantra of growth, profitability and sustainability.”

The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission currently occupies the 10th floor of the building.

Reminiscing on the historical monument, the Director-General of the commission, Mr Dipo Famakinwa, said: ”The story around Cocoa House in those days was very fascinating, and of course, must be to a young person who grew up to be proud of his heritage, especially through the stories that he was told by older people.

“The sight of Cocoa House then, one of the very few high-rise buildings in Nigeria, sitting majestically in Dugbe, was something to behold. And in school, one of the popular questions then was always for us to mention the first high-rise in West Africa, and the answer of course was Cocoa House.

My perception of Cocoa House then was a building that manifested the industry, the resourcefulness and the possibility of a future that should be bright.”

Famakinwa expressed satisfaction with the growth and management of the building over the years in spite of the travails it went through, and which consumed many public utilities that came after it.

“It is a sort of testimony. That it is standing in spite of the travails of the past is a feat. It could have been sold cheaply, it could have failed to rise from the fire that consumed it at some point and it could have fallen completely decrepit. But today, it is not.

“That it is today housing the office of DAWN Commission, the body managing the integration of the states of Western Nigeria makes me proud indeed. And every time we host meetings and events involving officials of the region, I like to remind them of the fact that Cocoa House is home. As a matter of fact, the building works the elevators, the water system, the power system and the entire basic infrastructure for convenience and comfort still work and that is heart-warming.” he said.

Aside foreseeing a situation where the most important corporate institutions in the region have their offices in the building in the nearest future, Famakinwa insisted: “Cocoa House must continue to inspire great possibilities and reinforce the essence of our collective industry and enterprise beyond even Nigeria.”

But he believes that the Cocoa House idea with its economic importance should be replicated across the region to galvanise its socio-economic potential.

His words: “The fact that we have failed to replicate many of such in the region is a sign that there is still so much more to be done across the states of Southwest Nigeria. We must not only have Cocoa House, but in the future, we must have structures and monuments that continue to show that we can do better than we are currently doing. We must not just have a Cocoa House, but Cotton House in Ogun, Aqua-Marine House in Lagos, Innovations House in Osun, Energy House in Ondo, Agbeloba House in Ekiti - all of them signposting that we are a proud people of purpose.

“Cocoa House challenges us all. It continues to remind us that we have lagged behind the successes of our forebears and it tells us that come what may, we must not lose sight of the great work that is ahead of us all. I and the organisation that I lead, DAWN Commission, are indeed proud that today we are beneficiary of the vision that the building represents, and we have an opportunity to leave our own footprints in the sands of time.”

Group demands incentives on water W

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan WORRIED by the high cost of drilling boreholes which makes provision of potable waTo improve water distribution in the country, Ale ter for Nigerians difficult, the Association of urged government to set up a water rig drilling agenWater Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AW- cy that will subsidise borehole drilling for the masses DROP), has urged Nigerians who have sunk boreholes or support their association to dig for the masses at a in their homes to request for an incentive from either lower rate. state or federal governments.

“My rating of the government on water distribuAWDROP, which is also bothered by the plight of tion to Nigerians from World Health Organisation victims of insurgency in the Northeast equally called (WHO) report shows that the government has really on the Federal Government to urgently provide boreimproved in meeting with the yearnings of the masses concerning water distribution. Also, going holes for the Internally displaced people in by the prevalent low activities of waterorder to avoid epidemic. borne diseases and low death rate as a The National President of AWresult of water-borne diseases in hosDROP, Mr. Michael Ale spoke in pitals indicates that there is imIbadan while addressing journalprovement. Nevertheless, the imists. He assured that his associaprovement has not been possition was ready to collaborate ble without certain individuals with the Federal Government in that have taken their destinies that regard. in their own hands to provide Ale stated that the federal water for themselves,” he and state governments were said. not doing enough to provide The AWDROP president clean water for the masses. emphasised that the FederAle, an expert in water real Government must sink sources, said indirectly, the boreholes for the internally private, the masses, and the displaced persons (IDPs) cenNigeria citizens have suptres to avert water-borne and ported government even communicable diseases. more than government can do He noted that the IDP cenin providing water for the tres are few and AWDROP is masses through drilling of ready to partner with governboreholes in their homes and •Ale ment to subsidise borehole drilloffices. ing for the centres. ”So, every individual that has Ale, who also lamented on the sunk boreholes to provide water for duplication and abandonment of wathemselves should demand incentives ter projects by international developfrom governments because it is govment partners in the country, noted that ernment’s responsibility to make potable such acts could be attributed to lack of co-ordiwater available for the citizens of the country. nation among players in the water sector and lack of “For instance, certain individuals have begun establishing sachet and bottled water factories. So, where sustainable plans.

“There are a lot of duplications in the water sector government cannot reach, water is being provided in those areas. Also some do not wait for government to as far as the development partners is concerned. The provide pipe borne or borehole water because if they root of this problem is lack of trust and that is why the wait, they may wait for ages. Therefore, those individu- development partners executes the projects themals have sunk boreholes for themselves using their hard selves.

“So, they will have to go straight to sink boreholes earned money.

“Digging or sinking of boreholes in the cities in Ni- and willl boycott the middlemen, “ he said.

To address these anomalies, he noted that the degeria is an indication that the state governments have failed in the provision and distribution of water supply velopment partners must see that the ministry infor its citizens. Nigerians are spending much on water volved in their operations are critical to the developgeneration and that is why governments need to assist ment of getting results they desire.

According to him, they must build the capacity of them,”he said.

Ale appealed to the Federal Government to imple- the ministries saddled with water supply, build a rement the National Water Resources Masterplan by Ja- lationship with them, lecture them, monitor them and pan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) of last evaluate the results.

Assessing the performance of the Federal Minisyear in order for Nigerians to have access to potable try of Water Resources on irrigation project in the water in the next 15 years.

The AWDROP boss, who further stated that no state country, he said the ministry is saddled with the regovernment in the country has a water masterplan, not- sponsibility of co-ordinating, developing, designing, ed that the state governments have been losing free in- planning and carrying out critical activities relating to water to Nigerians, stressing that the ministry has ternational water grants as a result of this.

“No State government needs to spend tax payers’ performed excellently well.

He said: “Irrigation is crucial to farming, and farmmoney to provide water for the masses if only they can regulate and have a formidable water policy that will ers need to have access to water in order to boost food attract water development partners. The role of the production. The Ministry of Water Resources has been Federal Government is to focus on water advisory and doing well because we have not experienced famine regulation, while the state governments shouldprovide in the country so far. Nigerians may not know the good water policy for international grants and the lo- role of the irrigation department of the Federal Mincal governments supplies water to the people,” he said. istry of Water Resources until we have famine.

Ogun denies alleged building demolition

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GUN State government has advised residents of Isheri Estate in Isheri, a border community with Lagos State, to show prove of ownership or title documents of the properties they occupy.

Government also asked those carrying out building projects in the area to stop until a verification exercise has been conducted to establish genuine title holders of the landed properties.

According to government, this would help to address complaints about encroachment into people’s properties, among other issues.

The government, which equally faulted claims by the residents that “it is reselling or revoking” lands earlier allotted to property owners, said it had not demolished buildings in the area in recent years, even as it challenged the residents to point out

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

any building that has been pulled down as they alleged.

Speaking through the Managing Director of Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC), Jide Odusolu, who met the occupants, was shocked that they were crying wolves where none existed.

Odusolu said the present administration has not and will not extort anybody, adding that Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s administration intends to re-develop the area and relocate some people who were allotted plots of land.

He urged those with genuine allotment documents to present their title deeds for immediate regularisation.

He said: “We will not be involved in the business of extortion. My boss doesn’t do that and no one who works with him will dare try it. What we are doing here is to develop and modernise towns and it

means that, you have to re-plan, you have to re-district and sometimes, you have to relocate people because they are in wrong locations.

“We did not, at any point, demand N1 from anybody and we will not demand N1 from anybody. This is an attempt to bring modernisation to Isheri and 99 per cent of the area being used for MTR Gardens (a new housing project in the state) is vacant. So, no one was told by me or any of my members of staff to pay money, so that they can re-allocate land.

“What we told anybody that claims to possess papers is to submit such papers and he will be treated fairly. What we have also told everybody in this area is to stop work on ongoing projects until the verification exercise has been conducted.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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SOUTHWEST REPORT Firm wages war against hypertension From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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HARMACEUTICAL giant, Neimeth International has announced a 50 per cent reduction in cost of its hypertension medications. It said the gesture aims at reducing the ever- increasing cases of hypertension in Nigeria.

Neimeth’s Managing Director, Mr Emmanuel Ekunno, spoke at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital during the conferment of FITGAH ambassador on Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Provost College of Medicine University of Ibadan.

Ekunno, who remarked that 70 per cent of Nigerians on hypertension medications usually go on drug holiday as a result of their inability to purchase the drugs due to high cost, saying such action, exposes them to complication of the disease such as stroke and kidney damage.

He also said the price reduction was to increase affordability, availability and accessibility to hypertension medications.

While urging individuals to know their status by regularly having their blood pressures measured, the Neimeth boss advised that Nigerians should not be victims of hypertension, but victors by equipping themselves with information on the disease and taking appropriate steps to regulate their blood pressures.

He said: “You need to equip yourself and be a better patient. By losing 10 per cent of body weight translates to 10 per cent reduction in blood pressure.”

Ekunno said the company had decided to embark on the fight against hypertension through a multi-pronged approach, including mass screening, establishment of cardiovascular support units and collaboration with clinics and pharmacies to make drugs available, adding that Neimeth’s dream is that anti-hypertensive drugs will be free in Nigeria.

The Vice-Chancellor University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who commended the company’s collaboration with scientists at the university, described hypertension as a disease that is rife with many dos and don’ts, urging that the firm comes up with hypertension medication which its use is once in a year.

He canvassed more research into the incidence of hypertension in the community, saying that ordinarily, it was expected that hypertension cases should be more in urban areas rather than in rural areas.

Appreciating his conferment as FITGAH ambassador, Prof. Salako said Neimeth should be commended for championing the fight against hypertension, adding that the price slash was exemplary and epitomises a robust approach to taming hypertension, which he described as a silent killer.

Free health scheme for Ekiti community From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

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HE President, Ado-Ekiti Central Lions Club, Taiwo Odebunmi, has revealed that over 1,200 people have been screened in its free health scheme in less than two years.

Odebunmi spoke at a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti on the activities of the club, adding that they have also attended to over 460 people this year.

He noted that the club is meeting special needs of the youth as a priority as well as creating awareness on various health challenges such as blindness, hypertension and diabetes, HIV and AIDS and other life-threatening diseases.

Odebunmi said: “The future of any community depends largely on the youth and how the youth are nurtured and positioned. One of the core projects for the Lions year is the contribution of a hospice to be sited at the state teaching hospital in Ado-Ekiti.”

The group reeled off some of the projects it embarked upon to include health talk, various eye surgeries; donation of incubator to the Ekiti State Specialist Hospital, Ado-Ekiti and yearly donations to the motherless babies’ home at Iyin-Ekiti, among others.

Explaining further, Odebunmi said the Lions Club has its theme for 2015-2016 Lions Year as “Dignity, Harmony and Humanity”, adding that their survival is attributed to co-operation, team work, family structure and harmony among members.

•Environmental Health Officer of Ikeja Local Government Mr K.S Ajanaku giving reports of their efforts to the Executive Secretary Honourable Adekunle Dally-Adeokun

Residents urged to keep clean environment

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S part of measures to enhance the well-being of residents of Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State, the Executive Secretary of the council Mr Adekunle Dally-Adeokun has urged the people to ensure that their surroundings are neat at all times.

This, he said, would prevent them from being affected by some lifethreatening health challenges, even as he added that clean environment would ensure their good health.

Mr Dally-Adeokun spoke while inspecting the extent of compliance by residents of the area to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held last Saturday. He appealed to the residents to co-operate with the council in its efforts to rid the area of filth and garbage, so as to promote healthy environment.

The council chief also pledged to

By Emmanuel Udodinma

work towards ensuring that residents of various communities have attitudinal change on the environment.

He noted that “clean environment translates to having access to safe water, low risks to health from micro-organisms proliferating in the environment as well as the physical cleanliness of the individuals. It also entails a conscious attitudinal change towards safe disposal of generated domestic wastes.

“Our failure to adequately manage the environment contributes enormously to the burden of health care related infections; a burden of disease that we know can be substantially reduced to the benefit of both the affected persons and the health care system itself.”

Mr. Dally-Adeokun maintained

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IRKED by the debilitating situation in which the poor in Nigeria find themselves, The Vicar/ Archdeacon, Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church, Ipaja, Lagos, Ven. Samuel O. Olajide has advised leaders to be concerned about the plight of the less-privileged persons in the society, even as he advised that government should evolve policies and programmes that would enhance their well-being.

Ven. Olajide spoke while conducting church service to mark the 70th anniversary of retired Captain Adetokunbo Adekoya Ketiku.

He said: “Vanity upon vanity is anyone who gathered wealth, attain higher position but fails to move closer to God and or render service to humanity. Whatever a man becomes in life is God’s making.

“Being alive, educated, work and achieve success, it’s by God’s power and not by might.

“It is incumbent on leaders to fear God and tackle the plight of the masses. It is shameful that those who live below the poverty line in Nigeria are in the majority, while only a tiny fragment of the population are living in opulence.

“As good Christians, we must endeavour to imbibe the virtues of Jesus Christ. So, I urge all leaders to lead by example just as Jesus Christ did when He was on earth as a gift and

‘Ease plight of the poor’ •Captain Ketiku, his wife, Mrs Olaide, children and grandchildren at the church service

Vanity upon vanity is anyone who gathered wealth, attain higher position but fails to move closer to God and or render service to humanity. Whatever a man becomes in life is God’s making an epitome of holiness, transformation, deliverance; we must try to follow his example by living in peace and assisting one another.

“We must also learn to have the

spirit of forgiveness towards our fellow mankind.’’

Monarchs, religious leaders, politicians, captains of industry and other

dignitaries from all walks of life within and outside the country attended the event to celebrate with Papa ‘no nonsense’ as he is popularly called by

that sustainable development evolves through a realisation that there is a great relationship between the environment and the economy; where the environment is poorly maintained, there is the likelihood that there would be extreme poverty. Our economy is facing towering challenges that call for bold, constructive ideas on how our environment can best be taken care of.

“Having a clean environment has many benefits. These benefits are long-lasting and guide us to a healthy living. These include prevention of diseases such as cholera, malaria and also tetanus,” he added.

He, however, expressed regret that some residents, almost always have disregard for proper waste disposal system, even as he said they indiscriminately dump garbage in water channels, an action he said could his admirers.

His children, grandchildren and members of his family adorn lace materials and gold-coloured head gears to match. Others wore white brocade fabric and gold and sky-blue cap.

A devoted Christian and member of Sunday School Teachers at the same church and member of Anglican Youth Fellowship (AYF), Captain Ketiku also belongs to many societies among which are: Muslim Union, Man ‘O’ War, Red Cross and Librarians Club.

While extolling the virtues of Capt Ketiku, especially his contributions to the family and society at large, Mrs. Deborah Aniowe, said: “He is a gentle, kind and devoted Christian who does not keep malice. He is always keen to finance the work of God and rendering assistance to the less-privileged people.

She also said he is such a person who does not welcome undisciplined behaviour.

She urged the children, grandchildren, members of his family and public office holders to emulate the celebrator by having interest in the wellbeing of the masses.

The celebrator thanked God for His love and mercies, saying “to attain the age of 70 years is not an easy if God had not ordained it. He pledged more commitment to the work of God and service to humanity as long as God keeps him alive.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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SOUTHWEST REPORT Chief Medical Director, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe(third left) and top management officials with Accreditation team from West African PostGraduate College, Faculty of Community Health, when the team visited the hospital.

result in some discomforting health challenges for the residents. ‘’We are appealing to residents to strictly observe environmental sanitation exercise. Today, we are not satisfied with the level of compliance, especially in Ward D and Ward P. We are going to enforce the law.

We are giving final notice to those who flout the law. ‘’The residents should co-operate with the council to rid the council area of dirt by removing garbage thrown in the drainage system; especially in front their houses.”

The council would help to evacuate the garbage and also work towards making residents of various communities in the council to maintain clean environment,” he said.

Corroborating the council chief’s view, the chairman Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Osinberu Salukaleen said in their monthly Landlords’/ Tenants’ meetings, they would continue to enlighten them on the benefits of keeping their environments clean.

He lamented the nonchalant attitudes of some of the residents who block water channel through dumping of domestic wastes in them.

He urged residents of the community to imbibe good sanitation habits as a way of staying healthy and keeping environmental hazards at bay, saying cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Mr Salukaleen, therefore, urged people of the community to ensure clean environment, saying a dirty environment is a threat to health of children.

Meanwhile, the council chief, in company of some council officials, inspected some streets such as Obafemi Awolowo, Ipodo and Iiori Moses, among others during exercise.

Back row: From left: Mr. Okeme; Head Teacher, Central Primary School, Ikeja, Mrs Ukandu Kate; Dr. Ijarogbe and Mrs Adeniba. With them are some pupils of Central Primary School, Ikeja Lagos during the launch.

Firm takes oral health campaign to schools

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N a bid to ensure better oral health in children, Unilever Nigeria, makers of Pepsodent toothpaste, has embarked on a 21day behavioural change campaign to educate children on the usefulness of brushing their teeth day and night.

Speaking at the launch of Pepsodent Oral Health Schools’ Programme in Lagos, Brand Building Director, David Okeme, said the 21day behavioural change campaign aims at preventing oral health challenges that affect children’s learning ability.

“The campaign is borne out of the need to reduce the impact of dental cavities as available data revealed that almost 100 per cent of adults globally suffer from dental cavities and 60 to 90 per cent of school children have cavities,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “This is part of Unilever’s global oral care social missions agenda to improve the oral health of 100 million people by 2020; by convincing them to brush their teeth day and night to stay healthy and happy and live a more enjoyable and fulfilled life.

“In partnership with the Nigerian Dental Association, Universal Basic Education Board and the Fed-

Children are the ones that have flair for sugar-based products like sweets, cakes, chewing gum, candies, chocolates and even some of the syrups that are taken as medicine. But in this case, we refer to fermentable sugar, that is, sugar that can be acted upon by the bacteria in the mouth.

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

eral Ministry of Health, Pepsodent is committed to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through the Brush Day and Night Schools’ Programme.

One million school children will be reached directly in 2015.

“We believe kids can change the world by adopting healthy oral habits and they, in turn, can convince their parents to do same.”

In the same manner, President, Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), Dr. Bode Ijarogbe said children are more vulnerable to dental cavities because they consume more of sweetened food.

“Children are the ones that have flair for sugar-based products like sweets, cakes, chewing gum, candies, chocolates and even some of the syrups that are taken as medicine. But in this case, we refer to fermentable sugar, that is, sugar that

Religious leaders urged to help the deprived

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A CLERIC of the Christ Apostolic Church in Shagari Village Akure, Prophet/Evangelist Olu Sam Alo (Baba ori oke Aanu) has said the well-being of the poor should not be left for government and non-governmental organisations alone, even as he added that religious leaders should complement government’s efforts in making life meaningful for the downtrodden.

Alo spoke during the monthly programme tagged Seven hours, seven prophets. Noting that giving draws down God’s blessings on the giver, Prophet Alo noted that God called him to financially bless the needy; even though he does not have enough. He added that it has become a routine for him to give.

“In the olden times, people sought shelter, security and financial protection in God’s sanctuary. Prophets usually provided for the needy in the times of old. “I can sell my car to help any •Alo member. There is a message behind my giving to people. God said He would use whatever I give to people as a miracle in breaking bondages in their lives and retracing them back to God.” According to him, the vision for the special service was revealed to him by God nine years ago. Seven hours, seven prophets programme holds every first Saturday of the month.

By Adegunle Olugbamila

“God instructed me to speak His Word of mercy to people who see themselves in a hopeless situation,” Alo said. When God called me for this mission, he gave me the key to unlock people’s hidden glory.

“This is the second edition even though God gave me the vision over nine years ago. But I have been waiting for signs. So, when it was time, God instructed me to go ahead.

The countless testimonies that we are witness here are proofs that God has truly begun His work” He scoffed at the materialistic tendency among Christian clerics today. As God’s emissaries, Alo believes they must lend a helping hand to the poor in the society and not to extort the congregation.

“Unfortunately, the gesture of giving is fast disappearing in Christendom today. Many men of God want to be billionaire overnight; that’s not what God asked us to do.

“God, through His Word in the Bible instructs us to give and it shall be given unto you. It is not a crime for a man of God to invest in members’ lives. Unfortunately too, people are abusing the privilege. Some members will pretend they don’t have in order to collect more from the prophet. But whoever does that is collecting a curse rather than blessing,” Alo warned.

can be acted upon by the bacteria in the mouth.

“Normally, everyone has bacteria in the mouth and other parts of the body. But as regards formation of cavity, the bacteria in the mouth only become very dangerous in the presence of fermentable sugarbased diet. The sugar acts as diet for the bacteria and produces a by-product of dilute acid which eventually results in cavity formation, resulting in holes which gradually become larger and eventually into tooth ache.

“If this is not quickly addressed, it results in severe pain which could lead to loss of manpower at work for adult and school absenteeism for the child. The kids are the major target in this programme because they have more cravings for sweet foods.

And when these children adopt the habit of a healthy oral lifestyle, they can then spread the message to their parents,” he said.

Dr. Ijarogbe advised the public to brush their teeth twice daily to reduce the incidence of cavities.

“We often advise that people should brush their teeth twice a day; probable in the morning and night after dinner. They should brush with fluoridated toothpaste.

NDA wants to be sure that when people brush, they brush with fluoridated toothpaste. As such, we have subjected Pepsodent toothpaste to test before we endorsed its use by the public. We are sure that it contains fluoride. Fluoride is an active ingredient in toothpaste that helps to prevent tooth decay,” he said.

Commenting on the value proposition of Pepsodent toothpaste, Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever Nigeria, Bunmi Adeniba said the Pepsodent Triple Protection is one big breakthrough formulation that gives three benefits that one would ordinarily have gotten in three different toothpastes.

“Pepsodent gives you three benefits in one brush. The unique formulation of Pepsodent Triple Protection guarantees protection against cavities, stains and bad breath. These are the most prevalent oral care needs in most homes,” she said.

‘Keep your promises to the electorate’ From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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ENULTIMATE week, Iju, a rustic community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State hosted scores of friends and relatives of a former member of the State House of Assembly who represented Akure North State Constituency, Hon Akindele Adeniyi.

Akindele, known as “GOC” among his contemporaries, has just concluded two terms at the Assembly.

Akindele, a former Vice-Chairman of Akure North Local Government Area said he had reasons to glorify God. The St. Stephens Anglican Church, venue of the event was filled to capacity as prominent indigenes of the state thronged the venue to felicitate with a man many described as a courageous politician.

Adeniyi expressed gratitude to Governor Olusegun Mimiko for giving him the opportunity to serve his people twice in the House of Assembly.

Prominent indigenes of the state who attended the event were the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Fatai Olotu, former Chairman of Hospital Management Board, Dr. Dare Bada, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Elder Soji Bello and the Vice-Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA) Akungba Akoko, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, among others.

The visibly excited Adeniyi also thanked the people for choosing him to represent them twice in the House, saying the support given to him propelled him to serve them vigorously.

He said: “Mine is a grateful heart because if I look back from where I am coming from, I know that God has been kind to me.

“From thousands of people in my constituency, God gave me the opportunity to serve my people; not only once, but twice. It is a feat that has not been recorded by any politician in the community. Indeed, I am highly grateful to God. “My appreciation also goes to our amiable Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who gave me that opportunity to serve my people. At that time, I was not the best but he supported me with everything. I will forever remain grateful to him.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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SOUTHWEST REPORT

•Mr Samuel Ajayi, his wife Olufunke with their children at the valedictory service of Mrs Olufunke from Ogun State Teaching Service Commission, at Community Primary School, Adiyan, Ogun State.

Pupils win laptops in quiz competition

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Legal Adviser of Ifako Harmony Estate Residents’ Association (IHERA), Barrister Shina Agbesusi administering oath of office on members of executive council of the association.

From left: Assistant Secretary, Biola Owolabi, Secretary, Dr Daniel C. Ekwe, chairman, Mr. Tunde Akinwunmi, Mr Rotimi Idowu and Mr. David T. Oyadele,

ECONDARY school students representing Oke-Ogun in Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State were rewarded with laptop computers as prizes for winning quiz competition.

The competition, held at the Iseyin Local Government Secretariat, was organised by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on behalf of Chief Kazeem Owonikoko Foundation, was keenly contested by representatives of four local government areas. The pupils competed in Mathematics, English language, Biology and Current Affairs.

Pupils for the fifth edition of the competition were drawn from schools in Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Iwajowa and Kajola local government areas.

The late Owonikoko, a retired police officer, was a lawmaker at the Western Region House of Assembly and was the first council chairman to offer scholarship to 12 Iseyin indigenes.

Representatives of Iwajowa Local Government Area came first while those of Kajola, Iseyin and Itesiwaju came second, third and fourth asý they scored 85, 70, 65 and 60 points respectively.

Abdulazeez Ajibola of Hyrank International Laboratory College; Olaniran Stephen of Baptist High School and Adetunji Bernard, all in Igannaý, represented Iwajowa Local Government Area. They went home with a laptop. Representatives of Kajola also went home with a laptop while those that represented Iseyin went home with Samsun phones.

Other participants also received consolation prizes.

According to the sponsor and son of the

From Sikiru Akinola, Ibadan

late community leader, Mr. Abduljelil Owonikoko (SAN), the competition was instituted in order to ensure that students take education seriously.

The Aare Bamofin of Oke-Ogun land, who was represented by Mr. Waheed Shittu, said his father was an ardent believer in formal education, noting that it was during his tenure as chairman of the then Iseyin District Council that the famous Iseyin District Grammar School (IDGS) was established.

On how to sustain the competition, the Abuja-based lawyer said: ”By next year, we would extend the ýgesture to all the 10 local government areas in Oke-Ogun zone. Also the prizes would be increased. We are happy that most of the past winners of this competition have gained admission to various higher institutions of learning and are doing well.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the local government inspector of NYSC in Iseyin Local Government Area, Mr. Adepeju David, said he was happy that the competition was a success. He pointed out that through the competition, “many stars have been made. We enjoin other wealthy Nigerians to sponsor such programmes in order to discover more talents.”

Fourteen-year old Abdulazeez Ajibolaý, who spoke on behalf of the Iwajowa team, said they would continue to cherish the feat.

“We never knew we could win the contest until the 2nd round. But we thank God. We will continue to train for future contests. It is good that we won, even though it was keenly contested. We thank the organisers, sponsor and our teachers for this,” he said.

The Iwajowa team coach and corps member, Ameh Martin praised his students, stressing that the award will motivate them to do more.

Group canvasses better Nigeria •From Left – HRM Alapa of Apa, Oba Ilufemiloye Oyekan Posi III, Executive Secretary Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Joseph A. Agoro, Member Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Oluyinka Ogundimu and representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ayetowo Senu at the tree planting exercise held at Suntan Beach, Badagry West LCDA.

•Hon Hafeez Olakunle Badru, Executive Secretary Eti-Osa (East) Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and Mr Lasisi, the representative of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment during the 2015 tree planting exercise

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HE new District 404b2 Governor, Lions International for the Lion Year 2015/2016, Dr. Christine Olufunke Adebajo, has called on Nigerians to join the Lions International to rediscover the potential of the country, irrespective of their political, religious or tribal leanings.

They were also enjoined to enroll with the organisation in order to complement efforts of government and other well-meaning individuals and organisations in improving the well-being of others.

Lioness Adebajo spoke during an interactive session with reporters at the Devotional Service marking the beginning of her Lion Year 2015/2016 tenure as the Governor of Lions International District 404b-2.

The event held at the Ansarudeen Central Mosque, Ajao Road Surulere. It was attended by the immediate past District 404b-2 Gover-

nor, Lion Chief Abdul Ganiyu Abiodun Adediji and Lion Teslim Sanusi who is former District 404b Governor and currently a member of the Board of Trustees, Lions International Multi-District 404, some members of the executive and other senior clerics of the Ansarudeen Mission.

Lioness Adebajo, who is a public health consultant with the World Health Organisation (WHO), reiterated the need for individuals to spend their God-given time, talents and resources for the comfort of their fellow mankind, saying that the feat could only be achieved through collective co-operation.

In their respective sermons, the branch chairman of Lagos State Ansarudeen Society, Alhaji Ligali Gbaiye Agbomeji and the secretary, Alhaji I. O. Yussuf reiterated the need for synergy among organisations in order to impact on the lives of the downtrodden in the society.

The District Governor also advocated greater cooperation and determination of members to actualise the potential of the group, saying that contributions from other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in complementing government’s efforts in making life meaningful for members of the society would go a long way in enhancing the lot of others.

Corroborating her view, the Treasurer, Lion Tunji Edward, as well as the District Cabinet Secretary, Lion Kayode Olabiran stressed the need for all to join the Lions International to showcase its potential.

She reeled off some of the projects executed by the group to include eye surgery, micro-credit facilities and programme, vocational training, empowerment and development programmes; all aimed at meeting the socio-economic needs of the people.

37

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

THE NATION INVESTORS

Shareholders earn 23% return as UBA lists 3.3b rights shares

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MIDST the dwindling over all market position at the Ni gerians stock market, shareholders of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, who subscribed for the bank’s rights issue in February, have earned more than 23 per cent capital gain.

UBA had between December 2014 and February 2015 sought to raise N11.5 billion new equity funds from existing shareholders through a rights issue of one ordinary share for every 10 ordinary shares at a price of N3.50 per share. The rights issue was fully subscribed.

The bank at the weekend listed about 3.3 billion ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each that arose from the rights issue. While the supplementary shares were listed at the offer price of N3.50 per share, UBA opened yesterday at N4.31 per share, providing immediate return of 23.1 per cent or about N2.67 billion capital gains to the rights’ holders.

The listing was closing step in the final phase of the issuance process, which included dispatch of share certificates and electronic transfer of shares to shareholders’ shareholding account at the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS). With the shares in the CSCS, the rights’ holders can trade on their shares.

Average year-to-date return at the Nigerian stock market opened this week at -10.29 per cent, underlining the general negative sentiments that had dominated the market so far this year. This month has so far been a

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

grueling one for investors with substantial average loss across the sectors. Month-to-date analysis showed all indices in the red, which also coloured the average year-to-date performance. So far this month, average return by the All Share Index (ASI), the general benchmark index at the NSE, opened Monday at -7.07 per cent. Returns by other indices were NSE 30 Index, -7.46 per cent; NSE Consumer Goods Index, -9.89 per cent; NSE Oil and Gas Index, -5.33 per cent; NSE Industrial Goods Index, -4.14 per cent; NSE Banking Index, -7.83 per cent while the NSE Insurance Index carried a month-to-date return of 2.91 per cent.

All the indices, with the exception of the NSE Industrial Goods Index, also showed that nearly all investors have so far this year lost rather than gain in the market. Year-to-date analysis by the start of the market on Monday indicated that average return by the ASI at -10.29 per cent; NSE 30 Index, -9.66 per cent; NSE Consumer Goods Index, -15.96 per cent; NSE Oil and Gas Index, -8.22 per cent; NSE Banking Index, 3.39 per cent; NSE Insurance Index, 6.78 per cent while the NSE Industrial Goods Index played the contrarian with gain of 1.78 per cent.

Investment advisors at Exotix Partners LLP, a global finance and investment firm with offices in major global financial centres and significant imprints in Africa, said that UBA’s share price could rise to N9.95 per

share over the next 12 months. Exotix coordinates its global operations through five major offices in London, New York, Lagos, Dubai and Nairobi.

The Exotix report, signed off by Kato Mukuru and Ronak Ghadia, chartered financial analysts, had upgraded UBA’s ranking to buy, a favourable recommendation to investors.

Analysts commended what they described as gradual improvement in the fundamentals of the bank noting that the bank’s management has substantially improved the group’s profit drivers, which has not been fully recognised.

They noted increasing improvement in cost efficiency as the cost to income ratio improved from 89.2 per cent in 2011 to 67.4 per cent in2014, with a projection for further improvement to 57.3 per cent by 2019 on the back of continued moderate operating expenses growth.

Analysts also pointed out that the bank has witnessed notable improvement in asset quality over the fouryear period. Since 2011, UBA has averaged a cost of risk of 0.9 per cent as against peer average of 1.3 per cent while its non-performing loan ratio of 1.6 per cent was the lowest among Nigerian banks in 2014.

“Relative to its peers, the bank’s loan portfolio has remained very diversified. In particular, as at 2014, exposure to the vulnerable oil and gas sector was 19 per cent as against sector average of 25.7 per cent and its foreign currency denominated loans

were 31.1 per cent of total loans as against peer average of +40 per cent.

Despite the tough operating environment, management remain confident of maintaining a cost of risk of 1.0 per cent and non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of 2.0 per cent. We remain conservative and assume a cost of risk of 1.5 per cent and NPL ratio of 3.5 per cent,” Exotix stated.

Analysts also cited UBA’s growing non-funded income contribution with total non-interest income increasing by cumulative annual growth rate of 19.3 per cent over the past three years.

This was partly driven by exceptional foreign exchange trading gains in 2014 as well as a 7.5 per cent cumulative increase in core fees and commission income.

“We think the headline growth in fees and commissions is impressive given the regulatory pressures on this line item. UBA’s average non-interest income to total operating revenue of 41.5 per cent remains significantly above peer average of 34.3 per cent.

We forecast non-interest income growth to moderate to 4.0 per cent over the next five years due to nonrecurrence of the exceptional trading gain in 2014 and zero rating of commission on turnover (COT). Nonetheless, we forecast core fee and commission income growth to remain strong at 8.3 per cent due to some of the initiatives taken by the group,” analysts at Exotix noted.

The report indicated that the bank could gradually overcome the major drag of its low margins as from this

year. Analysts regarded low margins, which have averaged 4.4 per cent as against peer average of 6.3 per cent, as the biggest drag on UBA’s profitability. However, the group’s asset yields have improved from 6.9 per cent to 7.7 per cent and the continued low margins were therefore due to an increase in funding costs, which rose to 3.8 per cent as significant tightening of monetary policy weighed in on the industry. With the proportion of foreign exchange-based loans to total loans declining to 31 per cent in 2014 from 34.4 per cent in 2013, analysts believed that UBA could benefit from 20-basis points margin uplift in 2015 and gradually to 5.0 per cent by 2019 as regulatory pressures and funding costs decline.

The board of UBA said the additional equity from the rights issue would support the bank’s capital base ahead of the full implementation of BASEL II, which requires higher capital buffer for banks, to accommodate credit, operational and market risks inherent in the business of financial intermediation.

Group managing director, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, said the new equity fund provides further leverage to exploit growth potential in its markets.

“On behalf of the management of UBA, I appreciate the shareholders for their strong commitment towards the growth of our dear bank and for the unwavering confidence reposed in us in building a great Pan-African institution,” Oduoza said.

McGraw Hill Financial in $2.23b bid for SNL Financial

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cGraw Hill Financial Inc, parent of Standard & Poor’s ratings agency, said it would buy data company SNL Financial for about $2.23 billion, and its shares fell nearly six per cent.

McGraw Hill, which also reported a higher-than-expected second-quarter profit on Monday, said the deal would strengthen its S&P Capital IQ data analytics unit, particularly in providing information on banking and insurance.

However, UBS analysts wrote in a note that investors might not have hoped for a major acquisition for Capital IQ, “as opposed to highermargin and lower-competition areas such as rating and indices.”

McGraw Hill’s rating and index units have accounted for the majority of earnings in the past few quarters.

The company maintained its fullyear earnings forecast of between $4.35 and $4.45 per share, excluding special items, despite expectations that the deal would reduce profit by 5 cents to 7 cents.

Tax benefits of about $550 million will mitigate the financial impact of the acquisition, the company said in a statement.

Reuters reported New York-based McGraw Hill said it expected the deal to add to diluted earnings per share in 2016, excluding amortization and special items.

SNL Financial, owned by private equity firm New Mountain Capital LLC, has about 3,000 employees in 10 countries.

In the second quarter, McGraw Hill’s earnings per share from continuing operations jumped 17 percent to $1.21, excluding gains from legal settlements and the sale of a construction business asset.

Analysts on average had expected $1.13 a share, according to Thomson Reuters.

Revenue fell one per cent at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, the company’s biggest unit, but rose 11 percent at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

S&P Capital IQ revenue rose six per cent to $324 million. Total revenue rose 3 percent to $1.34 billion.

McGraw Hill shares fell 5.6 per cent to close at $99.59 on the New York Stock Exchange.

•From left: President, Institute of Director (IoD), Mr Yemi Akeju; Chairman, African Corporate Governance Network (ACGN), Jane Valls; President, African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA), Mr. Oscar Onyema; former President, IoD, Mr. Chike Nwanze, and Director-General, IoD at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ASEA and ACGN at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos

Chinese regulator to buy shares to halt decline

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HINA has said it was pre pared to buy shares to stabi lise the stock market and avert “systemic risks”, after major indices plunged more than eight per cent on Monday in the biggest one-day fall since 2007.

China’s securities regulator also said market authorities would deal severely with anyone engaged in the “malicious shorting of stocks”, in Beijing’s latest attempt to stave off a full-blown market crash.

Monday’s slump, amid growing doubts about the strength of the world’s second biggest economy, shattered three weeks of relative calm as a barrage of support measures helped stabilise values following a sharp sell-off that started in mid-June.

“The lesson from China’s last equity bubble is that, once sentiment has soured, policy interventions aimed at shoring up prices have

only a short-lived effect,” wrote Capital Economics analysts in a research note reacting to the slide.

Reuters reported that China’s market gyrations have stoked fears among global investors about the broader health of the Chinese economy, hitting prices of growth-sensitive commodities such as copper, which fell on Monday to not far from a six-year low.

But, while recent stock market weakness will have caught out many retail investors and companies who jumped in as stocks more than doubled in a year, the relatively low rate of stock ownership by households and a disconnect between valuations and economic fundamentals mean the impact on the economy is likely to be less than in other markets.

Some analysts said talk had circulated among traders that the China Securities Financial Corpo-

ration (CSFC) had returned ahead of schedule some of the loans it took to stabilise the stock market, highlighting investor concern that Beijing’s commitment to supporting prices may be flagging.

The CSFC became the regulator’s weapon of choice earlier this month, borrowing money from commercial banks to buy shares in Chinese stocks. That helped indexes jump around 20 per cent from their recent low, until Monday’s renewed decline.

Several hours after the Chinese markets closed, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) denied talk that the CSFC was retreating from the stock market, and said it did not rule out the possibility that some big investors were engaged in “malicious” shorting of shares.

It was not clear whether the latest moves to control selling would be any more effective than previ-

ous attempts.

Monday’s fall accelerated sharply in the afternoon, long after investors had digested lackluster data on profits at Chinese industrial firms and a disappointing private factory sector survey last Friday.

But Chinese stock investors have been celebrating bad economic news for months on the basis it would provoke more aggressive policy easing, seen as positive for stocks because it pushes cheap money into the market.

Some saw the government-induced recovery in share prices in recent weeks as itself contributing to the crash.

“After two weeks of steady rebound, both foreign investors and domestic institutions are gradually taking profits, increasing selling pressure,” said Yu Jun, strategist at Bosera Asset Management Co.

38

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS PENSION

PenCom canvasses investment of Pension Fund within Africa T

HE National Pension Commis sion (PenCom) is committed to the vision and ideals of the AU Agenda 2063 to promote the investment of accumulated pension fund assets of over N4.7 trillion within the African continent, Director-General of the Commission, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, has said.

She made this known while addressing participants during the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the theme: ”Leveraging Pension Funds for Financing Infrastructure Development in Africa”.

She also said the Commission hopes to raise the number of workers covered under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) from 6.5 million this year to 20 million by 2019, using the Micro-pension initiative.

The Commission, according to her, is committed to promoting sustainable pension fund investments in Africa and welcomes the AU Agenda 2063 as well as the Programme for Infrastructure Development (PIDA).

She said it would project same

‘Unplanned retirement recipe for disaster’ •To raise workers under CPS from 6.5m to 20m by 2019 ETIREMENT not preceded Stories by Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

through the annual World Pension Summit (WPS) ‘Africa Special’ in collaboration with the WPS Amsterdam.

She said: “The AU Agenda 2063 is both a vision and action plan; a call for action to all segments of African society to work together to build a prosperous and united Africa based on shared values and a common destiny.”

According to her, the Comission is expected to translate this vision and ideals into concrete objectives, milestones, goals, targets and actions/ measures and it is supposed to enable Africa remain focused and committed to the ideals envisaged in the context of a rapidly changing world.

In operational terms, the Agenda 2063 would be a rolling plan of 25 years, 10 years, five years and short term action.

Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in its 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration, re-

dedicated themselves to the continent’s accelerated development and technological progress and laid down the vision and eight ideals to serve as pillars for the continent in the foreseeable future.

They mandated the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) to collaborate with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African Development Bank (AfDB) and New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Agency to develop Agenda 2063 through a people-driven and extensive consultation process.

Speaking on the Contributory Pension Scheme, the Director-General, who expressed dissatisfaction with the level of coverage of the scheme 11 years after it was established, said the Commission hopes to raise the coverage using, the Micro-pension initiative, which it planned to launch very soon.

She stressed that the current position of 6.5 million contributors is low relative to estimated working popu-

lation.

“There is plan to expand it to at least 20 million by 2019 through Micro Pensions. This is pertinent also due to inadequate social safety nets. This is a Pan-African issue that should provoke ideas sharing,” Anohu-Amazu said.

The Nigerian pension reform represents a major action in Domestic Revenue Mobilisation (DRM), an AU policy that stemmed from the realisation that Africa should take responsibility and indeed, possess the resources, if properly mobilised, for its own economic development.

The reform is mobilising funds, which hitherto were untapped, Anohu-Amazu stressed.

She said applying pension funds to economic development is being pursued through initiatives on infrastructure and real estate investments domestically. “There is also ample room in the near future for same to be extended to viable African investments,” she assured.

•From left: President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and Chairman of IICC, Mr. Bola Temowo; Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel; former President of NIA and doyen of insurance Industry, Prof. Joe Irukwu and President of Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, (NCRIB), Mr Ayodapo Shoderu, at the opening of the of IICC mega Conference at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

Pension tax raid ‘ll cost the under-50s up to £15,000

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EORGE Osborne is preparing a controversial pensions revolution that could cost higher-rate taxpayers as much as £15,000 over their working lives, Budget analysis shows.

Experts said cuts to the tax breaks received by middle-class workers, who pay into pensions, would be the “inevitable” result of a 12-week consultation announced by the Chancellor.

In the first analysis of how the reforms are expected to work, calculations showed that more than four million people were likely to lose out.

Lawyers, accountants, consultants and other private sector professionals in their forties and younger will be worst affected if the government scraps higher-rate tax relief.

Someone earning £55,000 and paying the recommended 15 per cent of their salary into a pension for 20 years will be £16,000 worse off by

retirement, figures from Hargreaves Lansdown showed.

Although Mr Osborne says he is approaching the consultation with an “open mind”, he is understood to be intent on cutting the escalating £50billion cost of allowing savers to defer tax on pension savings until retirement, when wealthy pensioners often pay only basic-rate tax.

Michael Johnson, research fellow at the influential Centre for Policy Studies think-tank, which was set up

by Margaret Thatcher in the 70s, said the review would “end private pensions as we know them”.

“This has been coming for many years and is now inevitable,” he said, adding: “Even among those in the pensions industry, who have a vested interest, there are not many who believe tax relief can survive.”

Currently, savers receive relief at their highest income tax rate, whether 20 per cent, 40 per cent or

45 per cent. Three-quarters of the money is then taxed on withdrawal after age 55.

In its consultation document, the Treasury said it would consider making pensions “like Isas” and taxing them “upfront”.

To incentivise retirement savings, people might be given a top-up from the government and withdrawals made entirely tax-free.

Such a move has the support of 40 of Britain’s biggest pensions and investment companies, trade bodies and consumer organisations that are part of The Savings and Investment Policy (TSIP) lobby group, alongside think-tanks such as the Centre for Policy Studies.

A “flat-rate” 30 per cent top-up for all savers would effectively redistribute money from higher-earners to basic-rate taxpayers.

In its impact calculations, Hargreaves Lansdown said a high-

earning 45-year-old paying £11,000 into a pension each year would have £261,000 by age 65 under the flatrate scheme, down from £281,000 under the current system.

The Chancellor could save £10billion a year by giving every saver 50p for each £1 they put into a pension and capping contributions at £8,000, Mr Johnson said. The effect would be the same as providing tax relief at 33 per cent, but offer the “simple” solution for which the Treasury says it is searching.

The £12,000 total allowance was “more than adequate”, Mr Johnson said, as those who could afford to save more “don’t need the incentive”.

“This is one of the few areas in which George Osborne can still save money,” he added. “At the same time, it would help secure the future of the public finances by getting young people saving so they don’t fall back on the state in old age

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by proper planning and preparedness could spell disaster for both the retiree and the society, Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited, Wilson Ideva has said.

Ideva made this assertion in Asaba, Delta State while delivering a paper on second edition of the Delta State Bureau of State Pensions Annual Lecture Series.

The paper was titled: “Towards Sustaining Stronger Relations between State and Local Government Bureaux of Pensions and Pension Fund Administration.”

He said enjoying a hitch-free retirement goes beyond receiving a lump-sum and regular programmed withdrawal from one’s Retirement Savings Account (RSA).

According to him, it requires indepth planning and profound mental and psychological conditioning of the retiring worker to equip him to seamlessly adjust to a different kind of life after decades of service to society.

Ideva dwelt extensively on the consequences of lack of understanding of the basic requirements for a happy life in retirement and associated ill-preparedness for it.

He said: “A retirement ill-prepared for could spell disaster both for the retiree and the society and consequently give the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) a bad name and erode the initial gains.”

He said the onus falls on the Bureaux of Pensions and the pension operators to run preparatory programmes for workers, especially those on the verge of retirement.

According to him, the economically, socially and psychologically stable retirees are the most effective advertisement for the CPS. He called for synergy of all stakeholders in the CPS to ensure that the gains of the industry in the past decade are sustained.

He said partnership of relevant government institutions, especially the Bureaux of Pension and the pension operators in the country is the sine qua non for sustaining the gains of the Contributory Pension Scheme and even expanding its scope and proliferating its inherent opportunities. He also called for the prioritisation of awareness creation on the importance and workings of the CPS. To ensure that many more workers are covered by the pension scheme, Ideva advised that every government plans to expand its programmes even as it relates to the private sector must incorporate in-built strategies to accommodate the pension requirements of participants, beneficiaries and key actors as the case may be.

“Expanding the CPS to the informal sector of the economy as permitted by the Pension Reform Act 2014 requires some measures of creativity and professionalism on the part of key actors to actualise.

The CPS is one of the most successful government initiatives that still harbours even greater potential,” he said.

He noted that it requires ingenious and concerted approaches to take it to the next level.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

39

SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Essiet_daniel@yahoo.com 08180714151

A Lagos woman entrepreneur, Amarachi Oparah, has made a success of beads making.

Her attitude and tenacity sustained her. She is now a consultant to women entrepreneurs, helping them to organise their lives and businesses. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Inflation, interest rates batter small businesses

Local entrepreneur ‘beads’ her way to success A

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EDICATION and devo tion to work can go a long way in securing success for one.

This is the case for Amarachi Oparah , Chief Executive, Graceful Beads, who is now the proud owner of a company churning out beads and hats.

Miss Oparah had shown her entrepreneurial instincts from a very tender age and all signs pointed towards her making use of that talent to becoming big in future.

As a young girl, she was very fond of handicrafts and farming. And she would arrange materials and turn them into something attractive. Her words: “I love growing things.

I like to see little pieces group together to form a larger piece, and I take this as one of the major facts that influenced my choice of business. I remember planting any and everything in a bucket as a little girl and watching them grow. It gave me so much joy watching that tiny seed of bean germinate into a number of pulses. Same applies to my line of business, from various tiny particles comes a beautiful design.”

Besides, she said she got her entrepreneurial spirit, from her mum. “My mum is a retired nurse, but while in service she had a side business with employees. I just loved the smooth flow of multiple income and me being a very active and creative person, I knew I wanted more than a white collar job,“ she said.

To achieve her dream of not being restricted to white collar job, she, while pursuing her first degree in chemistry and later masters (M.Sc.) in industrial chemistry from University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, she acquired Health, Safety and the Environment (HSE) competence certification with the Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals (NISP) and Quality Management Certification from Institute of Certified International Quality Standards (ICIQS) to become a business consultant.

Her growing portfolio and client base didn’t make her to give up her creative talent. This brought about her foray into bead making, which she began about three years ago..

Her venture into bead mak-

•Beads and hat making tools

ing, fashion, millinery, seemed a natural path for her.

“I am someone with a flair for fashion, colours and handmade craft. No matter how simple a piece is, I always feel a little accessory can create a spark. The creativity industry gives me the platform to express this spark. It gives me the opportunity to work with fashion lovers, add colour to clothing and make my own handmade craft,” she said.

She decided to establish Graceful Beads to cater for high demand for beads. Her determination to learn how to run a business and the support from her family have combined to make her dream come true.

She recalled starting the business with less than N4000. Today, the business has grown to worth about N500,000. Not only that, she has two additional hands to help her.

According to her, her major challenges when she started were getting clients and finance.

Along the line, she has discovered the most efficient ways to bead making and which designs and styles are most prefered.

Through this, she was able to measure the pulse of the market and see what people like or dislike. Although, she doesn’t see herself as new in the indus-

•Opara

try, as she is ever eager to find out how to build her business.

She has also mastered how, where, and who to sell her beads to.

While mastering her work, she also did not lose sight of accounting and auditing her ex-

penses and incomes.

Her philosophy of seeking knowledge has helped her a great deal. To her, there is no end to learning. What makes her work unique is her desire for beautiful beads with their natural matrixes, or enhanced dyes.

Aside beads’ making, she also produces hats, using different colours, depending on the season. She combines traditional millinery with fabric manipulation techniques, using high-quality materials to transform classic shapes into beautiful pieces.

When asked if she had any other plans or ideas for the future?

She said: “Yea, In the future, I look forward to having chains of business under Graceful Beads. At the moment, I have two major lines of business and I look forward to a massive expansion in the nearest future.”

One thing unique about her is that a day does not pass without her doing any creative work in beads.

The satisfaction she got from creating something with her hands and the appreciation she got from her family and friends have made her an accomplished artist. They have kept her motivated and determined.

S Nigeria fights to beat back raging inflation, many of its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—disadvantaged even in good times — are struggling to survive the battle, the President, Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Prince Saviour Iche, has said.

The net effect of inflation, he said, is high on businesses, creating a kind of worst case scenario for companies struggling to cope with high inflation and high interest rates.

According to him, small businesses are facing a tough situation, adding that the pain they endure runs deeper, with roots in policy shortcomings that need to be addressed by the new regime if the country is to shift to a more balanced and dynamic economic model.

While other factors are impacting negatively on the economy, Iche said plunging revenue as a result of the state of the economy was making it difficult for small businesses to make a profit not to talk of recruiting new hands.

Interestingly, according to him, a number of Nigerians are interested in starting new businesses, but the greatest challenge is the dearth of financing, adding many banks are reluctant to lend to the sector for a variety of reasons.

To encourage more Nigerians to be self -employed, he urged the government to address the challenge of creating a dynamic SME sector, adding that the current national macroeconomic woes, reflected in Naira depreciation ito make matters worse.

He said private companies and SMEs have remained small in scale because of low competitiveness and an unfair business environment. It was for this reason that the companies should receive support from the Government to access loans, he added.

Government, he said, should be supportive by providing markets, land, preferential loans and technology, as well as training and management, adding that SMEs constituted the majority in the business community and that they have played a vital role in the economy by providing jobs, increasing income and mobilising resources for investment in development and poverty reduction.

•Iche

Making a better life in business

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•Okorie

BUOTIDEM Okorie dreamt of having his own business, but his disability forced him to beg for a living without hope of work. A Shell programme in Nigeria supporting young entrepreneurs has helped him and others achieve their ambitions.

Without the use of his legs, and having no wheelchair or work, the 21 year-old paraplegic, struggled to get around the streets of his hometown, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on his hands, begging for food. It was a stark contrast to his dream of owning a shoemaking business.

“I was begging on the streets just to survive,” he said.

Nigeria suffers from very high levels of youth unemployment. For those with disabilities, finding work is particularly hard, and there is little social protection on offer. He now

makes and sells shoes in his own shop. He receives applause at the Shell LiveWIRE graduation ceremony in June 2014 He was nominated by officials from his home state of Akwa-Ibom for the social investment programme called Shell LiveWIRE, which offers knowledge and support to young entrepreneurs, helping them to turn ideas into successful businesses. The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) broadened the scheme last year to include people with disabilities. About 180 disabled people took part.

Mbuotidem trained as a shoemaker through Shell LiveWIRE, which also provided him with a wheelchair.

When he completed the course he received financial assistance to start his own business, using his new skills.

Now he makes and sells shoes in his own shop. “I no longer have to beg,” he said.

Mbuotidem is one of the 5,700 young Nigerians to have benefited from Shell LiveWIRE since it was launched in 2003.

“The Shell LiveWIRE Nigeria programme is a first step in an exciting journey to success,” said Nedo Osayande, Sustainable Development and Community Relations manager at SPDC. “This is the first time the programme is focusing on people with disabilities. We are sure they will continue the successes of thousands previous Nigerian participants.”

•Culled from http:// www.shell.com/global/future-energy/inside-energy/inside-energystories/livewire-nigeria.html

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

40

BUSINESS AFRICA

Africa woos private equity funds

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ROM milk churning in Zimbabwe to rose growing in Ethiopia, private equity investments in Africa have returned to pre-crisis levels and should keep rising as funds seek bumper returns in far-flung markets.

Private equity deals in Africa totalled $8.1 billion last year, the second highest on record after the $8.3 billion posted in 2007, according to the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA).

This year could be even bigger as investors tired of low returns in developed markets look to cash in on the rapidly emerging middleclass consumers in Africa - home to many of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Private equity deals in Africa between 2007 and 2013 earned 60 percent more than the MSCI emerging market index, AVCA says.

Traditionally private equity buyouts in Africa have been supported by development organisations but there are signs over the last year that global funds are taking more aggressive steps

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to tap into a continent of 1 billion people.

“The growth story in Africa is compelling,” said John van Wyk, head of Africa at Actis, an emergingmarket focused fund with around $4.6 billion under management.

“Global funds are realising they need to have some sort of Africa strategy and that hasn’t always been the case.”

Large U.S. private equity firms, including TPG and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), have made their first investments in Africa over the last year.

The New York State Common Retirement Fund, one of the largest U.S. pension funds and worth around $180 billion, said in April it could invest up to $5 billion in Africa over the next five years to boost returns and diversify its portfolio.

TPG said in June it would invest up to $1 billion in African companies under a tie-up with Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim’s Satya Capital, which has interests ranging from healthcare in Nigeria to

•From left: Director-General,Nigerian-BritishChamber of Commerce (NBCC), Mrs. Joyce Akpata; Chief Executive Officer, NigeriaExport Promotion Council (NEPC) Mr. Segun Awolowo; President, NBCC, Prince DapoAdelegan, and Honorary Vice President, NBCC, Asiwaju Fola Osibo, at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NBCC and NEPC in Abuja.

manufacturing in Tanzania.

Investments are focused on fastmoving consumer goods, financial services, healthcare and telecom-

munications. Bigger funds are looking at infrastructure projects, including filling massive unmet electricity demand across Africa.

GE books $2.5b African orders from oil, locomotives

ENERAL Electric Co. booked $2.5 billion of orders from sub-Saharan Africa in the past 11 months, including oil and gas equipment for Eni SpA in Ghana and locomotives for Angola.

That figure is $500 million more than the company targeted by 2018 during a United States-African leader summit last August, Jay Ireland, chief executive officer for GE Africa, said in an interview in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.They will be delivered “over the next two years,” he said.

Orders from the 25 African nations where GE operates range from items for transportation to oil and gas, power generation, health care and aviation, according to Ireland.

GE expects to seek financing for projects worth at least $1.5 billion in Africa each year as it expands its footprint in a region increasing investment in infrastructure development, and exploitation of its natural resources, he said.

•CEO, General Electric Co

The announcement coincides with U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya, where he addressed the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi.

Economic growth across Africa is

set to accelerate to five percent in 2016 from an estimated 4.5 percent this year, when foreign direct investment will rise to $73.5 billion, according to the African Development Bank. The inflows may help narrow a funding gap for infrastructure development on the continent that the World Bank estimates at $93 billion a year.

GE will “soon” announce new assembly facilities to be established on the continent in addition to those already in Nigeria, Angola, and South Africa, Ireland said.

Eni, whose offshore Ghanaian project is scheduled to deliver first oil by 2017, placed an order worth $850 million for equipment including three gas turbines for power generation and four centrifugal compressors, he said. GE will start delivering the equipment later this year.

Angola, which is planning a transportation hub, placed an order with GE to supply Angola National Railways with 100 locomotives. The

southern African country plans to use the railroad to diversify its economy from oil into industries including mining, agriculture and energy, according to GE. The company plans to supply 60 wind turbine generator units to a power project in Kajiado county, central Kenya. The total cost of the project that includes a service agreement for 15 years is about $155 million, according to GE. The company is supplying 98 Kenyan hospitals with radiology infrastructure and has started an institute to train domestic health workers in use of the equipment.

GE, which has its Africa office in Nairobi, may double its workforce by end of this year as it seeks to expand its footprint on the continent. The company plans to open a regional office in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to cover Francophone Africa, according to Ireland.

“The potential in Africa is huge,” Ireland said.

Employee engagement crucial to firm’s devt, says Accenture

F

OR organisations to have utmost productivity and growth, there must be high level of employee engagement that starts with employee satisfaction through incentives that keeps them happy, Acenture has said.

Its Human Resources Head, Mrs. Ronke Akpata, said employees’ engagement is designed to ensure that employees are committed emotionally to their organisation’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organisational success,

and are able at the same time to enhance their own sense of wellbeing.

She said productivity would follow a greater satisfaction in the workplace, as employees would have most of their needs meet in a holistic manner and be much more productive for the organisation as well is willing to go that extra mile.

However, with the previous point met, it is easier to retain well-motivated employees which is key to long term business suc-

Tech enclave springs up in Lagos suburb

A

T first glance, Yaba is like many other parts of Nigeria’s sprawling commercial capital: a cacophony of car horns and shouting street vendors, mingling with exhaust fumes and the occasional stench of sewage.

But in between the run-down buildings in this seemingly inauspicious part of Lagos, a city of around 21 million people, tech start-ups are taking root and creating a buzz that is drawing international venture capitalists and more established digital firms.

“They’re all clustering in Yaba. The momentum is there,” said Sim Shagaya, chief executive officer of Konga, which has become one of Africa’s biggest online retailers after being set up in 2012.

Konga’s decision to move in 18 months ago was a major boost for Yaba, which draws on a pool of talent from the nearby University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).

African tech centres are a recent phenomenon that mix web business concepts borrowed from other parts of the world with start-ups focused on African problems to create opportunities in areas such as mobile payments and e-commerce.

Notable examples are Kenya’s ‘Silicon Savannah’, South Africa’s ‘Silicon Cape’ and Rwanda’s ‘kLab’ in Kigali, but in many instances they struggle to achieve critical mass by giving birth to the few successful start-ups that will in turn attract more talent and money.

cess as they would help to uphold the culture in place and optimise the training and skills acquisition expenditure.

It will also reduce cost of employees turnover and acquisition, as those with lower engagement are four times more likely to leave their jobs than those who are highly engaged.

Akpata further said employee engagement does not mean his happiness and that a global workforce study by Mr. Towers Perrin highlighted five key areas that could increase employee engagement.

It specified that the organisation is the most powerful influencer of

employee engagement, that the structure of management systems and process greatly affects the level of a worker’s interest in his or her job, as the organisation must ensure it has employees with the right skills.

Other areas noted shows that there is no single “right model” for a high-performance culture, that the most effective approach depends on an organisation’s strategic priorities and to avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach to influencing workplace attitudes; that employees are eager to invest more of themselves to help the company succeed, but want to understand what’s in it for them.

SA gold union cuts wage demand by 9.5%

T

HE biggest labor group at South Africa’s gold mines reduced its pay demands for underground employees and is willing to negotiate further with producers.

The National Union of Mineworkers made “a huge move” by asking that wages be increased to 9,500 rand ($749) a month from the original request for 10,500 rand, General Secretary David Sipunzi said in an interview on Johannesburg-based SABC TV. That’s still 67 percent more than current wages of about 5,700 rand monthly. The inflation rate was 4.7 percent in

June.

“What would help these negotiations to progress faster would be for the employers to table a good offer,” he said. “Then we are prepared to negotiate and meet them halfway.”

Companies including world No. 3 producer AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. and Harmony Gold Mining Co. have proposed a fiveyear wage deal with annual increases of as much as 13 percent, plus a share of profits and improved job security and living conditions. The NUM speaks for about 52 percent of employees at the producers.

‘Why FAAN’ll concession airport facilities’

By Kelvin Okunbor

HE planned concession of the protocol and passenger assistance services of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to a private firm is aimed at boosting the revenue of the organisation, The Nation has learnt.

It was gathered that though the concession would block the loopholes in the system, some FAAN’s workers are kicking.

While those who are against the move are said to be the workers who do not want positive changes in FAAN, the source insisted that the opponents of the goodwill are those who do not want the management to block such loopholes through which the federal government is being defrauded.

Earlier, FAAN was generating about N6 million monthly from the facilities, but the concession is expected to jerk up the revenue to over N9 million.

The source said the concession would be partnered after what obtains in Heathrow and Barajas airports in Madrid, among others.

The concession, according to sources, will not lead to job cut as it has been agreed that the concessionaire will make use of the workers to achieve the desired goal.

The private company, Thales Global Solutions, has commenced talks with the management of FAAN on the take over of the management of the protocol and passengers assistance facilities from the authority.

The company had two weeks ago held a meeting with the management of FAAN at its headquarters at MMA where it proposed how it intended to manage the protocol and passenger assistance services from the international wing of the airport, the Murtala Mohammed Airport Two (MMA2) and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the same Lagos airport.

Meanwhile, agencies have been enjoined to advance the cause of safety, security and efficiency in their operations.

They have also been called upon to exercise their authority to inspire confidence and stimulate growth.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation Hajia Binta Adamu Bello spoke during an unscheduled visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

She said: “All hands must be on deck to ensure adherence to safety and security”.

T

43

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY, 29, 2015

NATION SPORT EXTRA

Michel Platini to launch FIFA presidency bid M

ICHEL Platini is expected to confirm his intention to run for the FIFA presidency this week.

The former France and Juventus midfielder was appointed president of Uefa in 2007, succeeding Lennart Johansson.

With current Fifa chief Sepp Blatter announcing last month that he will step down from the role next year, speculation has been rife that Platini will be first in line to replace the Swiss.

Reports on Tuesday emerged that Platini has gained the support of Europe, South America (CONMEBOL), North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) and Asia

(AFC), with the election date set for February 26.

Liberia Football Association chairman Musa Bility has also thrown his hat into the ring for the post, claiming he is the favourite with the backing of the African continent behind him.

Blatter, who has been in charge of the world game's governing body since 1998, opted to resign in the face of a damaging corruption scandal which has engulfed Fifa.

No accusations of any wrongdoing have been made towards Blatter, but the 79year-old announced his intention to vacate the role in June, with reports suggesting Platini could confirm his candidacy as early as Wednesday.

Mata vows to hit the goal trail at Man U

J

UAN Mata has vowed to hit the goal trail to ease the burden on Manches-

ter United's strikers this season.

Captain Wayne Rooney is expected to be utilised as United's primary centre forward following the closeseason departures of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao.

And while Rooney has set his sights on a prolific campaign, attacking midfielder Mata, who registered nine Premier League goals last term, is confident he can chip in.

"I always try to score," Mata told reporters during United's pre-season tour of United States.

"I've always done that. I used to play as a striker when

I was a kid and every team I played for I had a good goals record and it's the same at United.

"This season I will aim again to score a good number and to help the team with assists and goals.

"I had a 21-goal season at Chelsea and another with Valencia when I scored 14, so I've always been lucky enough to score a good number for a midfielder.

"I always try to score more than 10 goals in a season. I've nearly always done that and I think that's a good number for a midfielder.

"Last season I tried to score as many as I could and it's always a big part of my game. I will try again to be in and around the box and score again."

Sterling will justify his £49m price, says Pellegrini •Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini

Neymar: I'm not trying to surpass Messi

B

ARCELONA star, Neymar has insisted that it is not his goal to surpass team-mate Lionel Messi as one of the best players in the world.

The Argentina international has been voted the game's best on four occasions in the past six years and is widely regarded as one of the best around in the history of the game.

Neymar has been tipped to challenge the 28-year-old for the Fifa Ballon d'Or this year following an impressive 2014-15 campaign, yet he has made it clear that he is focused on his own performances rather than trying to dethrone Messi.

"It is not my goal to try to surpass Messi," the 23-yearold told SporTV.

"I am just trying to follow my own career path. I want to keep on doing the things that I have been doing, to win titles and to achieve my goals.

"But I am not attempting to be better than any one else.

My goal is to keep improving myself."

Neymar will lock horns with Messi when Brazil meet Argentina in the qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup and he has stressed that he will give his all to help the Selecao to victory.

"Messi is a big star. It is not a good thing to be playing against him, but not necessarily a bad thing either.

"But I will do everything within my powers to win. It will be a tough game, but the truth is that all qualifiers will be tough."

M

ANCHESTER City manager, Manuel Pellegrini has no doubt that his side's hefty outlay to land Raheem Sterling will prove to be money well spent.

The England forward ended prolonged speculation over his future by leaving Liverpool for Premier League rivals City earlier in July in a deal that could reach £49 million.

Sterling has already shown promise during pre-season, scoring three minutes into his first game against Roma and also netting a double in Monday's 8-1 thrashing of Vietnam.

While the fee paid to land the 20-year-old has raised a few eyebrows, Pellegrini is confident

that he has the talent to justify his price tag.

"He is a very good player; that's why we brought him to our team," the City boss told reporters of Sterling.

"He has a lot of things we didn't have in our squad. If you watch the way he played [against Vietnam], he has a lot of pace and I am sure in the future he will demonstrate why we paid so much money for him."

On the Vietnam result, Pellegrini added: "I was very surprised because it is not easy to score eight goals but Vietnam is a team that must prepare for qualification for the next World Cup and they have time.

•Mata

Wenger: Hazard not at Messi's level yet

A •Drogba

Drogba 'perfect fit' for Montreal

M

•Messi and Neymar

ONTREAL Impact sporting director Nick De Santis has labelled Didier Drogba "the perfect fit" for his club after signing the former Chelsea striker.

Under MLS's unique transfer rules, Drogba first joined Chicago Fire on Monday but was immediately traded to the Impact for "general and targeted allocation money".

Having only qualified for the MLS play-offs in one of their three previous seasons, De Santis made it clear that Drogba's history of success four Premier League titles and

the 2012 Champions League with Chelsea, plus the Turkish Super Lig with Galatasaray - would be key for Montreal.

The 47-year-old former Canada international was also upbeat about the prospect of Drogba adapting to life in Canada's second-largest city.

"When we started thinking about our city, he fits in perfectly," De Santis told reporters.

"Multicultural, he speaks English, he speaks French… his African inspire Frank Klopas' team to surge up the table and make an impact in the MLS post-season.

RSENAL manager, Arsene Wenger says Eden Hazard is not currently at the same level as Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Hazard was one of the stars of the 2014-15 Premier League season and claimed the PFA and FWA Player of the Year awards as he helped the Blues claim their first title since 2010.

And while Jose Mourinho believes the former Lille winger had a better season than Ronaldo, who scored 61 goals despite Madrid failing to win a trophy, Wenger believes Hazard needs to be the difference for his team more consistently.

He told reporters ahead of Sunday's Community Shield clash against Chelsea: "It is all about opinions. You have to compare the numbers. I must say players like Messi and Ronaldo still score 50 goals and that is exceptional.

"He [Hazard] can decide the games and you put the top players in this kind of calibre when they can decide

the games with something special.

"Hazard is in this category, now to reach the other two or three that are dominating world football at the moment I think it demands consistency which he is still to do."

•Hazard

44

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

NATION SPORT EXTRA

INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW...

Pires: Wenger's my second father

•Arsene Wenger and Pires

A

IME Jacquet (France coach from 1993 to 1998) I simply want to say thank you to him (laughs) – a big thank you for having selected me in his 23-man squad, for liking my style of play and my qualities, and for having let me be a part of that generation of players who became world champions.

Arsene Wenger (Arsenal manager since 1996) I've always thought of him as a second father. When I was at Metz, he was absolutely intent on me coming to Monaco. Then he signed me in 2000 and I worked with him for six years, every morning. I reached great heights alongside him.

What I loved about him was that I had certain qualities and he worked on them and perfected them. We all have faults, but he couldn't care less about them. He knew what I was capable of and made me work on my strengths.

Dennis Bergkamp

This week, we bring you the second part of our extensive interview with Robert Pires.

Having looked back at his career highlights last time out, the former France winger now speaks about the players and coaches who have meant the most to him, and together with whom he shared his greatest moments.

(former Dutch international and Pires's team-mate at Arsenal between 2000 and 2006) Ah, the maestro! When people ask me the best player I played with, I always say Dennis Bergkamp. He just had so much class. He made the whole team tick and that's why I loved being in the same side as him. I watched him a lot during training because he was a player who kept things simple.

For me, that's what football's about. He inspired me a lot during my time at Arsenal. I think his goal against Newcastle was the most beautiful I've ever seen. When you re-watch it, it's so simple, so fluid… and people often ask me if he meant to do it. I always tell them: "Of course he meant it – he's Bergkamp."

That move was just great. You could say it was thanks to the fairly quick pass I played to him, but I claim no more than ten per cent of the glory (laughs).

Didier Deschamps (France captain during the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ and UEFA EURO 2000 wins)

•Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Sol Campbell of Arsenal celebrate winning the league at Highbury against Everton

•Theo Walcot and Pires in training

He transmitted his never-saydie attitude to me and his capacity to keep believing right up to the end. I say that because, in the EURO 2000 final, he was the only one who still believed we could do it. He had the temperament to be a leader, and above all he knew what it meant to win. He put us on the right path. It doesn't surprise me at all that France won that double with a captain like Deschamps. Losing players like him hurt the France team, especially in 2002 and 2004.

Thierry Henry (former team-mate for both club and country) The rocket! It was a pleasure to play with him at Arsenal and with the France team. He was one of the best, and I'm disappointed he never won the Ballon d'Or because he deserved it at least once. He was exceptional for the Gunners. I know I was lucky because

playing behind Bergkamp and Henry isn't too bad at all (laughs). My job was just to give them good passes, and they did the rest.

Zinedine Zidane (former France team-mate) You'd need to invent a whole new adjective for him.

He's the best player I ever played with at international level, but that's obvious – it's not even worth saying. He already knows that because I've told him 10,000 times. I had a lot of luck to be part of one of France's best ever generations alongside him. He's a player we'll never see the likes of again, I think. He did a lot for me thanks to his technique. Training with him was such a joy. I didn't want to do what he did or copy him, but he was a source of inspiration for me, a bit like Dennis Bergkamp.

Tiburce Darou (French physio and motivational

coach, who died on 2 July) He's someone who meant a huge amount to me in my career during the most difficult and painful moments, especially when I had my cruciate ligament injury. He was hugely passionate, a great professional and a connoisseur of sport in general. Lots of people appreciated him because of his methods, which were sometimes a bit extreme. But that's precisely what helped me make such great progress on the mental front. Unfortunately he's no longer with us, but I can assure you that he was quite a character and I thank Arsene Wenger for introducing me to him.

Is there anyone else you would like to mention?

My first coach, Bernard Roussel. Not many people know this, but I was a French champion at the age of ten with Sainte-Anne Reims. In fact, I'm very proud of that

because the club decided to name their stadium after me.

Roussel always believed in me, even though I was small and skinny. He kept saying to me: "Robert, play up front! You're a goalscorer." He was the only one who saw that, but he was certain of it and he always played me in attack. He was the first person to see my potential. All the coaches I've had have been important for me, whether it was Joel Muller at Metz, Rolland Courbis at Marseille, Manuel Pellegrini at Villarreal or Roger Lemerre with Les Bleus. All of them were important along the way, and each of them had faith in me and let me play. If I was lucky enough to play for 19 seasons at the highest level, it's thanks to my coaches, and it's difficult for me not to mention everyone.

CULLED FROM FIFA.COM

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

45

SHOWBIZ

Pray for Me reinforces Darey’s art

M-Net shelves BBA 2015

By Jane Kolade

D

By Ovwe Medeme

M

-Net has announced that the 2015 edition of its critically-acclaimed continental show, Big Brother Africa, has been put on hold. Meanwhile, the regional Big Brother shows, including Big Brother Angola and Big Brother Mzansi will go on.

According to its management, though the move to regionalise the show allows producers to re-evaluate its direction, Big Brother continues to captivate audiences in each market in which it is produced.

“M-Net wish to thank Big Brother Africa fans for their continuous support and assure them that in the future further announcements will be made,” a statement from the body reads.

Though no concrete reason was given for the development, it is rumoured that M-Net had to cancel the highly critiqued TV show for want of sponsors.

Last year, the annual show was almost marred when what was described as a devastating fire engulfed the Big Brother house.

The 2014 competition, dubbed Hotshots, saw Tanzania’s Idris emerging winner after

• Idris Sultan

63 gruelling days in the house. Coming closely behind him was Nigeria’s Tayo who came a few points short of clinching the prize.

Aramide releases new single

By Joe Agbro Jr.

F

RESH from being nominated for the ‘Female Artist of the Year’ award at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA), Nigerian Afro Soul/Jazz singer, Aramide, on Monday, released a new single, I Don’t Care. The song follows the success of her last single, Iwo Nikan.

Released on Baseline Music and produced by Sizzle Pro, I Don’t Care is a Jazz fusion ballad at its core. Music pundits have rated the song high for its excellent piano arrangements, drum patterns, horn sections and vocal melodies.

The record sees Aramide flexing her song-writing dexterity, as she waxes lyrical about losing yourself in your passion.

According to Aramide, I Don’t Care is “about being passionate about something or someone so much that you lose yourself in it. That thing might be love, friendship, career, although expressed from the love angle. And people feel you are wasting your time or don’t see any good in what you believe in.”

Already working on her debut album which is to be released in 2016 via Baseline Music, Aramide is set to wow audience ahead, with the launch of a series of acoustic sessions on her YouTube channel in the coming weeks.

AREY Art-Alade is back. And this time, with a soulful ballad in his RnB style. Titled Pray for Me, the song’s danceable tune, according to music followers, reaffirms the singer as belonging to the big league of RnB genre.

Pray for Me is the tale of a simple country boy’s decision to relocate to the city in search of better life. In spite of his father’s warning that the city is a tough place, he leaves, but not before asking his parents to pray for him.

Gbadura fun mi (‘pray for me’ in Yoruba), the child’s passionate plea, serves as a refrain for the song.

The quest for a better life and belief in a brighter future against all odds is the subject matter of the song. It also chronicles a constant occurrence in the lives of country boys, and sometimes girls, who relocate to the city; their inability to visit home, oftentimes for years at a stretch, usually due to lack of funds, and the unwillingness to visit home without having anything tangible to show for their years of sojourn.

The song also reinforces the singer’s reputation as a creative and talented artiste, with a clean wholesome image as evidenced by ‘clean’ lyrics.

Darey is known for writing in the sublime style; one that moves the listener, often taking them to another plane, while handling universal human experiences like love, pain, loneliness and heartbreak. His hit song, Not the Girl, is a reminder of this fact.

• Darey art

Preparations heighten for Fashion Art Fusion

A

S preparations for the second edition of Fashion Art Fusion (FAF) is in top gear, organisers say it will be another opportunity for fans to enjoy a rare combination of art, spoken word, alternative music and fashion.

The event which is billed to hold at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Lagos will, for its second edition, feature local designers such as Luzol, Queen Ahniva Ahniva, Ejiro Tafari and Ade Bakare, who are expected to showcase their best designs of the moment.

Organisers say this year’s edition of FAF will also feature three students from the Yaba College of Technology’s Fashion Design department, as a way of encouraging young and upcoming designers.

To spice things up, dance mavericks such as Dayo Liadi (Ijodee) and Squad One are also expected to grace the occasion.

Convener of the show and CEO of Luzol Sounds, Austin Aimankhu, noted that FAF is designed to make young talents attain their full potentials.

“The vision of this fashion show is not only about the runway, but a platform that will promote total arts of our country and beyond,” said Aimankhu, who before now catered mainly to fashion needs of corporate clients.

He said “Nigeria has talented artists but they do not have enough platforms to showcase these talents. We want to provide that opportunity to help them reach their full potential,” adding that ‘Wearable Art’ is also going to be promoted during the event which also features an exhibition.

“It would be good to see the human body being turned to a mobile canvas to showcase artwork,” said Aimankhu who studied Law

•A im an kh u

By Joe Agbro Jr.

at the University of Benin before veering into fashion. Aimankhu was also the official clothier of the recently held Lagos Arts and Jazz Festival, where he customised fabrics with Appliques of musical instruments.

According to Aimankhu, the event which is being sponsored by Vlisco, GAC Motors and other partners promises to be a kaleidoscope of the creative arts.

“It is a holy matrimony between the runway and visual arts,” he said.

At the last edition of Fashion Art Fusion in November last year, Aimankhu impressed his guests with his trademark, ‘Applique on fabrics’ which had actor Fred Amata among other celebrities that graced the runway.

AFRIMA extends call for entry

O

RGANISERS of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have announced their resolve to extend the deadline for the submission of entries. The new closing date, Friday July 31, they said became necessary due to appeals from certain quarters.

The show, which is in preparatory stage for its second edition, is in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC).

The new deadline is one of the outcomes of a meeting in Casablanca, Morocco, last Thursday, as leeway for a more inclusive participation by music professionals.

“Artistes, music producers, songwriters, music video directors or any other eligible music professional of African origin now have till Friday to enter your valid works for consideration for AFRIMA 2015 nomination,” reads a statement from the AFRIMA Secretariat in Lagos.

By Ovwe Medeme

They reiterated that guidelines for submission, eligibility and the entry form are available on the company’s website in both English and French languages.

AFRIMA opened the 2015 entry submission on May 18, and received a deluge of submissions during the first month. With entry submission deadline set as July 20, the awards project embarked on a continental campaign to sensitise artistes about the 2015 awards programme of events. Some of the countries visited are Addis Ababa, Kampala, Johannesburg and Casablanca.

Other events for the 2015 main awards ceremony which holds on Saturday, November 15 will include a two-day AFRIMA Music Village, slated for November 13 -14 and the Africa Music Summit, taking place on November 14.

• Members of The International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA

46

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

With ekpoita :funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08077706130

DOWN

ACROSS 1. Celebration (9) 6. Greeting (2) 7. Documentation (6) 9. Indelible Mark (4) 10. Former (2) 11. Spread Out (3) 12. Final (4) 14, Resounding Noise (4) 15. In direction of (2) 16, Myself (2) 17. Eager (4) 19. Young Boy (3) 20. Father Christmas (10) 24. Being (2) 26. Tinkle (6) 27. Perform (2) 28. Tease (6)

1. Impression (4) 2. Cereal (4) 3. Created (4) 4. Amuse (6) 5. Celebration of Christ’s birth(9) 8. Free Air (6) 11. Paths (5) 13. Clawed 18. Deserve (4) 19. Juvenile (3) 21. Story (4) 22. So be it (4) 23. Musical Note (2) 25. Gladness (3)

SUDOKU To play the game, simply fill in the missing numbers in the grid such that every row, column and 2 by 3 box contains the numbers 1-6.

SANDS OF TIME GARY COLEMAN

PERSONALITY MAZE Solve the puzzle by providing alternative words to the clues below.

Each letter of your word has a place in the grid as indicated by the numbers beside the clues.

1.

9

2

8

3

7

CLUES Press (1,9,5,6,7) Roof (2,8,3,4)

4

5

6

Your answer will unfold an appendage of the photo inset

Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as “one of television’s most promising stars”.

Without a doubt Gary Coleman was THE child TV star of the late 1970s and early 1980s. A refreshingly confident little tyke with sparkling dark, saucer-like eyes and an ingratiating, take-on-anyone burst of personality, the boy charmed the pants right off of TV viewers the minute he was glimpsed in national commercials. Amazed by how mature he came across, Gary was in truth older than he looked, which was brought upon by a congenital kidney condition. Sadly, the pint-sized phenomena outgrew his chubby-cheeked welcome and found the course of his grown-up Hollywood career brutally rough and patchy.

In addition to his life-long health issues, Gary’s adult problems came in the form of scattered financial and legal entanglements, as well as scrapes with the law. He was once arrested in 1999 for punching a persistent female autograph fan, in which he was fined and ordered to take anger-management classes. He also had many disorderly conduct and reckless driving charges brought up against him at various times. He would admit that the tally of his life problems led to more than a few feigned suicide attempts In 1989, Coleman successfully sued his adopted parents and business manager after they allegedly pilfered his youthful fortune for their own self interest totaling $3.8 million in losses, and he won $1,280,000. Despite the large settlement, all of the money was soon spent on taxes, legal fees,

Pep Talk

CROSS NUMBER Find the correct numbers to fill in the missing spaces in the grid to ensure that vertical numbers total to figures below, horizontal numbers total figures on the right while diagonal numbers total figures on top and bottom right

COLEMAN CONT’D as well as his increasingly high medical bills for his continuing dialysis treatments.

In 2007, he married the much younger actress Shannon Price, whom he met on the set of the low budget film Church Ball (2006), but the quickly marriage dissolved quickly into domestic squabbles that put him in front of the court system yet again on domestic abuse charges Filed for bankruptcy in 1999. In order to earn money, he worked as a security guard.

As a gag, he ran for California’s 2003 governorship during its recall election.

The fragile condition of his health coupled with this lack of adult career acceptance, sparked an aggressively defensive behavior mechanism in his adult years and led to great personal unhappiness, chronic legal/financial hassles and early death.

The brain hemorrhage that eventually led to his death, was a result of a fall at his home in Utah (on May 26th) that put him into a coma. His ex-wife Shannon Price, who was with him at his home at the time of the fall, made the 911 call. It was also Price who eventually made the decision to take Coleman off life support.

“The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than in things”. - Thomas S. Monson

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state is a PDP state. We the elders will not allow foreign bedfellows ‘toThis take over this state. An Ijaw man has never been conquered ’

POLITICS In spite of what people outside Bayelsa State may think about him, the first executive governor of the state, Chief D.S.P Alameiyesiegha, is a popular politician. He is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee. In this interview with reporters in Yenogoa, the state capital, he reviews political activities in Bayelsa ahead of the December 5 governorship election. MIKE ODIEGWU was there.

‘Alameiyesiegha rallies elders to save Bayelsa PDP’ A

S Chairman of PDP Reconciliation Committee in Bayelsa, what are you doing to stem the conflict within the party?

The PDP Constitution, article 23, clearly spells out the functions of the elders committee. I have always been the chairman of the committee.

As you know, the primary function of the committee is to mediate between the executive, legislature and other members of the party on any likely grievances that will ensue. So, it is a standing committee. But, because of the impending election, the former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, decided to constitute a reconciliation committee out of the standing committee, to look into grievances by members and reconcile them. This was expected because he has just left the centre as the president and the PDP has become an opposition party.

In our country, party politics is not based on ideology. People are only interested in what they are going to grab at the moment. I am sure you are aware that some PDP members in the state are defecting to the All Progressive Congress ( APC), some of them are doing that for lack of understanding. Maybe they are thinking that when they defect to the APC they will get more benefits. For those members from Bayelsa that defected from the PDP to the APC, I pity them because the APC does not even know they exist. They were not involved in the election of the President Buhari because they were all in the PDP. People worked hard to elect Buhari. They also worked hard to elect members of the National Assembly and state assembly. It’s only the governorship election that they did not participate in because there was no governorship poll in Bayelsa at the time. They just decided to defect to a party they don’t know anything about. Do you think those they met in the APC will accommodate them wholeheartedly? It ‘s funny.

Do you think the defection will affect the PDP’s chances?

Look at it this way. The flow of movement is on both sides. While people are defecting from the PDP, some are also coming into the party.

What is happening is not a one-way thing. The APC has not won any election for the past 16 years in the state; they don’t even have a structure to win elections in Bayelsa State. The PDP is in the 105 wards. The APC has not even been tested. Who is going to be their flag bearer? I am seeing the posters of some aspirants in town. But, I don’t know them. Indeed, I have not seen them before. But, suddenly they want to become governor.

Again, I think our people need to be educated, I can tell you that I was one of them in 2003 that formed Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). At that time, it was becoming clear that President Olusegun Obasanjo was going to chase most of us out of the PDP, so we came together; about 18 of us. We said let us register a party and keep it in case President Obasanjo pushed us out of the party. We can have a platform to actualise our dream.

Also at that time, Obasanjo had cajoled the Southwest governors out of their seats. He deceived them. Bola Tinubu was very clever; he foresaw what Obasanjo was trying to do, so he was the only one that survived because the agreement was that all the Southwest governors should support him, so that he will return them as governors for second tenure.

As chairman of the reconciliation Committee, we had invited so many people among those that were aggrieved. We dialogued with them.

And most of them saw reasons with us. The whole thing is about self-interest. Their grievances range from not being given appointment, not receiving their severance allowance during Timipre Sylva administration, or because they were not picked as candidates in the last general elections. Then, I asked the question, must it always be you?

It is not right; leadership is like a relay race. When you complete your assignment, you handover to another person. It cannot always be

you alone every time. There is time for everything, so basically that is the problem. By the time we go into the party primaries all the noise you are hearing will die down, because it is only one candidate that the party will present. The APC will present one candidate. APGA will present one candidate. By then, they will better appreciate the political environment. When they weigh the candidates of the various parties, they will then ask themselves, do we really need change? Change can be positive or negative. But, to me, having passed through this process, I can better appreciate the problems the present government is going through. Bayelsa is not the only state going through economic recess; most states in the country today cannot even pay salaries, but this government has not defaulted.

What about the aggrieved PDP members that were expelled…

You see, we are operating a party politics; independent candidates cannot contest elections yet. We have recommended it at the last National Conference. But, for now, as long as you are a product of party, the party is supreme. If you are a product of that system, you must respect that party. If you sabotage the party, the party has a mechanism to discipline any erring member.

There should be no sentiment about it. Some of them that were expelled did not do well. From evidence available, they sponsored opposition parties against their own party and no party will accept that. So, the party was right to do what it did. But, again, as elders, we have intervened and those decisions have to be reviewed.

Has Governor Dickson done enough to deserve second term?

Governor Dickson has done well.

What I have seen on ground in the last three years is very encouraging.

Our problem remains continuity; the continuation of policies and pro-

•Alameiyesiegha gramme of government. I served this state for six and a half years, Goodluck Jonathan came in, served for one year. During the remaining six months, he was campaigning for the office of the Vice President. Then, Timipre Sylva came in. Of course, I didn’t see anything visible on ground; I am not castigating him, but you could walk from Igbogene to Swali Market, I did not see anything that was added to what I left behind; even to complete the project I started was a problem. I feel very bitter when you come to government with good intention, you start a project for the good of the people and that project is abandoned.

So, that period I think was a setback. Dickson has come in, we can now drive to places that were impossible before and we can see changes everywhere.

But analysts have given the APC an edge in terms of high number of youth followership…

This state is a PDP state. We the elders will not allow foreign bedfellows to take over this state. An Ijaw man has never been conquered. We would not allow it to happen. You can call it any name. Our people are not seeing or reading in between the lines. These people are only interested in what God has given to us; our resources. If anybody tells you as an Ijaw man that these people love you, it’s a lie. I know them and they know me too; people should be careful

Governor Dickson has done well. What I have seen on ground in the last three years is very encouraging. Our problem remains continuity; the continuation of policies and programme of government

when they reason. We must not mortgage our future for immediate gain.

The North and the Southwest, if we have to follow the constitution of Nigeria, they do not need you to produce the President of this country; the constitution says you need 25 per cent in two-third of the 36 states to produce a president. The Southwest and the North, if they come together will continue to produce the president of this country for life. We have no hope; so we must consolidate on what we have here. Those young men and women should not be misguided. We need a lot of mentoring. We cannot afford to fall into that trap. We will perpetually be slaves to the bigger tribes. We should protect what belongs to us; we shall not allow our young men to be brainwashed. These young men do not understand the dynamics of the politics in this country. This country must be restructured. We must practice true federalism; otherwise these people will continue to exploit us.

What do you want your followers to do ahead of the December 5 election?

The massage is that we have a government that thinks well about the people. If the resources are available this government will do better. Because some people are outside the direct management of the economy of the state, they are seeing things differently. They don’t know how difficult things are. We should not be in a hurry to change a winning team. There is no perfect government anywhere in the world. If government policies and programmes are not working, it is not only the executive arm that should be blamed. The House of Assembly is empowered to check the excess of the executives because they have that oversight function to perform. Government is not just about the governor. I think we should give the governor another four years to complete the projects he has embarked upon.

How have you fared in the last 10 years out of office?

The Lord Almighty God is Holy and has sustained me and my family effortlessly. Though the challenges are always there, but if you are serving God you don’t need to be worried about tomorrow. He has always sustained me. I am not doing anything that is income generating per say. I am also not begging anybody for help. I am contented with the little pension I receive. I am a man with a contented heart. I am always happy.

My family has not also complained.

We are living well to the glory of God.

APC chieftain backs Ngige for SGF

A

•From left:Secretary, National Planning Commission, Mr Bassey Akpanyung; Director, Korea International Cooperation Agency in Nigeria (KOICA), Mr Jung Sang-Hoon; Kogi State Governor Idris Wada and Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Noh Kyu-Duk at the KOICA seminar on the development of vocational training in Nigeria in Lokoja … on Monday.

PHOTO: NAN

CHIEFTAIN of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State and Businessman, Chief Nnamdi Ezeike, has urged the party leadership to consider appointing Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, considering that the position has been zoned to the Southeast.

In a statement in Lagos at the weekend, the APC chieftain said Ngige’s pedigree, loyalty and administrative acumen puts him above other contenders for the seat.

He stressed that Ngige is a man of strong intellect, integrity and that he is a loyal party man.

He said it is in the party’s best interest to appoint someone who is focused and committed to its rules

•Dr. Ngige

By Emmanuel Udodinma

and regulations like Ngige, who has been with the party from inception.

He added that he was once a governor, senator, former President of Aka Ikenga among others.

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Vision of the Child winners get fresh bounties

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OUR months after emerging winners in the yearly Vision of the child competition, the 12 winners in the literary and painting categories will be hosted to a series of activities beginning from July 27 till early next month. They will be hosted by the VoTC organising team led by Foluke George to activities that include: training at Microsoft Nigeria, special exhibition of the winning work in the painting category, special visit to the sponsors of the project – Diamond Bank, Microsoft Nigeria, Honeywell Noodles and Airtel Nigeria, training and mentorship sessions (reading, writing and IT), and special interview with selected TV and Radio stations.

Earlier in April at a post-event gala award night that was swathe with glamour and pageantry, Master Ashaka Victory Ihona from Ajara Grammar School Badagry emerged the best student-painter in the prestigious competition that held as part of the 2015 Lagos Black Heritage Festival, LBHF2015. Tamaramiebi Akika from Corona School picked the winning prize in the literary category with her essay on the competition theme: The Road To Sambisa.

The formal award ceremony held at the Civic Centre on Friday April 24 with parents, teachers and eminent citizens of Lagos led by Erelu Abiola Dosumu and distinguished painter and textile designer, Chief Mrs Nike Okundaiye in attendance. There were also chief executives of the sponsoring corporate organisations at the event.

From Diamond Bank was (Regional Manager, Mr. Benson Oraelosi, and Divisional Head Corporate Communications,Mrs. Ayona Trimnell,). Airtel was represented by head of High Value Experiences, Mrs Sarwi Rahaman; Honeywell Noodles had its Managing Director, Mr Lanre Jaiyeola, Divi-

Ozolua Uhakheme (Assistant Editor Arts)

PROJECT sional Managing Director, Dr. Nino Ozara and Microsoft Company had its Public Sector Director, Mr. Hakeem Adeniji-Adele and Citizenship Manager, Mr. Olusola Amusan in attendance.

Ashaka came out tops from 30 finalists from 35 schools that participated in the statewide competition. Shittu Ololade from Reagan Memorial School, Yaba, came second, while the 3 rd place prize went to Anthony Blessing from Masterhand Academy, Badagry. In the 4th position was Anjola Olanrewaju from Masterhand Academy, Badagry; Amosu Abraham Akinlomo from Betterfuture College, Badagry was fifth, while Okwuchukwu Ivy From Lagos State model College, Badagry was sixth.

In the Literary category, which had the participants writing either essay, poem or short story on the theme, Titiloye Tobi from Topo Grammar School, Badagry came 2nd; Utibe Ekpeyong from Sacred Heart College, Apapa was 3 rd; while Etina Samuel Onche from Danvic Leaders Academy, Apapa came 4th; and Princess Marinay from Park College Apapa, Angela Obinwa from Pampers Private School, took the 5th and 6th prizes respectively.

The painting and literary competition, which was obviously dominated by schools from Badagry followed by Apapa areas of Lagos, attracted 320 entries from 63 schools for the first phase. Sixty (60) finalists from 35 schools eventually featured in the last leg out of which the final 12 winners (six for painting, six for Literary) were decided by a panel of eminent judges including (for painting) renowned artists Chief Nike Okundaiye, Former Commissioner for Cul-

ture, Ondo State, Tola Wewe and the painter, art activist Ndidi Dike. The literary segment had among others, Mr Folu Agoi, a writer and educationist, Mr Segun Almaroof, a teacher and education activist and Mrs Adenike Arigbabu, a publisher and child worker.

The competition theme:”The Road To Sambisa” designed by the Festival Consultant and Nobel laureate in literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, was deliberately chosen to reflect on the tragedy of the infamous ‘Chibok Girls’ episode in which over 276 girls were kidnapped overnight from their school in Chibok town in the Northeastern part of the country. Over a year after, 217 of the girls remain missing in what has become a global embarrassment to the Nigerian nation and her people. The episode has led to nationwide campaign titled: “Bring Back Our Girls”.

At the award night, the winners took home prizes from the various sponsors.

Diamond Bank presented winners in the painting category with cash prizes (1st Prize, N250,000; 2nd, N200,000; 3rd, N180,000; 4th, N150,000; 5th, N120,000; and 6th,N100,000 respectively) and gift bags for all the finalists. The cash prize was presented by the bank’s Regional Manager, Mr. Benson Oraelosi Honeywell presented cash prizes of N100,000 each to the six winners from the Literary category with cartons of all its products to all the winners and 63 participants.

The Prizes were presented by the Managing Director, Mr Lanre Jaiyeola, assisted by Divisional Managing Director, Mr Nino Ozara; Executive Director, Marketing, Mr Benson Evbwuoman and Human Resource Manager, Mr. Tunde Adebayo.

Microsoft gave the 12 winners from both literary and painting categories with Tab-

lets. The presentation was made by the Public Sector Director, Mr. Hakeem AdenijiAdele and Citizenship Manager for the company, Mr Olusola Amusan Airtel Nigeria presented gifts contained in backpacks to the 63 finalists including the winners.

Head of LBHF Secretariat and coordinator of the VoTC Project, Mrs Foluke George, said “for making it into the final of the prestigious competition, you are all winners.

So if you are not among the final list of winners, do not feel bad. You should learn even at this stage that we all cannot be winners in a competition, and that you must develop the mind to accept defeat in any contest you find yourself”. She urged them to remain good pupils and continue to study hard in order to excel in their studies. She thanked parents and teachers for encouraging their children, students and wards to feature in the competition every year. She also appreciated the various sponsors, especially Lagos State Government, for deploying state resources and goodwill in support of the project.

LBHF coordinator, Jahman Anikulapo, representing Prof Soyinka, thanked administration of former Governor Babatude Raji Fashola for its continuous belief in the prospective of the project to produce a new generation of young leaders, and urged the sponsors to remain committed to supporting the development of the Nigerian Child through the Vision of the Child. “The LBHF through the VoTC is committed to bringing our children into the national conversation, especially where it concerns their welfare and interest. These are not just leaders of tomorrow, they are leaders of today and our future as a nation, so we must do all that is necessary to involve them in decision making even at this young age,” he said.

of the Book, indeed, the early followers of that faith were known as ‘the people of the Book’.

Famous Islamic scholars have stood guardian at the portals of institutions of learning such as the Library of Alexandria. From time immemorial, they pushed forward the frontiers of learning, authored timeless works that today fill the vaults of the famous libraries of Timbuktu which barbarians like Ansar Dine have sought to destroy. Islamic scholars are leading lights in that mission of expanding the mind, a mission that has resulted in your coming together from all corners of the nation, fostering the togetherness of youth across gender, faith, and accident of birth. These pio-

neers confronted and denounced diverse apostles of ignorance and divisiveness, upholding the exhortations of great Islamic teachers such as Abbas Mahmoud El Akkad who declared that “applying the mind is an Islamic duty”, and that using one’s mental faculty is an obligation for all Moslems.

And what goes for Moslems also speaks to followers of other religions or followers of none whatsoever. What binds us all together is that common faculty – the mind – a faculty that identifies us as a living species apart from the common herd, such as those rams and goats that will be slaughtered for feasting when this season of fasting and sacrifice is over. We must not surrender. We must not even accommodate those who believe that our youth exist only for enslavement and arbitrary slaughter. These creatures are not part of us. They belong to no known community of humans.

We must join hands in expelling them from our midst and remain dedicated to that eternal human undertaking - the pursuit of truth and illumination through the exercise of the mind. Once again, Welcome to a warm embrace in the heartland of the Egba people, known for their love of learning, and - Culture.

Message to class of 81

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WARM welcome from your unavoidably absent host to the historic city of Abeokuta, and most especially to this sanctuary of a modest Ijegba Green Belt. My most sincere apologies for my absence – it was one of those obligations that could not be deflected.

To the Moslems among you - Ramadan Mubarak! as you approach the end of the season of fasting, whose virtue as an annual rite for both youth and adults instills a personal discipline and spiritual solidarity that cannot be underestimated. I hope the non-Moslems among you will not take it amiss if I base the core of this brief message on the lesson of this season which symbolises the spirit of sacrifice. I do not have to tell you that never was a nation more in need of reflection and selfless re-dedication than at this moment. You, the youth of our northern communities have borne much, sacrificed much, over and beyond what should be expected at your age. Alas, it is not yet over!

Your presence here testifies to your courage and resilience, and the tenacity of your parents.

Whether we choose to admit it or not, we are assailed by one of the most ruthless enemies of humanity that the nation has ever known. It must be an extremely lucky individual among you from several parts of the North who has not lost a family member, a friend, a mentor, or even acquaintance to the forces of death and destruction known as Boko Haram. You all know that in recent weeks, they have even intensified their campaign of terror and intimidation further south — to Kaduna, and the Plateau. Their message to the rest of us, seemingly insulated, is loud and clear. We are all – involved.

Boko Haram claim to derive their inspiration and commitment to the religion of Islam, but you and I know that they are nothing more than blood-thirsty liars and blasphemers. Their actions brand them as obsessive enemies of learning, enlightenment and indeed, of humanity. My message to you all is therefore straightforward: We must not despair, and we must never submit. We must never forget their victims who must now be counted in thousands. We must dedicate ourselves to the recovery of the missing, the re-

• Artistes during a presentation at Ijegba forest

By Wole Soyinka

CELEBRATION habilitation of the displaced, and the healing of the wounded and traumatised. No matter to what part of the nation we primarily belong, irrespective of whatever religion we espouse, and no matter where we find ourselves in these troubled times, we must link arms and stand against the forces of irredeemable evil, and be guided by pronouncements that promote our common humanity in defiance of a murderous minority.

Islam is a religion that is famous for its love

‘I do not have to tell you that never was a nation more in need of reflection and selfless re-dedication than at this moment. You, the youth of our northern communities have borne much, sacrificed much, over and beyond what should be expected at your age. Alas, it is not yet over! Your presence here testifies to your courage and resilience, and the tenacity of your parents’

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•Participants at the conference in Lagos.

Art scholars and stakeholders converged on Lagos to address the many fundamental issues plaguing artists and the practice of their profession, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

Fresh push for Nigerian art, artists

“H

CONFERENCE

ow do studio masters who live solely on art practice conduct their business? What is the implication of this for curatorial capacity building? How can such ways be integrated into our training programmes for artists in training? Are these masters actually in-charge of the business in Nigeria? Does it not appear as if the field is controlled by some money bags, who dictate to supposed professionals?”

These and many more posers were among issues addressed by different speakers at this year’s international conference on the theme: State of visual arts scholarship in the country in Nigeria in the era of globalism held in Lagos.

For four days, arts scholars drawn from many arts schools across the nation converged simultaneously on two venues in Lagos (Yaba College of Technology and University of Lagos) to discuss salient issues such as quality assurance via quality human capital, curricular review and continuous updating of infrastructures. The conference provided opportunity for participants to interrogate and critically review the recent policy shifts in the education sector, especially as it affects quality of training of artists.

The opening ceremony was held at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos. It was organised by The Society of Non-Fiction Authors of Nigeria (SONFAN) in collaboration with stakeholders in the arts. It opened with a keynote lecture titled: Research and the academic visibility of artists in the ivory tower in Nigeria by Prof Osa Egonwa of Delta State University, Abraka.

Paper presenters spoke on issues ranging from why artists have lost grip of the art market to dictatorial collectors, to dearth of authoritative art publications, how to ensure quality in the graduate programmes in the art schools and state of research in visual art practice.

In his keynote, Prof Egonwa said quality assurance checkmates impurities, which pollute and eventually mortify. He urged par-

ticipants to embrace practices that promote quality, saying that quality assurance, impactful presence and professional engagement of the visual arts for dominion as leaders in the field are key factors.

He also called for the need for establishing a standing leadership forum for leaders in the visual arts, (art and design) in tertiary institutions. “Quality engagement in visual arts studies is the key to the academic and administrative visibility of colleagues in the Ivory Tower. There is the globally referenced College Art Association of America (CAA). Perhaps a Nigerian version may be helpful. Funds for it should be sought and a proper administrative structure put in place before it takes off. There is need for periodic research/practice sharing forum for leaders and followers. There is need to speak up and fight for our rights at relevant levels of governance so we can be empowered to perform better,” he added.

Prof Egonwa observed that over the years, visual art as an academic discipline has witnessed desirable and undesirable developments.

According to him, the limitations range from improper definition of purpose, to mission and vision, nebulous methods of instruction, mixed system of staff hire and fire, wrong research methods, infrastructural and curricular inadequacies and poor text book development. All these, he said, are leading to poor professional engagement of trained artists amongst others. He added that these issues in turn contribute largely to the hesitant acceptance and poor visibility of the Nigerian artist in the academia.

Prof Frank Ugiomoh of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State said historiography of art history demonstrates that the production of knowledge is always historically determined and knows no closure. This realisation, he said, permits artists to understand more fully the interpretations proposed by the scholars of the past, that is, ‘it sensitises us to how the values of their own time coloured their accounts of the past, as it makes us cognisant of the social and political function of our own activity as purveyors of culture.’

“The understanding of history, which previous historical interpretations expose, analysed critically, will always reveal how they are coloured or tainted by differing biases. In the same token, the practice of history in our time may not be different after all from such guilt. But has the compromises that shape the historian’s narrative in any way made history unrealistic? No; for history will remain, from the perspective of post-structuralism, narratives of time, but not the same as the event or object of is not a narrative reproduction of an object of art or event,” he said.

In his lead paper title: A revisionist overview of the historiography of African art history, disciplinary authenticity and western mindset, Prof Ugiomoh explained that where a discipline is wanting in its methodological outline the authenticity of such a discipline is said to be in misery and suffering from self-abnegation. According to him, evaluating the historiography of the history of art opens for the art historian insights into the critique of method, and the how and when a discipline has retooled with regard to its usefulness to humanity.

President Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Mr. Oliver Enwonwu, who commended organisers of the conference said that SNA is in the forefront of supporting programmes in the development of visual art. He noted that the theme of the conference is relevant is relevant today particularly as the world is getting smaller because of internet and as it is geared towards making us to be part of the global village.’

In a 14-point communiqué, the organisers of the conference resolved that research in visual arts should be designed according to the nature of the discipline and that the practice-led or practice-based methods are suitable for the character of knowledge production in the visual arts. Arts curriculum, it said, should be more functional to prepare recipients for the world of work.

The communiqué also resolved among others: •that art exhibitions properly documented are a measure of scholarly productivity, should be used for staff appraisal in tertiary institutions, colleges of education, polytechnic subject to the professional specifications of the Society of Nigerian Artists; •the National Universities Commission (NUC) should note that there is distinction between the literary Ph. D ( in Art History, Religious Studies , Art Criticism, or Art Education ) and the Studio Art Ph.D - drawing and painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, photography and new media ) and this should be reflected in studio art degree curriculum. The MFA and (Ph.D) studio should have an updated benchmark for the sake of Quality Assurance, •All institutions offering visual arts should enforce Classroom – to- Industry Transition in their curricular specifications: ensure that faculty members teach what they are certified to teach, •credit in Fine Arts should no longer compulsorily be a prerequisite for enrolment into B.A, HND, NCE programs in art. Five (5) credit passes in Arts, Social science or Science combinations is adequate. Similarly, mathematics should not be made compulsory for Post Graduate admission requirements.

•Federal and State Ministries of Tourism, Culture, and National Orientation and cognate parastatals should show genuine and as much interests in the advancement of visual arts scholarship as in art and culture festivals. The National Endowment for the Arts already set in motion years ago should be actualised.

Akingbade’s recycling, art at Temple Muse

“I

want to be an artist whose space is limitless. I have always loved to experiment with different objects people normally overlook.

The vibrant digital prints on paper and their unusual hues inspire me to start creating works. I see paper as a unique representation of my graphic design and printing profession, which I try to reflect in my work,” said Adeyinka Akingbade whose solo art exhibition opened last Monday at premier concept store, Temple Muse, in Lagos.

Akingbade, an award winning artist and alumni of the prestigious Yaba College of Technology, used paper waste to create 36 rich, multitextured works, which focus predominantly on portraiture and abstract landscapes.

It reflects the dexterity of an artist who expresses the tenacity of life and relationships by using perforated rubber sheets and tiny paper punched holes to show that Africans need the same tenacity and toughness to survive, as the materials he manipulates.

“I have always loved to experiment with different objects to highlight unique materials one

Stories by Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

VISUAL ART would normally overlook,” explains Akingbade who runs a small graphic design consultancy and printing press. “Working in graphics actually gave birth to the idea of recycling the excess paper waste that is produced during printing for my art.”

Akingbade’s stark simple silhouettes off-set against highly textured white and dark backgrounds portray a fresh and unusual take on “recycling & art”. His world of design overlaps seamlessly with his classical training in painting as his skillful and fascinating use of paper, glue, acrylic, is combined with found objects such as the colorful straps of cheap roadside rubber slippers, which lend a playful attitude, emotion, and personality to his portraits.

Besides these eclectic mixed media works, Akingbade also revealed expertise in print techniques by presenting abstract monoprints with dashes of colour that look almost like Asian

symbols. After graduating in painting, he learned how to do silk and screen printing from well known Nigerian artist Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, one of Akingbade’s mentors.

“We are delighted to present emerging artists like Akingbade during our summer art salon explained exhibition curator Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, who has ensured that many young artists showcase their work along side industry veterans in Temple Muse’s quarterly exhibitions.

After graduating with a Higher National Diploma in painting from the Yaba Institute of Technology in 2008, Akingbade’s eclectic and versatile style drew the attention of the African Artists’ Foundation’s Unbreakable Nigerian Spirit art competition in which he emerged as one of the finalists. In 2010, he was selected to take part in the month long CCA Lagos artist residency programme, Independence and the Ambivalence of Promise, and the following year he won first prize at the Lagos Black Heritage Festival’s Walls of Prison into Fields of Freedom art competition. His first presentation abroad was in 2014 when he exhibited at the 25th Annual

•What do you think?

Festival of the Arts in Chicago, USA. “Its important that we make space for fresh creative minds to exhibit along side Nigerian masters like Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya, and ensure that our discerning audience enjoys the best and brightest that Nigeria has to offer,” concluded Temple Muse Director, Kabir Wadhwani. The exhibition is runs from July 20 to September 4.

51

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

The Midweek Magazine Memories of college days

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

I

F memories are what life is made of, then for alumni of Ilesa Grammar School, a part of their life has be immortally recognised in a book. The book titled, The Story and Memoirs of Ilesa Grammar School, is written by Olaleye Falore, who ironically, did not even attend the school.

Based on heavy research, the book traces how the founding fathers of the Ilesa Grammar School – Egbe Atuluse Ile Ijesa (Ijesa Improvement Society) - made sure the school was established in 1934 with 21 boys who passed an examination conducted on January 18, 1934.

Though, Ilesha had its first primary school, St. John’s Primary School, Iloro, in 1888, for 45 years, schools in Ilesha did not go beyond primary level. The Egbe saw the need to establish a secondary school, to among other things, cater to Ijesa indigenes furthering their education without the additional expense of going too far from home.

Titbits such as choice of location of the school, the appellation of whether it should be ‘High School,’ ‘Grammar School,’ or ‘College’ and how Rev. M.S. Cole, who was supposed to have been the first principal, was ‘hijacked’ and convinced to be principal of Oduduwa College, Ife, on his return of a reconnaissance trip to Ilesha. With facilitates that would be considered crude by modern day standards, Falore tells the story of the humble beginnings of the school.

Some pictures of early school buildings also promise to evoke memories in those familiar with the school.

While, it set out to cater for Ijesa indigenes, the school later metamorphosed into a boarding in its early years, attracting students from diverse ethnic backgrounds and regions. Falore notes that at that period, tribalism and ethnicity were not decimal on the Nigerian fabric. Most likely, the regimented lifestyle provided discipline and ensured camaraderie – the sort, usually noticeable amongst people who spend a lot of quality time together.

In telling the story, Falore deploys copious interviews he had with 68 alumni, former teachers and administrators of the school, many of whom are in their twilight years. And these interviews provide lucid recollections of college days both from the students’ perspectives as well as from those of the administrators. The mood is felt from these interviews such as that with Phillip Umeadi, SAN, (Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria),

BOOK REVIEW From Uzor Maxim Uzoatu Title: The Story and Memoirs of Ilesa Grammar School

Author:

Olaleye Falore

Reviewer: Joe Agbro Jr. Publishers: ATR BOOKWORKS, Ibadan, Oyo State who attended the school between 1945 and 1950.

‘It was very exciting,’ said Umeadi, an easterner, crossed the River Niger for the first time to attend Ilesa Grammar School.

‘It was more of fun to me; meeting people from different background. The boarding house was full of some miscreants from Lagos who were handed over to Rev Lahanmi by their parents or guardians for inculcation of discipline into their psyche.’

The author also captures pranks of students in a chapter titled, Students Were No Angels.

A particular incident tells of a student of the 1965/69 set, O.A, sighted in town by the vice-principal during school hours. The principal made a note of checking on the boy immediately he got to school, only to meet the boy already in the school by the time he got back.

The trick was that he had entered the boot of the vice-principal’s Peugeot 404 car and hitched a ride back to school.

Alighting unnoticed, O.A. quickly removed the red cardigan he was wearing and keeping a straight countenance, walked in sight of a visibly perplexed vice-principal.

The vice-principal asked: ‘Were you

not the boy I saw in town just now?’

‘I, Sir. No Sir,’ replied O.A. ‘But, I saw you just now?’

‘Not I, Sir. It couldn’t have been me,’ asserted O.A as he walked away from the vice-principal and headed for his classroom to join his mates.’

The chapter contains various hilarious recollections of jokes, anecdotes and pranks which are the stuff school reunions for old students are made of.

The book also gets the views of staff – both academic and non-academic.

And the modifications each of the 17 principals to have steered affairs made to shape Ilesha Grammar School to its current shape is detailed in chronological order in a chapter titled The Principals of Old. One gets to know, for instance that the pioneer Principal Rev Canon E. C. Doherty (1934 – 1936), who was famed for wearing academic gowns to assemblies on Wednesday mornings, took the school from a rented apartment to its permanent site by its second year of existence and that the second principal Rev N. O. A. Lahanmi (1939 – 1953) exhibited kindness to indigent students, allowing them to continue at school without paying the fees.

That Falore has documented moments of Ilesa Grammar School will no doubt be appreciated by a large number of old students, many like Alhaji Lateef Jakande (former Lagos State governor), Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe (former University of Lagos vice-chancellor and present vice-chancellor of Federal University Ndufu Alike, Ikwo), Chief Sonny Odogwu (Ide Ahaba of Asaba and an insurance magnate), Dr. Dimeji Alo (Director General Chief Executive of Financial Institutions Training Centre, Lagos) who later became prominent members of the society.

This is captured in the glowing testimonies of some of the interviewed old students.

‘What I’m today is due to the Spartan discipline which I got from my parents and which was continued at Ilesa Grammar School,’ said Hon. Justice Kayode Eso (1940 – 1944), a retired Justice of the Supreme Court.

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Hon Justice S. M. Alfa Belgore (1951 – 1956), an old student who wrote the foreword of the book, said, ‘If I were to come to this world again, I would certainly want to be a student of Ilesa Grammar School. It is the best school in the world, you know. No regret.’

While many non-alumni may not agree with such assertions, the author, with presentation of fluid prose based studious research and interviews, has managed to evoke a sense of nostalgia of how Ilesa Grammar School became a cherished memory for those who walked through it.

DR. OLUDARE’S 60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

• Proprietor Oludare Hospital, Dr Patrick Dele Oludare (carrying his grand child) and his wife cutting the cake marking his 60th birthday in Akure, Ondo State

CYAN’S ORB

‘Don’t touch the walls’ From Cyan Frank-Hanachor

I

RESTLESSLY scanned the hall where parents had been invited to witness the “graduation” of their children from primary school. I panned out, thoroughly bored at the long-winded speeches and slowly brought my eyes to focus on the walls. Transfixed, I starred fixedly at the fascinating colour scheme.

It was a pleasant yellow colour - a cross between the gold of caramel and the honey of mustard! It was a warm, evenly splayed hue that made me grin, remembering some of those ”other” houses with moldy ,water - logged walls and paint hastily splashed on to maintain appearances or as a subterfuge to collect more rent by “shylock” landlords!

I identified with the smooth texture of the walls and the ambience of the flawless finish of the interior of the building.

Suitably mollified, I allowed my mind to wander back to just the same gathering of parents at another schools’ instance, last summer, in the first purpose-built school hall in these parts!

I’d been bowled over by their resourcefulness and touching consideration for the plight of these children who stand for hours in all weather for peremptory talks by an insensitive school management and their accomplices ! I’m referring to none other than the obviously inept public speaker intent on propagating his over-ambitious aspirations on a next to nil public image, on the free platform each of our enterprising “business- owner “ offers the plethora eagerly wanting to carve their names on the over-crowded firmament of opportunism!

Always out for a profit, for a fee, they proudly pass them off to the gullible parents with their oft-vaunted, superior professional wisdom, insisting on “the merits of motivational or inspirational education” administered to toddlers standing under the scorching sun!

I’d thoroughly loved the “novelty” of the idea and didn’t miss an opportunity to pass off this professional tidbit to other school proprietors / proprietresses on the need to “plug” into this wonderful “innovation” that would echo their refinement and culture and fine-tune their operational delivery!

The hall had only recently been completed and sparsely furnished but what caught my eyes were the walls! It was a rich fresco of fine-grained , coloured sand, papered over by whatever building technology to a lush, warm backdrop for the predominantly adult audience!

In keeping with what I later discovered to be their “best” tradition, the kids were sequestered in a canopy a distance from the main event.The walls were a beautiful mosaic that made the hall seem warm and smoothening.It seemed to hum with a quiet charm and well-being!

I would fix my stare repeatedly on the even texture and sigh at the wonderful creative license, modernity affords us all – especially to the discerning! Then I espied it - plaques strategically placed around the hall with the message,” DON’T TOUCH THE WALLS”!

I inwardly groaned wondering why walls should hold us captive when there’s a whole world of living out there!

I thought it ended there! To my hurt, I soon discovered that those infernal plaques ran through the length of the whole school –a primary and nursery school? A school with plaques with “ DON’T TOUCH THE WALLS”, even extending to the restricted, allotted area for recreational activities!

Where’s the freedom of these kids to self-expression and unbridled play? What are the chances of aesthetics against ”creative license”? Cloistered behind “steel” walls and a marble façade paid for by their parent’s honest to goodness sweat and blood as against mere mortar festooned with an array of colourful , attractive pastels which the kids could comfortably lean on and natter during ”recess” or rub against as they tore down corridors which bore the dust of the five years of the school’s existence!

“DON’T TOUCH THE WALLS” ,in a school with young children dropped off daily by undiscerning parents who’re repeatedly fobbed off at repeated demands to come into their children’s classrooms with the remarkably insensitive excuse that “we don’t encourage distractions during classes”!

Where does the child get off being held captive with his/ her parents connivance? That criminal – that juvenile whose childhood was either stolen , wrecked or never was, simply because invisible ,steel clamps were placed around his heart and tightly squeezed until he became a caged animal behind the bars that kept him and this other kid you’re sending over to “ DON’T TOUCH THE WALLS” ,what real differences are there ?

He’d be brow-beaten, flogged, berated and abused for doing something as fundamentally free as touching the wall - trust me! He’d be locked up in the classroom during ”recess” so he doesn’t splay his ”grimy”, little fingers on their ”pristine” walls – trust me, it’s been known to happen!

The “erring” child is warned on the pain of death to “keep what happens in school, in school “ ,to keep those ”meddling” parents in their place! Let’s hope it stops at that!

Parents, have a care! Your right as a parent and your child’s are inviolable - insist on them! Take time to go into those classrooms that from the exterior seem pleasant and comfortable! Don’t just be content to drop off your child at the school’s entrance and drive away! Be prepared to pay impromptu visits to check and see where “that person’s child “,sits in the six hours you’re at your desk job!

Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope he’s not sitting on a chair that screams,” DON’T TOUCH THAT CHAIR”! All too true but painful!

Email: scionofpapyrus@gmail.com. Tel: 08134283539

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

52

TheThe Midweek Magazine Midweek Magazine

E-mail:E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Philanthropist Modupe Ozolua’s efforts at rehabilitating Boko Haram’s victims has got a key endorsement –that of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, recently hospitalised, who has found time to send a message, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME.

Desmond Tutu supports Rise Above Terror campaign

•Ozolua standing beside an armoured vehicle

D

ESPITe his health challenges, South African social rights activist, Nobel laureate and patron of Empower54, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 83, who has been living with prostate cancer for 15 years, still shows strong interest in matters affecting Nigerians, especially victims of Boko Haram. He is reaching out to Nigerians through Modupe Ozolua’s NGO, Empower54’s Rise Above Terror campaign, preaching peace and religious tolerance.

In his emotional message to victims of Boko Haram, he said ‘we are members of one human family born for goodness, for

•Rev Tutu

ADVOCACY love and inter-dependence’ with no one being superior or inferior to the other. He also pledged whole-hearted support to Empower54’S Rise Above Terror campaign.

He said: “My dear sisters and brothers, although our skins may be different colours, we may speak different languages, and subscribe to different cultures and religions; we are members of one family. The human family. God’s family. We are born for goodness. For love and inter-dependence.

Non-superior. Non-inferior. God carries us all.”

According to him, ‘terrorism has become a word familiar even to innocent children.

Indeed in West Africa, terrorists specifically target children. Many of us have heard of Boko Haram’s cruelty, the innocent lives taken, girl-children kidnapped, families rendered homeless and destitute in their own land, stripped of hope, freedom and dignity.’

The man of God went on: “We have seen on our television screens the anguish of parents uprooted and robbed of their most precious possessions. Their anguish is our anguish and God’s anguish is the father’s and mother’s pain. Yet, the authors of all our anxiety are members of our family too.

Born in innocence and goodness of love.

Human beings have the unique gifts to reason, reconcile, restore and repair. To resolve what may appear irresolvable. I am proud to be the Patron of Empower54, which rehabilitates internally displaced women and children in Nigeria by supporting the women to become selfsufficient and establishing schools for their children.

“Princess Modupe Ozolua and her Empower54 team are enabling survivors of terrorism to regain independence, rekindle their faith in humanity. I therefore whole-heartedly support their Rise Above Terror campaign, and ask you to do the same.”

Oyo sanitises hospitality

O

YO State government officials are inspecting hotels, event centres, night clubs, restaurants and other public facilities.

The move, the government said, is to boost revenue and ensure compliance with the laws guiding the operations of hotels and allied organisations in the hospitality industry.

The visit to hotels, part of the yearly routine monitoring and inspection of establishments in the hospitality sector, was carried out by officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Bunmi Babalola, in Ibadan, the state capital.

Over 20 hotels, event centres, night clubs and other hospitality enterprises were visited.

Babalola said the operation, which is continuous, was expected to boost revenue from the hospitality sector, adding that it would ensure compliance with the law and regulations guiding the hospitality sector.

“As the chief regulators of the industry in the state, we have to move round to ensure that standards are maintained; to re-emphasise the need for operators of this sector to report questionable characters to law enforcement agencies and also expedite action on the payments of all outstanding levies to the government.

“On the issue of security, we enlightened

•From left: General Manager, Oyo State Tourism Board, Mr Ashaolu; Manging Director, Carlton Gate Hotels Ltd., Otunba Olumide Osunsina; Dr Babalola and Director of Tourism, Mrs Ajoke Agboola, during the visit.

W A D S R A

HOSPITALITY

them on the need to complement the efforts of the state government on safety of lives and properties of people in the state by their provision of a micro security arrangement that will cater for their immediate environment and the response was good as we observed that most of them are security conscious,” he added.

The Permanent Secretary harped on the need for prompt payments of yearly renewal dues and other levies, warning that recalcitrant operators and other defaulting establishments would be appropriately sanctioned, urging operators to do adequate checking of their customers.

He said: “We appreciate the hoteliers and other allied enterprises in this sector for partnering with the state in the area of job creation. However, I want to say categorically that the govern-

ment will not tolerate any hotel that fails to comply with the standard of operations and prompt payment of all dues. Compliance will empower the government to expedite action on the ongoing urban renewal projects across the state, which will in turn be a boost to tourism development in the state and expectedly, a concomitant boom in hotel patronages.”

He, however, assured that the inspection would be extended to Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, and other zones in the state.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

53

BUSINESS EXTRA Kwara disburses N1.2b to MSMEs

K

WARA State has disbursed over N1.2b to traders, farmers, as well as artisans under its empowerment programme, the Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, has said.

Ahmed who stated this at the opening of Brightway Microfinance Bank in Ilorin, said the money was disbursed through 10 Microfinance Banks across the state.

He said the scheme has enhanced inclusive banking, adding that financial services have been extended “to more than 50,000 individuals and 2,500 cooperatives who would otherwise have been excluded from banking serv-

ices.”

Ahmed said arrangements have also been completed to inject additional funds into the program so that more entrepreneurs and youths would start or expand their business, development, he explained that would create employment for more people in the State.

The governor advised commercial and microfinance banks “to design services and products that are suitable and affordable to MSMEs. He added that such services should include affordable microfinance facilities with low interest rates that would be appealing to entrepreneurs.

Peak unveils ‘Peak Reach for Millions’ promo • To produce 60 millionaires in 60 days

A

S part of Peak’s 60th anniversary celebration, Friesland Campina WAMCO, is set to reward its consumers for 60 years of patronage and loyalty. 60 millionaires will be made in 60 days. The promo will run from July 27 and end in September this year.

Its Marketing Director, Tarang Gupta, said the reason for the promotion is to deepen the brand’s love with its loyal consumers who have been with the brand ‘from generation to generation.’

“This 60th anniversary and consumer promotion, seek to reward consumers for their loyalty towards Peak by creating winners and millionaires everyday for 60 days. We are partnering with First Monie and FirstBank, our financial partner to disburse cash rewards to all winners and issue surprise cash to early entrants.

He said the company wants the brand love to be reinforced as “Peak keeps its promise of being with them all the way, especially in the pursuit of their dreams, by rewarding them with money to make their dreams become reality,” he said.

Gupta, in explaining modalities for the promo, said it is open to all from any part of the country, “except

its workers and consultants.

“To participate in the promo, consumers must buy any Peak milk product. On every pack purchased, there is a ‘unique code’ starting with ‘BN’ (èBN & code). Participants should text the code found on each pack to 55331; e.g. text BNRF205159 to 55331. An immediate engagement reply follows to guide the consumers on their millionaire journey,” he said.

Successful entries by the first 500,000 consumers will be instantly rewarded with 100 naira credited into their e-wallet courtesy of First Monie, the financial partner.

“Winners will be selected daily through secured random draws. Every lucky winner gets a claim code that will be sent directly to their mobile phone number. Every winner will be directed to selected First Bank branch in their location to redeem his or her cash winning.

“For redemption, consumers will be required to present used packs of Peak Milk range as proof of purchase at selected First Bank Branches with a confirmed winning code to redeem their cash prizes after a thorough verification for the codes and empty packs,” Gupta said.

Fed Govt moves against rice waiver beneficiaries T HE Federal Govern ment has vowed to go after rice importers who enjoyed waivers to import but exceeded the quota granted them.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday during a stakeholders’ meeting with officials of Paddy Rice Producing States and Rice Value Chain Investors, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr Godwin Emefiele, said the government has resolved “to go after rice importers who defaulted in the payment of customs duty after bringing in excess quotas of the product into the country at concessionary rates.”

The CBN he said would take the matter with President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the money is paid. Emefiele said: “By exceeding their import quota, these rice importers have flooded the Nigerian market with rice that are sold below what is produced locally thus making consumers to ignore the locally produced ones.

Go and pay; you are taking a big risk and don’t wait for the big stick to be wielded on you. Just go and pay.”

He assured the rice producers that the bank would work closely with the Nige-

From Nduka Chiejina (Asst.

Editor) and Chioma Onyia, Abuja

rian Customs Service to address the issue of smuggling.

Earlier, Emefiele had said $2.41 billion was spent by Nigeria to import rice into the country between January 2012 and May this year. To this end, he said there will be no reversal of the ban on forex for importation of certain items stressing that “those who are nursing the thought that the bank’s decision on forex ban for importation of rice, fish and other items would be reversed should forget such as the bank has no plans to do so.”

He lamented that the massive importation of rice “had resulted in huge unsold stock of paddy rice cultivated by our farmers and low operating capacities of many integrated rice mills in Nigeria.”

To support local production of rice, Emefiele said the CBN, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has agreed to come up with a comprehensive fi-

nancing model to support rice millers and other investors in the sector.

The need to intervene in the sector with this funding and other packages Emefiele said “was borne out of the fact that the country can never achieve its true potentials by importing everything it can produce locally.”

The CBN he said would make funds available to rice farmers through some of its funding programmes such as the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme and the N220 billion Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund.

This fund, he said “would be made available to the rice farmers through the Microfinance Banks at an interest rate of nine percent” but he urged farmers to report to the CBN any microfinance bank that charges interests above the stipulated rate.

The CBN governor appeal to state governments “to provide lands for the farmers on a large scale and we will work with them to clear some of these

impediments. We are at a stage where we must feed our selves and all hands must be on deck to ensure this works.”

Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, who spoke on behalf of the 10 major paddy rice producing states of Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Taraba, Zamfara, Nasarawa and Niger, assured that they would do everything possible to support the CBN intervention.

He said rice producing states in Nigeria “have enough capacity to produce rice that would help the country attain self-sufficiency as well as for export purpose.”

Earlier, the rice millers had called on the government to address some of the bottlenecks affecting rice production in Nigeria. The areas they identified include bigger fields for production, funding, access to land, establishment of more rice mills, increase in capacity of existing mills, investment in research, irrigation facility, stable rice policy that would be agreed to by all stakeholders and the need to tackle issue of smuggling.

• From left: Director-General, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), Mrs. Joyce Akpata; Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Mr. Segun Awolowo; President NBCC, Prince Dapo Adelegan, and Honourary Life Vice President NBCC, Asiwaju Fola Osibo during the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NBCC and NEPC in Abuja.

UK, Nigeria push for more investments

U

NITED Kingdom and Nigeria yesterday launched a major joint investment and development initiative aimed at boosting investment and capital flows between the two countries by deepening and widening access to both Nigerian and London capital markets.

The high-level initiative under the Nigeria-United Kingdom (UK) Capital Markets Project yesterday launched its inaugural report and further consolidated a nationwide stakeholders’ consultative engagement with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Lagos State Government.

The Nigeria-United Kingdom (UK) Capital Markets Project was an offshoot of the UK’s Emerging Capital Markets Taskforce (ECMT), which aimed at fostering innovative collaboration between government, the private sector and UK missions overseas, and the Nigeria Delivery Group, which included capital market operators, regulators and subject

• Joint commission launches long-term plan

By Taofik Salako and Miriam Ekene-Okoro

matter experts.

At the presentation and consultative ceremonies at the Lagos House, Ikeja, and the NSE, Governor of Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; president, NSE, Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede and former Lord Mayor of London, Sir Roger Gifford, who are both co-chairs of the EMCT, underlined the importance of the joint initiative to Nigeria-UK relationship and pledged the commitments to take necessary actions to implement recommendations that would lead to development of the capital markets. Gifford had visited Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr, Yemi Osinbajo.

The inaugural report titled ‘Nigerian capital market – legal and regulatory review and recommendations’ highlighted the imperatives for sustained and deliberate actions to strengthen market infrastructure, legal and

regulatory framework and national capital market policies with the overarching aim of deepening the market capacity and attracting domestic and international investments.

The report called for establishment of a broad industry platform that comprises of all capital market operators to forge a common front for the market development as well as implementation of action plans that would lead to greater disclosures and corporate governance and reduced costs of transactions in the market.

The report, among others, underlined the need for efficient and reliable dispute resolution mechanism, tax reforms, investors’ education and additional incentives to deepen capital market.

Governor Ambode said the Nigeria-United Kingdom (UK) Capital Markets Project has the potential to greatly impact the transformational development of the Nigerian capital market and bring economic growth to

the country.

He pledged the commitment of the Lagos State Government to work for the realization of the objectives of the project noting that Lagos State has an important role to play in this process, not just as the host of key market platforms including the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NASD, FMDQ OTC, but as the largest issuer of sub- sovereign bonds in the Nigeria capital market”.

“The capital market has indeed played an important role in the ability of Lagos State to achieve the level and pace of growth we have witnessed over the last decade. The capital markets can however provide the more robust capital flows into the various economic sectors; not just for the state government, but the millions of young entrepreneurs who see Lagos as a place where they can realize their hopes and dreams, by empowering our Small and Medium Scale Enterprises(SMEs) and large companies with greater access to longer term capital and intro-

ducing innovative financial product,” Ambode said.

According to him, Lagos State clearly understands the vital role it plays in providing investor confidence through the delivery of an efficient judicial dispute resolution and arbitration system and it is further committed to working with Nigerian stakeholders to achieve relevant recommendations within the purview of the state.

Gifford said the initiative would allow for greater access to funding for Nigerian companies and enhance investment opportunities for individuals and institutions in Nigeria and UK, thereby creating a chain of benefits for all stakeholders.

He noted that the report focuses on four areas of integrity of the market, regulatory infrastructure, capacity building and market development.

“The report reviews and makes recommendations for reforms that would deepen the Nigeria capital Market and attract both domestic and international institution player. This is essential to the benefit of Nigeria as we also hope it would

• Ambode

be to the benefit of the international institutions,” Gifford said.

Aig-Imoukhuede said the initiative represents a collective action to engender long-term development of the Nigerian capital market noting that significant time and effort been put into the research and delivery of the.

“I look forward to working with the delivery unit and all other stakeholders to take forward the recommendations of this report and am particularly happy to see the level of interest within the group to institutionalize this new structure for long-term benefit,” AigImoukhuede said.

54

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 28-07-15

Regional integration: West African capital markets strike first deal

T

HE first phase of the integration of the West African capital markets has successfully taken off with the completion of the first trade between Nigeria-based stockbroking firm and Ghana-based stockbroking firm under the West African Capital Market Integration (WACMI) Programme.

The first direct trade between the two countries was between Nigeria’s United Capital Securities and Ghana’s CAL Brokers, enabled by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).

Other West African stock exchanges such as Bourse Regionale des Valeurs Mobilieres SA are expected to initiate similar deals which could be worth an additional $2 million a day in capital market liquidity to the Nigerian market.

The West African Capital Markets Integration Council (WACMIC) confirmed the first trade yesterday. WACMIC was established to harmonize a regulatory environment for the issuance and trading of securities across the West-African sub region.

With this, stockbrokers in WACMI member countries can now trade on behalf of their clients and settle securities in

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

Nigeria through local sponsoring brokers.

Chairman, West African Capital Market Integration Council (WACMIC), Edoh Kossi Amenounve, lauded the take off of the first phase and urged market participants across the region to actively support in the realization of the integration objectives.

“Therefore, the support of all stakeholders across the West African capital markets is key to the success of the regional capital market integration program, which is gaining ground,” Kossi Amenounve said.

Chief executive officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, said the inaugural trade affirmed the commitment of the NSE to regional integration and highlights the Exchange’s resolve to partner with relevant bodies that will provide its various stakeholders’ with platforms that will make them globally competitive.

“Through initiatives like this, we look forward to more cross border activities that will increase liquidity in the Nigerian capital markets, while strengthening our peers in West Africa. I extend my sincere congratulations to all parties that made this

deal a reality,” Onyema said.

In her comment, group chief executive officer, United Capital, Oluwatoyin Sanni, said United Capital is fully committed to the objectives of the WACMI programme.

“Having participated on the WACMI Technical Committee since inception, we are truly honoured to conduct this groundbreaking trade with CAL Brokers, a member of the Ghana Stock Exchange. This underscores our unwavering aspiration to make our excellent services available, in due course, to every African state, entity, and individual,” Sanni said.

Chief executive officer, CAL Brokers, David Tetteh, noted that the landmark trade was in line with the firm’s ambition to provide world-class investment services that adds value to all stakeholders.

“We are happy to have laid the foundation blocks for this great initiative and we look forward to the overall success of the WACMI. After pioneering Direct Market Access (DMA) in 2009, Cal Brokers is extremely proud of its continued role in the deepening of Capital Markets in the West African sub-region,” Tetteh said.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 28-07-15

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

55

MONEYLINK

Visa posts $7.4tr annual transaction volume

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ISA Incorporated, a global payment technology company, has said its annual products-based transactions reached $7.4 trillion in March this year.

Speaking during the inauguration of Card Security Week Campaign in Lagos, Business Development Leader, Visa West Africa, Emezino Afiegbe, said the firm is making huge investments in security of its transactions to ensure that the confidence and trust that card users have on the company continue to rise.

He said the dream of Visa is to make payment more convenient and secure for customers. “The fear of fraud remains one of the major barriers to card usage in Nigeria and many other markets. We believe that greater awareness of the security measures in place and the advancements in card security will boost consumers’ confidence to embrace e-payment,” he said.

He said that Visa, which has over 60 years experience in payment technol-

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Stories by Collins Nweze

ogy, always wants to keep a step ahead of fraudsters. He said that the reliability of Visa network over the years has increased the confidence of card users in the technology.

Also speaking at the event, Risk Services Director, Sub-Sahara, Visa International, Nita Omanga, noted that Visa payment cards are loaded with security features that keep customers protected and minimize their chance of falling victim to fraudsters.

“The tough yet subtle security features are present on all Visa cards and are complemented by anti-fraud measures run in the background on both Visa and bank systems. Although tiny, the square microchip embedded in chip-enabled type of cards is one of the most powerful weapons against fraud. The microchip is virtually impossible to duplicate and powerful encryption prevents unauthorised access to information stored on it, making electronic payments safer than ever before,” she said.

She said that Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV) chip and pin cards are difficult to penetrated by fraudsters, because it comes with dynamic

data.

“Each transaction carries a unique ‘stamp’, which prevents the transaction data from being fraudulently reused, even if the data or the card is stolen. This saves banks and consumers from losing money through fraud.

She listed other security features found in the EMV chip and pin cards as the Card Verification Value (CVV), which is a set of three numbers printed on the back of the card either alone or as the final three numbers in a long string of digits.

She explained that the signature panel on the back of the Visa card has a tamperproof design, which ensures that signature on the card is not erased.

Omanga Visa also performs real-time fraud monitoring. This means that every time a consumer uses his or her card, the transaction is checked for unusual activity on the VisaNet system.

She explained that the use of plastic cards in Africa and most especially Nigeria has been rising with consumers shifting from cash and cheques.

“There has also been a no-

Wigwe, others link quality healthcare to economic devt

HE Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, has called on African institutions to promote practices that ensure the citizenry get improved healthcare and engender economic development.

Speaking at the 2015 Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA) Technical Forum jointly hosted

by Access Bank and GBCHealth in Lagos, the bank chief said although there has been rapid reduction in malaria prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, the disease is still responsible for over 500,000 deaths globally, 90 per cent of which take place in sub-Saharan Africa.

Wigwe said, “As a bank, we have committed ourselves to finding new ways to sustainably support the efforts of government, non-profits, medical and

pharmaceutical companies as they work to prevent and treat diseases, especially those which disproportionately affect Africans.

“We have worked closely with our technical partners to train over 3,000 Small Medium Enterprises from across Africa to implement workplace health policies that would promote behavioural change towards treatable diseases and ensure a ripple effect from top to bottom.

“We are convinced that if the private sector considers the long term, they will see that there is an opportunity in the health sector to both do good and to deliver returns to shareholders.”

He said that by working with partners like GBCHealth and the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, among others, the bank would continuously provide African leadership in order to secure a better future for the health of the people.

“My vision, and that of Access Bank, is for a world where a child born in Africa has the same life chances as a child born anywhere else in the world. I really don’t think that is ambitious; I think that it is just what every child deserves.

“By working together as public and private partners, we can truly improve the health of Africa. This, however, places a huge demand on us all to seek, develop, implement new or scale up existing strategies and mechanisms for the elimination of malaria in the region,” the CEO said.

President of the GBCHealth, the co-host of the CAMA 2015, Nancy Wildfeir-Field, said her organisation was concerned with accomplishing Millennium Development Goals 4, 5, and 6, hence its collabora-

Skye Bank emerges ‘Most Supportive Bank of The Year’

•Skye Bank CEO Timothy Oguntayo

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table increase in the usage of cards at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and at Point of Sale (POS terminals).

Using debit cards for everyday purchases offers greater security, control and convenience compared to cash; it is also one way of ensuring personal finances are managed effectively with minimal costs for the cardholder,” she added.

She said that by championing safe financial transactions, Visa has undertaken to align its business strategy with the vision to transform Nigeria through six priority sectors including financial services.

She urged consumers to never share, write down or save their Personal Identification Number (PIN); to always cover the keypad at an ATM or a retailer with one hand to stop people observing your PIN – stop the ‘shoulder surfers’ and also not to allow people to distract them or offer to help at an ATM. “Walk away from an ATM if you feel unsafe & avoid using ATMs at night, particularly in remote areas,” she advised.

KYE Bank Plc has been named the most supportive Bank in Nigeria by Owena Press Limited, publishers of the Ondo State owned newspaper, The Hope.

The lender won the award during the 2015 Hope Newspaper Award of Excellence held at Blissworld Hotel, Ijapo Estate, Akure, the Ondo State capital at the weekend.

The award which was

powered by Owena Press Limited in conjunction with Royal Decision Limited, was to identify, reward and celebrate individuals and corporate organisations in Nigerian economy who have done a lot for. Skye Bank was recognised to have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and momentum in the markets they operate.

According to the organiser of the award, “In winning this award, Skye Bank stands out not only because of its stellar performance but by its ability to define what its core strengths are, abide by these strengths and contributing to the development of its immediate environment.”

Skye Bank had, during the 2014 financial year, undertaken the renovation of public primary school classrooms across the country, as well as donated computers, chairs and tables to those schools to improve the environment for learning and teaching through a social responsibility

scheme powered by its staff members.

The Regional Manager, Skye Bank, Mr. Rasheed Yusuf, who received the award on behalf of the bank, said “We are humbled and proud to be recognised as the ‘Most supportive bank of the year ’.

Appreciating the organiser of the event, Yusuf assured that the valuable award will spur the bank to do more in the area of performing its social responsibilities. He further disclosed that the bank recently presented a bus and 25 sets of computers to the newly established Federal Polytechnic, Ile-oluji in Ondo State.

The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Laoye Adegoke commended the management of the Owena Press for organising the award programme to celebrate hard work, diligence and outstanding virtue.

tion with other businesses that share the same vision.

Stressing the impacts of malaria on the economy, Wildfeir-Field said businesses were being made to bear the kind of financial burdens they ought not to bear, ordinarily.

Using the cost of illness approach to evaluate the burden of malaria, experts lament that an average of about three days are lost by a sick adult, about two days by the care taker; while on the average, a sick student misses about two school days.

Wildfeir-Field said in order to meet the 2020 date set for the elimination of malaria in endemic regions, government, non-governmental organisations and businesses must partner to achieve the desired goal.

She said that integrated solutions would be needed to solve the problems of resistance, and make genuine treatment accessible and affordable.

Banks, insurance operators, others to get LCCI recognition

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ANKS, insurance op erators and pension fund managers are among the segment of the business community that will be recognised at the second Annual Lagos Chamber for Commerce & Industry (LCCI) Awards holding next month in Lagos.

In a statement, the group said exercise will recognize the most impactful companies from various sectors of the economy. It said the annual event would recognise, promote and celebrate private and public institutions operating in Nigeria for best business practices, growth through innovations, business sustainability and positive impact on the society.

“The LCCI Awards prides itself as the most credible, competitive and inclusive award in the Nigerian private sector. With over 350 entries from prestigious corporations in different sectors, LCCI will be handing out a total of 20 awards to deserving companies/ organizations at the event holding on August 8 in Lagos,” it said in a statement.

The awards will be hosted

by Beat 99.9 FM on-air personality, Olisa Adibua and Rhythm 93.7 FM on-air personality, Toke Makinwa.

Performances for the event will be by Project Fame win-

ner, Geoffrey Oji, Atunga Entertainment cultural dance troupe and girl group, R-Cube.

With over 1,700 members, the LCCI promotes trade and conducts business/ policy advocacy. It also recognizes deserving corporate organisations and public institutions who contributed meaningfully to the development of commerce & Industry in different sectors of the Nigerian economy on annual basis.

Within the banking sector, winners will emerge in the ‘SMEs Lender of the Year’, and ‘Agricultural Sector Lender of the Year’ categories. In the insurance category, there will be ‘Award for Promptness in Claim Settlement’ while pension managers will get ‘Award for Mass Mobilization of Pension Asset’.

Electronic payment companies will be rewarded with ‘Award for Sustaining Security of E-payment Transactions’; Award for Positive impact on the society through CSR & Service Quality for the telecom sector while the Upstream Oil and Gas Sector Award for Fastest Growing Upstream Operator and the Award for Best Customer Service & Strategic Location of Outlets for the downstream oil sectors will also follow among others.

Western Union’s Paymap fined $38.4m

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AYMAP Inc, a unit of Western Union Co , agreed to pay $38.4 million to settle US regulatory charges that it deceived consumers into signing up for a program advertised as a way to help them pay off their mortgages faster and save on interest payments.

Reuters quoted the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau saying Paymap, a payment processor, will pay a $5 million civil fine, and return $33.4 million in fees to 125,000 consumers who had enrolled since July 2011 in the Equity Accelerator Program.

LoanCare LLC, a residential mortgage servicer, will pay a related $100,000 civil fine. Neither company admitted or denied the CFPB’s charges.

The CFPB said Paymap and LoanCare advertised online, by mail and by phone that typical consumers who signed up for the Equity Accelerator Program would save more than $33,000 in interest by making mortgage payments biweekly rather than monthly.

Instead, the program did not make the more frequent payments, and no more than a “tiny” percentage of enrollees realized the promised savings, the CFPB said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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NEWS Buhari decries non-payment of teachers’ salaries

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ISTURBED by the non-payment of teachers’ salaries in some states, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday decried the situation.

He spoke through a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, who said the President raised the concern after receiving a briefing from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala.

Shehu said the President urged the three tiers of government to be more mindful of their responsibilities to the payment of teachers’ salaries on time.

He described as unfortunate that the non-payment of salaries had resulted in strikes by teachers in some states The media aide quoted Buhari as saying that the worst harm any state government could cause its citizens was to deny them quality education.

The statement reads: “It then means that their citizens will be denied a chance to compete with others at the centre. Socially, it is very, very bad, if not irresponsible.”

Nwaobiala had briefed the President on the current activities of her ministry as well as its challenges, including funding and insecurity in some parts of the country.

NLC advises Service Chiefs on insecurity

Suspects get trial date for alleged oil bunkering T

HE Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday fixed September 28 for the trial of 10 persons and a vessel, MV Peace, who were charged with dealing in a petroleum product without licence.

They were arrested for dealing in 200 metric tons of Automated Gas Oil (AGO) without documentation from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Justice Mohammed Idris granted them bail for N2 million each.

Their sureties, the judge said, must be property owners in Lagos and must swear to an affidavit of means, which must be verified.

By Joseph Jibueze

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the defendants conspired to commit the crime on April 4.

They are the vessel’s captain James Abatan, Wasiu Owonikoko, Patrick Ameh, Johnson Ademola, Felix Otto, Chigozie Oguike, Olu Salisu, Jomo Gadagbe, Kunle Saheed and Rasheed Adio.

The alleged offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 3 (1) (6) (17) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap

M17, 2004.

The accused were said to have stored the products without lawful authority, an offence contrary to Section 4 of the Petroleum Act of 2004.

Justice Idris upheld defence counsel Dada Awoshika’s submission that the alleged offence was bailable.

The judge said the effect of granting bail was not to set the suspects free, but to enable them attend trial conveniently since they are still presumed innocent until proven guilty.

EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo said the Navy arrest-

ed the accused persons.

He said when DPR analysed the vessel, it found AGO on it, but the accused persons were unable to produce genuine license authorising them to deal in the product.

Oyedepo said the vessel is owned by a company called D Dove Oil and Maritime Services Limited with its registered address at Plot 2, Lateef Jakande Road, Agindingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to him, when EFCC operatives visited the company, they could not find its directors, who he said must have hurriedly relocated to another location.

He said other suspects in the case are still at large.

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

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HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday congratulated the Service Chiefs and urged them to fight insecurity in the country.

In his letter to the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ete Ekwe, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, urged him to redouble efforts at combating the entrenched criminal activities within Nigeria’s territorial waters and coastal areas.

According to him, “it is important for the Nigeria Navy to redouble its efforts in safeguarding not only the lives and property of innocent Nigerians, but also critical economic assets.”

Wabba expressed concern over the activities of oil thieves, pipeline and oil facilities vandals and armed militants, who constitute a major threat to economic lifeline.

NLC asked the Chief of Naval Staff to use his office to address the perception that some officers of the Nigeria military collude with criminal elements that operate within Nigeria’s waters and coastal areas.

The letter added that “we expect that you will purge the Navy of these few elements within your ranks that put into question the exemplary commitment, gallantry and sense of patriotism of majority of your men.”

In another letter to the Chief of Army Staff, Major Gen T.Y. Buratai, the NLC President urged the Nigeria Army on scaling up military intelligence to win the fight against Boko Haram.

The congress urged the army to win the confidence of those who live in the vicinity of the war front.

Wabba noted that “it also demonstrates the preparedness of the Nigeria military to protect people and communities who provide counter-insurgency intelligence from backlash Boko Haram.”

Reps to Buhari: make Jonathan’s handover note public

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HE House of Representatives has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to make public the handover notes of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The lawmakers said public display of the document would allow Nigerians the knowledge of the state of the nation as at May 29.

The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of prayers of a motion by Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (PDP, Abia), who noted that the public knowledge of such document is in tune with the transparency and accountability posturing of Buhari’s administration.

The lawmakers urged the presidency to publish the handover note as well as accompanying documents of the former administration in the official gazette of the Federation, except information restricted by law.

They said it would enable interested Nigerians and other residents access it for information and record purposes.

The lawmakers also demanded for copies of the handover note for all members of the National Assembly to enable them determine, individually or collectively, the state of the nation as at May 29.

In his argument, NkemAbonta said it was only officials of the Presidency that have access to the document because of certain extant laws.

He, however, explained that it was worrisome that Federal lawmakers, most of whom are new to the legislative business,

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

require authentic information to ascertain the actual state of the nation, without which they might not be able to perform their legislative functions effectively.

In his contribution, Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the transparency and accountability issues raised by the motion could not be faulted.

He, however, noted that the motion was not necessary as the constitution had provisions on how lawmakers can access such documents.

He also stated that a Transition Act, as done in countries like Kenya can assuage the fears entertained by the mover of the motion so that details of activities of a government necessary for public consumption would be made available.

Deputy Whip Pally Iriase said such documents should not be made public, considering the precarious security situation in the country.

According to him, anyone interested in the document can get it through Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. The argument against the motion was countered by Minority Leader Leo Ogor, Tajudeen Yusuf (PDP, Kogi) and others, who explained that the motion was in total support of transparency and accountability crusade of the government.

The motion was unanimously supported when it was put to voice vote by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

•Diocesan Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West, (Anglican Communion ), Rt Rev James Odedeji (left), his wife Lydia, Chairman, Fund Raising Committee, Otunba Kole Olatunji, Chairman of the ocassion, Chief Olusola Ijitimehin and Bishop Theologian, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Dapo Asaju at the fund raising for the proposed modification of Church of the Pentecost building in Lagos.

‘Abia Governor Ikpeazu cannot be distracted’

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PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Ben onyechere yesterday said Abia State Governor Dr Okezie Ikpeazu will not be distracted by allegations that he was behind the alleged attempt to burgle a house belonging to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate Alex Otti.

Onyechere said the allegation was the handiwork of the

By Joseph Jibueze

governor’s detractors, describing it as the height of irresponsibility.

He said in a statement: “The claim is the cry of a hungry baby seeking the attention of his father. It should ordinarily have been ignored but there is a saying in Igboland that silence over an allegation connotes agreement.

“It is indeed the height of irresponsibility for anybody to fathom that a sitting governor would have time to think about him and plan such a dastardly act. The people of Abia have since forgotten about the election because Ikpeazu’s emergence was a collective bargain.

“They are rather focused on how to contribute their own quota to the onerous task to

re-engineer and re -write the economic landmark of the state and as such have refused to be distracted by frivolous claims in the bid to be noticed.

“It is, however, instructive to advise that such clandestine and subterraneous activities of the opposition targeting the sympathy of election tribunal are no longer in vogue because the facts before them are clearly spelt out.”

Ganduje frowns at frequent impeachment of speakers, In a two-page communiqué HE rate at which Speakdeputy governors

by Adamu Dala Dogo, acting ers of State Assemblies

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and deputy governors are impeached shows that the nation’s democracy is still immature, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said yesterday.

Ganduje, who spoke during a dinner organised in honour of Speakers of 19 Northern State Assemblies at Africa House, Government House, Kano, lamented that the rate of such impeachments was a setback for the nation’s democratic setting.

“The frequency at which Speakers and deputy governors are removed like underwear is not the best. Somebody was impeached from his office as deputy governor because he managed poultry within his official residence,” the governor said.

He noted that such excuses were not enough to warrant impeachment.

Saying that democracy should revolve around issues not trivialities, Ganduje advised state legislators, especially Speakers, to synergise with

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

the Executive to bring about development in the country.

The governor urged the Northern Speakers Conference to step up efforts to tackle the common problems facing the region, particularly the issue of Almajirai, educational backwardness, compulsory primary education, economic backwardness, unemployment and conflicts.

Ganduje stressed the need for northerners to strengthen their unity to address issues affecting the region and map out ways of contributing more positively to national development.

The Chairman, Northern Speakers Conference and Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulkarim Lawal, said the forum would deliberate on issues of socio-economic development affecting the region.

He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to give

special attention to the Northeast geopolitical zone because of its peculiar challenges, mainly insecurity.

The Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Kabiru Alasan Rurum, stressed the need for governments and legislatures in the North to design policies, taking into cognisance their implications to the overall regional and sub-regional development.

chairman of NSF and Speaker of Yobe State House of Assembly; Salisu Ibrahim Muhammad, Chairman, Information Committee of Kano State House of Assembly and which was read by Sunusi Garba Rikiji, Speaker, Zamfara State House of Assembly, the Northern Speakers Conference resolved to uphold the region’s unity and socio-economic growth.

‘No recruitment in police’ From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

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HE police said yesterday it was not recruiting contrary to some advertisements.

It described the claim as fake, urging Nigerians not to fall prey to mischief-makers.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Force Spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu.

The statement read: “The attention of the Nigeria Police management has been drawn to some fake recruitment adverts being run by some criminally-minded persons, who are out to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no recruitment going on at the moment in the Nigeria Police Force.

“We, therefore, wish to use this medium to warn members of the public not to be deceived or to fall prey to mischief-makers.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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NEWS

•Bauchi State Governor Muhammed Abubakar (middle) and members of the Katagum Emirate Council, during a Sallah homage to the governor in Bauchi on Monday.

120 suspected criminals arraigned From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

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NE hundred and twenty suspected criminals, including members of the Sara-Suka gang, were yesterday arraigned at the Chief Magistrate’s Court I in Kaduna.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai had declared war on miscreants, saying anybody who engaged in criminal acts would be prosecuted.

Police spokesman Zubairu Abubakar told reporters that 120 suspected criminals were arraigned, adding that there would be no hiding place for miscreants.

Tribunal dismisses Accord’s petition From James Azania, Lokoja

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HE Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, yesterday dismissed a petition by Salawudeen Jimoh Ganiyu, the Accord Party (AP) candidate in the March 28 National Assembly election for Yagba Federal Constituency, challenging the victory of Karimi Sunday of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The tribunal declared the petition incompetent, null and void and an error.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Karimi winner in the election and issued him a certificate of return for another term at the lower legislative chamber.

Dissatisfied with INEC’s decision, the AP candidate filed a petition that the election was invalid on the grounds of corrupt practices.

Salawudeen, through his counsel, M. O. Ogedengbe, alleged that Karimi was not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes and sought an order to declare and return him as the winner.

Karimi, responding through his counsel, Pastor John Bayshea (SAN), averred that the petition was incompetent, adding that the petitioner participated in the election without participating in primaries and that his purported nomination, sponsorship and participation in the poll were null and void.

The Chairman of the threeman panel, Justice Akinniyi Akintola, upheld Karimi’s objection to the petition and dismissed it, declaring it as “incompetent, having been brought by the petitioner, who participated in the election without undergoing primaries to pick the party’s ticket.”

Boko Haram kills 29 in Borno villages

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WENTY-NINE people have been reportedly killed by Boko Haram insurgents, following attacks on villagers in the southern part of Borno State.

Several people sustained gunshot injuries.

The terrorists, according to eyewitnesses, attacked Dille community and neighbouring villages in Askira Uba Local Government.

From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

They were said to be armed with AK47 rifles and petrol bombs, killing villagers and setting ablaze their homes.

The militias attacked the community on July 14, last year. Fourteen people were killed.

Kopa Mai Kadir and Yazza villages in Askira Uba

Council were attacked last week. Fifteen people died and the villages were torched.

The insurgents stormed Dille with high calibre weapons. They rode in a convoy of five Hilux vehicles and several motorcycles.

The escapees said there was no security in the villages.

The lawmaker representing Hawul and Askira Uba Federal Constituency, Jubrin Satumari, who hails from Dille, decried the attacks.

He urged the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, to save the people by providing security.

Satumari prayed that God should grant the deceased eternal rest. He wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Taraba tribunal chair warns against delay

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HE Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Chairman, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar, has appealed to those with petitions to cooperate with it, to enable it determine them within the stipulated time.

He warned against delay by lawyers, which he noted could frustrate the tribunal’s intention of ensuring prompt disposal of

•To hear INEC’s objection Friday From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

the petitions.

Justice Abubakar spoke yesterday in Abuja during the tribunal’s inaugural sitting.

He said following time constraint, the tribunal required the support and cooperation of lawyers to enable it do justice in the cases within the limited time.

The chairman said the tribunal would take preliminary applications with the main petitions to save time.

“I wish to remind lawyers that they are ministers in the temple of justice. They should not resort to technicalities to hinder the work of the tribunal. We thank you for your co-

operation so far. We look forward to more of such cooperation,” Justice Abubakar said.

The tribunal has fixed Friday for the hearing of a motion by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the third respondent, in a petition by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the last governorship election, Hajia Aisha Alhassan.

Army rescues 30 persons from terrorists •Military repels attack on COAS’ village

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HE Army said yesterday that troops have rescued 30 persons, (including 21 children) from Boko Haram in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Also rescued were a six-day old infant, seven women, (including three nursing mothers) and two male adults.

The military also discovered that the palace of the Shehu of Dikwa has been turned into a training ground where weapons handling and engagement of aircraft were being taught new Boko Haram recruits It said troops, however, repelled a fresh attempt by Boko Haram to take over Buratai, the country home of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

Acting Director, Army

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, made the disclosure in a statement.

The statement reads: “As a result of ongoing operations under the aegis of Operation Lafiya Dole to clear Dikwa and its environs from Boko Haram terrorist, the troops of 7 Division yesterday rescued 30 persons from the terrorists in Kwayabe and Wufe wards in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

“They include 21 children and a six-day old infant, seven women including three nursing mothers and two elderly male adults.

“The troops also discovered a training shed inside the vandalised and looted palace of the Shehu of Dikwa where weapon handling and engage-

ment of aircraft were being taught new Boko Haram recruits.”

Troops have repelled a fresh attempt by Boko Haram to take over Buratai.

Usman, who made the disclosure in a statement, said it was the fourth time the sect would fail in such a bid.

The statement said: “For about the fourth time since February 2014, Boko Haram terrorists moved against Buratai, the home town of Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, last night, which is also the location of a military camp.

“In their desperate attempt to capture the town, the invaders struck about 9:30 pm, but were repelled by soldiers.

“The terrorists returned again about 3am and were equally pushed back.

•Maj.Gen Buratai

“The suspected terrorists made a futile attempt to attack Buratai town in Borno State and a military camp in the area. I am glad to inform you that the gallant soldiers rose to the occasion.

“They, however, made concerted effort about 3am this morning, which was equally repelled by the gallant soldiers. The situation in the town is cool and calm.

“By the time they struck first in February last year, Gen. Buratai was serving as commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta.”

Police arrest three suspected kidnappers

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HE Benue State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers and rescued their victim, 70- year-old Atser Kyausu.

The septuagenarian is the father of a Makurdi-based oil mogul, Chief Athanisius Atser Kyausu.

A source said the abductors targeted the businessman, but because of the tight security around him, they went for his father, who lives in Vandeikya in Benue Northeast.

•70-yr-old victim rescued •Three AK47 rifles recovered From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

Briefing reporters when parading the suspects at the police headquarters yesterday, outgoing Police Commissioner Hyacinth Dagala said the gunmen, on July 25, came to the victim’s home in Vandikya and kidnapped him. He was then taken to an unknown destination.

The police boss said following a distress report, a crack

squad of detectives from the headquarters swung into action and arrested the suspected kidnappers in a forest in Vandeikya.

He said the abductors took their victims on a motorcycle after forcefully collecting N770,000 from him.

Dagala said they conveyed him on a motorcycle to the forest and phoned his son, demanding N200million ransom.

He said the kidnappers

were unlucky, as the police stormed the forest and arrested three of them, while others escaped.

Those arrested are Terfa Terkuma, Kwaghfan Apeaka and Aondona, all of Vandikya.

The victim’s son, Chief Kyausu, told reporters that he was happy that his father was rescued.

He hailed the police for doing a good job, saying he did not pay ransom.

PHOTO: NAN

EU backs anti-terror From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

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HE European Union (EU) has supported the battle against terrorism.

A statement by the EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS hoped that those responsible for terrorism would soon be brought to justice.

It said the recent visits of President Muhammadu Buhari to Niger and Chad and his visit to Cameroon were timely.

‘Saraki not responsible for delay in exco’ From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

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WARA State government has denied rumours that Senate President Bukola Saraki and the crisis at the National Assembly are responsible for the delay in constituting the Executive Council (exco).

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Communications to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, described the claim as false, unfounded and insensitive.

It said the governor addressed the issue during last week’s interactive programme: “The Governor Explains.”

The statement stressed that the delayed in appointing commissioners and special advisers was caused by the financial challenges facing the state and the need to adjust government programmes and plans.

It said the government successfully navigated the state’s finances, despite the nationwide economic crisis.

The House of Assembly yesterday approved the request of Governor Ahmed to appoint 10 special advisers to facilitate the running of the government.

It gave the approval at the resumption of its plenary, following the presentation of the governor’s message dated June 26 by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Matthew Okedare, who presided over the sitting.

Ahmed had requested the House’s approval for the special advisers, to enable him deliver on his electoral promises.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

NEWS Tinubu seeks more time for Buhari

APC, PDP give Buhari nod to go after looters Continued from page 4

know how many bank accounts it had or into which ones the payments for Nigerian crude are made? Could anyone have imagined that a government minister would steal the unprecedentedly huge amount of $6 billion of public funds as being alleged?

“How does any sane person rationalise the fact that one billion dollars was unilaterally and illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account just because, as the immediate past minister of Finance has disclosed, the President ordered the withdrawal? What about

the billions of naira waivers recklessly approved to dubious importers by the Jonathan administration?

“Is it not clear now that the stealing and the profligacy more than anything else, including the fall in oil price helped to drastically reduce the monthly allocation from the Federation Account from about N800 billion to about N400 billion, thus pauperising the states and the local governments and, by extension, the citizenry?

“Against the background of the stunning revelations, what message will any government be sending to its citizens and

indeed the global community by looking the other way, when it could still recover some of the looted funds for the benefit of the people? This is why we are supporting the Buhari administration’s probe decision, and calling on all Nigerians to support ongoing efforts to get to the root of the matter.”

The ruling party noted that the refusal of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration to pass its handover note to the then president-in-waiting was deliberate.

“The Jonathan administration cleverly delayed giving the then incoming Buhari government the handover note so

Continued from page 4

•Dr. Jonathan

as to avoid being asked critical questions pertaining to the unprecedented looting under its watch,” the party said.

Opposition backs President's anti-graft campaign Continued from page 4

equity must come with clean hands. In that regard therefore, we advice members of the APC blowing the horn ahead of the cart to keep quiet because many of them have been major beneficiaries of corruption and sleazes associated with themselves

and their allies, especially one of them who as a disguised errand boy of a well known APC leader is a major beneficiary of the largesse of perpetrators of corruption.

“Apart from Mr. President, who for now, is not associated with any sleaze or corrupt activity in this democracy, most

APC leaders are still those who as governors, ministers and labour leaders have been the worst corrupt set of Nigerians ever to bestride the political landscape of the country.

“It is a great miscarriage of perception therefore for APC leaders who are perpetrators of sleazes and corrupt acts to at-

tempt to deceive Nigerians with imaginary holiness in this anticorruption war by the President.

“Consequently, we counsel Mr. President, as the leader of the APC to remove the log in the eyes of his party while we support his commitment to remove the speck from the eyes of others”.

How Dogara bowed to Buhari, APC Continued from page 4

ty raised a four-man ad hoc committee to follow up on the President’s mandate - that the party’s stand must prevail.

Members of the committee are Odigie-Oyegun, the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the National ViceChairman, Northeast, Mr. B.B. Lawal.

A source in the committee said: “We had a meeting with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker Lasun Yusuf. We also had a separate session with Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The atmosphere was somber and the two groups agreed to harmonise their positions.

They said we should allow the zonal caucuses to elect their leaders.

“They all respected the meeting we had with the President on party supremacy. They said

for Buhari to intervene, the crisis was getting out of hand.”

The party source added: “There was intense horse-trading till the wee hours of Tuesday morning when the factions in the House agreed to move forward.

“There were signs too that members of APC in the House were tired of the crisis. They saw the signs that the PDP was already capitalising on the gridlock to cripple the administration of Buhari.

“They noticed that at the rate the crisis was going, it could derail the nation’s democracy.

So, wise counsel prevailed and members chose to sheathe their swords.”

The National Secretary of APC told our correspondent that the APC committee brokered truce among its members in the House. “It is a welcome development. We are impressed that they respected the

party and affirmed the supremacy of the party,” he said, adding: “This has confirmed that we are one family. It is a clear manifestation that we can unite for the sake of the nation.

“The case of the Senate will be addressed; it would soon be sorted out. We are equally expecting them to respect the position of the party as well.”

The Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on Information, Mallam Sanni Zorro, who spoke last night with our correspondent, said: “It was the triumph of democracy, the House is the winner. The House has demonstrated political maturity because politics is about giveand-take.

“President Buhari is not only a leader but a game changer.

Since 1999, past Presidents had always installed the leaders of the National Assembly but President Buhari decided not to

interfere.

“There was pressure on him to interfere but he refused. It was only when the crisis got to a critical stage that he intervened. Yet, he did not impose his will. The party also did not use force.”

Zorro praised the Speaker for championing peace in the House.

He added: “To resolve the crisis, Dogara came up with a final consensus formula which took into consideration the interest of critical stakeholders including the nation, the presidency, regional politics, zoning and all those things that divided members.

“It is a win-win situation.

There was no winner, no loser.

With the crisis amicably resolved, the House is now open for business, legislative activities and engagement with public, private and non-governmental actors.”

Gbajabiamila is House Leader Continued from page 4

However, another source said: “The final resolution was made at the National Chairman’s house at about 12:11 am, that the party’s letter stands.

“It was also agreed that other names earlier attached to APC’s letter should be removed while members at the zonal caucus level would elect their various leaders.

“The zonal caucuses were expected to conduct the election to be supervised by the party.”

“We do not expect that Dogara camp would do anything contrary to this latest agreement on the floor this morning as it would be strange and amount to an affront against our collective interest, including that of the President”.

Other positions filled were Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, Deputy Minority Leader (Onyema Chukwuma), Deputy Minority Leader (Yakubu Omar Barde), Minority Whip (Binta Bello) and Deputy Minority Whip.

The negative expectation of many present at the plenary and also acrosss the country yesterday was sequel to media reports that President Buhari was unable to resolve the Reps crisis at a meeting Monday. The Nation did not report that there was a deadlock. This newspaper reported that the President told the lawmakers to obey the party.

The House had gone on a

hasty break in the wake of the crisis that wracked the House on June 25 over leadership positions.

At 11:44 a.m., Dogara came into the chamber.

The procession was silent as he moved down the walkway.

Ogor sat in the seat of the minority leader, signalling the fact that the PDP Caucus had resolved its leadership issues.

The gallery was full and the mood was calm.

At 11:48, Dogara approved the votes and proceedings. After swearing in a new member, Linda Chuba Ikpeazu from Anambra, the Speaker gave a short welcome speech.

According to him, Nigerians expected more from the House than what they were getting.

He said: “We had started on an excellent note, or so I thought, having spent a whole day conducting free, fair and transparent elections to elect the two presiding officers, at the end of which those who won and those who did not win exercised great maturity in respecting the will of the majority. How come then that this spirit of maturity and democratic culture suddenly appears to be eluding us in our effort to conclude the composition of principal officers to facilitate smooth take-off.

“Our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), along with Mr President and other party leaders exhibited uncommon democratic tradition by abstain-

ing from direct interference in the process and given the manner we conducted the election in this Chambers on 9th June, I am persuaded that they do not regret reposing such confidence in us.

“In this regard, we owe them, ourselves and indeed all Nigerians a duty to prove that we can conclude this process rancorfree and without denting our party’s democratic credentials.

This we can do and I am confident that we shall.

“Today marks the 49th day since 9th June, it would appear it has been all about ourselves and our personal ambitions. My dear colleagues, the mandate we hold is not about our personal ambitions; it is all about the people, the people and the people.

Indeed it is about Nigeria.

“As representatives of the people therefore, we must be the manifestation of their high expectations of good governance, probity, transparency and accountability ; we must be the manifestation of their unmitigated impatience against dormancy in governance and, above all, we must resonate their pain of poverty, squalor and insecurity..”

Former Minority Leader Gbajabiamila, in a short response on his choice as House Leader said Nigerians should now expect a more responsive House.

According to him, the crisis of leadership was “ democracy in action”.

His words: “What you saw in the last 49 days was actually democracy in action. That’s what politics is all about: everybody trying to outwit everybody for the greater good of the country...

“You will now see the House you knew in the last four years back in action, working for the people, working for the nation.

I’m sure we’ll have a lot more to say tomorrow ( today).”

The Chairman of the House ad hoc Committee in Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Sani Toro in a briefing after the plenary, said the House has eliminated all the problems that brought the circumstance.

His words: “What transpired today is the triumph of the internal democracy of the House of Representatives and this triumph is also anchored on four factors.

“It is anchored on patriotism, constitutionalism, reason and rationality, This Is what guided the steps taken by the entire House of Representatives, laid by its leadership and all the contending groups that were party to the various negotiations.”

However, there was a mild drama as Ado Doguwa, under a point of Order, aplogised to Nigerians for the conduct of some members on June 25.

But Hon. Ali Madaki quickly said Doguwa was not speaking on his behalf. This caused a little row that stirred the plenary for a while.

rians desire.

Nigeria, he said, has had many problems because of the policies that were created without adequate and effective planning.

Replying a question on the delayed changes expected by Nigerians, Tinubu said: “Excuse me! Let us calm now here.

How long ago? May 29th was when this president was sworn in. It is an international norm all over the world, there is a honeymoon period, at least minimum of 100 days honeymoon.

“And you won’t allow honeymoon at all? You said change is not coming; change is not by magic; it is driven by the people, the spirit and the character and the planning.

“You see, we have had so much problem in this country in the past because we run into policy blindfolded, without adequate and effective planning. You don’t have results unless you plan well.

“The time it takes you to plan, examine, rejig, re-evaluate is more important than the time you just rush into taking action because you are either being sentimental, being emotional and being driven by other forces that are not expected.

“It is not fair to jump into those conclusions. There must be time to plan, to review and even listen to people. There is a separation between a campaign period, articulating your vision, expressing the promises to Nigerians, there is a time to look holistically at what you inherited, analyse it, distill and then take action.

“Even in 100 meters race, there is a time to say ‘on to your

mark, get set, ready, go’. So, you don’t even want a time to be on your mark, set and go?

No, no, no, you are not being fair.”

The APC Leader said he was at the Presidential Villa to ensure that the right track is maintained.

His words: “The purpose of this visit is to see my President and our leader. The purpose is to ensure we are on the right track and coming back from a very successful trip to the United States of America (USA).”

Tinubu dismissed as erroneous the report that the President’s meeting with APC members in the House of Representatives on Monday was deadlocked, saying; “that is the conclusion of the press”. “Deadlocked! If we are going for literally translation, that is people’s opinion, I have not read any comment from the parties, whether it was deadlocked or not; that is the media conclusion.

“But the question is a political process. It needs to develop its own life to be worked upon to really stabilise and continue to serve the interest of the populace.

“As a matter of fact, when the National Assembly job starts, the job of lawmaking in earnest, the president needs to step in once in a while as he did to let people to understand the import of the expectations of the public and particularly of the international community on various programmes and institutions.

“We need to build the institutions, make it … effective for the entire country. To step in to douse any conflict is not a wrong thing or do you think is wrong?”

‘It’s time to face legislative duties’ Continued from page 4

vestment in infrastructure development, and enhance the ease of doing business in the country.

“Nigerians want to see the National Assembly tackle these obscenities in our revenue systems as they deny our people the right to good governance”.

Saraki deplored the upsurge in terror attacks in the Northeastern.

The country, he said, can no longer tolerate the excesses of the Boko Haram insurgents and promised to send a delegation of senators to visit troops and displaced persons’ camps.

“Soon afterwards we shall, working together with the House, develop concrete steps

towards the rehabilitation and renewal of the battered local economy of the Northeast.

“Make no mistakes about it, the aim of these militant groups is simple; to test our resolve and disintegrate our unity. But let me reiterate the readiness and willingness of the National Assembly to support and work with President Muhammadu Buhari to comprehensively rout Boko Haram.

“We join Mr. President in saying that we will defeat terrorism in our country and region, because we have the will to win this fight. Our resolve is collective, we urge all friends of Nigeria, including the United States and the entire international community, to join us,” Saraki said.

APC senators kick as Akpabio becomes Minority Leader Continued from page 4

lead the opposition principal officers to their respective seats, Marafa, raised a point of order.

He cited Senate Order 13 (1) and (2) that opposed the appointment or election of non ranking members to the position of principal offices.

He insisted that the PDP Senate Caucus violated the Senate Standing Order by nominating a non-ranking Akpabio as a Majority Leader.

Marafa moved for the reversal of the nomination and subsequent appointment, but Saraki mandated Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to respond to Marafa’s opposition.

Ekweremadu, (Enugu West) explained that PDP did nothing wrong in nominating

Akpabio, saying that it was not Marafa’s business who PDP Senators chose to pick as their leaders.

He added that the composition of the members of the leadership of opposition in the Senate is entirely the business of PDP Senators.

Saraki said that Marafa was “crying more than the bereaved and therefore ruled him out of order.

Insisting that relevant Senate rules were complied with in the nomination, Ekweremadu said urged the upper legislative chamber to uphold it.

Based on the Ekweremadu’s submission, Saraki upheld Akpabio’s nomination and the other three officers.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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FOREIGN NEWS Libya court sentences Gadhafi’s son to death

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court in Libya yesterday sentenced a son of Moammar Gadhafi to death by firing squad after convicting him of murder and inciting genocide during the country's 2011 civil war.

It is unlikely, however, that the sentence against Seif al-Islam Gadhafi will be carried out anytime soon, as a militia in western Libya has refused to hand him over to the government for the past four years.

That uncertainty reflects the chaos still gripping this North African nation split between rival militias and governments while facing an affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.

The Tripoli court sentenced to death eight others, including former Libyan spy chief Abdullah alSenoussi, who is in their custody. Also sentenced to death were foreign intelligence chief Abuzed OmarDorda and Gadhafi's former Prime Minister Baghdadi alMahmoudi.

The rulings can be appealed, and a defence lawyer in the case, Ali Aldaa, said he would challenge it before the Libyan Supreme Court. The Tripoli-based top court has in the past ruled the Tobruk government as illegitimate, raising questions over whether it is under pressure from militias that dominate the city.

Only 29 of the 38 Gadhafiera figures were present in court. Six others were sentenced to life in prison and four were cleared of charges.

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said the trial was "undermined by serious due process violations," and called on the Libyan Supreme Court to independently review the verdict.

Other international organizations, including the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Council of Europe, also condemned the verdict.

The Council of Europe said the case should have been turned over to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, which wants Seif alIslam on charges of crimes against humanity.

Since the end of the civil war, Seif al-Islam has been held by a militia in Zintan, which is allied with the Tobruk-based internationally recognized government against the Tripoli one. The court that convicted him is affiliated with the Tripolibased government.

Obama: Africa must create jobs, build democracy

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LOSING a historic visit to Africa, President Barack Obama yesterday urged the continent's leaders to prioritise creating jobs and opportunity for the next generation of young people or risk sacrificing future economic potential to further instability and disorder.

He said the "urgent task" of generating jobs for a population that is expected to double to around 2 billion people in the coming decades will be "an enormous undertaking."

But he said it can be achieved with U.S. help.

"Africa will need to generate millions more jobs than it is doing now," Obama said in a speech to the entire continent delivered from the headquarters of the African Union, a member organisation of African nations. "And time is of the essence."

"The choices made today will shape the trajectory of Africa - and therefore the world - for decades to come," said Obama, who is seen by the people of Africa as one of their own. It was the first

leaders should stick to the rules and the African Union should put pressure on leaders to stick to limits. Obama's speech wound up a tour of Kenya, his father's homeland, and Ethiopia, a once faminestricken nation which is on course to deliver 10 percent growth this year. While in Ethiopia, Obama held talks with regional African leaders on the conflict in South Sudan.

The U.S. president called for tougher measures against the world's newest nation if its warring factions failed to reach a peace deal by Aug. 17.

He repeated that threat in his speech, while also calling on leaders of the Central African Republic, another nation struggling with conflict, to respect elections later this year.

He called on the AU to use its authority to help make sure African leaders stick to their term limits and follow their constitutions. "Nobody should be president for life," said Obama, who leaves office in January 2017.

He pledged continued U.S. training assistance and other

• Obama

support in the fight against terrorism carried out across the continent by groups like al-Qaida, the Islamic State, alShabab and Boko Haram. He said the world must do more to help, too, and announced that he will host a summit at the United Nations in September to secure additional support for international peacekeeping, including in Africa.

Before addressing the AU, Obama highlighted his administration's efforts to combat hunger by touring a Faffa Foods factory that par-

ticipates in the U.S. Feed the Future program. The initiative focuses on helping smaller farmers in 19 countries, including Ethiopia and 11 other African nations, expand their businesses.

He also met with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairperson of the African Union Commission, who introduced him at AU headquarters.

"Although we welcome you as the president of the United States of America, we also claim you as our own," she said.

NATO proclaims 'strong solidarity' with Turkey against IS

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ATO proclaimed its "strong solidarity" with Turkey following a rare emergency meeting Tuesday in which members also urged the country not to use excessive force in its fight against extremists, a NATO official said.

"The security of the alliance is indivisible," ambassadors from all 28 NATO nations declared in a joint statement after the meeting, which had been called to assess the threat posed by the Islamic State extremist group and the Turkish response.

They condemned recent ter-

ror attacks in Turkey, and called terrorism "a global threat that knows no border, nationality, or religion - a challenge that the international community must fight and tackle together."

As the ambassadors were gathering at NATO headquarters, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara that it was impossible to advance a peace process with the Kurds as long as attacks on Turkey continue.

The NATO official said participants in the Brussels meeting may have been unaware

of Erdogan's remarks.

The special session of the alliance's main political decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, was held at Turkey's request under a clause of NATO's founding treaty that empowers member countries to seek consultations if they believe their security, territorial integrity or political independence is at risk.

It was just the fifth such meeting in NATO's 66-year history.

"All allies stand in solidarity with Turkey," alliance secretary-general Jens

Stoltenberg told reporters after the session, which lasted a little over an hour.

Stoltenberg said the Turks did not use Tuesday's meeting to request military assistance from other NATO members.

"What we all know is that Turkey is a staunch ally, Turkey has very capable armed forces - the second largest army within the alliance," the NATO chief said.

Recently, an Islamic State group suicide bombing near Turkey's border with Syria left 32 people dead and an IS attack on Turkish forces killed a soldier.

On Tuesday, Turkey said another soldier died after he was shot in the head by a Kurdish militant near the border with Iraq.

After months of reluctance, Turkish warplanes last week started striking militant targets in Syria, and Turkey's leaders agreed to allow the U.S. to launch its own strikes from Turkey's strategically located Incirlik Air Base.

But in a series of cross-border strikes, Turkey has not only targeted IS but also Kurdish fighters affiliated with forces battling the group in Syria and Iraq.

Malaysian PM axes deputy, attorney general

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ALAYSIAN Prime Minister Najib Razak, stung by allegations that he received some $700 million in government money, yesterday fired the attorney general who had been investigating him and a deputy who has been among his most prominent critics.

Najib is under increasing pressure over leaked confidential documents that allegedly show the money, from state investment fund 1MDB, went into his personal accounts.

Najib announced over national television that his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin

will be replaced by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a Cabinet member who will also retain his home minister portfolio.

Earlier Tuesday, the government announced it had terminated the services of Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail.

Najib said he also dropped four other ministers to strengthen his administration and ensure they can "work as a team."

"I can accept differences in opinion and criticisms as part of the decision-making process, but these differences in opinion should not be made in an open forum that can affect public perception of the

Chelsea Clinton visits Haiti family foundation projects

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• Al-Islam

speech to the AU by a sitting American president.

The speech marked the end of a five-day visit to Africa that included an earlier stop in Kenya, homeland of Obama's late father.

Obama also called on Africa's leaders to make their countries more attractive to foreign investment by cleaning up corruption, upholding democratic freedoms, supporting human rights, and willingly and peacefully leaving office when their terms expire.

Obama, who is more than halfway through his second and final four-year term, said "I don't understand this" phenomenon of leaders who refuse to step aside when their terms end. He referred to Burundi's leader, who was just elected to a controversial third term although he is constitutionally limited to two.

"Africa's progress will also depend on democracy," he said, adding that jailing journalists or restricting legitimate opposition groups led to "democracy in name, but not in substance." Obama said

HELSEA Clinton is visiting Haiti with a group of investors and philanthropists to oversee development of projects financed by the Clinton Foundation.

The two-day trip begins yesterday and will include visits to businesses in Portau-Prince and the Mirebalais community northeast of the capital.

Clinton is the foundation's vice chair.

She's accompanied by Donna Shalala, its president.

The two also will host a meeting about women's roles in the Haitian workforce and their access to markets.

The Clinton Foundation says it has helped raise more than $30 million for Haiti since a devastating 2010 earthquake.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton founded the global charity after leaving the White House.

The foundation's finances have received intense scrutiny as Hillary Rodham Clinton seeks the White House.

government and the country," he said.

Critics slammed Gani's abrupt removal and cast it as an attempt by Najib to avoid prosecution.

"The fact that he is not answering the allegations but instead removed his critics is not a good sign," said Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who heads the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs think tank.

"It shows deep desperation on Najib's side."

Malaysia's Bar Council, which represents more than 7,000 lawyers, condemned the "ostensible interference" in the investigations into 1MDB and warned it could cripple the probe and render it a "meaningless charade."

• P.M Najib Razak, right, with his newly-appointed deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi...Yesterday PHOTO:AP

Moroccan journalist ends hunger strike

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dissident Moroccan journalist yesterday ended a month-long hunger strike protesting his treatment by the government after an official said he could get a new passport in three days, a member of his support committee said.

Ali Mrabet, named by Reporters Without Borders one of 100 "information heroes" in 2014 for his work, went on a hunger strike in front of the U.N. headquarters in Geneva on June 24 because he said

Moroccan authorities were preventing him from working by not renewing his identification papers.

Interior Minister Mohammed Hassad told journalists Monday that Mrabet could get a new passport in Geneva in three days.

Support committee member Omar Brousky said the group then persuaded him to end his hunger strike. Mrabet has been hospitalized in Geneva, Brousky said. He added that Mrabet would now return to

Morocco and attempt to work once more.

Mrabet was jailed in 2003 for "undermining respect of the king" and then banned from journalism for a decade in 2005 for writing sympathetically about Western Saharans living in Algerian camps.

After the ban was lifted in April, he attempted to restart his satirical weekly "Demain" but found that he lacked the necessary paperwork, a certificate of residence, to renew his national ID and passport.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

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CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Fuel tanker falls at Lagos airport

•Rescuers scooping fuel from the tanker

•The tanker with its contents spilling along the airport road

•Air passengers took to Okada for rescue

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HERE was panic at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday when a tanker fell, spilling Jet-A1 popularly known as aviation fuel on the road.

The tanker tumbled close to the airport’s access gate. Motorists, passersby and workers ran for cover.

An eyewitness said the tanker with registration number AAA 991 XQ, fell when the driver wanted to negotiate a sharp bend.

It was coming from Ikeja and heading for the international wing of the airport when the accident occurred around 10.am.

Men from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) fire service, Lagos State Fire Service, the Police and other emergency response agencies quickly mobilised to avert tragedy.

PHOTOS: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

The driver, the eyewitness said, was trapped inside the vehicle for over 30 minutes before he was pulled out by rescuers, who cut the steering.

They said the driver was rushed to the Port Health Services for first aid.

Other motorists were said to have fled, thinking that the spilled product was petrol.

The eyewitness claimed that the driver was on high speed when the accident occurred.

The accident caused massive traffic gridlock as vehicles were diverted from airport road to Beesam to enable passengers and workers access the international airport, Hajj camp and Cargo Terminal.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Lagos State Fire Service Leader Fatai Rafiu said the command received a distress call at 10:14am and fire fighters from the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way in Ikeja responded immediately.

The quick intervention of the team, he said, prevented what could have led to loss of lives and properties.

He said the accident might have been caused by over-speeding.

Rafiu said: “With my years of experience, which is about 32 years, I can say that the accident might have occurred because of overspeeding by the driver because the accident wouldn’t have happened just like that. Maybe the driver lost the control of the speed, but I can tell you that it was not a mechanical fault.”

Mr Livinus Chukwuma, Police

‘I don’t know where I went wrong’

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HREE months after we got married, my wife moved out of the house with no reason. As I speak, I still don’t know why. She packed her things gradually and till she left I didn’t know. I am back to bachelorhood again.”

These were the words of 35-yearold Ganiyu Kazeem, who pleaded with the Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve his one-year-old marriage to his wife, Salimot.

He said his marriage almost crashed few weeks after it was consummated because his wife was fond of going out without his consent.

“Since we got married, she never spent the whole day at home. She always visited her mother’s house like we were not married,” he said.

•The trailer... yesterday

•Another passenger with luggage on his head

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor and Olalekan Ayeni

By Basirat Braimah

The petitioner, who lives at Adedosu Street in Agege, Lagos, said his wife also gets angry too quickly, which often results in their quarrel.

He said: “The three months she spent with me wasn’t peaceful. Even when I tried to go near her, she said no. There was a day she left home for three days that I had to report at a police station when I couldn’t find her but when I informed her siblings, I was told she was at her step mother’s place.”

Kazeem said she later returned home to pack her belongings.

“Before I got married, I came home weekends because I work on the sea but since I married her, I returned from work every day to make her happy still I never felt welcomed.

Even the Imam who joined us dur-

‘

Since we got married, she never spent the whole day at home. She always visited her mother’s house like we were not married

’

ing our Nikkah with some family members have tried their best to make peace between us but it’s been futile. I really don’t know where I went wrong,” he said.

The court’s President, Pa Adekunle Williams, while noting the respondent’s absence in court despite several summons, adjourned the matter till August 10 for judgment.

•An airline crew on Okada

Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos Airport Command, told NAN that officers were deployed immediately to the scene.

The police, he said, also cordoned off the area and diverted people to use alternative routes.

Meanwhile the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has arrested no fewer than 74 tankers and trailers drivers.

According to the Corps’ Lagos and Ogun States Zonal Commander, Assistant Corps Marshal Nseobong Akpabio, the indiscipline of the articulated trucks and trailers drivers warranted the need for the operation.

The defaulters’ offence, he said, range from driving with worn-out tyres, possessing fake drivers’ licence, unlatched/unhooked containers, lane indiscipline, rickety

vehicles and overloading.

The exercise, tagged: “Operation Scorpion” focusing on reduction or total eradication of crashes involving heavy duty vehicles across the country.

According to Akpabio, the objective of ‘operation scorpion’ is to deploy the human and material resources to ensure compliance.

He said the bad habit of the hydraulic vehicles’ drivers on the roads is becoming unbearable.

This, he described, has become embarrassment.

The FRSC boss said mobile courts have been set up in conjunction with the concerned states’ judiciary.

He urged corps marshals to exhibit high sense of discipline and competent throughout the exercise and adhere strictly to FRSC rules.

Woman attacks neighbours

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TRADER, Funke Morakinyo, who allegedly attacked two of her neighbours with stick, was yesterday arrainged before Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court 22 in Lagos.

The accused, 47, who lives in Ojokoro Housing Estate at Meiran, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of breach of peace and assault.

She denied the charges.

Prosecuting Police Inspector Edet Okoi said the accused committed the offence on July 23 at Ojokoro.

According to him, the complainants - Florence Mordi, Gloria mordi and Favour Mordi, all neighbours of the accused – reported the case at the police station.

“The neighbours came out from their flats to ask Morakinyo to caution her children against disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood.

The accused took offence and picked a quarrel with them and a fight ensued. The accused picked up a stick and hit Florence and Gloria on their heads and necks,’’ Okoi said.

The offences, Okoi noted, contravened Sections 166 (d) and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Chief Magistrate M.O. Osinbajo said the court would be lenient with the accused as a single parent.

She granted the accused bail in self recognition with one surety who must be a blood relation.

The case was adjourned to September14.

61

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

NEWS Ooni of Ife is dead Continued from page 1

robotic surgery, including the UK’s first da Vinci robot for keyhole surgery.

One of the late Ooni’s sons, Adegbite, is set for his traditional marriage with ace television presenter and actress Dolapo Oni on Sunday.

The intending couples had their wedding introduction a few days ago at the Oni’s family compound in Lagos.

The late monarch mounted the throne as the 50th Oba in the ancient city in 1980, taking the regal name Olubuse II. But he was crowned on December 6, 1980 at a ceremony that was graced by notable personalities, including the former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, the late Oba of Benin, Omon’oba Nedo Uku Akpolopolo, the Amayanabo of Opobo and the Olu of Warri.

The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth, sent representatives.

The late Ooni was born on January 1, 1930 in Ile-Ife to the Ogboru Ruling House.

He was the grandson of Ooni Sijuwade Adelekan Olubuse I. He studied at Abeokuta Grammar School, Ogun State and Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife. After working for three years in his father’s business and another two-year stint with the Nigerian Tribune, the late Ooni enrolled at the Northampton Col-

lege in the UK to study Business Management.

At 30, he was already a manager in Leventis, a Greek-Nigerian conglomerate and by 1963, he had become Sales Director of the state-owned National Motor in Lagos.

After spotting a business opportunity during a 1964 visit to the Soviet Union, he formed a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria, which became the nucleus of a widespread business empire.

He also invested in real estate in his Ile-Ife country home. By the time Sijuwade was crowned Ooni in 1980, he had become a wealthy man.

The late Sijuwade, a Christian, attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Foursquare Gospel Church, where he declared himself a “full member” of the church in November 2009.

He was accompanied by 17 other traditional rulers.

Sijuwade conferred chieftainship titles on a number of politicians and their wives. The recipients include: former governors Ikedi Ohakim (Imo); Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo); Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Theodore Orji (Abia).

Others are: Senators Jubril Aminu and Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello as well as erstwhile military governor of the Old Western Region, Gen Adeyinka Adebayo.

•SA VED: Abducted women and children rescued by Nigerian troops from terrorists after an operation in Dikwa, headquarters of •SAVED: PHOTO: NAN Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State…yesterday

Senators pass confidence vote in Saraki, Ekweremadu Continued from page 4

ty agencies of government.”

He said Senate was determined to continue to perform its constitutional duties and responsibilities without fear or favour.

Anyanwu also said that the Senate was resolved to focus on matters of interest and im-

portance to the ordinary Nigerian, in view of the enormous challenges facing the nation.

He prayed the Senate to resolve to pass a vote of confidence on Saraki, Ekweremadu and the entire leadership.

The three prayers were unanimously adopted.

Anynwu also prayed the Senate “to call the police and all other security agencies not to allow themselves to be used by any person or persons to harass, intimidate or blackmail the Senate, senators and or their spouses.”

The prayer was equally unanimously carried.

Saraki did not allow the mo-

tion to be debated.

He said since 81 senators endorsed the motion, there was no need for further debate.

The Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn N’Allah, who took a bow on behalf of other members of the Senate leadership said that they had resolved to justify the mandate given to them.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

62

NEWS

Lagos denies plan to sell Water Corporation’s assets

T

HE Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC) yesterday said there is no plan by the government to sell or divest any of its assets.

LWC’s Managing Director Shayo Holloway, an engineer reacting to a report (not in The Nation), said the Public Private Partnership (PPP) only seeks to “partner” with the private sector for accelerated development of water infrastructure to meet the state’s current water demand.

He said the demand presently stands at 660 million gallons per day for a population of 22 million, adding that the partnership does not amount to privatization where assets are sold off to the private sector.

Holloway said total existing water assets, if run at 100 per cent efficiency with stable power supply, stands at 210 million gallons per day, leaving a shortfall of 450 million gallons per day. It means that only about 7 million of the 22 million will get water, while 15 million will not, he said.

According to him, LWC retains ownership of the assets, and the government regulates the sector.

In a statement, Holloway said: “Today, shortfall in supply is characterised by proliferation of boreholes all over the State, with its attendant environmental and health hazards (saline water intrusion from the Atlantic Ocean, land subsidence, pollution with its attendant health implications).

By Joseph Jibueze

“With an estimated 1,500 people migrating to Lagos daily, it is projected that by year 2020, the population of Lagos State will be about 29 million, with a water demand of 733 million gallons per day; making Lagos the 3rd largest megacity after Beijing and Mumbai. Only a handful of Sub-Saharan African countries can boast of a population index of 20 million. In fact, our current population (22 million) is almost equivalent to that of Ghana.

“No responsible Government will ignore an issue as important as water without a proactive plan that will ensure that challenges occasioned by lack of water in a rapidly urbanizing society like ours are not promptly addressed.

“According to the WHO/ UNESCO, 66 million Nigerians do not have access to potable water; Premature death from water related diseases cost the country $2.5 billion, while $191 million was spent on healthcare for diarrhea alone in 2012.”

According to him, in order to address the current water demand and meet the projection of the near future, LWC developed a Water Master plan in 2010 to take the state from its current 210 million gallons per day to 745 million through accelerated development of additional large water schemes, taking raw water from rivers and the Lagoons for treatment into potable water.

“The estimated cost of this is about $3.5 billion dollars. The

writer justifiably feels that the state government should be able to finance this! To do this, It will take the government about 3 and half years to fund; with every naira income going into the water sector alone!

With other equally demanding sectors (Health, Education, Security, Social services, etc), an investment of this magnitude cannot be solely undertaken by any government.

“It may further interest the writer to know that we have commenced the implementation of the Master Plan with the ongoing construction of Adiyan phase 2, to give additional 70 million gallons per day. It will be completed in 2016.

“This is being funded by the State government; but noteworthy that this is coming 23 years after Adiyan phase 1 due to the huge investment required. In addition to this, the Lagos State Government completed the Otta-Ikosi water works (4 million gallons per day) to serve 11 communities between Ikorodu and Epe,” Holloway said.

He said in view of the exponential population growth rate, the state needs to accelerate developing additional large water schemes with private capital to avert an imminent water crisis with a burgeoning population and boreholes possibly going saline.

According to Holloway, Public Private Partnership does not come in only one mould but can be structured to fit a particular clime and needs.

He said the fact that there are

cases of failed PPP projects does not portend global doom, adding: “In fact, there are successful ongoing PPPs in over 23 countries such as United States, UK, Brazil, Philippines, Haiti, China, Germany, Mexico, Australia, Morocco, Romania, etc.; and closer home in Benin Republic, Niger, Senegal and South Africa.

“In Lagos, there are privately run water businesses that have been in operation for many years and are able to

serve sstates they cover. These companies have access to private capital and are able to charge cost reflective tariffs for services provided. This is why they have managed to sustain their operations. This essentially is PPP. “Under the proposed PPP, the private sector funds and develops the water infrastructure (water treatment plant and associated pipeline network to deliver water to homes) under a Build Operate and Transfer

(BOT) scheme; the asset is transferred back to the State at the end of the concession. During the life of the concession, raw water is abstracted from surface sources (rivers, lagoons) which remain under the control of the Government.

“The right to water of the poor segment of the society will be ensured through tariff approval by the Government that allows only efficient cost input and provision of subsidies.”

Customs seals off rice importers warehouses over alleged N23b debt

T

HE Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) yesterday, sealed-off the premises and warehouses of four defaulting rice importers which allegedly defaulted in the payment of over N23billion duty.

Customs Comptroller-General (CCG) Alhaji Dikko Abdullah ordered that the firms be sealed off. Four are in Lagos and one is in Abuja.

The importers benefited from rice import quota, which specified a preferential duty rate of 10 per cent and 20 per cent on their imports last year.

They are the Lagos-based Olam; Stallion/Popular foods; Ebony Agro and Conti Agro (Milan) and Masco Agroin in Abuja.

Addressing reporters on the action in Lagos yesterday, Abdullahi, represented by Customs National Public Relations Officer Mr Wale Adeniyi said the importers refused to pay the N23,603,479,402.44 they are owing the Federal Government, thereby taking the country for granted.

The importers, he said, imported a combined excess of 750,253,03 metric tonnes of rice, for which the Customs expected payment on the extant duty.

Last year, Abdullahi said, Customs threatened to publish the defaulters names after January 15, 2015, adding that it did on April 14, in some national newspapers.

But he regretted that despite the public notices, the importers refused to pay the duty and other charges.

Abdullahi said: “These importers enjoyed concession of preferential duty rates and levy under the Rice Import Quota Policy in 2014.

“The policy was anchored on three main pillars: • There was a national sufficiency gap which needed to be met in line with stipulated quotas allotted to these beneficiaries.

• Beneficiaries were Rice Millers who have invested in the sector and created employment in the value chain • Quantity imported in excess of approved quotas will be subjected to the extant rate of 10 per cent duty plus 60 per cent levy.

“We published many notices in National newspapers, including where affected importers were mentioned with outstanding payments. These publications gave ultimatum to pay the outstanding charges against them.

“However, there were lots of interventions and clarifications required to establish firmly our case against these importers. In some cases, some of them claimed they needed to reconcile figures with the Ministry of Agriculture.

“After exhausting our ultima-

Controversy shrouds action

M

AJOR rice importers were jolted yesterday by the sealing off of their premises over alleged N23 billion debt.

The Nigerian Customs Services (NSC) alleged that the duties were due as the companies imported rice in excess of quotas approved. However, controversy is raging in the industry following reports of flawed and delayed quota allocations for last year, leading to cancellation of this year quotas as well.

The Customs Service’s Public Relations Officer Mr Wale Adeniyi, told a news conference in Lagos that the service would also not allow discharge of the companies’ imports in any of the nation’s ports.

The companies are multinationals Olam and Stallion that are the country’s largest investors and operators of fully integrated rice value chain and Ebony Agro, Popular Farms, Masco Agro and Conti Agro.

The circular on rice import quotas were intended to encourage existing operations and drive new investments by bonafide rice millers, but it now seems to have taken an adverse turn for these large multinationals.

Olam has invested N177 billion in the agriculture sector. Stallion runs the country’s largest capacity in rice production of 430,000 MTPA, with commitments to increase to 1.50 million MTPA together acting as catalysts for the huge increase in the country’s local agricultural operations.

Ebony Agro operates rice mills where the Ebony Gold and Ebony Super brands of parboiled rice are milled and packaged from locally sourced paddy.

Reports revolving around the rice policy announcements and its implementation have dominated headlines over the past few months. For instance, the quotas for the last year were issued only in December of the same year by the Ministry of Agriculture, deemed very late as well as grossly inadequate to meet the country’s requirements for the year. While the importers were appealing for a fair allocation based on investments as originally intended, they were surprised to receive retrospective demands for duties by the NCS. Furthermore, quotas for 2015 were issued, cancelled and later on reissued again. However it is not clear if these quotas are being implemented in the scenario of Central restrictions on availability of foreign exchange for rice.

The implementation of the policy received a lot of criticism predominantly around the fact that the process followed was not in accordance with the Presidential directives, for example on the failure to establish a inter Ministerial Committee for computation of the national demand gap, as well as the timely allocation of import quotas to deserving investors.

Major investors in the country’s rice value chain with large established production capacities had represented in all forums that the quotas issued to them were insignificant compared to their financial investments. It was also alleged that several companies with no operating capacities were given import quotas, based only on future commitments. These companies thereafter allegedly sold their quotas in the open market.

Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture had announced that the country’s local production capabilities have expanded considerably aided by investments by Multinational corporations like Olam and Stallion. Investments by these firms and the corresponding high output have made the product more readily available. ”Nigerians eat our high quality local rice but do not know. We have totally changed the quality,” Akinwunmi Adesina, the ex Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said during his visit to Kwara State. He said ”You may wish to know that Stallion ‘Shinkafa rice’ and ‘Stallion super’ are all locally-milled rice from Nigeria, not imported.

The USDA has estimated that the supply gap in Nigeria would be 2.5 million tonnes in 2015. In the absence of adequate quotas, this demand would regrettably be met through smuggling across the borders.

The current action by the NCS with retrospective demands would hopefully be resolved in a fair manner so that the momentum on investments into the country’s rice value chain is sustained, thereby making Nigeria fully self-sufficient.

By Oluwakemi Dauda

tum on them to pay up all outstanding duty liable to them, we are sealing off the premises of these importers warehouses today until they pay their debt to the Federal Govern-

ment of Nigeria.”

Findings revealed that Olams is owing N4, 998, 125, 665.86; Stallion/Popular Foods/Masco Agro, N17, 187, 245, 022. 96; Ebony Agro, N328, 201, 440. 00 and Conti Agro (Milan), N1, 089, 907, 273. 62.

63

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015

SPORT EXTRA Lagos Lawn Tennis Club lines up activities to celebrate 120 years

BATTLE OF POINTE NOIRE

NFF cancels chartered flight T C

• Dream Team players in a goal mouth scrabble against their Congelese counterpart during their first leg enconter in Port Harcourt

ASH-STRAPPED Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has called off a plan for a chartered flight to convey the country’s team to a crucial CAF U23 Championship qualifier in Congo on Sunday.

Nigeria won the first leg in Port Harcourt 2-1 and face a daunting task in the return leg in Pointe Noire on Sunday.

NFF president Amaju Pinnick told AfricanFootball.com the Dream Team VI will now get to Congo on a regular flight.

"We had plans for a chartered flight, but not in the sense of paying for a plan. For example if we were to spend $60, 000 to airlift the team normally, we were expecting that our friends in the avia-

tion industry would help us by asking us to pay same amount for the entire team, which also consist of the nonplaying staffs," Pinnick explained.

"You know we are in difficult times when it comes to finances. But we are doing everything possible to ensure that the team arrives early enough in Congo for the game.

"We are leaving nothing to chance. Even without the chartered flight we would make sure the team lack nothing and are in the best shape going into the game in Congo."

The overall winners of this match will advance to the CAF U23 Championship in Senegal, which will be the qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Dream Team VI hits Abuja today

T

HE Samson Siasia coached Dream Team VI will hit Abuja today after camping in Port Harcourt for two weeks courtesy of the Rivers State government.

The team is battling to pick the qualification ticket for the CAF U- 23 Championship that would later produce the three teams for the 2016 Olympics Football Tournament.

The Rivers State government was hailed for hosting the match between the visiting Congo team and Dream Team, which the Nigerian won 2-1.

Despite dominating possession, the team failed to convert

• Express gratitude to Gov. Wike From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja the numerous chances that came their way. But Siasia has vowed to correct the mistakes noticed in the first leg before the second leg in Pointe Noire slated on Sunday.

“We are ever grateful to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State for the treatment they gave us. We felt at home and had a wonderful camping in the state. We will work very hard to get the qualification

ticket for the CAF U- 23 Championship to make the Governor, Nigerians and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) happy,” Siasia told NationSport yesterday.

Meanwhile, one of the five players called up by Siasia to beef up the team for the match against Congo, Shehu Abdullah, who was reported injured, but eventually certified fit by his club doctor, would arrive Abuja today to re-join the U- 23 national team.

• Wike

ALL AFRICA GAMES/OLYMPICS

Govt releases N2.9billion • Yakmut

A

L-HASSAN Yakmut, Director-General, National Sports Commission (NSC) on Tuesday said the Federal Government has released N2.9 billion for preparation for the All Africa Games.

Yakmut said this in Abuja at a meeting with presidents and secretaries of sports federations in the country.

The director general said the meeting was to map out detailed plans for the All Africa

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Games slated for Sept.4 to 19 in Brazzaville.

He said the forum would decide Nigeria’s technical and administrative participation in the Games and create a `technical connection' for Nigeria's participation in the 2016 Olympics.

According to him, the NSC got the approval of President for the Ministry of Finance to provide about N2.97 billion to take us to the All Africa Games and to prepare for the Olympics.

“We made a budget of N6.5 billion as the request for our participation but later sat down as technocrats to review the budget and presented a modest proposal of N2.97 billion.

“With this approval that came more than 45 days before the games and the commission was proactive in starting camps for the games

63 days before the approval. ``This was to ensure that all the segments for the games were involved in the medical assessment, fitness assessment, technical and tactical preparation and that they were all put together as we intensify preparation to ensure monitoring,’’ he said.

Yakmut said that Nigeria’s participation was necessary since it needed to showcase developments in sports over the years.

“Our participation in the 2015 All Africa Game is of importance because all countries that would be going for the games would be there to showcase empirical development in sport in their respective countries,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Habu Gumel, President Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), urged athletes and coaches to

Falcons’ trio to miss Olympic clash

S

UPER Falcons trio, Francisca Ordega, Josephine Chukwunonye and Onome Ebi will not be available for the 2016 Olympic clash against the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea.

Falcons will be the guests of the two-time African champions in the reverse fixture clash on Sunday in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

The first leg clash in Nigeria ended 1-1 on Saturday at the Abuja National Stadium.

Falcons head coach, Christopher Danjuma said the overseas clubs of the trio offered to release

the players for the crucial Olympic assignment on the FIFA free window date on Saturday, August 1.

“Chukwunonye, Ebi and Ordega will not partake in the return leg of the Olympic qualifier against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday in Bata. Their clubs offered to release them for the Olympic assignment on Saturday, which is the FIFA free window for a match billed for the next day.

“Right now any player who is not in camp by the end of today (yesterday) is completely ruled out of the clash.”

stay away from drugs. ``We can win the entire medal, but we must do that with our God-given strength.

Drug cannot make us win medal, it will only bring us shame,'' Gumel noted.

Emenike in losing debut for Al Ain

N

IGERIA international striker, Emmanuel Emenike fired blanks in a losing debut for United Arab Emirates club Al Ain yesterday.

Al Ain lost 1-0 to Uzbek Locomotiv in a pre-season game in Austria. Emenike played the first 45 minutes of the game alongside Ryan Babel, but could not get a goal for his team.

The former Spartak Moscow of Russia forward is on a year’s loan to the Dubai-based team from Turkish club Fenerbahce. He was a direct replacement for Ghana skipper, Asamoah Gyan who left the club for China.

• Emenike

HE Lagos Lawn Tennis Club has lined up a number of activities which will run from July to December to celebrate the 120-years of existence of the club.

The club which was established in 1895 for the provision of recreational facilities for the playing of the games of tennis according to the club’s Trustees has also included other sports such as Billiards, Squash, Table Tennis and other games in the club’s activities.

However, to ensure a successful celebration, a committee was set up under the leadership of the club’s President, Barrister Rotimi Edu and other members of the executive Committee who deemed it fit to celebrate the 120 years of ex-

istence of the club.

The committee is expected to provide a budget for the combined events and also search for sponsors and market the event. They are also expected to plan for a Gala nite and design programmes, for the landmark event.

Meanwhile, Barrister Edu, has solicited the support of well-meaning Nigerians to ensure a successful celebration.

“I want to enlist the support of well-meaning Nigerians, private and public sector organisations. I also urge philanthropists and government establishment to support us in achieving greatness in our quest to establish a tennis foundation for our youths through donations and sponsorships.

Meanwhile, under the auspices of the chairman of committee, Gbenga Lufadeju, they have also finalised plans to encourage the public especially the non members and the young ones to make use of the recreational areas.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.10 NO.3290

TODAY IN THE NATION ‘In changing the direction of the country as it is now, every institution, agency and arm has roles to play and the judiciary should be readied to handle the windfall of prosecutions that will inevitably emanate from the current shakedown by the government’ DELE AGEKAMEH

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

Y

ESTERDAY Justice Oloyede Folahanmi, a judge of the Osun State High Court, would have made history for the second time as the first judge to testify before a legislative committee on why she believed the governor of her state and his deputy should be impeached by the legislature (i.e. charged with an offence committed while in office) and subsequently sacked.

The first time she made history was last month when she petitioned the House of Assembly and urged its members to investigate its governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and his deputy, Otunba Titi Laoye-Tomori, in line with sections 128 and 129 of the constitution in order to establish the grounds for removing both from office in line with sections 188 and 189 of the constitution.

By her petition to the House of Assembly, she has stood the procedure for impeaching an elected government official on its head in the sense that until she came along, it has never been heard of for a judicial officer to initiate impeachment proceedings. Rather the procedure invariably ended with the appointment by the legislature of a panel presided by a judge to investigate allegations against an elected government official so as to establish the grounds, if any, for removing the official.

As things turned out, Justice Folahanmi failed to honour her scheduled appearance yesterday before a committee of the Osun State legislature to defend her charges, which were essentially against the governor, with his deputy apparently added only as a footnote. However, in failing to appear before the Ad-Hoc Committee appointed under the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Akintunde Adegboye, to investigate her petition, the judge was represented by a lawyer, Mr Lanre Ogunlesi (SAN), who asked for a new date for his client.

None was fixed and all indications are that none will, because the judge may have lost the will to defend her charges.

Her Lordship’s petition contains charges against Aregbesola that are truly grave. The governor, she had said with all the solemnity a judge can muster, is a hypocrite, a spendthrift and a thief. Some examples of the governor’s spendthrift and venal ways, she said, were “the cruel and harsh debasement of pensioners and civil servants in deliberately and maliciously withholding their salaries for months on end...”

Another example, she said, was that “there is nothing on the ground in Osun to indicate or justify (the) huge gargantuan quantum of loan” the governor took to build infrastructure in the state. As for his hypocrisy, she said, while few people spoke against corruption especially at the centre like the governor, his own stank to high heavens. The governor, she said, was “guilty of unjustified assassination of the character of a sitting president and of moral murder.” This is an obvious reference to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, whose presidency is turning out to be the most venal by far in possibly Africa’s history.

Her petition, she said, was nothing personal.

“I declare that in presenting this petition,” she said, “I am not in any way motivated by malice, spite, pecuniary interest or promise thereof, nor am I propelled by a desire for higher office...”

As someone who has had more than a nodding acquaintance with the politics of Osun

RIPPLES

PDP senators to EFCC: Don’t INTIMIDATE OPPONENTS

So you mean OPPONENTS that are ROGUES should be left alone...ehn?

People and Politics By

MOHAMMED H ARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

Aregbesola’s predicament

•Aregbesola

State and who has written at least twice about Aregbesola’s record as governor, I was shocked that anyone, not to talk of a judge of a high court for who restraint is a necessary virtue, can accuse the governor of the high crimes Her Lordship mentioned in her petition.

No doubt, Aregbesola is one of the country’s most controversial governors, not least because he was among the first governors to adopt a state flag and state anthem and, even more controversially, he was the first to declare the first day in the Muslim calendar a public holiday in his state in 2012, probably because it has the largest proportion of Muslims among the Southwest states.

That declaration alone has since made him a marked man among non-Muslims in a state famous for producing at least two of the country’s leading Pentecostal pastors. And not even his attempt to assuage Christians hurt by building what PUNCH called a “misguided church project”, in its editorial of January 21, last year, changed the minds of some powerful

opposition elements in their determination to deny him a second term in August last year.

PUNCH was right to criticise him for planning to build a church for, in a multi-religious country like Nigeria, government has no business building churches or mosques or any place of worship, for that matter. Nor has it any business sponsoring people on pilgrimages.

The newspaper was, however, wrong to have criticised him, as it did in 2012 for declaring the first day of the Muslim calendar a public holiday. After all, it is the constitutional prerogative of a governor to declare any symbolic day a public holiday.

However, right or wrong, criticisms of the man over his politics of religious identity have cast him unfairly in the image of an Islamic fundamentalist. Sadly, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state tried to reduce his re-election bid last year into a religious issue.

Happily it failed; he won his re-election with about 392,600 votes to Senator Iyore Omisore’s 292,700 or so. And as if to rile the opposition party even more, he won the re-election in spite of its alleged attempt to use the army, police and other security services to rig the election as had happened in the neighbouring Ekiti State earlier.

Following the elections the PDP candidate petitioned against his loss all the way to the Supreme Court – and lost all the way. However, Aregbesola’s predicament suggests that PDP and those opposed to his victory are still determined to achieve through the rear window what they have been unable to get through the front door.

Their main weapon of choice seems to be his failure to pay the state’s civil servants and pensioners for over 10 months. Her Lordship says the governor has defaulted because he has

RE: EL-RUFA’I, PMB AND OUR OIL MISFORTUNE

I

received about a dozen texts, a couple of emails and phone calls, notably from Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, over my column last week. All but three of the texts were on my egregious mistake about the date of the coup that brought General Muhammadu Buhari as military head of state in December 1983. Space

HARDBALL

S

O, ex-militia leaders in the Niger Delta couldn’t agree on the need for a July 25 meeting called by one of them, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo. Specifically, a messy boycott by former militants, Boyloaf, Africa, Pastor Reuben, Shoot-at-Sight, Ogunboss, Ateke Tom, Farrah, and Jomo Gbomo led to the eventual cancellation of the meeting.

The reason given by Gbomo of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) suggested that there may have been more to the meeting than Tompolo claimed publicly. The MEND spokesman reportedly said the group would have nothing to do with Tompolo or any “assembly of dubious contractors and disgruntled elements.”

The mention of “dubious contractors” is easy to understand against the background of the $103m (about N21billion) maritime security contract contentiously awarded by the past Goodluck Jonathan administration to the Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Limited linked with Tompolo. The Muhammadu Buhari presidency, according to reports, had ordered the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to break business links with Tompolo’s

frittered away the state’s resources. She seems to have forgotten that until the oil revenue crunch from last year, the governor paid the state’s civil servants their salaries not only as at when due. He also paid them a bonus of a 13th month each year.

And when she said there was “nothing on the ground” to justify all the loans the man took to build infrastructure in the state, she was clearly speaking out of character of a judge since judges are not supposed to indulge in hyperbole. The fact is that no one who has been in Osun would deny that Aregbesola has turned Osogbo, the capital, and much of the state, into a giant construction site. One telling evidence of this is that Osogbo has never known any flood, much less the devastating one it was used to, since he became governor.

Again, no fair-minded person can deny that he has also invested meaningfully into the future of the education of the state’s population.

Aregbesola, of course, has had his fair share of mistakes. One of them is the purchase of helicopter, which is essentially for his personal use. Another, as far I am concerned, was his payment of 13th month salaries to civil servants when the going was good. There are possibly others more. But the fact that he has been singled out for widespread bashing over his inability to pay civil servants in his state is proof positive that his predicament is more partisan politics than anything else. After all he is only one of about 27 governors who have failed to pay their civil servants, in some cases for much longer than he has. Besides, unlike most of them, he has been honest enough to own up to his failure.

Aregbesola should, however, accept that it’s mere cold comfort that he is not the only governor who has failed in his responsibility to his civil servants, marginal as they are as a percentage of the state’s population. As a compassionate politician, he owes at least himself to be counted among the best not the worst. He must therefore find a way out of his predicament.

The first step is to sell the state helicopter even if it fetches little revenue. It is a symbol of self-aggrandisement he can do without. Second, he should travel out of his state far less frequently than he has. Third, he should reduce the size of his aides and cut their allowances.

All these may not add up to much in solving his fiscal problem. But they do mean a lot as evidence that he shares the pains of ordinary folks in the sacrifice they’ve been making because hard times are here.

does not allow me to publish those reactions today.

I’ll do so next week, God willing. And reveal my half-year resolution about what has become my “usual slips”, as one reader unkindly, but accurately, put it.

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Tompolo’s tomfoolery company. In this context, it is also understandable that Gbomo referred to “disgruntled elements” because the loss of such a huge contract may likely cause frustration and irritation.

Of course, Tompolo defended his idea. He said in a statement: “The tension generated by the meeting is uncalled for, diversionary and mischievous as no evil is intended in whatever form.” The problem with his defence is that he sounded like one who was out to possibly terrorise the Federal Government. Tompolo’s words: “While some of us understand to an extent, the apparent delay in the continued payment of the monthly stipend to the ex-agitators in view of the seeming scrutiny of government agencies, including the Amnesty Office, by the current administration, same cannot be said of the majority of beneficiaries of the Amnesty programme.”

Tompolo continued: “While a few see the delay in the payment of their monthly stipends in the light of the need for the current government to settle in properly, others see the delay as a template to stop the pro-

gramme. The expulsion of some students (home and overseas) by their schools and training institutions particularly has heightened these fears.” What Tompolo was trying to say in so many words was that the Presidency may be sitting on a powder keg.

It is thought-provoking that Boyloaf, one of the boycotters, reportedly advised the security agencies to be on full alert. The timing of the meeting was a big issue for the boycotters who argued that it was premature because the Buhari administration was yet to clarify its plans for the Niger Delta. Their position amounted to questioning Tompolo’s sense of judgement. Interestingly also, Tompolo’s move is believed to have been prompted by his perception of himself as the pre-eminent militant and militia commander in the region, meaning he is probably suffering from delusion of grandeur.

The intervention of Bayela State Governor Seriake Dickson, who proposed an alternative forum at a later date, ought to give Tompolo time to rethink his tomfoolery.

The question is whether he would do so.

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