June 01, 2015

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•INSIDE: MANUFACTURERS, OTHERS COUNT LOSSES OF ECONOMIC LOCKDOWN P2

Six CBN officials, 16 others to face trial for N8b ‘fraud’ Buhari appoints Adesina, Shehu as spokesmen

Case begins tomorrow in Ibadan

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From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

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IX Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials and 16 others from some commercial banks are to face trial for alleged N8 billion fraud, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday.

The suspects, the agency alleged, stole and recirculated defaced and mutilated currencies.

A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “The suspects drawn from various business units of the apex bank are to be arraigned by the anti-graft agency before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, from Tuesday June 2, 2015 to Thursday June 4, 2015.

“They include Patience Okoro Eye (Abuja), Afolabi Olufemi (Lagos), Kolawole Babalola (Ibadan), Olaniran Muniru Adeola (Ibadan), Fatai Yusuf, Adekunle (Head, Security, CBN, (Ibadan) and Ilori Adekunle Sunday (Akure).

“The remaining 16 suspects are drawn from various commercial banks who were found to have conspired with the CBN executives to swing the heist.

“All the suspects who are currently in the custody of the EFCC are now ruing the day they literally allowed greed and craze for materialism to becloud their sense of judgment and responsibility, when they elected to help themselves to tons of defaced Naira notes. “ Instead of carrying out the statutory instruction to destroy the currency, they substituted it with newspapers neatly cut to Naira sizes and proceeded to recycle the defaced and mutilated currency.

“The fraud is partly to blame for the Continued on page 4

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WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15, LAST YEAR EVER RETURN?

•Name: Fatai A. Yusuf Offence: Conspiracy, abuse of office and stealing Date: 5/11/2014

•Name: Afolabi Olufemi Johnson Offence: Alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office and stealing Date: 08/01/2015

•Name: Patience Okoro Eye Offence: Alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office and stealing Date: 08/01/2015

•Name: Olaniran Muniru Adeolu Offence: Conspiracy, abuse of office and stealing Date: 6/11/2014

•Name: Kolawole Babalola Offence: Conspiracy, abuse of office and stealing Date: 05/11/2014

•Name: Ilori Adekunle Sunday Offence: Alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office and stealing Date: 08/01/2015

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari last night appointed his spokesmen in the first set of appointments made by his administration.

Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Mr. Femi Adesina is Special Adviser (Media and Publicity). Mallam Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity).

The President also appointed Mallam Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure as the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP).

Adesina was re-elected President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) last month after serving out a two-year first term.

He started his 28-year career in newspapering at the Vanguard as a feature writer before joining ConContinued on page 4

Why Constitution amendment deal collapsed

F

ORMER President Goodluck Jonathan could not assent to constitution amendments because of the collapse of talks between the Federal Government’s team and the National Assembly, it was learnt yesterday.

The National Assembly could not

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

abide by the terms of the agreement by both parties.

The Assembly was also unable to satisfy the constitutional provisions which could make the former President to sign the amendments into

law.

But with five working days left for the 7th National Assembly to wind up, the principal officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives are in a dilemma on Continued on page 4

•Adesina

69 die, 15 vehicles burnt in Onitsha petrol tanker fire

•Shehu

NEWS PAGE 4

•Bodies burnt beyond recognition •Governor moved to tears at scene

•SPORTS P23 •ISSUES P28 •JOBS P35 •CEO P37 •POLITICS P45 •FOREIGN P59

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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NEWS

Manufacturers c For the first time in Nigeria, power supply from the national grid hit zero, throwing Africa’s largest economy into unprecedented darkness. The three-day blackout, which began on May 24, was triggered by a system collapse and the strike embarked upon by oil and gas workers. Although, normalcy is gradually returning, the crisis left businesses severely bruised.

Now, there are calls for the deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

•Former Industry, Trade & Investment Minister Olusegun Aganga (left) receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ambassador Abdulkadir Musato on behalf the Chief Executive Officers of agencies under the ministry in Abuja. With them is Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu.

•From left: Group Managing Director, Skye Bank Plc., Mr. Timothy Oguntayo; Vice Chairman, Tantalizers Plc., Mr. Olu Ayeni; Executive Director, Retail, Southsouth Region, Skye Bank Plc., Mrs Ibiye Ekong and Managing Director, Spectra Industries Limited, Mr. Duro Kuteyi at the Skye Bank SME Business Seminar in Lagos.

•Former Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof Modupe Adelabu (right) and Osun State House of Representatives member from Ayedaade/Irewole/ Isokan Federal Constituency Ayo Omidiran at the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Eagle Square, Abuja...at the weekend.

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IGERIANS are known for their resilience and never-saydie disposition. They have the uncanny ability to endure unsavory situations, smiling through them or shrugging them off. But in the last two weeks, it has been extremely difficult to extract a smile from Nigerians. The precarious state of the economy, especially in the days and weeks leading to the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s fifth democratically elected President on Friday, May 29, hardly gave anybody cause to smile. For the first time in history, there was zero electricity supply from the national grid. For three days, Sunday, May 24 to Tuesday, May 26, most residential, commercial and industrial consumers watched helplessly as their businesses groaned under the weight of a major system collapse that plunged the nation into unprecedented darkness.

The system collapse was said to have been caused by Nigeria’s weak transmission infrastructure. The situation was worsened by the industrial action embarked upon by Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). The strike by the two major unions in the oil and gas industry disrupted gas supply to the electricity plants. Eighteen out of the 23 power plants in the country were unable to generate electricity due to shortage of gas, according to National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Chairman Dr. Sam Amadi.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, generates 1, 327 megawatts (MW) of electricity for its 170 million people, even as the former Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, put the electricity need at more than 150,000 megawatts.

Amadi said one of the hydro stations had water management issue, which led to the loss of over 2, 000 mw.

The Nation learnt that 70 per cent of power generation in the country is from gas-fired turbines, leaving 30 per cent to hydro. The Federal Government under the ousted Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declined experts’ calls for the diversification of energy sources. It failed to explore alternative power sources, such as renewable energy, including coal, solar, wind and biomass. In the heat of the crisis, power generation dropped to an all-time low of 1, 327 mw down from about 4, 500 mw in April.

Manufacturers, business operators groan

•From left: Senior Pastor, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Hope Hall Parish, Supo Oluwasakin, God's Children Great Talent (GCGT) winners, Great Egere (Season 4); Olurunsuyi Praise Oluwakemi (Season 5) and GCGT Samuel Ekeh (Season 4) at the grand finale of the RCCG, Apapa Family GCGT Season 5 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Although, normalcy is gradually returning after the aggrieved unions called off the strike on May 25, but business operators in all sectors of the economy, especially manufacturers and industrialists, have been counting their losses. Before the blackout, the electricity demand by members of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) stood at about 3, 000 mw for optimal performance, but they have been getting less than 1, 000 mw gets to the Association.

Records have shown that over 75 per cent of the electricity needs of manufacturers is generated in-house,

leaving only 25 per cent coming from the utility firms. A source close to the Electronics and Electrical Sectorial Group of MAN said members of MAN invest about N2 billion weekly to power their plants.

The source, who pleaded for anonymity because he was not authorised to speak for the group, described as unfortunate that MAN members pay above N120 million monthly for electricity.

Noting that it is difficult to quantify how much manufacturers lost to the three-day outage, he put the cost at about N5 billion.

The amount, he said, does not include man-hour losses, damages to machines, tools, raw materials and disruption to production as well as staff redundancy as workers earned their salaries for the period they were unproductive. “When power goes off, waste materials, manpower, time and so many things are wasted. At the end of the day, you discover that you are not making profit,” the source said.

It is easy to see why manufacturers rue the economic lockdown. For one, it added to their long list of woes, as most of them have long been bogged down by rising production cost due to inclement operating environment.

The business environment had taken a turn for the worse following the devaluation of the naira in the wake of the crashing crude oil prices at the international market.

The implication of the latest crisis is that the hope of an early reversal of Nigeria’s record as the most expensive country to do manufacturing business in the world may not be realised soon.

At the moment, cost of manufacturing in the country is about nine times that of China, four times that of South Africa and about twice that of Ghana.

Manufacturers have had to contend with falling profit margin, which remains a major threat to business sustainability and global competitiveness.

MAN’ President Dr. Frank Jacobs said last week that manufacturers paid for electricity not consumed.

“Despite the poor energy situation in the country, NERC has maintained increased electricity charges, not considering its implication on the economy, especially on the productive sector,” he said at a media luncheon at MAN’s House, in Lagos.

Dr. Jacobs said despite the current high tariff, the manufacturing sector spends so much on alternative energy sources for production, a development that has pushed up the average production cost. He said the trend could reduce competitiveness of locally produced goods against imported close substitutes.

He urged the new government to streamline electricity tariff to reflect the actual consumption by the industries, instead of the current use of estimated bills.

Yet, manufacturers are not the only ones counting their losses. Smaller business operators are equally feeling the pains. For instance, dealers in frozen foods in Ijora-Olopa, Lagos, last week, cried out over heavy losses inflicted on their businesses by the blackout. The frozen food dealers under their umbrella association,

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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NEWS

count losses of economic lockdown

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•Mrs. Allison-Madueke

•Boyo

Ajeromi Frozen Food Market Association, raised the alarm that between May 23 and May 25, members lost N10 million worth of food items.

Association President Alhaja Afusat Popoola who listed the lost items as chicken, turkey, fish, shrimps, gizzard and prawns, said her members were caught unawares because they never envisaged a prolonged energy crisis.

Her words: “The traders were crying when we ordered them to surrender all the decayed food items for destruction on Tuesday. The market has a reputation for selling fresh frozen food and we cannot allow any trader to sell bad frozen food under our leadership.

“What we destroyed on Tuesday because of power outages and our inability to buy petrol and diesel was worth more than N10 million. We are appealing to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) to always consider the impact of outages on our business and the health of the general public. Our business depends on regular supply of electricity.”

She lamented that irregular electricity supply forced many traders out of business and also made many to be indebted to the banks.

Mrs. Popoola said: “We used to have many frozen food traders in this market before, but this power outage has forced them out of business. Previously, when power supply was regular, we used to sell more than seven trucks of fish, turkey and chicken, daily.

“There is no kind of fish that one will not find in this market before because it is the number one frozen food market. But, the poor power supply has liquidated many traders. Some of them, who use generating sets spend close to N80, 000 to buy diesel or petrol monthly. By the time one removes this amount from monthly sales, you discover that you’ve spent above your profit and part of your capital to buy diesel.”

The crisis also left sour taste in the mouths of operators in the aviation sector. The blackout forced many domestic airlines to cancel flights due to

•Prof Nebo

•Olawore

scarcity of Jet A- One. Most passengers were stranded at the general aviation terminal of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, as fuel shortage disrupted flights’ schedules. The collateral losses were mind-boggling. An aviation source told The Nation that for each of the three days, Arik, the biggest domestic airline, lost about $1 million.

This translates to about $3 million for the three days the crisis lasted. With about seven domestic airlines operating in the country, the source, who declined to be identified, said the industry lost close to $10 million in ticket sales alone to the economic shut down.

Banks, telecom firms also affected Bank customers were jolted when banks scaled down operational time from the official closing time of 4pm to 1pm, citing the crippling fuel shortage as reason. The Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Sterling Bank and First Bank Plc., among others, sent SMS to their customers to bear with them.

For instance, in a message sent to its customers, FCMB stated: “Dear customer, our branches will close at 1pm from Monday, May 25th, 2015, due to the shortage of petroleum products. All our alternative channels will remain available.” However, there banks that shut down banking operations, but could not communicate same to their customers, a situation that infuriated the customers.

Unlike in the other sectors, the loss suffered by the banking industry could not be ascertained. However, some banking and finance experts told The Nation that banks merely wanted to minimise or cut their losses. They said that much as the banks were losing money, they were also saving cost by scaling down operations.

“Besides, all their electronic (e-channels) were active, allowing transactions to go on,” they said.

Bank customers did not find the situation funny, as some of the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in major cities across the country had network problems as the inverters

It is extremely difficult to put a figure to what the nation lost to the economic lockdown, considering the nation’s penchant for poor record keeping. However, experts and operators say that the financial hemorrhage and social dislocation could be huge, running into hundreds of billions of naira

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powering them had little or no power to keep the ATMs on for 24 hours.

After daily operations, banks power their ATMs with inverters and anytime they run down, the machines will switch off. The result: long queues of angry and frustrated customers.

Many customers of telecoms services providers also got their share of the frustration following service degradation, caused by difficulties in getting diesel to power the base stations.

All the major service providers, such as MTN, Airtel and Etisalat, warned that the scarcity of petroleum products, particularly diesel, was hitting hard on their operations.

For instance, MTN, in a SMS sent to its subscribers, warned they might experience “degraded service”.

The message read: “Dear customer, due to the diesel scarcity nationwide, you may experience degraded services.” The message, however, added that the company was working hard to tackle the problem and solicited for understanding.

Although, MTN and other operators assured that they were working to maitain the delivery of quality services despite the fuel scarcity challenge, The Nation learnt that such assurances were only intended to pre-empt a possible backlash from angry subscribers, who were actually experiencing poor quality of services, and it could not have been otherwise, as base stations and switches across the country are powered with generators 24 hours.

The situation was not different at the nation’s ports, where operations suffered serious hitches.

“The ports and terminals are driven by heavy-duty equipment and cranes, which are powered by diesel. It is sad to note that it is becoming increasingly difficult for our members to replenish their diesel stock due to the lingering scarcity of the product,” members of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), said in a statement last week.

Small scale businesses shut down Operators of most small scale businesses simply went on vacation and

locked up their ware points. Soft drink, bottled water and sachet water hawkers, (aka pure water), recorded huge losses, as patronage tumbled because there was no electricity to chill the drinks. Barbing and hair-dressing salon operators shut down. There was no fuel to power their generators.

Those who ran skeletal services after scouting for fuel at between N600 and N650 per litre, jerked up the cost of their services.

Recounting her ordeal, a supervisor with an upscale hotel in Lagos, Miss Chidi Igwe, said she trekked the entire Shagari Estate on Ipaja Road in search of a salon to fix her hair. She said the one that opened for business in the sprawling estate charged N1, 800 against the usual N800 for a particular air style.

She also lamented the power outage in the last one month, despite the fact that her subscription to DSTV and the PayTV never stopped running. Besides, Miss Igwe said she cannot remember the last time she went to work with her dress ironed.

Eateries and beer parlour owners recorded low sales, as customers stayed indoors. Those who managed to leave their homes, contended with skyrocketed fare, as transporters increased fares five-fold. For instance, passengers commuting from Iyana-Ipaja to Obalande/CMS coughed out between N600 and N700, up from the original N200. Those who could not cope with the high transportation cost resulted to trekking long distances. Nigerians cursed and hissed. It was bedlam.

It is extremely difficult to put a figure to what the nation lost to the economic lockdown, considering the nation’s penchant for poor record keeping. However, experts and operators say that the financial hemorrhage and social dislocation could be huge running into hundreds of billions of naira.

Calls for deregulation heighten With the inauguration of a new government on May 29, the Director-General, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Mr. Emeka Okereke, said a fresh impetus has come the way of President Buhari to deregulate the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry. He said the new government only needs to muster the political will and courage to call the bluff of certain cabals in the industry and deregulate.

“The government has no business in doing business. The right for deregulation has come. Put the right policies in place so that private investors can come in,” he told The Nation.

Mr. Okereke noted that because of political exigency, the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan failed to take the bull by the horns.

Pointing out that the immediate past administration buckled under the pressure of labour unions and civil society groups in 2012, when there was nationwide protest against the removal of fuel subsidy, he said subsidy has become unsustainable.

“Subsidy doesn’t make economic sense anymore. It has become unsustainable. We will never come out of the wood as long as we continue to subsidise the prices of petroleum products.

We cannot continue to postpone the doom’s day,” Okereke said.

He also urged the new administration to sustain the normalcy that is gradually returning to stabilise the oil sector by plugging all the leakages.

The ECCIMA chief has an ally in the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), which also called for proper deregulation of the sector.

NECA’s Director-General Segun Oshinowo argued that the recent reduction in the prices of petroleum products by the government begs the more fundamental issues of appropriate policy framework that will promote investment in the downstream sector of the oil economy and put a stop to the embarrassing and shame-

ful importation of petrol.

He said: “Our expectation therefore, is that the government will seize the opportunity of the current decline in the prices of crude oil to commence implementation of the policy on deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

“This is a unique timing and the government cannot afford to miss the full implementation of deregulation, which in time past, had led to price increase and reaction by the labour movement in form of industrial actions.”

The NECA director-general added that rather than reducing the slashing the price of petrol from N97 to N87, there ought to have been a more holistic announcement of a new policy thrust of deregulation of the downstream sector and privatisation of the four refineries, which have now become drain pipes.

According to him, the economy stands to gain more from deregulation.

Oil marketers under the aegis of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) could not agree less They noted that deregulation will stimulate investments in the sector and encourage the establishment of private refineries.

The association’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, said the government should muster the courage to fully deregulate and remove subsidy, or embark on continuous subsidy regime payment as at when due.

“If the government likes, it can introduce gradual removal of subsidy, but it should not go beyond six to 18 months,” Olawore said. He added that if fully deregulated with rules, Nigeria will have serious investors coming in to invest adequately.

He insisted that deregulation remains the answer and that the government must sensitise Nigerians to let them understand the advantages.

Henry Boyo, an economist, noted that the 23 firms franchised to established refineries have not invested their funds for fear of being asked by the government to sell products at regulated prices According to Boyo, crude oil produced in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and or America, has a uniform international commodity price.

“In the same vein, the process of producing crude oil, or refined petroleum products is the same everywhere in the world; it is the same equipment.

So, if you put in the same feedstock, what you will get at the end will be the same price,” he told The Nation.

Noting that monies spent by the Federal Government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the state-owned refineries, were enough to build new refineries, Boyo said the point remains, at what price will the government sell the products.

He said notwithstanding the federal ownership of the refineries, products cannot be sold at any price below the production cost.

His words: “In no time, they (investors) will pack their loads and go. So, the question of whether we sell off the refineries is not the issue, it is pricing.”

According to him, once the pricing is right, those who got licenses for refineries will swing to action.

He, however, said the process of influencing the pricing has to do with the naira-dollar mechanism.

Will the payment of about N1 trillion annually as subsidy continue under the President Buhari administration, when the nation’s revenue base is bleeding amidst rising debt burden of about $60 billion? Will the new administration remove subsidy and risk confrontation with organised labour and the civil societies? How the President dances around this minefield is a litmus test for his resolve to fix the economy without inflicting pains on the people.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

NEWS Six CBN officials, 16 others to face trial for N8b ‘fraud’ Continued from page 1

failure of government monetary policy over the years as currency mop-up exercises by the apex bank failed to check the inflationary pressure on the economy.”

The commission gave further details on how the fraud was perpetrated by the suspects.

The statement added: “The lid on the scam, which is widely suspected to have gone on unchecked for years, was blown on November 3, 2014 via a petition to the EFCC alleging that over N6, 575, 549, 370.00 was cornered and discreetly recycled by light fingered top executives of the CBN at the Ibadan branch.

“The suspects, who were members of the Briquetting Panel, plotted their way to infamy on September 8, 2014 while carrying out a Briquetting exercise at the CBN Branch, Ibadan.

“In banking parlance, Briquetting is disintegration and destruction of counted and audited dirty notes. By this practice, depositor banks usually take mutilated notes to the CBN in exchange for fresh notes equivalent of the amount deposited.

“The depositor banks, in this instance, are Zenith Bank, FCMB, Wema Bank, Access Bank, First Bank, Skye Bank, Ecobank and Sterling Bank “But while carrying out the

assignment, the team was alleged to have found one of the currency boxes filled only with old newspapers rather than 20 bundles of N1000 notes.

A similar case, according to investigation, had been discovered on September 22, 2014 when a box that was supposed to contain N500 notes to the tune of N5billion was filled with old newspapers.

“Unlike in the past, this fraud could not be swept under the carpet, as a member of the Briquetting Panel from the Osogbo branch blew the lid on the illicit deal.

“In a statement, the informant stated that the exercise was designed to last between August 4 and 8, 2014.

The 35-year-old, however, stated that she discovered a strange ‘sight’ while opening the third box on the second day of the exercise. It was a discovery that beat her ken.

“She added that she confronted the other members of the panel, including Eye, Head, Briquetting Panel; Treasury Assistant; Coordinator and Head, Security, CBN, Ibadan, who all assured her that they would look into it. “ But she later found out that it was all a ruse. She said she later found out that Eye not only maintained sealed lips over the matter but omitted it from her report.

“A five-count charge awaits the suspects.”

69 die, 15 vehicles burnt in Onitsha petrol tanker fire

By Nwanosike Onu

O

•President Muhammadu Buhari receiving former President of Kosovo, Mr. Behgjet Pakolli, during a visit at his residence in Abuja ... at the weekend.

Buhari appoints Adesina, Shehu as spokesmen Continued from page 1

cord newspapers as a pioneer member of the Weekend Concord team.

He also served as Editor of National Concord. He moved to The Sun where he rose to the position of editor before being appointed managing

director and editor-in-chief.

He was named the Editor of the Year 2007 by the Nigeria Media Merit Award organisers.

Shehu served as the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. He was Editor of Kano-based Triumph newspa-

per and President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors 16 years ago. He was head of the media team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 1999.

Abdullahi Kazaure is a career Foreign Service official and currently serves in Aso Rock Villa as a Special Assistant (Presidential Matters).

Why Constitution amendment deal collapsed Continued from page 1

whether or not to override Jonathan’s veto and pass the amendments into law.

Jonathan ought to sign the amendments into law on May 28, it was learnt.

Although the Federal Government and the National Assembly presented the terms of settlement or agreement to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the two parties still disagreed sharply between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

It was gathered that the National Assembly could not “clean up” the amendments and fulfill constitutional requirements for Jonathan to assent to the amendments.

The National Assembly reportedly retained some of the contentious amendments which forced the Federal Government to go to the Supreme Court.

For Jonathan to sign the amendments into law, the Federal Government demanded that: •the sections removed by the National Assembly ought to be ratified by the Committee of the Whole and not a few members of the Assembly negotiating with the government; •there must be substantial compliance with the threshold specified in Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution on amendments; •alteration to constitution cannot be valid with mere voice votes, unless supported by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority of all members of the National Assembly and two-thirds of all the 36

State Houses of Assembly; •the involvement of few members in the clean-up was illegal because the process was irregular and improper; •the fresh amendments made available to the former President should also be presented to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for scrutiny and endorsement; •the review of the amendments through mere agreement with the Federal Government is subject to challenge in court and could be declared illegal; and •it was too late in the day for the ex-president to sign the amendments A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “The Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, tried unsuccessfully to mobilize the Constitution Review Committee to clean up the amendments on Thursday.

“But by the time the ‘clean copy’ was taken to the Presidential Villa on Thursday for assent, the National Assembly leaders were told that Jonathan had given his handover note to President Muhammadu Buhari and he could no longer sign any bill into law.

“The Assembly leaders were also made to realise that Jonathan did not include the controversy over the amendments in the handover note.”

Another source said: “The former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), was of the view that since the report of the National Conference had been

sent to the National Assembly, the 8th National Assembly will do a better job to effect the constitutional amendments.

“The development made National Assembly leaders to leave the Presidential Villa dejected and disappointed.

“In fact, Ekweremadu openly complained that Adoke deceived the National Assembly into out-of-court settlement.”

A member of the legal team involved in the botched agreement said: “Our deal collapsed because the National Assembly did not clean up the amendments on time.

“The Assembly leaders retained some of the amendments opposed by the Federal Government. And time was not just on the side of the National Assembly to fulfill the requirements for constitution amendment.”

National Assembly leaders are said to be in a dilemma on the next step.

A Senator said: “It will be difficult for the Senate and the House of Representatives to now sit and claim that they are overriding the veto of a former President.

“There is no way President Muhammadu Buhari can be liable for the veto exercised by his predecessor. This is the challenge at hand.

“The National Assembly can also not present the amendments to Buhari to sign into law. With five working days left, we are really helpless.

“The worst aspect is that we cannot go back to the Supreme Court because time is no longer on our side.”

The former President rejected 10 of the 65 amendments to the 1999 Constitution by the 7th National Assembly.

Some of the errors in the amendments are: •non-compliance with the threshold specified in Section 9(3) of the 1999 Constitution on amendments; •alteration to constitution cannot be valid with mere voice votes unless supported by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority all members of National Assembly and two-thirds of all the 36 State Houses of Assembly; •right to free basic education and primary and maternal care services imposed on private institutions; •flagrant violation of the doctrine of separation of powers; •unjustified whittling down of the Executive powers of the Federation vested in the President by virtue of

Section 5(1) of the 1999 Constitution; and •30 days allowed for assent of the President.

The others are: •limiting expenditure in default of appropriation from six months to three months; •creation of the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation distinct from the Accountant General of the Federal Government; •empowering National Economic Council to appoint the Accountant-General of the Federation instead of the President; •allowing the National Judicial Council (NJC) to appoint the Attorney-General of the Federation rather than the President; •unwittingly whittling down the discretionary powers of the Attorney-General; and •Life pension scheme for principal officers of the National Assembly.

NITSHA the Southeast’s commercial capital, was thrown into mourning yesterday as no fewer than 50 persons were burnt to death from the fire that broke out after a fuel-laden tanker rammed into a building.

At least 15 L300 buses were also burnt. The tragedy occurred at about 3pm at Upper Iweka Roundabout when the tanker conveying fuel to Asaba in Delta State fell and got burnt.

Governor Willie Obiano, who rushed to the scene, was moved to tears.

The burnt buses were parked inside the motor park.

Three motorcycles were also burnt.

Residents gathered at the scene, crying as rescue efforts were ongoing.

Among the dead were an expectant woman and little children, it was learnt.

Most of the victims were passengers and readers at a newspaper stand.

The Nigerian Red Cross Society Chairman in Anambra State, Prof. Peter Emeka Kathy, confirming the death toll said: ”We have 69 burnt to death persons as at now. There are also 30 injured in the hospitals.

The dead have been evaluated to various mortuaries in Onitsha, from Toronto to St Charles Boromneo Mortuaries and others in town”.

He said the bodies will be evacuated tomorrow from the mortuaries to the teaching hospital for the necessary tests “because many of them were burnt beyond recognition.” According to an eye witness, Victor Ugwummadu, the driver of the tanker was descending the Upper Iweka flyover from the Enugu-Nkpor end of the expressway when he lost control of the vehicle.

Ugwummadu said the tanker caught fire a few minutes after hitting into the building.

It is believed that the tanker’s brakes may have collapsed.

Anambra State Police Commissioner Hosea Karma was at Upper Iweka with top security chiefs as the charred Continued on page 60

Four injured in Borno Boko Haram suicide attack

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SUICIDE bomber yesterday hit the Kasuwan-Gamboru market near the Nigeria Customs House in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, injuring four people. Only on Saturday, a suicide bomber killed 16 in a mosque in the same city.

An official of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) Abbas Gava said the explosives may have been concealed in some sacks of charcoal. He said one

•Sect members loot food stuff in Yobe villages From Jeol Duku, Maiduguri

of the injured lost a hand. The Gamboru market has suffered several of such attacks in the last three years A witness said the bomb exploded at about 1.pm when most of the traders were gearing up for the days sales.

According Hasimu Bello, the bomb must have been buried on the spot the previ-

ous day.

“It was suspected to have been buried near the spot where charcoal traders sell.

We believe that they buried the explosives maybe yesterContinued on page 60

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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NEWS

Buhari ’ll stamp out corruption, indiscipline, A say Sagay, Marwa CONSTITUTIONAL lawyer, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) and former Lagos State Military Governor Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa yesterday expressed confidence that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will stamp out systemic corruption and indiscipline in the country.

Sagay and Gen. Marwa, who spoke separately, noted that the socio-economic woes facing the country were direct consequences of indiscipline and corruption by past governments.

They noted that the new administration will ensure discipline and guarantee security of lives and property.

The lawyer, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said it was unfortunate that as an oil producing nation, the country was still experiencing scarcity of petrol.

Sagay cited the current energy crisis confronting the nation due to scarcity of petroleum products, which almost crippled the economy.

He said such woes facing the nation were results of corruption and indiscipline, insisting “they must be stamped out’’.

Sagay said it had become imperative that the government must situate this in the right perspective.

He said the new administration must ensure urgent resuscitation of the moribund refineries in the country for crude oil to be refined locally.

“We must refine all our petroleum products within the country. We must stop the importation of petroleum products. It is criminal for the country to purchase petroleum products from non oil producing countries,” Sagay said.

The senior advocate said Nigeria had all the devices to end the ongoing epileptic power supply, which had further impoverished its citizens.

He advised the government to allow communities to organise their own power supply systems and become independent.

Sagay called for the abolition of national grid system to allow for independent power supply.

He said government must not compel everybody to hook-on to the national grid that had not been performing optimally.

Sagay noted that the independent power stations were already in use in some parts of Lagos State, and were effective.

Gen. Marwa, who spoke at an event organised by Muslim League for Accountability Initiative, a body of 54 Islamic organisations in the country at the Arewa House in Kaduna, said Buhari should consider new ways of tackling the nation’s problems to achieve the desired results.

Speaking on the topic: “My Advice for Muhammadu Buhari”, Marwa and Prof. Idris Bugaje of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria listed some priority areas which the president must work on to succeed.

The former military governor said though he was not qualified to advise Buhari

“because he has seen it all having been General Officer Commanding (GOC), minister, governor and Head of State, I will nonetheless fulfill my obligation to the organisers of this lecture and do the needful since I have been asked to”.

“Fear of God, sense of justice and equity must be ensured. All Nigerians know these are his qualities, but all those who will work in his government need to share these qualities,” he stated.

He assured the gathering that the President would “tame the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast the moment the military is provided with the right tools and wherewithal. They will do a good job”.

He identified discipline as a major issue that must top Buhari’s agenda.

“We all know that is his second name. He has done it before. He will do it better this

time. Although this is a civilian regime, he will find another way around it to ensure that both government and the citizenry imbibe the culture of discipline.”

“The new administration has to device new ways of doing things. One of the areas that require new approach is the power sector. All the while, our nation has not really considered the coal option in the generation of power, whereas indutrialised nations like the United States, Russia and many others rely on coal.

So, we have to look that way this time around to get out of this perennial problem,” he said.

Gen. Marwa noted that though there is need to cut cost in view of the nation’s economic reality, the Buhari administration must consider the creation of ministries of Wealth Creation and Poverty Alleviation as well as that of

Railway.

According to him, “this is essential because no past Nigerian leader has received the kind of support from the poor masses like President Buhari.

So, the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Poverty Alleviation must be created to take care of this critical segment of our society. “Apart from this, for a population like Nigeria, our mass transit should be railway. Hence, we need a Ministry of Railway Transportation like in India. Railway transit will move millions at a time, it will move goods and even petroleum products. It will move more people than the airlines. If the airlines can have the Ministry of Aviation, then we need Ministry of Railway.”

Gen. Marwa added: “New refineries have to be built here and there. The old ones need to be repaired to function effectively and then build a fuel reserve that can last for 90 days to take care of emergency situations like industrial strikes and the rest.”

President yet to move into Villa From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

P

•Speakership aspirant for the House of Representatives Pally Iriase (second left) when he announced his withdrawal from the race to support Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila(second right) in Abuja...at weekend. With them are members-elect from Edo State EJ Agbonayinma (left) and Philip Shaibu. Photo: Abayomi Fayese

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is yet to relocate to his official residence in Aso Rock.

Buhari was inaugurated as President on Friday when he took over from former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

A source in the Presidential Villa, who does not want his name in print, said yesterday that renovation had been completed at the official residence.

He said: “Renovation of the residence has been completed with furniture in place. It is now left for the president to organise prayer in the house and then move in. I believe that will be done this week.

“This is normal because the former President did not just move in immediately after he was sworn in as President. He took some days before he moved in after a prayer session was organised in the official residence.”

Speaking with Buhari’s Head of Media team, Garba Shehu, on telephone yesterday on whether Buhari has moved into the Villa, he said: “Not yet.”

Asked why the delay and when the President is likely to move in, he said: “I don’t know. I’m waiting in his house to listen to him.”

ICAO begins safety audit of Nigeria today

Senate: Northern minority ethnic coalition backs Lawan/Akume

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COALITION of northern minority ethnic groups has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its senators-elect to support the Ahmed Lawan/George Akume ticket for Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

The groups, which met in Kaduna at the weekend, described the campaign of the two senators for the Senate’s seats as the “ticket of minority groups”.

The members said they met to “consider the fate of minorities in the North under the new dispensation” and urged the party to take cognisance of the contributions of the minorities in the three geo-political zones of the North to the electoral successes recorded by the APC. The participants at the meeting pleaded that minorities should be rewarded “by conceding the Senate Presidency slot to Lawan and Akume”.

A member of the groups said it has“become incumbent on the new administration, the party in power and all senators-elect to support Lawan from the Bade minority ethnic group of the Northeast state of Yobe to become the Senate President and George Akume

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

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•Saraki takes campaign to Sokoto, Kebbi From Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

of the Tiv minority tribe of the Northcentral state of Benue to be the Deputy Senate President”.

According to them, the Lawan/Akume minority ticket for the Senate Presidency race should be considered along the line of the APC presidential ticket of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), which represents the majority tribes of HausaFulani and Yoruba respectively, noting the religious sensitivity of the tickets as well.

The groups said “putting sentiments aside, going by the extant rules of the Senate, the ticket by every right should not be challenged by senatorselect since Lawan shall be the highest ranking APC senator in the Eighth Assembly followed by George Akume who is going to be a third term senator”.

They added: “All APC senators-elect particularly those of the northern ethnic minorities extractions should assists us to actualise the Ahmed Lawan / Akume ticket so that the North-

ern ethnic minorities will be carried along and shall be compensated for the overwhelming votes they gave to the APC in the 2015 elections.”

According to them, anything short of this Senate Presidency slot will make minority nationalities unable to guarantee their votes for the APC in 2019 elections as they will feel betrayed by the Hausa- Fulani and Yoruba.

They said the governing party should not forget that the last presidential election was about the first time in the nation’s political history that the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba and the Northern ethnic minorities came together politically.

“We, therefore, need to sustain this excellent political alliance and not to destroy it through lack of equity and mutual respect of one another,” the groups added.

They said they had mandated a powerful sub-committee to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari, APC National Leaders, especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as well as the National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyekun on

•Lawan

their request for the “minority ticket to be supported because an ethnic majority may end up being represented in numbers two, three and four political offices at the centre”.

Another aspirant for the Senate Presidency, Senator Bukola Saraki, at the weekend, took his campaign to Sokoto and Kebbi states.

After he visited Governor Atiku Bagudu in Birnin Kebbi, the senator called on the people to support the government “since it is the only one that can change the economic climate of the state”.

Addressing reporters after their closed door meeting, Saraki said his visit to Kebbi was “to felicitate with a good friend and colleague on the successful handover ceremony”.

He urged the people to support the governor to move Kebbi State forward.

TEAM of aviation safety auditors from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) arrived in Lagos yesterday to begin the Universal Security Audit Programme on Nigeria from today.

The safety audit will run for about nine days and terminate on June 9.

The Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Mukthar Usman, said the team will look at Nigeria’s regulatory framework and national civil aviation security systems, training of aviation security personnel, quality control functions, airport operations and aircraft and in-flight security.

Other areas the team will look at include: passenger and baggage security, cargo, catering and mail security, response to acts of unlawful interference and security aspects of facilitation.

He listed the members as: Karen Zadoyan, Steven Neu, Nuno Miguel Silva Ferreira Fortes and Wendy Mueller.

Usman said the objective of the audit is to determine a country’s capability for security oversight by assessing the implementation of the critical elements of security oversight system.

“Thereafter, recommendations will be provided for contracting states to improve their security systems and oversight capabilities,” he said.

He, therefore, reiterated his call on all stakeholders in the industry to join hands with the authority to ensure another successful outing similar to the audit of 2008.

The NCAA boss said:”In our preparations, adjustments have been made in some areas. These are response to ICAO’s compliance checklist, state aviation security activity questionnaire, state corrective action plan (CAP) and review of all relevant NCAA aviation security documentation, which includes the National Civil Aviation Security Programme.

Others are National Civil Security Training Programme, National Civil Aviation Security Quality Control Programme and Scheduled Inspections, Surveys and Audits of Airports nationwide.

The NCAA is the nation’s statutory regulatory authority responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP).

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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NEWS

Industrialists await Buhari’s economic plan

Osinbajo worships at Villa Chapel

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ICE President Yemi Osinbajo worshipped yesterday for the first time at the Aso Villa Chapel.

He was accompanied by his wife, Dolapo, and some pastors, including Bishop Wale Oke and Pastor Ladi Thompson.

Osinbajo will now take charge of the chapel since President Muhammadu Buhari is a Muslim.

During yesterday’s service, the vice president, who is a pastor, gave a goodwill message and said the benediction.

He also visited the children’s church.

IPMAN crisis: Okoronkwo expels factional leader Lawson

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HE Chief Chinedu Okoronkwo-led Executive Committee of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has expelled a factional leader of the group, Obasi Lawson, for allegedly engaging in acts offensive to the association’s constitution.

Lawson’s expulsion came on the heels of a decision by the Court of Appeal, PortHarcourt, Rivers State, striking out his application with which he sought to commit IPMAN’s Registered Trustees and members of its National Executive Committee to prison for alleged contempt of the court.

The appellate court struck out Lawson’s application for want of diligent prosecution and because there is a pending suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, in relation to the leadership of the association.

Speaking at the weekend, Okoronkwo faulted a letter purportedly written by former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Joel Ikenya, announcing Lawson as IPMAN’s

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

National President. He said the minister acted without the requisite powers.

Okonkwo referred to a letter dated May 26, 2015, addressed to the Minister of Labour and Productivity and authored by IPMAN’s lawyer, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), to the effect that the former minister’s letter amounted to contempt of court, because the dispute over IPMAN’s leadership was still pending in court and in relation to which an appeal is pending before the Court of Appeal, Port-Harcourt.

Tarfa contended in the letter that the president and committee allegedly set up by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, never deliberated on the said crisis, as claimed by the former minister’s letter, which purportedly conveyed that President had endorsed Lawson as IPMAN’s National President.

He argued that, where a case is before a Court of Appeal, a party, court or establishment should desist from carrying out any act that will foist a situation of hopelessness on the court.

Why Nigeria is hosting ARSO’s forum, by Odumodu

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HE African Organisation for Standardisation’s (ARSO’s) Forum slated for Abuja between June 22 and 24 is expected to remove restrictions to trade among African nations owing to differences in standards governing commerce in the continent.

The Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and President of ARSO, Dr. Joseph Ikem Odumodu, said this in a chat with reporters.

Explaining why the forum is focusing on the trade facilitation, Dr. Odumodu said: “Every organism prospers by utilising the material which every part supplies. But hardly does Africa draw strength from the trade the different countries in the continent engage in because, separated by standards, the countries hardly trade among themselves. Now, ARSO President’s Forum Abuja 2015 is bringing 55 heads of national standards bodies (NSB) in Africa together to open the gates of harmonisation of standards and let goods and services flow smoothly across the continent.”

He added that industrialists will sit together with the standards bodies’ chief executive officers (CEOs) at a roundtable to share insights and challenges on standardisation as stakeholders.

“Sitting at a roundtable with the 55 NSB CEOs is a rare opportunity for entrepreneurs to expand their business to other African countries.

“By participating in the ARSO President’s Forum, companies are automatically at the gates of 55 African countries and are a step to the 1.1 billion consumers in the continent. Imagine when they now establish relationships with the NSB CEOs. “The NSB CEOs are high-level decision-makers for their countries’ trade policy and standards implementation,” Dr. Odumodu said.

The ARSO president said a trade fair tagged: “Made in Africa Expo”, will run for the three days during the event alongside the other activities.

He said “the fair is open to any product whether certified or not because the emphasis is on showcasing the potentials of all SMEs and cottage industries and projecting made in Nigeria products to the nations of Africa”.

Dr. Odumodu added that 10 of the best exhibiting SMEs would be selected by a distinguished international panel to compete in the “Made in Africa Products Fair” to be held in Egypt later in the year.

He added that 10 of the best exhibiting SMEs would be considered for free certification.

Participants expected at the forum include manufacturers, service providers, medium and small-scale enterprises, investors and representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies. The International Conference Centre, Abuja is the venue of the Forum.

The ARSO President’s Forum is the aftermath of the 20th ARSO General Assembly endorsement of a proposal for Dr. Odumodu to convene a special forum of NSB chief executives and engage them on ARSO standardisation programmes to make Africa one market. The ARSO 20th Assembly took place in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2014.

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

•Buhari

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NDUSTRIALISTS in Lagos are awaiting the economic blueprint of President Muhamadu Buhari.

Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Remi Bello indicated the position of the industrialists in a statement yesterday.

He said the private sector eagerly awaits Buhari’s economic blueprint that will define the policy direction of his administration.

“This is important for policy clarity, strategic planning, investment decisions and investors’ confidence. Major business

decisions have been put on hold over the past six months because of the political risk associated with a transition regime.

“The first half of the year was characterised by profound uncertainty which slowed down the momentum of economic activities in the country,” Bello said.

The private sector, he explained, would like to see an unveiling of economic blueprint of the Buhari administration, especially in the areas of oil and gas sector reform, intervention in the power sector, current regime of investment incentives as well as monetary policy thrust focusing on exchange rate management, inflation and interest rate.

Others are mode of monetary policy, automotive policy and

its sustainability, trade policy covering tariffs, import prohibitions, waivers etc.

Bello also harped on the need to have a clear and sustainable tax policy, debt management, including the direction of the Federal Government’s budget and the privatisation of development finance institutions.

Other areas the administration must focus on, according to the LCCI boss, are: “Common External Tariff (CET) recently adopted by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); sectoral policies to drive growth and economic diversification; key initiatives to reduce the cost of doing business; the status of legacy debts and contractual obligations, contractor arrears, outstanding subsidy payments, salary arrears, legacy projects, port reforms etc.”

He advised that the momentum of economic activities needs to be rebuilt in earnest with better expenditure quality, constructive spending priorities, transparency in the governance process, enhanced security of life and property, investment-friendly policies, promotion of democratic ideals and the primacy of rule of law”.

Bello added that the new political dispensation offers a great opportunity to bring about the desired change in all facets of national life - the economy, social sector, quality of life, value orientation and governance quality.

He urged the new administration to take full advantage of its goodwill to immediately begin the charting of a new course for the country and the economy.

Ubah to Fed Govt: remove fuel subsidy

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HE Managing Director of Capital Oil, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to remove fuel subsidy and probe the marketers responsible for the shutdown that culminated in the biting fuel scarcity that is just easing.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Ubah wondered why the Federal Government should keep paying subsidy while the citizens are not benefiting from the scheme.

He asked the President to deregulate the oil and gas sector, noting that the deregulation would bring down fuel price drastically.

His words: “I urge President Buhari to take a bold step and deregulate the oil sector. He is not a stranger to the sector, having being a former minister of Petroleum.

•Says oil marketers must be probed From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

“He will be respected for taking the step. There’s no point paying subsidy when Nigerians are not benefiting from it.

The president will be doing the right thing if he deregulated the sector so that the product will be sold at cheaper rate in the future.”

Insisting that deregulation will bring down corruption, Ubah said it was unfortunate that the citizenry never bought the idea from former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ubah, who confirmed that the Federal Government owes petroleum marketers, said they did not properly handle their agitation for the payment.

He said: “If marketers’ action is not investigated and controlled, there may be a repeat of a similar energy crisis in the country”.

He added: “Indeed the marketers are being owed large sums of money and I am one of those being owed. But I believe that dialogue should have been the choice of the marketers, especially considering the state of the nation.

“It was unprecedented in the country for oil marketers to go on strike for up to four days and what I expected was a warning strike before a total shutdown.

“It was unpatriotic for them to shut down the country. If this is not properly investigated, there could be a repeat of such action. Marketers should know that they are not labour unions.

There was an agreement with government to pay them gradually. But they disregarded the agreement and unpatriotically threw the country into crisis.”

Ubah sid he pulled out of the oil marketers’ strike because

his company was not consulted before the marketers decided to shut down operations.

He said: “My facilities store products for the Pipelines and Petroleum Marketing Company (PPMC), an arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which means such products belong to the Federal Government.

“For a facility like ours, we should be considered before taking this position. What if people storing product in our facilities sue us? They have the right to take their products.

What if PPMC sue us or cancel our contract? We need to ask these questions,” the Capital Oil boss said.

Ubah said he decided to resume fuel supply because he could not bear the horror of the citizens dying in hospitals and banks shutting down, and consequently, putting the masses in hardship.

•Chief Executive Officer, Oando Marketing Plc Mr. Abayomi Awobokun (second left) when he led senior management officials on traffic control at one of the company’s filling stations in Lekki area of Lagos...at the weekend. With him are: Chief Operating Officer Mrs. Olaposi Williams (third left), Sales Regional Manager Mrs. Gaji Taiwo (right) and Head of Sales Mr. Babafemi Olabiyi (left).

SERAP urges Buhari, Osinbajo to declare assets publicly

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HE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo “to declare their assets publicly” in line with “their apparent anti-corruption credentials in the interest of transparency and accountability”.

SERAP’s request followed the declaration of assets last week by the President and Vice President to the Code of Con-

duct Bureau as required by the constitution.

In a statement yesterday, SERAP’s Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, said: “We welcome the official declaration of assets by the President and Vice President. This clearly complies with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution as contained in Chapter VI Section 140. However, the declaration before the Code of Conduct alone falls far

short of the commitment to publicly declare their assets.

“SERAP recalls that the president had said before the election that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, and encourage all his appointees to publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a precondition for appointment.

We now expect the President to fulfill this promise to the Nigerian people.”

The organisation “trusts

that the President and Vice President will move swiftly to publicly declare their assets and to publish widely the information on a dedicated website.”

“Public disclosure of assets will give the general public a true picture of the assets of the President and Vice President and will send a powerful message that it is not going to be business as usual with this government,” SERAP said.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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NEWS

We haven’t received any payment, say Ekiti APC lawmakers

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HE 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in the Ekiti State House of Assembly have refuted a report that Governor Ayodele Fayose had paid their outstanding salaries and allowances.

They claimed that the embargo on their salaries and allowances has not been lifted, adding that the payment or non-payment of their financial entitlements cannot prevent them from defending the constitution which they swore to protect.

A statement by Speaker Adewale Omirin’s Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, said the report was mischievous, lacking the basic tenet of journalism to always report facts in place of rumours and unfounded allegations.

The lawmakers said they were shocked that the reporter did not dwell on their responses when he called them, preferring to file his report based on rumour, blackmail and outright lie.

They said: “It is shocking that the reporter chose not to believe us but overzealously

Govt: we’ve paid their entitlements THE Ekiti State government has said it has paid the entitlements of the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers.

The government, in a statement yesterday by the Commissioner for Finance, Toyin Ojo, said the lawmakers duly acknowledged receipt of cheques for the payments last Wednesday.

The statement reads: “We would have remained silent in deference to the agreement reached at the last Monday meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, that all parties should be silent on the outcome of the meeting.

“This was especially so because the lawmakers said they do not want their leaders to know the outcome of the meeting. ”However, since the lawmakers have chosen not to abide by this agreement by first issuing a statement to deny and reveal what was discussed at the meeting, and now going to the press to say that they have not received any payment, the government does not have any other option than to tell the From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

believe in the purported sources that thrive on falsehood, lies and propaganda.

“The reporter in one breath said his investigation revealed that the lawmakers had been paid, yet he reported that both Fayose and the lawmakers did not confirm the report as they refused to talk to him.

“If this were the case, then

who are the sources that confirmed to the reporter that the lawmakers had been paid?

“To make matters worse, contrary to the reporter’s claim that we did not talk to him, we told him at our end that we have not been paid.

“Apart from getting this fact from us, the Speaker’s media aide told him the same and so we are surprised that the reporter is claiming that

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

public the truth and set the records straight.

“The government is by this statement putting the records straight since the money paid to the lawmakers belong to Ekiti people.

“They were isssued cheques because the lawmakers pleaded that their accounts should not be credited directly so as to prevent the banks from making deductions for loans taken.

“Saying that they have not been paid is quite unfortunate and unbecoming of honourable members of the House of Assembly and this is sad.

“We will want to keep our fingers crossed and we wish to caution the lawmakers to adhere strictly to the spirit of the agreements.

“Governor Fayose’s good gesture aimed at ensuring peace in the state should not be abused.” he received no information from us.

“In fact, as at Saturday night, the alerts we received from our bank were debit alerts and so we wonder where the reporter got his story.

“It is unfortunate that just because the reporter wanted to file an exclusive report for his paper, he went ahead to report this falsehood motivat-

ed by blackmail.

“Let us even agree without conceding that we were paid our lawful entitlements, what favour does the governor do to us by that after illegally cutting short our tenure by seven months and putting us in harrowing inconveniences in addition to his brazen rape on the constitution?

“Must payment of our legal entitlements prevent us

Prayer for Ambode

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HE All Progressives Youth (APY), a youth arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC), will organise a prayer session for the success of the Akinwunmi Ambode administration.

A statement by the group’s chairman, Seyi Bamigbade, it is important to hand over Ambode and his administration to God so that his steps would be guided by the Almighty.

The group enjoined all Lagosians to support Ambode and those who will work with him.

It also pledged support and loyalty to the new administration, adding that members believe in the ability of the governor to move the state forward.

Tribunal to begin pre-hearing

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•From left: President of the newly inaugurated Nasrul-LahiL-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) Iloffa Branch, Alhaji Sulyman Salami; Chief Missioner, Alhaji Jamiu Ibrahim and State Chairman of NASFAT, Alhaji Abdullahi Alaya at the inauguration of NASFAT Branch in Ilofa, Kwara State…yesterday

I’ll ensure a Lagos for all, says Ambode

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AGOS State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said he will ensure a Lagos where the average resident lives, works, enjoys and prospers.

The governor spoke at the Inauguration Dinner to herald his swearing into office as the 14th Governor of Lagos State at the Convention Hall of the Eko Hotels, Victoria Island.

He said his administration would harmonise tourism, entertainment, arts and sports.

“When we say you should live in Lagos, work in Lagos and enjoy with Lagos, we mean that we are going to put tourism, entertainment, arts and sports together for excellence, and that is what I have always been preaching and that is what we are going to

ABUAD hosts conference

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From Damisi Ojo, Akure

HE National and House of Assembly Elections Tribunal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, will on Wednesday and Thursday begin prehearing.

The date was ratified based on filing of replies by respondents.

Hearing of applications and settlement of issues take place during the pre-hearing session.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and two of its candidates for Ilaje Constituency II and Akure South Constituency I, Gbenga Edema and Festus Aregbesola, have applied for an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow them inspect the voter register, result sheets and other documents used for the April 11 House of Assembly Election.

They are seeking to obtain copies of the computer printout of recording of accreditation carried out by card readers used for the election.

from defending the constitution which we swore to protect?

“Where are the indications of payment when embargo is placed on our accounts by the governor? Even those who should know in government are wondering where the reporter got his story because there was never any payment to the lawmakers.

“This is irresponsible journalism at its worst and it is unfortunate that this is coming from a reputable medium.

“We know that this is exactly what the governor would be telling the press when he conceded to pay us to forgo resuming our duties, which we rejected.

“When the reporter was calling the Speaker, his media aide and later the lawmakers, the response he got was that they had not received any alert.

“In fact as we speak, the governor‘s embargo is still on our accounts and nobody has been notified that he or she has been paid and so we wonder where the reporter got his information.”

‘NURTW’ll support governor’ THE National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has said it will support Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Council, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, in a statement yesterday assured that members will cooperate as they did during the tenure of former Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Agbede said: “We had a good relationship with the government under Governor Fashola, hence the success achieved by the administration. So, as a partner in progress, we are ready to cooperate with the new government.”

Agbede said the NURTW will continue to maintain peace and tranquility in motor parks.

He said:”Since, we came we have ensured that there is peace in the parks. We have made sure that all the parks are equipped with clean toilets. We have been equipping our parks with CCTV cameras to boost security of lives and property.” work for in the next four years.

“I just want to enjoin all of us that with the collaboration we have had, we want each

and every one of us to come together to start to bring the ideas that can give us an ideal Lagos.

“This is what the All Pro-

gressives Congress (APC) stands for and that is what that Change is all about and that is what the party has decided at the national level and state levels that it is going to give to Nigerians,” he said.

The Governor thanked all those who graced the occasion, including the members of the Diplomatic Corps and the business community.

Former Governor Babatunde Fashola later proposed a toast to the governor, his wife, Bolanle, Deputy Governor Mrs. Oluranti Adebule and the new administration.

The event was also attended by the husband of the deputy governor, Saheed, former Deputy Governor Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, wife of Osun State Governor Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and others.

HE Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State, will today host the 48th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT), making it the first private university in Nigeria to host the Conference.

A statement by the university’s spokesman, Tunde Olofintila, said the five-day conference has the theme: “Mainstreaming Interdisciplinary Approach to Legal Education: Imperative for Nigeria Development”.

ABUAD founder Chief Afe Babalola, as the Chairman of the opening ceremony, will xray the evils be-devilling legal education and the judicial system in Nigeria.

There will be a plenary session with three papers titled: “The Interdisciplinary Approach in Theory, Pedagogy and Practice” by Prof. Chukwuemeka Nnona of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus;“Methodology, Theoretical Framework and Scholarly Significance: A Review of International Best Practices in Legal Research” and “Mainstreaming and Interdisciplinary Approach to Legal Education: Evaluating and ReEngineering Postgraduate Law Education to meet the challenges of Nigeria” by the duo of Dr. Damilola Olawuyi and Dr. Rhuks Ako as International Contributors Another major highlight is the public presentation of a book titled: “Food and Agricultural Law: Readings on Sustainable Agriculture and the Law in Nigeria” dedicated to Babalola.

There will be the display of another book titled: “The Product Regulation and Liability- 2nd Edition” written by experts in 19 countries across five continents of America, Europe, Asia and Africa as well as Australia with Chief Babalola as the sole contributor for Nigeria.

The conference will be signaled off with the Governor’s Banquet and NALT Award night.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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NEWS

Our agenda for Buhari, by TUC

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HE Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to settle down and tackle the problems confronting the nation.

It said this was not the time to witch hunt anybody.

The union, in a statement by its President and General Secretary Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Musa Lawal said President Buhari must end impunity in the country.

The union added that as a popular man in the North, his responsibilities are broader.

The statement yesterday reads: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) wishes to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari as he officially assumes office as President.

“History will remember the President for his doggedness and refusal to quit, despite previous electoral defeats.

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

“We once again praise his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his statesmanship.

“The Congress sees President Buhari’s resolve to contest the 2015 general elections as a mark of his belief in the project Nigeria, and his unflinching desire to contribute his quota.

“The Congress urges the President to always remember his campaign promises to Nigerians, which were the basis upon which he was voted for.

“Again, he must know that irrespective of the number of votes he got from individual states, there is no part of the country where he was not voted for.

“By implication, it means that he is the president and father to all. Muslims, Christians, pagans voted for him

because they believe in him.

“As such, we don’t wish to see religion, tribalism, nepotism, which have always been the bane of Nigeria’s development rear their ugly heads in his administration.

“The President, in his inaugural speech, showed that he is quite aware of our numerous challenges: electricity, unemployment, insecurity, corruption, militancy, poor health facility, poor infrastructure, etc.

“His reputed honesty is what the country needs now to regain its lost glory.

“We look forward to seeing an end to lateness to work; end to corruption and restoration of sanity in our system.

“The Congress wishes to reiterate that this is not the time for mudslinging, this is not the time to witch hunt anybody, nor a time to spend precious money on adverto-

rials. Rather this is the time to work “This is the time to fix the Ajaokuta steel mill, the roads and create jobs for our youths.

“This is the time to restore our national carrier (Nigerian Airways). This is the time to tame impunity at all levels.

“This is the time to address the crisis in the oil and gas industry. Most importantly, this is the time to restore the dignity of our currency and provide solution to workers’ agitations. The list is endless.

“Finally, we urge Buhari to involve capable hands, party affiliation notwithstanding, for the good of the country.

“We particularly cherish the president’s words: ‘ I belong to every body. I belong to nobody’.

“This gives confidence that the era of godfatherism has ended. Congratulations Mr president”.

Adesina pledges stronger AfDB From Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor)

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HE President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has said he will work with shareholders to build a new bank with inclusive growth.

AfDB shareholders are from African and non-African countries.

Adesina said together we will “build a stronger and more prosperous Africa, with smart infrastructure, energy for all, a strong private sector, new economic opportunities that will deliver quality jobs and hope for millions of youths and women, revival of Africa’s rural economies to lift many out of poverty, and regional integration for shared prosperity”.

From rural areas to burgeoning cities, the AfDB helmsman said he has seen vast opportunities for a greater and more inclusive Africa and hopes to build on the work of his predecessor.

Adesina thanked “former President Goodluck Jonathan for nominating him, his confidence, and his steadfast, enthusiastic support; President Muhammadu Buhari for his strong endorsement and rallying support for us and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for her vital role and tremendous effort in delivering this successful outcome”.

He said: “Dr. Okonjo-Iweala worked passionately for our campaign, and our success would have been impossible without her tireless work shepherding support among many of the esteemed finance ministers and governors at the AfDB. “In addition, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Heads of State Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Vice-Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo worked determinedly to build support for my candidacy.”

Odumbaku: Ambode’ll do well

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

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CHIEFTAIN of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Cardinal James Odumbaku, has assured Lagosians that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will surpass his former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s strides in office.

Odumbaku urged the governor to deliver the dividends of democracy to Lagosians, adding that though the previous administration recorded landslide achievements, he is confident that Ambode will do much more.

The Chairman APC/Ambode Campaign Committee said APC, being a progressive party, is known for exceptional performance.

Odumbaku said it was the outstanding performance of the APC’s elected officers across the country that encouraged Nigerians to vote for change at the federal level.

‘Buhari inherited deficit economy’ From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

A •Diocesan Bishop of Lagos Mainland, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion and Archbishop of the Province of Lagos, Most Rev. (Prof.) Adebayo Akinde flanked by his wife, Bassey and the Diocesan Chancellor, Justice Ibikunle Adesalu, at the opening of the church’s third session of the third Synod, at All Saints’ Church, Yaba, Lagos.

UNIOSUN crisis divides workers

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HE crisis rocking the Osun State University (UINOSUN) is far from being resolved as workers unions are holding divergent positions on the sack of three principal officers by the governing council.

Last week, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bashiru Okesina, was recommended for sack but the Registrar and Bursar, Dr. J.O. Faniran and Mr. F.A. Lasisi, were relived of their jobs.

A statement by its Chairman and General Secretary, Lekan Adiat and A. Adesigbin, after the emergency congress of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) advised the Governing Council to wait for the Visitor, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, to release the White Paper of the visitation panel set up by the government.

SSANU said: “We are aware that the visitation panel report had been submitted to the governor and we are also aware that the White Paper is almost completed.

“We advise Governor Aregbesola to release the White Paper. Its prompt release will serve as an antidote to resolving the crisis in the university.”

Also, a delegate to the Governing Council, Prof. Wasiu Gbolagade, has written the Visitor on why he disagreeed with the sack.

In the letter, Gbolagade

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

said: “I reminded the Governing Council that the Panel was set up by the Visitor to look into all the issues causing crises in the university; one of which is the abrupt suspension of the principal officers.

“Consequently, taking this further step of recommending the vice-chancellor for removal and termination of the appointments of the registrar and bursar is a premature action.

“It is worthy to note that the panel Chairman, Prof Daramola Adebiyi, while submitting the panel’s report, said the crises “rocking the institution had nothing to do with religion as being speculated” and were solely “administrative lapses”,

hence, the Council’s decision is too abrupt and unjustifiable in my opinion.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has condemned the sack, describing the development as prejudicial and done in bad faith.

But a group of lecturers, Senior Professors of the Osun State University, faulted ASUU’s position.

Prof. Abayomi Kizito Folorunso (French Studies), Prof.

Christopher Alebiosu (Medicine), Prof. Temi Ologunorisa (Climatology), Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye (Agronomy) and Prof. Pat Akinwusi (Cardiologist) signed a statement against ASUU’s position.

The statement reads: “We are dismayed by the recent statement of the ASUU-UNIOSUN Executive on the decision of Council to terminate the appointments of some

principal officers and the subsequent recommendation of same for the vice-chancellor.

“We, therefore, dissociate ourselves from the said statement because it did not emanate from the Congress of our Union.

“In the absence of a collective ASUU congress, whatever statement the ASUU chairman and his cronies have released should be disregarded by the public.

“We are a group of intellectuals with strong belief in debate before final decisions will be taken on an issue as sensitive as termination of appointment.

“In a situation where a group of individuals take advantage of the docility of our branch to ride roughshod on congress will always be challenged.”

‘Give us active roles’

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GROUP, Yoruba Youths Congress (YCC), at the weekend, advocated for active participation of youths in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The group noted that as leaders of tomorrow, youths should be in the forefront for the smooth-running of the affairs of the country.

In a statement by its president, Prince Dapo Adepoju, after its emergency meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, YYC lauded the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for

his courage and determination to end the 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) misrule.

It urged Buhari to be “wary of sycophants who might derail the desired change Nigerians are yearning for”.

The group also called for immediate solution to the persistent fuel scarcity, massive unemployment, insecurity, high level of corruption and other vices in the land.

The statement said the youth are ready to occupy strategic positions in the government, assuring that Buhari’s administration would put smiles on the faces of the citizens.

GROUP, Grassroots Mobilisation for Muhammadu Buhari (GMMB), has said the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has inherited a nation living in great deficits.

Its National Coordinator, Remi Oyebamiji, in a statement said Buhari should urgently present an inventory assessment of the state of the nation.

“The nation has in abundance human and material resources that can be mobilised for a New Nigeria.

“Buhari is not a novice as he has been everything anyone may aspire to be in public office. An average Nigerian is ready to sacrifice more for a better Nigeria.

“We advise the President to present a work plan and road map for the citizens.”

Ogun fetes 50 PLWHAs From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

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HE Ogun State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OGSACA), and Catholic Centre for Life have empowered 50 Persons Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) with skills and tools to enable them become economically selfsustaining.

The beneficiaries got vocational equipment, including hair-dressing kits, computers and other accessories for those trained in graphic designs.

At the presentation of the equipment at the Catholic Centre for Life, Ijebu - Ode, the Director of OGSACA, Olatunbosun Fatungashe, said the gesture was to ensure that the vulnerable were given opportunities to survive.

Fatungashe added that no fewer than 15 society organisations have benefitted from the World Bank Assisted projects.

According to him, one of the ways to PLWHAs by empowering them.

Alumni: pay EKSU workers now From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

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HE Ekiti State University (EKSU) Alumni Association has called on Governor Ayo Fayose to pay the salary arrears owed workers.

The association also demanded the constitution of a governing council to ease the burden and pressure on the governor in the day-to-day management of the university.

In a statement by EKSU Alumni Association president, Dr. Matthew Adedeji Ayeni, the body decried the incessant crisis rocking the institution, describing the phenomenon as “embarrassing”.

Three workers’ unions: Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), last week shut down the university to protest the non-payment of their three-month arrears.

The alumni association regretted that EKSU was facing a lot of challenges, which apparently lead to frequent industrial actions by the academic and non-academic staff.

The association noted that due to the perennial and incessant strikes, the number of students’ enrollment has dropped.

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CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

•From left: Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, his wife Abimbola; Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, his wife Bolanle; Alhaji Saheed Adebule, his wife and Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Adebule; Mr Abiodun Adefulire, his wife and former Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire during the Inauguration Ball at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos ... at the weekend

10 nursing students slump from inhaling stench

Philanthropist to transform Oshodi youths PHILANTHROPIST and safety management trainer, Mr Oluwole Ben Eweoya, has expressed optimism over the prospect of improving the lives of young people in Oshodi Local Government area of Lagos State.

This, he said, is achievable through The Forwarders, a nongovernmental foundation committed to developing the community by stirring the interest of youths in education and personal development.

Eweoya, who holds an LLB (Law) and MBA (International Business) from the University of Westminster, England, told reporters that he was inspired to come up with the initiative as a result of his dissatisfaction with the turn of events in the community.

“I am concerned because I was born and bred in Oshodi. I attended Mafoluku Grammar School and there is nowhere people will see me as an illiterate. I am not blowing my own trumpet, but mention the same Oshodi anywhere today, people will run away because they see it as a haven of touts. Those are the kinds of impressions people have about Oshodi that we want to change.”

Disclosing the strategy for realising the vision, the grassroots politician fondly called Imole by his admirers, is starting from the grassroots by reaching out to youths in public primary and secondary schools with various activities.

Already, the group has provided laboratory equipment to schools and organised seminars on safety and the environment, not leaving out inter-house sporting activities and book reading to encourage reading culture among primary schools’ pupils.

Schools which have benefited from these activities are: Mafoluku Grammar School; Ikeja Grammar School and St. Paul Anglican Primary School, Mafoluku.

Lamenting that some children in the community now see warlords as heroes, Eweoya said he embarked on the book reading project to broaden the minds of the pupils.

“I personally do one hour every week in some of the schools at the moment. I believe in reading because it helped me while I was growing up. Oftentimes when I go to their schools and discuss their future ambitions with them, I get shocked. This is a function of lack of role models in the community,” he said.

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•The dumpsite

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O fewer than 10 students of the Lagos State School of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health at Igando General Hospital, have allegedly slumped from inhaling the stench from a dumpsite behind the hospital.

Many of them slumped from the smell.

They reportedly slumped last week, raising the students’ fear that their health is at risk.

An eyewitness said: “Last Wednesday’s incident was the third this year. There had been cases of students becoming unconscious as a result of the smell they inhaled from the dump site beside the school. They were, however, revived with oxygen and immuniser. Some were taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja. Where they were attended to and we suspect they

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IGERIANS have been asked support President Muhammadu Buhari to improve the people’s welfare.

All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Mushin, Lagos Alhaji Taoreed Farombi, made the call at a get-together organised by the party to mark the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Akinwumi Ambode.

Farombi, who is also the Babaloja of Aswani Market, urged the president to tackle insecurity, electricity problems

PHOTO: DAVID ADEJO

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha and Wale Adepoju

might have ended up with asthma.”

A source said: ‘It is alarming to have parents send their children and wards to school only to end up being exposed to an hazardous environment that could lead to asthma. My child was among the victims and she was asked to buy Augmentin tablets, Inhaler and Salburtamol tablets by LASUTH where they were taken to. I refused to take any action since the school has promised to look into it.”

A victim told The Nation: “We were receiving Anatomy and Physiology lecture that Wednesday between 9am and 10am. When we ended the lecture, we just observed that some of our colleagues were collapsing; they were taken to the Igando Hospital and were attended to. But as we got to our hostel, more

people slumped. That was when the alarm was raised.

“I did not know when I slumped too. I found myself at LASUTH. More than 10 of us were involved.

Three were older students. At LASUTH, we were treated for asthma-related complications. The first batch was attended to at Igando while I was among the second batch treated at LASUTH.” The management, it was learnt, is working to get the waste managers to clear the site. “This is why we resumed lectures as early as 9am,” the student said.

An official of the Ministry of Health said the ministry was aware of the matter adding that it is the present government that would address it.

When The Nation sought to know what was being done by the school, its coordinator, Mrs Orenuga

Oyefunso said: “I am a civil servant.

If you need any information on the matter, go and speak to the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health. I am not going to answer your questions.”

A resident, Mr David Odeh, said the smell from the dump site is terrible, adding that it is capable of causing serious health hazard.

He said: “But what can we do than wait for the government to look into the issue. Health is wealth. So, they need to look into the issue and not sweep it under the carpet.”

Odeh described the problem a recurrent, urging the government to do something fast about it.

A bus driver, Mr Lukman Rasheed said: “Most passengers often urge me to drive fast anytime I am plying the route. The kind of odour oozing out from there is very bad.

‘Better times here for the masses’

By Bode Monogbe

and improve the roads.

He praised APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Nigerians for supporting the party in the last elections.

Faronbi said: “We thank Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his love for the masses, his sacrifice to make democracy work and the people’s effort to make change possible through their votes.”

The APC stalwart sought the

cooperation of all in making the party fulfill its campaign promises.

The youth vanguard of the party in Mushin praised Farombi for assisting everyone that comes his way and being an agent of peace in the area.

They, therefore, appealed to elders in the party to emulate his philanthropic gestures.

Farombi, who charged Nigerians to promote peace and hard work, urged every citizen

to be an agent of change.

The event was graced by dignitaries including captains of industry, politicians, traditional and religious leaders, market men and women, and transporters.

The Chairman, Ladipo/ Mushin Unit A Branch of the Tricycles’ Association in the state, Comrade Sola Adekunle expressed assurance that the APC administration would deliver dividends of democracy.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

CITYBEATS

11 CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Suspected robber held

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HE police have arrested a member of four-man gang which

robs cars, dismantles and sells them as spares.

A source said Donatus Okike, 29, and his gang snatched Toyota Camry on December 16, last year, at Igando, Lagos.

The suspect gave the names of his colleagues as Nonso, Consider and Segun.

An AK47 rifle and 73 rounds of live ammunition loaded with six magazines, were recovered from him.

“They specialise in snatching vehicles from owners at gun point. One Toyota Camry and a Sienna space bus were also recovered; both vehicles were unregistered. The Camry was sold to one Lucky Oboh, a danfo bus driver at Igando through a member of the gang called Nonso for N700,000. Lucky only paid N300,000. They usually remove the numberplates when they want to sell them to make people believe they were imported cars” the source said.

Okike, who described himself as a truck driver on Mile II-Seme border and Ogba-Idiroko routes, said: “I live at 12, Ashorobi Street, Ogba. I came to Lagos in 2005 and was staying with my uncle at Maryland. In 2009, I became a truck driver. I was driving for one Ogbonna Okorie that is working where they load rice in Seme.

“It was my friend known as Consider that asked me to help him to drive his vehicle; that was how I became an armed car snatcher. The first Toyota Camry he asked me to drive to Benin was sold for N600,000; he gave me N50,000. The second car,

•Okike holding a rifle

By Ebele Boniface

Sienna which I took to Port Harcourt was sold for N700,000. The third one was Toyota Camry which I drove to Badagry. It was also sold, but we did not collect anything because of a misunderstanding they had with my gang leader, Segun.

The fourth vehicle is a Sienna car. It caught fire on the road as we were going to Port Harcourt to deliver it to a buyer. My role is to drive any snatched car to the buyer. It is our gang leader that carried and operated our AK47 rifle.”

Claiming that he became a Muslim in the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) cell, the suspect said: “I love the way Muslims pray five

times a day. Our Chief Imam in the cell advised us to have faith in Allah, assuring that He would set us free one day to give testimony and stop snatching vehicles. I am expecting the miracle; I want Allah to rescue me. Staying in SARS’ cell also helped me to stop smoking Indian hemp.”

On how he spent his loot, Okike said: “I used the money I got from robbery for my mother’s treatment. I don’t have a girlfriend. When I am stressed up, I go to New Generation Hotel, Ogba, to reduce tension by carrying prostitutes at N2,000 for short time, including rent for the room. I see the prostitute once in a month but I used to wear condom.”

Nigeria ‘ll be great under Buhari, says cleric •UNILAG Alumni rally support for President

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ARKAZ Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies Proprietor Sheik Habeebullahi Adam Alllory has said President Muhammed Buhari’s inauguration speech has given Nigerians hope of better days.

In a statement in Lagos, he said: “under your leadership Nigeria would soon be among the enviable politically and socio-economically developed nations in the world.”

Al-llory said Buhari’s victory could not have come at a better time than now when many Nigerians are yearning for better leadership.

He saluted the President’s courage, resilience, consistency, seriousness of purpose and tenacity.

“We are aware of the enormous responsibility on your shoulders and the expectations of Nigerians are high as they expect you to hit the ground running immediately. We believe as a former military Head of State, you would excel. All these have given us the hope that you would meet the expectations of Nigerians. We assure you of our total support through fervent prayers since prayer is the sword of believers,” he said.

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) President Alhaji Akeeb Oladokun urged Muslims to pray for Buhari’s success.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit has called on Buhari to “make our refineries work and build new ones.”

According to MSSN, if the refineries are functional, the nation will not import what it has in abundance or be talking about subsidy.

A statement by its Amir (President) Alhaji Kaamil Kalejaiye said: “‘Our government ought to have ensured that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in local refinery of all petroleum products since 1999, all loopholes and drain pipes in the oil industry should be blocked. The Nigerian masses should not be made to suffer for the crime of few individuals.”

Kalejaiye urged the new administration to swing into action by delivering its promises to ameliorate the sufferings in the polity.

Parents warned against child abuse

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PAPA Local Government Executive Secretary Mrs Bolaji Dada has advised parents to desist from abusing their children.

She decried a situation where over 40 per cent of children take to street trading, warning that the it could force them into crime.

Parents, she said, must provide for their children instead of sending them to the streets to hawk to support the family.

Mrs Dada said: “We owe the children a lot of care and monitoring, unfortunately, the reverse is the case because we neglect our responsibilities to them by embarking on frivolous activities. We lay emphasis on mundane issues at the expense of the lives of these children.

“It is my own opinion that parents should desist from child abuse of all forms. Some children have been exposed to very disastrous ventures which have adversely affected them. How does one describe a child that is exposed to hawking at a tender age or one exposed to rape, prostitution, armed robbery, drug addiction and other social vices? All these are due to parental neglect.”

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Unending mess Both the government and fuel marketers are to blame for the current scarcity ITH the truce brokered by the Senate Monday last week, under which fuel marketers and transporters agreed to resume lifting of products, the nation would appear to have taken a breather from the crippling shortages that nearly brought Africa’s largest economy to its knees. At this time, the question is how long the truce would hold in the event that the main issues at the heart of the crisis have merely been passed over.

Today, if the activities in the terribly opaque, fraud-ridden fuel import-distribution chain under which Africa’s largest oil producer is fleeced in multiples of hundreds of billions of naira annually are any revealing, it is the increasingly unchallengeable power of a cabal that only needs to cough for the entire economy to catch cold. Ordinarily, it would seem unimaginable that a dispute over N200 billion bill, which the oil marketers insisted must be paid – and which the government claims legitimate basis to query– could throw the country into fortnight-long spasm with reverberations across the broad spectrum of the economy.

For once, Nigerians must worry that a tiny segment of economic players like the oil marketers not only continue to hold the country by the jugular but are ever so ready to enforce a total shut-down without minding the costs to the national economy. It must also be seen as worrisome that the national security implications of the act appears to have been lost to the feuding parties.

Of course, the crisis merely presents the

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familiar symptom of the age-long disease afflicting the nation’s downstream petroleum sector – the failure by Nigeria to meet its domestic requirement in refined petroleum products locally. Every other thing – from marketers’ intransigence to the latest revelation of the astounding knowledge gap of those only too eager to be cited as authorities in our public finance, including the failure to have a firm handle on the book-keeping and accounting practices of the petroleum downstream sector after several years – are merely its derivatives. Needless to state that the riddle of how much fuel the nation consumes and how much is imported to qualify for the so-called subsidy lies in-between.

Unlike the erstwhile finance minister that would rather demonise the marketers, the position of these actors, most of whom trade with borrowed funds obviously deserves some understanding. Dismissing their fears as baseless as the government did is certainly unhelpful to the extent that the government itself has not acted with utmost faith and responsibility towards them.

Having said that, we must say that we find their latest action as one too many.

Hyping their fears only to turn round to prey on the crisis they created is not only wrong, it is irresponsible and immoral.

Immoral because the marketers have done little else than profiteer from the agonies of fellow citizens, selling fuel at cut-throat prices while at the same time pressing for their subsidy claims.

But then, just as culpable was the Jonathan administration that opted to do

nothing even when the marketers started to make good their threat. Was the administration lulled into sleep on the basis of the so-called 28 days strategic stock? Couldn’t the government have seen the grave national security challenge thrown up by the paralysis enough to have put measures in place to get the stock to the pumps?

Going forward, the lessons would seem clear enough: while the current cycle of import-dependence continues, the country would continue to experience cyclic disruptions from the activities of disparate players in the fuel supply chain. And just as we have always said, boosting the nation’s refining capacity by getting more refineries on board would seem the surest bet to remove potential hiccups and the countless parasites along the value chain.

‘We must say that we find their latest action as one too many.

Hyping their fears only to turn round to prey on the crisis they created is not only wrong, it is irresponsible and immoral. Immoral because the marketers have done little else than profiteer from the agonies of fellow citizens, selling fuel at cutthroat prices while at the same time pressing for their subsidy claims’

Bank loan defaulters N138bn loss in one year is worrisome; CBN should wake up to its responsibilities

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E loathe a situation where the issue of bank loans default gradually becomes a Frankenstein’s monster which, rather than be nipped in the bud, becomes a romanticised item by the topmost hierarchy of the banking sector. Yet, the avoidable quagmire is not beyond redemption.

In a report based on data obtained from the 2014 annual reports of banks, it was stated that loan default by bank customers created a combined loss of N138bn amongst 13 deposit money banks (DMBs) within the 2014 financial year. The losses purportedly incurred under their respective interest expenses, were usually charged against profits made in a financial year. The breakdown of the affected five Tier-1 banks as reported include, Access Bank Plc.- N11.7billion; First Bank of Nigeria Limited-N25.9billion; Guar-

‘This detrimental loan default has become a recurring decimal and a scandal in an economy like ours. The retrogressive trend that is gradually becoming a vicious circle is nothing but a manifestation of the case of corruption catching up with the banks, but with greater consequences on bank customers’

anty Trust Bank Plc.- N7.1billion; United Bank for Africa Plc. N6.6billion; and Zenith Bank Plc-N13.1billion. Collectively, banks in this category incurred total loan impairment charges of N64.4billion.

On another level, eight Tier-2 category banks also affected in the report with breakdowns of the amount owed them include: Diamond Bank Plc.N26.4billion; First City Monument Bank Limited- N10.6billion; Fidelity Bank Plc.N4.3billion; Stanbic IBTC BankN3.2billion; Sterling Bank Plc.N7.4billion; Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.N6.6billion; Unity Bank Plc.-N15billion; and Wema Bank Plc.- N0.1billion. Collectively, they have a total of N73.6billion credit losses. Again, the provision for the losses were made from charges against the income or profit made for a given period. This is huge when the loss of N138billion is spread across the 13 banks, it gives an equivalent of a scandalous over N10billion loss per bank.

We realise the unstable nature of the nation’s environment that negatively impacts on businesses. Here, we are talking about things such as high interest rate of sometimes 28 to 30 per cent, unsustainably high foreign exchange rate and irregular government policies, among other risk factors. Consequently, it is not impossible that several industries/companies established with large chunk of credit facility might have witnessed avoidable difficulty; but we also know that most times, the required compulsory feasibility studies were not effectively conducted by designated bank officials while the necessary collaterals and insurance guarantee, in most cases of loan default,

were handled with levity. And because the bank officers involved can make impairment charges recommendation without any definite sanction by the banks on the erring officers, that bad trend has become intractable.

While we unequivocally call on the government to endeavour to improve the business environment, it is also pertinent to admonish the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its inefficient discharge of its supervisory role over the commercial banks. Additionally, it takes the banks so long to make this avoidable trend public simply because most officials of banks saddled with the responsibility of ensuring conformity to requirements and standards in loans granted, with the exception of natural business risk factors, compromised the process, thereby making their banks vulnerable to credit losses.

This detrimental loan default has become a recurring decimal and a scandal in an economy like ours. The retrogressive trend that is gradually becoming a vicious circle is nothing but a manifestation of the case of corruption catching up with the banks, but with greater consequences on bank customers.

Henceforth, we demand, like we had canvassed in numerous editorials on the subject, that the name and shame policy of chronic loan defaulters should be implemented without further delay.

The CBN should set up a Credit Bureau as institutional/systemic checks to vet loan applicants so as to stop the criminal incidence of loan refinancing among banks, and to enforce standards across board on loan issues.

Nigerians need real change

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IR: The PDP government has failed Nigeria in the past decade and half. Nigerians do not need tinkering on the margins. We need real change in orientation from decadence to real growth with equity, employment and inclusion.

Interconnections must be established among economic, social and environmental dimensions of development. Nigeria needs to invest in agriculture and agro-processing enterprises. Rampant corruption, sectarianism, cronyism and gross mismanagement of public funds must face a frontal attack, not arresting one individual for public consumption but all who have stolen the nation’s wealth must face the full wrath of the law. Dismissing or suspending a few police officers does not mean restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms, there must be total reform in the Nigerian Police. We voted for change and change we must see after May 29.

PDP government has failed. Controlling inflation, important as it is, is not enough. Measuring progress in economic growth and per capita income terms is necessary but not sufficient condition for improving living standards of all. Launching a new vision without providing a roadmap about its implementation, monitoring and evaluation isn’t helpful. For that reason 2020 vision died on the very day it was launched in part because the then president hadn’t seen the final version, it was a rushed plan. The drafters of the vision never provided the methodology and indeed it was planned to fail.

Overemphasis on export in agricultural produce including foodstuffs has damaged the environment through de-vegetation and chemical pollution, overfishing and deforestation and reduction of food supplies in the domestic market contributing to severe under-nutrition. Poorly fed women produce underweight children with permanent physical and mental disabilities, children develop smaller brain size than normal and constrain their ability to learn and underfed adults don’t have the energy to perform optimally.

Exchange rate adjustment in favor of exports has made the price of imports very expensive for consumers and investors. Keeping inflation so low has reduced money in circulation and drove interest rates so high that few investors are able to borrow and invest. Consequently economic growth has declined considerably following exhaustion of excess capacity. Nigeria’s economy needs to grow at an average rate of 10 percent to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2020.

Nigeria is well endowed in human, natural and financial resources. The problem is poor leadership. What General Muhammadu Buhari needs is a government of all stakeholders to sort out the mess that has accumulated since 1999. Those who have helped cripple the economy of the nation must not be allowed to serve again, no matter the party they belong. Nigerians can’t afford another failed four years under Buhari.

Gen. Buhari must avoid the mistake of rushing to choose his cabinet ministers without knowing who they are. We should not have criminals in government again. Nigerians are hopeful that our children unborn will see why we voted out the PDP government and be grateful for the future opportunity that will be provided to them by the Buhari regime.

• Comrade Ahmed Omeiza Lukman, Kiev Ukraine.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: The general consensus among Nigerians at the moment is that it can no longer be business as usual. Therefore, drastic and urgent measures must be taken to save the nation from obstacles to national growth and development. First, the remuneration of political office holders, financial profligacy, the size and cost of running the government which are disturbing concerns in governance structure need to be frontally addressed by the new administration.

This government should sincerely embrace a cost effective and efficient administration built on prudent management of available resources.

Ministerial positions and the number of aides to political office holders should be pruned beginning with the president and governors. It is common in Nigerian democratic parlance to find positions like Senior Special Adviser and Special Adviser to one man. One wonders where the difference lies if not only

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Buhari: Rejuvenating a disenchanted nation in the nomenclature.

When one looks at the fleet of cars in the president’s, governors,’ ministers,’ senators and other elected officers convoys, one begins to wonder the huge cost of maintenance and fuelling of those vehicles. Will it diminish the office of the president, governor or any elected officer for that matter if they have less vehicles attached to their offices?

Example they say is better than precepts. Beginning from the president himself, some perks of office should be slashed or out rightly removed. Revenue Mobilisation, Al-

Attention, Gov. Ambode

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IR: I would like to congratulate you on your success in the last election to the position of Governor of Lagos State. This is a well deserved victory over the forces of darkness that wanted to truncate the destiny of Lagos State.

At last, the will of God prevailed over forces of darkness. I wish you a useful and successful tenure of office. We are equally happy that the people of Isheri-Osun/Fagbile Estate gave you 100 per cent support during the last election. God in His infinite mercy crowned our efforts with brilliant success. We are also grateful to your predecessor Gov. Bola Tinubu and the immediate past Gov. Babatunde Fashola for laying a very good foundation for you to take off. We pray to God that He will support you in this onerous and uphill tasks.

Isheri-Osun road off Ikotun/ Ijegun road is about three kilometers to Isheri Osun junction and it is the only road that leads to IsheriOsun town that links Ijegun/ Jakande road which Gov. Fashola has constructed and tarred. This road was last constructed and tarred in the 1980s during the military regime. Since then none of the suc-

ceeding governments both military and civilian touched the road. It would, therefore, be appreciated if this road could be given urgent and priority attention immediately. It is always a nightmare passing through this road while coming or going out of Isheri Osun. This road has damaged the vehicles passing through it and during the rainy season no vehicle could pass through the road. All inhabitants of Isheri-Osun / Fagbile Easte usually parked their vehicles at home. It has adversely affected the economic, social and religious activities of the people in the area.

Fagbile road is one kilometer road passing through Fagbile Estate, this could also be tarred along Isheri Osun road to make the people living this estate have a sense of belonging and to reap dividend of democracy.

We, therefore, solicit your support and cooperation for the construction and tarring of this Isheri Osun/ Fagbile roads during your first year in office. The people of this area will forever be grateful to you if this could be done in the shortest possible time.

• Dare Jemiyo, Isheri-Osun, Lagos.

location and Fiscal Commission which is charged with the responsibility of fixing the salaries of public office holders should begin a downward review of the total emolument of political office holders. Public office is designed fundamentally for service to humanity; not for luxury or enrichment of the occupier.

The incongruity in allowing the annual budgetary recurrent expenditure to constantly outweigh the capital expenditure should be addressed. It is paradoxical for a nation desirous of development to encourage this budgetary misnomer.

In simple arithmetic, it means, the nation expends far more on payment of salaries than developmental projects.

The nation can no longer afford to be an oil producing nation but ironically lacking same and have no working refineries. In the face of the nation’s dwindling economy occasioned by one monolithic product

of crude oil, the Buhari administration has no option than to urgently move to reactivate other sectors of the economy beginning with power, manufacturing, agriculture, solid minerals etc.

The responsibilities of some ministries and parastatals are practically intertwined or rather duplicated.

Those with semblance of duties should be fused together for efficiency and effectiveness. This administration should take a cursory look at Steve Orosanye’s Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of ministries, parastatals and agencies to bring an end to this duplication without undue effect on the workforce.

The cost of running the National Assembly alone is too exorbitant to say the least. The 2015 budgetary allocation for the National Assembly stands at N150 billion. From 2003 till date, it was reported that the National Assembly has gulped N

600 billion in budgetary allocation.

It will not be out of place to say that the cost of running the National Assembly for these years can build more than two power generation stations of 400 MW capacity and refineries respectively. The bills in both the National and in some state Houses of Assembly which gave undue life severance or retirement benefits to former governors and leaders of State Houses of Assembly were end of tenure scams which should be repealed immediately.

Finally, government should provide an enabling environment for the production and manufacturing sectors of the economy to thrive. The power and energy sectors must be up and running. The expected outcome is confidence building, peace and exponential rise in employment opportunities for the army of unemployed citizenry. No government can succeed in isolation of a patriotic, law abiding and orderly citizenry. Therefore, the intangible behavioural attitudes such as truth, obedience, tolerance, selflessness, punctuality, discipline etc., and reorientation of the society must align with the expectations of the new government for the good of all.

• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna.

Jonathan and verdict of history IR: But for the agony wrought on hapless Nigerians since the electoral defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan on March 28, history would have been kinder to the former president. As a matter of fact, he had endeared himself to Nigerians for providing an enabling environment for a free and fair election and the fact that his concession of defeat had come before all the votes had been counted won him accolade worldwide. The above won him sympathy of Nigerians in spite of the inadequacies of his government.

However, since the April 11 election, there has been palpable evidence of absence of governance, a pointer to the fact that the concession of victory to President Muhammadu Buhari was a mere show. If Jonathan truly conceded

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defeat in the true spirit of statesmanship, he would have provided effective leadership until the last day of his administration. The reverse was the case.

In the last one month or so, the lives of the ordinary Nigerians, including millions who voted Jonathan became miserable. The former President abandoned governance and gave some shylocks, including independent oil marketers, free rein to fleece Nigerians to the marrow. Price of petroleum products skyrocketed which in turn affected the cost of production and transportation of goods. These in addition to the woes brought on the nation by endemic power failure.

The irony is that downtrodden masses were most affected and living became nightmarish in most villages and towns. Security of lives

and property could not be guaranteed because of the activities of insurgents, kidnappers and armed robbers. This is apart from the agony faced by civil servants who were owed arrears of salaries.

Would it not be right then to conclude that the former President and his party inflicted pains on Nigerians because of their loss at the election? It is unfortunate that they turned their backs on history. If President Jonathan had played his leadership role to the end, he would have continually enjoyed the goodwill of Nigerians in future. But with the way his government ended, how does he think history would remember him?

• Adewuyi Adegbite Apake, Ogbomoso.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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COMMENTS

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OT too long ago, a picture over 20 years old went viral on the internet. It was shot right in Dodan Barracks, Lagos in 1994, and in it, the usurper military dictator, the late General Sani Abacha, in his military attire – though not uncommonly un-bereted yet quite unusually unspectacled – welcomes to the famous seat of power, the late Chief MKO Abiola who is clad resplendently in his usual embroidered agbada, buba and sokoto, with his long famous cap to match. For one who had just won the freest and fairest election in the political history of Nigeria, the irony is more than cruelly etched in the loudly-silent question: “who between the de facto despot and the demure democrat should be the welcomer to the seat of power and who should be the guest to it?”

Yet, it is clear that whereas one was an opportunistic upstart crow beautified with the feathers of our democratic martyrs, the other was a selfless visionary prepared to sacrifice his all to reclaim the stolen mandate of his people.

Right behind this fiercely contrasting duo in this frozen past, no less laden with the history of days gone and the prophecy of things yet to come, are two of the most trusted personal aides of the usurper-despot and the unyielding democrat: one is the notorious man of infamy, the Chief Security Officer to the late Abacha, Major Hamza AlMustapha – the de-facto to the de-facto – walking behind Chief MKO; and the other, a young, unassuming, bespectacled Bola Ahmed Tinubu, majestically walking behind Abacha as if to tactfully close-mark the untrustworthy General the way Al-Mustapha digs the heels of his innocent principal.

Whoever posted this picture on the internet has saved himself a thousand words because the picture is its own thousand words; it speaks loudly of our not-too distant political past, even as it eloquently foreshadows a future we never had the gift of prophecy to apprehend: that the man trusted by the late MKO Abiola to watch his back when he went to the lions’ den to insist on his mandate is, after all, our democracy’s future avenging angel, the sword of Damocles one day to fall on the fattened vultures of our captive political aspirations.

Who would also have thought that in the little obscure,

Picture that speaks a thousand words

By Lisa Olu Akerele unassumingly harmless character, Major Hamza AlMustapha, tucked behind Abiola in the picture, would be the most notorious operative of Aguda House, the de facto Head of State who would torture, maim and kill to keep an aberrant junta in place.

This is the picture that speaks a thousand words; the picture that proves both time and history are the greatest conspirators, as they both have a way of playing on the psyche of the short sighted man. We are optically illusioned always to look one way, but the blurred and the dimly lit objects that time and history choose not to magnify often are the veritable mustard seeds of a future full of marvel. Watch again in the picture as young Tinubu walks behind Abacha with the solemnity of a golden child that has an uncanny foreknowledge of his future role both as the man chosen to right political wrongs yet in the womb of time, and as the anointed angel to give final rest to the troubled political spirit of his fallen liege and godfather.

Tinubu has proven himself a worthy son of his proud political lineage. He had been with MKO long before the days of NPN and he was there when the Aare Ona Kakanfo threw his hat into the political ring at the Jos convention of the SDP. He was one of the brains behind the famous Epe Declaration, after which he fled abroad to avoid Abacha’s murderous rage.

Tinubu, with the late Enahoro, Wole Soyinka, General Alani Akinrinade (Rtd.), Kayode Fayemi and others, sustained NADECO abroad after its virtual demise at home under the asphyxiating disposition of Abacha’s junta. He, with Kokori and others, led the oil-workers strike that crippled Lagos to keep the spirit of June 12 alive.

Tinubu was the first person MKO would ask for from me when he had his first day in court on a charge of treason.

Thus away from the thousand words that this picture manifestly evokes, are yet many more that only those who saw it all and have a sense of history can give flesh to. Even as society seems to move and carry on as if nothing momentous happened years ago, history appears to tap us on the shoulder, urging that we do not forget “it” so that “it” too – when our due season comes – will not forget us. Let us lift the memory of our forebears who selflessly gave their yesterday so that we would have this promising today.

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T is a sweet coincidence that the International Children’s Day fell within two days of change of government in Nigeria. It is even sweeter that this change of government is not just another sonorous self-succession scheme but a new person at the helms of power and screaming the message of a much-needed change. Yet it will be sweetest if President Mohammadu Buhari can shed his stern stance and just for a moment, smile at our children.

Children in Nigeria, one of the most endangered species in the world, need this pain-effacing smile. It may be understandable if the General’s unsmilingliness increases in light of the Augean stables that must be cleansed, of mountains that must be moved and of sacred cows that must be tied up so that Nigeria can be whipped into line again and so that the shame of a nation can end. It will be a hard time for political criminals and executive pen robbers if Buhari remains true to his name, yet, in all of these, he must remember to smile at our children.

Why the urgent need to smile at our children? Sir, in case you do not know, the global guffaw is on us as to the bleak statistics on the state of Nigerian children. I believe you are aware that our country currently has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, standing at 10.5 million since 2013, according to UNESCO. With upheavals in the North especially in the last few years, your esteemed guess is as good as that of my humble self.

And to add, Save Our Children also rates us as having one of the highest rates of maternal mortality, and infancy deaths, ranking in the leagues of war-torn countries such as Congo, Afghanistan and Sudan. We also have, according to UNICEF’s statistics, one of the highest rates of girlchild marriage in the world, particularly in the North, where VVF, a major threat to sustainable development is widespread. We can’t discountenance these reports – the evidence is everywhere. Or, you want to talk of skyrocketing incidences of rape without consequences, sale of babies (baby factories), child-trafficking and other woes befalling our hapless children and with hardly any respite?

And of course, you may know that we also have one of the highest figures of displaced persons, including thousands of children. Just the other day, we saw that more than 500 of the persons rescued from the Boko Haram Sambisa hell were children and young girls. Many died on the way back to ‘life’. Not long after, many more trooped in, tired, hungry and dying from refugee camps in Niger Republic. Many holed up in Cameroon and Chad will soon troop back and with many children dying of starvation along the way. Internally, we have 1.5 Million people who are displaced, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). But we do not even need those statistics. The horrendous truth stares us in the face on street corners and school com-

Tinubu, ironically, was also the first person to call me from London when he heard Abiola was assassinated.

I remember even in the heat of the pandemonium of MKO’s sudden death, Tinubu still had the equanimity of mind to instruct that I tell Kola Abiola and MKO’s physician, Ore Falomo, to insist on a UN-backed postmortem to confirm alleged poisoning of his late political mentor; nor did he, thereafter, leave to stray uncateredfor the biological and political orphans of the late MKO – he has nurtured many to the abundant.

Now that the prophesy has come to pass and the son has, at last, exacted the political pound of flesh to avenge the spirit of his late father, let the son proceed to do the other needful; namely, restore late Chief MKO Abiola to his rightful place in the political history of Nigeria. Let June 12 as a date be recognised as a veritable political watershed in the democratic learning process of this country; let the late icon have to his name an enduring monument of history as his memorial and let the corrective regime of Muhammadu Buhari elevate Abiola posthumously to the highest honour in the land, i.e. the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). He deserves it!

The journey depicted in this picture of a thousand words may have ended tragically – justifiably for the usurper-despot and undeservedly for the ill-fated, heroic democrat, nonetheless, they both have their distinctive places in history; whereas Abacha’s name lives in infamy, Abiola’s lives in the memory of lovers of duty, honour and country.

Thus away from the thousand words that this picture manifestly evokes, are yet many more that only those who saw it all and have a sense of history can give flesh to.

Even as society seems to move and carry on as if nothing momentous happened years ago, history appears to tap us on the shoulder, urging that we do not forget “it” so that “it” too – when our due season comes – will not forget us. Let us lift the memory of our forebears who selflessly gave their yesterday so that we would have this promising today.

Let the last few syllables of the one thousand words contained in this picture be given their full vent. Let Abiola take his rightful place in the history of our democratic odyssey. Tinubu alone was in the right spot in that history; only he can write it.

•Lisa Akerele, veteran journalist and former Political Assistant to the late MKO Abiola, is Atunwase of Ijesaland.

Buhari, smile at our children

By Betty Abah pounds of Maiduguri, Yola, Damaturu, Potiskum, Kano, Abuja and elsewhere. These humanitarian crises, these great human suffering, these deaths and the shame were quite avoidable if we had a pro-active, stick-wielding and at the same time, child-friendly government in place. We won’t wail over spilled milk now, but we will ask you to smile.

Sir, let the unforgiveable indifference of the past government move you into child-friendly action. Think of the children of the infamous Dogo Nahawa massacre, 500 lying still, extinguished by the sides of the cold Plateau hills; think of the 58 school boys of Buni-Yadi murdered in cold blood after which the government joyously embarked on a senseless Centenary celebration; think of the Potiskum school kids put out so brutally; think of the bloodbath in Nyanya after which the immediate past president, leader of the nation, went on a shoki dance in Kano; think of the abducted teenagers of Chibok and all that was done by the Federal Government to sweep it under the carpet, more than 200 of people’s children!

Think of the fact that in all of these, the Ministry of Women Affairs which should be the vanguard of protecting these vulnerable young people was deeply engrossed in organising rallies for the First Lady. It took international outcries, as you know, for the government to even respond.

And now the world views us as ugly monsters that care not for their young. Think deeply, sir of the lack of empathy and be resolved to make a smile-inducing difference.

The world must now see our children smile. Simile, sir, smile at the survivors and future leaders, but first, frown and say ‘Never Again’.

History, I trust, will smile at you if in light of these tearinducing realities, you make the overall welfare of Nigerian children one of the cornerstones of your administration’s policies. If you ensure efficient rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration programme for families and children displaced by Boko Haram and the various ethno-religious crises and without bias, and rescue those still in captivity. You know that without tackling this squarely, especially for the young and impressionable, we can’t say the insurgency battle is over. We must stop breeding monsters, consciously or otherwise; if you ensure the effective enforcement of child-friendly policies littering government offices across the country; if violators of children’s rights face the law squarely as against what obtains now; if we have much better and more af-

fordable healthcare and strict child safeguard policies, free universal basic education and take the life-enhancing light of literacy to children on city street corners and rural hamlets; if education is subsidized to ensure the intellectual development of EVERY Nigerian child notwithstanding his or her religion, tribe or background so that he/she turns out as contributor and not minus, to national growth, then we can truly say you had smiled.

Again, we await you to say Never Again will extremist forces capitalise on the mass illiteracy of our children to turn them to brainwashed little devils. Kindly say it with a fatherly smile.

Sir, you know of course that governments world over which display, allow or accommodate cruelty, in any form, to children are no longer deemed the mightiest; great powers show their prowess by the care and compassion they extend to the most vulnerable in society. We will hold you up to those global standards. We expect that while you must show your unsmiling face at defaulting adults, please ensure you beam a loving face at our children. We can’t sit down and expect our children to turn out humane when all we mete to them is harm. A thinking, forward-looking nation’s resources and assets must be used for the comfort and protection of its young. You are now the father of the nation, their father, and they mustn’t know the sledgehammer of governmental irresponsibility anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, if you would make our children smile from ear-to-ear, make them feel safe, genuinely loved and proud to be Nigerians once again, this may just be your most enduring legacy in this second chance given you by God to serve our bruised fatherland.

• Mrs Abah is Lagos-based journalist and Executive Director of a child’s rights NGO.

‘The world views us as ugly monsters that care not for their young.

Think deeply, sir of the lack of empathy and be resolved to make a smile-inducing difference. The world must now see our children smile.

Simile, sir, smile at the survivors and future leaders, but first, frown and say ‘Never Again’’

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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COMMENTS

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HOSE tempted to construe this topic from the prism of the biblical end time should hold it. This is because the subject matter has neither anything to do with the scriptures nor the chain of events that will herald its projected end time.

End time according to the scriptures, will be signposted by thunder, lightning, earthquake, fear and awe. On that day, humans, dead and living are expected to give account of their lives to the almighty God- a day of judgment with verdicts varying from the good, the bad and the ugly. That is as far as the scriptures are concerned.

We are here concerned with events of politics and not religion. It would appear there is something in our current politics that shares some semblance with the biblical end time which should not be overlooked. This should not be surprising as the dividing line between religion and politics has always been a matter of intense debate.

Medieval philosophers such as St Augustine and Thomas Aquinas made a classification between the corporal and ecclesiastical realms and contended that affairs of the state should be separated from that of the church.

That has been a cardinal principle of the organization of modern governments in varying degrees.

The end time setting may be handy in capturing the chain of events that played out in this country in the last two weeks or so leading to the change of leadership. Within that time frame, several negative events were either activated or played out within this country to raise fears as to whether we were about facing our own version of the political end time? With a few days to the handover to the Buhari administration which was eventually consummated at the weekend, the nation virtually came to a halt. It all started with independent oil marketers refusing to dispense petroleum products until they were paid all outstanding arrears of fuel supplied to the government. They were said to be afraid that the incoming government will not be willing to pay them especially given the contro-

Emeka OMEIHE 08112662675 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

End time signals versy and scandals that have hallmarked the so-called subsidy payments. Then came in very quick succession, a plethora of strikes from sundry oil workers and organized labour unions demanding salary increases and all that.

Their net effect was a virtual halt in economic and social activities such that raised fears as to whether our democracy and the impending handover would be eventually imperilled. The situation was so bad that banks had to cut down their working hours for lack of diesel. GSM providers also threatened to shut down for the same reasons. Not unexpectedly, these had very deleterious effects on power supply which further dipped to an all time low on account of non supply of gas and vandalism of critical power supply equipments. The nation was on edge as everything came to a near standstill. It was a period never witnessed even in the days of acute fuel scarcity which had stabilized in the last five years or so in many parts of the country.

Since then, there have been varying views as to who to hold responsible. Accusing fingers have been pointed at the government since the buck stops at its table. Many see it as ample evidence of the running aground of the

Much of the corruption we finger in the oil distribution chain may be a child’s play in the face the monumental rot in the allocation of oil fields and wells. He has let out the cat and no attempt should be made to cover it up. The time has come to expose the cabal that is making a fortune of our oil resources taking advantage of the high positions they hitherto occupied.

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HE sun breaks through the cumulous clouds, heralding another day with its charming smiles. The once mist-crowned mountains glow in green. The ocean tides surge to the shore in foaming fury, remoulding the dream castles of the sinking sands.

Suddenly, the whirlwind whips across the crowded market place, clearing the debris of dirt and dust. And somewhere in the forest jungle, an egg shell cracks as bloodlines trickle to the earth, before the eagle rises with a brand new song. That is change for you.

Powerful, provoking and many times painful. Change is the all-potent tool in the hand of the Maker to redirect events, people and places according to His divine Master plan. We call it Destiny or Providence. Mostly unexpected and characterized against the Newtonian law of matter that wants to remain still where it has always been, or keep moving if it has always been in motion, change is more meaningful when we adapt to it quickly. As it is in the jungle, so it plays out with man; it is the survival of the fittest, according to the law of evolution.

When we extrapolate this to the current Nigerian situation, it presents an interesting political scenario. Here we are, after a change of baton from one democratically elected civilian president to another, with the political parties enacting the game of revolving chair, for the first time in our recent history. It would also go down in the history books that a former military dictator, who headed the second undemocratic government to truncate our democracy, now comes in as the greatest beneficiary of that momentous victory. What an irony of history! Little wonder he has dropped the tag of a ‘General’.

President Muhammadu Buhari has metamorphosed from a dictator to a democrat and so shall it be. He has adapted well to the change mantra in Nigeria’s effervescent political landscape. He therefore, symbolizes survival of the fittest, and more. We all may not belong to his legion of the diehard admirers, with some trekking across deserts and forests to express their love. But mention his name anywhere and the image that crops to mind is that of a man of integrity, of probity and honesty of purpose, a man whose lifestyle is so simple, it abhors the current obscene perquisites of office. In the marketing parlance therefore, Buhari is a sellable brand. Truth be told however, I have my fears for him and the country as well.

The first is the polity, as it currently evolves. How do we drastically reduce the enormous costs of running gov-

nation’s economy by the Jonathan administration.

Yet, for some others like the Arewa Consultative Forum ACF, it was a deliberate plot by Jonathan to hinder the smooth takeoff of the Buhari regime. Citing the energy crisis and fuel scarcity, the forum said the situation was a bad parting gift from Jonathan.

But as the forum spoke, Jonathan was at the Federal Executive Council meeting blaming the chain of events on those who are out to sabotage his administration. Describing the situation as outright sabotage, he queried the coincidence of these strikes and demands for salary increases just a few days to the expiration of his administration.

Before Jonathan spoke, the outgoing Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had on another occasion sought to know why diesel that has already been deregulated was also scarce. She left his audience without doubt that there is more to the strikes than the dispute between the government and oil marketers on subsidy payments.

That has been the blame game even as the situation has been stabilizing as the strikes have been called off with fuel selling well above the controlled price. With these, our fears of the political end time has been stymied albeit, temporarily.

But issues regarding who was responsible for those chains of events would linger for quite some time. Discerning people would have to make up their minds between the ACF and Jonathan who is saying the truth.

They will have to make up their minds on whose side the weight of guilt tilts. We need to consider the possibility that Jonathan engineered those who nearly brought his administration down in its last days, vis-à-vis what he stands to gain from it. There is also

the need to take a critical perspective of the alleged plot to scuttle the smooth handover to Buhari through contrived strikes. What gains are there for him to make by activating a chain of events which outcome would eventually ridicule his regime in its last days in office? And at any rate, who takes responsibility for anything that imperils the nation before the handover? These are the issues to ponder.

They should be resolved taking into account the issues raised by Jonathan that the strikes were unleashed to sabotage his administration with only a few days to go. They should be resolved taking copious cognizance of the scarcity of diesel that has long been deregulated. What were the demands of the marketers on the issue of diesel that it also went scarce during the period? These are some of the moot questions that may lead us to resolve some of the issues that have been bandied.

Beyond these, Jonathan appeared to have raised the bar of these contradictions when in response to calls for his regime to be probed, he accepted the challenge but with a proviso that it should go beyond his administration.

He wants the probe to include the way oil wells and fields were allocated in the past. He wants such a probe to unravel how oil fields, marginal oil wells and others were in the past allocated and if extant laws of this country were followed.

Since it is all about oil and oil revenue, the challenge by Jonathan must be taken up by Buhari having now been sworn in. There is a lot going on within the oil sector that needed to be exposed. Jonathan must have some vital information from his vintage office and Nigerians should demand full investigations into the entire oil sector. Much of the corruption we finger in the oil distribution chain may be a child’s play in the face the monumental rot in the allocation of oil fields and wells. He has let out the cat and no attempt should be made to cover it up. The time has come to expose the cabal that is making a fortune of our oil resources taking advantage of the high positions they hitherto occupied.

That should be the heuristic value of the dialectics that have been activated by the clash of interests among the ruling elite bent on circulating power between themselves. Buhari must take up this challenge to disprove the Marxian notion that the state and its structures are instruments of oppression in the hands of the ruling class. The probe must reassure Nigerians that oil is our collective patrimony rather than that of a privileged class. The time for reckoning has come; our political end time.

The power of change

By Ayo Oyoze Baje ernment that earmarks over 80 per cent of the annual revenue to recurrent expenditure? How do we re-orientate the mindset of the average Nigerian politician to see his appointment as that of selfless service to the people, instead of amassing unmerited wealth and living life of luxury while those who voted for him groan in grinding poverty?

Similarly, how do we tell Nigerians that the APC-led government has no magic wand to wave off fuel scarcity and epileptic electric power supply, if all the oil marketers involved in hoarding fuel, and the pipeline vandals do not have a change of heart? Add these to the debilitating debts left at both the federal and state levels and the picture should be crystal-clear that indeed, the hard times are here.

We cannot move Nigeria forward if the payment structure to political appointees is not scaled down in tandem with current economic realities. This is the era when we need volunteers in government. The nation is in crying need of patriots who would utilize their time and talents to seek the common good, as one has been consistently advocating over the years. We can no longer tolerate, or even survive the insidious and pervasive culture of the twin evils of corruption and impunity. No! It is indeed a sad commentary on our nation-state that as part of the speech made by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu on January 15, 1966 during the first military coup, the troubling issue of corruption featured prominently and 49 years later we are still grappling with the rampaging monster. Said he: “The aim of the Revolutionary Council is to establish a strong united and prosperous nation, free from corruption and internal strife.” It would do Nigerians a world of good if we compare the current state of the nation with what obtained as at December 31, 1983 when the then General Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of political governance.

This is an excerpt from his speech at that historic moment. “It is true that there is a worldwide economic recession. However, in the case of Nigeria, its impact was aggravated by mismanagement. We believe the appropriate

government agencies have good advice but the leadership disregarded their advice. The situation could have been avoided if the legislators were alive to their constitutional responsibilities. Instead, the legislators were preoccupied with determining their salary scales, fringe benefit and unnecessary foreign travels, et al, which took no account of the state of the economy and the welfare of the people they represented.”

Furthermore, Buhari had this to say: “As a result of our inability to cultivate financial discipline and prudent management of the economy, we have come to depend largely on internal and external borrowing to execute government projects with attendant domestic pressure and soaring external debts, thus aggravating the propensity of the outgoing civilian administration to mismanage our financial resources”. Please, read that again.

Now, it is obvious that Nigeria’s political class has remained virtually the same over decades. Only the actors have changed. The script remains the same, characterized by greed and graft with the ugly drama played out by crooks and criminals. Every meaningful change MUST therefore, start with the polity. Those unwilling to change should be swept off by its tide.

Above all, the change we clamour for can only be meaningful if the ordinary Nigerians become the greatest beneficiary.

‘We cannot move Nigeria forward if the payment structure to political appointees is not scaled down in tandem with current economic realities. This is the era when we need volunteers in government. The nation is in crying need of patriots who would utilize their time and talents to seek the common good...’

25

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

ISSUES

THE CEO

Cost of banking regulation

‘How BVN will stem fraud’

- P. 28

- P. 37

News Brief ‘NNPC owes foreign oil firms $2b’ THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is owing multinational oil companies (IOCs) over $2 billion (about N400 billion) in cash call, a source has alleged.

–Page 26

‘Virtual fibre solutions ‘ll enhance connectivity’ THE Managing Director, WaveTek Nigeria Limited, Mr Ken Spann, has urged operators in the information communication technology (ICT) sector to explore the option of virtual fibre solutions, stressing that it will not only save cost but also deepen internet penetration and improve quality of service.

–Page 26

CBN’s income falls to N35.4b THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released its audited financial statements for 2013 and 2014 which showed that its net income dropped from N209.6 billion in 2013 to N35.4 billion in 2014 –Page 30

Nigeria, others’ debts to hit $393b

S

TANDARD & Poor’s Ratings Services (S& P) said the sovereign commercial and concessional debts of Nigeria and 17 other sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries under its rating services will reach about $393 billion by the end of this year.

The global rating agency indicated that Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and 15 other SSA countries will borrow an equivalent of $56 billion from long-term commercial sources in 2015.

About $44 billion of the total commercial borrowing are expected to be raised in local currency. About 29 per cent, equivalent to $17 billion, of the sovereigns’ gross borrowing are expected to be used to refinance maturing tong-term debts.

The new commercial borrowings are expected to push sovereign commercial debts by the SSA countries to $298 billion by the end of this year. With this, the total commercial and concessional debt stocks are expected to

By Taofik Salako

rise to $393 billion by the end of 2015, a year-on-year increase of seven per cent or $24 billion.

In its Sub-Saharan African Sovereign Debt Report 2015 obtained at the weekend, S & P indicated that Nigeria and Ghana will face the highest debt rollover ratios within the group, with both countries expected to reach 31 per cent. Angola’s ratio is expected to stand at 22 per cent.

According to the report, where borrowings from official lenders are included, the overall long-term borrowings this year will be $70 billion, $5 billion below $75 billion recorded last year.

Non-commercial official debt-bilateral and multilateral is expected to reach $95 billion, representing 24 per cent of total debt by the end of this year as against 25 per cent last year.

The report was anchored

by S & P’s credit analyst, Ravi Bhatia and included esti-

mates on debt issued by a central government in its own name and exclude local government and social security debt, as well as debt issued by other public bodies and government-guaranteed obligations. In terms of commercial debt instruments, the estimates for long-term borrowing included bonds with maturities of more than one year issued either on publicly listed markets or sold as private placements, as well as commercial bank loans.

“Although South Africa is consistently the largest commercial borrower and has the highest net new borrowing requirement in out sample in 2015, Nigeria and Angola’s average debt maturity is much shorter and hence their rollover ratio is higher—than South Africa’s.

This leads to our projection of relatively high gross longterm issuance needs in 2015 for Nigeria and Angola, equivalent to $11 billion and $13 billion respectively,” the report stated.

The Nation noted that Nigeria allocated about N954 billion or 21 per cent of its budget this year for debt servicing. About 94 per cent of the of the allocation or N894.6 billion will be used to service domestic debt while N59 billion will be used to service foreign debts.

The Debt Management Office (DMO), which oversees Nigeria’s sovereign bond issues, indicated that Nigeria’s public debt stock stood at N12.06 trillion by March 31 this year. Nigeria’s sovereign domestic debts have risen consistently over the years to peak at N8.51 trillion by March 31 this year. Sovereign domestic debts rose from N5.623 trillion in 2011 to N6.538 trillion in 2012 and subsequently to N7.12 trillion and N7.90 trillion in 2013 and 2014 respectively. tHE government had indicated recently that it intended to shift focus to multilateral and bilateral agencies as it struggles to bridge budget deficit amidst declining incomes.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil Cocoa

$54/barrel $2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

¢132.70/pound

Cotton

¢95.17pound

Gold

$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

$163/lb RATES

Inflation

8.4%

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

15.87%

Savings rate

3%

91-day NTB

15%

Time Deposit

5.49%

MPR

13%

Foreign Reserve

$34.5b

• From left: Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank Plc, Victor Etuokwu; Managing Director, Hyundai Motors Nigeria, Parvir Singh; and Group Head, Strategic Brand Management, Access Bank, Amaechi Okobi, during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on vehicle financing and acquisition scheme in Lagos.

Oil operators fault CBN’s order on dollarisation

I

NDIGENOUS players in the exploration and pro duction (E&P) and the service sectors of the oil and gas industry have faulted the directive of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) banning the use of dollars in the country.

Acting under the aegis of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), the country is competing with others across the world.

Its President, Mr. Emeka Ene, who spoke to The Nation, said: “The CBN has a unique role to manage the country’s resources, particularly when it comes to micro-economic policy and stabilising the country’s economy. It is an objective stakeholders’ in the oil in-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

dustry share. We will thrive in a stable economy. We will thrive in an economy where the cost of doing business is low and where the exchange rate is stabilised.

“However, everybody recognises that the industry in Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Moscow or in Houston, is denominated primarily in dollars. Nigerians are competing with companies across the globe from China, United States, to United Kingdom for advantage because we can leverage on bringing our expertise at a lower cost. But we have to source for equipment in the same market as other companies from across the globe.

Relationships have been built over the last 30 years, nurtured even against the negative perception that it is difficult doing business in Nigeria. These relationships are built on contracts and these contracts are primarily denominated in dollars.’’

He added: “We believe that a lot of information about how business is done in the industry may not have been available to the people who interpreted the CBN directive. We don’t believe that the CBN directive was targeted at Nigerian companies and limiting their competitive advantage.

We believe that some misinterpreted the CBN directive to their own advantage. We believe that the CBN wants a strong oil industry. You do not

kill the goose that lays the golden egg. We believe that the objective of the directive is to strengthen Nigerian companies and not to diminish them.’’

He said PETAN would work with the other stakeholders in the industry to ensure that the directive was well interpreted.

The group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be committed to the growth of industry, its sustenance and promotion of the local content initiative.

It said there should be concerted efforts to step up exploration, increase production and export as well as ensure substantial indigenous participation in all the value chain to create capacity and retain value in-country.

Scrap SURE-P, PENGASSAN urges • Faults N21b allocation

By Toba Agboola

T

HE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to scrap the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), arguing that the N21billion is provided for its operations in the year’s budget should be spent on infrastructure.

Its President, Mr. Francis Johnson, alleged the SURE-P was set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan to settle some people, adding that it was the major reason for the problem of integrity that dogged the implementation of the programme.

He said: “Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) for which N21 billion is provided in the 2015 Budget should be scrapped. SURE-P largesse is at the whims of the party in power to settle those it wishes to favour with a lot of integrity issues around the program regarding fostering balance and accountability.”

He said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), made up of the holding companies and 10 subsidiaries, had been subjected to undue political interference, which he claimed, hindered its autonomy for effective running and competitiveness.

Johnson said: “Operations and administration of NNPC come under several masters and conflicting instructions, some of which defy the national objectives and aspirations for setting up the national oil corporation and its subsidiaries.

“Appointment, removal and/ or transfer of the heads and the staff of the corporation and its subsidiaries are often executed in the manner that undermine by fiat, the extant national laws, NNPC Act and its Corporate Policy and Procedure Guide.”

He called for the reorganisation of the NNPC and its subsidiaries to function effectively with clearer mandate and empowerment. This, he noted, would make the NNPC to operate and compete professionally in line with corporate governance principles and without undue political interference.

On the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), he said there was the need for full autonomy and responsibility, good corporate governance principles and practices.

He said pipeline vandalism is a major dent to nation and business integrity in the oil and gas industry, adding that the menace is the major cause of incessant shut-in of production, force majeure and high cost of maintenance and repairs

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

26

BUSINESS NEWS

• From left: MD WaveTek Nigeria Limited, Mr Ken Spann; Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Mr Joseph Aborowa; Chairman, Mr Mike Olajide; AGM Sales,, Mrs Nehita Fashe; Senior Manager Access Transmission Planning, MTN Mr Segun Salami; and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), WaveTek Nigeria Limited, Mr Williams Uwhojega during the presentation of E-band 70/80 GHz in Lagos.

‘NNPC owes international oil companies $2b’

T

HE Nigerian National Petro leum Corporation (NNPC) is owing multinational oil companies (IOCs) over $2 billion (about N400 billion) in cash call, a source has alleged.

The money was part of counterpart funding for oil exploration, The Nation learnt at the weekend.

A source close to the IOCs said the figure arose from the Federal Government’s inability to keep to its own side of some agreements it entered into in the last two years.

Speaking with The Nation on phone in Lagos at the weekend, the source said: “The Federal Government has totally mismanaged crude oil revenue just as it misappropriated money for other projects and other government activities not in line with the budget.”

According to him, the joint venture (JV) partners have decided not to continue carrying the responsibility further, lamenting that this has reduced the level of investments and exploration and production in the upstream oil sector.

By Ambrose Nnaji

The Federal Government had entered into JV deals with the IOCs, which include Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), ExxonMobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), TotalFinaElf and Pan Ocean Oil. The equity shareholding in the partnership with the government through the NNPC is 45 per cent to 55 per cent with Shell while the other IOCs are in the ratio of 40 per cent to 60 per cent in favour of the government.

He lamented that the JV option was employed by the government to ensure that the participating companies got a minimum profit margin after tax and royalties on their equity crude.

The document, he said, contained procedures for reviewing such agreements in such a way that both parties (the NNPC and the joint venture partners) benefited from the

dynamics of the economy, such as inflation, exchange rates fluctuations and dictates of the turning world oil market It also contained the basic understanding on the JVs as a response to the details of fiscal incentives.

Again, it allows for reserve addition bonus, in any year that any company’s addition to oil and gas condensate recovery exceeds production target for the period, he stated He said the NNPC should employ competent and experienced professionals to run the industry, adding that the Federal Government should also reduce its participation in JVs. He said the funding could be reduced to between 20 per cent and 30 per cent.

He said: “I think the burden of funding the cash call is taking a huge toll on the government. It should be reduced to between 20 per cent and 30 per cent. The government could now sell the equity it is dropping to the public or interested multinational companies who have partnership with Nigerians”.

According to him, the government could also raise bond in the local stock market fund the JV cash call, adding, that the public will now buy those bonds which are promissory note at a certain amount and after a given period the government will pay back the money with certain interest.

Managing Director, Danvic Concepts International Limited, Afe Mayowa, said the NNPC is owing its partners. He urged the government to pay its counterpart funds to allow exploration and production to continue.

Mayowa, a former president, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the sector with special focus on the NNPC. He listed abuse of the local content, missing funds, irregularities in the allocation of oil blocs and the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as issues Buhari should train his periscope at.

Virtual fibre solutions ‘ll enhance connectivity, says WaveTek

T

HE Managing Director, WaveTek Nigeria Limited, Mr Ken Spann, has urged operators in the information communication technology (ICT) sector to explore the option of virtual fibre solutions, stressing that it will not only save cost but also deepen internet penetration and improve quality of service.

Spann, who worked in Microsoft for over a decade both in Nigeria and the United States (U.S.), lamented that there were several applications developed by the software giant that could not work in Nigeria because there was no internet capacity.

“Despite the great software Microsoft and others produce, it was frustrating that much of it is not available for Nigerians due to the lack of ubiquitous, affordable Internet,” he said during a presentation at WaveTek E-band forum in Lagos.

On the solution, he said: “Our point-to-point high-capacity wireless solutions offer high performance, cost-effective alternatives to fiber circuits for mobile backhaul, service provider, network extensions, and government/municipal network applications. It provides fiber-equivalent connections between locations by transmitting data over microwave or millimeter wave frequencies at gigabit speeds (2 Gbps) with future upgrade up to 10 Gbps and has the advantage of add/drop data ports, optional wire-

By Lucas Ajanaku

speed AES encryption built-in and provides redundancy for existing fibre network.

“Our solutions are applicable to meet enterprise needs such as server centralisation, remote data storage and backup and leased line replacement.

He outlined its benefits to include the utilisation of Green Field Spectrum band for enhancement of quality of service (QoS)., adding that as backhaul and last mile, customers are also able to carry up to 2Gb within every seven kilometres depending on customer availability requirement, thereby increasing its coverage.

It also extends enterprise local area networks (LANs) between buildings and sites at a fraction of the cost and time to implement fiber between facilities while its reusability of the spectrum and lack of interference between different operators make it an option of choice.

He added that the solution could provide redundancy to the existing fiber connections since the traditional MW has its limitations in terms of the capacity that it can transmit when used as a back-up solution while the provision of more capacity per backhaul links to support 4G/LTE as high capacity layer on top of the existing 2G/ 3G network infrastructure is also guaranteed.

Spann enjoined customers to select WaveTek as their strategic and reliable partner for all requirements around E-band as the firm will provide solutions to offload higher high capacity high priority traffic He said customers will adopt WaveTek Virtual Fiber Solutions as alternatives/backup to fiber as a core network/transmission strategy, adding that it will also provide solutions to retain existing customers and attract more customers than competitors.

He said the use of the e-band 6070 gigahertz (Ghz) in Nigeria will deepen internet penetration as well as enhance the realisation of the ambitious targets of the Federal Government’s National Broadband Plan, adding that dearth of infrastructure remained a challenge.

“To overcome the infrastructure challenges contributing to the slow uptake of the internet, microwave (MW) infrastructure fast became the dominant medium for delivering long distance transmission and in many cases backhaul capability.

“Challenges common to operators in the telecoms sector have been identified as; the high costs of right of way resulting in the high cost of leasing transmission infrastructure; long delays in the processing of permits; multiple taxation at federal, state, and local government levels and having to

deal with multiple regulatory bodies; damage to existing fibre infrastructure as a result of cable theft, road works and other operations; and the lack of reliable, clean grid electricity supply.”

According to him, WaveTek began a global search for wireless technologies for rapid proliferation of the more than 14terabytes (Tb) of submarine capacity across Nigeria because it had much higher capacities than MW. “We discovered that E-band 70/ 80GHz has multi gigabytes (Gb) properties, that can deliver high availability at short distances in Nigeria’s heavy rain regions “Our next step was to convince the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) that this spectrum was important for Nigeria and that it should be a shared spectrum due to lack of interference; light licensing low-cost models of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the U.S and Office of Communication (OFCOM) in the United Kingdom (UK) should be adapted as self-servicing model. Application process easy and fast,” Spann said, adding that the result of the twoyear-long efforts culminated in the NCC Stakeholders Forum He said the cost of ownership of the spectrum was lower than MW to deliver 2Gbps constant, lower than trenching new fibre or leased fiber in urban areas as well as lowest cost per Gb than any transmission modality.

Why we’re repositioning,

by IEI chief

By Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

I

NTERNATIONAL Energy Insur ance (IEI) says it is reposition ing to enable it play a leading role in the insurance industry.

Its Interim Managing Director, Peter Irene, said the recent intervention of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to dissolve its former board is not to take it over but to create neutrality towards ensuring peace and order.

He said the company has some of the most competent hands in energy and general business underwriting, and an innovative business drive, which it believes are core competences it requires to deliver value to policy holders and other stakeholders.

He said: “The mandate of the interim board is to guide the company through this transition period, to greater stability for the next six months. The aim is to ensure that the company is professionally and ethically anchored on the tenets of international best practice in alignment with the code of good corporate governance.

“IEI remains a going concern with the capacity to continue to fulfil every business obligations and still remains one of the best underwriting firms in Nigeria.”

NAICOM had on May 18, this year inaugurated a new Interim Board to direct the affairs of IEI after the dissolution of its former board.

The new board comprises Mallam Muhammad Kabir Ahmad, former director-general of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), as the chairman.

Others are Ms. Daisy Ekineh, former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Mrs. Bridget Ibiyemi, former acting managing director of Societe Bancaire Nigeria Limited (now Unity Bank Plc) and Irene.

The former board, the firm added, was dissolved because of unresolved differences which led to the removal of two former directors, who are challenging the propriety of their removal in court.

This unfortunate development polarised the board and all efforts

by NAICOM to resolve the matter failed, it said.

This led to the intervention of NAICOM to protect the company, the interest of policy holders and stakeholders, the company added.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

27

SPECIAL REPORT

Skye Bank: N6b Q1 PBT pointer to healthy growth The benefits of the new status of Skye Bank, following its acquisition of Mainstreet Bank, have started manifesting. Its N6billion Q1 profit is a pointer to this fact, writes ALVIN AFADAMA.

S

KYE Bank’s acquisition of Mainstreet Bank is beginning to yield appreciable results as the consolidated result for the first quarter ending March 31, 2015 has shown a significant rise in earnings and profit, thus justifying its decision to acquire the new bank.

The expanded business activities is immediately reflected in the sharp rise in gross earnings which rose to N42.3 billion in the first quarter of 2015 from N34.3 billion in 2014, appreciating by 23 per cent.

The bank announced pre-tax profits of N6.2 billion, representing an increase of 82 per cent over the N3.4 billion recorded during the same period in 2014.

The bank’s bottom-line followed the growth trajectory as net profit or profit after tax sprang up to N5 billion during the review period compared to N2.7 billion achieved during the corresponding period in 2014, an 85 per cent rise.

In marginal terms, pretax profit margin for the period rose to 14.7 percent from less than 10 percent in the corresponding quarter. In percentage terms, this is over 49 percentage points from the equivalent quarter.

What this means is that where the bank used to translate every one hundred naira put in the business to N9.9, in the quarter under review, it made N14.7.

The result is a strong indication of a more efficient bank that promises to consolidate on the gains.

The rapid improvement in the fee based transaction of the bank is evident of the bank’s strategy of leveraging the fee and commission income opportunities in the Nigerian economy. Fees and commissions rose to a whopping N10.2 billion from the previous figureof N6.2 billion in the corresponding period in 2014, a 65 percent improvement.Fees and commissions are complementary to the bank’s interest earning assets.

The bank’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

(CEO)Timothy Oguntayo, while commenting on the results said that Skye Bank was set to deliver superior value and returns to shareholders as the bank enters its new strategic growth phase.

Oguntayo said the bank would leverage the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank Limited to take its services closer to its current and prospective customers and expand its bouquet of value adding offerings to meet the diverse needs of its various stakeholders.

The IFRS compliant result also shows the bank’s total assets hitting N1.43 trillion as against N1.42 trillion during the same period in 2013. Similarly, its total liabilities, including total deposits, stood at N1.3 trillion as against N1.2 trillion in the preceding year.

The shareholders’ fund also rose to N137.3 billion from N132 billion in the period.

Upon releasing the results last Thursday, investors rewarded the bank by helping to shore up the bank’s stock price to N2.7 as at the close of trading on the NSE. It was a clear 10 kobo appreciation over the previous day when the stock traded at N2.60.

The rise on Thursday represents a 46 percent rise in the Bank’s stock price since early January, a sign that the investment public is taking note of the Bank’s strategic actions and are stocking up on the Bank stocks.

Analysts had predicted the positive growth trajectoryin the Bank’s financial as reflected in the 2014 Full year results.

The Bank’s 2014 Full Year results which had a significant appropriation to retained earnings, suggests a willingness to deploy resources to growth segments of the Bank’s business.

The results submitted to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week revealed that the bank yanked up retained earnings in the year under review from N19.73 billion in the 2013 financial year to N33.7 billion, a 70.6 percent growth.

The huge commitment to reserves may not be unconnected to the Bank’s tier one ambitions which requires significant investments, analysts insist.

The first quarter results already confirms this suggestions as it has begun consolidating gains from last year towards playing big in Nigeria’s highly competitive but highly rewarding retail sector.

That playbook can be read from the Mainstreet acquisition, which the bank plans to fully integrate by June this year. By subsuming Mainstreet, analysts say Skye Bank would figure among the first four banks in the country. Rightly so because it would vault the number of branches to about 450 branches across the country.

When integration is complete, the consolidated bank should be able to configure competencies towards cost leadership, business optimisation, stronger profit and greater ability to offer business convenience to retail and commercial customers across all geographies, analysts say.

The bank had in a statement after the acquisition said the move, will bring valuable synergies from the mutual focus areas of commercial and retail banking of the two entities in a larger Skye Bank. The bank noted that its focus is on retail and

‘The bank will leverage the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank Limited to take its services closer to its current and prospective customers and expand its bouquet of value’

commercial banking, which are also the main focus areas of Mainstreet Bank Limited.

Financial analysts are also convinced that the bank will automatically leapfrog other banks in the tier 2 category to become a major tier-1 player in the banking industry.

The 2014 Financial results indicate that Operating income was up marginally to N69.33 billion from N68.5 billion, which goes to speak of the bank’s improving ability in efficient cost management. This was on the back of a 2.4% rise in interest income from N105.3 billion to N107.85 billion.

Though interest income rose only in marginal terms, it, nonetheless, shows that the bank is succeeding in its maturity transformation function. This much is demonstrated in the loan deposit metric, which slowed in the period under review.

A slow down in this metric is indicative of a cautious approach towards credit risk.

Interest income is an indicator that helps explain how well a bank is doing in its maturity transformation quest.

According to figures in the full year result, bank grew assets over the 2013 full year by27% from N1.12 trillion to N1.42 trillion, helping to provide a stronger cover for deposit liabilities. The metric improved to 1.5 from 1.3. This is as the bank grew deposits 15.7% to N952.3 billion from N823.3 billion.

A robust deposit base indicates a bank’s strong marketing ability, especially in attracting and mobilising deposits. Deposit mobilisation is a key indicator of a bank’s growth prospects given the emergence of a very choosy class of emerging middle class in Nigeria.

The group’s liabilities consisting of deposit base and other accruals rose to N1.29 trillion during the period compared to N995 billion achieved a year ago.

Of that performance, Oguntayo, said in spite of the challenging op-

• GMD/CEO, Skye Bank, Timothy Oguntayo

erating environment, the bank carefully grew its risk assets portfolio, attained a 15.7% growth in deposits, supported customers in critical and productive sectors of the economy, and declared a fairly decent profit.

Oguntayo said the recent acquisition of Maintreet Bank Limited, which has resulted into a much larger franchise of over 450 branches, provides the bank with enhanced capacity to provide easier access to its teeming customers, and explore various opportunities in diverse segments of the economy.

Oguntayo assured those who have kept their investment with the bank, along with other stakeholders that the synergies and economies of scale expected from the Mainstreet acquisition will begin to manifest from the current financial year, while promising current and potential customers of consistent quality service on all electronic platforms and in the business locations.

EMPOWERMENT CLINIC

More on waiting perpetually for a perfect time

By Goke Ilesanmi

• Ilesanmi

L

AST week, we said as human be ings, we almost always like to wait for a perfect time to take necessary action on our plans. We therefore advised on the need to take immediate action, especially that we have a relatively short lifespan.

Findings and reality

Findings show that most bachelors and spinsters overstay at the bus-stop of bachelorhood and spinsterhood all in the name of either waiting for a perfect time or looking for Mr. Perfect or Miss Perfect.

Even most job-seekers often get drowned in the sea of job search because they are looking for perfect jobs. I would like to advise such overambitious job-seekers to be contented with good or very good jobs because there are no perfect

jobs.

I have interviewed outstanding Nigerian chief executive officers having extremely-humble employment background. I was shocked the day Mr. Bayo Olugbemi, the intelligent MD/ CEO of First Registrars Nigeria Limited told me he got his first job at Michelin as a messenger, officially glorified as “Office Assistant”! Also Reverend Dare Ajiboye, the highly-respected General Secretary/CEO of The Bible Society of Nigeria said he started work in the organisation as Personal Assistant to a former General Secretary/CEO. But he was able to DARE challenges and climb the corporate ladder to the top through commendable planning, vision, focus and perseverance.

Mr. Olugbemi, a man of distinction, will say: “The fact is that your background does not mean your back should be on the ground forever.”

Necessary requirement

You need a good plan to succeed in whatever good thing you do.

However, all great plans are useless without the discipline to keep to them or avoid perfect time for implementation. Most people that cherish entrepreneurship or selfemployment fail to realise their

ambition because of unnecessary procrastination till a perfect time.

At times, some employees are foresighted enough to have Plans A and B, but it is always very difficult for them to implement their Plan B of self-employment because of their perpetual stay on the paid employment all in the name of gathering endless business management experience.

It is a known fact that there are three basic ways to leave a paid job. These are professionally referred to as three R’s. That is, it is either you Resign, Retire or you are Retrenched. Apart from these three, there is another form of disengagement that is between voluntary resignation and retrenchment. This is called “forced resignation”. You do not have to wait until you are retrenched or forced to resign before implementing your plan B. In short, you also do not need to wait for the official retirement time when all the energy you need to run your own business must have been exhausted as your perfect time. Celebrated entrepreneurs like Alhaji Aliko Dangote of Dangote Group; Chief Mike Adenuga of Globacom; Dr. Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Group and Architect Taofik Popoola of Artec Practice, among others did not wait perpetually for a perfect time to start their businesses.

Time abusers

Those who delay or look for a perfect time are regarded as time abusers. Steven Berglas, a clinical psychologist says the time abusers’ quarrel is not even with time but rather with a brittle self-esteem and an unconscious fear of being evaluated and found wanting. This is why you should focus your efforts on what makes a time abuser anxious instead of teaching him or her how to organise his or her day. Out of the identified types of chronic time abusers, the two that are concerned with delay of time are the “procrastinators” who make constant excuses to hide the fear of being found inadequate on their jobs and the “perfectionists” who often hold unachievable standards and wish to prevent criticism of their work, thus spending huge amounts of time to repeatedly crosscheck each aspect of their work. The case of procrastinators and perfectionists requires a psychological solution which is only possible through digging deep into their upbringing or background.

Solution

For those whose penchant for procrastination is borne out of weak-mindedness rather than psychological disorder, they can

change their negative habit by maintaining a daily “TO-DO” list.

On the list, they can write three or four things they will otherwise have postponed as some of the things they must do each day. By compelling themselves to take action on the listed items, their weakness of procrastination will disappear gradually. Through this strategy, they will easily achieve much daily, weekly, monthly and yearly because a big achievement is often a result of many small and right actions taken on time.

Finally, if you aspire to be an achiever in life, NOW is the time to take action because there is no perfect time in the dictionary of great accomplishment. You are a success.

PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Business Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated on this page for details.

GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425 Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

28

ISSUES Banks, which hitherto made huge profits, are now struggling to survive, no thanks to the impact of tougher regulatory demands on their profits. Experts insist that banks must play by the rules to stave off regulatory clampdown, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

• Bank customers making cash withdrawals from ATMs. Inset: CBN Headquarters, Abuja.

Cost of banking regulation W

HEN the profit of Stanbic IBTC Bank tumbled 46 per cent to N4.81 billion in the first quarter ended March 31, this year, many people wondered what hit the bank that raised profit by 63 per cent to N40.1 billion in its 2014 financial year. What they probably did not know is that Stanbic IBTC is not the only bank that had its earnings slashed by tougher regulation and sanctions. Five other banks lost N312 million as fines paid to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for violating the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA).

GTBank, Zenith Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Access Bank, and Sterling Bank all came under the regulator’s hammer. They were fined varying amounts of money for various misdemeanours in 2014 financial year, including foreign exchange breaches, failure to obtain CBN's approval for additions to investment in property, non-compliance with the recommendations of a financial services provider PriceWaterhouseCoopers, weaknesses noted in internal control, and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, among others. For the affected banks, it was a wake-up call of a sort that it is no longer business as usual and that there are no sacred cows anymore.

However, the penalties are likely to be the smallest the lenders will pay going forward. According to the Managing Director, Financial Reporting Council (FRC), Mr. Jim Obazee, the Council is already compiling cases against many banks that breached its reporting rules in their 2014 financial statements. The Council, he said, is investigating the banks to

confirm whether their financial statements are in accordance with provisions of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), the BOFIA and the FRC Nigeria Act. The FRC, he said, will look at the accuracy and reliability of the reports in their statements based on these Acts.

Already, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), GTBank and Union Bank have submitted their accounts to the Council for review. The penalty for each violation ranges from N5 million to N100 million. A bank will be sanctioned based on the number of infractions committed, including a jail term for offenders. "We are looking at how reliable, and how accurate the financial accounts are because they must be exact. Offenders will have their FRC registration numbers withdrawn, based on Section 41 of the FRC Act. That means they will not be able to work in Nigeria again," Obazee said.

The FRC chief said banks that fail to classify expenses, such as staff costs, auditors' remuneration, interest on loans, and directors' remuneration will be sanctioned. For him, a more significant message behind the financial

‘

pains banks have to bear is that the era of impunity is over.

The same message came from CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, who on assumption of office, said he will focus on managing factors that create liquidity shocks, promising zero tolerance for practices that undermine the health of financial institutions.

He equally promised a gradual reduction of interest rates to a comparable level with other emerging markets; maintain exchange rate stability, strengthen financial system stability and improve banking supervision because policy adjustments have revealed loopholes and high level of governance indiscipline in the sector.

However, violation of regulatory guidelines is not limited to Nigerian banks. Globally, these illicit activities include the 2008 Societe Generale's $68.5 billion rogue trading, UBS's $2.2 billion fraud trading in 2013, JP Morgan's $6.2 billion London Whale scandal in 2013, and the Barclays' London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) fixing scandal. More recently, there is the Citigroup $7 billion settlement with U.S. authorities in July last year over mortgage scandal as well as the $9 billion BNP Paribas

These are difficult times. A time when government and regulatory authorities are trying to stabilise prices, including exchange rates and interest rates, and the choices available to them are limited. And again, these are not policies that will be there forever

’

fine (July 2014) for illicit transactions from 2004 and 2012.

Beyond the fines and promises to reduce interest rates, Nigerian banking regulators, like their global counterparts, are also paying more attention to how healthy the lenders are. The result of the last CBN liquidity stress test on the banking sector released last month jolted many people. The test conducted on 23 banks, showed that 'six small banks' Capital Adequacy Ratios (CARs) fell below regulatory threshold.

CAR is a ratio of a bank's assets to its risks.

CBN Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Dr. Joseph Nnanna said the unnamed 'small banks' CARs fell to 8.85 per cent, against stipulated 10 per cent for lenders operating only in Nigeria and 15 per cent for those with foreign subsidiaries.

The test conducted using both the bottomup and top-down approaches specified in the modified International Monetary Fund (IMF's) stress test framework, captured the diverse nature of individual bank's balance sheet and observed weaknesses.

Although, the deputy governor defended the stability of the banking sector, the result of the test gave insight to the grave situation faced by lenders. For instance, majority of the banks, The Nation learnt, are grappling with low capital bases, long term bonds’ repayment, and depressed income margins.

The poor cash flow from investments in power sector assets is also a major concern negatively impacting on banks’ capability to stay in business.

CBN’s and other regulatory policies, including reduction on Commission on Turnover (CoT) fees, increase in • Continued on page 29

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

29

ISSUES •Continued from page 28

contribution to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) levies and high Cash Reserve Ratios (CRRs) are also depleting banks’ profits.

For instance, the CRR, which is the minimum cash, as a percentage of customer deposits and notes that each commercial bank must keep with the CBN as reserve was harmonised at the CBN-led Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held on May 18th and 19th.

The CRR was until the MPC meeting at 20 per cent for private sector deposits and 75 per cent for public sector deposits. But the committee decided to harmonise it at 31 per cent for private and public sector deposits.

The CRR is meant to protect depositors and ensure banks have sufficient cash at all times to meet the day-to-day demands and cash withdrawals of their depositors. But in reality, it is a powerful monetary tool often used by central banks to control money supply in the economy.

The MPC considered that the current discriminatory CRR on public and private sector deposits has not only constrained the policy space but could inspire moral hazard by private market participants. Consequently, it was recognised that while additional tightening measures may not be appropriate now to avoid overheating the economy, a harmonisation of the CRR was imperative to curb abuses and improve the efficacy of the monetary policy.

The CRR adjustment removed over N2.7 trillion from CBN's vaults and placed it in banks' custody for on-lending to customers.

But while the impact is expected not to be felt immediately, damages done to banks' bottom line before the policy shift still abound. The funds were kept with the CBN at zero interest rate before this reversal.

Equally affecting banks' profits is the implementation of revised guide to bank charges. The CBN's gradual phasing out of CoT by 2016 and the simultaneous introduction of interest on savings account have impacted banks' gross earnings significantly.

For instance, bank customers will from 2016 begin to enjoy free CoT on all their transactions. The policy, which took effect on April 1, 2012 has seen the CoT gradually drop to N3 per mille in 2013. It was N2 per mille last year; N1 per mille this year and will be zero per mille next year.

In 2013, the AMCON levy was also increased from 0.3 per cent of banks' total assets to 0.5 per cent. Analyzing AMCON's 2013 financial year audited results, an investment banking and financial services firm, Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited, said the "bad bank's" levy on Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) increased by approximately 76 per cent from N54.6 billion in 2012 to N96 billion in 2013.

Afrinvest estimates that AMCON's levy on banks are expected to hit N143 billion by the end of 2014, further strengthening the Corporations' cash flows in the years ahead but has invariably put pressure on the net earnings of banks. The firm advocates for a strategically cautious approach in rolling out these policies given the enormity of the tasks ahead. Besides, Emefiele's proposed gradual reduction in interest rates may lead to the unintended consequence of exerting additional pressure on banks' income derived on yielding assets. These hitches have moderated the industry's gross earnings from 40.9 per cent in 2012 to 14.8 per cent last year.

Analysis of banks' performance showed that the impacts are mixed. While some showed resilience in the face of regulatory headwinds and tough economic environments, others felled like pack of cards. For instance, Stanbic IBTC Holding Company said its first quarter 2015 pre-tax profit fell 46 per cent to N4.81 billion against the same period last year.

Stanbic did not give any reason for the decline in profit. It recorded a threefold increase in loan loss provisions to N3.9 billion against N1.2 billion last year, the major driver in the year-on-year reduction in earnings. Stanbic's revenue performance was subdued as profit before provisions came in flat at N24.6 billion.

Although non-interest income grew by six per cent year-on-year to N13.9 billion, this was more than offset by a nine per cent year-onyear decline in funding income to N10.7 billion due to margin compression, with all key headline items visibly below expectations. ikewise, Skye Bank's fourth quarter 2014 results showed a pre-tax loss of N1.9 billion.

Despite the pre-tax loss, Profit After Tax (PAT) came in positive at N4 billion but declined by 53 per cent year-on-year. A gain of N4.2 billion on the other comprehensive income line together with a tax credit of N1.7 billion were the drivers behind the positive PAT.

•Emefiele

• Obazee

• Mrs David-Borha

•Oguntayo

Cost of banking regulation Profit before provisions grew by 14 per cent year-on-year to N25.4 billion. The growth on this line was driven by a 33 per cent year-onyear growth in funding income. In contrast, non-interest income declined by four per cent year-on-year. However, the year-on-year growth in pre-provision profits was not enough to offset a 56 per cent year-on-year and 59 per cent year-on-year rise in loan loss provisions and operating expenses respectively. On a full year 2014 basis, Skye's PBT and PAT declined by 47 per cent year-onyear and 32 per cent year-on-year respectively.

However, Unity Bank Plc posted a 35.2 per cent rise in first quarter PBT to N4.26 billion against the same period last year. The middle tier bank did not give reasons for the higher earnings, but said revenue rose to N16.5 billion against N14.97 billion in the period ended March, 31.

Also, Access Bank's first quarter pre-tax profit rose 23 per cent to N16.5 billion from year ago, the top tier lender said. Access Bank also did not give a reason for the rise in pretax profit. Gross earnings rose by 18.5 per cent to N245.2 billion during the period ended March 31, it said.

GTB’s unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31 showed a 17 per cent growth in gross earnings to N79.02 billion, from N67.58 billion recorded in the comparative period of 2014, underpinned by strong growth in interest income and effective management of operating expenses and cost of risk.

Its PBT was N32.65 billion, an increase of 17 per cent from N28.01 billion reported in first

‘

quarter of last year. The bank reported a first quarter 2015 PAT of N26.56 billion an increase of 15 per cent over the N23.11 billion reported in 2014.

Likewise, Fidelity Bank's first quarter 2015 PAT of N5 billion grew 27 per cent year-onyear, mainly due to a positive N956 million result on the other comprehensive income line.

Excluding the latter, PAT was up by just six per cent year-on-year. PBT grew by the same rate.

In terms of the contributions of the different revenue lines, non-interest income was the standout performer, with a strong 65 per cent year-on-year growth to N7.7 billion. Foreign exchange trading gains drove the strong noninterest income result.

Zenith's first quarter 2015 PAT grew strongly, by 27 per cent year-on-year to N28.7 billion, faster than 15 per cent PBT because of a significant positive result of N1.1 billion in other comprehensive income. The 15 per cent year-on-year PBT growth was driven by noninterest income which grew by a staggering 40 per cent to N31.9 billion. In contrast, funding income fell six per cent to N42.6 billion because interest expense of N38.8 billion grew much faster by 50 per cent year-on-year than interest income 14 per cent year-on-year. This is in spite of the fact that loan growth has visibly outpaced deposit growth in the last five quarters. This apparently anomaly can be explained by the fact Zenith saw its net interest margin fall to 6.2 per cent from over eight per cent.

FBN Holdings (FBN) first quarter 2015 results showed that PAT came in flattish at N19.4 billion. PBT grew nine per cent year-on-year

We are looking at how reliable, and how accurate the financial accounts are because they must be exact. Offenders will have their FRC registration numbers withdrawn, based on Section 41 of the FRC Act. That means they will not be able to work in Nigeria again

’

to N26.9 billion. The flattish performance on the PAT line was due to a 35 per cent year-onyear growth in income tax to N4.3 billion and a 47 per cent year-on-year growth in the loss reported on the comprehensive income line.

Profit before provisions grew by 14 per cent year-on-year to N88.3 billion. The growth on this line was driven by a 51 per cent year-onyear growth in non-interest income. A 126 per cent year-on-year growth in foreign exchange gains to N9.7 billion was the primary driver behind the performance in non-interest income. In contrast, funding income grew marginally, by 1.3 per cent year-on-year.

The marked growth on the non-interest income line completely offset a 138 per cent year-on-year increase in loan loss provisions and an 11 per cent year-on-year increase in operating expenses, and led to PBT growing by nine per cent year-on-year. peaking on the results, Skye Bank's Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Oguntayo, said in spite of the challenging operating environment, the bank carefully grew its risk assets portfolio, attained a 15.7 per cent growth in deposits, supported customers in critical and productive sectors of the economy, and declared a fairly decent profit.

Oguntayo said the recent acquisition of Mainstreet Bank Limited, which has resulted into a much larger franchise of over 450 branches, provides the bank with enhanced capacity to provide easier access to its teeming customers, and explore various opportunities in diverse segments of the economy.

Likewise, Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, stated that the performance, despite the effect of declining crude oil prices on the operating environment, is evidence of the positive outcome of the group's strategy of growing the client base across target and key market segments while maintaining a principled credit process.

She said the future holds great promise for all stakeholders as the Stanbic IBTC Group continues to seek opportunities in high growth sectors of the economy to grow its business, while sticking with its business model anchored on the prudent management of resources. "We remain positive in 2015, despite the envisaged volatility in economic conditions, to deliver best-in-class services to our customers and provide value for our shareholders," she stated.

Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo commenting on the results, said the lender built on the successes of the last financial year as it remains committed to delivering sustainable earnings and improved asset quality notwithstanding the headwinds witnessed in the industry, occasioned by the drop in the global oil prices. "As you have noticed, developments in the international markets presented some challenges to both the real sector and the financial sector of our economy," he said.

Head, Equities Market at Renaissance Capital (RenCap), Adesoji Solanke said lenders must be disciplined on the cost line and properly manage their impairment charges before they could deliver earnings growth. He said most banks' managements acknowledged the current challenges and their initial focus will be on reducing the funding costs by continuous downward re-pricing of costly term deposits.

Vetiva Capital Management analysts predicted that on an aggregate level, the banking industry 2014 gross earnings would take a potential $690 million annual hit, because of the CBN's CRR policy alone. They said the impact will vary from bank to bank depending on how much public sector deposits on their books.

Sterling Bank's Executive Director, Strategy, Abubakar Suleiman said the cost of resolution for the 2009 banking crisis is something that will be with banks for a while but that should not stop them from aspiring to deliver good returns. "These are difficult times. A time when government and regulatory authorities are trying to stabilise prices, including exchange rates and interest rates, and the choices available to them are limited. And again, these are not policies that will be there forever. They will be applied in the best interest of the country, and when things stabilise, we expect some of these policies to be reversed and profitability will improve for the banks," he said.

According to him, the CBN cannot allow a certain level of liquidity in the system when there is pressure from the exchange rate. "And even the banks themselves are not better-off if liquidity is allowed in the system because what they gain in terms of interest income • Continued on page 30

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

30

MONEYLINK

CBN’s income falls from N209.6b to N35.4b

T

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released its audited financial statements for 2013 and 2014 which showed that its net income dropped from N209.6 billion in 2013 to N35.4 billion in 2014.

The report said 80 per cent of the income has since been remitted to the Federal Government of Nigeria in accordance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act while the balance of 20 per cent was also transferred to the reserves within the bank.

The apex bank also said the accounts were prepared using the In-

By Collins Nweze and Nduka Chiejina

ternational Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) format and that both financial statements had been approved by its Board in accordance with the provisions of the CBN Act 2007.

The IFRS, one of the frameworks internationally recognised and accepted, mandates adopters of the framework to prepare consolidated financial statements.

The IFRS requirement implies that the financial statement of the CBN be consolidated with those of

investee entities, namely Nigeria Export-Import Bank, Abuja Securities and Commodities Exchange, Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Nigeria Interbank Settlement System, National Economic Reconstruction Fund, Financial Markets Dealers Quotation, African Finance Corporation and Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund.

Thus, the bank now has full IFRScompliant financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Hitherto, the bank's financial statements had been prepared

under the CBN framework.

"Meanwhile, the adoption of IFRS by the CBN or any central bank the world over is not without difficulties in view of a number of challenges that include the non-profitoriented mandates of central banks in their roles of price and financial system stability and economic growth that could be contradicted by the application of some of these IFRS standards, which are for direct profit-motivated commercial entities. Another challenge is the statutory constraints on the central banks," the CBN said.

This explains why very few central banks have adopted the IFRS. Many of the central banks which claim IFRS adoption did so partially within statutory constraints. The CBN was however able to work around these challenges to conclude a successful adoption of the IFRS. It is worthy of note that the CBN has been able to conclude IFRS adoption within a period of two years as global experience indicated that many of the IFRS adopting central or reserve banks took longer periods of time to conclude IFRS adoption.

Sterling Bank supports educational sector

A

S part of its “enriching lives" initiatives and in fulfillment of its promise to make the 2015 Children’s Day most memorable, Sterling Bank last week donated two sets of books 'Funds and My Little Money Book’ to the Lagos State Government for distribution to pupils and students of public schools in the state just as it announced its sponsorship of the Nigerian Bar Association's conference on Business Law (NBA-SBL).

The theme of the conference holding this month in Lagos is 'Regulators as Catalysts for Economic Growth’.

The first edition of the books were published in 2014 and distributed to public and private schools in Nigeria during the Financial Literacy Week.

This year, the bank published a revised version which was also distributed during the Financial Literacy Week and used by its team of volunteer staff to teach in selected schools in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

It would be recalled that Sterling Bank was given an Award last year by the Lagos State Government for its support in the sector Receiving the books, a senior staff in the Ministry of Education commended the Bank for its continuous support towards the successful hosting of the Children's Day event organized by the state government and implored other financial institutions in the state to emulate the exemplary role of the bank.

Apart from the books donated, the Bank celebrated the Children's Day with lucky pupils/students in their

various schools in fulfillment of one of the features of its “I Can Save” product and promoted a social media campaign encouraging parents to post “selfies” taken with their children; following which followers/ fans were encouraged to vote and the top three posts were awarded prizes. A “selfie” is a photograph taken of oneself with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.

The bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr. Shina Atilola said in a statement that the lender's sponsorship of the NBA-SBL conference was in line with its strategic focus on value adding events especially those focused on education and learning.

His words: “At Sterling Bank, we are passionate about avenues that would add value for learning in all areas and that are why we are investing heavily in the area of education.

•From left: Head Retail Lagos and Southwest, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Funmi Paseda; HR Business Partner, Lagos and Southwest, Olanike Martins; HR Business Partner, Northern Region, Moyosore Thomas; Employee Services Officer, Adenike Dedeke; Team Leader, HR Customer Service, Folashade Akinniranye; Divisional Head, HR, Project and Change Management, Felicia Obozuwa with some pupils when the bank’s women visited Ebenezer Primary School, Ilaje Ilogbo, Ebute Metta, Lagos to mark this year’s Children’s Day.

Heritage Bank CEO to speak at CBN's cashless Card Expo

T

HE Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Heritage Bank Limited, Mr. Ifie Sekibo will speak on ‘Innovation in Financial Services Delivery' at this year's Cashless Card Expo of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This event is scheduled to hold from June 23 to 25 in Lagos.

Among other things, the expo features various awards for outstanding payment cards and services, in a bid to recognise and reward banks and financial services efforts

at promoting the cashless policy.

In addition to the presentation by Sekibo, Heritage Bank has been nominated for two of the Cashless Expo Award categories namely, "Best Co-branded Card of the year" and "Best Industry innovation of the year".

Since it commenced operations in 2013, the bank has distinguished itself through innovative banking services, offering unique customer satisfaction and unparalleled comfort and convenience to existing

and new customers.

Two months after it commenced operation, the lender introduced zero Commission on Turnover (CoT), with no hidden charges for its customers.

“The nomination of the Bank for "Best Co-branded Card of the year" and "Best Industry innovation of the year" awards at this year's CBN's Cashless Expo is in recognition of the various industry setting innovative e-payment cards and channels introduced by the bank

Cost of banking regulation • Continued from page 29

they may end up losing if there is significant devaluation or devaluation that is not managed properly. In my view, the CRR policy is something that must happen, and is not going to prevent any serious minded bank from returning decent Return on Equity," he said.

For Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association, Boniface Okezie, contributions to AMCON and NDIC have become outrageous and are eating deeply into banks' profits. He advised the banks to always make public by including in their annual reports, whatever payments they make to regulators.

"Investors money can't be used to fund regulators. This is not acceptable to us, and should be discouraged," he said. Okezie said that funding of such regulatory bodies should be done by the Federal Government, and not quoted companies, to ensure objectivity and transparency.

He said banks' earnings have been badly depleted by the AMCON levy hike. He said he had earlier warned that the CBN is over regulating the sector. “The shareholders are being denied their take home pay.

The policy changes are targeted at

shareholders,”he said, adding that many banks now lack the needed fund to lend, which could have helped improve their earnings.

An economist and shareholder based in Lagos, Gabriel Nnanna, said bank's current performance is making many shareholders to have a rethink on investing in the sector.

He said banks now have to drive low cost funds from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for them to remain profitable giving the declining margins in government deposits.

"It is no longer profitable and wise to keep expensive funds mainly from government. I think forward thinking banks should go for cheaper funds to reduce their cost of funds and create better returns

‘

for shareholders," he advised.

For Solanke, the last two years have seen discussions around banks centred on monetary policy and the regulatory environment. He thinks the CBN could be creating an increasingly difficult operating environment, under which some banks cannot hope to deliver returns in excess of their cost of capital. His words: "I think that Nigerian banks are indeed, facing an uphill struggle to deliver 20 per cent plus returns, especially compared with their other African peers.

"With the tough regulation, banks will be left with little choice but to pursue revenue growth by raising lending rates on their loan books.

This is likely to come at the expense of either loan growth or asset quality. The larger, more liquid banks may prefer to accept lower loan growth, and instead increase their exposure to treasury assets, since the yields have risen slightly, and hence remain in attractive territory.

"All in all, high earnings growth is likely to be challenging to achieve. It will become harder for some of the banks to deliver returns in excess of their cost of equity, especially some of the smaller banks."

On decline in banks' profits, Obazee said while the CBN is ensuring regulatory compliance, the FRC is looking at general

With the tough regulation, banks will be left with little choice but to pursue revenue growth by raising lending rates on their loan books. This is likely to come at the expense of either loan growth or asset quality. The larger, more liquid banks may prefer to accept lower loan growth, and instead increase their exposure to treasury assets, since the yields have risen slightly, and hence remain in attractive territory

’

since it commenced operations in 2013," Sekibo said in a statement.

Some of the products include ePiggy Card which is for collecting change at merchants; 7411 Smart Travel Tourist Card, which enables visiting tourists in Nigeria to carry out card transactions easily; Mainasara Women and Youth Card, a scheme card to support women and youth development; Vineland Microfinance Bank Card, for customers of Vineland MfB to carry out transactions. purpose financial statements, from where it determines whether a bank is in distress or not. He said the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Nigeria has made reporting robust as banks must make full disclosures of their financial positions. Lenders, he insisted, must show how they arrive at their judgments and estimates.

"The IFRS ensures we trace all the banks' policies to the financial statements. A lot of malpractices have been cut down, because of full disclosures. If you are disclosing fully, there will be no room for financial manoeuvres. If your results are IFRS-based, there will be a lot of disclosures. Whatever judgment and estimates you make, must tally with estimates. With these disclosures, banks can no longer book profits that do not exist. Banks' definition of assets has changed as everything has to be put on the table. The banks can no longer lie about their cash," he explained.

But other analysts insist that the CBN should be more interested in the overall impact of its policies on the economy than banks' returns.

This is because banks' earnings could decline, but the overall impact of the regulation on the economy is equally important as the regulator needs to continually ensure that the financial system is safe and stable at all times.

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EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 29-05-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 29-05-15

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EQUITIES

May & Baker to raise new equity funds •Shareholders laud dividend payment

M

AY &Baker Nigeria Plc plans to raise new equity funds in the second half as the healthcare company rebounded with a profit before tax of N101.1 million in 2014.

Chairman, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), said the company would raise new equity funds later this year to deleverage its balance sheet and consolidate the gains of its recent investments and profitability.

Danjuma indicated that the company may opt for rights issue to compensate shareholders that had bore the burden of the company’s huge depreciation and interest financing, which depressed profit in the previous year.

Shareholders had earlier in 2014 approved a resolution authorizing the board of the company to raise additional N3.2 billion through rights issue or private placements.

Danjuma said the new equity issue was delayed to give investors opportunity to pick their rights in recognition of their supports for the company.

“The company has not been able to consummate this offer on account of due considerations of timing and the readiness of our members to fully pay for their stakes. We are mindful of the sacrifices members have made in the past when the company was under pressure of constructing the plant in Ota and we realise that it will only be fair to open the offer when majority of us will be able to take our rights,” Danjuma said.

He called on the shareholders to prepare to take up their Rights in the current financial year to enable the company raise more equity for its operations.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that the company’s profit before tax rose by

•From left: Dr. Edugie Abebe, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, Managing Director, and Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) Chairman, all of May & Baker Nigeria Plc at company's 64th Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

818 per cent from N11.4 million in 2013 to N101.1 million in 2014.

Profit after tax stood at N63 million in 2014 as against net loss of N103 million in 2013. Turnover rose to N7 billion in 2014 as against N6.3 billion in 2013, representing a growth of 11 per cent.

Danjuma, at the annual general meeting in Lagos, said the performance in 2014 reflected the gains of cost containment measures and efficient allocation of resources by the management, which drastically reduced the level of money paid by the company to service debt obligations.

He however noted that the company continued to suffer high finance charges resulting from its dependence on bank and related loans, a trend the pharmaceutical giant has had to live with for several years now since it undertook the construction of its new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Ota, Ogun State.

He pointed out that the company paid a total of N600 million on finance charges in 2014, a 4.2 per cent reduction from the figure of N630

million paid for similar charges in 2013 noting that the huge interest expense could have added to the profit of the company and subsequently the dividends paid to shareholders if it was trading with its own funds.

“I am optimistic that as soon as soon as we are able to recapitalise the business we shall take down the high financing cost which is currently taking substantial earnings off the company. This will put us in a stronger position to fully leverage our installed capacity, aggressively promote our existing brands, launch the new products and businesses in our pipeline and deliver better profits,” Danjuma said.

Managing Director, May & Baker Nigeria, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor said steady progress is being made by the company in the areas product formulation, development and marketing.

He said recent strategic efforts have helped to grow the business of the company in the last three years with consistent improvements in turnover.

According to him, despite increasing challenges in the

economy, the company’s has steadily improved on its profitability as gross margins have consistently improved in the last three years He outlined other recent milestones by the company to include the certification of its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility by the World Health Organisation(WHO) on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), poting out that this achievement has opened the doors of the company to international business enquiries which will soon translate into huge revenue and profits.

He noted that the recent celebration of 70 years of doing business in Nigeria by May & Baker is also creating additional confidence in stakeholders who see the pharmaceutical giant as a viable and sustainable business organisation.

Shareholders of the company commended the return to profitability and the resumption of dividend payment. They unanimously approved the payment of a dividend per share of 5.0 kobo for the 2014 business year.

President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Mr. Bonifae Okezie, shareholders

were that the company has returned to profit noting that with the modest dividend payment for the 2014 business year, the expectation is that it would improve to higher dividend in the years ahead.

“Let me thank the board and management for a job well down.

Though, the dividend of 5.0 kobo is small but if we look at where we were coming and the gigantic project that the company just completed, then we need to appreciate the management of the company.

We hope that this will improve in the current financial year,” Okezie said.

It will be recalled that the company got under pressure from financing charges and depreciation allowances as a result of its new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, which was financed largely by loans during the 2008-2009 capital market recession. Finance costs rose by 34.3 per cent to N630.71 million in 2013 compared with N469.63 million in 2012, while the company provided about N240 million annually in 2013 and 2014 out of its gross profit for the depreciation of the new pharmaceutical facility with monthly depreciation average of N19.8 million. The year 2014 was the first full year of depreciation.

May & Baker had raised her capacity to produce more products with the construction of the world class pharmaceutical centre known as the PharmaCentre located in Ota Ogun State. The facility has raised May & Baker’s production capacity by over 60 per cent. The PharmaCentre is a mega investment in the pharmaceutical sector targeted at making Nigeria one of the leading producers of quality medicines in the world. It is one of the few Nigerian pharmaceutical facilities that were recently certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The PharmaCentre is currently undergoing the process of WHO prequalification for its specific products.

Stockbrokers to engage government on investment education

T

HE Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) would engage the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to integrate capital market operations into the entrepreneurial schemes of various government agencies, especially the National Youth Corps Scheme (NYSC).

The CIS stated that such investment education and empowerment would avail fresh graduates more comprehensive exposure to the capital market operations and provide them with necessary knowledge to take useful decisions.

The Federal Government has institutionalized entrepreneurial training in the NYSC scheme to enable the fresh graduates develop a new capacity aside from their academic background. This is part of the strategy to promote self-employment for the youths by deemphasizing dependence on white collar jobs Head, research and technical, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Arinze Nwobu, who led a team in continuation of the institute regular enlightenment programme for youths at the 2015 Lagos State NYSC orientation camp Batch B , said the fresh graduates can make a career in the capital market.

According to him, many of the young graduates could make career in the capital market after their NYSC primary assignment as it will broaden their scope on the capital market operations. Already, CIS has been at the forefront of inves-

tor education for the NYSC members every quarter. Many of the fresh graduates lack in-depth information about opportunities provided by the capital market and how they can take advantage of such.

Nwobu said that serving graduates who had passed through uni-

versities and polytechnics are eligible and qualified to explore the benefits and opportunities in the capital market and could later take up jobs as stockbrokers, securities analysts, investment bankers and portfolio managers who are currently the major players in the capi-

tal market.

He therefore urged the Corp members to take advantage of the programmes of the institute by enrolling for the CIS professional examination while serving the Nation.

While appreciating the CIS, State Coordinator, NYSC Lagos, Mr. Cyril

Akhanemhe remarked that it was quite thoughtful of the Institute to have brought great opportunity for the Corp members.

He urged the Corp members to take advantage of exploring the opportunities available to them during their service year.

Skye Bank appoints four executive directors

T

HE board of directors of Skye Bank Plc has announced the appointment of four new executive directors for the bank as part of the efforts to uphold the high standards, which have become the bank’s driving force for service excellence.

The new executive directors are Mr. Bayo Sanni, Executive Director, Lagos Commercial Banking; Mr. Idris Yakubu, Executive Director, Abuja and Northern Region; Mrs. Markie Idowu, Executive Director, Technology and Service Delivery Channels; and Mrs. Abimbola Izu, Executive Director, Corporate services. The appointments will take effect as from next month.

Announcing the new board appointment in a statement yesterday, group managing director, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, expressed confidence that the new directors would further strengthen and reposition the bank for improved performance.

Sanni, who holds both Bachelor and Master’s degrees in finance from the University of Lagos, was, until now, the chief risk officer at

FCMB where he quickly effected the reduction of the non-performing loans and the cost of risk for the institution.

He started his banking career with Zenith Bank, and had worked in other leading financial institutions, including Citibank and Sterling Bank. His experience in these banks covered various aspects of banking including banking operations, corporate banking, commercial banking, compliance and risk management.

Yakubu who holds a B.Sc Accounting degree from the University of Jos, also bagged his M.sc degree in Banking and Finance from the same institution, and an MBA degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

With over 25 years of banking experience spanning Fidelity Bank (where he spent 19 years), Yakubu was until his present appointment, the Regional Director, Abuja and Northern Business, Fidelity Bank, where he significantly grew the business both in size and profitability. His experience covers commercial, consumer, retail banking and

public sector. He also has significant experience in corporate banking, financial control and tax planning services.

Izu holds the LL.B and LL.M degree from the University of Ife and University of Warwick, Coventry, England and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. A multiple award winner as an intellectual prodigy, she is also an alumnus of the Lagos Business School.

A seasoned legal luminary with several years experience in law practice both in private legal practice and in the banking industry, she started her legal career with Bentley, Edu& Co, moving on to AfeBabalola& Co, and Olaniwun Ajayi & Co. She started her banking career in with the legacy Bond Bank as pioneer company secretary and legal adviser. She later became the company secretary and legal adviser for Skye Bank, and was at various times, also anchored the Corporate Communications department of the bank, during which time she led the team in establishing Skye Bank as a household name and a

foremost brand in the financials services industry, from a zero brand position.

She currently oversees the Corporate Services directorate which includes Company Secretariat, Legal services, General Services Department, Corporate Communications, and Sustainability and Consumer Protection Department.

Idowu holds a First Class degree in Computer Sciences from the University of Benin, and a Masters degree in Software Engineering from Aston University, Birmingham, and MBA degree from the Lagos Business School.

She has over 26 years banking experience spanning Commercial Banking, Corporate Banking, Private Banking, and Strategic Planning. She had worked as Head, Corporate Banking Group where she positioned the Bank as a major player in the upstream oil and gas and telecoms sectors. Since assuming duty as Head, Technology and Service Delivery Channels, she has significantly improved the bank’s service delivery via electronic and IT platforms.

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THE NATION

BUSINESS JOBS

• Fashion designers sewing corporate uniforms at the factory of one of the firms in Ogun State

The garment industry contributes significantly to many countries’ economy, creating millions of jobs for a wide range of professionals. Corporate clothing, a sub-sector of the garment making industry, is becoming popular as uniforms are being designed and made for schools, airline cabin crews, security outfits, hospitals, automobile firms and other corporate organisations. KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR writes that this sub-sector is capable of creating jobs.

Jobs coming from corporate clothing A

RE you looking for a job? Would you like to create an additional source of income? Would you like to set up your own business? If your response to all these questions above is yes, then join Business Partners Programme (BPP). BPP provides a platform for passionate and self-motivated people, who desire to start a clothing business.

Aimee and Annabel sewing company is turning garment making into a profitable venture through BPP, says its founder and creative director, Mrs Oromo Oluwatosin.

The garment and textile industry have been playing significant role in the global economy with capacity to generate millions of jobs globally. It was estimated to have had a turnover of over $3 trillion a few years ago.

As one of the oldest industries in the world, the garment industry is assuming new roles in many emerging economies, increasing activities in this sector and generating millions of jobs across the globe Corporate clothing is emerging with the capacity to engage professionals in specialised categories such as fashion designing and manufacturing. Different countries including Nigeria are reaping bountifully from this new business.

Conservative estimates say the sector has the capacity to directly and indirectly generate thousands of skilled and semi–skilled jobs for Nigerians.

New corporate clothing outfits are springing up across the length and breadth of the country with their eyes

on designing uniforms for airline workers, ground handling companies, security outfits, religious organisations, especially robes for churches, cleaning outfits and private schools.

In some parts of Asia, a country such as Bangladesh accounts for over four million direct jobs and over 20 per cent of the total export earnings. The apparel market in China, the world’s leading sourcing spot, is also evolving. In China the market is growing, and it is estimated to account for more than 20 per cent of its export, an average of about $27 billion in 2015.

In Nigeria, the garment industry is assuming new dimensions as scores of companies, which specialise in corporate clothing, are springing up with capacity to generate thousands of jobs. These companies have discovered fortunes in making uniforms for different institutions including private schools, public schools, airlines, banks, hospitals, lawyers, private security outfits, airport security personnel, automobile firms and other organisations.

The growing interest in corporate clothing is a fallout of what obtains in many countries including the United Kingdom (UK). In Nigeria, a few companies including Aimee & Annabel, Sam and Sara, are some of the frontliners in garment manufacturing companies with specialty in corporate clothing.

Apart from these two firms, other companies that dot the country’s landscape are generating jobs for skilled professionals in fashion and design, packaging, branding, laboratory and related fields.

Corporate clothing also requires state-ofthe-art garment manufacturing equipment including industrial sewing machines, knitting machines, fabric mixers and other equipment required to attain standardisation in sewing all sizes of clothes and branding of unions and groups.

In the airline industry, there is huge patronage for corporate clothing as airlines need corporate uniforms for their pilots, flight engineers, cabin crew and other professionals.

Major carriers including Arik Air, Air Peace, DANA Air, Overland Airways, First Nation Airways, Medview Airlines, AZMAN Air and Discovery Air have companies supplying their corporate clothing to maintain brand homogeneity. Apart from the airlines, ground handling companies also patronise corporate clothiers for their official uniforms, which reflect the colour chosen as their brand identity.

In Nigeria, all airlines outsource their uniforms for ticket counter employees, flying and cabin crew from major garment manufacturing companies. One of the benefitting firms is Aimee & Annabel Sewing Company Limited. The firm designs uniforms for one of the largest domestic airlines -Arik Air. According to Aimee & Annabel sewing company’s website uniforms and apparels are sewn for individuals and corporate organisations.

They listed their clients to include Arik Air, Barachel Model College, Fusion MMC, Monday Market, Chit Hub, GG Cleaning,

Floral Schools and Childline Crèche and International School as well as Christ Apostolic Church. They said: “A progressive business needs trustworthy and loyal partnership in today’s competitive world. We introduce to you, Aimee and Annabel - the reputable sewing company to meet all your sewing contract services.

Aimee & Annabel is a privatelyowned organisation that sows uniforms in large quantities throughout Nigeria.

Our business has progressed miles since its establishment in 2006 creating hundreds of jobs and we have a reputable name when it comes to bulk apparel sewing.

“Our uniforms are uniquely designed with the aim of promoting our customers brand image. We provide a vast range of uniforms, which include suits, shirts, blouses, coats, jackets, polo tShirts, workers’ wear, hospitality wear, sport wear, corporate/office wears and school uniforms.

“Aimee & Annabel is proud to assist you through all the phases of production. We can design your uniforms, incorporate your brand, sew and provide your desired outfits in suitable packages. We sew bulk uniforms and apparels for individuals and corporate organisations. Our minimum order quantity is a dozen and there are no restrictions with size and volume.

“For individuals who do not have sewing company, we can mass-produce •Continued on page 36

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JOBS •Continued from page 35

your style and designs to meet the need of your clients. We will assist you with the sewing of your uniform orders, while you focus on your priorities, which are marketing and selling of your own personal brand. You do not need to employ tailors; our state of the art sewing factory will meet all your tailoring needs.

We sell our brand of ready- towear clothing’s which are available in all major stores and our online store as well. You can choose from varieties of styles, colours and sizes to suit your requirements.

The basic skills required for garment making or corporate clothing is understanding sewing as designing or what people loosely refer to as tailoring with details for sizes, materials and accessories. Graduates of fashion design schools in clothes making would find job opportunities in this booming business which caters for businesses requiring uniforms in the financial, airlines, educational, health, security, road traffic and allied sector as well as industrial cleaning .

Another player in this sector Sam & Sara Ventures Limited, which started business in 1987 as Bijoux Unisex Collections, has grown to become a foremost garment manufacturing outfit. Over the years, Sam & Sara has cultivated an enviable pedigree of quality and constantly improved processes of garment production. As major players in garment and textile sector, companies providing corporate clothing’s generate thousands of jobs for professionals in the design business, offering official uniforms to institutions including banks, schools and traffic management outfits.

Sam & Sara’s flagship brand IMPRESZA has become a household name in the areas of cor-

Jobs coming from corporate clothing

• Mrs Oyemade

• Mr Oluwafemi Ojomo

• Mrs Oluwatosin

porate wear, promotional wear, school uniforms, hospitality uniforms, paramilitary/security uniforms, professional wear, robes and academic gown.

It makes uniforms for organisations including Access Bank, EcoBank, GTB, Corona School Lekki, Lagos Business School/ Pan Atlantic University, LNG, Total, Travelex and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

According to Mrs. Folake Oyemade who is the Managing Director of Sam and Sara Ventures Limited, corporate clothing business in Nigeria could generate thousands of jobs if the government creates an enabling environment through credit assistance from the Bank of Industry, Cotton, Textile and Garment Fund. She said: “It’s not been very easy. I don’t think there are many garment companies in Nigeria that are into the magnitude of produc-

tion that we do. And as you would expect, there has been a lot of innovations. That is why when you see uniform personnel abroad, they look good.

Everything good needs detailed planning.

“We have been somewhat lucky because through the Cotton, Textile and Garment Fund, given through the Bank of Industry, we are able to access some low interest loans. I wish to reiterate that the textile industry is the highest employer of labour in any country. In our case, we are talking about jobs that are created.”

The firm on it website, said: “We also manufacture accessories such as logo ties, logo scarfs, lanyards. At Sam & Sara we know appearance of staff and personnel plays a major role in conveying a positive image of an organisation. That is why we operate a customer-centric business model that makes the cli-

ent the focal point of our entire operation. Sam & Sara goes beyond the role of garment producer, we provide an end-to-end services. In accordance with clients’ needs, we research, develop, design and produce garments to meet the intended purpose and expectations.

The impresza brand of garments is produced to reflect fine craftsmanship and elegance that suits the aesthetic taste required for a positive and lasting impression. Impresza remains a combination of the finest, durable fabric, the most elegant of designs and fine finishing with emphasis on comfort and affordability. We deliver peace of mind with a considerably low timeline no matter the quantity.

“We specialise in offering reliable security guard uniform, tailoring service to the customers. Our tailoring service is provided by our team of expert tai-

lors that ensure perfect stitching.

Security guard uniforms provided by us, is recognised in the markets for their comfortable fit and excellent finishing.

We offer an array of housekeeping uniforms, which are manufactured using optimum quality cotton and polyester fabric. Our assortment includes aprons, shirts and pants, which can be availed in various colors and designs.

“Moreover, we also offer the facility of customised logos, as per the specifications given by our clients. Apart from this, we also offer design samples for our collection of housekeeping uniforms to facilitate the customer in making an informed choice.

We are instrumental in presenting variety of uniforms for the customers. The range of our uniforms is highly demanded by the clients for its elegant designs, fine stitching and excellent fabric. These garments are delivered within the stipulated timeframe at the customers’ end through our wide distribution network.

We are engaged in meeting the demands of various types of housekeeping uniform cloth/ apparels. We are engaged in meeting the demands of various types of hospitals uniform cloth/apparels, and Church uniforms,” she added.

With thousands of private schools dotting the entire country, there is growing patronage for corporate clothing for such schools with the attendant opportunity for generating jobs for teeming professionals.

To get the best out of the corporate clothing business, an entrant should have a minimum of school certificate. This will enable the intending job seeker or practitioner to understand the intricacies of the business and also be creative and innovative to exceed the expectations of clients.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS Ajayi heads Africa Leadership Forum

• Ajayi

THE Africa Leadership Forum, a leadership and capacity development organisation, has announced the appointment of Dr Olumide Abimbola Ajayi as new Executive Director.

Ajayi, a Development Economist with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan, was formerly the Deputy Director and Chief of Programmes of the Forum.

Ajayi started his career as a

junior researcher and lecturer at the University of Ibadan before crossing over to the private sector where he rose to become a Senior Executive. He joined the ALF in 2001, first as the Programmes Manager, and was later promoted to become the Deputy Director.

Ajayi is an administrator, trainer, mentor, and author. He has written and contributed to some books and scholarly journals. He had been project consultant for the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (UNFAO), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African Union (AU), and Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS), International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), United Kingdom, Femme Africa Solidarite (FAS), Geneva, and other organisations, in about ten different countries.

He is a Trainer in the

UNIDEP’s Gender and Economic Policy Management Initiative (GEPMI). He is also the Project Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria-Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) for South West Nigeria.

He is a Fellow of the Centre for Applied Studies in International Negotiation (CASIN), Geneva, Switzerland, and the International Academy for Leadership, Gummersbach, Germany. He

served on the Steering Committee of the World Bank international Essay Competition between 2006 and 2011.

He has also served on several expert groups such as African Union Gender Working Group (2004), Task Force on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for West Africa (2004), FIX NIGERIA Working Group (2006), UN Global Compact Coordinating Group for the Annual Forum of Local Networks (2006-2008).

His appointment takes immediate effect.

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Seven tips on creating workplace self-motivation W ORKPLACE motivation is one of those interesting things. We think it should just drop out of the sky like magic but it never really does. We also don’t really think about how to create motivation for ourselves.

However, we really can create it with the right tools.

First, let’s get on the same page about what motivation is. Motivation is what causes you to take action. Clearly, you’re at work so you do have some motivation because your action is going to work and performing your job. What we are talking about is feeling engaged and inspired about the actions you do take.

Let’s look at some of the tools you can use to get fully engaged and motivated in the workplace:

By Olu Oyeniran

Change

There’s nothing like changing things to really get the juices going. You don’t want to change things just for the sake of changing; however, you want to change things that don’t work well.

With that, you must have a vision of what the right outcome would be and then you apply your steps to create the action for change.

Goals Many times, the lack of motivation is due to a lack of direction or goals. Sit down and figure out what would really get you up in the morning and make that your goal.

Having a goal isn’t enough, though. It has to be a goal that you

yearn for or have some emotions about. Once established, put together a plan for how you will achieve your goals. Keep in mind SMART for goals = Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Resonate, Time bounded if you really are going to shot for something worth having.

Be accountable The vast majority of us want to do things but we’re really lazy about doing them. It’s often easier to diet or workout with someone because we have a person that is looking for us to perform. Find someone to hold you accountable to yourself and be willing to trade off the favor.

Clean up your own internal litter We all have baggage, but some-

times we have so much of it cluttering up our life that it bogs us down and we fail to see what’s possible. Creating a clutter-free physical work environment also gives significant push to get on with work at hand.

Surround yourself with the right people Yes, your mother was right… it is important to hang out with the right people. In this case, hang out with people who are inspired and motivated as it will be contagious.

Research the issue Find out from others what motivates them. In the process, you may hear something that would really be great for you. Don’t be afraid to copy what works.

Cop an attitude

Motivation creates more motivation. Look for it and it will be there.

We often get hung up about our ability to control things in the workplace.

The one thing we can control is our attitude and approach to various workplace challenges. Change your perception or paradgme. You will see how things are different, even with the same facts!

These tools for workplace motivation are simple to do which means there is nothing but you holding you up from trying them.

•Oyeniran is Lead Consultant, EkiniConsult & Associates. He can be reached on Jobsearchhow.com.ng Tel 08083843230 (SMS Only).

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THE CEO The Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBBS) provides the infrastructure for automated processing, payment settlement and funds transfer. Given the ease of using the channel, more Nigerians are now embracing electronic banking. NIBBS Managing Director Mr. Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi says the platform is waxing stronger. In this interview with Group Business Editor SIMEON EBULU, he describes the Bank Verification Number (BVN) as a noble initiative that will reduce fraud.

‘How BVN will stem fraud’

• Shonubi

I

S the synergy between the BVN and the National Identity Management Commission bringing about a sustainable identity management system for Nigeria?

We need to understand the concept of identification. The National ID is supposed to be the root means of identifying an individual.

That means it is general but you will always find specific ID databases that will be created. There is the National Driving licence that applies to people, who are of driving age and have decided they want to drive.

They are different from those that may be banking customers that cannot drive. So, you will always have different databases. However, the idea is to have a common way of linking them. Somebody has a driving licence and at the same time has an ID for health, how do we ensure it is the same person? That is the idea behind the National ID. With the Bank Verification Number (BVN), we are creating something for banking customers. The purpose is not just to identify but also ultimately to use it to authorise financial transactions. This cannot be done using the National ID which would identify but it is not meant for authorising financial transactions. The BVN is a means of sharing data. When one enrolls for a BVN, we can make that information available. If you already have the National ID and you don’t have a Bank Account, once you use it, we pull the information from the National ID and update it in creating your BVN identification. This is with the intention of making

it easy for people so that when you are enrolled for one, it is easier to enroll with the other and we have actually started that process of integration.

How will the BVN work?

The feedback from the banks is very positive. I think we should start by understanding why we are embarking on the BVN project, you will see that there is no way the Banks would not be enthusiastic about it.

When the BVN project was initiated, there were three key areas of focus. First and most important of all is for us to identify our customers uniquely across Banks and across Accounts. So, once a customer enrolls and obtains a BVN, that same BVN is tied to all his bank accounts. Now, relating to identifying is the possibility of Banks blacklisting people who have committed financial infractions. It could be fraudsters; it could be people who have forged documents; etc. What happens today is that Mr. A goes to Bank E, commits fraud, then runs to Bank F and because there is no way of tying all these activities across, we found out that there are quite a lot of losses related to these individuals from one Bank to another. BVN removes these losses. The beauty of it all is the unique identification in the financial space.

Generally, people say every Nigerian is a crook but in actual sense, maybe only one per cent of Nigerians are crooks but the remaining 99 per cent are considered crooks because of that one per cent. So, BVN allows us, again, to find these individuals and to

create that blacklists that other stakeholders in the financial space can have access to. With this, even foreigners through their Banks, may be able to identify fraudsters that have been tracked in the Nigerian Financial space.

Secondly, the BVN would allow us begin to build retail credit. Today, the Banks have concerns over identification in retail lending, that is why the entire retail consumer lending portfolio is targeted at people with formal employment whose employers can serve as a point of reference. There are however a lot of self-employed people as well as others working in smaller organisations who require this, but do not have access due to the identification issue, as no bank will take the risk of lending to them – considering cases of resignation and eventual run off, how will the Banks get repayment? But with the availability of BVN, these set of individuals will also benefit from Retail Lending as identification and tracking issues will be mitigated.

The third, which I have already alluded to, is we want to be able to authorise financial transactions down the road, on an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or a Point of Sales (PoS). You can use your biometric identifier to say ‘Yes, this is me and I am authorising the payment.’ So, those are the three key focus areas that led to the BVN project being conceived and implemented.

By June 30, every bank customer is expected to have been captured into the system. Will the deadline be extended?

No. I think we are doing well. Just as most projects, you start slow but as time goes on, it picks up. The number of enrollment doubles every week. So, given the number of BVNs generated so far, I think June 30 is achievable.

For those that have enrolled when are they likely to receive their BVN card?

I would encourage customers to talk to their banks so that they can get their BVN card.

The BVN cards are being printed and sent to the banks to distribute to the branches where customers have enrolled. You will be sent a Small Messaging System (SMS) and for those that have their emails stipulated, they will be sent email.

Who bears the cost of producing the BVN cards?

It has no cost implications to the customer; we are giving them out to the customers for free. The cost is borne by the Bankers’ Committee, which considers the BVN project very important and that is why they have been bearing the entire cost. The cost of the cards, the cost of integration with NIMC and almost everything else that has to do with the BVN is borne by the Bankers’ Committee.

Is NIBSS not concerned about the rising cases in banks?

We are very worried and what gets us even more concerned is that as one executes Electronic Transactions, a lot more people are participating in that space and cloud. So, it is •Continued on page 38

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THE CEO

‘How BVN will stem fraud’ •Continued from page 37

easier for the Banks to invest in new technologies to protect themselves.

But now, every business person wants to create a website to sell their products and wares and some of them may not have the capacity to invest in technologies to protect themselves. Thus once one of them creates a point of leakage, it affects the whole chain. To curb this, one of the initiatives the Bankers’ Committee is putting in place is the antifraud platform that payment transactions are connected to; such that if one has a transaction that is fraudulent, it flags it off immediately.

It allows us to identify cards that have been reported as fraudulent; it also allows us to do analysis of a particular location or website where fraud is frequently reported for proper monitoring and this initiative is not only for cards. What we are implementing, which is very unique in almost all areas is to centralise handling of cards, electronic payments and PoS. Most of the solutions available elsewhere are mainly for cards but we have to modify it to allow transactions on other electronic payment platforms.

It can create patterns and also highlight suspicious transfers and payments.

Most of these frauds are more or less insider-related and with click of the computer, the money is gone.

Is there no way to set a limit or threshold on the value of transactions allowed at a particular time?

This is part of the area the AntiFraud initiative caters for. We agree there must be a limit, either in frequency or value; all transactions going through the Anti-Fraud Systems are tracked such that if it exceeds that frequency or limit, it is flagged. We are currently building rules now in collaboration with the banks, such that when the system receives transactions that are outside the agreed parameters, this transactions are blocked or flagged and the banks are advised immediately. It is very difficult to say you

want to eliminate fraud, but with all these being implemented, it is our expectation that fraud will be highly mitigated.

What have been your challenges?

Well, as a banker coming into a processor environment, I think the biggest challenge so far is trying to get the industry to understand what we at NIBSS are trying to do. Unfortunately, those who do not understand our business strategy perceive us as being in competition and that the competition is disruptive because it affects the way they were doing businesses before. Even for some banks, we are seen as removing what they would have considered as propriety or niche because we try to create a uniform platform for the industry. We are however driven by the Bankers’ Committee.

If they say roll out this service, our aim is to go-head with rollout as quickly and as efficiently possible.

Misunderstanding has been the biggest challenge by far in the industry. Some of my colleagues who are bankers ask: ‘What exactly is NIBSS doing there?’ And for us, the answer is very simple. We are a shared service platform that is supposed to reduce the cost of providing financial services by banks to the public. So, once we reduce that cost for the banks, they are in a position to pass this, in either pricing or better quality service to their customers.

A lot of noise was made by the shared services on reducing cost in the system, why is it that there is no more emphasis on it?

This is actually ongoing. The Central Bank earlier reviewed bank charges downward and has recently also reduced the Merchants Service Charge (MSC) on PoS transactions from 1.25 per cent (of transaction value, pegged at N2,000) to 0.75 per cent. Every year, there have been reductions in charges that are being implemented in various ways.

As NIBSS, we are constantly reviewing our service charge. Then, there is the other side of improved services. Unlike what obtained two

‘A customer will not be offered a PoS terminal for payment unless you ask and insist on it; this is because when one buys fuel, first; they encourage you to fill up, and the total amount will always be rounded up; secondly, they never have balance to give you back if you need to collect balance from the amount you are required to pay after your tank has been filled. So, who gets the balance? It is the attendant? But with electronic payment, you will be paying the exact amount utilised’

• Shonubi

years ago, if everybody wants to make a payment now, you either use NIBSS Instant Payments (NIP) or NIBSS Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT). A lot of individuals are not aware that this is a significant benefit. There are very few countries that have similar platforms. In the past, it would take you up to a week before the beneficiary receives value, but with these platforms, value is received in seconds or hours depending on which of the platforms used. So, this is efficiency and it is part of the things that we provide for the industry. But people don’t qualify it because they don’t see it exactly that way.

Why is it that merchants hide their PoS and they don’t ask you to use it until you demand for it?

There are cultural issues with anything you are trying to do nationwide, across boundaries, across regions and across communities.

There are always cultural issues.

When we started this journey with PoS three years ago, the major problem was network and a lot of efforts were made - working with the network operators to stabilise the network. The essential problem we are contending with now is more of a cultural issue; let us use the petrol stations for instance. A customer will not be offered a PoS terminal for payment unless you ask and insist on it; this is because when one buys fuel, first; they encourage you to fill up, and the total amount will always be rounded up; secondly, they never have balance to give you back if you need to collect balance from the amount you are required to pay after your tank has been filled. So, who gets the balance? It is the attendant? But with electronic payment, you will be paying the exact amount utilised. When you sum up all these balances in the range of N5 or N10, it becomes significant daily for the attendant. As such, naturally, the attendant will be reluctant about offering a PoS for payment.

How do you hope to change the apathy towards PoS usage?

As part of the activities to enhance this culture change and increase adoption, we are currently working with the CBN and the Commercial Banks to provide the Electronic Payment Incentive Scheme (EPIS) for Sales Personnel, Merchants and Cardholders. The Component of the scheme targeted at the Sales personnel/attendant is called the ‘Tipping Point’. This component is such that whenever payments are made on PoS, the sales personnel/attendant collects points which they can redeem for a certain reward. It makes them understand that even though they do not collect the little balance (change) from their customers, if they encourage eectronic transactions, they would still be able to get some reward. Part of the loyalty scheme is also targeted at encouraging all cardholders that use their cards to make payments so that by insisting on using your card for payments, you get some of your cashback and you can also collect points that you can redeem for a reward. In addition to this benefit, for every electronic based transaction paid for from your account, it is COT free. So, these are some of the initiatives that are going on quietly behind the scene, which we would unveil very shortly.

What is the volume of transactions that pass through your platforms?

Transaction volumes are growing consistently month-on-month; this shows that adoption and confidence level are on the rise. We have actually commenced publishing transaction values and volumes on our website (www.nibss-plc.com.ng) and we would be publishing more for the public to see. The only platform that has not seen significant growth is ‘cheque’ and that is not strange as more people are rapidly migrating to the Electronic Funds

• Shonubi

‘Misunderstanding has been the biggest challenge by far in the industry. Some of my colleagues who are bankers ask: ‘What exactly is NIBSS doing there?’ And for us, the answer is very simple. We are a shared service platform that is supposed to reduce the cost of providing financial services by banks to the public. So, once we reduce that cost for the banks, they are in a position to pass this, in either pricing or better quality service to their customers’ Transfer platforms as well as other e-channels due to the convenience and speed experienced. So, I can tell you we have seen tremendous growth in the past years.

What other innovations is NIBSS initiating in line with electronic payments system in Nigeria?

The answer is whatever innovation the banks want us to implement we would definitely put in place.

Our intention is to make the mobile money platform a lot more efficient and seamless in the country.

In view of this, we are currently working closely with the Mobile Money Operators to make it possible and easier for customers to make payments with their phones when purchases are made just the way you use your cards. That will encourage the usage of your phones to do transactions because we believe that mobile is key, especially for financial inclusion. In addition, we have commenced regular sessions with software developers, encouraging indigenous innovative ideas and application development that can run on these platforms, thereby encouraging them to increase their scope and do more in terms of employment as we firmly believe that technology is one of the new frontiers for economic growth.

As a purely Nigerian company for Local markets, we encourage the local companies to be partakers and be involved in the payment industry.

There seems to be some kind of rivalry between banks and mobile money operators over who should drive financial inclusion. What is your take on this?

I don’t agree with you. I don’t think there is rivalry. Some mobile money operators have some misconceptions about their licences. We have situations where some of them believe they got a Banking Licence.

Yes, it is possible to get a Financial Services Licence but Mobile Money Licenceis not a Banking Licence. In essence, they are a transaction company. Customers have the balance with the bank but we are creating a platform for Mobile phone users to

transact on it through Mobile Money. Due to the initial low cost of securing the licence, some people rushed into it without understanding that it is a retail business and retail businesses have longer gestational period. We have situations where many of them were not adequately capitalised. For that reason, you find entities searching for quick wins - rather than go to the rural areas where this was intended for they commenced doing business in the cities, where they believe there are millions of people, half of who already have basic understanding of the technology and most of who already have smart phones which will translate into quick business for them. Unfortunately for them, these people already have relationships with banks.

So, why did you initiate the mobile money option?

The objective was to encourage the unbanked to come into the financial space, and enjoy the benefits of financial services (such as micro credit, micro loans, online selling and buying/payments, etc) using wallets; not the same customers that the Banks are targeting who already have Bank accounts and who are using their phones and applications already provided by the Banks. That is why it appears there is rivalry between banks and mobile operators.

So, we sincerely hope that with the collaboration in creating Shared Agency Network, it would be easier for instance for me to go to the rural areas, create one Agent Network then all other Mobile Money Operators can connect to that Agent and I would get paid because if other Mobile Money Operators are not allowed to connect to that Agent platform, there will never be enough business for the Agent to begin to see the profit.

Some of these new initiatives are being built to improve the industry; we all basically encourage the Mobile Money Operators to create a niche for themselves, otherwise it most likely will remain a big issue in the industry.

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Taxation

A

LL goods and services are ‘VATable’, except those that are exempted under schedule 1 of the Act. These are: Goods Exempted • All medical and pharmaceutical products • Basic food items • Books and educational materials • Baby products • Fertilizer, locally produced agricultural and veterinary medicine, farming machinery, • and farming transportation equipment • All exports • Plant and machinery imported for use in the Export Processing Zone • Plant, machinery and equipment purchased for utilisation of gas in downstream • petroleum operations.

• Tractors, ploughs,and agricultural equipment and implements purchased for • agricultural purposes

Value Added Tax (VAT) in Nigeria (ii)

• Offences by body corporate.

Explanation of Some Terms in VAT Taxable Goods and Services The Act says the tax shall be charged and payable on the supply of all goods and services (in this Act referred to as “taxable goods and services”) other than those goods and services listed in the First schedule to this Act. Allowable Input Tax The input tax to be allowed as deductions from the output tax shall be limited to the tax on goods purchased or imported directly for resale and good which form the stock-in trade used for direct production of any new product on which the output tax is charged.

This means input tax on:

Services Exempted • Medical services • Services rendered by community banks, People’s Bank and mortgage institutions • Plays and performances conducted by educational institutions as part of learning.

• All export services.

• Any overhead, service and general administration cannot be charged as input tax but expended through the profit and loss account • On capital item and asset too should be capitalized along with the cost of the item and asset.

Distribution of Revenue • 15% Federal Government.

• 50% States Government & FCT, Abuja.

• 35% Local Governments.

Note also: • Exports are zero rated.

• VAT is leviable at the time of supply of goods and services.

Input Tax Tax charged on purchases made

• VAT paid on inputs are creditable against output tax.

Output Tax Tax charged on sales made

• Acting Executive Chairman, FIRS, Samuel Ogungbesan

• Tax returns are to be submitted on monthly basis.

Administration of VAT • The tax shall be administered and managed by the Federal Board of Inland Revenue (in this Act, referred to as “the Board”) Registration • A taxable person shall within six (6) monthsof commencement of this Act or within six (6) months of commencement of business, whichever is earlier register with the Board for the purpose of this Act

Records and Accounts • A registered person under shall keep such records and books of all transactions, operations imports and other activities relating to taxable goods and services as are sufficient to determine the correct amount of tax due under the Act. Offences by law • Furnishing false documents • Evasion of tax • Failure to make attribution

Registration by government ministries, etc as agents of the Board • Every government ministry statutory body and other agency of government shall register as agent of the Board for purpose of collection of tax under this Act. • Every contractor transacting business with a government ministry, statutory body and other agency of federal state or local government shall produce evidence of registration with the Board as a condition for obtaining a contract.

• Failure to notify change of address • Failure to issue tax invoice • Resisting authorised officers • Issuing tax invoice by unauthorized person • Failure to register • Failure to keep proper books and accounts

Registration by non-resident companies • A non-resident company that carries on business in Nigeria shall register for the tax with the Board using the address of the person with whom it has a subsisting contract as its address for purposes of correspondence relating to the tax.

• Failure to collect tax • Failure to submit returns • Aiding and abetting commission of offence

Taxable Person Means a person who independently carries out in any place any economic activity as a producer, wholesale trader, supplier of goods, supplier of services or person exploiting tangible or intangible property for the purpose of obtaining income therefrom by way of trade or business and includes a person and an agency of government acting in that capacity.

Zero rated goods If you sell zero-rated goods or services, they count as taxable supplies, but you don’t add any VAT to your selling price because the VAT rate is 0 per cent.Thus while no VAT is charged on providing goods and services taxable at zero-rate of VAT, you are still able to deduct VAT on costs and expenses you incur in making zero-rated supplies.

Examples are (1) all non-oil exports (2) goods and services purchased by diplomats (3) goods and services purchased for use in humanitarian donor funded projects Exempted Goods/Services If you sell goods or services that are exempt, you don’t charge any VAT and they are not taxable supplies. This means that you won’t normally be able to reclaim any of the VAT on your expenses. Generally, you don’t register for VAT or reclaim the VAT on your purchases if you sell onlyexempt goods or services. In this case you may not be able to reclaim the VAT on all your purchases

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

BUSINESS AFRICA

Africa loses $774m to illegal tobacco trade

B

RITISH American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has spoken of the need for greater understanding of the illegal tobacco trade, the criminals behind it and the need for greater cooperation to fight it.

This call came as part of a new campaign, developed by BATN, to raise awareness of the facts around the illegal tobacco trade to coincide with the WHO’s World No Tobacco Day Legal and External Affairs Director, Nigeria, Freddy Messanvi said the impact of illegal tobacco may

not be felt as immediately and directly as other crimes, but the consequences are very real.

“By some estimates, illegal tobacco costs governments around the world $40-$50 billion each year in unpaid tobacco taxes.

“In West Africa, it is estimated to cost about $774 million to governments across the region. Coming closer to home, in Nigeria this implies that illicit activities attributes to the shortfall in government revenue from tobacco sales by an underestimation of over N216 billion paid in taxes to the Nigerian gov-

ernment which could have been higher. A crucial fact to also note is that sales of illegal tobacco have been reported to fund human trafficking, drug and arms trades as well as terrorist organisations activities globally, “ he said.

Messanvi said British American Tobacco Nigeria has been operating here since 2003, adding that in the 15 years of the company’s operations in Nigeria, it has shown commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the Nigerian government to regularise the tobacco sector, support sustain-

able Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and contribute to socio- economic development in Nigeria.

“Our partnerships with government agencies have yielded a significant reduction in incidence of illicit tobacco products in Nigeria with a reduction from about 80 per cent share of market when we first came in to less than 20 per cent as at 2015, thereby supporting the reclaiming of government revenue lost through illegal tobacco marketing channels.

“Though a significant achievement, we believe there is still work

Agrochemicals: Nigeria accounts for less than one per cent of $61b

W

ITH a 2013 revenue of about $61 billion, Nigeria accounts for less than one percent to the global agrochemical industry, while the whole of Africa’s share is just about four percent.

The chairman, Candel Group, manufacturers of agrochemicals, Charles Anudu, said this at the inauguration of the multi-billion naira manufacturing plant at the Lekki Free Zone.

The project which is only in its first phase, when completed, will deliver a facility with a capacity for 80 million litres of formulated products per annum.

It will enable Candel to deliver solutions most suited to Nigeria’s tropical climate and peculiar farming systems. There is currently no local production of crop protection agrochemicals in Nigeria with over $400 million in foreign exchange expended annually to import them.

The chairman said: “Our facility is positioned both for Candel’s own distribution networks in Nigeria and Ghana and for contract manufacturing for other operators in Nigeria and abroad. We can produce and ship any order to reach any part of Nigeria within one week, and anywhere within the West and Central African sub-regions within two weeks, barring any unforeseen logistics and regulatory problems, hence

empowering our farmers and patrons to meet any demand opportunities promptly. ‘’Crop protection chemicals protect crops from weeds, pests and diseases when on the field, during transportation and in the store and are helping the quest for increased crop yields and better preservation by Nigerian farmers. Our facility is configured to produce products specially targeted at small scale farmers as well as customized formulations with different surfactant levels and packaging for large scale farmers. Specifically, this facility will enable Candel to deliver solutions most suited to West and Central Africa’s tropical climate and peculiar farming systems. “ Also, the Managing Director , Candel Group,.Mr. Emmanuel Kattie, said: “We are determined to restore the quality standard that has since declined in our industry by ensuring that every product that is made in our facility meets the highest international standard for such a product.

Nigerian farmers will get peace of mind when they buy any of the products made in this factory.”

Earlier, while commissioning the plant, outgoing governor of the state, Raji Fashola (SAN), commended the group for the initiative and urged other investors to take advantage of the opportunities in the LFZ.

Aviation: NAHCO, Egypt to improve business ties

T

HE Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (nahco aviance) Plc and Egypt are to improve their business relationship to the mutual benefit of both parties.

The fresh move to grow the relationship was at the heart of the visit of the NAHCO’s chairman, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah to the Egyptian Ambassador in Nigeria, Ashraf Salama in Abuja last week.

During the visit, Yahyah said there was an urgent need to upgrade the business ties between Nigerian investors and those from Egypt, while making reference to the current effort between Nigeria and Kenya.

He said NAHCO is desirous of facilitating a round table for investors from both countries, expressing optimism that such talks may lead to fresh bilateral agreements.

Replying, Egyptian Ambassador,

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

Salama, praised NAHCO for its efforts at reviving business relations between the two countries.

He said such efforts would help them grow their business relationship, adding that currently Egypt Air does a minimum of 16 flights per week to Nigeria.

Ambassador Salama added that he would also want the relationship to consider the agriculture and the health sectors.

Speaking at the meeting, Managing Director of NAHCO Nobert Bielderman said the aviation company is a member of the BritishNigerian Chamber of Commerce and does a lot of exports based on that relationship and would it to be extended to Egypt.

NAHCO provides a comprehensive handling of the ground operations for Egypt Air in Nigeria.

to be done in this area.

“The amount of illegal tobacco is much more significant than is generally realised: an estimated 400600 billion cigarettes, the equivalent of approximately 10 to 12% of world consumption globally and in West Africa about 60 billion cigarettes which is about 10% of the global illicit trade. It is a transnational, multi-faceted issue and one that requires a collaborative approach, from governments and law enforcement agencies with whom we work in partnership to retailers and customers who can arm themselves with the facts, to tackle it.”

•NAMA Managing Director, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam (middle) with the National President of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Dr Rotimi Oladele (right) and NAMA Legal Adviser, Mrs Anastasia Gbem (left) during the visit of the NIPR President to NAMA headquarters in Lagos.

Agro-allied operators tackle Fed Govt over N175b unpaid export grants

K

EY operators in the nation’s agricultural sector have been lamenting over the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) and the Negotiable Duty Credit Certification (NDCC) policies fashioned out by the Jonathan Administration to principally boost the nation’s Rice Value chain.

In a letter to outgone President Goodluck Jonathan, copied to the immediate past Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy/Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the operators under the auspices of Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), regretted that the government reneged on the agreement to implement the EEG policy framework for 2014 as announced by the Finance Ministry. The letter, signed by FACAN’s National President, Dr. Victor Iyama, observed that member-companies and organisations in the agriculture and agro-allied sector form the bulk of the non-oil exporters in the country and contribute over 80 per cent of the nation’s non-oil export earnings.

According to the association, government’s lukewarm attitude towards boosting the non-oil sector has continued to negatively affect sustained economy growth.

By Toba Agboola

Part of the memo stated: “Our members have relied on the EEG and NDCC policies to plan their investments and make their pricing decisions. Now, government has been footdragging on the issue of implementation of these policies. It is rather saddening that while the Federal Government regularly pays fuel subsidy to marketers with interests and exchange rate adjustments, it (FG) is refusing to allow the utilisation of NDCCs which has been signed by the Federal Ministry of Finance and disbursed to the exporters as a “legal tender”. Our members have been patient but have been subjected to continued neglect.

“We gathered that the EEG Policy Review was on the cards throughout the duration of Jonathan administration (2011 – 2015).

“We urge you to kindly ensure that the appropriate details are shared with the Transition Committee so that the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari would be assisted to complete this process soonest”.

FACAN also claims that it has become an increasingly difficult and uncertain process for the exporters to collect their NDCCs.

“Even after the exporter finally gets the NDCCs, the Nigerian Customs Service, has been allowed to act with impunity when they have restricted the use of NDCCs or stopped the use of NDCCs altogether.”

The exporters agreed, in February 2013, under pressure, to pay seven per cent to Customs for utilisation of NDDCs, even though it was outside the EEG policy, in the hope that this would result in smooth usage of NDDCs. That hope has been betrayed. We are also meant to understand that since August 2013, the NDCCs utilisation has been barred largely at the instance of Ministry of Finance. It was a solitary instance of your “magnanimity” where the Ministry of Finance allowed 5% of outstanding NDCCs to be utilised”.

The contentions of FACAN include that: EEG claims be treated with same seriousness as other subsidy payments like fuel, fertiliser, etc, as non-oil exporters should not be subjected to an inferior treatment; The 2 EEG claim files pending for Finance Ministry approval for over a year be approved and released; NEPC should continue processing of EEG claims submitted to them which are pending for processing; the Nigerian Customs Service should allow the utilisation of NDCCs without any further delay.

South African Airways strengthens presence in West Africa

S

OUTH African Airways (SAA) has strengthened its position in West Africa, with the upcoming introduction of a second West African country linking air travel to North America.

The acting chief executive officer of the airline , Nico Bezuidenhout disclosed this at the weekend.

The SAA boss said :”Following months of SAA efforts and preparations and the successful negotiations

between the governments of Ghana and South Africa, we are pleased that we can now fly our customers between Ghana and the United States of America from August 2015 onwards.

“This is a major development and achievement for the airline as part of our long-term turnaround strategy where we have set growth on the African continent as one of our key objectives. With a strong presence in West Africa, in the form of nonstop services

between Accra and Washington D.C. and through our airline partnerships our customers will soon have access to further destinations in West Africa,” “The granting of traffic rights by the Ghana government enables SAA to transport customers between Accra and Washington. As current supply is limited, forcing the majority of customers in Ghana to travel via Europe to reach North America, the SAA’s introduction of non-stop services from

Ghana will considerably reduce travel times,” said Kendy Phohleli, SAA Executive Africa Hub Projects.

Customers will also be able to experience 4-Star Skytrax rated airline service to North America, serving the West African community, a service, which offers world-class quality, product, and service standards, which has enabled SAA to be awarded a 4-Star rating by Skytrax for 13 consecutive years.

Not only has SAA added Ghana as a

second entry point in West Africa, the airline, has - true to its promise of improving inter-connectivity on the continent - entered into a bi-lateral codeshare agreement with Africa World Airlines. This airline partnership will offer SAA customers from Washington and Johannesburg seamless connectivity via Accra to other destinations in Ghana such as Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale as well as to Lagos, Nigeria.

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MONDAY JUNE 1, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Buhari: New dawn, new expectations The curtain was drawn on the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule at the weekend. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the importance of the democratic transition and people’s expectations about the new dawn.

I

T was a colourful ceremony in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The attention of the world was on Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. It was a historic moment for the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which became the ruling party. It was a defining moment for the masses, who had voted for change on March 28. For President Muhammadu Buhari, the inauguration marked the fulfillment of a latent desire to bounce back to power, 31 years after he was ousted in a coup.

The ceremony underscored the strategic importance of Nigeria to the world. The country re-connected with the international community as over 50 statesmen from across the globe witnessed the historic event. United States Secretary of State John Kerry, his British counterpart, Philip Hammono, South African President Jacob Zuma and President Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola congratulated Nigerians for the new dawn and urged the country to maintained its abiding faith in the sub-region, Africa and the world.

Former Nigerian leaders -- Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Chief Ernest Shonekan and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar -- were in a reflective mood. So were outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, Gen. Oladipo Diya and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

It was a day of joy for APC leaders such as Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Mr. Segun Oni, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, his Edo counterpart, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and other compatriots who weathered the storm.

Many Nigerians were glued to television sets at home and relaxation centres. Civil servants who have not received salaries for months, restless graduate youths seeking for jobs, pensioners who have been deprived, artisans who cannot work because of recurrent power outage and ordinary Nigerians who cannot afford three square meals put their hope on the new government. They expressed optimism that their problems will be solved by the new leader without delay.

Buhari was the tallest man at Eagle Square last Saturday, not only in height, but also in responsibility. He was accompanied by his

•President Buhari taking the Oath of Office during the swearing-in ceremony at the Eagles Square , Abuja.

delectable wife, Aisha. Around 10.47, he took the oath of office before Chief Justice Mamund Mohammed, assisted by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Ahmed Gambo Saleh. But, as former President Goodluck Jonathan presented to him the symbolic flag of authority, the burden of leadership was transferred to the General. On that note, he took custodian of the assets and liabilities of a country that has been submerged by years of misrule and leadership failure.

Few minutes before the presidential oath was administered, Buhari’s deputy, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), accompanied by his wife, Dolapo, the granddaughter of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, took the oath of allegiance and the oath of office.

The audience hailed the President and the Vice President as a blend of old age and youthful vigour, united by similarity of ideas, vision and strength of character, a sense of incorruptibility and collective hope for a glorious dawn, positive change and progress.

Observers contend that the cordial relations of Shagari and Ekwueme Presidency may be re-enacted, in contrast with the cold war between Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar. Since there is much work to be done, the Vice President cannot be idle, despite certain constitutional impediments.

Buhari was not new to the festivities -- a 21-gun salute, cheers, banters and diplomatic courtesies. He had savoured them as a military governor, minister, military commander and Head of State three decades ago when Nigeria was still relatively easier to govern.

The task before him is huge. Thus, the ex-sol-

dier, administrator and statesman was not carried away. The new President knew that, henceforth, governance cannot be a tea party, if he is to make a difference from the sordid past. But, unlike his tough speech of 1984, when he took power forcefully, Buhari, the new symbol of democracy, laid out some of his plans to Nigerians, in utter sensitivity to the democratic mood. He was less combative and more reconciliatory.

Yet, he spoke as a man of valour. To demonstrate that he will be in charge and wade off manipulations of the political elite, the President declared: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.” The statement was cheered by a section of the audience. Others were confused. But, when he gave soldiers the marching order to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to wage a more effective war on Boko Haram insurgency, the venue erupted in jubilation.

Buhari condemned the sect’s activities, emphasising that they have no bearing with religion. However, he quickly recognised the futility of fighting insurgents without probing their motivation for undermining the national sovereignty. To unravel the circumstances surrounding the persistent rebellion, he promised to commence a sociological study of the objective of the dreadful set, their grievances and their demands. He thanked Chad, Niger and Cameroun for lending support to the fight against terror. To the joy of anxious Chibok parents, the President said he will rescue the abducted girls.

The inaugural speech also focused on public expectations. The new government, he

The new President knew that, henceforth, governance ‘ cannot be a tea party, if he is to make a difference from the sordid past. But, unlike his tough speech of 1984, when he took power forcefully, Buhari, the new symbol of democracy, laid out some of his plans to Nigerians, in utter sensitivity to the democratic mood. He was less combative and more reconciliatory

’

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN.

said, will not tolerate corruption, adding that he will preside over a regime of accountability. Buhari lamented that the billions of naira expended on the power sector since 1999 went down the drain. He promised a new lease of life for the sector.

Buhari said he will uphold the doctrine of separation of powers. The executive will not encroach on the duties of the legislature and the judiciary, he said. This posture underscores, in part, his refusal to intervene in the hot contest for the Senate President between to party members-Senators Bukola Saraki and Ahmad Lawan. However, he pointed out that the judiciary needed reforms to clean itself of its past.

Buhari was silent on the strategies for achieving these policies. In the weeks ahead, the direction of his government will be clearer when he begins to make the appointments.

Two challenges will face his young government. The APC is a young ruling party and many have pointed out that the resolution of the battle for the Senate has implications for unity and cohesion. The weakness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presage the downfall of the PDP government. Also, the struggle for ministerial slots must be carefully managed.

The APC National Chairman, OdigieOyegun, said the President and other party leaders are conscious of these challenges. He hinted that the next cabinet will be a mixed grill; a blend of competent politicians and technocrats. “We have a group of diligent, committed Nigerians to drive the new vision. The APC has goals and manifestos. We are ready for business. We will begin to see changes and the changes will build up,” he added.

He assured that the President will not let the country down. Describing him as a tested and trusted statesman, he said he endured many obstacles before obtaining the crown.

“Three times the people turned him down.

But, the entire nation turned to him because they rediscovered his exemplary character.

He will return the nation to respectability,” he stressed.

Buhari’s mate in secondary school, Alhaji •Continued on page 46

46

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 1, 2015

POLITICS

‘

I hope in the process of governance, there will be an improvement. Nigerians expect good governance, improvement in power, education.

But, don’t forget, there is no money

’

Hon. Gibson Akporehe is the House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Constituency, Delta State. In this interview with Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, he clears the air on the allegation of forged death certificate leveled against him and other APC chieftains by an opponent who lost at the primary election, Christopher Anirah.

‘My opponent was used to discredit Delta APC’

W

HY did the All Progressives Congress (APC) fail to win the Okpe/ Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in the last election?

I am Hon. Gibson Akporehe from Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State; the candidate for the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the just concluded election. I contested that election with three other candidates from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The result of the election was officially in favour of the PDP candidate, in spite of the anomalies that marred the election. We are contesting it in the court and we are very hopeful that justice will be dispensed in this matter.

One of your opponents, Christopher Anirah, alleged that you forged his death certificate to procure the APC ticket. What actually happened?

First, I would like to say that I as a person I did not forge the death certificate of Anirah; neither did the party leadership forge the said document.

The said Anirah manufactured those documents to fend off prosecution which I threatened to initiate against him and his collaborators fingered in the forgery of “my withdrawal letter” from the election to pave way for his candidacy. I will take you back to the genesis of this controversy. On the December 18, 2014, my name was forwarded by the leadership of the APC to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as their candidate for the Okpe/Sapele/ Uvwie Federal Constituency. Shortly afterwards, my name was published on INEC website and it remained on the website and notice boards till January 14, 2015 when it was withdrawn. How was my name withdrawn from the website?

Anirah set in motion wrongfully or illegally the machinery to delete my name from the list of candidates running for the election. I believed he did it with the connivance of some unscrupulous party officials who manufactured a letter of withdrawal which was ascribed to me and in that said letter my signature was simulated, tending to establish that I withdrew from the race; that document with other documents that were also ascribed to the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun forwarding his

(Anirah’s) name were presented to INEC. Meanwhile, in the letter that was ascribed to the National Chairman, his signature was also forged and so it was these forged documents that INEC was acting on when information reached me on January 9. I immediately flew into Abuja with my lawyer to lodge a complaint against the substitution process in its inchoate state and dissociate myself from that letter ascribed to me. Beside the letter my lawyer wrote, I also wrote telling INEC I never withdrew from the race and made it very clear that I was still the candidate.

We also pointed out some irregularities in the documents which Anirah forwarded to INEC seeking to replace me. In spite of those manifest deficiencies in the entire documents and my protest, INEC still went ahead to remove my name from the website on January 14, 2015. I left INEC for the national headquarters of my party to lay my complaint. I wrote series of letters to INEC, demanding reinstatement of my name and further posited that if my name was not re-instated, I was going to institute an action against them and one national commissioner of INEC, Irene Irhemire from Delta State. She was the person being used to perpetrate all this against me. So, on January 14, 2015, my name was wrongfully withdrawn from the race. I fought and eventually my name was re-instated on March 27, a day to the election. This belated reinstatement of my name exposed me to grave disadvantages in the election.

Anirah alleged that you conspired with your party leadership to forge the death certificate…

After my name was removed from INEC list, I came back home and then met the local leadership of the party. I drew their attention to my wrongful substitution and threatened I was going to lodge a criminal complaint against them and prosecute them as well in a civil suit.

So, in response to my reaction, Anirah was then invited. On arrival, he was presented with what I had tabled before the party leadership. I made it very clear that I was not going to accept any solution that is less than my reinstatement as the party’s candidate for the election.

They said I should give them some time; so we retired from the meeting. But, after a while they invited me and at the meeting, they intimated me that Anirah had agreed to produce docu-

•Akporehe

ments that will enable my name to be re-instated as the candidate. I told them if that was done, then I would not prosecute anybody, so I left for Warri. Two days after, they called me to say that Anirah was with the Deputy State Chairman and my attention was needed. Of course, I drove straight to Sapele and subsequently the three of us met. At the meeting, Anirah brought out documents from a folder which he handed over to the Deputy State Chairman. I perused through it and observed that it was a death certificate/an affidavit that were written in the name of Anirah. He handed over the documents to the State Deputy Chairman and asked him to take it to Abuja in order to reinstate my name on INEC website as the candidate of the party. That was how my name resurfaced on INEC list.

But, shortly after that, Anirah started contesting my reinstatement, in response to the pressure from his immediate supporters. He went to Odigie-Oyegun to complain that his death certificate was forged.

But, the allegation was that the APC Chairman was privy to the forgery?

For me that is the most irresponsible and in-

sensitive statement to make about the person of Chief Odigie-Oyegun. The only role he played in the matter was the administrative processing of the correspondence that came to him from the state. How do you expect an experienced administrator like Chief Odigie-Oyegun to act on the claim of an individual that he was not dead where there are documents showing that the person bearing the name was dead; the only thing that would have persuaded the Chairman to accede to such request that the certificate was forged was a court order nullifying those set of documents that declared the person bearing that name dead; the man knew that option but he did not follow that route because he was not sincere. He did what he did to satisfy those sponsoring him; if he actually wanted Chief OdigieOyegun to revert what he had already agreed on to do, he would have done what was necessary in law to persuade the Chairman to forward his name to INEC in replacement of my name.

But, he did not go to court to nullify those documents. So, how could Odigie-Oyegun have disregarded those documents? The man is too experience to be deceived into illegal trap.

How well do you know Mr. Anirah?

The only encounter I had with him after the primary was when I came from Abuja to ask the party leaders in Sapele to produce him; that was when I actually met him face-to-face, beside the brief encounter during the primaries.

He has not been in politics; he must be a new entrant into the political game.

Was he at any point coerced by you or the party leadership to fake his death?

There was no coercion, except that I was very vehement. I made it clear that no intervention of any personality will change my mind; that the only thing that will change the course of action is when my name is reinstated. When they saw the vehemence, the other people did not have any other option than to prevail on him to do it and he had to do it because he did not want to be prosecuted or subject himself to unnecessary litigations.

Why is he reneging?

The truth is that Anirah was used to discredit the party. From the onset, he did not come with a sincere motive; he only came acting the script of his PDP sponsors.

Buhari: New dawn, new expectations •Continued from page 45 Ibrahim Commasie, former Inspector-General of Police, urged Nigerians to support the President. But, he also advised the President to fufill his promises to Nigerians. He also urged the people to defend democratic consolidation. “It is a very inspiring moment; a moment of happiness. We are having a change of government, from civilian to civilian. The opposition party defeated the ruling party and the President conceded defeat. Nigeria should support Buhari. He will curb corruption. Buhari should also keep his words,” Commasie added.

In Senator Barnabas Gemade’s view, Nigeria is lucky to have the duo of Buhari and Osinbajo at the helm of affairs. Lauding the power shift, he said it is a worthwhile experience for him to be part of the old and new governments. The chieftain said, although expectations are high, the challenges are surmountable. “Buhari is a man of integrity; very honest and dedicated. He does not have tolerance for corruption. Buhari and Osinbajo are a perfect combination. They will work for a better Nigeria,” he said.

A politician, Chief Victor Okorie, said gone were the days of business as usual. But, he cautioned that Ni-

gerians should not perceive the President as a magician who will solve all their problems in a day. “But, he will be a model because he operates in a high moral pedestal,” he said.

Another politician, Chief Don Etiebet, former Minister of Petroleum, said “this type of transition is unprecedented. The greatest problem that will face Buhari, he said, is security. But, he noted that the challenge is not peculiar to Nigeria, stressing that it a challenge confronting humanity as a whole.

Etiebet said that Buharo will however, succeed because he is a disciplinarian. “He will bring discipline to bear on governance. He will uphold the rule of law. He will not allow impunity,” he added.

To Amaechi, the new dawn is worth celebrating because it is a transition from one party to another. He said the only way to justify the power shift is for the new administration to make a difference, despite the dwindling resources. “I hope in the process of governance, there will be an improvement. Nigerians expect good governance, improvement in power, education.

But, don’t forget, there is no money,” he stressed.

The APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who attributed the orderly and constitutional

•VicePresident Prof.

Osinbaji (SAN) taking the Oath of Office during the swearingin ceremony at the Eagles Square , Abuja.

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN.

change of government to divine intervention, noted that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. He urged leaders to make sacrifices in the national interest, stressing that there is much work to be done.

“Nigerians have recovered their rights to choose a rightful leader.

The people out there, the masses, will determine whether we will have a second term. Money politics will fade out. The expectation is high. We will deliver our electoral promises. It will be very tough. But, we will make sacrifices. We will continue to engage Nigerians as we engaged them during the elections,” Mohammed added.

Human right activist, Clement Nwankwo, who set an agenda for the government, said Buhari will need competent aides, ministers and advisers to drive his vision. In his view, national economic survival must be a priority. “There are other problems. States cannot pay salaries,” he pointed out. Lauding the President’s speech, which he said was sharp, he however, observed that it was not detailed.

The right activist said appointments into the cabinet should be carefully made, adding that it must be based on competence. “The team (cabinet) should be able to rebuild the economy that has been collaps-

ing in the last seven years,” Nwankwo said.

Former United States ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Robin Sanders, urged the President to seek foreign assistance to deal with some urgent matters. Noting that Nigeria is important to the world, he said people across the globe are interested in the country. Buhari, she said, can make a headway in the fight against terror, if he seeks foreign assistance to tackle Boko Haram.

Also, Hammono, said Britain can assist Nigeria in the training of armed personnel to fight the sect. He said Britain has investment interest in Nigeria cutting across critical sectors.

46

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 1, 2015

POLITICS

‘

I hope in the process of governance, there will be an improvement. Nigerians expect good governance, improvement in power, education.

But, don’t forget, there is no money

’

Hon. Gibson Akporehe is the House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Constituency, Delta State. In this interview with Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, he clears the air on the allegation of forged death certificate leveled against him and other APC chieftains by an opponent who lost at the primary election, Christopher Anirah.

‘My opponent was used to discredit Delta APC’

W

HY did the All Progressives Congress (APC) fail to win the Okpe/ Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in the last election?

I am Hon. Gibson Akporehe from Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State; the candidate for the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the just concluded election. I contested that election with three other candidates from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The result of the election was officially in favour of the PDP candidate, in spite of the anomalies that marred the election. We are contesting it in the court and we are very hopeful that justice will be dispensed in this matter.

One of your opponents, Christopher Anirah, alleged that you forged his death certificate to procure the APC ticket. What actually happened?

First, I would like to say that I as a person I did not forge the death certificate of Anirah; neither did the party leadership forge the said document.

The said Anirah manufactured those documents to fend off prosecution which I threatened to initiate against him and his collaborators fingered in the forgery of “my withdrawal letter” from the election to pave way for his candidacy. I will take you back to the genesis of this controversy. On the December 18, 2014, my name was forwarded by the leadership of the APC to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as their candidate for the Okpe/Sapele/ Uvwie Federal Constituency. Shortly afterwards, my name was published on INEC website and it remained on the website and notice boards till January 14, 2015 when it was withdrawn. How was my name withdrawn from the website?

Anirah set in motion wrongfully or illegally the machinery to delete my name from the list of candidates running for the election. I believed he did it with the connivance of some unscrupulous party officials who manufactured a letter of withdrawal which was ascribed to me and in that said letter my signature was simulated, tending to establish that I withdrew from the race; that document with other documents that were also ascribed to the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun forwarding his

(Anirah’s) name were presented to INEC. Meanwhile, in the letter that was ascribed to the National Chairman, his signature was also forged and so it was these forged documents that INEC was acting on when information reached me on January 9. I immediately flew into Abuja with my lawyer to lodge a complaint against the substitution process in its inchoate state and dissociate myself from that letter ascribed to me. Beside the letter my lawyer wrote, I also wrote telling INEC I never withdrew from the race and made it very clear that I was still the candidate.

We also pointed out some irregularities in the documents which Anirah forwarded to INEC seeking to replace me. In spite of those manifest deficiencies in the entire documents and my protest, INEC still went ahead to remove my name from the website on January 14, 2015. I left INEC for the national headquarters of my party to lay my complaint. I wrote series of letters to INEC, demanding reinstatement of my name and further posited that if my name was not re-instated, I was going to institute an action against them and one national commissioner of INEC, Irene Irhemire from Delta State. She was the person being used to perpetrate all this against me. So, on January 14, 2015, my name was wrongfully withdrawn from the race. I fought and eventually my name was re-instated on March 27, a day to the election. This belated reinstatement of my name exposed me to grave disadvantages in the election.

Anirah alleged that you conspired with your party leadership to forge the death certificate…

After my name was removed from INEC list, I came back home and then met the local leadership of the party. I drew their attention to my wrongful substitution and threatened I was going to lodge a criminal complaint against them and prosecute them as well in a civil suit.

So, in response to my reaction, Anirah was then invited. On arrival, he was presented with what I had tabled before the party leadership. I made it very clear that I was not going to accept any solution that is less than my reinstatement as the party’s candidate for the election.

They said I should give them some time; so we retired from the meeting. But, after a while they invited me and at the meeting, they intimated me that Anirah had agreed to produce docu-

•Akporehe

ments that will enable my name to be re-instated as the candidate. I told them if that was done, then I would not prosecute anybody, so I left for Warri. Two days after, they called me to say that Anirah was with the Deputy State Chairman and my attention was needed. Of course, I drove straight to Sapele and subsequently the three of us met. At the meeting, Anirah brought out documents from a folder which he handed over to the Deputy State Chairman. I perused through it and observed that it was a death certificate/an affidavit that were written in the name of Anirah. He handed over the documents to the State Deputy Chairman and asked him to take it to Abuja in order to reinstate my name on INEC website as the candidate of the party. That was how my name resurfaced on INEC list.

But, shortly after that, Anirah started contesting my reinstatement, in response to the pressure from his immediate supporters. He went to Odigie-Oyegun to complain that his death certificate was forged.

But, the allegation was that the APC Chairman was privy to the forgery?

For me that is the most irresponsible and in-

sensitive statement to make about the person of Chief Odigie-Oyegun. The only role he played in the matter was the administrative processing of the correspondence that came to him from the state. How do you expect an experienced administrator like Chief Odigie-Oyegun to act on the claim of an individual that he was not dead where there are documents showing that the person bearing the name was dead; the only thing that would have persuaded the Chairman to accede to such request that the certificate was forged was a court order nullifying those set of documents that declared the person bearing that name dead; the man knew that option but he did not follow that route because he was not sincere. He did what he did to satisfy those sponsoring him; if he actually wanted Chief OdigieOyegun to revert what he had already agreed on to do, he would have done what was necessary in law to persuade the Chairman to forward his name to INEC in replacement of my name.

But, he did not go to court to nullify those documents. So, how could Odigie-Oyegun have disregarded those documents? The man is too experience to be deceived into illegal trap.

How well do you know Mr. Anirah?

The only encounter I had with him after the primary was when I came from Abuja to ask the party leaders in Sapele to produce him; that was when I actually met him face-to-face, beside the brief encounter during the primaries.

He has not been in politics; he must be a new entrant into the political game.

Was he at any point coerced by you or the party leadership to fake his death?

There was no coercion, except that I was very vehement. I made it clear that no intervention of any personality will change my mind; that the only thing that will change the course of action is when my name is reinstated. When they saw the vehemence, the other people did not have any other option than to prevail on him to do it and he had to do it because he did not want to be prosecuted or subject himself to unnecessary litigations.

Why is he reneging?

The truth is that Anirah was used to discredit the party. From the onset, he did not come with a sincere motive; he only came acting the script of his PDP sponsors.

Buhari: New dawn, new expectations •Continued from page 45 Ibrahim Commasie, former Inspector-General of Police, urged Nigerians to support the President. But, he also advised the President to fufill his promises to Nigerians. He also urged the people to defend democratic consolidation. “It is a very inspiring moment; a moment of happiness. We are having a change of government, from civilian to civilian. The opposition party defeated the ruling party and the President conceded defeat. Nigeria should support Buhari. He will curb corruption. Buhari should also keep his words,” Commasie added.

In Senator Barnabas Gemade’s view, Nigeria is lucky to have the duo of Buhari and Osinbajo at the helm of affairs. Lauding the power shift, he said it is a worthwhile experience for him to be part of the old and new governments. The chieftain said, although expectations are high, the challenges are surmountable. “Buhari is a man of integrity; very honest and dedicated. He does not have tolerance for corruption. Buhari and Osinbajo are a perfect combination. They will work for a better Nigeria,” he said.

A politician, Chief Victor Okorie, said gone were the days of business as usual. But, he cautioned that Ni-

gerians should not perceive the President as a magician who will solve all their problems in a day. “But, he will be a model because he operates in a high moral pedestal,” he said.

Another politician, Chief Don Etiebet, former Minister of Petroleum, said “this type of transition is unprecedented. The greatest problem that will face Buhari, he said, is security. But, he noted that the challenge is not peculiar to Nigeria, stressing that it a challenge confronting humanity as a whole.

Etiebet said that Buharo will however, succeed because he is a disciplinarian. “He will bring discipline to bear on governance. He will uphold the rule of law. He will not allow impunity,” he added.

To Amaechi, the new dawn is worth celebrating because it is a transition from one party to another. He said the only way to justify the power shift is for the new administration to make a difference, despite the dwindling resources. “I hope in the process of governance, there will be an improvement. Nigerians expect good governance, improvement in power, education.

But, don’t forget, there is no money,” he stressed.

The APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who attributed the orderly and constitutional

•VicePresident Prof.

Osinbaji (SAN) taking the Oath of Office during the swearingin ceremony at the Eagles Square , Abuja.

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN.

change of government to divine intervention, noted that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. He urged leaders to make sacrifices in the national interest, stressing that there is much work to be done.

“Nigerians have recovered their rights to choose a rightful leader.

The people out there, the masses, will determine whether we will have a second term. Money politics will fade out. The expectation is high. We will deliver our electoral promises. It will be very tough. But, we will make sacrifices. We will continue to engage Nigerians as we engaged them during the elections,” Mohammed added.

Human right activist, Clement Nwankwo, who set an agenda for the government, said Buhari will need competent aides, ministers and advisers to drive his vision. In his view, national economic survival must be a priority. “There are other problems. States cannot pay salaries,” he pointed out. Lauding the President’s speech, which he said was sharp, he however, observed that it was not detailed.

The right activist said appointments into the cabinet should be carefully made, adding that it must be based on competence. “The team (cabinet) should be able to rebuild the economy that has been collaps-

ing in the last seven years,” Nwankwo said.

Former United States ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Renis Sanders, urged the President to seek foreign assistance to deal with some urgent matters. Noting that Nigeria is important to the world, he said people across the globe are interested in the country. Buhari, she said, can make a headway in the fight against terror, if he seeks foreign assistance to tackle Boko Haram.

Also, Hammond, said Britain can assist Nigeria in the training of armed personnel to fight the sect. He said Britain has investment interest in Nigeria cutting across critical sectors.

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 1, 2015

47

POLITICS

‘

There is no reason for only one person to be Chairman of Education, Science and Technology, it is unacceptable. It is just a way to debar the new members from learning so, that will surely change

’

Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni was a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003. The former Lagos State All Progressive Congress (APC) Secretary was re-elected as a legislator in the recent election.

He spoke with reporters on why he wants to become the Speaker. EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

‘I have what it takes to be Lagos Speaker’

W

HAT are the qualities you expect from the next Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly?

The qualities that we expect in someone that will become the next Speaker are: the person must be cool-headed, emotionally stable; somebody who can administer that arm of government for the benefit of the members and the people of Lagos State. Somebody who is versatile; somebody who has been a legislator; somebody who has been administrator and he must be somebody who has been in the scene for quite number of years. All of these qualities I think I possess.

What is the position of your party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the zoning of elective offices in Lagos State?

Well, what I know is that at the beginning when we wanted to start this journey, the party leadership called a stakeholders’ meeting, which was held at the party Secretariat on Acme Road, and they said that the three major offices will be zoned to the three Senatorial Districts.

They said they have zoned the governorship to Lagos East, precisely Epe. Thereafter, people jostle for it from Epe, only person came from Lagos Central and that was Supo Sasore. However, it went to Epe, which is under Lagos East.

Thereafter, the deputy governorship slot was given to the people Lagos West. So, it therefore goes without saying that the last one should go to Lagos Central.

What would you say qualifies to be the next Speaker of the Lagos Assembly?

Number one is that I am a Lagosian; I am from the Eshinlokun Royal Family of Lagos and when you are an Eshinlokun, you have siblings, cousins in some parts of Lagos like Epe. When you see the Olu of Epe, you will see that his title is also Eshinlokun. We also have siblings in Eti-Osa, Sangotedo to Ado. There are also siblings in Ikorodu, especially Ebute Iga. Ebute Iga belongs to the Eshinlokun.

Also in the West, there are Eshinlokuns. For me, apart from being an Eshinlokun, I also have houses in Ajah; I have in Ebute Iga, Ikorodu. If I had wanted to be greedy, I could have gone to the East and say I want to contest from there.

Can we have an insight into your cognate experience?

My cognate experience is that I am educationally qualified; and as you know, the qualification to get into the House of Assembly is just secondary school leaving certificate. But for me, I have distinction in primary school, I have Grade 1 in secondary school certificate, and I had the best result in my department when I went to the Ogun State University where I studied Agricultural-Economics. I also had 3.69 when I did my Masters in International Law and Diplomacy at the University of Lagos. Ordinarily, 3.5 is second class upper but I had 3.69. I have also gone for many courses; I’ve been trained by the British Council on legislative experience; I’ve been trained

by USAID: I’ve been sponsored by the US government to understudy the legislature in the United States of America. I’ve been sponsored to the US Congress, I went to like five states in the US. I have also been sponsored to the Lagos Business School by the Lagos State Government. I have also gone to Havard Law School and I have a certificate in Negotiation and Leadership. Aside from all these educational qualifications, I’ve been in the House from 1999 to 2003 as a member where I had a legislation that is still operating in Nigeria till today. Without gain saying, I can say I am the major sponsor of the Constituency Bill. You can ask Senator Mamora. It is this my Bill that I sponsored that was taken by Senator Okadigbo from Senator Mamora that they took to the National Assembly and that was what they used for the Constituency Law they are operating today. Many states in Nigeria copied that law and the law was reviewed by New York Times.

Secondly, the Self Accounting Bill was done by the First Assembly of Lagos and I was part

of the major sponsor of that bill and the current Assembly is enjoying that law now. Aside from being in the House as a legislator, I served as the Senior Special Assistant to former Governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Political and Legislative Matters and that was between 2003 and 2007. I liaised with the members of the House and the executive arm, especially the Governor. And that is part of the jobs of the Speaker, to liaise between the members and the executive arm of government and this was the job I did till 2007. The Speaker needs to be versatile, he also need administrative experience. I’ve been the Secretary to the Lagos State Micro Finance Board. When I left there, I became the chairman of Lagos Island Local Government where I had six years cognate experience under my belt. I got awards for the best chairman three times out of the six years I spent. And what we are saying is that being a Speaker doesn’t mean you need to have been there for 12 years. Don’t forget that I was the state Secretary of the APC before I contested to return to the House. That is an invaluable experience and that is a leverage the Speaker would have. One of the major stakeholders the House would deal with is the Local Government and I have been there before. I have seen it all. I know what we can do to generate development; I know how we can talk to these people. As a member of the House then, I was not a docile member; I was one of the active members.

What exactly led to your ouster from the House in 2003 and how true is the rumour that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has anointed you as the next Speaker?

I’ve always been an activist to the extent that some people tagged me a radical. But overtime, my radicalism has been tampered and I’m now more rational in my thinking. The fact of the matter is that whoever said that... I can tell you that most of them were sponsored by the leadership of the party. Without the leadership of the party, none of the members or most of them will not be in that House. And I’ve told people, he who must come to equity must come with clean hands. In 2003 when we were in our fourth year in the House, the leadership of the party then went to Epe and they raised the hands of Jokotola Pelumi, this is somebody who has never been to the House and they said this is the next Speaker of Lagos State. Those of us in the House and those that were returning then never raised an eyebrow and eventually, Pelumi became the Speaker. He became the Speaker without any legislative experience and those of my colleague who had been there for four years couldn’t become Speaker because it was zoned.

Pelumi’s hands were raised by the leadership of the party and nobody questioned the decision. Two years after, when Pelumi was removed, the other man from Epe, Rt. Hon Ikuforiji, who had only just two years experience, was pushed forward as the Speaker.

Meanwhile, there were others with six years of experience and no one raised an eyebrow. So how could you now say somebody is raising someone’s hands when you have also benefited? Most of them crying foul now, their elec-

•Eshinlokun

In the House, you rep‘resent; you make laws; you build consensus; the Speaker tries to leverage on his profile with the party and party leaders. You must also have administrative experience

’

tions were sanction by the leadership of the party. If indeed it is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that is sponsoring me, I will be highly honoured that I have been identified as someone who can deliver because Asiwaju doesn’t identify with failure. Whatever Asiwaju identifies with is always successful. Go and check it out, Fashola, Aregbesola, Ajimobi, Amosun, they are all successful. So, if indeed he has raised my hands, then, I should be highly honoured and I am grateful to him. But, what I can say is that I know that the Speaker is first among equal and I know that their welfare should be paramount in my mind and what I can say is that I assure them qualitative and effective leadership and representation. And in all my endeavours as a council chairman, as honourable member, as the party secretary, I’ve always been successful. How I left the House in 2003, you know that at the end of every tenure, the leadership of the party will identify those that will go back, I was number four in the list of those that should go back but there was a political crisis in Lagos Island then, and it led to the ouster of the then Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government (Ajose). So the then Secretary to the state government, Aro Lambo and some leaders said I did not support them during the impeachment of Ajose, so they didn’t allow me to return to the House.

Some of the ranking members are of the opinion that you won’t be able to meet up to the standard Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

How do you react to this?

It is self-serving, fallacious and a lie of the century. The legislative procedure has not changed for 100 years. If you want to make a law, it goes through the first and second reading, after which it will go for public hearing and report presentation follows, then to the third reading, after which it will be passed and clean copy sent to the governor for assent. Has that changed? It has not changed; it has been like that for 100 years. Also, the standing order of the House has not changed, it has always been the one adopted since. The only they can say has changed is the physical development and not the procedural thing.

Secondly, the job of the Speaker is not all about legislation, it is just 40 per cent of legislative duty; he does more of administrative duty. In the House, you represent; you make laws; you build consensus; the Speaker tries to leverage on his profile with the party and party leaders.

You must also have administrative experience.

None of them has administrative experience, which I had for eight years as the SSA and also for six years at the local government. So, nothing has changed in the House except the physical development which Ikuforiji has done and which I must applaud him for. He has done well in terms of infrastructure and architecture.

What they have not done and that we must change is consolidating committees. They cannot continue to consolidate committees and make them just 15 and for only few members to benefit while other members will have nothing to do. Every ministry will have its own committee and chairman. There is no reason for only one person to be Chairman of Education, Science and Technology, it is unacceptable. It is just a way to debar the new members from learning so, that will surely change. What will also change is that every bill whether private member bill or government sponsored, there must cost benefit analysis. They must tell us how much it will cost and they must provide where the money is going to come from and it must be provided for in the budget of the state.

What efforts are you making to sell your candidacy to members-elect especially, the new ones?

Well, I’ve been talking to them and the response has been massive.

There are other members from your senatorial district, what edge do you have over them?

The edge I have over them is that I am a party man. I’ve been a party man since 1990 and I started from the grassroots. I’ve also been the party secretary and I put it to them that if there is anyone of them that has achieved that, such person should put the profile forward. You can’t be the Speaker without being a party man and even at the House, I’ve been there before anyone of them and that is seniority.

Do you have a plan B? Let me say that the Speakership is an icing on the cake. The cake we already have and the icing is what we are aspiring to get. But whichever way, we will abide by the decision of the party and the leadership.

There is also this allegation from some of the members that you are an arrogant person and that should not be part of qualities of a good Speaker.

That is most untrue. I’ve interacted with many of them; especially the old members and I have never shown them any act of arrogance. They know those amongst them that are arrogant.

Those who cannot mix with the staff; who cannot meet with even their fellow members. I am not like that, I am very humble person.

Arewa youths back Saraki for Senate Presidency

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ORTHERN youths under the aegis of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) have thrown their weight behind Senator Bukola Saraki’s bid for the Senate President.

Its President, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, said: “Saraki’s leadership traits make him eminently qualified to lead the Upper Legislative Chamber and deliver democratic good to the Nigerian citizens”.

He added: “We admitted that in both the Senate and House of Representatives, we have vibrant and amiable personalities bubbling

with energy to embark on duty to turn around Nigeria for the better.

In this vein, I would want to digress and go personal to call on personalities such as Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, to avail himself to provide leadership in the Senate. This call has become imperative when we look at track records and capacity to deliver which leaves no one in doubt about his capability and competence.”

According to Yerima, the incoming administration must hire capable hands to help translate the resolve of and determination of the

humble General, Muhammadu Buhari to bring about the much desired and anticipated change in all ramifications.

He added: “We wish to call on committed patriots and genuine lovers of our nation to present themselves for leadership positions in both the Senate and House of Representatives. As we all know, the legislature plays a vital and significant role in a democracy, it is indeed a citadel. That is why we must do everything possible to ensure that we have not only capable hands but those that can deliver.”

While noting that Nigerians were full of desire for the government to deliver the much anticipated change in a short time possible, Yerima said, “what is on ground clearly shows that Nigerians must give time, exercise some patience or even moderate the high expectations because we are sure people are aware of the level of decay and rot in the system.”

This, Yerima said, “it may require utmost circumspection and careful approach to issues which will obviously require time, patience and understanding.”

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SHOWBIZ

Charly Boy swarms Facebook with Afrocentric photos

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USICIAN, actor, producer, and Area Fada, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, seems to be ever evolving. Last Tuesday, he posted creative Afrocentric pictures of himself, and his wife on Facebook, leading to a lot of comments on the social media website.

While some people praised the pictures for creativity, others slammed it for being eccentric, and unbefitting of his age, and status. Charly Boy will be 64 on June 19.

The six picture collages saw the couple in semi-nude postures in various settings. In a collage titled ‘The first temptation of Eden’, Lady Di is seen with an apple, while Charly Boy presents, as Adam, in a replication of the

By Joe Agbro Jr.

biblical story of the Eden garden. Another collage has the couple on a hay stack, also clutching a baby. In a third collage, they are clothed in Egyptian style, with make-up to match. In some other shots, Charly boy also strikes a pose as a Roman fighter, complete with a sword.

Alongside the pictures, Oputa also posted a poem written by his daughter, Miss Dewy Oputa, eulogising her family’s romantic affiliations.

‘For over 37 years, they have been mirrors to each other,’ Dewy Oputa wrote.

‘Looking at the following pictures one can understand the soulfulness of this union.

May the love that they ex-

ude expand our perception of what a soul mate really is.

I have witnessed my grandparents holding hands till my grandfather (Justice Oputa) passed on.

I have watched my parents Charles/Diane carry on as two inseparable buddies, bound together by an unusual friendship, not hinged on attraction or sexuality.

I pray that I too will eventually find a soulmate who will be my best friend.’

Charly Boy, a grandfather, achieved national fame as President of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), and producer cum presenter of ‘Zoom Time’, a celebrity lifestyle magazine television program which ran on national television in the late 90s, and early 2000s.

WWGA will bring people back to church, says Gbenga Adenuga

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HE third edition of Worship With Gbenga Adenuga (WWGA), which held recently at the AGIP Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, witnessed music lovers from all walks of life coming together under one roof to partake in a what the organisers call ‘an harvest of praise songs’.

The three-hour concert, with different renditions

By Dupe AyinlaOlasunkanmi

from the host, Gbenga Adenuga, and his colleagues, is, according to the convener, a way of expressing himself, and showing people how to praise God, and bring back those who have left the church. “It is a reflection of me, and my hope of reaching out to people and bringing them back to the church.

R Kelly made me write Gbona, says Toby Grey

“It is a difficult place to be.

But we hope to reach out to them, and make them come back, and that is what gave birth to the WWGA and the series.”

The Awimayehun crooner, delivered some of his hit tracks at the event. He noted that the show offers time for inspirational, reflective and soul-rendering outpour of worship to the Almighty.

By Dupe AyinlaOlasunkanmi

• Toby Grey

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DEYEMI Tobiloba Maryam, aka Toby Grey, known for the hit track Gboju, recently premiered a new video titled Gbona, which she used to mark her 21st birthday. She revealed that the work, a love song, was inspired by international singer, R Kelly.

She said: “The song is a

love song, inspired by R Kelly, who is known as the ultimate love song king.

What I did was to make it a different story from what we are used to hearing.”

The rising artiste, whose single is presently gaining massive airplay also revealed in one of her interviews why she did a cover of Kiss Daniel’s song, Woju: “It wasn’t something I intended. I was just sitting with my producer, and we came across the song. I decided to do something on it.

I was surprised by the response because it wasn’t something planned. If I had planned it, I would have

been expecting so much like massive response, but I didn’t expect it. The fact that the response was huge came to me as a surprise. I said wow, people actually love, and accept it because sometimes people drop covers but they are not recognised, so I’m glad Gboju did,” she said.

The 21-year-old final year student of the University of Lagos, who is also a song writer, will be at the Place Ikeja Grand Opening on Thursday, 28, May 2015, with other artistes like Dj Xclusive, Reekado Banks, and Korede Bello at an event tagged ‘Come Party With Toby Grey’.

Toby Grey says her influences include Nneka, Asa, Leona Lewis, and Ciara.

Michael Jackson’s nephews face eviction

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F report by TMZ is anything to go by, Michael Jackson’s niece and four nephews may be out on the streets, as they are about to be evicted from their home.

“You may remember Jaafar,” the news medium said, “... he’s the son of Jermaine and Alejandra Jackson, who got in trouble in 2010 when he bought a stun gun and terrorised Michael’s son Blanket. Now Jafaar, along with his brothers;

• Alejandra Jackson family

Jermajesty, Dante, Randy and sister Genevieve may be without a roof over their heads because their mom’s landlord says she’s $124,000 behind in rent and has filed legal docs to evict her.”

The story recalled that Alejandra was a squatter in the MJ family home on Hayvenhurst in Encino, refusing to leave when Katherine wanted to renovate the estate.

“Last we heard, Katherine offered to get a modest condo

for Alejandra and her kids.”

In the building up story, it queried: “So how, pray tell, did Alejandra and her children end up in a $15,000 a month, 7,000 square foot Mediterranean mansion on 24 acres in Malibu with a 180 degree ocean view? Apparently the landlord has the same question, because he says Alejandra hasn’t paid rent for 8 months. We could not reach Alejandra for comment.”

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NEWS Ortom to scrutinise Suswam’s notes From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

BENUE State Governor Samuel Ortom has said he would scrutinise the handover notes of his predecessor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam and make disclosure about the state’s financial status He spoke at a thanksgiving service at The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mega parish, Makurdi to conclude activities organised for his inauguration.

Ortom said the disclosure became necessary because the figure of N9.3billion, which Suswam gave as the debt profile of Benue, was not a true reflection of the state of affairs, as it did not include arrears of salaries, allowances, retirement benefits, commitments to contractors and other obligations.

He promised to fight corruption so that he would conserve funds to develop the state.

Dignitaries at the event included Senators Akume and Gemade, former Deputy Governor Chief Steve Lawani and others.

Support for Audu From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

A GROUP, the Middle Belt Progressive Assembly (MBPA), has mobilised support for exKogi State Governor Abubakar Audu, ahead of the governorship election.

Kogi was among the five states excluded from the April 11 governorship election.

Others are Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Anambra.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to conduct election in the state by the middle of October in line with the Electoral Act, following the expiration of the tenure of Governor Idris Wada next January.

Niger governor appoints SSG NIGER State Governor Malam Abubakar Sani Bello has appointed Alhaji Shehu Umar Danyaya, a retired civil servant, as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

Others appointed are Mikhail Al-Amin Bmitosahi, a former member of the House of Representatives, as the Chief of Staff; Dr. Ibraheem Dooba, a teacher and a Columnist with Daily Trust, as the Chief Press Secretary; Haruna Mamman Vatsa as the Director of Protocol and Yusuf Waili as the Senior Special Assistant, timekeeping and schedule.

The appointments are with immediate effect.

•Choristers from the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Local Church Council (LCC), Kagadama performing at the 2015 General Church Council Choir PHOTO: NAN Week at COCIN LCC, Kagadama Yelwa in Bauchi…yesterday

Buhari hailed for relocating military to Borno

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HE lawmaker representing Borno South, Senator Mohammed Ndume, yesterday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for directing the military high command to relocate to Maiduguri to stop the Boko Haram insurgency.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the move was a right step in the right direction.

Ndume said: “For people like us that had been in the forefront, looking for solution to the problem of insurgency, it is a heartwarming development.

“We have been antici-

pating that immediately he (Buhari) takes over, he will do something drastic and effective in making sure that insurgency comes to an end.”

He added: “With the new directive, we are hoping that insurgency in Borno and other states will end soon.

“With the good intention of the president, we are very optimistic that this madness will come to an end soon.”

A lawyer, Alhaji Jubrin Gunda, a former chairman of the Nigeria Bar Associa-

tion (NBA), Biu chapter, spoke in the same vein.

Said he: “The action is commendable. If the military high command moves to Borno, there will be no room for excuses or failure as we witnessed in the past.”

Gunda, who is also the legal adviser of a local vigilance group called the Civilian JTF, said it was certain that the military would wipe out the insurgents in a short time.

His words: “The military will wipe out the insur-

gents in a couple of days or weeks. It is indeed a right step in the right direction.”

He said stakeholders in Borno had been waiting for the inauguration of Buhari as the president.

“Everybody must hail the president for taking such a laudable step towards tackling insurgency.

“If you go round the state, you will see people in high spirit. We are hoping that the insurgency will be crushed soon.”

A businessman, Mallam Iliya Ibrahim, appealed to President Buhari to monitor the operation of the military against the insurgents, to avert failure.

Gunmen kidnap Kogi commissioner

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UNMEN yesterday abducted Kogi State Commissioner for Land and Survey, Stephen Mayaki, on his farm on the outskirts of Lokoja.

This occurred one week after a High Court judge, Justice Samuel Obayomi, was kidnapped on his way

From James Azania, Lokoja

to work at Ohimege in Adavi Local Government.

It was learnt that the commissioner was kidnapped at gunpoint on his farm at Osara community in Adavi Council.

A source said five gun-

men in a Prado Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) traced the commissioner to his farm where he was kidnapped.

The source said the gunmen emerged from the bush and kidnapped him at gunpoint, taking him to an unknown destination, adding that the motive of

the suspected kidnappers was yet to be ascertained, as they were yet to contact his family.

Police spokesman Sola Collins Adebayo confirmed the incident.

He said he could not give details, as he was at a meeting, promising to get back to our reporter.

Suspected oil bunkerers ‘kill’ three policemen, tanker driver

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USPECTED oil bunkerers at Oguda in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State yesterday allegedly killed three policemen and a tanker driver, whose identities are yet to be ascertained.

The Nation learnt that Oguda, near the boundary

From James Azania, Lokoja

between Kogi and Edo states, is a haven for bunkerers, who siphon petroleum products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC’s) pipelines.

A source said although

he could not narrate what happened, the police might have engaged the bunkerers in a shootout.

The source said sporadic gunshots were heard from the direction where the illegal bunkering took place, adding that residents and passersby saw bodies hours after the

shootings subsided.

Police Commissioner Adeyemi Samuel Ogunjemilusi said it was not clear what happened, “but I suspect it was the handiwork of bunkerers.”

He solicited information that would enable the police apprehend the suspects.

Kwara APC suspends council vice chair, two others From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has suspended the Vice Chairman of Baruten Local Government, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Ibrahim and two others for alleged anti-party activities.

Ibrahim’s suspension will last for six months.

Other suspended members are Alhaji Samari Abdullahi and the Coordinator of G20, Alhaji Abubakar Gunu. They were suspended for one year each.

This brings to seven in the last three days, the number of people suspended in the local government.

Last Friday, the council Chairman, Muhammed Omar Bio and former lawmaker, Senator Mohammed Ahmed, were suspended for the same offence.

Ahmed represented Kwara North in the Senate.

Other suspended members are a lawmaker in the outgoing House of Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Sabi, Alhaji Aliyu Kora Sabi and Muhammed Sunu Gofe. They were suspended for one year each.

In a statement yesterday, APC spokesperson Alhaji Sulyman Buhari said: “The party has ordered the suspension of another three of its members in Baruten Local Government for anti-party activities.

“Their suspension followed a report submitted by a panel of enquiry by the leadership of APC in the state. It is with immediate effect.”

Debt inherited from Kwankwaso not a crime, says Ganduje

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ANO State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje defended yesterday the debt profile of N294.5billion he inherited from ex-Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

He said the debt was not a crime.

Ganduje, who addressed reporters at the Government House, Kano, attributed the debt to the dwindling price

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

of crude in the international market, saying it would not affect the state in the discharge of its responsibilities.

He said: “I admit that it is a huge debt. I’m part and parcel of the Kwankwaso administration and whatever may have happened, we all should take responsibility.

“On the issue of liabilities,

yes, it is correct that we have a huge liability. But that does not mean it is a crime. We planned everything together with my boss (Kwankwaso). But unfortunately, what we envisaged did not work, as the price of oil fell. So, what do we do? We could not complete the projects because of lack of funds. This is not a problem.

“Now, it is a matter of re-

planning and rescheduling.

There is no problem. Even the contractors, we shall reschedule their payments. We shall pay them, which will be based on what we have on ground.

“Those people, who cry foul because of liabilities, are only being shortsighted, because by the time they complete their tenure, it will be the same story. I don’t

want to cry because we have huge liabilities. Yes, we have huge debt and this is not a crime.

“Oil was more than $100 per barrel. Now it is $50 per barrel. It has come down by more than half. Then, we had already started projects.

Do we cancel them? No, we cannot. So, we have to manage what we have—that is no problem to me.”

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NEWS

‘Buhari will deliver democracy dividends to Nigerians’

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NAMBRA State Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) leader Chief Godwin Ezeemo has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s modest lifestyle will enable him to deliver democracy dividends to Nigerians.

He said Buhari should be mindful of those he appoints into his cabinet to ensure that his administration remains focused on the change mantra that brought him to office.

The PPA chieftain spoke in Abuja at the weekend after Buhari’s inauguration.

“I believe that President Buhari will deliver democracy dividends; that is why

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

I have come from Anambra State to be part of his inauguration.

“I am interested in seeing what will happen. I was in his office in Kaduna in 2013 and I saw his character and humble office. That made me to really appreciate his type of person.

“He didn’t display wealth rather, he displayed confidence that he had the ability to bring everybody together. I strongly believe he can.”

Ezeemo said the battle against corruption would not be easy because the President cannot be everywhere.

‘Beware of sycophants’

He said picking the right persons to work with would enable the President to reduce corruption.

His words: “I know that this is going to be a very difficult area for the administration. The President cannot be everywhere, though we see him to be an upright person.

“What I will suggest is that he must pick people that can deliver. He should not pick people because they come from a particular area not minding their ability to deliver on their mandate.

“If he does not heed to this and picks incompetent persons, they will let him down and he will be blamed for it.

“President Buhari should exercise caution in picking who to work with. If he gets the right people to work with him, we will then be able to fight corruption collectively.

“There should also be CCTV cameras in all offices so that those responsible can monitor the activities that go on in the offices to checkmate corruption.”

Ezeemo urged Buhari to form a government of national unity, saying he should ensure that democracy dividends are shared equitably to all parts of the country.

Buhari, he said should concentrate efforts on the provision of electricity, in-

sisting that most of the country’s problems arise from poor power supply.

“For me, we have problems and these problems have their base on power.

Most of the problems we have derive from poor power supply.

“The availability of power in the country is nothing to write home about. If we have constant power supply, industries will spring up in all nooks and crannies of this nation and generate employment for the people.

“If there is constant supply of power, agriculture can take off because we are still struggling in agriculture,” Ezeemo said.

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

F

ORMER governor of Ebonyi State, Martin Elechi has urged governor Dave Umahi to be watchful so as not be misled by sycophants.

Elechi spoke at his EchiAlike country home at a reception in his honour at the weekend.

“My successor, Umahi, should give people the freedom to agree or disagree with him; to say their mind without pretending otherwise, sycophants will deceive him and it is not good.

“He should be forthright with the people and analyse every advise to avoid being misled by sycophants because there are many of them out there,” Elechi said.

Elechi insisted he did not borrow foolishly, adding that by the end of July, the N16 billion he borrowed from the capital market will be liquidated.

Ugwuanyi promises to develop Nsukka From Chris Oji, Enugu

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NUGU State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has promised the people that he would ensure sustenance of peace in the state.

He added that his administration would modernise Nsukka, the university town founded over half a century ago.

The governor spoke yesterday at the Nsukka Government Field.

The governor explained that Nsukka was overdue for upgrade being the second largest urban town in the state.

Ugwuanyi said development projects would start on the streets of Nsukka in one month.

NITAD holds learners’ forum

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HE Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD) will hold its annual Learners’ Forum on Thursday, June 4 at NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja.

The Chairman, Learning and Development Committee, Mr. Patrick Oluyide said this year’s theme: “Education in the National Development Plan: Challenges and the Way Forward” is prompted by the poor implementation of the education policy which affects the standard of education in Nigeria.

•Mr. Olumide Ogunbekun, an engineer (right) presenting a grinder machine to Mrs. Magret Idown with the proprietress of Virtuous World School, Lagos, Mrs. Laide Ogunbekun during the Children’s Day/Charity Day celebration organised by Virtuous World School, Gbagbada, Lagos.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

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‘I will rule with the fear of God’

BIA State governor Victor Ikpeazu has promised to rule with the fear of God. Ikpeazu spoke at a thanksgiving service at the Seventh Day Adventist Church Headquarters for Eastern Union Conference, Osisioma, Abia State. He said he was at the service to thank God for making him the governor, present his plans for the state before Him and seek His guidance.

Ikpeazu said he would resume work in Aba, the state’s commercial nerve centre today and embark on on the spot assessment of roads before proceeding to Umuahia, the capital to replicate same

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

tomorrow.

The governor sought the cooperation of the people, especially through prayers, for the success of his administration.

“I want God to make Abians understand that if you want to eat Omelet, you must be ready to crack eggs. I thank God that I am courageous enough to take these decisions, God being with me. I will serve Abia and Nigerians with the fear of God. “I will also take decisions that may not be very palatable, but let the guiding principle be, ‘is it in the best inter-

est of the greater majority of our people?

“We have travelled long on the wrong path, probably by events not caused by governments but caused by our people. But this is the time to turn around because this is not going to be business as usual.

“We must change the way we think, the way we do things, the way we build our houses, we must have respect for our neighbor because in doing so, we will be more responsible. The things that we see abroad can be done here and it must start in our hearts”, he said.

In his homily, Pastor Udoh

Bassey warned Ikpeazu against displeasing God. He assured him of God’s presence and guidance in all that he does if he places God first.

“You need great wisdom to be safe in whatever you do. If God gives you money and you do not have the wisdom to manage it, you will soon die. If God gives you beauty and you do not have the wisdom to manage it, you will soon die.

“If God gives you a position and you do not have the wisdom to manage it, you will soon die, so be careful what you do” Bassey warned.

‘Every military man must be prepared to defend Nigeria’

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HE Commandant of Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji in Kaduna, Air Vice Marshal John Chris Ifemeje, has emphasised the need for every military man to be prepared to lay down his life in defence of the country.

AVM Ifemeje spoke at the final bush exercise for “70 Junior War Commanders” trained for five months by the college.

The war commanders will graduate in a couple of weeks, he said.

The commandant, who was represented by his deputy, Rear Admiral Sylvanus Agada Abbah, said Nigeria has invested so much on its military, hence the reason why

•Command college to graduate 70 war commanders From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

every military man must be ready to lay down his life.

Apparently reacting to the recent experiences where soldiers abscond from war front, he told officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces: “Nigeria has spent so much on the military, and that is the reason why every military man must be ready to lay down his life in defence of this country.”

The exercise code named “Ubiak Isin” (meaning “Waste Pain” in Efik language) is the routine final exercise for officers of the Nigerian Army undergoing Junior Course in AFCSC.

The exercise, AVM Ifemeje said, is a practical application of what the student officers had learnt in the classroom, which he said centres around commanding wars.

In his words: “The essence of the exercise is to prepare the student officers on how to plan and advance troops at the battle ground to attack the enemies.

“The exercise is a routine final bush exercise for land warfare students of junior course. But as a result of the contemporary security challenges facing the country, counter-insurgency training has been added to the exercise.

“The exercise is so signifi-

cant because, no matter the level of air bombardment and attack on enemies from the air, we need professional soldiers to man the war on the ground.”

The highlights of the exercise was demonstration of a war situation, where the student officers were sharing intelligence and issuing out commands to their troops on their planned night attack to flush out imaginary enemies who invaded their country. t was gathered that many of the officers would be drafted into the ongoing “Operation Zaman Lafiya” in the Northeast after their course in the college.

Why Southeast is underdeveloped,

by Ubani

By Musa Odoshimokhe

F

ORMER Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch, Monday Ubani has said the charlatans elected into offices in the Southeast are responsible for the region’s under-development.

He said the time had come for the Igbo, irrespective of their places of residence, to be involved in the politics of Igboland in order to restore the regions to its former glory.

Ubani spoke at a thanksgiving service lecture organised by the Igbo Progressive Leaders Council at White House Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.

“The east was one of the most prospering regions and paraded some of the industries that provided the country the revenue it required.

“Today, what we have as leaders in the east are charlatans elected into offices who have brought nothing other than stagnation, bad roads, poverty and infrastructure decay to the people,” Ubani said.

He urged the Igbo to respect the real owners of Lagos, noting that it was wrong for the Igbo to go about with the wrong impression that Lagos belongs to nobody.

He said: “The argument that our brothers are propagating that Lagos belongs to nobody should be discarded. If we apply wisdom in what we do in Lagos we can even produce the governor.

“When I was elected chairman of NBA Ikeja branch, it was not only Igbo who voted for me but the Yoruba and other tribes.

Wherever we find ourselves, we must not only be concerned about the feelings of the real owners but should look back to the east where the present crop of politicians has made it worse”.

Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman, Joe Igbokwe urged Igbo to always consult before making political decisions in the state.

He said the Igbo have not managed their success in Lagos properly to gain from the political development in the country. He added that APC is a party for the progressive-minded, noting that the Igbo must realign to better their lots.

“You cannot decide who will be the governor of Lagos State even when you have the numerical strength; you have to understand the politics underlying the election. You must calculate properly to see where the pendulum will tilt and that is why you must consult before you decide,” Igbokwe said.

Also speaking, Prof Chris Nwaokobia said the Igbo should reach out to their brothers all over to be able to use their strength. He said the Igbo could not do things in isolation, adding that they need the cooperation of other tribes.

He called for a new thinking and reawakening among the Igbo, stressing that some of the prominent people who have made the country proud are from the Igbo stock.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

59

FOREIGN NEWS Venezuela opposition march draws thousands

Kerry breaks leg in bicycle crash in France

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HE US Secretary of State John Kerry has broken his leg in a biking accident in the French Alps.

Mr Kerry, 71, was in a stable condition in hospital in nearby Geneva, Switzerland, a spokesman said.

He was expected to make a full recovery after breaking his right femur and was in good spirits, said John Kirby.

Mr Kerry, who was in Switzerland for talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, has called off visits to Madrid and Paris and will fly to the US for treatment.

The accident took place in Scionzier, France, some 40km (25 miles) south-east of the Swiss border.

It appeared Mr Kerry hit a kerb and there was no vehicle involved in the accident, a state department official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

“Paramedics and a physi-

cian were on the scene with the secretary’s motorcade at the time of the accident,” the state department said.

Mr Kerry “did not lose consciousness”, it added.

Mr Kerry was taken by helicopter to a hospital to Geneva, from where he will now be flown to Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital, Mr Kirby said.

Given the injury was near the site of his prior hip surgery Mr Kerry would be treated by the doctor who performed the operation, the spokesman added.

Mr Kerry will no longer travel to Madrid on Monday to sign a defence deal and to Paris on Tuesday for talks on combating Islamic State militants.

Mr Kerry is known for his love of cycling and often takes his bike with him when he travels.

In 1992, he injured his shoulder while riding a bike.

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HOUSANDS of Venezuelans have held a peaceful march through the streets of the capital Caracas, calling for the release of opposition leaders who have been in jail for more than a year.

They include two former mayors, Leopoldo Lopez and Daniel Ceballos, who are being held on charges of inciting anti-government protests last year.

President Nicolas Maduro has blamed them for the 43 deaths that resulted.

Both men started hunger strikes this week in jail.

The marchers held up photographs of their leaders in prison uniform The protesters were also calling for the release of the former Caracas mayor, Antonio Ledezma.

Smaller demonstrations took place in other cities.

Lilian Tintori (second from right), wife of Leopoldo Lopez, led the march in Caracas Former Bolivian president Jorge Quiroga (top right) was at the march • Kerry

U.S. delists Cuba from state sponsors of terror

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HE United States has removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The move eliminates a major obstacle toward restoring diplomatic ties.

The change allows Cuba to conduct banking in the United States, among other

activities.

President Barack Obama announced a historic thaw with Cuba in December, but the US trade embargo against the country remains, and may only be ended by Congress.

The removal has been one of Cuba’s key demands, as leaders from both countries

have repeatedly met to negotiate the details of restoring diplomatic relations, including the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana.

The action comes as signs of difficulty were seen in recent talks between US and Cuban diplomats.

Last week, diplomats met in

• Beau being visited by his father V.P Joe Biden while visiting in Iraq in 1999

Washington, but failed to come to an agreement on opening embassies.

The decision follows a formal review process but the timing is political. Cuba’s designation was a holdover from the Cold War when it supported leftist guerrilla movements in Latin America.

PHOTO. AFP

U.S. V.P, Joe Biden's son dies of brain cancer

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ORMER Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, the son of US Vice-President Joe Biden, has died of brain cancer.

The 46-year-old was taken to hospital earlier this month at the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre, near Washington.

Beau Biden was seen as a rising star of US politics but suffered health problems in recent years. He had intended to run for Delaware state governor in 2016.

"The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words", the vice-president said.

In a statement, President Barack Obama said: "Michelle [Obama] and I are grieving tonight."

"Beau was a good, bighearted, devoutly Catholic

and deeply faithful man, who made a difference in the lives of all he touched - and he lives on in their hearts."

In a Twitter post, former President Bill Clinton wrote: "Hillary & I mourn the loss of Beau Biden - so full of life, love, honor, and service - and we pray for the strength of his wonderful family."

Beau Biden was diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2013 and underwent treatment that was initially successful. However, the cancer recurred earlier this year.

Announcing the death in a statement, the vice-president said: "It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same

integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life."

Vice-President Biden visited his son while he served in Iraq in 2009 Biden said his son was "the finest man any of us have ever known" Mr Biden took his oath of office as senator in 1973 by Beau's hospital bed "Beau embodied my father's saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did," he said, adding: "We know that Beau's spirit will live on in all of us."

"Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known," the statement ended.

In 2010, Beau Biden suffered a mild stroke. Three years later, he received surgery at a

Texas cancer centre for what was said to be a small lesion.

The eldest of Mr Biden's two sons, he served a year-long tour Iraq in 2008 as a captain in the Delaware National Guard.

As a child, Beau survived a car crash that killed his mother Neilia and his baby sister Naomi in 1972. He and his brother Hunter were injured.

Joe Biden had just been elected to the Senate, and took his oath of office by his son's hospital bed.

Joe Biden married Jill Jacobs in 1977. They have one daughter - Ashley Blazer.

Beau Biden is survived by his wife Hallie and their two children, Natalie and Hunter.

with Patricia Ceballos, the wife of former mayor Daniel Ceballos. She had cut her hair off in protest at her husband’s imprisonment Around 3,000 protestors demonstrated in Caracas On Friday, Venezuela blocked two former Latin American presidents from visiting Mr Lopez and Mr Ceballos.

Leopoldo Lopez has been held at the Ramo Verde military prison outside Caracas since he was arrested in February 2014 on charges of inciting the violence that led to the deaths of 43 people and wounded hundreds of Venezuelans who took to the streets.

Mr Lopez filmed a video in jail this week urging demonstrators to go out “peacefully” to demand an end to political persecution and censorship and for a date to be set for upcoming legislative elections.

President Maduro has said his country’s judiciary is independent and that those in jail are criminals.

Fuel tank explosion kills 25 in Syria

A

fuel tank exploded inside a clinic in the predominantl Kurdish northeastern Syrian town of Qamishli Sunday, killing at least 25 people, including children, state TV and activists said.

The Syrian TV report said the explosion also wounded 30.

Juan Mohammed, a Kurdish official in the nearby city of Hassakeh, said the explosion happened as the clinic was packed with children who were brought to receive polio vaccinations.

Mohammed said it appeared that a gas cylinder exploded inside the clinic in what led to an explosion of an oxygen cylinder that was nearby.

He said that the two blasts led to a third explosion in the fuel tank killing 25 people including 12 staffers and some children.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fire killed 25 people adding that some of the wounded are in critical condition.

Also Sunday, Islamic State fighters captured the town of Souran Azaz and the nearby villages of Hasya and Bel in the northern province of Aleppo from moderate Syrian rebel groups.

The villages are close to the Bab al-Salamah border crossing point with Turkey.

The Observatory said the fighting in the area killed 31 rebels and 22 IS members. IS has been fighting over territory with rebel groups in Aleppo since early last year.

In the northern city of Aleppo, rebels shelled a government-held neighborhood, killing 12 people, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA. The Observatory said the shelling killed eight.

The shelling in Aleppo came a day after Syrian army airstrikes killed at least 70 people, most of them civilians, and wounded scores in attacks in Aleppo province.

More than 220,000 people have been killed in Syria since the start of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad in March 2011.

Egypt demolishesMubarak’s party headquarters

E

GYPT has begun demolishing the headquarters of the nowdissolved party of former President Hosni Mubarak.

The building in Cairo near Tahrir Square was torched in the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak.

Demolition workers also began tearing down an office block that was once the centre of state bureaucracy.

Egypt’s government approved the move in April and said that the land would be given to the neighbouring Egyptian Museum.

Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) was dissolved in April 2011 and its assets, including its headquarters on the River Nile, were seized by the state.

The building was set on fire by protestors during the uprising against Mubarak in 2011 The demolition was finally approved by the government in April Officials have said that the space will be given to the gardens and buildings of the Egyptian Museum The BBC’s Middle East editor Alan Johnston says that those who rose up against Mubarak will certainly welcome the demolition work.

But he says that many will be deeply disappointed that in other, more important ways, their revolution failed to fulfil their expectations.

Mubarak was sentenced to three years in jail on corruption charges after a retrial earlier this month.

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NEWS Continued from page 4

day,” :Hashimu said. .”Four persons sustained injury; but one has more serious injury because one of his arm was cut off by the bomb.”

The insurgents appear to have re launched their dastardy campaign although President Muhammadu Buhari has warned he won’t tolerate their activities. He has even moved the central command of the military to Maiduguri until Boko Haram is conquered.

Also at the weekend, members of the sect attacked two Yobe towns - Fika and

Four injured in Borno Boko Haram suicide attack Ngalda - carting away foodstuff.

The extremists shot sporadically upon their arrival to scare away people so as to have ample opportunity to loot.

Chairman of Fika Local Government Area Alhaji Baba Abare, told reporters yesterday that the major targets of the militants were shops in which they looted food items and beverages.

He said nobody was killed.

A resident of the area,one Ibrahim Mohammed, told re-

porters that the terrorists first launched an attack on Ngalda, which is the Yobe/ Gombe border town.

He said they proceeded from Ngalda to Fika town, the headquarters of Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State.

The resident said the gunmen also attacked the local government secretariat, the magistrate court and the Divisional Police station.

Yobe State Police Commissioner Markus Danladi, declined to comment on the at-

Campaign funds: Bishop urges EFCC to investigate CAN, TAN

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been urged to investigate Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and individuals accused of receiving money for campaigns in the last general elections.

Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Kaduna, the Most Reverend Josiah IdowuFearon, spoke at the 20th synod of the church.

The theme of the Synod was “A New Look At Holiness”, which was taken from the book of Leviticus 19: 1-4 and 11-14.

He said: “Nigerians are aware that many became criminally rich during the last administration. Organisations that have been accused of receiving money for campaigns like the TAN, CAN in particular, and individual office holders should

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

be investigated by the EFCC, and as much of the misappropriated national wealth as possible should be returned for the development of our country.”

Rev. Fearon admonished Buhari to stay clear of any faulty foundation laid by his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

“He should closely look at the foundation laid before building on it to avoid a cataclysm that may be worse than what he is inheriting. That means, there should be some probes, but not within his first six months in office,” the cleric said.

He added: “Mr. President is advised to sanitise the Armed Forces, get them well equipped, and flush out the remaining Boko Haram insurgents within his first six months in office.

“Within the first six months,

we encourage Mr. President to have achieved something to give some hope to Nigerians.

We suggest he makes fuel available by removing subsidy so as to use the billions being paid to marketers who, in spite of that, hold Nigerians to ransom.

“We suggest to the President to get the companies responsible for the power sector to either make power generation and distribution effective, or set up appropriate, trustworthy and action-oriented machinery within constitutional provisions to reevaluate their contracts.

“We want to state the obvious so as to give the President some ideas for his consideration and action. It is obvious, the stakes are high; Nigerians who voted for you have a very high expectancy level.

You cannot afford to fail by disappointing them.

tack, saying the Military Joint Task Force was the only body that was in a better position to comment on the development.

Senator Ali Ndume, Borno South yesterday praised President Muhammadu Buhari for directing the military high command to relocate to Maiduguri and concentrate on the fight against insurgents.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the move was a ‘right step in the right direction’.

“For people like us that had been in the fore-front, looking for solutions to the problem of insurgency, it is a heart-warming development.

“We have been anticipating that immediately he(Buhari) takes over, he will do something drastic and effective, in making sure that the issue of

insurgency comes to an end,” Ndume said.

“With the new directives, we are hoping that insurgency in Borno and other states will come to an end sooner or later.

“With the good intention of the president, we are very optimistic that this madness will come to an end soonest,” he said.

Alhaji Jubrin Gunda, a legal practitioner and a former chairman of the Biu branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) spoke in the same manner.

“The action is highly commendable. If the military high command moves to Borno, there will be no room for excuses or failure, like we witnessed in the past,” he said.

Gunda, who is also the Legal Adviser of the Civilian JTF, said that it was certain that the military would wipe

out the insurgents in a short time.

“The military will wipe out the insurgents in a couple of days or weeks. It is indeed a right step in the right direction,” Gunda said.

He said that stakeholders in the state had been waiting anxiously for the inauguration of Buhari as the president.

“Everybody must commend the president for taking such a laudable step towards tackling the insurgency.

“If you go round the state, you will see people in high spirit; we are all hoping that the insurgency will be crushed soon,” he added.

Mallam Iliya Ibrahim a businessman, appealed to the president to strictly monitor the operation of the military against the insurgents, to avert failure, similar to what was experienced in the past.

69 die, 15 vehicles burnt in Onitsha petrol tanker fire Continued from page 4

remains of the victims were being evacuated by Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officials.

Another eye witness, Sunday Ogbuji, described the incident as “terrible”.

As at 5.15pm yesterday, the charred bodies were still being evacuated by security and paramilitary operatives to nearby Toronto Hospital at Upper Iweka.

Police chief Hosea Karma described the incident as “a

tragedy which is unfortunate”.

According to him, the tanker was coming from Oguta Road end of Onitsha and was trying to link Owerri Road with loaded PMS. It lost control, falling on top of the building. It caught fire.

The police chief said all the passengers inside those buses – he put the figure at 12 - were burnt beyond recognition.

He added that the injured were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. He did not mention the hospital’s name.

Karma did not give the total figure of the dead, saying evacuation and mop-up was ongoing.

Commissioner for Transport Chief Chuma Mbonu described the incident at Upper Iweka as “tragic” and “unfortunate”.

He confirmed that 14 vehicles were burnt and scores trapped.

Karna did not disclose the number of the dead, saying the announcement would be made after the government must have got the right figure.

2015

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015

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62

NEWS

A new beginning for a long-standing partnership I was delighted to attend on Friday the inauguration ceremony for President Buhari.

It was a privilege to represent a new British Government, bringing the best wishes of Prime Minister David Cameron and those of the British people, at the moment when the Nigerian Government changed hands.

The rich partnership between Nigeria and Great Britain is longstanding. But occasions like this allow us to reflect upon not just what has made our friendship so strong in the past, but also what will strengthen it yet further into the future. A new beginning for a long-standing partnership.

I had the opportunity to give my warm congratulations on his election victory in person to President Buhari. The British Prime Minister David Cameron met him last week in London to do the same. In addition I would like to congratulate the people of Nigeria for their participation in and commitment to these elections.

It was an historic election which was a great credit to the famous innovation, persistence and energy of the Nigerian people and which has brought about Nigeria’s first democratic transition from one political party to another; a transition that was achieved with civility and in peace. This was not only a huge achievement for Nigeria, but also one that will be held up as an example for others to follow.

This is an important moment for Nigeria. As President Buhari outlined clearly in his inauguration speech, there are many serious challenges ahead.

By Philip Hammond

In our conversations with him and his team both before, and since, the election, we have found many points of agreement on both the size and shape of these challenges, and the way to address them. In particular we agree with President Buhari’s top priorities: tackling corruption; addressing the root causes of instability in the North East; and stabilising the economy in the face of low oil prices.

The UK’s relationship with Nigeria is both deep and broad. Our strong historical ties have spawned wide-ranging cultural and personal links: we are proud of the vibrant and active British-Nigerian community in both countries. The recent election in the UK has seen four MPs with Nigerian ancestry elected to the British Parliament. On trade, we export more to Nigeria than any other European country and are its fifth largest export partner overall.

Our bilateral trade is over £7 billion per year. Big British businesses operate here and tens of thousands of British Nationals live, work and visit here each year, not to mention the 250,000 strong Nigerian diaspora in the UK. Because of these strong bonds we share Nigeria’s concern over the threat of terrorism and regional instability that Boko Haram has brought to North Eastern Nigeria in recent years.

So we stand ready to support President Buhari and his new government as they begin their programme for a secure and prosperous Nigeria. As we have been increasingly doing over the last year, we look forward to working closely with the Nigerian govern-

‘

We also stand ready to help where we can with the government’s priority of tackling the diversion and leakage of money so that Nigeria’s wealth can be spent for the benefit of all

‘

•Hammond

ment and security forces to help them tackle Boko Haram and bring lasting stability to the North East.

We will share our experiences in

building a strong security architecture accountable to an informed political system; the two need to work in harmony, to an agreed set

of objectives and standards. And we will continue to support the training of Nigerian soldiers to improve their ability to defeat Boko Haram on the battlefield.

Stability is not delivered by an effective military alone. We are also working extensively with many States throughout the country on development programmes which bring health, education and employment opportunity to communities threatened by instability. It is heartening, too, to watch President Buhari’s positive efforts to discuss regional stability with Nigeria’s neighbours.

We also stand ready to help where we can with the government’s priority of tackling the diversion and leakage of money so that Nigeria’s wealth can be spent for the benefit of all.

As a clear mark of the UK’s commitment to this new partnership, we are building a new, modern, High Commission building in Abuja. This will provide a base for our support to the new Nigerian Government for many years to come.

Nigeria can and should be one of the great African success stories of the 21st Century. The UK is determined to be a close partner as Nigeria reaches that goal. Together we should seize this moment of renewal, and strengthen yet further our long-standing partnership.

This piece is being rerun due to a technical hitch.

•Hammond is British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Three Nursing students ‘violate’ teenager •NGO threatens to sue suspects •Police: we are probing incident

A

•Chief Sigimond Fernandez, Lagos branch President, St Patrick’s College Alumni Uyo, (left); Chief Udoetuk Emmanuel, Assistant Secretary, Chief Charles Ifeanyi, National Chairman at the National Executive Council Meeting of St Patrick’s College Alumni, Uyo, and the handing over of association’s banner to the next host in Uyo at Domus Fidei Conference Hall, Lagos.

six-year-old girl has allegedly been defiled by three final year students of the Edo State School of Nursing on Sapele Road in Benin, the state capital.

Two of the students have been arrested while the third is said to be on the run.

The victim is the daughter of a petty trader in front of the school.

It was learnt that the victim was lured into one of the boys’ rooms when the mother went to the market.

Her hands and mouth were allegedly tied to prevent her from screaming.

The bubble was said to have bust when the victim narrated what happened to her mother, who noticed that she was urinating and stooling abnormally.

The mother was said to have reported the matter to the Commissioner for Health.

The school’s Principal Mabel Omobude said the case had been reported to relevant authorities for further investigation.

She said: “Yes, we are aware. The case was reported to the Director of Nursing Services. The Commissioner of

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Health is also aware.

“She (the mother) wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Health, which was sent to my director to investigate. That was on Thursday. We have started our investigation.”

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Child Protection Network’s Coordinator Jennifer Ero said the school’s authorities threatened to eject the victim’s mother, if she made the case public.

She said the woman discovered that semen was coming out of her daughter’s anus and was behaving strangely.

Ero said: “We will ensure that this matter is charged to court. We will ensure justice for this child and make sure she goes through counselling.

The girl is now restless. They activated the hormone that relate to sex. She does not behave well. It is a life-time damage they have done to this child.

“It’s because she was too small. It (the alleged act) affected her womb. She started stooling and urinating profusely. But she’s on treatment now.

“The little girl said when they (suspects) took her there (hostel), they tied her hands and mouth. But she was able to identify the three of them.”

The police, last night, said they were investigating the incident.

Police spokesman Stephen Onwochei, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said a proper case of defilement had not been brought before the police headquarters.

Onwochei said the accused had petitioned the Area Command against the mother of the victim for false accusation.

He said: “That matter is not too straightforward. The little we know is that on May 15, the mother of the girl, who sells at the school, had a problem with some student-nurses because they asked her to pack out of the shop.

“Later, on May 16, she reported to the school that something of that nature (defilement) happened. But she did not report to the police, in the first instance. So, it was later that the lawyer to the accused wrote a petition to the Area Commander that someone was trying to tarnish his clients’ image.

Monarch urges police to probe Obio/Akpor fracas

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•Caretaker Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan, Oyo State, Alhaji Opeyemi Salami, inaugurating a block of hand dug well and toilet at St. Luke Primary School, Otun Agbakin Community in Ibadan.

HE paramount ruler of Egidigbo clan, Eze Gift Johnson, has urged the police to investigate the weekend’s disturbance at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The monarch also urged the police to find out why some youths from the community became violent before entering the Civic Centre on Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, the state capital.

From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

Johnson spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt when he reacted to last Friday’s incident.

He said: “I was at home when they told me that some people had broken into the complex. There was no further information to me; there was no letter written to me. I am the sole custodian of that town hall.

As His Majesty, the hall is under me.

“All I just heard was that they had broken into the hall. The next thing I saw that they knocked on my gate. I just saw him (the chairman) in a pool of blood. He was shouting. The next thing was that he collapsed.”

Eyewitnesses said some violent youths in Rumuigbo, last Friday, destroyed some facilities at the Civic Centre on Ikwerre road.

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Iheanacho: I want to be the best in the world F

• Iheanacho and his team mate Awoniyi in New Zealand

LYING Eagles’ star Kelechi Iheanacho has said his biggest dream is to be crowned the best footballer in the world.

Manchester City starlet Iheanacho, who only turned 18 last December, is in New Zealand with Nigeria for the FIFA U-20 World Cup and all eyes are on him after he was voted the MVP of the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Iheanacho has been the most popular Nigerian star for media interviews here in New Zealand and he revealed his biggest dream to FIFA TV. He declared: “I hope to continue to make progress in my career and one day be the best player in the world. I hope God will help me to achieve this.

That’s my dream.”

Iheanacho scored six goals as Nigeria won a record fourth

World Cup ‘ll fetch me deal —Success

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PAIN-BASED Flying Eagles striker Isaac Success has said he expects the U20 World Cup in New Zealand to earn him a new offer.

Success is on loan to CF Granada from Udinese of Italy and has already made his debut for the La Liga outfit this past season.

He said his performance in New Zealand with the Flying Eagles could well determine his immediate future.

“I am just a player and the decision is left for Udinese whether to recall me. If they do not need me, I will continue to play in Granada,” he said.

“I believe if I have a good World Cup, I will definitely get

a good offer.

“This is the World Cup and even kids who know nothing about football will be watching.

Players at U20 level are capable of playing in the top leagues across the world, so I am ready to do what I can do.”

He said he is delighted that Granada will play again in the Spanish top flight after yet another successful battle against relegation.

“I did not have enough playing time at Granada. But at least I am happy that we are staying up in La Liga and this will give me a second chance to prove myself if I am so opportuned,” he said.

• Success

Keshi condoles Emenike over father’s death

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• Emenike

N behalf of the Super Eagles, manager Stephen Keshi has consoled Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike over the death of his father, Pa Felix Emenike Ndukwu.

“I can imagine what Emma is going through at the moment, the pain and the sense of loss that comes with losing someone as close and dear as one’s father.

“On behalf of every member of the Super Eagles, in-

cluding the coaches, back room staff and the players currently in camp here in Abuja, I want to console him and ask him to be strong for those Pa Emenike Ndukwu has left behind.

“We ask God to also strengthen him and comfort him,” Stephen Keshi said to thenff.com.

Emmanuel Emenike has not been invited for the African Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad next month.

BBC Award: Nigerian Sports Award hails Oshoala

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NMISSABLES Incentives Limited - organisers of the Nigerian Sports Award has hailed Super Falcons’ & Liverpool FC of England player, Asisat Oshoala for her milestone achievement by winning the maiden edition of the BBC African Women Footballer of the year.

Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala was recently named the winner of the maiden edition of the Women category of the award and was presented with the to her at the Super Falcons’ camp in Canada ahead of the FIFA

RESULTS Italy - Serie A Cagliari 4 - 3 Udinese International - Friendly N.Ireland 1 - 1 Qatar Int’l - Club Friendlies Agadir 0 - 0 Sevilla World Cup U-20 Portugal 3 - 0 Senegal Uruguay 1 - 0 Serbia

• Salutes Quadri Women World Cup Congratulating Oshoala and indeed Nigeria, the General Manager, Unmissable Incentives Limited, Mr. Kayode Idowu, noted that Asisat’s feat in winning the award is another significant milestone not only for the budding star but also the nation at large.

Idowu further stated that Asisat’s movement to the Liverpool FC Women team in the English Premier League after winning the Women Footballer of the Year Award at the 2014 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award and the BBC Award has further lent credence to the credibility of the Nigerian Sports Award.

On behalf of the members of the Award Panel of the Nigerian Sports Award, I wish to congratulate, Asisat Oshoala for winning the first edition of the BBC Award and we hope

that this will further boost her morale to aspire for more success.

He then used the opportunity to charge Asisat and her Super Falcons teammates to work hard and excel at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada by surpassing the achievements of the previous Super Falcons’ team and even dream to bring home the cup.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kayode Idowu also seized the opportunity to congratulate fast-rising Nigerian Table Tennis Player, Aruna Quadri on his recent move to the French club in the lucrative France Table Tennis Federation (FTTF) organised league from his Portugal based club.

U17 World Cup title in superb style two years ago and he said he wishes to surpass this with the U20s.

“I am 100% ready to make an impact at this World Cup, even more than at the U17 World Cup,” he vowed.

“We want to win something for Nigeria as a team, and I hope I can do good things for the team.”

He added: “Most of the players were not available when we won the U17 World Cup two years ago, but they are now with us and we are a lot stronger than in 2013. We will go far in this tournament.

“There is a lot to say about this team because we have a lot of potentials. We are individually talented.

“We have to show our strength as a team, we have to show confidence, individual talent, what the coaches have taught us and everything that will give us the edge against all the countries who have qualified for this World Cup. “We have to fight to win this tournament by God’s grace.”

He further said the U20 World Cup will be great opportunity to prove his worth at Manchester City, where he is yet to make his first-team debut.

“This is a perfect opportunity to show Manchester City what I am capable of especially because I was injured for a couple of months,” he said.

“I will work hard to make my club and my country proud at this World Cup.”

Ordega outshines Oshoala in Falcons’ 9-0 win

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RANCISCA Ordega smashed a second-half hat-trick to eclipse BBC World Footballer of the Year Asissat Oshoala in a test match World Cup-bound Super Falcons won 9-0.

Canadian club Woodbridge Ladies went behind as early as the fourth minute through Ngozi Okobi, before Oshoala doubled the lead in the 38th minute.

Ordega then plundered an eye-catching treble after the interval with Courtney Dike grabbing a brace.

Perpetua Nkwocha was also on target for the African champions.

Coach Edwin Okon said he was more impressed with his team’s performance than the huge score line.

“It was a very good game today. Though we won by a massive margin, I was very impressed with the team’s coordination in all departments,” he said.

“This does not mean we won’t

• Ordega still correct a few lapses here and there but I can see the team preparing well for the tournament proper.

“I’m glad we scored many goals because we need a strong firepower upfront to achieve our dream which is to lift the trophy of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. We will continue to work hard until we achieve this,” Nigeria are drawn with USA, Sweden and Australia in the first round of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, which begins on June 6 in Canada.

• Nigeria's table tennis coach, Iseoma Isaac (second from right in front row) at the three-month International Coaching Course holding Budapest, Hungary.

TODAY IN THE NATION

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

Much of the corruption we finger in the oil distribution chain may be a child’s play in the face the monumental rot in the allocation of oil fields and wells. He has let out the cat and no attempt should be made to cover it up.

EMEKA OMEIHE

VOL 10 NO 3233

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

M

Y great joy is that darkness did not fall on the country on May 29. A new democracy illumined the entrails of Eagle Square.

Jonathan, with repressed, if dignified, reluctance passed the torch to the dangling septuagenarian general who should now rise to the role of avatar.

The day began with the glory of the soldier. From my seat, I thrilled to the elegant discipline of the parade, the colours, the starchy beauty of the uniforms, the stentorian authority of the commanding officers, the blend of the martial with the cultural.

The bright and sultry morning rippled with familiar church and folk songs drummed out by the military bands to the accompaniment of saxophones and cymbals. With gusto the audience watched the formations. The lines were now straight, now fluid, a jigsaw puzzle broken and restored. The soldier’s feet rose, zipped forward, stamped down, up again in rhythm. The shoulders turned and eyes glowed in tandem with erect necks.

It was the military at the service of the civil order.

The irony was not lost that in this transition, a man was morphing from a general to president. In this ritual, the army was playing the role of this glorious surrender.

Perhaps it was the last rite of Buhari officially ceding the army in him to a democrat. He swiveled from GMB to PMB - President Muhammadu Buhari.

There was a torch of vanity to some guests.

Nigerians who came wanted to be seen and heard. They appeared and spoke with their sartorial displays, especially the ex-this and ex-that. They wanted cameras to click. Others saw it as opportunity to rise out of the shadows, to commingle with perceived potential powers brokers of the new dispensation. They twirled their business cards, fawned before the new big men. Some told the big men stories about their past meetings or something they did together. Some others just worked the memories of the big men to remember them. “I was that guy or that woman, do you recall?” they would ask, simpering. The big man would feign a kindled memory. Yes, he remembered and asked after the family, and both moved on.

Some just wanted to be seen so they could be drafted into a project or job. Cell phones were at the ready to take pictures with the big men, just to force some sort of intimacy even if the big men only obliged out of courtesy. I observed this more at the two banquets, the inaugural one with Jonathan attending, and the gala, which was an APC gig.

Once Jonathan and Buhari arrived, the formal ceremony began. The ushering in of GEJ was more dramatic than Buhari’s, and that’s understandable. It was the last grand act of the departing President. Guards accompanied his SUV on both sides as it glided slowly to the front of the state box. The man alighted and walked in with his usual casu-

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchnation@gmail.com 08054501081(sms only) Twitter: @samomatseye

•Winner, Informed Commentary (DAME)

From Goodluck to Goodwill

•Dr Jonathan

al gait and smile into the box and his seat, his last front roll in Nigerian history.

When Vice President-elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) strode to the platform for swearing-in, the audience realised that something epochal was happening. Once he, and his elegant wife, had read out their oaths of office, a sigh of history filled the commodious square.

Then we saw the rites that followed after PMB was sworn in, and it dawned we now had a new president. An era had passed.

Jonathan stood with respect to the majesty of a system that ushered him in just four years earlier after he had eased into the position when Yar’Adua died.

He seemed lonely from where I stood near the platform. He was almost unaccompanied in his last day in office. Not his wife, not many of his presumed great friends were

RIPPLES ONAZI BEGS NIGERIANS TO SUPPORT EAGLES – NEWS

Hmm, Support Eagles and become HYPRTENSIVE..ehn?

present.

More telling was when he walked out of the platform through the steps to his vehicle. He never returned to the state box to say a final goodbye. As he descended the steps, he met the tall ex-governor Timipre Sylva, shot out his hand and shook hands with the man he ousted with impunity from the Bayelsa throne and hounded with the EFCC. “Sylva,” he said with a smile. Sylva smiled back and greeted. It was curt and telling. I wondered what coursed through the ex-president’s mind. Was it disguised defiance or apology?

What was more curious was when his SUV left. The crowd around the car waved with deep feeling, but it seemed a genuine pity glazed their eyes as they saw him go. He waved back through the tinted window.

The stage turned to Buhari, who mounted a vehicle and rode around the square to inspect guards and wave to the audience. The army again regaled us with their poetry of the parades, a thing that made me wonder if it was this same army that chafed at the predations of Boko Haram. I also thought the army was so beautiful it is a pity they have to shed blood. I loved the 21 gun salutes and the chaotic flutter that greeted the release of birds at the inauguration.

Ambo and the rainbow

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OR all its grandeur, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s inaugural speech struck a tone of harmony. After all the truculent cacophonies of the campaign season that saw religion pit itself against religion, and tribe overshadowed tribe in bitter acrimony, it was heartening to hear the new governor note that Lagos is for all. In his voluminous white agbada and sunny face, he promised to erect a big tent. I call it Ambo’s rainbow.

His opponent had tried to cast him as the candidate of a part against all, and the image of lagoon drenched a sense of coexistence Lagos always knew. In the coming months, we expect to see fruits of this so that the past of doubt will give in to a future of peace and plenty in Lagos, the oasis of Nigeria.

HARDBALL

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HAT would Hardball not pay to acquire some special powers that would make him capable of embedding in the lives of men of power and influence? Imagine, dear reader, what juicy morsels of information I would regale you with everyday. Imagine that I was fly on the wall, the ubiquitous gecko or even a lice, tucked somewhere in the crease and crevice of that high office of the president.

It would have been most interesting to find out what our brand new president, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, would do in office on his first day in Aso Rock. Hardball would have loved to record it for you minute-by-minute, breath-by-breath and motion-by-motion. Of course, no president would want to miss the very first day in office. Not after contesting for such an office four times would he miss the first glorious day at work.

First day, what historically significant day it is. Hardball could write a book on it. It is not only of utmost significance that he misses not this day, the time of arrival, the manner of arrival, the mode of dressing and speech and body language to the ground staff would all

The highlight, however, was Buhari’s maiden speech. It was elegantly couched speech with the right tone. The crowd cheered to the everybody and nobody phrase. But I still wonder if it meant he did not belong to APC or those on whose back he rode to power. It will be clear in coming months.

For his and our sake, I hope he did not mean he would not have primary constituency of consulting. No great leader in history shunned the platform on which he rose. His speech reflected a Unitarian impulse when he espoused the independence of local government. A throwback to military era? He did not seem to be in sync with the idea of fiscal federalism by promising to interfere in erring states. Did he mean it in an authoritarian way or as moral leadership? I expect that he could use his bully pulpit to initiate a constitutional federalism that is at odds with today’s malformed structure.

Some expected a hammer and anvil temper, but I disagree. His pitch dropped halfway through, indicating tiredness. His handlers must learn to manage the exertions of a man of his age. His speech might have been shorter given the ritual rigours of the day in relentless sun. For me the speech was less moving than the one he gave at the gala later that night where he spoke from the heart.

On the gala, what was Tunde Ayeni of the N5 billion campaign donation for GEJ doing there? Has APC decided to associate with such characters? Not good. The beautiful Joke Silva, who was compere, either naively or out of sublime mischief, acknowledged his presence. It was a dark spot in a fine day. I expect that he – with the Vice president - will publish the declared assets as promised during the campaign. He owes that to Nigerians as a matter of honour. With Boko Haram pounding Borno and Yobe, it is surprising he has not even announced his chief security adviser, as well as key staff. As he has noted, the job at hand is urgent. It is still early days though, but Buhari must dispel fears of the dillydally.

Well, “the revels now are ended,” noted Shakespeare in The Tempest, and Jonathan is no longer in “cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces…solemn temples…” His time, like an “insubstantial pageant,” has faded into thin air. The substance now belongs to Buhari. It will work not with good luck but goodwill with hard work.

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

The Monday after be matters of great import. He is coming in with a distracting retinue shuffling after him?

He does not want to arrive late on first day.

He must set the code of dressing and the tone of speech and conduct. Would he spend a few hours doing the extended greeting routine or taking a salubrious walk around the exotic grounds? Or would he alight sharply from the car and walk briskly to his office barely nodding acknowledgements to greetings from Aso Rock denizens.

Now in the power office: Monday June 1st, 2015. The president takes his seat. Being a Muslim, he would have had his morning observances much before dawn so no question of beginning with a prayer session as a Christian president may have done. Of course, his close aides would immediately gather and try to lay out both the plan of the complex and the work plan. Would he sit back and listen to them for the next few hours or would he rather seek a few hours to allot his time, gather his

thoughts and marshal his day? Would he embark on an elaborate tour of his pristine environment? Would he call a meeting of the key Aso Rock old guards for a welcome pep talk?

The day, the day, what really is the task for the day? There are of course, urgent appointments to finalise and announce. Of course, the stream of visitor would commence without let; especially party wigs who seek final inputs in the hot lists. Would he break for prayers; would he break for lunch; what time would he be done for the day and head home?

Some former occupants Hardball knew never closed; they ‘worked’ and wearied themselves as if the country would collapse if they closed for work at 5 .00 pm.

How would it be for Mr. Buhari and most important, how would the first day be? What an interesting day this special day could be in the life of a man. It’s a day of destiny isn’t it?

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Editor Daily:08111813080, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790 WEBSITE: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net ISSN: 115-5302 Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO