June 12, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

Banks to name debtors Aug. 1

•Court to hear Kashamu extradition application June 25 P5 •Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun declare June 12 holiday P8 •Man on solidarity trek for Buhari missing in transit P56 •Govt. sacks Osun varsity Governing Council, management P9

NEWS

Page 12

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3243 FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

•INSIDE: CBN ADJUSTS EXCHANGE RATE P55 BOKO HARAM KILLS 43 IN BORNO P4

•Some of the suspects...yesterday

•Another suspect...yesterday

PHOTOS: NAN

N12b currency scam: N3.9b destroyed with acid, water, court told

T

HE prosecution in the N8 billion currency scam yesterday told the court how some of the accused persons allegedly destroyed boxes loaded with N3.96 billion with acid and water, making

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

them inaccessible to investigators.

Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) was objecting to the applications for bail filed on behalf of the first accused person,

Kolawole Babalola, at a Federal High Court, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He also disclosed that 107 boxes from First Bank Ltd were opened before the accused persons during which N773 million was discovered

to have been stolen.

Jacobs said another suspect, who had been on the run, had just been yielded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by his family. But he refused to give the suspect’s name, saying he

was still being investigated.

The lawyer also revealed that the cash involved in the scam is about N12 billion as against the N8 billion earlier stated. He said more revelations would be made when the trial begins.

Eight Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and First Bank Ltd officials are standing trial in the first of seven cases arising from the multi-billion naira mutilated currency scam.

Continued on page 4

Buhari intervenes in Senate dispute to save APC’s unity ‘Ekweremadu’s election faulty’ From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

T

HE crisis sparked by the election of National Assembly officials was still smouldering yesterday.

President Muhammadu Buhari has invited Senator Ahmed Lawan’s Unity Forum, which is contesting the election of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President , for a meeting today.

“It is all to save the party from being factionalised,” an All Progressives Congress (APC) source said.

The meeting is expected to resolve the crisis, which deepened yesterday as: •the APC National Working Committee called off a proposed visit by Senator Saraki; and WILL THE •some members of the CHIBOK GIRLS Senate discovered that the KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15, LAST chamber breached its rules

?

YEAR EVER RETURN?

Continued on page 4

•President Muhammadu Buhari (second left) with (from left) Benin’s President Boni Yayi; Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou; and Chadian President Idriss Deby after the Lake Chad Basin Commission in Abuja...yesterday.

Nigeria to lead anti-Boko Haram regional force

NEWS Page 4

•WE HAVE 1.1B LITRES FUEL STOCK, SAYS NNPC P12 TRADER JAILED 21 YEARS P11

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

2

NEWS

Will US back Bu

•Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode flanked by Access Bank Managing Director Herbert Wigwe (left) and the Executive Director Roosevelt Ogbonna after the bank’s management team visited the governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja...yesterday.

S

•From left: Dean, Covenant University, Prof. Aize Obayan; Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Akorede Ayo; Director, Planning & Research, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr, Vincent Olatunji and Head of Department (HoD), Political Science & International Relations, Dr. Moses Duruji at the Second Covenant University Conference on e-Governance in Nigeria (CUCEN 2015) at African Leadership Development Centre, Covenant University, Canaanland , Ota, Ogun State...yesterday.

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA Story on Page 7

•Former Head of State & Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc. Chairman Gen. Yakubu Gowon (second right); IGI Directors from left: Mrs. Olubunmi Olowude and Apostle Hayford Alile, Company Secretary, Abiodun Ajifolawe and Managing Director, Rotimi Fashola at the 22nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company in Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS.

• From left: Managing Director, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nig.Plc., Mr. Dayanand Sriram, Chairman, Mr Edmund Onuzo and Company Secretary, Mr. Uche Uwechia at the company’s 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at MUSON PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN Centre, Onikan, Lagos...yesterday.

INCE President Muhammadu Buhari vowed in his inauguration speech on May 29 to eliminate Boko Haram, the extremist group has responded with a series of deadly bombings that have killed dozens of people across the northeast.

Those attacks have underscored the enormous task ahead for President Buhari, who was seen by many as the right man to rid the country of terrorism. They have also highlighted the challenge for the United States (U.S.), which is eager to defeat Boko Haram but leery of offering Nigeria a large increase in military assistance before its security forces — known for serious human rights abuses — are restructured.

The next chapter of the fight against Boko Haram could be the most difficult, The Washington Post reported yesterday.

“I think we might be seeing the end of the large battlefield phase of this, but if Boko Haram goes back to hit-and-run tactics, it could be even harder for Nigerian military forces,” said a senior U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly about bilateral relations.

The military has said for months that Boko Haram has been forced out of key cities and villages in operations that seemed to lay the groundwork for the group’s elimination after President Buhari took power. Instead, the past week has been the bloodiest in recent months.

Attacks coordinated by militants near the Maiduguri International Airport last week, killing eight, and in a mosque, killing about 25. Then, on Tuesday, a man blew himself up in a slaughterhouse in the same city, killing about 40.

Maiduguri, a major city in the northeast, was among the places where Nigerian security forces said they had vanquished Boko Haram.

Over the past few months, there had been relatively few attacks, and the city’s markets and streets were packed.

In the most recent attack, penultimate Thursday, militants bombed a market in the northeastern city of Yola, Adamawa State, killing at least 31 and wounding dozens, according to officials.

The surge in attacks comes as the military has found itself under greater scrutiny for human rights violations. A report released on Wednesday by Amnesty International (AI) alleged that the military had caused the deaths of about 8,000 civilians since 2009. Some were executed, the report said, but the majority died in military custody.

“Former detainees and senior military sources described how detainees were regularly tortured to death — hung on poles over fires, tossed into deep pits or interrogated using electric batons,” said the report.

It named five military top commanders who it alleged should be investigated by the President Buhari administration.

Now, the U.S. is trying to navigate ways to support Nigeria’s new leader, who bills himself as a reformer, without violating U.S. legislation that prevents the country from giving aid to human rights abusers. The authors of the AI report suggested that foreign funding to the military should continue, but that a more robust effort should be made to punish those responsible for human rights violations.

“For a long time, many states supported the military and police with human rights training, but that hasn’t led to the results we would

Commander, 26 Task Force Brigade, Col. Irenuma Irabor (second left) describing a scene to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (third left) who visited the Brigade Headquarters in Gwoza, Borno State...yesterday.

hope for,” said Daniel Eyre, Amnesty International’s researcher in Nigeria.

“Until you hold them accountable, you can train them all you like, but they will continue committing those violations,” he said.

So far, U.S. officials say they are confident that they can increase military assistance while simultaneously encouraging the Nigerian military to improve its record. The so-called Leahy amendment prohibits the approval of U.S. assistance to foreign military units that violate human rights.

“The way you help struggling military to get better is to roll up your sleeves and help, but it doesn’t mean you turn a blind eye to the bad stuff,” said the senior U.S. official.

For his part, President Buhari, who received training in the 1980s at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania, appears eager for more U.S. military assistance.

“He’s looking for us to continue that and to expand our assistance,” said the senior U.S. official. “We’re willing to look at new forms of training, equipment and these kinds of things,” including the expansion of intelligence sharing.

The U.S. official described American interactions with Buhari at this point as “broad, high-level discussions.”

The U.S. gave $6.3 million to the Nigerian military and police in 2014, despite tensions with former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, which often appeared to shrug off claims of human rights abuses.

Meanwhile, insurgents appear to be intent on proving their capacity to launch deadly attacks. In a 10minute video released Tuesday, the group rejected the military’s claims of success.

“Most of our territory is still under our control,” said an unidentified man featured in the video, who was carrying an AK-47 and standing in front of two Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs).

Also in the video, militants show the identification cards of soldiers they claimed to have killed and the wreckage of a jet they allegedly they brought down.

But the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, was notably missing from the video, raising questions about whether he was injured or killed in troops’ offensive in the northeast.

Even if Shekau is dead, analysts have long warned that Boko Haram

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

3

NEWS

ck Buhari’s tough stance against Boko Haram?

Troops of 121 Special Battalion and 7 Div. Strike Group, listening to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah when he visited Borno...yesterday.

PHOTOS: NAN

Senate defiance: Challenge before President Muhammadu, by Financial Times

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, faced the first political storm since his inauguration on May 29 when both the Senate and House of Representatives elected leaders on Tuesday in defiance of the ruling All Progressives Congress’ (APC) choice candidates.

The vote for the nation’s number three and four positions followed weeks of festering division among newly elected legislators and officials within the APC and came as politicians jostle for influence over appointments to the new government.

The 72-year-old former military ruler became the first opposition candidate in Nigeria’s history to unseat a sitting president in March 28 election, after pledging to stamp out corruption, spread wealth more evenly and defeat Boko Haram insurgents.

Since his inauguration, he has been under pressure to take decisive action in his first weeks in office to head off the effects of the oil shock.

The fall in the prices of crude at the international market has left state coffers depleted, fuel in short supply and the incoming government facing up to $20 billion of shortterm liabilities, including salary arrears, according to a draft action plan for the president’s first months in office seen by the Financial Times. could retain its capacity to conduct periodic attacks for months or years after insurgents have lost ground in their traditional strongholds. Most of the fighters appear to have fled to the Sambisa Forest, a vast and mostly uninhabited stretch of land where they appear to be able to move freely.

“Here in Sambisa you can travel more than four to five hours under

President Buhari must quickly determine whether to maintain multibillion-dollar fuel subsidies that the state can no longer sustain, or remove them and potentially stir popular unrest, the document advises.

But tension between newly elected legislators and APC officials have raised concern within the business community of a drawn-out process for approving cabinet appointments, which could in turn, delay action on the fiscal front.

Bukola Saraki, a former Kwara State governor, flamboyant and at times a controversial force in the Nigerian politics, was elected as Senate President by just over half the chamber, with the majority of his support coming from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), from which he defected only 18 months ago.

The APC’s preferred candidates for the Senate presidency Ahmed Lawan and Deputy Senate presidency, George Akume, were not even presented for the vote because they were at a party meeting summoned at the International Conference Centre (ICC) by the APC leadership.

APC officials and advisers to President Buhari were still trying to make sense of the setback late on Tuesday. However, they played down its significance, pointing out that the President had remained studiously neutral and

the black flag of Islam,” said the man in the Boko Haram video.

After his victory in a historic election — the first time an incumbent had ever lost a presidential contest in Nigeria — many Nigerians have huge hopes for President Buhari, who last ruled the country for less than two years, from 1983 to 1985.

In his first week in office, he has already condemned Boko Haram

had pledged to work with whoever came out on top.

“The Senate has chosen their own person.

That doesn’t mean they will oppose everything. It is something to celebrate. We are coming of age — we have proved we can change a sitting government, we can also allow the Senate to make its own choices. This is the separation of powers at work,” a close adviser to the president told the Financial Times.

Other political insiders pointed out that President Buhari’s ability to press forward with reform will be determined in part by his relations with members of the Senate and House of Assembly, where voting also went against the APC hierarchy’s choice.

The action plan for the president’s first months in office was drafted by an APC transition team with the help of consultants KPMG, and makes priorities of short-term remedies for electricity blackouts, fuel shortages and salary arrears.

It also suggests that a new government will move quickly to plug leakages at the stateowned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Under former President Goodluck Jonathan, these allegedly cost the treasury billions of dollars in potential savings against an eventual fall in the price of oil, on which the state

and criticised his predecessor, Dr. Jonathan, for allowing the extremists to take root. In his inauguration speech, he explained the group’s ascent as a product of “official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion,” calling Boko Haram “godless” and “mindless.”

His first directives as President was to move the military headquarters out of the capital and to Borno

•President Buhari

depends for about two-thirds of earnings.

President Buhari returned from meeting G7 leaders in Germany on Monday, having won international commitments to support his government in the fight against insurgents who stepped up a campaign of suicide bombings in his first days in office.

State, considered Boko Haram’s stronghold.

The President also chaired a regional meeting of Heads of States on how to form a common front against insurgency.

Some experts say that defeating Boko Haram is not simply about military strategy but addressing how the group emerged in the first place.

“The Buhari administration is going to have to think about the center of the fight not just in geographic terms,” said Carl LeVan, an expert at American University. “What is really the heart of the battle? Is it retaking Gwoza and other Boko Haram strongholds and holding them? Or is it tackling the broader message about the role of Islam in a multicultural Nigeria?”

‘June 12 challenges us to guard our democracy‘ LL Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to jealously guard the nation’s burgeoning democracy, in the spirit of the June 12, 1993 Struggle.

In his goodwill message to lovers of democracy on the 25th anniversary of the annulment of a presidential election, adjudged to be the most freest and credible, Asiwaju Tinubu said the greatest honour Nigerians can give to the late Chief MKO Abiola is to protect the

A

• Asiwaju Tinubu

present dispensation from being scuttled by fifth columnists.

The message titled: “June 12 challenges us to guard our democracy,” reads: “As we remember the June 12 struggle, we are challenged to guard our hard-won democratic freedom and prevent any hijack or abuse of the very principles of constitutional democracy.

“This anniversary offers us another reminder that this country is one set for greatness. Chief Moshood Abiola the symbol of

June 12 struggle is one of the greatest Nigerian to ever live.

“Through his life, we glean selfless service and commitment to people. Through his political struggle, we glean courage and incorrigible commitment to principles of the just, free and humane society.

“Today, our democracy thrives on the selfless sacrifices he made.

His politics was without bitterness and rancor. His patriotism was devoid of tribal marks and nepotism.

“It will be said, here lies a man

who did his duty on earth; it is what we should all strive for. We owe it to Abiola and all the fallen patriots of the June 12 struggle to make sure our democracy never falters and this current government succeeds.

“We must also make sure that the People remain the focus of our policy and politics. This is the commitment the new APC government has made to the people of this great country and by Gods grace we intend to keep it under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

4

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NEWS Buhari intervenes in Senate dispute to save APC’s unity Continued from page 1

•Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi (second right), holding shovel at the ground breaking of Ajakanga Landfill Site for power generation, on his left is the Managing Director, Highland Energy Solution Services, Dr.Akinpelu Shogunle at the site in Oluyole Local Government Area, Ibadan.

N12b currency scam: N3.9b destroyed with acid, water, court told Continued from page 1

The eight accused persons are among the 22 bankers being arraigned by the EFCC. They include six CBN officials and commercial banks.

They were arraigned on a 28count charge bordering on forgery, misrepresentation and self-enrichment as part of the N8 billion mutilated currency fraud at the CBN. The others are concealing of property, fraudulently acquiring assets in excess of their legitimate and provable income and causing economic adversity to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The accused, the court heard, acquired assets in Nigeria and Pretoria, South Africa.

In the first case, the CBN employees are Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Adeola and Togun Kayode Phillips. Their alleged accomplices are Isiaq Akano, Ayodele Festus Adeyemi, Oyebamiji Hakeem, Ayodeji Alese and Ajiwe Adegoke.

The EFCC, in the charge, claimed that the CBN workers conspired with the First Bank employees to recycle N7 billion

mutilated currency notes meant to be destroyed.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. A request for bail for the eight persons was brought to the court yesterday.

According to Jacobs (SAN), there was overwhelming evidence against the accused, which includes destruction of boxes of N10 million mutilated notes each but which could not be accessed due to the acid and water poured on them.

Urging the court to refuse applications for their bail, Jacobs, who read some of the statements made by the accused persons, argued that granting them bail in the face of the overwhelming evidence and the gravity of the offences allegedly committed would amount to patting them at the back. He argued that they could interfere with evidence and witnesses to be called during trial.

The senior advocate also faulted defence counsel’s further affidavit on the first accused, Babalola, describing it as “incurably defective”.

He said Babalola coordinated the activities, insisting that

the tendency of the banker to abscond was high because he faces six other sister cases arising from the scam, adding that the weight of evidence could also spur him to jump bail.

“Incentive to jump bail is very high because of the weighty evidence gathered against them. He has six other cases pending against him.

Therefore, the likelihood of jumping bail is high. I, therefore, urge your Lordship to refuse the application for bail and order accelerated trial.”

Jacobs told Justice Olayinka Faj. The senior lawyer also recalled that it was the CBN that blew the whistle on the scam.

According to him, the apex bank discovered only one box of N10m, which was filled with only newspapers. It investigated the discovery and reported the case to the antigraft commission.

He said some of the offences carry up to 21 years imprisonment, hence, bail should not be granted.

Jacobs also opposed bail applications for the seven other accused persons on the strength that the offences are

weighty and that there was overwhelming evidence against them.

He also insisted that the evidence against the second accused person was strong and overwhelming, stressing that bail should not be granted lightly in corruption cases, particularly in view of other cases against some of them.

The lawyer said the sixth accused person, who is a member of the staff of First Bank, confessed in his statement that he received N8 million cash gift in several installments from the accused CBN staff in 2010, but said that he did not know that it was a profit from fraud. According to Jacobs, the accused said he could not report the case to his superior or CBN because he was afraid of being murdered. “Therefore, I urge your Lordship to put him in protective custody,” he said.

The seventh accused, according to the prosecutor, supplied wrappers and stickers belonging to First Bank to the accused CBN staff and received N300,000 to N400,000 weekly, talking about N60 million over a period of time.

Continued on page 60

in electing Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

It was learnt that instead of using division as contained in Rule 3 (1) (e)(i, ii, iii) and (f), the Senate opted for an Open Secret Ballot system, which is strange to the chamber.

For violating its rules, the Senate may ask Ekweremadu to step aside and conduct election into the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate, The Nation learnt.

But another source at the Senate said there was no infraction of the rule.

He said the clerk has the prerogative to conduct the election of principal officers in the manner he deems fit.

Rule 3 (1) (e) (i, ii, iii) and (f), reads: “When only two Senators-elect are nominated and seconded as President of the Senate, the election shall be conducted as follows: (i) the Senate shall divide with the proposers and seconders as tellers. (ii) Voting shall be conducted by the Clerks-at-the-Table using the Division List of the Senate with the Tellers in attendance. The Clerk of the Senate shall submit the result of the division to the Clerk of the National Assembly. (iii) the Clerk shall then declare the senator-elect who has received the greater number of votes elected as President of Senate. “(f) When more than two senators-elect are nominated and seconded as President of the Senate, the division shall be conducted in the manner prescribed in Section (e) and the Senator-elect who has received a majority of votes shall be the President of the Senate.”

Also, Rule 3(4) says: “The

procedure for the election of the Deputy President of the Senate shall be the same as that of the President of the Senate.”

A high-ranking Senator, who spoke in confidence, said: “By every definition of the rules of the Senate, Ekweremadu was not properly elected. He may need to step aside and allow for a fresh election into that office.

“The alternative is to leave the court to decide his fate. This might lead to many litigations which can hinder the activities of the Senate.

“This is the fresh challenge at hand. They claimed that the Seventh Senate amended the rules to allow for Open Secret Ballot but there is no record to show for it. We cannot accept any under-the-table amendment of rules for the sake of political exigency.”

It was revealed that there might be a burden on the President of the Senate to dump Ekweremadu for an APC candidate.

“I think once Ekweremadu steps aside, he will have to recontest for the post with an APC candidate in a united APC Senate.”

“This will pose a challenge to the alliance between Saraki and the South-East/ SouthSouth caucus. This is going to be an acid test for Saraki to prove that he is still a loyal member of APC or an ally of PDP,” the source added.

Buhari, said another source, will focus on a likely reconciliation of all parties and how to keep the APC in the Senate united.

“I think a win-win formula might be designed by the Presidency to save the party from any further embarrassment.

Continued on page 60

Boko Haram kills 43 in Borno

N

O fewer than 43 people have been killed in attacks carried out by Boko Haram just as President Muhammadu Buhari and other regional leaders were holding a meeting about how to deal with the terror threat.

Dozens of rebels on motorcycles stormed Matangale, Buraltima and Dirmanti towns in restive Borno State, firing on

villagers and looting and burning homes, residents told French News Agency AFP. The attacks were carried out shortly after police said three female suicide bombers died during a failed mission carried out near Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, the epicentre of the group’s deadly insurgency.

Buhari: Nigeria should lead regional anti-Boko Haram force

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday requested leaders of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic to allow Nigeria to command the troops of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which will fight Boko Haram He also promised to pay up the $100 million pledged by Nigeria to fund the Force.

The President spoke during the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Commission and Benin at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The meeting, which started around 10:50 a.m, was attended by Presidents Mahamadou Issoufou (Niger Republic); Idriss Deby Itno (Chad) and Yayi Boni (Benin Republic).

Cameroonian President Paul Biya was represented by his Minister of Defence, Mr. Mebe Alain Buhari said: “Permit me, at this juncture, to recall that Nigeria has already pledged the sum of $100 million for the smooth take off of the MNJTF. I hereby reassure you that my

Troops for Multi-National Force July 30

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and other Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) yesterday approved the deployment of the national contingents to the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) by July 30.

The Task Force is to root out Boko Haram from the North East of Nigeria and the entire region.

Deployment of the troops to the MNJTF is part of the resolutions of the over six hours Extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government and Republic of Benin at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Other approvals of the meeting in the communique read by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Aliyu Ismail include: “Approved the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Strategic and Operational and From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

government will keep faith with this promise.”

Stressing the need to strengthen cross border patrol and intelligence sharing, he said efforts must be targeted at limiting the insurgents’ capac-

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

related documents of the MNJTF for the fight against Boko Haram terrorist group.

“Approved the immediate deployment of the MNJTF HQ at N’Djamena (Chad) by implementing its human, logistic and financial requirements; “Approved the funding of the sum of Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000.000) USD for the installation and equipping of the MNJTF HQ. “Approved the establishment of the Executive Secretariat as the Headquarters of the Mission and the Executive Secretary of LCBC being the Head of Mission.

According to him, the leaders also approved the nomination of 3 key post of responsibility of the MNJTF HQs including Force Commander - Nigeria (Until the end of the mission), Deputy Force Commander - Cameroun (Rotational every 12 Months), and Chief of Staff - Tchad (Rotational ev-

ity to access funds and weapons.

He disagreed with the six months duration for the change of the MNJTF command and control structure.

He said: “While I agree that this is a joint operation with shared responsibilities, I am,

ery 12 months).

The Heads of state, he said, also requested for the African Union’s support to the MNJTF in its operations, logistics and general mission support; by mobilizing financial support.

It also resolved to seek the support of strategic partners, notably European Union, France, United Kingdom and United States of America in favour of the MNJTF. The leaders during the meeting also requested the President of the UN Security Council to make a declarative statement in support of MNJTF Operations against the Boko Haram terrorist group.

It adopted the Emergency Plan for Development in the Lake Chad Basin.

Reading the communique, the Permanent Secretary said: “Deliberations focused on ‘The Security Situation in the Lake Chad Basin, the Immediate Opera-

however, of the opinion that military operations that are subjected to a rapid turnover of command and control structures, six months duration, as it is being proposed in the documents before us, do not augur well for effectiveness and efficiency.

Continued on page 60

“Such a process will undermine, even if not intended, the military capacity to sustain the push against the insurgents, who also have the uncanny ability to adapt and rejig their operational strategies.”.

Buhari urged the leaders to allow Nigeria control the force

•President Buhari

throughout the period of the war against Boko Haram.

He said: “I am inclined, on account of the above, to suggest for your excellencies consideration that Nigeria retains the position of the Force Commander of the MNJTF for the period of the war effort.

“This command will be to the effectiveness of military strategy, since Nigeria will be providing the bulk of the troops and the main theatre of Continued on page 60

ADVERT HOTLINES

08023006969, 08052592524

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

5

NEWS

Court to open hearing June 25 in application to extradite Kashamu •Faces 10 years jail or $10m fine or both on conviction

A

FEDERAL High Court in Abuja will on June 25 begin hearing in the extradition application against chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Buruji Kashamu for June 25.

The application filed by the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke (SAN) seeks the court’s permission to transfer Kashamu to the US for trial on drug related offences.

It was learnt yesterday that Justice Gabriel Kolawole, before whom the application is pending, has directed that parties in the case be served with hearing notices to notify them about the hearing date.

The extradition application marked:FHC/ABJ/CS/479/ 2015 filed on May 28 this year, was said to have been informed by a request by the Embassy of the United States of America made in April this year, urging the Nigerian government to surrender Kashamu for trial in the US on one count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of illicit drug pending against him before the United States District Court for the Northern Illinois, Eastern Division.

“There are forfeiture allegations against Buruji Kashamu (a.k.a Alhaji and Kashmal)

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

pursuant to provisions of Tittle 21 United States Code Section 853, holding in Illinois Division within the jurisdiction of the United States of America for the offences of: “Count 1: Conspiracy to commit knowing and intentionally import and did import into the United States from places outside the United State, quantities of mixtures containing heroin, a schedule 1 Narcotic drug substance, in violation of Tittle 21, United States Code, Section 952(a), punishable under section 960 with a penalty on conviction of a term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years, or a fineof up to USD $10,000,000 in the case of an individual or both,” Adoke said in the application.

Relevant information relating to the case for which the

US wants Kashamu are set out in two affidavits endorsed by Special Agents Wade Usyak and Daniel Morro of the US’s Department of Homeland Security.

They stated that Kashamu, between 1993 ND 1995, allegedly “arranged for couriers, that is, individuals, who were citizens of the US, to travel to Europe and Indonesia to pick up jackets or suitcases lined with heroin and then to smuggle the jackets or suitcases into the US. The couriers also, at times, carried money out of the US to locations overseas. These couriers of the heroin and money are Kashamu’s codefendants and co-conspirators.

“Kashamu arranged the locations to which the co-defendants travelled and the travel routes; the delivery of money to the couriers to cover travel expenses; the delivery of the

heroin in the jackets or suitcases at the overseas locations; the pickup of the jackets or suitcases once the defendants returned to the US; the payment to the co-defendants for their smuggling trips and the smuggling of money out of the US to locations overseas.

“On several occasions, some of the co-defendants, including Nichoolas Fillmore Jr., Catherine Wolters and Ellen Wolters travelled to Benin and stayed with Kashamu in the residence where Kashamu was staying at the time. The co-defendants considered Kashamu as the leader of the smuggling organsiation and they took their direction from him.”

Also attached to the U.S.’s extradition request include “photograph representation identity of Buruji Kashamu and a copy of Buruji

Kashamu’s Benin Republic’s international passport issued on January 21, 1998 and expired in January 20, 2001 with passport number 97BD10871.”

There are also “arrest photograph of Buruji Kashamu; arrest photograph of Buruji Kashamu with Catherine Wolters and arrest photograph of Buruji Kashamu with Ellen Wolters.”

Also accompanying the request are “a certified true copy of a plea agreement entered into between the United States Attorney and defendant Catherine Clearly Wolters (one of Kashamu’s co-suspect) pursuant to Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure”.

The US also exhibited copies of letters and residence permits issued by Gambian authorities in respect of Buruji Kashamu dated July 29, 1991 and April 2, 1991 respectively and a letter of notification of withdrawal of study and request for refund addressed to the Bertitiz Language Center and signed by Buruji Kashamu.”

The U.S. authorities said Kashamu’s co-defendants have had their cases concluded with some plea-bargaining with the authorities.

•Shyllon presenting the agreement to Prof Elegido.

With them is Chairman, Diamond Bank, Mr Pascal Dozie.

INEC to revalidate 2015 election report •Hold post election review retreat From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

T

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on June 15 revalidate the 2015 Election Report.

The validation, according to the commission’s daily bulletin, said the exercise would be a prelude to the Report’s printing and presentation on June 29.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, whose tenure expires this month had on April 22 inaugurated a committee headed

by Dr. Chris O. Iyimoga to author the 2015 Election Report.

Meanwhile, the commission has scheduled a threeday post-election review meeting/retreat for Electoral Officers (E.O.s), Administrative Secretaries and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

According to a statement signed by the Director of Commission’s Secretariat, I.A. Gali, the three-day retreat will start with a meeting with Electoral Officers on Monday at NAF Conference Hall, Kado District, Abuja.

The meeting/retreat for Administrative Secretaries and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), will hold on Wednesday and Thursday at the Le Meridien Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Shyllon donates over N2.2b artworks, seed money to museum

T

HE founder of Omooba Yemisi Adedja Shyllon Foundation, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, has donated 1,200 artworks and cash worth over N2.2billion to the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos. It is part of his donations towards the establishment of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum.

Shyllon, who made the donations at an agreement signing ceremony in Lagos yesterday said: “The money I pledged is what the family has contributed to make the difference. It is no

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

small money but we are very happy doing that. I want to leave this world with a legacy. I want to live a meaningful and purposeful life… I am contributing four members to the nine-member museum supervisory council that will manage, supervise and formulate policies for the museum. The design and construction of the museum will take two years from today before it then opens for enjoyment of Nigerian pub-

lic and the world at large.”

The Vice-Chancellor, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Prof Juan M. Elegido, expressed the university’s gratitude for the donation, saying that the “donation of the museum is significant for many reasons: first it provides an effective way of preserving Prince Shyllon’s collection for posterity while making it available to the public. Secondly, it will greatly enhance the research and educational resource of the university as well as the general public”.

Akwa lbom gets committee on Deep Seaport

A

KWA IBOM State government has inaugurated a 10member Technical Committee on the Ibom Deep Seaport. The seaport is to come on stream on or before December 31, 2018.

Governor Udom Emmanuel, who spoke yesterday after the inauguration of the committee, mandated the members to draw up a road map in collaboration with other stakeholders for the next project phase.

Emmanuel urged the committee to review the Outline Business Case (OBC) and other relevant documents to guide in the timely delivery of the project and to ensure compliance with the ICRC Act, 2005 and the National Policy on PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) in the overall project implementation.

The governor said: “The Ibaka Deep Seaport is an audacious attempt to rewrite the maritime story of Akwa Ibom State. It holds the promise of an industrial revolution of our state. It holds the promise of the industrialisation of Akwa Ibom. It holds the promise of the creation of over 100,000 jobs. It holds the promise of a self-sustaining commercial city with oil and gas support services. It holds the promise of our finally tapping into our awesome and largely untapped maritime potentials.”

The committee has Mrs. Mfon Usoro, a former Director General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency as Chairman while Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Mr. Chidi Izuwah, Mr. Idongesit Udofa, Ekong Umo-Otong, Rear Admiral Francis Akpan, Aniekan Ukpanah, Mr. Charles Udonwah, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi and Engr. Etido Inyang are members.

The committee is to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Transport, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), and Ministerial Project Development Steering Committee (MPDSC) in all procurement processes in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007; evaluate Technical reports from the Transaction Adviser (TA) & Operator and ensure implementation.

Other terms of reference are to work with the host communities in resolving issues incidental to the realisation of the Deep Seaport Project and commence discussion with various investors.

Lagos, others justify laws on ex-governors’, deputies’ pension

L

AGOS, Sokoto, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Kwara states have insisted that they acted legally in enacting laws prescribing pension for former governors and deputy governors of their states.

They said contrary to the argument by plaintiffs in a suit challenging the legitimacy of the laws, the state Houses of Assembly, which enacted such laws, possessed the powers to so act in the absence of a federal legislation to that effect.

The suit now before Justice

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Ahmed Mohammed has the 36 states’ governors, their Houses of Assembly, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission as defendants.

The suit was filed on July 15 last year by Chino Obiagwu on behalf of 36 nongovernmental organisations including Human Development Initiatives. They want the court to void such laws passed by any state in the

country.

The plaintiffs argued that the state Houses of Assembly lacked the legislative competence to enact pension laws for public officials when the constitution has conferred on the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the exclusive power of setting the remuneration of public officials.

In their joint counter-affidavit and notice of preliminary objection to the suit, Lagos State governor and the House of Assembly insisted that RMAFC was not the only

constitutional body empowered to stipulate the remuneration of public officers.

Although Lagos did not deny that such law had been enacted in the state, it argued in a supporting affidavit that the plaintiffs’ suit was misleading because they failed to tender any document to show that the said pension law has been enacted.

“The powers of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission established pursuant to the Act of the National Assembly and made by virtue of

Section 32(d) of the 3rd Schedule to the 1999 constitution to stipulate the remuneration of certain public office holders in Nigeria do not include pension of governors and deputy governors,” Lagos argued in its counter affidavit.

The other states canvassed similar arguments in their objections and counter affidavits.They equally argued that the plaintiffs lacked legal personality, locus standi and consensus among them to initiate the suit.

6

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NEWS

Gbajabiamila, supporters accept Dogara as Speaker

F

ORMER House Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday said he would not go to court over his loss of the speakership to Yakubu Dogara.

Gbajabiamila told reporters after a meeting with the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee that he had no plan to challenge the outcome of the election in court.

He said: “We’ve just gone through an election in the House, so we came to meet with the party regarding the election and how the party is going to remain strong and united and move forward, so that we can deliver the deliverables and programme of the party through the House.”

Asked if he intended to go to court to challenge the outcome of the election, he said: “Go to court for what? I don’t know about the Senate, I can only speak about the House.

Nothing happened in the

Peterside seeks laws against Child Labour

R

IVERS State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Dr Dakuku Peterside has urged leaders and parents to spare a thought for the child as the world marks World Day Against Child Labour.

Peterside, who described children as the future of every generation, pleaded with adults and drivers of public policies to work towards eliminating of discriminatory practices and abuse of children.

In a statement by his media aide, Sylvester Asoya, the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) said: “Child Labour is not only criminal and inhuman; it is also sinful and condemnable. Children are God’s priceless gifts to parents and guardians.

Therefore they are on trust and we must act as responsible caretakers because no man can give life.

“So as the world marks World Day Against Child Labour, we are again reminded of our roles and responsibilities.

“As citizens, we must all speak out against all forms of child labour any where it is found. After all, if we all agree that it is unacceptable for children to engage in any form of labour, then it is also the duty of all of us to rise in defence of this vulnerable group. No matter our condition, we cannot afford to make our children breadwinners as such a move diminishes us as human beings.

Peterside called for childfriendly policies and programmes that will positively affect children.

He warned that except children have access to free and compulsory education, good living conditions, quality health care and opportunities for growth, the desire to have a world free of child labour would remain a mirage.

‘Buhari’s stance encouraged me to contest’

H

OUSE Speaker Yakubu Dogara has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance not to interfere in how the leadership of the National Assembly emerged, encouraged him to contest for the post.

Dogara, who spoke during a meeting with some state caucuses, said he would not be vindictive.

The Northern caucuses urged the Speaker to forget the acrimony caused by the election and work with all parties.

Dogara said: “We must also commend the President for his decision not to interfere in the process leading to our emergence by refusing to imFrom Tony Akowe, Abuja

House, we had an election, it is different from the Senate, in the Senate people were deprived of their fundamental rights to express themselves and vote.

“We will work with the leadership of the House and the speaker; so long that the party’s programmes are properly articulated and pursued on the floor of the House, we will work with the leader of the House. He is an APC member; he is not the speaker of the APC. He is the speaker of the whole House.

That is the prerogative of the party. All I know is that in every association there must be discipline, whatever the party decides to do that is for the party.”

•Meets State caucuses •Says he will run a cohesive House From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

pose anybody on us. It was his stand on this matter that gave us the encouragement to offer ourselves for this leadership.

“Although, we faced a seemingly insurmountable hurdle which took the grace of God to come about like a miracle. So it was Nigerians who made this possible; members from all part of the country, and so we can’t say it was only the people of Bauchi or the Northeast who supported me.”

Dogara said he would not run a divided House.

Also speaking, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, who lost the Deputy Speakership to Yussuff Lasun Sulaiman, said the election was a reality which members have to deal with.

Monguno said: “Some members refused to respect the decision of the party and went to the floor of the House to conduct an election where, with the support of majority of PDP members, some people emerged as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“As it is now, that is the reality is on ground and we have to deal with it. We will not take any step that is going to affect the interest, peace, order and good governance of this country.”

Former national President

“We must come together to bring about stability and unity in the House, so as to make the achievement of the President’s policies a reality by facilitating speeding enactment of legislations that would help him to govern well.”

The joint caucuses of Kano and Jigawa states, which supported Femi Gbajabiamila, were led by Alhassan Garba Ado Doguwa.

Doguwa said the delegation came to congratulate Dogara, adding that the Kano caucus obeyed party directive by voting for Gbajabiamila. He said they have no regrets for doing that.

of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Mallam Mohammed Sani Zorro, said they were satisfied with the party’s explanations on moves being made to address the issue .

He said: “ I can assure you that the measures being worked out by the party, the Presidency and the National Assembly are being triangulated and will involve all the three main institutional stakeholders which are the Presidency, the National Assembly and the party, and I can assure you that it will accommodate all the concerns and the fears and at the end of it, it will provide a single template for everybody to key in.

“Even the senate itself or some element, either in the Senate or at the House of Representatives that appear war like, I can assure you that by the time this template is presented, if they look at it, it is based on reason and rationality and it is going to be based on the reality on the ground.

The party is no longer interested in sentiment. The damage has already been done, we want to keep it at bay and move on. That is what the party wants to do. We are moving on we are no longer interested in all that has happened.

“We have decided to remain loyal to the party because we have seen this kind of situation before. For example, some of us participated in the Peoples Redemp-

Ogunsakin: kidnappings to become history in Southsouth A SSISTANT Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 6 Tunde Ogunsakin has promised to end kidnappings in the Southsouth.

Ogunsakin said the police and other security agencies have identified kidnapping as a major crime and were ready to end the vice soon.

He spoke when he visited the palace of the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon AbasiOtu V. The AIG, a renowned advocate of community policing, used the visit to strengthen the relationship between the police and the traditional institutions in Cross River State.

The police boss ex-

•AIG disowns Facebook account

pressed his love for Calabar, stating how nostalgic he felt on returning to the city as it was the first place he was posted to by the Nigeria Police.

Ogunsakin described the state as peaceful but frowned at the rising crime rate, particularly in Calabar South and urged police bosses in the area to stem the tide.

He told the Obong and his Council of Chiefs of the strategy being employed by the command in addressing kidnappings and other crimes in the state.

The Obong urged the AIG not to relent in the fight

against crime and criminals.

He also pledged the support of the traditional rulers in the state to the police and commended the Zone 6 Command for the display of orderliness and acceptable conduct.

Also, Ogunsakin dissociated himself from a Facebook account.

Ogunsakin, in a statement, said: “We wish to draw the attention of the general public to a dubious Facebook account with name CP Tunde Ogunsakin created on Friday, June 5, 2015.

“The said account has a profile picture of AIG Tunde Ogunsakin donning a Com-

missioner of Police rank and has Port Harcourt listed as a place of residence. The account also bears Ikere, Ekiti State as hometown.

“We hereby deny any affiliation between AIG Tunde Ogunsakin and the fraudulent Facebook account, stating unequivocally that the account is a product of fraudsters and/or criminals.

“For the records, we wish to inform that AIG Ogunsakin is presently the Assistant Inspector General of Police, zone 6, Calabar of the Nigeria Police and does not have and has never had a personal Facebook account in an official capacity and thus encourage wellmeaning Facebook users to be wary of cyber criminals and hackers.“

•Ogunsakin (third left) during the visit to the Obong of Calabar ... yesterday. With them are Zone 6 officers and chiefs

•Dogara

tion Party which had a similar crisis in the states it controlled between 1979 and 1984. Those who remained in the party actually triumphed. “ I can assure you that at the level of the National Assembly, we have the mechanism that will reconcile the whole differences in no time.

“So, we have met with the leadership of the party and we are fully satisfied with the explanations that the party has given to us and we can assure you that this is not beyond the reproach and solution of the party.

“I can assure you as a colleague and a member of the House of Representatives, we are satisfied by the explanation by the chairman of the party on measures itemized first to clean up the mess manage the crisis and de-escalate the tension and achieve early solution t the emerging political brouhaha.”

SSANU protests plan to stop funding staff schools From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

T

HE Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) has condemned the Federal Ministry of Education’s plan to stop the funding of staff schools in federal universities.

During a peaceful protest on Wednesday, members of the University of Ibadan (UI) branch of SSANU, described the step as “repugnant, in bad taste and offensive”.

They carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Prof Okojie, Executive Secretary of NUC must go; The future of our teachers is the future of our children; Nigeria unemployment market is already saturated, don’t add university staff schools to it; An Obnoxious act, we reject it in entirety. We are not ghost workers but were employed by the council of our universities. Tell us why this discrimination. Is it because your children do not attend staff schools?

SSANU says no to privatisation of University Staff Schools.”

The Vice-President of SSANU, Southwest zone, Comrade Alfred Jimoh, said the implementation of such a directive would contravene the creation of universities, and also undermine the industrial peace in the system.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

7

NEWS

USAID, others sign $10.5m grant T‘Cholera claims 500 in Nigeria’ to assist IDPs U NITED States (U.S.) Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have signed $10.5 million grant agreement to assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast.

Mrs. Ratidzal Ndhlovu, who spoke on behalf of the agencies at the event in Abuja yesterday, said they were delighted in signing such agreement, tagged: “Integrated Humanitarian Assistance for Northeast

Nigeria”.

She said insurgency remains the biggest security challenge in Nigeria, adding that it has affected 24.5 million people.

“Since the insurgency started, we have witnessed an upsurge against civilians, schools, religious houses as well as mass abduction of women and children,’’ she said.

Mrs. Ratidzal, who decried the deplorable condition of insurgency survivors, said they urgently need healthcare and psychosocial support.

She said the partners would ensure that IDPs in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have access to basic primary health facilities.

Mrs. Ratidzal said those areas of intervention would include reproductive health, communicable and non communicable disease and nutrition.

She said other areas were immunisation, water, sanitation, psychosocial support and prevention of gender-based violence.

The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador James

Entwistle, said the insurgency in Northeast has created a complex economic crisis affecting millions of people.

Entwistle added that along with other international partners, U.S. was proud to support Nigeria in its fight against insurgency and terrorism.

“The U.S. welcomes President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to taking necessary action to end insurgency,” he said.

Governors Mohammed Jubrilla of Adamawa, Kashim Shetima of Borno and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe witnessed the event.

Military hospital’s chief appeals for blood donation

N

IGERIANS have been urged to voluntarily donate blood to save the lives of security personnel and civilians injured in counterinsurgency operations in the Northeast.

The Commander, Military Hospital, Port Harcourt, Brig.Gen. Nathan Okeji, made the appeal yesterday at the Armed Forces Blood Centre during the commemoration of this year’s World Blood Donor Day in the Rivers State capital.

He said the military had begun collecting blood from donors for this purpose.

Many military personnel and civilians who needed blood urgently, Brig.-Gen. Okeji said, could not afford it as a unit of blood costs N50, 000.

He added: “The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside today to celebrate and encourage people to freely donate blood to save the lives of accident victims and surgery patients, among others.

“This blood donation exercise is targeted at getting as much blood as possible to enable patients who need blood have access to it at little or no cost,” The commandant, who is also the coordinator of Armed Forces Blood Bank, said more than 200 units of blood were needed for distribution to injured military personnel and civilians nationwide.

His words: “When more than 200 units of blood are realised, they will be taken to Northeast

and the Niger Delta, where there are problems of Boko Haram and militancy.

“We are asking that as many people as possible should come out and freely donate blood, so that lives can be saved.”

The exercise, according to the commander, also affords donors the opportunity to be freely screened for HIV and other blood-related ailments.

The Chief Nursing Officer of the Federal Ministry of Health and Donor Care Manager, Mrs. Umah Imaobong, said the nation needed at least 10,000 units of blood monthly.

She said that 200 units of blood currently realised on monthly basis was grossly inadequate, adding that there was severe shortage of blood in hospitals

across the country.

“Blood is not something that can be substituted. When a doctor says a patient needs blood, there is no other alternative than to provide the blood.

“Failure to provide the blood will lead to death of the patient.”

Imaobong said that accident victims, sickle cell carriers, pregnant women, surgery and HIV patients, among others, needed blood on daily basis to survive.

“Thousands of people are dying on daily because they cannot have access to blood; whereas their lives could have been saved, if people made it a habit to donate blood.”

Imaobong urged members of the public between the ages of 18 and 65 to visit military hospitals to donate blood.

HE United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) yesterday said more than 500 people died as a result of cholera outbreak in Nigeria in the last five months.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, UNICEF Mr. Olusoji Adeniyi said this at a two-day workshop for ethical and humanitarian stories reporting for reporters in Kano.

Adeniyi said mortality rate for the outbreak of the scourge called for prompt action and the need for the provision of good accessible water.

“The mortality for cholera in 2015 is over 500 in Nigeria and there are so many deaths still occurring.

“We need to provide good water to prevent cholera outbreaks and ensure that things we eat, especially fruits, are properly cleaned before we consume them,” he said.

Adeniyi added that no fewer than 1,500 persons die in Nigeria yearly as a result of the disease.

He observed that many more people are dying from this condition and the cases were not reported owing to lack of access to information. The officer advised that people should ensure that proper sanitation hygiene was maintained to reduce the outbreak of diseases in our environment.

Saraki: PDP warns against action on National Assembly Clerk, others From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

T

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) against any attempt to intimidate the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, and the National Assembly Service Commission “for performing their statutory functions in Tuesday’s inauguration of senators”.

The PDP said any attempt by the Presidency and the APC to transfer their frustration to the clerk would amount to witch-hunt and victimisation, adding that what happened at the legislature was as a result of the ruling party’s ineptitude.

The opposition was reacting to a statement by presidential spokesman,Mallam Garba Shehu, which indicated that the National Assembly clerk was adequately requested to shift the time for the Assembly’s inauguration, to enable President Muhammadu Buhari address the APC lawmakers, but that the Clerk ignored the request.

No fewer than 51 APC senators were shut out of the election of the Senate President and his deputy.

Only 57 of the 108-member Senate participated in the election where Senators Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu were elected as president and deputy president.

But a statement yesterday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said Shehu’s statement amounted to putting undue pressure on civil servants in the National Assembly for performing their legitimate duties, describing it as a serious signal, which should not be ignored.

“The National Assembly is the citadel of democracy and represents the collective voice of all Nigerians. The PDP, even in opposition, will continue to protect its sanctity and will, therefore, resist any attempt by the APC to undermine its independence and those of other democratic institutions in our country,” the statement said.

Nigerian AU delegate robbed in Johannesburg

A

•From left: Marketing Manager, Gaviscon, RB West Africa Mr. Qaiser Rashid; President, Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN) Prof. Musa Borodo; ConsultantGastroenterologist and Director of Medical Education at Princess Diana of Wales Hospital, United Kingdom, Dr. Asif Naqvi; and Consultant Gastroenterologist, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Dr. Samaila Adamu, at the Gaviscon-sponsored Eighth Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of SOGHIN in Ilorin, Kwara State ...yesterday.

MAJOR manhunt is underway for a group of men, who posed as policemen and robbed a Nigerian delegate in Johannesburg, agency reports indicated yesterday.

Gabriel Gundo is in the city to attend the 25th African Union (AU) summit.

Police confirmed that the taxi transporting Gundo was stopped on Marlboro Drive outside the suburb of Sandton while driving from OR Tambo International Airport.

Police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said the assailants produced police identification and took 570 dollars from the Nigerian, but did not hurt him.

The elite Hawks crime-fighting unit is now investigating whether the robbery was planned or if Gundo’s vehicle was followed from the airport.

Why govt should embrace e-governance, by experts, Oyedepo

A

N Associate Professor at College of Letters and Sciences, Arizona State University, United States (U.S.), Prof. Patience Akpan-Obong, yesterday led other experts in urging the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to embrace the application of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in governance.

She said this would enhance the capacity of state institutions and bridge the gap between political leaders and the governed, thereby promoting national development.

Prof. Akpan-Obong spoke at the CEDS Multipurpose Hall, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State during the Second Covenant University Conference on e-governance in Nigeria, with the theme: “E-governance in Nigeria: Purpose and challenges for civic engagement and participation”.

The lecturer, who was the conference facilitator, said the new administration was ushered in on the wings of ICT through the use of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Card Readers and biometrics among others, which, she noted, shaped the outcome of the election.

“A government that came in on the wings of technology would have no choice than to continue and seek ways to ensure the technologies

By Olatunde Odebiyi

can be used more innovatively,” Prof. AkpanObong added.

She said ministries, departments, agencies and citizens must be made to use ICT in innovative ways.

The lecturer said e-governance deals with the application of information communication technology in government processes.

“It makes work easy, saves time and physical presence is not needed. I spent almost four months doing research in Abuja on e-government and what I was doing was looking into all the Federal ministries to see how they use ICT in their daily processing. People are still doing things in analogue ways. You want to see somebody, you have to apply on a letterheaded paper, and even government officials who have government email addresses do not use them. A lot of them don’t even know how to use it, especially the senior officials.

“You send an email to the permanent secretary and the person who responds is the personal assistant. In many cases, the secretary does not even know how to use his or her email.

“The court does not accept email as evidence.

Why not? We need to start changing it. It is a mindset. We need to change the way we think,

what we think is valid and what we think is not valid. Things have to change. The government has to find a way of doing things more efficiently, more transparently, and with greater degree of accountability and most especially, bridging the gap between government and the people,” she said.

Prof. Akpan-Obong identified the challenges against embracing ICT in the country as infrastructure, mental shift and transparency.

She recalled the old days of journalism when stories were typed using typesetters, adding that the story has changed today.

“When computers came, it was possible for the reporters to type into computers themselves, check grammar and spellings. What happened now is that computers have reduced the job of the proof readers because the computer does grammar check. The typist had to retrain to be able to use the computers, the proof readers had to retain to become copy editors. ICT cannot make you lose jobs, except that some people are not willing to re-train and acquire new skills and to transfer the skills they had into new areas.”

The university’s Chancellor, Bishop David Oyedepo, congratulated the organisers of the programme, adding that the country required the conference because of urgent need to em-

brace the use of ICT. In his keynote address, Director-General, Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack, who was represented by his Director of Corporate Strategy and Research, Vincent Olatunji, noted that “human capital and willingness, the ability to make things happen, to change from the old ways of doing things to the new trend” are the major challenges of ICT in Nigeria.

He added that if it was not properly addressed, the nation would be deceiving itself.

The Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof. Charles Ayo, noted that research has shown that the electorates were losing interest in participatory democracy, “perhaps on account of trust or level of delivery of the elected officers”.

“We know it’s a common practice in Nigeria to vote in the officials and you don’t see them again until the next time when they are coming for election. We lack the means of holding them accountable for whatever thing they do while in office and it is most likely to continue in this way,” Prof. Ayo said.

He stressed that e-governance should be embraced in totality, both in its application and adoption, management and in every sphere of administration.

8

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NEWS Senator Tinubu urges unity, prayer on June 12

Public holiday in Lagos, Ogun,Osun, Oyo

L

AGOS, Ogun, Osun and Oyo states have declared today a public holiday to mark the 22nd anniversary of the annulled June 12 presidential election.

A circular yesterday by the Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs. Shade Jaji, to all Ministries, Department and Agencies reads: “Towards the entrenchment of democratic ideals in Nigeria and in commemoration of June 12, 1993 as significant day to Nigerians, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has graciously approved today a work-free day.”

There will be a public lecture at the Blue Roof of the Lagos State Television with the theme “Sustainability of Democratic values the Nigerian Experience”.

In the circular, Ambode enjoined public servants to attend events organised in commemoration of the day.

Immortalise June 12, says Ondo APC From Damisi Ojo, Akure

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to recognise “June 12”, as a symbolic day of democracy, freedom and liberty for Nigeria.

A statement in Akure by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to enact a law, institutionalising June 12 as Freedom or Liberty Day. The party said: “June 12, 1993 is a day Nigerians spoke in one voice to elect the most popular President, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, in an election that was annulled by the military junta, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

“We will continue to celebrate, respect, honour, remember, and pray for that day, June 12, Chief MKO Abiola, and those that lost their lives and their families, in and or for the actualisation of the mandate given on June 12, and military must go.”

By our reporters

A statement byDirector, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Osun State Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, said the holiday was meant to mark the day the

country united to vote a candidate of its choice without religious or ethnic consideration.

According to him, June 12 is significant and central to the development of democracy

that the nation is now enjoying.

He said: “Governor Rauf Aregbesola has approved today as public holiday to enable our people observe the day that Nigerians closed all ranks.

“Nigerians should reflect on the significance of June 12, the sacrifice made by the late Chief Moshood Abiola.”

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, in a statement by the Head of Service, Soji Eniade, said: “ Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved today to be observed as public holiday.”

Ajimobi urged the people to remain steadfast in their prayers for sustainable democracy in Nigeria and development in Oyo State.

Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa urged residents to spend the day in peaceful celebration of the anniversary.

•Senator Tinubu

S

ENATOR Oluremi Tinubu has urged Nigerians to remain united and prayerful as they mark the anniversary today of the June 12 1993 presidential election presumably won by Bashorun Moshood Abiola.

In a statement she personally signed yesterday, titled: Goodwill message, Senator Tinubu said the election “marked the date Nigerians spoke with one voice through the ballot in what was widely acclaimed as a free and fair election by voting for the late Chief MKO Abiola.”

According to her, Nigerians indicated their desire for unity, peace and progress in that election.

The statement said: “The events that followed the annulment of the election led to loss of lives and drove many of us into exile where we agitated for the return of peaceful democratic rule.

“Twenty two years on, the declaration of results and

inauguration that was refused by the military has birthed yet another democracy while our nation has witnessed the wind of change in the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Those of us privileged to witness this period in history would forever remain grateful that the agitations of June 12 have not been in vain.

We must however, not forget the martyrs of the struggle, who lost their lives because they believed in a democratic Nigeria.

“We honour our heroes when we remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice to allow us enjoy the present democratic dispensation.

Nigeria’s democratic foundation continues its consolidation with the recent emergence of the new government.

“We can now look forward to a Nigeria where insecurity will be combated; electricity will be constant, where every institution works and where citizens understand their rights, responsibilities and obligations.

“Doing this will unite our interests and beliefs for an undivided nation; as we are bound in freedom, peace and unity.”

Ambode: rural growth my priority

L •Mrs Adebule(middle); Quadri (second left) ; Permanent Secretary Babatunde Sanuth (second right) ; Director Community Development Ministry of Rural Development Mrs. Yinka Gisari and Sanni...yesterday.

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Ikere regent accused of ‘sit-tight’ plan

A

GROUP of women supporting one of the contestants for the stool of the Ogoga of Ikere in Ekiti State, Adejimi Adu, has accused the Akayejo ruling house of sponsoring protests in the community.

The Ikere Women Front (IWF) alleged that the Regent, Princess Ayooye AdegboyeOyinlola, harboured “sittight” plan, adding that she is unwilling to vacate the royal seat she is occupying since the demise of her father, Oba Adegoke Adegboye-Oyinlola.

IWF leader Mrs. Ilori Ogunlade, who spoke with reporters yesterday, accused the Regent of plotting to impose her stooge as the next Ogoga.

She claimed that the protesting women belonged

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

•’It’s not true’

to the Akayejo ruling house.

The women, she said, were “ignorantly mobilised” to protest against Adu’s choice in order to rubbish the government’s image.

Mrs. Ogunlade said: “Those women are not genuine Ikere women. They are wives and children of the Akayejo ruling house.

“If you know the history of Ikere women, you will know we do not converge for cheap and sectional interest like this.

“When we fight for anything it is for the general good of the town. lf you are a true mother, you would not say somebody can not be king

because his mother is from Okekere because tomorrow the reprisal may be on your side,” she warned.

But the regent denied harboring a “sit-tight” plan. She expressed her willingness to leave the palace as soon as the new Ogoga is installed.

She described the allegation against the Akayejo ruling house, of which she is a member, as blackmail.

Her words: “Some of them behind these crises have been arrested. All I can say is that this is unfair and very bad for these people involving me and even blackmailing me and trying to destroy my father’s name.

“They should not malign

my name. I did not sponsor any protest. I am a qualified teacher and anytime they are ready to install a new king, I am ready to vacate the palace because I have a job.

“The royal families laying claim to the throne have the right to do so, and the women protesting have the right to do so. They have their own family names which all of them are representing.

“How does this concern me? This is unfair and I want to say this anybody who maligns my father’s name will be cursed because I don’t have anything to do with who becomes the next Ogoga.

“I don’t have interest in the selection process and it will be very unfair for anybody to come and rope me in.”

We’re committed to workers’ welfare, says Aregbesola

O

SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said his administration remains committed to workers’ welfare.

He spoke when the Area Comptroller, Oyo and Osun Command of the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), Muhammed Bawa, visited him.

Aregbesola said the government has not been able to pay salaries because of its dire finances.

He, however, said no one can suggest or establish that

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

the administration is reckless.

The governor said an efficient and effective Customs Services is a veritable tool for improving the economy.

A sure way for the country to protect and expand its economy is by ensuring that local industries are protected adequately.

The governor said for West Africa’s economic development to be fast-

tracked, there must be a free Customs zone in the subregion.

“Nigeria, at this time, needs an effective and efficient Customs to improve and expand the economy of the country,”he said.

Bawa said his command came to Osun to educate auto-dealers on how to legally run their business.

He admitted that Osun, unlike other states, has fewer cases of illegal importation being a landlocked state, but noted that many illegal-

ly imported vehicles still find their way to the state.

He said: “We have come to this state to meet with motor dealers; we have come to advise them to enhance understanding and compliance to rules and regulation of the land.

“We want to reach them so that most of the illegally imported vehicles do not come to Osun, and it wouldn’t be seen as being a harsh decision when customs officials perform their legitimate functions.”

AGOS State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said the policy thrust of his administration will be community development.

He spoke yesterday when he met with members of the Neighbourhood Watch and Community Development Committees.

The governor, represented by Deputy Governor Oluranti Adebule at the interactive session, said his administration would give back government to the communities.

“Let me assure you that going forward you will be playing more significant and critical role in this administration. The present administration is giving back government to the communities.

“We know that if we develop the community, we have developed the local government that means we are equally developing the state. But we will not start from up, we will start from the bottom so that we will go up like that.”

Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator Alhaji Akeem Sanni thanked the government for always according the watchers recognition.

Advisory Council of the Community Development Committees Chairman Alhaji T.A Quadri who spoke on behalf of his members expressed the CDC members’ appreciation to the state.

Ekiti Assembly condemns kidnap From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

E

KITI State House of Assembly has condemned the kidnap of Rev. Emmanuel Akingbade in Ido Ekiti, Ido/ Osi Local Government Area.

The lawmakers described his abduction as “a conspiracy against the Ayo Fayose administration.”

The kidnap of the parish priest of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church has thrown the community into panic.

Eleven kidnappings have been reported in the Ido Ekiti axis.

The Assembly, in a statement yesterday by its Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, urged security agencies to do everything to rescue the cleric.

The lawmakers urged security agencies to live up to expectation and curtail the rising wave of kidnapping.

I’m alive, says Oyo lawmaker From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

M

EMBER lrepresenting Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives Temitope Olatoye (Sugar) has said he is alive and well.

It was rumoured yesterday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker has been shot by gunmen in Abuja.

The lawmaker said he is hale and hearty. He blamed the death rumour on his political enemies.

Olatoye said he had received over 100 phone calls from concerned friends and family members.

He urged his supporters, associates and the constituency to disregard the rumour.

Ajimobi launches waste to energy project

O

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has assured the people, especially residents of Ajakanga area in Oluyole Local Government Area of stable power supply.

The governor spoke yesterday at the ground breaking for a public-private partnership driven waste to energy project at Ajakanga landfill in Oluyole Local Government.

9

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NEWS ‘No June 12, no Nigeria’

Govt sacks UNIOSUN management

S

HE Osun State government has accepted the recommendation of the visitation panel on the crisis rocking the State University (UNIOSUN) to sack the institution’s management, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

Bashiru Okesina.

The White Paper released by the Visitor to the university, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, recommended that Okesina, Registrar Dr. Julius Faniran and Bursar Fatai Lasisi be relieved of their positions.

The government also accepted the panel’s recommendation for the dissolution of the Governing Council, led by Prof. Gabriel Adesiyan Olawoyin.

But the governing council would be allowed to complete the process of the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor before its

PEAKER of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudasiru Obasa has described the June 12, 1993 presidential election as “the mother of the present democratic dispensation in Nigeria”.

Obasa said without the election, it would have been difficult for Nigerians to enjoy democracy.

The Speaker said it has become imperative for Nigerians to not only celebrate the historic event but also reflect on its significance.

“It was a major political event in Nigeria’s history and it deserves to be celebrated.

“It was the harbinger of the present day democracy.

It was the fairest, freest and most accepted election ever not only in Nigeria but also in Africa. June 12 is thus the mother of our present democracy.

“It was June 12 that gave birth to May 29, which is being celebrated as Democracy Day. “For us in Lagos State and other states marking the anniversary, it is the day Nigerians got their independence from the military, it is our Democracy Day.”

T

•Governing Council dissolved From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

dissolution in December.

The governor had set up the panel to probe the crisis and come up with recommendations.

The panel, in its report, said based on its findings and evidence, “the relationship between the Governing Council, led by Prof. G. A. Olawoyin and management led by Prof. A. B. Okesina, has broken down almost irretrievably.

“We also strongly believe that it would amount to a waste of efforts trying to reconcile the two parties as it is obvious that they both cannot continue to work together harmoniously for the progress of the university.”

The government also accepted the recommendation for the termination of the appointment of Prof. Siyan Oyeweso for his role in the crisis.

Also, the government accepted that Prof. Wasiu Alamu Gbolagade should not be allowed to hold any position in the university because of his roles as well.

The government accepted the recommendation of the panel that Prof. B R Olorede should not hold any position of responsibility in the institution for the next five years.

The chairman, Uniosun Branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Oluesye Abiona, was warned to desist from using the union to pursue his

private interests.

He was advised to foster a responsible and harmonious leadership on Uniosun ASUU. Abiona was also relieved of his appointment as Coordinator of the Centre for Renewable Energy.

He is to be replaced with a senior person.

The government also said Lasisi, Prof. Kizito Folorunsho, Prof. Wasiu Alamu Gbolagade and others are to refund into the coffers of the university various sums of money they allegedly misappropriated.

The government noted the Panel’s recommendation that the Visitor should consider ultimately reducing the number of campuses from six to three, with a campus each in the state’s three senatorial districts.

‘Change 6-3-3-4 education system’ From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

A

N education expert, Muyiwa Bamgbose, has advised the Federal Government to change the 6-3-3-4 educational system.

Bamgbose, who is also the Director of Educational Advancement Centre, (EAC), Ibadan, gave this advice yesterday at a ceremony for graduating pupils in the school.

He said: “It is necessary that the government changes the long overdue 6-3-3-4 system.

“The system has been the beginning of decay in our educational system. The system was adopted so that the senior secondary school will be for the academically inclined students while the less endowed will go for technical education after their junior secondary school.

Bamgbose said it was disheartening that since that move, virtually everyone has been “passing” the JSS examination while technical colleges have gone into “extinction”.

He said secondary schools should be running A’ level programme, an initiative EAC has imbibed.

•Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), Speaker Mudasiru Obasa (third left), Deputy Speaker Wasiu EshilokunSanni (third right), Majority Leader Sina Agunbiade (second left), Deputy Majority Leader Olumuyiwa Jimoh (left), Chief Whip Rotimi Abiru (right) and Deputy Chief Whip Omotayo Oduntan when the Assembly’s principal officers visited the governor...yesterday.

EFCC urges court not to quash suit against ex-OAU director, others T

HE Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) yesterday urged Justice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan not to quash the case against former Executive Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) of the Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Benjamin Adefemi for alleged N115 million fraud.

EFCC arraigned Ogunbodede, Zaccheaus Tejumola, Adenose Clement and Jalekun Omitowoju Yisua on a 17count charge, following petitions against them by the staff unions of the institute and the industrial action that paralysed the research

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

institute for over 11 months.

The charge reads: “The accused on or about June 6 2011 conspired amongst themselves to commit an offence to wit: conversion of the sum of N115,750,000, which was derived from theft and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 No. 11 and punishable under Section 15 of the same Act.” At the resumed sitting yesterday, counsel to the first defendant (Ogunbodede),

Tunde Oluponna, brought an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter and urging the court to strike it out.

According to Oluponna, since the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) had instituted a case against the accused before an Oyo State High Court of the same offences, it amounted to abuse of court processes for EFCC to institute another charge against the accused persons before the court.

But the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, opposed the application, saying the

chargess for which the accused are standing trial before the High Court is different from the ones brought against them by the ICPC. Describing the application as un-meritorious, Oyedepo urged the court to dismiss it, as according to him, Exhibit EA01 before the court shows clearly that the applicants were not charged with money laundering in the case pending before the state high court.

After listening to the arguments of the counsel, Justice Emmanuel adjourned the case till September 28 for ruling on the application.

Lagos, others justify laws on ex-governors’, deputies’ pension

L

AGOS, Sokoto, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Kwara states have insisted that they acted legally in enacting laws prescribing pension for former governors and deputy governors.

It is their contention that contrary to the argument by plaintiffs in a suit challenging the legitimacy of the laws, the Houses of Assembly, which enacted such laws possessed the powers to so act in the absence of a federal legislation to that effect.

The suit before Justice

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Ahmed Mohammed has the 36 governors, their Houses of Assembly, the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) as defendants.

The suit was filed on July 15 last year by Chino Obiagwu on behalf of 36 non-governmental organisations, including Human Development Initiatives.

They want the court to void such laws passed by any

state.

The plaintiffs argued that the Houses of Assembly lacked the legislative competence to enact pension laws for public officials when the constitution has conferred on the RMAFC, the exclusive power of setting the remuneration of public officials.

In their joint counter-affidavit and notice of preliminary objection to the suit, Lagos State governor and the House of Assembly insisted that RMAFC was not the only constitutional body empow-

ered to stipulate the remuneration of public officers.

Although Lagos did not deny that such law had been enacted in the state, it argued in a supporting affidavit that the plaintiffs’ suit was misleading because they failed to tender any document to show that the said pension law has been enacted.

“The powers of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission established pursuant to the Act of the National Assembly and made by virtue of Sec-

tion 32(d) of the 3rd Schedule to the 1999 Constitution to stipulate the remuneration of certain public office holders in Nigeria do not include pension of governors and deputy governors,” Lagos argued in its counter affidavit..

Other states canvassed similar arguments in their objections and counter affidavits. They equally argued that the plaintiffs lacked legal personality, locus standi and consensus among them to initiate the suit.

Two more die in Rivers ogogoro consumption From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

T

HE lawmaker representing Gokana in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mgbulelo Lebura Israel, has said two more persons died yesterday, following the consumption of suspected contaminated local gin, ogogoro.

He said several others were hospitalised.

Nearly 60 persons reportedly died last week in various communities in Rivers State, especially in Gokana, Woji and Bonny, following their consumption of the local gin.

Israel was contributing to a “motion of urgent public importance” introduced by House Leader Martins Amaewhule.

He said: “As we speak, report just came in that two other persons died this morning; some others were taken to the hospital.

“We have a family where the father, the mother and a child died because of the consumption of the local gin.”

The lawmaker said relief materials should be sent to the affected families.

Speaker Ikuinyi Ibani urged the Ministry of Health to appear before the Assembly.

The Assembly, Ibani said, would know how to join other relevant agencies to tackle the matter.

The Speaker also urged the Ministry of Health to investigate the deaths and identify the source of the local gin.

Ibani noted that the state comprises more coastal communities which consumed the local gin to ward off cold.

The Speaker said public enlightenment was important in disseminating information on the danger of consuming the illicit gin.

On the enforcement of the ban on ogogoro, as directed by the Federal Government, he said: “The issue of enforcement is important. I don’t think the agency charged with the enforcement will extort people.”

A five-man ad hoc committee, headed by Micheal Chinda, was set up to conduct a public hearing and report back to Assembly on Tuesday.

Wike appoints aides From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

R

IVERS State Governor Nyesom Wike has appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Korea, Desmond Akawor, as the Sole Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt Development Authority.

Akawor, who was appointed ambassador by former President Goodluck Jonathan, will take over from Dame Aleruchi CookeyGam, who was appointed by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Wike sacked CookeyGam, following his May 29 inauguration.

The governor also constituted a new board of the development authority.

The board’s chairman is Chief Ferdinand Alabraba.

Its members are: Mrs. Florence Amiesimaka, Okas Wike, Chima Boms, Tonte Davies, Nnamdi Obuzor and Gloria Akor.

10

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

11

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

CITYBEATS Trader jailed 21 years for defiling girl, six A N Ikeja High Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced a 27-yearold trader, Chidi Ibiam to 21 years imprisonment for defiling a six-year-old girl.

Justice Sedoten Ogunsanya found Ibiam, who lives in the Baruwa Area of Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, guilty of defilement.

“I have noted before me all the relevant facts of this case; the defendant is hereby found guilty of the crime of defilement and is sentenced to 21 years in prison,” Justice Ogunsanya said.

During the trial, the prosecution led by Mr Adebayo Haroun, a state counsel, told the court that Ibiam committed the offence on December 15, 2012.

Haroun said the convict was caught after the victim

By Adebisi Onanuga

reported the assault to her mother.

According to the prosecution, the convict is well known to the victim’s family as he is a neighbour and a church member.

The convict denied the charge.

The victim told the court that the defendant had unlawful carnal knowledge of her on 12 occasions in a shop and in a neighbour’s house.

“He used to give me garri and money; then he would ask me to sit on his laps before he would start touching me,” she said.

The victim referred to Ibiam’s genitals as “tom

tom” throughout her testimony.

In her judgment, Justice Ogunsanya urged parents to teach their children the right names of male and female genitals.

Another prosecution witness, Dr Adefunke Adeoye of Orile-Agege General Hospital, told the court that when she examination on the victim, she found evidence of sexual assault and broken hymen.

Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, states: “Any person who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a child is guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for life.’

Residents lament power outage

R

ESIDENTS of Ije-Ododo in Ojo area of Lagos yesterday urged Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) to urgently restore power to the community.

They claimed that the community was thrown into darkness following Monday’s pipeline explosion, which damaged many electricity poles.

The explosion, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), followed illegal activities by suspected vandals at NNPC’s pipeline at Ije-Ododo.

The Baale of Ije-Ododo, Alhaji Tajudeen Subair-Ododo, told NAN that the community has been thrown into darkness since explosion, adding that it used to experience such outage for several months whenever pipelines exploded.

He, enjoined the electricity company to replace the affected poles.

Mr Taofik Idowu, a teacher, said the outage had a terrible

economic impact on the community, as business activities, adding: “This is not the first time that pipeline explosion has occurred here. Members of the community are the ones suffering for the outage.’’

Mrs Chinyere Okorie, a frozen food seller, said the outage is affecting her business, noting: “The damage done by the pipeline explosion to electricity poles has started affecting my business. We were just thanking the electricity company because power was stable and this has happened now. After the last explosion, we suffered for three months. Only God knows when power supply will be restored in the community,” she said.

Mr Pekun Adeyanju, Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs Division, Ikeja Electric, said the fire would soon begin repair of the poles.

Adeyanju said the management was aware of the problem, adding that the company would

soon swing into action to put things in order. He appealed to the community to bear with the company.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said last night that the pipeline fire has been put out.

Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the NEMA spokesman in the South-West, said the rains and swampy nature of the land made it difficult for emergency officials to reach the site of the incident early.

He said that platforms made of wooden planks were constructed to enable officials reach the site “But thank God, we have gotten to the fire point and with the assistance of emergency agencies, the fire has been put off,’’ he said.

Farinloye said that pumping of petroleum products would resume immediately after the affected pipeline had been repaired.

Police warn commercial motorcyclists

T

HE Lagos State Police Command restated yesterday its warning to commercial motorcycle operators not to ply prohibited routes, saying offenders would be arrested.

Its Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kenneth Nwosu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the ban was still in force, adding that strict enforcement would continue.

“The ban on Okada riding on expressways still stands;

we know so many of the commercial motorcyclists will want to break the law and that is where enforcement comes in. Anyone of them we see plying the expressway will be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law,” Nwosu said.

Some commercial motorcycles have suddenly resumed operation on Ikorodu Road, Lagos /Abeokuta Expressway and some other prohibited routes.

The PPRO also reacted to reports of robberies by hoodlums riding motorcycles

who forcefully dispossess pedestrians of their belongings.

“Wherever incidents like this occur, reports should be made to the nearest police station so that we can intensify our surveillance on that route. People should not just keep quiet and assume that the police is aware of all the occurrences,” he said.

Nwosu said people should not hesitate to provide police with information that would help in providing them with adequate security.

‘Hand over new Oyingbo Market to traders’

T

HE women’s leader of the popular Oyingbo Market on Lagos Mainland, Alhaja Basirat Balogun, yesterday appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to hand over the new market complex to traders.

She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the handing over was long overdue since the market was inaugurated in March.

She lamented that ex-Governor Babatunde Fashola could not fulfil his promise to hand over the complex before leaving office.

“Fashola delivered on his campaign promise to build

the market and we are happy, but we do not know why he could not handover the market to us after it was commissioned. We complained to the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure which promised that Governor Fashola was going to hand it over.

“My market members have been asking questions on when they would move into the shops; some of them feel so disappointed. We want the new administration to officially hand the market over to us,” she said.

The market leader, however, said that lack of adequate drainage channels around the

entire market was causing flooding whenever it rained.

She appealed to Ambode to construct drainage channels around the market to avert flooding.

NAN, however, learnt that Fashola could not hand over the market before his exit because of incomplete documentation.

The complex has 902 lockup shops, 49 open offices and 134 toilets.

Other facilities in the complex include 150-capacity car park, water, sewage and refuse treatment plants, fire safety gadgets, heavy duty generators and six gate houses, among others.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

12

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

We have 1.1b litres fuel stock, says NNPC From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

T

HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora tion (NNPC) yesterday said its subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) presently has a stock level of 1.1billion litres of fuel representing 27 days sufficiency.

It stressed that the stock excludes volumes with confirmed delivery dates within the next couple of days.

NNPC Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Joseph Dawha , said the state-run oil firm is ready to work with all relevant stakeholders in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry to bring to an end the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.

Its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, in a statement, explained that the NNPC boss spoke while on a tour of some filling stations in Abuja with top management staff of the Corporation.

Dawha noted that the NNPC as the supplier of last resort, has improved availability of petrol in the country and would ensure its effective distribution nationwide.

He said arising from the meeting with petroleum products marketing stakeholders last week, the NNPC and its downstream subsidiary PPMC is committed to bringing the fuel queue situation to an end in Abuja and across the other states of the federation.

Elizade varsity, Vigeo Power partner on manpower devt From Osagie Otabor, Benin

A

UTHORITIES of the Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State and Vigeo Power Limited yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the grooming of skilled workforce in the power sector.

Vigeo Power is the core investor of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), one of the distribution companies that emerged from the unbundled Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Managing Director of BEDC, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, said the partnership was to set new standards and improving the power industry human capital requirement.

Mrs. Osibodu said the newly recruited 200 graduates of the BEDC would be sent to Elizade University for classroom training after undergoing one year on-the-job rotational training.

She noted that the idea of the partnership was to train and groom existing and newly recruited young graduates as well as non-graduate apprentices to improve performance of the company and ultimately build capacity in the power sector.

I always like to emphasise that I am never too keen on bailouts because they are always fraught with malpractices just like waivers and things like that. It’s always better to have a level playing field.

-Managing Director of Cocosheen Nigeria Limited, Henry Boyo

accountants Banks’ loans stand at N14tr, Lagos urged to invest in agric says Bankers Committee •Banks to name debtors Aug.1 A T

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

HE Bankers’ Commit tee yesterday said to tal bank credit now stands at between N13 trillion and N14 trillion, adding that three per cent of this huge credit is not performing.

Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday at the end of the Bankers’ Committee meeting, Director, Banking Supervision, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mrs Tokunbo Martins, said: “Total bank credit stands at between N13 trillion to N14 trillion; of this amount, about three per cent of that (N390 billion) is not performing. This means that the industry is very sound.”

According to her, industry threshold should not exceed five per cent, and since the bad debts are only three per cent of the total banking sector credit, the industry “is stable and the CBN is satisfied with that since bad debts

From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja (Assistant Editor)

have not crossed the threshold set.”

The CBN director said she was aware that over 70 projects have so far been financed from the N220 billion MSME fund but that she does not have the details of banks that are not participating.

She warned serial debtors that “the date is drawing close to publish names of serial debtors, by 1st August, banks will publish names of debtors and we urge debtors to pay up.

“Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, United Bank of Africa (UBA) Mr. Philip Oduoza said 12,500 customers have so far enrolled under the Bank Verification Number (BVN) exercise which will end in a few weeks time. He said

though this is encouraging, there is still need to do more to close the gap before the deadline of June 30th this year.

Oduoza warned that in the event that bank customers do not enroll they may lose certain banking services.

Oduoza said: “We have seen substantial enrollment to enable the unique bank identity which the BVN represents, customers who fail to enroll by 30th of June may not be able to enjoy banking services like getting credits, access to forex, their internet banking might be shut down.”

He urged bank customers to enroll “because it carries you through the entire banking system.”

Oduoza also said a “lot of progress has been made with regard to the cashless policy

in the six pilot states and because of the success recorded, we are thinking of going nationwide by end-third quarter of this year.”

Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank, Mr. Jubril Aku said the Bankers Committee has reviewed all the foreign exchange activities and looked at the supply side of forex activities and they were optimistic that both the “CBN and banks will meet legitimate demands.”

He said the Bankers Committee was satisfied with the stability attained in the system and denied claims of speculation in the foreign exchange (forex) market, “because the open position limit of banks is very tiny. The market remains stable as every demand that has come in has been met and any demand not met has not come into the system.”

•From left: Divisional Head, Transaction Banking of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mrs. Rolayo Akhigbe; Group Head, Conglomerates, Mrs. Chinyere MudaSanusi and Chief Executive Officer, Konga.com, Mr. Sim Shagaya, at the launch of KongaPay in Lagos.

CCOUNTANTS in the Lagos State public service have been urged to take advantage of the present economic situation in the country by investing in the agricultural sector.

President, Institute of Chartered Accounts of Nigeria (ICAN), Otunba Femi Deru, who spoke yesterday at the fifth Annual Public Lecture of Lagos State Public Service Chapter of the association, said agriculture before now contributed about 42 per cent to the country’s revenue, adding that it remains one area that the country is capable of utilising to resolve its economic challenges.

In his opening remarks, Chapter chairman, Mr. Abdul Adekunle, said agriculture has the potential to contribute immensely to the economy of the country if well harnessed.

He explained that the theme for the lecture was carefully chosen after appraising recent happenings in the nation urging the accountants to take advantage of the opportunities within the sector.

“ICAN, since its formation, has consistently been in the fore front of awakening its immediate society in the areas of national issues with the aim of providing a platform by which issues of national interest are discussed. There cannot be a more appropriate time than this with the emergence of a new government which inherited a bewildered economy.”

He said the Nigerian economy has largely depended on the proceeds from the sale of oil, which is at the expense of other sectors such as solid minerals and agriculture that contribute significantly to the nation’s economy.

In his lecture titled ‘Agriculture: Catalyst for Socio-economic Development’, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Dr. Yakubu Bashorun, stressed the need to diversify and explore opportunities within the sector.

Order against new electricity tariff subsisting, says court

J

ustice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday renewed the order restraining the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) from implementing the new electricity tariff.

The new billing for power consumption was to take effect from June 1.

Justice Idris, in a short ruling, held: “The ex-parte order remains valid and subsisting.”

The judge had restrained NERC and the electricity distribution companies from effecting any increment in electricity tariff pending the hearing and determination of a suit by a Lagos lawyer, Toluwani Adebiyi.

Yesterday, Adebiyi said NERC had been served but was yet to respond. He urged

By Joseph Jibueze

the court to renew the order so as to preserve the subject matter of the suit.

He said: “My Lord, everybody is affected. Even this court is running on generator. There is a need to stop them from increasing the electricity tariff because Nigerians can’t afford such and there is no justification for such increment.”

NERC’s legal officer Ifeanyi Umunna said the commission had complied with the interim orders, adding that the commission was in the process of appointing a lawyer to defend the suit.

He pleaded for more time to do so.

Adebiyi, in the suit, is seeking an order restraining the NERC from implementing

any upward review of electricity tariff without a meaningful and significant improvement in power supply at least for 18 hours in a day in most communities in Nigeria.

He also wants an order restraining the NERC from foisting compulsory service charge on pre-paid meters not until “the meters are designed to read charges per second of consumption and not a flat rate of service not rendered or power not used.”

He also wants the service charge on pre-paid meters not to be enforced until there is visible efficient and reliable power supply like those of foreign countries where the idea of service charge was borrowed.

Adebiyi is asking for an or-

der of court mandating the NERC to do the needful and generate more power to meet the electricity use of Nigerians, adding that the needful should include and not limited to a multiple longterm financing approach, sourced from the banks, capital market, insurance and other sectors of finance to power the sector.

The lawyer is asking the court to mandate the NERC to make available to all Nigerians within a reasonable time of maximum of two years, prepaid meters as a way to stop the throat-cutting indiscriminate estimated bill and which must be devoid of the arbitrary service charge, but only chargeable on power consumed.

In an affidavit in support of

the suit personally deposed to by the applicant, the lawyer lamented that despite the motto and mission of NERC which were expressly stated as “keeping the light on and to meet the needs of Nigeria for safe, adequate, reliable and affordable electricity,” most communities in Nigeria do not get more than 30 minutes if electricity supply, while the remaining 23 hours and 30 minutes were always without light and in total darkness.

“Nigeria poor masses are paying an estimated and indiscriminate residential bills ranging from N5,000 to N18,000, spending an average of N15, 000 to N20,000 for fuel to maintain generating set,” he said.

Justice Idris adjourned till July 9 for hearing.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

13

14

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

15

FRIDAY JUNE 12, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

JUNE 12 ANNIVERSARY

The memory of the June 12 presidential election lingers on. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the issues that led to its annulment and the role played by the principal actors in the saga.

June 12: The grand conspiracy T

ODAY, June 12, 2015, marks the 22nd anniversary of the 1993 presidential poll that is widely regarded as the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s political history. Millions of Nigerians who trooped out to cast their ballots on that day demonstrated to the world that they are united. The fact that the flagbearers of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and Babagana Kingibe, were both Muslims did not matter to them. Their ethnic background was also not a factor during the election. The primary focus of the electorates was the programmes of their party and the personality of the candidates.

On the election day, Abiola waited patiently under the sun to vote. Unknown to him, the powerful forces within and outside the military who were not comfortable with the idea of him becoming President would annul the election. The exercise was peaceful nationwide without any hitches or disturbances. While the vote count was on, with Abiola comfortably leading, the self-styled military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, struck.

He ordered the electoral body -- National Electoral Commission (NEC) -- to stop further announcement of the results and on June 23, 1993, he annulled the election.

This announcement was followed by spontaneous protests, mostly in the Southwest. To justify the annulment, Babangida in a nationwide broadcast claimed “there were allegations of irregularities and other acts of bad conduct leveled against the presidential candidates. But, the Prof. Humphrey Nwosu-led NEC went ahead to clear them.

If I allow Bashorun (MKO) to become the President ‘they’ will kill him and ‘they’ will kill me (IBB) and ‘they’ may not spare you (Omoruyi) because ‘they’ know you are with me now and working with me on this matter •IBB

•Abiola

Secret behind annulment The Director-General of Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS), the late Professor Omo Omoruyi, gave an insight into why the election was annulled. He was the intermediary between Babangida and Abiola. He knew all that transpired between them before June 12, 1993 and thereafter. He reflected in his account: “I recall my meeting with our common friend, Gen. Babangida on June 21, 1993 on the June 12 issue; I remember very vividly how the General exploded ‘Professor, I cannot go on with the presidential election’. I asked why, because both of us knew before that day that our common friend, Chief Abiola had won the June 12, 1993 presidential election. I thought we should be happy. This was the first time I knew that we were in trouble.

“The General went on: If I allow Bashorun (MKO) to become the President ‘they’ will kill him and ‘they’ will kill me (IBB) and ‘they’ may not spare you (Omoruyi) because ‘they’ know you are with me now and working with me on this matter.”

According to Prof. Omoruyi, Gen. Babangida finally summoned courage and had a meeting with Chief Abiola on July 4, 1993 in the Presidential Villa. This was after the annulment. He said: “What was IBB planning to achieve then? Maybe he was planning to implement what the northern leaders told him to do, ‘offer Abiola money in lieu of the mandate’. The northern leaders actually advised IBB: ‘pay him off or as Nigerians would say, ‘settle him’. Chief Abiola told me in London on my hospital bed that he turned this down. In his words, ‘Omo, I told him, the suggestion was an insult not only to my person, but to the Nigerian people”.

Analysts say Abiola election would have led to a shift of power from the North to the South, but some persons were not comfortable with it. Most importantly it would have also led to a shift of power from the military to civilians through the ballot box.

Babangida endorsed Abiola’s candidature Omoruyi gave two reasons why he believed Babangida endorsed Abiola for the June 12 presidential election. He said: “First, IBB saw it as a way of resolving the credibility crisis he faced in 1992 after the botched presidential primaries. Second, IBB saw it as a way of resolving the succession crisis. As a serious candidate along with other candidates, I had dealings with him and other candidates in 1993. I provided him and other serious candidates with the necessary information before and after they became the official candidates of the SDP and NRC in my official capacity as the Director General, CDS. “Specifically on Chief Abiola, I also had occasions to discuss him with the President at various times as to his chances as our common friend. The President showed interest in his ambition and this encouraged my dealings with him.

“It was as a result of our past relationship (Abiola and I) which spilled over to our relationship with a common friend (IBB) that I got to know how passionately he (Abiola) felt about the politics of Nigeria and why he decided to seek the exalted elective office in the land. Chief Abiola from time-to-time sought my advice on whether our common friend (IBB) was actually serious with the transition programme and specifically whether there was any ‘vacancy’ in the Presidential Villa. What Chief Abiola wanted to know from me was whether General Babangida was serious or not with his decision not to transform himself into a civilian President. Of course, I told Chief Abiola, just as I told many peoples in Nigeria and in the international community,

•Abacha

•Prof Nwosu

that IBB was not interested in what Washington called the West African model of democratic transition such as in Ghana, Togo etc. What I got to know was that Chief Abiola loved General Babangida very much and he would have supported him if he had wanted to transform himself into a civilian President. I knew as a fact that Chief Abiola definitely did not want to offend him.

In fact, he regretted ever offending him one day when he went to the Presidential Villa with the ‘enemy’ of the junta, Barrister Aka Bashorun, who had earlier accompanied him to a Presidential Dinner Party in honour of the President of South Africa, Mr. F. W. de Klerk. Chief Abiola, like other candidates and even military officers, routinely called me on telephone to find out how IBB’s mind was working on any issue. It was therefore in order that he called me to find out if our common friend had changed his mind on the transition programme. Chief Abiola had a way of asking me the same question over and over again whenever we met in and out of the Presidential Villa. I was very definite after November 1992 when the search for credible candidates was on to solve General Babangida’s credibility crisis. I advised Abiola to think about the race and I was not therefore surprised when he decided to take the plunge in January 1993.”

Those who betrayed Abiola Omoruyi continues: “Abiola regretted that he was misled and betrayed first by our common friend, General Babangida who assured him that he was serious with the transition programme and allowed him to plough his resources into the election. He complained about Generals Abacha and Diya who invited him to come home on the firm promise that his mandate would be enforced by the military. He complained about how our common friend made him plough back money into politics and the Presidential race with a view to according his transition program some credibility in March, 1993. This was a fact. It is also a

•Nzeribe

fact that Chief Abiola was used later in May, 1993 as IBB’s instrument of resolving his succession crisis.

“MKO was very disappointed with the leadership of the Northern Elders Forum, most of them who he helped on many occasions to have medical attention abroad. He was bitter with the way he, the Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and a major financier of Islamic causes in the country was treated after the June 12 election by the then President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, the former Sultan of Sokoto.

“He regretted his blunder in not showing interest in those who became the leaders of his political party, the Social Democratic Party after he won the nomination of the party in March 1993.

He lamented the dubious role of a major Yoruba traditional ruler.

He wondered aloud, how impotent the military officers from the south, especially from the Yorubaland were in the military government.”

Forces behind annulment The principal characters in the events that led to the annulment of June 12 are: Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, Chief Tony Anenih, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Ernest Shonekan. Sen. Arthur Nzeribe, Justice Bassey Ikpeme, Justice Dahiru Saleh, Abimbola Davies, the late Gen Sani Abacha and Clement Akpamgbo.

Babangida Gen. Babangida has been a recurring feature of any discourse on June 12, 1993, presidential poll. This is primarily informed by his position as the head of the military government then, on whose desk the buck stopped. His claim that he annulled the • Continued on page 16

16

THE NATION FRIDAY JUNE 12, 2015

significant role of His Royal Higness, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the Alaafin of Oyo, ‘aThe father figure not only to his biological children, but to the people of Oyo generally, will motivate me to do more. I can’t afford to fail; I can’t let the royal family down ’

POLITICS

Prince Akeem Adeyemi was recently elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent Oyo Federal Constituency. In this interview with TAYO JOHNSON and SIKIRU AKINOLA, the former chairman of Atiba Local Government and son of the Alaafin of Oyo talks about his expectations.

Adeyemi: It won’t be business as usual for APC

Y

OU’VE just been elected into the House of Representatives after more than six years as council chairman. What would you miss most?

As a grassroots man, definitely leaving the local government for Abuja to represent the people means many things to me. I would miss the gathering of people. As a council chairman, you’re the closest to the people and I must confess to you, the people will miss me too. There is no single day that I do not have one form of meeting or the other with them.

Were you able to fulfill all your electoral promises as chairman?

To God be the glory, we’ve done our best. But, remember that government is a continuum. There is no way one person can achieve everything. Only God is perfect. We tried our best and we’ve already passed the baton of leadership to another person. History, I believe, will put us on the right side.

Do you think the House would be able to elect its principal officers without interference of godfathers?

First of all, those who are not capable are not even jostling to lead the

House. From the options before us, we have capable hands that have garnered the experiences required. We are certain that the 8th assembly will be piloted by a distinguished lawmaker that has served the House in various capacities and excelled. By and large, since our party is in control at the federal level, we are determined to bring the much-needed changes by deviating from the way things were done in the past.

Don’t you think the election of principal officers will cause rancour within the APC? Even at the local level, everything is by zoning; to become a Baale (community leader), people jostle. So, there is always room for lobbying for any position. It is only something that is unattractive that won’t require lobbying. Somebody who was elected to represent his constituents and wants to lead the entire federation through a 360-member house must strategise, lobby and jostle to get the position.

Why must we give it to somebody who doesn’t lobby or jostle for it. You contested to represent your constituents just like I did. For you to aspire

•Adeyemi

to be my leader in that House, you must prove some points to me and I must be convinced. The party leaders in their own wisdom have learned from experience. If our party comes up with zoning today, we will abide by it. And if it is thrown open, we ’ll go to the field. Whichever way it goes, we are loyal party members. There is discipline in the APC; it is the only party that conducted primaries for all members that jostled for various elective positions. If there is any rancour, the leadership of the party would know how to manage it.

What should your constituents expect from you?

Having realised the show of love showered on me by the good people of Oyo Federal Constituency, the only way to repay them is to perform. At the time I was contesting, I had been relieved of my position as council helmsman. In fact, I contested four months after I left office as council chairman, facing an incumbent who is completing his second term in office, with a huge financial war chest.

For my people to have voted for me, rather than an incumbent lawmaker, you’ll understand that they trust me; they know what I’ve done in the past and what I’m capable of doing.

Records are there for everybody to check. I may not have done everything, but I left indelible footprints. I scored over 39, 000 votes, while my closest rival got 19, 000 plus votes.

That is close to 20, 000 gap. So, you could imagine why the people reposed their confidence in me. I won in all the four local governments that make up my constituency. There is no better way to repay the good people of Oyo town than to give them good and proper representation. I will bring Federal Government presence to Oyo town. I will not only give them good representation, I will also make myself available to them just like I’ve been doing. I will also con-

tribute to the socio-political upliftment of my people. It’s a challenge; I cannot afford to let the people down. They knew what they saw before they gave me this mandate. It was my performance at the local level. The significant role of His Royal Higness, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the Alaafin of Oyo, a father figure not only to his biological children, but to the people of Oyo generally, will motivate me to do more. I can’t afford to fail; I can’t let the royal family down.

Are you in support of the call for a reduction in the salaries and allowances of lawmakers?

Yes; definitely something must be done in that regard to effect the desired change. If the remuneration of federal lawmakers is considered exorbitant, it should be reduced.

In your own opinion, would you say Governor Abiola Ajimobi broke the second term jinx due to performance?

Yes! No doubt. I’ve never seen a governor like him. There is no how you would work with people like him and you won’t succeed. He is a goal-getter. He was not the only governor I worked with and I can testify that what he has done, his predecessors combined did not do half of what he did in his first term. And we can all see the effect of performance. He has been re-elected; a feat no one has achieved in the state.

•Kingbe

•Shonekan

infuriated many.

hours. The court sat in the night on June 11. The ruling was believed to have contravened Decree No. 13 of 1993, which does not recognise the jurisdiction of the court on election date.

June 12: The grand conspiracy • Continued from page 15 election in the interest of the state was not acceptable to Nigerians and the international community. Against the backdrop that the Babangida regime had one of the longest political transition programmes in history made observers to conclude that the head of the military junta was not prepared to relinquish power. It was a grand design to perpetuate himself in power.

An attempt to embark on another transition programme was repudiated by the political class. When the seat became too hot for him, he had to ‘step aside’ in August 1993 and installed a lame duck interim government led by Chief Earnest Shonekan.

He once described himself as ‘an evil genius’. The annulment of June 12 is a burden that he will carry for the rest of his life.

Tofa Alhaji Bashir Tofa was the presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC). He was a dark horse until he emerged in 1993.

The Kano-based businessman was, however, very wealthy and had connections with the then ruling military class. His money, connections and political clout were, however, no match to that of Abiola, who easily defeated him in his home in Kano.

Ordinarily, Tofa ought to have behaved like a good loser, by conceding defeat, but he failed. He played into the hands of the military officers who did not want the election results to be upheld.

He keeps defending the annulment.

He described the critics of June 12 as people that have nothing to offer in moving the country forward. He insisted that the June 12 election was marred by irregularities and that the military did the right thing in cancelling the results.

Kingibe Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was the pioneer chairman of the SDP. He was Abiola’s running mate in the 1993 election. He got the slot through the influence of the SDP governors.

With immense influence upon the SDP governors, he easily became a

major factor in the run up to the SDP primaries which Abiola eventually won. The governors were nevertheless determined to foist him on Abiola as his running mate, a decision Abiola took at the expense of Atiku Abubakar who was a loyalist of the powerful Shehu Musa Yar‘Adua.

Following the annulment, Kingibe initially stood with Abiola, but he wavered in the struggle for its revalidation. The confidence in him among the pro-June 12 agitators ebbed when he accepted to serve in the Abacha administration. A Kanuri man like Abacha, Kingibe abandoned the June 12 struggle and turned his back against Abiola who languished in Abacha’s gulag for five years before he died.

Abacha The late General Sani Abacha was the arrow head of the military officers that were opposed to June 12. The National Defence and Security Council, the highest military ruling body under Babangida’s regime was polarized by the June 12 crisis. The Council set up a committee headed

by Abacha to look into the election and advise it accordingly. Members of the Committee included Brigadier David Mark (former Senate President) Murtala Nyako (former Governor of Adamawa State) General Aliyu Muhammed Gusau (former Minister Of Defence) and Col. Halilu Akilu.

Abacha threatened NEC Chairman, Professor Nwosu for disobeying court order that stopped June 12 election during the National Defence and Security Council meeting. He was the most senior military officer left behind by Babangida when he ‘stepped aside’ and put in place an interim government headed by Chief Shonekan.

Abacha sent the interim government packing and took over the reign of power. He dismantled all democratic institutions and suppressed agitations for the revalidation of June 12. Many June 12 activists were thrown into detention, some died in the process, while others fled the country. He was referred to as ‘maximum ruler’ because of the brutish

style of his administration. He died in office on June 8, 1998, in mysterious circumstance.

Anenih Tony Anenih took over the chairmanship of the SDP after Kingibe. He was a retired police officer. He became chairman through the influence of late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, the leader of the Peoples Democratic Movement, a major bloc within the SDP. Though Anenih led his party to victory, but soon after the results were annulled, he abandoned the cause of the party. While political leaders and rights activists were agitating for revalidation of June 12 mandate, Anenih looked the other way.

Sources said he became a master strategist for the military regime that detained the flagbearer of his party.

Ikimi Tom Ikimi was the national chairman of the NRC, the opposition party that was defeated by the SDP in the June 12 1993 election. Like his party’s presidential candidate, Tofa, he refused to concede victory and echoed the words of the military to justify the annulment of the results. He allegedly played a major role in the committee that mid-wifed the birth of the Interim Government that succeeded Babangida.

Shonekan Chief Ernest Shonekan was a respected figure in the business community who through his successful stewardship at the UAC, one of Nigeria’s leading blue chip companies at that time had carved a name for himself. He was appointed by Babangida to head the transition cabinet at the beginning of 1993 and with the annulment he stayed on as chairman of what was named as an Interim National Government (ING), which was supposed to arrange for another presidential election.

His ING was eventually declared illegal by a Lgos High Court. This paved the way for Abacha to bare his fangs and assume full control of the country in November 1993. His acceptance to head the 32-man ING at the expense of his kinsman, Abiola,

Nzeribe Arthur Nzeribe was notorious for his dubious role in the events that led to the annulment of June 12. He and some faceless Igbo politicians and businessmen carried out their nefarious activities on the platform of Association for Better Nigeria, (ABN). Nzeribe became a ready tool in the hands of the military to truncate the June 12 electoral victory. He and one Abimbola Davies and Dr Atkins mounted campaigns against June 12 poll. They created fears in the minds of the Nigerians. The unexpected happened when Nzeribe obtained a mid-night court injunction on June 10 stopping the election from holding. The court order was one of the reasons cited by Babangida to justify the annulment.

Akpamgbo The late Clement Akpamgbo was the Attorney General and Minister of Justice during the Babangida’s regime.

He held several meetings with ABN chiefs in his house. ABN’s lawyer, the late Philip Umeadi, frequented the house to hold consultations with the Attorney General. Instead of advising the military on legal matters pertaining to the election, Akpamgbo colluded with those bent on scuttling the election especially, the ABN.

Ikpeme The late Justice Bassey Ikpeme granted a controversial ruling to stop the election from holding at odd

Saleh An Abuja High Court, presided by Justice Dahiru Saleh ordered NEC to stop further announcements of election returns and subsequently declared the entire poll illegal on the ground that it was held in contravention of a subsisting court order.

Defending his action later, Saleh said both the late Ikpeme, who first ordered NEC not to conduct the elections, and himself were only doing their job.

Nwosu Prof Humphrey Nwosu was the Chairman of the electoral body. He ignored the court ruling stopping the election from holding. He relied on Decree 13 of 1993 which says: “Once a date has been set for the general election in Nigeria no court can stop that election”. The electorate had confidence in him that he would conduct a credible election. He was transparent in the declaration of the results until the military leaders stopped him from making further announcement of the results.

Nwosu succumbed to intimidation by the military. But, analysts said Nwosu should have released the results and declare Abiola the winner since he had all results with him.

THE NATION FRIDAY JUNE 12, 2015

POLITICS

17

VOTAS President said Democracy Day must be changed from May 29 ‘toThe June 12 and that the day must be declared as public holiday, to honour Abiola, just as Americans remember and appreciate Martins Luther King ’

Twenty-two years after the late Chief Moshood Abiola won the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election the man who paid the supreme price by dying as a martyr for democracy remains largely unsung. In the light of the popular yearning to give the country a new direction, what are the ways to properly recognize the late businessman and politician, Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, asks.

June 12: How should Abiola be immortalized?

A

RE Nigerians likely to witness a change of attitude from the Federal Government with regards to the recognition of June 12 as a unique day in the political history of the country? Would President Muhammadu Buhari honour the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the alleged financier of the coup that sent him packing 30 years ago? These are some of the questions that may agitate the minds of some discerning Nigerians, as the country marks the 22nd anniversary of the historic presidential election of June 12, 1993, when Nigerians waved aside ethnic and religious differences to vote for the late Chief MKO Abiola in the electoral contest that was annulled by the military led by the then Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, popularly known as IBB. A United States-based Nigerian and legal practitioner, Mr. Owolabi Alaba, said if Buhari does that, he would be seen as the change that Nigerians all over the world can believe in. He said: “It would be like Mandela forgiving the apartheid regime in South Africa. If he did, Buhari will be more popular in the Southwest than any politician. It is the right thing to do. June 12 is the day Gen. Babangida fought against Nigerians and lost and had to step aside.”

Two years ago, the immediate past Goodluck Jonathan administration attempted to immortalize Abiola by announcing the renaming of the University of Lagos as Moshood Abiola University. But, in what must go down as one of the greatest ironies of Nigerian history, what should have marked the highpoint of nearly two decades of democratic struggle for the recognition of one of the most iconic symbols of Nigeria’s democratic journey was received with mixed feelings by many who had looked forward to such recognition.

Given the fact that the March 28 presidential election is widely regarded as a re-enactment of the June 12 magic and also because many of those in the vanguard for the struggle for the official recognition of June 12 and Abiola’s contribution to the present democracy are part of the new administration, the time may be auspicious to immortalize the widely acclaimed winner of the June 12 election. Like June 12, two major parties dominated the March 28 presidential election. As witnessed during the March 28 presidential election, the current de facto two-party system reduced ethnic coloration and religious sentiment, as the de jure two-party system of 1993 did.

Against this background, what would be the appropriate way to immortalize the late Abiola? One of the most recurring suggestions is that June 12 should replace May 29 as the Democracy Day. For instance, Alaba echoed that when he said: “If June 12 is confirmed at the Democracy Day, IBB will constantly remember the evil he committed with the death of Abiola. If Buhari rises above the anger and his treatment by the manipulative government of IBB and recognizes the contribution of M.K.O Abiola to the fruits of democracy he enjoys today, he would be seen as the change that Nigerians all over the

world can believe in.”

For years now, seven states have declared June 12 as public holiday to accord due recognition to the 1993 presidential election. The states are: Lagos, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and Oyo. What these states have in common is that they are states governed by governors under the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the three major political parties that metamorphosed into the All Progressives Congress (APC) about two years ago.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which until May 29, 2015 had been the ruling party at the centre since 1999, had turned deaf ears to entreaties that June 12 should replace May 29 as Democracy Day. Now that the APC has become the ruling party at the federal level, is it likely to declare June 12 a national public holiday and a day to celebrate democracy?

Beyond that, there are many other fundamental suggestions. The founding Secretary-General of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and the Convener of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), Mr. Ayo Opadokun, is of the view that through the collaborative efforts of the executive and the legislature, one or two concrete steps should be taken to give the late businessman and politician a posthumous national honour and award.

He said: “That is after they must have officially pronounced him as the winner of that election. They can now go to the next level of immortalising his name. For instance, there should be institution where the role of Abiola will be sufficiently crystallised.”

Civil society activist and President Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS), Mashood Erubami, agrees. He said process of immortalisation of the late Chief Abiola should start from his recognition as a winner in that election by the Buhari administration because his election victory was a reincarnation of the principle of oneness of Nigerians witnessed during the June 12, 1993 election.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Erubami wants the Buhari administration to organize a special posthumous installation ceremony where the late Abiola would be officially recognized as a former President of Nigeria. This posthumous ceremony, he said, should be organized in conjunction with the family of the late Abiola and members of the human rights and pro-democracy community that fought gallantly for the deannulment of that election and it should be witnessed by governors of the states that constitute the Southwest and other guests from across the nation. He added that it is imperative for the event to be telecast live on television and radio.

Erubami added: “This should be followed by the inclusion of his names and photographs in the list of former Heads of State. This is because the election of President Buhari on March 28 came with big joy that the ruling political tormentors were not power drunk and driven by their unethical credentials to annul the election, it should therefore open the door for the execution of all the good tidings resident in the June 12, 1993

•Opadokun

•Erubami

•Akintola

presidential election as it were.”

Senator Shehu Sanni, who represents Kaduna Central at the upper legislative chamber, said he will use the Senate platform to ensure that a presidential library in Abuja and a monument in the National Assembly are named after the late Chief Abiola. He said the late Abiola remains the hero of freedom and democracy and that he helped to lay the foundation for the current democratic dispensation. He added: “Without the sacrifice made by Abiola there would be no democracy in this country today. All political office holders are beneficiaries of Abiola’s sacrifice.

The success of March 28 presidential elections will be better attributed to the sacrifice made by Abiola. He lived at a time when human sacrifice was very rare. It was resistance against the annulment of June 12 that gave Nigerians the inspiration to resist dictatorship and call for positive change.

Buhari was one of the few northerners who called for the revalidation of Abiola’s mandate in the heat of the struggle.”

Erubami believes the best way to immortalise Chief MKO Abiola in the context of the new change mantra under President Buhari is to ensure that the principles inherent in June 12 presidential election manifest in the changes to be driven by the APC. He said until the late Abiola is immortalised, the nation will continue to grope in the dark in search of democracy “because he is the rightful symbol of democracy who taught Nigerians that politics and democracy is worth living and dying for.”

He noted that the best legacy of June 12 is the principle of oneness it introduced into Nigerian politics. He said: “The acclaimed winner of the June 12 election defeated his opponent Bashir Tofa in all constituencies across the nation, including his home constituency in Tofa Village. It was the first election in the history of Nigeria that a pair of Muslim/ Muslim Candidate from a party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) became acceptable without consideration by Nigerian electorate for race, religion and sex.

“For the first time the election represented a transition for many years of power from the North to the South and from the military to a civilian administration in the most peaceful and fair manner. Against the permutations of the military oligarchy that

permitted the transition, they never believed that the election can be globally and locally adjudged as the fairest, freest and most legitimate, having been won through the popular votes of the people.”

The activist said the attempt to rename the University of Lagos after Abiola without legal backup by former President Jonathan was a mere smokescreen. He wants the new administration of President Buhari to renew efforts to assert the renaming the university, as well as the National Stadium in Abuja after him. In addition, “the suggested Centre for Democratic Studies whenever it is established and wherever it is located should also be named after him to demonstrate we have learnt from the lessons inherent in June 12,” he added.

In addition, the VOTAS President said Democracy Day must be changed from May 29 to June 12 and that the day must be declared as public holiday, to honour Abiola, just as Americans remember and appreciate Martins Luther King.

He lamented that Abiola lost his mandate, his life, his businesses and his loving wife, noting that no family in Nigeria ever lost so much for the entrenchment of democracy. He added that the posthumous award should be accompanied with cash donation and government commitment to join hands with the Abiola family to resuscitate his business empire. Erubami also wants other patriots like the late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, the late Pa Alfred Rewane, the late Pa Anthony Enahoro, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the late Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti, the late Prof.

Olikoye Ransome Kuti, the late Comrade Ola Oni, the late Comrade Chima Ubani, the late Baba Omojola to also be immortalised on the day of the posthumous award, as people who have worked and died for democracy , good living and livelihood for humanity.

But, given that President Muhammadu has so many challenges on his hands at the moment, Barrister Niyi Akintola noted that it might be too early to expect him to tackle the issue of immortalization of Abiola right now. He said: “His focus would be how to build a united nation, how to ensure that there is peace and security in the land, how to curb corruption and how to combat the lingering economic crisis in Nigeria at the moment; the country

is in serious trouble now over the issue of economy. As we speak, the pounds sterling is N240 and that would have multiplier effect on our economy because we are not producing anything; whatever you import you are going to pay more in naira.”

Nevertheless, he said many areas can be exploited to immortalize Abiola, because he touched many lives in different fields of human endeavour. His words: “There is the area of sports, where he was widely acknowledged as the pillar of sports in Africa. If the National Stadium in Lagos or the one in Abuja is named after him that would not be too much.

“Former President Goodluck Jonathan got it wrong he tried to play to the gallery by attempting to rename the University of Lagos after him. He never appreciated the fact that the Yoruba are a different kettle of fish altogether. I read a statement credited to the former President, saying he doesn’t understand the Yoruba. Apparently, he doesn’t understand the psyche of the average Yoruba man; the average Yoruba man believes that you must have justice before you can be talking of peace.

“Jonathan actually wanted to reap where he did not sow. Irrespective of the fact that the late MKO Abiola was our son, we don’t believe that a national institution like the University of Lagos should be named after him. In fact, the University of Lagos was the very institution he (Abiola) himself attended; he was not the founder. Jonathan would have been applauded if he had named the National Stadium in Abuja after Abiola. There are many national institutions Abiola contributed so much in building that would have attracted the attention of any visionary leader in immortalizing the late Abiola.

For instance, Akintola said one of the democratic institutions like the National Assembly complex or the Court of Appeal complex could be named after him. He said Abiola was instrumental to bringing about the democracy that Nigerians are enjoying today. He said: “It was the struggle for the restoration of June 12 that gave birth to the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO); it was the struggle by NADECO that brought about the present democracy. So, one of the democratic institutions like the National Assembly complex could be named after him. The Court of Appeal complex could also be named after him; this is a man that went to court to challenge the annulment of his election. We had conflicting court judgments during this era. It was through the late Abiola’s efforts that the Interim Nation Government (ING) was declared illegal.”

spirit of reconciliation, Erubami wants ‘ InthetheBuhari administration to organize a special posthumous installation ceremony where the late Abiola would be officially recognized as a former President of Nigeria

’

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

18

Brandnews

AAAN to Buhari: appoint expert as minister P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to appoint a skilled marketing communication professional as the Minister of Information.

The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) gave the advice in a statement.

Its President, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, noted that the new role of the Ministry of Information is far beyond the traditional role of acting as a catalyst in disseminating information and management of the information machinery of the government.

The association believes that the position is of strategic importance hence the ideal minister should have a track record of brand building and executing high impact communication strategies and frameworks in the interest of the nation.

Kelechi said: “The country has been confronted with several image and brand positioning challenges of recent and critical in

Stories by Adedeji Ademigbuji

complicating the problems has been the absence of brand communication expertise as a strong consideration in the appointment of the heads of the country’s Information Ministry. But we are happy that the new government rode to power, driven by the campaign slogan of Change. For us, this change should be extended to the appointments of professionals to manage relevant strategic offices.”

He added that information management has become very complicated and requires a professional with proven track record in handling complex projects.

He added: “In the global balance of relationships, perception is everything. But we have toyed with managing the complicated communication challenges of the country, using non-professionals that practically spend their tenure learning on the job and employing knee-jerk strategies on a job that demands

deliberate strategic long term planning. This has not worked and we believe our new President will extend the mantra of change that brought him into office to the area of working with professionals for the nation’s information management processes.”

Nwosu added that the challenge of rebuilding the confidence of other countries and getting the buy-in of Nigerians in the task of rebuilding the country requires a lot work in perception management and only a professional information manager would be capable of weaving the threads together to ensure that Nigeria regains its pride of place in the global community.

He said further that Nigeria as a high value brand needs a team of committed, qualified and retained Integrated Marketing consultants to work with the minister and the government to position and communicate the vision and policies.

• From left: Legal & External Affairs Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), Freddy Messanvi; President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs; Managing Director, BATN, Chris McAllister and Operations Director, BATN, Charles Kyalo during the courtesy visit by the officials of MAN to BATN in Ibadan.

OAAN to hold Ninth Poster Award

T

HE Outdoor Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (OAAN) will hold its Ninth OAAN Poster Awards and Exhibition on June 25, at the Federal Palace Hotels and Casino Victoria Island, Lagos.

Its President, Mr. Charles Chijide, said the award was born in 1997 to promote and reward creative excellence in the Out-ofHome sub-sector of the economy.

“It was also a designed platform for the advertisers, suppliers and partners to exhibit their products and services,” hesaid.

He added that plans were in proc-

ess to ensure that the event records significant improvement in all aspects.

He listed the categories of the awards to include: Diary food and beverages; alcoholic drinks; nonalcoholic drinks; financial services; public service and real estate; electronics and electricals; automobiles and accessories; household products; pharmaceuticals cosmetics; telecoms; Information Communication Technology (ICT); grand poster and Legend of Out of Home.

He explained that OAAN had tried to create opportunities for all the sectors of the Nigeria

economy. “Our focus, however, is primary on those sub-sectors that regularly engage our platforms to advertise their brands,” he said.

Activities for this year’s event include: A press conference to intimate the media of plans that would boost the outing; courtesy visits of committee members along with OAAN leadership to their corporate allies and supporters; a stakeholders’ Breakfast Meeting/interactive forum, a day prior to the event and coordinated exhibition of OOH suppliers/partners.

The reception is expect to kick off by 5pm, followed by a cocktail leading to the event.

Huawei targets low-end market with Y3

H

UAWEI has unveiled the latest low end smartphone tagged Huawei Y3 to spur mobile connectivity in Nigeria.

According to the firm, the Huawei Y3 which is powered by Etisalat Easyblaze followed the successfully launched the Ascend Mate 7 late last year.

Senior Marketing Manager, Huawei Nigeria, Olanipekun Okunowo, said: “We are excited to launch the Huawei Y3,” a powerful more accessible entry range Huawei smartphone to the Nige-

rian marketplace.’’

He said the Huawei being able to leverage all the capabilities of the existing mobile networks, the Y3 offers customers a choice of smartphone developed by Huawei, one of the world’s strongest pedigrees in mobile telephony today.

He stated that the Y3 is specially designed for the Nigerian market with great features and quality construction that both new and experienced smartphone users will appreciate.

Okunowo added: “The Huawei Y3 is a stylish dual sim android smartphone with an elegant matte finish, flawless curve design, and single hand control. It sports a 4.0inch capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 16M colours, and an LCD WVGA screen display screen coated with scratch-resistant glass. It runs on Google’s Android Operating System – 4.4 Kit Kat – on a 1.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor. It also provides 512MB RAM and 4GB ROM.”

No more rainbows in the Rainbow nation

“T

HE party is over. It is time to go home.”

That is what the nationals of Rainbow nation seems to be saying to immigrants who have spent years in South Africa. Rainbow nation, a term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, was popularised by late former South African president, Nelson Mandela. Rainbow nation was a metaphor to describe South Africa’s multicultural diversity.

However, with the way things stand now, the rainbow has disappeared. The nationals are not in a party mood. They have turned Dracula. They now suck blood. For the immigrants, particularly blacks, it is time to return home.

Those who failed to yield to this advice were greeted with violent riot on the streets of South Africa. Watching the news on TV recently, I saw hundreds of foreigners who have been maimed. Shops belonging to foreigners were looted. Thousands of blacks were rendered homeless.

Gosh, why would a host suddenly turned violent and kills his guests? Is it because the guests have accepted jobs meant for the locals? Is that what has led to high unemployment in South Africa?

Whatever it is, this is the verdict. South Africans, as host nation, do not like our faces any more. The fact that Nigerians are black, bold, and not witless, sort of irritates the host. The host does not like every step we take.

That is why the host has taken up cudgel against our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora. That is why the host has maimed them without apology. That is the cause of this curse. Is it because we have accepted the odd jobs, waited on them, cleaned after them, polished their shoes in restaurants and cafeterias? Is it because we have rolled up our sleeves, dirtied our fingers, and rolled on the garage floor? Could this have caused disparity between the locals and Nigerians and other immigrants? However, reports claimed that inequality in the Rainbow nation has gone up within the racial groups. This isn’t a bad thing, if you ask me. But it seems that it has bred a society that itself breeds inequality. As we all know, it is the labour market that transforms a society. But in South Africa, job creation is not very high.

Research has suggested that immigration posses few threats to South Africa. Immigration does not hinder access to housing and services. But South African politicians have

continued to demonisse foreigners. They said immigrants undermine economic transformation. They said it heightened crime. They said it exposed the Rainbow nation to disease and organized crime.

Yes, we know that antioutsider sentiments are rising globally. But South Africa’s variant is particularly pervasive across its socioeconomic status, location and race. I believe this black selfhate [afrophobia] is inherited from the apartheid era.

Otherwise, I am yet to understand why a beggar would insult another beggar? Why the pot will call the kettle black? Why a black man would maim another black man? Is it because one black man possesses inborn ability to see and seize opportunity?

Is it because he is street smart and understands how to survive in a foreign land? Is that why other blacks and Nigerians living in South Africa have suddenly become threats to the economic survival of South Africans? Some of my colleagues who have travelled to the Rainbow nation for courses and conferences attested to the existence of topnotch infrastructure in South Africa. “Driving on the highway is a precious experience.

You would think you are in any Western nation,” they chorused. “The telephone tariff is cheap”. Hmm, South African brand may look dandy and dapper. However, its popularity as an attractive destination brand has waned because some of my colleagues have sworn never to return to the Rainbow nation.

South African government has said it would protect those who entered the country “legally”. Meaning: Immigrants who entered the country illegally may be hurt. According to reports, in the days following xenophobic attack, the government rolled out Operation Fiela to fish out dangerous elements. But it took place in a migrant-rich neighbourhood. 700 people were arrested for deportation and 150 others were charged for various offences.

As it is, visits to South Africa

by Nigerians and other foreign nationals would obviously be marred by concern about xenophobic violence. This kind ofviolence betrays hopes of a peaceful Rainbow nation. This kind of violence has an adverse effect on the image of the Rainbow nation. Let Nigerians and other nationals come home now. Indeed, the party is over.

19

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL

LETTER

Buhari’s three other promises

June 12 •Time to officially acknowledge Abiola’s aborted presidency and draw closure on this historic injustice

O

N June 12, 1993, the late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, business mogul and plucky philanthropist, won the Nigerian presidency. But the denial of that mandate and the ensuing resistance almost brought Nigeria to her knees. Until Chief Abiola’s presidency is officially acknowledged, the ghost of that treachery will continue to haunt the polity.

Unlike the March 28 presidential election, where destructive campaign on hate, faith and ethnicity nearly tore the country apart, on June 12, 1993, Nigerians eschewed religion, ethnicity and other divisive tendencies. The election, the best ever in Nigerian history, simply gave power to a man, North, South, East or West, perceived best for the job: to lead Nigeria from military ruin to the democratic rebirth.

But then came the Ibrahim Babangida military junta’s “annulment” (until then, a strange word in the Nigerian troubled political lexicon); which ensured MKO never served his presidential term. Worse: he served his fouryear term in gaol, under detention by the usurping Gen. Sani Abacha.

‘But the long and short of this matter: on another anniversary of Abiola’s stalled mandate, Nigeria must come to terms with, and make amends for, the grave injustice done this eminent Nigerian — and the Nigerian electorate.

For starters, the new Buhari Presidency should set in motion processes to officially recognise Abiola as an elected president’

Abiola’s “crime” was declaring himself lawfully elected president of Nigeria, at an event called the Epetedo Declaration in Lagos, on June 12, 1994. Abacha arrested him for “treason”. Abiola never made it out alive, as he died, under mysterious circumstances, on July 7, 1998, on the reported virtual eve of his release. Abacha himself had died a month earlier on June 8, 1998. Kudirat Abiola, one of Abiola’s wives and foremost campaigner for the mandate had earlier, on June 4, 1996, been assassinated in Lagos by agents of the Abacha government.

So, for winning a free election, Abiola and wife died in the ensuing struggle. Their children also became untimely orphans. That is a monumental blot on Nigeria’s institutional conscience; and a savage siege on her institutional memory.

Ernest Shonekan, a former managing director of UAC Nigeria Plc, was appointed interim head of state, by the exiting Gen. Babangida, following the post-annulment crisis. But a court later ruled his government illegal, since he neither staged a successful coup nor won an election. Though Abacha, who shoved Shonekan aside would later, with a decree, revalidate Chief Shonekan’s tenure, each time Shonekan parades himself as “former head of state”, the harsh depth of injury to Abiola resurfaces. That would continue to haunt the country, and the principal actors in that plot, Babangida and Shonekan, as far as they live.

There is even a continuing institutional but fraudulent anti-Abiola campaign, hiding behind crass legalism but which is no more than plain sophistry. It is the phrase, repeated mostly as programmed cliché by the media: that Abiola “was presumed to have won” the June 12, 1993 election. It is the ugly face of a country wilfully telling itself a blatant lie.

It is true the official results of the June 12, 1993 election were not fully released. But that was exactly why the annulment was criminal. Still, the results were public knowledge — already declared and ratified at polling centres nationwide. Humphrey Nwosu, the professor who was National Electoral Commission (NEC) chairman during the election, confirmed that much in a book he later released. Besides, arguing that because a final result was not officially announced is tantamount that no one won that election is akin to saying because a child is not christened, that child was not born. It is not only disingenuous, it is plain stupid.

But the long and short of this matter: on another anniversary of Abiola’s stalled mandate, Nigeria must come to terms with, and make amends for, the grave injustice done this eminent Nigerian — and the Nigerian electorate.

For starters, the new Buhari Presidency should set in motion processes to officially recognise Abiola as an elected president, who nevertheless was brutally denied his rights. That should come with an official apology.

We also suggest June 12 be declared a national holiday, on which nationwide activities should be organised to underscore the inviolability of the vote, in free and fair elections, as the very minimum for democracy to thrive. In the alternative, Eagle Square, Abuja, could be renamed MKO Abiola Square, such that each time national and Democracy Day celebrations are being held there, the spirit of Abiola would roll with the occasion.

Nigeria will do well to bring the June 12 injustice to fair closure. It is high time we dealt with that dirty past, so we can, with a clean mind, face a challenging future, of equity, fairness and justice.

Ogogoro deaths •Public enlightenment rather than outright ban will help in the circumstance

S

EQUEL to the deaths of 66 persons in Rivers State, and 18 in Ondo State from consumption of the popular local gin, Ogogoro, the Federal Government on Monday banned the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits and other unregistered biters. Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, said that it has become imperative to ”warn the public to desist from the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits (Ogogoro) and other unregistered bitters.” He added that the government “would confiscate all illegally brewed alcoholic beverages” across the country.

The symptoms suffered by victims vomiting, abdominal pain, blurred vision, headache, dizziness and loss of consciousness - according to the NAFDAC boss are the hallmark signs of methanol poisoning. Indeed, “the results of the laboratory investigation revealed methanol toxicity. Five samples were found to contain high concentration of methanol in them. Blood methanol concentration above 1500-2000mg/L will certainly lead to death in untreated patients,” the NAFDAC director-general added.

In view of these findings and the number of deaths so far recorded in the Ogogoro saga, we understand the government’s concern but we are worried that NAFDAC does not have the capacity to enforce the ban or even confiscate all illegally brewed alcoholic beverages in the country. Our law enforcement agencies have been threatening for years to enforce the ban on alcoholic drinks at

our motor parks without success. As a matter of fact, some law enforcement agents too consume the drinks at the parks even while in uniform.

What to do, in our view, is intensification of enlightenment campaign on the dangers of consuming the unregistered brands of these spirits. In the first instance, it should be understood that Ogogoro has become more or less a popular drink in many parts of the country.

Indeed, it is a part and parcel of the culture in almost all parts of Nigeria and some social or cultural activities, including naming, marriage ceremonies, town festivals, etc. are incomplete without the pouring of libation or using of the local gin for prayers.

Perhaps to show how passionate those who consume Ogogoro can be about it, media reports had it that even as angry youths were setting ablaze a popular joint in one of the states where people who consumed the local gin sold there had died, some other people were only some metres away entertaining themselves with the same Ogogoro which they claimed to be ‘original’ and therefore safe for consumption!

The point they were making, probably, is that Ogogoro has been with us for a long time, how come it is now that it is killing people? There is a point here though. And that is why it would be a herculean task dissuading people addicted to it from drinking it. Something must have gone wrong somewhere that is now making people to die after drinking the spirit.

So, the message that the authorities,

including NAFDAC, should focus on in their enlightenment programme should be the dangers of consuming non-registered brands of the drink and what to do when the symptoms are noticed in people. For effect, the messages should be done in the local languages, first in the affected areas, and later in other parts of the country.

It is gratifying that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have ruled out any infectious diseases.

NAFDAC would therefore do well to heed their advice to conduct further investigation into the deaths. Moreover, people in the affected areas and Nigerians in general must ensure that victims with the symptoms of methanol poisoning are rushed to the nearest tertiary institution for proper diagnosis and treatment since quick intervention can still save lives. They should not embark on self-medication or submit themselves for treatment by quack doctors.

‘What to do, in our view, is intensification of enlightenment on the dangers of consuming the unregistered brands of these spirits. In the first instance, it should be understood that Ogogoro has become more or less a popular drink in many parts of the country’

S

IR: President Buhari is yet to settle down, yet, we are beginning to see just where his administration will concentrate as a matter of urgency. With a two-day visit to Niger and Chad Republics, and most recently the G-7 summit in Bavaria, the foundation for squashing Boko Haram (for good) has been laid. And the President is right to make securing the lives of Nigerians and the country’s territory as his foremost engagement. After all, we all need to be alive if we are to witness the ‘change’ the party have in store. Corruption and the economy (job creation) are said to be the next targets and should be treated simultaneously. These, according to President Buhari and APC are the three fundamental issues Nigeria needs to address. Where then does the housing deficit fall in the pecking order?

A closer look at the APC manifesto will show that this along with other pressing issues has been captured. However, not including the housing needs among the three fundamental problems is clearly underestimating the deficit on some 170 million people. Judging by the President’s prioritizing of the now popular issues during his campaign, one will be quick to assume the President doesn’t want to bite off more than he can chew.

Don’t get me wrong, eliminating corruption, creating 8 to 10 million jobs and destroying Boko Haram in four years will be nothing short of a miracle, and will keep the APC government busy all through their tenure.

But then, why can’t there be more priorities like housing and access to safe drinking water for all? Electricity should not even be a question (thank God President Buhari knows too). Mass and affordable housing for all will always be a winner.

When housing is relatively abundant and affordable, stealing will be made less attractive, if only by a little. As if to mock the thousands of staff working in the Federal Capital who cannot afford homes in the city and will have to travel from neighboring states, aesthetically designed and unoccupied estates of different sizes, stare on at them. They are almost certain they will not occupy these houses lying in the landscaped streets of the beautiful city.

Inequity staring them right in the face!

The freest and equally very important advice the President Buhari-led Federal Government can get is to give priority to the very huge and underrated housing deficit, rest assured that if they do, their names will be written in gold. The poor masses took the risk and made this change possible. They need homes. No doubt about it.

• Sulaiman Aliyu, Jalingo Taraba State

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

• Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

•Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina

• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •General Manager (Abuja Press) Kehinde Olowu •AGM (PH Press) Tunde Olasogba

•IT Manager Bolarinwa Meekness •Deputy Editor (Nation’s Capital) •Press Manager Yomi Odunuga Udensi Chikaodi •Group Political Editor Emmanuel Oladesu •Legal Counsel John Unachukwu •Group Business Editor Simeon Ebulu • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye •Group Sports Editor Ade Ojeikere •Acting Manager (sales) •Editorial Page Editor Olaribigbe Bello Sanya Oni

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

S

IR: To the people of Ekiti, Fayose is hubris personified.

He is a social welfarist and a man from among them. Yet he has courted enough controversies to last the state for decades. He loves and lives it. His other name is impunity. He has mastered the art of “carrying his people along” by manipulating their reasoning and by making them feel satisfied with the little. He twists and turns facts to present the people as the direct victims of his enemies’ actions. Anything done to correct the misadventure of Fayose is done to hurt the people of Ekiti.

Fayose is an enemy of decent living or development. He rides on Okada to attend to official duties, he eats banana in the public, and he is ever wearing casual outfits to depict “simplicity.” He has warned his people not to expect any developmental structure, but to simply eat their fill. Fayose, the “hommie

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 800 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.net

Understanding Fayose’s hubris governor,” is not aspiring to an elite status, so why should anyone else?

It is therefore no big deal that Ekiti has again become an all-time low state less than 10 years after it was bailed out of the same situation. Hitherto known as the Fountain of Knowledge, Fayose in his first term in office converted it to Fountain of Nonsense but was later rescued from his maladministration, handed over first to Segun Oni and later John Kayode Fayemi who upgraded it to the Land of Honour and Pride.

June 12 and wind of change IR: Let us learn to understand our differences rather than pretend to forget them – Sir Ahmadu Bello Exactly 22 years after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 general elections, many Nigerians outside the political struggle must sometimes wonder how Nigerians manage to preserve the existential spirit of perpetual optimism in the midst of inexcusable and sordid disregard for the peoples mandate and those that fought assiduously for democracy.

In remembering the dark past of our democratic effort, we must salute the uncommon courage and toughness of Pa Abraham Adesanya, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Professor Wole Soyinka, Dr. Akin Akingba, Chief Odigie Oyegun, George Noah, Dayo Johnson, Dele Momodu, Ndubusi Kanu and Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the like to numerous to mention and on the other hand those who agonizingly died in the struggle.

As Nigerians, we share a great sense of responsibility to remember and acknowledge the pain and

S

suffering of those who fought for our democratic freedom particularly the late Chief MKO Abiola and his beloved wife Kudirat respectively - a deep pain that has been handed down to us as people and too recent to be forgotten. We need to right those wrongs, heal together as a nation, and re-establish a conciliatory state that honours victims of our national struggle; they deserve to be in the national hall of fame.

Finally, it is hoped that the real change for a new Nigeria lies in the pursuit of honouring the truth, untainted national reconciliation mechanism and the eventual enthronement of institutional integrity that would strap up the values of June 12 movement for a greater today and indeed a better tomorrow that we all can be proud of.

Nigeria is on the march again and we are waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari.

• Samuel Akpobome Orovwuje, Lagos.

Today, Ekiti is being widely referred to as a Ghetto State and its people are being called Vulnerable Nigerians. A real pity that the smell of impunity, brigandage and gangsterism oozing out of the state is so putrid that it has become an example of how not to run a state in the present-day Nigeria!

Like every manipulator in history, Fayose is not acting for the fun of it. He has various possible motivations, paramount among which are the need to advance his own purposes and personal gain at virtually any cost to others, a strong need to attain feelings of power and superiority in relationships with others, a want and need to feel in control.

So how does Fayose carry out his nefarious activities? He lies, either by omission or commission, he denies or refuses to admit that he has

done something wrong; he rationalizes or spins, trying to minimize the effect of his action on the people.

Sure, most manipulators assert that their behaviour is not as harmful or irresponsible as someone else was suggesting, for example, saying that a taunt or insult was only a joke.

Make no mistake that he is a dunce or a fool that knows next to nothing. Fayose as a manipulator simply refuses to pay attention to anything that may distract him from his agenda, whenever he says things like “I don’t want to hear it” or “I don’t want to do that.” Of course, he also uses diversionary tactics, not giving a straight answer to a straight question and instead being diversionary, steering the conversation on to another topic. He uses evasion, giving irrelevant, rambling, vague responses, weasel

words.

Manipulators lie about lying, only to re-manipulate the original, less believable story into a “more acceptable” truth that the victim will believe. Projecting lies as being the truth is another common method of control and manipulation. Manipulators love to falsely accuse the victim as “deserving to be treated that way.” They often claim that the victim is crazy and/or abusive, especially when there is evidence against the manipulator.

Well, Fayose is not actually always angry; he just puts on an act. He just wants what he wants and gets “angry” when denied. Such controlled anger is often used as a tactic to avoid confrontation, avoid telling the truth or to further hide intent. There are often threats used by him to falsely report abuses that the he had intentionally contrived to scare or intimidate the victim into submission.

While this lasts, leaders of the opposition have their blame of not putting up any fight. Observers say even if their fears are genuine, they lack reasonable courage to confront Fayose.

• Segun Dipe Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

Osun PDP’s gratuitous counsel

S

IR: A few days ago, the media reported an admonition from Diran Odeyemi, speaking as Director of Media and Publicity of the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asking Governor Rauf Aregbesola to sell the state’s security surveillance helicopter and use the proceed to pay workers salaries.

Last time I checked, Odeyemi was sacked by his party chairman, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, on salacious allegations that are yet to be resolved, so the first question journalists should have asked him is on whose behalf he spoke.

The second question should be on the accuracy or even relevance of the claims he made. The helicopter in question was purchased

by the state government in 2013 for N500 million and the purpose was for security surveillance. I remember when the chopper was unveiled, Odeyemi’s vanquished principal, Senator Iyiola Omisore, accused the government of buying the helicopter for N7 billion. He was corrected then.

We should ask him what will be the value today of an helicopter bought for N500 million in 2013 and how far can this go to pay the monthly wage bill of N3.6 billion and the arrears of N21.6 billion?

The delay in salary payment is most unfortunate and it is our sincere hope that solution will be found soon, to the relief of all.

However, this idea of the opposition using it to score cheap po-

litical point is deplorable, cynical and amounts to mocking the workers and other affected victims.

It was the PDP government that destroyed Nigerian economy through the backdoor stealing of $20 billion oil money from NNPC and they are the ones stealing 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

This is what crashed what goes into the Federation Account and wreaked the economies of states.

PDP, instead of gloating over this calamity should actually bury its head in shame and apologise to Nigerians and especially Osun people that have been at the receiving end of this infamy.

• Dele Akinyemi, Ilesa, Osun State

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015 16

21

COMMENTS

Union Bank vs Citizen Tejumade Adeyemi (1) •(Trader’s savings mysteriously disappears from Union Bank account)

Email: tunji_ololade@yahoo.co.uk 08038551123, 08111845040

B

ANKS destroy and scarcely create; beyond the industry and gated walls of high society. Ask Tejumade Adeyemi; the hapless trader now understands that the Nigerian bank is a pitiful pickpocket, her bank to be precise. Until her ugly experience, Adeyemi reposed high hopes in her personal bank, Union Bank. She believed in the bank’s mantra of dependability that touts it as: “Big, Strong, Reliable.”

If only she knew that like several other banks, Union Bank is mired in arrogance, behind a wall of capitalist disdain for lower level customers like her. For all its touted efficiency, elegance and professionalism; Union Bank had its self-acclaimed glories sullied by devious plots inflicted on one of its loyal customers, Adeyemi.

Adeyemi recently accused the bank of complicity in the alleged illegal withdrawal of the sum of N251, 447 from her account with the Oba Akran, Ikeja branch of the bank. Adeyemi is threatening to take legal action against the bank, if her money is not refunded. According to her, she received SMS alerts from the bank on May 4, 2015, notifying her of unauthorised with-

drawal of the sum of N30,000 from her account through ATM. Worriedly, she rushed to the Iju branch of the bank to report the matter and was advised by officials of the branch to report the incident at the Oba Akran, Ikeja branch where her account was domiciled.

On her visit to the Oba Akran branch on May 5, Adeyemi said she was shocked to discover that the illegal withdrawals actually started on May 2 and May 3 and that she was not notified by the bank to date. She explained that even after she instructed the bank to suspend further transactions on her account, she was utterly shocked to receive more text messages indicating that the remaining balance in the account had been withdrawn by unknown persons.

She said: “On May 4, 2015, I received an alert indicating that the sum of N30,000 had been withdrawn by unknown persons from my account. I quickly went to the nearest branch of Union Bank at Iju Road, Ifako-Ijaiye, from where I was advised to visit the branch where I opened the account on Oba Akran Road, Ikeja, after I explained to the officials of the bank that my ATM card was with me and that its de-

‘If only she knew that like several other banks, Union Bank is mired in arrogance, behind a wall of capitalist disdain for lower level customers like her. For all its touted efficiency, elegance and professionalism; Union Bank had its self-acclaimed glories sullied by devious plots inflicted on one of its loyal customers, Adeyemi’

I

T appears Ogun State was in the mind of Abraham Lincoln when he crafted the famous dictum that democracy is a government “of the people, by the people, for the people”. Whereas Lincoln spoke from the hindsight of American experience, the dictum is a universal principle that is applicable to any part of the globe. In Ogun State, under the leadership of the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, its application is not far-fetched.

Democracy has occasioned a number of opportunities in the state with the people as the central focus of development.

Not only are the people given a say in the act of governance, they are the beneficiaries of the act. In effect, the impact of government policies and projects on the citizens has been overwhelming, worthwhile and positive. The vista of peopleoriented development in the state will remind any observer of the governor’s often quoted words that the policy of the administration “is not about us” (those in positions of authority), but about the generality of the people.

His second term in office which was heralded by his inauguration on May 29 has created opportunity for continuity and consolidation of the programmes of the administration.

The programmes are anchored on the administration guiding principle- to rebuild and raise the standard of Ogun State.

This implies continued delivery of the dividends of democracy which have given the state a boost in the areas of urban renewal, intra-city and inter-city network of roads, quality education, liberalisation of land titles and Certificate of Occupancy, sustainable agriculture and security, to mention a few. The intention of the governor for his second term was laid bare in his inaugural speech where he stated: “We will leave Ogun State where taps are running in all homes; where factories and workshops are powered with regular supply of electricity; where health facilities are well equipped and properly maintained by highly qualified and well trained staff; where schools are functional, light rail links the state from town to town and where law and order is sustained.”

Signs that the governor is determined to consolidate on his first term performance are palpable. Even before his inauguration on May 29, the governor swung into action because as the proverb goes, the morning shows the day. Specifically on April 27, he signed a contract with a Chinese company for the construction of light rail system which will connect towns and ease transportation in the state. This one is another cutting edge. Even with this, some critics threw the brickbats, just like they did throughout his first-term, much to the consternation of the well-reasoned in the state. Ogun State being the most industrialised state in Nigeria, the idea of the light rail project is to key into the commencement of the construc-

tails were not in any way compromised by me. The next day, May 5, I visited the Oba Akran branch and I asked that further transactions be suspended on the account until further notice. When I asked for the details of the transactions, I was shocked to discover that the illegal withdrawals started between May 2 and May 3, wherein about N45,747.35 had been taken from my account and no alert or notification was sent to me till date. I also discovered that there were other illegal withdrawals totaling N180, 000 made on May 4, yet the bank did not notify me.”

According to Adeyemi, she was assured by both the Manager of the bank and the Head of Customer Service that further transactions on her account will be suspended including ATM withdrawals. “By then, I was having about N25,190 as balance in my account. The money was still in my account as at May 14, when a statement of account was given to me but I was surprised to receive further notification of illegal withdrawal of the remaining balance a few days later. Immediately, I called the secretary to the manager of the branch on his mobile phone and I was assured of prompt remedy that has not been fulfilled to date. In all, N251, 447 was illegally withdrawn from my account and I strongly suspect an insider in the bank is behind the illegal withdrawals from my account. The bank has refused to take blame for its complicity in this fraudulent withdrawal of my money and I am going to consider a legal option if the bank refuses to refund my money,” she said.

When The Nation’s Chief Correspondent that handled the story, contacted the Head of Media and Special Projects of Union Bank Plc, Francis Barde, via an email, he initially said: “Thanks, for your pa-

tience and understanding on this issue. I will thoroughly investigate and revert to you.” Barde, however, did not make categorical comments in his official response via another email he sent to the correspondent afterwards.

He said:”Kindly note that Union Bank values the relationship of every customer and it is our goal to handle all customer relationships with utmost integrity. Therefore, Union Bank does not divulge details of customer relationships and transactions to third parties for privacy issues. The bank has a clear and documented process for investigating and resolving claims of fraud on customers’ accounts and will work to ensure that all claims are addressed and resolved in an expedient manner.”

As at press time, Adeyemi complained that Union Bank had been maintaining discomforting silence over the issue. The poor lady’s case is particularly pitiful given that, she struggles to make ends meet by her small scale enterprise.

Besides Union Bank’s apparent disregard for the misery it has inflicted on its hapless customer, the bank predictably persists in its gross misdemeanour riding on a wave of invincibility and disdain characteristic of Nigerian banks’ relations with customers that fall outside their classification of deeppocket clients.

Though the monstrosity of local banks’ insouciance to customers of the lower income bracket is undeniably obvious, the facts have always been suppressed or completely stifled in the media, at the behest of the banks. To prevent a newspaper from exposing such scandalous crime and infliction of hurt on a client, a defaulting bank would spiritedly place a coloured page advertisement in the newspaper, banking on the condescending

notion that as long as a newspaper enjoys advertisement patronage and bribe to the journalist in charge of the story, the bank will suffer no bad press.

Acting along this premise, several banks have succeeded in ‘killing’ or stopping publication of major stories that would have revealed their infliction of pain on a customer and pilferage of the latter’s account without any hope of reparation.

In several other instances that the journalist insists on publishing the story, banks persuade the journalist or the editor in charge to remove their names from the story although The Nation never shies from naming the culprit. Hence you get to read: “Mr. XYZ suffered a raw deal in the hands of his bank (name withheld), a popular first generation bank,” to mention a few. How does this do justice to the report?

How does it enable the journalist and newspaper fulfill their ethical responsibility of objectivity, honesty and fairness in news reportage?

As you read, Adeyemi wonders why it is that Union Bank, her preferred banker, and an institution that continually touts itself as “Big Strong, Reliable” have to subject her to such indescribable pain and penury. Her misery would have been mitigated had the bank deemed it fit to employ a humane and responsible approach in addressing her plight. Sadly, Union Bank could only muster contempt and brittle witticism, courtesy Barde’s correspondence with The Nation correspondent, in response to her plight. It’s painful. It’s demoralizing, and fraught with disdain towards loyal customers like Adeyemi, who still keeps faith with the bank through crucibles of grief and unmerited pilferage visited upon her.

• To be continued...

Consolidating the Ogun standard

By Wole Elegbede tion of light rail networks by the federal government and neighbouring Lagos State and be part of the resultant benefits. The governor is endowed with a ready answer for getting goals; not being distracted by undue criticism and focusing on the targets of the administration.

A visionary move by the governor was the creation of an enabling environment for a federal government’s international airport project in the state. Recently, he was on ground with a team of experts at the site of the airport in Ewekoro area of the state. He was also on ground at the site of the Ogun cargo international airport in Ogere/Iperu axis, in what looks like a synergy for the opening up of the state’s industrial and agricultural potentials to the outside world. The site of the cargo airport will benefit from a unique location near the inter-change of Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Benin expressways. Around those airports will spring up intermediate business centres and catchment points in which the people will be the beneficiaries.

More importantly, the event that bore an eloquent testimony to the people-oriented programme of the administration was the distribution 1,000 Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) and building plan approval to home owners in the state in April, shortly after his re-election. The disbursement was the sixth in the series and was in furtherance government’s fulfilment to Home Owners in Ogun State to regularise their landed property at a reduced cost. The new system deployed by the government to process C of O, known as the Home Charter Scheme, has been able to side track the previous bottleneck and added some value to the citizens. The governor himself was personally present at this event and it turned out to be a demonstration of the understanding and cordiality between the government and the governed.

Certainly, the administration will consolidate on its provision of infrastructural facilities both in the rural areas and urban centres of the state. To the credit of the administration, several road projects, bridges and flyovers across the three senatorial districts were constructed and commissioned within its first term. Some of these projects are ongoing, and may be completed in due course. Without doubt, the extent of road infrastructure in the state since Senator Amosun assumed the mantle of leadership in 2011 has been phenomenal. Experi-

ence, they say, is the best teacher. Having been experienced in this area, it becomes easier for the administration to set sail and make another excellent mark in the new dispensation.

In all this, financial management remains one of the keys to the success or failure of any government. The success of the administration so far could be attributed its transparency and equitable use of resources in all sectors of the state’s economy.

In a period that has been characterised by dwindling revenue allocation since the past eight months, only that state with the necessary acumen will survive. As the grip of the economic downturn widens, some states are in dire circumstances as they lack the financial wherewithal to pay workers’ salaries. In Ogun State, such a challenge appears not insurmountable due to sound financial management by the administration. In the next few months, it is hoped that the government will deploy strategies that will further move the state towards self-sufficiency.

The onus is on the people to reciprocate the gestures of the state government by their continued support and cooperation. This way, the ensuing conditions of peace and normalcy will provide the basis for development, progress and prosperity in the state.

• Elegbede, is a former chairman of Imeko-Afon Local government in Ogun State.

‘Without doubt, the extent of road infrastructure in the state since Senator Amosun assumed the mantle of leadership in 2011 has been phenomenal. Experience, they say, is the best teacher. Having been experienced in this area, it becomes easier for the administration to set sail and make another excellent mark in the new dispensation’

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

22

COMMENTS ‘Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who could have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph’— - Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopian statesman IR Michael Moritz (KBE) is a journalist of note, philanthropist, former Google board of directors’ member and author of the first history of Apple Inc. titled: ’The Little Kingdom’ that documented the development of Apple Computer in 1984. He once wrote in Time Magazine: ‘History shows that there is no more potent engine against reform than the passion of voters who feel betrayed by the politicians they hoped would do the right thing.’ This quote may aptly be used to describe the disappointment of Nigerians over the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership squabble that engulfed the national upper legislative chambers - the Senate - earlier this week. It is a classical case of majority of the people being disillusioned about the political impunity that if care is not taken, can edge out the party’s promised CHANGE to the citizenry.

The story was curiously shameful: On the day of election of the Senate President and other principal members of the Senate, an invite intimating members with a scheduled meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari was sent out. According to reports, 51 members who were majorly supporters of one of the candidate, Lawan, gunning for the Senate Presidency went with dispatch to honour the invitation of the country’s number one citizen and perceived leader of their party. Unknown to them, 57 members of the Senate who were supporters of another aspirant to the same post including the aspirant, Bukola Saraki, stayed behind and in a jiffy, conducted an election in which Saraki was unanimously elected as the Senate President. Immediately, he was sworn in before the others could think of the next move to make at the venue where they endlessly waited for a president that was nowhere to be found.

S

08110000117

Too early in the day This, to yours sincerely, is electoral victory procured by chicanery. And more witty is the fact that such subterfuge was completely unnecessary if Saraki and his mostly PDPdominated supporters were sure they could actually win that election. My position is informed by the fact that the 57 that unanimously voted for Saraki were more than the 51 perceived to have been ‘lured’ to honour the purportedly phantom presidential invitation. The haste and atmosphere under which the election in the Senate held show that there is more to it; and the haste with which the presidency publicly identified with the desperate Saraki leadership equally raises serious doubts about the degree of the president’s understanding of democratic values.

The issues at stake is not about APC or any individual but about whether this government is actually ready for CHANGE or willing to be a ready tool in sustaining the impunity of the past. Some people have rightly argued that there is no difference between Saraki and his supporters hibernating in APC and the PDP legislators, arguing that it was his ambition that compelled him to seek solace in the APC - and that he is pursuing even if he needs to sell APC to the PDP. And surprisingly, the presidency publicly sees his election as having been a conclusion of the

‘The worst sin this presidency can commit is to continue to remain strategically indifferent under the guise of being tolerant. This is because; neutrality would goad and further help the oppressors in PDP and the camouflaged in APC garb to hold the people in contempt. Truly, the apathy of this APC presidency could sadly mean that Nigerians that voted for CHANGE would be subjected to another years of unkept promises and torment.’

T

HE trajectory of our national development has been one fraught with policy and leadership challenges. On most counts, however, the issue hadn’t been much about good policies but the will to execute and deliver on them by concerned authorities and institutions as professional and efficient entities.

Part of that unfortunate reality is the so-called Nigerian factor which continues to weigh down on great ideals and opportunities with the attendant negatives in our development narrative.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently came under focus – the occasion being the first anniversary of the current governor of the bank, Godwin Emefiele – and with it positive ratings. Obviously, such assessment must have been informed by the difference the CBN has made in the last one year as both the banker to the government and of course as the regulator of the nation’s financial system.

This is the positive story all patriots would want to hear in this era of change: that people in leadership positions at every institution in government play their roles efficiently and effectively to rekindle hope in our people. This hope, I think, should necessarily impact the well-being of Nigerians by easing their economic pains and live a better life.

Like the former United States Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, Emefiele assumed office at the CBN when the economy was under tumultuous stress: aside the the inclement political environment, there was the issue of huge decline in oil prices and barely $3.5 billion in excess crude account. As expected, many investors were also divesting from the capital market because they feared their investments could no longer be guaranteed in the environment of terror and uncertainties.

However, Emefiele got into the saddle with his sleeves firmly rolled up and we are now seeing some results. Besides confronting the challenges headlong, particularly in his resolve to clean up the corrupt and powerful interests in the nation’s financial system, the CBN governor CBN has proven to be a pragmatist whose understanding of our economic realities is re-defining the critical factor of development financing. Although Emefiele has gotten a deserved commendation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for his shrewd handling of the economy, we do not want another era of spoon feeding from the Breton Woods institutions through their models and prescriptions. Nigerians now want to see policies and programmes that are tailor-made and practical, delivering on their welfare and growing the economy.

It is against this background that we have to see the strategic repositioning of the CBN under Emefiele, directing the much needed attention to development financing just as the basic function of regulation with specific objective of streamlining fiscal and monetary policies is creating some hope of recovery. The much antici-

constitutional process. What kind of skewed constitutional process was that that sees to the twofaced disenfranchisement of a significant number of Senators that as a matter of decency, went to honour the president’s invitation?

The issue of quorum would only make sense if the absentee senators deliberately did not come to vote on that day and not for them to be denied their rights for showing respect for the presidency. It is trite that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands; the group that conducted a hasty election in the Senate and the presidency that accepted such duplicitous process could not be said to have come to equity with clean hands. For the Senator Melayes of this world arguing that the 57 members that elected Saraki formed quorum, someone should educate him that equity follows the law if it is just.

Yours sincerely is sure that the Senate Rule does not contemplate a situation where election of its principal members would be conducted under cloudy circumstances. After all, yours sincerely and millions of other Nigerians are not complaining about the conduct of the House of Representatives leadership elections that took place same day.

The president must wake up from his deep political slumber of indifference and face realities that would make the actualisation of his promised CHANGE possible. If he allows PDP to regroup and eventually send him out of power because of his deplorable and indefensible indifference, history will never be kind to him for destroying the platform and golden opportunity to catapult Nigeria to greatness. The statement of late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia may suffice here; he once said: ‘Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who could have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it

possible for evil to triumph.’ The regrouping and return of the evil called PDP in strategic positions under Buhari presidency and the APC would mark the descent of the country to the inglorious past and the end of all the reforms and CHANGE promised during the last general elections.

President Muhammadu Buhari must realise that the fact that luck has come his way does not mean that power is served a la carte; he must as a matter of urgency seize the opportunity it gives him now otherwise, it goes. It is not a good thing in politics for a leader to be indifferent over a critical matter of state because a nation continues to relapse into the abyss the very day and moment that her leader becomes silent about things that matter. It is surprising that the same people that worked against him in the past in the PDP; that described him as a despot; that championed the enthronement of a regime of electoral and public affairs impunity, and that denied Buhari victory thrice are mostly the same people who say they now care about him simply because he has been indifferent to what is politically needful in legislative affairs of this country.

Let the president remember that this same set of people will tear him down once the opportunity presents itself. The new leadership of the Senate failed the test of legitimacy; consequently, it should not be trusted as being capable of guaranteeing the required legislative backing that could bring about the required change and reforms promised by Buhari because of the shady circumstances preceding its enthronement. In the short run, this Senate leadership might pretend to care but after stabilising on the seat, it certainly would be at a vantage position to watch the president struggle for advantage before dealing with him appropriately in the long run.

By then, the president will realise, at a grave cost, that every helping hand is not always there to help.

The worst sin this presidency can commit is to remain strategically indifferent under the guise of being tolerant. This is because neutrality would goad and further help the oppressors in PDP and the camouflaged in APC garb to hold the people in contempt. Truly, the apathy of this APC presidency could sadly mean that Nigerians who voted for CHANGE would be subjected to more years of unkept promises and torment.

Nevertheless, it is too early to write off this government because of this singular omission. After all, the process might still correct itself before too long. Just as in the same vein, it is also early for this government to be seen to be encouraging this odious legislative impunity.

One year of Emefiele’s CBN

By Tony Olutomiwa pated recovery won’t happen overnight anyway but it is salutary that the CBN is conscious of the need to open up opportunities that can create jobs and enhance national infrastructure and development. Thus, such focus on agriculture, manufacturing, health, oil and gas and other related development initiatives are welcome. Of particular note is the launch by the CBN, of the N220 billion Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMES) Fund and the investment of N500 billion in the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN). These two big ideas are innovative as strategic means of dealing with the challenge of accessing funds by operators of small scale businesses – a segment of the economy so critical to growth. Similar efforts are reflected in the N213 billion Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility and the repositioning of the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund and similar credit institutions that are creating opportunities to those who otherwise would have been unable to be in business.

Interestingly, the financial system is regaining stability with tough decisions by the CBN. A major issue here is the tinkering with the operations of the Bureaux de Change (BDCs), a segment of the financial system which hitherto was noted for its notoriety in sharp practices that impacted negatively on the nation’s foreign reserves, yet no one before Emefiele appears to have dealt with it. CBN’s intervention through regulation has now created some level of sanity which is good for the health of the economy.

Again, strict supervision of the banks and allied financial institutions like the mortgage banks is gaining traction as pro-active reforms are making desired impact and ensuring that our banks are healthy and run within basic ethics and global best practices.

Adjunct to this is the question of financial inclusiveness which has made It possible to have a national governance structure which in partnership with some states ensured a gradual reduction in percentage of financially excluded adults from 46.3 per cent in 2010 to 39.5 per cent by December 2014.

In its latest review of the economy by the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the issues were well laid out regarding the challenges still confronting the economy namely: growth, inflation and general price stability. However, it was revealed that the fundamentals of the economy suggested improvement which could lead to better performance in the medium and long term, all things being equal. These challenges have informed such far-reaching policies to keep the fundamentals in the right

momentum and of course the inevitable tightening of fiscal policies. Although some have accused the CBN of over-regulation but for close watchers of the economy, such decisions by the CBN are basically exigent. These are measures tied to controlling current level of inflation, stabilizing the price level and liquidity in the market, otherwise there is bound to be trouble. Inflation in particular remains in single digits since 2013 which many believe is a confirmation of the effectiveness of sustained tight monetary policy of the CBN. Also, the MPC noted the relative improvement in the financial performance of the capital market which has been stabilizing over a period of time. The forex market is firming up against the dollar following the unification of the market in February and equities are rebounding reasonably which have so far suggested a modest recovery.

Generally the CBN has laid out a broad medium and long term economic strategies for growth and recovery; but for sustainability, the diversification of the economy must be pursued to a logical end with specific attention to the development of the non-oil sector. This is imperative for the economy to create more good jobs and attain sound growth just as the current tight fiscal policies should continue as a necessity. It is gladdening, however, that beyond fiscal management, the CBN under Emefiele is intensifying policies and programmes that are targeting development which is what Nigerians want to see.

• Olutomiwa is CEO, Mixot Emillia Limited, Lagos.

‘Generally the CBN has laid out a broad medium and long term economic strategies for growth and recovery; but for sustainability, the diversification of the economy must be pursued to a logical end with specific attention to the development of the non-oil sector. This is imperative for the economy to create more good jobs and attain sound growth just as the current tight fiscal policies should continue as a necessity’

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

23

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON SOUTHEAST STATES

Imo proposes Catholic University

Group donates chairs to school

•PAGE 27

•PAGE 37

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

PAGE 25

Honour for poly Rector •PAGE 40

•The Abattoir were the problem emanated

Rage in Anambra community over abattoir

U

NTIL recently, the 15-yearold abattoir at Amansea in Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State, has never witnessed any form of squabble. Being one of the three abattoirs in the state, it usually is a Mecca of sorts to nearby communities. According to some residents, this is so because beef from there is neat and cheap.

Regrettably, the chairman of Awka North Local Government Area, Cosmos Okonkwo, was alleged to have stormed the abattoir with 10-bus loads of thugs who were allegedly armed with dangerous weapons such as guns, machetes and clubs, among others and beat the chairman of Chisom Butchers’

,

Amansea community in Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State hosts one of the state’s three abattoirs. For 15 years the abattoir had existed, there had not been any squabble between members of Chisom Butchers’ Association and the community. But NWANOSIKE ONU writes that penultimate Sunday, operators of the abattoir were allegedly attacked by thugs over local government revenue issues

When we saw some vehicles approaching the abattoir, we thought they were customers because this place is always like a market because of the kind of meat we sell here…The story is true, but we thank God that we restored peace among the warring parties. The matter has not ended because the command has gone into investigation already…We are not going to say anything on the matter yet until investigations are completed to establish what really happened

,

Association, Christian Nwankwo mercilessly. The event occurred penultimate Sunday, Explaining his ordeal, Nwankwo

told our correspondent that trouble started when the council chairman demanded that the association should pay to him the revenue

which accrues from the abattoir instead of paying it to the state government coffers.

He said Governor Willie Obiano had directed that all the abattoirs in the state should pay all revenues to the state government and not to any other person, group or association.

Before then, Nwankwo had alleged that the association has been giving the local government chief N30, 000 per week, adding that the sum of N300 was paid for each cow that was slaughtered in the abattoir. He said that was after signing some agreements with •Continued on page 26

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

26

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT •Continued from page 25

•From left; Nwagu, Ezeonu, chairman, Nwankwo and Okechukwu, the lawyer. Inset: Nwankwo

Rage in Anambra community over abattoir Nwankwo and members of his executive alleged that the thugs stole N18.7 million which the members contributed in order to buy cows.

Also, they alleged that Okonkwo and his men made away with 16 live cows the cost of which they put at N2 million.

While reacting to the allegations by the butchers, the council chairman described them as baseless and unfounded.

He said if anybody wanted to know the true position of what transpired on that day, such information could be provided by police men from the B–Division Department who were present.

Furthermore, he told our corre-

,

him before the Governor’s directive.

According to counsel to the butchers’ association, Emma Okechukwu, the earlier agreement was that the council would provide water supply (boreholes and overhead tanks), re-roofing of the slaughter house and slabs, re-roofing of concrete slabs and provision of good drainage system within the premises of the abattoir.

But after five months of payment to the council without commensurate facilities at the abattoir as agreed with the council, the butchers started asking questions. This, he said, infuriated the council chairman who began to threaten and intimidate members of the butchers’ association.

Based on the threats, harassments and intimidation by the council chief to force his clients to pay, he was reminded of the subsisting injunction by the Federal High Court for stay of execution until the determination of the matter pending in the court since 2010.

But in disregard to the order, Okechukwu said, the council chairman sent his internally-generated revenue (IGR) team who came with a letter from the council chief demanding the sum of N800, 000 as environmental levy. He added that the meat sellers had no other option than to join him in pursuing the case that has been pending in the Federal High Court.

Speaking with our correspondent in Awka, the Vice-Chairman of the meat sellers, Emma Nwagu, said but for the intervention of the Awka Police Area Commander, Usman Yusuf, there would have been a bloodbath in Awka.

He said the people took them unawares because they were not envisaging such a thing from the chairman of a council. He said the thugs disembarked from the buses and held Nwankwo on the jugular and forced all of them to lie down on the ground.

He said: “When we saw some vehicles approaching the abattoir, we thought they were customers because this place is always like a market because of the kind of meat we sell here.”

Not only that the chairman of the council allegedly invaded the slaughter house with thugs, Mr.

The story is true, but we thank God that we restored peace to the warring parties. The matter has not ended because the command has gone into investigation already

,

spondent that since the butchers had reported the matter to the police, they are supposed not to be carrying up such baseless allegations.

When the police Area Commander, Usman Yusuf was con-

tacted for comment on the matter, he confirmed the near mayhem that almost crippled the community.

Yusuf said when the report reached the police, they had to mobilise their men to the place to avoid any break down of law and order.

‘Give nothing less than quality representation’

T

HE Abia State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April 11, 2015 general elections, Alex Otti, has urged members of Abia State House of Assembly elected on the platform of the party to exemplify effective and quality representation of their constitu-

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

encies.

Otti, who spoke at a two-day retreat organised by the party for state legislators, urged them to focus on legislations that would enhance the quality of lives of their respective constituencies and the overall inter-

est of the state.

He said: “The retreat was designed to expose you to global best practices in the business of legislation. The two-day retreat was part of efforts the party has adopted to ensure that you “hit the ground running for the benefit of the people”.

“The knowledge you will acquire

at the retreat would go a long way in equipping you for the legislative and administrative challenges which lay ahead of you. It would enable you to make greater impact in the lives of the people and the state during your tenure as lawmakers.”

He further assured the lawmakers that the party would continue to organise similar programmes as part of its contributions towards helping them (legislators) to improve their skills and capacity for legislative functions.

Some of the participants, Prince Ikedi Ezekwesili and Hon. Chijioke Nwachukwu representing Umunneochi and Umuahia South State Constituencies respectively, thanked the leadership of the party for organising the retreat.

They stated that the retreat had

“The story is true, but we thank God that we restored peace to the warring parties. The matter has not ended because the command has gone into investigation already.

“We are not going to say anything on the matter yet, until investigations are completed to establish what really happened,” he said.

Already, Mr. Nwankwo has appealed to Governor Obiano to come to their aid.

He wondered if it was a crime for people from other states to establish businesses in Anambra State, adding that the council chairman has allegedly threatened to deal with them because they are from Ebonyi State. empowered them towards their legislative responsibilities which include oversight functions over the executive.

In a statement issued at the end of the retreat, the participants advocated regular capacity building and training workshops for legislators, improvement in the communication skill and strategy of engagement and independence of the legislature.

They also resolved to sustain their commitment and struggle to recover the mandate given to the party’s governorship candidate by the electorate in the April 11 election through the appropriate legal framework.

Hon. Chugbo Enwezor, representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency of Anambra State House of Assembly, as well as chieftains of the party across the country attended the retreat.

Some of the topics the lawmakers were lectured on included the Code of Conduct for Legislators; House Rules and Ethics as well as the 1999 Constitution, among others.

,

•From right: The new Governor of Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the immediate past Governor, Sullivan Chime, his deputy, Ifeanyi Nwoye, state PDP Chairman, Ikeji Asogwa and the Deputy, Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu at the inauguration of the governor PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

The retreat was designed to expose the legislators-elect to global best practices in the business of legislation. The knowledge you will acquire at the retreat would go a long way in equipping you for the legislative and administrative challenges which lay ahead of you. It would enable you to make greater impact in the lives of the people and the state during your tenure as lawmakers

,

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

27

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

T

•Governor Okorocha and wife, flanked by the Anglican Bishops during the thanksgiving

Imo proposes Catholic University From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

live up to his promise of building industries and factories in his second term which will help in creating jobs in the state and end poverty among the citizens.

He said: “When I said I will stop kidnapping in the state, including Orlu, people doubted me. Today, it is a success story; kidnapping has been confined to the trashcan of history in the state. Now, I have promised to establish industries. I am speaking based on my trust in God. I will fulfill the promise. This government will fulfill its campaign promises. The 27 general hospitals,

,

HE quest for quality and affordable education in Imo State has received a significant boost with the flag off of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu University. It was all joy at a thanksgiving service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Orlu, when the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, gave the aspiration a breath of life with a cash donation of N100 million and an expansive plot of land for the university.

At the event, which was also the thanksgiving service by the Governor in commemoration of his victory at the 2015 polls and successful inauguration, were other prominent Imo citizens such as Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Chief Felix Idiga, who donated generously to ensure that the Catholic University is completed on time.

Governor Okorocha, who spoke before a large audience, including over 350 Catholic and Anglican Priests and other clergymen, directed that all necessary authorisation papers for the university be given to the leadership of the Diocese for the commencement of the project with immediate effect.

He assured that the state government would continue to invest heavily in education, adding that the free education progreamme will remain a priority project of the Rescue Mission administration.

The Governor listed the Marine University under construction in Ossemotor in Oguta Local Government Area, the European University in Ideato South Local Government Area and another under construction at Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area as some of the tertiary institutions that would be the envy of many when they finally take off.

Okorocha noted that he has always encouraged the Church to invest in the building of universities to assist in producing graduates with sound moral training and the fear of God. He reiterated that his second tenure would be better than his first, adding that the rural roads projects would be completed, while the free education from primary to university levels will remain a major thrust of his administration.

The Governor further pledged to

When I said I will stop kidnapping in the state, including Orlu, people doubted me. Today, it is a success story; kidnapping has been confined to the trashcan of history in the state. Now, I have promised to establish industries.

I am speaking based on my trust in God. I will fulfill the promise. This government will fulfill its campaign promises

,

the 305 primary schools and other projects will be completed.”

Continuing, he said: “The prob-

lem I had with the elite or the big men in the state was that I didn’t carry them along. But I will now carry

them along. These coming four years will be better than the last four years.”

Earlier in his sermon, the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Reverend Augustine Ukwuoma, observed that the Church has been in the forefront of development, noting that great continents such as Europe was developed by the Church.

The Bishop explained that although governing people is always difficult, the government should always listen to them to eliminate their biases. He also advised the people to pray for the government, noting that people can criticise those •Continued on page 28

Don discovers cure for HIV/AIDS A

PROFESSOR of Veterinary Medicine at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof. Maduike Ezeibe has said that medicinal synthetic aluminum magnesium silicate (AMS) can be used to cure HIV/ AIDS. Prof. Ezeibe said that AMS, an antiviral medicine which he invented, has been patented by Nigerian gov-

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

ernment and has been tested and proven to cure the dreaded HIV/ AIDS. He spoke in Umuahia, the Abia State capital. The Prof. of Veterinary Medicine said he has been working on the medicine since 1998 which has been concluded with results available for all to see.

Prof. Ezeibe said the Magnesium Silicate is available in the country, likewise the aluminum silicate, but AMS is not available in the country.

“However, there was need for me to create the synthetic one which I used to make the medicine,” he said.

He further stated that the two minerals have been purified and are being used as medicines in the country, adding

that both were reacted to get a synthetic form of AMS. He explained that the medicine will also cure the Ebola virus and bird flu which have similar virus with HIV/ AIDS, stressing that all the viruses are positively charged.

Ezeibe said the patients who volunteered to be tested on the viral loads of HIV/AIDS and for clinical trials of the MSAMS were assessed before and after they were treated.

He said the treatment lasted for four weeks, eight weeks and 12 weeks respectively, adding that, “a patient (names withheld) who could not access approved laboratory for viral load test on time, continued the treatment for 24 weeks.

Being treated with the medicine means that viral load of HIV/AIDS patients reduced from 86 per cent after four weeks, 96 per cent in eight weeks, 99.7 per cent in 12 weeks and the signs complained of before the treatment vanished at the end of the treatment and there were no side effects after taking the drug”.

•Prof. Ezeibe Ezeibe said his works has been published by the World Journal of AIDS, adding that the publication is currently making waves across the world as a great contribution to medicine from Nigeria.

He noted that despite the result he •Continued on page 28

,

•Some of the items donated to Isieke Motherless Babies Home.

I was satisfied when a female doctor from Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia told me that it is not the viral load that matters, but the RNA and that if it is below 51 per cent, it means that the patient is cured, as the body immunity will wipe out the remaining virus if any

,

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

28

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT Imo proposes Catholic University •Continued from page 27

•Continued from page 27 got he was not satisfied, as a male patient from Jos in Plateau State with 4,000 RNA who, after treatment came down to 1,000, which, to him, was not what he expected.

Ezeibe said: “I was satisfied when a female doctor from Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia told me that it is not the viral load that matters, but the RNA and that if it is below 51 per cent, it means that the patient is cured, as the body immunity will wipe out the remaining virus if any.”

Prof. Ezeibe said as a Veterinary Doctor, he cannot prescribe the dosage that could be administered on a patient, urging doctors to monitor their patients.

“When their RNA is below 50 per cent, the drug administration should be discontinued,” he said.

He challenged the Federal Government and other s in authority to come after him the way they went after Dr Agbalaka and if not help him to produce the drugs to help mankind.

Ex Champion MD Ogbuagu clocks 90

T

HE doyen of journalism and one of the pioneer broadcasters of the defunct Eastern Nigeria Television (ENTV) which is now Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Aba, Sir Bob Ogbuagu clocked 90 years on Monday, May 25 this year. Friends and family members rolled out the drums to celebrate the icon of journalism.

The public relations guru who started the celebration with an interaction with members of his immediate constituency, the press, said he had asked God for healthy years which he has received and that he is not in a hurry to leave this planet earth.

Dee Bob, as he is popularly known, was the scribe of the defunct Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation which was instrumental to the development of the former Eastern Region which comprises Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo, Enugu, Abia; Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Ebonyi states.

The former Managing Director of Champion Newspapers Lagos said he has always told his wife that his

Dee Bob, as we fondly call him, is a man blessed by God with natural wisdom, academic excellence, selfless service to mankind and true Igbo son of Nigeria who believes so much that he should be concerned more with making positive impact and touching the lives of those around him

,

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

happiest day was not the day he got married to her, but the day the Union Jack was lowered at Race Course Lagos and the Nigerian Flag hoisted on October 1, 1960, saying that it was a day he will never forget as he still remembers the day clearly.

On his longevity, he said he could

not comprehend. “All I can say is that I eat moderately as I have a wife who is a wonderful cook. I stopped drinking beer at an early stage when I noticed that I was growing tall the wrong way which was through the stomach instead of in height.

“Early in life when I stopped drinking beer, we were drinking a mixture of Guinness and Champagne which we call ‘Blue Velvet’,

which I advised young people not to try as it is very potent, and can knock down a horse.”

He said he is going to write his own biography. “As I am the only one that can write about me, as there are things I can say and those I cannot say to anyone”.

In a tribute to the doyen of journalism, the former Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji described Ogbuagu as a humble and approachable man in his entire life.

Orji said: “For many of us, you remain a shining star and a beacon of hope worthy of emulation, and my prayer is that the Almighty God continues to preserve you.”

Contributing, the former Deputy Governor of the state, Sir Emeka Ananaba said: “Dee Bob, as we fondly call him, is a man blessed

by God with natural wisdom, academic excellence, selfless service to mankind and true Igbo son of Nigeria who believes so much that he should be concerned more with making positive impact and touching the lives of those around him,” he said.

A

BIA State Commissioner of Police, CP Joshiak Habila has solicited the cooperation and partnership of Abians in helping police and other security agencies in the state to fight crime and insecurity.

Abia Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ezekiel Onyeke speaking on behalf of the CP disclosed that the essence of the collaboration was to make Abia a crime-free state where economic and business activities thrive.

According to him, “security has gone beyond the traditional policing of yesteryear where your mind goes to the police. Security is the baby of every good citizen of this country; everybody has a role to play. Everybody is a stakeholder in the fight against crime because if we serve, we are our brothers’ keeper, we watch our brothers back, this people who are operating in our society, giving us sleepless night are human beings; they are our brothers and our relations. If we are fed up with their conduct and we give information that could lead to their being apprehended, it will save us a lot of nightmare.

“What the police is asking for is giving us timely and credible information from well-meaning Nigerians to curb the activities of criminal elements within our neighbourhood. They should not fear coming to give police information because gone are the days when police after getting information will divulge his source of in-

•Personnel of the Abia Sector Command of the FRSC on duty

Abia police seek partnership in crime-fighting From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

formation. So they should be free to call the police to give us credible information and we will act on it promptly. If it is verifiable one, we will definitely act on it but when we discovered that it is falsehood, we will forget about it.

“The problem that we have is that, people after giving police in-

,

Don discovers cure for HIV/AIDS

•Sir Bob Ogbuagu in an interaction with reporters

,

in authority, but it must be constructive and not just for the sake of doing so or for the sake of opposition.

Encouraging those in authority to use their positions to develop the society, the cleric recalled that “the former President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, was under pressure to send his children abroad for education but he refused. Instead, he preferred to improve the quality of education in his country.

He praised the Governor for sustaining the free education programme and supporting the proposed Catholic University, which he assured will boost the education industry in the state.

The renowned cleric advised the Governor to listen to the people and carry everyone along, adding that, “my dear Governor, political campaigns are over. I urge all to sheath their swords. We should forget about politics and unite.

Whether we voted for you or not, you are the Governor. God has made you the Governor. Let political opponents not become your personal enemies. There is life after politics. Let us work together to make Imo better”.

Reacting to the development, scholars and other stakeholders in the education sector, described the proposed Catholic University as a development that will re-define the quest for meaningful education in the state.

Dr Nathaniel Izuzu noted that early schools that produced some of Nigeria’s best brains were owned and operated by the Church.

“I have no doubt that the Catholic University will be an instant success. In conventional universities, the rate of moral decadence is alarming and I know that the coming of the Catholic-owned University will provide a credible alternative for our children,” he said.

In a similar manner, Mr. Cletus Uzokwa, said the issue of incessant closure of schools as a result of industrial actions will not be the case with the proposed Catholic University.

“I am delighted about the planned university, because when it becomes operational, people can get admitted and graduate at target time without the usual frustrations suffered in public universities,” he said.

,

formation and the police acted on it, you will see them may be out of excitement will be going about telling people that he or she was the person that gave police the information about such action or may be that he is a police infor-

mant. The satisfaction should be within self and not going about boasting of being agent of the police because that is where the problem comes from is what I have earlier said but to say that •Continued on page 37

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHSOUTH STATES

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

PAGE 29

Inside the world of Rivers’ orphans

•Some of the orphans playing

Some of the orphans were abandoned; some dumped at the gate of the home, others found themselves at the home through the circumstance of death of their mothers at child birth. PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA looks into the world of orphans in the Global Foundation for Orphans

I

INSIDE

T was an evening appointment with the Global Foundation for Orphanage, an orphanage home located within the serene ambience of Mercy Land Estate, Nkpolu, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. At about 5:20pm when I arrived, the inmates had just returned from a visit to the Port Harcourt zoo.

The visit to the zoo, Mr. Cliff Jarrell, the coordinator of the home, told me, is the preferred place of the

inmates. He said he tried as much as he could to take them there when they had the time because the children derived pleasure from watching the different animals.

The compound was very clean and hygienic; facilities for children’s pleasure and happiness were installed at the one-storey building.

The children I saw playing around were properly dressed, well fed and without any look of a disadvantaged life.

PTDF expresses optimism on local content fabrication PAGES 30

Yet, you cannot deny the fact that they live in different world, devoid of the love of their biological parents. Despite the all-round comfort they enjoy, there is no denying they live in a world of loneliness, where circumstance clashed with their destinies.

Like every other orphanage home, Jarrell said most of the children were brought in after the death of their mothers during child birth, especially when there is nobody to care

for them.

He said some were dumped at the roadside, pointing out that there is a blind girl between 11-12 years that was dumped at the gate of the home when she was little; they could not trace her parents or relatives, noting that nobody had come forward to claim her.

While noting that the home cannot accept all cases, he said in critical situations as when a baby is dumped at its gate, they cannot turn

‘Why pipeline surveillance contract can’t end oil theft’ PAGES 34

their back. “All the children started with us when they were small; there was a blind girl right from the early days of her life she was with us. She was left in our gate at night; we don’t know her parents; she don’t know anybody as her people than us. This is a family, this is just a home, and we are not operating like an institution but like a home that is different from other homes.

•Continued on page 35

Bayelsa govt knocks oil companies, content board

PAGES 32

• YOU HAVE STORIES FOR US? PLEASE CONTACT US ON 07066954441 OR 08123521990

30

35

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

NIGER DELTA REPORT COVER

Niger Delta communities count blessings of Navy Week

Inside the world of Rivers’ orphans •Continued from page 29

T

HE sun shone brightly spreading its rays at the Headquarters of the Central Naval Command (CNC) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. For a week, the sun rays reflected on the faces of the naval officers and ratings who beamed with smiles as they warmed up for their momentous annual celebration. It was the Navy Week, a seven-day period of various events to herald the birthday of the Nigerian Navy.

The sun itself is significant to the Navy. As seamen and sailors, they always watch with admiration and fanfare every sunset. In fact, a ceremony to mark the sunset has been incorporated into series of events that mark the Navy Week. On June 1st, officers, dignitaries and friends of the Navy gathered in Lagos to honour the ceremonial sunset. The Navy then clocked 59 years old.

In all the Areas of Responsibility (AoR) of the Central Naval Command (CNC), the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Admiral Stanley Ogoigbe ensured that he followed religiously all the activities mapped out for the week. The amiable and agile commander got every officer and rating working in his command involved in the programmes.

Indeed, the people of the Niger Delta region especially residents in Bayelsa State hoped the week never ended. They were major beneficiaries of Ogoigbe’s activities. The week started with a Jum’at prayer and a thanksgiving service.

Ogoigbe at the thanksgiving service extolled the leadership qualities of the Chief of the Naval Staff, ViceAdmiral Usman Jubril and thanked God for making the Nigerian Navy grow vibrantly for 59 years. He commended the people of Bayelsa describing them as wonderful hosts.

He said the command has enjoyed the peaceful disposition of the state and the cooperation of the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson. He, however, asked the people to support the navy with information to enable the command combat criminality to sustain individual growth, community development and economic advancement.

Undoubtedly, the week helped the CNC to cultivate deeper and stronger relationship with civilians. Ships were opened to visitors in Warri, Delta State and some interested civilians enjoyed a trip to the sea in some of the naval ships.

Among all the events that marked the week, the medical rhapsody was the most exciting. The CNC took its medical mission to Onopa, a community in Yenagoa. Ogoigbe took a team of medical personnel to the community to attend to the medical needs of the residents. In fact, experts in dental care, eye care, pharmacy, laboratory

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

and public health were mobilised to the community.

The experts conducted blood pressure and sugar checks; eye examination and issued free eyeglasses to people with optical issues. Children were not exempted as Ogoigbe led a special team to deworm them. The residents also received lectures on HIV/ AIDS, hypertension and environmental hygiene.

Ogoigbe said the medical rhapsody was designed to bring the navy closer to its host communities in line with its social responsibility. He further said it was a demonstration of the navy’s belief in the strategic importance of a healthy population as a component of overall national security.

“This is in line with the present administration’s transformation agenda which places emphasis on good health and national security. It is also my belief that events like this are capable of stimulating the interest if the younger ones in host communities to aspire to a career in the navy thereby strengthening the links between the Nigerian Navy and such communities.

“It is expected that the exercise would live a positive impact on the health of residents. The overall goal of the Nigerian Navy is to facilitate a peaceful and conducive maritime environment to sustain economic development and social wellbeing of the nation”, he said.

He asked the community to assist the navy in its war against criminals.

“You should, therefore, be security conscious and alert security agencies of unusual happenings in your environment”, he appealed to them.

Also, the Command Medical Officer, Captain Christy Opara, further explained that the medical outreach is done annually to take care of host communities. “This is one of our areas of responsibility of the Nigerian Navy to strengthen the relationship we have with our communities because we are from one community or the other”, he said.

The Paramount Ruler of Onopa, His Royal Highness, Clinton Egba, was highly elated. He appreciated the Navy for coming to his community to give free medical services to his subjects The women leader of the community, Mrs. Ezikine added: “I am overwhelmed. I don’t know how to thank them for this. This is our first time of witnessing this in our community. I am very grateful.”

Also excited are the beneficiaries of the medical mission. Mrs. Glory Jonathan commended the navy for taking good care of their health. “I like what the Nigerian Navy is do-

‘ We make them realise that we care for our people. They come to us because they are aware of what we do here and that is because we brought them close to us.

•FOC (right) deworming a baby

‘

•FOC greeting a community leader

ing. I just got my child treated, he was immunised against measles. We were also given some drugs”, he said.

Furthermore, Obobo who came for general body checks added: “It is quite interesting for the Nigerian Navy to come to a community like this. We are grateful to them. I came for general treatment. Basically, my blood pressure was up and I didn’t know, but I have been given some drugs to stabilize it. Thank God for this.”

Ogoigbe reeled out the activities of the CNC. He said the Navy in conjunction with other armed forces in

combat crimes. Specifically, he said the navy is saddle with the responsibility of tackling crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, sea piracy, militancy, kidnapping, human trafficking and other related criminal activities.

He said the navy is also responsible in protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria and ensuring maritime safety at all time. He said since he assumed the leadership of the command, the CNC has arrested countless vessels and suspects.

Ogoigbe also listed the challenges of his command. He said: “The major

challenge is information gathering.

We do a lot to get information on criminal activities. We need information to work. People work in secrecy,but we’ve always been breaking in.

“The government has done well but we are still pleading that they should do more. We need boats and ships to be able to dominate the creeks. If I have the number of boats that I need,I can go to bed and get any report. The nation needs to do more to get us assets to combat crime.

Another challenge is further train-

ing of the personnel. We need officers good at handling weapons. This should be a basis for promotion.

The Bayelsans in the creeks are getting to know the Navy. Even Deltans, those in Edo and Idah know us. They know there is a force called Nigerian Navy. They come to us with information.

“We make them realise that we care for our people. They come to us because they are aware of what we do here and that is because we brought them close to us.”

PTDF expresses optimism on local content fabrication •Graduates 400 trainees in Port Harcourt

T

HE Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), says Nigerian locally trained welders would soon take over fabrication/welding activities in the oil and gas sector.

The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Femi Ajayi stated thisin Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital yesterday, during the graduation/ certification ceremony of 400 youths trained in Manual Metal Arc (MMA) Welding across the South-

capabilities. It is also a visible indicator that Local Content goals and targets on fabrication will be From Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt met in the not-too-distant future if we keep up the tempo or even increase it” South region.

He said the MMA Welding Ajayi, who expressed confidence comprises of three modules- Fillet on the capability of the graduands Plate and Pipe weld, which to compete favourably with their according to him is a higher training counterparts in parts of the world, level in welding and fabrication for said in no distant time, Nigeria will the oil industry and engineering have enough indigenous manpower companies. He said the training was for the jobs. predicated upon the need to bridge “This milestone is part of the the gap on indigenous capable/ Fund’s drive to up-skill Nigerians competent welders with in welding and fabrication

International standard certification, which he said led to the influx/ domination of expatriates in the country’s oil and Gas Industry.

He maintain that the trend would soon change; the Executive Secretary noted that the programme which began seven years ago has graduated over 1000 persons in two sets, having completed the three Modules of MMA, which has qualified them to work in any company across the World.

“In the past, the industry was plagued by a shortage of indigenous manpower leading to the

domination of Oil and Gasindustry by expatriates. This practice led to heavy losses in national income through capital flight as a result of the exports of major Engineering, procurement and construction works; which is the backbone of Petroleum industry to other technologically developed countries.

This capital if retained in the country has pote4ntial to revitalise the economy, increase gross national product and create millions of jobs for the unemployed youths in the country.

“Today as a result of PTDF’s capacity-building programmes, Nigerians are now singing a different song,since the industry is seeing a dramatic turnaround.

Collaborating Ajayi the Executive Sectary of Nigerian Content Development and Management Board(NCDMB), Denzil Kentebe the aim of the Federal Government and his Board is to ensure that Nigerians supply welding manpower to other countries of the world, and pledged his Board’s determined efforts to ensure it is achieved.

“I

WAS just reading the other day and I saw a newspaper report on a baby that was abandoned inside a sack bag. In that regard we must help. Most of the children with us came to us through the circumstance of child birth because Nigeria has high maternal mortality there are many children left to suffer because their mothers died during their birth and there was nobody that could support in the early critical stage. We have helped people with serious challenges, like baby that has no mother to breastfeed. We can keep the baby and assist in different formula and after few months the baby can be sent back to the family. But the babies that are here with us are those who have nobody to take care of them.”

During my visit, I also sighted young men between 20-25 years in the home, first I thought they were there to assist but Jarrel stunned me: “The young men you saw relaxing at the compound are my children; some of them came here at the infant age.”

In the course of my visit, it was clear that there exist a strong bond between Jarrel, a foreigner and his children (the inmates), who described him as the best father. Some said he is a man with high sense of decency and God fearing, who had done a very great job on the psyche of the inmates to trust each other and to see themselves as one family.

I also found that the same bond love exists between Mrs. Nkiruka Happiness Jarrell, whom I asked to differential the inmate from “her real children”, a request for which I got a friendly rebuke: “There is nothing like real children or my own children in this home”, she said. “The children you see here are all my children; this was why we were able to live as one united family.

We try as much as possible to treat them equally; my husband is their father and I am their mother. That is how we have been living for many years and God has been so wonderful.”

Recalling how she got involved in the charity work, Mrs Jarrell said, “For me, I believe deeply in my heart that what I am doing today is what I should do as a Christian. There was a lady that introduced me to a home at Borokiri, in Port Harcourt. She asked me if I have ever been to any home, I said no. I told her I had heard people talk about charity, and she said ok, and promised to take me to an orphanage home. She was the person that God led to open my eyes to what I am doing today.

“When I got to the orphanage home at Borikiri I saw the children, and I really felt about their condition and love for helpless children. And deep in my heart I knew this is what God wants me to do as a Christian to take care of these children. For me, I know God will not come down to take care of them, that was what led me and I decided to show love to these children.

“I spoke to my preacher in the church after returning from the home and I asked him why we don’t have orphanage home? And the government has, the Catholic Church also have but we the Church of God members don’t have. My preacher then said there is one of our brothers in Christ that has children, that he takes care of the less privilege and the orphans, that was how I got to meet my husband.

“My husband is an angel, he is the Christ I am seeing; he is one in millions. I made an art- paint of him where I described him as the best daddy. He is very humble, he is not selfish, to me he is God sent,” she proudly said.

But for Mr. Jarrell, who was apparently taken aback by his wife’s compliment, she deserved more. He noted that without her, the foundation wouldn’t have got to where it was.

•Mr. Jarrell and wife

•Twins brother, Obinna and Sunny

“What I will say is that I am humbled and thankful that my wife has the courage to support me especially to enter into this marriage. I have so many different reasons, but I came with a lot of baggages, she had worked with me before the issue of marriage came up, that means she has seen the Good and bad. Some of the bad were very bad yet she didn’t think about those things but just to rely and trust in God.” The Global Foundation for Orphanage has 4 inmates, a few of whom have graduated from the university; some are studying in Nigeria universities and a few abroad. Others are in nursery, Primary and Secondary schools.

But the couple is unfazed by the financial burden and challenges of running the large family. They told me it is not a burden but a manifestation of the favour of God, who has used them to provide what the home needs on daily basis.

For Jarrell, it is not a burden: “I will not say that I am paying or feeding them, my wife and I and other people that assist the home we are all instruments in God’s hand. We are not doing it for our own benefit, it is the opposite. The money I am spending is not my own money it is God’s money.

Today, we had two different churches that came to the home and they came because God directed them to come, what God really wants us to do is to be our brothers keepers. I don’t think there is anybody more honorable that an orphan who has nobody to care for him.”

Jarrell came to Nigeria 1993 as a missionary. He served in an old hos-

pital built before the war and from that point he committed himself to the ministry. He started the home with a child that was handed over to him by the sick mother .

“I ushered myself into a new world.

I didn’t come to Nigeria on my own; I didn’t come here without preparation and purpose. I came to Nigeria on 1st of March 1993, we came as family of four people, at that time, I worked at the mission hospital as a missionary. It is an old hospital built before the war in Onitsha Ngwa in Abia State that was what brought me to Nigeria and I served for five years at the hospital.

“Soon after I came to work at the hospital there was a small baby placed on my arm by her mother who was very sick. If you had come earlier, you would have seen that boy. He is now a Third Year student in Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). He was the first baby unannounced and unplanned for. I have some background, some experiences but that wasn’t in my mind what I would be doing in Nigeria because we came to serve in the hospital as a missionary which itself is a great ministry. But this one child in our hand led to another child and it continues in that way and we have many children today. We took the responsibility of fathering them, those children we would send back to their parent we did so, those who have no parent and somebody to take care of them stayed back.

“I worked at the hospital for five years, so some of the children have stayed throughout with us in these five years. Later we decided to relocate to Port Harcourt and it is a wonderful

story that God kept all of us as one family. That was how we started what we are doing today through that boy that was entrusted in my hand and we were managing in two bedrooms flat which was very small to contain us.

Because of lack of space, our corridor and dining became a place to sleep but today there are signs of God’s favour.”

Narrating some of the challenges facing the home, Mr Jarrell said the greatest challenge is how to mold the children into responsible adult. “This task is demanding, there are physical things like school uniforms, shoes, bags, accommodation, these are also challenges that we have to face. It is more difficult to feed a large number than to feed a small number.

“These are children with different background, though they don’t ask much about where they come from but as they grow older, they have to think more of themselves. You can imagine someone growing up and realized that someone he is calling my father is a white man different from him or her. It is not wrong if the person asks where he or she came from; I have also asked my mother that question. I think is not uncommon to ask those questions, to me, one of the reasons we believe in God as human beings is to ask where we come from, where we are going at the end. The most important thing in our relationship with God is to ensure that at the end we would not miss heaven. If we miss heaven, we have missed it all. It was God’s grace that many of these children survived; some would have died at the infant age.

“But today some of them grew up with all the disadvantages. For me, the biggest problem is how to train them to come into loving relationship with the creator, no matter the situation of their lives.”

Some of the adult inmates who spoke to Niger Delta Report were grateful for their ‘father’s’, conceding that he sacrificed to ensure that they had a future.

A set of twins, Obinna and Sunny, who came to the home at an early age, said they didn’t know how they would had turned out but for Jarrell and his wife. “We will remain grateful to God for using this wonderful couple to change our lives. He is a nice man and God fearing, he has done more than a lot to us, he is indeed the best daddy.

Their ‘brother’, Uche who is seeking admission into a Canadian university, said he was hopeful for a helper after being turned down due to lack of fund. “This time around, I am hopeful that God will send a helper to assist me. I have been trying my best to obtain my academic qualification in Canada hopefully by God’s grace I will get there. Last year we made an effort but the visa was denied base on the financial incapability we are still making an effort to convince the embassy to assist.”

31

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

Youth groups sing discordant tune over NDDC H

AS the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under Chief Bassey DanAbia been transparent? This is a question that youths in the Niger Delta have been unable to answer in one voice.

To a youth group, the Niger Delta Transparency and Integrity Coalition, Abia has run the agency with utmost sense of responsibility. But another youth group, the Aggrieved Voice of Niger Delta wants President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the Abia-led management of the interventionist agency.

The leader of the Niger Delta Transparency and Integrity Coalition, Chief Ngoye Iyalla also faulted a report which claimed that the Abia-led management has borrowed N2.5 billion from an unnamed bank.

The report, which was credited to Chief Ngoye Iyalla, also claimed that the loan is being serviced with N2.5 million monthly.

In a statement in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, its National President, Chiagorom Nwonkwo, dismissed the allegations, insisting that the Board has no such powers to borrow money without the approval of the nine governors of the Niger Delta states and the Federal Government.

The youths stated that the report was a cheap blackmail to discredit the good works of the present NDDC Board, the youths vowed never to fold their arms and watch some disgruntled elements to destroy their (youths), tomorrow.

They called on the Chief Iyallla to come up with verifiable evidence to prove his accusations, otherwise refute his allegations, or face legal action by the youths.

According to them, the present management of the commission has performed well having inherited an empty treasury and debt to the tune of N300 billion from its predecessor, and accumulated unpaid appropriation to the tune of N745 billion since its inception in 2001.

From Rosemary Nwisi and Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

They maintained that the commission is grossly underfunded and owed by the Federal Government, appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari to look into this claim, with the view to addressing it and releasing the monies owed the commission.

“NDDC is an interventionist agency. Every state in the Niger Delta has sitting executives (the governors) and they are involved in different projects. As an interventionist agency, the commission’s mandate is to identify the immediate needs of the people of the area and address them.

“Between 2001 the commission was established and 2014, NDDC is being owed N745 billion by the Federal Government. The NDDC Act recommended that 10 per cent ecological fund should be given to it, but the commission has not seen the fund since its establishment.

“Also oil companies in the region supposed to remit 3 per cent of its annual profit to the commission, but I can tell you that none of the companies have complied with this directive of the Federal Government.

“People are complaining of uncompleted projects and projects not being sighted in their areas, it is obvious that any organization that is deprived of adequate funding is completely handicapped, the commission can only work within the limit of the resources within its disposal.”

The group maintained that the NDDC main thrusts are being followed by the current administration to ensure no area was neglected but regretted that they cannot move as fast for obvious reasons.

“The Act establishing the mission specifically state three main areas, infrastructural development, youth empowerment and other programmes that can bring about peace and development in the area, and the present management of the Commission is religiously follow-

‘

We are calling on President Buhari to immediately set a panel to probe of the present NDDC board. The board led by Dan-Abia is supposed to protect the lives of those suffering in our riverine communities but they failed to do so

ing this mandates.

“The management has taken it upon itself to ensure that no project by the commission from inception was left uncompleted/abandoned while initiating new one.

“He has presently completed several of them; however funding challenge remains a problem and today, the Managing Director (M/D), Dan Abia embarks on projects inspection to ensure things are done well and the people of the region get value for their resource.

Researchers seek redesign, extension of Amnesty Programme

A

GROUP of researchers have described the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme as a

smoke screen.

The group said the five- year-old rehabilitation programme failed to address the main issues which led to insurgency in the region, insisting that it is a failure, just as the N65,000 monthly stipends paid to ex-militants as of no value.

The study was conducted by Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP), an NGO through the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Port Harcourt, the exercise also identified some factors that would likely degenerate the relative peace the program has so far achieved if not well managed.

Speaking in a one-day Policy planning/dissemination workshop on the research in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, stakeholders blamed the failure on its original design and implementation, which according to them focused on ex-militants only, but neglected the communities and other youths of the region and called for a redesign.

Speaking with reporters, the technical team leader of the researchers, Sofiri Joab-Peterside, said the workshop was meant to give stakeholders from the region the chance to make

From Rosemary Nwisi Port Harcourt

look at the report and make inputs on what would form a policy brief for President Mohammadu Buhari’s government on amnesty programme.He said: “The team has completed their research and has presented the report of their findings to the wider stakeholders, with the view of making inputs on what ought to be the policy publication of the outcome of the study.

“This basically was aimed at assisting the incoming government of President Mohammadu Buhari on what to do with the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking on the outcome of the study, he said: “It showed that most of the issues being generated by militancy in the Niger Delta have actually not been addressed, for example the issue of development.”

He added: “The research carried out in six of the nine states of the region including, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa Delta, Edo, Rivers and Ondo revealed that the way the amnesty programme was designed and implemented did not actually address most of the challenges which we see in the area in terms of development.

“There is also the issue of exclusion.

Some segments of the population felt

‘

• Dan-Abia

that they were excluded from the design and implementation of the programme.

“We also discovered some likely conflict escalators in the post Niger Delta period, like we discovered that there was a decline in violence but upsurge in oil theft, and emergence of illegal refineries across the region, a development that have created more environmental hazards in the area.

“There is also the likelihood of escalated political violence in the post amnesty Niger Delta region, if not well handled.

“These findings ostensibly are meant to draw attention on what needs to be done to solve these problems. Also the trauma created by the issue of displacement of persons as a result of militant activities in these communities and the extent in which the programme has not actually made provision for the reconciliation and of these former militants with their communities also poses a challenge the way we found a post Niger Delta region amnesty. “ Again the government thinks that the program should end in 2015, but facts available shows that the program was originally designed to carter for 16,000 persons, later it was increased to 20,00 and at present there are over 110,00 persons that are yet

“2015 budget has not been passed into law and we are now in May, that of 2014 was not fully released, the commission is suffering and suffocating under lack of fund to carry out their projects and programmes; and we the youths of the region understand this plight so well and have severally appealed to the FG to adequately fund them for better results to no avail.

“One may ask the concern of the youths in this allegation, we are the leaders of tomorrow and whatever

that is being built today is for us, should we fold our arms and allow unscrupulous elements to run down our tomorrow today, through unfounded allegations and petitions then our tomorrow can no longer be guaranteed.

“We therefore demand that chief Ngoye Iyalla retracts his allegations within14 days and render unreserved apologies to members of the Board of NDDC and if he refuses to comply, we the youths of the region will mobilise ourselves and seek redress in the court.”

However, the Aggrieved Voice of Niger Delta accused Abia–led NDDC of squandering money meant for the award of water- hyacinth to Niger Delta communities, especially communities whose source of drinking water have been affected by oil spill pollution.

The President of the group, Comrade Amatari Bipeledi, said Buhari must expose anything that could jeopardise his administration.

He said the youth of Niger Delta were ready and willing to partner with the Buhari government and to give him a full support on any policies that could liberate the people of Niger Delta.

He regretted that the Abia- led NDDC did not encourage the youths. ”We are calling on President Buhari to immediately set a panel to probe of the present NDDC board. The board led by Dan-Abia is supposed to protect the lives of those suffering in our riverine communities but they failed to do so. ”NDDC is expected to shortlist names of beneficiaries before giving award letters, but today NDDC gave award letters through the back door to their cronies, relatives, pseudo, and proxy companies without due process. ”We have many facts and evidence to present to President Buhari whenever he is ready to act on our fact. The purpose for the creation of NDDC has been seriously compromised.”

‘

We also discovered some likely conflict escalators in the post Niger Delta period, like we discovered that there was a decline in violence but upsurge in oil theft

‘

• President Buhari

to be trained in skill. If that is not properly addressed and also with the issue of the plan to stop the payment of the N65, 000 stipends to the exmilitants, we are therefore of the thinking that these are issues that if not well handled may relapse into violence which the amnesty program

sort to checkmate.

“The essence of the stakeholders meeting therefore is to present our findings to them and allow them to make inputs and decisions before we can come up with planned policy brief document for the program to the in-coming government to look at.”

32

33

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

NIGER DELTA REPORT

Bayelsa knocks oil companies, content board B

AYELSA State is not happy with oil companies operating in the state and the Niger Delta region. It could not hide its loathing for operational strategies of multinational oil companies when its Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr. Wodu Kemasuode, led a team on Tuesday to the headquarters of the Nigeria Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB) in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Everybody thought that the commissioner and his team came for a courtesy visit, especially as the board has a new Executive Secretary, Mr. Denzel Kentebe, who hails from the state. He replaced the former administrator, Mr. Ernest Nwakpa.

Kentebe also thought that it was a courtesy call. But it ended up being more than a familiarisation visit.

Though the commissioner with his team after settling down in the exotic office of Kentebe congratulated him on his new portfolio, he wasted no time to spell out the grievances of the state against the board and the oil companies.

First on his list was the recent sale of the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunkline by the Royal Dutch Shell Plc whose operational name in the country is Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

Shell sold the oil facilities located in Nembe Local Government Area of the state to Aiteo Eastern E&P Co Ltd for about $1.7billion. But the state is angry at its exclusion from the transactions that led to the sale of OML 29.

The commissioner said state’s expression of interest to acquire the oil assets was turned down by the multinational company. Kemasuode told Kentebe, that the interest of the state was not considered in the bidding that led to the sale.

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

“Bayelsa State Government submitted its bid for OML 29 but we are not happy that our bid was not considered. We feel that the board did not consider the interest of the state in the bidding. Our interest was not protected,” he said.

He said the state suffer greatly from all the environmental problems arising from oil exploitation and should have been considered first in the sale of the oil assets.

Second on his list is the establishment of headquarters of oil companies outside their areas of operations in the state and the Niger Delta region. Undoubtedly, most companies who explore and exploit petroleum products in the state and the region have their headquarters outside their operational areas. While some have their offices in Lagos, others operate from Abuja.

But the commissioner said such practice account for the reasons why the states in the region have not developed to their full capacity. He demanded immediate relocation of oil companies’ head offices to oil-producing states including Bayelsa.

He said the government was considering exploring legal options to compel oil companies to relocate their headquarters to the state. He said the absence of operational offices of the companies has adverse effects on the economy and environment of the state.

He said: “What we suffer from the absence of these offices in the state cannot be enumerated, even in terms of taxation, the economy and real estate. Once these oil companies come here, so many other companies will follow them and this will boost our economy. Once they come, Bayelsa

•Kemasuode (middle on suit) with Kentebe (right) during the visit in NCDMB headquarters in Yenagoa.

state will be something else.

“So, we are suffering tremendously as a result of the absence of these companies. There is absolutely no basis not even issues of security. The place is secure enough for everyone. If it is so secured that these companies carry out their production, it should also be secured for them to bring their head offices here. The government is doing all its best to ensure that there is security and the government will still do more.”

Without mincing words, the commissioner pointed out that the board is also guilty of what other oil companies are doing. He said the board has its most effective and efficient office outside the state.

He said the board by so doing contravenes Section 71 of the Act establishing it which requires that it carries out its business and locate its head-

quarters within the oil-producing state. He said the board has reduced its Yenagoa office to a mere symbol while running most of its affairs in its Abuja office.

He said against the spirits of the law, the board undertakes most of its activities in its Abuja office adding that if the board carries out its programmes in the state as envisaged by the act, they will improve the programme of the state.

He said: “Then another major issue of concern to us as a state government is the fact that the board has in contravention of the Act, that is section 71 of the Act, established office outside the oil-producing state where mutual activities are carried out.

“In the last programme that the board and the governor held last year, the governor did allude to that because I am aware that in the last re-

gime, most of the activities took place there and that is to the detriment of the state because if you carry out your activities here as envisage by the act the economy of the state will improve.

“The Act simply says you can have offices only in the oil-producing states. You should have your headquarters here then if you want branch offices you can build. As a goverment we are calling on the board to close that office in Abuja and carry out its businesses here.

“The Abuja office of the board is illegal, it’s contrary to the provisions of the Act established by a particular section 71. These are serious legal issues and the state is quite serious serious about it.”

Another issue bothering the state is the employment opportunities in the board. Kemasuode reminded

Kentebe of the provision of the Federal Character in the Nigerian Constitution as it relates to employment.

He said though the state lacks knowledge of composition of the board’s employees, there must an effective representation of indigenes of the state in the employment of the board.

“For now we will call on the board to ensure that there is effective representation at all levels of indigenes of this state in the operations of the board not only at one level.

“These are serious issues, which we have quietly talked about before coming to you.

“We hope that these issues will be treated with the seriousness with which you would have been doing your work,”, he said.

In his response, Kentebe said the board would look into the demands of the state and reschedule meetings to discuss them.

He said: “I had thought that this was going to be a welcome courtesy visit, trying to welcome me to the state and trying to show me where the joints are, but from your presentation apart from being a welcome visit, you have also come with a lot of concerns.

“I want to say that we will look into these issues. We have been here for five years and we have enjoyed the collaboration and support of the Bayelsa State government and we still continue to look forward to that.

“These issues that you have brought up, we will look into them.

We will schedule meetings to discuss them further with you, so we can continue to have that good relationship that we have had.

“I can assure you that we are a very responsible board an we will not do anything contrary to the interest of the state of Bayelsa and most especially to contravene the Act that set us up in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Bayelsa ministry, pupils partner on environmental sustenance

A

MONG all the states in the Niger Delta, Bayelsa has one the most difficult environmental challenges. It is always said that the state has more rivers than Rivers State and is more Deltaic than Delta State.

The state’s environmental challenges are compounded by incessant oil spills, gas flaring, flooding, reckless sand excavation and improper waste management system. To tackle the challenges, the state Ministry of Environment headed by Mr. Iniruo Wills, is leading a campaign for sustainable environment.

Wills is worried by the future of the state’s environment. He, therefore, believes that for the environment to be guaranteed, child education on dangers faced by the environment and measures that must be adopted to preserve it should top the agenda of his ministry.

No wonder the ministry decided to celebrate this year’s World Environment Day with the pupils of the Cedar Court British International School located in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The Lead Administrator and founder of the School, Mrs. Wealth Obibi, is also in her own right an environmental activist.

She initiated involvement of children in the celebration by sending a proposal to Wills who did not hesitate to accede to her request. It was amazing to see the brilliant well-fed

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

children exchanged knowledge and ideas on environmental preservation with Wills and the directors from the ministry.

The Director in charge of Petroleum and Control, Engr. Japheth A. told the children some aspects of the environment that can be polluted. “Don’t play with batteries. They can kill”, he told the children. He educated the children on the activities of oil companies in the state and the Niger Delta region.

He said oil spills occur in the environment and cause environmental damage and hazards.

He further named illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism and illegal refineries as some of the disturbing environmental challenges in the state.

“People break pipe, take crude and cook. It is dangerous”, he said adding that such evil practices pollute the environment and the fish consumed by people.

Similarly, Judge Kingsley, a Director in charge of Environmental Health, educated the children on waste management and the health hazards of disposing refuse recklessly. He appealed to the pupils to safeguard the environment by properly disposing waste.

According to Wills, the theme for the year’s celebration, “Seven Billion Dreams, One Planet, Consume with Care”, is apt. He said apart from June

5 set aside to celebrate the environment, everyday is an environment day.

“The environment is so important that we must do everything possible to protect the environment”, he said.

But the children took the centre stage.

In breathtaking performances they demonstrated their vast knowledge of environmental issues. In one accord, they chorused the year’s theme as the raised their clinched fists to add momentum to their determination.

Each of the kids selected for the presentation spoke on an aspect of the environment. They narrated the history of the environment day, climate change and its effects, place of animals and plants in the environment and sustainable lifestyles to safeguard the environment.

They spoke on importance of biofuel as alternative source of energy.

To reduce effects of light, they advised that people should learn to go to bed early.

After their enlightening performances, the ministry took time to further give the pupils tips on healthy living and environmental sustainability. In a power-point presentation, Augustine, who works in the advocacy department of the ministry spoke of population increase and its pressure on environmental resources.

“The resources are depleted, the environment is increasing. How then do we survive?” He queried. But he asked the children to stop the practice of cutting down trees. “Trees take car-

Excitement as Delta shoppers get the Shoprite experience T

HE Delta Mall, popularly called Shoprite in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State is the latest toast for shoppers and fun-seekers in, not just the twin cities of Effurun and Warri, but for their counterparts from all over the state and as far as neighbouring Edo State.

Two false starts leading to the inauguration of the facility, strategically located at the Effurun Roundabout, failed to curb the enthusiasm of shoppers, especially fashionsavvy young girls and ladies, who are constantly in search for new location to take selfies to be posted on Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites.

Originally billed for opening in the last weeks of 2014, the first phase of the project was officially inaugurated on May 27 by former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. It was, in fact, one of the last ceremonies performed by the outgone governor and perhaps his best gift to leisure.

But a week earlier before the official opening ceremony, revelers from Asaba, Ughelli, Sapele and other towns had thronged the popular Shoprite section of the mall, following the decision of one of the shops to throw its gates open earlier.

Although the number of visitors on that day could not be ascertained, some sources said several thousands of men, women and children walked through the door.

“The crowd that day was so much that people were carrying their shopping baskets on their heads because it was a throng of bodies all the way. So many people came to have a feel of the famous Shoprite that they had been hearing.

In spite of the numerous air-conditioners, the place was very hot because I don’t think the management anticipated that much crowd,” Yole, one of the early callers, told our reporter.

Within minutes after the doors were opened, the social media was awash with pix of the young and old who were happy to be the first to get a feel of the facilities. The transparent branded shopping bags favoured by the departmental shop became a symbol of sort as those who “have been there” flaunted it across the nooks and crannies of Warri and environs.

Three weeks after, at the time of this report, the hunger of shoppers is yet to be sated, with the mall still recording several thousands of shoppers and casual visitor daily despite that majority of shops within it are yet to be opened for business, despite that construction works are still going on everywhere, including the car lots. Our check showed that at least 70 percent of the stalls are yet to open for business.

A staff at one of the other shops told Niger Delta Report that some of the franchise owners were still redesigning and carrying out reconstruction works on their stalls to make

•Shoppers at Shoprite

From Shola O’Neil, Warri

them suitable for their businesses.

Some of the shoppers who spoke with NDR said they were attracted by the relatively cheaper prices of goods at the mall. They expressed surprise that most items at the mall, especially household goods and food items, were cheaper than the regular markets in spite of the exotic ambience.

Mr Larry Ovwromo, Principal Partner at the law firm, Larry Ovwromoh & Associate, expressed hope that the coming of Delta Mall would stop extortion and cutthroat practices of some business owners in the city.

However, our investigation revealed that not all shoppers are that excited. A middle-aged man who described himself as “a regular travelers outside the shores of Nigeria” decried alleged exploitation of Nigerians by the South African outfits.

“Of all the countries where I have visited and shop at Shoprite, items on sale in the Nigeria’s outfits are the most expensive. I have done comparative analysis and found out that Nigerians are being exploited. People are excited because they have been yearning for

Council, NGO empower women, youths though skill acquisition

I

•Pupils listening to environmental tips

bon dioxide from the environment and give us oxygen. Instead of cutting trees, we should plant more”, he said.

He further warned the children against cooking of rude oil, reckless dumping of waste, breaking pipelines and sand excavation.

The curious pupils did not spare the environmental experts. They asked intelligent questions and received answers on issues bordering on oil spills, felling of trees and others.

Also, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Social Media, Dr. John Idumange, emphasized the environmental dangers faced by people in the region. He said oil companies have devastated the state’s environment through their exploration of crude

without corresponding action to reclaim the environment.

“The first person that will kill us is the oil company. The crude oil that is providing money to the country comes from the Niger Delta. We still have gas flaring and it is very toxic.

We have crude oil wells all over the place”, he said.

The children shuddered at Idumange’s explanations that in the rural areas people defecate into the water they drink from. He said cancer abounds because of of unhealthy food consumed by people.

The highpoint of the event was the presentation of paintings illustrating the year’s environmental theme to the commissioner by the pupils.

After receiving the artwork, the commissioner said: “This is one of the most important gift we have ever received. Cedar Court is now a partner of the Bayelsa State Ministry of environment. The artwork will be framed properly and it will be in prominent position in my school”.

He declared the school, the most environmental-friendly school in the state. Dr. Obibi who was accompanied by her husband said the pupils were initially taken on tour to the Bayelsa Palm and that they would proceed to some parts of the city to engage in environmental sanitation. She promised to upload pictures of the event to the school’s global website and thanked the commissioner for his warm reception.

N a bid to check the rate of restiveness in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, the chairman of the area, Mrs Rita Agbo Ayim has entered a partnership with a nongovernmental organization (NGO), CUSO International to train youths and women on entrepreneunership.

The beneficiaries are to specialize on poultry farming, goat raising, fish farming among others.

Ayim said the move is to make them self-employed, to contribute positively to the development of the economy of the area.

The Council Chairman who signed an MOU with the organization in Ogoja said about 400 youths and women would benefit from the job-creating endeavor.

Speaking at the signing of the MOU at the Council Hall, the

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

Chairman adviced the beneficiaries to take the programme seriously in order to help reduce restiveness among themselves and to create job for others.

Her words, “I am charging the participants and the beneficiaries to put more effort in the programme so they can become employers of labour, and to make sure the essence of the programme is not being defeated.”

Ayim lauded the CUSO International team that came for the exercise and assured them of her readiness to do everything possible for the programme to succeed.

Project Director of CUSO, Mr. Chris Braeuel also charged the beneficiaries to take the opportunity given to them in order to create jobs for others and themselves.

this kind of shopping experience, but the reality is that it could be better,” the complainant who simply gave his name as Sheu, added.

Sheu said it was necessary for the Federal Government and relevant agencies, including consumer protection agency, to look into prices at not just the shop, but other foreign companies who he said are ripping off Nigerians.

Although there was no competent management staff at the mall to comment on the allegation, a senior supervisor who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our reporter that it was impossible to get uniform prices for shops in Nigeria and South Africa for goods manufactured in the latter.

“Also, we have to look at the issue of infrastructure; we spend huge sum of money on power generation; diesel and petrol cost a lot of money. We need to keep this place cool for the volume of customers that come here and also to ensure that dairy and farm products are fresh for consumers.”

Nevertheless, for shoppers and fun seekers like Yole, the immediate need is where to relax, get snacks and take selfies.

Mathematics contest kicks off in Delta councils From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

T

HE second edition of the Ejele Annual Mathematics Competition kicked off last Friday in five designated locations across five council areas of Delta State.

The competition, which is sponsored by the member representing Warri North Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Michael Diden, who is also known as Ejele, was designed to promote the learning of mathematics in all public secondary schools in five council areas of the state.

Announcing the commencement of the second edition of the competition in a statement made available to the media in Warri yesterday, Mrs. Judith Diden said all public secondary schools in Ethiope-West, Okpe, Sapele, Uvwie and Warri North council areas would be participating.

Continuing, the statement disclosed that the best three students from each of the five participating council areas would contest in the final round, which would take place on June 20, 2015 at a location that would be disclosed later.

It further added that the final stage would also include the answering of oral questions before an audience in order to select the overall best contestants.

The competition would award laptops, books and cash prizes to the best contestants, while participation certificates and other prizes would be awarded to some participants and teachers respectively.

It however pointed out that the academic contest, which is meant for only Senior Secondary Class 2 students in the selected areas, was meant to, among other things, popularize Mathematics among students, raise the awareness of young learners on the relevance of the subject, identify promising students as well as promote hard work among them.

34

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NIGER DELTA REPORT INTERVIEW

‘Pipeline surveillance contract no solution to oil theft’ Former militant leader, ‘Commander’ Bibi Duku, headed a group on security in the Niger Delta for President Mohammadu Buhari. In this interview with SHOLA O’NEIL, he speaks on the alleged fraud in the amnesty and pipeline surveillance contracts awarded by the past administration, expectation of Niger Deltans from the new government, among other issues.

K

IDNAPPING and other vices have prevented people from coming to invest and settle in the region, how do you think this can be avoided?

How to handle kidnapping, killings, sea piracy and other vices found in the region have being well mapped out since two years ago. I came out with how these issues will be dealt with and I went to see the former president to seek his consent, but because I was not in the government, they did not listen to me. We know these criminals and we are ready to collaborate with the new government to tackle this issue once and for all. If the government had been taking care of the youths in the region, I believe that none of them will want to go out and carry out these nefarious activities.

Despite the award of surveillance contracts to ex-militants, pipeline vandalism has continued, what is the solution?

Because of the selfish interests of the immediate past government, they gave these contracts to people they thought will secure the pipelines. Yes, they are capable of securing these facilities, but because of their criminal nature they decided to look the other way.

They cannot tell me that they do not know those that are involved in carrying out this vandalism. As a leader in a community, you are supposed to know those that are capable of vandalising pipelines and where all these illegal bunkering is being carried out. If you know and you do nothing, it means you are involved too.

If I was the president, I would arrest all those that were given the power to secure these facilities because they cannot claim to be ignorant of what is going on in their areas. What I am saying is that people who were giving the contract to secure these facilities did not do their jobs because they know those that are vandalising these facilities and they refused to

arrest them because they are also part of the rogues.

On the recent renewal of the pipeline contracts and calls for review These are issues that the new administration has to look into again. We will find out if the contract was really renewed, or they paid the money to these bad leaders and they did not pay the boys.

Do you support calls for scrapping of the surveillance contracts?

If the government comes out and say they have all it takes to guard these pipelines, they should revoke the contract and do the surveillance themselves because I believe that they are the government and they have all it takes to guard lives and property in the country. I don’t see why they should give a security contract to bloody civilians when they have the army, navy and police and other paramilitary outfits.

Some people think that think illegal bunkering cannot take place without the active collaboration of the military Military officers bribe to come to the Niger Delta region. The military cannot tell me that they do not know anything about illegal bunkering in the region. How will you explain how the barges manage to pass the military checkpoints in the river? Let us not be deceived; we should know whether these people are carrying out their duties or not. This only shows that the military are taking bribes from the illegal oil bunkerers. I know that my people can bribe their way out of anything. The new administration should take these things into consideration.

As somebody that worked for the victory of the new administration, what role do you think you should play?

The role I want to play in this new administration is to fight corruption to a standstill and

•Duku

bring criminality in the creeks and land to its barest minimum. I will fight the bad characters that we have in the region to a standstill and I will not allow any individual to hold us to ransom. I have the capacity to mobilize my men to bring anybody who wants to cheat the people of the region to his knees. I am going to fight against cultism. We are going to monitor all corrupt individuals in the region and report them to the appropriate authorities because we do not expect President Buhari to come down from Abuja to fight the fight for

us.

We have a lot of bad leaders in the region who are bent on tarnishing the image of other good leaders. My advice to them is that they should not fight against God because if they do, they will die. Anybody who is fighting against the Niger Delta struggle will die. I also want us to give this new administration some time to settle down. Let us first see what they have for us whether it is for our benefit or not before we start to make any trouble.

Boost for midwives in Niger Delta Fed Govt trains fishermen

S

HELL Petroleum Development of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) Joint Venture in collaboration with the governments of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Abia and Akwa Ibom states and New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) are set to turn around healthcare delivery system in the Niger Delta area.

A statement by SPDC said healthcare delivery in six Niger Delta states would take an upswing with the training of 300 midwives that will support government’s effort in getting more skilled health workers to rural communities.

It said the 18-month midwifery certification training, which commenced in 2014 aims to produce skilled and motivated change agents in the hinterland, where statistics show that 45% of women are delivered of their babies with the help of unskilled birth attendants, thereby increasing the risk of maternal and infant mortality in such areas.

The initiative, it also noted, is sponsored by the Shell Petroleum Development of Nigeria Limited (SPDC)

Joint Venture in collaboration with the governments of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Abia and Akwa Ibom states and New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD).

SPDC’s acting Regional Community Health Manager, Dr. Akinwumi Fajola, said at a cheque presentation ceremony in Port Harcourt, “This is a unique intervention that invests not only in the individual beneficiaries but also in the people hoping to benefit from their newly acquired skills. The training is in line with SPDC’s commitment to improving healthcare in rural areas and will make the muchneeded difference in hard-to-reach locations in the Delta.”

SPDC’s acting Head of Department, Partnership and Collaboration, Dr. Dennis Oyakhire, commended the state ministries of health for their commitment to the success of the partnership.

He said: “In 2014, the beneficiaries received the first instalment of the scholarship fund and today we are happy to be presenting the second (and final) cheques to them. We are all look-

ing forward to enjoying the benefits of this initiative.”

The Director of Nursing Services, Abia State Ministry of Health, Pastor Ekeagba Promise, thanked SPDC for training the midwives.

As part of the programme, the 300 trainees are studying in accredited state schools of midwifery and also sent on clinical attachments in community hospitals, all with a view to preparing them for the final qualifying examination of the Nigerian Nursing and Midwifery Council.

SPDC said it has provided them with modern laptops to facilitate research and documentation.

Faith Emerho, one of the beneficiaries from the Delta State School of Nursing, Sapele, said: “I was struggling through school; combining school with work until SPDC provided finances that enabled me resume my studies. I promise to be an agent of change in my community.”

Faith and the other midwives are expected to graduate this year and return to their communities to provide professional medical care.

T

HE Federal Government has disbursed 24 Yahama out-board marine boat engines, 50 bundles of fishing nets, 10,000 pieces of SH-20 floats and 100 units of marine ropes to Itsekiri Fishermen Cooperative in the Niger Delta.

Deputy Director, Ar-tisanal Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Olusegun Babatunde, while presenting the equipment and inputs in Abuja, said the gesture was in line with government’s effort in increasing local production of fishes with additional 200,000 metric tonnes in Nigeria.

A statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Information, Tony Ohaeri, said artisanal fishing has contributed 80 percent of fishes produced locally in Nigeria.

The Federal Government, he said, has designed a programme targeted at 27 states engaged in artisanal fishing with focus on 200 fishermen per state.

He added that such fish-ermen were expected to ben-efit from the empowerment drive in form of fishing in-puts like boats and canoes as a way of support and not subsidy from government.

Receiving the fishing in-puts on behalf of Itsekiri Fishermen Cooperative, Mrs Ritalori Ogbebor said the gesture would reduce restiveness in Niger Delta.

She, however, said gov-ernment’s gesture would also address some of the grievances in the region and pleaded for more as-sistance in swamp rice pro-duction and piggery.

According to her, such assistance could be in the area of equipment for rice processing, harvesting and polishing.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

36

NIGER DELTA REPORT COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

D

ELTA, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom are four Southsouth states with new governors. The governors of Edo and Bayelsa are not new. Adams Oshiomhole is serving his second term in Edo State, while Seriake Dickson is warming up for a second term in Bayelsa State.

With almost all the governors in this region new, I sincerely believe it is a time to let their Excellency knows that poverty walks on all fours in this region. What better way can I do this other than go back to a piece on this space last September 26?

The piece titled ‘The common Niger Deltan’ is a food for thought. Here it is: I write this for no one in particular. It is just the thoughts of a man who needs to speak out before becoming a patient at a psychiatric hospital. Let me do a brief introduction: I am what many will prefer to address as the common man. But, since I fall into the geographic divide called the Niger Delta, I opt for the option of being addressed as the common Niger Deltan. What sets me apart from the other Niger Deltans? It is simple. I am poor, stinking and not sure of where the next meal will come from. I live in the creeks. My house, made of wood, is covered with palm front, which I have to change from time to time as they wither away.

For me, luxury is a stranger. It is something I hear about and see when the rich choose to throw their weight about. Some of my children could not go to school. I don’t have to tell you the reason. It is obvious. Did I hear anyone talk about free education? It is a mirage to me and a source of pain too.

But, do I really have any reason to be poor? I don’t think so. I was born into wealth. Not that my father was rich. My mother was a good friend to poverty.

What I mean by being born to wealth centres around the fact that I am from the Niger Delta, where the oil of Nigeria’s prosperity is drilled. A constant reminder of this is some minutes away from my abode: the Residential Area or RA, as we are wont to call it, of the multinational the government gave the licence to drill our oil on its behalf. My house and those of others around me when compared with the RA cannot be described better than saying “heaven and hell, side by side”. Ours is hell; theirs is heaven. I guess we have sinned and come short of the glory of God to be consigned to that sort of existence.

On a second thought, I think it is not God that we have sinned against. It is our leaders, the men we elect to lead us. Or, better still, the men who forced themselves on us as our leaders. In my part of the Niger Delta, we never see night. I will explain. The multinational operating in our area has its flow station so close to our homes. It sends out gas flares throughout the day. So, the only way to differentiate between night and day is to check our wrist watch, something that is a luxury to many of us. In my town, oil pipelines are not underground. They are in the open. And often they burst or are burst and our soils and existence are damaged in the process.

We have shouted, protested and threatened violence over our fate, yet change has refused to come.

It is as if the multinational also has another licence: to send us all to our early grave so that our leaders

OLUKOREDE YISHAU

ABOVE WHISPERS

•A weekly intervention on Southsouth people and matters

olukoredeyishau@gmail.com

A time for reflection

‘

We waste our limited resources. It is a tale of ‘Papa Deceiving Pikin’. We are just one big nation of liars. Leaders lie.

Journalists bend the fact. Oil companies twist the facts. It is just a big game of deceit. But, we must not continue like this lest we perish •Ayade

can have all the wealth for themselves, including the little they manage to spend on basic amenities for us. This environmental genocide, as some have called it, is having serious effects on us. Strange diseases are killing our people. Pregnant women are developing strange allergies. Yet, we have only one illequipped health centre to take care of our health needs.

We have several people with aggravated asthma, increases in respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and difficult or painful breathing, chronic bronchitis and decreased lung function. Premature death is not uncommon.

LAST WORD

T

HE first images of the Senator representing the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Mrs Rose Oko, after so several months away were online photos of her receiving her certificate of return at the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja early this month.

Oko has been a subject of controversy since her absence from the country September last year.

Then she was the member representing the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Normally, a woman being out of the country for any reason would hardly generate any concern, but the fact that she went on in absentia to emerge the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and win the March 28 elections, just baffled many.

No reason was given for her absence and no explanation was forthcoming for even inquisitive party members. However, it was believed she travelled out for medical treatment of an undisclosed kidney-related ailment.

Her absence generated tension among political stakeholders and all manner of speculations about her situation, even to the extent of some saying she was dead.

The controversy surrounding the woman started from the primary elections of the party last year, where many from the area believed she picked the party ticket under disputable circumstances.

The general feeling was that she was imposed

‘

What further baffles me is that this multinational goes about painting a picture of being an asset to us, when it is, indeed, a curse. Every Christmas, the company sends us cows, two cows to be specific, for this big town to share. You need to come and see the fighting this usually causes. Poverty is not good. We end up fighting over something we are supposed to reject and throw back at the bearer.

I heard the other day that the company says it is all out to ensure no harm comes to us as a result of its activities here. Yet, as I write this, my brain is being flared out by the gas flares from its flow sta-

tion, which is at the centre of our town. The truth is, they are more interested in the oil than in our well-being. We can die for all they care. Oil is more important than man; that is their mantra. Our government is an accomplice in this man’s inhumanity to man. Once the royalty keeps coming in, to hell with the people. Meanwhile, they will tell us “Power to the people”. Soon, they will come around distributing rice, George and wrapper and all kinds to buy our conscience and votes. Willingly, we will sell. No thanks to poverty.

It is lost on our government that the richest nations in the world are agro-based. The country used to make so much money from cocoa, groundnut and other cash crops. But, oil has made us mad. We have lost our sense of reasoning. We just don’t give a damn about its down side. The madness has eaten into the youths who are now looking for easy money.

That is why they see militancy, kidnapping, illegal bunkering and armed robbery as better than tilling the few good soil left. I agree with the school of thought which argues that our leaders brought about the laziness among the young ones. Someone needs to show them leadership and direction.

Our leaders must try some radical approach to increase revenue. Agriculture will help. Rice farms will do a lot of magic. We are known as fishermen, but we are not doing it well. If we do it well, we will make lots of cash locally and foreign exchange will also increase tremendously. In many of our communities, crops, such as plantain and banana, just sprout out on their own. We don’t have to plant them. I read somewhere in one of those scarce moments when I come across newspapers that plantain can be imported too. This is something that just grows on its own on our soil. We need to think.

We must harness this potential for the betterment of the state.

The other time our past governor acquired fishing trolleys. We were happy they would help us get more from our fishes. As I write, these trolleys are abandoned at a waterside, another evidence of how we waste our limited resources. It is a tale of ‘Papa Deceiving Pikin’. We are just one big nation of liars. Leaders lie. Journalists bend the fact. Oil companies twist the facts. It is just a big game of deceit.

But, we must not continue like this lest we perish.

This is where I rest my case hoping somebody will rescue me from the huge oven the flare from the oil giant’s flow station has turned my home.

Or, may be my last hope lies in my son, the only one I managed to send to the university but ended up a militant when there was no job. Through the Amnesty Programme, he was trained as a pilot. If he gets a job, may be my sorrow will be over and I will leave this oven I call home and start life afresh.

But, like many who benefitted from the Amnesty Programme trainings, he is still jobless and living off his monthly stipend, a percentage of which goes to his former militant camp leader.

What else is there to say other than that the Niger Delta narrative must change. The common Niger Deltan deserves to tell a better tale, not a warped one like this. And with a Ben Ayade, a young professor in Cross River, and other new ones in the region, things should improve in the next few years.

FROM NICHOLAS KALU, CALABAR

The return of Senator Rose Oko

on the people by the powers-that-were.

During the campaign tours of the party, she was noticeably absent. Her campaigns were done with her poster.

At the time of her absence, one of the party’s stakeholders, Elder Johnson Agba Johnson, said it was imperative to raise the alarm over the health challenges of the woman and sought her immediate replacement.

Johnson, a retried public servant, wondered what the rationale was for the PDP leaders imposing a candidate they knew was faced with a serious health issue.

His words: “The problem is not winning by proxy, but the outright impunity by the party leadership and the fate of our daughter who is critically ill and is receiving treatment abroad.

He had gone ahead to demand that the party produces her immediately or replace her with another person.”

Making matters worse was her absence when Certificates of Return were issued to winners of the Governorship and National Assembly elections in Calabar.

The seemingly hide-and-seek situation came to and end with the photos that started surfacing online of her brandishing her certificate of return at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

With the development, there was some feeling of relief from the people of the district she

represents that at least they are not going to be doomed to an empty chair in the red chamber of the National Assembly.

A indigene of the Senatorial District from Ogoja, Mr Emmanuel Ogar, while expressing happiness at her return was quick to remind her of problems that require urgent attention. He begged: “Madam, let us draw your attention to some of the uncompleted projects in Ibil, Ogoja Local Government Area, which are the road leading Abakpa to Ekewroo and the water project.

Please use your office to over see the completion of the project.”

Another indigene of the area, Peter Ujong, was grateful for her return as he said: “Our amiable senator, your God is alive. Some said we voted for who we did not see, but I told them what God has ordained no matter the obstacles, no matter the situation. What will be will always be; destiny can never be changed but it can only be delayed. I thank God I voted for a woman with vision. We the people welcome the first female senator from Cross River north.”

But with the relief still is the apprehension of whether she will be fit enough to attract the kind of the development that would be required for her people. Images of her participating in the voting process to elect a Senate President in the hallowed chambers did little to inspire the people.

Seeing her frail and reportedly being assisted

around raised a fresh concern for even those who are happy to see her return.

Although attempts to reach her for her views proved abortive. However, she shared on her Facebook page a message of assurance to her people.

Her words: “I sincerely thank our great party the PDP, Cross River State and the good people of Cross River North for the enormous support during my election. I promise to do all I can to serve our people and our dear country Nigeria. I also promise to justify the huge confidence reposed in me. Once more I thank you all.”

This had done little to assuage nerves on edge about her capacity to deliver.

“The way I saw her that day, I just hope she would not always be out of the country on one treatment or the other while issues that affect the people that she is supposed to attend to would remain unattended to. My sincere prayer is that she is well enough to represent the district and discharge her duties effectively.

“We have suffered too much and I think it would be unfair on the people and irresponsible of our leaders if they cannot help us in ensuring we have our best hands on the job,” Mr Frederick Ugbem from Obudu Local Government Area said.

Time will determine if these fresh fears are founded.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

37

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Abia police seek partnership in crime-fighting the police will go ahead to divulge information is not totally true because 95% of police today will never disclose their source of information .

Onyeke who noted that the command have achieved a lot of successes after some members of the general public started partnering with the security agency on behalf of Abia Police chief expressed hope that they would continue to enjoy the “robust relationship with members of the public” even as they promised to continue not to make the state a safe haven for criminal elements.

The PPRO also used the opportunity to disclose some of the achievements the State Command recorded in the past few months through the assistance of the general public which includes the arrest of Victor Onyenechihie and Timothy

Onyenechihie brothers from Ohuru-Isimiri village in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state who were terrorizing the community where on May 18 arrested through a tip-off.

Some of the items recovered from them were a locally made revolver pistol using .9mm ammunition, iron seal of Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, an official stamp of the institution’s Deputy Registrar and a military camouflage.

The Police spokesman also disclosed that detectives from Ubakala Police Station on May 20 “arrested One Ezekiel Samuel Nwoke at Amuzu Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area by some vigilant community member and on alerting the police who swung into action, unregistered black Sayang motorcycle”, adding that Nwoke’s companion now at large, who feign illness and pretended to be vomiting, escaped after throwing an object into the nearby bush.

,

•Continued from page 36

Security has gone beyond the traditional policing of yesteryear where your mind goes to the police. Security is the baby of every good citizen of this country; everybody has a role to play.

Everybody is a stakeholder in the fight against crime because if we serve, we are our brothers’ keeper, we watch our brothers back

,

The object which was recovered was discovered The Nation learnt was an American made revolver pistol-NEF: CO INC Garderder MA model R373 No. NB 005177.

The suspect and the recovered

Group donates chairs to school

I

T was singing and dancing time for pupils, teachers and members of Oriendu community of Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State as the members of National Association of Seadogs (NAS) visited to donate school chairs.

The members of NAS had visited the school late November last year to conduct their yearly de-worming of the pupils in various schools in the state and while going round the school, they noticed that the pupils were sitting on bare floor of the classrooms while receiving lessons.

While handing over 40 sets of the school chairs to the school authorities, the state chairman of NAS, Kingsley Emeruwa, said when they saw the pupils sitting on the floor to study, they felt that it was a sorry sight.

Emeruwa said the association then decided to provide 100 school chairs for the school; which the headmistress of the school Mrs. Nancy Eluwa never believed.

He said the era when pupils sit on the floor or under trees to re-

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

ceive lessons are over, except when the teacher wants the pupils to have a feel of nature or as punishment.

The Abia NAS boss said their organisation is a charitable one without any help from anybody or organisation, stressing that they fund the organisation from their personal pockets.

Emeruwa said after de-worming the pupils, they had asked the Headmistress what their immediate needs. Replying, she said the school lacks chairs to enable them to study on a good atmosphere.

He said: “She told us that they needed at least 20 sets of chairs for the pupils, but we are going to provide 100 chairs. For now, we are giving the school 40 chairs, while the 60 remaining ones will come later.”

Mr. Emeruwa urged the teachers •Continued on page 38

•The van carrying the benches

,

We decided to visit the Home with the belief that the gesture will go a long way in ensuring that the wonderful works the handlers are doing at the Home will be enhanced…The people are overwhelmed by NAS’ gesture. It will serve as leverage to the school and the pupils…With the chairs from NAS, the pupils, who had been sitting on the floor to learn will no longer sit on the floor to receive lessons

, •The pupils of Oriendu Community Primary School

pistol were referred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for further investigation.

He added that the Police at Ubakala, in the same Umuahia South also recovered a tricycle

suspected to have been abandoned by yet to be identified hoodlums.

According to him “the police had received information at around 1:15am that thieves were breaking into shops at Avodim Ubakala. The thieves on sighting the Police patrol team abandoned the Tricycle at Mgbarakuma Ubakala when it became obvious that the Police was closing in on them.

“The tricycle with Reg. No. ABIA, ACH 321 QA, security no.

Ab/mot/umu/61/6114 was recovered by Police who are still making efforts to track down the thieves”.

Onyeke who maintained that police was working to ensure that there was peace and security in the state therefore urged members of the public to always call the police hotlines whenever they are in distress, adding that with the maximum cooperation and understanding of members of the public crime would be drastically minimised in the state.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

38

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT •Continued from page 37 and pupils to make good use of the chairs, saying that it will help them to learn better to be good citizens of the state and country.

He stressed that they are coming to complement the efforts of the state government, “As government cannot do it alone”.

Responding, the traditional ruler of the area, Eze Philip Ajomiwe said the people are overwhelmed by NAS’ gesture, stressing that it will serve as leverage to the school and its pu-

Group donates chairs to school pils.

Eze Ajomiwe said with the chairs from NAS, the pupils, who had been sitting on the floor to learn will no longer sit on the floor to learn. He prayed God to bless the association for their gesture.

Receiving the chairs, the immediate past Headmistress of the school, who had just retired, Mrs Eluwa said when NAS made the promise, she never believed them, even as she said that she was sur-

prised to hear them call her to receive the chairs.

Eluwa said she quickly told them that she had retired.

“But they insisted that since I was the Headmistress in charge of the school when the pledge was made, it will be an honour for her to receive the chairs”.

Also speaking, the current Headmistress of the school, Mrs Ngozi Samuel said she was grateful to be the Headmis-

tress that will receive the school chairs donated by NAS barely a month after she assumed duty.

At Isieke Motherless Babies’ Home, NAS donated various items that included four cartons of indomie noodles, a carton of sugar, a carton of biscuits and a carton of toilet rolls, among other items.

Presenting the materials, Emeruwa said: “We decided to visit the Home with the belief that the gesture will go a long way in en-

suring that the wonderful works the handlers are doing at the Home will be enhanced.”

Emeruwa further said the aim was to uplift the lives of the babies. He urged the handlers to accept the little they have brought for the upkeep of the babies in the Home.

Receiving the items, an aspirant to sisterhood, Chidera Ndubisi thanked them and prayed God to bless and replenish their pockets.

UNTH honours VC

I

•Professor Ozumba with others From Chris Oji, Enugu

Nkwo and Prof. Vincent Emeka Egwuatu, the chairman of the occasion.

The editor-in-chief of the college of medicine Newsletter, Dr. Obi Ikechukwu, Dr. Uche Agu, of the department of gynaecology and Ezennia Austin Akpali of the department of medical rehabilitation medicine, Enugu – Campus of UNN were also there.

The elated vice chancellor of UNN, Prof. Chukwuma Ozumba, said that machinery had been set in motion to ensure that UNN would be ranked among best Universities in Africa within the next 18 months.

He restated that research, intellectual development and improvement of staff welfare remained the main trust of his administration, adding that his recent trip abroad was part of a robust attempt to link the University of Nigeria with the best in the world for growth.

Ozumba expressed joy that during his foreign trip, he was received warmly everywhere he visited “UNN will continue to be better, UNN has changed and research is

,

N what looked like the celebration of excellence, the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, last week at Enugu, presented its Millennium Award of Excellence to the vice chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof. Chukwuma Ozumba. Ozumba, who is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology.

Staff of the department had packaged the grand event to celebrate and thank God that one of its members, Prof. Ozumba is the first to be appointed the vice chancellor of the University of Nigeria since its inception in 1960.

The occasion attracted renowned gynaecologists and other medical professionals from within and outside the country, heads of health institutions and principal officers of the University.

The roll call included the Chief Medical director of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Dr. Chris Amah, former deputy vice chancellor of University of Nigeria Enugu – campus, Prof. Bede Ibe, former provost college of medicine, UNN, Prof Martin Aghaji, the current provost of college of medicine, UNN, Prof.

Ernest Onwasigwe and his deputy, Prof. Fidelis Ebele Ejezie.

Others were, Prof. Nene Obianyo who was former provost college of medicine ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, the doyen of obstetrics and gynaecology Prof.

Arthur Ikeme, Prof. Iloabachie, Prof. Chukwudebelu, the controller of the Federal Mortgage Bank Enugu, Mr. Ibuzo Chris, the former dean, faculty of dentistry UNN and chairman Welfare Committee of the college of medicine, UNN, Dr. Mrs. Linda Oge Okoye, Dr. Peter

Research, intellectual development and improvement of staff welfare remained the main trust of his administration, adding that his recent trip abroad was part of a robust attempt to link the University of Nigeria with the best in the world for growth

,

at its peak now”.

He, however, called for patience and support of all stakeholders and told the crowded audience to better assess him after his tenure.

“For now, I am yet to work for one year, but anyone close to the university would know that Prof.

Ozumba is not sleeping, that Prof.

Ozumba, who changed the face of the college of medicine, when he served as provost, has not

changed”, he further remarked.

The University don praised the head of department of obstetrics and gynaecology, UNN, Prof.

Samuel Nnamdi Obi, for organizing the event, stressing that despite the busy schedules of the doctors and other logistical challenges, the occasion was a huge success.

According to him “although, the

•Continued on page 39

NHIS to partner Abia

T

•The Southeast coordinator of NEMA, Mr. James Eze (third right) with Chief Medical Officer of Toronto Hospital Onitsha, Dr. Emeka Eze (on blue suit) during NEMA visit to the hospital where the fire victims were treated. With them are other executives members of of NEMA and SEMA. PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

department is always on the move since I joined it as a house officer several years ago, we need occasions like this where we can dine and wine and re-new friendship, I thank some of my teachers who shelved their busy schedules to honour me today, I remain grateful”.

Ozumba, also congratulated Dr. Chris Amah on his re-appointment as chief medical director of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital for a second four-year tenure.

The organizer of the event and head department of obstetrics and gynaecology, UNTH, Prof. Samuel Nnamdi Obi, explained that the departmental get together was designed to enhance social interaction and promote love among staff and students, see those we have not seen for some time and say farewell to those retiring.

Obi said that the 2015 edition was unique, as it afforded them the opportunity to honour one of their own, an erudite scholar, Prof.

Chukwuma Ozumba, who rose to

HE Executive Secretary National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr. Femi Akingbade has promised that the health agency would be partnering with the Abia State Government in health service delivery in the state.

Akingbade who spoke in Aba during a flag-off of the Osisioma Ngwa Better Life Mutual Health Association at the Umuehilegbu Industrial Market in Aba noted that a partnership between the agency and the state government was going to consolidate health insurance projects in Abia state.

Akingbade promising that NHIS was going to partner and support the Osisioma Ngwa Better life Mutual Health Association to ensure it succeeds and flourishes added that NHIS would subsidize the programme through payment of premium contributions for all registered pregnant women and children under 5years to run for a period of three years.

NHIS Executive Secretary represented by Dr Eke Jonathan, the Act-

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

ing General Manager, NHIS, Abuja office disclosed that the purpose of the scheme was to provide health insurance cover and financial risk protection to Nigerians also a step towards the attainment of the NHIS mandate of achieving 40 percent coverage and easy access to healthcare for all Nigerian citizenry by end of 2015. .Mr. Olayiwola Lasisi, the Head, Underwriting and Client Services, United HealthCare International ltd, expressed optimism that the programme would be sustained in order to achieve the purpose of its establishment.

Lasisi who said that the people will be registered with as low as N600 per month in the scheme also stated that they have a mechanism to ensure the Health Association, adding that as part of measures to ensure that the health scheme succeeds the Board of Trustees signatories to the account would not have direct access to the funds.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

39

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Aba residents protest poor power supply

,

I

NDIGENES and other residents of Umule, one of the Communities in Aba North Local Government Area were on Monday joined by shop owners located within Azikiwe, Tenant road and other adjourning streets in the commercial hub of Abia State using power supply from the public source to march round the city in protect against epileptic power supply by the service providers.

The protesters in a peaceful protest that lasted for more than three hours marched through major streets in Aba with different placards with inscriptions; No light, no pay, Give us light, we want pre-paid meters, we are ready to pay. We can no longer refrigerate our soup, EEDC, why are you maltreating Umule residents?

Please be fair to us, among others said that it has become necessary that they let the world know what they have been suffering in the hands of the southeast electricity managers since the month of January when they had power supply this year.

Some of their staff in charge of reading meters doesn’t do it. We have our meters and they are in good conditions till date.

But what they do is that they (marketers) will sit in their office and send to us estimated electricity bills. Some of us pay as much as N15, 000 a month and yet we don’t see light

,

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

Some of them who spoke to our Aba correspondent lamented that though that they have not had power supply in the last five months, officials of EEDC have continued to print and distribute fabricated and overestimated electricity bills on monthly basis and would proceed to discon-

UNTH honours VC •Continued from page 38 the position of vice chancellor of the University on June last year.

The chairman of the occasion, Prof. Vincent Emeka Egwuatu of the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, charged the vice chancellor to do all he could to lift UNN and regretted that despite its age and population, it was not ranked among 50 best Universities in Africa.

Also speaking, the doyen of gynaecology and the former president of the Rotary Club of Enugu, Prof. Arthur Ikeme, described Prof. Chukwum Ozumba as the pride of the college of medicine.

He said following his performance profile in academic and administration since he joined the department, he was not surprised that Prof.

Ozumba would rise so rapidly and traced his success to his school days at Government College, Umuahia, where he gained quality education and leadership training.

The department also honoured one of its staffs, Mrs Edith Abadom for high productivity and discipline.

nect and made away with their electricity cables after rebuffing entreaties to explain the peculiarity of their case in the last 5months.

Mr. Kingsley Ofoegbu, a resident of Umule speaking in an interview disclosed that over 40 transformers within the Umule community were affected by the situation.

Ofoegbu accused EEDC staff of billing them inaccurately as he alleged “some of their staff in charge of reading meters doesn’t do it. We have our meters and they are in good conditions till date. But what they do is that they (marketers) will sit in their office and send to us estimated electricity bills. Some of us pay as much as N15, 000 a month and yet we don’t see light.

“The day that they will try to bring it, it will not stay up to 5hours, they will take it. We don’t have light up to 4times in a month and yet we pay such a heavy amount of money on electricity that we didn’t see nor use and because of the situation that we find ourselves, we spend more that N3, 000 every month fueling our generators which is not unfair and an act of wickedness. We are tired of

EEDC deceit and that is why we want them to know that we are no longer going to be fools anymore. In this condition that we are now, anybody that will come to Umule to come and cut light will sign his or her death warrant before coming”, he warned.

Some shop owners at Azikiwe and its surrounding including Mr. Chidiebere described the services of EEDC in Aba as very poor, wondering why the independent power project of Prof. Barth Nnaji was yet to commence operation “even when we learnt that the place have been completed since 2013”.

Chidiebere who blamed management of EEDC of sabotaging the distribution of pre-paid meters in Aba expressed optimism that problem of electricity supply and overbilling electricity consumers would be solved once and for all in Aba if the Osisioma Geometric Power project was allowed to serve as a credible and alternative means of power supply and distribution to save businesses from further collapsing in the commercial city.

The shop owners threatened to hold “a more serious protest in Aba if the power situation in Aba did not improve in the next 28 days”.

An EEDC official who spoke anonymously attributed the shortage of electricity supply to the drop in the mega watts from the national grid, promising that their services would improve as soon as the situation at national improves.

On crazy billing of customers, the staff said that they were also working to ensure that the situation was addressed and called on Aba residents and its environs to exercise patients with them even as the management of the Electricity Distribution Company thank them for their support and patronage.

Tension mounts over clan land, economic trees in Anambra

T

ENSION continues to mount between the Okoronwiro and Nwankwo –Eje clans in Umuhu, Umunebo village in Ufuma community in Orumba north local government area of Anambra state over false claims of land and economic trees in the area.

Before now, the Okoronwiro family had put up and advertorial in one of the newspapers in 2003 where they claimed joint ownership of the said items including property.

But in a counter claim, the Nwankwo-Eje family, led by Geoffrey E Nwankwo, had debunked ownership by the former, adding that such claim should be retracted.

He warned that any member of the public who had anything to do with such land, economic trees and other property in Umuhu, Umunebo village without consulting the Nwankwo-Eje Family would have him or herself to blame.

He maintained that any of such transactions shall be deemed null and void and of no consequence.

Nwankwo noted that the family historically, were the occupants and direct descendants of Umuhuagorom clan or dynasty, adding that no other in Umunebo village of Uvumegbenadiji Ufuma.

Furthermore, he claimed that the Okoronwiro descendants were incorporated in Umuhu dynasty by the Nwankwo-Eje, adding that the terms reached in the years had been abandoned.

He said that the said article was void in associating Nwankwo-Eje family with any pre-occupation and indiscriminate land deal or sale of economic trees that were jointly owned by both families.

•Olawale Alao, Zonal Business Manager, Lagos West, Airtel Nigeria; Chioma Ohakwe, Founder, Bethesda Home for the blind; an inhabitant of the Bethesda Home for the blind; Adekunle Adegboyega, Zonal Business Manager, Lagos North, Airtel Nigeria; an inhabitant of the Bethesda Home for the blind and Femi Oshinlaja, Regional Operations Director, •Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and Vice Chancellor of University of Port Lagos region, Airtel Nigeria; at the donation ceremony to Bethesda home for the blind in Harcourt, Prof Joseph Ajienka after the visit of University of Port Harcourt management to the governor at Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday Lagos

•The striking workers of the Federal Neurophychiatric Hospital Enugu protesting against non-payment of salaries and outstanding entitlements

PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

40

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

T

•Oduduwa students handing over the Award to Onu

Honour for poly Rector From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

as the umbrella body of all Yoruba students both at home and in the Diaspora seeks to fulfill, as one of its objectives, discovering role models, outstanding institutions and members the society as exemplified in the lives of the recipients of the awards.

He praised Prof. Onu on his achievements, which he said had contributed to the reduction of social vices on the campus, even as he said he had introduced computerbased examinations, infrastructural development and standard academic calendar, among others.

The chairman of the Governing Council of the institution, Dr. Christian Odukwe, who was equally

,

HE National Association of Oduduwa Students (NAOS) has honoured the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko in Anambra State, Prof. Godwin Onu. The award was in recognition of his immense contributions to the development of the education sector The students’ body, led by its President, Adekunle Adeniyi, told our correspondent that they came to give award to the Rector of in recognition of his immense contribution to the well-being of the masses and the development of Nigeria’s education sector.

Prof. Onu received the prestigious merit award as an education icon for his outstanding contributions to the development of the institution since he assumed office in the institution located in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.

The students said the essence of the award was reward hard work and people of exemplary character.

Others, who had received such award from students of Oduduwa included former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, former Nigeria’s First Ladies, Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar’Adua, Mariam Abacha and chairman of Coscharis Group, Chief Cosmas Maduka.

The students came in their droves.

Those who came included its VicePresident, Olaleye Oluwaseyi, National Secretary, Oladoja Olushola, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Jegede Adesoji, Director of Media, Awoyemi Taiwo and Director of Gender, Miss Bioye Motunrayo.

Apart from the award by the National Association of Oduduwa Students to the Rector, he equally was honoured with another award of excellence by the Students’ Union Government of Federal Polytechnic Oko, led by its President, Ezinne Nwaka.

On how they students arrived at the award to the Rector, Adeniyi said: “Having taken time to study Onu’s performance in the education sector, we noticed his commitment to good governance, democratic global best practices, rule of law, innovation. We decided that he deserves the award.”

Continuing, Adeniyi said NAOS

It is my duty to build a bright future for posterity to avoid blames on the forefathers for failing in their responsibility. Acquisition of skill, which is what the institution stood for, was supposed to produce the middle level man power to propel the country’s economy…My intention was to ensure man power capacity as infrastructure will collapse without it. The Governing Council and the students understand the purpose of learning and scholarships

,

given an award by the NAOS, described the students’ gesture as commendable.

Speaking with our correspondent, Odukwe said recognising good

work gives one the impetus and inspiration to do more, adding that the digitalisation of the institution by the Rector had brought relief in the school.

Also speaking, Miss Nwaka, told our correspondent that the union decided to honour the Rector based on his his ingenuity in transforming the institution.

However, Onu said the awards would spur him to do more for the school and the people of Oko community.

He said the successes in the institution would not have been possible, if there had not been peace among the management, the Governing Council, students and some eggheads in the community.

The Rector said: “It is my duty to build a bright future for posterity to avoid blames on the forefathers for failing in their responsibility.

Acquisition of skill, which is what the institution stood for, was supposed to produce the middle level man power to propel the country’s economy.

“My intention was to ensure man power capacity as infrastructure will collapse without it. The Governing Council and the students understand the purpose of learning and scholarships.”

Shippers seek media pact

T

HE Management of Nigerian Shippers’ Council Southeast zone has expressed their desire to collaborate with the media in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State and other states in the southeast in its efforts to promote the activities of the Council and educating business owners especially, importers in Aba and Southeast in general.

The zonal coordinator of the council, Mr. Christian Chimezie made their intention to partner with the media known when he led a delegation of management staff of the Shippers’ Council on a courtesy visit to the General Manager Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Channel 6 Aba Chief Lola Helen Ebueku and other management team.

Chimezie in an address presented at the event lamented that many importers, industrialists, exporters and manufacturers in the southeast had been incurring losses and being charged exorbitantly while importing and exporting their goods at the ports.

He said that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) as a body charged with the responsibility of

•Some members of NTA and NSC management staff during the visit From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

regulating economic activities in the country’s ports, that they were going to guide the importers and exporters with the right information and knowledge on international trade and other related businesses including ancillary services in a way that will be more profitable to them.

The leader of the delegation ac-

knowledging the effectiveness and impact of the media messages expressed optimism that their partnership with the media in Aba, Abia and southeast would help them to disseminate the right information about government decisions and policies as it pertains economic activities within Nigerian ports, adding that the need for them to synergize with the media cannot be over emphasized.

He used the opportunity to dis-

close that arrangements towards the establishment of an Inland Containers Depot at Isiala Ngwa ICD has been completed, adding that they were waiting response from the Abia State Government to enable the center to take off and expressed hope that the if the bottlenecks were sorted out, the Isiala Ngwa ICD would be completed and start functioning within 18months.

Responding on behalf of the management of NTA Channel 6, the Aba

General Manager promised that her station would assist the NSC in order to ensure that the Aba and indeed, the southeast business community were properly educated and enlightened about the Shippers’ Council activities and programmes.

High point of the visit was the presentation and handing over of souvenirs of the council to the management for more information about the activities of the NSC.

42

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

43

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12 2015

44

COMMENTARY

“D

O you not see how Allah projects a parable of a single valuable word like a gargantuan tree which roots are firmly planted in the belly of the earth while its foliages sprout magnificently into the firmament of the orbit? It yields fruits every season by the grace of Allah. Thus Allah sets forth parables for humans that they may be mindful (of their Creator’s grace)”. Q.14:24 All roads will lead to Abeokuta tomorrow (June 13, 2015) where people of meaningful life will witness, in concrete terms, the similitude of the above quoted verse of the Qur’an. That similitude is the Crescent University a modern FIRST among equals in the realm of knowledge and civilisation. Tomorrow’s occasion is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of that young but vibrant University with gratitude to the Almighty Allah. And whatever supplications are made there will surely arouse the consciousness of the pious world into chorusing AMEN!

History and Man History and man are like Siamese twins. The one cannot do without the other. History makes man just as man makes history but the latter is deemed greater than the earlier. This is because it takes little or no efforts at all to be made by history. But on the contrary, it takes man a lot of efforts, sometimes guts, to make history. A Nigerian of rare breed and unique personality is currently exhibiting this assertion. Through the royalty of his birth he became a product of history. And through the aristocracy of his intellect he turned round to be a maker of history.

His Excellency, Prince Bola Jabbar Ajibola, SAN, KBE, LLD, D. LTT, CFR is that unique Nigerian who does not need to be introduced before recognition in any part of the world. By all standards, he stands out vertically in a global garden where most others of his peer are dwelling horizontally. As a product and a maker of history this man is qualified not only to be a proverbial confluence of knowledge and civilisation but also a manifest signpost in the world of intellectualism the like of whom the world seldom rears in centuries.

Philosophy Looking closely at Prince Ajibola’s background and comparing it with his lifestyle, one may tend to believe that he shares his philosophy of life with that of another great Nigerian of blessed memory who became a model for thousands of others even long after his demise. That other great Nigerian is Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first President. While revealing that philosophy in his autobiography entitled ‘My Odyssey’, which he published in 1970, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe wrote thus: “Man comes into the world and while he lives, he embarks upon a series of activities absorbing experience which enables him to formulate a philosophy of life and to chart his causes of action. But then he dies, nevertheless, his biography remains a guide to those of the living who may need guidance either as a warning on the vanity of human wishes or as encouragement or both”.

Prince Ajibola might not strictly be a contemporary of ‘Great Zik’ but he surely shares the qualitative life that granted the latter the qualitative history that put his footprint on the sands of time. Like the colossus of the 1940s, 50s and 60s called Zik, Prince Ajibola has personified intellect and integrity since the 1970s through the 80s and the 90s for the world to behold with admiration. Like a summer rainbow giving a treasured delight to its beholders, Prince Ajibola’s mark of intellectual influence cuts across all spheres of humanity in an indelible manner.

Like UNN like Crescent In Dr. Azikiwe’s philosophy intimate-

FEMI ABBAS ON femabbas756@gmail.com 08115708536

Crescent University @ 10 ly shared by Prince Ajibola, there is an angle that believes in giving more to the world than what has been taken from the world. That angle was what prompted the Great Zik to establish the first private University in Nigeria (University of Nigeria, Nsukka) in 1960 which he dedicated ‘to all those who continue to do good in spite of man’s inhumanity to man’. It is the same angle that prompted Prince Bola Ajibola to singularly establish Crescent University in a country where ignorance still thrives and at a time when the pessimistic word ‘impossibility’ was and is still in vogue on the lips of many.

Today, there is a historic ‘Crescent University in Abeokuta established in 2005 as much as there is the ‘University of Nigeria in Nsukka, established in 1960’. While the two Universities coexist albeit in different parts of Nigeria the only difference so far remains between them is the age gap. And who says the young cannot grow? After all, UNN also started one day and has now outgrown the teething age.

How it all began The dream of Crescent University began in 2002 when the Educational Board of Islamic Mission of Africa (IMA) recommended the establishment of a University to be named Crescent in Abeokuta. The academic committee set up for that purpose later submitted its recommendation to IMA. And the National University Commission (NUC) approved the establishment of that University in 2005 while the academic programmes commenced in earnest in December of the same year.

According to a published media interview with the Proprietor of the University, Prince Ajibola, this institution is out to assist Nigerians in closing the widening gap between attainable potential student population and limited space in Nigerian education system.

Thus, the University hopes to produce the kind of graduates that will fit into the current economic and social agenda. It hopes to gradually ensure total quality assurance of consciousness in terms of its staffing, its teaching and learning environment, its equipment support base and its infrastructure and super structural development.

In addition, the university is designed to build a new generation of graduates imbued with industry and diligence as well as to inculcate spiritual reawakening and moral uprightness in the development of humanity. As a unique element, this University is designed to assist in the global quest for accelerating the education of the girl child towards the build-up of intellectual Womanhood.

A University for All Towards this end, all students are welcome in the university irrespective of colour, race, tribe and creed. Along this line, the administration of the university shall be guided by Islamic tenets and practice.

Meanwhile, in the said interview, Prince Ajibola as the proprietor of the University said: “I have pledged my life to developing this vision and I hereby use this medium to invite you all to join several others that are supporting this mission. May Allah guide us on the right path and grant us paradise”.

Prince Ajibola’s mission is perfectly in

tandem with Crescent University’s philosophy which includes the following: To provide access to education for the increasing population of eligible candidates To create a new breed of Nigerians imbued with loyalty to God, the nation and the fellow men.

To motivate candidates to develop entrepreneurial skills for men in an ever changing society To equip and prepare an enabling environment in which teaching and learning shall be conducted in an atmosphere of harmony, peace and love.

To imbued our graduates with character and make them learning, consciously about the fear of God in their daily lives.

Objectives The real objectives of the University are as follows: 1. To produce graduates empowered with knowledge for sustainable living in an ever changing world. This requires adequate and up to date physical facilities including lecture rooms, laboratories, studios, healthy officers and comprehensive use of information technology.

2. To offer education guided by Islamic principles and tenets of spiritual and moral discipline. The intention here is to employ the teachings of Islam as a variable tool for ordering life with the consciousness of doing good and shunning evil deeds and for interacting with others in harmony, peace and love.

3. To promote exemplary research and services piloted towards the achievement of human development.

4. To encourage and promote higher education for women. The strategy here is to place emphasis on the enrollment of female students in the ratio of 60:40 (female: male) subsumed in the overall 60:40 (science: arts) ratio as prescribed by the National University Commission (NUC).

Motto The motto of the university is knowledge and faith which emphasises the principles of pursuing academic excellence in a Godly way as envisioned in the mission statement and the Founder’s Day shall be celebrated or marked on the 22nd of March of every year.

Great Reminder Crescent University has come to remind us of the world’s oldest University in existence today. That University is called Al-Azhar. It is one of the most important Centres of intellectualism and Islamic civilisation in the world. Al-Azhar University was established as a Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, in about 960 CE by one Jawhar, a liberated slave and an army General during the regime Caliph Muiz of the Fatimid Dynasty. It became a fully fledged University in about 977 through the influence of a Muslim convert, Ya’qub Bn Qillis, and it eventually developed as a major center for Islamic scholarship, providing education for students of all ages. But during the 12th century, a Muslim leader, Salahud-din

Al-Ayubi converted the university into an agency of orthodoxy forming a part of his war-planning centers during the war of Crusades. And until about 1924, the university offered only courses based on Islamic theology, the Prophetic traditions (Hadith) and interpretations of the Qur’an (Tafsir).

It, however, became liberalised in 1924 by certain reforms instituted under the auspices of the Egyptian government. Thus because of recommendations set forth by the reformers and adopted by the Egyptian government in 1962, the university began to include the study of foreign languages and engineering as well as agriculture, commerce, science, and medicine. These did not however change the use of the older curriculum which included Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), Prophetic Tradition (Hadith), Islamic Theology (Tawhid), the principles of Islamic Law (Saharia’h) as well as rudimentary arithmetic, and elementary geography.

Evidence of Determination Out of determination to impact positively on the lives of others in life and to show gratitude to Allah, Prince Ajibola sold out all his properties for the purpose of using the proceeds there from to establish the Islamic Movement for Africa, IMA, which gave birth to projects like IMA Nursery and Primary School, IMA Colleges, the Crescent University and the newly established IMA Hospital, also in Abeokuta. This is a confirmation that real men think more of what they can give to the world than they can gain from the world. Perhaps it was to such men that Williams Webster referred in his famous axiomatic oration when he said: “If we work marble it will perish; if we work upon brass time will efface it; if we rear temples they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds and instill in them just principles we are then engraving that upon tablets which no time can efface but will brighten into all eternity”.

Al-Azhar University celebrated its 1000 years of existence in 1977 and yours sincerely witnessed that celebration as a student then in Cairo. It is our wish and prayer that Crescent University too will one day celebrate a millennium of existence and more by the grace of Allah. Long live Crescent University, long live its proprietor.

Watch Out While the month of Ramadan is fast approaching, the venerable readers of ‘The Message’ column are hereby advised to watch out for the usual daily column called ‘Ramadan Guide’ in ‘The Nation’ . Ramadan Guide is a small column specially designed and dedicated to the month of Ramadan for the purpose of educating the Muslim multitudes and guiding them in their daily lives throughout the sacred month. The column 3 x 6 column has been a daily Ramadan tonic for wellmeaning Muslims and even non-Muslims in the month since the inception of ‘The Nation’ nine years ago.

Ramadan Guide addresses social, ethical, economic and educational lives of Muslims as well as their health concerns. Through Ramadan Guide, many Muslims who may not be privileged to attend daily Tafsir in their localities or elsewhere may gain access to the needed knowledge in a summarised form. Watch out for the column from the 17th of June 2015 and you will not regret you do.

Sponsorship The column is an opportunity for men and women who are dealing in commerce or professional products and want to advertise them in the month of Ramadan. For further inquiry, interested persons may reach out to this columnist through the telephone number or email address on top of this column. Please note all contacts by telephone should be by text messages.

45

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

PEOPLE THE NATION

A FOUR-PAGE SECTION ON SOCIETY

They lived in the same neighbourhood, but were not friends. Today, Ademola Somorin, a banker, and former Miss Stella Oyibo, a teacher, are man and wife. They got married in Ilupeju, Lagos last Saturday. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports.

•Bride’s parents Mr and Mrs Oyibo

Friends forever

•Groom’s mother, Mrs Somorin and a representative of the father Prof Somorin

•The couple, Stella and Ademola

I

F they had been told they would marry each other they would not have believed.

Reason: They lived in the same neighbourhood in their younger days, but were not friends.

But about eight years ago, the story changed.

They became friends and five years later, Stella, a teacher, and Ademola Somorin, a banker, knew they were meant for each other.

Last Saturday, the lovebirds, who grew up in Anthony Village, Lagos, got married at Emmanuel Chapel in Ilupeju, Lagos.

Stella was all smiles. It was her day. Her father, Mr Alexander Oyibo, who is based in the United States, walked her to the altar. Stella told The Nation how she met her husband. She said: "We have always known each other but we were not friends. One major friend has tried so many times to match make us but we were always not interested. But, at the right time, both of us decided to move on and have something to do with ourselves and am glad that today I am finally his wife."

Ademola, an employee of Zenith Bank, is the son of the late Mr Abayomi Somorin, who was a Chattered Accountant/Chief Executive officer, Eminent Group of Companies. His mother Yetunde Somorin is the proprietor of Temas School in Ikeja, Lagos. He added: "We don't really use to talk, it was just 'hi' and 'hello' that we said to each other. We grew up in Anthony Village and after some time we started talking, and seeing each other. Sometimes, we will not see for a while and we will see again.

But as time went on, I discovered that she is different from other women, she is God-fearing, the word of God in her life cannot be overemphasised. She is a woman that can pray for her family and that is what any man needs".

The solemnisation of their marriage was witnessed by family members, friends and well wishers. Some of the guests clad in green lace and yellow head gear, which were the colours of the day.

Stella was beautiful in her white wedding gown and veil. Ademola was charming in grey

pair of trousers, suit and jacket. His green tie on the white shirt added beauty to his dressing.

Rev Adebayo Siyanbola of Methodist Church, Lagos officiated at the ceremony. He said the opening prayers and the choir led the praise and worship.

Apostle Emmanuel Ediomo from Terbanacle of Mercy and Miracle, Sapele in Delta State led the couple to exchange marital vows and rings.

The cleric prayed for them, urging them to dress and keep their marriage like God told Adam to dress and keep the garden of Eden in the Bible.

The cleric lamented that most of the issues members see their pastor for are marital, rating them at 60 per cent.

He added that marriage is not a laughing matter. "You have to watch it for you to have the best from it. If you sow nonsense, you will reap nonsense. Don't allow technology like the ipads, android phone, uploading and browsing to take the place of your partner. It should not cause issues in your marriage," he said.

At the Rajulie hall in the same premises where the reception held, Caleb Ogechukwu aka Calibird was the Master of the ceremonies (MC).

The hall was tastefully decorated in the colours of the day. The bridal seat was decorated in white with white pillars and flowers of yellow and green colours all over.

Mistimonta Band ushered in the couple's parents with songs into the hall. The groom's father was represented by his elder brother, Prof Owolabi Somorin.

As the couple entered, guests stood up to honour them. They danced to music from Black Beat Disc Jockey.

Mrs Odusola Stevenson led the opening prayer.

The Chairman on the occasion Chief Sunny Okpurie urged the gathering to enjoy the day.

The MC led the couple to cut the cake. They had their bridal dance and other guests joined them on the dance floor.

•From right: Mr Okpurie; Mrs Tobi Odunaiya and Mr Abraham Bobor PHOTOS: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

The groom said he felt fulfilled for marrying someone he loves.

He said she is God-fearing, adding: "She is a teacher and that means my kids will not lack any good education. She is a caring person who will go all out to make sure that I am fine no matter what it costs her. These are characters that geared me toward making a decision of spending the rest of my life with her," he said.

The bride said she was excited but gave glory to God for the day. She described her husband as focused and loving.

The mother of the groom, Deaconess Somorin told the couple to work and pray together. She described her son as loving and cool-headed, adding that her daughter-in-law is good. She said she would greatly miss her son.

Mother of the bride, Mrs Josephine Oyibo, said the day was wonderful and God had been faithful to her.

She urged the couple to be patient and understand each another. "They must resolve differences between themselves. Bringing a third person does not help in marriage," she said.

She said her daughter has been patient and caring, adding she would miss everything about her daughter because she was always there for her. They have many things in com-

mon and she is her birthday mate.

Father of the bride, Mr Oyibo, said he was proud to have brought up his daughter to the point of marriage.

He said: "Many ladies these days do not even care about marriage. I was proud when my daughter brought somebody that I am satisfied with and Iam glad to give out my daughter today to the family that she wants to marry.

"My daughter is a well-groomed lady. Right from the beginning, she had a good education, and I made her know the value of education and I supported her. She is hard working and an associate teacher; I think if all teachers are like her, this world would be peaceful.”

He said he would miss her, especially her smile and help. "But, there comes a time that we have to let go for the person that will take good care of her and I think the person I gave her to will not make me to miss her because he will take good care of her," he said.

Oyibo promised to be in touch with them, adding that he would not interfere with their marriage. He told them that marriage is give and take. "Marriage is something you have to reverence. It is the way you take care of your marriage that it will be for you," he said.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

46

SOCIETY COMMUNICATE YOUR IDEAS

A send-off has been held for the immediate past Special Adviser on Rural Matters to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Hunpe and former Commissioner Cornelius Ojelabi, writes NNEKA NWANERI

Look within you: Les Brown II

W

•From left: Raji; Hon Olulade; Mrs Ileyemi; Ojelabi; Hunpe and Sanuth displaying the book

Honour for ex-commissioner, governor’s aide

T

HEIR send off on June 2 did not come as a surprise to many in the Lagos State Ministry.

The duo of the former Commissioner for Rural Development, Hon Cornelius Ojelabi and the past Special Adviser on Rural Development to former Lagos State governor Mr Babatunde Hunpe were honoured by the ministry's officials for their dedication to duty.

Their four years of meritious service was rewarded by the ministry’s staff. They were made up of directors and staff of the ministry, who recognised their leadership qualities and selfless service and decieded to send them off.

To them, they provided selfless services to the people and inspired the staff during their four-year tenure.

The occasion was more of a get-together for members of the ministry. It was declared a work free day; the staff wined and dined at the hall in the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Ikeja. It was decorated in blue and yellow. There was no dress code, but most of them were unusually clad in native attires, unusual for a week day.

Outside the hall and while it drizzled, a mini parade was done for them by the men of the Neighbourhood Watch, a pet project they both executed during their

•Alhaji Olatunde Agoro (right) and CDAC Chairman Alhaji T.A Quadri

tenure.

In a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Babatunde Sanuth, said the gathering was in appreciation of the good works of Ojelabi. He thanked them for doing the ministry proud.

Ojelabi's citation was read

by Mrs Elizabeth Ashiru. He was in 2007 member of the House of Representatives and asides being a politician, he is a pastor with Cherubim and Seraphim and patron of the Awori Progressives Union.

Mrs Adenike Shobowale read Hunpe's citation.

During their administration, the Community Development Associations (CDA) became popular, she said.

There were torrents of accolades on the men of the day. One of the workers, Alhaja Sherifat Dosunmu, described the governor's

aide as a ladies' man; a jolly good fellow; easy going and playful. She said there was never a dull moment around him as he always had a kind word for everyone.

She said the commissioner was a tireless worker and one who is very passionate about rural development, adding their combination has propelled the ministry to what it is now.

Hunpe's daughter, Mary, thanked the ministry for accommodating her father.

She expressed pride that she is her dad.

Lots of gifts were presented to them both.

A book was launched. It was titled: 'Enhancing sustainable rural development in Lagos State-four years of

Cornelius Ojelabi's exemplary leadership', and written by the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry Mrs Modupe Ileyemi, whose daughter inspired her to write the book.

Former Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Lateef Raji, who reviewed the 84- page pictorially illustrated book, said it is a synopsis of the time and dates of Ojelabi. He said book, having zeroed on the the personality of the subject, is a pointer to the fact that one's background should not determine one's destiny.

"The book is a chronicle of the achievements of the subject in his four years in office and the impact he had on people, with 271 projects completed during their tenure", he said.

The book was presented to all by a member of the House of Assembly, who represents Epe Constituency II, Hon Segun Olulade.

In response, Hunpe urged all to extend a hand of fellowship to those stepping into their shoes to continue the goodwill.

Ojelabi led all to join him sing a praise worship song to the Almighty. He charged the staff not to relent, but buckle up so they can effect change and contribute their quota to the development of Lagos.

WEDDING

FUNERAL

•From right: Public Affairs Manager, of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Tayo Adelaja; his wife Funke; Mr Taiwo Adelaja and Mrs Ejide Ogunyale during the burial of late Mrs Bandele Adelaja in Iloti-Ijebu Ogun State last weekend

•Mr Paul Okoro and his wife Juliana after their wedding at St. Cyril's Catholic Church, Okota, Lagos

ELCOME to your column on public speaking.

Last week, we explored the importance of looking within us and bring out the hidden treasures. I shared with LANRE OLAOLU AMODU you the story of Leslie Calvin “Les” Brown (Ph.D) sospeak2lanre@yahoo.com.

07034737394 who was born on the @lanreamodu floor in an abandoned building and was later labeled educably mentally retarded. Les listened to the teacher who told him, “Never let other people’s opinion of you become your reality” and he went on to become one of the greatest public speakers in the world today.

While preparing to write on someone else in today’s article, another aspect of Les Brown’s triumph over life’s challenges struck me and I know you won’t mind if I share it with you. Les usually talks of what he refers to as the “inner conversation”.

In one of his special TV programmes titled, “You Deserve!”, Les Brown told the story of how he was in the audience one day, listening to Zig Ziglar, whom he considered to be one of the greatest motivational speakers on the planet. As Les watched Zig move back and forth while delivering his speech, he said to himself, “I would like to do that. I can do that’. He leaned over to the person sitting next to him and asked, “How much do they pay him to do that?” He replied, “Five thousand dollars”, and Les said, “I know I can do that”.

However, on the way home as he was driving, his inner conversation kicked in and said, “Les Brown, you can’t do that. You don’t have college education.

You don’t have money. You don’t have contacts.

You’ve never worked for major corporations. What makes you think that you can make more in one hour talking than you make working for a year?” So, for several years, he talked himself out of his dreams until he finally had the courage to take the bold step.

Decades after Les Brown became a world famous public speaker, he reflected on the years he wasted convincing himself that he could not do what he actually could do. He said the easiest thing he does presently is to speak, train people to speak and make presentations before thousands of people. However, the most difficult thing he had ever done was to believe that it was possible. A lot of times, the process of believing in ourselves is far tougher than what it takes to pursue our dreams.

Les Brown says that many people think of great things to do and they talk themselves out of it.

According to him, that inner conversation is the reason most people take their greatness and ideas to the graveyard with them. Les referred to late Myles Munroe’s famous quote that the wealthiest place on earth is the graveyard. According to Myles, “The wealthiest place in the world is not the gold mines of South America or the oil fields of Iraq or Iran. They are not the diamond mines of South Africa or the banks of the world. The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.”

So, what is the idea you are currently talking yourself out of? What opportunity are you letting go because you think you are not good enough? If you look inside you, you will see that you are up to the task, with God on your side, of course. Stop focusing on your failures; start concentrating on your successes. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t learn from the past. But after learning, you must focus on the future. If you act on the gift in you, you will make the world, and not the cemetery, a richer place. Do you dare to take the step? Five years from now, you will either be telling the story of how you succeeded in spite of your limitations or you will be telling the story of how you could have succeeded if not for your limitations. It is really all about the choice you make today.

Dr. Amodu teaches at the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, Ogun State.

47

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

SOCIETY

•Hon Odubote flanked by his wife Titilayo (left) and Mrs Funmilayo Oladapo-Ojo

D

ESPITE the heavy rainfall, prominent men and women from across the country made their way to St. John Bosco Catholic Church, Ijapo Estate, Akure to bid Mrs Oluwole a final farewell.

A nurse, Mrs Oluwole was married to a former Ondo State High Court Judge, the late Justice T.A. Oluwole. She died at 75.

One of her daughters is the wife to the lawmaker, representing Epe federal constituency in Lagos State, Hon. Lanre Mukaila Odubote and the other, to Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN).

The funeral began with a Christian wake last Thursday at her residence in Ijapo Estate in Akure, followed by interment at St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Ijapo.

Her remains were brought to the church premises before the stipulated 10am by the pall bearers, who made a dramatic entry into the church, bearing the golden framed casket.

A brigade, the Bell, followed.

Before long, the church was filled with sympathisers; canopies were erected outside and around the church premises to accommodate more.

Prominent among attendees were Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, Chief Judge(CJ) of the state, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Kola Ademujimi; the State Attorney-General,

•Chief Olanipekun (left) and Mr Jegede (SAN)

A jurist’s wife takes final bow The remains of Mrs Theresa Abiodun Oluwole, wife of the late Justice T. A. Oluwole of the Ondo State High Court, were interred last Friday at the Catholic Church Cemetery in Akure, the Ondo State capital, reports LEKE AKEREDOLU. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN)and House of Representatives lawmaker, Hon. Adegboyega Adedipe.

In his sermon, Revd Fidelis Olokunboro, described the late Oluwole as a woman who was dedicated to God and church activities.

He said: “She is always giving godly advice and will be greatly missed. She has written her name with a golden pen in this church; she nursed her children on the right path of life and she was prominent in the church and in the society at large”.

The cleric addressed the saying: “those who died are at their loss” stressing that it is only those who lived evil lives that would die and be forgotten.

“The late Mrs Oluwole will not be forgotten because she had devoted her time to God.

While she was sick, she would always put a call across to ask if she owed the church.”

Guests moved to the Gani Fawehinmi Arcade Ground at Ondo State House of Assembly, Igbatoro road, for a reception.

The arena was decorated with red, yellow, cream and green colours.

Gospel artiste Yinka Ayefele was on stage to entertain guests.

More personalities trouped in to grace the occasion. They include: Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Hon. Dr. Bode Tawak, former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu’s in-law, Hon. Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, Hon. Akin Miniru, members of Redeemed Church Faith City, Ojodu, Lagos, Bukola Adetula, Bro. Olu Onafowora, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, Hon. Dauda Bakare,

Gbenga Elegbeleye, Hon. Ebenezer Alabi and others.

Odubote described the late Mrs Oluwole as the best mother-in-law in the world. He was grateful that she accepted him to marry her daughter at a time when destiny had dealt a blow on him.

Another son-in-law, Adedipe said the late Oluwole was his confidant and adviser.

Adedipe, a lawyer, described her as a deeply religious person, focused and dependable person; generous and frank to a fault.

Step-brother of the deceased and publisher of Marketing Edge magazine, Mr John Ajayi said the late Mrs Oluwole was the eldest in the family and a woman they would all miss.

The late Oluwole’s only son, Tolulope, described his mother as honest and trustworthy.

Another daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Funmilayo Oladapo-Ojo, said her late mother was a philanthropist who adopted some children.

“It was when we started growing up that I was able to identify those who are my blood sisters and we still remain one. You can’t leave the house without doing the house work.

You must know how to cook, clean the house and other domestic work either you are a male or female,” she added.

COURTESY VISIT

AWARD

•Imo Deputy Governor Prince Eze Madumere (second left) with members of the Owerri Zone Traditional Rulers during a courtesy visit to Madumere

•From left: Pro Chancellor, Abia State University Senator Ike Nwachukwu; former Abia governor Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and Vice Chancellor of ABSU Prof Chibuzor Ogbuagu decorating Dr Onu with the award of Doctorate of Letters of the university

ANNIVERSARY

•General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Gen Tanmi Dibi and Air Vice Marshal Lere Osayintolu at the Nigerian Navy Ceremonial sunset to mark the end of its 59th anniversary.

•From left: Former Chiefs of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admirals Victor Ombu; Dele Ezeoba and Samuel O. Afolayan at the event

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

48

SOCIETY The eighth day prayer for Chief Adeyinka Opeifa, the late Baba Adinni of Surulere Central Mosque and father of former Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, has been held at the Police College in Ikeja, OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports.

Exit of a loving father •From left: The deceased’s children (from left) Kayode; Oyede; Adekunle and Olaitan

I

N solidarity with their colleague, members of the immediate past Lagos State Executive Council joined former Commissioner for Transport Kayode Opeifa at the eighth day prayer for his father, the late Chief Adeyinka Opeifa, who was Baba Adini of Surulere Central Mosque. The event, which was held at the Police College, Ikeja, attracted eminent Islamic clerics, family members and friends.

Some of the guests, especially the women wore yellow lace with red headgears. The late Opeifa’s children wore blue native attires.

Five large tents erected on the college’s field were filled with guests.

The clerics arrived before noon, waiting for the event to start.

Alfa Agba of Lagos Tijani Gbajabiamila said the opening prayer; Abdul Afeez Milo from Oba Asafa Central Mosque in Orile Agege read some portions of the Quran.

The Chief Imam of Surulere Central Mosque, Abdullahi Mustapha Jatto, led the prayers.

In a sermon, Adam Abdullahi urged the gathering to live for humanity so that they would be remembered for their good deeds after their death.

“Use what you have for the good of others because we will all die one day,” he said.

Fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde entertained guests at the reception held at the same venue.

Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire said the late Opeifa impacted on the lives of many.

“He was a source of joy to all of us that God gave the grace to come across him,” she said.

His son Kayode described him as honest and straight forward, adding that he was the kind of father everyone wants to have.

“He taught me to be people-oriented; he spent all his life, money and resources serving people regardless of not knowing where they came from.

He is amazing, someone I can always run to.

“Sometimes, when you feel frus-

•Mrs Orelope-Adefulire (right) and Prince Rabiu Oluwa

•Otunba Henry Ajomale

•Mr Igbokwe and Adekunle Arogundade

•Mr Ibirogba (left) and Mr Bello

•From left: Sheikh Gbajabiamila; Sheikh Lawal and Sheikh Mujitaba Giwa

trated and rejected about some things and you need someone serious and objective to discuss the matter with, dad is someone you can go to. He speaks to you like a father and I will miss him for that,” he said.

Former Commissioner for Information and Strategy Lateef Ibirogba said the gathering showed the deceased

lived a fulfilled life.

“From the children, we can see that he is a disciplinarian, he brought up his children well and he is the kind of father everyone should emulate. He was interested in developing other people and that is why we are all here to celebrate his life,” he said.

Former Governor Babatunde

Fashola’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Hakeem Bello said the late Opeifa lived an exemplary life.

“He was a man who gave a lot to the service of the state; he was a gentleman and had given a lot in the service of the state. He lived a fruitful life and he is well celebrated,” he said.

His daughter-in-law Abiodun described him as her father. She said he was intelligent and meant a lot to all.

“He was someone that I personally love, he was my father and I will miss him a lot. I will miss his words of wisdom, I will miss his calls because he called everybody. I am from Ijebu and he knows many things about Ijebu land and all the towns in Ijebu, so, I’m going to miss the story of Ijebu land from him,” she said.

In attendance were Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Solicitor-General and Permanent Secre-

•Alhaji Seriki

PHOTOS: DAVID ADEJO

tary, Ministry of Justice, Alhaji Lawal Pedro (SAN); former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Rafiu Jafojo; Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesperson Joe Igbokwe; former Senior Special Assistant on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs Yinka Babalola; former Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Wale Ahmed; former Special Adviser on Commerce and Industry, Seye Oladejo; former Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Demola Seriki; former Special Adviser for Works Ganiyu Johnson; former Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperative Prince Gbolahan Lawal; APC women leader Mrs Kemi Nelson; APC Agege leader Yinka Ogundimu; Bisi Yusuf; Akinsanya Ajose; Chief Safari Adaranijo; Comrade Femi Aborisade; Oba Alara of Ilara, Akeem Okunde Adesanya; Chief Solomon Ojolowo and Dr Amos Akingba, among others.

The life and times of Christian Oladele Onikepe will remain ever green in the memories of his children-Tayo, Angel, Ope and Ifedayo. In a tribute to their late father, the quartet chronicle the footprints of the man of many parts.

‘We’ll always carry you in our hearts’

O

N Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Christian Oladele Onikepe passed on to meet his Holy Father, God Almighty. His indomitable spirit and joy for life are carried on by his family, extended family, friends, colleagues and fellow travelers on the path we call life.

There is only one Christian Oladele Onikepe and yet to everyone that met him, he was many different things. He was a father, friend, mentor, spiritual guide, kindred spirit, a debate and discussion partner, a leader and much more... If you were to ask him to describe himself, he would simply say, “I was sent to this world to be a servant of God, in humility and simplicity of the heart, and to be a testament to God’s grace and mercy.”

Born to a large family, Christian Oladele Onikepe possessed a keen in-

TRIBUTE tellect and grew up to be one of Nigeria’s brightest minds and brilliant thinkers. He was a star student at GOAGS, Gbongan, Government College, Ibadan, University of Lagos where he bagged a Second Class Upper Division honours in French, and capped it all with a Ph.D in French from the University of Grenoble, France.

In his professional career, he touched and changed many lives as professor, social activist, and advocate for peace. At the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria, he and his peers were pioneers. He led colleagues and students in reinterpreting African literature through the application of metaphysical concepts. This led to the first ever successful doctorate in his academic unit at the university. Christian

expressed and lived his faith through his teaching and mentoring. Always the rigorous academician, he was also the humble teacher who respected his students’ intellect—even when he disagreed with them. He was an unyielding and passionate defender of the weak and helpless; and of what was right.

In the United States he also worked towards sharing knowledge and shedding light on the African experience, both within the country and abroad.

He was highly successful at two institutions, namely Mount Saint Mary’s University, Maryland (America’s second oldest Catholic university) and the University at Buffalo (SUNY), New York. At SUNY-Buffalo, he was part of the team that helped to lay the groundwork for the university’s graduate education in Cuba in January 2002.

An accomplished teacher, Christian was also a Fulbright Scholar in Burkina Faso, West Africa, in 2004 and 2005.

In addition to his work in Francophone cultures, he never forgot his roots. He was a tireless promoter of his beloved Yoruba culture and language. His boundless energy and joyfulness were infectious. Wherever he was, he fought for religious tolerance and freedom. Always humble, passionate and charismatic, he tirelessly advocated for a space in which Christian, Muslim and Traditional practitioners could work beyond ethnic and religious differences, towards the common good. In Nigeria, he was one of the co-founders of NARETO, the National Association for Religious Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence.

If he were to speak his wishes today, it would be to say, “celebrate my

• The late Onikepe

life as the only happiness in this world is that of always being content with what God has given me. I can “demand nothing with fervor, except the perfect accomplishment of God’s will in my soul.”

We will always carry you in our hearts, Oladele Christian Onikepe. We will always remember and see you in every smile, every joyous song and everything good in life.

49

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS SHOPPING

E-mail: toniaitose@gmail.com

sms : 07035302326 Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

The transition from brick-and-mortar businesses to “clicks” business is happening in all sectors of the economy. It is now possible for businesses to operate without a physical structure. Employers and employees can conduct all communication via mobile phone through either voice call, short message service (SMS) or email. The internet is a new frontier that has further facilitated the operation of virtual offices, TONIA ‘DIYAN reports.

Boom time for electronic commerce •Midnight online car searches increase

A

FEW years ago, the only way Bade Badejo could buy books was for him to go to a bookstore. To purchase clothes meant a trip to the boutique. He traded in stocks through brokers only and bought cars visiting car marts, testdriving cars from one dealer to the other.

Today, he has realised that businesses are coming to his doorstep.

He has also realised that a number of companies and large warehouses have successfully managed to put up an electronic outlet to challenge traditional businesses.

Badejo recently added a new member to his family and decided to purchase a bigger car. He works full time with his wife and two young kids at home, so going from

dealer to dealer is not an option.

Badejo, who joined the growing number of car buyers researching vehicles through the Carmudi app, an online vehicle marketplace last month, picked a Nissan Navara LE 2013 and quickly got in touch with a dealer in Abuja to set up a test drive.

Within 48 hours, he bought his Navara LE for a competitive price.

Late night car searches are a growing trend with more than 40 per cent of global car buyers now searching for cars - between 5pm and midnight. With ecommerce booming, and increasing use of mobile phones to make purchases online, how people buy major goods is shifting.

Traditionally, consumers purchase cars after visiting several dealers and test drive dozens of vehicles. With the average car dealer closing by 6pm, car buyers are now able to save valuable time by researching car brands, and shopping for the best

price from within the comfort of their own homes. From arranging test drives to applying for financing, majority of the purchasing cycle takes place online.

Dealers continue to play a vital role in the process, particularly when it comes to test driving.

With a staggering 80 per cent of new cars and almost 100 per cent of used cars, customers begin their car shopping experience online, enabling buyers to find their dream car at any hour of the day. This is according to a research conducted by Carmudi, an ideal platform to find cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles online.

The research revealed that car buyers around the world and especially in Nigeria search for cars mostly late at night.

According to the research also, car buying experience has remained stagnant for decades, but in the world of AMAZON and UBER, the car classi-

fied market is ripe for disruption, starting with the ability to find dream cars at midnight from the comfort of a couch. It is now easy to browse and search thousands of car listings on www. Carmudi.com.ng or download the Carmudi app.

Another insight gleaned from the Carmudi data shows that car users are transitioning from searching for vehicles on a desktop, to using mobile apps, most notably in the evening hours.

During working hours, only 15 per cent of consumers visit Carmudi via the mobile app, but from 6pm to midnight more than 55 per cent of visitors search for cars on their mobile app, as opposed to their computer.

Generally, industries are moving all of their operations online, as it becomes clear that the Web, not constrained by geographic boundaries, is a more efficient vehicle for their services and allows them to work on a truly global scale. People are currently able to pay their bills, write and cash checks, trade stocks, take out loans, mortgage their homes and

manage their assets online. Money as we know it may cease to exist, replaced by more convenient technologies such as smart cards and digital cash. Intelligent programmes will take care of the financial and logistical aspects of the interactions between both the individuals and the corporations who populate the Internet. All that a person needs to do shopping is a connection, a computer, and a digital form of payment.

Traditional “brick and mortar” stores are already being replaced by a multitude of electronic storefronts populating the Web. No single brick-and-mortar store can offer 50,000 products, but an online store has the capability to offer a limitless number of them. There are services for finding the best deal on items for consumers. An increasing amount of consumer information, such as consumers’ testimonies, product overviews, comparison charts, is being made available, leading to better deals for customers.

Firm launches new Japanese NGK plugs

A

FIRM, Asahi Brands Limited, a member of the Kewalram Chanrai Group, has launched the new NGK spark plugs in Nigeria.

The plugs, made in Japan, will be distributed along with those made in NGK’s factory in Brazil.

The group’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Victor Eburajolo, at a briefing to launch the Japanese brand, said Asahi would continue to distribute the full range of only

•From left: Eburajolo, Sato and Kawanishi at the event.

Why we held exhibition, by built environment exhibitors

O

RGANISERS of a built environment exhibition with theme ‘Unique Beyond Borders’held in Lagos said it was aimed at helping professionals perfect their art.

The exhibition, which lasted for three days, had some important dignitaries, such as Mrs. Debola Majekodumi the vision founder, Mrs. Folake Onabolu, the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Civil Service who represented the state government.

Welcoming the participants and the invited guests, the Chairman of the event, Chief Olu Falomo, explained the importance of Unique Interiors in Nigeria. He said the system has been in existence for more than 20 years but that the challenges of setting up something like this

I

NNJOO has launched new products -InnJoo Fire and Note Pro. Both models are 2G RAM; with InnJoo ONE flagship model launched in February, InnJoo upgraded all of its product to 2GB RAM, which is theoretically two times or four times faster than any normal smart phones in the market.

Managing Director of InnJoo, Robert Liang, highlighted the company’s high specification and low price internet business model at the event.

He said: “Nigeria is a highly mobile country and people have

By Ekeowa Patience and Ochu Ohunene Latifah

in Nigeria could be frustrating.

“I want to particularly thank and admire Architect Debola Majekodumi who has being battling with this event year in year out for over 20 years. I admire her fighting spirit and perseverance for the success of the unique exhibition which has come to stay,” he said.

Mrs. Onabolu said: “The timing of this exhibition is unique itself because it is coinciding with the inevitable changes that Lagos state and the Nation as a whole are witnessing because we have witnessed an atmosphere of change from the outgoing administration to the incoming administration and most of all, we have voted for change for the better and that is what the country has

been yawning for. I know this exhibition will stand the test of time because it is the 12th edition and I hope it continues to be better.”

The exhibition, which was declared opened by Mrs. Folake Onabolu, the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Civil Service gave participants the opportunity to showcase their products.

Exhibitors at the event were Dofas Technological Nigeria Ltd, Lange and Grant, Jiuhua Nigeria Company Ltd, Sandtex Intratex, Literior Light Fittings Interiors, Voda Paints, Margin Scribes Limited, Global Corp Ltd, among others.

Debola Majekodumi, an architect, the vision founder of the exhibition said: “The interior design market is a growing market that can be improved on, but the

exhibition is for the built environment which includes architecture, interior design, and Facility management, we are trying to make interior products and services more accessible to the Nigerian Public in order to help create awareness and publicity for exhibiting companies and educate the visitors on built environment service through the seminars and exhibition.”

She added: “We are trying to create awareness platforms but some of the challenges we encounter is the issue of conveying and educating potential exhibitors on difference between exhibition and trade fairs or expo’s where sales are meant to be made at the point. The fuel crisis has been a challenge but I thank God that we were able to achieve a lot with this year’s exhibition.”

By Joseph Jibueze

genuine NGK plugsý through its six branches and authorised dealers “We’ll educate the public on how to identify genuine NGK plugs from fake ones. Asahi is associated with NGK from the last three decades and holds the number one position in the spark plug market.

“Asahi will source for NGK plugs from all NGK factories, including Brazil and Japan, and ensure that only genuine ones are sold,” he said.

Managing Director, NGK Spark Plug Middle East FZE, Mr. Hisataka Sato, said the company offers the highest quality products for virtually every vehicle.

According to him, a genuine NGK plug has a lifespan of between 40,000km to 100,000km depending on the type, all of which are available in Nigeria.

“NGK is the world leader in spark plugs and known for its high quality and wide range of products. All plugs come direct from NGK plants and assure 100 per cent genuine supply,” he added.

NGK’s Manager Yoji Kawanishi said the company, based in Nagoya, Japan, employs over 10,407 people and operates seven liaison offices, 12 sales offices, 13 production sites and two technical centres worldwide.

Innjoo launches new mega speed products to download quite many Apps in their phone which sometimes make the system running slower and even freezing, migrating from normally 512MB or 1GB to 2GB RAM is a must and the trend.

You can find that all InnJoo smartphones Fire, Note Pro and ONE, which are equipped with a 2GB RAM. InnJoo is a 100 percent pure internet brand, we are dedicated and forever to enhance the customer experience.”

InnJoo is a technical startup with

internet DNA founded last year.

Based in Duba, it has become the fastest growing company providing smart devices and software services in the MEA region. In one year between May, last year and last month, InnJoo has sold 1.2 million phone units in just four markets.

“Our team is very young, which the average age is around 26, but we are doing things down to earth, thinking differently and acting very fast. We are the new genera-

tion and know exactly what the young people are looking for.

This is Mega speed!” explained Robert.

Looking to its product line, InnJoo ONE is positioned as a high-end Smartphone in the product line with 2GB RAM, Octa core processor, 13MP back camera and 5MP front camera, with double sided Dragontrail glass and full metal sharp design, the InnJoo One which first went through a pre-order phase on

Jumia proved beyond doubt the all round trust between the loving customer, a great number of customers were willing to pre-pay to get their hands first on the phone in anticipation of its arrival.

The new Note Pro equipped with 2GB RAM, 5.5 inch HD display, 13MP back camera and 8MP front camera also has 3000 mAh super battery, which ensures that users enjoy longer talking time and gaming fun.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

50

Ending post-harvest losses has been a goal of governments, businesses, farmers and traders. Attributed to improper handling of agro commodities from field to market, the impact has been detrimental to farmers. In the last 10 years, organisations and donors have taken steps to reduce losses in crops, such as tomato and other perishable produce which account for an alarming 86 per cent of total farm produce losses, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

A

PPROXIMATELY, one-third of food grown in the farm never reaches consumers.

Waste and spoilage occur across the value chain, threatening farmers’ livelihoods and people’s access to nutritious food.

At harvest level, farmers struggle to ensure the perishables being harvested are handled properly, kept free of bruises, stored and moved fresh to the market.

One of the crops most affected is tomato.

Described as more lucrative than rice, maize and yam, tomato is in high demand. However, farmers face tremendous challenges in getting their products to market.

At the height of the harvest season, farmers lose up to 40 per cent of their produce due to a lack of processing facilities. This results in severe price fluctuations for tomatoes.

In most of the areas where it is cultivated in the North, there are no storage facilities to preserve their produce. As a result, tomato rots on the road to market.

To watchers, what the sector needs is small-scale and low-tech interventions in the areas of storage and transport.

Speaking with The Nation, President, Federated FADAMA Community Association, Lagos State, Alhaji Abiodun Oyenekan said such much is required to implement tomato value chain improvements and post harvest quality systems that enable farmers produce crop that will meet standards such as reliable freshness, minimal damage and professional packaging.

According to him, post harvest losses is a major issue that require interventions.

To this end, he said Lagos State is taking steps through initiatives to minimise losses, preserve quality, maintain nutritional content, and to ensure year-round availability while empowering equitable income distribution along the value chain.

The approaches include storage devices, good agricultural practices for harvesting and sorting crops, plastic crates for transporting produce, and others.

Against this backdrop also, Growth and Employment in the States (GEMS), a joint programme of the Department for International Development (DFID) and World Bank (WB) is exploring techniques to ensure that small farmers have greater income and economic opportunities, improved resilience, and increased food and nutritional security through reduced post-harvest loss in the food crop value chain.

Working with business associations, service providers, producers, retailers, wholesalers and other actors involved in the market, its GEMS 4 programme is seeking significant reductions in food loss by improving farmers’ use of good agricultural practices, such as for proper handling of crops.

Consequently, 60 members of the Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Dealers Association of Nigeria have been trained as master trainers on good handling practices for fresh perishable produce (and further courses are on-going).

The master trainers will then train other handlers of perishable produce in collection centres and markets across the country.

The programme target is increased growth, income and em-

Tackling post-harvest food losses

• Tomatoes

ployment, especially for poor men and women, in wholesale and retail markets in selected states and 10,000 full-time equivalent jobs and improved incomes for 500,000 people.

The project assists farmers to maintain Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standards and comply with standards that most small farmers do not possess.

To further enable farmers’ success, GEMS4 provides value chain actors with tomato colour charts that depict the different quality levels of tomatoes and their associated prices. The quality improvements benefit value chain actors further downstream as well, as they capture more value as a result of trading and selling higher quality goods.

To help the programme, GEMS4 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between it and the

Tomato Sellers Association in Mile 12, Ketu, Lagos State.

Senior Intervention Manager, Mr Arafat Hossain said under the arrangement, high-end markets such as hotels, restaurants, supermarket chains and catering service providers would access quality tomatoes delivered in crates.

The fresh produce are well sorted, graded and hygienically handled by trained handlers under Good Handling Practices (GHP).

Already, the association has 10 of its members primed to receive and deliver orders up to one metric tonne each as pioneers of the new mode of doing the tomato business.

GEMS4, using tomatoes as an entry point into the entry produce market, analysed operations from farm to the traditional markets, thereby identifying the challenges in the supply chain that lead to produce damage and cash losses.

After the trial deliveries from farms around Zaria to Mile 12 market in Lagos, it developed a business plan, which would include a cold chain.

The result showed only five per cent loss using plastic crates as against 45 per cent the traditional raffia baskets.

As it stands now, bankers are willing to fund the use of plastic crates in this largely lucrative business that has big chains like Shoprite showing interest in the arrangement, while the State government has supported the Mile 12 market sellers with 2,600 crates of the 4.000 crates released state-wide for a start.

The Association led by Alhaji Yahuza Alasan, represented by its secretary, Alhaji Shehu Usman, showcased that cleaned sorted, graded and packaged in plastic crates are now available for pur-

‘GEMS4 provides value chain actors with tomato colour charts that depict the different quality levels of tomatoes and their associated prices. The quality improvements benefit value chain actors further downstream as well, as they capture more value as a result of trading and selling higher quality goods’

chase in Mile 12 market.

This is being made available through a pilot providing access to Returnable Plastic Crates (RPCs) for farmers, traders and dealers of perishable produce.

GEMS4 is providing an installment repayment plan that will enable traders purchase the plastic crates.

This had been a challenge for traders in Mile 12 market, who have been struggling to meet market demands of Higher Value Markets and quality conscious buyers.

The stakeholders involved in this pilot are the Tomato Sellers Association (TSA) arm of the Fresh Fruits Vegetable Community Dealers Association of Nigeria (FFVDCAN) with a national membership spread of over 300,000 across Nigeria.

There are about 28 other perishable produce groups under this apex association and it is planned that after this pilot, the model will be extended to them as a scale up to enable RPCs become a part of the supply chain operations of the sector.

GEMS4 Intervention Manager, Richard Ogundele said tomato is big business. The market for it is large, including buyers who run grocery stores, restaurants and hotels. But they need high-quality produce.

51

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

Lack of infrastructure in ports hampers agro exports

L

ACK of infrastructural facilities in ports is negatively affecting agro exports as the ports are struggling to cope with commodity traffic.

National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Mr Tola Faseru said ports have serious capacity problems, adding that this has lead to slow processing times. In most ports, he said lack of infrastructure hampers agro exports most as it cause delay

Stories by Daniel Essiet

in movements of produce in the major ports.

Though the concessionaires have initiated the modernisation of facilities, most of the improvements, he observed, however, were designed to boost agro exports.

This, he maintained, made it difficult for agro exporters to ship cargoes and experience waiting period to load the commodities.

He urged the government to made

capacity building a major concern along with improving the rail and road connectivity to minor ports, stressed the need to reposition the ports as a gateway for trade.

According to him, the potential for agro export growth is enormous, but observed however that the nation’s share in the global market for agricultural products is still severely hampered, by a lack of infrastructure in the ports. Tackling logistics infrastructure deficit, he noted

would open up large new trade opportunities both inside and outside the country as well as enhance returns on existing trade.

He urged stakeholders in the industry to work together to boost exports and strengthen the domestic market by mapping out obstacles to the country’s trade.

For watchers, high-cost logistics, poor infrastructure and lack of export financing are among the major bottlenecks that have long hin-

dered agro exporters from expanding their reach.

Currently, exports are still less significant to spur growth in compared to domestic consumption and direct investment, which are the top drivers of economic expansion.

Another concern to address is the building up of the capacity of small and medium agro enterprises to increase their competitive edge over tighter competition from foreign goods, in the industry.

Abia community benefits from WAAPP’s technologies

T

HE West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP)-Nigeria has adopted Oriendu Village, a rural Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State for the establishment of Biogas Digester.

This step, in collaboration with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, is meant to demonstrate to the adopted community alternative cheap source of energy for cooking and lighting in the rural areas; creation of employment opportunities by training some persons in this respect; and discouraging deforestation, among others.

At the training, the NRCRI Director of Extension Services/ WAAPP, Dr. Godwin Asumugha, said the technology is an alternative and cheap source of energy in rural areas, adding that already more than 10 youths were undergoing training on how to establish, or set up the technology.

According to NRCRI Executive Director, Dr. Julius Okonkwo, the organisation has since 2011 been collaborating with WAAPP to facilitate the dissemination of improved agricultural technologies, stating that the Adopted Village Concept which

was first introduced to the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) in 1996 under the World Bank- assisted programs of the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) was re-activated and consolidated by the WAAPP. According to him, the concept was introduced for developing, disseminating and evaluating technologies emanating from Research Institutes.

The institures are to conduct their demonstrations in the identified and adopted villages for adoption and impact, and impres on intending farmers and end users on the viability of technologies being promoted.

Other objectives,he listed, are to encourage large-scale adoption of improved technologies, economically empower resource poor farmers, and create job opportunities for youths and enhance food security.

On the main features of the adopted villages, he said they include empowerment of the communities through initial provision of some facilities, capacity building of the communities, empowerment of farmers to identify their problems and search for solutions, facilitate community activities, operate an agricultural research outreach center including information flow.

On the other activities, Okonkwo said that apart from establishing adopted villages, the Institute established secondary schools outreach programs around them for the purpose of establishing Agricultural Research Outreach Centres (AROCs).

The main purpose, he explained, “is to ensure that the impact of agricultural research and training is felt in these schools and increase students interest in agriculture and home economics, adding that NRCRI has 13 Outreach Schools in seven states out of which five are in Abia.

Describing the training and the Biogas Digester project as first of its kind in his community, the community’s traditional ruler, Eze Philip Ajomiwe, a farmer, commended WAAPP and NRCRI for considering to adopt Oriendu for the project.

Meanwhile, the management team from the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP), Nigeria, has lauded FUNAAB during its visit to the university, to assess the progress made so far by Institute for Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR) in the collaboration between both bodies. While welcoming the team, the Director, IFSERAR, who is also the WAAPP Co-ordinator

in the university, Prof Akin Omotayo, thanked management as well as WAAPP for their support in ensuring that IFSERAR was at the forefront in research and increasing food productivity so as to end hunger in the land. He said a lot of progress had been made since the collaboration started about a year ago.

Omotayo said IFSERAR was into projects such as cassava seed multiplication and fingerlings multiplication, distribution, technology dissemination and adopted school project, noting that recently, the institute empowered some farmers by giving them farm inputs such as fingerlings and cassava stem, free of charge.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole, who is also the President of Association of African Universities (AAU), appreciated the contributions of WAAPP-Nigeria through IFSERAR, in strengthening the University’s extension village farmers. He added that the FUNAAB recently bought a Toyota Hilux Van to support the programme, adding that a lot of things needed to be done in providing food security. He stressed the need to embark on sensitisation and enlightenment activities that would enable the youth take

up farming as a means of livelihood, to create more employment opportunities. He gave the assurance that the University would continue to ensure that its research efforts waxed stronger and that WAAPP team members should feel free to visit various ongoing farm projects on campus.

The National Co-ordinator of WAAPP-Nigeria, Dr. Sheu Salawu, said he was impressed with the serenity of FUNAAB, noting that the objective of the visit was to review the activities of the project in the University in line with the determination of the World Bank to eliminate poverty globally.

He acknowledged the enormous effort being made by FUNAAB in supporting the WAAPP programmes, adding that he had a strong belief that the communities around the university were feeling the positive impact of WAAPP. Salawu urged the Vice-Chancellor to continue to support, and include entrepreneurship courses for graduating students to facilitate their accessing of finance. The team members were shown various research findings in the University as they visited ongoing agricultural projects on campus.

Fertiliser: Farmers resort to animal dung in Zaria

F

• Director-General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr Gloria Elemo presenting a certificate to Dr. Lucas Akapa, WAAPP Co-ordinator from CORAFWECARD at an event in Lagos.

ARMERS in Zaria and Kaduna states have expressed concern over the delay in the distribution of fertiliser for this year’s farming season, a sittuation that has forced them to resort to using animal dung.

The farmers made their position known in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Zaria.

Alhaji Musa Dogara, a Zariabased farmer, said the call became necessary following the commencement of rain across the state.

He said: “We thank God Almighty rain had already commenced, therefore, I want to appeal to governments at all levels to speed-up effort at supplying fertiliser to enable us put in more efforts towards realising a bumper harvest.

“This delay has forced us to resort to using animal dung in order to bridge the gap,” he said.

Dogara observed that the delay

in the supply of the commodity would not only affect the input of individuals and farmers generally, but it would negatively affect the overall output.

On his part, a peasant farmer at Rafinyashi village, Malam Mutawakkilu Rafinyashi, described early supply of fertilisers as a path to national food security.

He called on farmers not to rely 100 per cent on inorganic fertilisers, advising that they should endeavour to be prompt users of organic fertilisers such as animal dung and refuse.

“Relying 100 per cent on conventional fertiliser is not the best for our farmers but they must resolve to use organic fertilisers with a view to reviving the soil acidity,”he said.

Rafinyashi also appealed to government to consider the possibility of replacing the conventional fertilisers with organic.

Govt empowers Itsekiri fishermen co-operatives

T

HE Federal Government has empowered Itsekiri Fishermen Cooperatives in the Niger Delta with 24 Yamaha outboard Marine boat Engines, Fishing Nets, Floats and Marine ropes.

Presenting the equipment and input to the representative of the Olu of Warri and the facilitator of the government support, Mrs Rita Lori Ogbebor at the ministry’s Store

in Sheda, Abuja, the Deputy Director, Artisenal Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Olusegun Babatunde, stated that the gesture was in line with government effort at increasing local production of fishes with an additional 200,000metric tonnes in Nigeria.

Babatunde said artisanal fishing has contributed to the 80

per cent of fishes produced locally in Nigeria, saying the inputs would provide employment opportunities to the Itsekiri Youths and helped them in contributing their quota to the fisheries sector in the country.

He said the government has designed a programme that is targeted at 27 selected states that are engaged in artisanal fishing with focus on 200 fish-

ermen per state. According to him, such fishermen are expected to benefit from the empowerment drive in form of fishing inputs like boats and canoes, as a way of support and not subsidy from government.

Receiving the fishing inputs on behalf of the Itsekiri Fishermen Co-operatives, Mrs Ogbebor, thanked the Federal Government for empowering

the youth in the region, saying the gesture would reduce restiveness in the Niger Delta.

Mrs Ogbebor stated that government gesture would also address some of the grievances in the Niger-Delta region and pleaded for more assistance in swamp rice production and piggery. She said such assistance could be in the area of equipment for rice processing, harvesting and polishing.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

52

SHOWBIZ

Jennifer Eliogu survives car crash

‘Capital Femi departs Kennis Music mutually’

I

By Jane Kolade

S

TAR actress and singer, Jennifer Eliogu, survived a ghastly car accident a fortnight ago.

Although the vehicle was badly damaged, the actress escaped unhurt.

Although traumatized, Eliogu has since been released from the hospital and is more than grateful to God for sparing her life. “I give God all the praise for sparing my life. Even though it was a traumatic experience, I thank God for sparing my life. I bless His name,” she said.

Surprisingly, not many people know that she is a good singer. Jennifer, at the recently held COSON award night, treated the audience to soulful renditions of several songs.

When asked her reason for delving into music, she said, “I have always loved singing; it is something I do so well. All my friends know how much I love to sing. At some point I decided to pursue that talent.”

• Jennifer Eliogu

Muyiwa Ademola, Mistura Asunramu Alao, others bag Odua award

S

OME Nollywood actors were last week honoured with awards in faraway United States, by the Yoruba

• Alao,

By Joe Agbro Jr.

Youths Corporation, North America, in Houston, Texas.

• Ademola

Leading other actors in the Yoruba movie industry to receive the Odua Image awards were Muyiwa Ademola and Mistura Asunramu-Alao.

Ademola got the Best Actor of the year award for his role in Oba Adetoyese, while Asunramu-Alao bagged the Best Actress of the year award for her role in her movie titled Fali Olomi.

Other awardees include Lateef Adedimeji who bagged the Most Promising actor of the year, Doris Simeon who bagged an award for her good interpretation of her role in Ihami and Fausat Balogun, aka Madam Saje who received the Evergreen actress award.

Also, Moji Olaiya was honoured for her performance in Oba Adetoyese, Laide Bakare for her performance in her movie titled Laide Ti o common, while Kabirat Kafidipe was also honoured.

Gospel musician, Lanre Teriba, entertained guests at the event.

The award recipients expressed appreciation to the organisers for honouring them and called on their fans to stop buying pirated movies, expressing how badly it affects their business.

Davido appreciates fans with Fans Mi

F

EW days after his graduation, music artiste, David Adeleke, aka Davido released his new single, Fans Mi, featuring Maybach Music Group (MMG) rapper, Meek Mill, in appreciation of his fans for their support.

The artiste who graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in Music from Babcock University ,

By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi

also released a new single early this year titled, The Sound.

According to reports, the 13th Babcock University Convocation Ceremony was attended by the Adelekes, Don Jazzy, Reekado Banks and Godswill Akpabio, had Davido as the only graduating student from the Babcock School

Of Music, a department set up by his father three years ago.

Davido is an American-born Nigerian recording artiste, performer and record producer, whose debut single, Dami Duro, released in 2011, received massive airplay.

The father of one, alongside his elder brother, Adewale Adeleke, co-owns HKN Music.

T is becoming a recurring decimal for artistes signed to Kennis Music to quit the label unexpectedly.

Following the recent exit of This Year crooner, Jaywon, another artiste, Capital FEMI, younger brother to popular Master of Ceremonies, Gbenga Adeyinka, has also taken his leave.

However, to curtail the rumours of animosity behind his exit, his promoters, via a bulk mail to media houses, have said that the artiste and his former label ended their business deal on a cordial note, even though his contract has not expired.

“This is to officially announce that R n B sensation, Femi Adeyinka, aka Capital FEMI has truly finally left Kennis Music. We wish to clear the air about any rumored feud whatsoever going round. The artiste and his former label, Kennis Music, ended their business deal on a cordial relationship and there is no misunderstanding whatsoever between them.

There are reports from various sites circulating that Capital FEMI left Kennis Music after his contract with the label expired, that is not

true. The artiste left on good terms for a good cause which his former label’s CEO, Dr. Kenny Ogungbe supports. We would wish that the public and all media houses put the record straight while wishing the artiste best of luck in his career,” the statement reads.

• Capital Femi

Madonna’s daughter shuns the Khadarshians

I

T is obvious that that not everyone keeps up with the Khadarshians, at least not Lourdes Leone. Madonna’s 18year-old daughter is not at all curious about keeping up with the Khadarshians. Radar Online has it that Kylie Jenner, youngest of the Khadarshian/Jenner clan sent an invite to Lourdes sometime in May, suggesting that they hang out in the hope of finding a female gal pal soul mate. Surprisingly, the younger Leone refused to acknowledge the invite, much less respond.

Lourdes has been trash talking Kylie ever since, a source told the site that “She (Lourdes) was horrified . She thinks that Kylie and her sisters are vile, and has made a big effort to avoid being in the same room as any of them.”

As the source puts it, “She couldn’t imagine Kylie thought she would be receptive to a party invite – as far as Lourdes is concerned, she is not going to lower herself to even responding.”

Poor Kylie! What a shock to discover that not everyone is enamoured of their peculiar brand of fame.

By Jane Kolade

• Leone

Kiki Omeili in new character

A

• Davido with Meek Mill

WARD-winning actress, Kiki Omeili, stars in a new movie titled Stupid Movie, where she is doing something different from what her fans are used to seeing.

The actress, who alongside other actors are on set reveals, “I am excited doing this new character. It is a new me, you will see a different Kiki Omeili. In this movie, I didn’t speak all through.”

Others in the movie include: Kelechi Udegbe, Gregory Ojefua, Daniel O David and Donald Ndubuisi.

Lead characters in the movie are Gregory Ojefuwa and Kelechi Udegbe, who play the roles of a humorous pair that are in search of greener pastures.

Stupid Movie is produced by AMVCA 2015 ‘Best Cinematographer’ winner, Stanlee Ohikuare.

By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi

• Kiki

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

53

54

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 10106-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-06-15

Nigeria’s OTC market records N40b largest single trade

N

ASD Plc, Nigeria’s over-the-counter (OTC) market for unlisted equities and other securities, recorded its single largest trade with a N40 billion transaction on FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc, Nigeria’s leading milk company.

Trading data at the OTC market this week showed that a total of 127.18 million ordinary shares of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc was traded in a single deal at N315.67 per share. The total value of N40.15 billion is the largest in the almost two-year operations of the OTC market.

The trade was between Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited and BGL Securities Limited.

The NASD was formally launched on July 1 and opened for trading on July 2, 2013. Formerly known as the National Association of Securities Dealers, NASD is registered with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an over-the-counter (OTC) trading platform for unquoted securities; includ-

•Equities in mild recovery

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

ing equities and bonds.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc, one of Nigeria’s most prominent household brands, is the flagship stock at the OTC market, driving activities and public attention at the market. With a market price of N315.67, FrieslandCampina WAMCO will be Nigeria’s third highest-priced stock, trading behind Nestle Nigeria and Seplat Petroleum Development Company, if it were to be quoted on the regular Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Head, operations, NASD Plc, Mr Gbubemi Iyomere, said the significant transaction highlighted the increasing confidence in the OTC market.

“We expect more asset managers and pension fund administrators to invest their funds through the transparent trading platform,” Iyomere said.

Quoted equities on the NSE, one of the owners of NASD,

staged a mild recovery yesterday after three consecutive declines. The benchmark index at the stock market showed a modest average gain of 0.28 per cent, slightly narrowing the average-year-to-date return to -3.18 per cent.

The All Share Index (ASI), the composite value-based index that tracks prices of all quoted equities on the NSE, inched up from 33.462.34 points to 33,556.35 points.

Aggregate market value of all quoted equities also rose from marginally from N11.422 trillion to N11.454 trillion.

With 16 advancers to 24 decliners, the market sentiments remained weak and many analysts said there might not be any major upswing for the market in the immediate period. The positive overall market situation yesterday was supported by gains by some highly capitalised stocks including PZ Cussons Nigeria, Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Nigerian Breweries and FBN Holdings among others.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 11-06-15

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

55

MONEYLINK

CBN ‘marginally’ adjusts exchange rate

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday adjusted its

exchange rate peg to N196.90 against the dollar from the N196.95 it set last week, data on the bank’s website showed.

Dealers said the apex bank sold dollars to the interbank market at the new rate the previous day, dismissing the move as a currency appreciation as it wasn’t market driven, but noted it could signal the coming of a new policy.

The naira opened trade on thin volumes at N198.90 to the dollar on the interbank market. It traded at N220 on the black market on Wednesday “This is not a real appreciation, the CBN is probably trying to guide the market. Its most likely an indi-

NDIC submits audited report to FRCN

N

By Collins Nweze

cation to a change in policy in the foreign exchange market,” one commercial bank treasurer said.

The CBN made a tiny adjustment to the exchange rate peg last week, with one analyst saying the move may indicate that the bank is beginning to think about how to loosen its currency regime.

Another dealer said the central bank may be trying to gauge the level at which it can defend the naira, but noted that the bank was running low on ammunitions to do this.

Last week JPMorgan said it may eject Nigeria from its Government Bond Index (GBI-EM) by the yearend unless the economy restore liquidity to currency markets in a

•CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele

way that allows foreign investors tracking the benchmark to transact with minimal hurdles.

Nigeria’s foreign reserves fell to $29.18 billion by June 9, down 1.65 per cent from last month, as the CBN burned cash to defend the naira.

A

By Nduka Chiejina

public interest entities in the country.”

While presenting the report, the Director of Bank Examination, Adedapo Adeleke, who represented NDIC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, said the Corporation took the issue of stewardship to its stakeholders as a priority.

Adeleke described the FRCN as an important institution whose activities were geared toward aligning the operations of Nigerian business concerns with international best practices.

He also noted that as a professional public institution, the NDIC would continue to work in tandem with the rules and regulations set by the Council.

Nigeria to learn from Iran’s $50b non-oil revenues

N

African Bank to return amid losses FRICAN Bank Limited., a South African lender which collapsed last August, plans to start a new lender built from its viable assets by October. It also expects that losses posted in the previous fiscal year would continue into the first half.

The net loss was 9.3 billion rand ($752 million) in the year through September, compared with a restated loss of 5.9 billion rand in the previous 12months, it said in a statement.

The bank posted a 5.79 billion rand loss from operations and three nonoperational items including an impairment charge of 1.4 billion rand and direct taxation of 2.16 billion rand. The bank expects a loss of as much as 2.8 billion rand for the six months through March.

Full-year results “were impacted by

IGERIA Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has submitted its 2014 audited financial statement to the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN).

A statement from the Corporation said the 2014 Audited Financial Statement of the NDIC was prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and in line with the NDIC Act No. 16, 2006 and the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act No. 6, 2011.

Head of Inspection and Monitoring, Titus Osakwe, who received the report on behalf of the FRCN commended the NDIC for what he described as “the Corporation’s regular rendition of its financial statements to the Council, saying that with this step, NDIC has once again distinguished itself among

IGERIA needs to learn from Iran’s $50 billion annual revenue from non-oil exports, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Segun Awolowo, has said.

Speaking at the first Iranian Solo Exhibition held in Lagos, he said both countries share enormous economic landscapes in mining, industry, oil and gas and among others. He said the hosting of the trade event has further internationalised the Iranian product and boosted the social and economic relationship of both Nigeria and Iran.

Awolowo said Nigeria can also learn a few lessons from Iran on how to boost its non-oil exports adding that Iran generates about $5 billion from exports of professional services, especially in the areas of technical and engineering services which could help Nigeria to look inwards to generate good foreign exchange from

a weak operational performance on the advances book as well as certain once-off impairments,” African Bank said in an separate e-mailed statement.

The bank shortened the time horizon on projections of cash flows to 60 months from 120 months. This drove up provisions for defaulted accounts, where customers missed more than four payments, to 80 percent from a restated 64 percent.

The central bank stepped in to attempt a rescue of the failed lender and appointed Tom Winterboer as curator after funding seized up in August.

The results were delayed as Winterboer’s team went through the accounts while trying to win back business and negotiate with investors.

If the rescue is successful, the lender will form what it calls a good bank in October from the remaining viable assets.

services in areas like Nollywood, academics and banking.

He said the lopsidedness of trading balance between Nigeria and Iran calls for concern. “With your claimed expertise, I am sure Iran can assist Nigeria to develop her maritime, air travel transport, water resources, power, agricultural and petrochemical sectors. Indeed the petrochemical sector is very key for us as we stand to diversify our economy. We request you to extend the success recorded in petrochemical industry in Iran to Nigeria. Such industries will provide raw materials for small and medium enterprises thereby creating jobs along the value chain in Nigeria,” he said.

Nigerian ambassador to Iran, Mr. Tukur Mani said Nigeria and Iran signed lots of trade agreements during a joint session last year but implementation of those agreements have been slow. “Nigeria and

Iran have been relating since the 70s but unfortunately many Nigerians are still unaware about what Iran is all about and how they can also take advantage of the position Iran occupies in the Middle East as the most industrialised country,” he said.

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce of commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Deputy President, Iyalode Lawson, praised NigeriaIran Business Council for its promoting business relations between both countries. “Nigeria as a country is a mixed economy with emerging markets. It has a population of over 160 million with a potential for profitable foreign direct investment every hour. Therefore, hosting of first Iran Solo Exhibition in Nigeria comes with immense opportunities towards greater partnership between Nigeria and Iran and the West African sub region as a whole,” she said.

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

126.04 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,744.73 1,104.77 112.34 121.16 1.67 1.1978 1.3117 0.7319 1.1349

125.82 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,744.73 1,104.00 111.75 120.30 1.62 1.1912 0.7203 0.7203 1.1349

O/PRICE

PZ MAYBAKER PORTPAINT OKOMUOIL STERLNBANK ZENITHBANK FIDELITYBK NEIMETH SKYEBANK NB LIVESTOCK ACCESS

32.18 1.60 3.99 30.65 2.00 19.20 1.77 1.22 2.50 147.90 2.37 6.05

C/PRICE 35.00 1.68 4.18 32.101.45 2.09 19.88 1.81 1.24 2.54 150.16 2.40 6.10

O/PRICE

REDSTAREX MCNICHOLS MANSARD WAPIC UBCAP TRANSCORP GLAXOSMITH VITAFOAM CILEASING MOBIL UBN

5.10 1.50 2.91 0.54 1.48 2.92 44.99 5.25 0.68 150.00 10.10

C/PRICE 4.85 1.43 2.79 0.52 1.44 2.85 44.15 5.16 0.67 148.00 10.00

8.5%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

N16.42 trillion.

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

-0.25 -0.07 -0.12 -0.02 -0.04 -0.07 -0.84 -0.09 -0.01 -2.00 -0.10

199.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

$67.91

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

CHANGE

Interbank ($/N)

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR)

2.81 0.08 0.19 0.09 0.68 0.04 0.02 0.04 2.26 0.03 0.05

FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) May 28, 2015

$28.2b

CHANGE

LOSERS AS AT 11-06-15

SYMBOL

Inflation:April

Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 11-06-15

SYMBOL

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Tenor

N17.2 trillion 16.5%

12-02-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 13-02-15

Overnight (O/N)

14.683

76.583

1M

15.033

15.977

3M

15.809

17.177

6M

16.493

17.908

Tenor 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months

May 27

May 28

Rate)%

Rate (%)

0.1735 0.2147 0.2615 0.3841 0.6709

0.1715 0.2108 0.2626 0.3857 0.6744

Nigerian Stock Market Indices 27 May Statistics 5 May All Share Index 34,649.3 29,383.93 Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) 11.8 9,804.36 Deals 3,385 3,714 Volume (mn) 564,28 377,75 Value (NGN’mn) 6,087.80 6,568.66 GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Transaction Dates 03/02/2015 3/12/2014 1/12/2014

Amount Offered in ($) 500m

Amount Sold in ($) 499.93m

400m 350m

399.97m 349.96m

Tenor

Feb. 13, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

12.44

T-bills - 182

13.85

T-bills - 364

13.92

Bond - 3yrs

15.92

Bond - 5yrs

17.22

Bond - 7yrs

16.59

56

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NEWS Buhari trekker missing THE police in Bauchi State yesterday declared missing, a middle-aged man who left on foot to Abuja, to attend the swearing-in of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Police spokesman Haruna Mohammed said Nurudeen Maimako, a resident of Dass, left his town on May 15 to Abuja, but has not been seen since then.

“On June 3 about 11:15am, Muhammadu Hussaini, male, of Dass town reported at the Dass Divisional Police Headquarters that on May 15 about 6am, his son, Nurudeen Maimako, male, 38, left Dass on foot solidarity to attend the swearing-in of President Buhari in Abuja.

“Since then, his whereabouts is not known and efforts to locate him have proved abortive.

“The last contact he (father) had with Maimako was when he (son) informed them that he was in Jos, Plateau State.”

President hailed on election From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

THE group under the aegis of Abubakar Bukola Saraki Forum has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for not interfering with the politics of the National Assembly.

It said it held the president in high esteem for being a man of principle even in the face of pressure to act otherwise.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the leader of the group, Alhaji Bibire Ajape, hailed the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President, saying it would solidify the political blocs that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Dog meat business booms in FCT DEALERS in dog meat at the Ushafa bridge in Bwari, FCT, said media reports about people who died from consuming dog meat and local gin would not deter them from doing their business.

The traders spoke yesterday in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Bwari.

The tragedy was said to have occurred in Woji Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

One of the dealers, Mr. Naboth Zachariah, told NAN that he had never received any complaint from his customers since he started the business in 2013.

Zachariah, who hails from Kaduna State, said although the story generated anxiety and apprehension among people in the community, he was bent on continuing with the business.

‘Don’t intimidate Ekiti Assembly’

Woman, 38, to die by hanging A A MAKURDI High Court in Benue State has sentenced a housewife, Mrs. Ternenge Tersoo, 38, to death by hanging for killing her one-year-old step son.

Her husband told the police in 2012 that Ternenge, his second wife, snatched the baby from his nanny

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

and strangled him.

When the case came up, she denied the allegation and was not remorseful.

She did not call any witness to substantiate her claim.

The prosecution called

two witnesses, including the investigating police officer, who tendered a medical report of the autopsy carried out on the baby at the General Hospital, Vandeikya.

Justice Jennifer Ijohor said the evidence before her showed that the prosecution proved his case to war-

rant the conviction of Mrs. Tersoo.

She advised barren women to look up to God, instead of engaging in nefarious acts.

Mrs. Tersoo was later taken to the Federal Minimum Prison, Makurdi where she is awaiting death by hanging.

•From left: Third place runner-up, Akoka Junior High School, Otusi Uchechi; Team Lead, Mailroom & Logistics, Diamond Bank, Angela Agwu; second place runner-up, Bola-Olat Private College, Aremu Oluwakemi; winner, Ransome Kuti Memorial Junior Secondary School, Eguase Edith and Head, LPG Oando Marketing Plc., Ganiyu Azeez, at the May edition of Teens Can Cook Competition in celebration of Children’s Day.

No money for white elephant projects, says Niger governor

N

IGER State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello said yesterday that the state had no money to complete the “white elephant projects” of his predecessor.

According to him, “there are more pressing and socially-relevant projects begging for attention.”

The governor spoke when he was inspecting the Minna Airport City Project initiated by ex-Governor Mu’azu Babangiga Aliyu.

He was told that N12 billion would be needed to complete the project.

Said he: “I don’t have money to pay for this project. I have more serious and pressing problems. I have pupils sitting on the floor, people with-

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

out potable water, hospital without facilities.

These are my priorities or do you have money? If you have money, do it with your money and we will find a way to pay you later.

“I suggest the project be restructured. If we want to complete it, there is no money. If we do not complete it, it will waste away.

Get someone who has money to invest in it, to complete it.”

Bello, who said he was disturbed by the huge public fund spent on the

project, lamented that even if the government approached the capital market for bond to complete it, the project could not generate N2billion annually.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Adamu Jagaba, said about N12billion would be needed to complete the Minna Airport City Project. “This is besides the N800million already spent on the project.”

He said another N600 million was expended on the Minna City Tower and N200 million had been spent on the shopping mall.

The two projects are at the state’s capital city cen-

tre.

Jagaba told the governor that government took over the financing of the projects when the investors failed to meet the deadline.

Bello was unable to inspect the Minna Neo-Natal Hospital, which was inaugurated by the former governor two days to the handover, as the contractors handling the project locked it up, alleging that the government was owing them N167million.

It was learnt that the contractors, now in Abuja, have vowed not to return the keys until they are paid.

The governor said he wondered why the project was inaugurated when it was not completed.

Ortom dissolves boards •Governor to make media houses functional

B

ENUE State Governor Samuel Ortom has dissolved the boards of parastatals, nonstatutory commissions and governing councils of tertiary institutions.

A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Targema Takema, said the dissolution was with immediate effect.

It urged heads of the affected organisations to take note.

The governor promised to make government media establishments functional for effective dissemination of information.

He spoke in Abuja at an interactive session with members of the People’s House Press Crew, organised by the Special Adviser

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

on Media and ICT, Mr. Tahav Agerzua.

Ortom, who noted the poor condition of Radio Benue and Benue Printing and Publishing Company, publishers of The Voice, assured that everything would be done to restore the lost glory of the media establishments.

He said he would withdraw the case against Ashi Waves Radio Station, Katsina-Ala, in line with his objective of forgiveness.

The governor said he met Benue in a bad economic state, hoping that God would help the people to surmount the problems and assist his administration to provide good governance.

Agerzua assured Ortom that members of the People’s House Press Crew were professionals determined to support his government to succeed through fair reporting of his administration’s activities.

The governor urged the indigenes in public offices to project the image of the state by excelling in their assignments.

He spoke in Otukpo at a reception after a thanksgiving mass in honour of exSenate President David Mark, organised by the people of Benue South Senatorial District.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Terwase Orbunde, Ortom acknowledged the achievements of the lawmaker at the Senate,

•Ortom

saying Benue people were proud of him.

Senator Mark said the successes recorded in piloting the affairs of the upper chamber in the last eight years were accomplished by the grace of God and through the support of his colleagues, friends and wellwishers.

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

GROUP, Grassroots Mobilisation for Muhammadu Buhari (GMMB), has warned Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose not to intimidate the Fifth House of Assembly.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Remi Oyebamiji, recalled that at the Assembly’s inauguration, Fayose proclaimed victory over the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers.

“The Assembly is firmly in his hands now as it was in 2006. He must allow the lawmakers to function. Whenever it is necessary, he must seek their consent on all actions that require their approval. He must give room for voice of dissent. “From the day he was pronounced winner of the election, he must have decided and perfected plan to crush the opposition or force them to submission.

“This was evident from the defection of six APC members on the eve of his swearing in.

The defiant 19 APC members automatically became enemies of the state and were subsequently marked down for destruction.

“Today, Ekiti State is under the administration of Ayodele Fayose and the miscreants. The question is: can Governor Ayodele Fayose survive the peace?

“Governor Fayose should not dissipate energy on his ambition to become de facto leader of PDP in the region as this will attract more enemies for him among party members.”

Police tear-gas protesting teachers From James Azania, Lokoja

O

VER 50 armed policemen yesterday dispersed with tear gas, primary school teachers in Kogi State.

The incident occurred during a protest over non- payment of their 2014 November and December salaries and allowances.

The teachers, under the Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria (BESAN), who converged on the Nataco junction from where they embarked on a peaceful protest to the office of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), ran for safety when the policemen stormed the area.

Some of them sustained injuries. Those who could not run were assaulted by the policemen.

BESAN Chairman, Comrade Adomu Sule, said the protest was in reaction to a statement credited to the Chairman of Kogi SUBEB, Mallam Nuhu Ahmed that the government was not owing basic education teachers.

He said: “The government is owing teachers in Ajaokuta, Ofu, Okene, Olamaboro and Omala local governments 2014 November salary. Government is also owing us 2014 December salary.

“We have not received leave bonus for five years and incremental/promotion allowances have not been paid, yet government claims it is not owing us.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

57

NEWS

Saraki: Sanction for erring members will respect due process, says APC

T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) will follow the due process in sanctioning its members who broke out of line during the National Assembly’s leadership elections.

The party’s position was stated by the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed after a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) with some of the federal lawmakers yesterday.

The NWC held two separate meetings with Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila groups who lost out in Tuesday’s leadership tussle in the National a Assembly.

The Unity Forum that worked for the emergence of Senator Ahmed Lawan as senate president arrived at the party secretariat state at about 12.45 pm.

The NWC led by National Chairman Chief John OdigieOyegun met with them for about 50 minutes.

The Senators refused to speak on the outcome of the meeting but Mohammed restated the party’s position to sanction erring members, but was silent on the type of sanction which he said must follow due process.

Mohammed said the party was not aware of any move by the Unity Forum to chal-

The Nation man barred from Abia Assembly

T

•Party begins disciplinary action against Senator Alasoadura

I

N Ondo State, Ondo Central Senator Tayo Alasoadura is already being probed for anti-party activities.

At a meeting attended by the party executives of Akure North, the party noted that Alasoadura represented his personal interest by going against the party’s directive.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, a member representing Akure North in the state executive, Mr. Saka Yusuf- Ogunleye, said: “It is disappointing that Senator Alasoadura is the only Yoruba Senator that joined seven other APC senators to stage a palace coup against his party.

He said the ward executive of Moferere Iju Ward 8 had been directed to set up a disciplinary committee to look into Alasoadura’s action. He however said he will be given fair hearing.

Yusuf-Ogunleye described Alasoadura’s action as a total disrespect for constituted authority and an affront to the party’s constitution.

He said the senator has engaged in the act of insubordination with impunity in an open anti party activity by voting PDP as Deputy Senate President. .

The APC chieftain said the position of Alasoadura in his first assignment showed that From Tony Akowe, Abuja and Damisi Ojo, Akure

lenge the emergence of Saraki as Senate President in court.

Mohammed said the Senators came to confer with the party

there is a disconnect between him and the good people of Ondo central senatorial district that elected him.

He noted that the Senator’s participation in the coup is considered as a protest against the leadership style of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his benefactor, who sponsored his election into the senate.

The APC National Leader also made him the Director- General, Akeredolu Campaign Organisation (ACO) in 2012 shortly after he defected from the PDP to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The party aligned itself and the people of Akure North local government with the decision of the party as loyal party members.

It informed the leaders of the party that Alasoadura as the only Yoruba Senator that aligned with the PDP Senators did not portray the true colour of the Akure people.

“We leaders and members of the party in Akure North where Senator Alasoadura hails from do not support the action of the Senator as he does not have our mandate to disrespect the leaders of the party.

“We also condemn in strong terms, the action of Senator Alasoadura to stay away from the peace meeting called by President Muhammadu Buhari.

leadership, saying “that is all I am allowed to say. They are our senators that came to confer with the party leadership on the crisis in the National Assembly.”

On the threat of sanction for

erring members of the party for disobeying the party, Mohammed said, “the party has not changed its position on the matter. The sanctions must follow due process.”

“I think the party made its

•Saraki

expression clear on the matte; that it is unhappy with the outcome of the election and I think we won’t say anything beyond that. What the senators will do is within the capability and rights of the senators. I’m not aware they have gone to court.”

Among those at the meeting were Senators Ahmed Lawan, Abdullahi Adamu, Kabiru Gaya, George Akume, Barnabas Gemade, Abu Ibrahim,. Ajayi Boroffice, Senator Sola Adeyeye, among others.

Members of the NWC at the meeting apart from OdigieOyegun are Deputy National Chairman, South, Segun Oni, Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, National Secretary, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, Auditor, National Publicity Secretary.

The party executives also held another meeting with some members of the House of Representatives led by Gbajabiamila.

Army chief visits Boko Haram battle fronts From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

•Lt. Gen. Minimah

C

HIEF of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, has paid an operational and moraleboosting visit to troops in the frontline against Boko Haram terrorists groups in Borno and Adamawa states.

Also, troops have recaptured Boko Haram-held territories and camps including Pulka, Gwoza, Kirawa and Kinene.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, in a statement said troops have also recovered a T-55 Battle Tank, 2 Armoured Personnel Carriers, various calibres of arms and ammunitions from the insurgents.

The statement said Minimah praised the troops for their va-

lour, courage and bravery.

The statement said: “During the visit, he addressed and encouraged the troops of 7 Division Strike Group (7 DSG) and 121 Special Force (SF) Battalion that comprised the Armed Forces and Nigerian Army Special Forces located in Pulka, 26 Task Force Brigade in Gwoza, 28 Task Force Brigade and 174 Battalion in Mubi.

“In Pulka, the Commander, 7 DSG, Lieutenant Colonel Umar Faruq Abubakar and the Commanding Officer of 121 SF Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Murtala Danjuma Abdulsalam briefed him on their respective commands.

“He commended them for their performance. The COAS thereafter addressed the troops in which he said that he came to thank and commend them for their valour, courage and bravery, which turned the tide against the Boko Haram terrorists and their accomplishments thus far.

“The COAS informed the troops that the President and indeed the whole nation are proud of them.

“He reiterated his determined effort to continue to support and

encourage them and enjoined them to maintain the momentum. He also urged the gallant soldiers to be more dedicated, disciplined, professional and continue with the same zeal and determination till attainment of the set objective of locating and destroying Boko Haram camps and enclaves. ”At the headquarters of 26 Task Force Brigade Gwoza, the COAS was received and briefed by the Brigade Commander, Colonel Irenuma Irabor, who was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Chidozie Amoha, Garrison Commander of 26 Task Force Brigade.

“In his brief, the Brigade Commander stated that due to recapture of Gwoza and the presence of the military, life has gradually been getting back to normal.

“He said his Brigade is working with Borno State government and youth vigilantes for screening of returnees and preventing infiltration of fleeing terrorists from Sambisa forest.

“He also said his Brigade has embarked on measures to enhance cordial relationship with the civil populace.

The COAS thanked him for the brief and the wonderful efforts of the troops, which gave

the Army and indeed the nation victory over Boko Haram terrorists.

In his address to the troops of Brigade Garrison, elements of 82 Battalion, 121 Special Force Battalion and 122 Special Battalion, he also informed them that he was very proud of them for changing the tide of the battle against the terrorists adding that Nigerians are proud of them as attested to by the renewed positive attitude and accolades being showered on the military.

“It will be recalled that it was in Gwoza the purported Boko Haram terrorists’ leader, Abubakar Shekau, shot a video in flowing gown conducting special Friday prayers proclaiming the town the headquarters of his phantom ‘Caliphate’. ”While in Mubi, the COAS was received by the Commander 28 Task Force Brigade, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu and the Commanding Officer, 174 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel MA Sadiq who briefed him respectively. ”In his address to the troops, he told them that he was in Mubi to inform them that the Nigerian Army is proud of them for their unprecedented accom-

plishment that also turned the public opinion and perception of the military among Nigerians after humiliation by the terrorists.

“He also stated that the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria being a retired senior Army officer, was embarrassed by the cowardice behaviour of some soldiers, but today, he is pleased with them.

“Adding that what they accomplished in recent weeks had brought international recognition and rekindled national pride.

The Chief of Army Staff was accompanied on the visit by Corps Commander of Nigerian Army Engineers, Major General SJ Davies, Provost Marshal Army, Major General PAT Akem, Director Military Intelligence, Major General LW Wiwa, General Officers Commanding 3 and 7 Divisions, Major General FO Ali and Major General LO Adeosun, the Coordinator of Nigerian Army Aviation Service, Major General LEO Irabor, Chief of Staff, Office of Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier General SE Oduonwa and the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel SK Usman.

HE Director of Protocols, Abia State House of Assembly, Madubuike Henry yesterday barred the Aba correspondent of The Nation, Sunny Nwankwo, from entering the Assembly Complex.

Also barred from entering the Assembly premises is the Aba correspondent of The Sun, Okey Sampson.

The two reporters were at the complex to cover the inauguration of the 6th Assembly.

Henry said he acted on orders from above.

FGCUOSA Abuja chapter elects excos

T

HE Abuja chapter of the Federal Government College, Ugwolawo, Old Students Association (FGCUOSA) has held its biennial poll to elect new executives (excos).

The election was held at the Kigoma Gardens in Wuse Zone 7, Abuja, the venue of the association’s monthly meetings.

Mr. Sylvester Sule-Onu was elected as the president.

He will lead FGCUOSA, Abuja chapter in the next two years.

Elections were also held for the positions of vice president, general secretary, assistant general secretary, financial secretary, treasurer and public relations officer.

The executives were swornin after the declaration of the election results.

Sule-Onu thanked the members, who voted for him and other executives. He said they needed their support to successfully pilot the affairs of the association.

According to him, their mission is to contribute to the progress of their alma mater.

Pa Ayorinde for burial

T

HE remains of Pa James Abiodun Ayorinde will be buried on June 13 at Odo Owa in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

There will be service of songs on June 11 at his Close 5, Satellite town, Lagos residence and a commendation service at St. John’s Anglican Church, Satellite Town on June 12.

Another wake will hold at Ogboye Lodge, Oke Odofin, Odo Owa, Ekiti State at 5pm and funeral service at St. Paul’s Millenium, Odo Owo, Ekiti at 11am.

Ayorinde is survived by wife, children, grand-children and great-grand-children.

Nigeria, others to send military requirements to G-7

F

OLLOWING his meeting with the G-7 member nations in Germany on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said Nigeria’s security agencies have started compiling comprehensive logistic needs against Boko Haram to be forwarded to the G-7 Nations.

The president told reporters at the end of the Extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) member countries and Republic of Benin at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Buhari said that he informed other members of the Commission during the meeting to prepare their own lists.

The list to be forwarded to the

G-7, he said, will be decided after the African Union (AU) meeting in South Africa.

He said: “I am sure you will recall that I was personally invited to the G-7 meeting. I went there and I was asked to brief the G-7 and I was impressed with the tremendous sympathy they have for this sub region, Lake Chad Basin Commission. All of them from President (Barack) Obama are willing to help us.

“And they have actually asked me to discuss with their Chief of Defence Staff or their ministries of defence or talk to them directly on what we need.

“So, I brought this case to our meeting here and I told them that Nigeria has gone quite far.

I had five hours meeting with my service chiefs and I asked them to produce comprehensive logistic requirements.

“I also advised my colleagues to be prepared to produce their

logistic requirement so that after the AU meeting, we will agree on what to send to the Head of G-7, President of Germany Angela Merkel. They are very anxious to help us, especially when Boko Haram declared their loyalty to ISIS and you know what ISIS is doing to the world.”

He also explained that the rules of engagement among the troops of the member states have been clearly spelt out.

•The late Pa Ayorinde

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

58

NEWS Civil Defence promotes 189 officers, others in Bayelsa

T

HE Bayelsa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has promoted 27 officers and 162 others.

State Commandant Desmond Agu yesterday decorated those elevated at the command’s headquarters in Yenagoa, the state capital.

In attendance were the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Vincent Jack; representatives of the Commissioner of Police, the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield; Comptroller of Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) and Comptroller of

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Among the elevated officers are: two Assistant Commandant of Corps, 10 Chief Superintendents of Corps, seven Superintendents of Corps and two Chief Inspectors of Corps II. Agu said he was happy to be the first commandant to decorate the first promoted gazetted officers in the command’s history.

He hailed the corps Commandant-General Dr. Ade Abolurin, and the former Minister of Interior for the promotions.

I was on my way to kill, says suspect

A

31-YEAR-OLD electrician, Sunny Owen, who was arrested for alleged armed robbery, has said he was on his way to commit murder when the police arrested him.

Owen was arrested with his “accomplice”, Salli Momodu, for alleged robbery.

The police said a gun and the car they allegedly snatched for the mission were recovered from them.

Owen spoke with reporters when he was paraded

From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

with Momodu at the police command headquarters in Benin, the Edo State capital.

They were said to have pretended to be passengers when they boarded a cab at 7pm.

The allegedly hijacked the vehicle at gunpoint from the driver near Santana Market on Sapele Road in Benin.

Although the suspects

were paraded for alleged robbery, Owen said: “I do not rob; I am a cultist! We are members of Eiye (Confraternity). We wanted to go and kill one Aye member. We blocked the man (driver). I told him that he should come down, that we wanted to use his car to go and kill somebody.”

Momodu admitted to being a member of Eiye Confraternity and Owen’s friend.

But he denied involvement in the operation.

Among the exhibits the police showed reporters were one cut-to-size single barrel gun and live cartridges.

Police spokesman Stephen Onwonchein, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the arrest reaffirmed the command’s resolve to make Edo hot for criminals and their collaborators.

Onwochei urged criminals to leave the state or be prepared to face the law.

Rivers APC faults N10b approved for Wike

R

IVERS State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Davies Ibiamu Ikanya has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of kickstarting what he called “a looting spree”.

He said Wike yesterday prevailed on the House of Assembly, which has 31 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members to approve N10 billion for him without any attached project.

Ikanya, through his Senior Special Assistant

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

(SSA) on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, accused the governor of not having any development plan for Rivers.

He said: “Wike has shamelessly confirmed our fears that he has no agenda for the development of Rivers State, rather than ...influencing the House of Assembly to approve N10 billion without the purpose of the approval being clearly stated...”

Edo to replace striking judicial workers

T

HE Edo State Government has begun recruitment into the Judiciary to replace its striking workers.

The strike has lasted six months.

At the state Judicial Service Commission (JSC) yesterday, many were seen collecting and

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

filling application forms.

JSC Secretary Isaac Sanu, in a statement, said the commission would sack any judicial worker who refused to resume work yesterday.

The gates to the courts were open but the offices were not.

•From left: Cultural Attache, Iran Embassy, Mr M. S. Omidi; Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Saeed Koozechi; Director, Pars Rastak Company, Mr Mohammed Kanny and Deputy Director-General, National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mrs Janet Omisore, at a media briefing on the forthcoming first Iran Solo Exhibition in Lagos...yesterday PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID

Obuah sacks 10 waste management

R

• Lebo (left) taking the oath of office in Calabar...yesterday.

Lebo emerges Cross River Speaker

T

HE member representing Abi State Constituency, John Gaul Lebo, has emerged Cross River House of Assembly’s Speaker.

Lebo was elected at the inauguration of the Eighth Assembly in Calabar, the state capital.

Also, the member representing Calabar South II, Joseph Bassey, emerged Deputy Speaker.

They were nominated by the lawmakers representing Yakurr II and Bekwarra constituencies, William Eteng and Idagu Agaji.

The two principal officers were unanimously adopted by

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

the House.

The member representing Calabar South I, Okon Ephraim, emerged Chief Whip; Moses Ucheche, of Obalinku, House Leader.

Lebo, a second-term legislator, promised to discharge his duties to the best of his ability.

The Speaker said he would be fair to all and work in the state’s interest.

The 25-man House of Assembly comprises only members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

IVERS State Waste M a n a g e m e n t Authority’s Sole Administrator Felix Obuah has sacked 10 of the agency’s contractors.

They were allegedly fired for being loyalists of the immediate past All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

But Obuah said they were sacked for failing to comply with the agency’s directives.

A statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, by his media aide, Jerry Needam, said the contractors were more interested in the money the agency owed

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

them than returning to site.

The statement said Obuah revoked their contracts because of their alleged disregard for the agreement.

Last Friday, Obuah urged the contractors to mobilise to site.

He warned that failure to obey his order would affect their contracts.

Obuah said the agency would not tolerate any act of “sabotage” against Governor Nyesom Wike’s efforts to restore Port Harcourt to its Garden City status.

The affected contractors are: Chiz Engineering Services, Flees Global, Lemonvare Nigeria Limited, Adule Integrated Services, Green Town Technologies, Eki Global Concern Nigeria Limited.

Others are: Done Young Nigeria Limited, O. C. And Sons Limited, Deen Construction Company Limited and Magnum And Hunter Limited.

One of the contractors, Mr. GoodLuck Douglas, of O. C and Sons Limited, faulted Obuah’s action.

O. C. And Sons Limited

belongs to G. U. Ake, a supporter of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

Douglas said his company has a clean record, adding that it has been working tirelessly on all the sites allocated to it.

He said: “I don’t know what we have done to them.

Before the new government took over, we had been doing our job well. Even the sites the sole administrator accused us of not maintaining is not in our control. We are not in charge of Airport Road and Obio/Akpor Market.”

Bayelsa politicians gang up against Dickson

P

ROMINENT Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Bayelsa State may scuttle the second term bid of Governor Seriake Dickson.

It was gathered that the members, comprising former lawmakers and political office holders, met on Wednesday in Yenagoa, the state capital, to perfect their plan against Dickson.

Former commissioners, special advisers and local council chairmen were said to have attended the meeting.

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

Most of those at the meeting were said to be notable political figures from Dickson’s Bayelsa West Senatorial District.

A former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, was said to be the brain behind the parley.

Alaibe is believed to be eyeing the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is likely to declare his intention next month, it was learnt yesterday.

The “stop Dickson group”is said to have formed the Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly (BPCA) to actualise its plan.

Senator John Brambayefa, who is from Sagabama, Dickson’s local government area, is the chairman of the group.

Members of the group were said to have taken turns to criticise the Dickson administration, describing it

as sad and an era of gloom.

They said his administration had succeeded in making “Bayelsa and development in the state stagnant”.

They said the time for change had come, adding that they made up their minds to align with a platform that could help them achieve their aim.

Brambayefa reportedly said the first step was to form a 14-member committee on the plan to join the APC.

59

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

FOREIGN NEWS

Burundi, terrorism top AU meeting agenda

A •Tsipras (left) and European Union representative, Rice.

Greece: IMF leaves talks amid ‘major differences’

E

UROPEAN creditors have raised the pressure on the Athens government, as IMF negotiators left talks in Brussels and flew home.

Major differences remained and they were “well away from an agreement”, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told reporters.

Greece is seeking a cash-forreform deal, to avoid defaulting on a •1.5bn debt repayment to the IMF. But the European Council president said there was no more time for gambling and the game would soon be over.

“The Greek government has to be, I think, a little bit more realistic,’’ Donald Tusk said.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held talks with European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels on Thursday afternoon but little progress was made.

He also held a late-night meeting with the French and German leaders on Wednesday, after which Mr Tsipras said they had decided to intensify talks.

The EU and IMF are unhappy with the extent of economic reforms the Athens govern-

ment is offering in exchange for the release of a final •7.2bn (£5.3bn) in bailout funds. Their bailout deal with Greece runs out at the end of June.

Mr Tsipras’s left-wing Syriza party came to power in January on an anti-austerity platform.

IMF’s Gerry Rice in Washington said there had been “no progress” in narrowing differences during the talks between IMF and Greek negotiators in Brussels, and both teams had packed up and left for home.

But he stressed that “the IMF never leaves the table.

We remain engaged - but the ball very much is in Greece’s court right now.”

He said the sticking points remain pensions, taxes and financing.

One possible solution under discussion would be to extend Greece’s current bailout deal, which expires at the end of the month, until March next year.

But the government in Athens would still need to commit to reforms that run counter to the promises it made when it was elected in January.

Orange CEO arrives in Israel after diplomatic spat

O

RANGE chief executive Stephane Richard, whose remarks about ending a licensing deal have caused anger in Israel, will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday during a visit to the country, a company spokeswoman said.

“Richard declared that he is happy to have a chance to clarify Orange Group commitment to Israel,” spokeswoman Nilly Richman said in a statement, adding that the CEO also planned to meet Israel’s former head of state Shimon Peres.

After arriving in Israel on Thursday, he visited Tel Avivbased Orange Fab, an accelerator programme for Israeli high-tech start-ups that was

purchased by Orange.

Israel protested to France after Richard said last week that he would terminate a licensing arrangement with Israel’s Partner Communications “tomorrow morning” if the contracts allowed. Orange is 25 percent owned by the French government.

Partner operates under the Orange brand name through a licensing deal that is believed to expire in 10 years but has no other connection to the French company.

Richard’s remarks angered Israel, which fears diplomatic and economic isolation over the deadlock in peacemaking with the Palestinians and its settlements in occupied territory, which most world powers deem illegal.

Richard later denied supporting a boycott of Israel, saying he had been misunderstood, and spoke warmly of Israel in an interview with its biggest-selling newspaper.

REPORT from the AU secretariat, said more than 50 African Heads of State have begun arriving in South Africa ahead of the 25th African Union (AU) Summit which gets underway in Johannesburg on Friday.

The secretariat said on Thursday in Johannesburg Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, was expected to preside over the meeting as the AU chairman.

It said some of the issues to discuss at the summit include the crisis in Burundi.

It said the African leaders would address the stand-off that has trailed President Pierre Nkurunzinza’s decision to stand for a third term, in spite

of the constitution limits.

The report said AU was expected to emerge with a strong campaign against terror groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Shabaab in Kenya.

“The terrorist groups have killed hundreds of people, displaced thousands and destroyed many”, it said.

It said the leaders who would sit for their Ordinary Assembly scheduled for Sunday and Monday would also address the finalisation of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) which the AU wants in place by 2017.

The 2012 summit in Addis Ababa, under the theme “Boosting intra-African

trade”, endorsed the plan to set up the structure by 2017.

The proposed CFTA was reportedly a key component of the AU’s strategy to boost trade within the region by at least 25 per cent 30 per cent in the next decade.

Another issue under the spotlight is Agenda 2063, an approach to how the continent should learn from the lessons of the past and take advantage of opportunities available in the short, medium and long term.

It said year 2063 would mark 100 years since the formation of the Organisation of African Unity, the precursor of the AU. The AU secretariat said that

Syria : Al-Nusra fighters kill Druze villagers

Sir Christopher Lee dies at 93, •Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster legendary actor

S

IR Christopher Lee, the veteran actor and star of many of the world’s biggest film franchises, has died aged 93.

The English-born actor, who made his name playing Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster in the Hammer horror films, appeared in more than 250 movies.

He was best-known for his villainous roles - including Scaramanga in James Bond and evil wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings. The actor’s other credits include The Wicker Man and Star Wars.

The actor is reported to have died on Sunday at Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London, after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure.

Media caption Nick Higham looks back at the life of Sir Christopher Lee, who has died at the age of 93 A Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council spokesman said: “We can confirm that the Register Office issued a death certificate for Mr Christopher Lee on Monday 8 June, Mr Lee died on Sunday 7 June.”

He was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity and was awarded a Bafta fellowship in 2011.

One of the first to pay tribute was James Bond actor Roger Moore, who tweeted: “It’s terribly [sad] when you lose an old friend, and Christopher Lee was one of my oldest. We

first met in 1948.”

His Lord Of The Rings costar Dominic Monaghan said: “So, so sorry to hear that Christopher Lee has passed away. He was a fascinating person.”

“The great, always criminally underrated Sir Christopher Lee has left us,” actor and writer Mark Gatiss tweeted. “A Titan of Cinema and a huge part of my youth. Farewell.”

Actor Reece Shearsmith called him “an amazing gentleman who brought us so many iconic roles. He will be missed.”

Broadcaster Jonathan Ross said: “So sad to hear that Sir Christopher Lee has died. A great actor, a great star, a surprisingly good singer and a lovely, lovely man.”

Writer Neil Gaiman said he was “so lucky and proud” to have had Lee in the cast of BBC Radio 4’s recent dramatisation of Neverwhere. “Great actor, great loss,” he tweeted.

“We are deeply saddened to hear that Sir Christopher Lee has passed away,” the British Film Institute (BFI) said.

Born into affluence in London in 1922, Sir Christopher traced his lineage to Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor.

His screen career began when he joined the Rank Organisation in 1947, training as an actor in their so-called “charm school”.

The actor spent 10 years fill-

the 10-member committee appointed by the AU to press for the reform of United Nations Security Council was expected to report to the summit on its work.

The AU wanted to have permanent representation on the council and argues that UN structures can no longer debate issues affecting Africa without Africa’s involvement.

The secretariat also said that funding of the AU would also be addressed.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, AU Commission Chairperson wants the organisation to be financially self-sufficient, believing the group’s 54-member states should provide the much-needed financing.

A •Lee

ing smaller roles before signing with Hammer films It was his association with British studio Hammer that made him a household name, playing characters such as Frankenstein’s monster, The Mummy and Dracula in the late 1950s.

Sir Christopher would go on to reprise the trademark vampire role in a number of sequels, before finally laying him to rest in the 1970s.

He appeared in 1976’s To the Devil a Daughter, the last horror movie of Hammer’s original era, but returned to the Hammer stable for its 21st Century relaunch in 2011’s The Resident, which starred Hilary Swank.

Lee eventually starred as Scaramanga in 1974’s The Man With The Golden Gun. He also played Fu Manchu in a series of films in the 1960s.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Star Wars prequels - in which he played the nefarious Count Dooku - were the most successful films of his career from a commercial standpoint.

T LEAST 20 Druze villagers have been shot dead by the al-Qaedaaffiliated al-Nusra Front in north-western Syria, activist and opposition groups say.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said elderly people and a child were among those killed in Qalb Lawzah in Idlib province on Wednesday afternoon.

The Druze faith is an offshoot of Islam considered heretical by jihadists.

However, al-Nusra’s leader vowed last month not to harm members of religious minorities who did not fight it.

The group is part of a rebel alliance, the Army of Conquest, which has taken control of much of Idlib in the past three months, driving out government forces.

Another rebel alliance was reported to have launched an assault on the government air base in the south of the country on Thursday.

A rebel spokesman said they had managed to seize most of the al-Thala base, but state television reported that three rebel attacks had been repelled The Syrian Observatory, a UK-based monitoring group, reported that Wednesday’s shooting occurred after a Tunisian al-Nusra commander tried to confiscate a house belonging to a Druze man who he claimed was loyal to the Syrian government.

Of bankrupt States and failed governors •Continued from Back page Same for states of the southeast and south-south: Why are we importing palm oil in millions of dollars yet palm plantations abound in these zones? Why are we still massively importing rice, frozen chickens, vegetable oil and fruit juices? Has cotton stopped thriving in the north of this country or has the world stopped dressing up? Why are we merely going through the motion and living in denial when we know too well that everything around our monolithic oil economy has fallen apart?

Declaring a state of economic emergency One is waiting to see the first state to hold a proper economic summit on our new economic realities. One wants to see that state that would declare an economic emergency and fashion alternative sources of driving revenue like agro

commodity export, tourism, ICT services, sports business and transport logistics. There are huge revenues (both in local and foreign currencies) to be earned in these areas if properly harnessed.

We have not seen any state respond in a radical manner yet. Yes, a few have cut salaries and reduced the size of cabinet. Most have focused on aggressive tax policies in order to push IGR up. But all these are token immediate measures. In the medium to long term, we need to be more ambitious.

Again, let’s be brilliant on the basics: There is no gainsaying that the reason most states’ economy have crashed so soon after the boom is that they neglected to do the basic things. All the money in the world will never be enough if the model is wrong.

One, very few states adhere to its budget no matter the quality and substance. Annual budgets are mere annual

rituals in many state. There is therefore hardly any planning or projections. Funds are disbursed at the whims of the ‘big boss’. So until states realize that budgets and budgeting are very serious businesses, nothing will work.

Two, the workforce in most states are bloated and unproductive. Now more than ever before, a serious government must reform, restructure and reconfigure its workforce in a manner that it must add value to the people and process. We must understand that employment as welfare is injurious both to the employee, the employer and the state. Everyone must deliver value because it is ‘value’ that creates even more jobs. It is truly poor quality governance that 80 to 100 percent of a state’s federal allocation goes to just paying a few thousand civil servants.

What becomes of the millions of the rest of the populace?

The Peter Obi example There is so much sitting

governors can learn from Mr. Peter Obi, immediate past governor of Anambra State. In fact any governor who wants to succeed may need to consult him. For eight years he never borrowed a dimed; yet he delivered better performance than most who mortgaged their states to eternal debt bondage. Instead, he left billions of naira and millions of dollars in cash and bonds as savings. Why is it that the current Governor Willie Obiano could pay salaries and embark on projects even with sparse federal allocations?

Again, why is it that Anambra can pay workers while big oil states like Akwa Ibom and Rivers States are in a mess?

It is prudence, fiscal planning and sober leadership.

Truth must be told and clearly too that any governor that cannot pay the entirety of its workers and pensioners for upwards of three months is a failed governor; no excuses acceptable.

60

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

NEWS Buhari: Nigeria should lead regional anti-Boko Haram force Continued from page 4

the war is on Nigerian soil.”

He added: “Our meeting today is premised on common resolve and commitment of member states of Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin to maintain the momentum in degrading the capacity of the insurgents until they are completely defeated.

“It is also going out with urgency to mitigate the suffering which has been imposed on our civilian population by the nefarious activities of the insurgents and the terrorists.

“Our meeting today provides us an excellent opportunity to finalise the instruments of the operations of the MultiNational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in order to give life to our joint military campaign to decisively defeat the insurgents.

“You will recall in my inaugural address on 29th May 2015, I affirmed that I will consult regularly with heads of government of our immediate

neighborhood and I have within four days of my assumption of duty as president embarked on thank you visits to the Presidents of Niger and Chad. This important assignment was however interrupted because I had to honor the invitation extended to me by the G-7 member states to attend their meeting in Germany.”

He intends to continue his thank you visits to the remaining Lake Chad Basin Commission member states shortly.

Britain has announced steps to support Nigerian forces in the Boko Haram battle.

Prime Minister David Cameroon told the House of Commons that the support “is part of our global commitment to developing security and stability”.

He spoke of “plans to deploy more Short Term Training Teams to the region alongside an increase to the permanent number of military personnel based there.

“They will provide further

support to Nigeria in improving security and combating Boko Haram, contribute staff to the Multi National Joint Taskforce Headquarters in Chad and advise on campaign planning and operational leadership.”

Britain also plans deployment of up to 125 military personnel to provide further training to Iraqi security forces. The move, predominantly aimed at countering the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), will build on the work already undertaken in training 1,000 members of Iraqi forces.

Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon said: “This increase in support for Nigeria will help a valued partner to improve security and combat Boko Haram.

“Alongside recent decisions to deploy additional troops to Iraq and to commit an additional 500 to NATO’s Very High Readiness Task Force in Europe, this underlines our global commitment to building security.”

Troops for Multi-National Force July 30 Continued from page 4

tionalisation of the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Adoption of Emergency Development Plan’ were preceded by a preparatory meeting of the Ministers of Defence, the Chiefs of Defence Staff and Heads of Security and Intelligence Services of the LCBC member States and Benin.

“In the course of their deliberation, the Heads of State and

Government of LCBC and Benin Republic acknowledged with satisfaction the success recorded on military operations jointly conducted in the field by the coalition of the troops from Cameroun, Niger, Nigeria and Chad which have significantly broken down military capability of Boko Haram terrorist group.

“However, they agreed on the need to keep on this drive marked by solidarity in

action by taking decisive measures in order to totally curb Boko Haram insurgency.

“The Heads of State and Government of LCBC and Benin further agreed on the need to support military operations with an emergency development plan in favour of vulnerable populations in the region in order to fight against the root causes of insecurity relating to poverty.” he said

N12b currency scam: N3.9b destroyed with acid, water, court told Continued from page 4

“Should they then walk home with a pat at the back?

We are ready for trial and other accelerated hearing. Our witnesses are ready and we won’t waste the time of the court. I urge your Lordship to refuse their application and order accelerated hearing,” Jacobs submitted.

But the defence counsel argued that the purported statements had not passed the test of admissability. They urged the judge to use his discretion to grant them bail.

They argued that the onus is on the prosecution to establish the facts of his materials for which he argues against bail as provided for in the Justice Act. They reminded the court that bank accounts of some of the accused had been frozen and their property seized. Besides, they argued, the accused did not jump the administrative bail earlier granted them by the EFCC, adding that the prosecution had not sufficiently proved that the accused could jump bail or that they will interfere in evidence and with would-be witnesses.

They also pointed out that the accused do not have previous criminal record.

After both defence and prosecution counsel adopted their written addresses, replies on point of law, counter and further affidavits as well as oral adumbrations, Justice Faj reserved ruling on the applications for bail till June 19.

In the second and third cases, which also include Babalola, Olaniran, Toogun, Oni Ademola Dolapo, Afolabi Esther Olufunke and Ademola Adewale, the counsel adopted their processes and made oral submissions before the court adjourned ruling on their applications till the same date.

Jacobs (SAN) confirmed said admitted in his statement to the commission that he shortchanged the CBN of over N1.3 billion, which was allegedly stolen from 173 boxes from the apex bank’s vault.

According to Jacobs, Oni admitted that boxes containing N1.73 billion of N1,000 notes from a commercial bank were found with only N333 million.

The accused is said to own substantial property from the proceeds of the fraud. Some of the property include four plots of land at Eleyele, Ibadan, valued at N3 million, three acres of land at Ona-Ara, Ibadan, two acres of land at Ido Local Government, Ibadan, which he acquired in 2012, which he claimed were acquired with proceeds of the mutilated naira notes deal.

On the fifth accused applicant, Afolabi Olunike Esther, Jacobs said she confessed to have made N30 million form the deal, adding that she also

owns property, such as filling stations, petrol tanker, borehole drilling machine, KIA Cerato, a house at No 15, Akuru, Oluyole extension, built before she was transfered to the section. She also revealed that she owns an old house around Faleke in Challenge, Ibadan, which she bought for N7million and renovated N4 million in 2012. She even confessed to having N10 million in a first generation account, according to the lawyer.

He urged the court to refuse their applications for bail.

The sixth accused applicant, Ademola Ebenezer Adewale, through his counsel, O.E Ige and D.G. Olufokunbi, urged the court to grant thier counsel, who they argued had minimal involvement in the deal.

The prosecution counsel only urged the court to use its discretion on the bail application because the accused took only N50,000 from the fraud.

Ruling on the applications was also adjourned till June 19.

Buhari intervenes in Senate dispute to save APC’s unity Continued from page 4

You know, there are still some principal officers to be elected for the Senate.

“The development may lead to an enlarged session of the APC caucus in the Senate with the President and the leadership of the party,” he said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

But the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress yesterday called off a proposed courtesy call by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Although the party initially fixed the courtesy call by Saraki for 1pm, the session was abruptly cancelled because “it

is inconsistent with the APC’s position on the outcome of the election into the Office of the Senate President”.

“There was no way we can allow Saraki to pay courtesy call on APC leadership, which had rejected his victory as not in line with the wish of the party. If the party resolves the issue at hand, it can formally welcome Saraki.”

But the National Working Committee of APC threw its doors open to the Unity Forum of Sen. Ahmed Lawan to hear “its side of the election for Senate presidency and the aftermath.”

The party, however, barred members of the Unity Forum from speaking with the press on the meeting.”

61

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

SPORT EXTRA Nice Babes win Oguns U-12 Kids Cup

OPERATION CRUSH CHAD

Esiti vows to lift Nigeria N

S

UPER Eagles’ and Estoril Football Club of Portugal’s defensive midfielder Anderson Esiti has vowed to surprise Nigerians with dazzling skills and heartwarming performance if he is fielded against Chad in tomorrow’s first qualifying match of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations against visiting Chad slated for the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

Speaking with the NationSport in Kaduna yesterday, Esiti confessed that he only played for an amateur side Bobbies FC before he got the chance to play abroad, a reason why nmany Nigerians do not know him. He, however, promised to use the match against Chad, if fielded

by Coach Stephen Keshi, to announce himself to soccer loving Nigerians.

“It was a wonderful feeling when I heard I was called up for this match and my first cap as a national team player. I was very, very happy to be here with the team.

RESULTS International - Friendly S.Korea 3 - 0 U.A.E. Japan 4 - 0 Iraq Uzbekistan 0 - 1 Iran World Cup U-20 Austria 0 - 2 U’kistan Brazil 0 - 0 Uruguay (5-4 pen) Germany 1 - 0 Nigeria Portugal 2 - 1 New Zealand

From Segun Ogunjimi, Kaduna “If I am lucky enough to make the first 11 of Saturday’s match, Nigerians would see a boy that is going to play with grace. With God on my side I am going to give my all and my very best in the match against Chad on Saturday (tomorrow).

“Nigerians have never seen me play that is why it is very important to surprise them with a good performance if I am given the chance to play by the Chief Coach. I believe in Almighty God and I do my job and I am a guy that works

very hard. When I am playing the game I try to win the ball which is my greatest weapon. I try to go and meet the opponent and take the ball from them and from there I try to initiate attack. This is my greatest weapon. I only hope I get the chance to display this”, he told NationSport.

So there is the tendency of Esiti playing a part in the match against Chad if Coach Stephen Keshi decides whether to pair Ogenyi Onazi with Rabiu Ibrahim in the heart of Eagles defence or go for Onazi and Esiti pairing.

• Esiti

ZENITH BANK WBL

ICE Babes Football Academy emerged winner of the maiden edition of Oguns U-12 Kids Cup after defeating Flaming Mauri Football Academy 4-3 on penalties in the final match held at the Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos on Sunday.

Goalkeeper Ayomide Gasper was the hero saving two spot kicks to give his team the trophy after the game had ended 2-2 in normal regulation period.

Fortune Football Academy also defeated Success Football Academy 2-0 in the third place match decided earlier in the day.

Speaking at the presentation of trophy, the sponsor of the competition, Waheed Usman Ogunbiyi, Chairman of Oguns

Investment Nigeria Limited, said he feels fulfilled with the success recorded in the first edition.

"Sponsoring a football tournament on Lagos Island is borne out my passion the game during my childhood days.

"I feel elated, I feel fulfilled and I have to thank God that I've achieved my aim. My dream, aspiration have been achieved today. it is good to give back to the community where I was born, brought up and went to school.

"With the success of this one, I believe all things being equal, next edition will be better. This is a stepping stone and I hope to move this competition to national level like the Channels Kids Cup,” Ogunbiyi noted.

so far. I hope with the 4 games we got in Abuja and our winning streak continues we will make the trip to Lagos".

Other results decided today include Sunshine Angels adding to the woes of Plateau Rocks who are still searching for their first win in Ilorin 27-25, while Oluyole Babes won their first

game against weeping girls of Group A Taraba Hurricanes 37-27. There were also wins for Delta Force 59-27 points over Nasarawa Amazons while Customs and FCT Angels as they secured victory over GT2000 of Kaduna and Zamfara Babes 77-21 and 45-20 respectively.

First Deepwater, AHIP Queens, Delta Force cruise on Day 3

2

013 champions, First Deepwater basketball club of Lagos continued its quest to make the trip to the 2015 Zenith Bank Female Basketball Final 8 in Lagos, as it grabbed its 3rd win from 3 games on Thursday against the Nigerian Immigrations basketball team by 65-39 points.

The Deepwater girls were led by captain Blessing Emmanuel who scored 18 points with 5 assists and 5 steal to help give the former champions an 100% record in Ilorin. Second year player, Saidat Ali also added 10

points to join her captain as the only Deepwater player to score double digits and put them in a relatively safe position in the battle for the Final 8.

Meanwhile, Adolescent Health and Information Project (AHIP) Queens of Kano gave a brave performance against the tough fighting Benue Princess to join the likes of First Bank, First Deepwater, IGP Queens, Delta Force and the Nigerian Customs team with a perfect 3-0, Win Loss record at the 2nd Phase of the Zenith Bank Female Basketball League holding at the Ilorin

Township Stadium.

The AHIP Queens who managed just four wins in the first Phase in Abuja, held on for a 2 points victory after a 2nd half fight back from the Benue Princess to win by 48-46 points.

Coach Wilson Idanwekhai of AHIP Queens believes his girls can play better than what they are giving so far and his target is Lagos. " I know my girls, if they are ready to play the will surprise everybody. I am not totally satisfied with the officiating but I thank God we've gotten 3 wins

62

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015

63

TODAY IN THE NATION

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

‘If only she knew that like several other banks, Union Bank is mired in arrogance, behind a wall of capitalist disdain for lower level customers like her. For all its touted efficiency, elegance and professionalism; Union Bank had its self-acclaimed glories sullied by devious plots inflicted on one of its loyal customers, Adeyemi’ VOL.10 NO. 3243

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

T

HE eighth National Assembly (NASS) was inaugurated on Tuesday, June 9. A product of the sweat and labour of Nigerians for change, the new Senate and the House had seemed to embody the aspirations and hopes of the deprived and denigrated masses of a great but oxygen-deprived nation.

With a newly-minted presidency, and a selfcritical judiciary that is poised to discharge its onerous responsibilities in the hallowed chambers of justice, Nigerians who voted for change deserve a collaborative NASS in the country’s march to greatness. Are they in for a rude shock?

The question above makes sense even when normalcy prevailed and stability was assured.

There have always been good reasons for worry about the intrusion of ego and greed in the conduct of the business of NASS. In the first 16 years of the fourth republic, Nigerians have had a feel of what NASS can and cannot do by way of self-promotion. They know that its members are among the highest paid public servants in the civilised world and that they justify this by appeal to the risk they take in getting to their prestigious positions (“NASS unveils ego bill” in this column, 27/ 11/2009).

Nigerians are aware that the productivity of our law-making institution has not justified our investment. They know about the performance of oversight functions of federal institutions and agencies in the service of self. They are familiar with the scandalous budget approval systems. Therefore our compatriots invested their time, energy and resources into the last elections hoping to see a change. Will they?

The party with the majority in the chambers of NASS had presented its agenda for change to the people. It presented to voters the individuals that it considered capable of promoting the agenda and endorsed them for election. As such the party has an indisputable stake in the success of the legislative bodies charged with carrying out its agenda as endorsed by the electorate.

This logic of party interest in the activities of NASS and in the performance of the executive branch cannot be faulted. PDP lost the elections because Nigerians were dissatisfied with the performance of the former president and the seventh National Assembly.

Let us admit then that APC did not overstep the boundary of acceptable party behaviour in its effort to reconcile interests and broker a consensus towards the election of NASS leadership. It is especially important to recall the several contending power centres in the matter.

SEGUN GBADEGESIN gbadegesin@thenationonlineng.net

NASS the 8th

•President Muhammadu Buhari

The Northeast insisted that it contributed the second largest votes to the success of the president. It dared the party to zone the position of Senate presidency elsewhere and it would use its numbers to scuttle the process. It also claimed it had the highest ranking member in the Senate and in accordance with the practice in other democracies, the most senior member ought to get the position. It is a sound argument based on convention and tradition.

In an effort to do right by all interested parties, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party chose to conduct a mock election to come up with a consensus candidate. Since it has a simple majority in both chambers, a united front represented by a consensus candidate for each position will guarantee victory in the houses. So it thought. Again, that strategy cannot be faulted.

The party and the NWC apparently underestimated the contradictory forces in the fractious coalition it had brought together and the various interests which are difficult if not impossible to satisfy or reconcile. While the logic of its approach toward reconciliation and consensus is unassailable, the contending forces that it had to deal with were working with

T

HE Singapore vision One is quite amused when some commentators argue - and vehemently too - that some states are not viable. That is a fallacy that has been long-sustained in this part of the world that we have come to believe it as fact. Of course we know it is mere political chicanery designed to deny some zones equity in the distribution of states. It is also classic excuse for laggard governors who lacked the vision and mental acuity to manage their domain.

Lee Kuan Yew could have balked at the enormity of that task of building Singapore about 50 years. Lee could have mopped up the few coins in the Island country back then; he would have become an autocrat and a ‘big man’. He would have grown richer while Singapore grew poorer. Today, those fiftysomething tiny islands that make up Singapore would be looking like soggy heaps of refuse floating on the Malay Peninsula; it would have been a fetid slum stilted on the seas of southeast Asia.

Singapore is low-lying and was basically reclaimed from swamp; it is hot and humid and has rainfall almost throughout the year.

She lacks natural resources and most of its food is imported. It was indeed a lousy, little place to build on.

Today, Singapore has morphed into an exotic collection of island city which everyone wants to visit. Today, it is a global hub for manufacturing, financial services, shipping and ship repairs. In fact, it boasts one of the busiest ports in the world. Singapore hasn’t a drop of crude oil, but it is perhaps the

a different logic and a different mindset. In the end the leadership was dealt an outcome which it had deliberately sought to avoid. A frustrating case of damned if you do; condemned if you don’t!

A consensus cannot emerge where there are deep-seated animosities and antagonistic interests. Besides, the contending forces are not just geographical zones but also political zones and friendship zones. The “New PDP” caucus considers itself a political zone within the APC coalition along with the geographical zones and expects to be treated as such. There is also the spiritual zone where religion reigns. For residents of this zone, APC must do well by all religions.

Perhaps a more fundamental issue is the presidency’s position on the matter of NASS leadership. This is important because Mr. President is the leader of the party and his position right from the beginning has been that he has no preferred candidate and will work with anyone that the chambers elected.

Every time that the president’s message came out, I sought to see whether there was a caveat: Did he mean anyone that the party presented? No such caveat or condition, and not a few understood him as meaning anyone that the NASS chambers elected. What wasn’t clear was whether the president didn’t mind having a PDP senator as Senate President. Or did he assume that whoever was elected will be an APC member? His messages didn’t go into these details.

The NASS APC members opposed to their party’s preference for a consensus candidate took a favourable interpretation of the president’s message and ran with it. They dug down, honed their game and worked with the opposition minority party, making a deal that produced Dr. Saraki, APC (Kwara) as Senate President and Senator Ekweremadu, PDP (Enugu) as Deputy Senate President (DSP). Now a NASS with an APC majority will be “APC In Name Only” (APCINO). Incredible!

What was most baffling and frustrating in

STEVE OSUJI

EXPRESSO

steve.osuji@yahoo.com

•Columnist of the Year (NMMA)

Of bankrupt states and failed governors APC: The pains of success

I

S it not said that managing success successfully is tougher because a fallen man has fallen anyway. With its very first action of installing principal officers of the National Assembly, it has come to light so soon that the new ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), lacks a strategic core. The party seems to be full of bickerers instead of thinkers.

Three quick points to the APC leadership on this matter and for going forward: one, APC must determine that the President, Muhammadu Buhari, is the leader of the party. And once the leader has taken a public stance on an issue, the party must do well to align itself with it if it’s one party. Two, it is the president who would have to work with the leadership of NASS, not the party exco. It is also more democratically salubrious that the constitution and parliamentary conventions should prevail in choosing NASS leadership and not party imposition.

Three and finally, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has earned his bright spot in Nigeria’s history and nothing can change that. He is no more a regional champion. Going forward, and to earn statesmanship and global acclaim, he must play his politics mainly ‘in the interest of the nation’. He must transcend APC leadership, he should play as chief visioner of Nigeria’s modern democracy and that role is better played from the background.

There should never be any contest even with the presidency how much less the NASS leadership. APC’s rump parliament is showing a lack of graciousness in first repudiating the stance of the president on this matter and then vehemently opposing the emergent NASS leaders as if there are three parties and not one. An election that would have symbolised the beauty of our new democracy is being turned into an albatross for APC. It’s a marathon, lest we forget.

world’s fuel refining capital and with unassailable petro-chemicals and chemicals capac-

ities.

How did a dirty agglomeration of islands

OLA TUNJI OL OLADE OLATUNJI OLOLADE

this is not the election itself but, to many, the way it was conducted with a bare quorum which effectively excluded APC senatorselect, assembled elsewhere for a meeting with Mr. President on consensus candidates. A cruel cut, indeed!

This process and its outcome are unprecedented and they raise a number of questions.

Will there be an APC leadership caucus in the Senate and the House? Who will participate as members?

The Senate President owes his leadership position to the opposition PDP. The latter knows this and will be ready at a moment notice to ditch him and promote his deputy to the position. Will he risk this prospect to work for the change agenda of APC? Are his PDP supporters going to let him pursue the change agenda? In the meetings of Senate leadership with the President to discuss policy and strategy matters, will the DSP be in attendance?

In his acceptance speech, Senate President Saraki promised to defend the independence of the Senate. To a certain extent this is logical in the context of separation of powers.

However, it is ominous in the context of the power struggle and the machinations that led to his emergence. Does Senate independence mean the pursuit of an independent agenda different from the agenda of change that the party presented to the electorate? I hope not.

There have been comments about who the loser is and who the winner is in this sordid affair. I think it is unhealthy to engage in that game. It will not help us sort out the important issues going forward. And going forward we must. Therefore in the interest my sanity, and to ensure that my emotional investment does not blow up in my face, I would like to assure myself that all is not lost.

In that spirit, I plead that reason must prevail, that maturity must be displayed, and that full reconciliation must be pursued. The president and the party leadership must think of all their sacrifices, swallow their frustration, and initiate efforts towards reconciliation.

On his part, the new Senate President must resist any temptation to bite his party’s fingers. He must refuse the urge to ditch the party’s agenda. Top of that agenda that is within his immediate reach is the initiation of legislation to drastically cut the budget of NASS including the personal emolument of its members. This will demonstrate to Nigerians the seriousness of NASS, the eighth in the matter of change.

On this 22nd anniversary of June 12, let there be change!

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080 in a brackish swamp and with hostile neighbours grow over five decades to become among the best places to visit and indeed to be born? Such is the power of visionary leadership. Singapore of the 60s is far less endowed than any Nigerian state today.

Bankrupt leadership, bankrupt states: Yet as you read this, many states in Nigeria have been unable to pay workers’ wages for upward of six months. Many yet are swimming in huge debts and this says so much for states that received allocations from the federation accounts amounting to billions of dollars in the last five years.

As a new tenure begins once again, has anything changed, are our governors willing to embark on a radical new era that would break the old mould? I think not. We are all still afflicted by the twin malaise of mental and spiritual poverty. We still have a crop of leaders who are still shortsighted and beleaguered by graft. Foisted upon us are leaders who are burdened by huge political debts; people who must make their first billions before the state has earned her first thousands or before they have paid staff salary.

Why are states in the Southwest of Nigeria not competing in the huge global cocoa market? We forget that countries like Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire subsist on this commodity. Until recently they did not have a drop of crude oil. Cocoa farming, processing and exportation is not on the exclusive list of the constitution is it?

•Continued

on page 59

•For comments, send SMS to 08111526725

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025,Oshodi, Lagos. Telephone: Switch Board: 08034505516.

Editor Daily:08099365644, 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 Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO