June 15, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

NEWS

$21m boost for anti-Boko Haram war Page 4

•Anguish as family loses three kids in Lagos fire P10 •Anxiety among aviation workers over fate of ministry P6 •Group: stop attacking Lai Mohammed for doing his job P56 •Nigerian Stock Exchange places 29 firms on watch list P25

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3246 MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Buhari considers balance in SGF choice T

BPE in N1.45b scam From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

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ROW has broken out in the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) over the payment of N1.45billion legal and consultancy fees by the management.

A lawyer got paid N950million for the liquidation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) when the company had ceased to exist and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation got N500 million for consultancy.

The fees were paid contrary to the advice of the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) and the Bureau of Public Continued on page 4

•www.thenationonlineng.net

•BPE DG Benjamin Dikki

HREE All Progressives Congress (APC) chiefs and a seasoned bureaucrat are in the race for Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to make up his mind on who gets the job. Besides, he is battling to stave off pressure.

Those either interested or being strongly recommended for the SGF are ex-Governor

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Rotimi Amaechi (SouthSouth), ex-Governor Ogbonnaya Onu (South-East), APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun (Edo) and a former occupant of the office, Amb. Babagana Kingibe.

There is a bureaucrat from the North-East whose name was not immediately known

yesterday.

There are three issues Buhari is trying to resolve: •should the SGF go to the Northeast or the Southeouth/Southeast?

•should he be a cosmopolitan young element or an experienced bureaucrat? and •how to avoid the “way Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: ‘AL-BASHIR’LL GO HOME AFTER SUMMIT’ P59 DISPLACED NIGERIANS WORRY UN P4

First Lady: don’t pay any money to see President ‘Tinubu insisted I should join Buhari’s campaign’ From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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IRST Lady Aisha Buhari has warned influence peddlers never to collect money from people who want to see the President.

She spoke on Saturday night during “an appreciation dinner at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in honour of All Progressives Congress (APC) women and youths who played a major role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the April 11 election.

She said: “There is nothing people did not say about the past administration. It is not Jonathan that is not good but the people around him.

“So, the people that are going to be around General Buhari have to be very careful because this election ended peacefully.

“We are praying and hoping that people around him should know that it took him 12 years to get to that position and they must know that they are coming to serve the masses, not General Buhari in person.

“It is the people that are around him that will determine the political health of our state.”

Stressing that the Buhari administration would run an open government, Mrs. Buhari said it would be run in clear departure from what obtained in the WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS former President Goodluck KIDNAPPED ON Jonathan administration APRIL 15, LAST when people were alleged-

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YEAR EVER RETURN?

Continued on page 4

•First Lady Aisha Buhari (right) and Mrs Osinbajo at the dinner...on Saturday.

PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

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I will like to inform you that in the past regime...If you wanted to see the First Lady, you would pay $30,000 or $50,000 and if you were seeing the President, you would pay all that you have gathered in your lifetime.This will not happen in our regime

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•SPORTS P16•ISSUES P29 •MOTORING P39 •CEO P37•POLITICS P45 •FOREIGN P59

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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NEWS The banking system is notorious for keeping worn-out and smelly banknotes.

Poor monetary policy decisions and abuses by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials as seen in the ongoing N12billion currency scam trial involving 22 bankers are denting the regulator’s image, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

•From left: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) pioneer President Mr Christopher Edordu; Afreximbank President Mr Jean-Louis Ekra; United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc. Chairman Mr Tony Elumelu and incoming Afreximbank President Dr Benedict Oramah during the Bank's 22nd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of AFREXIM in Lusaka, Zambia... at the weekend.

Burden of N8b currency scam on CBN, economy E

•Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Macjohn Nwaobiala (left) presenting an award to Head, Department of Geology, Akwa Ibom State University, Dr Clement Bassey at the donation of Geology equipment and vehicles to some universities by ExxonMobil in Abuja ... at the weekend. With them are General Manager, Operations, Technical Geoscience, ExxonMobil, Michael Udoh (second left) and General Manager, Government and and Public Affairs,Exxonmobil, Paul Arinze PHOTO ABAYOMI FAYESE

•General Manager, Sales, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Abayomi Alli-Balogun (right) presenting an award to Operations Director Mr. Abiola Adebayo in London, United Kingdom. With them are Corporate Finance Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr Imokha Ayebae (left) and Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Frost & Sullivan, Mr John Ruggles;

•Chief Brand Strategist, Big & Bold Communications, Mr Olajide Adeyemi (second left) greeting Chairman, Berger Paints Plc, Dr. Oladimeji Alo at the unveiling of Big & Bold Communication Limited in Lagos. With them are Manager, Director, PrimaGarnet Africa, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi (left) and Director, Corporate Communications & Marketing, Greater Port Harcourt, City Development Authority (GPH), Mr. Adebayo Adeoshun

DITH Okafor, a consumer goods distributor based in Lagos is worried that for the past four years, what she has been paid with worn-out banknotes from her customers. Some of the notes are so bad that her customers kept rejecting them as balance after transactions. In some of the occasions, the customers threw the banknotes back at her, saying they needed cleaner notes.

Whenever Edith tried to reject the banknotes, the feedbacks from her customers are always the same: “I got this money from my bank or do you think I print money. Where do you want me to get cleaner notes?”

Perhaps, the customers are right.

Finding new banknotes is like finding a needle in a hay sack. Not until last week, when an alleged N8 billion fraud broke out did many people understood why there are much wornout bank notes in circulation.

Facing trial over what happened to the N8 billion are 22 bankers, including six from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 16 others from commercial banks.

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

The suspects, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged, stole and recirculated defaced and mutilated currencies, worth N8 billion. They are being tried at the Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The accused persons, according to the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, instead of carrying out the statutory instruction to destroy the defaced currency notes as their duty demands, substituted the currency with newspapers neatly cut to naira sizes. The offence, as contained in a charge sheet read out to the accused persons is punishable under section 7(2) of the Bank Employees etc.(Declaration of Assets) Act, CAP. B1, Laws of the Federal Republic, Nigeria 2004.

Former President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, said he was not surprised at what the 22 bankers did because the ethics of the profession had gone down over the years.

He said: “Why is it that Nigerians are spending dead notes but when you go to parties, you see crispy notes?

It is because of corruption and the calibre of people managing the economy.

The CBN is supposed to be managing the economy and ensuring that clean notes are made available to the people, but the reverse is the case. That tells you we are in a jungle country.”

Unegbu said such unwholesome practices have made money management difficult.

The ex-CIBN chief said the N16 million had been injected into in circulation as against the N8 billion that would have been added if the suspects had kept faith with the ethics of their profession in the discharge of their

duty.

According to him, every currency has a lifecycle which should be followed, and the expired notes must be destroyed, but the policy is being abused. He said the suspect needed the support of bank staff to reintroduce the cash into the system adding that such temptations should be resisted by bankers.

Unegbu said: “When I was in FirstBank, some fraudsters approached me to assist them circulate counterfeit currencies into the system.

I was expected to mix the funds with genuine notes and circulate them into the market.

“But I refused because we were taught not do such things. I don’t know how many bankers will resist such temptation today.”

However, the scam never came as a surprise to Henry Boyo, who alleged that Nigerians take for granted even bigger fraud in the CBN. The economist said: “It did not surprise me at all. It was expected. What is clear is that the CBN is fraught with fraud. Whether it is the intervention fund or monetary policy strategy, it is the more you look, the less you see,” he said.

Boyo described as questionable the practice that allows the CBN to carry out regular mopping up of excess liquidity from the system, alleging that the apex bank mops up over N6 trillion every year and that the one for the first quarter has already been conducted, with N1.5 trillion taken off the system. Commercial banks were paid 10 to 15 per cent interests, leaving them with about N600 billion profit margin.

Mr. Boyo alleged that the intervention funds, running into billions of naira, must also be investigated just like the Polymer notes scam.

But, Brown Okorie, another economist, said the mopping up of excess liquidity in the system is the statutory function of the CBN, saying it’s a mechanism to bring down inflation and stabilise the exchange rate.

Pointing out that the apex bank has several tools to control the inflation rate, he emphasised that the best option at the moment will be to reduce the excess liquidity in the system.

“The CBN will look at the indicators and decide what tools to use to control the inflation rate, which will all be aimed at reducing excess liquidity in the system,” Okorie said.

The Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) also reacted to the development. It said it has written to the CBN and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting to be updated on the scam.

Head, GIABA Office in Nigeria, Timothy Melaye, told The Nation that the alleged fraud has dented the CBN image and that of the country, which is a signatory to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Melaye said: “Nigeria is a member of FATF and as a member, it should be above board in a matters regarding fraud, money laundering and illegitimate transactions.”

The FATF is the global standard set-

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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NEWS

•Central Bank building

ting body for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT).

In its efforts to enforce greater compliance with acceptable international standards, the FATF, in collaboration with FATF Styled-Regional Bodies (FSRBs), undertake targeted review of countries/jurisdictions identified with strategic AML/CFT deficiencies with a view to protecting the international financial system from Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML/TF) risks arising from such deficiencies.

The FATF had in October, 2013, removed Nigeria from the list of countries identified as jurisdictions with significant deficiencies in their AML/ CFT regimes.

HE global anti-money laun dering body gave its coun tenance to Nigeria’s significant progress in improving its AML/ CFT regime and noted that the country had established the legal and regulatory framework to meet its commitments in its Action Plan regarding the strategic deficiencies that the FATF evaluators had identified previously.

Melaye called for more effective international cooperation, including exchange of information between competent authorities, conduct of joint investigations, tracing, freezing and confiscation of illegal assets.

Saying that GIABA has been supporting the EFCC in fight against corruption, he urged: “The EFCC is getting the needed support from GIABA and we want the Nigeria government to provide the necessary financial support for the body do carry out its work more efficiently.”

What experts are not sure yet, is whether the alleged fraud uncovered at the CBN will prompt the FATF to delist Nigeria from list of countries with AML/CFT compliant regimes.

Former Executive Director, BankPHB, Richard Obire, said as a regulator, the CBN should be above board when compared with banks’ adherence to ethical banking standards.

Obire said: “The CBN has to keep a responsible behaviour. If the accusations are established, it will be so unfortunate for the CBN. It is not something to expect at all from a banker, let alone the CBN. The apex bank needs to quickly restore the confidence of banks in their operations.”

According to him, besides the CBN being the custodian of banking integrity, it needs to come out and assure the public on what it stands for, by getting to the root of the crisis by reviewing its oversight functions on its employees.

‘

Obire and Unaegbu agree that the impact of the N8 billion cash fraud cannot be ruled out in driving inflation to its new heights. They believe that since the funds were reprinted and ploughed back into the system, the additional N8 billion fraud cash will bring the total cash to N16 billion, instead of approved N8 billion.

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•Emefiele

Obire said the same severe sanctions should be extended to the six banks whose workers are allegedly involved in the scam.

“The banks need to take same steps because they are inexcusable,” he said.

The former bank director, said that by injecting N8 billion into the financial system, the alleged perpetrators had boosted money supply.

“And as an import-dependent country, the floating money will be driving up demand for forex, and weakening the naira. If it is not chasing forex, the fund will be targeting other goods, and raising inflation”.

He recalled that inflation has been on the rise since December last year, from seven per cent to 7.6 per cent in May. At the last Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting mid-May, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele disclosed that the year-on-year headline inflation crept upwards for the fourth consecutive month in April 2015. The inflation rate rose from 8.2 per cent in January to 8.5 per cent in March and further to 8.7 per cent in April.

According to him, the increase in headline inflation in April reflected increases in both the core and food components. Core inflation rose to 7.7 per cent in April from 7.5 per cent in March, while food inflation increased to 9.5 per cent from 9.4 per cent over the same period.

The CBN chief noted that the uptick in inflationary pressures, year-to-date, was largely traceable to transient factors such as high demand for transportation, food and energy, especially in the period around the general elections as well as the Easter festivities. He also noted the roles played by system liquid-

ity and the pass-through effects of the recent depreciation of the naira exchange rate.

Reiterating CBN’s commitment to price stability, Emefiele noted that given the already tight stance of monetary policy and the transient nature of the incubators of the current inflationary trend, which are outside the direct control of monetary policy, the space for maneuver remains constrained, necessitating the intervention of fiscal and structural policies to stimulate output growth.

Equally, broad money supply (M2) increased by 1.80 per cent in April, over December 2014 level. When annualised, M2 increased by 5.39 per cent, but it remained lower than the growth benchmark of 15.24 per cent for the year.

OTH Obire and Unaegbu agree that the impact of the N8 billion cash fraud cannot be ruled out in driving inflation to its new heights. They believe that since the funds were reprinted and ploughed back into the system, the additional N8 billion fraud cash will bring the total cash to N16 billion, instead of approved N8 billion.

Within the banking industry, there have also been reactions to the alleged fraud, which has shaken the financial sector to its roots.

Head of Media at FirstBank Babatunde Lasaki said the transactions were done basically by CBN staff in collaboration with five employees in his bank.

He said two of the employees had been sacked while the remaining three are helping the EFCC on the ongoing investigation.

B

Lasaki said that it is after the true picture unfolds that the remaining staff if culpable may be dismissed.

Also speaking, Head, Corporate Communications, Wema Bank Plc, Onome Odili, said the affected workers in her bank had been sacked long ago. Like Lasaki, she said the fraud is a CBN show and that her bank officials were brought in to implement it.

An insider in Ecobank said the two affected officials left the bank, when they suspected that the crime had uncovered.

Another insider in Access Bank said the two officials of the bank are involved are legacy staff from the defunct Intercontinental Bank. The source said the CBN should be blamed because bad notes submitted for destruction are kept in long queues for years with no action taken on them, giving room for abuse by staff.

He said the banknotes would have been destroyed immediately and the fraud averted if the unit involved had been effective.

The source said that some of the notes marked for destruction were still pending, five years after with nothing done and thereby creating room for abuse.

Imma Okocha, a principal partner in Messrs Imma Okocha & Associates, said members of the public should demand for the real identity of the suspects.

He said: “Could they have acted alone, or there are other top CBN officials involved. Are they being used as sacrificial animals because they are lower cadre staff?

Okocha said the success of the case will depend on how well the evidence is gathered but believes that the police are likely to do a shoddy job.

“You will find out that some principal witnesses may decide not to come to court because of their relationship with the accused persons. The Police are tactically known for spoiling cases, especially, where those in investigation are not additionally taken care of by the complaining party,” he stated.

The lawyer said that until, further facts are released and people that took the case to court provide further evidence, otherwise the case may collapse.

He said: “The boldness of this type of crime, shocks me. There is no doubt that this type of crime have been going on for a long time. They should look at what has been happening because they already have facts.”

Okocha, however, admitted that an accused person, although knows he has committed the crime, do not necessarily need to plead guilty, but

would want the prosecution to prove their case.

CBN’s Director, Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Mu’azu, relived the events that led the management of the apex bank to hand over the suspects to the EFCC for prosecution.

He said: “As soon as the bank’s internal investigations were concluded beyond reasonable doubt that some wrong doing had occurred, the affected members of staff who are middle-level officers were, depending on gravity of offence, either summarily dismissed or immediately placed on indefinite suspension on 21 October 2014, and all handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.”

Continuing, he said the CBN has also conducted a nationwide audit of all 37 branches of the bank and found that this was an isolated scheme at its Ibadan branch.

He said the bank will continue to collaborate with the EFCC to ensure that affected CBN workers, as well as their accomplices in some commercial banks, is brought to justice.

Mu’azu said the scam was discovered during a routine internal audit of the bank’s cash destruction activities in September 2014.

He said the CBN Briquetting Panel, comprising of senior bank officials from the various branches, noticed some anomalies at the Ibadan branch and immediately reported this to the bank’s management.

He said that on further investigation ordered by Emefiele, it was discovered that a systematic scheme, which had been on for several years, was being run in which mutilated higher denomination notes, originally meant for destruction, were swapped with lower denomination currencies. This practice known as interleafing, basically labels a box with a higher value than its true content.

At the penultimate court hearings, it was discovered that the suspects acquired assets in Nigeria and Pretoria, South Africa.

The EFCC arraigned the suspects on a 28-count charge, bordering on forgery, misrepresentation and self-enrichment before Justice Adeyinka Faji.

In the charge, the EFFC said that the CBN staff conspired with the FirstBank employees to recycle the mutilated currency notes meant for destruction.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The accused persons are facing a 15-count charge ranging from conspiracy, abuse of office and stealing to false declaration of actual amount.

The others have been accused of concealing of property, fraudulently acquiring assets in excess of their legitimate and provable income and causing economic adversity to the country.

The court was told how the suspects acquired assets worth several billions of naira through fraudulent means, in excess of their legitimate income.

The assets said to have been acquired were allegedly gotten by stealing N1.25 billion supposed mutilated currencies meant to be destroyed and taken out of circulation.

The EFCC told the court that one of the accused, persons, Mr. Ayodeji Alase, had N134 million in one of his bank accounts.

It (anti-graft agency) told the trial judge, Justice A.O. Faaji, that Alase, a primary six certificate holder, started work at First Bank as a guard before he was promoted to the position of a cash assistant.

The commission’s lead prosecution counsel (Jacob), a senior advocate, also told the court that the accused had property worth hundreds of millions of naira.

LASE, according to the anti-graft agency, has a duplex at Oluyole Estate in Ibadan, a shopping complex, a warehouse at Podo, a fenced plot at Dugbe, a block of four flats at Apeye, two plots of land and five-bedroom flat in other parts of the state capital.

He was alleged to have a credit balance of N132 million in one of his bank accounts. The commission also alleged that Alase possessed a block of fivebedroom flat at Apete area of Ibadan and a supermarket at New Garage, Apata area of Ibadan.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

NEWS BPE in N1.45b scam Continued from page 1

Procurement (BPP), The Nation learnt.

Also, top directors of the BPE have been implicated in a job racket after 60 hands were hired a few days to the exit of the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Most of the workers were said to be the children and relatives of the directors, contrary to the ethics of the agency.

The pioneer chairman of BPE, the late Hamzat Zayyad, put a code of conduct which forbids any employee

from hiring his or her relations in the agency.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the curious legal fee of N950million was paid after a meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) was hurriedly convened by ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo on April 18.

At the session, it was learnt that the NCP members were deceived into believing that the former AGF and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) had withdrawn their letters of objection to the payment of the N950million.

Continued on page 61

UN worried by 200,000 displaced Nigerians •President Muhammadu Buhari (in black cap), Ogun State Governor Ibukunle Amosun (left) and others at the 25th AU summit in Johannesburg South Africa…yesterday

$21m boost for anti-Boko Haram war

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the release of $21 million out of the $100 million pledged by Nigeria to the Multi National Joint Task Force against Boko Haram.

Buhari announced this while chairing the African Union (AU), Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting at the on-going AU summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He said the order, which was in response to a decision by the leaders of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and Benin in Abuja to immediately fund the MNJTF with not less than $30 million, will be carried out this week.

“The member countries of Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin, met recently where far reaching decisions were

taken to immediately put into operations the Multinational Joint Task Force.

“To this end, the summit approved the immediate provision of $30 million for the Multinational Joint Task Force.

“Consequently out of the pledge of $100 million which Nigeria made to the Multinational Joint Task Force, I have directed that $21 million be released within the next one week,’’ Buhari told the AU. He said he was pleased to note that Cameroon, Chad and Niger “are demonstrating of this support.

“They are fighting alongside Nigeria under the umbrella of Multinational Joint Task Force to defeat Boko Haram.’’

Buhari observed that the continent was inundated with crises of various forms which

required urgent attention.

“We are witnesses to the rampant destruction of homes, roads, communications lines, vital infrastructure and displacement of persons not to mention terrible loss of lives.

“This is true I must add of the North-East of Nigeria where we are dealing with the scourge of Boko Haram.

“The Boko Haram insurgency has extended its reach to Nigeria’s neighbours but is not necessarily limited to these immediate countries as terrorism is a global phenomenon with linkages across the globe.

“Given this dimension of global terror it requires us to act accordingly in brotherhood and partnership to fight our common goals against agents of evil,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nige-

ria (NAN) recalls that at the LCBC meeting of Nigeria, Chad, Camerron and Niger with Republic of Benin, Buhari had asked the leaders to articulate their needs for onward delivery to the G7 group of industrialised nations.

The request was based on the promise by the G7 to support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism when Buhari honoured the group’s invitation to attend its last Summit in Germany.

The President urged African leaders to place the interests of their countries above narrow personal interests.

The President noted that as the meeting of PSC focused on the situations of South Sudan and Burundi, it required the leaders to put the situations in both countries in proper conContinued on page 61

Buhari considers balance in SGF choice Continued from page 1

and manner in which a former SGF turned the office into an ethnic enclave and destroyed the ethos of the civil service”.

The former SGF reportedly politicised appointments, resulting in a situation whereby two people were given letters for an office.

The President is said to be concerned about geopolitical balance in appointments.

The power sharing in the Executive and the Legislature so far has shown that only the South-South is yet to be accommodated.

The breakdown is as follows: President (North-West); Vice-President (South-West); President of the Senate

(North-Central); Deputy President of the Senate (SouthEast); the Speaker of the House of Representatives (North-East); the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (South-West).

But it was gathered that Buhari does not want to subject the appointment of the SGF to Federal Character Principle because of what a source described as “the sensitive nature of the office”.

A highly-placed source in the Presidency said: “The delay in appointing the SGF is borne out of the fact that the President has left it open for the consideration of many eligible Nigerians irrespective of geopolitical zones.

“Those recommended for

SGF are ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi(South-South), exGovernor Ogbonnaya Onu(South-East), the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun(Edo); and a former occupant of the office, Amb. Babagana Kingibe, who is a long-time personal friend of Buhari.

“Apart from playing a crucial role as the engine room of Buhari’s campaign, some forces in the Presidency believe Amaechi combines youthful age advantage and political experience to occupy the office.

“The only fear of Buhari in Amaechi is youthful exuberance, temperament and a down-to-heart attitude which may not be ideal for a techni-

U

NITED Nations agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), expressed yesterday its concern about the consequences of insecurity in Nigeria and the over 200,000 displaced people.

A number of the displaced are seeking refuge in Niger, Cameroon and Chad, while others are waiting at the borders, the agency said “Nearly half a million people – refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons and local communities – face an acute food security and livelihood crisis,” added WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs at a news conference in Geneva.

Civilians in the northeast are fleeing Boko Haram attacks.

Emphasising the plight of newly arriving refugee children in Niger and Cameroon, Ms. Byrs said malnutrition rates have surpassed emergency thresholds.

“In some violence-affected areas near the Cameroon-Nigeria border, acute malnutrition rates among children under five years of age could be as high as 36 percent,” she

warned.

With the arrival of the rainy season, already stretched health centres would struggle to cope, she continued. As food became scarce, some 4,000 refugees have moved to the Minawao refugee camp since the end of April. “Displaced people said they could not rely for help on host communities which are already struggling to access food”, she added.

Making up 75 per cent of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, 84 per cent of internally displaced persons in Cameroon, and more than 80 per cent of the Nigerian refugees in Niger, women and children are the most exposed.

WFP aims to provide food to nearly 400,000 people each month but it is impossible without urgent funding, stressed the spokesperson. The Programme is less than 50 per cent funded – with $41.6 million needed until the end of the year.

“In April-May, WFP provided food to about half of the people it was planning to assist and, in some instances, the ration size was reduced”, Ms. Byrs said.

Africa under siege, Buhari warns AU leaders

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•President Buhari

cal and diplomatic assignment.

“But pro-Amaechi forces in the presidency pointed to Continued on page 61

RESIDENT Muhamm a d u Buhari yesterday warned his colleagues at the 25th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in South Africa that the continent is under siege, with the various challenges facing it.

He listed the problems to include terrorism and insecurity; poverty, youth unemployment, and underdevelopment.

He however noted that Africa has progressed in the past one and a half decades from

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

mainly political goals to more diverse aspirations since the transformation from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU).

He said: “It is however clear, Mr. Chairman, that some of the greater challenges to our peoples within this Union still lie in the political, economic, as well as peace and security spheres. Our continent is currently bedevilled by the twin evils of terrorism and insecuContinued on page 61

First Lady: don’t pay any money to see President Continued from page 1

ly asked to pay money in foreign currency before they could see the President or his wife.

She said: “I will like to inform you that in the past regime, whether it is true or false, only God knows, some people were going round and parading themselves as Personal Assistants.

“If you wanted to see the First Lady, you would pay $30,000 or $50,000 and if you were seeing the President, you would pay all that you have gathered in your lifetime.

“This will not happen in our regime. Whoever asks you to

give a single penny in the name of coming to see the President or his wife is not our staff. He is not an APC member, it is a lie. Don’t be deceived.”

Noting that she did not take part in the campaigns of her husband in the first three times he contested and failed, Mrs Buhari said her active participation in the last electioneering made the difference.

According to her, APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu encouraged her to play an active role in the Buhari campaign.

She said: “Many people did not know why I was not ap-

pearing for the last three campaigns. I appeared only this time and I think it made a lot of difference. A lot of people said my husband earned four million votes as a result of my campaign.

“We were not sure but with the popularity of my husband, we thought then that he needed female support to cancel the all sorts of gender problems people have been attaching to him, like saying he kept me under a purdah.

“He had never kept me under a purdah even for a moment since I got married to him.

“Even now, by the recent campaigns, it was Bola

Ahmed Tinubu who insisted that I should come out and support my husband. Not that I never liked supporting my husband but it all depended on the people around him; that was before.

“And now too, it is the people around him that showed that they wanted me to participate. We did and we have seen the difference.”

She said Buhari was the pillar of her success, despite the generation gap between the two of them, as he even encouraged her to go to school.

“My husband is a gendersensitive human being, having so many girls as his own biological children and then

having me as a wife; you can see the generation gap. He allowed me to go to school. To cut the story short, he is the pillar of my success.”

When Tinubu continued pestering her to join the campaign train, Mrs. Buhari said, she sought her husband’s approval.

Mrs. Buhari first appeared at a rally in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

According to her, the greatest challenge she faced during the campaigns was security.

She recounted how the wife of Zamfara State Governor told her how supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stopped their convoy

from returning to Gusau, the state capital, up until 4am at a point.

She said she had her own experience when she joined the campaign train to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who was the chairman of the event, thanked Mrs. Buhari and other women for making his job as the Director-General of the Buhari/Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Organisation easy.

Continued on page 61

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5

NEWS

Cash shortage stalls Lagos, Port Harcourt airports’ renovation •Contractors insist on payment before returning to sites

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ACK of fund has stalled the completion of airport renovation projects at the international wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and the Port Harcourt International Airport , Omagwa, Rivers State.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Mrs. Binta Bello, said this at the weekend during an inspection tour of ongoing projects at the two airports.

The projects include the Lagos Airport Power Contract, Protocol Lounge and Landscaping as well as Construction of Departure and Arrival Halls at Port Harcourt Airport and others.

The projects are parts of the remodeling contracts awarded by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration worth several billions of Naira.

The contractor handling the Lagos Airport Power Project , Messrs Mantrac Nigeria Limited, has vowed not to return to site until the government reimburses the money it so far committed into the contract .

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

The firm did not reveal the amount the company is owed and the entire cost of the contract. An official of the company said due to lack of funds , some generating plants were not operating at the Lagos Airport .

The firm insisted that until the fund it put into the contract was reimbursed, it would not return to site.

At the new Protocol Lounge at the Lagos Airport, where about 80 per cent of work had been completed, the permanent secretary was told that the contractor was also being owed, a situation which led to suspension of work .

The officials of the contracting firm did not disclose the cost of the contract and how much the firm is owed.

Besides, the permanent secretary was informed that the contractor had suspended work until further payment is made.

At Port Harcourt International Airport , the contractor handling the construction of the departure and arrival

halls, Messrs Inter Bau Construction Ltd, said work on phase 1 (departure) was between 80-90 per cent completion while work on phase 2 (arrival) “is almost nil.”

The company’s chairman, Sir Nath Okechukwu, said in an interview that the second phase of the project was awarded at the cost of N1.7 billion, adding that the last time he received payment for the work was in 2013.

“In phase 1, we have done about 80-90 per cent and phase 2 is almost nil. In phase 1, our money got exhausted.

We don’t have money and we have to suspend work.

“In phase 2, the total sum then was N1.7 billion. But it has gone up, though we don’t know how much we are coming up with.

“We hope very soon they will make some payments so that we may go back to work.

The owner of the project has just finished inspection. When she gets back to Abuja, then we will know what she is coming up with,” he said.

He assured that “if money is made available, we will de-

liver the project(s) before the current administration marks its first 100 days in office.”

But the permanent secretary said her mission was to see the projects to know the stages of completion in relation to money spent on them so far.

On funding for the projects inspected, Mrs. Bello assured: “We will look at it and as soon as money is available, the contractors will be mobilised to site.”

On the new terminals at the airports and the level of completion, Bello said: “Work is progressing very well. I am actually happy with what I have seen. I have seen the determination to improve infrastructure at the airports and we are taking what we have seen back to Abuja. I’ve been told they had some challenges during the take-off of the projects.

“They have overcome most of them and they are working very hard to close the gaps created by man-hours lost. I am satisfied with the work done so far. If they didn’t have initial challenges, they would have gone further than where they are,” she said.

EITI chair to meet Buhari on NEITI report

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HE Chair of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Clare Short, will arrive in Nigeria today on a tree-day working visit.

While in Nigeria, the EITI chief is expected to hold consultations with President Muhammadu Buhari on the implementation of reports of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) as well as the proposed reforms in the oil, gas and mining sectors.

The meeting is also expected to provide the international chair the opportunity to brief the president on the importance of integrating the EITI principles in his economic policy agenda as obtainable in resource rich countries globally.

NEITI Director of Communications Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji said this in a statement yesterday.

According to the statement, the visit of Short to Nigeria is seen as a global endorsement of Buhari’s commitment to good governance, transpar-

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

ency and accountability, which are consistent with EITI principles.

The statement noted that the President had listed the imple-

mentation of the findings and recommendations of NEITI Audit Reports as a priority within his administration’s 100 days in office.

NEITI reports have publicly

disclosed several cases of mismanagement, underpayment of taxes, royalties, under-assessment and other lapses resulting in billions of dollars revenue loss to the Federation.

Coalition to APC: watch out for bad elements

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COALITION, Patriotic Northern Coalition for Justice, Peace and Equity, has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) leadership to watch out for some politicians and elements within the party plotting to undermine the party’s National Leader and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Its national coordinator, Alhaji Babangida Sule Jnr, told reporters in Kaduna yesterday that “Tinubu remains the bedrock of APC and still commands great respect in his region and in the party”.

He added that any plot against Tinubu’s interest would be counter-productive.

Sule Jnr said the North was grateful to Tinubu for his contributions towards Buhari’s victory and that the coalition would do all within its power to stop anyone or group planning against the party’s national leader in the APC. He said: “Politicians are already strategising for 2019 and they will stop at nothing to achieve their aim. Some of them are in APC and we have uncovered that part of their aim is to undermine the party’s chieftain, Asiwaju Tinubu, because they see him as a stumbling block.ý “We the Patriotic Northern Coalition won’t allow them because we are still grateful to Tinubu for what did for the North in the 2015 general elections, particularly his efforts in the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We know that many people played crucial roles in the

• Managing Director, Upticomm Marketing Company Limited, Mr. Olusegun McMedal (left) greeting Country Manager, West African International Data Corporation (IDC), Mr. Bola Adisa at the inaugural edition of The Role Model Series Conference organised by Upticomm at Igbobi College Yaba, Lagos. With them is Vice Chairperson, Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mrs. Comfort Nwankwo.

•APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

emergence of Buhari. But Tinubu tops them all. Personally, I know of the many times he came to Kaduna to meet with Buhari and assured him that he would do all he could to support him and ensure his victory.

“I know all these things because sometimes, I was part of the groups that met with him on several occasions, including some APC governors today.

Again, to ensure Buhari’s victory at the primaries, he used his influence to move the convention from Abuja to Lagos.

“We know what happened after that and at the final election. So, we won’t allow anybody or group of persons to plan anything against his interest in APC. Besides, such plot will be counter-productive because Tinubu is an influential APC chieftain that commands respect in his region and some other regions. Moreover, any crisis in the APC today will be harmful to the nation because APC is the ruling party and whatever affects it can easily impact negatively on the nation.”

He decried the moves by some people to form a caucus in APC just like what happened in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) then where some people formed the New PDP. Sule Jnr said such calculation was totally wrong and would not augur well for the party.

He called on the APC and its leadership not to underrate the PDP too soon, saying that “it is still a strong political force”, which could cause the APC upset.

The coalition’s national coordinator urged everyone, irrespective of party affiliation, tribe, religion and class to join hands with Buhari to transform the nation and deliver the dividends of the democracy to the people.

Niger Republic’s emirate ‘confiscates’ Nigerians’ farmlands

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N Emirate in Niger Republic has allegedly confiscated over 86 farmlands owned by residents of Jobi border community in Maigatari Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Residents in the area, who petitioned the member of House of Representatives representing the area, Alhaji Muhammed Sani Zoro, said “the bilateral agreement between Nigeria and Niger Republic may be in serious crisis owing to the land issue.”

They said their farmlands straddled between Maigatari in Jigawa State and Dingas local government area of Damagaram State in Niger Republic.

•Jigawa border residents seek Fed Govt’s intervention From Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

The people accused the Niger Republic emirate of confiscating the over farmlands legitimately owned by them in the neighbouring country for over 100 years.

The Jobi community also accused the Niger Republic’s traditional rulers of using the country’s security agents to intimidate and arrest them during attempts to claim their farmlands.

But Sani Zoro, who was accompanied by reporters, paid fact-finding visit to the area at the weekend and met with the community leaders

and affected farmers.

One of the community leaders and the village’s Chief Imam, Malam Abdullahi Danlaminu, said the two border communities were leaving in peace and owned farmlands in the two countries since the “period of their grand, great grandparents”. He explained that “about two to three years ago, the Niger Republic traditional rulers stopped us from farming on our lands.

At the early stage, we did not take it serious because they (Nigeriens) have farmlands on our side in Nigeria. We tried to resolve it amicably.

“We sent a delegation comprising the village head, myself and met their traditional leaders to discuss and resolve the matter. We agreed and they asked for some amount to be paid annually.

But to our surprise after we came back, they changed the decision.”

He said over half of their farm lands, which they inherited and some which they bought before the partitioning of the countries are now in Niger Republic.

Danlaminu added: “We own this farmlands. But for the last two years, the Dingas Emirate of Niger Republic

embarked on illegal confiscation of our farmlands, which now create untold hardship to our people who are 100 per cent peasant farmers.

“As a result of this land confiscation, about six people of our people lost their lives due to the trauma inflicted on them by the action.”

The representative of the community’s village head, Malam Mustaha Imam, added that their representatives visited Dingas Emirate for over 30 times to plead with their traditional authorities to stop the confisca-

tion, “but all in vain”.

“Some of our people who attempted to resist the confiscation of their land, were arrested and detained by the Niger Republic security,” he said.

Imam called on Nigeria’s border management agencies and all other relevant agencies to intervene.

The community handed a document comprising the list of farmlands confiscated and their owners to Sani Zoro for action.

But the lawmaker pleaded with the residents to be more patient and not to take law in their hands to allow the authorities of the two countries resolve the matter through diplomacy.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

NEWS

AGF, NSA, EFCC trade accusation over custody of recovered Abacha loot

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FFICES of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are trading blames in court over which one of them is in custody of what was recovered from the money looted from the nation’s treasury by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

While the EFCC said the recovered funds could be accounted for by the offices of the AGF and the NSA, they have both denied knowledge of what has been recovered and where it is being kept.

The claim among the three Federal Government’s offices is captured in the court processes they filed in reaction to a suit filed by a group, the Legal Defence and Assistance

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Project (LEDAP), seeking information about the state of the recovered loot.

LEDAP, in 2011, instituted the suit under the Freedom of Information Act after the EFCC (earlier named as the sole defendant) refused its request for the information.

It later joined the AGF and the NSA when the EFCC, in a counter-affidavit, said it was only offices of the AGF and NSA that could account for the recovered looted funds.

An EFCC official, Austin Emmumejakpor, said in the counter-affidavit of March 5, 2012, that he was “informed that remittances relating to the estate of the late Gen. Abacha were coordinated by the offices of the National Security Adviser and the Attorney-

General of the Federation and not the respondent (EFCC) as erroneously thought by the applicant.”

The offices of the AGF and NSA, in separate counter-affidavits filed by their lawyer, Godwin Onwusi, denied knowledge of details of the recovered loots. They urged the court to excuse them from the suit.

In a counter-affidavit dated March 25, 2014, both offices denied custody of the requested information on behalf of both the AGF and the NSA, stating: “That the 1st and 2nd parties sought to be joined (AGF and NSA) did not coordinate the remittances relating to the estate of late Gen. Abacha.”

In another counter-affidavit of January 28, 2015, it was stated that the 2nd party sought to be joined (NSA) did

not coordinate the remittances relating to the estate of the late Gen. Abacha.

“The 2nd party sought to be joined is neither in custody nor in possession of information relating to the remittances referred to in paragraph 5 above. The 2nd party sought to be joined is neither a necessary party nor an indispensable party in this suit.”

Lawyer to the plaintiff, Chino Obiagwu, has, in a reply on point of law, argued that both the offices of AGF and the NSA are parties necessary for the just determination of the case.

He argued that by virtue of the provisions of Section 21 of the FoI Act, 2011, “the onus is on such body to prove that the information is not within its control”.

Justice Mohammed has adjourned hearing on the applications to October 8.

APC crisis: we’re vindicated, says Alkali

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ROF. Rufai Alkali, the former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to exPresident Goodluck Jonathan, has reiterated his earlier claim that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not prepared to govern a complex nation like Nigeria.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja yesterday, he reminded Nigerians of his earlier call on the leadership of the APC, before the handing over of government “to plan more and talk less”.

But he alleged that he was instead castigated by the APC’s spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

He was reacting to the selection of the leadership of the National Assembly and the responses from stakeholders within and outside the APC. He said: “I have observed with keen interest the scenario in the National Assembly that resulted in the election of Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

Dogara and other leaders of NASS and what attracted my attention more, though not surprising, were the incoherent and contradictory responses from the leaders of the APC. “This is indeed a clear confirmation of my earlier warning to the APC to plan more and talk less. Undoubtedly, things have started falling apart in the APC.” On the emergence of Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP as Deputy Senate President, he said: “Whoever said that the PDP is dead and buried should please show me the cemetery and the grave where the PDP was buried.

“Nigerians should not forget the fact that some of the members of the PDP who joined the APC went there as a result of some circumstances, but the souls and minds of most of them are still in the PDP.”

Stakeholders for talks on fuel subsidy Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr. Oluranti Adebule (middle) greeting Chairman, Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) Nigeria Dr. Christopher Kolade (right) at the Banquet of Stars Against Cancer to mark Governor Ambode’s 52nd birthday at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island...yesterday. With them is the Chairman of Steering Committee of CECP (Nigeria), Prof.

Pat Utomi (left).

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TAKEHOLDERS and various professionals will converge on Lagos on Friday to discuss the controversial issue of fuel subsidy.

The roundtable, tagged: “Fuel Subsidy: A Closer Look”, will be held at the Auditorium of the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS).

Speakers and panelist will include Mobolaji Aluko, Henry Boyo, Tosin Adeyanju and Anthony Kila.

Discussants at the event will analyse past and future of fuel subsidy, its effect on the country and its relation to fuel scarcity.

Fear of ‘scrapping’ grips aviation ministry

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NDICATIONS emerged at the weekend that President Muhammadu Buhari may not appoint a minister for the Aviation Ministry.

Industry sources hinted that the President may merge the ministry with the Ministry of Transport.

The move, a source said yesterday, “is creating fear among top officials of the aviation agencies because the merger may scale down their current positions from managing directors to mere directors”.

The decision to scrap the

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

ministry, it was learnt, followed recommendations by stakeholders in the transport industry, who have identified the ministry as one militating against the growth of the sector.

A source said Buhari decided to “collapse the two ministries as a way of cutting cost as well as for effective monitoring of the sector.”

Under the new arrangement, rather than have a substantive minister of Aviation, Buhari may likely appoint a director general or secretary

to head it under a substantive Ministry of Transport.

The agencies under Aviation, it was gathered, will be managed by directors as against the positions of managing directors.

Sources noted that key players in transport sectors had called on Buhari to start with the scrapping of the Ministry of Aviation and all aviation related Senior Special Assistant positions in line with the change he promised Nigerians.

According to key players, the Ministry of Aviation has

increased the cost of service delivery, bureaucracy and processing time.

A source said: “They have overburdened the Aviation agencies with personnel and bills to the detriment of efficiency, safety and profitability as agencies are forced to pay for their chartered flights and tickets of family members till date.”

The non-appointment of a substantive minister for Aviation, according to some workers who spoke under anonymity, “will douse tension and the jostling for the position”.

Also expected to participate at the parley are legislators from various political parties, non-governmental organisations and the public.

The roundtable is a CIAPS event managed by selected students of Media and Journalism led by Fatima Melissa Turay, Charity Azubike, Shimatever Sunday and Omolara Abioye as part of their professional training.

In a statement by Fatima Melissa Turay, CIAPS Centre Director Prof. Anthony Kila stated that “the event is part of CIAPS’ effort to help understand and improve the country we live and operate in”.

Navy begins Direct Short Service enlistment

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HE Lagos State government has announced the beginning of selection of qualified graduates for Direct Short Service Commission enlistment exercise into the Nigerian Navy as career officers.

A letter from the Nigerian Navy, by Rear Admiral FD Bobai on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff and addressed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said the Direct Short Service Commission Course 23 Enlistment Exercise started with online registration at

www.joinnigerianavy.com on May 18 and will close on June 28.

The statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Habib Aruna, added that the online registration would be followed by an aptitude test on July 4, at six centres nationwide with the details of the qualifications and other criteria for the exercise published online.

The statement advised prospective candidates to register online within the designated period and adhere strictly to specified instructions.

Oil swap deal: ‘AITEO not involved in $150m fraud’

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HE management of AITEO Group has denied involvement in any $150 million shady deal in crude oil-for-refined-products-exchange programme.

The firm’s clarification came as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) intensified investigation into the alleged oil-swap scandal in the petroleum sector.

AITEO said it has submitted relevant documents to the EFCC and the Department of State Security Service (DSS) to prove that its crude oil-forrefined-products-exchange programme had been transparent The EFCC recently started investigation into how the Federal Government was allegedly short-changed by the Nigerian National Petroleum

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

Corporation (NNPC) in swapping crude for refined products.

The company, in a statement in Abuja by its spokesperson, Miss Aiki Odiawa, said it had never acted as a front for former President Goodluck Jonathan and exMinister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke.

It said its transactions with NNPC required quarterly reconciliation to determine all crude oil loaded and refined products delivered.

The statement read in part: “Executive Management of AITEO makes reference to three publications of April 28, 2014, June 10, 2015; and June 7, 2015 (Oil Traders, NNPC

Officials Interrogated, watchlisted in Major Investigations) in which spurious allegations were made about the company and one of our founders, Mr. Benedict Peters.

“Without prejudice to any legitimate fact-find process lawfully authorised by Nigerian authorities, as a corporate entity whose success has been as a result of dynamism, foresightedness and fortitude, it is pertinent that clarification is made to the general public on the position of AITEO. “AITEO in collaboration with Duke Oil participated in both the SWAP crude oil-forrefined-products-exchange programme and Offshore Processing (OPA) Agreement, which are both governed by robust legally binding agreements with provi-

sions for strict commercial considerations backed by the necessary financial instruments to mitigate and manage potential risks of transactions of this nature.

“AITEO’s participation in the programmes was premised upon AITEO having fulfilled all requirements precedent to being nominated and gaining the objective confidence of the Management of NNPC on its strong competence and ability to deliver on the said contracts as and when due.

“Never at any point has AITEO unfairly exploited its commercial relationship with NNPC under the SWAP or OPA contracts.

“Further allegations that AITEO was more than 20 cargoes in arrears on the new deal are completely false.

“In fulfillment of our outstanding obligation on the Duke Oil SWAP and contracts, we have decided to nominate two cargo deliveries to fully liquidate any outstanding deliveries due to PPMC. “However, should there still exist a deficit after reconciling positions, where there is an over delivery, PPMC will issue a credit note in favour of AITEO and if AITEO should have any outstanding, this will either be deducted from on-going cash calls due AITEO from AITEO/NNPC Joint Venture or an outright remittance as the case may be.

“The Board of AITEO has taken the decision to wind down this Duke Oil SWAP and OPA contract promptly and bring its business rela-

tionship with Duke Oil to a closure.

“It should be noted that AITEO’s OPA with NNPC requires a reconciliation meeting to take place between the parties on a quarterly basis for all crude oil loaded and refined products delivered.”

The statement added that a reconciliation meeting has been scheduled to ascertain what each party has delivered so far.

“In light of this development, the fully reconciled position should be determined soon.

“Therefore allegations that AITEO ‘apparently gulped down $150 million’ are not only baseless but aimed to slur the name of the company,” the statement added.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

7

NEWS Ambode greets Sam Amuka at 80

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•Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudasiru Obasa (second left); Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (second right); Director-General, the Electoral Institute (TEI) Prof Abubakar Momoh (right) and the Companion Amir, Alhaji Musibau Oyefeso at National Discourse organised by the Companion at the University of Lagos...yesterday. SEE STORY ON PAGE 11

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Ekiti APC condemns ‘endless’ verification

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has condemned the two-month verification, “which has caused hardship for civil servants and teachers”.

It wondered why the screening, which should have ended in a month, has been dragging on without any ghost worker revealed.

The party advised Governor Ayo Fayose to stop deceiving workers over “failed promises to pay their salaries”, describing the verification as a “wicked tactic to secure workers’ cooperation”.

The APC in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, urged Fayose to come clean on how he had been spending Ekiti money.

The party said his comment on the state’s indebtedness was a callous way to deny workers their entitlements.

The APC expressed dismay that the verification had wearied workers, especially expectant mothers who are made to queue for

•Govt: 1,000 ghost workers discovered From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

hours waiting for their turn.

It maintained that Fayose has no excuse to owe salaries, judging by the empowerment schemes he stopped and the number of workers who have been sacked since he came to power.

The statement said: “We have heard the governor say that the state is broke and we can’t find merit in that declaration.

“The number of workers who were sacked and drastic cuts in the allowances and running grants of workers, including traditional rulers’, would have saved the state millions of naira.

“Governor Kayode Fayemi carried out verification only once through biometric auditing that brought sanity to wage payment system.

“We wonder why after Fayose did verification three times within seven months, the governor was

still subjecting workers to unnecessary verification contraption.

“We in APC pity the workers, including expectant mothers, who queue endlessly in the sun waiting to do this ill-conceived exercise.

The governor assured that 48 hours after the exercise, the cleared workers would receive their pay.

“But two months after some workers completed the exercise, the governor has refused to pay, instead he is keeping workers for hours in the sun for the salary that would not come.

“As a result, the workers have become confused, dejected and despondent.

“Ekiti people have heard how N650 million is being deducted from source to pay the governor’s election contractors. For six months, Fayose didn’t pay kobo on the purported Fayemi’s overbloated debts.

“Savings in millions are made from cuts in workers’

and Obas’ allowances and running grants, including the savings in millions from thousands who lost their jobs. Social security for 20,000 elders was also cancelled by the governor.

“The question is what is the governor doing with Ekiti money?”

But Fayose's Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media Lere Olayinka said over 1,000 fake workers have been discovered.

He said: "Over 250 dead workers have been receiving salary through the epayment system introduced and contracted to a Lagos based company.

"We have kept faith with our covenant with the workers by paying the April salary of those already cleared.

"As at today, we have discovered more than 1,000 people that were receiving salary fraudulently, out of which over 250 are dead.”

Osun’ll return to golden era, says Aregbesola

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SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said the state will return to the golden era.

He said his administration was working to diversify the economy to make it selfsuuficient.

A statement from the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, said: “From the outset, the Aregbesola administration had set out to ensure that it diversified the economy in such a way that proceeds from economic activities and taxes would drive the economy and not reliance on federal allocations.

“The attempt to wean the state off Federal Allocation was behind the haste with which the Aregbesola administration embarked on key economic programmes.”

The statement added: “The government’s approach to agriculture, industrialisation , tourism and massive infrastructure provision was driven by the clear possibility that the sole reliance on the Federal Government for

survival would one day throw the country into an economic quagmire of immense proportion.

Okanlawon said: “The dream has not gone awry and it is a clear vision that Osun must be on its feet, selfreliant and be a reference point in Nigeria.

“The race to ensure development during Aregbesola’s first term informed the fear of what is happening now.

“Aregbesola wanted a selfreliant Osun. That Osun, almost two decades after its creation, could not boast of tax-paying companies speaks volume about the magnitude of the work that awaited the Aregbesola administration.

“But the governor did not shy away from this task.

During his first term, his government caused investors to bring up companies, such as the Omoluabi Garment Factory, Osogbo and Adulawo/RLG Technology Company in Ilesa.

“Just last month, a leading telecommunications firm, Airtel, came to partner with the Adulawo/RLG com-

pany.

“These are aside the various agro-allied companies, which have benefited from the administration’s growth schemes.

“The government also begun aggressive drive for the development of the solid mineral sector with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with an Australian mining firm, Andalusian Mining Industry.

“It was in the same vein that the idea of an airport for aircraft maintenance was conceived.”

“To accept that our state must continue to survive on the meagre inflow through what goes to the civil servants alone is to accept that we would continue to depend on external forces for our survival.

“We must work hard to give our people many choices. If you want to work in the civil service, it must be the choice that our people make on their own volition and not that there are no other choices, regardless of their education, qualifications and expertise.”

The statement cited the instance of Lagos which today can pay its workers timely and still continue its development works.

“People must not forget that Lagos, in 1999 when former Governor Bola Tinubu took over, was generating a paltry sum.

“It was the ingenious interventions and immediate provisions of infrastructure that lured investors in to create various opportunities for the people and made tax administration much easier for what is now today’s Lagos. This feat can be repeated in Osun and other parts of Nigeria.”

The statement added the governor has come clean on the state‘s finances to ensure that nothing is hidden and to assure the people that despite the precarious situation, he is determined to restore the state to the era where his government paid salaries on the 25th of every month.

“Before June 30, workers would be paid their salaries, Okanlawon said.

AGOS State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday paid tribute to the Chairman of Vanguard Media Limited and veteran journalist, Chief Sam Amuka-Pemu, who turned 80 on Saturday.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Aruna, the governor said Amuka-Pemu has contributed largely to the uplift of journalism in Nigeria.

Ambode said his strides towards the growth of the media are not only evident in how he has spearheaded Vanguard to enviable heights, but also his stance on political stability, accountability and the rule of law.

He said: “Nigeria has benefitted immensely by the presence of Uncle Sam Amu-

ka in the media both as a journalist and columnist from the days of the Daily Times group, of which he served as Editor of the Sunday Times”.

“His then column, ‘SadSam’, stood tall amongst equals as he continuously kept his readers glued to his satirical and literary styled articles, a model he has maintained over the years.

“It is not surprising that he has brought his wealth of experience to bear to Vanguard, one of the newspapers to reckon with in the country today”.

“On behalf of my family, the government and people of Lagos, I wish you a Happy 80th birthday and many more years of good health, good speed and new heights going forward.”

Police arrest 30 in Ijebu-Ode

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HE police in Ogun State yesterday said they had arrested 30 persons in connection with cult violence and killings in Ijebu - Ode. This followed series of raids carried out on their dens spread across Fidipote Street, Ogbogbo Village, Ita Alapo, Imaeweje Village and some hotels in Ijebu-Ode and adjoining villages.

The raids have led to the arrest of the suspected ring leaders involved in many criminal acts, including killings.

Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the raids were carried out by a 10 -man team of Special Anti Robbery Squad(SARS), coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence), Shina Olukolu.

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

Other police units involved were Anti-Robbery Squad of the Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, Mobile Police Force and the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB).

According to Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), some of the suspected cultists arrested are: Gbenga Banjo (Solution), Akeem Kareem (Obalufon Dammy), Jawando and Kazeem Akeem (Obalofin).

Others are Oluwatimileyin Akintunde (Majek), Olootu Lukman (Eba), Neyo and Oladele Oluniga.

“The raids and arrests followed an instruction from the Commissioner of Police, Val Ntomchukwu, to rid Ijebuland of cult-related crimes and other vices.”

NURTW hails Ambode at 52

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HE Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede , has congratulated Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode on his 52nd birthday.

The governor, who was 52 yesterday, urged wellwishers to channel congratulatory advertisement resources to fund cancer research and treatment.

Agbede, in a statement said: “The efforts of the governor since he was sworn in shows clearly that he means well for the generality of the people of the state.

You have shown within a short period that you are ready to serve the people.”

The NURTW boss assured Ambode of the union’s readiness to continue to cooperate with the government.

Lam-Adeshina’s son promises ‘more’

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HE lawmaker representing Ibadan South East/ North East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has thanked his constituency for voting for him.

In a statement yesterday, Dapo Lam-Adeshina thanked all the community d e v e l o p m e n t associations,youth organisations, vocational, artisan and professional associations for the support given to him during the March 28 National Assembly elections.

He promised to fulfill all the programmes/promises in his manifesto.

“I would by the grace of God bring visible transformation, economic relief/ empowerment and commendable developmental

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

projects to all the wards, communities and neighborhood in Ibadan North East and Ibadan South East Local Governments”.

“I still stand by my determination to bring good life and support scheme for the aged and widow, employment support and empowerment for our youth, infrastructural and educational facilities for our public schools, assistance for organisations and associations, regular consultation and interaction with the constituents, market development, loan scheme for traders, sports development provision of water, among other things.

“I promise to work with all to deliver on all my campaign promises.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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NEWS APC leader pleads with workers N All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain has appealed to public servants in Osun State that their salaries will be paid soon.

The APC leader in Alimosho Local Government of Lagos State, who hails from Osun State, Bola Adeyemi Smart, said efforts were on to pay the accumulated salaries and arrears.

He enjoined the workers and pensioners to always maintain the peace and shun violence that may derail their existing relationship with the government.

He admonished the government to always give urgent attention to salaries as soon as the monthly allocation from the federation account is released.

A

Gbonigi: we’re operating fake democracy

Osinbajo, Ambode, others call for collective efforts to reduce cancer

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ICE-PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbajo has said the fight against cancer requires the cooperation of all.

Represented by former Attorney General of Lagos State, Ade Ipaye, Osinbajo said cancer is a deadly affliction that could affect anyone.

He said he would be ready to support the fight agianst the disease because the fight against the cancer scourge requires the support of everyone.

The VP spoke yesterday at a programme to celebrate the 52nd birthday of Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode tagged ‘The Banquet of Stars Against Cancer’.

Ambode urged corporate organisations and individuals to invest in cancer awareness, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research to reduce the burden of the disease.

The governor was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Oluranti Adebule.

The programme was organised by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy In Nigeria (CECP) to commemorate Cancer Awareness Week, raise fund and mobilise Nigerians to fight cancer scourge.

He said that government recognised the task to provide quality healthcare for the people. ‘’Lives are lost everyday to cancer and this is unacceptable. This triggered the annual health mission organised by the Lagos State Government to screen the public for cancer. ‘’Government alone cannot do it. I call on corporate bodies, NGOs and individuals to invest in healthcare to reduce disease burden. ‘’To this end, I urge those who planned gifts and adverts for the celebration of my birthday to channel the

funds towards the fight against cancer, ‘’he said.

Mr Tony Elumelu, a former Chairman of the United Bank for Africa, highlighted lack of fund and private sector involvement as factors militating against adequate health care facilities in Nigeria.

“I can rightly say that funding is the most critical in the delivery of health care.

“Financing is a critical wall against the fight against cancer, so on realising this we proposed a fiscal policy aimed at improving our medical facilities.

“However on our part as organised private sector and Capital Market Community, we have resolved to raise more than N1 billion in 10 years to fight cancer.

“The specific goal is to raise funds to acquire and deploy 37 Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC), which would take health promotion to grassroots of Nigeria. Each Mo-

bile unit costs N120 million. ‘’Therefore, I call on other organisations to be a part of this fight against cancer by donating generously to this course,” he said.

Dr Abia Nzelu, Secretary, CECP said one in three Nigerians would be diagnosed of cancer in their life time, 100, 000 new cases were diagnosed yearly and 80, 000 die annually of cancer in Nigeria. ‘’We need to act fast and now by providing these mobile cancer clinics, comprehensive cancer centre and a cancer institute to win the war against cancer. ‘’This move will screen, diagnose, treat and prevent cancers since early detection and prevention is the way to overcome the cancer burden,’’ she said.

Some of the victims, who spoke at the occasion, were Maiden Olorogun Ibru, who lost her husband Mr Alex Ibru to colon cancer, and Ms

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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LDER statesman and retired Bishop of Akure Anglican Diocese, Rev Bolanle Gbonigi, has taken a swipe at the nation’s democracy.

The cleric said the present democratic system was below the expectation of the nation’s founding fathers.

Gbonigi said Nigeria’s democracy fell short of the values expected in a real democracy.

He blamed leaders for the state of the nation’s democracy and the economic depression facing the country.

Delivering a public lecture in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the weekend, Bishop Gbonigi said democracy is on trial and its success depends on political leaders.

The retired bishop lamented that the glorious days of democracy in the country started to dim when some selfish politicians joined partisan politics.

His words: “This class of politicians in order to satisfy their selfish desire dethroned altruism and nationality and enthroned selfish and tribal and ethnic chauvinism.

“Consequently, we have counterfeit or fake democracy, instead of the genuine or authentic one we once enjoyed.”

“Our democracy today lacks basic factors that could make it thrive.

“The success of the present democratic experience lie with the politicians.

“The 1999 Constitution, which formed the basis of the current democracy, is seriously faulty, hence the need for the amendment of the constitution.

“Free and fair election is lacking in Nigeria because there were evidences of rigging in some parts of the country during the last general elections.

“The principle of federalism, which accounted for the progress and development witnessed during the First Republic is lacking in the present Nigerian democratic practice.”

Adenike Oyetunde, lawyer and broadcaster, who lost her limb to cancer.

They appealed for generous donations towards saving many Nigerians from the scourge of cancer.

Olorogun-Ibru asked the Lagos State Government to kick-start the campaign by donating a mobile cancer centre, to set an example for other states.

Former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr Christopher Kolade said the CECP is engaged to fight cancer because the body realises what cancer can do and that it is a serious war.

He said with the level of support demonstrated by the public to the cause, they are assured that every Nigerian would be able to have access to a means of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer.

Foremost economist Dr Pat Utomi who stood in for the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Fola Adeola, said CECP is passionate about ensuring that mobile testing centres are provided for every Nigerian because early detection is key to the survival of cancer.

Ajimobi’s wife lauds reporters From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (second right); Deputy Governor Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Customs Comptroller, Oyo/ Osun Command Suleiman Bawa and Chief of Staff to the Governor Gboyega Oyetola when Bawa visited the governor at the weekend

Omisore to Aregbesola: resign

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has called on Governor Rauf Aregbesola to resign.

“He should allow people with goodwill to run the government because under his watch, the state is on ‘life support’.”

Speaking with reporters at the PDP secretariat in Osogbo yesterday, Omisore said for Aregbesola to have admitted that the issue of Osun was beyond his capacity, “I expect him to have communicated to the House of Assembly and honourably vacate the seat of governor”.

He said: “Osun is now a failed state because of financial recklessness of the governor. I really appreciate the fact that he confessed that the present state of Osun affairs is beyond him and he should immediately throw in the towel.

“Nearly all commercial banks in Osun are being owed one form of loan or the other. The matter has reached the stage that the committee of bankers in the state at their meeting resolved that no bank should borrow this government any more. They are also

•You can’t be the alternative, says governor From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

waiting for remittances into the state’s coffers.

“The situation calls for sober reflections and we will also look at ways we are going to help our people in a manner that will not ridicule them.”

In a swift reaction, Governor Aregbesola said that “Toju akata balewo, enu adie ko laotigbo meaning “The diseased eye of a fox is not a sing-song for the squawking hen.

In a statement by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbsola said: “Given the tendency that Omisore represents, even if Osun were to come under the most incompetent of public administrators, he would still not be the alternative that Osun people want to live with.

“An Omisore governorship is better imagined than experienced. Is it in his obvious lack of knowledge of what public administration and selfless service to the people is or that he represents a party that is actually responsible for Nigeria’s present predicament through its 16 years of misrule?

“We are not surprised that the unpaid salary has made Omisore to find his voice after his fruitless search for a non-existent mandate. We do not expect anything better from a man who at the best of times, still fabricated lies against the Aregbesola administration all in his desperation to get the acceptance of the Osun people.”

The governor said his administration was not reckless, maintaining that the records and evidence abound to establish the fact.

According to him, “The

National Bureau of Statistics, the Debt Management Office of the Presidency, and other agencies that operated under the PDP, could not find anything against me (Aregbesola) other than statistics that confirm how the Osun economy has been improved.

“We recognise the hardship unpaid salaries can bring and we are appealing to our people for understanding and assuring them this will soon come to an end. But that is not to say that the likes of Omisore have any ideas that are capable of helping our people.”

HE wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has lauded journalists in the state for their unbiased reporting of events.

She described them as one of the most vibrant in the world and praised their fighting spirit.

Mrs Ajimobi said: “Working with you people has changed my mind about the media personnel in the country. Communication is important and you are the mouthpiece of the people about the government.

“You have been giving the people the right information about the Abiola Ajimobi administration.

You have been very supportive, enduring and cooperative. You have presented things in the right manner.

“I am grateful to you and I want you to give me more support. I am open to criticism.”

She posited that survival of democracy depend largely on the professional contributions of members of the mass media, through balanced stories and unbiased reporting.

Audu: I’ll partner Buhari on Ajaokuta Steel

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ORMER Kogi State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Prince Abubakar Audu, has promised to partner President Muhammadu Buhari to complete the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

Audu, who spoke in Abuja, said President Buhari was determined to resuscitate the company.

The former governor said the President made the pledge during his campaign in the state.

He noted that only the Buhari administration could make Kogi State realise its dream of completing the steel company because of the President’s honesty and dedication to the nation’s development.

Audu added that when completed, the steel company would generate jobs for the nation’s teeming youths and create wealth for Kogi State and other parts of the country.

He said: “We thank God for giving us President Buhari at

this challenging time in our history. He will govern the nation with humility, probity and transparency.”

Audu urged Nigerians to be patient with the President, adding that he remains focus to deliver dividends of democracy.

On why he is running again, the former governor said the people urged him to rescue the state from the visionless Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he said had governed the state for 12 years.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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NEWS

African continent under siege, Buhari warns AU leaders

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has warned his colleagues at the 25th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in South Africa that the continent was under siege.

He said the continent is facing challenges of terrorism and insecurity, poverty, youth unemployment and underdevelopment.

Buhari noted that Africa has progressed in the past one and a half decades from mainly political goals to more diverse aspirations since the transformation from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the AU. The President said: “It is, however, clear, Mr. Chairman, that some of the greater challenges to our peoples within this union still lie in the politi-

•Seeks end of illegal migration to Europe From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

cal, economic, as well as peace and security spheres. Our continent is currently bedevilled by the twin evils of terrorism and insecurity; poverty, youth unemployment, and underdevelopment.

“The destructive effects of the inhuman and criminal campaigns of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria and neighbouring countries; the Al-Shabab attacks in East Africa, and the activities of the Al-Qaida in the Maghreb, all bear testimony to a continent under siege.”

He used the opportunity to comment on the role former President Goodluck Jonathan played after the March 28 presi-

dential election.

Buhari said: “I cannot fail to acknowledge the very positive role played by my predecessor, H.E. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in averting the feared crisis, and in facilitating the peaceful transition of power between the two parties.

“My election has been described as historic. I agree that it is indeed historic because for the first time in the practice of democracy in my country, an opposition Party has defeated the ruling Party in a keenly contested election.

“The election was also held against the backdrop of the fears and concerns expressed both in Nigeria and among our international friends abroad

and partners that the outcome of the election could spell doom for Nigeria. I am glad that even though those fears and concerns were not without basis, the outcome was totally different, to the relief of all of us.”

The President told the African leaders to do everything possible to stop the illegal migration of Africans through the Mediterranean sea to Europe.

He said: “The images in the international mass media of African youths getting drowned in the Mediterranean sea on their illegal attempts, and often times illusory hope of attaining better life in Europe is not only an embarrassment to us as leaders, but dehumanises our persons. Indeed, they com-

bine to paint a very unfavourable picture of our peoples and countries.

“Those of us gathered here today owe it as a duty to reverse this ugly trend. We must put an end to the so-called push factors that compel our young men and women to throw caution to the winds and risk life, limbs and all, on this dangerous adventure.”

To this end, Buhari called on the leaders to redouble efforts to sustain the economic development of their countries, ensure empowerment of the youths, create more jobs, improve and upgrade infrastructure, and continue to enthrone a regime of democracy, good governance, respect for human rights and rule of law.

He added: “These and other measures that engender peace and stability must be pursued relentlessly. In this connection, we must persist in our collective endeavour to work together through the African Union

and our respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs), to uplift our continent and provide the African peoples the enabling environment for the realisation of their legitimate dreams and aspirations.

“At this juncture, let me assure you of the unflinching commitment of Nigeria to the ideals and aspirations of the African Union as explained in the Agenda 2063, which is geared towards ensuring a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa in the next 50 years. It is for this reason that Nigeria is fully and irrevocably committed to the ECOWAS vision.

“We do so because we believe that African integration is best attained through the instrumentality of our Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as the building blocs of viable continental institutions. Nigeria will, therefore, continue to play her part in supporting the African Union Commission and other continental and regional institutions in their efforts to prioritise African development in all sectors of human endeavour.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Three siblings die in Lagos fire

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HREE siblings were on Saturday burnt to death in their sleep at Egbeda in Alimoso Local Government Area of Lagos.

The fire was said to have been caused by candle light.

Fire has been wreaking havoc in the state of late.

Just yesterday, another fire consumed 30 shops in a popular market in Ajah, a Lagos suburb.

The victims - Ufoma, 9, Emeka,7, and Udoma,3,- ýlived in a self-contained apartment with their parents.

The candle was said to have been lit by their father, who left to visit their mother who just gave birth. The candle fell and started burning the furniture.

The fire which started around 10pm, was not noticed that until smoke started coming from the ceiling.

Residents battled to put out the fire, without knowing that the kids were trapped inside the apartment.

The Nation gathered that their bodies were evacuated by the police.

“The incident happened on Fakoya Street, around Vulcaniser bus stop,

By Precious Igbonwelundu

Egbeda. It affected a building with three rooms-and-a-parlour self-contained apartments. The affected family stays in one of the apartments.

“The fire was noticed around 10pm after their father had gone out to check on their mother who had just given birth at a nearby hospital. Before he left the house, he lit a candle and shut the door, while his children - two girls and a boy slept off.

“The candle stick must have either burnt out or fallen, causing the fireý. No one knew the kids were inside the apartment else they would have probably survived,” said a source.

Confirming the incident, Director, Fire Service Rasaq Fadipe said: “We got the call at 10.48pm. We quickly sent the Agege Fire Station to the place with 10,000 litres of water. The fire started from the children’s apartment and consumed the three apartments in the building. The kids were fast asleep when the fire started and they were burnt to death.”

•The scene of the Ajah market inferno...yesterday

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ANY live and trade in the neighbourhood because it is close to Onipanu bus-stop on Ikorodu Road.

Now, they are contemplating moving out because of the fear of hoodlums. Kayode Street in Onipanu has lost its attraction to them.

Shop owners claim that they are the easiest preys whenever hoodlums clash in the area and neighbouring streets, killing and maiming.

The Nation gathered yesterday that not a few traders and tenants have relocated, while those still there are living in fear.

“Just about 10 days ago, around 8pm, I was attending to a customer when I heard gunshots as people ran for dear lives. Before I could demand to know what was happening, I saw four armed young men in my shop. Despite the fact that I was used to such an experience there, I was terrified to the marrow.

‘Where is our money?’ One of them hollered. They collected all the money I had made that day – about N180,000 – and left for other shops.

“My passionate plea to them to have mercy on me because I’m a widow and retired teacher meant nothing

Church holds revival

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HE International Gospel Church (Circle of Kings Youth and Singles Fellowship), Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos, is set to organise its annual mid-year revival tagged: “Revive Thy Works in Thy Midst of The Year.”

According to one of its pastors, Amos Oluwagbenga, the programme, which is already generating buzz among members of the church, will begin today, with a praise and worship session at 6.00pm.

The venue, according to him, is the church’s premises at 2/4, Alao Adegboyega Street, off Olaniyi Street, IdiOro, Mushin.

The organisers further disclosed that Evangelist Deji Olorode and Pastor Samuel Alo among other invited pastors from various parishes, will minister at the 13-day event.

Residents: we live in fear of ‘area boys’

Kayode Street ... yesterday

By Dada Aladelokun

to them. Their bloodshot eyes were threatening as the offensive odour of marijuana was all over them. I have suffered such attacks thrice in the past one year. Now, I am on the look-out for safer areas where I can enjoy some measure of peace,” said a woman who sells babies’ wares.

A young male trader did not agree to speak with this reporter until he was assured that his name, business and address would not be mentioned.

His reason: “Those boys are deadly. If they identify me, they will kill me or in

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

the least, send me away from here after looting my shop again.”

The trader, who said he could not quantify how much he lost to previous attacks, added: “The attack of last week did not catch me unawares as I got alerted on phone when they started their trouble from the Mushin Toll Gate. I wasted no time in packing my things.

I had left my shop when they reached there. I was watching them from the Mobil Filling Station at the Ikorodu Road end of the street.

“What baffles me is that they always have free reign whenever they swoop on us as there is usually no police-

man to come to our rescue.

We are in serious mess here. I just hope the police can appreciate the magnitude of our plight and do something about the matter. Nobody is safe here at nightfall – even during the day!”

Another trader, who said she just came around to spend a few hours, told The Nation that she no longer opens her shop beyond 7pm for fear of such attacks.

She added: “Just three days ago, a man was shot dead near us here by members of a rival group. He was left to bleed to death as no one wanted to be caught in the web of the crisis.”

Don advises Muslims on corruption

By Basirat Braimah

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HE Chief Imam, Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State, Taofeek Abdulhammed, an engineer, has urged Muslims to join hands to eradicate corrup-

tion.

He gave the advice during the 3rd Abass-Elegba Community Foundation Pre-Ramadan lecture at the Ijaye Housing Estate Muslim Association (IHEMA) Central Mosque at Agege in Lagos.

Abdulhammed, who spoke on the theme: “Fight Against Corruption: The Islamic Perspective,” noted that the nation’s developmental process is being hindered by the magnitude of corruption in the country.

He said: “Islam has taught us not to be unnecessarily greedy. It is out of greed that people become corrupt because they focus more on materialism. If we focus on Allah and His oneness, we will realise our mistakes.

Muslims should be honest and must ensure to live above God. President of IHEMA, Mr. Bashir Braimah, who said individuals should eschew corruption in their personal lives to have positive effect on the society and the nation advised: “Muslims owe the duty to each other and Allah to be upright. The corruption in Nigeria today is too endemic. If we start as Muslims to comply with our oath of office, especially those who are in public offices who swore on oath with the Qur’an, things will change for the better. Also, even the new generation intends to go into power to steal and not to serve the country. As soon as we change our mindset to serve willingly, corruption may not be completely erased, but will be reduced with time.”

IHEMA Chief Imam, Shafi Mumuney, said the programme was to make Muslims be on the alert for the next Ramadan to make them more dutiful to Allah. “In order to eradicate corruption, we have to believe totally in the submission of Allah. The fear of Allah is paramount in our lives,” he noted.

Editor loses dad

Police urged to tackle child abuse

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FORMER Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope–Adefulire has urged law-enforcement agencies to co-operate with residents of the state to bring the perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence acts to book.

She spoke at a public lecture on child abuse prevention organized by the Centre for Rural Development and Community Transformation at the Yhelo House, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

The programme tagged Preventing Child Abuse in Nigeria: My Role, Your Role brought together civil society experts, community grassroots initiatives, youth

By Adeola Ogunlade

groups, lawyers and government agencies.

According to her, the battle to reduce child abuse in Nigeria can be effectively won when parents, rape victims, and law-enforcement agencies work together to track down sexual offenders.

She said: “We will allow rape which is unacceptable and intolerable in any sane society to fester when law enforcement agencies cover up sexual offenders or discriminate against rape victims, particularly minors”.

Mrs Orelope-Adefulire lamented that that in many cases, sexual offenders are always close relatives which made it hard for victims to open up or pursue the case to

a logical conclusion for others to learn.

Speaking on the unwillingness of many parents to report cases of abuse when they occur, which she attributed to the fear of stigmatization of victim, she said “we will only encourage the perpetrators to continue in this evil act if we keep quiet”.

She noted that in 2014, over 900 sexual and domestic violence were recorded in Lagos, which according to her poses a lot of challenges to all stakeholders to brace up in the discharge of their duty in the effort towards ridding our environment of sexual violence in any guise.

Mrs Orelope-Adefulire was represented by Deputy Director, WAPA, Mrs. Adefunke Odutola.

•The late Otokiti

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A James Omodara Otokiti, father of the News Editor of National Daily, Mr. Segun Otokiti, has passed on.

Pa Otokiti died on May 29, after a brief illness. He was 80.

He was a Supervisory Senior Pharmacy Techni-

cian with Ido/Osi Local Government in Ekiti State before he retired years ago.

His Pharmacy career took him across many states in the South-West and Edo State.

A Christian wake and lying-in-state will hold for him on July 16 at his 69, Ayetoro Street, Ijare, Ondo State home.

He will be laid to rest on July 17 at his residence after a funeral service at St. Michael Anglican Church, Ayetoro Street, Ijare.

Pa Otokiti is survived by wives, children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and many other relations.

Entertainment of guests follows immediately after burial at Anglican Grammar School’s open field in Ijare.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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NEWS

Don’t depend on IMF, World Bank, Falana tells Buhari •’CBN now Bureau de Change’

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CTIVIST-lawyer Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has implored President Muhammadu Buhari not to depend on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank for the nation’s economic revival.

Falana also enjoined the President not to romance with the local captains of industry if he truly wants to grow the economy.

He chided the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for its failure to monitor the nation’s economic policy.

The lawyer spoke yesterday in Lagos at the National Discourse organised by The Companion, a group of Muslim men in business and professions, at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos, Akoka.

Falana urged the President to form a link with the Nigerian people, saying the people should be identified through organisations, farmers, workers and the rest, and settle down to run the country on that basis.

“If you are going to depend on IMF and World Bank and these funny characters called captains of industry, we are not going to make any progress,” he warned.

“I want the president to

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

form an organic link with the Nigerian people, not with Tony Blairs of this world, not with profiteers and rent collectors who you guys in the media regard as captains of industry; which industry? ... that have collapsed? All these guys depend on duty waivers of trillions of naira. If you give me N500 billion worth of duty waivers, why will I not be the richest man in Africa?” he wondered.

Falana decried the CBN’s deviation from its primary roles as the chief regulatory of body of the nation’s economy.

“Our Central Bank,” he said, “has become a centre for Bureau de Change; it only talks of manipulating dollars. That is what Central Bank does now. It has nothing to do with acting as regulator of the monetary policy of our country.

Once you have that kind of situation, you cannot put blame on corruption; corruption itself is manifestation of economic mismanagement.

You can’t secure the lives of our people under this arrangement; you cannot create employment under this arrangement; you can’t generate electricity under this arrangement; we have spent $25 billion in

•From left: Prof Daud Noibi assisted by husband of Lagos State Deputy Governor Alhaji Saheed Adebule to present award to Prof Momoh at the event ... yesterday PHOTO: TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO the last 16 years to generate darkness; it is a shame that we now have power generation less than 2000 megawatts.

Speaking on the theme Setting Agenda for the new government, Falana said that for the president to successfully fight corruption, some blockages had to be made, without which it would be an effort in futility.

He urged Muslims in government to follow the teachings of the Holy Qu’ran because “the situation we find ourselves would have been solved long time ago, but due to greediness and having no regards for our creator.

CITYBEATS ‘I killed to avenge my cousin’s murder’

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DETAINEE has told the police that he shot a fellow cultist dead to avenge the killing of his cousin.

Matthew Ekomafe, 28, is being detained for allegedly killing a member of Eye cult, Shino Acheyi, over the death of his cousin, Dike Dik, a Political Science graduate of Delta State University in Abraka.

Dike was killed in Lagos on his return from Abuja where he was doing his National Youth Service Corps.

A source said the Eye cult members had been terrorising residents of Ijanikin in Lagos along the Badagry Expressway.

Some of them, according to the source, were also on the police “wanted list” for murder, killing, maiming and looting.

Following a tip-off, Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives swooped on the area and arrested Ekomafe in a hotel.

The police discovered a gun in his bag, the source said.

The police are on the trail of his gang members who he claimed, are cultists belonging to either Eye or Black Cat Fraternity.

Ekomafe may be prosecuted for armed robbery and murder.

The suspect said: “I am a member of Black Cat Fraternity. I had my Ordinary National Diploma in Marine Engineering in 2012. I am from Eku Village in Abraka Local Government Area of Delta State.

•Ekomafe

By Ebele Boniface “I don’t like Eye Fraternity because they rob and steal.

One of them, Uche who happened to be my friend, robbed me of my phone and N3,000 cash on the road. This made me to join Black Cat through a friend called Charles.”

Recalling how he was initiated, he said: “He (Charles) took me to a bush where they placed an axe on my head, cut my finger with razor blade and asked me to lick my blood. We were over 30 that were initiated that day.

“We promised under oath that we would never rob, rape nor steal, but Eye members

steal, rob and rape innocent women, claiming that having sex with a matured woman is not rape but merely having fun with them because they are not minors.”

He added: “My trouble started when my cousin, Dike Dik, a Youth Corps member came to visit me and Eye people shot him dead. We were annoyed and we went and killed one of them in the Vespa area of Ijanikin. It was one of the guys from Igbesa Polytechnic, Ogun State, named Atigba, who gave me the locally made short gun which I used to kill the killer of my cousin. The Eye people later retaliated by killing two members of Black Cat at Church bus stop.

“We later shot one of them, Godspower aka Power in retaliation. The casualties in Eye side now are two, while Black Cat has three casualties. The three Black Cat members they killed are Dike Dik, Tio and Destiny while the two the Black cats killed on the side of Eye are Shino and Seyi.

They rushed the person I shot at the chest to hospital where he later died.

On how he was arrested, he said: “I went to lodge in Ayala Hotel along Olorunshogo in the Ijanikin area. I was alone in my hotel room sleeping and somebody came and knocked. When I opened the door, policemen entered.

When they searched my room, they found a gun under the bed. When I took them to the house of one of us named Orumo, he scaled the wall and escaped.”

“The level of corruption in the country should be put on the Christian and Muslim leaders who have no regards for what they are taught in the two holy books.”

Falana added that, corruption breeds unemployment and insecurity in the country, adding that President Buhari should remember what he said about the scourge during his electioneering campaign that if corruption is not killed, it would kill Nigeria.

The Guest Speaker, Prof Abubakar Momoh enjoined President Buhari to take a cue from the Republic of China’s economic policy devoid of

IMF and World Bank input.

He urged the president to toe the line of China on how they grow their economy from zero level to what it is today.

Momoh said: “President Buhari should emulate China which adopted the policy of economic sovereignty, rather than accepting what the International Monetary Fund told him to do.

“Without economic sovereignty, the president cannot guarantee regular power supply, employment, good road network and infrastructural development for the citizenry.”

The Companion Amir

(President), Alhaji Musibau Oyefeso urged the president to always send the right signals that he do not condone corruption either in the open or in secret The government, Oyefeso said, should also have the courage and the political will to punish crime irrespective of the status of whoever is involved.

“The rule of law must be uniformly applied to all citizens and institutions. Our criminal laws must also be reformed constantly in line with modern-day realities in order to block loopholes in the existing laws,” he said.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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NEWS

THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014

‘The change is about them’ A remark by Senator Babafemi Ojudu on behalf of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Thank You Dinner organised by First Lady Mrs Aishat Buhari for women.

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OUR excellency, the wife of the president of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Mohammed , the chair of today’s event, former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who I like to refer to as The Warrior For Change. To safe your time, I recognise all our mothers here present. I can attest to the fact that there is no title more honourable and more revered than the title Mother. So, I recognise you our mothers as well as the distinguished gentlemen here present Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked me to apologise to you

profusely for his inability to be here today.

Three days ago, he was informed of the death of the first son of a very good friend of his in Paris. Asiwaju had to rush to Paris to share this very sad moment with him. Incidentally that friend contributed a great deal to the victory we are celebrating here today.

Asiwaju ask me to tell you that tonight is not a night of long speeches but of celebration. It is a night of joy moderated by a sober reflection. A reflection on the fact that many of our women who

made this possible do not have the opportunity and will never have the opportunity to partake of this dinner.

He said I should tell you that while you are winning and dinning, you must spare a thought for; •That woman in the creek of Niger Delta who paddles her canoe night and day in search of her livelihood; •The woman in Kotonkarfi who fry Kose to provide for her children; •That woman in the deep forest of Igbo land who rides her bi-

•Asiwaju Tinubu

cycle with her hoe on her shoulder to cultivate cassava to send her children to school;

•That woman in Ado Ekiti, who toils hours in the market selling Gari to train her children; •The Gwari woman who with her pot nestled on her shoulder walks kilometers daily in search of water; •The mothers of our missing Chibok girls who continue to live with the agony of the loss of their daughters; •The millions of ordinary Nigerian women who defied the elements and queued for hours to cast their votes for our great party.

This change is about them , it is for them, for their children and their future. we must therefore do everything possible not to disappoint them. This change must not be aborted. You must defend it so that together we can say we have fulfilled our covenant with our people. Thank you.

The Sexual Offences Bill: Soyinka got it wrong, says Senator Anyanwu A rejoinder by Senator Chris Anyanwu to an open letter

by Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka to President Muhammadu Buhari, in which the literary icon urged the president to ignore the controversial bill.

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have read your open letter published in PM NEWS and re-published on BELLA NAIGA, Premiumtimesnig.com and a number of on-line papers and also The Nation.

No one who read that letter could miss the fury embedded in your words. I know where that fury comes from: moral fiber, good conscience, and love of people. I want to assure you that it was the very same sentiments that drove me to come up with that bill and the same sentiments that led senators and members to pass it.

As always, your aim was to speak as the voice of reason in our increasingly confused society. I know you meant well. I know you acted out of your deep compassion for Nigerians and fatherly love for the children. But as I read your open letter, my heart sank because this time, my dear Baba, my dear icon, you are wrong; very wrong.

You have been misled by the misinformation circulated by someone who could not read or comprehend a legal draft; someone who did not have the patience to read through a proposal, see what was recommended and what was finally accepted. You were misled by someone who deliberately distorted the content of one of the most profound bills ever passed by the Nigerian legislature, scandalised the proponent and the institution for reasons that you and I may not know.

No where in the SEXUAL OFFENCES BILL That I proposed; no where in the bill passed by Senate was it stated that you can defile an 11 years old. No where in the bill passed

by the Senate was the age “11 years” mentioned. Here is what was passed in relation to your area of pre-occupation which is defilement clause 6 (2): “A person who commits an offence of defilement shall upon conviction be sentenced to imprisonment for life”.

You claimed that the bill re-defined “female adulthood as marital status”. Where in the bill proposed by me and where in the bill passed

by Senate did you see adulthood linked to marital status? The extreme distortion of the spirit, intent and even content of this bill leads me to think that you may be talking about an alltogether different piece of legislation.

For emphasis, let me state that the bill makes no such linkages as you erroneously stated. I think it may be fear of Senator Yerima that is at play here. For your information, Senator Yerima and all other Senators who participated in the debate the two times the bill came up on the floor supported it as a vehicle for instituting a stringent law barring all ranges of sexual offences in Nigeria. They did this because they also have children, wives, daughters, even mothers and cannot afford to leave them in the current state where abuses are rewarded with a slap on the wrist of the perpetrators because our laws are outdated, without strong in-built deterrence and mechanisms for monitoring and control are absent.

This is just another case of people demonizing what is clearly in the public good because of deeply-set negative pre-dispositions towards individuals in an institution. By your

strong advocacy against the bill, you have unwittingly stamped your feet in favor of maintaining the statusquo.

Where we are now..the statusquo.. is a world in which a six year old child is raped to death and then set ablaze.

Where we are now is a place where a father rapes his 3 year old boys repeatedly and the mother weeps at night and cannot speak out out of shame and fear of her life. Where we are now is a place where young Cynthia in her struggles for self employment ran into a gang who drugged her, raped and murdered her. Where we are now is a place where foreigners come for tourism and turn children into their objects of tourism.

With all due respect Sir, I want to express my deep disappointment with your hastiness in flowing with the mob on this matter. I blame your press officers. I think they should have advised caution. You have known me since the 1990’s. There is no way you could have sent fellers and I would not jump into the next flight to answer you. Infact, a mere telephone call could have dispensed with the matter. If you had even asked someone to get you a copy of the Votes and Proceedings of Senate for that day which published the exact words in the legislation passed, you would have spared yourself the time and emotions spent over what is clear mischief circulated through the web.

The people who started it all are hatemongers. They merely took advantage of the negative public feelings they have built up against the legislature. You have no business with such people Sir. I am sure in the most inner recesses of your mind you know I cannot in anyway be associated with any anti-people law. Nothing in my personal history, professional antecedents or even the hard work I did to

push through pro-people legislations in Senate, could lead anyone to think of me as capable of working against children, the very people I fought for over the course of my 8 years in Senate. The Sexual Offences bill is only one of many I did. I also proposed the Occupational Safety and Health bill protecting workers in virtually all sectors of the economy from hazards at work. The only group excluded are those in the oil and gas sectors who have been extensively provided for in the PIB. There was no “accident” as you call it involved in this legislation.

Neither was there an error in judgement. The bill has been fabricated to provide a strong deterrence against abuses. When implemented, It will mitigate the private sufferings of parents; reduce their fear of what happens in their absence to their children at school, in the play grounds, in the neighborhoods, even in religious spaces.

Nigeria today is not a safe place for children; not a safe place for girls; not a safe place for small boys; and it is not a safe place either for old women. This legislation is proposes condign punishments for abhorrent crimes such as we are seeing in our country today. It even covers crimes yet to arrive our shores. Under this bill, pedophiles will be put away for life not made rock stars as we do today. This bill will bring sanity to our society. It will make Nigeria a better place for all.

I suspect that some of those fighting against the bill are fixating on the short title. Its long title shows what it is: a sexual offences prevention bill; a tough deterrence to crime.

I want you to take time and read the final copy of the bill. You will be proud. You will realize that good things can come from Nigeria and

Nigerians. It is not only legislations initiated by outsiders and handed to us locals to push for their passage that should be deemed as good for us. By passing that bill, National Assembly has kept faith with the people of Nigeria. It has provided the cover of protection under which Nigerian children can live normal lives of fulfillment without fear. By your robust advocacy against the bill preventing sexual abuses of children, you foreclose the future of children in this society. But if I read you correctly, I have no doubt that you will reverse yourself on this once you have the correct information. This is why I have written you this letter.

You have made your first “imposition” on Mr. President based on your understanding of the false information circulated by the very offenders you despise. I plead with you as a man who has been found to be a great man of honor and bestowed with the highest literary honor in the world to reconsider.

Let me on behalf of the innumerable victims of abuse in Nigeria; let me invoke the spirit of Cynthia who fell victim in Lagos; and let me plead on behalf of the many wives and husbands deliberately infected with HIV by their partners whose suffering impelled this bill, that you reverse your instruction to Mr. President. The President of the Federal Republic looks to old sages like you for positive direction. That was what you intended to give him. But now that you know the truth, for the sake of your long established reputation and known love for Nigeria, turn it around and urge Mr. President to sign this bill that will protect our people, restore sanity to society and make Nigeria a better place for all.

I remain your loyal admirer and sister.

•Second row: President Muhammadu Buhari (left) with African leaders in a group photo popularly referred to as ‘Family Photo’ at the opening of the 25th AU Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa... yesterday.

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 15, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2015

NATION SPORT

‘Tevez deal is difficult ‘ A

TLETICO Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says it will be difficult to sign Carlos Tevez from Juventus given the Argentina striker's longstanding desire to return to Boca Juniors.

Tevez is under contract until 2016 and has repeatedly said he will not sign an extension as he plans to return to Boca, where he began his career, next summer.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone has confirmed that he would like to sign the striker, but Cerezo accepts that the 31-year-old may only be thinking about a move back to his homeland.

"It's difficult to compete with personal sentiment, as his heart might tell him to go to Boca, but he's a player we like who is a great person and professional," he

told Radio Uno. Juve general manager Beppe Marotta told Tevez this week that he must make a quick decision, adding: "The possibility of him leaving is still very high, but I don't want to put a percentage on it."

Meanwhile, Cerezo has said he rates Simeone as a better coach than Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho.

The Argentine has brought great success to Atletico since taking charge in 2011, winning the Copa del Rey,

Europa League and La Liga as well as guiding the club to the 2014 Champions League final.

"He's the best manager in the world, ahead of Guardiola and Mourinho," Cerezo said in quotes translated by Marca.

•Valdes

Valdes the solution to De Gea exit

Ozil: Arsenal team-mates ask me about Klopp RSENAL star Mesut Ozil has revealed his team-mates have asked him about Jurgen Klopp as the former Borussia Dortmund coach considers his next move.

The 47-year-old ended a seven-year spell in charge of BVB this summer and has long been linked with a job in the Premier League, having won admirers with his success and charisma.

Though Klopp has indicated that he will take some time off before choosing his next job, Ozil says that he is a popular topic of discussion among players in England.

"He is a huge topic - in the newspapers and with the players as well," the midfielder told Bild of the exMainz boss. "Some colleagues asked me about what Klopp is like.

"I never had him as a coach myself but his success speaks for itself. Klopp has a great personality. I like how he approaches everything very relaxed even though he is a great professional.

"What he achieved with BVB speaks for itself."

Klopp twice won the Bundesliga with Dortmund and reached the Champions League final in 2013.

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•Ozil

ORMER Manchester United goal keeper Edwin Van der Sar has told the BBC that should David De Gea move on from Manchester this summer, the club already have a “inhouse” replacement in their ranks in Victor Valdes.

Van der Sar, who played for United between 2005-2011, claimed that regarding De Gea’s exit “nobody is irreplaceable” and that the “great pedigree” of Valdes means that he would be the perfect replacement.

Valdes has acted as deputy to De Gea since signing on a free transfer from Barcelona in January, making two appearances in the process, however his experience in Spain means he would need little time to settle.

Van der Sar also claimed that the passing ability possessed by Valdes, following his time at the Nou Camp, would suit perfectly the style of play favoured by United manager Louis van Gaal.

If De Gea does choose to leave United, following what Van der Sar describes as an “immense progression” during his time in England, United “have to move on and find a successor” according to their former player.

De Gea, who signed for United in 2011 from Atletico Madrid, has been voted the club’s player of the year in 2014 and 2015 and remains immensely popular with the United supporters.

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The 29-year-old still has three-years left on his contract and currently earns •140,000 a week at Manchester United.

Fenerbahçe are managed by a Portuguese coach who recently signed a two-year deal replacing Ismail Kartal.

The Yellow Canaries finished last season as runners up and booked a place in the Champions League playoffs.

Morata: Juve taught me so much Fenerbahce denies A Benfica offer for Nani LVARO Morata “cried many times” after the Champions League Final and “learned more” at Juventus than Real Madrid.

The Spanish striker had scored the equaliser against Barcelona in Berlin, but the final result was 3-1 for the Blaugrana.

Immobile: 'I might quit Dortmund'

C

IRO Immobile warned he “might not stay at Borussia Dortmund” ahead of Euro 2016, praising Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri.

The striker was a sensation at Torino and won the Capocannoniere title, but has struggled in Germany.

“It is only normal that I am pleased to be linked with so many clubs, and being Italian I do miss home,” said Immobile in a Press conference while on international duty.

“I have a very important decision to make. There is the European Championship and I need a season like the one I had at Toro, to be a protagonist.

“There’s no reason to say I can’t do that at Dortmund, especially now that we have changed Coach, but I might not stay at Borussia Dortmund.”

Napoli seem to be the favourites under new Coach Sarri, especially as it is his

hometown club, but Fiorentina are also an option.

“Aside from Juventus, the team that played the best football in Serie A was Sarri’s Empoli. He made them play the beautiful game, both in movement and on set plays.

He is a well-prepared Coach and Napoli made the right decision hiring him.”

•Immobile

“I cried many times, playing and replaying that Final in my head. It will serve me well in future, because you always learn something from a defeat,” Morata told Marca TV. “The fans gave us an extraordinary welcome back in Turin that night, as almost 1,000 people were at the airport. It was almost as if we’d won.”

He certainly does not regret the decision to leave Real Madrid on a two-year loan, although his future after that is up in the air.

“Italian football has given me so much and I think I learned more here in a single season than the rest of my career in Spain.

“The defences are extremely focused and it is more difficult to score. It is a very tactical style of football and completely different to La Liga.

“People said I would struggle to settle in, but that has not been the case. I just wanted some more space to show what I can do and I found that at Juve.

“Andrea Pirlo is a legend of world football and I am truly privileged to admire him close up. From him you can learn everything, even how to put on your boots.

“Paul Pogba is my friend and I hope he remains at Juve, as he’s really a superstar.”

ENERBAHÇE sporting director Giuliano Terraneo was reported to have travelled to London ahead of talks over Manchester United winger Nani according to the Hürriyet. Terraneo is expected to meet with Nani’s agent and enter negotiations on Monday.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Blues from JP Morgan • Is it trying to stampede the Buhari government?

AST week, JP Morgan, the United States lender, announced plans to eject Nigeria from its Government Bond Index for Emerging Markets by the end of the year. The reason it gave was that Nigeria needed to restore liquidity to currency markets in a way that allows foreign investors tracking the benchmark to transact with minimal hurdles. It claimed to have given Nigeria till this month to increase liquidity in its currency markets or face ejection from the bond index. This time, however, it claims it is extending the deadline by another six months ostensibly to enable the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to have a firm handle on things.

For an economy that was until recently the toast of international rating agencies, this latest development would merely add to the string of woes which attenuated the dip in global oil prices. The auguries, would ordinarily seem far from good: aside forcing the investors tracking it to sell Nigerian bonds from their portfolios potentially resulting in significant capital outflows, the development, it is feared, would raise borrowing costs for the country already suffering from a sharp drop in revenue.

By the way, JPMorgan only added Nigeria to the widely followed index in 2012, the second African country after South Africa to be included. It added Nigeria’s 2014, 2019, 2022 and 2024 bonds.

Should the development stoke panic in

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the local economy? We clearly do not think so. At best, it is merely a wake-up call. Yes, Nigeria, an emerging economy at this time and a fringe player in the global financial markets –stands to gain from retaining the bank’s listing as against being out.

With due respect to JP Morgan however, the need to restore liquidity to the currency market, being canvassed as basis for ejecting the country from the bond typically betrays an obsession by international agencies with symptoms rather than the underlying disease. But even more asinine is what appears to be a move to stampede the new Buhari administration and the financial authorities into precipitate actions.

Why extend the deadline by six months if we may ask? Why not 12 or even 24 months if the idea is to give the administration a breather? More than JP Morgan would perhaps care to appreciate, Nigerians understand the source of the current crisis. They recognise that the issue at hand requires more than the tinkering with the currency markets, which is akin to seeking treatment for ringworm while leaving a more malignant leprosy unattended to.

Again, we dare to ask: what was the main catalyst in 2012 when the bank added Nigeria to the index, which is missing now? Except for the single factor of oil prices which held high and steady then, we cannot find any difference. So, what happens in the unlikely event of

oil prices rebound? Would the bank then change its mind? Such scenarios ought to compel a more fundamental, if not entirely rigorous rethink of its approach to the whole issue.

The truth, however, is that Nigerians did not elect their leaders only to have them pander to international agencies, no matter how well meaning. They elected them to get the job done. Today, the main challenge is how to diversify the economy in quick time; how to ensure a quick turn-around in the infrastructure situation, and to create jobs for the army of the unemployed. The government should bear in mind that it is their performance on those indices that ultimately counts; not what these international agencies think.

‘Again, we dare to ask: what was the main catalyst in 2012 when the bank added Nigeria to the index, which is missing now? Except for the single factor of oil prices which held high and steady then, we cannot find any difference. So, what happens in the unlikely event of oil prices rebound? Would the bank then change its mind?’

Wobbling FMBN •It is depressing that the bank can only provide loans to 60,000 of its 4m contributors HAT a disturbing trend that dearth of housing which for decades has become a serious challenge to the nation is continuing because of avoidable official incompetence. Isn’t it scandalous that the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) shamelessly revealed through Lawal Isa, its head of corporate affairs, that “there are currently about four million Nigerians that are registered and are contributing to the National Housing Fund (NHF) but the FMBN has been able to provide mortgage loans to only about 60,000 or 1.5 per cent of contributors.’’

He attributed the setback to several avoidable challenges,, including “…lack of access to land; inadequate funding for the housing sector; inaccessibility of mortgage loans due to lack of proper titles to properties; low income of prospective borrowers, which affects affordability; and cumbersome proce-

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‘It is criminal for hardworking people to contribute money with the promise of getting loans when in the end such loans would not be forthcoming. The truth is that the organisation needs urgent recapitalisation and focused management if the housing needs of millions of average income Nigerians must be actualised’

dures for obtaining governor’s consent to land transactions, which is also costly.’’

It is sad that FMBN, known at inception in 1956 as Nigerian Building Society (NBS), being a joint venture of the Commonwealth Development Corporation and the Federal and Eastern Governments of Nigeria has failed to meet public expectations. The problem encountered could not be that of ownership structure or that of putting proper legal framework in place because the Federal Government’s Indigenisation Policy that was backed by Indigenisation Act, 1973, caused the centre government to undertake 100 percent ownership of the NBS which led to its being renamed FMBN. The sad reality, 42 years after, is that the contributing Nigerians have not significantly benefited from the supposed mobilisation of long-term funds, lending volume and expansion of mortgage lending services. Even, FMBN’s administration and management of the contributory savings scheme through its empowerment vide the National Housing Fund (NHF) establishment Act 3 of 1992 has yielded little or no result. The NHF has failed to be an effective housing contributory pool for the mobilisation of long-term funds from Nigerian workers, banks, insurance companies and the Federal Government, in order to provide veritable platform for the advancement of housing loans at soft interest rates to contributors.

The FMBN Act 82 of 1993 and the Mortgage Institutions Act 53 of 1989 that gave the FMBN the status of apex mortgage institution in 1994 have failed to mitigate the difficulty of Nigerians to access hous-

ing loans.

The revelations that FMBN wants to actualise the intent of section 14(2) of the NHF Act Cap N45 of 1992 relating to easy accessibility to loans by contributors for the purpose of building, purchasing or renovating existing homes/ houses should not end at the level of rhetoric. At the moment, the country’s mortgage industry is at the verge of collapse and the quicker cheap sources of loanable funds to nurture and sustain affordable home ownership in the sector are provided, the better for Nigerians.

The FMBN’s new initiative of granting concessionary loan windows to enable Nigerians access mortgages for home ownership is commendable provided it would not end dismally like previous attempts. The introduction of home renovation loan idea to avail contributors to the NHF the opportunity of accessing mortgage loans for the renovation or improvement of their existing homes, good as it may be, is just a palliative because millions of others are still struggling to build a shelter of their own.

It is high time the Federal Government decided whether or not it still needs FMBN. It is criminal for hardworking people to contribute money with the promise of getting loans when in the end such loans would not be forthcoming. The truth is that the organisation needs urgent recapitalisation and focused management if the housing needs of millions of average income Nigerians must be actualised.

Now that the rains are here

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IR: For generations, rainfall has been known to serve as showers of divine blessings as it had always provided the needed blessings that mankind needed for survival. Rain water has constantly been nature’s solution to drought and famine. Therefore, while the approaching of the rainy season delights the farmers and also a boost to electricity supply, for residents of Lagos, a coastal state, the wet season is not always the best time of the year. It is a period that comes with the intimidating challenge of flooding. And when it happens, many homes are swamped, property worth fortunes are destroyed and sometimes human lives are involved as the tide sweeps away everything in their path, leaving residents to recount tales of woes. To an average Lagosian, rainfall could be a curse rather than a blessing. Usually, whenever it rains heavily across the state, there is a rise in the Lagoon and ocean, which automatically locks up all the canals already blocked with litters by residents due to indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

This naturally results in flooding noticed in the metropolis. However, flash flood is noticed on the road after continuous rainfall which, soon after, disappears after the canals are able to empty into the water bodies.

It is a known fact that usually flooding occurs in the metropolitan areas as a result of urbanization which leads to generation of more wastes that are being dumped indiscriminately in the drainage channels. To forestall the occurrences of tragedies that have characterized this season previously, the state government has been cleaning, clearing and de-silting of drainages and canals on the highways and streets in the metropolis prior to the coming of the rains. Therefore, the residents of the state should brace up to the task of ensuring a zero tolerance for flooding by fulfilling their own part through constant cleaning of the drainage channels and by desisting from dumping their wastes arbitrarily. Lagosians should take the issue of obtaining approvals before erecting their buildings in order not to build on drainage channels, thereby blocking free flow of water whenever it rains.

There some flood plain areas in the state which are susceptible to flood. Areas like Ajegunle, Owode Onirin and Owode Elede in Kosofe Local Government Area, Kuramo Beach, Alpha Beach on the Island as well as Mende- Maryland, Ijora- Badia and Iwaya among others fall in this category. As a result of the incessant rainfall which seems to have begun for the year, the Lagos State government has advised residents living in the low line areas (flood plains) to relocate due to the rising level of water from the rainfall. This is essential for affected residents because of the persistent rains since March which had led to the rise in water level of the lagoons and rivers as a result of back-flow into adjoining low line areas.

We must take our destiny into our hands and do all the needful to ward off avoidable natural calamities. Hence, the need for everyone to support the state government in protecting the environment.

• Bilkis Bakare Ministry of Information & Strategy, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

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

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: We bring our plight to your attention as we anticipate your promise to end corruption, impunity and insecurity in Nigeria. This open letter is meant to shed more light on the challenges faced by Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora especially as it pertains to Nigerian embassies abroad. Though your office is open to the people unlike your predecessor who alienated himself from the masses, I choose this medium to actually send a point to those who might not be privileged to see a private letter.

We have absolutely no reason to doubt your commitment to cleanse the government of corruption and to create a government that works for the people of Nigeria. This time is particularly important because Nigeria stands at the threshold of

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

Open letter to President Buhari greatness or implosion, and the decisions you make in the next few years will significantly determine our future as a country.

We recall your promise during the campaign to end the impunity of extrajudicial killings and to deliver justice to the families of the victims. This gave new hope to many people who defied fear and terror to vote for you.

We know that our quest for truth,

justice and healing faces historical and structural challenges that are not easy to transcend. Victims, witnesses, advocates, and family members continue to face threats to life and health. But we cannot stop the work to end the culture of impunity and join efforts to bring forth a culture of accountability.

Tackling this problem demands wisdom and firmness that the previous government was unable to

Abuse of the elderly IR: All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights, and have the right to age with dignity, respected by their families and communities, free of neglect, abuse and violence – Ban Ki-moon In 2002, the World Health Organisation (WHO) brought international attention to the issue of elder abuse or elder mistreatment which it describes as a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person. The core element to the harm of elder abuse is the ‘expectation of trust’ of the older person towards their abuser for example a spouse, partner, friend, family member or neighbor.

Some forms of elder abuse are same as domestic violence.

According to the United Nations, around four to six percent of elderly people have experienced some form of maltreatment at home, and UN states that the global population of people aged 60 years and above will increase from about 542 million in 1995 to about 1.2 billion in 2025. Elder abuse is a global social issue which affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons

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around the world, and an issue which deserves the attention of the international community.

Elder abuse involves physical, sexual, psychological, financial, domestic violence and of course neglect and self-neglect. Older persons that are abused deal with physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences and the incidence of the abuse in later life is predicted to increase as many countries are experiencing rapid ageing populations. However, irrespective of age, abused persons have shorter life expectancies than non-abused persons.

The personal losses associated with abuse can be devastating and include the loss of independence, homes, life savings, health, dignity and security.

Until recently, this serious social problem was hidden from the public view and considered mostly a private matter. In some societies, elder abuse continues to be a taboo, mostly ignored across the world.

However, there is increasingly sufficient proof that elder abuse is an important public health and societal problem.

In some traditional societies, older widows are subjected to forced marriages, while in others; isolated older women are accused of witch-

craft. And in some Nigerian cultures, widows are unjustly accused of killing their spouse and coerced to drink the water used in bathing their dead spouse. Measures to define, detect and address elder abuse need to be placed culturally and also considered alongside specific risk factors.

The Federal Government should fast-track the implementation of the Social Security Act so as to ameliorate the pain and agony of Nigerians – especially the elderly, who are out of job as a result of ill-health, feebleness or age. The Social Security Act which is a poverty safety net is meant to prevent Nigerians from falling below the poverty line, through payment of stipulated stipends to Nigerians who have no visible means of survival.

Both primary health care and social service sectors need to be well equipped so as to identify and deal with the problem. Although the extent of elder abuse is unknown, its social and moral significance is obvious, and as such demands a global multi-faceted response which focusses on protecting the rights of older persons.

• Anthony Ajegwu Lagos.

show. You have to make difficult decisions, and there is no way out of the mess our dear nation has been thrown into that will be easy.

Like many Nigerians, I hope you do whatever it takes to restore normalcy to the country.

Secondly, I would also want to bring to your attention the criminal practice of Nigerian embassies across the globe. One wonders whose interests they protect or if Nigerian embassies that are supposed to protect the rights of every Nigerian living in diaspora have now become businesses. The daily exploitation of Nigerians by these embassies must come to an end; we must define the path of our country on accountability and transparency at home and abroad.

These embassies continue to charge Nigerians $20 to stamp any

document most especially in Eastern European countries; this act is illegal, criminal and alien to the constitution of Nigeria. The problem extends beyond monetary exploitation to their lack of concern for Nigerians living in the countries they serve. In different countries around the world, embassy staff do not answer phone numbers on their websites, hardly respond when Nigerians are in trouble, and generally behave as if they don’t care at all. We cannot expect people to respect us if those people know that we don’t matter to our own embassies in their countries. Here in Ukraine, the story is not different; we must stop this if we are interested in reclaiming our place as the giant of Africa.

Sir, you have to strive for the change that we desire. You know Nigerians trust you to deliver on your promises, and I strongly believe that addressing these two issues would be a great way to start your mission to move Nigeria to the heights of greatness that it so surely deserve.

• Comrade Ahmed Omeiza Lukman, Kiev Ukraine.

Appeal to Mimiko IR: I write to plead on behalf of the elderly who make the highest percentage of pensioners in Ondo State. For three months now, they haven’t received their pensions and this is taking its toll on their health and families.

How? Their blood pressure is on the increase. This is not far-fetched as they remain benefactors to some of their children who are still dependent on them due to the high rate of youth unemployment in the country.

Sir, the stipend they get may seem intangible to you, but it helps alleviate the cost of feeding their families and also pay part of their exhorbitant PHCN bills.

It is inevitable you would cease to be governor one day, you don’t want the children of these

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pensioners to remember you as a governor who didn’t pay pensions and who allowed their parents develop complications from high blood pressure as a result of being denied their pensions at the appropriate time.

Remember one of your favorite songs during your campaigns which translated means, God’s words are like proverbs especially when you sit comfortably to eat your three square meals from government coffers everyday.

Sir, elections are now over, let us live in the world of reality. Do not dim the sun in the sunshine state.

Let us all keep it shining by doing what is right and pleasing to God. •Anonymous, Akure, Ondo State.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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FEW years ago, a group of African scholars, including myself with a sprinkle of international, non-African, colleagues, gathered in Accra, Ghana, under the auspices of the then nascent African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) to initiate a flagship report of the Centre on Africa’s economic transformation. At that propitious gathering, I canvassed that any definition of transformation must include a clear indication that the country has mastery, a command, if you like, of the production architecture of a few goods and services or a set of goods and services. By this, I explained, that the technology of production of these few goods and services must be under complete control of that country- she can produce it, adapt it, modify it and redirect it to produce profitable goods and services. I was inexplicably defining an Innovation Economy- an economy that creates things. In essence while I appreciated the necessity of made in Africa, the destination must be made by Africans and a transforming nation should have the benchmarks for moving towards this destination.

My concern is that Nigeria is not establishing these benchmarks and no one is worrying about them. The global innovation index of 2014 ranks Nigeria 110 out of 143 countries. Compare that with the ranking of these selected countries: Rwanda (102), Egypt (99), Uganda (91), Indonesia (87), Kenya (85), India (76), Brazil (61), South Africa (53), Barbados (41), Mauritius (40), Malaysia (33), China (29), South Korea (16), Israel (15), and Finland (4). This index, while not perfect, clearly underscores our innovation gap and points to the sets of issues that the new leadership should address in the drive to transform the economy and provide prosperity for all.

To transform is to diversify the economy. But diversification is not a natural phenomenon as many of our leaders’ pronouncements tend to suggest. It must be caused to happen through organized public actions. Development and inclusive prosperity is, therefore, about diversification and structural change, the creation of new things on a competitive basis from both the traditional and non-traditional sectors. It is technology-led development which is a leadership endeavour. Leaders and their governments must provide the vision, the strategy and the infrastructure, both human and physical that underpins any industrial or technological advantage. The more underdeveloped a nation is, the more the government is expected to do. And let me emphasize that no nation has ever diversified without active government brokerage and intervention, often couched in terms of industrial and technology policy or what may be termed industrial policy by other means – the sort that industrialized countries engage in. The pillars of government’s intervention include training of critical mass of high quality scientists and engineers, significant and purposeful research and development spending, creation of incentives for invention and patenting, nurturing and encouraging venture capitalists that can support a start-up culture and, sometimes, acting as the venture capitalist through an innovation fund, creation and support of dynamic business clusters, bolstering firm-level competitive behaviour that encourages learning and innovation, investing in specialized infrastructure and institutions, acting as a broker between knowledge generating institutions such as universities and other research institutions and business and entrepreneurial entities that have the capacity to translate ideas and promising research results into goods and services.

There is more. The leadership must be entrepreneurial and

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do not subscribe to the notion that Nigeria is a great and rich country. I hiss at the mention of these two words by anyone, no matter how highly placed and/or intelligent, which makes me to immediately lose interest in the person’s speech, no matter its veracity. Nigeria is neither great nor rich.

What can best describe her station is that she has the potential to be great and rich. And potential is just that – potential. Like a person, a nation can bring her potential into existence within the “shelf-life” of that potential. Or she may never. A country that is far behind in all indices of societal development cannot be considered great. But of course, Nigeria is a ‘great’ country for that someone who simply evacuated billions of naira of his country’s pensioners into his private account and still walks around with soldiers and policemen as bodyguards, with a National Honour to boot. It is also no doubt the ‘greatest’ country on earth for that chief of state who’s richer than all his state’s indigenes combined, having commandeered their common patrimony by virtue of his position. And when the nation’s judiciary finally summoned enough courage to ‘prosecute’ him, he was fined less than one tenth of one percent of his loot and told to steal no more. Nigeria cannot be a rich country when her entire annual budget is what a university expends annually on Research and Development (R&D) in a country in Europe or a company’s operating budget in North America. What has this to do with Osun State?

The state, like most states in the federation, has always found it difficult to embark on any meaningful growth and development since their creation because the centre insists that they must be spoon-fed. So, they keep struggling to meet their basic financial obligations such as paying their workers’ salaries and pensions.

Some of them are, for all practical purposes, insolvent that were they to be companies they would have gone belly up a long time.

When the governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola lucidly laid bare all the financial facts of his state at the

‘One need not be a financial wizard to know that this state is in deep financial trouble. So, what’s to be done?

Methinks the governor would have used that old school anthem of his, titled “Moment of Decision” written by J. Russel Lowell to reel out his plans of action because it’s now decision time – hard one at that’

The President needs an innovation adviser

By Prof Osita Ogbu visionary with a strong sense of purpose. It must have the capacity and the moral authority to change the citizens’ and other layers of governments’ “mental model” including self-doubt, reward for production rather than consumption, resolution of coordination failure between the federal government and states and local governments and their understanding of their role in innovation and job creation, tap into Diaspora knowledge, access and network, and to address cultural traits that inhibit innovation such as risk-averseness, fear of failure, paternalism and hierarchy, gender inequity, poor attitude and work ethics. The leadership must imbue citizens with the right innovation orientation: to grow their insights, to build interpersonal trust and cooperation, to continually learn in order to improve productivity and competitiveness and incentivize and challenge them to dare. When President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961, stated that America would land a man on the moon, he did not have all the facts. He knew that it was going to be a challenging technological achievement. His goal was to demonstrate technological superiority over the Soviet Union. And leaders set goals. That mission statement from a respected leader galvanized NASA and the American scientific community and mission was accomplished by 1969. Israel has been described as “start-up” centric, with more business start-ups per capita than any other nation, with half of her exports in the high tech sector. They have turned their desert to forest. But the government of Israel including her early leaders such as Ben-Gurion and Shimon Peres worked tirelessly to build the foundation for their technological revolution. Finland, the home of Nokia, was a natural resource based economy, exporting forestry based products such as paper a few years ago. Thanks to the foresight of her government and leaders in the 1990s, they created institutions and used active technology policies to transform their economy, moving from investment driven to innovation driven economy. Today, Finland is one of the most competitive in the world and her major exports are in high tech. The story of Nokia, a large technology company, a former rain boot manufacturer is a story of effective partnership between an intelligent government and an innovative private sector.

In his 2012 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama spoke about how to motivate what he called “an economy built to last”, an economy with a strong manufacturing base and an economy that generates quality jobs. But more importantly, Obama outlined strong and intelligent policies that would underpin this economy, and the robust relationship between the government and the private sector that gives birth to this economy. Such government interventions, according to him, include training skilled workers, strengthening education especially in science and engineering and supporting innovation and “using public resources to develop technologies that industries use.” He went further to illustrate this when he said that “it

is public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop technologies to extract all this natural gas out of Shale rock…government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground”. It is, therefore, clear that both in developed and developing countries where structural transformation has taken place or is taking place, it is government’s business to support business innovation and competitive edge.

But it must be done in an intelligent and strategic manner. And it requires leadership at the highest level.

So what is Nigeria’s model for an innovation economy? What kinds of assets and benchmarks are we building? And what are the institutions that can be used to create an innovation economy – one that would create wealth and spread prosperity? Nigeria has at least four important parastatals that can be organized and re-directed to support and accelerate our innovation assets. They are the Raw Material Development and Research Council (RMRDC), National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Petroleum Technology Development Trust Fund (PTDF), and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

These institutions have quasi-independent sources of revenue and can be galvanized to collaborate and be more strategic. In addition, I would like to suggest that we create an Innovation Fund. The nucleus of such a fund can be all the recovered monies and assets from corrupt acts, including those from corrupt politicians and private sector actors. This would be a classic case of turning evil into good.

In order to provide leadership at the highest level, the President would require a Senior Adviser – a Chief Innovation Adviser (CIA). This Cabinet level appointee would be responsible for dealing with the issues raised in this piece. Acting on behalf of the President, he or she would coordinate the relevant MDAs and engineer the States to be centres of innovation for the purpose of creating quality jobs and spreading prosperity, work with the private sector to improve innovation at the firm-level, serving as a bridge between public initiatives and generation and use of knowledge capital in the private sector. Above all, he/she would be the constant reminder to the President that on this matter he must provide strong leadership as the Innovation Commander-in Chief. And that the buck stops with him.

‘In order to provide leadership at the highest level, the President would require a Senior Adviser – a Chief Innovation Adviser (CIA). This Cabinet level appointee would be responsible for dealing with the issues raised in this piece’

For Osun to overcome

By Femi Odere inauguration of the sixth assembly, it showed courage in leadership where others would have been scared stiff. Governor Aregbesola said, inter alia, that the “problem began in 2012 when our expenditure increased as a result of the spike in minimum wage…Then, our total emoluments rose to N2.7 billion from the N1.4 billion I met in November 2010. By December of that year, it hit N3.5 billion. At the same period, our statutory allocation…increased marginally from N2.1 billion in 2010 to N2.5 billion in December 2012. By July of 2013, our total emoluments hit N4 billion while our statutory allocation was N2.1 billion. By then we had extended the increase to other workers.”

The governor went on to say that “the summary of five years reveal that in the two months of 2010, we received a net allocation of N4.2 billion and paid a total emoluments of N3.6 billion. This left us with a net gain of N573 million from our statutory allocation. In 2011 also, we got N29.9 billion net statutory allocation and spent N25.8 billion on emoluments with a net gain of N4 billion. However, in 2012, we got N28.4 billion and expended N31.6 billion on emoluments. This left us, for the first time, with a deficit of N3.2 billion. The following year, 2013, our statutory allocation had dropped to N26.4 billion while our emoluments rose to N36.9 billion. This gave us a whopping N10.4 billion deficit. In 2014, our statutory allocation fell further to N19.3 billion and by which time we were already defaulting on some of our obligations on emoluments, which had also dropped to N22.4 billion, but still left us with a deficit of N3 billion. In summary, between November 2010 and December 2014, we got a total statutory allocation of N108.3 billion and our expenditure on emoluments was N120.4 billion.

It left us with a total deficit of N12 billion…Even when we add our internally generated revenue, we were still only able to muster N204 billion and still short by N2 billion. It simply means that all our earning from all sources between 2010 and 2014 could not carry our recurrent expenditure (emphasis mine).”

One need not be a financial wizard to know that this state is in deep financial trouble. So, what’s to be done? Methinks the governor would have used that old school anthem of his, titled “Moment of Decision” written by J. Russel Lowell to reel out his plans of action because it’s now decision time – hard one at that. Knowing that their state is heavy laden and its financial future bleak, I had expected that the current civil service strike would have been immediately called off in sympathy for a governor who had not only promptly paid salaries, but gave

them a 13th month bonus in the past, even with the limited resources at his disposal. Aside from our monumental corruption, some of the questions to ask ourselves are why is it that our financial health is always precarious as a nation? Do we really understand capitalism and its principles for it to work well for us? Why are we in delusion of creating wealth when we’re not? Are we operating a capitalist system with socialist mindset, or vice versa? Granted, these questions may be pointless by now, but what the states cannot wish away, Osun inclusive, is that they must embark on some hard and tough choices henceforth. And here are some suggestions for Governor Aregbesola.

He must reduce the size of government. The size must be so compact to fit in a briefcase. Thus, some ministries, parastatals and agencies must be scrapped. For example, why should a state whose country’s constitution guarantees religious freedom have Pilgrims Welfare Board? Why should the state pay for people to go on holy pilgrimages? What’s the meaning of Ministry of Women Affairs? Why should there exist a Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs when Local Governments are constitutionally autonomous? Why the Ministry of Sports? Why not recalibrate, say, the Ministry of Information to provide life and well-being-enhancement, wealth-creating information and knowhow to the citizenry?

Why not convert the vast expanse of land that houses the state secretariat into a middle class community in cohabitation with essential ministries? About three or four buildings of four floors each, with one ministry per floor, clustered around the governor’s office, would do just fine. Most importantly, a state’s workforce that brings in less than N30 million in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) a month should not be paid N100 million as salaries, let alone N1 billion per month. The state must encourage most of its workers to take early retirement by giving them some lump sums (buy-out) for retiring early while their pensions are in abeyance for a few years. After this, Governor Aregbesola must make several forays into Lagos for some of its companies and line them up along the rail corridor of Osogbo. You first have to get out of the box before you can think out of it otherwise you’re still in a straightjacket, which is where the entire country seems to be. Deliberate policies and actions must be activated if Osun State shall overcome. The time is now.

•Odere is a media practitioner. He can be reached at femiodere@gmail.com.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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HE emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the president and speaker of the Senate and House of Representatives respectively is now a settled issue. So also are the treacheries and high-wire politics that followed the contests. This conclusion is however, without prejudice to threats from some quarters to challenge the elections in court. If what we have been told about extant procedure for inaugurating the assembly is anything to go by, it does appear not much will come from such litigation.

Diverse interpretations have been given to events that brought that pass. And they vary depending on the divide from which it is being viewed. Blames have also been freely traded.

But the commonly held view is that the APC did not properly handle the crisis arising from disagreements over its mock elections. Not only was the party tepid in its resolution of the rebellion of some of its legislators, it committed a tactical error to have called for a meeting in another venue on the day of the inauguration. With the letter of proclamation, date and time duly signed and delivered by President Buhari, it is curious a meeting with APC senatorselect was hurriedly summoned for another venue around the same time. This says volumes about the handling of the schism arising from the mock elections. The argument that Buhari had just arrived that morning from a foreign assignment may not sway anybody given that the issue was there before he travelled.

Obviously, the PDP put the situation to its advantage and could have taken up the senate presidency but perhaps, for the firm agreement they reached with Saraki. The PDP is now touted to have come into reckoning again such that its capacity to play the role of an effective opposition is being further strengthened. The election of Ike Ekweremadu as deputy senate president again, illustrates this viewpoint. There is also the argument in some quarters that

Emeka OMEIHE 08112662675 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

Saraki, Dogara’s triumph even if all the APC senators-elect were at the chambers that morning, the outcome would not have changed. The numerical strength of the PDP and that of the dissenting senators-elect is cited to buttress this.

This angle cannot be discounted. If anything, the election of Dogara with the full complement of legislators from all divide gives fillip to this perspective.

However, there are those who scorn the success of the PDP as pyrrhic victory given that both Saraki and Dogara are all of the APC stock. This standpoint is no less appealing depending on how the game unfolds in the days ahead.

It would appear all the contradictions that shaped those elections are not very obvious now. They are more likely to take clearer shape as the Buhari administration settles for the business of statecraft. All that can be reasonably conjectured, is that the way the coalition of forces at play during those elections manifest, will have wider repercussions for the party especially given that it has before now, been criticized as an amalgam of strange bedfellows with no soul of its own. Possibly, it is the above scenario that is bubbling.

Various possibilities have been visualized. And much of these raise fresh chal-

‘The party leadership is within its rights to be livid with errant members. They are also right in their anger especially given the emergence of Ekweremadu of the PDP as the deputy senate president. In their calculations, there is no way they would have factored in either the PDP or the South-east in the sharing equation’

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HEN I wrote the piece: ‘Tinubu: A Parody of Shakespeare’ a few friends and colleagues said I was un-characteristically ‘patronizing’. Some wondered if I too had not fallen for the Tinubu ‘cult of personality’; or as one of them put it ‘cult of the insatiable power-seeker’. And to quite a few of those friends and colleagues whose opinion about my professional integrity I do give a damn about, I did vouchsafe some cogent explanation: first I said that even as I was sure they knew me not to ‘advocate for the devil’, yet they should not forget that I was not one either not to ‘give the devil his due’.

I should say, for the records, that I believed –and I still dothat Tinubu deserved that tribute which I paid to him; that I still think him worthy of all the sentiments contained therein and that I still feel proud that I wrote that piece. Tinubu has fathered a peaceful political revolution in Nigeria which has not only moved our democracy beyond a notch by its shattering of the myth of the invincibility of incumbency, but it has saved the nation from the malignance of a ruinous era of political impunity which was bent on balkanizing our country.

And let me say that if Tinubu, afterwards should, for any reason lend the instrumentation of his time, his prowess and his resources in the promotion of any contrary ideal odious or antithetical to the noble one of growing our democracy and developing our nation-, I should also, with a measure of antipathy equal to the enthusiasm with which I had praised him, deploy the venom of my pen to harangue and to disapprobate him.

But come to think of it, if you ask me whether I think Tinubu is ‘evil’ –politically, I should answer as much with the affirmative ‘Yes’ as with the negative ‘no’. For as ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’, logically-speaking I think, so should ‘ugliness’ be also ‘in the eyes of the beholder’. And so to a bitter PDP whose defeat the Asiwaju’s deft, adept and adroit politics had caused, Tinubu is most definitely ‘evil’; and thus in the subjective eyes of members of PDP, Tinubu is uglier than the mythical Gorgon. But to the APC whose political fortunes Tinubu’s (even if) neo-Machiavellic master-tactic has now raised from ‘nothing’ to ‘everything’, the Jagaban is most definitely no ‘evil’ but ‘good’ and thus in the objective eyes of sincere members of APC, Tinubu should be the personification of beauty itself –politically that is.

Alas, as we see presently in the treacherous hustle and jostle for political positions, this is not so with the hawks and vultures in the APC who now masquerade as altruistic progressive change-agents of the Buhari government. To these neoconservative opportunists, all of a sudden ‘Asiwaju’ ‘The Leader’ is now simply Tinubu ‘The meddlesome interloper’! He is as they now claim ‘unnecessarily interfering with our democratic

lenges for the ruling party in terms of its cohesiveness, party supremacy, the discipline and commitment of members to party goals and objectives. There are also issues relating to principles and lack of party ideology.

Expectedly, the APC has shown serious discomfort with the development.

The party has rejected the emergence of Saraki and Dogara lamenting that it amounts to the highest level of “indiscipline and treachery to subject the party to ridicule and create obstacles for the new administration”. The party is highly piqued that the duo entered into an unholy alliance with the same people they worked hard to replace and promised to wield the big stick against them.

But President Buhari had a different perspective and has gone ahead to recognise the new leadership promising to work with them to deliver his campaign promises to the people. Though he would have preferred the party choices to have prevailed, nonetheless he recognized that a constitutional process had been concluded through the rights of the legislators to elect their leaders.

There are issues of interest for our democracy in the position taken by Buhari.

And they strike a chord with that of former President Jonathan in the aftermath of the last presidential election.

Buhari would have preferred his party’s choices to prevail. But events did not dictate so. He has accepted the outcome and promised to work with the new leaders for the stability of Nigeria’s constitutional order and in the overall interest of the common man. The president’s decision

has all the trappings of patriotism and shares much in common with that of Jonathan when he saw the outcome of the last elections had tilted in favour of Buhari.

Both are concerned with order, peace and the deepening of the democratic process irrespective of their own interests and preferences. That is the way to go.

There is little doubt that such compromise positions will go at length not only to stabilize the country but the democratic process especially given the schism that trailed the last elections. If this represents a new frame of mind by our leaders, we will soon be on the path to real progress and sustainable development.

But for the APC, it will go for broke with errant members. It is utterly averse to any alliance with the PDP that would incapacitate the party from delivering on its promise.

The party leadership is within its rights to be livid with errant members. They are also right in their anger especially given the emergence of Ekweremadu of the PDP as the deputy senate president. In their calculations, there is no way they would have factored in either the PDP or the South-east in the sharing equation.

That alone may sustain allegations of betrayal, treachery and an attempt to ridicule the party. It is also at the root of the accusation that the action of the dissenting members would create obstacles for the new administration. Should it necessarily be so?

That is the issue to ponder.

The APC is at pains with the reality of sharing power with the PDP, a party they fought very hard to defeat at the elections.

The feeling is that the PDP, still nursing the wounds from the last elections, may be out for vengeance. But the APC legislators will somehow, still have to work with their PDP counterpart even if things had gone their way. So instead of court action or the impeachment option, the legislators should cultivate each other and rise to the challenges of law making for the order and good governance of the country.

We would not have arrived at this point if all were well within the party. And the situation may not easily abate as indications are there is more to it than the selfish interests of the dissenting members. Saraki and Dogara may be the arrow heads of the rebellion. But the tunes they are dancing are definitely coming from drum beats hidden elsewhere.

Tinubu and parable of the ‘first supper’

By Mohammed Adamu processes’ and must thus be cut to size. And on this you cannot but have a sense of the poignantly disgusting and the de ja vu: especially if you recall what the then Rhodesia’s oppressive head Colonialist Ian Smith said to the anti-colonial world of the 70s about Zimbabweans: “These blacks are spoiling my democracy!” ‘My democracy indeed!’

They said that the Asiwaju wants to install surrogate leaders for the legislature so he can remote-control them. And I say: ‘assuming, without conceding, that this is true, to what end, if we may ask, would Tinubu want to remote-control the NASS?’ Is it to prevent it from passing good progressive bills that will give effect to the promise of ‘change’ by Buhari? Or is it to egg the NASS on to anti-Buhari tantrums so that the General’s government cannot effectively function? I really don’t get it!

And I even wonder more: did they not invest Tinubu with all the sobriquets and appellations of a ‘Leader’? Did they not say that he was the courageous ‘Jagaban’; the one who led from the front? And did Tinubu not lead them from the front? Selflessly giving his time, his energy and his resources? Did he not put his life on the line of a hysterically dangerous incumbency desperately angling to keep power by hook or crook? Did they not say that Tinubu’s was a goal-oriented and decisively go-getting ‘Leadership’?

And need one also ask: did we not, to the occasional rousing applause of Nigerians, see them severally winning one political battle after another under the leadership of the Jagaban?

From when Tinubu fought to win series of judicial victories to restore the political control of the South-west into the hands of the progressives; a feat which gave the earliest fillip to the initiative for the formation of a formidable coalition of opposition political parties?

Did we not see the series of political mutations afterwards initiated and set in motion from the pre-natal stages, the singular efforts of one man to corral several ideological eggs into one political embryo, so as to give life to a new all-embracing political party around which both progressives and even repentant fascists could congregate to make practicable what was thought well-nigh impossible, namely enacting the parting of the political Red Sea to say to the behemoth PDP ‘let my people go!’

But maybe what we were seeing from aloof was different from what exactly was happening within! But I thought that

we all saw Tinubu burning the political candle through nights and nights of vigils to disprove all the known theories of war which posit that more than one battle cannot be fought at a time; I thought we saw the Asiwaju take on both INEC and government in a proxy war with surrogate usurpers of the baptismal of the new political ideology, the A-P-C! -and which he won!

We thought that we saw Tinubu walk the miles from the North-west to the North-east; from North-central to the Southeast and from the South-west to the South-south to build strong bridges of geo-ethnic and geo-political consensus; planning and strategizing to form alliances, to create leagues of political amity and to search out for men and women of weight and of mettle; political and non-political actors with diverse gifts and varying competences, to man the many points of the opposition’s political rudder.

These efforts were rewarded with successes in the creation of the first ever successful merger, the formation of the first ever peoples party, the conduct of one of the most transparent party primaries, the emergence of the most popular presidential candidate, the running of the most competitive presidential electioneering campaigns, and the first ever defeat of incumbency by an opposition party in one of the most transparent presidential elections.

But now that the political dinner table is set, surrounded, unfortunately, by opportunistic political vultures and hyenas, they are telling us that although Tinubu is an excellent political cook, he is not as good in the culinary art of dishing. That the Party Leader must stay away from the party’s first political supper! In fact like Caesar they accused the Asiwaju of ambition. The same Tinubu who had publicly announced that Buhari had offered him a chance to be on the Presidential ticket –an offer which he said he politely declined.

Tinubu does not deserve this kind of treatment. Asiwaju as the Party Leader and the party are the veritable taproots of the President. If they who care about the President’s success are left at the mercy of the party’s vultures and hyenas who only care about the spoils of politics, sooner or later the shrub of the presidency and its blooming foliage will feel the wilt. It is both morally and politically expedient that Buhari steps in to restore rank discipline and to assure the Asiwaju and the party hierarchy that he has ‘got their back’; just like they, through thick and thin, had always had the President’s back.

23

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

NEWS

We rejected N50m bribe to pervert justice, says Mbu

T

HE Assistant Inspector General (AIG) incharge of Zone two, Joseph Mbu has spoken of how his men turned down a N50million bribe offered by alleged Bureau De Change (BDC) operators who duped their clients of N624million.

Mbu was reacting to allegations of torture leveled against his personnel by two suspects in the case Alhaji Yerima Suleiman and Uwem Antia.

The suspects had petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari,requesting investigation into alleged unlawful detention, torture meted on them by the Zone two Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He described the allegation as false and mischievous concocted by the suspects with a view to frustrate the ongoing investigations into their serial crimes.

Mbu explained that the officer in charge, Ibrahim Dantoro was offered N50m to truancate the case but he refused and informed the command about it.

According to him the suspects belong to a fraud syndicate who claim to be BDC operators to obtain money from unsuspecting members of the public, calling on the suspects to come out and face trial.

He explained that Suleiman, Antia and one Reagan Edet, who is at large, in February, fraudulently obtained N424million from two of their victims with a view to provide the dollar equivalent.

Mbu stated that when the complainant brought their case to the command, it was learnt that the same suspects have defrauded another victim of N200million and the case has been reported to the EFCC. He said the suspects were subsequently arrested by the EFCC, after which the

•AIG warns men against use of rickety escort vehicles

By Precious Igbonwelundu and Ebele Boniface

command requested and got permission to interrogate them in relation to the case before it.

“After police interrogation, the suspects were returned back to the EFCC on April 7, within the period of court order for their detention. There was no torture or infringement of the suspects’ right, neither did they make allegations of such while in police detention.

“While investigation was ongoing, another petition dated March 26, written by a lawfirm, Ayo Olubo & Co., accused the suspects and their cohorts of obtaining $2.5million (USD).

“Our investigation revealed that Suleiman, Antia, Edet and their cohorts are not forex dealers and do not own nor operate under any BDC. The same Alhaji Yerima Suleiman is presently being prosecuted for a similar crime at a Federal High Court in Jos since 2009. He is equally being investigated by the EFCC as unrepentant and hardened fraudster.

“These swindled monies belong to people and also involve bank staffs who are at the verge of being sacked.”

Corroborating Mbu’s story, the Officer in charge of legal, Chukwu Agu said the suspects had even gone to court to seek transfer of the case with the police to the EFCC. He said: “Why did they not state that they have reached out to so many individuals; very highly placed and even AIG Mbu’s colleagues but he refused and maintained that the suspects must be brought to book in the interest of justice.

“Why did they not state

Nigerians urged to trust God for restoration

N

IGERIANS were told yesterday that the country’s old glory will be restored if they believe in God “and work hard to ensure that selfish interest is substituted for national interest”.

Senior Superintendent Gabriel F. Akinadewo (Omo Jesu II)of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide gave the advice during a special sermon to mark the church’s 51st founder’s anniversary.

The church was founded

by Archbishop Isaiah M. Akinadewo on June 14, 1964.

The anniversary was celebrated with special thanksgiving in all parishes of the church, including the international headquarters in Ondo, Ondo State.

Speaking at the Restoration Parish of the church in Akute, Ogun State, Akinadewo said: “Nothing is too hard for the Lord, the God of all flesh to do. If and when Nigerians change from their evil ways, Nigeria will, once again, become the darling of all in the comity of nations”.

Quoting Jeremiah 17:5,

the cleric said that Nigerians, for decades, had put their hope in human beings “and they have been disappointed. For this country to grow financially, spiritually, economically, politically and industrially, we must start to put our hope in God and, at the same time, do the right thing.

“According to Jeremiah 29:11, God has good plans for this country and its people but Nigerians are their own problems by deviating from God’s plans because of selfish interests. With the natural resources that abound in the country, there is enough for all Nigerians.

Let us commit our ways unto God, trust Him and He shall bring His plans for us to pass.

“Nigerians are prayerful.

In every street, you will see one, two or three churches.

But it is not only the truth we know that will set this country free but the truth we do. We know the right thing to do and once this is done by removing selfishness from our thinking, God will move mightily to restore the old glory of this country”.

too that they preferred and had actually gone to court to request that the police hands off the case before it for EFCC to take over all?

“It is pertinent to state that their allegations are desperate attempt to pervert the course of justice, truncate police investigation and escape being prosecuted.”

Earlier, Mbu who had meeting with the two commissioners under his command, Kayode Aderanti (Lagos) and Val Ntomchukwu (Ogun) told reporters the police would no longer tolerate shabby dressings by its personnel.

He also warned banks and other companies who are provided escorts to desist from providing its personnel with rickety, uncon-

ducive escort vehicles, just as he warned against indiscriminate use of sirens.

Mbu insisted that the policy thrust of the IGP Solomon Arase, warning police personnel to respect traffic light and shun all acts of indiscipline, adding that the command will continue its clampdown on kidnappers, cultists and other criminals.

“We are meeting to address issues affecting the command and how to effectively key into the policy thrust of the IGP Solomon Arase to instill the culture of discipline and commitment to duty among personnel.

“The attitude of shabby dressing, drunkenness and wearing of inappropriate uniform by some personnel

must stop. Camouflages are operational uniforms and should be worn at weekends.

Anybody caught in shabby dressing will be disciplined.

“Also all police personnel within my command must obey traffic rules unless during emergency situations to safeguard lives and properties. Indiscriminate use of sirens would no longer be tolerated.

“The practice whereby banks give police escort rickety and dilapidated vehicles to escort money won’t be tolerated anymore. Policemen attached as escorts should not be beaten by rain and escort vehicles must be in good shape.”

Noting that the police would not allow diversionary attitude from suspected criminals who make ‘frivolous’ al-

•AIG Mbu

legations against the force, Mbu said the police was the least corrupt agency in the country, but unfortunately, unappreciated.

He also spoke on the need for appropriate funding for the police, just as he denied allegations of extrajudicial killings against the force, which, he said, has stopped in the last six to 10 years.

24

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 15, 2015

25

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

THE CEO

ISSUES

Labour squares up against workers’ retrenchment - P. 29 News Brief

Miners plan 10% contribution to GDP THE Miners Association of Nigeria has said with the support of the President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration, it could increase mining contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 10 per cent.

–Page 26

‘Path to economic integration in Africa’ F OR economic integra- tion to be a real-ity in Africa, barriers among countries must be broken to allow for free flow of goods, services, and ensure political stability on the continent, Africa’s richest man and President, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said.

–Page 26

CBN misses mobile money target

‘Why Buhari should fight corruption’

- P. 37

NSE places 29 firms on watch list A UTHORITIES at the Nigerian Stock Ex change (NSE) have placed some 29 companies on their watchlist over poor corporate governance, according to a report obtained by The Nation at the weekend.

The report indicated that 19 companies are on red alert for possible compulsory delisting if they failed to complete extensive restructurings to remedy their faulty corporate governance and operations while the NSE is also monitoring the restructuring exercises by 10 other companies.

The 19 companies under the “delisting watchlist” included UTC Nigeria, Daar Communications, the owners of Ray Power and African Independent Television (AIT) media

By Taofik Salako

networks; FTN Cocoa Processors, Beco Petroleum, Investment and Allied Insurance, Aluminium Manufacturing Company of Nigeria and Unic Insurance.

Other companies on the “delisting watchlist” included MTI Plc, Adswitch Plc, Jos International Breweries, Stokvis Nigeria, West African Glass Industries, Mtech Plc, Nigerian Sewing Machine Company, G.Cappa, Goldlink Insurance, Golden Guinea Breweries, IPWA and Nigerian Wire and Cable Plc. The NSE is also monitoring restructuring exercises by 10 other companies including Afrik Pharmaceuticals, Union Dicon Salt, Anino International, African Paints (Ni-

geria) Plc, Thomas Wyatt Nigeria, Rokana Industries, Navitus Energy, Capital Oil, Juli and Nigerian German Chemical.

A source at the NSE said the companies have been given timelines to complete approved restructuring exercises and are expected to submit periodic implementation reports to the Exchange. The source said the failure of the companies to effect major corporate changes on agreed timelines could trigger final delisting process.

The 19 companies under “delisting watchlist” were first flagged alongside other companies in 2014 for falling below listing standards. The NSE then in November 2014 delisted Starcomms Plc, Big Treat Plc, Afroil Plc, and Pin-

nacle Point Group over their failure to restructure their operations and improve their corporate governance.

The Exchange had in June 2014 issued a three-month notice of compulsory delisting to 24 companies.

Out of the list, one company had fully complied with the NSE’s listing status while 14 companies had taken some steps to redress their situation. On October 14, the Exchange also issued a onemonth final delisting notice to nine companies that failed to regularise their listing status after the initial notice of compulsory delisting.

According to the NSE, the four companies were delisted because they failed to take any appropriate steps to regularise their listing status.

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has admitted that its mobile money expectations are not met, despite N5 billion annual turnover recorded by operators.

–Page 31

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil Cocoa

$54/barrel $2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

¢132.70/pound

Cotton

¢95.17pound

Gold

$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

$163/lb RATES

Inflation

8.4%

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

15.87%

Savings rate

3%

91-day NTB

15%

Time Deposit

5.49%

MPR

13%

Foreign Reserve

$34.5b

•From left: Team Lead, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mrs. Temitayo Ade-Peters; Chairman, National Executive Council, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Chief Ede Dafinone and Director-General, Mr. Adeniyi Karunwi, at the World Environment Day Competition for School Children by the NCF and sponsored

by FCMB in Lagos.

Industrialist allays fears over national debts

By Muyiwa Lucas

AN industrialist and Chief Executive Officer, JKN Limited, Chief John Odeyemi, has said there is nothing to fear over borrowing by the government so long as the money borrowed is used for developmental and economically viable projecs with lasting socio-economic benefits for the country.

Odeyemi, who is also the Chairman, JAO Investment Company Limited, said rather than lose sleep over this, Nigerians should be more concerned about the viability of projects than the debt incurred in bringing the project into being.

He argued that there are several lending institutions that will lend Nigeria over $100 billion if they are convinced of the economic viability and benefits of projects the money will be invested in.

He said: “Development is not only about the size of debt a government is owing; the most important thing is for the borrowed money to be put into good use for the benefit of the greater majority and not fritted away into private pockets.

“It is acceptable to borrow as long as what you are doing is viable, acceptable and beneficial to the people.

“The economic benefit must outweigh the cost of borrowing; if development is right, the proceed will bring social and economic benefit to the people.”

Odeyemi contended that the leadership of the country knows what is required to be done to move the country forward. For him, Nigerians have never lacked ideas but implementation of such ideas is the problem, and until there is the will to implement lofty ideas and programmes, the nation may just continue to run round in circles.

‘Weak regulation, imports killing local industries’

A

CTING Managing Di rector, Vono Products, Mr.Tunde Anjorin has blamed the parlous state of domestic manufacturing firms in the country on weak regulation and porous borders.

He added that one of the challenges facing the manufacturing sector is sub-standard imported products.

He spoke at the weekend during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos. He said if regulatory authorities are proactive, local companies would be protected by preventing imports of poor quality goods in to the Nigerian market.

He said to check this, the company has decided to ensure that its products have dis-

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

tinctive features which consumers can identify with in the market place.

He urged the relevant agencies to intensify efforts aimed at checking the uncontrolled influx of these products from the Asian sub-continent at very cheap prices, but with very low quality, adding that the continous inflow of such products will affect the capacity of local indigenous to grow, improve on return on investment and create jobs.

Anjorin said: “Vono has grown from a mere foam and related products’ company to a multifaceted one that has a range of products such as wood furnishing, metal, of-

fice, hospital and hotel furnishings.

“We are also promising better days ahead for our shareholders from what has been in operation in the last five years, and assuring our customers of our planned introduction of new products that are pocket friendly in the soon to be introduced segmented market.

“We are bringing in innovative products to address all our market segment, but we urge our regulatory bodies to do the needful in such a way as not only to fulfill their mandate to the public but also save the local manufactures from unhealthy competition.”

He warned that the more

porous our borders are, the more we kill our local industries, while creating jobs oversea for the producers of these sub standard products that come in daily into the country.

The firm’s Chairman, Dr Mohammed Yinusa, said operations in the company were influenced by the changes in the global and national economic scenario.

He said globally, commodity prices weakened significantly last year due to the impact of economic decline in Brazil, China, Russia and other emerging markets.

He noted the several facets of pressure on the nation’s economy, saying they have made the economy to be

vsulnerable, saying this was compounded by the fall in global oil prices from a high of $106 per barrel at the beginning of 2014 to below $60 per barrel at year end.

Yinusa said this turn of event changed the U.S. dependence on its traditional oil suppliers thereby forcing our country to explore new markets in Asia and elsewhere.

He said the state of uncertainty in the country impacted business performance for the year, adding that in the face of the daunting environment, the company achieved operating revenue of N889.7 million, representing a growth of more than five per cent over the previous year.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

26

BUSINESS NEWS Dearth of funds, others cripple tourism sector

P

•From left: Director-General, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), Sunday Thomas; Commissioner of Insurance, Fola Daniel; Commissioner for Insurance (Technical), Mohammed Kari and Director, Research and Statistics, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Adamu Balanti, during the 7th annual seminar for insurance correspondents in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Miners plan 10% contribution to GDP

T

HE Miners Association of Nigeria has said with the support of the President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration, it could increase mining contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 10 per cent.

It added that with the Federal Government’s cooperation, the sector could generate 300,000 jobs in one year.

Its President, Alhaji Sani Shehu, presented this position in the association’s five year Strategic Development Plan for Mining Sector in a press conference at Abuja.

He said: “As a major stakeholder in the mining industry, the association has, as a matter of responsibility, re-

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

solved to work with the present government to actualise her aspirations of generating additional revenue for the nation and creating massive job opportunities for its teeming population.

“For this reason, the Executive Council of Miners Association of Nigeria has developed a five-year Strategic Development Plan for Mining in Nigeria. It promises about 300,000 jobs in one year and a contribution of up to 10% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

According to him, the challenges in the sector are unfavourable conditions for ac-

cess to funding, inadequate geological and bankable data, inadequate logistical support and the issues with artisanal mining.

The association’s chief added that inadequate funding of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, interference of mining operations by lower tiers of government in Ogun, Oyo, Benue, Cross River and other states are still barriers to development in the sector.

Proposing solutions to the challenges, the association urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts at continuous data generation, proper funding of the

Solid Minerals Development Fund and adequate funding of the ministry to strengthen its relevant departments to perform their statutory functions effectively.

The association also suggested that there should be favourable conditions for access to funding for operators at single digit interest rates.

It urged the government on extension of local content law for operators at single digit interest rate.

Asked to mention priorities in a wish list to Buhari, Sani Shehu said funding was very critical, urging the government to funding its machinery.

Path to economic integration in Africa, by Dangote

F

OR economic integration to be a real-ity in Af rica, barriers among countries must be broken to allow for free flow of goods, services, and ensure political stability on the continent, Africa’s richest man and President, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said.

Speaking during the inauguration of the new 2.5 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) Dangote Cement plant in Mugher District in Ethiopia, A1lhaji Dangote said only 14 out of the 54 Af-

By Chikodi Okereocha

rican countries, offer visafree, or visa-on-arrival to citizens of all African countries.

He listed the 14 countries to include Seychelles, Mali, Uganda, Cape Verde, Togo, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, and Mauritania. Others are Rwanda, Burundi, Comoros, Madagascar, Somalia and Senegal.

Dangote noted that on the other hand, American citizens visiting most African countries, get visa at the point of entry. He described this

development as unhealthy for business, arguing that Africa must therefore, relax its visa policies to achieve true economic integration.

While pointing out that Senegal has started the issuance of visas on arrival to all nationalities, he called on all African countries to follow suit.

Dangote also stressed the need to make deliberate efforts to encourage Africans, not just foreigners alone, to invest in the continent.

“For instance, Dangote Cement is currently investing in

16 African countries, with plans to invest in many more over the next few years. There are a number of other successful pan-African brands today such as MTN, Shoprite and Ecobank. We need to encourage this trend to see more investments in Africa by Africans,” he said.

Dangote further noted that above all, there is the need to encourage the private sector to collaborate with governments across Africa to address the issue of infrastructure deficit, which has plagued the continent for decades.

BoI, Taraba partner on N700m MSMEs Fund

T

ARABA State govern ment in partnership with Bank of Industry, (BoI), has signed a N700 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) Development Fund in the state.

The business and development fund, for which the state government and the bank have contributed N350 million each, is meant for indigenous entrepreneurs engaged in, or willing to establish MSMEs in the state.

The Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku and the Managing Director of BoI, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa signed the deal in Abuja.

He said the MoU would serve as a catalyst for industrialisation.

“With the MoU just executed, it will serve as a catalyst to the industrialisation

From, Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

process of the state which this administration is committed to achieving, the Governor said.

“The state government’s N350million contribution to the fund was released to BoI in April 2014, we are using this medium to appeal to the Bank to commence the process of disbursing the loan to the people of Taraba.

“The loan would enhance capacity building of the people as well as reduce unemployment and poverty among them, we all know that the state is richly endowed with vast fertile land and other natural resources.

“Majority of the people live in abject poverty due to lack of entrepreneurship and business development knowledge, if these resources are properly harnessed, the state could be

poised for a promising future.

“The partnership would lay the foundation that will bring about the take-off of the industrial development of the state by inculcating entrepreneurship culture among the people of Taraba State.”

He added that it would also create employment opportunities to reduce overdependence on government by encouraging them to be self-reliant and provide agro-based industries to take advantage of agricultural raw materials that abounds in the state.

Olaoluwa said the MoU would foster the industrial development of the state and promote inclusive growth through job and wealth creation.

He said Taraba was the second state in the Northeast to partner BoI on its state’

matching fund scheme, noting that the state is renowned for its agrarian nature and rich alluvial soil which made it abundantly endowed in agricultural products as well as large untapped solid mineral deposits.

He said: “In our quest to promote inclusive growth, BoI has embarked on the identification of thriving real sector SME clutches in all parts of the country.”

He said the strategy that would be adopted in the administration of the Matching Fund in the state is to finance projects in the identified agricultural and solid mineral clusters.

These, Olaoluwa listed, to included the Mambilla Plateau for tea and coffee, Jalingo for rice, Wukari for cassava, Gebu for daity products, Sardauna for kaolin as well as Ibi for barylites.

AUCITY of funds and punitive interest rate regime have been identified as some of the problems militating against the development of the tourism sector in the country.

President, NANET Hotels and Suites, Apapa Mr Ini Akpabio, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a tourism bank in the country to grow the sector for job creation and as well as serve as alternative revenue source to the government.

He said if such a specialised bank is established for the tourism sector, it will address low access to funds and the high interest rate that are charged by commercial banks in the country.

He said: “The tourism sector in Nigeria has not grown as expected by operators.

Globally, the industry is fast growing becoming a huge revenue source to government but in our country, its development is slow and frustrating.

“Therefore, there is the need for government to establish a specialised bank to cater to the needs of the tourism industry.

According to him, sectors such as aviation, textile, agric have been given financial bail-out by the government, such a gesture has never been extended to the tourism sector, lamenting that a situation where interest rate still stands at double digit of between 27 per cent and 30 per cent can never encourage private investment into the economy.

He said the Bank of Industry (BoI) and Bank of Agriculture (BoA) were set up to take care of the special needs of the manufacturing and agric sectors, adding that

By Lucas Ajanaku

setting up a Tourism Bank will be a wonderful step that will revolutionise the industry, open it up and create opportunities for development.

According to him, part of the bank’s mandate should be to grant soft loans to both private and public investors in the tourism sector.

He said:‘It requires huge capital to set up and run a tourism business. If the ban is established, investors will have access to soft loans to run their businesses while the government will get huge revenue in return because such investors will pay tax and other necessary levies which will increase the nation’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and also boost its Gross Domestic Products (GDP).”

Akpabio urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to look in the direction of lowering the high interest paid on loans in the country.

“The reduction would boost tourism in the country and also increase in-bound tourists to the country,” he said, adding that promotion of most tourism sites in the country was being hindered by paucity of funds.

Akpabio said many people were willing to invest in tourism but that interest charged on loans was exorbitant.

He said: “Loans in foreign countries were given out with a three to two per cent or zero interest rates. This enables rapid growth in the business, but here in Nigeria, interest rates are from 28 per cent upwards.This development is absolutely unfair and it tends to affect the growth of tourism business in the country.”

Eko DISCO, customers discuss planned tariff increase

T

HE management of Eko Electricity Distri bution Plc (Eko DISCO) has held a consultative meeting with stakeholders within its network to discuss planned increase in tariff it wants to implement.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oladele Amoda, said the increase in tariff is to reflect realities in the industry, where the investors pay for gas, replacement, rehabilitation and upgrade of electricity equipment and facilities.

He said: “All our activities in Eko DISCO are being guided by a regulatory framework and guidelines.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), as the umpire, is committed to regulating quality services through effective monitoring.

“One key mandate of the Commission as contained in the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005 is to put in place an efficient electricity market and structures that will sustain the market. This includes customer protection measures, and approval of cost-reflective tariff that will ensure sustainable business model for operators across the in-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

dustry.

“It is believed that ‘nothing good comes easy’ and Eko Electricity Distribution Plc has invested so much to sustain and enhance operations toward improving services to the customers. It is on the need to sustain continuous investment that we have called for this meeting, in order to consult with our esteemed customers on our proposed adjustment in tariff to partly meet the reality of the prevailing economic situation. “We shall continue to interact regularly on area by area basis to further strengthen the relationship and understanding between our company and our esteemed customers.”

Amoda also said the company has invested substantially in upgrading the network as well as in human capacity development, adding that many staff have trained locally and abroad to update them with latest technology in power distribution, commercial and customers care activities.

More training programmes and workshops have been proposed for further implementation, he added.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

27

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

Australia’s workers stressed, overweight, says study

A

NEW study has shown that the average Australian employee is stressed and over-

weight Australia’s workforce is affected “in a major way” by poor mental health, stress and obesity, a new study has found.

The average Australian employee is stressed and overweight - about half the 30,000 employees surveyed were physically inactive, the report found.

The study, by the University of Wollongong in partnership with Workplace Health Association Australia (WHAA), spans 10 years of data.

The report found that 65.1 per cent of the employees had reported “moderate to high stress levels” and that

41per cent had psychological distress levels considered to be “at risk”.

The WHAA said that trends around employee health had been examined over a 5-to-10-year period and that the industries covered included banking and finance, legal, transport and storage, in both metropolitan and rural areas.

The study said its objectives were to present an analysis of employee health data from the five organisations, all members of the WHAA, who participated in the project.

Dr Lang says lack of activity and the availability of fast food are having a bad impact on Australia’s workers Dr John Lang, WHAA’s chief executive, told the BBC that the aver-

age employee “was seeing a 2.4percent reduction in productivity, on average, per risk factor”.

Risk factors listed in the study include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, psychological distress, smoking and obesity.

“So if the average employee has four risk factors - that’s four times a 2.4 per cent reduction in productivity,” Dr Lang said.

“And this means our workforce is being impacted in a major way by their poor lifestyle and physical health. It’s a global problem in the Western world, but the US is probably a bit worse that we are.”

Average Australian workers are generally not making enough time for hobbies and sport, the WHAA says

“People will tell you, when they’re not exercising, that the biggest worry they face is a lack of time,” Dr Lang explained.

But he said employees were working longer hours, commuting for longer periods and generally not making enough time for hobbies and sport, or so-called displacement activities.

“And that, of course, is a major driver of weight gain, because lack of activity, quick and easy food choices and the availability of fast food just makes the whole thing, what we call, an obesogenic environment,” he told the BBC. “When you’re thinking about things that are not related to work and family, and those high-level things in your life, that is a wonderful balance.

“But we don’t’ seem to be getting as much of that anymore.”

Dr Lang said the answer was in a better work-life balance.

“Companies are trying hard to get a bit of life balance in there - and they preach the gospel about the balance that we should have.

“But at the end of the day, they do tend to propagate long working hours, and now Australia has one of the longest - if not the longest - working hours in the world.”

The study concluded by saying some positive trends in health outcomes had been found over the 10-year period, but that overall, organisations needed to continue efforts to create workplaces conducive to better mental health.

European shares fall amid Greek default fears

S

HARES on European stock markets have fallen sharply amid reports that senior EU officials have discussed a possible Greek default for the first time.

The Athens stock exchange closed nearly six percent lower, while Germany’s Dax and France’s Cac 40 closed more than one per cent lower.

Stocks in the National Bank of Greece fell by more than 10 percent while Piraeus Bank fell more than 11.5per ent.

Cash-strapped Greece is trying to reach a deal that will unlock bailout funds.

According to official sources quoted by news agencies, senior eurozone officials meeting in Bratislava on Thursday held their first formal talks on the possibility that Greece might default on its debt payments.

Also on Thursday, officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pulled out of talks with Greek politicians in Brussels, citing “ma-

jor differences”.

Greece is seeking to avoid defaulting on a •1.5bn debt repayment to the IMF. The payment is due by the end of the month.

Shares on the Athens Stock Exchange had soared on Thursday amid renewed optimism about Greece’s talks with its creditors.

The index climbed more than 14 per cent - the best performance in several weeks.

But the IMF’s withdrawal has dampened investors’ moods.

On Friday, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, said a deal without the IMF was “unimaginable”.

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged all parties to continue negotiations.

Speaking at a business conference in Berlin, Ms Merkel said: “Where there’s a will there’s a way, but the will has to come from all sides, so it’s important that we keep speaking with each other.”

Honda to spend millions on recalls of dangerous airbags

T

HE Japanese carmaker Honda has said it expects to spend almost 45bn yen (£234m; $363m) on recalling cars fitted with potentially dangerous airbags.

The firm has been forced to recall millions of vehicles worldwide, to replace faulty airbag inflators made by automotive parts manufacturer, Takata.

Six deaths have been linked to Takata airbags - all in Honda cars.

Honda says the costs will not affect its dividend or profit forecasts for the current year.

In April, Honda cut its profit growth forecast after missing the mark last year on recalls and other issues.

Several car manufacturers, including Toyota, Nissan, Daihatsu, Mazda and Mitsubishi, have recalled models fitted with Takata airbags, which have been connected to more than 100 inju-

ries.

The fault has led to 34 million cars being recalled in the US, the biggest auto-safety recall in US history, and Takata faces multiple class action lawsuits and criminal and regulatory investigations in North America.

Globally, the number of vehicles affected is thought to be 53 million.

Investigations found that Takata airbag inflators were not properly sealed and could be damaged by moisture. Some airbags burst under pressure, spraying shrapnel inside the car.

Some scientists suspect that the ammonium nitrate propellant may have been part of the problem, because it can become unstable over time, particularly in extreme heat and humidity.

Takata is working to replace all the faulty airbag kits.

From left: German Short term Experts in Industrial Electronic Mr. Ludwig Gruenter and Mrs. Stephanie Thalheim-Schauff; Desk Officer, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria for German Dual Vocational Training Partnership with Nigeria Miss Adegbite Oluwasheyi; COO, Nigerian-German Business Association, Mrs. Jennifer Anoyika; German DVT Project Coordinator Kehinde Stephen Awoyele; Industrial Mechanic expert Mr. Daniel Meyer and Chairman, Exam Board Dr. Jens Gebhardt during the graduation of the first set of apprentices in Industrial Mechanics and Industrial Electronics in Lagos.

Nigerite launches Kalsi dry construction solution

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IGERITE Limited, a complete building solutions company, will tomorrow launch its latest building solution, Kalsi, in the Nigerian market. Kalsi is a new innovative product which is the major component in the dry construction system. The launch will hold at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Marketing Manager, Nigerite, Mr. Abayomi Lawal, said the launch of the Kalsi solution product is the outcome of the momentum that has long been built around the product over time, stating that with the introduction of Kalsi, Nigerians and prospective home owners are guaranteed quality and affordable products for their dry

By Muyiwa Lucas

construction building systems.

"We have been building momentum for the eventual launch of Kalsi for a long time and tomorrow's launch is a major step towards offering prospective home owners quality and affordable options in their dry construction drive," Lawal said.

He expressed optimism about the quality and standard of all products on Nigerite's stable, noting that the new dry construction solutions would showcase another system to building professionals and contractors as being a worthwhile alternative to the conventional method of building with bricks, blocks and concrete. This method can also

be used to complement existing structures built with the conventional system where there is need for renovations and facelifts.

"Our products are time tested and have come of age as can be seen in numerous private and commercial buildings that have witnessed the test of time all over the country," Lawal concluded.

Kalsi, which hitherto has been domiciled within the Etex Group, the parent company of Nigerite, is being introduced into the Nigerian market to meet the growing demand of Nigerians. Kalsi building boards come in sizes of 1.22m x 2.44m and 1.22m x 3.00m and thicknesses from 6mm to 20mm.

Twitter seeks new CEO, users as Costolo exits TWITTER Inc’s announcement that Dick Costolo would exit as CEO on July 1 was long on plaudits but offered few clues on how the company will tackle its biggest problem: user growth.

Investors expressed optimism, pushing up the company’s shares 3.7 percent in premarket trading on Friday.

But analysts said Twitter has an uncertain future unless it can reverse slowing user growth by introducing new features that will help it win a bigger chunk of the digital advertising market from rivals such as Facebook Inc. Even now its 300 million users could make a takeover target, some analysts said, with Google Inc

mooted as the most likely suitor.

“Prospective buyers have been interested in purchasing Twitter in the past, and during the interim (CEO) search period we believe the opportunity for acquisition is heightened,” Jefferies analysts wrote in a client note.

Twitter’s current market value is about $23.5 billion, suggesting a bid would have to be pitched at around $30 billion.

However, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Robert Peck said a deal was unlikely in the near term as that would have been an attractive alternative to a CEO change.

For now the main issue for investors is the lack of clarity on the

company’s prospects, Macquarie Research analysts wrote.

“We believe there limited visibility into TWTR’s potential, limited understanding of catalysts to drive fundamental improvements, no expectations of a change in strategy, little reason to think financials will reaccelerate (near term), and limited valuation support,” the analysts wrote.

“We certainly agree that TWTR has unmet potential and that a new CEO could help, but it is unclear if the company can reach its potential based on its current strategy and trajectory.”

Twitter had a 1.6 percent share of the $50.7 billion U.S. digital advertising market in 2014, compared

with Facebook’s 10.4 percent, according to according to research firm eMarketer.

Analysts said the new CEO - cofounder Jack Dorsey will take over on an interim basis - will need to put monetisation of the product on the backburner to focus on user growth.

“We believe that a replacement CEO may be able to better define Twitter as an event-driven platform, attract larger branded advertisers, and respond more rapidly to changes in the marketplace,” Brean Capital analyst Sarah Hindlian wrote.

Much will depend on who that CEO turns out to be.

Dorsey, who was ousted as

Twitter’s chief executive in 2008, is staying on as CEO of mobile payments startup Square Inc for now, but analysts said he could well take the Twitter job on a permanent basis.

Other possible candidates, according to SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, include former Yahoo Inc CEO Ross Levinsohn; Mike McCue, the CEO of newsreader app company Flipboard; Instagram founder Kevin Systrom; and Evan Williams, CEO of blogging website Medium.

Williams, who helped to launch Medium in 2012, is a co-founder of Twitter and a director of the company. Costolo took over from him in October 2010.

28

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

BUSINESS AFRICA

Matrix Energy supplies 12m litres of PMS

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ATRIX Energy Limited has supplied over 12 million litres of PMS and AGO since NUPENG called off its strike on May 25 and is currently expecting another cargo of 22,000 metric tonnes of diesel this week.

Matrix Energy Limited, a frontline private oil marketer in Nigeria, has distanced itself from the charge that oil marketers were responsible for the oil scarcity which brought the economy to a halt for weeks, a few weeks back.

Matrix, which owns a state of the art oil terminal in Warri said it imported 101million litres Premium

Motor Spirit (PMS) in the month of May alone and trucked out over 104 million litres of the product.

Matrix’s Deputy Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer, Loqman Salam-Alada said: “We currently store and distribute AGO (Diesel) from four depots namely Matrix Depot, Warri, Bluefin Energy Depot, Warri, OBAT Oil Depot, Lagos and Capital oil Depot, Lagos.

“Matrix has been trucking out over 12 million litres on daily basis since NUPENG called off its strike on May 25, 2015, and is expecting another cargo of 22,000

metric of pms and 18,000 metric tonnes of diesel to be discharged this week.”

NUPENG, according to him, was the problem as it gave instruction to marketers to shut down operations and forced them to do so. He added that for instance, the union blocked Matrix’s Warri oil supply terminal with four trucks.

“But after call-off of strike, we have been working round the clock supplying products to outlets in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones of the country,” he said.

On the fuel subsidy removal, Mr. Salam-Alada gave his support to full removal of subsidy and full deregulation of the downstream sector.

“I strongly believe that deregulation of the sector will bring in additional investment into the country as private refineries will spring up thereby creating local jobs and competence as well as reduce pressure on our foreign exchange market. Price of product locally will go up in the short term, but the gain in the long term outweighs the short term gain.

“Although marketers, including us generally, are faced with the challenge of nonpayment of Over Recovery/Subsidy by Debt Management Office/Federal Ministry of Finance, non availability of US$ to pay down on matured LC/Imports which limits the opening banks ability to pay the confirming banks and constant threat of Naira devaluation is another challenge. It has been extremely difficult to get LC issued and confirmed in the past few months and this majorly accounts for the ongoing scarcity in the market,” he said.

Chivita leverages partnership for youth development

I

N furtherance of its partnership with the prestigious English premiership side, Manchester United, Chivita 100% fruit juice has participated in the finals of the just concluded Lagos Sate principal’s cup in its continued commitment to youth development.

Renowned to be one of the biggest grassroots football competitions in Nigeria, the tournament comprises inter-secondary school soccer amongst schools in Lagos.

Thousands of students across the state who thronged the Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos to witness the final match,were entertained with stirring football display and refreshed with Chivita 100% fruit juice by brand ambassadors. Some of the students took out time to enquire about the Chivita 100% and Manchester United partnership which they had seen and heard about. Staff of Chi Ltd was on hand to answer all their questions in an engaging and exciting way.

For Nduka Nweze, a pupil of Community Grammar School, Surulere Lagos, thought of his

by Adedeji Ademigbuji Chief correspondent

favourite juice drink and football club entering into a partnership is awesome. He thanked the management of Chi Limited for also identifying with the Lagos State Principals’ Cup and the opportunity it brings. “By identifying with the Principals’ Cup Chivita 100% fruit juice encourages us to excel and not settle for less than the best” he added.

According to Chi Limited’s Head of Marketing, Probal Bhattacharya, “We would continue to promote tomorrow’s soccer stars through refreshment and nourishment that Chivita 100% fruit juice offers. The youth of Nigeria represent a large percentage of our consumers and their passion for soccer makes our partnership with Manchester United very meaningful”.

Chivita 100% which can be enjoyed by persons who desire natural pure and healthy refreshment is affordable and available in five variants of real pineapple, real apple, real orange, orange pine apple and orange mango.

P&G opens new office

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ROCTER & Gamble (P&G) Nigeria has announced the relocation of its corporate office from the Agidingbi Central Business District to Isaac John Street in Government Reserve Area (GRA), Ikeja, Lagos aimed at sustaining its corporate mission of touching and improving the lives of Nigerians.

Speaking at the official opening of the new office, P&G President India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA) Mohammed Samir, expressed his excitement and described the new move as a natural outgrowth of the strong base the company already enjoys in Nigeria.

“Procter & Gamble is committed to touching and improving more consumers’ lives in Nigeria and we have established this with significant capital investments including the recent acquisition of a $300 million manufacturing plant in Agbara industrial estate in Ogun State’’, Samir said. Samir, who performed the official opening ceremony, said that the company’s commitment to growth and development of Nigeria is reflected in its continued investments in the country.

Commenting on the move, Mr. George Nassar, Managing Director of P&G said; “I am excited to lead the expansion of P&G through a stronger local presence in Nigeria. Our success in the manufacturing sector demonstrates P&G’s value as a flexible platform for responding to complex business challenges and I fully expect the organisation to become a strategic platform throughout the Nigerian market for many years to come.”

Nassar also reinforced the

Adedeji Ademigbuji Chief correspondent

company’s commitment to investing in building a strong local organisation; “Sustainability is embedded in our purpose and the new head office building is designed to facilitate a more efficient and conducive work environment for our employees as well as foster enhanced business collaborations with our strategic partners.”

P&G is one of the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturer and one of the largest U.S. manufacturing companies in Nigeria.

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•From left: Head, Government Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Muhammed Suleh-Yusuf; Deputy Director, Network Deployment, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Adekunle Durojaiye; Head, Environmental Cmpliance, Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs Oluseyi Osunsedo;Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Nana Fatima Mede; and Director, Network Engineering, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Kola Adeleye at the Federal Ministry of Environment World Environment Day Symposium sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria, at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

NEPC set to equip exporters

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ORRIED about the high level of reject faced by Nigerian goods exported to the European Union (EU) and other parts of the world, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council ( NEPC) has equipped exporters with its zero to export initiative to put an end to rejection of Nigerian exports to the world.

The Chief Executive Officer, NEPC, Mr. Segun Awolowo represented by a Director in NEPC, Mr. Olajide Ibrahim during a zero to export programme for new exporters, said that with the zero to export project, exporters now have first hand training and information on quality issues to make their products exportable to any country of choice.

In his words: “Our zero to export initiative is all about bringing people to the rudimentary and exporters that do

By Toba Agboola

not have any knowledge about export to a pedestal and height where they have all the knowledge required to access the export market.”

According to him, the idea is to develop a crop of indigenous Nigerian exporters who can on their own export to the international markets without experiencing any form of challenge, maintaining that in the past, there had been cases of exporters swindled in order to get their products into the international market.

“This project requires theory and practice. This project has made so many of the participants an encyclopedia of exporters in terms of procedures and documentation. This is the first batch and we have about 13 participants but our in-

Zimbabwe dollars phased out

IMBABWE is phasing out its local currency, the central bank says, formalising a multi-currency system introduced during hyper-inflation.

Foreign currencies such as the US dollar and South African rand have been used for most transactions since 2009.

Local dollars are not used except high-denomination notes sold as souvenirs.

But from Monday, Zimbabweans can exchange bank accounts of up to 175 quadrillion (175,000,000,000,000,000) Zimbabwean dollars for five US dollars.

Higher balances will be exchanged at a rate of Z$35 quadrillion to US$1.

The move has been “pending and long outstanding,” central bank Governor John Mangudya said, quoted by Bloomberg.

“We cannot have two legal currency systems. We need therefore to safeguard the integrity of the multiple-currency system or

dollarisation in Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabweans have until the end of September to exchange their local dollars.

Correspondents say this is likely to only affect those with savings accounts.

Hyper-inflation saw prices in shops change several times a day, severe shortages of basic goods and Zimbabweans taking their money to market in wheelbarrows.

Ahead of the abandonment of the Zimbabwean dollar in January 2009, officials gave up on reporting official inflation statistics.

Towards the end of 2008, annual inflation had reached 231m%, pensions, wages and investments were worthless, most schools and hospitals were closed and at least eight in 10 people were out of work.

The highest denomination was a $100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note.

A four-year unity government, that ended in 2013 with President Robert Mugabe’s re-election,

helped stabilise the economy but it still faces huge challenges.

One of the problems has been the shortage of coins that kept prices high as retailers often rounded them up and shoppers were given change in sweets or pens.

Over the last six months, the central bank has introduced about $10m (£6.4m) worth of “bond coins” into circulation, but they have not been popular with consumers who fear that it is the first step in the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar.

During campaigning ahead of the last election, some ruling Zanu-PF party supporters had suggested this could happen, but the central bank governor has since ruled that out.

Zimbabwe’s economy has struggled since a government programme seized most whiteowned farms in 2000, causing exports to tumble.

Mr Mugabe has always blamed the economic problems on a Western plot to oust him.

tention is to make it a model and as we monitor the success, we will bring in another batch in an enlarged form,” he said.

He said with this project, exporters will be able to save a lot of their money that had been lost to rejects, pointing out that exporters prior to this initiative, do not take cognisance of issues of quality.

“With the help of our training, participants have been able to identify various qualities involved in the products they want to export. With the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON’s) laboratories to certify products, the quality issues affecting Nigeria’s product at the international market will become a thing of the past and the exporters now also know that they have to do the right thing to succeed in the international market,” he added.

He said the council’s aim is also to establish a robust pool of trained exporters that are well versed and experience in the entire supply chain process of the export industry in order to encourage and promote value addition export in Nigeria.

Also speaking at the event, the project coordinator, Mr. Kola Awe,said knowledge is a very powerful tool in accessing the export market , saying that the project will enable NEPC provide a pool of professional and competent export agent and merchants to provide a variable supply chain link for exporters and exporting companies.

He said NEPC’s target is to train and establish in the first phase, 100 participants in various area of export; agrocommodity, solid minerals and manufacturing export and also creating a pool of export commercial executive with in-depth practical knowledge and training in field of product sourcing, inspection, logistics and freight forwarding.

A participant, Mrs. Asianah Cecilia, said some of the challenges hindering the export market is funding and logistics, saying that a lot of exporters still do not understand the process of supply value chain involved in export.

29

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

ISSUES Organised labour has issued a warning to the Federal and state governments, as well as the private sector of the danger in retrenching workers due to the economic downturn, saying the body would resist such a move since there is an alarming rate of unemployment in the country, reports TOBA AGBOOLA.

• Workers during the May rally.

Labour squares up against workers’ retrenchment T

HE organised labour has read the riot act to the Federal, states and private organisations, that it would react to any downsizing measure against its members under the guise of harsh economic condition the country is passing through. They said reducing staff strength cannot be the only solution to the problem.

It warned that such an action may further fuel the uncertainty in the labour market.

The warning by Labour may not be unconnected with the statement credited to the former Coordinating Minister of Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that government is living on borrowed money to pay work-

ers salaries.

In addition, strong indications have also emerged that workers in both private and public sectors are faced with mass retrenchment as crude oil price continues its descent.

However, the organised labour is accus-

ing the states, and particularly, the past government of diversion of money resrved for wages payment to prosecute the just concluded 2015 general elections.

According to them, it is worrisome to note that the general elections gulped a lot of

‘

The effect might be severe if it continues till middle of the year because some employers are already complaining that they may need to shed weight, if it persists. Of course, it will affect contract staff, if the slump persists

’

money which has taken a toll on governments’ finances.

They said both the private and the public sectors should not retrench workers at this time when the purchasing power of the average Nigerian worker is at its lowest ebb, adding that already, there is high unemployment rate in the country.

Stakeholders in the oil sector painted a gloomy picture of the economy and the prospects of workers this year. They based their projections on recent happenings in the Nigerian and global economies.

Oil prices have been on a steep decline since June 2014 as a result of slow demand and the United States' oil boom, which has resulted in over-supply. The global oil benchmark, Brent, against which Nigerian oil is priced, recently, tumbled below $58 per barrel, hitting its lowest level since May 2009.

Recently, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), gave indications to this effect when it raised the alarm that com• Continued on page 30

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

30

ISSUES

Labour squares up against workers’ retrenchment •Continued from page 29

panies, especially petroleum companies, have plans to retrench some staff.

According to the association, non-core employees of oil firms in the country may be asked to quit their jobs, if the fall in oil prices persists till the end of June.

The Media Officer, PENGASSAN, Mr. Babatunde Oke, said employers have grown weary of the slump.

"The effect might be severe if it continues till middle of the year because some employers are already complaining that they may need to shed weight, if it persists. Of course, it will affect contract staff, if the slump persists," Oke added.

The President, Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, warned of dire consequences if the both the government and private sectors decide to retrench workers under the guise of bad economy.

"Any attempt by the government to sack workers or reduce their salaries in the name of bad economy will amount to a declaration of war on Nigerian workers and would be resisted by the labour movement.

"0ur warning is very clear because when the economy boomed, the political office holders were freeloading as if there is no tomorrow while most Nigerian workers live below $2 per day.

"While workers called for better pay package in the past, but were rebuffed by the ruling elite, especially those in government, then, the helpless workers roasted as if they were not stakeholders in the system," Kaigama said.

According to Kaigama, labour is worried that indeed, as at today, the meagre N18,000 monthly minimum wage approved in 2011 by the Federal Government has not been fully implemented by some state governments and as such, it will be the height of insensitivity for any government to contemplate sacking civil servants or reducing their pay in the name of austerity measures.

"Our union has urged the Federal Government to reduce their pay packets and mouthwatering allowances of political office holders and check other leakages that encourage corruption in the system, but the wise counsel fell on deaf ears.

"Records will also show that this union on several occasions advised the Federal Government to stop the depletion of foreign reserves and needless rush to seek foreign loans for white elephant projects because such mindless profligacy can only lead to the collapse of the economy." he said.

The Secretary-General, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, Mr. Alade Lawal, said workers should not be made to bear the burden of the country's distressed economy.

Lawal said: "As for the issue of resorting to retrenchment as a result of the drop in the price of crude oil in the international market, labour will surely resist it.

"We have already sensitised and mobilised our members on the matter.

We workers did not create the problem and we will surely not allow the ruling elite to use us as tools to be dumped because of the temporary setback in the pricing of oil.

"When the going was good, we were left unattended to. Now that the chicken has come home to roost, they, and not innocent workers, should bear the brunt.

"We are fully prepared and on red alert, waiting for signals from the two labour centres in the event of any attempt to retrench workers as part of recently introduced austerity measures."

He added that there is high hope among Nigerians that the new government would bring fresh perspective to bear on governance as is the case in civilised countries of the world.

His words: "There is no doubting the fact that the challenges that lay ahead are enormous. We nonetheless believe that with hardwork, perseverance and selfless service to our fatherland, you will overcome and move the country to the next level.

"Today, Nigerians yearn for good governance, freedom of conscience and freedom of expression so that they can participate actively on how they are governed as free citizens entitled to fundamental human rights in a democratic society.

"Consequently, we solicit that this administration should hit the ground running and live up to expectations of many Nigerians who crave for change by healing the wounds and bitterness occasioned by the election-

• Ayuba Wabba

• Guy Ryder

•Kaigama

• Peter Ozo Eson

eering campaigns and lift Nigeria to greater heights by addressing the myriads of problems facing the country, including economic problems, infrastructural decay, energy crisis, joblessness and corruption."

He enjoined the new government to be focused and wary of public officials or anybody who may want to advise him to toe the path of retrenching workers in the name of reforms citing the temporary setbacks in the global oil market as reasons.

"We need to caution that such step, if taken, will only worsen the already precarious situation the country has found itself in.

"Our take is that with the plugging of loopholes where heavy leakages from the treasury are experienced on a daily basis, coupled with robust management of government's expenditure profile, Nigeria as a nation will surely get it right and be better for it," he said.

On his part, the General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, warned that the NLC would meet to take an appropriate decision, should any state government decide to sack workers.

He said: "Our position, as already stated, is that there are adjustments that government can make by cutting the cost of governance.

"We have already warned that they shouldn't allow workers to be victims of the downturn in the oil price.

"We believe that the down-turn should not be used to sack workers, they should cut excess waste and the cost of governance. We

have a situation where a governor has a retinue of excess aides and entourages; all these can be cut. These are areas where we feel adjustments should be made."

Deputy President (South), National Association of Small Medium Enterprises, NASME, Mr. Orimadegun Agboade, said retrenchment had already begun in some sectors.

He said: "With the way things are right now, many companies may reduce their staff.

"Based on recent events, federal, state and local governments still owe salaries. It is an indication that things are not right at all. In fact, many of us are afraid of what will happen."

Agboade stated that the current foreign exchange rate is the harbinger of the gale of retrenchments that would sweep workers out of the manufacturing sector.

"For instance, I am a manufacturer of medicine; I received a notice from my bank recently that the Federal Government had placed an embargo on all letters of credit.

The implication of this is that immediately we run out of the raw materials we have now, the hope of getting more will be slim, or it won't come on time.

"In the pharmaceutical industry, where I belong, close to 98 per cent of our raw materials are imported. A lot of companies are already cutting salaries," Agboade added.

He said the scale of retrenchment could be as high as 25 per cent, adding that if things

‘

When the going was good, we were left unattended to. Now that the chicken has come home to roost, they, and not innocent workers, should bear the brunt. We are fully prepared and on red alert, waiting for signals from the two labour centres in the event of any attempt to retrench workers as part of recently introduced austerity measures

’

were not sorted out quickly, it could reach 50 per cent.

Similarly, the Chairman, National Association of Small Scale Industrialists, Lagos State chapter, NASSI, Mr. Segun KutiGeorge, said the fact that the foreign exchange rate was not in equilibrium with the naira was a sign that mass retrenchment might be closer than expected.

"We have more naira chasing fewer dollars now. Also, the monetary policy is moving from 12 per cent to 13 per cent higher interest rate. We now have a higher rate of exchange, which inherently means inflation.

"It means that prices of imported and locally-made goods will go up, which would mean lower demand and, therefore, lesser profits for companies. This may then lead to layoffs," he said.

The Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf, predicted that the year would be challenging for businesses, as the cost of production would increase, while purchasing power would decline.

He explained that businesses would have to look at all possible options for survival, including cost reduction in other areas. The process of reducing costs, according to him, may result in cutting the number of employees.

Recently, the International Labour Organisation, ILO, in its report predicted that unemployment and retrenchment will continue to rise in the next five years in Nigeria and other countries, as the global economy has entered a new period combining slower growth, widening inequalities and turbulence.

By 2019, more than 212 million people will be out of work, up from the current 201 million, according to the World Employment and Social Outlook - Trends 2015, released by the ILO. "More than 61 million jobs have been lost since the start of the global crisis in 2008 and our projections show that unemployment will continue to rise until the end of the decade. This means the jobs crisis is far from over so there is no place for complacency," the ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, said.

The report noted that the employment situation had improved in the United States and Japan, but remained difficult in a number of advanced economies, particularly in Europe.

The employment situation according to ILO, has not improved much in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite better economic growth performance.

It stated that the steep decline in oil and gas prices, if sustained, might improve the employment outlook somewhat in many advanced economies and several Asian countries according to some forecasts.

By contrast, it will hit labour markets hard in major oil and gas producing countries, like Nigeria.

Way forward For this challenge to be addressed, the organised labour has advocated cut in the cost of governance, describing the country's presidential system as the most expensive in the world.

TUC urged the government to work towards reducing the cost of governance in the country.

It stressed the need to cut down on political appointments, insisting also that the situation whereby lawmakers fix their own salaries and allowances must be discouraged and discontinued.

"We condemned all the state governments owing workers salaries, as it is unhealthy for the nation. We urged both the Federal and State government to cut their expenses in order for them to meet with workers' salary", he said.

The NLC President also canvassed a drastic reduction of the cost of governance in the country which he said was unacceptable.

He said the high cost of governance could be rectified not by workers' rationalisation but through fighting corruption and removal of waste in the system.

"The cost of governance at all levels, including the legislature, is very high and morally reprehensible and must be brought down, not through rationalisation of personnel (as personnel emoluments constitute an insignificant fraction of cost of governance) but through wiping off of corruption and reduction of waste in the system."

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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MONEYLINK

CBN misses mobile money target, records N5b turnover T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has admitted that its mobile money expectations are not met, despite N5 billion annual turnover recorded by operators.

CBN Director, Banking Supervision, and Chairman, Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF), ‘Dipo Fatokun who disclosed this at the Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) June meeting held in Lagos at the weekend, said: “It is not correct that we have not made progress in mobile money. It is right that our expectations on mobile money has not fully been met and probably because we were very ambitious in setting the target”.

He regretted that most of the mo-

report setting up some conditions on agency banking which the mobile money operators are keying into,” he said.

“We have also released a guideline on super agent structure. We expect that some of the telcos, if not all, will serve as super agents. Two of the telcos already have our approval in principle, to make their agents available for mobile money”.

Speaking on the NeFF 2014 annual report with theme: “e-Fraud: Fighting the battle, winning the war”, which was also launched at the event, Fatokun said Nigeria needs to put necessary controls to avoid fraud in

Stories by Collins Nweze

bile money transactions are for subscription payment, and remittances, like mobile wallet sending money to account in the bank, or account in the bank sending money to mobile wallet.

Fatokun said the mobile money space started in Nigeria about two years ago, adding that about 21 Mobile Money Operators have already been licenced. “What we have discovered is that what has led to slow growth is because of lack of agency.

For mobile money to be successful, you must have agent. The CBN did

Sterling director urges SMEs on risk

T

HE Executive Director, Finance & Strategy, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, has called on operators of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to ensure proper risk identification, assessment and analysis to minimise revenue by operators.

Suleiman who spoke at the 10th Annual CEOs Forum organised by LEAP Africa in Lagos, with the theme: Staying Ahead: Maximising Profit And Mitigating Risk also praised the organisers for focusing on the SMEs. He urged SME operators to ensure that their risk profile is adequately

programme in 2014 aimed at enhancing the managerial and entrepreneurial qualities of SME operators with a view to building sustainable businesses in view of the critical roles they play in the development of an economy.

“We are totally focused on the growth of SMEs in the country and we will continue to assist in taking their businesses to another level. The process for transforming SMEs to become bigger players and a key part of national development does not start and end with finance. A huge part of it starts with education,” he said.

assessed even as they are required to improve on their reporting standards and the day-to-day management of their organisations.

The bank director also encouraged economic awareness to fully mitigate risks associated with foreign exchange fluctuations.

He informed the participants drawn mainly from the SME segment about the bank’s support for SMEs by constantly educating them through workshops and seminars on capacity building training.

Suleiman further stated that the bank organised a capacity training

UBA launches summer campaign

U

NITED Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has launched its cards, summer campaign, with the theme #SummerCrush with UBA Cards. The lender said in a statement that it understands the relevance of the summer season to Nigerians who use their cards abroad, online or in-store and have created a campaign about how the UBA

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

134.82 35,755.29 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,822.80 1,074.68 109.16 121.16 1.1978 1.3117 0.7319 1.1349

134.01 35,755.29 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,822.80 1,074.03 108.61 120.30 1.1912 0.7203 0.7203 1.1349

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

CHANGE

OKOMUOIL GUINNESS REDSTAREX MAYBAKER RTBRISCOE WEMABANK NASCON VITAFOAM TOTAL CONTINSURE CCNN HONYFLOUR

32.10 158.85 4.85 1.68 0.73 1.00 7.70 5.16 155.09 1.00 10.32 3.90

34.90 168.00 5.09 1.75 0.76 1.04 7.99 5.35 159.99 1.03 10.55 3.98

8.72 5.76 4.95 4.17 4.11 4.00 3.77 3.68 3.16 3.00 2.23 2.05

LOSERS AS AT 11-06-15

COSTAIN NAHCO DEAPCAP NEIMETH TRANSCORP ETERNA FIDELITYBK UNITYBNK CHAMPION WAPIC STERLNBANK

O/PRICE 1.01 5.52 0.67 1.24 2.85 2.61 1.81 2.60 0.56 0.52 2.09

C/PRICE 0.96 5.25 0.64 1.19 2.75 2.53 1.76 2.53 6.42 0.51 2.05

Inflation:April

8.5%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

CHANGE -4.95 -4.89 -4.48 -4.03 -3.51 -3.07 -2.76 -2.69 -2.13 -1.92 -1.91

•Fatokun

Group moves to cut capital flight

T

HE assembling and manufacturing of scientific instruments, laboratory equipments, chemicals, and furniture would help in reducing capital flights, and push more funds to the economy, President, Scientific Product Association of Nigeria (SPAN), Mr. Julius Famoriyo, has said.

Speaking during group’s council meeting in Lagos, he said plans are underway to start the assembling of scientific products in the country which would reduce importation of such products and boost economic development.

He said the association is collaborating with manufacturers of scientific products in Germany and other developed economies to make the products available to local consumers.

Famoriyo said, such product availability, would be boosted by the upcoming trade exhibition programme holding in Germany from June 15 to 17, under the support of Spectaris, a German hightechnology association and the Ministry of Trade in Germany.

He said this year’s edition of the

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

scientific products fair in Germany, is the biggest in the world, and would provide opportunities for the SPAN members to network, enhance members knowledge local products assembly that meets international standards.

Famoriyo said: ‘’Through the fair, local marketers of scientific products would meet manufacturers abroad, fashion out ways of developing components, and manufacturing them in the country, which is a major plus for SPAN’’.

He said Spectaris, founded in 1881 is based in Berlin and has about 400 members in four branches, namely Photonics and Precision Technologies, Medical technologies, Analytical and Laboratory Technologies and Consumer optics. The SPAN belongs to the Analytical and Laboratory technologies where there are 80 companies.

On whether government delegation from Nigeria will be at the fair, SPAN Treasurer, Mr Dapo Sonola said the recent change in government will not permit it but they are hoping that the new government would be actively involved in the scientific products industry.

FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) May 28, 2015 Interbank ($/N)

199.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

$28.2b

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR) Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$67.91

Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 11-06-15

SYMBOL

are encouraged to share their summer desires on UBA's social media pages to qualify for amazing prizes.

To encourage card usage, UBA has introduced instant card issuance for international and domestic cards. UBA is the first bank to issue instant international cards in Nigeria. Customers can walk into UBA Business Offices and get their cards in less than five minutes.

Card can help its holders to achieve their desires this season and beyond.

"Be it a vacation with the family or an item to purchase, there is a UBA Card story behind every memorable summer experience," it said.

UBA cards are accepted in over 200 countries and are protected with second to none technology to ensure the security of all cardholders. Cardholders

the e-payment space. “We have articles there to open the eyes of the public on how to stop electronic fraud. We have articles from different stakeholders. It will help you on what you need to avoid if you want your account to be safe,” he said.

He said the assessment of the epayment industry is that the value and volume of electronic transactions in e-payment has been in the increase. However, he said the value and volume of fraud, though globally is on the increase, but in Nigeria is on decrease because of so many controls in place.

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

Tenor

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

32

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 12-06-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 12-6-15

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

33

EQUITIES

Cadbury Nigeria to revamp growth with four-point strategy

C

ADBURY Nigeria Plc, the Nigerian business of Mondelez International, one of the world’s largest snack companies, will focus on increasing its market share in the powdered drink and candy segments as part of four key strategic initiatives this year to revamp flagging growth and consolidate the gains of recent investments and breakthroughs.

Chairman, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Atedo Peterside, said the company would focus on four key strategic initiatives to realize its growth ambitions this year, after it took major hits in sales and profit in 2014.

Peterside outlined that the company would concentrate efforts at increasing its market share in the powdered-drink and candy categories while investing in innovation and enhancement of its product portfolio.

He added that the company would take further advantage of its route-to-market initiative as well as build a strong, sustainable business built on top talents.

In address to shareholders of the company, Peterside, said Cadbury Nigeria posted overall strong performance in 2014 in view of operating and macroeconomic challenges.

According to him, the immediate past business year was very challenging for companies in view of the country’s unstable foreignexchange market, decline in oil revenue, high-input costs, fierce competition, insecurity in parts of the country, generally poor infrastructure and costly and unreliable power supply.

He said the company was able to mitigate the impact of the tough operating environment by continuing to improve its operational

•From Right: Romeo Lacerda, Non-Executive Director; Yimika Adeboye, Finance Director; Roy Naaman, Managing Director; Adedotun Sulaiman, NonExecutive Director but presided in the absence of the Chairman, Atedo Peterside; Ibukun Awosika, Non-Executive Director and Charles Nelson, NonExecutive Director, all of Cadbury Nigeria Plc at the company’s annual general meeting in Lagos

efficiencies.

“One of the major strengths of our company has been operational efficiency, as aligned with global best practices. Constant improvements in operational efficiency helped us to offset difficulties in the operating environment,” Peterside noted.

Shareholders at the annual general meeting, which was presided over

by Mr. Adedotun Sulaiman, a nonexecutive director who stood in for the chairman, approved distribution of N1.22 billion as cash dividends for the 2014 business year, representing a dividend per share of 65 kobo.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that sales dropped from N35.76 billion to

N30.52 billion. Gross profit dropped from N13.10 billion to N7.93 billion. The company recorded pre and post tax profits of N1.47 billion and N1.51 billion respectively in 2014, representing net earnings per share of 75 kobo. Pre and post tax profits were N7.42 billion and N6.02 billion respectively in 2013.

Roy Naaman, who resumed as managing director of Cadbury Nigeria on January 1, 2015, expected to help consolidate the company’s market share and tap into other expanding markets in West Africa.

Cadbury Nigeria had stated that Naaman as a highly experienced brand professional would lead the snacks group’s expansion in West Africa and deliver consistent and

strong profit to shareholders.

“In Roy, we are very pleased to gain a highly experienced leader, with a strong track record in driving sustained and profitable growth. In his previous role, Roy was instrumental in spurring business expansion in southern Africa and the Caucasus. He is a most valuable addition to our company,” Romeo Lacerda, President, Markets, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mondelçz International, said in a company statement.

Naaman joins Mondelçz International from the Diplomat Group, a global distribution company representing leading brands. With a Bachelor of Arts in business, majoring in finance, Naaman has held a number of positions in the Diplo-

Nigerian shareholders want judiciary to support market reforms A S the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) steps up enforcement actions on erring operators, shareholders have urged the judiciary to play constructive and supportive roles to ensure the success of capital market reforms.

Shareholders said the judiciary should be accord special interests to cases of investors’ protection, market integrity and professional ethics as these are key elements that make up investors’ confidence; the driving force for capital market growth.

According to them, judges should adjudicate on capital market-related cases promptly and should also not grant unnecessary orders in favour of operators to shield them from punishment after committing infractions in the market.

National chairman, Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Oderinde Taiwo, said the judiciary should give speedy hearing to capital market related cases.

“The regular courts should also cooperate with special courts such as the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) in resolving capital market cases. A situation whereby IST, which is equivalent to a high court, gives an order and another high court gives a counter order is not good for the market,” Taiwo said.

President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Mr. Boniface Okezie, said judges should base their judgements on merits of each case instead of indiscriminately issuing orders.

According to him, apart from fast-tracking the judgement delivery process, judges should listen to arguments of both parties and deliver their judgements based on

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

merits.

“When any offender is brought before any court, the court should be able to look at the case dispassionately and ask the defendant to go and face the music rather than delay the case unnecessarily or issue orders preventing the defendant from prosecution,” Okezie said.

Mr. Moses Igbrude of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), said investors had been frustrated and discouraged due to the delay in getting justice.

“We are now calling on the judiciary that in order to restore investor confidence and as part of their continued contribution to the growth of the market, capital market-related cases should be dispensed with speed,” Igbrude said.

According to him, in the new dispensation, the judiciary should discourage the issuance of orders to capital market operators, who, after violating rules, will run to the courts for cover.

“This has been happening and I believe given the high expectations for change in the entire country, the courts should no longer grant orders to those who have deliberately committed offences and when they are asked to face the music, they run to the court for protection that they do not deserve,” Igbrude, who is also the chairman of Consumer Rights Awareness Advancement & Advocacy Initiative (CRAAAI), said.

The shareholders spoke against the background of recent enforcement actions by SEC. The Investment and Securities Act (ISA), which enshrines investor’s protection as the core mandate of SEC, gives it wide-ranging powers to protect investors from any form of abuse.

SEC is statutorily empowered to “

intervene in the management and control of capital market operators which it considers has failed, is failing or in crisis including entering into the premises and doing whatsoever the Commission deems necessary for the protection of investors” while it can also “in furtherance of its role of protecting the integrity of the securities market, seek judicial order to freeze the assets (including bank accounts) of any person whose assets were derived from the violation of this Act, or any securities law or regulation in Nigeria or other jurisdictions”.

In furtherance of the provisions of the ISA, SEC recently came down heavily on one of Nigeria’s leading investment banking groups with the suspension of the BGL Group and its subsidiaries from all capital market activities.

SEC said its decisions were based on the “report of a detailed investigation into the various complaints received from investors against subsidiaries of BGL Group”.

SEC had late April intervened in the operations of BGL Group Plc, suspended its board and set up an interim management board for the group. The interim management board, headed by a former president of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Oladipo Aina, was mandated to conduct full investigation into the operations of BGL Group. Other members of the interim board were Mr. Abubakar Ambursa, Mrs. Hafsat Rufai, Ms. Temitayo Siyanbola and Ms. Tonne Ladipo-Ajayi.

On the basis of the investigation report, SEC yesterday announced the suspension of BGL Asset Management Limited, BGL Capital Limited and BGL Securities Limited from all capital market activities.

The Commission also directed

that all major officials and sponsored individuals of BGL Asset Management Limited, BGL Capital Limited and BGL Securities Limited whose particulars are contained in the Commission’s record as at December 2014 be suspended from performing any capital market activity.

SEC particularly cited Mr. Albert Okumagba, the group managing director of BGL Group and directed that Okumagba, who was the president of CIS before the April sack of the board, should cease to be a registered sponsored individual with the Commission following the withdrawal of the registration of BGL Plc as a capital market operator. With this directive, Okumagba, one of the most influential capital market operators, will therefore no longer be entitled to carry out capital market activities.

Besides, the apex capital market regulator stated that it has referred what it described as “suspicious transactions” observed in the course of the investigation to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for further investigation.

According to the statement, BGL Asset Management Limited, BGL Capital Limited and BGL Securities Limited and all individuals involved in the management of the companies have also been referred to the Administrative Proceedings Committee (APC) of SEC for further trial.

In an affidavit deposed to by SEC, the Commission said BGL was having liquidity problems and has been running at a loss to the tune of over N48 billion as at December 31, 2014.

SEC stated that BGL is indebted to investors who complained to the tune of N5.769 billion and that the indebtedness has precluded the company from performing its obligations to its clients and investors.

mat Group in several countries, including Georgia, and most recently as a General Manager of its largest market.

Mondelçz International, a global snacks powerhouse, holds 74.99 per cent equity stake in Cadbury Nigeria, the remaining 25.01 per cent shares are held by a diverse group of Nigerian individual and institutional investors.

Cadbury Nigeria has a cocoa processing factory located in Ondo town, 275km from Lagos, with a capacity of 12,500tons per year, processing cocoa beans into a range of intermediate products including cocoa butter, cocoa liquor and cocoa powder for export and local customers.

Resort Savings parleys estate developers

R

ESORT Savings and Loans Plc, a publicly quoted mortgage bank, has entered into business partnership with estate developers in Abuja and Lagos.

The business partnership entails provision of mortgage banking services including granting national housing funds facilities as well as various integrated marketing services to the developers and clients.

Head, Treasury and Investment, Resort Savings and Loans Plc, Mr. Jeff Ejemai, said the bank has invested more than N3 billion in real estate projects, in addition to creating mortgage in excess of N4 billion over the past 24 months.

He said the company has tastefully furnished estates in prime locations within Abuja, Lagos, Jaligo, Yola, Ibadan, Asaba and Port Harcourt.

According to him, all the projects are either completed or in the final stage of completion and are located strategically with easy asses to bus stops.

He said further that the estates are fully registered with proper documentations adding that interested customers or prospective customers who want to have their own home should contact the bank for further information He urged all existing and prospective customers of the bank to take advantage of the new development in the mortgage bank.

“We are in an era that requires great tact for those who want to survive. One of the ways to live in this era is to take advantage of facilities like this. With the products in our bank it is easy for anybody who wants to own property to do so, our terms are flexible and customer friendly,” Ejemai said

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

34

Taxation

P

RESUMPTIVE taxation offers two additional benefits to both governments and taxpayers: it allows the government to tax its citizens in a more equitable fashion while rewarding efficient businesses with financial incentives. It is generally accepted that wages and salaries paid by corporations and governments are taxed more effectively than income earned by the self-employed due to the introduction of withholding taxes at source. Simplified presumptive taxation schemes increase the probability that the self-employed are also taxed effectively.

At the same time, many presumptive taxation regimes entice SMEs into the tax net by discarding high tax rates and providing incentives rewarding efficiency. For example, methods such as taxing based on average ratios (profits to sales) and average income allow businesses to retain some profits without being taxed. Moreover, many developmental economists advocate a presumptive tax on the potential use of land (assuming it has been used as productively as possible) to encourage landowners to utilize land productively.

Various methods of estimating income and assessing tax liability have been developed by countries that have employed the presumptive income taxation. Some of these methods include standard assessment, estimated assessment, value of land, net wealth and asset value, visible signs of wealth, and minimum taxes amongst others.

Presumptive tax: equalising the distribution of tax burden (11)

Standard Assessment Standard assessments assign lump-sum taxes to taxpayers on the basis of occupation or business activity.

Standard assessments have been shown to broaden the tax base with limited disincentives. Although this method is viewed as less equitable than estimated assessments, it is also less open to corruption.

In the early 1960s, Ghana introduced a simple standard assessment system that fixed lump-sum payments for different economic activities. The payments were established by determining the average taxable income of a few taxpayers selected at random from each class of self-employed taxpayers.

It is important to understand that standard assessments can be a poor revenue-mobilizing method of taxation unless the fixed payments are indexed to inflation (or increased regularly) and taxpayers are moved to categories as their taxable incomes increase over time. Furthermore, standard assessments do not take taxpayerspecific conditions, such as family size or losses in a particular year into account. As a result, it can be regressive by imposing equal tax on individuals in the same category even when they earn different incomes.

In this assessment method, each taxpayer’s income is individually estimated based on indicators or proxies of wealth specific to a given profession or economic activity. Key indicators can range from location of property to numbers of skilled employees to seating capacity.

France’s Forfait and Israel’s Tahshiv methods both utilized estimated assessments and are recognized as among the most highly developed presumptive tax regimes of their time.

Israel’s Tahshiv method employed objective factors to estimate the income of taxpayers unable to keep records. The Tahshiv for each sector was prepared, often over several years, after extensive research and many visits to a sample of businesses. The average profitability of a particular sector and its relationship to specific factors and indexes were discussed with representatives of the sector before the official Tahshiv was issued. Examples of indicators employed included number of employees, location, seating capacity (for restaurants, cafes, barber shops, etc.), skill level of workers (for carpenter’s workshop or garages), nature of equipment used (for truck and taxi drivers), and water consumption (for ice-producing companies).

The estimated assessment method of presumptive taxation employs a variety of techniques to derive taxpayer income, both simple and complex. Simple methods are based on single factors such as a taxpayer’s total assets, net wealth or value of business assets, gross receipts of business, and visible signs of wealth.

Minimum Taxes Alternative minimum taxes come in many forms. Some schemes specify a tax burden or minimum tax irrespective of the taxpayer’s level of income or economic activity. Others levy the tax as a relatively low percentage of turnover or assets. Francophone Africa pioneered the establishment of minimum corporate income taxes by introducing fixed lump-sum amounts that were uniform for all corporations regardless of size or volume. Due to its regressive nature, this minimum tax was replaced in many countries by a tax based on a percentage of gross receipts. In countries with both types of minimum taxes, corporations pay the larger of the two. In others, the minimum tax is also applied to individuals. The practice of minimum taxes has spread beyond Africa to become the prevalent form of presumptive taxation in Latin America.

CHALLENGES OF PRESUMPTIVE TAXATION Presumptive Tax Regime is no doubt gaining popularity, especially in developing nations. However, there are challenges and obstacles that tend to compromise its effectiveness. Governments that recognize the limitations of presumptive taxation often times include provisions in their tax codes that allow taxpayers the opportunity for a redress. Listed below are some of the challenges that affect the smooth administration of presumptive taxation.

Crude Implementation

• Acting Executive Chairman, FIRS, Samuel Ogungbesan

By Embuka Anna

Complex methods use factors and indices of profitability, which vary by economic activity.

Net Wealth and Asset Value Estimated Assessment

wealth are applied cautiously and when there are no other means to assess income. They are often helpful in determining income on illegal activity such as racketeering or drug trafficking.

Factors such as net wealth and value of assets enable income estimation through the comparison of beginning of year with end of year net worth. As one can imagine, it is difficult to determine the amount at the beginning and end of the year with any precision, much less account for expenditures during year. Tax authorities in developing nations such as Argentina, Chile, and Colombia employ this method as a basis for presuming income during audits. However, they are faced with various technical problems when doing so. For example, since it is easy to identify owners of some assets versus others (agricultural land vs. foreign currency) equity issues arise. Moreover, valuation of assets is a problem and presumptions based on net wealth often encourage taxpayers to increase liabilities.

Visible Signs of Wealth Taxes on visible signs of wealth serve as an equity issue. It serves to ensure that wealthy citizens pay an appropriate amount of tax, even if they report all actual income. The taxes apply only to individuals and usually include main and secondary residences, the number of domestic servants, cars, yachts, private planes and race horses. In European countries such as France, Italy, and Spain (until 1978) signs of wealth qualified and how much income to attach was detailed in income tax ordinances. In practice, this method has proven to be difficult to apply. If the applicable tax law is general, it is hard to know which signs of wealth to choose, and what amount to assign. If the opposite is true, the laws are often inflexible and unfair. As a result, taxes on signs of

Despite its streamlined requirements, presumptive taxation is not always effective because governments do not have sound tax administration systems in place at the federal, state or local levels to implement schemes as envisioned by policymakers. Countries in early stages of economic development tend to employ crude methods of estimating income because they lack sufficiently qualified resources to analyze the profitability of various economic activities and to define the indexes for effectively calculating presumptive incomes. As a result, small businesses in particular are routinely taxed unfairly and inefficiently.

Systemic Corruption Arguably, presumptive taxation can help reduce corruption in tax administration. However, the success of presumptive taxation in reducing corruption will depend both on the structure of the scheme and the overall administrative environment and capacity of the tax administration institution. A presumptive taxation scheme can increase the discretionary power of tax officials and in a worst case scenario increase corrupt practices. A carefully designed presumptive taxation scheme can help reduce corruption, but can never be a substitute for the much needed capacity building and administrative reforms within the tax administration.

Undermines Tax Base The primary goal of most governments that introduce presumptive taxation is to broaden the country’s tax base by preparing citizens and businesses in the informal sector to enter the formal tax net. However, presumptive taxation has proven to undermine this goal as taxpayers remain in presumptive taxation regimes indefinitely or regress from formal taxation programs to presumptive taxation schemes.

This phenomenon tends to occur when sophisticated taxpayers earn above average income and recognize that standard assessments levy a lower tax burden. The result is that they either under report income or simply pretend not to keep accurate records of income, as is prevalent in Israel, in order to remain in the presumptive regime and enjoy its benefits.

Overall, presumptive taxation is a form of assessing tax liabilities using indirect methods such as income reconstruction or by applying base-line taxation across the entire tax base. Presumptive methods of taxation are thought to be effective in reducing tax avoidance as well as equalizing the distribution of the tax burden. It is safe to say then, that the essence of Presumptive Tax as adopted by the FIRS is to suppress the burden of VAT on the informal sector especially micro and small businesses.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

35

THE NATION

BUSINESS PENSION

Legislators push for Pension Reform Act’s implementation The National Assembly is pushing for the full implementation of the Pension Reform Act, 2014 to ensure that retirees under the Defined Benefits Scheme enjoy the same comfort in retirement with that of their counterparts under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), writes OMOBOLA TOLU-KUSIMO

W

ORKERS across the world are taking more than a passing interest in what befalls them when they retire.

In Nigeria, the story is not different. Though the country has crossed a milestone in reforming its pension system, much more still needs to be done in terms of implementating the new pension law, the Pension Reform Act 2014.

The National Assembly says consolidating the gains of pension reform in the country will require full implementation of the enabling law, urging its action to ensure that retirees under the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) and the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) enjoy comfort in retirement.

They also believe that the implementation of the law will ensure that never again will retirees, who have served their fatherland meritoriously, roam the streets begging for alms.

The ongoing pension reform in Nigeria started with the enactment Act which established the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the CPS. That became necessary because the DBS was not fully funded by governments across the country. Relief came the way of retirees under the old scheme in 2013 when the Federal Government reformed the DBS with the establishment of the Pension Transitional Arrangements Directorate (PTAD).

One year after PTAD was established, the Pension Reform Act, 2014 was enacted to repeal and replace the 2004 Act. The new law gave PenCom regulatory roles over PTAD and further strengthened the latter to deliver on its mandate of ensuring that pensioners under the DBS get their pensions as at when due.

In the beginning Before the establishment of PTAD, the Federal Government had set up the Pension Reform Task Force, headed by Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, to reform the DBS. Members of the task force were later alleged to have helped themselves from the money meant to pay pensioners to the tune of billions of naira while many of retirees died in poverty.

The allegations led to the sack of the task force and their job became a subject of investigation by the Seventh National Assembly.

Revelations of massive fraud perpetrated by the members of the team were unearthed even as Maina was said to have shunned invitation by the legislators to come and clear his name.

Just lately, Maina and some members of his team, now answering fraud charges at various law courts, began sponsoring intensive media campaigns to disparage the revelations made by the National Assembly and showcase some unconfirmed achievements recorded by the team in an attempt to convince the President Muhammad Buhari to reinstate them.

However, giving vivid details of the discoveries of the Senate Committee on States and Local Governments in the Seventh National Assembly, its Chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya, observed that prior to pension reform in the country, government found it extremely difficult to address the issue of pensioners roaming the streets of major cities begging for alms as a result of non-payment of their pension or negligence on the part of those coordinating the pension system.

Addressing participants at the just-concluded Stakeholders Sensitisation Conference on the Pension Reform Act in Abuja, Senator Gaya recalled that under the DBS, many retirees died because of delay or refusal of government to pay their pension while negligence on the part of those who managed pension fund contributed to the plight of retirees under the old scheme.

“The Defined Benefits Scheme caused death of retirees because their pension were either delayed or not paid at all for a long period as a result of corruption. The introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme will reduce corruption to the barest minimum if not erase it and stiffer laws and penalties should be looked into,” he said.

Reflecting on “Consolidating the Gains of Pension Reform in Nigeria,” Gaya painted a gloomy picture of the DBS prior to the estab-

• Gaya

• Mayshack

lishment of PTAD in 2013. According to him, the scheme was plagued by “lack of funding, insufficient budgetary provisions, mismanagement, maladministration, inadequate legal framework and constant death of retirees while awaiting their entitlements and high corruption” among other things.

Also, giving an insight into the findings of the National Assembly Investigative Panel on Pension, he said pensioners found it difficult to get their entitlements.

“Some of our members cried when they saw the pains these pensioners were going through. Some of them have gone mental because they were asking for the claims and they could not get them and some of the people handling pension fund were having good time and good foods on their tables. I personally assisted one of them financially because he was telling us several things as if we were the civil servants that failed to pay their pension.

“During our investigations, we found that money was kept in banks for years and pensioners were not being paid. One organisation paid N5 billion while it had N21 billion in its purse kept in banks generating interest while it refused to pay pensioners,” he said.

He also stated some of the challenges the National Assembly surmounted in the course of making the pension laws saying “during our pension probe we had situations where some members of the Task Force became forces that we cannot fight.When we collated the report for the Chairman of the task force and members of his team to account for N195 billion, we invited him but he refused to appear.”

Assuring PenCom of the support of the National Assembly in implementing the Pension Reform Act 2014 fully to meet the expectation of workers and retirees in the country, Gaya recalled that the lawmakers had in the past made useful recommendations towards the successful reform of the pension industry and would support PenCom and other pension stakeholders to continue delivering on its mandates.

“That is why we made about 122 recommendations to the Senate which include that funds should be in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not in commercial banks and that those already in commercial banks should be returned to CBN. I want to assure you that the National Assembly is ever supportive of strengthening of this Act to alleviate the sufferings of our elder statesmen,” Gaya said.

He also encouraged stakeholders in the pension industry to uphold best practice in the administration of retirement benefit fund in the country saying “PenCom, PTAD and all others should be diligent, prompt, transparent, honest and sincere in their days of service because they are also close to the net.

“For us to move forward in this country, we have to fight corruption. We have to be sincere in our jobs and for those who steal so much, once you cross a certain level all the money you accumulate is a waste.”

The Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Pension, Hon. Samson Okwu in the Seventh Assembly also supported Gaya on the need to fully implement the new pension law. Speaking during a Stakeholders Sensitisation Conference in Abuja, he encouraged pension stakeholders to fashion out ways to fully implement the new pension law to ensure that self-employed people and workers in the informal sector are brought under the CPS. He said: “I charge professionals to look into the law and system such that we can give guarantees to contributors. Your contributions will pave the way for us to learn how all Nigerians can key into the system such that we will have a guaranty of savings for all Nigerians such that even the welder by the road side can be

Legislators’ effort Members of the National Assembly observed that with the establishment of PTAD, the gory tales they inundated with is now a thing of the past. The Directorate is working very hard to bring back smiles to the faces of pensioners under the DBS. The law makers also noted that to sustain the successes so far recorded with the old scheme, there is need to further strengthen PTAD by fully implementing the new pension law.

part of the scheme.

“The Eighth National Assembly will partner the industry and we will work together to make the pension system better.”

Justifying their push for full implementation of the law, the legislators observed the CPS is working perfectly and according to plans. The scheme, is fully funded and retirees under it are getting their pension as at when due. There has not been any case of fraud or corruption in the system from inception, they said.

The legislators however, noted that the only way to ensure that the gains so far made with the DBS will not be reverse is to fully implement the Pension Reform Act, 2014. This will also ensure that situations where fund managers under the old scheme come in contact with pensioners’ money and may be tempted to divert or mismanage will be completely avoided.

The era where managers of the scheme deposit pensioners’ money to earn interest while pensioners wallow in abject poverty will be gone for good with the full implementation of the new pension law, they maintained.

According to the law makers, for the DBS to succeed, it is important to further strengthen PTAD and ensure that the CBN continue to keep custody of all the money meant for pensioners under the DBS and pensioners’ entitlements continue to be transferred directly to their bank accounts from the apex bank after verification.

They want retirees under the old scheme to enjoy good life in retirement as much as their colleagues under the CPS, insisting that it is only the full implementation of the new pension law that will make all these possible.

PTAD Established August 2013 in line with provision of Section 30(2) (a) of the Pension Reform Act, 2004 and now Section 42(1) of the Pension Reform Act 2014, the PTAD took over the management of the Defined Benefits pension schemes of federal parastatals and agencies and has been implementing a new structure, which is a clear departure from the old system and also introduced a new orientation to service delivery to meet the needs of pensioners.

The pension law directed directors of the Civil Service Pension Department, Police Pension Department and Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Department to report to the Executive Secretary of the Directorate. Also, all the Boards of Trustees of pension schemes being operated by FGN parastatals report to PTAD. PTAD Director-General, Nellie Mayshack, said the agency however prides itself as “progressively working hard” to sanitise the pension administration system and restore public confidence through effective management, accountability and transparency and alleviating the sufferings of pensioners through regular and prompt payments, constant communication and easily accessible to by retirees.

The directorate also said it is improving service delivery to pensioners, ensuring effective planning and management of pension under the DBS and ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of pension funds while restoring confidence and trust in the system.

Wapic introduces motor insurance, group life products

W

APIC Insurance Plc and Wapic Life Assurance Limited have re-introduced motor insurance product suite and group life insurance product aimed at meeting Nigerians budget and life style flexibility, the Group Managing Director of the company, Ashish Desai has said.

He stated the motor insurance product suite has been rebranded and is now called “Moov” while the group life policy has been re-designed to address critical consumer needs while keeping them adequately protected against the financial impact of life’s risks whilst in employment Unveiling the value propositions for Moov and group life in Lagos, Desai said Moov, the motor insurance product in its new form has

been designed to meet the yearnings of customers for budget and life style flexibility.

An integral feature of the new product, he noted, is the fact that the consumers can customcreate their motor insurance cover.

He said: “The motor product comes in four variants, which include Moov to cover third part motor insurance; Moov Plus for third party, fire and theft; Moov Prestige to cover basic comprehensive insurance while Moov Luxury is the maximum motor cover available.

“Within each option, there is a menu of covers from which customers can make a choice based on their needs and budget. Each cover is priced separately while the customer can work out the cost using the online calculator provided. The company has also made the product more ac-

cessible for the insuring public as there are now various product purchase channels available to consumers.”

He stressed that the launch of these products, further reinforce their commitment to excellence in customer service.

Managing Director, Wapic Life, Niyi Onifade further explained that Group Life Insurance product is a compulsory class of cover for all employers with three or more employees.

He said with this in mind, the life business, Wapic Life Assurance Limited, had similarly revamped this product to meet the needs of employers through simplified documentation, seamless payment process and enjoyable claim settlement for the benefit of their employees

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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SPECIAL REPORT

R-TAG: Skye Bank’s new deal for customers’ satisfaction The Customer being king, is an age old mantra that continues to inspire global businesses, and propel shreud CEOs and business leaders to re-align their processes to deliver value to the customer. Smarting from its enlarged position since its acquisition of the erstwhile Mainstreet Bank, Skye Bank looks set to reconfigure its business strategy and product offerings in a bold new customer- centric move labeled, ‘Retail Transformation and Growth,’ writes Emmanuel Udodinma

• GMD/CEO, Skye Bank, Timothy Oguntayo

F

OR several months and at various fora, Skye Bank has been talking about streamlining operations to play big in the Retail (defined as Consumer and Small and Medium Enterprises) sector, a position made good after its recent acquisition of Mainstreet Bank.

All doubts and misgivings were however laid to rest last week as the Bank formerly unveiled its Retail Transformation and Growth (R-TAG) strategy to its customers and the general public. The customer-public is without doubt a major stakeholder group, whose consumption pattern is a factor in determining the success or otherwise of any enterprise.

With R-TAG, Skye Bank has moved its approach to Retail Banking from a product-led, to a customer-focussed model with a clear identification of four primary focus-segments, namely: mass market, emerging middle class and mass affluent (for Consumer Banking) and SME’s.

In a release after the launch, the bank explained the rational behind the R-TAG as a move, “designed to revolutionise retail banking business in the country and serve as a game-changing business model with focus on customer segments, using unique value-propositions, rather than the product-led approach commonly adopted by Retail organi-

sations. This is the key to activating the bank’s new retail sales approach which is based on a ‘Pull’ strategy, supported by a positive customer experience across its key service touch points.”

Just before the formal launch, the Group Managing Director/ CEO, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo, said RTAG was conceived because of a desire to meet customers’ needs and that, it was the result of wide consultation.

He said with R-TAG, the bank’s products are not only streamlined, but they are also loaded with a lot of benefits because customers deserve a lot from the financial entity.

He expressed confidence that the program will turn out to become a huge success and would lead others in the Nigerian market space. “We are confident it matches and surpasses competition” he said.

For the Bank’s Executive Director, South-South, South-East and Retail Banking, Mrs. Ibiye Ekong, said it was the natural route to go. Perhaps alluding to the ongoing integration of Mainstreet Bank and Skye Bank and the tiein with R-TAG, Mrs. Ekong said, “That is not unusual because we have the network. Let us begin to work the network to deliver value to customers and ultimately to the organisation.

“We have done classification of our branches, moved personnel around and engaged direct agents so that the footprints for

retail customers are expanded,” she said.

On how the bank adopted the R-TAG strategy, she said: “After that phase, we came up with a transformation agenda that sought to find out from customers what products they would want. ‘’We entered into the process of working with experts; with IFC, we worked with some retail experts and other international companies on how to design structures that will deliver value.

What you have seen today is the first phase of actualization of that objective.

“We now have products clearly defined and streamlined. We used to have a long array of products and what you find is that people get confused, delivery becomes a problem; customers do not know how one translates to the other. We have been able to identify the product, clearly demarcated so that, from one level to the other you know what you are getting being a customer of the Bank,’’ Mrs. Ekong said.

At the project launch in Lagos earlier in the month, Oguntayo, assured that the new business transformation agenda would bring about customised and needs-satisfying financial solutions in a manner that will exceed the expectations of customers.

He pointed out that the trend in retail banking requires the service provider knowing the needs of the customer beyond finances, to include Lifestyle

needs and designing appropriate solutions to meet those needs.

He assured that Skye Bank is poised to serve as a dependable partner to its customers across the country.

His words: “Our renewed drive and focus on retail banking is anchored on the premise of building a long-lasting relationship with our customers, based on trust as well as supporting the financial inclusion drive of the Central Bank of Nigeria, so as to bring a lot more people into the financial system and the formal economy.”

This is the reason, he said the bank has instituted its ‘Reach for the Skye Millionaire Reward’ scheme as a product feature for its flagship savings product, designed to encourage the savings culture amongst the mass market segment.

He said the current banking environment as well as the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank, which after integration will significantly increase the branch footprint of Skye, signifies a clear competitive advantage for Skye Bank to follow the Retail Banking model.

In accordance with the CEO’s exposition, the Bank’s Head, Retail Banking Group, Ms. Nkolika Okoli, said, before now, serving the Retail market was based on a product approach but with RTAG, the new strategy is now reversed with the customer as the main focus.

“The reason for streamlining

‘With R-TAG, the bank’s products are not only streamlined, but they are also loaded with a lot of benefits because customers deserve a lot from the financial entity’

our Consumer Banking business into three primary focus areas, is to make it easier for customers to derive value and make it easier for the Bank to serve them.”

She also said that the Bank is removing barriers to banking by paying savings’ customers the monthly interest due to them irrespective of the number of withdrawals made on their accounts, which is a move in support of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) financial inclusion policy.

In this regard, she said mass market current accounts would attract zero Cost on Transaction (COT) and free debit cards among other values.

According to her: “The R-TAG project has helped streamlined the bank’s product portfolio targeted at Individuals and SME customers, via the identification of primary-focus segments, with a maximum of two-products to serve each segment.

The bank has also pioneered the issuance of free debit cards and cheque books to retail customers, as well as removal of all withdrawal barriers on savings account types as incentives to encourage adoption of financial services by customers of all classes thereby making banking affordable to all, Ms. Okoh stated.

Skye Bank’s trading results, indicating an upward movement in Pre-tax profit, and the almost 46 percent rise in the bank’s equity price since early January, are clear signs that the investment public is taking cognisance of the bank’s strategic actions and stocking up on the it’s shares, more so now that the bank reresents a bigger, well managed and focussed entity, delivering better results to stakeholders.

EMPOWERMENT CLINIC

Plying the precise path to the peak (2) Last week, we said it is imperative to aspire to be at the peak of your career or business. We added that for you to achieve this feat, you must have the mentality that the sky is the beginning not the limit of your potential for success. We X-rayed some of the factors critical to success. This week, we will add more.

Strong belief To be able to get to the highest rung of the achievement ladder, you need strong belief. Belief is an attitude, the way you think about something. Your belief is your destiny and once you are committed, success will surely come your way. You form attitude through knowledge and experiences and you can change your attitude if you motivate yourself to do so. Irrespective of whom you are, your education or location in life, your attitude can be totally positive if you believe in yourself.

Failure and self-challenge You also need to embrace fail-

By Goke Ilesanmi

ure and challenge so as successfully ply the path to the peak. No matter what happens in the course of your journey towards success, never label yourself a failure. One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. But you need to keep the bigger picture in mind. To get to the top in life, you need to really challenge yourself. It is a reality that most people can do more than they think they can.

Best people You need to surround yourself with the best people if you must to rise to the top. When you surround yourself with the right kind of people, you enter into the God-given power of agreement.

You should not measure your success by what others have and have not, and today is the day to get through what you have been going through. If you think you are doing better than the average per-

son, then you are an average person yourself.

Corporate culture Any organisation that wants to get to the peak needs to have a strong corporate culture. Research shows that corporate culture accounts for 20 to 30 per cent of the corporate performance in the midst of competition. Some of the elements making up a great corporate culture are a vision or mission statement, values, people, etc. A great corporate culture begins with a vision or mission statement which we discussed last week. Values also constitute the core of a great corporate culture.

While a vision articulates a company’s purpose, values offer a set of guidelines on the behaviour and mindsets needed to achieve that vision. Employees are another part of a great corporate culture. This is so because a corporate organisation cannot establish an acceptable culture without people who either share its core values or are willing to embrace those values.

Management and board composition Any organisation that wants to succeed and get to the peak in these days of cut-throat competition must be effectively managed. Credibility of the people constituting the board of an organisation also determines how far an organisation can go in terms or achievement.

Credibility of the board either boosts or erodes confidence of the public and investors, and influences the confidence that employees repose in such an organisation.

Final note Are you now set to ply your precise path to the peak? If it is so, then discard performance of mediocrity and move to where you really belong at the top. There is consistent demand for mediocrity but you should turn down the offer and cuddle peak performance.

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

•Ilesanmi

page for details.

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

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

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

37

THE CEO

‘Why Buhari should fight corruption’ Sir Ademola Aladekomo, a pioneer in the telecom sector, founded Chams Plc in 1985 and nurtured it from a start-up firm to a public-quoted industry giant. As he retires in September, Aladekomo, past president and Fellow of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), in this interview with Capital Market Editor TAOFIK SALAKO, shares his thoughts on the economy, information and communication technology, entrepreneurship, and the company he is leaving behind.

‘The major priority for any government today is just to resolve this issue of corruption. The next one I think they should look at is security. There is no way people can survive and thrive in any environment without looking at security. Closely going along with security is something we call rule of law. At least if you do certain business, there should be certain rules that should guide that business’

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ROM an entrepreneur perspective, what are the things you think should be the immediate priorities of the Buhari government?

A major one is this impunity about corruption. We have spoken about it over and over, corruption is bad and it is bad. And what is not good is just bad, corruption is bad. It creates massive turbulence not just for the economy but also for ethical organisations like Chams. If you look at our projections when we went to the market in 2008 and 2009, the turnover we projected to be doing now is almost like 10 per cent of the turnover we projected then. Unfortunately, because of corruption, it has been impossible to meet our projections. Due to corruption, companies like Chams have been highly victimised because of our refusal to pay bribe on major national projects, we were blacklisted and back-stabbed due to our inability to compromise on the issue of corruption.

How many companies have we lost in the country because of corruption, how many innocent lives have we lost. We do not say people should not make money, at least we should create a lot of multi-billionaires, multi-millionaires in the system, but let them do it clean. So, the major priority for any government today is just to resolve this issue of corruption. The next one I think they should look at is security. There is no way people can survive and thrive in any environment without looking at security.

Closely going along with security is something we call rule of law. At least if you do certain business, there should be certain rules that should guide that business. Where those rules are not well kept, doing business becomes difficult. For us at Chams, we also had issues with that. The other one is employment for this government; and it will only derive when we reduce corruption, when there is security and rule of law in the environment. These are the three main priorities that I think government should focus on. But there is one that a lot of people may actually put as one of the three that is infrastructure. But I still put it as number four because once you reduce corruption, improve security and ensure rule of law and employment, I believe a lot of the infrastructural activities can be resolved. But

• Aladekomo

infrastructure is also pretty urgent, so I will say four priorities for the government.

When I was in Chams, you will find us using three generators for almost 24 hours a day and if you look at yourself at management, you wonder, are you in the power business or the information technology business whereby you have to be taking care of generators? Apart from power, you have to take care of water. So, the issue of infrastructure should also be looked into. But that to us is a massive opportunity for businesses and I’m not considering it as one of the top three because once corruption is reduced, security is taken care of and there is rule of law and there is employment, people will actually come up with solutions for power, for water, for health and for education among others.

You founded an Upstart company, nurtured it into a major company quoted on the stock market. What is your experience?

I strongly believe that this environment today gives a lot of opportunities for people to thrive. We have 174.5 million Nigerians that is a huge market for all of us, massive market that we should tap into. There will be challenges as we have mentioned, infrastructural issues, corruption; all those issues, but they should not be mitigants for people to get into business. I believe there are opportunities, and from what we have heard of this new government, I believe they are going to tackle a lot of those challenges and issues militating against businesses corruption, insecurity and absence of rule of law. Once these are tackled, I think people should consider more going into businesses.

At every point in time, I lay emphasis on the 174.5 million Nigerians, that is a huge market for anybody that is serious. Be that as it may, there will be obstacles, but obstacles are supposed to be overcome in life. Busi-

ness is about tackling the obstacles and conquering your environment, and for the futuristic minds, the more obstacles you have within an environment, the more the opportunities; the more undeveloped a market is, the more entrepreneurs that it is supposed to have; because if a market is already matured, then why are you into it. That is why you find a lot of businesses finding it difficult to survive in advanced economies of United States and Britain. But in Nigeria, when you have a very serious business person, he will survive and thrive in Nigeria.

When I was starting, I was fortunate that the market was very big and underserved, just as the market is underserved right now.

In those days, we didn’t have any company maintaining computers, so it was only Chams that was maintaining computers in those days. So, that was an opportunity for me. When we went into the area of local area networking, it was only Chams that was dominating that area; when we went into wide area networking, it was only Chams; when we went into payment system, it was only Chams; we went into identity management, only Chams; up till now there are certain areas that it is only Chams that is into it. So, the market favoured us very well and we strongly believe that this major opportunity is still very there. We would have been able to do much better if the issues of corruption, infrastructure and rule of law were not there, but we still thank God we have done very well.

One of the refrains when it comes to foreign partnerships and technical assistance is technology transfer. What is your experience?

I think technology transfer is a myth, because no country, no company, no individual will voluntarily transfer his technology to you because if the technology is transferred

to you, what advantage will the person, country or organisation has any more? no more advantage. So, you have to acquire the technology yourself one way or the other; and the best way is to learn, understand those foreign technologies very well and adapt them to your own local environment. I am yet to see anybody given out a blueprint, as in - this is my technology - go and copy it, even when you are paying them, they still hold something. It is up to you to understand your environment, understand the global technologies and then bring in the ones that you think are relevant. You still need to invest a lot on research and development, you need to invest your own resources, you need to train yourself, and you need to train your people before you can understand any technology. So, we should forget the idea of anybody transferring any technology to us; it is not going to happen.

In period of economic constraints, especially in developing economies like ours, one of the first lines of casualties is the innovation industry like the information and communication technology sector. How do you foresee the outlook of the sector in the immediate to short term period?

Yes, when you have crunches, organisations usually reduce their expenditures on research and development, you are very right. But in our own environment, we have not spent so much on research and development; I believe we can still get that done now. We can leapfrog on a lot of technologies and, fortunately, those technologies are not that expensive to acquire. Let me take social media, even for journalism. As a journalist, you can establish your own newspaper online. What will it cost you? It will cost you a website or you register a blog which is not as expensive as registering a website, it will cost you having internet access, having laptop or a smart phone; spending less than a N100,000 you can almost establish a newspaper online. But imagine in those days to establish a newspaper, you will be looking at if not billions of Naira, hundreds of millions of Naira before you can do. But today, there are a lot of online media. Today, you can always stay online, get your news sources and stories, compile them and publish online, after given credits to all the sources. The research and development cost is pretty low, the cost of getting into businesses is also pretty low these days.

Why did you decide to list your company on the Stock Exchange in spite of the fact that most of your peers and other major companies in the same sector are reluctant to go public or list on the Exchange?

Very good question. One of the major advantages of listing is reporting your results.

If you are not messing around with your books, if you do not have anything to hide, if you want to be very transparent, if you want to be held on to your projections, your budgeting performance by the public, then you should list. For us in Chams, we decided to be opened, more because we do not •Continued on page 38

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

38

THE CEO

‘Why Buhari should fight corruption’ •Continued from page 37

have anything to hide. We believe that it is by exposing ourselves, by letting the whole world know what we are doing that we can improve. And you would have seen it in our results. In 2010, 2011 and even 2012 when things were really tough and bad, we were declaring results that were like a disgrace to us, but faithfully every quarter - I think it was only in a period that we didn’t report for some three quarters, I think it was in 2010 and immediately we corrected that, we were reporting all our results and it really helped us. Because our accounts department is highly independent, exactly what you do is what you report, so nobody is messing around with any figure. For us, being opened has really helped us.

For one, our stakeholders can trust us knowing that we are not hiding any figure.

It also makes corporate governance very easy for us. If we had been a private company during those periods of turbulence, if we didn’t publish our results, it would have been so easy, even the members of staff we won’t need to declare anything to them, everybody will just be wondering what is happening, the results would just be may be between the managing director, the chairman, a couple of board members and the head of finance. But companies have been known to die such way by keeping their secrets because most people won’t know what was happening. But for us, it is there in the public - in the open; this is the reason you are not doing well, this is the reason you are going to get out of the problem, this infuses a lot of confidence. Also, going to the public allows management to be separated from ownership. It looks a bit easy theoretically, but once you are able to separate management from ownership, your managers can now become professionals. Take, for instance, where you have the owner as the chairman and managing director, the person can come on Monday and demand N10 million; of course, nobody is going to know because your books are not published, even if the chief finance officer knows, that is her own headache. Tuesday, the person also comes and demand N27 million; then also Wednesday, I have a party, give me another N15 million to go and spend.

Before you know it, because the results are not published, nobody is holding anybody accountable, because management and ownership are not separated; the owner has actually wrecked the company without even he himself knowing. But in a situation whereby you get listed, the owner knows these are his limitations, the managers know that if they do anything untoward, they will be held accountable and they may go to prison; so even if any shareholder should come and demand N10 million, they will say: excuse me please, which accounts are we going to put it, we can give you as the chairman, but which account are we going to write it. Even as the managing director or a director, the director’s account is limited and it must be declared, the shareholders are going to be looking at that at the end of the year, and then everybody will be careful. In that way, you have proper corporate governance. So, the advantage of separating management from ownership is enormous.

We actually regretted in Chams that we didn’t do it 15 years earlier because if we had done it earlier, we would have been in much better place than we are now.

What is the outlook like for the economy within the medium to long term, and, specifically, the information and communication technology sector?

For the economy generally, there are lot of hopes on the new government. If in the first couple of months they are able to come up with some key pronouncements and follow these with major policies, including if needed to make some scapegoats, then there will be a lot of confidence in the economy,

• Aladekomo

‘Emotionally, it is tough leaving after 30 years; it has become almost second nature staying there working with my colleagues. As we always say in Chams, we spend more time with our colleagues at work than even our family at home .... Moreover, we have also grown a lot of the people in the system; there has been a lot of succession plan’ you will find a lot of money coming into the economy, you will find a lot of energy being generated in the economy, which will then make the markets to blossom again, which will make productivity to go high and make people a lot more enthusiastic to go for their goals. I believe it is going to look very rosy in the medium to long term. We shouldn’t expect any kind of miracle, the government is going to do its best, but I don’t see them performing magic, they are going to require some time before some of their policies will turn into results. So, you are right, we should be looking at the medium to long term before we should start seeing a very good outlook on the economy.

In our own sector, we believe the opportunities are still very massive. Unfortunately, we have not taken information technology the way United States and Europe are taking it and I keep wondering why, despite a lot of efforts, we don’t have major and massive information technology companies in Nigeria. We consume more from outside the country. If you look at hardware, possibly because we do not manufacture as such, so the impact is not that felt on the turnovers of the local companies. But I know that in the medium to long term, we are shifting, moving from being contractors, from being suppliers of hardware to becoming solution providers, towards writing our own applications, towards delivering solutions that will resolve local problems. So, by doing these, we believe that our input will be higher in the solutions that we will be delivering than hitherto. Right now, most of our solutions have a lot of foreign components, up till now if you have $1000 spent on information technology, about 70 per cent of that will go to importing hardware, and so the effect will be more in the economy where you are bringing those things. But you would have noticed that a lot of our people are delivering software locally. We believe that in the medium to long term, things are going to work out very well because a lot of us are there. We see the market growing. I take Chams as an example, most of our input used to be with foreign partners and input, but now we have started to develop solutions locally, we say let’s start

gradually and we believe this will come on stream for us very well.

In all these, are there any need for incentives for the government to support the growth of the domestic information and communication technology sector and indigenous companies?

Yes, of course, most economies rely on their governments to get out of the gridlocks of their imperial powers. Nigeria is not different. Because we are a net consumer of technologies, we need some kind of protection locally and the government has started doing some few things in that area. If you look at the local content, they have set up two bodies, one at NITDA and the other one in the oil industry; I believe the government should continue with those policies whereby we practically force governments and organisations to give priorities to local content. We, particularly, like the one at NITDA, whereby one major impact will be on sim cards. They said by July, this year all sim cards should be manufactured locally and it is something that is possible. With production of sim cards locally, it will come with a lot of software input into those sim cards, a lot of applications being developed locally, that will really help us. I remember when a similar policy on recharge card was published a couple of years ago, Chams was one of the very few companies to start up a recharge card plant. They thought recharge cards cannot be produced locally, we produced it easily, simple technology. We are also geared towards the sim card policy, we have the plant coming up now, we just certified it for the payment side, and then we have started working on the sim card. If that is done, there will be local employment and empowerment.

You had grown Chams over the years as mainly as an indigenous company, do you foresee a possibility of taking on foreign investors or partnership going forward?

Yes, it is a possibility and we are always on the lookout for partnerships. In as much as we believe a lot of things should be done locally, don’t let us forget that technologies are global, a lot of these innovations and inventions are not done in our own environment yet and where we have to do it in

our environment, we are going to need a lot of funding. So, in these two areas of acquiring foreign innovations and developing our local innovations, we are going to need partners, either in terms of technical knowledge or in terms of funding. To do that, we will be able to open ourselves up to investments by foreign companies. I also see the possibility of local companies coming together even though we all want to be king on our own. I think it is high time Nigerian companies should start coming together to form larger entities that will have either the innovative capabilities or the necessary financial capabilities to fund major research and development.

You have a substantial public sector portfolio, what has been your experience dealing with the government sector?

Very tough one, no thanks to issue of corruption. It was almost impossible dealing with them; one can talk freely about them now unlike when I was the managing director. Except you are ready to bend the rules, except you are ready to bend backward, things can be very tough doing business with the public sector. It is not an area that is meant for the feeble-hearted, it’s tough. But we are praying that the new government will be able to deal with issues of corruption.

Why are you leaving Chams at this time?

You will have noticed that since 2012, we became profitable again despite the losses of 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2012, we became profitable, we became more profitable in 2013 and by 2014, and we have become so profitable that we were able to declare some dividends for 2014 business year. The company has stabilised, we are growing and, more importantly, our products and solutions are growing and maturing. By this year, I have spent 30 years in Chams and I did think that one, with the company turning into profit and stabilising, with the products coming up strong, and having very good set of staff and, more importantly, being able to declare that dividend, I believe it is high time I leave the stage for fresh brains, more agile people, the younger generation, with better ideas than we do to carry on the mantle and do much better than we can do.

Emotionally, it is tough leaving after 30 years; it has become almost second nature staying there working with my colleagues.

As we always say in Chams, we spend more time with our colleagues at work than even our family at home. This week will be the first week that I stayed at home and most of the people I saw at home, they looked like strangers to me. I mean the regular faces I used to see during the course of the week I did not see them. However, the company must move on, one cannot stay there forever and ever. Moreover, we have also grown a lot of the people in the system; there has been a lot of succession plan. For instance, take the guy that is taking over from me, he has been with us for 25 years and we have people that have been with us for 24, 23, 21 years, they are all capable people and if they have been groomed for that long and we know they will be able to hold their own, some of them have run our subsidiaries successfully, so why is it that one will not give them the opportunity. The more one stays in there, the more difficult it will be for them to show up what they are capable of doing.

We also believe very much in Chams that there is no sole arbiter of knowledge, being managing director for 25 years does not mean that someone is probably the best to run the show now, it only means he was the best person 25 years ago, is he the best person to run the show today, I don’t know. Yes, he may have the experience; does he have the expertise in modern technology, cuttingedge techniques? The more you expose the younger generation to the position of leadership, the better for the organisation and the better for everybody.

How confident are you about the future of the company you are leaving behind and what is your message to the shareholders?

I am very confident about the people I am leaving behind. They are core professionals that have been very well-trained, vey wellgroomed to run our company successfully and they have demonstrated that they will be able to do it. We are also confident that we have a very good board that has a knowledgeable oversight of what is happening.

We believe the future is very bright for the company. To the shareholders, I think they should also be very confident that the future is very bright and I think the company will do a thousand times better than it has ever done when I was there. Shareholders have nothing to worry about. I believe that in 2015, very good results will be declared and subsequent years, the results will be improved upon.

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BUSINESS

MOTORING

• The S-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class still holds sway The Mercedes-Benz S-Class model continues its innovations in comfort, safety, assistance systems and high-value appeal. With its harmoniously-matched materials and colour schemes, the exclusive-looking interior presents itself as one beautifully-moulded whole, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

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HE modern design of the S-Class has always been an expression of luxury and automotive grandeur of its respective era and the S 500 also continues this tradition.

Since the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz S500 via the authorised distributor in Nigeria - Weststar Associates Ltd in 2013, much has been said about it but it cannot be talked about or admired enough. Customers can, no doubt, appreciate its exterior design, which is a union of stylish poise with sporty elegance.

The highly-charged feature line, three dimensional radiator grille, and the innovative head and tail lamps with the cutting edge LED technology are all characteristics of the high tech nature of the S-Class and help to underline its position as one of the world’s leading Saloons visually as well.The vehicle is perfect for both relaxing and work.

The interior design of the Saloon fulfils this trailblazing role with its clear architecture which establishes a new vision of a superior, classic yet advanced Saloon. With its harmoniously-matched materials and colour

schemes, the exclusive-looking interior presents itself as one beautifully-moulded whole.

The clear craftsmanship and the noble looking finish captivate the eye. One of the first features to catch the eye is the wood trim running all round the interior, in conjunction with the modernistic design; it conveys a feeling of expanse and peace. High-quality controls made from aluminum, together with metallised switch surfaces in pearl-effect finishes, are a clear outward sign of MercedesBenz quality. The interior is informed by a uniquely flowing, sensuously elegant style.

Horizontal elements and lines create a setting characterised by visual breadth and calm solidity.

Living up to its reputation of possessing “Efficient Technology”, the S 500 gives an output of 10KW at 4.4 litres per 100 kilometer, thereby almost halving fuel consumption.

The new S 500 sets benchmarks in the futuristic areas of infotainment and multimedia, too.

First-class sound and entertainment systems and navigation features with a high-

• Interior of the car

resolution display will provide you with an emotional experience and unbridled driving pleasure, all the while keeping your destination in sight.

With 13 high performance speakers and 9 DSP amplifiers with a total power output of 590 watts, the system calibrated to the S-Class ensures first-class Burmester “feel-good sound”.

The model was voted best car in the luxury category; these were the results from the latest reader survey by the specialist automotive publication “auto, motor und sport”. The readers were asked to name the best car of the year, in which the Mercedes-Benz is continuing to earn its place as the reader’s favourite. This acknowledgement consolidates the reputation

of the S-Class as a technological trendsetter and the epitome of luxurious travel.

The S 500 is the first vehicle worldwide to feature suspension technology that is even able to react in advance to road unevenness.

It therefore offers an unprecedented level of ride comfort. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class model has real innovations in the area of comfort, safety, assistance systems and highvalue appeal.

For the Nigerian market, according to Mr Mirko Plath, the Managing Director of Weststar, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has led the high-end luxury market with more than 75 per cent of the market share in Nigeria and the model will continue to defend this title.

CFAO to assemble Yamaha motorcycles

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HE CFAO Motors is to establish an assembly plant for Yamaha brand of motorcycles in Nigeria.

The auto giant has signed an agreement with Yamaha Motor Company Limited on the motorcycle manufacture and distribution in Nigeria.

A statement by the CFAO Motors said the joint venture, which would be owned 50-50 by both firms would ensure both companies

benefited from the right to manufacture and distribute Yamaha motorcycles in Nigeria.

The new company would be named CFAO Yamaha Motor Nigeria Limited.

According to the statement, the new company was scheduled to begin operation this year, adding that the factory was targing a production and sales target of 70,000 motorcycles by 2018.

“The premises, which include an assembly

plant, will be based in a CFAO multiactivity site in Lagos, and the company has a target of over 70,000 motorcycle sales within three years of the startup,” the statement said.

Yamaha, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of motorcycles with a presence in about 200 countries, is expected to contribute its manufacturing and marketing expertise to the venture.

With a strong and longstanding presence of over 112 years in Nigeria as well as an extensive network in 20 cities and towns in the country, the CFAO said it had in-depth knowledge of the local market, distribution networks and customer needs.

The CFAO, which with operations in over 37 countries, said it was already imports and distributes Yamaha products in 16 other countries in Africa.

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MOTORING

A

UDI has consecutively sustained the lead in luxury car sales, edging out BMW AG’s namesake brand and fast growing Mercedes Benz in April and May respectively, the German car maker affirmed.

Audi reported that the first five months of 2015 increased 11.7 per cent from last year to 73,353 vehicles while in May 2015 sales rose 11.0 per cent to 18, 428 vehicles, total that stands as the second-best month since the brand was launched in the United States market 45 years ago.

The brand has similarly achieved significant sales growth in Nigeria with more than 400 units sold since the beginning of the year, Anurag Shah, Audi Centre Head of Sales and

Audi outsells BMW, Mercedes Stories by Tajudeen Adebanjo

Marketing said.

Shah attributed the growing popularity of the brand to ingenuity and some intriguing Audi models that were recently launched.

Meanwhile the best Audi sale ever in the U.S. market was in December 2014 with 19,238 cars and SUVs. One of the key drivers of Audi sales gains in the US was the significant increase in demand for the A3 and S3 models that form the base of the Audi product lineup.

Audi said May 2015 was best month on record for the A3 and S3 sedan models with 3,035 cars sold, as well as for the A3 Cabriolet with 458 cars sold. Combined, the 3,493 A3 and S3 sales trailed only the 4,280 sales of the popular Audi Q5 and SQ5 crossovers in the Audi results.

“A year after launching the new A3 models, we are seeing payoff from our bold decision to re-imagine a key component of the Audi lineup and take advantage of a luxury car segment poised to take off,” said Scott Keogh, President, Audi of

America.

He said: “The record sales for the A3 and S3 sedans, along with the A3 Cabriolet, show this was a risk well worth taking. And we aren’t done yet with the all-new A3 Sportback etron coming this fall as the first plugin Audi.”

Notwithstanding, May represented strong demand for Audi luxury SUVs with a 36.7 per cent increase encompassing the Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7 models. The Q5 posted an 11.6 per cent increase from a year earlier, and the Q7 posted a 25.3 per

cent increase from last May. The Audi Q3 wasn’t available in May 2014.

Audi Certified pre-owned vehicle sales also achieved their second-highest total for any month and the best May ever with a 5.8 per cent gain on 4,405 CPO vehicles sold. Audi CPO sales year-to-date increased 8.3 per cent.

Audi currently holds the longest running record sales streak in the premium car market according to a competitive sales report from motorintelligence.com

Made-in-Nigeria Kia Rio gets unbeatable offers

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ITH an unwavering commitment to bring to the fore an affordable madein-Nigeria vehicle, Kia Motors Nigeria has featured highly competitive special offers on the most sought after B-Segment sedan in Nigeria with both the Big Deal of N1.98m on Kia Rio manual transmission and Mega Deal of N2.97m on the automatic transmission powered Kia Rio. The people’s car as it’s dubbed at the unveiling of the made-in-Nigeria Kia vehicles by the former Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Mrs

Olajumoke Akinjide, is built with remarkable features that exceeds customer expectations and has over the years remained the preferred option for teeming customers.

Kia’s offers are to reassure the customers that their interest is always edged at the core values of the company.

The Rio is an extremely wellbuilt car with innovative engineering, is fun to drive, and its interior is comforting. Emanating flair from every angle, the Rio’s low, wide stance and short overhangs give it

a strong, youthful identity all of its own.

Kia’s designers have engineered a car with features that are cuttingedge yet at the same time effortlessly simple to use. A highly visible supervision cluster incorporates an on-board trip computer, while the steering wheel itself is tilt and telescopically adjustable so that you can find your perfect driving position.

The ultimate expression of confidence in the Kia Rio body style is sure to impress with its dynamic stance and low-slung profile.

• Kia Rio

Toyota breaks ground on centre expansion

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• PAN Nigeria Limited Managing Director Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi presenting a car key of Peugeot 301 Prestige to Abba Dawule Baba, the Most Valuable Player of this year’s Access Bank – UNICEF Charity shield Polo Tournament.

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CURA has recalled two models because the automatic emergency braking systems can malfunction and put the vehicles at risk of a collision.

The recall involves just under 48,000 MDX SUVs and RLX sedans worldwide from the 2014 and 2015 model years and shows how even sophisticated safety technology can be prone to real-world glitches.

Acura’s “Collision Mitigation

GROUNDBREAKING to expand the Toyota Technical Centre near Ann Arbor is further evidence that Michigan is one of two North American pillars for the Japanese automaker in North America.

Toyota is investing $126 million to add two more buildings to its complex in York Township. One will be a prototype facility for vehicle development; the second is a supplier centre.

The powertrain development facility on the Ann Arbor Township campus is also being expanded as the automaker develops more of the

Acura recalls two models Braking System” uses radar to scan conditions in front of the vehicles.

If it determines the vehicle might hit an object, it automatically applies the brakes, slowing the vehicles to reduce damage and injuries.

In the recalled vehicles, the system can become confused and step on the brakes when it detects another vehicle accelerating in front while simultaneously driving

along an iron fence or metal guardrail, according to Honda, the maker of Acura. The problem first surfaced in Japan in November of 2013 when an SUV braked for no reason and caused a rear-end collision.

While Honda investigated, a second incident happened in June of last year.

Honda later duplicated the problem, figured out the cause and told

safety regulators of the recall in May. The company says it has no reports of warranty claims, incidents or injuries in the U.S. because of the problem. Dealers will update the system software at no cost to owners.

Later versions of the system actually stop the vehicles before a crash, but those versions aren’t affected by the recall.

engines and automatic transmissions here for vehicles that are designed and manufactured in North America.

The construction is to be completed in late 2016.

More than 300 jobs are relocating to Michigan, including employees from Erlanger, Ky, who worked in purchasing and supplier engineering as well as some vehicle and powertrain development staff from Calif. Consolidating people from all functions in one campus will make quick decision-making easier.

The expansion is part of Toyota’s unification of its North American operations with much of the research and development centred in Michigan and the move of the corporate headquarters to Plano, Texas, from Torrance, Calif. Toyota will no longer have a third hub in Kentucky.

The Toyota Technical Centre opened in 2008 on land acquired from the state of Michigan. There are about 1,200 employees now.

Toyota has 14 plants in North America, including 10 in the U.S., and employs nearly 40,000 of which 37,000 are n the U.S.

Nigeria not yet ripe for speed limiters •Continued from last week N view of the above- mentioned factors, there are situations when 50km per hour will constitute over-speeding even though the allowable speed limit may be 80km per hour. In such a situation, the speed limiter will be of no use. It then boils down to the fact that comprehensive and custom – made Driver Education with unbiased enforcement is the best antidote to over-speeding and other related factors responsible for road traffic crashes and fatalities, with or without the speed limiters.

Every Driver must be taught the effect of Gravity, Kinetic energy, Inertia, Banking and Centrifugal force on driving. Comprehensive Driver Education on the causes and prevention of road accidents should be emphasised and enforced far above speed limiters.

I

8. Though the policy will generate employment opportunities in the areas of programming, installation and maintenance but will the implementation, enforcement and compliance be thorough and effective to make the employment opportunities profitable and sustainable?

9. The Federal and State Governments must intensify more efforts to improve on road construction, road furnitures and maintenance nationwide.

10. Unless the security system, particularly on the highways is significantly improved upon, the speed limiter might turn out to be a clog that turns vehicles to prey in the hands of armed robbers and other vandals who will definitely not install speed limiters in their operation vehicles.

Starting with the transporters, it is advisable that the installation of

speed limiters should be extended to other vehicles in Nigeria, including the vehicles owned by government functionaries. Security on the highways must be improved upon both in the day and in the night.

11. Are the Officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission in all the states and Federal Capital Territory equipped with the equipment for detecting violators of the speed limit while they are far away from the vehicles? Are automatic camera system (CCTV) and automatic number plate recognition devices being installed in strategic locations, particularly the roads where over-speeding is common, to capture the violators, both in the day and night?

More speed limit signs and safe driving Tips should be erected at regular intervals and occasionally on the road surface nationwide.

In a nutshell, the introduction of

speed limiter in Nigeria is a good step but strict enforcement, monitoring, evaluation and security supports among other strategic decisions must be effectively put in place to ensure that the new speed limit policy is not a white elephant project nor counter-productive in Nigeria. The fact that the expression of interest advert for the supply, installation, maintenance and calibration of speed limiters in Nigeria was just published in The Nation Newspaper on April 21, 2015 when the ultimatum given to commercial vehicles to install same is June 1 is another pointer to the fact that we often put the cart before the horse in policy implementation. The new driver licence scheme was in shambles because it was commenced with inadequate centres which gave room to fraud, bribery, fake licence production, inconveniences and other short-

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

comings. Over one year after, FRSC is just proposing to establish 71 more centres when the agency ought to have done their mapping before commencing the scheme and the accompanying problems would have been averted.

•To be continued next week

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MONDAY JUNE 15, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has made history by breaking the second term jinx.

JEREMIAH OKE highlights the factors that aided his victory at the poll.

•Governor Ajimobi (middle) taking the Oath of Offcie during the inauguration.

How Ajimobi broke second term jinx O

YO State is a politically sophisticated state. It is a complex state to govern.

This assertion was made by the late Chief Bola Ige in his book: People, Politics and Politicians of Nigeria.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi experienced the complexity in his first term. The governor encounted serious challenges due to the opposition to his policies and programmes from unexpected quarters. Some of the challenges include the upsurge in political violence, the unrest over the increment in tuition fees of state institutions, the opposition to his second term bid and the socio-economic implications of the flooding in the state, particularly the capital city of Ibadan.

A day after his inauguration in 2011, students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan took to the streets to protest the hike in their tuition fees. Ajimobi inherited unpaid salary of the workers. He also inherited the face-off between Oyo State Government and the Osun State Government over the ownership of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho (LAUTEC).

The governor described the move by the students as a politically motivated protest because they did not allow the new government to settle before embarking on the protest. Analysts said it was a good protest at the wrong time.

The governor was compelled to order the management of the institution to revert to the old school fees to avoid chaos.

The Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said the discontinuation the outrageous fees was meant to end the crisis. He explained that the governor gave the order following the misunderstanding of the details of the earlier order for a reduction of the fees by 50 per cent, by the authorities of the school. On the other hand, the LAUTEC crisis, which had lingered for close to three years, was resolved in less than six months of his assumption of office.

As the government was settling down, some Ibadan residents were displaced by heavy rains and flooding, which also destroyed some bridges, on July 16, 2012. The government, in collaboration with some private sector operators, lodged the displaced persons in some school

premises before reconstructing their houses.

Areas worst hit included Apete and a link road that leads to Army Barracks, Odo-Ona Elewe and Sabo area of the state. The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Bosun Oladele, said there was no casualty. He said government had to demolish some structures that were damaged as a result of the rainstorm.

Oladele added: “It seems as if we are driving the water; it is finding its way. Some of the structures that were not marked for demolition before were being exposed and the government would have no choice than to continue with the demolition. But, on the whole, we thank God that no casualty was recorded.”

In 2012, there was a rumour that the governor’s wife, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police for money laundering. Mrs. Ajimobi arrived Nigeria the following day, saying it was a mere rumour.

She told reporters on arrival: “I am here live as you can see. I have never had any encounter with the London Metropolitan Police and I know I will never have.

“This has shown the true test of any human being’s ability to stand firm in times of crisis and controversy. My arrest is just a rumour and I think the time has come for us in Nigeria to stop playing dirty politics.”

Ajimobi courted more controversy in his effort to embark on his urban renewal programme. In the process, some structures affecting the free-flow of traffic in the capital had to be demolished to ease traffic.

As a result, traders took to the streets to register their displeasure. The Otun Iyalaje of Ibadanland, Chief Victoria Coker, led the traders to the Governor’s Office to register their grievances.

Ajimobi had challenged those whose houses were mistakenly demolished by agents of the government to come forward. The governor said on his last appearance on his monthly programme on television, E pade gomina (meet your governor) before the recent general elections that, since he has been urging people to come and lodge complaint about houses that may be unjustly demolished, nobody responded because his administration did not actually demolish houses that may have been unjustly, but rather had built more houses and shops. He called on the people playing dirty politics to desist from such behaviour.

When former Governor Alhaji Lam Adesina died after a brief illness Ajimobi became the party leader and he was of settling disputes in the ruling party. This is because the late Adesina was also the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. This made governance and party affairs tedious for the governor. Thus, during the campaign for his second term, Ajimobi was playing dual role of the leader of party and government in the state.

The governor was accused by opponents of inflating projects. Former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who later contested the governorship election against Ajimobi, alleged that the governor inflated the cost of the fly-over at Mokola

has set a prototype of governance for those who ‘areAjimobi coming behind on how to be a leader. What we are experiencing today is beyond what people expected. Let me start with the Mokola fly-over, nobody believed that place could be managed well, in such a way that eased traffic flow. The people of Oke-Ogun voted for him because of the standard of the roads he constructed in the area

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Roundabout, in the capital city. Drama ensued at a Governorship Debate organized by Ibadan’s first private radio station, Splash 105.5 FM, when the moderator, Mr. Edmund Obilo, called on Ajimobi to confirm or refute the allegation.

The governor was calm in his response. He said: “I think there is the need for education here. Now, if you go and check the records, Mokola Bridge was conceived in 1976. It was in the report of Dr. Olunloyo (former governor); it’s not even a bridge. It is a flyover, and the flyover should be constructed. And during Senator Ladoja’s government, they produced estimates and so on and so forth. Based on what they produced, we called the engineers, the same engineers in the ministries and they studied it and they brought their estimate. In fact, it was very close to each other, except that inflation of cost, the price of cement in 2004 and 2005 is different from the price of cement now. So, you don’t expect the same price. However, every contract must be done at an estimated cost by the ministry. So, the ministry provided the cost of N2.1 billion for that flyover. In between the cost estimate, there was a price increase of petroleum products. Hence, the price jumped by about 40 per cent. When I was building my house, cement was N3; today cement is no longer N3. So, the price was adjusted. The cost of living index also increased by over 50 per cent. In this case, the price with all the other adjustments became N2.9 billion. When you compare your cost of projects, if you are an engineer, and, if you understand project costing, you will know that the cost of any project depends on so many factors and your cost elements, the infrastructure of the road you are doing, the furniture of the road you are doing, the areas of requirement, in terms of moving.

So, generally speaking, my answer is without any reservation, the price of that flyover, when you compare it, relatively speaking, even with Ogun State, is a very competitive price.”

When Ladoja was given the chance to respond again, he said: “I want to say that my brother is very good at giving statistics. But, what we are • Continued on page 46

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By now, most of you know the challenges we face. Our national ‘economy is on its knees. Global oil prices, the mainstay of our economy, are dropping daily, limiting our ability fulfill our obligations

POLITICS

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’

Correspondent ADEKUNLE JIMOH, who witnessed the swearing in of Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for a second term, examines the challenge that will confront the administration and how the governor intends to tackle them.

‘My second term ‘ll be better than first term’

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T was a colourful ceremony.

Yet, it was a low-key event.

Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed was basking in the euphoria of victory. At the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, the state capital, All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters were jubilating.

Scores of police men and other para-military security personnel were on hand to ensure their protection.

The Senator from Kwara North, Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi, Speaker of the House of Assembly, a member of the House Representatives, Alhaji Zakari Mohammed, exsports minister Mallam Bolaji Abdullah, and other dignitaries witnessed the ceremony.

The Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Kawu, administered the oath on the governor and his deputy at noon.

Indeed, May 29, the ‘Democracy Day,’ was a historic day. Attesting to this, the governor said Kwara has re-elected a progressive administration. He paid tribute to his predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki, other party leaders and the people for reposing a huge confidence in him.

Ahmed said: “I address you today humbled by your confidence in me, aware of the tasks that confront us and grateful for your trust.

“On this Democracy Day, we remember the sacrifice of those who fought for our right to express our will, those who sacrificed so we can have a better tomorrow, those who laid the foundation of the democracy that we currently enjoy. For me, this day has added significance.

“On this Democracy day, we wel-

come a new dawn. Today, we are witnesses to a shift in the national mood from despair to hope; from seeming helplessness to cautious optimism. On this day, we begin the job of building a new Kwara state, one that our people desire, and one that we all deserve.

“I am also grateful to our leader, Senator Bukola Saraki, party stakeholders, members and supporters for finding me worthy to serve as your governor for a second term.”

The governor hailed the electorate for giving him a fresh mandate to build on his first term record.

However, he said: “the real victors are the people who voted us with a conviction that we will do a much better job of making their lives better and more prosperous. And to them, I say a big thank you. By the grace of God, I will not let you down.”

Ahmed urged Kwarans to make sacrifices as the challenges ahead are as enormous as they are daunting.

Said he: “By now, most of you know the challenges we face. Our national economy is on its knees.

Global oil prices, the mainstay of our economy, are dropping daily, limiting our ability fulfill our obligations. These challenges are enormous but we refuse to give in to despair. We must all be prepared to tighten our belts, to make sacrifices, and moderate our expectations of government.”

The governor added that his administration’s priority remains the people’s welfare.

Unfolding his plans, he said: “We

•Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed (2nd right) taking the Oath of Office before Chief Justice Suleiman Kawu (left), assisted by the High Court Registrar, Lekan Adegbite (2nd right), and the First Lady, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed (right), during the ceremony at Metropolitan Square, Ilorin.

will build more schools, roads, hospitals, power projects and structures needed to get more of our youths working, businesses growing, food on more tables and greater prosperity for everyone who calls Kwara state home.

“This administration will upscale development and boost entrepreneurship to get a greater number of our youths working. Starting from today, we will begin the work of transforming our state to the North Central’s economic hub.

We will create a new frontier of prosperity where everyone has the opportunity to better their lives subject only to their willingness to apply themselves.

“We intend to enhance functional education and expand access to formal education. We will overhaul an initial 120 secondary schools across the state by building 1,274 new classrooms and rehabilitating 2,000

existing classrooms.

“Also, we will open new campuses for the Kwara State University, KWASU in Ilesha-Baruba with the establishment of the College of Agricultural Science and another one in Osi where we will locate the new College of Architectural and Environmental Studies.

“Furthermore, the International Vocational Center, Ajase-Ipo will be fully equipped and operational this year in line with our determination to provide our youths with critical vocational skills for entrepreneurship.

“In keeping with our determination to bring portable water within the reach of all residents, we will expand the Malete and Okuta Waterworks and begin work on Oyun Water Works to meet the needs of an estimated 180, 470 people in seven communities.

“Also, the final phase of the Ilorin Metropolis Water Reticulation and

Distribution Network will be completed to bring piped-water to every connected home in Ilorin and environs.”

On the health sector, he promised to expand the state’s health system with the establishment of two primary health care centers, four comprehensive health centers, and remodeling of an extra five general hospitals across the three senatorial districts.

He said: “We will therefore upscale the existing urban electrification programme with solar streetlights along major access roads in Offa, Omu-Aran, Lafiagi, Patigi, Kaiama, and Share-Tsaragi.

“We will restore existing publicpowered streetlights across the Ilorin Metropolis. Still in the power sector, we will complement existing investment strategies with the establishment of a 100-megawatt Independent Power Plant in Kwara North.

How Ajimobi broke second term jinx

•Ajimobi

• Continued from page 45 saying is that we compared Ogun State flyover, which is double lane and one and a half times our own, and we discovered that, for every N1 Ogun State spent, we spent N6. That is why we cried out. Secondly, we said Ogun State allowed trailers to pass through theirs because it was pile foundation, ours was raft foundation. Two things we complained about: the Molete Bridge was built decades back; they provided for trailers to pass through, it was double lane and Ogun State was also double lane, nearly one and a half times our length here and it cost them less than our own. That is what we are saying.

Is he saying the terrain of Mokola is worse than that of Ogun State, which is very close to the Ogun River? I still insist that the price was not correct.”

He said, some people were sacked

in the ministry because they refused to endorse the bills.”

The governor responded, saying: “Ah, egbon, nobody was sacked for not signing. If you look at the papers, everybody signed but let me answer your question. The difference between a flyover and a bridge…” Ladoja however briskly interjected that “Ogun State was also a flyover”. Ajimobi later said: “When you are doing comparisons, you must compare apples and apples”. It got to the peak when the governor pointed out that the flyovers being compared were handled by the same contractor and Senator Ladoja described that as “the pity of it”. Ajimobi explained further: “Let me explain now. Ee ni information egbon.

(You are ill-informed my elder brother). I want you to go and check the records, the width for our own flyover is about 10 metres, Ogun State flyover is 11.2 metres, our own length is about 540 metres, their own length is 360 metres. Go and check, you are lying egbon, iro le npa.

Ajimobi also revealed how political opponents forced him to flee from the Government House to his private residence, in Ibadan.

He said opponents directed evil traditional sacrifices (known as ebo in Yoruba) at him. Speaking during the eighth-day Fidau prayers for the late Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Baosari Haruna, Ajimobi said some desperate politicians tried to send him out of the Government House through many devilish means.

His words: “They first came to you as Alfas to give them prayers that will send me out of office. But, my own

Alfa’s prayers superseded theirs.

Every morning, I go out for exercise.

If you know the Government House very well, it has many interchanges, popularly called orita, I see all kinds of sacrifices (ebo) placed at these junctions.

“Worried by these developments, some of you, my Alfas here, advised me to move out of the Government House to render their evil plots useless.’’ The governor said he had to leave “to thwart the evil plots of these desperate politicians.”

All these factors almost affected his second term ambition. But, his achievements helped him to overcome the challenges. But, with all the gimmicks by his opponents, Ajimobi recorded unprecedented achievements in the last four years.

Oyo State used to record a high number of violence before Ajimobi became governor. But, today, people

‘theThistruehastestshown of any human being’s ability to stand firm in times of crisis and controversy. My arrest is just a rumour and I think the time has come for us in Nigeria to stop playing dirty politics

’

can go to bed with their two eyes closed. A members of the House of Assembly, Hon. Abiodun AdigunHammed, said, if the present administration did not achieve anything, it achieved peace. He added: “If Ajimobi did not achieve anything, at least he achieved peace which is the bedrock of development in any given society. In terms of road network, Ajimobi has done well. Education has improved, compared to what we used to have in the past. Ask those who are campaigning against Ajimobi the rate of violence during their time. Ask them what they were able to achieve during their time.

Their machinations did not work during the last elections. I think we are ripe enough to see through the politics of bitterness that was unleashed against the governor.”

A member of House of Representatives from Ibadan North Constituency, Hon. Abiodun Dada-Awoleye, hailed Ajimobi’s achievements, saying it was the main reason why he was re-elected.

According to him, the road constructed by Ajimobi is of international standard and cannot be compared to the sub-standard ones constructed by his predecessors. He said: “Ajimobi has set a prototype of governance for those who are coming behind on how to be a leader. What we are experiencing today is beyond what people expected. Let me start with the Mokola fly-over, nobody believed that place could be managed well, in such a way that eased traffic flow. The people of Oke-Ogun voted for him because of the standard of the roads

he constructed in the area. The three campuses of the Polytechnic, Ibadan have been given autonomy, so as to stand on their own.

“The transportation scheme in the capital and other major towns has also helped to ease the movement for our people. He built markets across the state and promised to build more.

A trader from the South Camp, prayed for the governor, saying he is a man of God. Ajimobi bought vehicles to convey the civil servants from the secretariat to their houses. Before he came on board, Oyo State used to be among the dirtiest cities in Africa.

Today, we have improved. Nobody has ever done such a thing in the annals of the Oyo State history.”

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who pleaded for anonymity, disagreed with the lawmaker on the issue of education. He however, commended the administration in other areas. He said: “The problems we had during our (PDP) time were that we did not get our priorities right. In that respect, I want to give it to Ajimobi and his party. But, on the issue of education, I disagree with you. Are you telling me that primary and secondary education have improved, when some of our teachers are yet to receive their salaries?

When most of our students are going to school with their chairs and tables? When the school structures are dilapidated. When our position in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) is dropping?

Let me tell you, any government that failed in the area of education has failed in all aspect.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

47

SHOWBIZ

L-R: Head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Daniel; Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone; Winner of Nigerian Idol Season 5, K-Peace); Head, Events & Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Modupe Thani and Director, Brands & Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Enitan Denloye... on Saturday.

K

UNLE Ogunrombi, also known as KPeace, on Saturday, emerged winner of the Etisalat-sponsored Nigerian Idol Season 5. K-Peace beat Dolu, his final rival, to cart home a brand new SUV, cash prize of N7.5 million and a mouth-watering recording deal with Universal Music Company at the shimmering grand finale show which held at Dream Studio, Omole Phase 1, Lagos.

From thousands of people that auditioned in Benin, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan and Lagos five months ago, the contestants were whittled initially to 100 and finally 12, before K-Peace and Dolu became the final two contestants remaining in the music talent reality show.

K-Peace, 32, who won the hearts of the judges, studio audience and national audience with his fusion of Fuji in some of the songs was declared winner after performing the chartbuster, Ace, by Sir Shina Peters, for which

K-Peace wins Nigerian Idol Season 5

By Joe Agbro Jr

he received a standing ovation and accolades from all.

Upon being announced as winner following voting results being collated by Alexander Forbes, K-Peace’s mother, wife and daughter were exhilarated. His mother, Funmilayo, overwhelmed with gratitude, muttered repeatedly, “Thank you Jesus.”

An ecstatic K-Peace who shed tears of joy said that he was shocked at being crowned the winner of the competition.

“I am overwhelmed getting to this stage today because I faced tougher and amazing talents, especially Dolu,” he said. “I thank the sponsors of this competition for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dream.”

• Evelle

By Joe Agbro Jr

Nigerian Idol is currently signed to Universal Music Company, a South Africabased recording company, part of the perks she got for

winning the competition.

Evelle who already has a single, ‘I’m Naughty’ said that she has been perfecting her new status as a professional musician and that her album will be out later in the year.

Why my third album took three years to release, by Jahbless

A

Asa who lit up the stage and dazzled guests with hit songs from her current album, Bed of Stone. One of the judges, Darey Art Alade also performed his songs while comedian Acapella, kept the audience cracking their ribs.

The show’s first runner-up, Dolu received a cash prize of N1.5 million and a brand new Hyundai car, while the second runner-up Nex2 got N1 million.

Since 2010, Etisalat-Sponsored Nigeria Idol has discovered some of Nigeria’s talented artistes including Yeka Onka (2011), Mercy Chinwo (2012), Moses Adigwe (2013) and Evelle Zibilli (2014), all of whom have regularly graced numerous entertainment and musical events nationwide.

By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi

too, by producing a deluxe album.

Having a relationship with the Alaba Marketers is good, in order to get good trade of your products.”

I Am Me, has 22tracks, featuring top acts such as Ice Prince, O r i s t e f e m i , Reminisce, Vector, Olamide, CDQ, Lil Kesh, Kiss Daniel and Small Doctor.

• Jahbless

UBIES Ink initiative held its sixth edition of the Project Capable event, an annual all-secondary school summit, at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos on the June 10, 2015.

The theme of this year’s edition is Young, Empowerment and Succeeding, YES. Present at the event were Aituaja Iruobe, Matthew Femi Adedoyin, Emmanuel Essien, Oluwaseyintan Aletile with over three hundred students from various secondary schools.

Emmanuel Essien, one of Nigeria’s leading On-Air Personality spoke on the role of youth and celebrities in nation building. He noted that not everyone is born lucky or with a silver spoon, as such, one needs to work smart to achieve greatness.

The second speaker, Matthew Adedoyin, a popular abstinence advocate and child psychologist spoke on the topic; “What no one tells you about sex”. He said many people fall prey to abortion

By Kingsley Diko

and unwanted pregnancies because they were misguided and feel the urge to be part of ‘the normal thing’ syndrome.

He wrapped his speech by saying abstinence is the key to a safe life.

In her contribution, popular songstress, Aituaja Irobe popularly known as Waje, spoke on ‘discovering your purpose in life’. She told the students that for them to attain the height they want, they need to find out what they love, they need to be motivated, get a mentor, be focused and purposeful, and put God first.

The students were thrilled when it was the turn of Oluwaseyintan Aletile popularly called Seyi Law to speak. He told the students that talent is not enough, and that they need to be educated, whether or not they want to make use of the certificate. “It will serve a bragging rite for the person,” he said, adding that, for one to become great in life, one needs to make some sacrifices.

The Assistant Head Boy of

Isheri Senior High School, Kayode Dolapo, was greatly inspired by the lectures. He said: “From today I will build my passion, will be focused and do my best in my education to be a better person tomorrow, and I am sure every student present were inspired as well.”

The coordinator, Esther Ijewere- Kalejaiye, she said it has been God all the way, to have held a successful sixth edition.

• Seyi Law

R

W

FTER the success of his last song titled Owambe, E Records signee Jahbless, who recently released his third album, I Am Me, says the album took three years in order to produce something that will be appreciated by fans.

According to Jahbless, the reason he released it on Nigeria’s Democracy Day is in line with the radical change in the country and the music industry in general.

He said: “On my own side, I’m trying to make a change

Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone, said the company recognised Nigerian Idol as a veritable platform to identify, nurture and celebrate young talented Nigerians.

“Etisalat is living up to its reputation as a lifestyle brand that is passionate about the youth and Nigerian Idol is one of our platforms to celebrate the Nigerian youths,” Angelone said. “This season, all the contestants have been amazing in their individual right and K-Peace particularly has been outstanding from the audition stage and we are glad that the voting public has crowned a winner deserving of his crown.”

The highlight of the finale was the energetic performance of the Nigerian-French singer,

Seyi Law, Waje, Mannie, others inspire students at Project Capable

Evelle drops new single today INNER of Nigerian Idol, Season 4, Evelle Zibili, will drop her latest single titled, Kilimanjaro today.

Guests at the grand finale of the Nigerian Idol Season 5 on Saturday, however, had the privilege of listening to the song when she performed it.

According to Evelle, she did the song with ACI Entertainment before she participated in the Nigerian Idol competition.

“It is an inspirational song which explains my music journey and the agony I felt before my recent achievements,” she said on her website.

Evelle who gained national limelight after winning the

• K-Peace

StarTimes clinches Bundesliga license

N

IGERIAN football lovers can get set for more excitement as cable service provider, StarTimes Media Africa, has bagged the exclusive license to air the German league, Bundesliga, for the next five seasons Making the announcement last Tuesday, Group President of StarTimes, Mr XinXing Pang said that StarTimes subscribers will get to enjoy highly

entertaining German football from 18 teams of the BUNDESLIGA, including the German Super Cup. Commenting on the development XinXing said; “We are so delighted and proud to be the partner of choice for BUNDESLIGA and look forward to support their continued growth in the region. We believe it is a winwin cooperation and our subscribers will benefit most.

Matches will be broadcast

live, on all sports channels, including Sports World Football, Sports Premium HD, Sports Premium, Sports 2, Sports Life and Sports Focus.

The next season starts on 1 August with the Supercup between Bundesliga champions FC Bayern München and DFB Cup winners VfL Wolfsburg and the first match day kicking off on 14 August 2015 and running until May 2016.”

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TRANSFER... TRANSFER...

NATION SPORT

Khedira: I didn't leave Real Madrid for the money

•Khedira

N

EW Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira has hit out at suggestions he decided to leave Real Madrid for a better financial deal.

The Germany star signed a four-year deal in Turin after

Porto in talks for Lucas Lima

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C Porto are stepping up their efforts to recruit Brazilian midfielder Lucas Lima from Santos, according to Portuguese media outlet A Bola.

The Dragons are on the lookout for a creative midfielder seeing as youngster Oliver Torres has returned to Atltico Madrid and they appear hot on the trail of the 24-year-old footballer.

A Bola is reporting that the player’s agent is set to travel to Portugal to try and find and agreement with the Primeira Liga side.

According to the same source, Santos value their star player at •10 million, although the Dragons will attempt to lower the asking price.

•Lucas

Roma eyeing Edin Dzeko I

TALIAN outfit AS Roma are not giving up on Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, Il Corriere dello Sport has suggested.

It is no secret that the Giallorossi aim to recruit a proven goalscorer in the summer transfer window, with Sevilla’s Carlos Bacca one of their primary targets.

Nevertheless, Roma have also rekindled their interest in long-term target Edin Dzeko, who is held in high regard by the sporting department.

The Bosnian forward would probably be interested in joining the Giallorossi having struggled for playing time at the Etihad, but the problem is he has another three years left on his current deal.

Edin Dzeko, 29, has spent last four and a half years at Manchester City, scoring 50 goals in 74 Premier League starts.

The Bosnian only started eleven Premiership fixtures last season, while making as many substitute appearances, scoring 4 goals in the process.

•Dzeko

Courtois: Falcao would be very good for Chelsea

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his contract expired at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he played for five seasons and won seven trophies.

Khedira, who is currently on international duty and came on in the second half of his side’s 7-0 victory over Gibraltar on Saturday, insists he could have earned more money by signing a new deal with Madrid than he will pick up with Juve.

“It hurt me when people said that,” the 28-year-old told Welt am Sonntag.

“Real Madrid offered me a huge contract - one in which I could have eventually earned more. My decision to leave was not about money.

“You cannot accuse me of acting in an unfair or improper way. At one point I told my agent, Jorg Neubauer, who couldn't be a bigger Real Madrid fan, that I wanted a change. I was tired, because in the end it was all extremely stressful.

“However, I have to say they were five fantastic years.”

Khedira admitted the expectations of playing for Madrid were at times difficult to cope with but paid tribute to the club’s global appeal.

“This obligation of having to win everything at all costs is something I have never experienced,” he said.

“Real Madrid has an image abroad that words cannot describe. The club is a magnet. No matter where you are there will be thousands of people who are with the club.

“I have experienced it myself. When I look for a holiday destination I always look for a place far away.

But no matter how remote the place is, in any corner of the world, people always recognise me.”

HIBAUT Courtois has backed Chelsea's summer move for Radamel Falcao.

Jose Mourinho has been the driving force behind the Premier League champions' bid to sign Falcao and the Blues boss has admitted that he would welcome the chance to work with the Colombia international after his subdued campaign at Manchester United.

Falcao scored just four goals in 26 appearances during his season-long loan

at Old Trafford but the Chelsea goalkeeper believes that the 29-year-old would be an excellent addition to Mourinho’s squad.

"I know Falcao very well," said Courtois.

"He's a very good boy, he's a good friend of mine so, if he comes, great.

"It's the decision of the club but he would be a very good player for Chelsea."

Falcao is currently in Chile playing the Copa America, with his Colombia side set to open their campaign against Venezuela on Sunday.

Pogba's best choice is to stay at Juventus - Evra

J

UVENTUS veteran Patrice Evra believes Paul Pogba should stay

Burki completes Dortmund switch

B

ORUSSIA Dortmund have announced the signing of goalkeeper Roman Burki from Freiburg.

Burki played every Bundesliga fixture for Freiburg last term, but was unable to prevent the club from suffering relegation.

Nevertheless, he will now join fellow Switzerland international Admir Mehmedi - who signed for Bayer Leverkusen earlier this week - in continuing his career in the top flight.

Details of Burki's move were not released by

Dortmund when they announced the deal on Sunday.

Dortmund, who will be coached by Thomas Tuchel in the 2015-16 season after Jurgen Klopp's departure, have two international goalkeepers on their books already in Germany's Roman Weidenfeller and Mitchell Langerak of Australia.

Burki has two caps for Switzerland, having played in friendlies against Poland and United States in the last 12 months.

at the club but understands the dilemma he faces over his future.

A host of top European teams have been linked with the midfielder, while the player's agent Mino Raiola has repeatedly spoken about interest in his client.

The 22-year-old joined Juve on a free transfer after leaving Manchester United in 2012 and has since won three consecutive Serie A titles with the Bianconeri.

He also played a leading role as the club reached the Champions League final last season and Evra feels he should continue his development in Turin.

"I'm here to advise him to make the best choice but I told him the decision is his," Evra told Telefoot.

"People forget that Paul is young, and if he wants to go to a very big European club at age 22, why not? But if he wants to stay I think it would be a good idea.

"I do not think that Juventus want to let him go."

Pogba still has four years remaining on his current

•Pogba

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 15, 2015

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NEWS Christians urged to join politics From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

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HE Bishop of Kano Diocese, Bishop John Namaza, yesterday in Kano urged Christians to have the courage to join politics and transform the country.

Nasmaza, who addressed reporters yesterday after inaugurating 16 brothers and 16 sisters into the prestigious knighthood of St. Mumba at St. Louis Catholic Church, Bompai, Kano, said Christians should be courageous and have faith in God to accomplish their mission in life.

Iran seeks bilateral relation with Kebbi

T •From left: Senator Stella Oduah, Mr Tony Nwoye, former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Ben Obi, and Igwe Kris C. Onyekeuluje at a reception for Senator Oduah in Abuja.

Traders sue FCT agency over N120m levies

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RADERS occupying Commerce Plaza in Durumi District of Abuja have sued an agency of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), before the High Court of the FCT. They are seeking to void the imposition of arbitrary N120million levies on them.

The traders, in the suit filed by their lawyer, Mohammed

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Ahmed, want the court to declare the charges illegal on the ground that the AEPB’s newly-introduced levies violated existing regulations guiding their occupation of the plaza.

They asked the court to order the AEPB to withdraw the charges and set aside the charges, arguing that it (AEPB) provided neither infrastructure nor environmental services in

the plaza since they (the traders) have moved into it.

“Our careful study of the bills/charges and the Law and Regulation made by you and contained in the AEPB Act show that the bills are not only arbitrary but illegal.

“You cannot assess or collect rates or charges for services not provided,” the traders said.

They want the court to declare that the harassment, threat of arrest, intimidation

and sealing of their business premises is un-warranted and illegal and unconstitutional.

They also asked the court to restrain the board from further harassing them on account of the charges.

The traders seek a declaration that the bills and charges imposed on the plaintiffs for solid waste, requiring them to pay individually huge sums of monies are arbitrary, capricious, excessive and illegal.

Kumtap Y. Cashmir, they noted that doctors in JUTH are being denied ‘skipping’ even when “non-doctors enjoy this privilege among others.”

They said their members “are working under difficult conditions in JUTH because of lack of consumables, such as hand gloves and some emergency drugs, such as oxytocin.”

NARD decried the nonpayment of training allowances to resident doctors, shortage of house officers and under payment of the

few available ones, saying these have led to many moving out of JUTH. Among their four-point demands are the resumption of “skipping “ payment, just as non-doctors have been benefiting as well as the provision of essential consumables in the hospital.

“The management is owing us outstanding training allowances. It has failed to employ house officers and refused payment of their correct entitlements. We can’t work under such condition,” Dr. Nankat said.

Doctors withdraw services at JUTH

R

ESIDENT doctors at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) have withdrawn their services, following the failure of the management to implement the agreements that border on their welfare.

The doctors, who withdrew their services since June 8, insisted that they would not resume work until the management met their demands contained in the pending agreements.

The Chairman of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), JUTH chap-

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

ter, Dr. Joseph Nankat, said top on the list of their demands was the issue of skipping, a right the hospital management continued to deny the doctors.

He said: “JUTH management’s refusal to comply with Federal Government’s directive for the ‘implementation of skipping for doctors’ is very key among our demands.”

In the notice of strike by NARD dated June 8, issued by the Chairman, Joseph I. Nankat and Secretary,

Odusile promises NUJ conference From James Azania, Lokoja

T

THE Managing Editor of The Nation and a top candidate for the office of the president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Waheed Odusile, has promised to build on the achievements of the present executives if elected.

Speaking at the weekend during his campaign at the Kogi State council of the NUJ in Lokoja, he promised to render account of his stewardship yearly.

Odusile said he would organise an annual national journalists’ conference to promote interaction among the practitioners.

He said if elected, he would put in place a national housing scheme for journalists and a comprehensive health insurance package that would assist practitioners, some of who are left to their fate during health challenges.

• Odusile(right) presenting his campaign materials to the Acting Chairman of the Kogi State council, Comrade Sunday Aro in Lokoja... at the weekend

HE Iranian The state has the Ambassador to Nigeria, Saeed widest agricultural Koozochi, has said his country is ready to explore belt in Nigeria. It can bilateral relationship with supply sugarcane the Kebbi State government in the economic and scientific for the production of sectors as well as foster sugar for Iran and cultural ties between people Nigeria. The young of the two countries.

The Ambassador spoke at people of the state the Government House in Birnin Kebbi when he led a are willing to go into group of Iranian entrepreneurial businessmen alongside the activities.

Ambassador of Nigeria to Iran, Amb. Tukur Mani, who From Khadijat Saidu, Birnin visited Governor Atiku Kebbi Bagudu of Kebbi State.

Amb. Koozochi said both Iran and Kebbi people have the same religion in common and the people of Kebbi State and his country share the same faith.

“This gives room for the achievement of economic, scientific and cultural ties to set goals.”

He said his country was attending an international exhibition organised between Iran and Nigeria with over 50 Iranian companies and industries showcasing their products from fields of industrial, construction, aviation and pharmaceuticals.

“With support from the Kebbi government we can achieve our target in investment in the state,” the envoy said.

Governor Bagudu expressed his satisfaction about the visit, pledging the state government’s cooperation. He noted that Kebbi is peaceful and full of opportunities for investors.

“The state has the widest agricultural belt in Nigeria. It can supply sugarcane for the production of sugar for Iran and Nigeria. The young people of the state are willing to go into entrepreneurial activities. “The state also has large deposit of limestone for cement. So Kebbi is ready to partner investors in order to boost our economy.”

The Iranian delegation has already engaged in bilateral discussion with the Kebbi State government on cement manufacturing, agriculture, water resources, construction, town planning, and has scheduled to visit Argungu fishing village.

Kano to transport pilgrims to Medina

K

ANO State government has assured its 5,537 intending pilgrims for the 2015 Hajj that they would be air-

lifted from Kano direct to Medina, instead of Jeddah.

The Deputy Governor, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, gave the assurance yesterday at the closing of the first leg of sensitisation workshop for the intending pilgrims in Kano.

He said the government had already finalised arrangements with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on the issue.

“This year, all our pilgrims will be airlifted from Nigeria direct to Medina, instead of Jeddah, and this is courtesy of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s struggle,” Abubakar said.

According to him, the state government has already secured decent accommodation for the intending pilgrims in Mecca and Medina.

He urged the pilgrims to continue to cooperate with the government to enable the state win the best performing state from the Saudi authorities.

“For four years now the state has been receiving the gold medal award for the best performing state from the Saudi authorities and we want to sustain the tempo,” Abubakar said.

The deputy governor urged the intending pilgrims to give the new executive secretary of the board the support and cooperation to enable him discharge his duties effectively.

The new Executive Director of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Abba Yakubu, said the board had so far remitted N1.5 billion to NAHCON as 50 per cent of the total Hajj fares.

He enjoined female intending pilgrims who were yet to attend the ongoing pregnancy test to do or forfeit their seats.

According to him, the test is in line with the directive of NAHCON to all the state pilgrims welfare boards in the country.

“The board will commence screening of the intending pilgrims across the 44 local government areas of the state, soon,” he added.

NAN reports that the second leg of the sensitisation workshop will begin after the Ramadan fast.

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NEWS

Buhari to AU leaders: let’s address the drift Text of President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech at the opening session of the 25th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Johannesburg, South Africa...yesterday

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LEASE permit me to join previous speakers in conveying my delegation’s appreciation to our host, H.E. President Jacob Zuma, to his Government, and the brotherly people of South Africa for their warm hospitality, and for the excellent arrangements made for our comfort and for the success of our meetings. As this is my first address at this august assembly, may I also congratulate H.E. Dr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, for his unanimous election as the Chairman of our Union.

2.

I feel highly honoured and extremely pleased to be able to address you today, barely two weeks after my inauguration as the President of Nigeria, following the 2015 Presidential election in my country. That process, which was adjudged as the fairest and most credible in the history of elections in Nigeria, was midwifed by the dogged and sustained determination of the Nigerian people, and their desire to deepen our democracy.

Their quest was amply supported, and even encouraged by the goodwill of our friends and partners in the international community. I therefore wish to seize this opportunity to convey my very deep appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of that election.

3.

My election has been described as historic. I agree that it is indeed historic because for the first time in the practice of democracy in my country, an opposition Party has defeated the ruling Party in a keenly contested election. The election was also held against the backdrop of the fears and concerns expressed both in Nigeria and among our international friends abroad and partners that the outcome of the election could spell doom for Nigeria. I am glad that even though those fears and concerns were not without basis, the outcome was totally different, to the relief of all of us.

4.

I cannot fail to ac-

knowledge the very positive role played by my predecessor, H.E. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in averting the feared crisis, and in facilitating the peaceful transition of power between the two parties. I also wish to express my deep appreciation to all who honoured us with their presence at my inauguration, and even those, who for unavoidable reasons were unable to attend. I thank you all.

5.

It is gratifying to note that our Union has made laudable progress over the past one and a half decades since its transformation from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU). Notably, we have been able to redirect our priorities at the continental level from mainly political goals to more diverse aspirations that are equally fundamental to our survival and development in a global community.

6.

It is however clear, Mr. Chairman, that some of the greater challenges to our peoples within this Union still lie in the political, economic, as well as peace and security spheres. Our continent is currently bedevilled by the twin evils of terrorism and insecurity; poverty, youth unemployment, and underdevelopment.

The destructive effects of the inhuman and criminal campaigns of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria and neighbouring countries; the Al-Shabab attacks in East Africa, and the activities of the Al-Qaida in the Maghreb, all bear testimony to a continent under siege.

7.

On our part, I was convinced on my assumption of office that the best approach would be to work within the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) to mobilse collective support to fight against Boko Haram. I have in this regard, directed the relocation of Nigeria’s Command Centre to place it closer to the theatre of action. Furthermore, I have vigorously engaged the members states of the LCBC to better coordinate the strategies and tactics in fighting the insurgency in the re-

‘

The journey might look arduous, but certainly not impossible.

There are opportunities in every challenge. If and when we adopt this call for a change of attitude, approach, and disposition towards agreed protocols and commitments, we shall be bequeathing a politically stable, economically developed, and socially harmonious Africa

’

gion. I believe that this approach can be enhanced through complimentary regional and continental efforts.

8.

The images in the international mass media of African youths getting drowned in the Mediterranean sea on their illegal attempts, and often times illusory hope of attaining better life in Europe is not only an embarrassment to us as leaders, but dehumanises our persons. Indeed, they combine to paint a very unfavourable picture of our peoples and countries.

9.

Those of us gathered here today owe it as a duty to reverse this ugly trend. We must put an end to the so-called push factors that compel our young men and women to throw caution to the winds and risk life, limbs and all, on this dangerous adventure. We must redouble our efforts to sustain the economic development of our countries, ensure empowerment of our youths, create more jobs, improve and

upgrade our infrastructure, and above all continue the enthronement of a regime of democracy, good governance and respect for human rights and rule of law. These and other measures that engender peace and stability must be pursued relentlessly.

10. In this connection, we must persist in our collective endeavour to work together through the African Union and our respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs), to uplift our continent and provide the African peoples the enabling environment for the realization of their legitimate dreams and aspirations.

At this juncture, let me assure you of the unflinching commitment of Nigeria to the ideals and aspirations of the African Union as explained in the Agenda 2063, which is geared towards ensuring a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa in the next 50 years. It is for this reason that Nigeria is fully and irrevocably committed to the ECOWAS vision.

11. We do so because we believe that African integration is best attained through the instrumentality of our Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as the building blocs of viable continental institutions. Nigeria will therefore continue to play her part in supporting the African Union Commission and other continental and regional institutions in their efforts to prioritize African development in all sectors of human endeavour.

12.

The journey might look arduous, but certainly not impossible. There are opportunities in every challenge. If and when we adopt this call for a change of attitude, approach, and disposition towards agreed protocols and commitments, we shall be bequeathing a politically stable, economically developed, and socially harmonious Africa, thereby justifying the confidence reposed in us by our electorate. We will also demonstrate our qualities as statesmen and true daughters and sons of Africa.

Bayelsa group condemns fresh suit against Sylva

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HE Bayelsa Democratic Front (BDF), has condemned the fresh suit filed against former Governor Timipre Sylva, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The group, yesterday said the suit is a confirmation of orchestrated political persecution by the commission against the former governor.

The group, in a statement by its President-General, Chief Promise Okpoebi, said EFCC initially tried unsuccessfully to “disguise an obviously commissioned persecution of Sylva as corruption trial”.

Okpoebi said the fresh case against the former governor confirmed the motive of the commission.

He praised the judiciary for showing great courage to uphold justice and the integrity of the courts, “despite obvious pressure, when it recently dismissed the charges by EFCC against Sylva”.

He condemned EFCC’s strange decision to resume the case at the court that dismissed it, saying such action smacks of dangerous desperation.

He said: “Many politicians in the country – both serving and former – have pending EFCC cases. Why is the case of Sylva being treated this way? This is a desperate attempt to scuttle his political career.

“When the charges against Sylva were withdrawn by EFCC, they claimed it was

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

President Muhammadu Buhari that ordered them to do so. And when the charges were finally dismissed, they said Buhari influenced it. Now that the charges have been brought up again, where is Buhari’s hand in all these?”

He further described as abnormal the exclusion of the Sylva’s former Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Silva Opuala-Charles, from the new suit

by EFCC. He said it was a further confirmation that the whole scheme was targeted on deliberately hurting Sylva rather than uncovers and redress corruption.

“If EFCC was, indeed, intent on fighting corruption afresh, how on earth could it not include in the new charge the Commissioner for Finance, Silva Opuala-Charles, who ran the finances of the state and was a defendant in a previous case, before he was discharged?”.

“What has become clear in the case of Sylva is that EFCC is not fighting corruption; it is simply fighting the political career of the former governor.

“We must separate the war against corruption from politics if we are to reap the legally desired benefits of the anticorruption campaign and ensure the financial discipline that the country needs badly”, he said.

UPN gets national leaders

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HE Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) has ratified the election of its new national leadership, the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Sokoto, has said.

Sokoto told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday that the new officials were elected at the party’s first national convention held in Kaduna from March 6 to 7.

According to him, the election of Prof. Bankole Okuwa as UPN’s new National Chairman at the convention was accepted by INEC. “This followed a convention report we (the party) submitted to INEC for consideration,’’ said the scribe.

Other National Executive Committee members elected

at the convention were Dr. Manzo Abubakar as Deputy National Chairman; Mr. Bari Salau, National Publicity Secretary; and Dr Ola Olateju, National Organising Secretary.

Mr. Chinedu Okeke was elected as National Treasurer; Mr. Dare Adesope, National Youth Leader, and seven exofficio members.

Sokoto said that the convention was held in accordance with the provisions of Section 3, sub-section 1.2 (Election of Officers) of the party’s constitution.

“Seven hundred and sixty two delegates from the 36 states and FCT Abuja participated at the convention out of expected 774 delegates in accordance with Article III, Section 2.2 of our constitution,’’ he said.

WFM 91.7 unveiled in London

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•Pupils reciting from the Qur'an during the 2014/2015 Graduation of Garba Ibrahim Memorial Islamic Academy, Dougirei in Jimeta,-Yola, Adamawa State...yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

T. Ives Communications has unveiled WFM 91.7, Nigeria’s first radio station for women and their families in London, United Kingdom (UK).

At an evening with guests in Mayfair London, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, a director of St. Ives Communications, said after carefully collating the name choice and comments of every one that suggested a name, WFM was chosen.

WFM, according to various comments at the event, “is different, unique, original and all-encompassing” and these are what the radio station represents.

Sonaiya said there were contributions from all over the world through Facebook, twitter, Instagram, blackberry, Whatsapp and email. Most

of these came from Nigeria, UK and the United States (U.S).

“Others were from Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone. We also had comments from China, Dubai, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, Albania, Belgium and France,” he added.

WFM 91.7, though licensed to broadcast for women, will cater for the men and the family by engaging on issues of local, national and international importance for all.

It will operate 24 hours of talk and less music, addressing everyday issues for women and their families.

Sonaiya said it would be a reliable, leading and trusted source for all related news, information and matters of interests for women and their families.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

NEWS

Customs seizes 10,000 bags of rice at sea T

HE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized over 10,000 bags of rice worth N100 million from smugglers on the tributary of the Atlantic Ocean.

Customs men intercepted the rice at Gbaji in Badagry close to the border town of Seme last Friday.

The smugglers had attempted to enter Gbaji through the Atlantic Ocean in a large wooden barge.

The Nation learnt that the Fed-

• Smugglers in large wooden barge Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda MaritimeCorrespondent

eral Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Area Controller, Adamu Turaki, stationed his men around the area following a tip-off to monitor the gang.

Turaki has deployed more officers in Badagry, Gbaji, OwodeApa and Ado-Odo to deal with other smugglers.

The smugglers, a source said, used the water-ways leading to the Atlantic Ocean between Badagry and Gbaji to beat Customs check points.

Turaki has directed that the almost 10,000 bags of rice be moved to the Federal Government’s warehouse at Ikeja.

“Ostensibly aware of the implication of being caught with the

smuggled items, the suspected smugglers jumped into the water on sighting the arrival of my officers who carried out the operation,” Turaki, said, adding: “My charge to my officers and our combined efforts have paid off. I make bold to say that this is a big seizure that would make the smugglers bankrupt if they had gone to take loan or borrowed the money they used to import the rice illegally.

“We are not unaware of the smugglers drive to beat us by applying unusual means, especially as we have efficiently and strategically positioned our men on the bush paths and other likely routes, therefore, they chose to ferry this rice through the waters.”

Turaki warned smugglers not to operate in his area, saying: “This seizure is a direct message to all that are involved in smuggling, that they will not only be recording losses at any attempt, but they stand a great chance of going to jail as we are keen on matching seizures with suspects.

Whoever wishes to import rice

should do that through the seaports as approved by the Federal Government.

Turaki said efforts were being intensified to arrest the fleeing smugglers, adding: “As we enter the middle of the year, I reminded all my officers of the Comptroller-General’s zero tolerance for smuggling and other illegalities, while charging them to gear up to the challenges of the period.”

One of the officials that carried out the operation said: “Rice smuggling has become a serious problem. It has undermined local food production and national foreign trade management, causing great losses to the nation’s revenue, and leading to unfair competition in the market,” he said.

“In addition, the smuggled rice, and other smuggled items like drugs, food and daily commodities do not undergo border quarantine inspections, and this may pose threats to public health if we fail to stem the activities of the smugglers,” the official said.

The official said when the smugglers saw the Customs team approaching, they abandoned the barge and jumped into the river to evade arrest.

Delta to support Maritime University

T •Some Customs officers at the scene of the seizure

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

Shippers’ Council insists on 48-hour cargo clearance

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HE Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC), the interim port economic regulator, is not satisfied with goings-on at the ports, it has been learnt.

The council is said to be worried especially by the delay in goods clearance, which has affected revenue generation.

Sources said this is why the council is pushing for quality service to enable the ports boost the government’s revenue amid the falling oil prices.

To achieve this, NSC Executive Secretary Hassan Bello is said to be seeking automation of cargo delivery at the ports to enhance trade.

Automation, it was learnt, would reduce human contact and bribery.

The Nation learnt that Bello, at a meeting with terminal operators, Nigeria Customs Service officers and stakeholders, insisted that the 48-hour cargo clearance must be met.

The meeting, it was revealed, deliberated on issues affecting 48hour cargo clearance, delay in containers examination, transit trade and the need for automation to facilitate the process.

Contacted, Bello said the council’s aim is to provide platforms for cargo clearance to make the ports more efficient.

He urged stakeholders to come together and find amicable solutions to the challenges facing quick cargo clearance from the ports.

“The idea is that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is the referee in this friendly context, and the more we interact with the service providers and government agencies, the better understanding we will get,” he said, adding that the focus of the council is on trade facilitation and

• Bello

quick cargo clearance that will boost government revenue.

“We need automation in our port instead of doing things manually.

We need to streamline these processes and develop standard operating procedures, and check the presence of government agencies at the port on what they are doing and the Customs to also up their game in automation.

“They have led the way but we need other stakeholders to come and buy in. So, we are doing a lot of consultation while we supervise and moderate. Customs has been leading in so many areas of what our ultimate aim is-which is automation, providing platforms for cargo clearance so that our ports will become efficient.

“The trade facilitation issue they have pioneered is something very commendable and it is a starting point.”

The NSC boss also reiterated the need to streamline cargo clearance procedures and ensure Nigerian ports are more competitive with others in the West and Central African sub-region.

“Nigerian ports are in competition with other ports within the sub-region, so we have to streamline our clearance procedures – the way we do business so that we attract more cargoes to Nigerian ports,” he said.

Bello said that the Nigerian ports operations needed automation to meet the dynamic trends in the international maritime trade.

“We need to develop standard operating procedures. We need quality services and ensure that there is a balance in relationship between service providers and users in the industry,” he said.

HE Delta State govern ment will support the Fed eral Government owned Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has said.

He said special universities, were few compared to conventional ones, adding that this is responsible for the high unemployment rate.

Receiving the Management of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Governing Council of the Nigeria Maritime University (NMU) during a visit to his office in Asaba, Okowa said that the university would provide the right tools to equip graduates with requisite technical abilities that would make them create employment after completing their studies.

“Nigeria should move beyond conventional universities and seek to establish specialised universities which will give the right tools and practical learning that will make graduates employers of labour, rather than job seekers. The unemployment in Nigeria today is largely due to our focus on conventional education,” he stated.

While praising the Management of NIMASA for the vision in establishing the university, Governor Okowa urged other agencies of government to think outside the box, and toe the line of NIMASA. The Director-General of NIMASA, Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, noted that the agency conceived the university concept to guarantee sustainable international training of qualified manpower for the maritime industry. He said that the dearth of qualified manpower in the Nigerian maritime sector was the driving force behind the university project.

On her part, the Pro Chancellor, Prof Viola Onwuliri, noted that the university would play a major role in effectively growing adequate capacity to harness the Nigerian maritime potentials.

Mrs Onwuliri, who is the immediate past Minister of State for Education, announced that the Governing Council was consulting with the Nigeria Universities Commission and Joint Ad-

• Governor Okowa

mission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, to ensure that academic activities commence during the next academic session.

The Federal Government recently approved a Governing Council for the institution, headed by Prof Viola Onwuliri. Prof Maureen Etebu was also appointed as Vice Chancellor while Mr. Anho Nathaniel Lucky is the Registrar.

The Nigeria Maritime University Okerenkoko, is considered a long term solution to the dearth of Seafarers, which has seen NIMASA sponsor over 2,500 young Nigerians for training in Nautical Science, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at degree level in reputable institutions in Egypt, India, Philippines, Romania and the United Kingdom under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) The agency has also established Institutes of Maritime Studies in six Nigerian universities namely; University of Lagos, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Niger Delta University Amasoma, Bayelsa State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, Niger State, Anambra State University Uli and the Federal University Kashere, Gombe State.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

NEWS

Community accuses police of ‘killing’

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EMBERS of the Oro-Ago community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have accused the police of allegedly killing one woman and arresting five men in the community three days ago.

Bolatito Balogun was alleged to have been shot by the police.

The community alleged that the police headquarters in Abuja supported Fulani herdsmen to attack its members and destroy its farmlands.

Two months ago, a bloody clash broke out between Fulani herdsmen and members of the community at the market square, leading to the death of two.

Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital yesterday, the President of OroAgo Development Union (ODU), Chief Richard, alleged that another woman,

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Tope Ologemo, allegedly hit by the police bullet, was recuperating in hospital.

He said six of the community members arrested and taken to Abuja in connection with the April 30th bloody fracas, are in police custody.

Richard urged InspectorGeneral of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase to fish out the culprits.

Said he: “A more provocative and pathetic incident occurred on June 12. Another set of police officers, just like those from the IGP office, Abuja, in April, fully armed, stormed the community at 7am and shot indiscriminately, arresting our people.

“The action was contrary to what they told our monarch, Oba Johnson O. Dada, the previous day that they

were in the community on a peace mission to visit the places where the incident occurred and the place where Seriki Bamo, who was the complainant to the office of the IGP in the first incident, was killed about a week ago.

“The indiscriminate shooting led to our people running helter-skelter and scampering for safety. The police went away with at least five of our men. We say five because some people are still missing. Their whereabouts is unknown.

The names of the five we can identify are Oladele Ponle, Chief Asanlu Salawu, Karimu Aremu, Rasaki Illa and Tunde Abolaji.

“Unfolding developments show that the police are in cahoots with the Bororo. This is because on that Friday, two of our men were tied down on their farmlands by the Bororo,

who told them that the police were coming from Abuja to arrest them and other members of the community and that they would be killed.

“Our monarch has written two letters to the police commissioner and the director of the Department of State Service (DSS) for their intervention because we don’t want to take the law into our hands. But, sadly, there has been no response from the duo.

“We therefore, appeal to the IGP to order the release of our men in police detention in Abuja because it is trite law for our people, acting on self-defence, to be caged while the Bororo, who perpetrated the fracas, are walking freely on the streets.”

Police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi said the case is being investigated by the force headquarters.

•Former Adamawa State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Murtala Nyako (right), greeting some cyclists (who rode from Yola to Abuja to honour him over APC’s victory), at a reception in his honour and his son, Senator Abdulaziz, in Yola…yesterday PHOTO: NAN

El-Rufai demands report on Zaria water works

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ADUNA State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai at the weekend directed the contractors handling the multi-billion naira Zaria Water Works to present details of the project to his government.

He said the project consumed billions of naira, yet it was not completed. He, however, promised that his administration would complete it.

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

The governor, who spoke when he visited the project site in Zaria, directed the contractors to present to him its details.

The non-completion of the project is also responsible for the lack of water in Zaria and the neighbouring seven local governments.

El-Rufai said: “We are here to see things for our-

selves. The Zaria water project has been on for years without producing a drop of water. We must work hard to ensure its completion.

“We are committed to ensuring efficient and quality service delivery to the eight million people in the state.”

Reiterating his commitment to the completion of the project, the governor said: “By the power of the

almighty God and support of the people, we will break the Zaria water project jinx and bring potable water to Zaria and the neighbouring local governments captured in the project design.

“We have directed those handling the project to give us details and the progress report. The noncompletion is causing hardship for our people. We need to solve the problem.”

Governor sets up 10-man committee to boost trade, investment

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ADUNA State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has set up a joint committee with the Nigerian American Chambers of Commerce to boost trade, investment and create job opportunities.

The committee, which is expected to have five members from each of the partners, is headed by Deputy Governor Bala Barnabas Bantex.

It is expected to come out

•Appoints Head of Service From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

with a blueprint by September on the projects proposed by the chambers, such as power generation, setting up of hatchery, providing 500 hectares at the Millennium City for Kaduna American School and rebuilding the Zaria and Kafanchan markets.

Addressing a delegation of the Nigerian American

Chambers of Commerce led on a visit to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House by its President, Mr. Sheriff Balogun, El-Rufai lamented that there were over three million unemployed youths in the state, adding that the high number of unemployed youths in the country led to insurgency and other problems.

He has announced the appointment of Mrs. Ali-

sabatu Dada-Onazi as the new Head of Service.

El-Rufai made the announcement yesterday at a civic reception organised in honour of his deputy, Mr. Barnabas Bala-Bantex, in Kafanchan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before her appointment, the new head of service was the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

‘Stop attacking Lai Mohammed for doing his job’

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GROUP, the Kwara Concerned Citizens, has urged people to stop attacking the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for doing his job.

The group, in a statement yesterday by Dr. Hezekiah Oyedepo, an Igbomina community leader and the Wakilin of Lafiaji, Umoru Sha’aba Lafiaji, said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement by a group in our dear state, Kwara, condemning and even threatening the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over the statement he issued on behalf of the party in the aftermath of the recent elections into the leadership positions of the National Assembly.

“We are astonished that for carrying out his duties diligently, as he has always done, by articulating the position of his party, Lai Mohammed has become a target of attacks and threats from some perfidious persons in his state.

“In order to put the issue in the proper perspective, we members of the Kwara Concerned Citizens have therefore decided to set the record straight by saying the opinion of that self-serving group does not reflect that of the majority of the good people of Kwara, while also acknowledging the courage, loyalty, decency and professionalism of Lai Mohammed in carrying out his duties as the voice of the APC. “In the first instance, the opinions expressed by Lai Mohammed in his statements are not his own, but that of his party. Secondly, since he articulates the position of his party at many levels - including intra and inter-party, national as well as international - he is expected, at all times, to put the interest of the party above his personal interest.

“We make bold to say that to our pride as his kinsmen and indeed to wide acclamation across the land, he has performed his duties creditably.

“It is therefore unfair, illogical and downright simplistic to conclude that Lai Mohammed’s statement conveying

the immediate reaction of his party to the elections in the National Assembly means he is opposed to the election of his kinsman, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as the President of the Senate.

“What was he expected to do in the circumstances?

Refuse to carry out his duty as the APC spokesman just because of the involvement of his kinsman in the Senate leadership election? Infuse his own feelings and opinion into his party’s statement so that he won’t be seen as opposing his kinsman? Or issue his own statement reflecting his personal opinion, as against that of his party?

“To the best of our knowledge, Lai Mohammed’s statement conveying his party’s reaction was not restricted to the election of Dr. Saraki alone, but also concerns that of Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. We are not aware that to date, any group in Bauchi State, the home state of Dogara, has attacked or threatened Lai Mohammed for not supporting his emergence as Speaker.

“Lai Mohammed’s antecedents in the performance of his duties as party spokesman speak volumes about his courage, party loyalty and ability to rise beyond situations that will get less-imbued persons bogged down in a quagmire.

“Despite his close relationship with the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, dating back to their days in school, Lai Mohammed never for once shied away from conveying his then opposition Action Congress of Nigeria’s (ACN’s) views on Yar’Adua’s administration. In most cases, such views were scathing. Yet, to his eternal credit, Yar’Adua never for once used that against him.

“We of the Kwara Concerned Citizens are therefore alarmed that any individual or group will seek to extrapolate that because Lai Mohammed issued a statement reflecting his party’s stand on the National Assembly leadership’s elections, he is automatically against the emergence of his kinsman as Senate President and he must be pilloried.”

Baptists’ praise revival

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HE annual praise revival of First Baptist Church, 12, Oremerin Street, Itire, Lagos began yesterday. It will end on Friday with a vigil.

Ministering is Rev./ Evang. Philip Adika and his wife, Lady/Evang.

Lola.

The shepherd-in-charge, Rev. A.P. Oyeyemi, said God would perform signs and wonders during the programme. He urged those looking unto God for salvation and comfort to attend the revival.

Jigawa Education ministry denies HE Permanent SecreN2.5b fraud tary, Jigawa State

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Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Alhaji Abdullahi Hudu, at the weekend debunked that a fraud of N2.5billion occurred in the ministry.

Hudu, who spoke in Dutse, the state capital, when fielding questions from reporters, said the allegation of the loot of N2.5billion through three non- existing senior secondary schools was not true, adding that it was a mischief to dent the ministry’s image and that of the ex-government.

His words: “This is a lie. It is baseless and an attempt by

From Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

the mischief makers to mislead the present administration and the people. They will not succeed.

“A Ministry of Education official under my humble self saw the governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar. We briefed him on the ministry. The governor asked us to forward the ministry’s problems to him.”

The permanent secretary said at present, there are over 90,000 pupils in public schools “and out of this number, over 50,000 are males.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

57

NEWS Ikpeazu greets Abia Speaker, others From Ugochukwu UgojiEke, Umuahia

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BIA State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, has congratulated the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the sixth House of Assembly on their victories.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, Ikpeazu wished the Speaker a successful tenure as they work to ensure a vibrant and dynamic legislature for Abia State.

The governor felicitated with the members and urged them to perform their duties in the interest of the electorates.

Southeast APC faults Ekweremadu on zone’s voting for PDP T HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast has berated Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu for his statement that Ndigbo will vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) again.

The party said the Southeast, if given another chance, would not vote for PDP because according to it, ‘impunity will no longer triumph’.

A statement by the party’s spokesman in the zone, Osita Okechukwu said: “With President Buhari’s program to revamp Enugu coal, build refineries, fix our roads, im-

From Chris Oji, Enugu

prove electricity among other projects, we see the Southeast and Southsouth providing the critical supplement to President Buhari’s vote bank in 2019.

“Whereas, we do not begrudge our dear brother for his re-election, it beats our imagination that he relied on gossip-terrorists in reaching the conclusion that the Southeast and Southsouth

will be marginalised; this is miles away from the truth.

“We are at a loss as to why Ekweremadu chose to play this spoiler game, by wittingly or unwittingly throwing spanner on our wheel to clinch the coveted office of Deputy Senate President.

Pundits may grab his unintended headline that we have been settled.

“To us, without being immodest, one may amass wealth with the office; but Deputy Senate President in

real-politics is more symbolic than substantial.

“For the records we appeal that the Southeast and Southsouth, especially we of the APC stock should not be denied any position due to us because of our brother’s unintended headline that we have been settled.

“In sum, we re-affirm our implicit confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will not marginalise or penalise neither the Southeast nor the Southsouth; for Mr. President has repeatedly maintained that he belongs to everybody and that the past is gone”.

Ugwuanyi extols Chime’s virtues From Chris Oji, Enugu

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NUGU State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has described his predecessor Sullivan Chime as a leader of rare qualities who will continue to receive plaudits for years due to records he set in office.

Ugwuanyi spoke at Udi at a reception held in Chime’s honour. He said Chime was God’s special gift to Enugu State.

The governor said Chime, through his personal integrity, sacrifices and commitment, set the state on an irreversible path to greatness and prosperity.

He said: “I have always said and I will continue to say it, in and out of office, Sullivan Chime remains my leader. He is God’s special gift to Enugu State.

That is why the whole of Enugu is happy and has continued to pay him homage.”

“Sullivan Chime handed over success and the well being of Enugu to me. God will help me to follow in his footsteps.

“Chime is today a prophet who is honoured in his own town. It is good to be good; you completed your term and people are still thanking you.

I will also want to be praised when I leave office.”

Ugwuanyi reiterated his promise to construct a bypass at the 9th Mile corner to ease traffic and also to constitute a team of economic advisers that would help to launch the state into a new era of prosperity.

•Parish priest, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Dean of Gwagwalada Deanery, Rev. Fr. Rowland Nwakpuda (third left) and other priests after the celebration of mass to mark the Sacred Heart Cultural Day in Abuja...yesterday

NEMA donates drugs for treatment of Onitsha fire victims

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HE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated drugs valued at millions of naira to hospitals where victims of the Onitsha tanker fire are receiving treatment.

Presenting the drugs, NEMA’s Director-General, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi explained that the gesture was aimed at assisting the Doctors in saving the lives of the survivors.

From Chris Oji, Enugu

Represented by the Director of Relief, Mr. Eugene Eze, Sidi said: “We want to encourage the hospitals with these drugs and medical consumables for the speedy recovery of the victims.

“NEMA Sympathises with the victim’s families, we share their pains and commend Doctors for their efforts”.

Others at the presentation

were the Southeast coordinator, Major James Eze and his Southwest counterpart, Dr. Bandele Onimode, and Executive Director, Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (ASEMA), Chief Paul Odenigbo.

Some the benefiting hospitals include Menax, Toronto, Bex and General Hospitals.

The team also visited Governor Willie Obiano where the governor stressed

the need for state governments in the Southeast to strengthen their various emergency boards.

The Governor appealed to the Federal Government to provide fire-fighting trucks and equipment to help avert deaths resulting from tanker accidents.

He assured the people that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) will cooperate with the Federal Government to help the victims.

Imo denies complicity in suspension of Monarchs

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MO State Government has denied its involvement in the suspension of four traditional rulers and the probe of about 50 others.

The state Council of Traditional Rulers suspended four monarchs for disobeying the Council’s directives and identifying with a deposed monarch and factional chairman of the Council, Cletus Ilomuanya.

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo described the action as an independent decision of the Council.

“It is important to say that while the state government takes exception to the action of the traditional rulers, it has no hand in their suspension

or the trial of more than 50 others.

“The government has a culture; the culture of not being vindictive, even at the height of provocation. The suspension and trial of the concerned monarchs remain the business of the Eze Samuel Ohiri–led council.

“The state government cannot interfere in the Council’s activities, especially in

handling issues concerning the conduct of the members.

The state government will however not hesitate to act on the recommendations of the Council as long as it is in the interest of the state.

“This explanation has become necessary to set the record straight with regards to the referenced actions of the Council on their members,” Onwuemeodo said.

Don’t play politics with projects, group warns Obiano

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•Chime

HUMAN rights group in Anambra State, Intersociety, has warned parties, governments and individuals in Anambra State to stop playing politics with projects.

The group was reacting to claims by Governor Willie Obiano that he completed 50 per cent of the Nkpor-Amawbia old road.

A statement by Intersociety’s President, Comrade

Emeka Umeagbalasi said former Governor Peter Obi started and completed the road before Obiano was inaugurated.

The statement reads: “We at Intersociety observed the last asphalt of the road at Nawfia-Omuokpu-Amawbia section in early 2014 and that between Enugu-Ukwu and Nawfia in late December 2013, Peter ‘Okwute’ Obi fought hard to complete the road, particularly following

APC and Ngige’s scornful use of it as one of their campaign weapons against him and his APGA party.

“At Intersociety, we also fought for re-asphalting of the failed portions of the road with several letters and offline messages and information to Obi”.

Intersociety expressed happiness that they were part of the group that monitored the progress of the reconstruction and had to

bring routine progress of work to the government.

They said Obi’s government had to re-asphalt some portions of the road, expand small drainages and submitted that the project was 100 per cent completed by Peter Obi’s administration.

The group said: “Therefore, the present governor’s public pronouncement of completing most of the Nkpor old road project is statistically incorrect”.

Ebonyi Deputy Governor berates Perm Sec From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

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BONYI State Deputy Governor Kelechi Igwe at the weekend, berated the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Steve Orogwu on the N160 million tractors procured in 2013 by the last administration and which are decaying.

Igwe, accompanied by the SSG, Head of Service and Chief of Staff, paid an unscheduled visit to the various state ministries.

The deputy governor described the procurement as a wastage of scare resources and public funds.

He said: “It is terrible that a state government can waste a whooping N160 million in the procurement of tractors they do not plan to use and which are already decaying and can never be used again.

“We are talking of wastages and this is one of it. I think as a Permanent Secretary you would have guided government on the procurement, if at all there was a need to.

“It is very wasteful for government to engage in this type of business and Governor Dave Umahi will undertake a facility tour of all the infrastructures.

“Ebonyi State is regarded as one of the states ridden with poverty and if government can throw away N160 million, it is unfortunate”.

Igwe explained that the present government will create the Ministry of Planning, Evaluation and Strategy to take care of things of such nature.

Nike ‘art gallery’ Okundaye for Ogidi Day

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CTIVITIES lined up for the annual Ogidi Day celebration has be-

gun.

It includes an exhibition of the works of iconic batik artist, Mrs. Nike Okundaye and a medical outreach to be conducted by Ripples Charity, a United Kingdom based organisation.

Over 1,000 persons are expected to benefit from the free medical tests and drugs.

National Public Relations Officer of the Ogidi Development Union, Mr. Oladipo Akande said the works of 45 other artists in will also feature at the exhibition.

The Director-General, National Gallery of Art, Mr. Abdullahi Muku is expected to declare the exhibition open.

The grand finale, which will hold on June 20, will be cochaired by Senator Dino Melaye and Mrs. Modupe Jemibewon.

The programme will hold at the Community Hall Grounds, Agegbe, and it will feature a display of the community’s rich cultural heritage, the presentation and blessing of the new yam, as well as performances by visiting cultural troupes from Lagos, Osun and Ondo States.

An appeal fund for the rehabilitation of the two dilapidated secondary schools in the community as well as other decayed educational infrastructure will be launched at the event.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

58

NEWS

Gunmen abduct pastor from church

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OME gunmen on Saturday evening abducted a pastor with Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) on IBB Way, opposite the Margaret Ekpo Airport in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Pastor Seyi Adekunle.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the church when Adekunle and other pastors were preparing for the following day’s service.

An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, said: “The five gunmen stormed the church at 8pm when the pastors were praying in the main auditorium. They shot sporadically into the air before bun-

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

dling the pastor into their car and drove him away.

“Normally, on Saturdays, we have a number of activities, but the pastors’ prayer session comes last. It was while the session was in progress the boys came in, shot into the air and took our pastor away.”

It could not be established if the kidnappers have demanded for a ransom at press time last night.

Police spokesman Hogan Bassey confirmed the incident.

He said the command was working hard to ensure the pastor’s rescue.

Why we elected first-timer as Akwa Ibom Speaker, by lawmaker

F •Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi (right) receiving his doctorate degree in Marketing Management from Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, during the university’s convocation in Port Harcourt, Rivers State...at the weekend

Rivers APC: Wike lacks power to dissolve local govts

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IVERS State All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Governor Nyesom Wike lacks the power to dissolve the elected local government areas.

A statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, by the state’s APC Chairman Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said: “We are aware that Chief Nyesom Wike claims to have read Law though he never practised this noble profession for one single day and may, therefore, not know the position of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on this issue.

“We, therefore, wish to advise him to find time to read the relevant portions of the Constitution and educate himself on his lack of powers to dissolve local government areas duly elected by the Rivers people.

“If he claims that he has the powers to dissolve the local government areas, he is invariably saying that the Federal Government has powers to dissolve his ‘illegal’ government without following due process.

“Any such action by Wike will not only be an exercise in futility but would be in clear contempt of court, as the issue is currently before the Port Harcourt Federal High Court ...and the Court of Appeal...

“Besides, the Supreme Court ...has severally ruled that governors lack the powers to sack elected local government areas, as in the case of the removal of 148 elected local government areas by the Abia State Government in 2006 and the subsequent Court of Appeal judgments on Imo and Ekiti states in 2012 and 2013, where it was held that such actions by governors amounted to ‘executive rascality’.”

RESH facts have emerged on why a firsttime lawmaker, Aniekan Ukoh, was elected Speaker of the sixth House of Assembly of Akwa Ibom State.

Ukoh’s emergence has been generating negative reactions after the Assembly failed to agree on two other lawmak-

Pirates kill naval rating in Bayelsa

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UNMEN suspected to be pirates have shot dead a Naval rating in Akassa, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The gunmen reportedly killed the rating at a new waterway checkpoint established by the Forward Operating Base (FOB), FORMOSO, to check the rising crime rate in the area.

The three hoodlums were said to have opened fire on the Navy crew on a routine stop-and-search operation on Saturday morning and killed the rating.

It was learnt that the Naval rating flagged down the boat carrying the gunmen.

On approaching the checkpoint, the gunmen were said to have raised their hands, in

I

•Rifle stolen From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

compliance with the security regulations on the waterways.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said the rating searched and cleared the boat, oblivious that guns were concealed in the vessel.

“The hoodlums were already clear to leave the checkpoint. The rating had left them to clear a passenger boat behind them.

“It was at that point the sea robbers brought out their rifle and shot the rating. After shooting him, they collected his rifle and fled into the creeks,” the source said.

The remains of the un-

named naval rating, said to be attached to the FORMOSO, has been recovered and deposited at an unnamed morgue in Brass.

Pirates have been unleashing terror on travellers on the waterways.

The Commanding Officer of FOB FORMOSO, Captain A. S. Olanrewaju, declined to comment on the incident.

But a Navy source, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the incident.

“One of our ratings was killed by sea robbers at a new checkpoint in Akassa.

The checkpoint was established recently, following outcries among the residents in the area about the increasing activities of sea robbers and pirates. We are going to fish out the killers,” he said.

Governor Seriake Dickson recently inaugurated the Local Government Chairmen/ Coordinators for the Bayelsa State Waterways Security Patrol Task Force to curb criminality.

The governor gave them a mandate to feed security agencies with communitybased intelligence on criminal activities.

He urged them to liaise with community leaders in their local government areas to gather information on criminal acts, such as sea piracy, crude oil theft, kidnapping, illegal refineries.

Dickson noted that in the last two months, there had been an upsurge in security breaches, especially in the East and Sentral senatorial districts.

Oil spill: Ijaw protest court ruling on $1.5b compensation suit

JAW communities in Bayelsa State at the weekend protested the Appeal Court’s ruling on the $1.5 billion compensation suit against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria over oil spillage in their areas.

The two chambers of the National Assembly had ordered Shell to pay the $1.5 billion compensation to the 145 Ijaw communities in Bayelsa State for the hazards the company caused them.

But Shell disagreed with the National Assembly’s order.

The Ijaw communities filed a suit against the company at a Federal High Court and obtained what they called an unfavorable judgment.

The court upheld the National Assembly’s proclamation on the matter.

Not satisfied, Shell approached the Appeal Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The court struck out the case on

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

the ground that the National Assembly was not competent to award monetary penalties.

Spokesman of the affected Ijaw communities, Chief Pere Ajuwa, disagreed with the ruling.

He said the ruling did not take into cognisance the various evidence the communities’ lawyer presented.

Ajuwa, a former presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the 2007 general elections, told reporters in Abuja that the ruling was a miscarriage of justice.

The spokesman noted that there was overwhelming evidence of deaths, oil spillages and environmental pollution in the communities because of Shell’s exploration activities.

He said the communities

would petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the matter.

Ajuwa said: “We have been in a battle with Shell Development Petroleum Company of Nigeria. When the traditional rulers’ council of Bayelsa State invited me to handle the case, I gave them my conditions, which included non-violence from any Ijaw group.

“In 2003, a commission of enquiry was called at the National Assembly and there has not been any case of violence against Shell since that period till now.

“But in this process, we have been undermined, even by certain agents of government and Shell. The commission of enquiry specified that 1,247 indigenes of Bayelsa State died because of Shell’s oil pollution. There was an unmitigated outbreak of cholera and other water-

borne diseases. This figure was confirmed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

“I have never seen a place where blood is shed, yet the law enforcement agencies and, even the Judiciary, would shut their eye to the people’s grievances. The Ijaw have kept faith with the nonviolence agreement they reached with me.

“The National Assembly proclaimed that Shell was guilty of environmental degradation, which led to the death of several people. Shell was asked to pay the 145 Ijaw communities in Bayelsa State $1.5 billion. But Shell went through the courts and said the National Assembly could not give a legislative judgment or award such an amount of money to the Ijaw nation.”

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

ers with requisite experience for the position.

But one of them, Imeh Okon, has said the emergence of Ukoh, who represents Ibesikpo Asutan, was for political exigencies.

Okon said: “Myself and another person were interested in being the Speaker. But at the end of the day, someone, who wasn’t in the picture, was picked as the Speaker. That’s because of the exigencies of the time. We were all satisfied.

“The important thing is that we want the Assembly to be stable; we wanted a House that will serve the people, not necessarily who the Speaker or his deputy is.

“Order 6, Rule 2 (1) of the Standing Order of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly provides that preference shall be given to members with cognitive legislative experience.

It is a parliamentarian convention all over the world because, for one to perform effectively, he must have experience.

“But then, there was a clamour for Uyo Federal Constituency that, even though the speakership was zoned to Uyo Senatorial District, that within Uyo Senatorial District, you have some federal other state constituencies.

“There was a clamour for sub-zoning. Itu Federal Constituency has a serving senator and Etinan Federal Constituency has a party chairman. But there was nothing for Uyo Federal Constituency.

“There was the clamour that what was left for Uyo Senatorial District should be given to Uyo Federal Constituency.

So, we had to agree so that we could move forward.”

The lawmaker also disagreed with the insinuations that the new Speaker lacks the capacity and experience to lead the Assembly.

Okon noted that since Ukoh had served as a lawmaker at the local government level, he had acquired enough legislative experience to succeed as Speaker.

He assured that the older members of the Assembly would support him to ensure that the House remains focused and independent.

On the allegation that former Governor Godswill Akpabio bribed some lawmakers to elect Ukoh, Okon said the insinuation was laughable.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

59

FOREIGN NEWS

Sudan insists all normal for Al-Bashir S

UDAN insisted yesterday President Omar al-Bashir’s visit to Johannesburg for a summit was proceeding normally and he would return after its main meeting, despite a court order yesterday banning him from leaving South Africa.

The South African court issued the temporary ban after the International Criminal Court called for the arrest of Bashir, who is wanted over alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in the Darfur conflict.

“It is difficult to give details of President Bashir’s timetable, but he will return when the main session is over. This could be today or

tomorrow. I will not go into the details,” said Sudan’s state minister for foreign affairs Kamal Ismail.

“Until now, things are normal and there is no risk to his excellency the president,” Ismail said at a news conference.

Bashir travelled to Johannesburg for the summit on Saturday at the head of Sudan’s delegation in defiance of his ICC indictments.

But the Southern African Litigation Centre, a legal rights group, launched an urgent court application to force the authorities to arrest Bashir.

There will be a hearing in

Pretoria high court later. But Ismail dismissed the order.

“What is happening in the media has nothing to do with what is happening in South Africa,” he said.

All the indictments relate to the western Sudanese region of Darfur, which erupted into conflict in 2003 when ethnic insurgents launched a campaign against Bashir’s Arabdominated government, complaining of marginalisation.

Khartoum unleashed a bloody counter-insurgency using the armed forces and allied militia.

The United Nations says 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict and another 2.5 million forced to flee their homes.

• President Bashir 2nd right at the Johannesburg summit ... Yesterday

PHOTO: EPA

WHO plans emergency meeting as S. Korea MERS cases reach 145

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EVEN new cases of MERS have been confirmed in South Korea, bringing the total to 145, while thousand’s of people have been quarantined. A patient in Slovakia is also being tested, as the WHO has called for an emergency meeting to tackle the outbreak.

Four of the new patients in South Korea confirmed on Sunday are believed to have caught the deadly virus af-

ter coming into contact with patients at Seoul’s Samsung Medical Center, according to the Health and Welfare Ministry.

Another of the victims is believed to have contracted MERS as he drove an infected patient to a hospital.

The last two cases have been linked to two separate medical facilities.

Over 4,000 people are currently being kept in quarantine as a precaution, after

Germany says Europe is losing patience with Greece

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REEK Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has warned of a ‘difficult compromise’ Germany’s vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel says that European nations are losing patience with Greece.

Writing in in Bild magazine, Mr Gabriel said Germany wanted to keep Greece in the euro “but not only is time running out, but so too is patience across Europe”.

The comments come as talks between Greece and its creditors continue.

Mr Sigmar is also economy minister and head of junior coalition partners the Social Democrats.

Cash-strapped Greece is trying to reach a deal that will unlock bailout funds.

It is seeking to avoid defaulting on a •1.5bn debt repayment to the IMF. The payment is due by the end of the month.

Creditors have demanded cuts in spending in return

for another tranche of bailout funds.

But Greece is unwilling to agree to further cuts in spending, in particular the demands by creditors to reduce the cost of pensions.

Greece’s ruling left-wing Syriza party, led by Alexis Tsipras, was elected earlier this year on promises to ease up on the highly unpopular austerity measures, increase the minimum monthly wage and kickstart a job creation programme.

However, on Saturday Mr Tsipras warned the Greek people to prepare for a “difficult compromise”.

Last week, the markets were spooked when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) withdrew its negotiators from the talks.

But talks which began on Saturday and continue on Sunday include the IMF as well as the European Commission and the European Central Bank.

Nicaragua: Thousands oppose Atlantic-Pacific plan

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HE demonstrators fear the environmental impact of the ca-

nal Thousands of Nicaraguans have held a protest against the planned construction of a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The $50bn (£32bn) scheme, being built by a Chinese firm, will be longer, deeper and wider than the Panama Canal.

But the demonstrators fear it will have huge environmental costs and force thousands off their land.

Nicaragua’s government says the canal will bring vital investment to one of Central America’s poorest countries.

Some among the protesters, who were mostly farmers, accused President Daniel Ortega of selling Nicaragua to the Chinese.

they were in close contact with potential MERS suffers, since the first case was confirmed on May 20.

So far, 15 people have died in South Korea as a result of the latest MERS outbreak.

This week, experts from a 16-member joint mission from South Korean and World Health Organization (WHO), warned that the outbreak is “large and complex,” while more cases should be expected.

The WHO is also urging those people who have possibly been exposed to the virus, not to travel, especially during the incubation period.

Despite the WHO warning, a man in Slovakia has been hospitalized after possibly contracting MERS. Doctors in Bratislava are expecting to receive test results from Prague on Sunday, after testing a 38-year-old South Korean male, a

spokeswoman said on Saturday.

Local media claim the patient may have come into contact with the virus, while working as a subcontractor for Kia motors, a Korean car manufacturer, at a factory in the city of Zilina, Slovakia.

Meanwhile, the WHO announced it will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address the outbreak. The conference will provide technical updates on

epidemiology and offer advice on future preventative actions in response to the South Korean outbreak, the largest outside Saudi Arabia, where the disease first surfaced in 2012.

MERS comes from the same family of viruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that killed about 800 people worldwide in 2002-2003. There is currently no cure or vaccine for the disease.

Zoo animals roam free in Georgia's capital after flooding

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IGERS, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals escaped from the zoo in Georgia's capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to stay inside Sunday. At least 12 people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers.

An escaped hippo was cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquilizer gun, the zoo said.

Some other animals also have been seized, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Bears and wolves are also among the animals that fled from their enclosures amid the flooding from heavy rains and high winds.

There were no immediate reports that any of the fatalities were due to animal attacks. The zoo said one of the dead was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month; the Interfax news agency said her husband also died in the flooding.

As of mid-afternoon Sunday, it was unclear how many animals remained on the loose or what species they are.

"Not all the animals who ran away from the zoo have been

captured. Therefore, I want to ask the populace to refrain from moving about the city without" an urgent need to, mayor David Narmania said.

A full accounting of what animals were missing wasn't immediately possible because a large part of the zoo remained underwater, zoo spokeswoman Khaati Batsilaishvili told The Associated Press.

Heavy rains and wind hit

Tbilisi during the night, turning a normally small stream that runs through the hilly city into a surging river. The flooding also damaged dozens of houses.

Narmania told journalists that 12 people were known to have died.

Helicopters circled the city and volunteers and rescue workers labored to help those whose residences were damaged or destroyed, de-

• zoo flooding destruction in Tbilisi, Georgia ... yesterday

spite the potential danger from the escaped animals.

About 1.1 million people live in the former Soviet republic's capital.

The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as telling a Sunday Mass that Georgia's former Communist rulers could be seen as involved in the disaster.

PHOTO: EPA

U.S. transfers six detainees from Guantanamo

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IX Yemeni prisoners held for years at Guantanamo Bay detention centre have been transferred to Oman, the US says.

The departures from the prison in Cuba were the first for six months.

President Barack Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay during his election campaign in 2008.

Although he has been unable to do so, he has cut the num-

ber of inmates by half.

The latest transfers bring the number of detainees in Guantanamo to 116.

The men had been cleared to leave for years, but could not be sent back to Yemen because of the country’s instability.

Congress has barred transfers to the US mainland, so the only option left for the authorities is to send prisoners to third countries.

In a statement

, the Pentagon said the US was “grateful to the government of Oman for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility”.

It is the second transfer of Guantanamo prisoners this year, after the Pentagon announced in January that four men had been moved to Oman and one to Estonia.

The six Yemenis flown to

Oman on Friday were identified by the Pentagon as Idris Ahmad Abd Al Qadir Idris, Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud, Jalal Salam Awad Awad, Saad Nasser Moqbil Al Azani, Emad Abdallah Hassan and Muhammad Ali Salem Al Zarnuki.

Emad Abdullah Hassan has held repeated hunger strikes in protest against his confinement without charge since 2002.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

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FOREIGN NEWS Putin, Erdogan meet, discuss gas pipeline

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HE presidents of Russia and Turkey have met and discussed a proposal for a pipeline that would carry natural gas from Russia to Turkey.

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Saturday in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of the European games, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.

Peskov gave no specifics of the talks, other than to say

they were detailed.

The pipeline, called Turkish Stream, has been proposed by Russia after the abandonment of South Stream, a long-proposed project to carry Russian gas to southern Europe.

Putin also met separately with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. That meeting discussed a resolution of the dispute over NagornoKarabakh, a region of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenian troops and ethnic Armenian local forces.

Israeli leader criticizes upcoming UN report on Gaza war

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• Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during their meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, over the weekend.

PHOTO: AP

Thousands of Syrians flee into Turkey amid intense fighting

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HOUSANDS of Syrians cut through a border fence and crossed over into Turkey on Sunday, fleeing intense fighting in northern Syria between Kurdish fighters and jihadis.

The flow of refugees came as Syrian Kurdish fighters closed in on the outskirts of a strategic Islamic State-held town on the Turkish border, Kurdish officials and an activist group said, potentially cutting off a key supply line for the extremists’ nearby de facto capital.

Taking Tal Abyad, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, would deprive the militant group of a direct route to bring in new foreign militants or supplies. The Kurdish advance, coming under the cover of

intense U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in the area, would also link their two fronts and put even more pressure on Raqqa.

In this Turkish border village, the refugees took by surprise the Turkish troops stationed there, who were overwhelmed by the large number of people crowding the crossing. Thousands of people had been gathering for more than a day on the Syrian side of the Akcakale border crossing before they broke through Sunday afternoon.

People threw their belongings over the fence while others passed infants into Turkey over barbed wires before following through a several-meter wide opening in the border fence.

Turkish troops later brought in reinforcements

and gathered up the refugees on the Turkish side of the border, preventing them from going deeper into Turkey.

Earlier Sunday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus speaking on the refugee situation at the crossing between in Tal Abyad and Akcakale, claimed that those refugees were not fleeing fighting between Kurds and the Islamic State group, but were rather trying to escape to Turkey in case their villages are hit by U.S.-led coalition bombings.

He said Turkey was providing humanitarian aid to them on the other side of the border while taking in anyone who is sick or injured.

Kurtulmus said Turkey has taken in more than 2 million refugees since 2011.

“We are of the opinion that there isn’t a humanitarian tragedy there,” Kurtulmus told CNN-Turk television in an interview.

“Our priority is for them to remain within their border.

We will continue to provide humanitarian aid to them” Hours after Kurtulmus spoke, Turkey reversed its decision and opened the border to allow more of the refugees in, the staterun Anadolu Agency reported. It said however that this time, Islamic State group militants at the border prevented them from crossing into Turkey.

It put the number of people who were waiting to cross at around 2,500.

Around 13,400 Syrians have fled to Turkey since June 1, the agency said.

SRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday criticized an upcoming United Nations report into last year’s war in the Gaza Strip, calling it a waste of time.

Instead, he said an indepth Israeli report - and another unofficial report compiled by a group of retired Western generals show “the truth” behind the fighting. Both documents say Israel did its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and said Gaza’s Islamic militant Hamas rulers deliberately attacked Israeli civilians while using their own people as human shields.

“Those who want to know the truth should read this report and read the report of the top generals,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet.

“Whoever wants a baseless, automatic accusation against Israel can waste their time reading the U.N report.

As far as we are concerned, we will continue to protect our soldiers and they will continue to protect us.”

Over 2,200 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed, while 73 people died on the Israeli side.

Israel says Gaza’s Hamas rulers are responsible for the civilian casualties because it launched attacks from residential areas.

Palestinians have said that the Israeli army violated the rules of war, which include giving adequate warning to civilians, using proportionate force and distinguishing between civilians and combatants.

Israel has said its efforts during the war to minimize civilian casualties were unprecedented in modern warfare, referring to its system of delivering evacuation warnings through text messages, automated calls and leaflets dropped from planes ahead of military strikes.

The U.N. Human Rights Council’s report is expected to be released this week. In anticipation, Israel prepared a report it says proves Hamas’ criminal intentions and exonerates Israel of the war crimes allegations against it.

In a boost to the Israeli case, the High Level International Military Group, made up of 11 former chiefs of staff, generals and other senior American and European officials who conducted a fact-finding mission, came to similar conclusions. It said: “None of us is aware of any army that takes such extensive measures as did the (Israeli military) last summer to protect the lives of the civilian population in such circumstances.”

NEWS

• L-R: Chairman, Igbo Coalition of All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State, Chief Chris Ekwilo, his Deputy, Chief George Emenalo, Woman Leader, Mrs Kate Emeruwa, and Eze Pat PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN Inih, at a news conference by Igbo in Lagos.

• L-R: Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of Nigeria Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Mr Natty Olalekan (left); Representative of Lagos State Chief judge Chief Magistrate Sheri Solebo; Chairman Congress Planning Committee, Mr Kayode Odunuga, National President NYCN, Mr Agharese Iduborn at the NYCN’s Congress/Election in Lagos. PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS.

•Catholic Bishop of Abeokuta Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo(middle) cutting the tape at the turning of sod and foundation laying ceremony of a new church Auditorium of Catholic Church of Transfiguration, Arepo. With him are Parish Priest, Rev. Father Charles Soyombo, (right); Parish Priest of St. Paul Catholic Church Ibafo, Rev. Father Jide Gomez(behind the Bishop) and Parish Priest of Army Chaplaincy, Alamala, Rev. FatherBalogun Stephen.

• Zonal Commander, (Lagos/Ogun states), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Assistant Corps Marshal, Nseobong Akpabio presenting the updated FRSC Highway Code to the Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr Olivier Thiry when Akpabio visited the company in Lagos. With them is the company’s Head, Legal and PR Departement, Mr Andrew Enahoro…yesterday.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

NEWS Africa under siege, Buhari warns AU leaders Continued from page 4

rity; poverty, youth unemployment, and underdevelopment.

“The destructive effects of the inhuman and criminal campaigns of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria and neighbouring countries; the Al-Shabab attacks in East Africa, and the activities of the Al-Qaida in the Maghreb, all bear testimony to a continent under siege.

Buhari acknowledged the “very positive role played by my predecessor, H.E. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in averting the feared crisis, and in facilitating the peaceful transition of power between the two parties.

“My election has been described as historic. I agree that it is indeed historic because for the first time in the practice of democracy in my country, an opposition Party has defeated the ruling Party in a

keenly contested election.

“The election was also held against the backdrop of the fears and concerns expressed both in Nigeria and among our international friends abroad and partners that the outcome of the election could spell doom for Nigeria. I am glad that even though those fears and concerns were not without basis, the outcome was totally different, to the relief of all of us.” He said He urged African leaders to do everything possible to stop the illegal migration of Africans through the Mediterranean sea to Europe.

He said: “The images in the international news media of African youths getting drowned in the Mediterranean sea on their illegal attempts, and often times illusory hope of attaining better life in Europe is not only an embarrassment to us as leaders, but dehumanises our persons. Indeed, they combine to paint a very unfavourable picture of our peoples and countries.

“Those of us gathered here today owe it as a duty to reverse this ugly trend. We must put an end to the so-called push factors that compel our young men and women to throw caution to the winds and risk life, limbs and all, on this dangerous adventure.”

He urged the leaders to redouble efforts to sustain the economic development of their countries, ensure empowerment of the youths, create more jobs, improve and upgrade infrastructure, and continue the enthrone a regime of democracy, good governance and respect for human rights and rule of law.

He added: “These and other measures that engender peace and stability must be pursued relentlessly. In this connection, we must persist in our collective endeavour to work together through the African Union and our respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs), to uplift our continent and provide the African peoples the enabling en-

vironment for the realization of their legitimate dreams and aspirations.

“At this juncture, let me assure you of the unflinching commitment of Nigeria to the ideals and aspirations of the African Union as explained in the Agenda 2063, which is geared towards ensuring a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa in the next 50 years. It is for this reason that Nigeria is fully and irrevocably committed to the ECOWAS vision.

“We do so because we believe that African integration is best attained through the instrumentality of our Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as the building blocs of viable continental institutions. Nigeria will therefore continue to play her part in supporting the African Union Commission and other continental and regional institutions in their efforts to prioritize African development in all sectors of human endeavour.” He said.

•Gombe State Deputy Governor Charles Iliya (middle) with Chief of Dadiya, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar Galadima (left) and Chairman,Balanga Local Government Council, Alhaji Garba Tallase during the first annual cultural festival of Dadiya Community in Balanga, Gombe State…at the weekend.

BPE in N1.45b payment scam Continued from page 4

A source said: “There is disquiet in BPE over the payment of N950million to a PDP lawyer to wind down PHCN. The payment was just unnecessary because the liquidation of the PHCN had been concluded since 2013. So, it was shocking to some members of the management that such a curious huge bill came for no service provided in 2015. We suspected that the payment was a slush fund to offset campaign expenses.

“By the Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, the Federal Government had unbundled the National Electric Power Authority into 11 distribution companies and six generation firms. These were the companies we privatised in 2013. The PHCN then ceased to exist. There was no formal need to wind down PHCN in 2015 to the extent of paying N950million.”

A source in the Ministry of Justice said: “By our records, the former AGF opposed the

payment of the N950million as legal fees to the said lawyer because the liquidation of PHCN had long been completed.

“Even the ex-AGF said assuming that the NCP was talking of nominal liquidation, the accruing legal fees ought not to be more than N50million.

“The records are there for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to examine all the correspondences.”

As the BPE was trying to wriggle itself out of the legal fee scandal, two fresh issues have caused tension in the agency.

It was learnt that the management was shocked that another N500million was paid to the Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation for “consultancy service.”

“They told us that the N500million was approved by NCP as consultancy payment to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. There was no specific consultancy job given to the OAGF,” a director added.

It was also learnt that about 60 workers, mostly relations of the top directors in BPE, were recruited three weeks to the end of Jonathan’s administration.

The source said: “Out of the 60 new workers, 22 who had been casual workers for five years were retained when even there is no provision for casual jobs in BPE. “The directors shared the appointments without recourse to the Federal Character Principle. For instance, one brought his daughter, four also employed their children and another engaged his ‘wife’ or mother of his children.”

$21m boost for anti-Boko Haram war Continued from page 4

text.

“The people of these countries are suffering while their political leaders are bickering among themselves.

“I believe that is incumbent upon us as leaders to always place the interest of our countries above narrow and personal interests.

“It is therefore my expectation that at the end of this summit, the PSC will come out with a united message to call on all parties to act in the interest of their people and the entire continent,’’ Buhari charged.

The Nigerian President added that the leaders must make deliberate efforts to “save the face of Africa, we must give hope to the hopeless.

“The time to do so is now as we look forward on the march toward 2063 to deliver a continent that is at peace with itself, prosperous, a global partner and a democratic show case’’.

Buhari noted that the continent was inundated with conflicts of diverse forms including the crises in Burkina Faso, Mali, Libya, Central Africa Republic, South Sudan, and more recently in Burundi.

“As you are aware in 2013 during our 50th anniversary celebration of our union, we as African leaders committed ourselves to the objective of silencing the local guns in Africa by 2020.

“With just five years remaining, the prospect of realising this objective looks doubtful,’’ Buhari noted.

Buhari considers balance in SGF choice Continued from page 4

Amaechi’s calmness, composure and successful coordination of the Presidential Campaign as signs of his readiness for the job.

“They also said having staked his integrity and life on the line for Buhari, only the SGF is befitting for Amaechi than a ministerial job.

“Amaechi’s dimension is a major challenge for Buhari. I think the same forces against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are working hard to sideline the ex-governor of Rivers State because of his closeness to Buhari.”

It was learnt that Onu appears the man to beat because of his reserved nature, academic excellence, especially having bagged First Class from the University of Lagos, and his cosmopolitan outlook.

A former governor said: “You cannot see Onu’s credentials without being intimidated. In all the schools he attended, he came tops.

“The challenge however is that with the South-East occupying the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate, the zone might not get the SGF again. You can see the danger of being slow in taking decision.”

Although Oyegun is highly experienced as a former Federal Permanent Secretary, the

popular thinking is that he is incompetent as shown in the way in which he handled the crisis in the National Assembly. “This has created a setback for him,” a source said.

“As a matter of fact, Buhari wants Oyegun to remain in the party. I think they had issues when they were in ANPP and Buhari is favourably disposed to retaining Oyegun in the APC secretariat.

“There is also anger in the party on how the NWC failed to be decisive on the sharing of positions in the National Assembly. It was a litmus test which will work against him in becoming the SGF.” It was gathered that if Buhari has his way, he would not waste time in appointing Amb. Babagana Kingibe, whom he had courted since their days in the former seat of power, Dodan Barracks in Lagos.

It was learnt that when antiKingibe forces came to Buhari recently to de-market the former SGF, the President said: “Kingibe contributed immensely to my campaign. contrary to what you think.”

“I think age and geopolitical balance are working against Kingibe. But he will certainly play a role in Buhari’s administration.

“This is why another bureaucrat from the North-East is being considered too.”

First Lady: don’t pay any money to see President Continued from page 4

He recalled that before the President’s wife joined the campaign, some Nigerians were asking for her and after she joined their attention shifted to whether Buhari had a certificate or not.

He said: “Before you (Mrs. Buhari) joined us, they were asking for his wife. When we presented his wife, they were asking for his certificate.

“When we presented certificate, they said he was sick in London. Our president is strong and healthy. He visited 35 states during the election.

“Thank you for your reply when they asked if women will want to go and give food to their husbands in prison.

You made our jobs easier.

I wish all women who took part in the campaign God’s blessing.”

The National Women Leader of APC, Hajia Ramatu Tijani, advised the party leadership to ensure they deliver on the change they promised Nigerians.

She said that the dinner was

organised to appreciate those who made the change possible by touring all parts of the country to campaign for the party.

She said: “This is the night for those who share our dream for change. It is for those who toiled across the country for victory. This event is meant to appreciate those who made the change possible.”

Tinubu was represented by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who read his brief remark titled: “This change is about women.”

Others at the dinner included the Vice President’s wife Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; Senate President Bukola Saraki’s wife, Toyin; wife of the House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s wife, Gimbia and APC National Chairman’s wife, Victoria OdigieOyegun.

Also at the dinner were wives of APC governors, APC female deputy governors; wives of former governors on the platform of the party and other top officials of the party across the country.

62

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

TRANSFER... TRANSFER...TRANSFER...TRANSFER...TRANSFER...

Gerrard’s warning for Sterling S

TEVEN Gerrard has urged Raheem Sterling to make a decision on his Anfield future "quickly" and believes he risks stagnating as a squad player if he leaves Liverpool.

Relations between the club and the player's agent Aidy Ward hit a low last month when the Reds cancelled a meeting to restart negotiations over a new deal after comments from Ward suggesting the 20-year-old would not sign a new contract.

The England international turned down Liverpool's #100,000-a-week offer in January and all the noises coming from the player's camp since appear to have been designed to manufacture a move away.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid have all been linked but Gerrard believes Sterling risks losing regular football if he leaves Anfield.

"I wish I did know (what will happen) because I have been reading a lot about him

•Alves

Alves signs Barca extension

B

ARCELONA have convinced Dani Alves to remain at Camp Nou,

myself," said the 35-year-old.

"I think the only two people that know are Raheem and his agent.

"I think for the player's sake and for all of us fans out there he needs to make the decision quickly.

"I hope he stays. I think for his development as a player he has a fantastic manager to look after him, a great set of teammates.

Vlaar casts doubt on Villa future A STON Villa defender Ron Vlaar says he is keen to test himself at a higher level despite being offered a new deal by the club.

Vlaar is out of contract at the end of the month, but manager Tim Sherwood recently claimed he expected the Netherlands international to remain at Villa Park.

However, Vlaar has now hinted a fresh start may be in the offing.

"I want to maximise my career and I think I can go a step higher," he told The Mirror.

"I will look at it and go quietly.

"I have a lot to consider. I will think about things."

Alderweireld wants quick decision Defender Toby Alderweireld will hold talks with Atletico Madrid over his future next week, with Southampton, Chelsea and Tottenham all understood to be interested in his permanent signing.

The 26-year-old Belgium international, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Southampton last season, will return to his parent club after duties with his country to discuss his next move.

Sky sources understand Saints have first option to sign the defender but Atletico can alter that arrangement via a small payment and create an open market for the player, who has attracted the interest of a host of Premier League clubs.

After he played 90 minutes in Belgium's 4-3 friendly win over France on Sunday, Alderweireld told Sky Sports News HQ: "I will go back to Spain next week and we will talk.

"We will see what happens.

I hope a decision will be made quickly, otherwise it will be all summer.

"I don't know if Chelsea are interested but I have read a little bit in the press. Let's see what comes up and I will make a decision. We will see what clubs come in."

Alderweireld, who signed

from Ajax in 2013, is believed to have two years left to run on his contract and is not thought to have been offered a new deal by Atletico.

He will feature again for

Belgium in their upcoming European Qualifier against Wales on Friday and he said: "We have to be on our best to win that game. We have a good squad.

Rosicky: Arsenal situation 'not funny'

A

RSENAL midfielder Tomas Rosicky has admitted his frustration at Arsene Wenger extending his contract despite rarely playing him.

Rosicky started only five games in the Premier League this season and had been tipped to leave Emirates Stadium on a free transfer this summer before Arsenal took up an option to extend his contract by a further year.

The 34-year-old is quoted as telling iSport in Czech Republic: "Since Arsene Wenger took the option in my contract, I haven't even been on the bench. I am laughing but it's not funny.

"It's frustrating but I am a professional. Even if you lose your place, you must be still prepared because the situation can change."

Rosicky also admitted his disappointment at missing out on a place in Arsenal's FA Cup final squad, saying it made "no sense" that he was not included despite being fit.

Jackson Martinez's agent, meanwhile, has revealed the striker is set to leave Porto amid fresh speculation he is a target for the Gunners.

"There is a club that's willing to pay •35m for the buy-out clause," said Henrique Pompeo.

"The deal will be closed in the next few days."

•Rosicky

the Brazil right-back penning a two-year deal with the European champions.

The defender's future had been subject of great speculation amid his apparent refusal to agree extended terms in Catalunya, but a statement on the club's official website on Tuesday confirmed he will stay.

Having shunned reported interest from Manchester United and Milan, Alves has committed to continue his career at a club where he has won five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey crowns and the UEFA Champions League three times.

He will remain until at least 2017, with Barca retaining the option for a third year.

Barca signed Aleix Vidal, seen as a long-term replacement for Alves, from Sevilla this week, although the newly capped Spain international is ineligible to play until January due to the transfer ban at Camp Nou. Upon joining Barca, Vidal said: "One of the keys to playing in a team like this is you're going to have lots of competition for places. If Dani stays, then it's wonderful, but it's not for me to comment. It would be great for him to stay here.

"I don't feel pressure about competing against one of the best full-backs in the world. I think it's a challenge. I'm relaxed.

"I know what I can do and contribute and if Alves stays, then the competition will be excellent for him and for me."

Carver leaves Newcastle

H

EAD coach John Carver and coach Steve Stone have left Newcastle United.

Carver was installed as interim manager in January following the departure of Alan Pardew to Crystal Palace.

It has been widely reported that former Derby County manager Steve McClaren is being lined up as the next permanent manager at the club.

The Magpies survived on the final day of the Premier League season by beating West Ham 2-0 at St James' Park but Carver leaves with a record which includes 13 defeats in 20 games.

His task was made difficult by the loss of experienced players to injury and suspension, notably the Papiss Cisse suspension for spitting at Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, which saw the striker miss seven of the final 10 games of the season.

As fans reacted furiously to owner Mike Ashley's decision not to invest in the squad in January and managing director Lee Charnley's to delay the appointment of Pardew's replacement, Carver found himself in the firing line.

Carver did enjoy the support of both men and was involved in early planning for a summer recruitment drive, as well as being the man who informed the players who were released of the club's decision to dispense with their services.

But he will not be the man to benefit from whatever

funds Ashley does release and the sportswear tycoon has indicated they will be significant - as the club turn their attention elsewhere.

•Carver

63

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

NIGERIA 2-0 CHAD

We played on a difficult pitch, says Ighalo ATFORD of England forward Odion Ighalo has showered encomiums on his teammates for working hard on a difficult pitch to ensure they beat visiting The Les Sao of Chad in the first qualifying match of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations decided at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday.

Ighalo whose goals helped Watford gain promotion to the Premiership in England in the past season, confessed that the pitch of the Kaduna Stadium was difficult for good football.

But he argued that the Nigerian players had no excuse to complain since they are professionals who should adapt in any situation.

The Watford star in an exclusive chat with NationSport in Abuja yesterday disclosed, “We actually did our best against Chad to squeeze out that 2-0 victory despite the fact that, that was not one of our best performances we could give. We fought hard as a team.

We worked hard and we made sure we ran for every ball and at the end hard work paid off although we played on a difficult pitch. It was not easy for you to play one touch there but we still work our ways out to beat Chad and won the three maximum points at stake in the match. It was a very important step for us towards qualification for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

The former Lyn Oslo of Norway striker, however ex-

W

• Striker happy to break goal scoring jinx From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja pressed happiness for scoring via a spot kick to open his goal account for the Super Eagles since he was capped by the Chief Coach Stephen Keshi.

He vowed to continue from where he stopped against Chad to score in the next game he would play for Nigeria.

“I would say I am relieved for scoring my first goal for the national team but I always put the team’s performance ahead of personal performance. As we won yesterday even if I don’t score I will be very grateful to God and I would be very happy. But to crown it up the team won and I scored which I am very happy for. As a striker I want

to score goals that would boost my confidence.

“I was very happy when I scored the goal, my first for the Super Eagles and surely it will boost my confidence and encourage me to work hard to do well. I am happy to score the goal yesterday (on Saturday)”, Ighalo told NationSport in Abuja yesterday.

AFCON- Qualification Togo 2 - 1 Liberia DR Congo 2 - 1 Madagascar Eq.Guinea 1 - 1 Benin Congo 1 - 1 Kenya Egypt 3 - 0 Tanzania Mozambique 0 - 1 Rwanda Ghana 7 - 1 Mauritius Sudan 1 - 0 Sierra Leone Ethiopia 2 - 1 Lesotho Niger 1 - 0 Namibia Cameroon 1 - 0 Mauritania EURO 2016 - Qualification Ukraine 3 - 0 Luxembourg Estonia 2 - 0 San Marino Slovenia 2 - 3 England Liechtenstein 1 - 1 Moldova Russia 0 - 1 Austria International - Friendly Gabon 0 - 0 Ivory Coast World Cup U-20 USA 0 - 0 Serbia (5-6 pen) Uzbekistan 0 - 1 Senegal

• Chukwumerije

free of charge. It is therefore with pleasure that we expect your company at the launch to celebrate your youthful generation, whose development so far in the sport is as a result of our collective engagement.

The event will also be attended by the board of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) led by its president, George Ashiru.

“The above objective is in line with the vision of the Foundation which is to “produce educated champions and inspire the future” through the Olympic sport of Taekwondo. TEAM CCSF is one such vehicle CCSF intends to use to achieve this vision,” the All Africa Games champion said.

First Bank mauls Immigration • Super Eagles players after beating Les Sao of Chad 2-0 at the Ahmed Bello Stadium Kaduna on Saturday

Emenike’s dad for burial in Imo

S

UPER Eagles’ striker Emmanuel Emenike will test his popularity come this friday as his late father will be buried in his multi million apartment at Umuaka Amakor in Imo State on Friday 19th June, 2015, according to statement released by his elder brother Ebuka Emenike.

J RESULTS

T

O fulfil his dream of grooming educated taekwondo champion, three-time Olympian, Chika Chukwumerije will today in Abuja launch Team Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF).

According to the 2008 Beijing Olympics medallist, the launching will be attended by the Director General, National Sports Commission (NSC) as well as officials of FCT Education Board and it hold at Government Secondary School, Garki.

“TEAM CCSF [Taekwondo] is a youth-oriented team whose objective is to Produce National, Continental and Olympic Champions in its ranks within the first decade and to ensure its members continue and finish their formal education (secondary and tertiary) to a logical end.

It also aims to engage its members with extra-curricular learning activities i.e. language courses, event management courses, networking forums and to enhance their out-of-school learning experience,” Chukwumerije said.

He added: “The launch is a culmination of a long year of recruitment and engagement of young Nigerians, with select G.S.S schools at the heart of this exercise, and executed totally

ZENITH BANK WBL

The 28-year-old striker is a man of everybody, not only in soccer industry but among Nigeria hip-hop stars as well as Nollywood stars. Imo State will experience a busy day on Friday while tight security is being provided by the state government for the former Spartak Moscow ace.

Late Felix Ndukwu Emenike

died on 27th May, 2015 after a brief illness. All arrangement have been made to give a befitting funeral burial.

Expected are former Super Eagles stars like Austin Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Joseph Yobo, popular Nigeria hip hop star KCee, Samuel Eto'o is most likely expected at the event.

Mikel’s agent debunks Al Ain report

• Emenike

Chukwumerije launches Team CCSF in Abuja

OS-BASED agent Babawo Mohammed is not pleased with reports in the local media that claimed one of his proteges, Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, has agreed personal terms with Al Ain. The Nigeria international traveled to Dubai with his Russian girlfriend after The Blues post - season friendly against Sydney FC, which fueled speculation that he was in the country to thrash out

• Awoniyi

terms with the United Arab Emirates side.

But allnigeriasoccer.com understands that the short vacation had been in his plans and he did not make contact with Al Ain during his stay in Dubai.

“You have asked me this before and I told you it’s just a clean lie. Please them it is a lie. Mikel has not agreed per-

sonal terms with Al Ain, ”Babawo Mohammed told allnigeriasoccer.com from New Zealand on Sunday morning.

Babawo Mohammed is credited with discovering Obi Mikel and he promptly recommended him to the Golden Eaglets coaches ahead of the 2003 Fifa Under 17 World Cup.

• Dolphin, Sunshine win too

F

IRST Bank Basketball Club continued their flawless run in the second phase of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League beating Immigration 86-26 in one of games played yesterday at the sport hall of the Ilorin Stadium.

The defending champions won all four quarters and could have scored more points if they didn’t throw away some scoring chances that came their way.

The game, watched by a capacity crowd, lived up to pre match billing as First Bank dominated the games as well as exposing the inexprience of their opponents.

However, Immigration’s A. Deninah and Tarwo Elawure of First Bank led the floor with 14 points apiece, Rebecca Iritie and Nkechi Akashile (both of First Bank ) contributed 13 points apiece, while Chioma Udeaja

From Adeyinka Adedipe, Ilorin also of First Bank scored 13 points.

Dolphin BC also continued their beautiful run in the competition by beating Delta Force 79-48. The Wale Aboderin-tutored side is yet to lose a game in the competition and proved that they are ready to do well in the final phase in Lagos as they continued search for their first title.

Also, Sunshine Angels defeated AHIP Queens 55-48 in a closely-fought encounter as it took the final moments of the game to separate both team.

Sunshine made the best use of their chances in the closing minutes of the games to pull away from their opponent as scored stood at 44-44 at the end of the third quarter.

The competition ends on Wednesday.

‘Awoniyi can’t sign another contract’

G

OKE Oshatoba, the bonafide agent of Nigeria Under 20 international Taiwo Awoniyi, has rubbished reports in the local media that claimed his client is in talks with Monaco.

The Nigeria Football Federation licensed intermediary has stressed that the 17 - year - old has a valid agreement with Kalmar and they are only waiting for the local football regulator to rule on his ownership rights before he returns to Sweden.

“I am not aware of any interest from Monaco, we have to wait for the NFF to rule on the club that owns his registration rights,” Goke Oshatoba told

allnigeriasoccer.com.

“Kalmar has a valid contract with Awoniyi and Imperial Academy. They are on standby for everything, if they don’t honour it there will be issues.

“Taiwo Awoniyi can not sign another contract with another club when his pre contract with Kalmar has not been cancelled.

Imperial Academy have already been paid part of the transfer fee.”

All things being equal, Taiwo Awoniyi will pen a pro deal with Kalmar in August when he clocks 18.

He scored two goals against Hungary at the Fifa Under 20 World Cup in New Zealand.

• Action between Dolphin BC and Delta Force

TODAY IN THE NATION

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL 10 NO 3246

‘The party leadership is within its rights to be livid with errant members. They are also right in their anger especially given the emergence of Ekweremadu of the PDP as the deputy senate president. In their calculations, there is no way they would have factored in either the PDP or the South-east in the sharing equation’

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

S

OME have called it Buhari’s litmus test.

Others have said, he rose above the fray. Some others said, it had nothing to do with Buhari or APC, but it signalled that, in Nigeria, democracy had come to stay.

A voice of a partisan edge growled that it was the rebirth of PDP. But the battles for the Senate and the House signified Buhari’s first storm. The cloud gathered, the lighting flashed, droplets of rain drew faint lines on the horizon. But President Muhammadu Buhari did not know they presaged a storm. Or did he encourage the elemental fury and play bystander?

It was so perhaps because of his often quoted assertion that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody. While the Senate sat and anointed Bukola Saraki as Senate President, the senators regarded him as a nobody even though he called a meeting of all party leaders, including members of both chambers. Or was he the somebody who goaded them on as though he didn’t?

The other miscue was when Femi Adesina, his media spokesman, broke the ice and said it “somewhat” served the higher purpose of democracy. And analysts wondered, how could it be good when your party lost in its first battle after the elections?

Later, in an apparent contradiction, Garba Shehu pitched in for the president and said the APC senators defied their party leader and president. Is it the case of a stern, muscular Buhari playing a wishy-washy card?

I chewed both releases and wanted to know if Adesina had one brief and Shehu another and whether one was intended to annul the other. That, I thought, was the problem when two persons serve as a president’s spokesmen. I think it is not neat and looks at best like duplication and potentially as a battleground. For the sake of both gentlemen, I hope not.

“Somewhat” in Adesina’s statement implied ambiguity in the process. But Shehu’s follow-up indicated that the president was interested but not interested enough. For a party of change, that is not good enough.

But by defying their party leaders and conniving with the opposition, we shall say it was the dubious triumph of politics over commonsense or over values. But what is politics, but the art of the possible. That was the point of the Saraki victory. But the presidency has not up to the time of writing made any indication of moral tone. It has spoken the language of politics and law, and not of values. The reason Buhari was voted in by those enamoured of his biography was his moral and puritan appeal. We did not see this in this first and auspicious test.

RIPPLES

WIKE: I’VE RECOVERED 10 STOLEN GOVT VEHICLES

...as a POLICE OFFICER?

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchnation@gmail.com 08054501081(sms only) Twitter: @samomatseye

•Winner, Informed Commentary (DAME)

First storm

•President Buhari

Some have said Saraki was going to win anyway. So why did he not wait for the president? It was an overthrow of decency, if it was political marksmanship. But for me, neither Saraki nor even the PDP lawmakers deserve all the blame. Were the PDP supposed to wait for the president because of an APC meeting? The PDP lawmakers do not belong to APC, so they had the right to fuel the rebellion. On the meeting the party scheduled, we learned that Buhari’s advance party was at the venue, but he did not come.

Why not? Shehu said he was about to come when the fait accompli of Saraki’s victory occurred. Was that not enough reason for the president to express open disavowals of condemnation rather than a tame Channels interview? Or shall we say the advance party of the president was a dummy and he was not going to appear at the meeting? After

all, Adesina said it was a party meeting and not the president’s.

That is where the spirit of loyalty failed in APC, and that is where Saraki and company, including Atiku Abubakar, lacked moral grace. More blame lands right at the doorsteps of the president. And I think the president knows that, and that accounted for the afterthought that was Shehu’s frenzied intervention on Channels Television to clarify the president’s stand. The meeting could have been held earlier. Perhaps the previous night.

But the die is cast. Both houses have leaders that defeated the party choices. I think it is an early lesson for the president, unless the president wants it so. He should now understand that his presidential office compels him to be interested in the direction of politics. If he did not have his politics right, he would not be president today. He would not have the opportunity to set policies.

Politics defines policies. What policies can he champion with a Senate full of the members and sentiment of the ancient regime?

Atiku Abubakar, who lost to Buhari during the APC primaries, recently said the president is a leader and not interested in politics. Atiku, a restless man of ambition but little vision, received Saraki after the victory. He confirmed all the reports that he championed rebellion in his party. The peripatetic harlot of politics who sways right and left simultaneously, may be smacking his lips, but he is no noble man of this era.

I hope Buhari has learned that he has to be both politician and leader. If you are president, it is because you have a vision. If you have vision, it is because you need men who think like you to pursue the vision. So, as president he was wrong if he stayed off who emerged as leaders of both chambers. And if he didn’t,

HARDBALL

H

E must be the happiest man in the land today. He must have been throwing parties and indeed, must have thrown in an elaborate thanksgiving in the sanctuary of the holy one yesterday.

Hardball speaks of Mr. Timipre Sylva, the former governor of Bayelsa State.

Gangling Timi has just gotten a reprieve. The taut noose around his neck has not only been loosened, it has been removed. In fact, this particular noose, the ugly device of the equally ugly hangman which had Timi’s number on it has been cast into a raging fire. It was such finality that seemed to proclaim to him: no more shall a noose hang around your neck. Be gone because you are loosed and no man shall bind you again.

Such is the impression Hardball gets as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja last Wednesday, declared Big Timi free of N19.2 billion fraud charges against him. You now see why Hardball is moved to a cataclysmic ecstasy on account of another man’s triumph. Common, empires would rise and fall over 19 billion big ones; in any currency, this is an earth shaker. Wars can be started and ended with this kind of money.

Psalm 32 for Sylva Again, people are languishing in Nigeria’s dingy detentions across the country for merely playing tricks with cheap Chinese phones. Some luckless fellows have been pulled in and never to return for ‘playing’ with a wandering goat or flicking a second-hand bra off a neighbour’s line. Yes, the law is blind and sometimes crazy so strange stuff does happen, especially when you do it cheap.

The law seems to have a particular dislike for the poor and the cheap. It treats the poor with so much disdain that it keeps him on awaiting trial bind until he expires or becomes a worthless destitute; whichever suits it.

But not so for the big shot; the learned jurist in his ruling, proclaimed the majesty and eminence of justice and law with which he loosed Timi. Here is a sampler (just as Hardball did not understand it, you, an unlearned layman, are not expected to

EMEKA OMEIHE

what sort of agenda can he push now?

Dogara emerged in a clear contest in the House, and a graceful Femi Gbajabiamila has conceded. If Saraki and his men had waited and allowed the other APC men to be in the chambers, he probably would have won. That could have dispelled suggestions of bad faith, desperation and even the air of hurried primitivism that sullied the process of his emergence.

President Buhari has started off on a learning curve, and he ought to know that both houses can paralyse him if the PDP works with Saraki in a camp against those who were absent in the chambers.

What has haunted the president is the “everybody” and “nobody” refrain. I don’t know of any successful leader in modern democracy that is not interested in the leadership of the legislature. The parliamentary system places the law chamber at the centre of activity. The challenge of the Obama presidency is the hostility, sometimes racism, of the Congress. He has not been able to work with Senate leader Boehner. And when Nancy Pelosi was Speaker, she even sometimes did not pick his calls. Obama has disavowed the mushiness of schmoozing with the lawmakers. They have paid him back in brutal kind.

The National Assembly story is good in that it has given the opposition a new bite, a potential fang. Opposition reminds me of the lament of Poet Walt Whitman: “my enemy is dead. A man divine like myself is dead.” You need your enemies. APC needs a soulful opposition.

But the APC will end up a contraption of convenience if it allows itself to collapse so early. It will be bad for our democracy, and it will deprive us of the quality of dialectical tension required to build a vibrant democracy. The APC was built in order to kill its merging partners. They should not hark back to ACN, CPC, ANPP, etc in the pursuit of a spoils system. It will only suggest that what we have is not a party but various parts that have come to pack their own parts of the booties. It will be naïve to shut out their birth places, but to hold on to them as reference points of loyalty only tells us that the party has a lot of work to do to build a family.

It also tells us that the battle to entrench it as a platform of ideas has not begun. This is still a democracy of big men and not of conscience. That is the lesson President Buhari must take from the National Assembly narrative.

The National Assembly story may determine much of the pattern of the Buhari era. He should beware not to shoot himself in the foot. As a solider, the message cannot be lost.

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above comprehend the fine enunciation of justice.): Justice Ahmed Mohammed held: “ By withdrawing the charge at court 8, the prosecution didn’t really want to prosecute the matter.

“I say so because the allegation of abuse is against the charge before this court.

“Whatever decision the prosecution arrived at did not prevent them from continuing the charge at court 8, since it was earlier in time and was not targeted by the allegation of abuse.

“Based on the above findings, the charge, FHC/ABJ/CR/167/2013, amounted to an abuse of court and same is accordingly dismissed.”

All this N19.2 billion caper which had been on since 2012 when Timi was torpedoed from his gubernatorial perch has been quash very speedily in just one month. Yes, the matter has been truly dismissed and Timi is free, discharged, acquitted, unfettered, unrestrained, etc.

But Hardball hereby sentences him to Psalm 32. He must study it, learn it by mind and recite it every morning and night for the rest of his life. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven…”

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