The Nation June 18, 2014

Newspaper of the Year

Interest rates reduction not now NEWS Page 53

•Bankers’ committee: it’ll be gradual •Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 9, NO. 2881 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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• AND •PDP ‘thugs’ killed our member, says APC MORE ON PAGE 9 •‘Don’t be intimidated by security operatives’ •Fayemi takes to twitter•Fayose’s case for June 30

60-year old gives birth through IVF

Ekiti poll: Aircraft with suspicious cargo in Akure

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WO planes landed yesterday at the Akure Airport, bearing an unknown cargo believed to be for Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

The planes arrived before noon. Among the people at the airport was a minister who watched as the cargo was offloaded into a bullion van marked BL271AGN. A source said the cargo was likely to be cash with which a political party plans to buy votes, but a political pressure group raised the alarm over an alleged rigging plan.

The Ekiti Youth Emancipation Movement (EYEM) alleged in a statement by its President Taiwo Olatunji, that in the bullion van were fake thumb-printed ballot papers and result sheets which were ferried to Ado Ekiti from Akure.

Also in the cargo according to the group, were fake military and police uniforms.

Challenging security agents to investigate its claims, the group also alleged that some

•31 years after

By Seun Akioye, Senior Correspondent

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Continued on page 59

$22.5m Safe School Fund takes shape

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From Augustine Ehikioya and Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

HE Safe School Initiative Trust Fund initiated during the World Economic Forum for Africa in Abuja has taken off with $22.5million.

Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala explained yesterday in Abuja how the money will be spent.

According to her, though a national project, the initiative will take off in the Northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, which are hard hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.

She spoke after a meeting convened at President Goodluck Jonathan’s instance, which Continued on page 4

•MO THER AT LAST MOTHER LAST:: Mrs. Irurhe and her baby

‘

I believe we should not limit God and what the doctors can do in this modern age. I believe this is the appointed time. I was very hopeful throughout the years I was childless and I remained focussed on God. We went to many hospitals but we didn’t give up

’

HERE is good news for women who think age is a barrier to conception.

A woman said to be 60 has just been delivered of a baby at a Lagos hospital.

For 31 years, Mrs Omolara Irurhe was globetrotting — not for pleasure but in search of a child. She visited many hospitals.

But in 2010, her search ended in the most unlikely hospital.

She began an Invitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment at the St. Ives Hospital in Lagos. On Monday, what began as a seed of hope four years ago culminated in the delievery of a bouncing baby girl.

Mrs. Irurhe becomes the oldest IVF mother in Africa.

The global recognition for oldest IVF delivery goes to Rajo Deri Lohan, an Indian who in 2008 was delivered of a baby at 69.

The IVF Unit at St. Ives Hospital successfully aided the conception and delivery of the baby and has now equalled the United Kingdom’s record of IVF age delivery.

The team of doctors at the hospital was led by the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Tunde Continued on page 59

Wanted Boko Haram chief among 486 suspects held

?

WHERE ARE THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15?

Detainees ‘don’t know Port Harcourt’ Security probes letters

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HE Defence Headquarters said yesterday that a wanted terror suspect was among the 486 suspects arrested in Abia State on Sunday.

It also said other security agencies and para-military organisations had joined the ongoing screening of the

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

suspects. But the military did not name the suspected Boko Haram Kingpin.

The Director of Defence Information, Gen. Chris Olukolade, in a statement last night in Abuja, said: “A terror kingpin on the list of

wanted terrorists of security forces in Nigeria has been detected in the ongoing screening of the 486 suspects nabbed while travelling in over 33 Hiace Hummer buses at night along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway last Sunday.

“So far, other security agencies, in-

cluding the para-military, have joined “the screening exercise to ascertain the status of the remaining suspects.

“Those identified as possible security risk or illegal immigrants are expected to be identified for further acContinued on page 4

•EXPLOSIONS ROCK YOBE SOCCER VIEWING CENTRE P4 •FIRE AT ATLAS COVE P59

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

2

NEWS

Grenades, gu •From left: Director, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas; Managing Director, Mr. Brovo Kim; Business Development Director, Information Technology and Mobile, Mr. Daesung Ra; Head of Product Marketing, Information Technology and Mobile, Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu and Head, Business Development, Information Technology and Mobile, Mr. Olumide Ojo at Samsung Electronics West Africa's news conference on the Galaxy S5 in Lagos.

The Boko Haram insurgency has different dimensions.

Apart from its violent side, it also exposes the inequality in the country, especially in the North, reports Mail and Globe

W

•Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii (middle) examining fake produvts during a news conference on the arrest of the Chief Consultant of Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Prof Dayo Oyekole in Lagos...yesterday. With him are Director, investigation and Enforcement, MacDonald Garba (left) and Director, Port Inspectorate, Mrs Maureen Ebigbeyi.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

• From left: Field Sales Officer , Boulus Foods and Beverages Ltd, Oyakhire Emmanuel; Senior Sales and Marketing Manager, Vasilis Katsikakis and National Sales Manager, Joseph Abi Khalil at a news conference on the company’s two new juices in Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA.

• Member, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Chief Tunji Amole (left) andProf. Mbang Femi-oyewo, who delivered a lecture on “Expanding Role of Pharmacists in Patient Care” in Ibadan...yesterday.

HEN the first bomb exploded at dawn, it shook the ceiling and floor and the shabby furniture in Alice Mayaki’s small cluttered house. Crying and trembling, she rushed outside and saw dozens of dead bodies.

Two weeks later, another bomb exploded in almost exactly the same spot. More than 90 people were killed in the two blasts. “Everyone is afraid,” Ms. Mayaki says. “I don’t go into town. Should I go, or should I not go?

Life is very dangerous now.”

Abuja, the Nigerian capital, is the city of the big men: the politicians who control the enormous oil wealth and state resources of Africa’s biggest economy. But when the Boko Haram rebellion came to the capital this year, the big men were safely protected by guards and checkpoints. The explosions hit the migrant workers in the slums as they queued for their morning buses.

“It was the poor people who were going to work early,” said Ms. Mayaki, a nurse who migrated here from southwestern Nigeria. “It was the people who clean and sweep the offices for the big men. They were the ones who were killed.”

Nigeria’s rich and powerful, its politicians and military leaders from Lagos to Abuja, have been comfortably immune to the brutal northern insurgency – which may help to explain why it continues to escalate. The rebellion has exposed the extreme gulf between rich and poor in one of Africa’s most unequal countries. And this widening gap has fuelled the anger and alienation that makes it easy for Boko Haram to find recruits for its murderous militia.

As the insurgency spreads across northern Nigeria and into its “Middle Belt” in the centre, its guns and bombs are targeting Nigeria’s most vulnerable groups: rural villagers, migrants, street vendors, small market traders, the unemployed – and, most notoriously, the schoolgirls of Chibok, more than 200 of whom were kidnapped

by Boko Haram in April.

This was supposed to be Nigeria’s year to celebrate its brand-new status as Africa’s biggest economy. By the end of the century, the former “sleeping giant” of Africa will overtake the United States as the third-biggest country in the world by population.

Its fate could be crucial to the future of the African economy. Yet the rapidly escalating Boko Haram rebellion is exposing the deep dysfunction in Nigeria, putting Nigeria on the path to potential “failed state” status, and contributing to the spread of Islamist extremism across West Africa.

Nigeria’s futile search for the kid-

•One of the several BringBackOurGirls rallies which have rocked the country since April 15

napped schoolgirls is now entering its third month, despite military support from the United States, Britain, Canada and others, while the expanding Boko Haram insurgency is killing hundreds of people in cities and villages across the north and centre of the country. An estimated 12,000 people have died in the fiveyear insurgency so far.

Nigeria has the resources to beat Boko Haram if it was determined to do so. But most of its staggering oil wealth – up to $70-billion (U.S.) annually – is held by a small politically connected elite, who remain insulated from Boko Haram’s terror tactics and seem almost indifferent to the war.

Nigeria has lost about $400-billion in oil revenue as a result of corruption since 1960, according to former World Bank vice-president Obiageli Ezekwesili, a leader of the protest campaign to bring back the kidnapped schoolgirls. A further $20-billion in oil money has disappeared from Nigeria’s treasury in the past two years, former central bank governor Lamido Sanusi has charged.

Porsches and bubbly

The economic inequality in Nigeria is among the most extreme in the world – and growing worse. Despite its rising oil wealth, the percentage of Nigerians living in absolute poverty (earning less than a dollar a day) has increased to 61 per cent over the past decade, compared with 55 per cent in 2004. Yet at the same time, Nigeria has nearly 16,000 millionaires, and that number has jumped by 44 per cent over the past six years.

Much of the wealth is concentrated in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos, where the northern rebellion feels like a remote rumour. At the upscale Palms shopping mall in a Lagos suburb, security is lax. The Boko Haram insurgency is far from people’s minds.

“We’re not feeling the impact,” says Edewor Alexander Iniovosa, a 25year-old employee at the mall. “We believe we are safe here.”

Lagos is a microcosm of the social dysfunction that plagues Nigeria and

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

3

s, guns everywhere...and no respite

feeds the insurgency. It is one of Africa’s biggest and most overcrowded cities, with vast slums, bad traffic jams, daily electricity shortages and eroding infrastructure. To escape those pressures, the richest residents are moving into their own privatized suburbs, where they need never leave.

On Victoria Island, one of the city’s most exclusive districts, you can buy a Porsche sports car for $220,000 at a newly opened luxury-car dealership, or a bottle of Bollinger champagne for $115 at a supermarket for the rich.

Thanks to the lifestyles of its elite, Nigeria’s consumption of French bubbly is soaring at the second-fastest rate in the world, a research company recently found.

The main beach of Victoria Island, once a popular haunt for ordinary Nigerians, is now virtually inaccessible. It has been swallowed up by a 10-square-kilometre city, called Eko Atlantic, currently being constructed on land reclaimed from the ocean. Its luxury apartments and skyscrapers will house 250,000 residents and 150,000 workers, and its wide boulevards and marinas will become a playground for luxury sedans and yachts.

Most significantly, it will all be privately controlled: Everything from its electricity and drinking water to its transit systems and telecommunications will be privatized and operated independently from the decrepit public infrastructure. It will allow the rich to abandon Lagos, retreat from the poor and segregate themselves in their own self-contained enclave.

At its glitzy sales office, a showroom features a huge scale map of the planned city, which the developer calls “a new lifestyle concept” and “a masterpiece of urban planning.” Its brochures promise “beautiful treelined streets and stunning ocean views” for those who can afford it.

Construction cranes and bulldozers are already visible across the reclaimed land, and the first residential tower is due to open in 2016. “This

is the new face of Africa,” says Okon David Major, a former merchant-marine seafarer who makes a living as a guide to the handful of visitors in the remaining fragments of the beach.

Asked who can afford to live in Eko Atlantic, he laughs. “The government functionaries who stole our money,” he replies. “The tourists used to come here, but now the government has confiscated everything and they use it to make money. Every head of state will have their own building, and they’ll chase away the poor people.”

Living in places like Victoria Island and shopping at the boutiques of the Palms mall, Nigeria’s rich and powerful can ignore the Boko Haram bombs and the kidnapped schoolgirls.

State governors, who hold much of the power in Nigeria’s federal system, fly to their regions in private jets.

“The political class, with a few distinguished exceptions, has long been in a state of smugness, complacency and collusion,” Nigerian novelist and poet Ben Okri wrote in a recent commentary.

“In a country rich with oil revenues, where billions of pounds disappear from the national coffers with no one held to account, where going into politics is synonymous with acquiring vast and sudden wealth, where slums breed in larger numbers every day … it is not surprising that violent sects grow from such a festering condition.”

Cost of corruption While the “Bring Back Our Girls” hashtag campaign has thrust Boko Haram into the global spotlight, too many Nigerian officials have been apathetic or resentful of the attention.

Despite a national security budget of about $6.5-billion annually, the insurgency has actually increased in its scope and deadliness in recent months. Boko Haram has continued to kidnap and kill villagers within a few kilometres of the Chibok site, while the army does little to protect them.

In response to the global controversy over the kidnapped girls, pro-

government loyalists and security forces have blamed the local campaigners: breaking up their daily rallies in Abuja, trying to ban their protests and confiscating truckloads of the newspapers that have embarrassed the government with their coverage of the issue.

Some influential leaders, including the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, have even claimed that the kidnapping was a fabricated ruse to discredit the government.

Nigeria’s attempts to tackle the Boko Haram crisis has been hampered by its corrupt military, weakened by internal feuding, mutinies, defections and a lack of basic weaponry. Nigeria spent millions of dollars to buy Israeli surveillance drones for its army in 2006, but it didn’t bother to maintain them, so they could not be used to search for the kidnapped schoolgirls. Even the money for basic military salaries is often stolen by commanders and politicians.

“The soldiers have exceedingly low morale,” said Clement Nwankwo, a political analyst who directs the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre in Abuja.

“The military budget rises, but a lot of it is creamed off by political leaders. Soldiers are forced to go to war without adequate preparation and a lot of them are killed. The leaders and their own officers are not providing the military hardware they need. These soldiers are afraid of engaging with the insurgents. When you know your opponent has far more sophisticated equipment, you don’t want to simply line yourself up to be shot and killed.”

The insurgency cannot be solved as long as the corruption and inequality continue, Mr. Nwankwo said. “I don’t think we should be called a failed state, but we’re in danger of it.

Unless the government puts a halt to its levels of corruption and incompetence, my sense is that we’re on that path.”

The Pentagon has a similar assessment of Nigeria’s military weak-

nesses. In testimony to a U.S. Senate committee last month, the Defence Department’s African Affairs director Alice Friend said the Pentagon “has been deeply concerned for some time by how much the government of Nigeria has struggled to keep pace with Boko Haram’s growing capabilities.”

Widespread corruption in Nigeria is creating a “more permissive operating environment” for Boko Haram, she testified.

“The long-term solution … requires Nigeria’s national political leaders to give serious and sustained attention to the systemic problems of corruption, the lack of effective and equitable governance and the country’s uneven social and economic development.”

Outgunned and losing the war, Nigeria’s military has responded to Boko Haram with horrific abuses, including thousands of arbitrary arrests and massacres of hundreds of unarmed civilians, according to welldocumented reports by human-rights groups. This, too, has played into Boko Haram’s hands by fomenting anger and bringing revenge-seeking recruits into its armed gangs.

Living in fear

At the heart of Nigerian political power, Abuja’s verdant and carefully groomed city centre is an oasis of affluence where government ministries have their towering headquarters.

But on the city’s impoverished outskirts, in a slum called Nyanya, the insurgents have twice exploded bombs at the same spot, audaciously exposing the powerlessness of the authorities.

Nyanya is a haphazard warren of alleys and small houses, with fires burning in the courtyards and chickens running through the dusty streets. People cook and wash outside, while hawkers sell fruit and other small goods.

“People are still fearing the bombs,” says Rose Ayoka, 52, who runs a small micro-savings business in the slum. “Many people have run away. My customers are escaping.

People aren’t coming here to buy or sell. Because of Boko Haram, the people in Nyanya are suffering.”

On a recent afternoon, units of police and soldiers were patrolling the slum and guarding the bombing site.

But their roadblocks tend to harass the poor rather than the rich. “When you reach the checkpoint, they look at you, and if you look very welldressed, they tell you to go ahead,” said Mr. Nwankwo, the political analyst. “If you’re scruffy, they pull you aside and open your boot.”

The debris from the bombings is a poignant reminder of who pays the price for Boko Haram’s attacks. The small pushcarts and wheelbarrows of the street hawkers and labourers are still visible near the scene of the explosions, their tin cans and plastic bottles and rice bags melted or burned.

Titus Emeka Okwor, 50, has been selling cheap engine oil in soft-drink bottles to passing motorists on Nyanya’s main road for the past 10 years. When the first bomb hit, the explosion was so loud it damaged his hearing, and he abandoned the site for weeks. On his first day back, he pulls out a small crumpled bill from his pocket – worth about 60 cents. It’s his only revenue from the entire day and not enough to support his wife and five children.

“I was afraid to come back here,” he says. “Mostly I’m just sitting here alone and nobody is coming here. No cars are stopping any more because of the situation.”

Hundreds of kilometres to the south, in an affluent suburb of Lagos, the reports about the bombings and kidnappings are largely ignored. In an upscale restaurant, a group of Nigerian corporate executives casually watch the latest Boko Haram news on television.

“It’s crazy,” they say, shaking their heads idly. “It’s insane.”

Then they go back to their chatter about business and food and their complaints about the slow service.

The brutal rebellion has been forgotten again.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

NEWS Explosions at Yobe football viewing centre From Duku Joel, Damaturu

A

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (with the broom) acknowledging cheers from the crowd during his governorship campaign in Iwo...yesterday.

$22.5m Safe School Fund takes shape Continued from page 1

was attended by former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is a United Nations Education Adviser and Governors Kashim Shettima (Borno) and Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe).

According to her, the fund is made up of the Federal Government’s $10 million, another $10m from the private sector, $1million from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and $1.5 million from Norway.

Brown said: “I just came from a meeting with the President. Every child is special, precious and unique. I have come here with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon giving me his support to do so, to send our sympathies and our solidarity and out support to the children of Chibok who

have been cruely kidnapped and abducted and to give support to the families of these girls and to the whole communities in Borno state.”

“And I am here to say that we wish as an internatonal community to do everything we can to back up the efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors of the states to make sure these girls are returned to their families and at the same time to make sure that every parent feels that they can send their children to school knowing they will be safe in future.

“And that is why we are launching the Safe Schools Intiative and that is why the President has decided to set up this fund that will allow the international community as well as local donors to contribute to making our schools in this

country safer.”

He went on: “It is our determination as an international community to help the families feel secure about their boys and girls going to school with the hope that they will be safe.”

“That is why we are looking at security for the schools and how we can help the governors and how we can help the Nigerian people with fortifications, telecommunications, guards, safety equipment that will enable people feel more secured about the schools.

“We also want to help the rebuilding of Chibok schools because we want parents of that area to be sure that when their girls are released they can come home to a school that is rebuilt and safe.

“And we want to help in rebuilding the schools in other areas where schools have ei-

ther been demolished or burnt down or vandalised. And we want over the long run to help Nigeria which is a great country with a great future and wonderful potentials to enable it so that the ten and half million boys and girls who don’t go to school today are able to go to school.

“And I can assure you that round Europe, Asia, America and Latin America there is massive support for Nigeria in this hour of difficulty facing terrorism and also in its ambition to be such a great country with great educational standards.”

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said: “We have got the excellencies, the governors of Borno and Yobe states, and we will be joined by the governor of Adamawa State tomorrow, who Continued on page 59

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INEC opposes PDP’s suit on Oyinlola’s successor

HE Independent National Electoral Commission INEC) has raised preliminary objection to a matter before the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking its recognition of Prof.

Wale Oladipo as the National secretary of the PDP till 2016.

The electoral agency is also opposed to a request from the court by some PDP leaders to delete Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s name from its records as the national secretary of the party.

It said it would only honour a valid court order on who should be recognised as the national the secretary of the party instead of PDP forcing it to recognise anyone.

The commission said it had conveyed its decision to the

Wanted Boko Haram chief among 486 suspects held Continued from page 1

tion.

“Meanwhile, the identified terror kingpin has been taken into custody. Further development will be communicated to you in due course.”

Although the statement was silent on the wanted kingpin, the defunct Joint Task Force (JTF) on November 23, 2012 placed ransom on 19 leaders of Boko Haram.

It was not immediately clear if the arrested suspect is in the category of the wanted 19.

The list had five members of the Shurra Committee (the highest making body of the sect) and 14 Boko Haram commanders.

But one of the Shurra Committee members, Mohammed Zangina(a.k.a Mallam Abdullahi/Alh. Musa), with a N25million ransom, was allegedly killed in a shoot-out with the Joint Task Force(JTF) in Maiduguri.

With Zangina dead, those still wanted and the ransom on them are: Imam Abubakar Shekau (N50million); Habibu Yusuf (a.k.a Asalafi) N25million; Khalid Albarnawai ( N25million); and Momodu Bama (N25 million).

The fate of Momodu Bama is unknown following con-

R

N explosion rocked a football viewing centre in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, last night as fans gathered to watch the Brazil versus Mexico World Cup match.

Many people died but the casualty figure was unavailable last night.

Police Commissioner Marcus Danladi said: “We are still sorting out the details which will be released later. We have to gather accurate information before we feed the public.”

A hospital source said five Hilux vans were loaded with bodies.

A witness near the scene heard a loud boom. Some residents said they also heard a second explosion.

Yobe has been devastated by attacks from Boko Haram which in April abducted more than 200 girls from a Girls Secondary School in Borno state.

The government had advised residents to avoid gathering in public to watch the World Cup, concerned about possible attacks.

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

PDP at a recent meeting on who should be recognised as the national secretary .

It queried the basis for the suit.

The matter was filed by some leaders of the PDP in the Southwest to stop Oyinlola from returning to office.

The plaintiffs in the suit are Chief Adebayo Dayo; Alhaji Olayinka Taiwo; Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa; Chief Ebenezer Alabi; Dr. Tope Aluko; and Chief Taiwo Kuye.

The electoral commission however said the “subject matter bothers on intra-party dispute which the court does not have the jurisdiction to adjudicate upon.”

In a 12-paragrapoh affidavit deposed to by its Legal OfContinued on page 59

Residents hail arrest of suspects

ESIDENTS of Aba, the Abia State commercial city, are praising the military for the arrest of 486 youths travelling from the North, in their state.

In Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Police Commissioner Tunde Ogunsakin said he had scanty information about the arrest of the youths, who were said to be heading for Port Harcourt.

Although business activities were going on as usual at various parts of Aba, some residents nursed the fear that if measures were not adequately taken to curb the insurgents, they could have the leeway to perpetrate their evil act in the East.

Mr. Chukwu Joshua said: “We want to use this opportunity to thank the army for their alertness and being able to spot these guys before they could unleash terror in the Southeast and Southsouth.

“What is it that 486 youths from the North, according to reports, will be doing in the East? I learnt they told the army personnel they were looking for job. What is the assurance that they would be em-

flicting reports on whether he is alive or dead.

The Boko Haram Commanders wanted by the JTF are: Abu Saad (N10million); Abba Kaka (N10million); Abdulmalik Bama (N10million) Umar Fulata (N10million); Alhaji Mustapha (Massa) Ibrahim (N10million); Abubakar Suleiman-Habu (a.k.a Khalid) N10million;

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba and Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

ployed? Have we employed all our unemployed youths? How can unemployed youths pay for their transport from the North to the east?

“I must commend the army for their effort in apprehending these persons. In Owerri, the Imo State capital, a police team diffused a bomb planted at the premises of Winners’ Chapel at the weekend. Who knows where next they are going to strike and who is even sure that army arrested all of them? It is high time security agencies stepped up their network to curb the activities of this group.”

Commissioner of Police Ogunsakin said: “I don’t have any information on the mission of the 486 Northern travellers to Port Harcourt. They were arrested in Abia State, I have not seen them, we are yet to find out what happened for now. We are having very sketchy information about them.

“We appeal to our people to continue to be vigilant. As far as the state is concerned,

Hassan Jazair N10million; Ali Jalingo (N10million); Alhaji Musa Modu (N10million); Bashir Aketa (N10million); Abba Goroma (N10million); Ibrahim Bashir (N10million); Abubakar Zakariya (N10million); and Tukur Ahmed Mohammed (N10million).

Security agents are baffled that most of the 486 Boko

we are putting all structures, measures in place, as well as sensitising our people to be as vigilant as possible, in all churches, in mosques, in supermarkets and all public places, that if there is any strange or unusual movements notice, the Police should be immediately alerted and everybody should be his brother’s keeper and, above all, people should feel free to give out information to the Police at all times.

At a meeting, the police boss urged political parties to maintain the peace.

He said the police would not tolerate of political rallies held against the provision of the Electoral Act. Insisting that political rallies remained outlawed in the state, Ogunsakin urged groups and political associations that wished to organise peaceful protests and demonstrations to ensure they informed the police five days before the time to enable them provide security.

“We are following what the Electoral Act has said on political rallies. It states clear-

Haram suspects arrested in Abia State do not know Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where they claimed to be heading for.

Besides, they did not know their mission in the Garden City, a source close to the investigation told The Nation.

The suspects were arrested on Sunday by officers and men of the 144 Battalion in

Continued on page 59

Asa, Ukwa west Local Government Area.

They were travelling in 35 buses at about 2.am.

“Our investigators had been looking at a crucial bend: What would have informed such number of people at a go when there was no pending major activity in Port Harcourt,” a source said, pleading not to be named.

•Air Chief Marshal Badeh

“The probe became more curious upon discovery that some of them escaped in two or three buses. If you have nothing to hide, why running away from the military or security agencies.

“Some of those grilled admitted that they don’t know what they were going to do in Port Harcourt and they have never visited the city.

They said they cannot find their way to Port Harcourt.

“So, they cannot really confirm where they were Continued on page 59

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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NEWS APC NEC product of transparent democracy, s ays Atiku From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

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HE emergence of the Chief John

Odigie-Oyegun-led National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a product of transparency, democracy and compromise, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said.

Atiku, who is also one of the national leaders of the party, was quoted in a statement of solidarity in Abuja to the new APC executive members ahead of today’s inauguration of the party’s NEC. In the statement by his Media Office, the former vice president urged the new party officials to sustain the tempo and public enthusiasm, which greeted their election last weekend in Abuja.

Atiku expressed delight at the peaceful conduct of the party’s inaugural national convention.

The statement said: “As a party member, he was proud that the elections were conducted without incidents or rancour.”

It added that the level of maturity among APC followers was evidence of their commitment to decent democratic conduct.

The former vice president expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the elections, despite predictions of chaos and crisis from certain quarters before the national convention.

He said there is always a reward for loyalty, adding that aggrieved members should remain loyal to the party.

Atiku also advised the party leaders and members not to rest on their oars because the challenges ahead are still enormous.

He said: “Complacency is a dangerous attitude, especially for an opposition party struggling to capture power and bring change.”

Atiku apologised for his inability to attend the inauguration ceremony, because of compelling need to honour urgent commitments overseas.

“The former vice president conveys his support, loyalty and cooperation to the NEC of the party at all times,” the statement said.

22 others NNPC, PPMC to shun Reps’ N10b Keyamo, for SAN interview chartered jets bill probe R From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

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HE resumed investigation by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts into the N10 billion spent by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke, on chartered jets may have run into another hitch.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) have said they would not appear before the Solomon Olamilekan Adeola-headed committee.

The committee was mandated to probe how the minis-

From Victor Oluwasegun, Abuja

ter allegedly spent N10 billion on chartered private jets.

The NNPC and PPMC have reportedly written to the committee that they would not honour its summons because of the pending court cases.

Adeola, who is in possession of correspondence from the two organisations, told reporters yesterday that whether or not the two organisations appear, the investigation would go on and the report would be written.

He said: “As we speak, we are set to begin the probe.

There is no court injunction barring our committee from doing our job. So, whether they appear or not, it is not our problem. The law is very clear on this: we will do our job, write our report and submit our report to the House.”

The chairman said the House had given the committee an assignment, adding that it would be done without fear or favour.

The NNPC and PPMC reportedly said they would not appear before the committee because it would be prejudice, since all the information being requested from them were already subjects of litigation.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke had refused to appear before the committee, pending the resolution of the various court cases instituted to stop the probe.

It was learnt that there was pressure on the House leadership and the committee to stop the probe, which is scheduled to begin on June 26.

Earlier efforts to stall the investigation did not succeed, as Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, refused to grant the request to stop the probe.

The minister and the NNPC have also approached two other courts on the matter.

•Members of the Lagos State chapter, Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN), led by Sir Kareem Ayinde Osoba, during their Walk for Peace from Sabo, Yaba, the Governor’s Office at the Lagos Stae House, Alausa, Ikeja, for PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES the World Music Day rally...yesterday.

Govt to arraign commissioner, 11 others today for ‘terrorism’

•’Charges confirm clampdown’s plan on APC leaders’

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HE Federal Government will today arraign Ekiti State Commissioner for Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Funminiyi Afuye, and 11 others before Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Afuye and others are charged with alleged terrorism, in a three-count charge filed by the police on Monday.

They were arrested over the last violent clash by party supporters in Ekiti State, in which a man, identified as Peter Akin, died.

The charge, filed in the name of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), was signed by Oloye Torugbene, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

The arraignment is coming after Afuye sued the police in Ekiti State for alleged physical assault on him by Mobile Police Commander Gabriel Selenkere.

In the suit filed before the State High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Afuye is seeking N1 billion in damages for physical assault and unlawful detention. The suit was brought pursuant to Order 11, Rules 123 and 5 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement), Rules 2009 and Sections 6, 34, 41 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution.

Charged with Afuye are: Idowu Aladejebi (68 ), Afuye Jide (30), Anisulowo Kayode (46), Azeez Suleiman (19), Ajayi Idowu (18), Babadi Ajayi (35), Abiodun Omoniyi (68), Oyedapo Olaoluwa (29), Sunday Olalere (27), Dapo David (26) and Akinyemi Tayo (25).

They are, in Count One, accused of conspiring with one another to commit an act of terrorism at Ijegbo Round About to wit: “Using dangerous weapons/devices at Oluyemi Kayode Stadium,

which resulted in destruction of properties and the death of one Peter Akin (M) and injured several other persons.

The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday decried Afuye’s arrest and planned arraignment.

The party said today’s arraignment of the commissioner confirmed its fear that its leaders and members were marked for trumped-up charges ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

APC spokesman in Ekiti State, Segun Dipe, in a statement yesterday, said Afuye was not caught with any weapon during the rally.

Afuye’s only crime, Dipe said, was joining his other party members in the usual “feet sweeping” rally, which APC was known for.

He said the APC had alerted the public on several

compelled, as required by the rules, to specify in writing the defence it intends to raise or which aspects of the prosecution’s case it intends to oppose when the prosecution had not called any witness.

Idigbe urged the court to jettison the practice direction, adding that the power of the court’s Chief Judge

(CJ) was limited by the provisions of Sections 4 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The practice direction requires the prosecution to file a summary of their case, the documents they wish to tender as exhibits, further documents and investigations it will require.

The defence is required to file the summary of its case,

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

NJC investigates Justice Ademola From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

•Afuye

occasions that a clampdown on the party leaders, members and sympathisers was being orchestrated to ensure that they were out of circulation during Saturday’s poll.

Dipe said: “Similarly, three APC members from Ikole Local Government Area have been whisked to Abuja with many others listed for arrest and arraignment for terrorism. The APC members whisked to Abuja are: Anu Onipede, Babatunde Adeosun and Olufemi Ojo. “Many homes of APC leaders and supporters are being searched in every town with the aim of implicating them for arrest and trial on trumped-up charges.”

Ex-Bank PHB MD Atuche rejects court’s rule on criminal trial

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FORMER Managing Director of Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank), Mr Francis Atuche, yesterday urged the Federal High Court not to subject him to a criminal trial for alleged bank fraud using its practice rules.

His lawyer Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) said certain requirements in the Federal High Court Practice Direction

By Joseph Jibueze

2014 contravened the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The lawyer said the practice direction was inapplicable to the trial, adding that the prosecution cannot force the defence to disclose its case in advance.

According to him, it is irregular for the defendant to be

IGHTS activist, Festus Keyamo, was yesterday named among 23 lawyers invited for interview for the prestigious Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC).

The names of the shortlisted lawyers is in a statement by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Sunday Olorundahunnsi.

The statement said the interview will hold on July 8 and 9.

But it was silent on the venue of the interview.

Also shortlisted are: GeraldGodwin Ezeuko (Jnr), Samuel Zibiri, Dr. Joshua Olukayode Olatoke, Dr. Adewale Adedamola Olawoyin, Olusola Olaseni Idowu, Chukwudi Obieze, Kevin Chukwudi Nwufo and Chief Wale Taiwo.

They also include: Dr. Theophilus Akinpelu Onigbinde, Teslim Busari, Olatunde Oluranti Adejuyigbe, Richard Ayodele Akintunde, and Sylvanus Ogwemoh.

Others are: Adewale Adesokan, Tawo Tawo, Andrew Igboekwe, Chike Onyemenam, Fredson Chijioke Okoli, Dr. Amuda-Kannike Abiodun, Oluwakemi Balogun, Ahamefula Ikechukwu Ejelam, and Hakeem Afolabi Olatunde.

The LPPC urged the public to comment on the integrity, reputation and competence of the applicants on or before July 7.

“This serves to notify the general public that the under listed applicants have been found worthy to attend the interview preparatory to the award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, 2014.

“The interview dates shall be on July 8 and 9. The public is at liberty to comment on the integrity, reputation and competence of any of the applicants. Such comments, if any, shall reach the undersigned on or before July 7,” the LPPC said.

state its witnesses, documents proposed to be tendered as exhibits and the areas of the prosecution’s case it admits or wishes to oppose, all before the trial begins.

Idigbe said the practice direction is against the provisions of the Constitution, which place the onus on the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused.

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USTICE Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, appeared yesterday before an investigative committee of the National Judicial Council (NJC. It was learnt that the judge’s appearance followed the petitions written against him on how he handled the trial of a former Director of Pension Accounts in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Sani Teidi Shaibu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Shuaibu for his alleged complicity in the stealing of about N5 billion pension funds belonging to civil servants.

One of the petitions was said to have been written by Shuaibu’s wife, who queried the manner the judge handled her husband’s trial and the judge’s alleged refusal to grant him bail.

Another petition, it was learnt, was written by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which also queried the judge’s handling of the accused bail.

Justice Ademola was said to have suspended hearing in the case, insisting on the disposal of a petition written against him on the case, before proceeding with its hearing.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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NEWS 'Contaminated water causes kidney, other diseases' From Shola O'Neil and Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

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EDERAL and state governments have been tasked to provide quality and safe drinking water for Nigerians to check the spread of diseases caused by drinking contaminated water.

A geologist, Dr Oghenerhoro Odedede, has urged federal and state governments to provide clean drinking water for Nigerians to check the spread of diseases caused by contaminated water.

The don traced many diseases causing failure of vital human organs to the consumption of contaminated water.

Odedede spoke yesterday in Egborodo community, near Warri, Delta State, at a lecture organised by Peak Table Water project.

He said many Nigerians and other people across the world become ill after drinking impure water.

Delivering a lecture, titled: Water: A Recipe for Healthy Life, Odedede said: "Billions of people around the world are still without access to clean, quality, drinkable water, because it takes an investment to tap into safe and quality underground water.

That is what Peak Table Water has done. "Surface water types and shallow well water are not so safe because they are easily contaminated.

"From drinking contaminated and impure water, your vital organs, including the kidney, could be affected. That simply implies that you will have to live with deadly illnesses, which will require you to spend huge resources to correct or just to manage to stay alive, in case it is terminal."

The don said governments should provide clean and accessible drinking water to discourage citizens from opting for surface water sources that are easily tainted by human and natural contaminants.

He said underground water sources are usually the best, but lamented that they are not easily available.

Firm introduces new products

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By Tonia ‘Diyan

OULOS Foods and Beverages Limited will introduce into the market its blend of fruit drinks, comprising Frootzy (fruit juice) and Frootz (fruit nectar) bbefore the end of the year.

The firm’s Senior Sales and Marketing Manager Mr Vasilis Katsikakis said the food and beverage industry has an array of products consumed by infants, teens and adults.

He said: “It has always been the plan of the parent company Group Boulos - to go into food production because of the huge business opportunities in the industry, taking into consideration the growing market potential of Nigeria and the booming middle class.”

The manager noted that the emergence of a new spectrum of middle-class citizens was a major source of attraction to foreign direct investments into the country.

He said this was among the indicators of a rising middle class society in Nigeria.

Katsikakis said the company intended to deliver products of high value and quality to its customers.

He said: “We have made substantial investment in the factory to ensure we are able to deliver products of the highest value and quality. We have also enrolled specialist workers and recruited the most promising local talents.”

ICPC seizes 372 passports for alleged visa scam

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HE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said yesterday it has seized over 372 passports from Nigerians for alleged visa scam.

The commission warned that anyone caught for such offences would be prosecuted.

It urged the owners of the affected passports to collect them within two months from its headquarters in Abuja, adding that failure to do so may lead to the blacklisting the owners.

Besides blacklisting, ICPC said the bearers may be barred from travelling abroad until their status is verified.

ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta spoke yesterday in Lagos at a seminar on curbing visa scam.

The agency chief said the 372 passports were seized following intelligence information on the activities of some travel agents and other persons involved in "illegal" visa procurement.

He said if the owners fail to

•Owners advised to collect them within two months

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

collect their passports from the ICPC office in Abuja, they would be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), which could bar them from travelling abroad.

Nta cautioned unwary travellers from patronising touts at embassies for visa acquisition.

The ICPC chief urged embassies to simply their online visa acquisition process.

He said: "I want to use this opportunity to invite Nigerians whose passports are seized from various agents of the ICPC to visit the commission's headquarters in Abuja and collect their passports within the next two months.

Failure to do so will result in ICPC handing over the passports to the Immigration Service for further necessary actions. These might include blacklisting of the bearers of the passports and barring

them from travelling abroad until their status is verified."

Nta advised embassies and high commissions to sanitise their visa processes and entrench a culture of integrity in the visa acquisition process in Nigeria.

He said: "The imposition of unreasonable procedures by some embassies seems to have exacerbated the already complicated visa acquisition processes. This tends to promote corruption-prone processes by unofficial cartels within and outside the embassies.

"This seminar is part of further intervention in restoring sanity and integrity in important sectors of our nation. We have now turned our searchlight on visa procurement process.

"We are creating awareness on how to acquire visas in a transparent manner and helping to eradicate corruption-

prone processes."

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Dr Wale Ahmed, urged the ICPC to educate Nigerians on the matter to save them from the antics of visa scammers.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali, said the involvement of some Nigerians in visa scam had tarnished the nation's image.

He said: "Today, touts and miscreants have constituted themselves into visa procurement agents, luring peace and law-abiding citizens into engaging knowingly or unknowingly in visa scam.

"Some of those who deliberately patronise touts, using fake travelling documents to deceive visa issuing officials, often travel out of the coun-

try to indulge in all forms of criminal activities which dent the image of our country.

"It is unfortunate that despite the laws and sundry control mechanisms put in place by the government to curtail the activities of touts in embassies and our airports, the sharp practices of obtaining visa illegally have persisted.

"It is in this regard that we commend the ICPC for sanitising the process, which has led to the arrest and prosecution of suspects and their collaborators.

"This seminar will further expose the dubious tricks of visa procurement scam and encourage responsible individuals and corporate bodies to avoid such unwholesome malpractices.

"In this regard, I would like to advise embassies in Nigeria to monitor the activities of their officials and report any unscrupulous visa agent to ICPC through the appropriate channels."

Youths seek March 15 as Unemployment Day From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

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•From left: Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), John Chukwu; Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide and Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, during an advocacy visit to Ms Akinjide in Abuja...yesterday

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Germany trails Nigeria in fraud report

ERMAN businesses have reported one of the highest levels of corruption in the world, with one in four managers saying they had experienced a significant case of fraud in the last two years.

Only firms in countries notorious for corruption, such as Nigeria, Egypt, Namibia and Kenya, reported more fraud in the survey of 2,700 managers in 59 countries from accounting firm, Ernst & Young (EY), German English newspaper, The Local, reported.

Their 2014 Global Fraud Survey showed that in Germany

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only six per cent of firms thought fraud was widespread, yet 26 per cent reported serious cases of fraud within the last two years.

That was the highest level in Europe alongside Norway, more than Russia (16 per cent) and almost as much as Nigeria (30 per cent). The average for Western Europe was 12 per cent.

But rather than being a sign of increased economic crime, the high number of detected fraud was an indication of the intense efforts of German companies to tackle corruption, Stefan

Heißner, from EY told Welt newspaper.

“Awareness of the dangers posed by corruption among companies has increased significantly in recent years,” Heißner said.

In the last decade, major German companies, including Siemens, MAN and Daimler, have been embroiled in corruption scandals.

The country’s most recent high profile corruption case involved Berlin’s new international airport, where the technical director was fired in June amid

allegations he demanded a bribe from a contractor.

Heißner said that despite their efforts German companies were still at risk of fraud, especially firms heavily involved abroad.

But closer to home, one in four managers in Germany also thought it was appropriate to offer entertainment to win a contract.

In a statement, EY said: “Our survey shows that the risks businesses are facing are not receding. The incidence of fraud and reported levels of corruption are not declining.”

Consultants back NMA to begin strike

HE Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has threatened to withdraw its services, in compliance with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) directive.

The NMA had directed that should the Federal Government fail to stay action on the concessions granted to Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU), its members would go on strike.

In a statement yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by its National President, Dr Olusegun Ayodeji Oluwole, MDCAN warned the government to stop playing politics with professional health matters and withhold the circulars it issued in favour of the JOHESU. The NMA had threatened to go on an indefinite strike on July 1 should the government fail to meet its demands.

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

The government reportedly granted concessions to JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association, including the approval of consultancy positions for support workers, abolition of Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee position and the appointment of support workers as directors.

MDCAN said JOHESU should be prevented from inventing a Nigerian system of medical services that would expose the nation to global ridicule.

Oluwole noted that though it is the policy of the association to ensure uninterrupted health services, it would still provide moral and logistics support for the NMA to ensure sanity in the Health sector.

The union leader said politics should not

be allowed to further destroy the Health sector.

He accused JOHESU of pursuing monetary rewards for its members, their appointment as directors and consultants and creation of autonomous departments for them, among others, instead of ensuring the real practice of medicine.

Oluwole said: “...The ultimatum of the NMA to government on JOHESU matters is noted. While MDCAN remains committed to its policy of ensuring uninterrupted health services, it will comply with directives to withdraw services, should the government allow the situation to deteriorate to the extent that NMA will have no credible alternatives. MDCAN will provide all moral and logistics support for the NMA to ensure the success of any action it deems fit to restore sanity to the Health sector...”

IGERIAN youths have urged the Federal Government to set aside March 15 as Unemployment Day. This followed the death of about 20 youths during the last Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) job recruitment on March 15.

A cross section of youths, who spoke at a national forum on job creation, organised by the Re-orientation Advocates of Nigeria (RAN), said the day should be set aside to immortalise the dead.

The forum advised Nigerian youths to focus on entrepreneurship to end increasing unemployment in the country.

It constituted a National Youth Committee on Job Creation to consolidate job creation policies at the public and private sectors.

The forum also requested for updates – at all levels of government - on job creation.

It urged youths to build a database on unemployment rate in the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Students Matters, Comrade Jude Imagwe said there is need to get regular statistics on unemployed youths across the country.

But he noted that it may be impossible for the government to provide jobs for all employable youths.

The presidential aide said though Nigerian youths are employable, it is better they create jobs for themselves through skill acquisition, rather than depend solely on government jobs.

Imagwe said: “There is need for a database of the unemployed youths in Nigeria. It would help in enhancing policy formulation that would reduce unemployment.

“Though Nigerian youth are intelligent and capable, they should not rely on government alone to create jobs for them.”

The group’s president, Comrade Charles Ofemi Folayan, said the summit was organised to provide opportunities for ideas, dialogue and review of public and private sectors’ efforts on job creation.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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NEWS Lagos CJ frees 75 prisoners

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By Adebisi Onanuga and Toyosi Babatunde

AGOS State Chief Judge Justice Ayotunde Phillips freed yesterday 75 awaiting trial inmates of the Kirikiri Prisons.

Justice Phillips also announced her retirement on July 26, which coincides with her 65th birthday.

Most of the freed inmates, including a woman, Mandy Freedom, had been awaiting trial for two years.

Three of them, including a critically ill Luqman Alabi, who was brought in on a stretcher, were released from the Maximum Security Prisons. The remaining 71 were from the Medium Maximum Prisons.

This brings to 672 the number of awaiting trial inmates freed during Justice Phillips’ two-year tenure.

The Deputy Commissioner of Prisons in charge of the Kirikiri female prisons, Mrs. Leticia Onwuli, lamented the poor state of health facilities in the prison.

She said the female clinic lacked equipment needed to care for inmates, especially expectant and nursing mothers.

Mrs. Onwuli urged the government to grant female inmates rebate in public hospitals.

Truck kills two pupils

•Some of the freed inmates...yesterday

Don’t be intimidated by soldiers, Aregbesola tells supporters

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SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has told his supporters not to be intimidated by the presence of soldiers, policemen and other security agents at polling centres during the August 9 governorship election.

At his campaign rally in

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Iwo, Aregbesola said soldiers have no right to send the electorate away during elections, adding: “If soldiers attempt to shoot you, do not run away from them.

They cannot kill all of you.

Do not leave the polling centres until the election results

are announced. Do not be intimidated by the opposition.”

The governor said the election would determine the state’s fate for another four years, urging his supporters to come out en masse to vote on August 9.

His deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; All Progressives Congress

Two Ogun flyovers ready

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•Govt instals traffic light with camera

HE flyovers at Itoku and Sapon in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, have been completed.

Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Olamilekan Adegbite said they would be opened soon.

This brings the number of flyovers built by the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration to three.

Adegbite said: “The construction of bridges and roads across the state will boost socio-economic activities and reduce the traffic

bottlenecks experienced daily by commuters. The administration’s huge investment in road infrastructure is not only to beautify the state and curtail accidents but also to open up the state and make it investment friendly.”

Also, the State Bureau of Transportation (BOT) has started installing Intelligent Traffic Signal (ITS) on newly constructed roads.

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transportation Gbenga Opesanwo said ITS is better that semi-

automated traffic lights, adding: “We have completed the pilot phase of the deployment of ITS lights. These lights have cameras and sensors which detect the density of traffic and manage it accordingly. These components are expandable and can be used for sundry purposes, including addressing security issues. Information captured would be shared among relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including security agencies, as may be necessary.”

Mechanics protest ‘harassment’ by police, council officials

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EMBERS of the Motorcycle and Generator Mechanics Association of Nigeria (MGMA) stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday, complaining of harassment by the police and local government officials.

The protesters, who were led by Chief Olusegun Babafemi, were dressed in their deep blue uniform.

They alleged that police-

By Oziegbe Okoeki

men and council officials come to their workshops to harass them, urging Governor Babatunde Fashola to intervene.

Babafemi said they could no longer bear the harassment, adding: “The police and council officials always come to harass us on streets where motorcycles are not banned. They always come and pounce on us at our workshops. We are appeal-

ing to the governor to save us from daily harassment, which is affecting our businesses.”

The association urged the governor to give it a land where it could build its national headquartres.

No lawmaker was around to attend to them, as they are all at a five-day workshop on “Transformational Leadership and Organisational Change” at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Festac.

Kashamu disown governorship posters

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EOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) Southwest Coordinator Prince Buruji Kashamu has disowned posters portraying him as interested in the 2015 governorship election in Ogun State.

His posters are all over the state.

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

Kashamu said he had nothing to do with the posters.

He told The Nation that he had no ambition to become a governor, saying he prays that persons who would improve the lot of the people emerge governors in all

Southwest states.

He said about a week ago, over 2,000 people visited him, urging him to contest the 2015 governorship poll, but he declined.

Kashamu said he can help in making decisions that would enthrone the right leaders in the Southwest.

(APC) Interim Chairman Elder Adelowo Adebiyi and former Governor Isiaka Adeleke, among other APC chieftains, spoke at the rally.

They said Aregbesola had transformed all sectors of the economy and urged the people to give him an opportunity to continue “the good work”.

Some APC youths had a brawl with some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, who allegedly tried to disrupt the rally.

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From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

WO pupils of a private primary school in Ikirun, Osun State, were killed yesterday by a truck.

It was learnt that the victims are siblings. They were returning from school when the incident occurred.

Ikirun Unit Commandant of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) Mr. Gabriel Esan said the tank the truck was conveying fell on the pupils, who were waiting for their school bus.

Esan said one of them died on the spot and the other in the hospital.

The truck has been impounded.

Esan warned drivers against speeding and over loading.

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Oyo gets five more judges

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the appointment of five High Court judges.

They are Mrs. Bolaji Abosede Sikeade, a deputy chief registrar in the State High Court; Mr. Ganiyu Adebayo, the director, Litigation and Advisory Services II in the Ministry of Justice; Mrs. Mojisola Sule, acting sirector, Citizens Mediation Centre,

Ministry of Justice; Mr. Kamorudeen Olawoyin and Mrs. Adeyemi Sherifat, who are lawyers based in Kano and Ibadan.

In a statement yesterday, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Adebayo Ojo said the appointment was sequel to the recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The judges would take their oaths of office on Friday.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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NEWS

•Gina (fifth left) with The Nation Managing Director Victor Ifijeh (eighth right); the Editor (Daily), Mr. Gbenga Omotoso (fourth right); the General Manager, Training and Development, Mr. Soji Omotunde (fifth left); the Deputy Chairman, Editorial Board, Mr. Tunji Adegboyega (fifth right); the Editor (Sunday), Mr. Festus Eriye (seventh right); Editorial Page Editor Mr. Sanya Oni (sixth right); the Editor (Saturday), Mr. Dele Adeosun (third right); the Editor (Online), Mr. Lekan Otufodurin (second right); Deputy Editor (Saturday) Vincent Akomode (fourth left); Deputy Editor, Sporting Life, Mrs. Ejiro Femi-Babafemi (second right), and others during Gina’s visit to The Nation headquartres in Lagos...yesterday.

CNN journalist Gina London for Lagos summit

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MMY Award-winning veteran CNN correspondent and communication strategist Gina London has arrived in Lagos to facilitate a series of strategic communication trainings.

From media houses to financial institutions, Gina will facilitate bespoke training sessions for organisations with high-level communication needs from June 15 to July 18.

Gina’s experience spans CNN, CNN Radio, CNN International, CONUS Washington and 250 CNN affiliate stations in the United States (U.S.) and internationally. As a trainer, con-

sultant and communication strategist, her client portfolio includes: Hill & Knowlton, Deloitte, Wachovia Bank, M&T Mountain Bank, First Mariner Ban, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, Chase Manhattan, First Savings and Federal of Baltimore, The World Bank, JCPenney Corporation, Walmart Stores Inc., Stanley Black & Decker and The Bradley Group.

She has transformed communication teams over the years, making their methods and messages more effective.

Her first stop will be at the “Find Your Edge” Strategic Communication Conference

Dare turns 70

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ROF. Olatunji Dare, a journalism scholar, famed newspaper columnist and editorial writer, will be 70 on July 17.

According to a statement by his family, friends and associates, a public lecture and book presentation will hold on July 17 to mark the occasion. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma will chair the event, which will hold at the Agip Recital Hall of the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos, by 11am.

The lecture, to be delivered by Prof. Kwame Karikari of the University of Ghana, Legon and executive director at the Media Foundation for West Africa, is titled: “Memories of Censorship: Struggling for Press Freedom in Africa”.

The book to be presented is Public Intellectual, the Public Sphere & the Public Spirit: Essays in Honour of Olatunji Dare at 70, edited by Dr. Wale Adebanwi, associate professor of African and African-American Studies at the University of California, Davis, U.S.A.

Ondo CJ’s meeting with lawyers ends in deadlock From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE boycott of courts by lawyers in Ondo State entered the seventh day yesterday.

The lawyers are protesting against a circular issued by the Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, which makes the presentation of tax clearance compulsory for sureties.

Tax clearance costs N75,000 minimum.

Courtrooms were deserted by lawyers, litigants and judges.

A meeting held between Judiciary officials and lawyers last night ended in a deadlock, as the lawyers insisted that the Chief Justice must withdraw the circular.

They said bail terms should remain at the discretion of courts, not dictated by a circular.

The lawyers said pensioners are exempted from Personal Income Tax and should not be prevented from standing as sureties, adding: “Even a tax evader must be given a fair hearing before he is punished. A court of law cannot create extra judicial administrative punishment not known to our law.”

The CJ insisted on implementing the circular.

No resolution was reached at the meeting and the lawyers said the boycott would continue.

A source hinted that lawyers may petition the National Judiciary Council (NJC) on the matter.

The lawyers said besides practice directions and rules, court proceedings and judgment could not be directed by a circular.

“Our expectations of Gina are very high,” says Ayoola Jolayemi, Managing Director of SwiftThink Limited, the company spearheading the project. “Gina’s vast experience with CNN and training and consulting for many companies worldwide will support the efforts of Nigerian companies in reputation management, crisis management, media relations and more. We are looking forward to a rewarding learning experience with her.”

For more information on Gina London’s schedule in Nigeria, send an email to info@findyouredge.com.ng.

Repatriated prisoners: Appeal Court reserves judgment

T •Prof. Dare

from today to Friday at The Wheatbaker in Ikoyi, Lagos, by 9am. The three-day conference is to enlighten senior management professionals in media, politics and corporate industries on emerging opportunities in today’s media cluttered world. Gina will focus on how to leverage on global media to sustain relevance and a global approach to communicating with stakeholders, the media and the world.

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HE Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos, has reserved judgment in the case involving 22 prisoners repatriated from Thailand on the continuation of their sentences in Nigeria.

Following a purported treaty signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, some Nigerians serving life sentences in the Asian country for drug trafficking were repatriated last year and held at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons.

Arguing that the said treaty has not been domesticated in Nigeria and as such was not binding on them, the defendants, through their lawyer Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), sued the Federal Government at a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Mohammed

By Precious Igbonwelundu

Idris and lost.

On March 18, last year, the lower court dismissed the inmates’ suit on the grounds that they failed to provide the purported treaty and that the action was speculative.

The defendants approached the appellate court with two issues for determination, seeking a reversal of the lower court’s decision.

In the appeal, filed on May 6, last year, the appellants said they were being illegally detained since they were not convicted by any law in Nigeria, adding that the responsibility of producing the treaty falls on the Nigerian government.

They sought a declaration

that their continued detention constituted an infringement of their rights and prayed for an order for their unconditional release.

Other respondents are the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Deputy Controller of Kirikiri Prisons.

The respondents, through their counsel, Taiwo Abidogun and Unyime Ebuk, urged the court to dismiss the appeal.

They said the appellants’ argument that the treaty had to be enabled by the National Assembly before it could be effective does not hold water, adding that not all treaties were laws.

The respondents said the treaty falls under the social

obligation of Section 3(1) (b) of Treaties (Making Procedure, etc) Act LFN, 2004, and need not be locally enabled to be binding.

The appellants are Napolian Marvelous; Okafor Ifeanyi; Azubuike Uzoma; Azukame Ejikeme; Okpala Chibuike; Ibezimako Titus; Innocent Ahionye; Oraekie Obinna; Yakubu Mohammed; Clement Omogbai and Tanya Kennedy.

Others are Uboh Christopher; Christopher Uboh; Chika Emezube; Titus Emedosi; Gozie Okoye; Chike Agbodike; Donald Edoma; Kayode Olatunde; Amusan Oladipupo; Eleazer Ikoro; Ajomuma Desmond and Ogbona Gloria Nee Jigbale Ijeoma.

ate dredging of the river and other spots threatened by erosion. We will enlighten residents on the danger of dumping refuse in the river.”

He was accompanied by members of the Oyo Traditional Council (Oyo Mesi), led by the Basorun of Oyo, Chief Ayoola Layinka 1, and the local government’s Director of Works, Yussuf Abiona.

Adeyemi thanked Ajimobi for responding promptly to the people’ plight, urging resi-

dents and road users to cooperate with the contractor when work begins on the bridge.

Speaking for residents, Mr. Akinrogun Segun Taiwo thanked the governor and the Alaafin of Oyo for their concern.

Adeyemi, who earlier inaugurated a bridge at Odo-Jide River, inspected some ongoing projects in the council.

They include Oke-Olola Bridge, Oke-Olola/Oyagbe and Oke-Olola/Aladota roads.

Ajimobi orders reconstruction of bridge

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YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has ordered the reconstruction of the Isuwin Bridge in Atiba Local Government Area.

The bridge, which runs across Isunwin River at Koso, is about to collapse.

It is an alternative route to Oyo/Ogbomoso.

Residents have turned the river into a dump site, obstructing its free flow.

T

From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

Koso and Oroki are always flooded whenever it rains and the river overflows.

When the Local Government Caretaker Chairman Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi inspected the bridge yesterday, he said the governor had directed that the bridge’s reconstruction should begin immediately.

Adeniyi said: “The Works Department has also been directed to embark on immedi-

Court rules on Yusuf property

HE Ibadan High Court presided over

by Justice A.A. Gbolagunte has ruled against the defendant in a case involving a property known as Yusuf property, situated at Old Garage in Oyo town.

The claimants AbdulYekinni Yusuf, Prof.

Mobolaji Ogunsanya and Waheed Yusuf and the defen-

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

dant, Alhaji Aderibigbe Alao Yusuf, had a dispute over a family property.

Justice Gbolagunte granted three of the claimants’ five prayers.

He declared that the land, with the six shops on it, known as Yusuf property, is jointly owned by the claim-

ants and the defendant by inheritance; that the unilateral action of the defendant, who removed the roof and demolished the six shops, is reprehensible, wrongful, illegal and a breach of the claimants’ right of joint ownership.

He granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant and his privies from unilaterally trespassing

on the property.

The court did not grant the claimants’ prayers to compel the defendant to reconstruct the six shops he demolished and pay N50 million as damages to them.

But it awarded N25,000 damages against the defendant.

Ogunsanya hailed the judiciary on the judgment.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY JUNE 18, 2014

NEWS

EKITI 2014

Deputy governor to voters: don’t be intimidated by securitymen •Soldiers, police ‘deployed to protect lives’

E

E

KITI State Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of Governor Kayode Fayemi not to be intimated by the heavy presence of security operatives.

The deputy governor, according to her Senior Assistant (Media) Bunmi Ogunmodede, gave the advice while addressing residents of Fiyinfoluwa Street, Isale Ori Apata, Off Adebayo Road, Ado-Ekiti, who gathered to express their solidarity for Fayemi’s reelection bid.

“The security operatives at the polling units are there to protect you and your votes. So, don’t be afraid to come out and cast your vote for Governor Fayemi on Saturday to enable him to continue the good work,” she told the crowd of party supporters.

According to her, the operatives have been mandated to protect lives, guard the ballot boxes, provide adequate security to ensure that they are not vandalised or stolen by anti-democratic forces.

Besides, the deputy governor said the operatives have been deployed in the state to deal with law-breakers.

Mrs. Adelabu urged party faithful to conduct themselves peacefully as they go out to vote

•A cross-section of Fiyinfoluwa residents listening to Prof. Adelabu during the endorsement of Governor Fayemi...yesterday. Inset: Prof. Adelabu addressing residents of the area. With her are: House Assembly member representing Ado-Ekiti Constituency II, Mrs. Abeni Olayinka (left), Mr. Femi Babalola (second left) and House of Assembly member representing Irepodun/Ifelodun II, Mr. Rotimi Odu.

on the election day, even as she advised them to wait patiently till the end of the poll.

Assuring them of the completion of all ongoing projects in their domain, the deputy governor advised them to subject the food items being distributed by desperate politicians to laboratory tests to determine their suitability for consumption.

She also told youths not to yield themselves as willing tools in the hands of do-or-die politi-

cians to cause violence and perpetrate electoral fraud.

Reacting, the Chairman of the Landlords and Residents Association in the area, Dr. Ayodele Joseph noted that the community has tasted democratic dividends under the Fayemi-administration through the implementation of electrification and road projects.

He said the speed at which

the government respond to the people’s requests has endeared it to the people, assuring that the residents will reciprocate by voting massively for the governor.

Ayodele listed the interlocked road project, the replacement of the faulty transformer servicing the area and the renovation of the only school in the area as some of the landmarks of the administration in

the area.

Also speaking, a youth leader, Mr. Ojo Taiwo lauded the government for empowering the youths and for several other programmes that have been put in place to secure a better future for them.

He said the youths cannot be deceived by desperate politicians, adding that “a vote for Fayemi is a vote that will guarantee a better Ekiti for all.”

APC accuses ‘PDP’s thugs’ of killing member

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HE Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused those it described as People’s Democratic Party (PDP) thugs of killing its member, Mr. Ojo Olujobi in an attack after a peaceful rally.

According to the APC’s spokesperson, Mr. Segun Dipe, the late Olujobi, who was described as a middle-aged man and a party member, was clubbed to death at Isinbode after an attack on its campaign team returning from Ikota, a community in Ekiti East Local Government Area.

The killing, it said, came less than one week after an attack on Governor Kayode Fayemi.

The party said it was in-

A

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

formed by the Isinbode traditional authority that Olujobi, after the rally, was sitting in front of his father’s house when some rampaging PDP thugs attacked him.

Dipe said the thugs, who had earlier caused havoc at Ikota, moved to Isinbode where they attacked APC members who were returning from the rally.

Dipe said a local member of the PDP in Isinbode led the attack on the APC members.

“Olujobi was hacked to death yesterday evening by PDP thugs. His father collapsed when he heard about the murder of his son. This is the second incidence of direct attacks by

•Police deny murder PDP thugs that have led to the death of our members in the past two months since Mr. Ayodele Fayose was nominated to lead the PDP campaign in Ekiti State,” Dipe said.

The APC has lodged a complaint with the police.

The party’s spokesman listed Taiwo Akinola and Olujobi as the two indigenes that the suspected PDP thugs murdered.

He said this was besides the various cases of attacks on APC members such as the assault on the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Ronke Okusanya and the

Commissioner for Regional Integration, Mr. Niyi Afuye, which led to the arrest and illegal detention of the latter.

“In this moment of grief, we stand hand-in-hand with the family of Olujobi. We call on Ekiti people to remain calm in the face of deliberate provocation. We assure Ekiti, Nigerians and the international community that those perpetrating these grievous crimes against humanity will be brought to justice,” Dipe said.

But the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Victor Babayemi denied the alleged killing, saying the disturbance

did not lead to any loss of life.

According to Babayemi, the violence had been contained, although valuable property was destroyed in the confrontation in which no one was reportedly injured.

His words: “Some arrest have been made and normalcy has returned as a sizeable number of anti-riot police have been drafted to man the town to maintain law and order.

“While the police hereby encourage people to go about their lawful duty and businesses without fear, we also warn that the command will not tolerate lawlessness in any form. Whoever is caught fomenting trouble would be visited with the full weight of the law.”

Court adjourns suit against Fayose till June 30

High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Monday adjourned the case instituted by e-Eleven against the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ayodele Fayose to June 30.

The court ruled against the request for urgency as sought by e-Eleven, the claimants in the case.

The group is seeking to stop Fayose from contesting Saturday’s governorship election.

The e-Eleven, through an earlier court process, had sought to stop the PDP candidate from contesting the June 21 election, contending that Fayose had given false information in Form CFO 1 of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in respect of his 2006 impeach-

Fayemi takes to twitter

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

ment.

But Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, opposing the oral application as sought by claimants based on the ‘urgency’ of the issue, said the rule of court must be obeyed by the claimants who must observe the prescribed minimum number of days within which to file their written address (not orally) and secure a response from the respondents, citing Section 39 of the Constitution.

The judge ruled that the claimants must file a written address by way of reply to the preliminary objection served on the defendants and that they must maintain the mandatory seven days within which to

respond to whatever the defendants served on them.

Counsel to the claimants, Norrison Quakers (SAN) had informed the court about receiving a process from the defendants that challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the originating summons filed on behalf of the claimants, expressing readiness to waive the rights to reply by urging the court to take the originating summons side-by-side with the preliminary objection.

Quakers had pleaded for accelerated hearing of the case, considering the fact that the case is hinged on the PDP candidate’s eligibility in an election holding on Saturday.

But in a counter argument, counsel to the respondent, Ahmed Raji (SAN) said the case before the court was not

ripe enough for hearing since there was no written application filed to him in respect of the objection by the defendant.

He asked the court to give him seven days to respond to the filed affidavit, which would be given to him by the claimant.

He opposed the position of the claimants on urgency, saying Fayose became candidate as far back as March 21 and they (the claimants) did not go to court until May 23.

He urged the court not to treat the matter as urgent and not to also rush the proceeding, as being demanded.

“This is clear 60 days after and you knew election would be coming up in few days time. If you knew there was urgency, you would have approached the court

•Fayose

earlier and challenge him.

There is no urgency of any kind,” Raji said.

The defendants had equally insisted on the seven days within which to file their written address, saying Monday’s proceeding was premature.

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday took his final push for votes in Saturday’s election to twitter.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in seven tweets gave an outline of what he has done to deserve a second term.

He tweeted: “Dear Ekiti people, it is four days to that day when we have to choose wisely. Let’s remember it’s one man, one vote as we cast our votes.

“For almost four years now, my team and I missioned on restoring public confidence in government by putting the people first.

“We put the people first in development planning and execution by interacting with them on what their NEEDS are.

“We reformed governance on the basis of OPENNESS, TRANSPARENCY, SELFLESSS E R V I C E , PRIORITY&ACCOUNTABILITY in the management of public funds.

“The results are there for all to see in the programmes and social welfare that we have delivered on so far.

“I am inspired by and urge those of you who strongly believe in the values of ‘honour’ and integrity to continue to cast your lot with us.

“Those of us who are tested in guaranteeing the peace of lives and property in Ekiti, and who will keep making our resources work for us.”

U.S.based group campaigns for APC candidate

By Joseph Jibueze

A

group, the Fayemi 2014 Group, has urged Ekiti voters to cast their ballots for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Saturday.

It said Ekiti has entered a golden era during Fayemi’s first term in office and therefore, he should be re-elected to sustain the momentum.

A statement by its convener, Adegboyega Dahunsi, said the Baltimore, United States (U.S.)-based group has taken the campaign for Fayemi around Europe.

“Our first launching at Brooklyn, New York was welcomed with pomp and pageantry! The news got to Europe. It radiated in Belgium, Germany and London and far,” he said.

“We thank God that right now, the plans of all the adversaries of Ekiti have been destroyed. We shall not rest on our oars until the sceptre of power has been grasped to the benefit of Ekiti by the chosen one, John Kayode Fayemi,” Dahunsi said.

After doing a critique of Fayemi’s administration, he concluded that Ekiti was on the path of development with the APC candidate at the helm.

“I found out that Ekiti has now entered what I summed up to be a golden era. I proceeded there and then, and summoned several other fellows that could support my mission,” he said.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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NEWS

Clark disowns resource control agitators F

ORMER Federal Information Commissioner Chief Edwin Clark disowned yesterday agitators of total resource control.

Clark, who disclaimed the agitators at the National Conference in Abuja, spoke against the backdrop of a document circulated to delegates by a group, Niger Delta Self Determination Movement (NDSDM).

The 51-page document was titled: “Niger Delta: The economic life of Nigeria” with a subtitle “On resource ownership we stand”.

The NDSDM document seems to be a direct response to the northern delegates’ document titled: “Key issues before northern delegates to the 2014 National Conference” with a subtitle: “Northern Nigeria the backbone and strength of Nigeria.”

The northern delegates’ document was produced by a think-tank of northerners, including the Northern Governors’ Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum and Ahmadu Bello Foundation.”

Clark, who came to the conference as an elder statesman, is the leader of Southsouth delegates to the conference.

He described the document as “fictitious” and informed the Conference that they are investigating the source of the offensive material.

The elder statesman said the Southsouth people were prepared to accept whatever they get from the conference.

Clark, who spoke under “matters of urgent national importance”, said: “In 1961 when a National Conference was summoned, the Southsouth people played a leading role to keep this country together.

“There were five documents -one in yellow, one in red, one in white, one in blue and one in pink.

“Should this country remain together was one; do you want a unitary form of government, that is two; do you want a federation, three: a confederation; do we break this country? These were the things that were discussed at that time.

“The people of Niger Delta, under the leadership of Chief Anthony Enahoro, kept this country together.

“Since then we have been together. We have been cheated, we have been down trodden, we have been oppressed and discriminated against. Everything has been done to the people of Niger Delta and we kept quiet.

“But today, God has made it that the president is from the Niger Delta and we believed

Woman stabs soldier

A

•Group circulates 51-page document •Threatens probe years.

From Onyedi Ojiabor and Dele Anofi, Abuja

that Nigerians voted for us, we didn’t vote for ourselves. And we are members of this country.

“The importance of this conference is for us to see if we can build a new Nigeria.

“Little did I know, a document came into my hands yesterday but I want to say that the Southsouth members did not subscribe to it.

“I am the leader, this document is fictitious and it is not a Southsouth paper. We are investigating this document and we shall get back to the Conference.

“We are Nigerians and we remain Nigerians whatever we get from this conference.”

NDSDM, in the controversial document, said it saw the National Conference convoked by President Goodluck Jonathan as an opportunity for Nigerians to engage in deep and conscious self examination about the nation’s political and socio-economic challenges.

The group said its members still believe that the National Conference can address the burning issues for which there has been agitation over the

T

“We urge the delegates to seize this opportunity of this historic conference to stem the fast drifting nation.”

The document said: “We have observed the proceedings, arguments and position papers within and outside the conference, particularly, the one from our northern brothers.

“We are compelled to correct the misleading and erroneous attempt by our northern brothers to distort facts and figures and further misinform and misdirect Nigerians.”

The group said the northern document was a deliberate attempt to re-write the history of the socio-economic and political relationship between the North and South.

It said the northern document appeared to suggest that Southern Nigeria had from 1900-1946, or at any other time, depended on the North for its socio-economic development.

“This is not true and can never be true as records and reports are still there for all Nigerians to see.”

The NDSDM said some of its concerns are that Nigeria is said to be a federation but it is operating more as a unitary

•Clark

state to the disadvantage of the Niger Delta people.

“That the military and northern Nigeria inspired the 1999 Constitution and deliberately crafted to expropriate our land and mineral resources for the North’s benefit, particularly through the inclusion and continuous invocation of Section 44(3).

“The continuous refusal to allow the people to write their own constitution that will be fair and just to the component parts of the country in the face of a forged signature.”

NDSDM also raised the issue of the rejection of the minority report submitted to the conference by a delegate, Ms. Annkio Briggs, a member of the Conference Committee on Devolution of Powers.

It said the rejection of the minority report, “a fair undiluted position of the Niger Delta people”, was conspiratorially meant to undermine the Niger Delta interest”.

NDSDM said it has seen that the nation’s future lies in one direction- true federalism, including fiscal federalism and resource control.

COMMERCIAL sex worker has allegedly stabbed a soldier attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield to death for “refusing” to pay for her services.

The soldier was reportedly stabbed twice in the stomach by his sex partner identified as a Bini girl.

The incident, which occurred at 4am yesterday, caused panic among other prostitutes at the red light district at Hospital Road Junction on DSP Alamieyeseigha Way, Yenagoa.

Other customers were said to have hurriedly left the area to avoid the prying eyes of onlookers.

There were conflicting reports on when the soldier died, some said he died instantly, others said he gave up the ghost in the hospital.

An eyewitness said an

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

argument emanated from the suspect’s shanty in the morning.

She said: “After the soldier refused to pay, there was an argument very early in the morning. The girl who was angry grabbed a knife and stabbed the soldier in the stomach. We later saw the soldier struggling with blood flowing from the wound in his stomach.

“We are now living in fear because there may be reprisal attack from other soldiers. Most of us have decided to stay away from the area for sometimes.”

The Commissioner of Police, Hilary Opara, said the “culprit had been arrested”.

He, however, said the police were yet to receive report of the victim’s death.

Rivers CP dissolves PCRC

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From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

IVERS State Commissioner of Police Tunde Ogunsakin has ordered the dissolution of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC).

Ogunsakin made the declaration yesterday in a statement by police spokesman Ms Grace Iringe–Koko.

The statement said the lingering crisis in the PCRC was due to allegations of mismanagement, embezzlement, and maladministration and tenure elongation.

It reads: “In view of this, the commissioner has ordered the immediate dissolution of the PCRC executive. A caretaker committee will be constituted to oversee the affairs of the PCRC and prepare ground for election and the inauguration of substantive executive.”

Rivers defends High Court Law amendment

HE Rivers State Government has justified its decision to amend the High Court Law. With the amendment, the Chief Registrar is empowered to assign cases to judges.

Commissioner for Lands and Survey Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi, who spoke on behalf of the government in a radio interview yesterday, said: “The amended law was quite in order. I am not saying this because I am part and parcel of government. No. “In Lagos State the Chief Registrar has some very prominent responsibilities assigned to him by the State High Court rules. You can go and confirm that.

“What is so special in Rivers State that the Chief Registrar cannot assign cases in the absence of a Chief Judge?

What is wrong with that, that he can’t sign?”

The commissioner added that the government stands by that law because it oper-

F

Rivers NBA denies opposing law

OUR branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Rivers State have dissociated themselves from the claim by the Port Harcourt branch that all the branches have opposed the amended state High Court Law. Ahoada, Isiokpo, Bori and Degema branches, in a statement by their chairmen, said they never met nor resolved to take such collective decision.

Urging the public to disregard the statement by the Port Harcourt branch, they said a comprehensive peace move has been initiated to resolve the lingering crisis in the state’s judiciary.

•Berates Wike From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

ates in other states.

Supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike had n an earlier radio interview last weekend criticised Governor Rotimi Amaechi for assenting to the law.

Wike accused the Amaechi administration of financial crime, saying the monorail

By Precious Igbonwelundu

“Presently, there is a peace committee comprising the chairmen and secretaries of the five branches of the NBA in Rivers State and headed by Senator Cyrus Nunieh, the oldest practicing lawyer in Rivers State.

“Consultation with all stakeholders is ongoing with a view to resolving the impasse. We enjoin our members and the public to be patient and await the outcome of the peace committee and to desist from acts capable of jeopardising the committee’s efforts,” they said.

and Greater Port Harcourt were white elephant projects.

The minister also took a swipe at members of the executive council, describing them as “incompetent”.

Reacting to this, the com-

missioner said: “Wike is always in Port Harcourt every weekend. He is always speaking in the studio. This is a pointer to the fact that he is very desperate or may be he has no job.”

Ezekiel-Amadi said Wike’s criticism was aimed at distracting the governor and discrediting the government. He advised the people not to listen to the minister.

His words: “I would have thought that at this moment he would have been preparing for elections.

“Elections are not won in radio stations and television studios. Elections are not won in newspaper and media houses.

Wike talks too much. Real men don’t talk too much. Elections are not also won by talking.

He should go and prepare for elections.

“The Amaechi administration still has a lot to do in delivering on its promises to the people. And Nyesom Wike should stop distracting the governor.”

Woman ‘burns’ ex-lover in Edo

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35-YEAR-old woman, Esohe Ogbeiwi, has been arrested by the police in Edo State for allegedly setting ablaze her ex-lover, Peter Osayi.

She was said to have doused the victim in petrol.

The suspect had two children for her deceased exlover.

Family members told reporters that Ms Ogbeiwi had a dispute with the suspect and she later invited him for settlement.

It was at the point of settlement that the suspect allegedly poured petrol on her ex-lover and lit a match.

Osayi was rushed to the University of Benin Teach-

•The late Osayi

•Ogbeiwi

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

gave his name as Moses, said: “We want government to give us justice. He was burnt alive. My brother told me before his death not to allow the girl escape.”

Police spokesman DSP Uwoh Noble said investigations were still on.

ing Hospital (UBTH), where he died days later.

Ms Ogbeiwi was arrested and the case transferred to the Homicide Department.

The victim’s brother, who

Life

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

13

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Text only: 08023058761

How the environment makes entrepreneur?

– Page 51

Three presidents for Soyinka’s literary prize award

– Page 52

•Mbanefo

Ooni donates land for Oduduwa project – Page 52

NTDC DG: Nigeria’s domestic tourism market worth $4b •SEE STORY ON PAGE 14

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

14

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

How much is Nigeria’s tourism market worth? $4billion, says the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Director-General, Mrs Sally Mbanefo. She notes that the market has a lot of growth potential. If well developed tourism can become a major revenue earner for Nigeria that relies on oil. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME writes.

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OURISM has a lot of prospect.

A country like Nigeria stands to gain if it develops its tourism potential instead of relying solely on oil as its major revenue earner. Nigeria’s domestic market is worth US$ 4billion, according to the Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Mbanefo.

With the right environment, she says, Nigeria would be able to cater for the Diaspora market estimated at US$3billion yearly.

The sector, Mrs Mbanefo notes, plays a major role in balancing sustainable development, adding that if effectively harnessed, it can generate net benefits for the poor. Mrs Mbanefo went on: “It is an important tool in promoting economic growth, alleviating poverty, job creation, and contributing to national development goals.”

She spoke at this year’s Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibitions organised by the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Abuja last week.

Speaking on Promoting domestic tourism: Tool for national economic development, Mrs Mbanefo said recent data show that current global tourism contributions to GDP is approaching US$ 7 trillion, accounting for 9.3 per cent of total global GDP and that the industry accounts for 8.7 per cent of global employment with an estimated annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent. According to her, many developing countries have managed to increase their participation in the global economy through the development of tourism, saying it is increasingly being viewed as an important tool in promoting economic growth, alleviating poverty and job creation.

Nigeria, Mrs Mbanefo said, is not left out in this global trend. Domestically, the tourism market also has very high revenue and job creation potentials. The NTDC D-G cited various instances of the immense economic benefit of tourism from Nigeria’s festivals and carnival of international acclaimed, saying: “In 2013 Osun Osogbo festival recorded 21,713 domestic tourists including, 123 international tourists while N58,230, 170 formed the expenditure.

Abuja Carnival (2013) recorded 19,015 domestic tourists, which include 113 international tourists while N147, 385,250 formed the expenditure. Religious tourism recorded over a million domestic tourists and a substantial number of international tourists in 2013.”

While urging that the industry economic potentials be harnessed with a view of enhancing its contributions to GDP, she called for better infrastructure, increased

•From right: Chief Alex Edom; Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Ali Abdo; Anambra State Tourism, Uzo Oguagha; Mrs Mbanefo and President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria(FTAN), Mr Tomi Akingbogun

NTDC DG: Nigeria’s domestic tourism market worth $4b CONFERENCE funding from the government, the need to implement the 2007 Tourism Master Plan, improving travel security as a necessary condition for growing both domestic and international tourist traffic in Nigeria.

She said: “It is, therefore, estimated that, we have a US$ 4 billion domestic tourist market. Similarly, the size of the Diaspora market is estimated at US $3 billion annually should we provide them with the right environment considering the volatility of oil revenues which is currently a major source of the nation’s revenue. To overcome some inherent socio-economic challenges in the sector, there is need to have good access roads to the various tourist destinations, review the Land Use Act to enable private sector access land for development of tourist sites, corporate and multinational organisation should adopt tourist sites for development, resolve multiple taxation for tourism operators and establish a Tourism Development Fund (TDF).

“To reposition NTDC, there is need for proper training of the corporation staff, regular collaboration with the private sector operators in forging new ideas for the sector, effective marketing and promotion of Nigeria locally to boost domestic tourism, collaborating with other government agencies such as the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, National Park Service among others and encouraging and assisting non-profit organisations operating within the travel and tourism industry.”

However, tourism promotion, she said,

cannot be done alone by government and its agencies because there are specific areas of tourism development that requires certain skills and interests that are not within government.

She said: “We must develop domestic tourism, not just for paid travelers alone, but leisure infrastructure in our various communities for citizens who cannot afford to travel. Therefore, I am appealing to big businesses and individuals to adopt tourist sites and develop them as part of their contributions to the development of domestic tourism in Nigeria.”

Stakeholders also called for the harmonisation and integration of multiple taxes and levies in tourism sector, saying it would boost the growth of domestic and international tourist traffic in the country.

Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide and Director-General, said the ministry should set up a multi-agency committee in partnership with the private sector and other stakeholders in tourism sector to explore ways of harmonising and integrating all levies, charges and taxes. The committee is to come up with investor’s friendly recommendations, which may include initiating changes through the appropriate legal processes to bring about a desirable framework.

She said tourism potential of FCT can only be harnessed through a committed partnership between the public and private sector where the players in each sector will have a full understanding of their respective roles or functions.

The minister, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Mrs Adebola Elegbede, stated that the FCT administra-

‘It is, therefore, estimated that, we have a US$ 4 billion domestic tourist market. Similarly, the size of the Diaspora market is estimated at US $3 billion annually should we provide them with the right environment considering the volatility of oil revenues which is currently a major source of the nation’s revenue’

tion is committed to working in partnership with the investors and other stakeholders in providing conducive and enabling environment to promote tourism in the FCT Area and in the country.

“We are beckoning on both public and private investors, event promoters and travel planners to invest and bring in tourists and organize more meetings, conferences, shows, fairs and exhibitions in the city as more critical facilities and good security network are being put in place,” she said.

She disclosed that Emirate Airlines will commence flight operations to Abuja beginning from August 1, which she said, would boost tourism industry.

President of FTAN, Chief Tomi AKingbogun observed that the effect of security challenges in less than 3 per cent of Nigeria’s land mass has resulted in decrease of about 50 per cent in tourism patronage. He identified lack of patronage from government as one critical setback, noting that government rather than patronise established businesses go into construction of massive economically unsustainable projects thereby competing with existing business.

He observed that there are too many foreign trips by government officials as consultants are often appointed to take civil servants outside the country for training, which can be done locally. “The preferred locations are Dubai, UK, South America etc. Millions in foreign exchange (otherwise required for manufacturing) are allocated as estacode benefit to participants.

If the trip is embarked upon, officials go on shopping spree and do not attend the training. This trend not only kill the Nigerian tourism industry, but also deplete our foreign reserves,” Akingbogun said.

Among participants that took stand at the exhibition were Bayelsa State, Rivers State, Hotel Rosebud, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Infogem, Owambe.com, National Film and Video Censor Board, Ethiopian Airline, NIHOTOUR, Hopesea, Abuja Enterprise Agency and La Campagne Beach Resort.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

17

NATION SPORT Kagawa determined to make up for Ivory Coast display

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APAN'S Shinji Kagawa is determined to make an impact against Greece after taking the blame for their World Cup loss to Ivory Coast.

Alberto Zaccheroni's men took the lead versus Ivory Coast on Saturday through a first-half goal from Keisuke Honda.

However, Japan failed to build on that advantage and slipped to defeat in their Group C opener as Wilfried Bony and Gervinho found the net for Ivory Coast.

The setback leaves Japan in need of a positive result against Greece in Natal on Thursday.

And Kagawa feels an extra responsibility to perform well after expressing disappointment with his showing in the first game.

"We have to win it (the second game) and we cannot look back on the last game

•Suarez

•Kagawa because there is no time for that," Kagawa said.

"After the game, I blamed myself. Now all we can do is just prepare for the next game.

"The fact that we did not achieve a good result in the first game was down to my ability. All I can do is to prepare well for the next game."

Paredes: Life or death for Spain

I

Forlan: Suarez ´desperate´ to play U

RUGUAY forward Diego Forlan said star team-mate Luis Suarez is desperate to play against England in the Group D blockbuster on Thursday.

Suarez has been working his way back to full fitness after undergoing knee surgery last month and was an unused substitute as Uruguay opened their FIFA World Cup campaign

with a shock 3-1 loss to Costa Rica on Saturday.

The Liverpool striker, who topped the Premier League scoring charts with 31 goals, cut a frustrated figure on the bench

W/Cup team bans press over photo scandal

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FTER losing their opening match of the 2014 World Cup to Brazil, all Croatia's players wanted to do was relax at their hotel pool in the nude.

Who could blame them?

Sadly, the privacy of the pantsless pool party at their Praia do Forte base was compromised by two Croatian photographers, who hid in the bushes and took pictures that were published online.

Southampton defender Dejan Lovren and former Manchester City star Vedran Corluka feature prominently in the al fresco hot tub snaps.

Coach Niko Kovac was furious about the press intrusion on his players' personal naked reflection time, and has announced that none of them will be available to comment to the press for the foreseeable future. The Guardian reports: “I can’t force them to be at

your disposal after what you have done to them and their families,” an angry Kovac told reporters in the team’s Praia do Forte training base.

“How would you feel if someone took naked pictures of you? They are adamant that they won’t speak to you lot any more and I don’t know whether the silence will end tomorrow or last until the end of our World Cup campaign.

“I respect my players’ opinion and I also know that you have done a very professional job so far but you blew it with this one. The whole world has seen the photos.”

The pool scandal is vaguely reminiscent of the paparazzi sting set up by German tabloid Bild in the lead up to the 1974 World Cup Final. The scurrilous newspaper sent many "ladies of disrepute" to the hotel pool where the Netherlands team was relaxing before facing West Germany.

•Lovren

and Forlan said his fellow forward was itching to face England in the must-win clash at the Arena Corinthians.

"Every player is desperate to play every game and he's the same," said Forlan, who played an hour in Saturday's loss.

"It's really important he plays against England. Hopefully he can train well and he can be ready for the game."

Uruguay were expected to get the better of Costa Rica, who were seen as the inferior team in Group D prior to the tournament kicking off on Thursday.

Oscar Tabarez's men were on track to do so after Edinson Cavani netted a 24th-minute penalty before it all fell apart in Fortaleza, though Forlan insisted his side cannot afford to have any regrets with two games remaining.

"We have to rest, train and then try to play as best we can in the next game," added the 35year-old.

"In football you always have pressure so every time you play it's a challenge.

"We're looking forward to playing England, but you look forward to any World Cup team, because you know you’re playing against a good national team."

T is life or death for defending FIFA World Cup champions Spain in their second Group B match against Chile, according to Esteban Paredes.

Spain suffered a remarkable 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands in Salvador on Friday, leaving their title defence delicately poised, while Chile overcame Australia 3-1.

If Spain loses to Chile in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday and the Netherlands claim at least a point against Australia, Vicente del Bosque's men will be out of contention to qualify for the round of 16.

And Chile forward Paredes has kicked off the mind games ahead of Wednesday's clash at the Maracana, heaping pressure on the world champions.

"We have played several matches with Spain. It will be life or death for them and a final for us," said Paredes.

"We saw only part of the Spain game, the speed was crucial and we have fastest men in attack.

Whoever plays is obliged to do it the best way.

"Each one must work for that goal to the fullest. No team press as we do and against Spain it will be no exception.

"There is no thought of going out looking for a draw. We go out with a winning mentality.

We do not listen to what people say about us.

"Our concern is to work, not make mistakes and try to beat Spain."

Chile can take a huge step towards the knockout round if

they beat Spain, though Felipe Gutierrez - a second-half substitute in the victory over Australia - insisted it is business as usual.

"Collectively we are well, it was very important win," the 23year-old said. "It leaves you with a pleasant feeling after the first match.

"We all have the will to win and we know this is a final.

Spain has very influential players. We will continue with business as usual, and pressure them to have the ball. Chile is not based on statistics.

"We focus on our game and go out and do things right."

•Paredes

World Cup ´pure pleasure´ for Wilmots

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ARC Wilmots inists his Belgium side are not under pressure, despite being tipped by many as a FIFA World Cup dark horse.

Belgium kick off their Group H campaign against Algeria on Tuesday, and are expected to comfortably qualify from a pool that also contains South Korea and Russia.

But coach Wilmots has shunned the idea his men are under any kind of pressure, instead describing the experience was "pure pleasure".

"I never said we were favourites or underdogs," he

said. "The players will be hungry and this is what gives us our strength.

"Pressure is when you have a child who is sick and in the hospital. Here, it is pure pleasure."

Belgium are looking to improve on their previous best of finishing fourth at the 1986 tournament in Mexico, but Wilmots is keen to make sure history does not become a burden. "(Is this) a golden generation? We'll see when we will do something," he added.

"We must close the history book and write our own history."

18

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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

NATION SPORT

Higuain: I'd love to play at Barca with Messi •Astori

Astori wants Milan move, claims agent

D

AVIDE Astori "would do anything" to seal a move to Milan, according to the player's agent, Renzo Contratto.

The 27-year-old began his career at San Siro but failed to break into the first team, and moved to Cagliari in 2008.

Since then, Astori has become a mainstay of the Cagliari defence, with his performances leading to reports that he is set for a move away from the club.

Contratto believes his player would relish the chance to return to the seven-time European champions.

"Davide would do anything to play for Milan," he told spaziomilan.it.

"We will talk to the new owners of Cagliari to find an ideal solution.

"He has the age and right maturity now to make the leap."

N

APOLI striker Gonzalo Higuain has admitted it would be "a great pleasure" for him to play with Lionel Messi at Barcelona.

Reports in Spain emerged on Sunday suggesting the Argentina was wanted by the Blaugrana as part of new head coach Luis Enrique's summer rebuilding plans.

Napoli promptly issued a statement later that day to quash talk of a transfer, insisting that "rumours to the effect that Higuain could be sold to Barcelona are entirely unfounded".

However, the striker himself has now further fuelled speculation by stating he would be thrilled to play alongside his Argentina captain at club level.

Speaking after the Albiceleste's 2-1 World Cup win over BosniaHerzegovina at the Maracana, in which Messi scored the decisive second, Higuain, when asked if he would be interested in a club link-up, told Efe: "Yes, of course. I enjoy it here with the national team. Obviously it would be a great pleasure, but my head is now in the World Cup. "I'm happy for the interest from Barca.

Any player would be happy."

Higuain came on as a second-half substitute in the clash at the Maracana as Argentina recorded a somewhat unconvincing win in their opening World Cup encounter.

The 26-year-old only left La Liga last summer, as he joined Rafa Benitez's Napoli from Real Madrid, where he went on to score 24 goals during the 2013-14 campaign.

Lazio: Candreva not for sale

L

AZIO president Claudio Lotito insists that midfielder Antonio Candreva is not for

sale.

The 27-year-old moved to Rome on a permanent basis from Udinese at the start of the 2013-14 season, and featured in all but one of Lazio's Serie A matches.

Candreva showed an eye for goal, scoring on 12 occasions as Lazio finished ninth, falling just short of a spot in next season's UEFA Europa League.

The midfielder is currently in Brazil as part of the Italy squad for the FIFA World Cup and impressed in his country's 2-1 win over England on Saturday.

Candreva's performances for Lazio have led to speculation over his future, with French champions Paris Saint-Germain reported to be interested, but club president Lotito has moved to quash any rumours.

"Candreva is not for sale," he told Radio Due. "We have not spoken to anyone from PSG and we have not received any offers."

T

UTTOSPORT is reporting that Juventus are keeping close tabs on River Plate defender Eder Alvarez Balanta.

With Angelo Ogbonna being linked with a summer exit, it appears the Bianconeri are on the lookout for a new centre-back.

And they seem to be turning towards the South American market seeing as how River Plate hotshot Eder Balanta is reportedly on their radar.

The Colombia international is seen as a perfect long-term replacement for veteran defender Andrea Barzagli, although Juventus are likely to face competition for the player’s signature.

According to the latest reports, River Plate are prepared to sell this summer, and it is believed the 21year-old will be available at a reasonable price.

Eder Balanta was not on the pitch as Colombia defeated Greece in their opening World Cup fixture, with Serie A footballers Mario Yepes and Cristian Zapata forming the defensive partnership, but he is expected to play some part in the remaining two group fixtures.

Sherwood: I turned down West Brom

T

•Antonio

•Gonzalo

Juventus eyeing Colombia starlet

IM Sherwood has revealed he turned down an offer to become West Brom's new head

coach prior to the club appointing Alan Irvine.

Sherwood was strongly linked with the vacancy at The Hawthorns after departing Tottenham at the end of the 2013-14 Premier League season.

However, West Brom announced on Saturday that Everton academy boss Irvine, a former manager at Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday, had been chosen to succeed Pepe Mel. Sherwood has subsequently confirmed that he did hold talks with West Brom, but opted to turn the club down.

In an interview with talkSPORT, he said: "I went to speak to the chairman and the board there a couple of times and was happy with how the discussions were going.

"I was offered the job before we started to negotiate. It just wasn't right for me in the end, so I decided to give it a miss.

"It is a fantastic club and it looked

•Sherwood

on the outside like it might be a perfect fit for me, but unfortunately we couldn't agree for me to move forward.

"I was pleased with most things we were talking about and it was a good opportunity for me to get back in very, very quickly. But, in the end, I decided when we prolonged the discussions that it wasn't right for me.

"I wish them all the best and Alan in particular, someone I played with a long time ago at Blackburn."

Keith Downing and Dean Kiely have been kept on by West Brom as part of Irvine's coaching team, but

Sherwood was keen to bring in his own backroom staff had he been appointed.

"I don't know Keith or Dean very well and I've got nothing against them. I think it is important you take your own men in and I was looking to bring in a couple of guys who I trust and who I know," he added.

"When you go into a club you haven't got time to try and train someone to your own thinking.

"There were just a couple of ingredients missing which made me decide I wouldn't take the gamble on it."

Chamakh eyes Premier League stay

M

AROUANE Chamakh is keen on remaining in the Premier League, even if he is unable to agree a new deal at Crystal Palace.

The Moroccan forward's future remains unclear, with his contract at Selhurst Park set to expire at the end of the month.

Chamakh joined Palace from Arsenal last August and enjoyed a notable upturn in form following Tony Pulis' arrival as manager in November.

Having played a key role in helping the London club secure Premier League survival, Chamakh is now hoping to continue his career in England.

"I am out of contract and if I do not stay at Crystal Palace I want to stay in England," the 30-year-old told Sky Sports.

"I love playing in the Premier League and I was really happy with how things went last season.

"It took me a while to settle when I first came to England, like it does most players when they first come to the Premier League, but I am happy when I am playing and I want to continue doing that in the Premier League."

Chamakh's agent, Willie McKay, claims there is plenty of interest in

•Eder Alvarez Balanta

Arsenal plans £30m plus player bid for ‘New Cesc Fabregas’

A

•Chamakh

his player.

"Marouane is one of the best free agents around this summer and I have spoken to a number of Premier League clubs about him," said McKay. "I think Marouane showed what a top player he was for Crystal Palace last season.

"Marouane is happy and settled in England and wants to stay in the Premier League and hopefully we can have his future resolved within the next 10 days.”

RSENAL are preparing a big money move for one of the hottest prospects in Spanish football having opted against their first option on former midfielder Cesc Fabregas north CaughtOffside understands that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is keen on highly rated Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke and is ready to sacrifice playmaker Santi Cazorla, who is known to be a target of the Vicente Calderon side, in pursuit of the 22 year old.

Koke had a standout season last term, playing a pivotal role in Atletico Madrid’s surprise La Liga title success as well as helping Diego Simeone’s side to the final of the Champions League, and is part of Vicente del Bosque’s 2014 World Cup squad.

Only Real Madrid’s Angel di Maria provided more assists than Koke in domestic league action and it’s no surprise that a number of Europe’s ‘Elite’ are keen on landing the flair player.

Wenger is keen to bring in the young talent but isn’t keen on forking out the £48m release clause written into his contract but will offer as much as £30m plus the services of Cazorla in a deal that the French manager will hope tempts Simeone or at the very least serve to show Koke that Arsenal are very much interested in acquiring his services.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

19

COMMENTARY FROM OTHER LANDS

EDITORIALS

Jonathan’s pettiness

• It was not presidential that Jonathan did not congratulate the new Emir of Kano

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HOEVER advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to congratulate Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the newly installed Emir of Kano, did not do him or his office any good. And the president should have known better and ignored the counsel. Such an act is too puerile and blinkered to be associated with the presidency. The new emir is the immediate past governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) who in the twilight of his tenure was controversially suspended from office by the president on February 20.

Sanusi had accused the government of not accounting for over $20 billion oil money in the Federation Account.

The legal and public hullabaloo gener-

‘The late Emir, a cosmopolitan traditional ruler by any standard, set the template for him to follow.

We expect Sanusi to emulate him. He was chosen because the kingmakers and the governor realised he could fit into the turban left behind by the late Emir. He cannot afford to disappoint. We congratulate and wish him success’

ated by his contentious removal from the apex bank’s post were yet to subside before the position of the Emir of Kano, hitherto occupied by late Alhaji Ado Bayero, became vacant. Being a Fulani prince, his name was among three others forwarded by the ancient town’s kingmakers to Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso for approval.

The governor, in line with prevailing chieftaincy laws across the federation, picked Sanusi. We are not surprised by the noticeable degree of disenchantment from some elements in Kano. Traditional rulers’ selection anywhere has not been controversy-free. But once done, we expect all to work for the good of the community. Alternatively, the aggrieved may go to court.

Therefore, whatever dissonance might have existed between the new Emir and anybody in government should not be taken to a ridiculous extent. This is the juncture at which we disagree with the refusal of President Jonathan to congratulate Sanusi. More inexcusable is the fact that the President cancelled his scheduled homage to the new Emir in Kano (as is often the practice) prior to the announcement of the kingmakers’ choice. To us, this is simply because Sanusi was the favoured candidate. That aborted presidential journey to Kano would have equally afforded the president an opportunity to commiserate with the family of the departed Emir.

The Emir of Kano is one of the foremost revered traditional rulers in the entire north. And Sanusi, being the present occupant of the throne is just the symbol

of that throne and the custodian of the culture and tradition of his people. Whoever has respect for Kano people must show deserved regard for the person occupying the post - for the people of that state, through their governor and kingmakers, have deemed him fit to sit over such revered throne and for him to lead them traditionally.

All said, the new emir must realise that his new role is a different ballgame from that of the CBN. As CBN governor, Sanusi discharged his functions with controversial activism that was quite alien to the tranquil dignity and aplomb becoming of an apex bank’s top man. We therefore call on him to learn from his past mistakes.

He should also realise that his new status does not give room for undue playing to the gallery. The position of Emir, is a reserved one that demands more restraint.

So, Sanusi needs to display a new temperament that reflects his new, royal aloofness. He should not discriminate on the basis of religion or area of origin of inhabitants in the state. He should always endeavour to heal the wounds created by the rancour that followed his selection by genuinely working for unity among the aggrieved within and outside the state.

The late Emir, a cosmopolitan traditional ruler by any standard, set the template for him to follow. We expect Sanusi to emulate him. He was chosen because the kingmakers and the governor realised he could fit into the turban left behind by the late Emir. He cannot afford to disappoint. We congratulate and wish him success.

Dora Akunyili (1954-2014)

P

• “Madam NAFDAC,” a woman of disconcerting honesty, passes on

ROFESSOR Dora Akunyili’s untimely passing last week was a personal blow to many Nigerians who saw her as a symbol of the heights the country could attain if only its citizens put the nation above themselves. In a nation full of predators masquerading as public servants, she stood out for her commitment, her passion, her forthrightness and her patriotism.

Professor Akunyili imposed herself on the national consciousness with her successful stint as Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Like most federal agencies, NAFDAC was riddled with inefficiency and corruption. It had spectacularly failed to regulate the pharmaceutical industry; fake and expired drugs and foods were so rife in the country that they outnumbered the genuine article. Heartless businessmen were importing drugs and food unfit for human consumption into the country and reaping huge profits. The conventional wisdom was that nobody could clean up the mess.

It was a challenge that Akunyili accepted wholeheartedly. Her tactical approach was a masterpiece of selflessness: realising that her fellow-Igbo had invested heavily in the business, she sent a strong symbolic message by tackling them head-on. Nobody could doubt the sincerity of a regulator who began with her own, and from then on her campaign was taken seriously by a hitherto-jaded Nigerian public.

Her victories against the scourge of fake foods and drugs are a testimony to the comprehensiveness of her campaign.

An estimated N5 billion worth of fake drugs was destroyed during her tenure.

The infamous Ariara market which was a centre of the fake drugs trade was shut down until the traders agreed to police themselves. Akunyili preached against the dangers of fake drugs and unwholesome foods with such intensity that the nation and the world sat up and took notice. By the time she left NAFDAC, she had attained global renown which was manifested in a shower of accolades and honours.

Her next job was that of Minister of Information. This was a very different assignment, beset by challenges of another kind entirely. The moral clarity of the NAFDAC job was replaced by the partisan ambiguities of political propaganda. Professor Akunyili approached it with her usual energy. A rebranding programme was set up; the search for a national catchphrase began; the country was touted around the world as the “Heart of Africa.”

However, things did not turn out as well as expected. Akunyili discovered that her audience was less willing to accept her ministerial pronouncements at face value, especially when they appeared to run counter to visible evidence.

The disconnect reached its peak during the illness and subsequent death of President Umar Yar’Adua. Akunyili found herself more and more out of touch with the facts that she finally famously confessed to having no information about the ailing president, even though she was Minister of Information. To her credit, she was the first credible voice within government to urge that the true

state of the president’s condition be made known to the nation.

Unlike most Nigerian politicians who hang on to office, Akunyili left both her ministerial position and her membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in order to contest a senatorial seat in Anambra State under the AllProgressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

She lost narrowly in a closely-fought and often-bitter campaign, but resurfaced as a member of the state’s delegation to the National Conference.

Regardless of the ups and downs of her public career, there is little doubt that Professor Akunyili left a positive impression in the minds of a majority of Nigerians. Her competence, her passion, her commitment to excellence and her disconcerting honesty will never be forgotten. May her soul rest in peace.

‘Regardless of the ups and downs of her public career, there is little doubt that Professor Akunyili left a positive impression in the minds of a majority of Nigerians. Her competence, her passion, her commitment to excellence and her disconcerting honesty will never be forgotten. May her soul rest in peace’

The way ahead for Obama over Iraq – US can engage with Iran to find replacement for Maliki

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ARACK Obama would like to go down in history as the president who ended America’s foreign wars. In 2011, he withdrew US troops from Iraq. At the end of this year, he will withdraw most US forces from Afghanistan.

Now, just as the US appeared to be moving on from the legacy of the George W Bush era, the commander-in-chief has suddenly been forced to contemplate the possibility of military intervention again in the Middle East.

The surge by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), a jihadist group whose fanaticism trumps that of al-Qaeda, threatens the break-up of Iraq. This prospect – and the danger that an entrenched Isis might pose to the west – has left the Obama administration pondering what it can do to stop the creation of a jihadist sanctuarycum-statelet stretching from Iraq across the border to Syria.

Many Americans feel deep unease at the prospect of renewed involvement in Iraq. The 2003 US-led invasion and occupation is widely seen as a mistake.

If the US takes military action to contain Isis, it could well elicit revenge attacks against western capitals.

Yet there are reasons why Mr Obama cannot easily eschew engagement. The US expended considerable blood and treasure in Iraq, losing the lives of 4,500 service personnel and billions of dollars. About 250,000 Iraqis died in the conflict. Some say the US has a responsibility to the Iraqi people to help avert yet more bloodshed.

Nor can the threat to the west posed by Isis be ignored. True, this is a body of perhaps 11,000 fighters whose ambition to set up a caliphate is somewhat romanticised. But the story of al-Qaeda showed that such terror movements cannot be allowed to gain hold of ungoverned spaces without the west paying a heavy price.

US must persuade Iran of risks in shoring up Baghdad government with military support As the Obama administration contemplates options on Iraq, it must start with prime minister Nouri alMaliki and his Shia-dominated government. Mr Maliki has been a longstanding if unreliable US ally. The responsibility for the mayhem in Iraq lies with him.

His sectarian policies have marginalised Iraq’s Sunni tribes, giving Isis the popular support it enjoys.

The US cannot afford to abandon Mr Maliki at this moment. The Iraqi army has disintegrated in the face of the Isis advance and the jihadists could try to press towards Baghdad. If so, the US may have to offer Mr Maliki military support to avert a rout.

But the main goal of US policy must be to move the country towards the creation of a national unity government formed of Sunni, Shia and Kurds. Any offer of US military support for Baghdad should be conditional.

As it pursues this goal, the US may have to deal with Iran, Mr Maliki’s powerful Shia ally. The political differences between Iran and the US remain immense.

But the US has negotiated successfully with Iran over its nuclear ambitions and both now have common interests in Iraq’s fate.

The US should not shy from such diplomatic engagement. It needs to persuade Iran of the danger of shoring up the Baghdad government with direct military support. If Iran does so, it will merely inflame Iraq’s Sunni tribes and give yet more succour to Isis.

Instead, the US should encourage Iran to join forces with Washington in the search for a new and more inclusive leadership in Baghdad. Mr Maliki’s sectarianism has delivered a huge reverse to Shia influence across the region.

Since the Arab uprisings began more than three years ago, the policy debate in the west has tended to focus on which side the US and its allies should arm in each conflict. In the crisis engulfing Iraq, the goal of the US should not be to pick sides. It should be to find a way of giving Iraq an inclusive government. This is by far the best way to cut the ground from under the jihadists’ feet.

– Financial Times

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

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•Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina

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

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

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

S

IR: One of the most significant issues that deepen democratic culture in any country is the transparent conduct of party conventions through which officers are elected to run the party’s affairs. In that wise, kudos goes to the All Progressive Congress, APC for the credible manner it conducted its maiden National Convention in Abuja recently.

Apart from the huge attendance, with politicians drawn from all the six geo-political zones, the smooth and rancour-free manner that characterized its conduct is worthy of emulation by other political parties.

At the end of the exercise there were visible signs of a deliberateattempt to forge not only unity of purpose amongst the party members, but to strengthen national unity as well. This is noteworthy. And it will go a long way towards the sustenance of interparty peace, such that the elected officers would not be distracted by settling feuds.

Instead, the members would concentrate their energy in promoting the political philosophy and ideals which the party stands for, as enshrined in their party’s constitution and manifesto. Ultimately, the people whose interests the flag bearers are supposed to serve

Attention: Gov. Imoke

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IR: This is an urgent appeal to under His Excellency Senator Dr. Liyel Imoke to come to the aid of Egboronyi Community in Abi Local Government Area of the State. The community requires his urgent intervention in the area of pipeborne water, roads and also to assist her renovate and build new classroom blocks for her Primary and Secondary Schools.

We need qualified doctors and nurses in our community hospital.

In short, we are asking the state government to come to our rescue to redress years of neglect.

• Evang. Patrick Ikpabi. E.E. Egboronyi, Abi LGA, CRS

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

APC Convention praiseworthy would benefits from the dividends of democracy.

The very fact that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, APC’s arch rival has come out to commend the process that saw to the emergence of Chief John Oyegun as the National Chairman is praise worthy.

It should serve as a moral lesson for politicians of different shades to imbibe as Nigerians look forward to issue-based campaigns devoid of violence, name-calling and unwarranted brickbats.

What Olisa Metuh, the PDP National Publicity Secretary said is instructive: “the new leadership(of the APC) should ensure an issue-

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based opposition that will purposefully and constructively engage and challenge the PDP with decency and maturity as prescribed by democratic tenets and principles”. Well said. The hope however, is that the same PDP would not be the first to politicize even rather sensitive issues ranging from grave insecurity through massive corruption in high places to the raging youth unemployment in Nigeria, which the World Bank had since 2010 warned Nigeria had assumed a scary time-bomb situation.

The APC should build on the critical and delicate issue of geo-

political equity in the election of its flag bearers. Now that the choice of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, the Deputy Chairman, as well as Zonal Chairmen have been elected based on national spread, that should serve as a template for future elections.

What Nigerians require at this perilous moment of our history are men and women of unquestionable integrity and committed patriots ready to sacrifice their whims and caprices of personal gains to satisfy the needs of the greater majority of Nigerians. And that starts with the calibre and character of the APC

to have locked one of the traditional rulers in the state in the booth of a car. He was also always busy abusing, harassing or assaulting the revered leaders in the state who had made their marks in their area of human endeavour before he was born or at most when he was still a pupil in an elementary school. In that class of men who were not spared was Chief J. E. Babatola, a Minister in the First Republic, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, Justice Olakunle Olatawura, Justice Edward Ojuolape, Dr. Bode Olowoporoku, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN and a host of others.

The other category consisted of men who were not necessarily politicians, but whose personalities and profile were considered to be political threats to the governorship of Fayose. Somehow, these consisted of men who had made a mark in their field of endeavour and who had the qualification and right to be governor of the state. This category included, but not limited, to men like Femi Falana, SAN, Segun Oni, Kayode Fayemi and Dr. Daramola,

a United Nations consultant among others. Most of the people in this category were hounded out of town but unfortunately, Daramola was assassinated and the security forces are yet to unravel the facts of his assassination.

The government of Ayo Fayose got to its lowest ebb when it graduated from government of mediocrity and brutality to the realm of direct and brazen stealing of the state’s meagre resources. At the end of the day, Mr. Fayose was impeached and like a thief at night, was smuggled out of the state under the covers of darkness.

Lately, Fayose has been going around in Ekiti campaigning to have another bite on the governorship of Ekiti State and in a manner of conceding to the puerile nature of his truncated regime, he came back on his knees claiming to have changed.

He claims that Ayo Fayose of 2003 is not the Ayo Fayose of 2014 and that his misdeeds of the former time were informed by his tender age.

The relevant question at this point is whether at mid-forties Fayose was

ambassadors.

Nigerians are out there waiting for a strong, virile and ideologybased opposition to assuage their pains and reverse the drift to a state of anomie. The next few months are therefore, critical to APC in meeting these challenges head-on. It cannot afford to fail, fumble or falter. As Chief Oyegun rightly noted in his acceptance speech: “the very task of salvaging Nigeria will, on its own, be hard because the rot is deep. We must learn to let go of past grudges and previous grievances and move forward together as members of the same family.” One cannot agree any less. Here is wishing all newly elected members of the APC leadership a purposeful, pragmatic and peaceful tenure in office in the service of the party and the nation at large.

• Idowu Ajanaku Lagos.

Why Fayose’s ambition is dead on arrival

IR: When Donald Duke was sworn in as Governor of Cross Rivers State on May 29, 1999, he was unquestionably one of the youngest democratic governors the state and even the Nigerian nation had seen so far. To the admiration of all, he was able to comport himself in a very dignifying manner in the course of his term of office. He attained the age of wisdom, 40, after he was through with his first term and deservedly, earned the second term in office.

On May 29, 2003, exactly four years after Duke’s first term, on the other side of the country, Ayo Fayose was being sworn in as the Governor of Ekiti State. At the time of his swearing in, he was 43 years old.

Throughout the over three years of his turbulent rule, it was one battle or rumours of battles or the other at the expense of good governance.

Either the Governor was throwing expletives on the First Class traditional rulers like Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Elekole of Ikole, or threatening kings who failed to do his bidding with deposition or even being rumoured

really too young to be thoughtful and to exercise discretion that was needed for the office he occupied? If he has truly changed as he claims now, when, between then and now, did he learn decency and discretion?

Can the Ekiti people afford to use the future of their children to gamble and investigate if a self confessed fool at 45 is truly no longer a fool?

Can decency, decorum and good manners be learnt at over 50? What then happens to the saying that a man does not learn how to be left handed in his old age?

The office of the governor is not a learning field and neither is it a testing ground. Rather than subject the office and destiny of its people to test whether a person has changed from his old offensive ways and manners, it would be suggested that the government should set up a rehabilitation centre where social derelicts could be rehabilitated. This will make us test and access how and if men could truly change in their old age!

• Soji Olowolafe Abuja.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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COMMENTS

‘Our Girls’: Victims and Survivors Fund; Solar projects; Dora, Dr Adegoke Kalejaiye. RIP

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The call by American Congresswomen for a Trust Fund for the families and victims of violence, bomb blast and now the especially Tony ’Our Girls’ from Marinho Chibock, is an addition to the repeated call in this column on the same issue when it was suggested that a Victims’ Fund be set up by the federal government provided it does not get contaminated or corrupted by the operators. Shamefully, nothing was done then except pay some hospital bills. We pray compensation, medical expenses, further treatment like mobility and hearing aids, scholarships for survivors and dependents will all be addressed.

The N34billion solar project in one of the states is a wonderful step in the right direction. All states should encourage the erection of solar systems as an alternative to a 40-year failed national grid which will continue to fail in the foreseeable future. It is obvious that at the slow pace of power reform, Nigeria’s companies do not have the mental capacity to provide the required 100,000Mw needed right now even by 2050. If we were Japan or the UK, such electricity power would have been provided overnight by offshore electricity barges and giant generators. Unfortunately we seem to have no capacity for such emergency dynamic solutions.

Again, a big salute to Dora Akunyili who died last week in India. Among several landmarks she led a spirited, dangerous and life-threatening fight against fake drugs which was partly successful. Unfortunately, as with anything conceived for good, some within the organisation she headed were believed to have partly high-jacked the opportunity of mandatory registration to extort from manufacturers for the issuance of NAFDAC licences. True or false, in memory of Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC should , like Caesar’s wife, clean up any smell of corruption by close

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N Saturday, May 10, Wole Soyinka, professor and Nobel laureate, appeared on the British Broadcasting Corporation’s programme, Hardtalk and added his voice to the growing international discourse on Nigeria, especially the issue of the disappearance, on April 15, of more than 250 schoolgirls from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. Among other things, Soyinka said: “The Nigerian nation-space is poised on a knife’s point; it is failing, but not beyond redemption.

The rescue of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and the outcome of the National Conference would help define the country’s future.” Today, more than one month after, the opinion canvassed by the Nobel laureate remains fresh in our national psyche as the issue of the abducted Chibok girls remains unresolved.

The country has been thrown into one huge, dramatic macabre dance since that midnight hostage-taking by the Boko Haram terrorists. The incident has drawn both the anger and dagger of civilised humanity all over the world who have continued, in no unmistaken terms, to condemn it as sordid and barbaric. Regrettably, two months down the line, what we have been witnessing are empty talks and promises of a phantom rescue operation to free the girls from their captors who are in no way ready to relax their stranglehold on them. With various pressure groups mushrooming daily all over the place, the whole thing has now ascended a crescendo of pulsating emotional gyration, ventilation of anger and global condemnation. Perhaps, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the entire global community is united in solidarity with the country.

supervisory monthly reporting on the honesty of staffincluding bank checks of families, attention to applications and transparency in testing and reasonable, not exorbitant fees for tests. NAFDAC should not be allowed to rot.

We say Nigeria lacks role models, but it does not. The problem is that our role models are not brought to the public’s and media’s attention. Many good Nigerians live their whole lives servicing the jammed wheels of progress and die almost unannounced. Indeed it is those Nigerians, citizens engaged in the various professions and vocations, working tirelessly for years throughout their lives who keep Nigeria going through all the political corruption, darkness and irresponsibility, through the powerfailures and the nation’s petroleum and financial upheavals. Paradoxically it is not the politicians, budget, electricity or security situation that keeps Nigeria going. It is the huge workload of many unannounced but outstanding, dedicated and exemplary artisans, traders, transporters, farmers, teachers and professional who work day-in and day-out for family survival that keep the wheels of Nigeria going in spite of the evil machinations of the political class.

One such outstanding Nigerian is Dr Adegoke Kalajaiye, a name you may or may not know. Perhaps I should use the term ‘was’ because he passed away at 59 on June 5. He went to Government College Ibadan and had his medical training abroad. You will certainly know the name if you have been a member of any of the families of the thousands of patients he has treated or scanned for babies or prostates or gall bladders or livers during his career. I have had the rare privilege of having worked with Dr Kalejaiye since the early 80s, first at Oluyoro Catholic Hospital Ibadan and later in medical practice which eventually became a partnership. Dr Kalajaiye represented the quintessential true Nigerian, not hard to find if you look. He was better than punctual as he was always early to work arriving around 7-7.15am daily for the 23 years we worked closely together. He commenced every day by praying for a successful medical day. He

became our ‘Bishop’ conducting all our prayers at any ‘happening’ in the clinic. He worked consistently during each day and ended the day with prayers. He had excellent and positive attitude to work and fellow workers. In the 30 years I have known and worked with him, I do not recall a raised voice or misunderstanding as we always seemed to have the same goal, objective and methodology in any discussion or action. We never once misinterpreted the action or inaction of each other. He was always sartorially elegant but not flamboyant. He was a very good professional, delivering service in a hospital setting for 10 years before specialising in ultrasound. But he was much more than a good prayerful doctor. His medical professionalism was rewarded with an appointment to the Baptist Teaching Hospital Board. He had close brothers and sisters and was a family man who with his wife, brought up his four wonderful children to distinction and he had a grandson. May God protect them all. He was a strong member of the Full Gospel Men’s Fellowship. He was a powerful voice in the Baptist Choir and Choirmaster. Dr Kalajaiye was always available for rehearsals. He was a great writer, devoting his annual leave to writing a spiritual book each year and ‘Where Will You Spend Eternity’ was a poster in his consulting room. This week as we bury this wonderful man and already miss him greatly, May His Gentle Soul Rest In Perfect Peace and may God bring succour to his family.

‘We say Nigeria lacks role models, but it does not. The problem is that our role models are not brought to the public’s and media’s attention.

Many good Nigerians live their whole lives servicing the jammed wheels of progress and die almost unannounced’

The ‘forgotten’ girls of Chibok Many foreign countries have offered and are still offering assistance in several ways to help the country in its bid to rescue the abducted girls as well as defeat the terrorists who are now holding on to the country’s jugular. Everybody seems to be eager to get the girls out of the gulag.

Unfortunately, days have turned into weeks and months, and nothing tangible or cheering has been on the horizon about the girls’ return to reunite with their loved ones.

For the parents and relatives of the unfortunate girls, hope has turned into despair, and a big nightmare with no end in sight.

While all these are going on, the military, saddled with engineering the release of the girls, appears to be stuck. On May 26, Alex Badeh, Air Marshal and Chief of Defence Staff, told a curious nation that the army have located the abducted Chibok girls. He said this while addressing members of the Citizen Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), who were on a solidarity campaign to the Defence Headquarters. He assured them that everything was being done to ensure the girls’ safe rescue but he quickly chipped in that the military would not use force in the rescue operation. His words: “We want our girls back, I can tell you our military can do it, but where they are held, do we go with force? Nobody should say Nigerian military does not know what it is doing. We can’t kill our girls in the name of trying to get them back. So we are working. The President has empowered

‘As things stand now, it will be most appropriate for the government to explore dialogue, whether put together by Obasanjo or any other person, to get the girls out before it is too late’

us to do the work and no one should castigate the military”.

Good talk. Except that many weeks after this promise, there is hardly anything to show that those girls are getting nearer to their freedom.

In the first instance, many people opine that what Badeh said was very unprofessional in that it was tantamount to playing to the hands of the enemy. Or else how does one view such a statement which is like giving away what could have been a closely guarded secret while the army strategises to free the girls?

Why announce to the whole world that the army was aware of the location of the girls? The terrorists’ response will be to simply relocate the girls further into the wilderness to avoid any surprise from the army.

This is why people believe the statement was either totally uncalled for or grossly lacking in military diplomacy.

Just like Badeh has said, the issue of using force to free the girls may not be feasible. But what are the options available now to achieve that aim? Many people, including Shehu Sani, the human rights activist believed to have a channel through which the leadership of Boko Haram could be reached and engaged, have advocated dialogue as a way of breaking the logjam.

Sani, it was, who facilitated the interface between former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the family of Mohammed Yusuf, the slain leader of the sect and other surviving leaders of the sect in Maiduguri in September, 2011. Although that visit generated a lot of controversies and even led to the death of some of the leaders of the sect who met with Obasanjo during the visit, it has, so far, remained the only serious interface anybody, either within the government or outside of it, has had with the sect.

Now, the former President has come up with yet another suggestion that he could reach out to Boko

Haram on the fate of the school girls, but regretted that the federal government has not given him the green light to act. In an interview on the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation last week, Obasanjo said: “I have ways of reaching them (Boko Haram) but I have not been given the go ahead”. The former President expressed fear that some of the schoolgirls may never return home but added that the terrorists might free those found to be pregnant or have given birth. He also expressed worry that the girls might have been separated and kept in different locations.

As if giving government’s reaction to Obasanjo’s statement, Mike Omeri, coordinator of the National Information Centre, recently created to brief the public on the war against the terrorists, said the former President did not need any clearance from President Goodluck Jonathan before engaging in dialogue with the Boko Haram sect. He wondered why Obasanjo would be waiting for any formal clearance from President Goodluck Jonathan when he had unfettered access to him (Jonathan). He expressed surprise at the development and said: “The government has not stopped any individual who has access to the sect not to come forward and intervene in this matter.” This is playing politics with lives.

Earlier last week, some newspapers reported that the parents of the abducted girls had become disillusioned about government’s efforts to free the girls. In fact, some of the parents are said to have died heartbroken, while others have relapsed into all forms of depression as a result of the continuous absence of their loved ones. As they say, he who wears the shoe knows where it pinches. But for how long would these parents remain traumatized?

This is why the government should consider the proposal for dialogue as a way of putting an end to the

Dele Agekameh nightmare created by these girls’ kidnap. After all, the US government recently exchanged one prisoner, who was even a deserter, for very senior five al-Qaeda leaders who had been in Guantanamo prison for years. For the exchange to have taken place, they must have been talking.

What this implies is that there is need for dialogue. It does not appear that the country can free these girls by using force. There is nowhere in the world where that has worked. We have wasted precious time after the abduction before embarking on a rescue mission while the terrorists have fully settled down with the girls in their dungeon. As things stand now, it will be most appropriate for the government to explore dialogue, whether put together by Obasanjo or any other person, to get the girls out before it is too late. It is really getting late. Like Obasanjo said, right from day one, I have always had this feeling that not all the girls may come back alive. That is the bitter truth. We must move quickly to forestall a high casualty rate among the girls as well as avoid turning them into the forgotten girls of Chibok.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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COMMENTS ‘Even a blind man will tell you that Fayemi is working in Ekiti. If the PDP is blind and cannot see the good work that Fayemi is doing, the good people of Ekiti are there to speak for the governor. PDP is a party of deceit with people of questionable character.

If election is conducted 10 times in Ekiti, PDP will lose 10 times because the time of darkness is over in the state. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa, Lagos’ day Chibok girls were hijacked from their school dormitaries as they now appear to be in blocking newspaper circulation vehicles roots! Anonymous

•Jonathan

For Olatunji Dare Sir in all honesty The Nation newspaper deserves its ordeal because you choose to give strength and impetus to the insurgent through your reportage. from Bayo Ogunsanya Compliments, worry not please, God will soon deliver us from the demons. Stay focused.Thanks. Anonymous.

The military officials have the right to do their work, if there is any intelligence concerning all the media houses or any media house, they should not spare them. Your freedom stops where another person starts.

By the way, if you observe the way some of the print media houses operate, you will know their are collabrating with terrorists or have link with Boko Haram in order to disgrace President Jonathan goverment so that the political party their are supporting can take the glory on it and shine. Anonymous Re: Desperate censors at work . By Olatunji Dare . The print media , particularly The Nation should prepare for more crippling attacks ,because of your persistent exposure of corruption , impunity and cluelessness of the present administration to our national disgrace .The Boko Haram issue has exposed our long neglected security and proper intelligence gathering. Our security operatives can be seen to shooting dismally on focus and at totally wrong target . Anonymous No doubt the clampdown signifies President Jonathan’s government has finally fallen into bottomless chasm. It is highly abysmal. Gentlemen of the press it is time to return to trenches.From Prince S.Olu Amuda.

Lagos.

May 29 should be an ordinary day in Nigeria,why June l2 should marked as democracy day,because June l2 give birth to present democracy project.From Gordon Chika Nnorom I just bought a copy of The Nation in a show of solidarity. We are Nigerians, we know what we want, least of all ‘Egyptian style tyranny’. Even more grease! Anonymous This Jonathan government is barbaric ,or how can one explain the rationale behind this callous act of newspapers seizure for no just cause , but they should remember that, we have God o ! From Olowolagba Kayode , Apata , Ibadan .

Sir, can’t the press do a one week warning black-out of government in protest. We allow our governments to get away with a lot of impunity. Anonymous Re: Desperate censors at work: This is not the military at work, this is some people venting their frustration on all of us when protest they thought will wither has continued to gain momentum. First the police treatened, then SSS complained both met resistance from Nigerians fed up with misrule. If newspaper houses and the newspaper proprietors allow this to go on without any challenge, you will be guilty of conspiring to gag Nigerians and usher in decent to anarchy. I know however that if the worst of military dictatorship failed, these must be some joke. Anonymous.

Sir, how I wish the military and their cohorts were so committed and efficient the

For Segun Gbadegesin Re: “Politicising (in)security.” On the issue of state police, we have not practised true federalism it is supposed to be done. We said that we have not matured. When are we going to be matured? It is a common knowledge, as you said, that during the Second Republic, the Nigerian Police was brutally used as an instrument of oppression and harrassment against the oppositon governors by the Federal Government. This abuse of authority has persisted till today, because we failed to learn to decentralise the establishment of state and local police. The United States of America, from where we copied our system of government, does not have a National Police Force, but nine Federal Agencies that have certain police powers to enforce national laws such as Justice Department, FBI and USA Secret Service just to mention a few. On the recent siege of the Media, the Yoruba will say: “Bi eeyan o ba se nnkan itufu ko ni kiye s’eyinkule, a se buburu o ku ara fufu”. The ruling party has greatly miscalculated and this has battered their image the more. The peace in the society is depended on justice, but, so far, the security lapses, has made this a very costily venture. From Prince Adewumi Agunloye Re Politicising [in] security. We must congratulate Dr. Reuben Abati for the Presidency’s clampdown on newspapers, their drivers, vendors and distribution centres and vehicles. We need not wait for excuses. Could we ask him what would have been his reaction were he not in the PDP but at the Editorial desk? From Akinlayo. A. State of Osun.

Politicising (in) security. The Nation of Friday 13/6/14. Let just pray for President Jonathan because of his cluelessness in political governance, that has made him a chess game in the hands of vampires in the villa.

Otherwise he should have known that the only true friends he has today in Nigeria are the pressmen because they have the courage to tell his government the truth about the state of things in the land. From Abdullahi Danja in Abuja Sir,your write up is well articulated and every well meaning Nigerian should caution the presidential recklessness in terms of the usage of Nigeria security to chase superior political opponent. Anonymous Re-Politicising (in) security. There is no doubting the fact, the state governments would abuse the state police than it is currently being witnessed under Federal Government. Some state governments who had always believed and still believe that winning their states by any other political party is a taboo would abuse the state police. Mr President misfired having tactically given directive that Emir’s palace be laid seige around. It was a misnormer! For us to avert trouble, why must another politcal party begin to sweep where another party undertook its campaign when the meaning in Yorubaland is very clear! Why did a government not instal five notice boards from 200 metres to the campaign field showing the OYes men are at work, thus making that assignment, official, if not for troubleshooting.

Please to a greater extent, let the police system remain centralised. From Lanre Oseni.

Policing in a democratic setting like ours has been bastardised! Both Government and Opposition have not been tolerant and patrotic. The honour of our heroes gone have not been replaced. What a country? What a

leadership, What an Opposition, What a political class? Anonymous Sir, I think its baseless recasting the issues of June 12 and the damages the cancellation of that historical election has done to the nation when we the people involved dont seem to have learnt anything from that crime commited against the west, nay the entire south, by the north. Moreso, when nothing in the northern atitude of today shows that given the second opportunity they wouldnt repeat the same criminal act all over again on us. Of course its good we should forget the past and forge ahead with the idea of a new Nigerian nation of our dream.Otherwise one really does not see the difference in the composition and ideology of d northerners that make up d today APC from SDP of Abiola/Kingibe era. From Emmanuel Egwu Common on, because you re seekin for sympathy vote for your candidate, shouldn’t make you go this far to full our daily news editorial with dis bunch of lies. I thought you said an uncle’s friend shared a drink with the son of one of those at the meeting, so the son went as far to tell him all of this? Stop these lies. Anonymous For Gbenga Omotoso Sweet news for Ekiti...Fayose will lose to Fayemi : A Man of Honour...amen From Evang Steves Aloko O, Ido Ekiti I find it difficult to believe that the president whom everybody believes is for all has become a party president. A good leader sees everybody as his or her own, but Jonathan choses to recognise PDP states as his own.

A whole president opened his mouth and said, he can only develop Ekiti if PDP wins.

I s he a president of PDP or that of the whole country? From Hamza Ozi Momoh Apapa Lagos.

Tell me the difference(s) between Jonathan/ Sambo cum PDP on one hand and Shekau and Boko Haram on the other? they are both laying seige on The Nation. while Shekau’s is restricted largely to the north east, Jonathan and his allieds has the whole nation as their Sambisa forest. I tell you Shekau will likely get GEJ presidential nod to fly the PDP’s flag as the gubernitorial candidate in Yobe or Borno in next election, in view of d type of candidates he is throwing up or he be made police affiars minister. Awo saw it coming we might not witness true democracy in our generation. That Bayelsa State born MOPOL that ordered the Ekiti killing is worse than any boko haram member. Nigeria a nation under seige. From Akinola Olotu If that was the outcome of the meeting and the INEC is to be coopted as an acomplice, then we already know what is going to be the agenda of meeting on Osun State election. Do not forget both candidates are ‘’birds of same feather.’’ Nigerians are in real problem in 2015 contending with ‘expired’ Mr. Fix it. They have started it in Kano where they want to lord it over the elected governor in the care of the Emir by congratulating a candidate when the procedure to choose was still on going – From Deroju, Ibadan.

Ekiti Recce time in Abuja . Iam constrained to reply to this piece . But as an Ekiti man living in Ekiti I feel that you are not being objective in your piece. l wonder if you have taken the pains to visit Ekiti State in the last few days. and sample the opinion of the people. Do not forget that it takes two to tango .

Do not blame any aspirant otherwise you will not be an umpire .Please be fair to all after all in politics nobody is a saint or a messiah . I still have my respect for you. From Ojo A. Ayodele, Emure Ekiti

•Fayemi

For Tunji Adegboyega The PDP and its candidates in Ekiti and Osun know that based on performance, they have no chance of winning elections. Their ‘weapon of mass destruction’ is rigging. But let them try it this time and see. From Alhaji Adeboye Lawal.

Tunji, #BringBackOurGirls has now ‘moved up’ to#BringBachFayemi (laughs).

Of course, Fayemi is coming back. We have his name in our church (Celestial) for prayers.

God will listen to us. From Valentine Ojo, Abuja.

I have read your article. While I recognise Fayemi’s achievements, I want to correct you on the social welfare grants to “every old citizen” in the state. I have a 75-year-old mum and an 85-year-old dad in Ijurin-Ekiti who never got anything. From Adubi.

As the Ekiti State governorship election is only a few days away, the electorate should know that their destiny is in their hands. So, they should go for continuity which is Fayemi ‘s progressive governance, to enable him complete the good work that he has started. As they say, ‘the devil you know is better than the saint you don’t know’. Let Ekiti people not allow themselves to be deceived; they should check the record of the last administration. The Federal Government should however let their votes count and nobody should be intimidated. In every contest, there must be a winner and a loser; the winner should carry everybody along so as to move the state forward while the loser should see his fate as an act of God and prepare for future elections. From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

Partisan journalism will not help reflect the other side of the story and the fact is that a growing number of Ekiti residents are pointing accusing fingers at the APC and Fayemi for the fever of violence that has engulfed the state in the build-up to the election. From Kuteyi, R.R., Ondo.

I had been sick since the visit of Mr. President to Ekiti State. Tell me, is it indeed people like Fayose and Omisore that these people can bring forward? The bottom-line is that Jonathan wants us to believe that he is not Pharaoh? Yet, by fielding Fayose, he must have determined to use brute force in the election because that is the only way Fayose can win. It is not unlikely they would announce a winner. Only God we look forward to to disappoint Jonathan. Anonymous.

Sir, I don’t want to believe that you have sucked enough sweet oranges from Ekiti State; but I wish you will permit me to advise that you stop advertising salt and allow Ekiti people elect a governor of their choice. Anonymous.

Even a blind man will tell you that Fayemi is working in Ekiti. If the PDP is blind and cannot see the good work that Fayemi is doing, the good people of Ekiti are there to speak for the governor. PDP is a party of deceit with people of questionable character. If election is conducted 10 times in Ekiti, PDP will lose 10 times because the time of darkness is over in the state. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa, Lagos.

Dear Tunji, Fayemi deserves all the encouragement and support to bring him back.

Fayose has not for one day clamoured for the Chibok girls to be brought back, so, he does not deserve the voters’ support. Ekiti voters will vote against the PDP. From Akin Malaolu.

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BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net Stories by Taofik Salako

‘Boom for cassava producers’

By Daniel Essiet

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multi-million global market has opened for Nigerians interested in producing cassava for exports.

This follows demand-led rise in prices of cassava chips and pellets.

Director, Africa Region, Cassava Adding Value for Africa (CAVA),Dr Kola Adebayo, said global trade in cassava products is likely to rise based on the competitiveness of cassava based products, combined with international demand for cassava as a feedstock for ethanol production.

He said soaring prices of traded food staples, especially cereals have led farmers to turn to indigenous crops as an alternative source to more expensive cereals. He said among these crops, cassava has been at the forefront.

To make profits, cassava roots could be left in the ground by farmers for well over a year and harvested when food shortages arise or when prices of preferred cereals become prohibitive.

With growing support, Adebayo expects cassava production to record strong growth with plans to increase cassava yields over the next five years and stabilise the country’s cassava producing zones.

In addition, he said the demand for cassava by bio-energy sectors has also emerged as a significant driver in the expansion of cassava utilisation, adding that this is accelerating the general price of the commodity.

He said the government’s support for the commercialisation of cassava as a food crop also underpins the current positive prospects.

NLNG is one of the biggest success stories in our country. From what I am told, the company has invested $13 billion so far since inception, and has become a pacesetter in terms of revenue generation for the government.

-Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga

Govt invests $9.5m in air safety

Stockbrokers screen 16 firms, others for NSE’s council T S

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

TOCKBROKERS under the auspices of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and the Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) have drawn a preliminary list of firms and individuals eligible for election into the council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The NSE has scheduled its crucial annual general meeting for July. At the meeting, members of the Exchange are expected to undertake massive overhaul of the council.

Besides the election of new council members, president of the NSE, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has indicated he intends to step down and not seek re-election, paving the way for the first vice president, Mr. Aig AigImokhuede, to take over as president of the council.

The council of the NSE is

By Taofik Salako

the apex governing body of the self regulatory organisation and it I responsible for providing oversight for the Exchange’s business and financial affairs, strategy, structures and policies; monitoring the exercise of any delegated authority; and dealing with challenges and issues relating to corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and corporate ethics.

Sources told The Nation that stockbrokers had formed an election committee, which screened eligible stockbroking firms and stockbrokers that could be elected into the council.

The election committee is chaired by leading stockbroker and investment banker, Mr Chike Nwanze, vice chairman and chief executive of Icon Stockbrokers while Mr

Akin Akeredolu Ale, a director in Abuja-based stockbroking firm-DSU Brokerage Services Limited and general secretary of the Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), is the secretary of the election committee.

A source said the committee has screened and submitted names of 16 stockbroking firms and stockbrokers for further regulatory screening. The stockbroking firms and their representatives included Meristem Securities Limited and Mr. Oluwole Abegunde, Cashville Investment & Securities Limited and Ejeize Ifeyinwa Rita, Signet Investment & Securities Limited and Mr. Aina Oladipo, ICMG Securities Limited and Osime Michael, Trust Yields Securities Limited and Alhaji Rasheed Yussuff and BGL Securities Limited

and Mr. Chibundu Edozie.

Others included Stanwall Securities Limited and Mr. Ofonagoro Onyedikachi, Sigma Securities Limited and Dunama Balami, Greenwich Trust Limited and Mr. Kayode Falowo, Interstate Securities Limited and Mr. Akintunde Odunsi, Fortress Securities Limited and Mr. Yomi Adeyemi, Gem Assets Management Limited and Osagie Ediale, Rencap Securities Limited and Dan Ugwuoke, Vetiva Securities Limited Mr. Chukuka Eseka, Finmal Financial Services Limited and Umaru Kwaranga and Nigerian Stock brokers Limited, which is being represented by Mr. Bosun Adekoya.

Sources said the preliminary list would still be subjected to further scrutiny by both the NSE and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$117.4/barrel Cocoa -$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,396.9/ troy Sugar -$163/lb MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE -N11.4 trillion JSE -Z5.112trillion NYSE -$10.84 trillion LSE -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -8% Treasury Bills -10.58%(91d) Maximum lending -30% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -1% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR 12% Foreign Reserve $45b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238 RIYAL -40.472

•From left: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia, Ambassador Chigozie Obi-Nnadozie; Chairman, Keystone Bank, Mr. Moyo Ajekigbe; Managing Director/CEO, Keystone Bank, Mr. Philip Ikeazor; Executive Director, Mr. Shehu Abubakar; Snr. Technical Assistant to Keystone Bank MD/CEO, Temitayo Olutoye, and Managing Director, Global Bank Liberia, Mr. Philip Olujobi, during a business visit by Keystone Bank officials to the president.

NAICOM mulls risk-based capital to aid solvency

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HE National Insurance C o m m i s s i o n (NAICOM) is exploring the use of risk-based capital for solvency management, its Deputy Commissioner, Finance and Administration, George Onekhen, has said.

He said this is in tandem with its goal of joining other developed industry regulators and operators.

Onekhen said the Commission has started the process of risk-based supervision and would start the implementation soon.

According to him, risk-based capital relates to the risk every insurance company carries. He said what is outstanding is for the Commission to have a framework based on a finan-

CBN rebuffs banks over compliance officers’ status - P 26

By Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

cial statement.

He said for any jurisdiction to apply solvency 2 margin, it must be legal, adding that the issue of proportionality determines what level companies should apply the margin. He noted that in Europe, there is a minimum amount of turnover that firms need to exceed to be required to apply Solvency 2.

“For us to find out the relevance to Nigeria,” he said, “the amount of capital a company has in naira has to be converted to euro, adding that this will show where the companies fall”.

He stressed that most firms in the country are outside this range. He explained that Solvency 2 has three pillars.

He said: “In summary, the area we need to look on is Risk Based Capital and it is being attended to so that, for example, if an insurance firm decides to write motor portfolio only, then it may need just an amount that is proportionate and commensurate with the risk they carry.

He said: “For example, if company A writes motor insurance only and company B writes a combination of motor and aviation, company B will be required to have a higher capital because of the higher level of risk that it carries. Also, if company C writes a combination of motor, aviation and oil and gas, it will be required to have a higher capital than company A and B. So, there

must be correlation between a risk company A carries and the capital which it deployed to do that business. This is what risk based capital is all about.”

Onekhena further explained that Pillar 1 deals with quantitative requirement while Pillar 2 deals with corporate governance and supervisory review process.

Pillar 3 on the other hand deals with market discipline.

“In Pillar 1, there are two items which has to do with the rules on valuation of asset and liabilities and risk based capital. As far as Pillar 1 is concerned, the valuation of assets and liabilities, we have dealt with it by implementing the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS),” he added.

HE Federal Government has invested over $9.5 million in the past few years on critical areas of air safety, the General Manager Public Affairs of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Mr Supo Atobatele has said.

The money, according to the airspace agency’s spokesman, was invested on the installation of instrument landing systems at some airports across the country, the installation of very Omni directional radio range (VOR), the maintenance of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) as well as the training of aeronautical personnel expected to man the technology.

In an interview in Lagos, Atobatele said the automation of aeronautical information service billed to start in October would bring about efficiency and precision in the aeronautical information dissemination.

As part of efforts to improve safety, the agency, he said is deploying very small aperture terminal ( VSAT) facilities and systems for installation at 11 designated centres across the country to automate aeronautical information.

These stations include NAMA headquarters, National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA) headquarters, Lagos, Kano and Abuja.

Others are Port Harcourt, Sokoto Ilorin, Jos, Maiduguri and Wukari.

He said: "The training of aviation professionals both locally and abroad, together with capital investment on critical areas of air safety has cost the Federal government more than $9.5million.

“For without safe air corridors, monitored round the clock by well trained technical crew and modern and regularly maintained tracking systems, the best pilot flying the best aircraft would be a mere accident waiting to happen.

“Good aircraft and good flight crew operating in unsecured skies are potential tragedies."

He continued: "The automation of aeronautical information service billed to commence by October 2014 is expected to bring about efficiency and precision in the aeronautical information dissemination.

‘This would as a consequence, translate into reduction in man hours as most of the paper work would give way to digitalisation.

“It would also integrate the country's aeronautical information system into the System Wide Information Management Network. The benefits of AIS automation are legion."

Living on shoe making

Hurdles before Agent Banking - P27

- P39

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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THE NATION

BUSINESS MONEY

e-mail: money@thenationonlineng.net

CBN rebuffs banks over Compliance Officers’ status

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ANKS are lobbying the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to rescind its directive on the status of their compliance officers (COS).

They want the COS to be of the assistant general manager (AGM) level and not a general manager (GM) as ordered by CBN. But the CBN, according to its Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability (FSS), Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has rebuffed their overtures.

Adelabu, who spoke at this year’s Committee of Chief Compliance Officers of Banks in Nigeria (CCCOBIN) conference in Lagos, said though the need for compliance has imposed additional costs on banks, the right thing has to be done to protect the financial institution from local and international fraudsters.

“For now, we have not granted that request. We are looking at it, but if we are going to come down on it, the public will know,” he said.

He advised banks to always comply with regulations as risks of non-compliance are costly: “If they

Stories by Collins Nweze

think compliance is costly, let them try non-compliance,” he said.

Adelabu said while fraud and corruption were global in coverage, their incidence has become predominant in third world countries, including Nigeria as a result of perverse incentives.

To overcome the challenge, he said, financial institutions were required to keep close check on transactions involving high risk customers such as Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and Financially Exposed Persons (FEPs).

He said it is because of these negative and adverse consequences of these crimes, among others, that regulatory bodies, domestic and international, have set up standards and regulations to curb the menace.

He said Nigeria has adequate legal and regulatory measures that should address breaches to the Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Customer Due Diligence (EDD) provisions. “It is the application of these KYC provisions that

are meant to reveal illegitimate sources of funds and trigger investigation by relevant stakeholders that matters. Like in many developing countries, compliance has been a major regulatory challenge in Nigeria,” he said.

He said the 2013 Global Fraud Report showed Africa has the largest fraud cases. Among other regions surveyed, Sub-Saharan Africa scored 77 per cent as the zone with the most prevalent fraud problems.

For physical assets thefts, it scored 47; corruption, 30 per cent; regulatory or compliance breaches, 22 per cent; internal financial frauds, 27 per cent and misappropriation of organisational funds, 17 per cent. It also showed that 2.4 per cent of the regions revenues are lost to fraud.

The CBN last week said it was worried over poor qualification of Compliance Officers in some banks and discount houses. It revealed that Chief Compliance Officers of some banks and discount houses are below the grade of General Manager without prior approval of the CBN. The CBN said that equally worrisome, is the fact that most of them

•From left: Director for Africa & the Middle East, Institute for International Finance (IIF) George Abed; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Mrs Sarah Alade and Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria Jubril Aku at an outreach by IIF and CBN in Lagos.

‘Nigeria’s high GDP growth rate sustainable’

D

ESPITE the prevailing insecurity, Nigeria’s high economic growth will be sustained between two and three years, an economist has said.

Head of Research at Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan, said despite the rebasing of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth does not appear to have slowed significantly.

The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics data suggests that the economy grew by 5.09 per cent, 6.66 per cent and 7.41 per cent in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, on a rebased basis.

Khan said the authorities expect 6.75 per cent real GDP growth in 2014, and there is a chance that growth will be even stronger than this. “Agriculture is expected to contribute 22 per cent growth to the GDP in 2013; improved power supply should boost manufacturing to seven per cent of GDP), and activity in the trade sector should remain robust. Construction will remain strong, while the share of oil refining in GDP is set to grow,” she said.

Khan said Nigeria has passed a conservative budget for 2014, but anticipated off-budget spending ahead of the election should help

to lift consumption.

“Longer-term, with a larger GDP base, Nigeria’s GDP growth rate may slow. Initially, however, we expect that the exercise of capturing a wider range of activities in different sectors will offset any large base effects. Sample frames are still being extended ahead of a 2016 rebasing, and will be enhanced by new census data and a new ‘Harmonised Nigeria Living Standards Survey’,” she said.

Khan however said more meaningful structural reform will be needed to sustain healthy growth rates. “The question for Nigeria post-rebasing is not so much whether it will still have high growth rates as demographics will determine this to some extent; but whether it can truly move beyond being an ‘allocation’ – or rentier – economy, to becoming more of a ‘production’ economy,” she hinted.

She explained that while the foreign exchange rate has been relatively stable to date, helped by the early June reweighting of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) frontier equities index (which increased Nigeria’s weight to 19 per cent), achieving continued forex stability amid

easier liquidity and falling foreign exchange reserves will be a challenge.

“We forecast inflation back in double digits by year-end, suggesting that further policy tightening may be needed,” she said.

Khan said prior to GDP rebasing, Nigeria had weak revenue mobilisation ratios. Post-rebasing, they are weaker still, with federation oil revenue accounting for nine per cent of GDP, and non-oil revenue for four per cent of GDP, according to our calculations. This, she said, leaves Nigeria with among the weakest revenue mobilisation ratios of Sub-Saharan Africa peers.

Having identified new economic activity, the authorities are likely to intensify efforts to raise tax revenue from these sectors. Postrebasing, Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP falls to only 11 per cent, from an already low 19 per cent. “While some commentators have suggested that Nigeria may be able to increase its borrowing as a consequence, we think that debt service capacity will drive any new borrowing decisions. A continued effort towards boosting transparency is important for Nigeria to maintain investor confidence,” she said.

do not report directly to the Board of Directors. “This is a flagrant disregard to extant laws and regulations on the subject. The CBN circular ref BSD/2/2002 dated August 8, 2002 and FPR/DIR/GEN/001/022 dated July 18, 2013 directed that banks and discount houses should designate Chief Compliance Officers, not below the grade of a General Manager to, among other things, apply the provisions of the relevant Acts and circulars on money laundering at various levels of their institutions,” it said.

It said Section 9(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition)Act, 2011(as amended) also requires them to designate, at management

level, Chief Compliance Officers in their Head Offices and branches, who have the relevant competence, authority and independence to implement their institutions AML/ CFT Compliance Programme.

It said Section 7(2) of Central Bank of Nigeria (AML/CFT in Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria) Regulations, 2013 stipulates that the Chief Compliance Officer shall be appointed at management level and shall report directly to the Board on all matters under the Regulations. The CBN therefore directed that no Chief Compliance Officer in their institutions is below the grade of General Manager without the CBN’s prior approval.

Visa unveils World Cup activation programme

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ISA, global payments firm, and FIFA’s Financial Services partner for the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil, has unveiled its global activation programme during the tournament holding in Brazil.

In a statement, the firm said plan will enhance the sporting experience for millions of fans, clients and partners in 104 countries worldwide.

Visa’s interactive social engagement programs, and a seamless instadium payment technology experience, enables fans at the tournament, or anywhere in the world, to be part of the FIFA World Cup celebration.

Chief Executive Officer, Visa Inc, Charlie Scharf, said: “Our goal is to make it easy, engaging and relevant for everyone, everywhere, to connect to the FIFA World Cup and be part of the collective experience.

From immersive fan engagement programmes to innovative partnerships that help advance the next generation of payment technologies in Brazil, Visa is connecting more people than ever before with this momentous global event.”

He said recognising that the FIFA World Cup is an event that stirs national passions and unites people through their shared love of football, Visa created a series of commercials that underscore the notion that everyone, “every-

where” wants to be part of the tournament.

He explained that as the world turns its attention to the FIFA World Cup, Visa will use more than 60 videos along with interactive tools to engage with viewers, while also customising content and programs based on individual interests and affinities. New capabilities offered by social media partners, including Facebook and Twitter, will enable Visa to more dynamically target and connect with fans, as tournament events and corresponding conversations unfold.

“In Brazil, Visa is working with financial partner organisations and service providers to implement and manage the entire payment infrastructure throughout all 12 FIFA World Cup venues and the international broadcast center. This includes 3,000 contactless-enabled point-ofsale terminals and 75 ATMs, in addition to the 1.4 million contactless payment terminals in Brazil — the largest network of contactless terminals in the world,” he said.

More than 500 banks, merchants and acquirers from 95 countries are leveraging Visa’s pass-through sponsorship rights by creating unique FIFA World Cup programs for their clients. Programs focus on driving usage, acquisition and loyalty, and feature Visa credit, debit, corporate, prepaid, payWave and Visa Signature products.

Access Bank, group raise N100m for UNICEF

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CCESS Bank Group and Fifth Chukker have raised N100 million to support United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) through the Access Bank Charity Shield polo matches in Nigeria The sponsorship provides a platform for supporting orphaned and vulnerable children in Nigeria through its yearly donation in association with Fifth Chukker & UNICEF. Three years ago this platform was extended to the United Kingdom (UK) and this year, for the third year running, Access Bank UK, Access Private Bank, Unicef and Fifth Chukker hosted the ‘Access Bank Day’ at Ham Polo Club.

Access Bank Plc Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe, said the aim of the event at Ham Polo Club was to raise further awareness of the issues and support required.

“Our support for the Fifth Chukker UNICEF initiative comes from the fact that we are conscious of our role as a change agent in Nigeria that can help institute socio- economic development through responsible business

practice and environmental considerations. We are part of the community and as such should support its well-being.”

The Access Bank UK’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Jamie Simmonds said: “We believe we have succeeded in the current financial climate where others have failed through our passion for customers built on relationship and not a transactional approach.

“We offer services that include wealth and asset management, business banking, trade finance and personal banking. This achievement owes a great deal to the strong partnership that we have with our parent company, as evidenced by our joint support of the Access Bank Day at Ham Polo Club.

“Building long term and mutually beneficial relationships with our customers has been key to our development and is an approach we will continue with the aim of creating the most profitable African bank in the UK, and greatly expanding our contribution to Group performance.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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MONEY It has been three years since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced agent banking to boost savings. But the scheme has been bogged down by poor network, the erratic biometric-enabled Point of Sale (PoS) and tedious account opening process, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

Hurdles before Agent Banking S

INCE 2012 when it launched the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been clear about its vision of ensuring that banking is no longer the exclusive preserve of the rich, literate and powerful.

The apex bank also wants to ensure that illiterates keep their money in banks, while distance, cumbersome account opening requirements, lack of awareness of financial products and services should no longer be hindrances to them.

To achieve this, the CBN introduced the Agent Banking Model which liberalised the financial system in favour of the poor.

The CBN’s target is to, via agent banking, reduce the number of adult Nigerians excluded from the formal financial services from 46.3 per cent in 2012 to 20 per cent in 2020, with specific targets for payments, savings, credit and insurance. This, it explained, can only be achieved with the support of the banks.

Operational channels Managing Director, Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), a financial sector development organisation, Ms. Modupe Ladipo, said that promoting financial inclusion in Nigeria and sustaining the country’s development hinge on ensuring that at least 80 per cent of all adults have access to affordable financial services as well as the right environment within which to flourish economically.

She said agent banking model would ensure increased activity in the delivery of banking services outside the traditional brick and mortar bank branches. This, she explained, can be done through additional financial access points such as existing retail stores, petrol stations, post offices or via PoS devices and mobile phones.

But Maduka Okonkwo, a Lagos resident, expressed fears over grassroots banking in the country. He said there are several cases where smaller banks closed shops, and the people lost their money. He said operators of the agent banking project needed to assure depositors that their funds are safe.

Fatai Amoo, Group Head, eBusiness, Sterling Bank Plc, said the bank’s agent banking operation takes security of funds seriously, adding that the bank is determined to have the highest level of agent outlets in the country provided such locations have sizeable number of commercial activities and do not pose any risk to depositors.

“We can only set up in locations that have some semblance of commercial activities. The agent must have a running business, integrity, and be a respected person.

The environment also needs to be secured. We need someone who is able to read and write,” he said during a meeting with agents at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos.

Amoo said agents have better op-

portunity of accessing credit from the bank.

Available services Some of the services expected to be rendered by the agents are transactional, and include: deposits, withdrawal, cash transfer, account opening, cheques request, bills payment and balance inquiry.

But Yusuf Obe, an agent, said though banks promised that the biometric-enabled PoS will help in the payment of utility bills, that service is not available. She also complained of tedious account opening process and inability of the machines to check customers’ account balances. Obe said fixing botched transactions is frustrating and takes months to resolve and that has been very bad for the business.

Other agents also expressed fears encountered in the business such agent fraud, unauthorised fees, loss of customer assets and records, data entry errors, and system failures. Amoo said the bank is working on installing a technology that enables the customer to hear their balances in local languages. “We have all these facilities but they have to be installed in phases so as not to confuse the customers. We also have dedicated team going round, ensuring that nothing goes wrong. We will be in every location that is potentially viable,” he assured.

He said for security reasons, the bank ensures that the agents do not handle more cash than they should ordinarily do. “The agents are economic agents that do transactions and the kind of limit we will allow each of them to do, is also a function of the amount of cash the person can handle,” he disclosed.

He said such agents can also take deposits, but cannot accept deposits above the set limit to ensure they are not exposed to more cash that brings extra security risks around the agent. He said how much an agent earns is a function of volume and value of transactions done. “The agents must be able to go to the bank as quickly as possible to withdraw funds or deposit cash. The more accessible such agent is to the bank, the better,” he said.

Heritage Bank is also one of the banks offering agent banking

• PoS machine

services in the country. The bank had in March launched its agent banking scheme with the opening of what it calls the ‘Corner Shop’ bank in the Gbagada Plank Market, Lagos.

Ifie Sekibo, managing director, Heritage Bank Limited, said the customers now have the opportunity to enjoy financial services without visiting any physical branch location. He said banking services is for everybody. “With the small bank we have opened in the market, we are offering banking services to everybody in this market, irrespective of your educational background and what you do. From this small bank, you can enjoy a lot of banking services, which is available in the bank branches. You can send money to people, receive money from others, buy recharge card. You even send money to people abroad. You can do all these at this corner shop bank,” he said.

Subairu Akano, a trader, said banking is not complete without the customers being able to access credit from the bank. He said there is also need for the bank to assure them of security of funds and efficient services. “We do not want to

hear bad story. We want mutually beneficial banking services,” he said.

Stakeholders speak Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Umaru Ibrahim said though Nigeria has not reached an advanced stage in its implementation of agent banking project, it is making progress.

He said agent banking would go a long way in reaching out to the largely unbanked population, creating banking representations where banks ordinarily do not have enough resources to establish branches. Ibrahim explained that agent banks is a complimentary policy that is worthy of emulation as it provides simple banking services to a variety of people on behalf of various banks.

He dispelled fears that banks with national banking licence would become lax in branch expansion with the introduction of the agent banks, saying “the banks will now be able to decide which will be more cost effective for them in reaching out to their customers, either opening up branches or us-

‘Although banks promised that the biometric-enabled PoS will help in the payment of utility bills, that service is not available. Obe complained of tedious account opening process and inability of the machines to check customers’ account balances. She said fixing botched transactions is frustrating and takes months to resolve and that has been very bad for the business’

ing agent banks.”

Bismarck Rewane of Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited said banks’ commitment to financial inclusion will help reduce the level of poverty and underdevelopment in the country advising that funds and credit must flow with ease to those who need them.

He said viability of agent banking will be determined by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, per capita income, poverty and literacy level, mobile phone and internet penetration, electricity and level of insecurity among other factors.

Paul Eluhaiwe, Director, CBN’s Development Finance Unit, said agent banking requires the engagement of pre-qualified individuals in different locations that are predominantly financiallyexcluded to serve as agents to the bank under the CBN approved model.

Eluhaiwe said CBN’s Consumer Protection Unit has been established to ensure that customers have an adequate level of protection. This, he said, would build consumers’ confidence in the industry as previously unresolved issues are now handled appropriately. He said there are different layers of inspectors ensuring that customers deal with only banks’ approved agents.

He recalled that in 2009, the CBN had commenced measures to open up banking channels to non-bank agents. An amendment to the Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFIA) Act allowed banks to start using agents to deliver financial services. However, it was in 2012 that the financial industry, along with other stakeholders decided to make financial inclusion a top priority and launched a National Financial Inclusion Strategy.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

THE NATION INVESTORS

Seven-Up, Red Star Express to declare T dividends next week HE boards of directors of Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc and Red Star Express Plc may announce dividend recommendations for the immediate past year next week as the directors meet to authorise the annual reports and accounts for the year.

Regulatory filings at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) indicated that the two quoted companies might have finalised their audited accounts and reports and were ready to make dividend recommendations. Both Seven-Up and Red Star Express operates similar year-end of March 31.

Under the listing requirements and corporate governance standards at the NSE, the two companies are expected to submit their audited report and accounts for the year ended March 31, 2014 on or before June 30, 2014.

Post-listing rules at the NSE require quoted companies to submit their earnings reports, not later than three months after the expiration of the period. However, a general extension of one-month grace period earlier granted by the NSE would

By Taofik Salako

still apply to both Seven-Up and Red Star Express, indicating that the final deadline for the submission of their earnings reports might be extended to July 31, 2014, after which they would be sanctioned by the NSE if they failed to submit their earnings reports.

Reports at the Exchange indicated that the board of Seven-Up has scheduled a meeting for next week’s Monday with two main agenda; including final review and approval of the audited report and declaration of dividend.

Also, the board of Red Star Express will later in the week meet to discuss the company’s audited accounts and make dividend recommendation to shareholders.

The two boards are expected to immediately communicate their decisions at the respective meeting to the NSE.

Oando edges ConocoPhillips’ acquisition with $550m deposit

Many market analysts said they expected Seven-Up to increase its cash dividends given its dividend trend in the previous years and the strong performance it had recorded by the third-quarter of the immediate past year.

Seven-Up had doubled pre and post tax profits in by the third quarter ended December 31, 2013, underlining strong top-down growth and efficient sales and financing cost management.

The interim report for the ninemonth period showed that the soft drink bottling company optimized appreciable increase in sales with efficient cost management to deliver its strongest growth in recent period. With nine-month earnings per share already 37.4 per cent above full-year earnings per share in the immediate past year, Seven-Up significantly scaled up performance during the period. Turnover rose by 23 per cent while gross profit increased by 32 per cent. Pre and post tax profits jumped by 191 per cent and 180 per cent respectively.

The nine-month report underlined improvement in the profitability of the company. Gross profit margin increased to 39.42 per cent in 2013 as against 36.65 per cent recorded in comparable period of 2012. Profit before tax margin more than doubled at 9.28 per cent in 2013 compared with 3.91 per cent recorded in 2012.

The nine-month report showed a turnover of N54.95 billion, 22.7 per cent above N44.78 billion recorded in comparable period of 2012.

Gross profit increased from N16.41 billion to N21.66 billion. Profit before tax rose from N1.75 billion by December 2012 to N5.10 billion in December 2013. Profit after tax also leapt from N1.40 billion in 2012 to N3.92 billion. Earnings per share for the nine-month period thus stood at N6.13 as against N2.19 recorded in comparable period of 2012.

Against the background of 70 per cent increase in net earnings per share in 2013, the company had increased cash dividend by 10 per

cent. Audited report and accounts for the year ended March 31, 2013 indicated that basic earnings per share improved from N2.62 to N4.46. The company increased cash dividends to N1.41 billion compared with N1.28 billion distributed for the 2012 business year. This implied a dividend per share of N2.20 in 2013 as against N2 in 2012. Notwithstanding the increase in cash payout, dividend cover increased from 1.3 times to 2.0 times. Net assets per share also increased by 22 per cent from N16.09 to N19.63.

Also, Red Star Express had slightly increased cash dividends in the previous year. Audited report and accounts of the company for the year ended March 31, 2013 showed that turnover rose by 5.0 per cent from N5.03 billion in 2012 to N5.29 billion in 2013. Profit before tax however dropped by 12 per cent from N617.93 million to N544.96 million. Profit after tax was almost flat at N304.53 million in 2013 as against N304.8 million in 2012. Notwithstanding, the company increased cash dividends slightly from N176.85 million to N188.64 million. Dividend per share thus improved from 30 kobo in 2012 to 32 kobo in 2013.

•Gets assurance on $450m global loan

O

ANDO Plc, through its upstream oil exploration and production subsidiary, Oando Energy Resources (OER) Inc, has made a total deposit of $550 million to ConocoPhillips (COP), more than onethird of the $1.55 billion deal for the acquisition of COP’s Nigerian business.

In the latest update on the landmark transaction, Oando indicated that it has also extended the availability period of the $450 million senior secured facility agreement arranged by a group of international banks including Standard Chartered Bank, BNP Paribas and Standard Bank of South Africa Limited to August 31, 2014.

The facility is a five and a half years lending arrangement which amortises quarterly with an annual interest rate of LIBOR plus 8.5 per cent. Proceeds from the facility are intended to be used to fund a portion of the purchase price for the COP’s acquisition. All terms and conditions under the initial executed binding documentation remain unchanged.

According to the company, it had increased its deposit with COP by $25 million to increase total deposits to $550 million.

OER had reached agreement with COP to extend the outside completion date for the acquisition of COP’s Nigerian oil and gas business by Oando till June 30, 2014.

A regulatory filing submitted to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) stated that the extension of the outside date for completion was necessary to enable the companies to satisfy all closing conditions including the anticipated consent of the Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria.

According to the filing, pursuant to an amendment agreement executed on April 30, 2014, OER and COP agreed to extend the outside date for completion of the COP acquisition from April 30, 2014 to June 30, 2014.

Under the terms, OER also agreed to increase its deposit by $25 million on May 30, 2014, if the consent of the Minister of Petroleum Resources is not received on or before May 23, 2014.

Oando had technically concluded the momentous acquisition as it pooled the final financial considerations to complete the $1.55 billion agreement with COP in January 2014. The completion of the financial considerations sealed the deal for Oando, although the two parties will still have to wait for the final approval by the Federal Government.

In December 2012, Oando, through its subsidiary Oando Energy Resources (OER), entered into an agreement with

COP to acquire COP’s Nigerian businesses for a total cash consideration of US$1.55 billion. Oando confirmed at the weekend that it has raised the balance of funds and attained financial closure for the deal, pending the approval of the government.

Oando had made an initial deposit of $450 million to COP. It subsequently undertook many capital raising exercises through a combination of equity and debt including $200 million from a special placement of two billion shares, $100 million through the sale of its subsidiary East Horizon Gas Company and debt from financial institutions totaling $800 million.

While Oando had duly completed all financial commitments regarding the acquisition, closing of the COP acquisition remains subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, including approval from the Minister of Petroleum Resources. COP was said to have already submitted an application to the Minister of Petroleum Resources to approve the transaction.

Speaking recently during a visit to the NSE, group managing director, Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu, confirmed the financial closure and said the group’s acquisition of COP Nigerian assets would dramatically impact on the fortunes of the group going forward.

According to him, Oando will more than double its pre-tax profit to some N100 billion as the integrated energy group looks to unlock immense potential of COP acquisition.

He said with the conclusion of the acquisition of COP, Oando’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) will rise from the current annual average of N45 billion to N100 billion.

He said the increase in earnings would also lead to improvement in dividend payout to shareholders going forward.

He earlier noted that the audacious acquisition is a game changer for Oando as it will immediately position the company as the largest indigenous oil producer in Nigeria.

“We are immensely pleased to have secured all funding to complete our.

We are tremendously excited about the future of our organisation as this acquisition will not only provide significant growth in size and scale; but will substantially strengthen our position in the upstream sector,” Tinubu said.

Oando through OER currently produces 4,500 barrels of crude oil per day from two producing fields, with this acquisition it will start producing circa 50,000 barrels per day from six producing fields.

•From Left: Group managing director, First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Limited, Mr. Bisi Onasanya; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema; Chief Executive Officer, FBN Holdings Plc, Mr. Bello Maccido and Executive Director, Business Development, NSE, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri at the FBN Holdings Plc's "Facts Behind the Figures" presentation at the Exchange on Monday

Afriland Properties launches five-year growth plan

A

AFRILAND Properties Plc, a N10 billion real estate firm, has started implementing a five-year strategic plan that will enhance its asset base and create value for shareholders.

Chairman, Afriland Properties Plc, Erelu Angela Adebayo said the board and management of the real estate firm has started implementing a five-year growth plan that would lead to development of many projects.

According to her, the growth plan will see the company moving progressively from facilities management into the construction of large-scale commercial and residential properties in Lagos and Abuja.

She noted that the malls and estates the company plans to build will not only enhance the lives of ordinary Nigerians but reflect great opportunities for our company and our shareholders.

“We are now in the second year of implementation, which will consolidate Afriland Properties’

unique position in Nigeria’s property industry and establish a foundation for our expansion to other parts of the country,” Adebayo said.

Chief executive officer, Afriland Properties Plc, Mrs. Uzo Oshogwe, said, the company has lined up proprietary projects which would be executed solely or as joint ventures, in addition to a key strategic acquisition, which will increase its asset base and balance sheet considerably in the coming years.

According to her, the Falomo Shopping Centre is the most important project of the company at the moment.

“Our shareholders can expect to see great things from that development, which we have already begun working on,” Oshogwe said.

At its first annual general meeting in Lagos, the company distributed N100 million to shareholders, representing a dividend of 10 kobo per share for the 2013 finan-

cial year.

Afriland Properties was spun off from United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and merged with Heirs Real Estate Limited in December 2013. The merger aligned the long-term interests of both companies and leveraged on their complementary strengths to expand operations and expertise.

Addressing the shareholders, Adebayo said the company recorded an operating income of N595 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, showing a growth of 2,495 per cent above the N22.945 million posted in the 2012. Profit before tax rose by 1,177 per cent from N33.26 million in 2012 to N424.75 million in 2013.

With a portfolio size of over N10 billion and one of the largest land banks in Nigeria, Afriland Properties is pioneering the opportunities presented by an institutional approach to real estate, serving niche markets throughout Africa.

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHWEST STATES

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

PAGE 29

June 12: Abiola’s unfinished ‘presidential’ lodge

INSIDE

Presidential, royal and rotting. Twenty-one years after the dream was conceived, MKO Abiola’s palatial home at the serene and cosy part of Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, still remains a dream, begging to be fulfilled. ERNEST NWOKOLO reports •Continued from Page 30

Woman seeks justice after son disappeared •PAGE 32

‘Most of our politicians have no business in politics’ •PAGE 34

When ‘Auxilliary’ comes to court •PAGE 35

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

30

SOUTHWEST REPORT

•Abiola's brother, Alhaji Musibau

•Mr Akindele

June 12: Abiola’s unfinished ‘presidential’ lodge L

OOKING at the edifice from beyond the gigantic gates, one would almost have the impression of a haunted house.

The uncompleted building sitting in the prestigious Government Reservation Area (GRA) Ibara Abeokuta looked out of place and shape when compared with other houses in the neighbourhood.

As one walked through the gates, an eerie feeling took over, partly from a remembrance of the great man who conceived the idea of building for himself a presidential palace and from the fear of the unknown as one enters into the building.

Inside the building was dark as light only penetrated through the open or leaking portion of the roof. There are many staircases leading to the various rooms in the house forming a labyrinth which some people say was designed to confuse any stranger who gained access into the building without authorisation.

But there are more shocking revelation inside this magnificent building. As one progressed from one part of the house to the other, sound of birds singing above the cellar could be heard, bats hung from several pillars and many other reptiles found a safe haven hiding in one of its many corners.

Welcome to the presidential palace of late businessman and acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. The building which was conceived to serve as Abiola’s personal Presidential lodge upon assumption of office as the President after the historic election, has multiple rooms aside a unit within it said be designed for his wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, who

was assassinated in 1996.

The sitting room is fit to host a gathering of about 1000 persons at a time and the heavily padded concrete pillars supporting the structure shows that the late politician might have had an ambition to erect a building that could withstand intense shock or stress such as shelling.

It was expected, according to a source, to have a sort of Helipad atop for landing of helicopters and the construction had gone well with speed as the building firm hurried to meet the delivery date slated ahead of the envisaged swearing in of Abiola as President of Nigeria in 1993.

But following the annulment of the poll, the arrest of Abiola after the famous Epetedo declaration, the contractor pulled out of site and had not returned till date.

A tour around it, reveals various degrees of degeneration, and buffeted by the elements all year round in the last two decades, the decking leaks whenever it rains just as the steel materials also rust away.

Ironically, every June 12, pro democracy groups, rights organisations and particularly, the Ogun State government, have made it a ritual to remember the late politician and business magnate for his tortuous struggle and sacrificial death that ushered in the current democracy and the attendant freedom being savoured today by most Nigerians.

But during such memorials, no thought is ever spared on how to put life to Abiola’s dream house.

About eight years ago, the premise was overtaken by weeds and shrubs that dwarfed the entire structure. It was also a com-

mon site for some youths who routinely hunt alligator lizards, while a section of it serves as shelter for lunatic couples until they were forcibly ejected by the late politician’s family.

Today, the weeds appeared relatively subdued by Mr Kamoru Akindele who now lives there with his family.

Akindele, a staff of the Ogun State Housing Corporation, told The Nation that he has been living in the premises free of charge in the last eight years with the permission of Abiola’s family.

He said Kola, Abiola’s first son does visit the place occasionally, and would look at the decaying

structure for some minutes before taking his leave.

According to him, there is still hope that Kola would one day rally his brothers and sisters to salvage what is left of the once envisaged Presidential House.

A year ago, Abiola’s younger brother, Alhaji Musibau Abiola, told The Nation that the building is so gigantic that a single individual may not be able to provide the fund required for its completion, and noted that perhaps only government’s help - be it federal or state may salvage the situation.

Musibau said then that the sorry state of the abandoned construction was a source of worry

‘

I think what really matters is to honour and remember him every day, we cannot have a man like that who have fulfilled his purpose for his generation and we fail to honour him, those who want to forget him are deceiving themselves, trying to deny what cannot be denied, I want people to remember him for his sacrifice

‘

and discomfort to the family, lamenting that it was also one of the many losses and setbacks they had been contending with since the aborted June 12, 1993 polls and subsequent death of his brother.

Even two prominent Ogun State indigenes - former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, recently acknowledged the huge sacrifice Abiola paid for Nigeria.

An observer who is knowledgeable about the property, told The Nation that it would require over N60m to rehabilitate or complete the building excluding the cost of fittings.

The observer who does not want his name in print, said there is nothing wrong in the state government taking it upon itself to put the structure in the right shape, and also turning it to a five - star hotel before handing it over to Abiola’s family.

He said this would be one valuable way to honour Abiola by the state government and thus save the late philanthropist’s name from the embarrassment and painful memory the continued sight of the forlorn dream building evokes in passers-by.

On June 12 this year, state government and family of late business magnate and politician, held a prayer session to mark the 21st anniversary of the 1993 Presidential election won by Abiola but annulled by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.

During the one hour prayer session in Abiola’s family house, Abeokuta, prayers were held for the continued peaceful repose of his soul. Ogun State Governor

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

31

SOUTHWEST REPORT Ibikunle Amosun described Abiola as the initiator of Nigeria’s present democracy and someone who would have gladly pitch his tent with the progressives.

Amosun, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, said were Abiola to be alive today, he would surely have been a chieftain in the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The governor noted that the late politician would also have joined the progressives at the recently concended National Convention of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja because he would have be a member of the party.

He said the good people of Ogun State are happy and proud that Abiola hailed from the state and also the second elected civilian president of the country even though he was not installed.

According to him, Nigerians should learn from the lesson June 12 symbolises, that free, fair and credible election should be encouraged by all for a better society.

He said Abiola would be cringing in his grave following the growing insecurity and the attendant challenges, charging the Nigerian government to do more in tackling it.

For Mr Jamiu Abiola, one of the children of the late politician, the federal government should make the lives of Nigerians comfortable and create an environment where citizens can feel free and safe to realise their potentials.

According to Jamiu, his father fought, sacrificed and even died to better the lots of the masses of Nigerians.

Also, Tudun Abiola, the late politician’s daughter, said that her father was a kind man who gave without expectation of getting back adding that he would have been a credible leader for Nigeria.

“I think what really matters is to honour and remember him every day, we cannot have a man like that who had fulfilled his purpose for his generation and we fail to honour him, those who want to forget him are deceiving themselves, trying to deny what cannot be denied, I want people to remember him for his sacrifice.”

A member of the government told The Nation last the week that the issue of Abiola’s uncompleted building is not as simple as it seemed, saying in any case, there is perhaps no formal request for state’s intervention in respect of the structure.

The source who begged to be left out of the matter, said the family, however, have options.

According to him, the building could be given out for public use such as library, it could also be donated to a charity organisation or given to a developer to complete it on an agreed term.

He explained that the only time the government may come in uninvited, and perhaps take possession, is if the building constitutes a risk to humans, especially if it has become structurally weakened with a likelihood of a part or all of it crumbling down on people unannounced.

The source said, the government in that situation can justifiably take possession, possibly flatten the structure to safeguard public safety.

Germany-based publisher hits Ekiti for Fayemi As the Ekiti State gubernatorial election draws near, incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kayode Fayemi has been receiving support from many sides, including the Diaspora. The publisher of a Germany-based international magazine, The African Courier, Femi Awoniyi, hits Ekiti, stumping for the governor SEUN AKIOYE writes

‘

•Awoniyi addressing some youths

F

OR three weeks, Femi Awoniyi, the publisher of the Germany-based international magazine, The African Courier has been spreading a simple message in his home state of Ekiti: “Re-elect governor Fayemi for continued development of Ekiti State.”

His model for conveying this message is in the form of interactive sessions with the youths, town hall meetings and mass rallies in all the electoral wards in the state.

“Ekiti has never had it so good like in the past three-and-half-years and we should not stop the progress train,” said Awoniyi, an indigene of Ipole Iloro-Ekiti. “Everywhere you travel to in the state you see the positive touch of government.”

His constant message on the campaign trail is that Ekiti will witness even more progress if Fayemi is reelected and this message so reinforced has assumed a prophetic stance. ”There will be a boom in industrial development if Fayemi wins,” he predicted. “We direly need investment in the state to complement the good job that Fayemi is doing to enable us lay a solid basis for self-sustaining social and economic development of the state and that investment will only come if the business climate is right.”

Awoniyi should know about development. Before becoming a journalist, he studied metallurgical engineering and worked in steel making and auto manufacturing for many years and living in a developed country for many decades has created a yearning for development.

The publisher has been busy on the campaign trail. On June 5, he organised a rally in Ipole-Iloro, where over 300 people attended and also participated in the 10-km march though Ado-Ekiti by hundreds of youths which ended with a rally at the Moremi Park, on June 9. The event was to protest the killing of a

The reason why we came to campaign for Fayemi is to contribute to the development of the state because a vote for him is a vote for the future •Awoniyi young man a day earlier by the police and also to protest against the rude behaviour of the police towards Governor Fayemi, he addressed the rally.

He has also organised youth forum in Aramoko. It was attended by more than 100 youths and several adults including the chairman of the local government and several councilors, where he appealed to them not to be swayed by those offering them cash for their votes, and to stand with Governor Fayemi for the continued progress of the state.

The publisher, who is the convener of the Ekiti Diaspora Europe 2014, an organisation of Ekiti indigenes in Europe which has been organising seminars and workshops on the gubernatorial election in Germany and England also revealed that many overseas-based Ekiti State indigenes are in the coun-

try working for the re-election of Fayemi.

“The reason why we came to campaign for Fayemi is to contribute to the development of the state because a vote for him is a vote for the future,” he said his eyes burning with optimism.

He explained that despite living abroad, Ekiti indigenes in the Diaspora yearned for progress in their home state after seeing what damages seven years of insecurity, political instability and corruption did to the state before Fayemi became governor in 2010.”We have to stay on the path of progress that we have embarked on,” he said.

Awoniyi hopes that Ekiti people will be allowed to freely and peacefully exercise their voting rights, warning against any attempts to manipulate the election. “Nobody can run roughshod over Ekiti people without dire consequences

‘

for the country,” he said, expressing his fears of a violent upheaval if the results of the polls were tampered with.

“President Jonathan will discredit himself in world opinion if insecurity spreads to the southern part of the country as a result of his party’s attempts to rig elections,” Awoniyi warns.

Finding Awoniyi on the campaign trail should be easy, most evenings in Ado-Ekiti, he could be seen at the parks, crowded street corners, restaurants and other popular places where people frequent, handing out flyers - which he printed from Germany - to the people and speaking to whoever cares to listen. Looking at the solitary campaigner, one is reminded of an old preacher who is dedicated to preaching the good news of his God.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

32

‘

SOUTHWEST REPORT

Agony of a mother

If they have killed my son they should tell me and show me were they burried him. If he is still alive and is being held, they should please release him for us.

All we want is for them to bring Nonso back. The pain has been unbearable and seeing the people, who took my son away move about freely with the help of the police, is painful

Woman seeks justice after son disappeared •Lawyer petitions police over officer’s role

‘

Six months after her son Nonso left home with boss for ‘work’ and has not returned, the distraught mother Chika Nwoye is worried that the suspects are working around freely even as she decries the police handling of the matter. PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU reports.

W

HEN on November 26, 2013, a food vendor, Mrs. Chika Nwoye reluctantly allowed her 20-year-old son, Nonso Nwoye to follow his boss, Adeyemi Musa for a purported outside work in Calabar, little did she know it would be the last time the family would see him.

The last seven months have been hellish to Nwoye who now looks a shadow of herself.

Her situation was further compounded after her suspicion of police protecting the culprits was confirmed by a Lagos Magistrate, Mrs. S. O. Solebo who lambasted the police for shady investigation.

Mrs. Solebo while admitting the suspects to bail at their first arraignment held that: “The section under which this matter has been brought before this Court allows for bail. If you had come under a different Section of the law, then, I may have considered your application to deny the defendants bail. You may need to amend your charge.”

But for the intervention of a human rights lawyer, Monday Ubani, who petitioned the Area B Command of the Nigerian Police based demanding a probe into why Nonso’s boss’ statement was not in the case file, Nwoye would not have known that her son’s bag and slippers found in custody of his alleged abductors were not before the court as exibits.

In a bid to cover up its track and justify the huge money allegedly collected from the suspects, the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba had earlier this year, arraigned George Okoye, Jamiu Musa and Abuchi Joseph before Mrs. Solebo in connection with the crime.

Prior to the arraignment of three of the suspects, two police officers at Panti allegedly demanded N200,000 from Nonso’s parents as money for investigation but they could not afford same.

A police source who was not happy with the way his colleagues went about the issue told

The Nation that the culprits had hoped the court would strike out the case after three adjournments for want of diligent prosecution but were caught off guard after the presiding Magistrates picked interest in the case.

Nonso, a tile apprentice at Oduade market, Orile was picked up from his parents house at Apapa by a vehicle sent by his boss, (Adeyemi Musa) who had pleaded with Nwoye to allow Nonso follow him for a purported trip to Calabar that fateful day.

Having not visited Calabar herself and considering the fact that it was late, Nwoye said she objected to the trip and asked her son to go inside the house.

“But his boss later called me, pleading with me to allow Nonso travel with them to Calabar, assuring me that nothing evil will happen.”

After much pleadings, she said she reluctantly accepted to allow Nonso travel with them but on the condition that they would not leave for Calabar that night.

“His boss accepted and promised me they will all sleep at his place so that early the following morning, they will leave for Calabar.

“By this time, a car, which was brought by one Abuchi to carry my son was already infront of our house. He took his bag and joined the driver and his conductor to go to his boss’ place and I was called by his boss that they were together,” she narrated.

Trouble started after Nwoye could not reach her son on phone. She had tried calling for two days and the boy’s number was switched off.

“We were worried because it was unlike Nonso not to have called that they have left for or gotten to Calabar. Even if he had no network or airtime, he would look for a someone else’ phone to contact us.

“When I could not reach him that day they were supposed to leave (November 21), I called his boss and he said they arrived Calabar safely.

“I told him I want to speak with my son and he said Nonso was downstairs, while he was upstairs. He gave me this response severally such that I became uncomfortable and insisted I must speak with Nonso, then, he switched off his phone.

“From that day, each time I called, he would say he is busy and will call back but he never did. It continued like that until one week passed. Nonso had told me he would be away for two weeks and would return to Lagos

by December 4.

“So, my husband and children said we should be patient, since he said they will spend two weeks on the trip. But when the return date was approaching and we have not spoken to our son yet, his boss stopped taking our calls. Even his boss’ brother, Jamiu, who they said also went on the trip was not taking our calls,” she said.

When the proposed arrival date passed and Nonso did not come home, Nwoye said she stormed the Oduade Market and reported to the leadership of the market union because his son was a registered member.

“I told them how Musa, Jamiu, Abuchi, a driver called Benjamin and his conductor took my son away since November 20 and we have not seen nor heard from him.

“It was Abuchi who arranged the driver. We knew through Nonso’s friend who was to travel with them but later changed his mind. So, I also told the union that Musa has stopped taking our calls and have not said any reasonable thing since he pleaded with me to allow Nonso travel with them.

“After my complain, the leaders called Musa and within two minutes, he came to their office.

At that point, they asked him where Nonso is, and he said armed robbers attacked the vehicle at Shagamu.

“He said that he did not travel with them. That they (Nonso, Benjamin and the conductor) left for Calabar that same night and they were attacked by armed rob-

whether the robbery incident in Shagamu or missing person was reported to Ogun police and he said no.

“They also asked him if the armed robbers killed anyone or took anyone away, and Musa said the driver said no. He said they all ran into the bush and all came out after the robbers had left.

He said the robbers had no guns, only sticks.

“That after the attack, Nonso said he was going back to Lagos.

But those people claiming my son said he was returning to Lagos still have my son’s bag and slippers. So, how did he leave Shagamu for Lagos without his slippers and bag?” She

•Nonso

bers at Shagamu.

“Musa, who I have been calling since November 21, and he

would say my son is downstairs, told the union people that it was the driver who told him and that

the Calabar job was suspended.

“They asked why he did not report to the union or the police and

queried.

After many arguments at the Oduade Market, the Market leaders advised her to report the case at Pako Police Station, Olodi Apapa, which she did and the suspects, including Adeyemi Musa were arrested.

“Four of them were taken to the station by the union but to my surprise, they were released. Some days later, the matter was transferred to Area B and the four of them were brought back and that was how the Area Commander, after listening to all involved, said the matter should be transferred to Panti.”

“Meanwhile, while the matter was still at Area B, the driver (Ben-

33

jamin) confessed that Nonso was being held at an uncompleted building in Shagamu. He gave the address of the place and told the police that the building is near the Shagamu Police Station.

“So, with the help of the Area Commander, we got a paper, which we took to Shagamu Police Station and got a search warrant. Policemen from Shagamu led the operation and 10 occupants were arrested.

“They were handed over to Area B and were later released before the matter went to Panti. All other suspects, except Benjamin and Jamiu were released, while Musa and Abuchi absconded after their release from Area B. “If they have killed my son they should tell me and show me were they burried him. If he is still alive and is being held, they should please release him for us. All we want is for them to bring Nonso back. The pain has been unbearable and seeing the people, who took my son away move about freely with the help of the police, is painful,” said Nwoye.

Missing statement and exhibits in case file To the dismay of Ubani and Magistrate Solebo, Adeyemi Musa’s statement was not in the case file before the court despite the fact that he was detained at Pako Police Station and subsequently invited to Area B, neither were Nonso’s bag and slippers recorded as proof of evidence.

In a petition dated May 14, addressed to the Area B Commander against the Investigating Police Officer, one Inspector Funmi, Ubani wondered why Adeyemi Musa’s statement was not in the case file and why he was not being charged alongside

Little Victoria needs N500, 000 for hearing aids S

HE is beautiful, smart and intelligent. She is also kittenish and has all the features of a normal child. When she sees anyone, her smiles, electrifying as ever, attract you to get close to her and start to ask the natural questions: baby how are you? What is your name? In what class are you?

Expecting that she will respond to your questions, you will begin to imagine if all is well with the pretty little three-year-old damsel.

Her intense cheery gaze at you is the only natural way of responding to your inquiries. This is the situation with little Miss Victoria Udoh who has a hearing challenge.

According to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Udoh who reside at No. 9, Isheri-Oshun Road in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State and hails from AkwaIbom State, little Victoria’s challenge began immediately she was given birth to. Her mother, Mrs. Anthonia Udoh told our correspondent in tears that “while giving birth to her, I had prolonged labour before I was delivered of Victoria.

I was very weak and, according to the doctors, because of stress, the baby was affected.

“Since then, we have been going from one hospital to the other for treatment. It was a doctor at one hospital in Mushin that told us that she would walk. She didn’t walk in time. We waited for two years before she started walking. We also waited for some time to see signs that she will talk. She did not talk.

“We also took her to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja where we further explained our experiences to Dr.

By Chinaka Okoro

Yahaya of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department. He referred us to the Nigerian Army Audiological Centre, Yaba Lagos for tests. We went and a test was carried out on Victoria.

“When the result of the test was released, the doctor explained that Victoria’s hearing ability was only 50 per cent which does not indicate deafness. According to the doctor, this means she will use some hearing aids to enable her to hear and talk. She also said Victoria needs to be in a special school. The cost of the hearing aids is N500,000 for a pair and for the cost of the special school.”

Mrs. Udoh expressed a fundamental fear about the workings of Victoria’s mind, which she said is very dangerous. For instance, she said: “She may see burning fire and will not know that it hurts. The next action she takes is to go into the fire. She also does not know that certain objects can wound her and she continues playing with such instrument, including electrical appliances. What I do is to keep beyond her reach anything that may harm her. The doctor said we should not blame such attitude on her because she does not know what she is doing.”

Her husband corroborated his wife’s account.

A medical report issued by Nigerian Army Audiological Centre, 68, Nigerian Army Reference Hospitals of March 17, 2014 and signed by the Director Nigerian Army Audiological Centre, Dr Irene Okeke-Igbokwe states:

“This three-year-old female child presented with hyperactivity, delayed speech and language acquisition and inability to hear well Au was seen on March 17, 2014 for a complete audiological evaluation, otoacaustic emission and auditory brainstem response.

“The parents who accompanied child to the evaluation reported that child was delivered through caesarian and had jaundice after birth.

“At age one year, our child had ear infection and was treated with series of drugs and antibiotics (unknown). Presently, child is in school and academic performance is “unsatisfactory” and communicates through signs and gestures. “Au-

tistic traits” were observed during evaluation.

“Atoscopic examination revealed clear normal external auditory meatus and normal tympanic membranes Au. “Visual re-enforcement audiometry was conducted in sound field using live voice (i.e. calling name), FM tones and narrow band noise.

Child localised at 75dBHL. OAE and ABR were conducted to determine the integrity of the cochlear and retro-cochlear functions respectively.

Tympanometry: Type (A) normal tympanogram revealed normal middle ear air pressure and normal tympanic membranes mobility Au. Acoustic reflexes: Ipsilateral

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At age one year, our child had ear infection and was treated with series of drugs and antibiotics (unknown). Presently, child is in school and academic performance is “unsatisfactory” and communicates through signs and gestures. Autistic traits were observed during evaluation

‘

acoustic stapedial reflexes were absent from 500Hz to 4000Hz Au. Transient Evoked Otoacoustic emission reveal poor omission from 1.5 KHz to 4.0 KHz indicative of abnormal outer (sensory) hair cells dysfunction and DPOAE is indicative of abnormal function from 2.0 KHz Au. “Artifact rejection was very low due to limited physical movement.

“A latency intensity function was conducted at 50.00 clicks per second. Observable repeatable waves I, III and V were identified at 100dBHL and repeatable wave V identified down to 60dBHL Au. “Patient’s hearing is not adequate for speech and language acquisition.”

In the circumstances, she recommended pediatric neurologic investigation, speech evaluation/ therapy; total communication and habitation should be included in her daily activities, individualised educational plan and annual audiological re-evaluation to monitor patient’s hearing sensitivity.

The parents are appealing to government, corporate bodies, nongovernmental organisations (NGOS) and public-spirited individuals to help them raise the N500, 000 to enable little Veronica Udoh to live her normal life again. They need to acquire the hearing aids as quickly as possible and send he to the recommended special school as directed by the doctors.

Any donations towards helping the little girl can be made to Diamond Bank Plc, Account name: Solomon Udoh, Account number: 0038063274. For more enquiries contact the parents on 08185282349.

•Little Victoria

the other suspects.

“It only seems reasonable to think that Mr. Adeyemi Musa in whose custody and care Nonso Nwoye was, should be made answerable in law on the whereabouts (dead or alive) of Nonso Nwoye and his body.

“The police ought to have taken his statement down upon arrest and the exhibits (Nonso’s bag and Shoes) should properly be before a superior court of record under a clear charge of murder as against the former charge of Kidnapping.”

Ubani demanded that Adeyemi Musa, who is the prime suspect be apprehended, arraigned and remanded alongside others directly or indirectly involved in the mystery surrounding Nonso’s disappearance or murder since November.

“The production of the exhibits (shoes and bag) discovered upon investigations to be the property of Nonso Nwoye “We humbly request in the spirit of justice that the statement of Mr. Adeyemi Musa be obtained to decipher his connectivity to the where about (dead or alive) of Nonso Nwoye “The production of the body of this 20-year- old Nonso Nwoye (dead or alive) which has not been investigated since November 26, 2013 till date (within six months duration) “That the charge of Kidnapping be substituted for the charge of murder under the clear provisions of Sections 159, 161 and 172 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), the Criminal Code and under the relevant Section of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State (ACJL),” said Ubani.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

34

SOUTHWEST REPORT

C

ONVOKING again 38 years after, how does it feel?

It’s very exciting, quite exciting than any other degree. Obtaining first or second degree was exciting, but thirty-eight years after leaving university, it’s more exciting.

What informed your decision to go back to school?

After my wife passed on in June 2009, I discovered that I had so much time in my hands especially after the ill-fated electioneering of 2010.

I thought of what I could do to maybe, take part of the pain off and also something I could do for her sake. That’s one. The major reason which is the second reason is that I have been offered different honorary degrees from different universities that I rejected and I said if I rejected those honorary degrees can I work for one? My decision for doing something for my wife now pushed me on to go ahead and earn a Ph.D degree.

Some might want to say that Elder Oyelese went back to school because he has not held any political post in the last 10 years. Don’t you think so?

Let me make something very clear: I see political appointment as a call to service. So if you are called to come and serve, it becomes a privilege. If I’m not called it’s no big deal, so having not held a political post in 10, 20 or 30 years really to me, means nothing because it simply means I have not been called to serve.

What was your first day back at school 38 years after graduation like?

Well, it was quite exciting because having left the classroom for so long it was strange having to be back in the classroom with somebody right in front there, not delivering one of those lectures you go to once in a while, but actually teaching you. I remember the first day; I took a recorder with me because I felt: let me record, maybe the brain will not be able to recall what was being taught in class. So I took a recorder along with me but that was the last time I did that because I now discovered that the stuff was still there. It was an interesting experience especially when you see the younger ones, maybe the age of your children or maybe the ones your children are older than. So, it was quite interesting. And I felt it was a different feeling and after that time each time that I was entering the university campus, I always had this feeling of ‘this is where I belong.’ The academic environment, this is where I belong.

Does it mean that you felt you were back to a system you believe that you were wired for?

In a way we could say that. I do a lot of writing and reading. And I cannot see myself sitting down. The only time I sit down doing nothing is when I have visitors or when my fellow politicians visit me and we have to hold meetings but otherwise you will not find me sitting down doing nothing. I will be busy reading and writing. So I’m used to writing and reading. So you could link that to the university environment. That’s what you do anyway, if you are in the university environment, you read, you write. Yes, I think you are right when you said I feel at home when I’m in an academic environment.

Having identified this as your talent would you then says the years you’ve spent in politics are really worth it, given the talents that you have?

Yes you see. I have to thank God for what he has made of me. I’m multi-talented, both in the art and in the sciences. But I will never consider the years I have spent in poli-

He has been a politician for most of his adult life, yet Elder Wole Oyelese, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, a one-time Minister of the Federal Republic who recently bagged a Ph.D in Political Science, 38 years after his first degree, believes that most of the present crops of politicians in the country have no business being in politics. He spoke with BISI OLADELE

‘Most of our politicians have no business in politics’

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

slogan now is: it is possible. It doesn’t mean you cannot achieve it. You can achieve it but the commitment must be there. Above all, you must be ready to learn because your lecturers and professors know more than you. It goes beyond just reading, there is a lot of learning that you have to do. How do you write your papers? It’s not something you just take and you begin to write like you write a composition. So, there is a lot of learning to do from those people who have gone before you, your lecturers and your professors. Once they see that a student is willing to learn, they are also willing to assist.

Having held political offices and participated deeply in the academic world, what do you think about the town-and-gown in Nigeria?

First and foremost, let me just say that we are all politicians. Those in the academics, those in actual politics - we are all politicians. You will now see that you can define it and say this person is a political scientist and this other person is a politician. In other words, maybe you can now say some people are theorists and other people play practical politics and you find out that sometimes practical politics may not be in any textbook. So, if you ask me as somebody who has tasted the two sides, I can tell you that you need to have that education to be able to play politics the way it should be played. We have problems in Nigeria today because most of the people who are in politics today don’t have any business to be in politics. Many of the people

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If God has given you the grace to use the talents He has given you it should be used and you just have to be grateful. So, I thank God that He has given me the opportunity to serve in such political positions where I could in my own small corner, make a difference

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S part of Lagos State Government’s intervention in bridging the housing gap, Lagos State Ministry of Housing has churned out a total of 11 blocks consisting of 88 units of 4 bedroom and 4+1 bedroom maisonettes along with accompanying infrastructure at Gbagada Phase 2A. The Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje at the handing over ceremony said the housing scheme is a product of the administration’s commitment to meet the increasing demand of housing as with continuous influx of people into the state every day.

He said: “As you are all aware that twenty-two percent of Lagos land mass consists of water, this has made it essential to make optimal utilisation of land. With this and the continuous influx of people into the Lagos metropolis with an estimated current population of 22 million, this has necessitated the unrelenting efforts of the Lagos State government to provide livable housing units for the people.”

According to him, the construction scheme commenced during the tenure of the former governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2002 but was re-awarded and completed under the incumbent administration through awards to various contractors.

He said: “In May 2009 the continuity in government policy and the commitment of our administration to complete this and all such projects, resolved to reaward the contracts for completion. The successful result of one of these efforts is what we are witnessing today.”

Jeje asked firms to help bridge the housing gap by investing in the real estate sector as it is viable and lucrative to invest in. He added that this will in turn provide more employment and respond to the yearnings of the low and the medium income earners.

He added that the state government has also adopted a mortgage policy called LagosHOMS a rent to own programme.

A

•Elder Oyelese tics and I’m still spending because I’m still in politics as years where I was doing things that are different from what you may believe I was actually cut out for or wired for. I would rather look at it from this angle: if God has given you the grace to use the talents He has given you it should be used and you just have to be grateful. So, I thank God that He has given me the opportunity to serve in such political positions where I could in my own small corner, make a difference.

What does it really take to obtain a Ph.D in terms of effort?

It’s hard work. You see, Ph.D is not an easy degree to obtain. But it all depends on what you want to achieve but you have to do a lot of reading. In your particular field you have to go outside of yourself.

You have to reach out, you have to do a lot of reading because you don’t want to get to a situation where discussions come up and you cannot contribute. So, you have to read and when you are doing your course work, you’d better do well.

If you don’t do well in the course work, you cannot go to the field.

So, what it takes is hard work. If the foundation is wrong, by the time you want to do your thesis, it will show, because when you want to do your thesis, depending on the topic you have chosen, you now have to dig deep again, especially for the literature. You have to really dig deep and without reading you cannot do it. Ph.D is not a joke, it’s not a carnival. It calls for hard work. I’m not saying it to frighten anybody but that’s the truth. My

Fashola inaugurates luxury flats at Gbagada GRA

in politics today are in politics for money, for how much money they can steal and that’s the truth. Many of the people in politics today do not even know what politics is all about. So I think you need that education, maybe not necessary as a Ph.D holder but you need that education.

Do they need it for their minds to be very developed?

Oh yes. You have to be able to do comparative politics. In other words, what is it like in other climes? In Nigeria, the kind of politics we are playing is not a participatory politics that can bring about development. Whereas we mouth so many things but we are not practicing participatory democracy. So it’s not disconnect, it’s a matter of people who have knowledge of politics theoretically having an advantage over those people who are just in politics because they love the idea of being called politicians. That is why you find out that if the right calibre of people is not there, you cannot improve on governance.

Yes, you are right, our political orientation is wrong and things must be righted. So, that’s what politics should be. For now, people see politics more in terms of accumulation of wealth rather than service.

Now, when people call you Dr. Oyelese, how do you feel?

Well, one has to get used to it.

When they call me Dr. Oyelese, there is a feeling of satisfaction, a feeling of accomplishment. That’s what I feel that I have accomplished this thing and I feel happy. It’s not an honorary thing. It’s not something that was dashed out to me.

It’s something that I worked for. It’s something that God crowned my effort with. So when they call me Dr. Oyelese, that’s my name. That’s my title.

Now that you have acquired a Ph.D in Political Science, as an astute politician, if any university approaches you to come and become a lecturer, what would be your response?

I’m already having offers. But I think I still have some things to give out to the public in certain capacities before going into the academic world if I eventually set to.

This is because It would be difficult for me to leave the academic world if I go in now to go and do any•Continued from Page 35

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As you are all aware that twenty-two percent of Lagos land mass consists of water, this has made it essential to make optimal utilisation of land. With this and the continuous influx of people into the Lagos metropolis with an estimated current population of 22 million, this has necessitated the unrelenting efforts of the Lagos State government to provide livable housing units for the people

‘

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

35

SOUTHWEST REPORT

W

HEN Mr Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxilliary), a factional leader of the Oyo State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), was brought to court for arraignment at a magistrate court in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Monday last week, not a few concluded that he may be facing his new travail all alone.

Brought to court amid tight security, Auxilliary alighted from the police Sport Utility Vehicle wearing a white loose garment commonly adorned by Muslims (jalabia) mostly for prayer purposes, looking deserted and lonely.

The heavy presence of over 200 policemen around the court premises which prevented his supporters from getting near the complex to express any solidarity somehow weighed down his spirit. But he still managed to brave the situation by either exchanging banters with the policemen escorting him to the court room or reporters massing him for a good snapshot.

Auxilliary, who had been paraded in Lagos by the police, was re-arrested in Ibadan after he was released on bail in Lagos. He was paraded for allegedly purchasing arms from an illegal Lagos-based arms dealer and being in possession of guns and ammunition.

The former factional chairman of the NURTW was arraigned on a two-count charge of murder.

Heavy presence of the policemen around the court premises as early as 7:00 am had sent signal to lawyers, residents and litigants that a notorious person was slated for appearance on the fateful day. The security personnel were strengthened by four Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and seven police trucks obviously to ward off Auxilliary’s supporters who might wish to storm the court in solidarity with their leader or attempt to cause mayhem.

After reporters and lawyers had waited for a while, Auxilliary was brought to court in a Prado SUV. He looked helpless as both uniformed and plain clothed policemen guided him into the court room while reporters and observers watch with glee, the man that was alleged to have troubled the peaceful waters of Oyo State along with other unionists.

The case was registered in court 10 as ‘Commissioner of Police VS Mukaila Lamidi. The court is presided over by Magistrate O.K Omotoso.

Auxiliary’s charge sheet with charge no MC/6899 reads: “That Auxiliary with others at large on 2nd day of March, 2014 at about 22:10hrs at Mustard filling station, Iwo Road, Ibadan Magisterial Dis-

When ‘Auxilliary’ comes to court As Mukaila Lamidi, better known as Auxilliary returns to court in Ibadan, Oyo State today to answer murder charges, TAYO JOHNSON recalls the first day the factional chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) appeared before a Magistrate in the ancient city.

‘

Boko Haram is there, you can’t go for them, am I the one that is notorious? ...I know all of you are taking my photograph to disgrace me publicly, when I get out I will deal with all of you squarely

‘

•Alhaji Mukaila Lateef (aka Auxilliary), with policemen trict did conspire with others still at large to commit felony to wit; murder and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol.11 laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000”.

“Count II: That you Mukaila Lamidi ‘M’ (a.k.a Auxiliary) and others at large on the same date, time, place and at the aforementioned Magisterial District did cause the death of one Adekunle Oladipupo, ‘M’ by shooting him with gun and thereby committed an offence punishable under section

319 of criminal code 38 vol. II laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.”

After pleading “not guilty” to the charge, he was remanded in Agodi Prison while hearing was adjourned to June 18.

He however showed disgust as photojournalists swooped on him, taking shots. He said: “Boko Haram is there, you can’t go for them, am I the one that is notorious?”

He then went ahead to threaten: “I know all of you are taking my photograph to disgrace me publicly, when I get out I will deal with all of you squarely.”

He also did not stop pestering the policemen as he kept demanding that he be allowed to visit the toilet.

Reacting on behalf of his client, Defence counsel, Olumuyiwa Makinde, said Auxiliary’s arrest and arraignment were politically motivated.

According to him, the charge was just a ploy to keep him out of the public arena where he could express his freedom, especially as the race to 2015 general elections hots up.

His words:”He has been in deten-

tion for the past seven weeks. There is no prima facie evidence against Auxiliary. It is just to hold him so that at the end of the day, he would be out of circulation” But Governor Abiola Ajimobi, while fielding questions from reporters at a media chat to mark the third anniversary of his administration in the state, denied Auxilliary’s allegation. He queried if the government was the Lagosbased illegal arms dealer who named him as one of his customers. Auxilliary was arrested and taken to Lagos to explain possession of arms found with him.

Ajimobi said apart from the case in Lagos, Auxilliary is wanted by the Oyo State Police Command for his alleged role in the killing of innocent people in the state.

‘Most of our politicians have no business in politics’ •Continued from Page 34 thing else because, like I told you, each time I enter any university campus, there is always that feeling of ‘this is where I belong.’ So, if I go in there now I won’t be able to accomplish other things I want to accomplish.

Don’t you think it is possible for people to think that you will prefer active politics because of the money in it rather than being a lecturer?

People know me. They know that money is secondary to me. The people know me, even when I was the minister they know me. They know I wasn’t a minister to acquire money. Every opportunity I had, I give it to people to make money.

This is the truth. Go and ask, all the opportunities I had people call it opportunity but I call it a way of improving people. I let contractors

go and work to make money. So I don’t think anybody will think I want to be governor or president because of money.

Your first degree wasn’t in Nigeria? And now your highest degree was obtained in Nigeria. From your practical experience at Babcock University, what would be your three top priorities if you were appointed Minister of Education tomorrow?

One thing we have to admit is that education is failing in Nigeria I don’t want to say has failed. Education is failing in Nigeria. In the 1960s, when we left the secondary school, we knew what was happening in universities, even up till early seventies, we knew that the standards in our universities were high. We cannot say the same thing today. You talk to a 300-Level student of some universities and you begin to wonder what they are

teaching them? So, if I were in a position to deal with our education, the first thing I want to see done is improve the standards. I don’t know how much the curriculum has changed but what I’m saying is that in those days when you left university, you are sound. You cannot say the same thing today. Maybe the percentages of those you can say are really sound are not up to 10 of those people that are produced.

Something is wrong somewhere. It may not be the entire fault of the university but there is something that is wrong. And that thing that is wrong should be righted. Education is not well funded in Nigeria.

If we are going to make any difference, we need to fund education.

In what ways do you think education can be better funded in Nigeria? Is it by the government just pumping in money or students paying high fees?

In fact, education, as much as possible, should be made free.

Up to what level sir?

Everybody in this country should have secondary education. Then, incentives should be provided at the tertiary levels. What do I mean by that? It may not be because somebody’s parents are poor so that person may not be able to get secondary education. There are students who are willing to work with their hands and earn a living and pay for their education. In Babcock University for instance, some students are employed and they get paid. Most of them use the money to maintain themselves and sometimes pay for their education. I think the Federal Government should begin to look into areas where students would be encouraged to use their hands and earn a living to support the funding of their education. It will begin to

change their orientation. As a student in the United States, I had to work. Our orientation in Nigeria is almost like once you become a university student, you have already got to a level where you cannot use your hands again. I don’t see why students cannot work in the cafeteria of their universities if they still have. They can wash dishes, sweep the campus and earn a living. These are things I believe we should be able to do. You know there are things that could be done in the universities, which if produced could be sold outside and students will earn a living and be able to pay for their education. But like I said before, funding is very much important. It’s unfortunate. See what happened in this past year when teachers went on strike for more than six months and the polytechnics, 10 months now or thereabout. It’s a shame, such things should never happen.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

36

SOUTHWEST REPORT Lawyers in Ondo State went on a protest march in Akure recently to complain against a controversial circular issued by the Chief Registrar attaching payment of tax as a condition for standing as a Surety in the state, DAMISI OJO reports.

T

HE judiciary in Ondo State was virtually grounded recently by men and women of the learned profession who boycotted the Courts and took to the streets in protest.

Their grouse was a controversial circular by the Chief Registrar Chief S. A Akinrinsola spelling out a new bail regime in the State.

The circular with reference number CROD/0012/01/61 dated May 27, 2014 and titled: Pre-condition for Approval of Bail Application informed all Magistrates and Registrars of High Courts/Magistrates Courts that henceforth a pre-condition for approval/perfection of all bail applications shall among others include the production of evidence of payment of tax for the current year or tax clearance by the surety/sureties.

The lawyers who were at the receiving end of the circular quickly summoned a meeting to discuss the new directive already approved by the State Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi. And following their meeting they decided to troop out on to the streets around the High Courts premises to protest the new bail regime.

As early as 8: 00 am the protesting lawyers stormed the High Court Premises carrying placards with various inscriptions such as Bail: A constitutional right, not a taxable right, Mimiko, don’t kill Ondo State Judiciary and CJ, judiciary cannot be used as a fraud institution among oth-

When Lawyers’ protest grounds Ondo Courts •The protesting lawyers

ers.

With this circular, it was learnt that many suspects facing trial for simple bailable offences and who could not afford N75,000 for tax clearance have been denied bail by Courts in the state and remanded in Prison.

Its effect has now led to an increase in the number of awaiting trial suspects that has paved way for serious accommodation challenges at Olokuta Prison in Akure.

The leadership of NBA, Akure branch led by its Chairman, Lawrence Dare had reportedly met with the Justice Kumuyi to request for reversal of the said circular.

According to Dare, this order has already limited the exercise of discretion by Trial Courts to grant bail thereby infringing on the liberty of citizens especially suspects that could not afford the minimum tax imposed by Government.

He said bail could not be used as a source of revenue to the government, adding that Judiciary is not a tax collector.

His words; “it is unconstitutional, null and void for a CJ to impose conditions of bail on his learned brother judges, it is now an avenue for the ruling political party to cause their opponents to be arrested and detained on frivolous charges majorly during elections, it is unfortunate that Ondo has now turned into Police State.

“This circular is not a Practice direction issued by my Lord, Practice Direction must be signed by the Chief Judge. (And) Magistrate Courts are governed

by Magistrates Law of Ondo State,2006 and not by a mere circular signed by the Chief Registrar.

“Prisons are now congested in Ondo State. It is the duty of CJ to decongest prisons and not take any step that will lead to anything otherwise.

“Many accused persons including elderly ones will now die in Prison custody for the offences that they may not be found guilty at the end of the trial.

The NBA Boss lamented that Police men would now reap the

benefit of the said circular, stressing that the development would give them ample opportunity to extort huge money from suspects in their custody.

He noted that the grant or refusal of bail is at the discretionary power of the judges or Magistrates According to him, the conditions of bail could only be imposed by the trial Judge or Magistrate and same could not be dictated by anybody or authority whatsoever.

“Justice is the last hope of a common man. The rich can use the situation at hand to punish the poor by bringing frivolous charges against an accused person in Court. The poor man will be in prison custody for years because he will be unable to perfect the imposed conditions of bail “Self recognition is one of the conditions that may be imposed by a Judge or a Magistrate. The said circular has now cancelled this and tied the hands of the trial Judge and Magistrate”. The NBA Chairman stressed.

However, the Chief Judge, Justice Kumuyi (CJ) insisted that he would not reverse the circular, stressing that he had given the directive and it is now left for the Judges and Magistrates to comply with it.

He threatened to dismiss any judge or Magistrate who fails to comply with the Pre-conditions of bail stated in the circular.

One of the lawyers, Titiloye Charles frowned at the attempt by the state Judiciary to amend and abridge, by the circular, the fundamental human rights of citizens to liberty guaranteed in the Constitution.

The former Akure NBA Secretary said “we are now at a loss that our Court is no longer in pursuit of justice but revenue generation for the executive arm even to the extent of undermining the constitution they swore to protect”.

Titiloye called on the CJ to withdraw the circular in the interest of protecting the integrity and independence of the Courts in Ondo State.

Odu’a Group targets market leadership in five years

T

HE new Group Managing Director of Odu’a investment Ltd, Mr. Adewale Abiodun Raji has revealed that his mandate was to push the group to the next level in five years. He stated this during his maiden visit to one the subsidiary of the group Wemabod Estates Ltd. He said though the company has some impediments such as litigation on some properties, financing, challenges with the host government on the company’s Ikeja industrial/residential estates, the GMD said the goals are realisable. He revealed that the new management intends to train and re-train staff to deliver on the mandate of the group.

He stressed the need for the group to aspire and achieve market leadership through modern practices and infrastructure in order to be competitive.

The outgoing Group Managing Director, Dr. Adebayo Jimoh, praised and expressed his confidence in the capability of the new GMD in making a valuable differ-

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie and Temitayo Ayetoto

ence. He explained that the procedure for selection of the new GMD was thorough and transparent.

He said: “For any organisation to attain a high level of growth and development and maintain sustainability, you must put in place strong institutions, strong policies that will guide the total framework of running such institution but more importantly, is the resources.

I can tell you that Odu’a now has good people with great values and this will help the incoming GMD to deliver on his mandate.”

In his remarks, the Managing Director and CEO, Wemabod Estates, Mr. Olumide Ologun said, the company had completed eight projects in the last four years which include 79 Akinola Cole, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, upgrading of Western House, renovation of Investment House, renovation of Obafemi Awolowo House, 31/33 Alli Street, Lagos and others.

He disclosed that they are also

involved in housing development in their owner states such as Ondo, Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti states for the benefit of the people.

Also speaking, the developer of the ongoing Odu’a Shopping Mall, at Park lane, Apapa, which will incorporate Shoprite and other known brands, Mr. Tokunbo

Omisore reassured on the timely completion of the project.

He said: ”The intent is to open Shoprite to public on July 21, which is Thursday and possibly the cinema on that day or a week after in August.”

On the state of occupancy, he said “the occupancy of the anchor ten-

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For any organisation to attain a high level of growth and development and maintain sustainability, you must put in place strong institutions, strong policies that will guide the total framework of running such institution but more importantly, is the resources

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ant is over 70 per cent with prospects for others.” On the challenges, he said they include but not limited to high charges by government, dearth of skilled labour, finance and erratic power supply.

He regretted that government is not doing anything to help local businesses as they are faced with the challenge of sourcing fund at very high rate in double digit unlike what is obtainable in other countries where local businesses are helped by their governments to grow through deliberate policies. He said financial challenges such as this can make small businesses go under before they even take-off.

“We spend thousands of naira daily running the generators. We also have dearth of skilled labour as it declines on a daily basis as those with requisite skills are probably being overworked while the younger ones remain money orientated. Apprenticeship is no longer to most. We need to develop the gap between the professionals and the junior workers he added.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL Sri Lanka to begin bunkering at Chinese funded port

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RI Lanka’s government is to begin bunkering facilities at a 360million-U.S.dollar Chinese funded port in the southern part of the country, the port authority said in a statement.

Launched on January 15, 2008, the Hambantota Port is being constructed by the Chinese companies China Harbor Engineering Company and Sinohydro Corporation.

The total cost of the first phase of the project is estimated at 360 million U.S. dollars, excluding 76.5 million U.S. dollars for the bunker terminal.

When all three phases are completed, the harbor is expected to cost around 1.2 billion U.S. dollars and be the largest in South Asia.

The oil tank farm, comprising 14 tanks, will be officially opened by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa on June 23.

The farm has eight tanks for fuel

bunkering facilities for vessels, three tanks for aero fuel and three tanks for storing LP gas. The 14 tanks will also have an overall capacity of 80,000 cubic meters.

“The project is composed of five up right tanks with dome in 10, 000 cubic meters, three up right tanks with dome in 5,000 cubic meters, three up right tanks with dome in 3,000 cubic meters, three spherical LPG tanks with 2,000 cubic meters and all necessary auxiliary facilities,” the Sri Lanka Ports Authority ( SLPA) said in a statement.

The tank farm can initially handle 55,000 tons of shipping fuel with eight tanks and is expected to add another 100,000 tons under the second phase.

The Sri Lankan government expects as many as 4,500 oil tankers to anchor at Hambantota for bunkering, ship repairing and also to purchase food, water, medical supplies as well as other logistics.

Etihad begins freighter operations in Dares Salaam E TIHAD Cargo has commence a weekly freighter service to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania . On the return sector to Abu Dhabi, the freighter will also stop in Nairobi, Kenya.

Dar es Salaam - Tanzania’s biggest city - is a major industrial and economic centre in East Africa, and following the first Etihad Cargo flight today, all subsequent weekly freighter services will operate to Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR).

Etihad Cargo will deploy one of its three Airbus A330-200 wide-body freighters on the route, offering customers heavy uplift capability of up to 64 metric tonnes.

Initially, the United Arab Emirate airline expects the service to carry

heavy electronics, medical equipment and food items to Dar es Salaam, with primarily perishable goods destined for the Gulf region and Europe loaded for the return flights.

Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, said: “Tanzania is a new market for Etihad Cargo, and our weekly Abu Dhabi-Dar es Salaam-Nairobi-Abu Dhabi routing will allow us to capitalise on the strong import and export demand to and from one of the fastest growing cities in Africa.

“This Dar es Salaam service will facilitate trade between the UAE and

Tanzania, in addition to offering customers across the Middle East, subcontinent and Europe bidirectional maindeck cargo solutions to and from a major trading centre on the African continent.”

Etihad Cargo is the fast-growing freight business of UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways, offering services to 103 destinations internationally. The carrier operates a fleet of nine freighters, consisting of three Airbus A330200F, three Boeing B777F, and three Boeing 747F. Later this month, Etihad Cargo will take delivery of one new freighter, an Airbus A330-200F.

Oil rises above $107 as Iraq turmoil intensifies

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HE price of oil rose above $107 as violence worsened in Iraq with reports of a massacre by Islamic militants, raising fears of widening instability in the country, a key energy producer.

The northern town of Tal Afar became the latest to fall to the militants, who have already captured a vast swath of territory including Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul. The militants, who on Sunday posted graphic photos of truckloads of Iraqi soldiers that they apparently captured and killed, vow to march on Baghdad.

After rising 4.1 per cent last week, benchmark U.S. crude for July delivery rose 36 cents to $107.27 — the highest in nine months — in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, gained 63 cents to

$113.09 a barrel in London.

The capture of Mosul, a key gateway for Iraqi crude, raises worries about whether the country can rebuild its energy infrastructure and raise production to meet global demand.

A U.S. aircraft carrier has moved into the Persian Gulf as President Barack Obama considers military options, though he has ruled out sending in American troops.

“The U.S. has ruled out putting troops on the ground, raising fears of a protracted period of tensions that might spill over into the wider Middle East,” Mizuho Bank analysts said in a report.

“With no signs of any decisive U.S. actions to enforce the security situation, oil prices continue to price in fears of supply disruptions.”

Merkel wants hurdles removed to EU-Mercosur free trade pact

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ERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel assured Brazil that she will do her utmost to bring to a successful end the 15-year-old negotiation of a free trade deal between the European Union (EU) and South America’s Mercosur trade bloc.

Merkel, stopping in the Brazilian capital on her way to see the German soccer team play in the World Cup on Monday, said Germany and Brazil, the two largest economies in Europe and Latin America, had much to gain from more trade and investment.

“We have a lot of interest in reaching a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union,” she said in a statement to reporters after meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. “I will do what is possible so that we can take a step

forward and overcome the obstacles.”

Merkel and Rousseff discussed expanded cooperation in scientific research and the energy sector, including renewable energy, and joint ventures to increase investment flows.

But freeing up trade flows between the two countries has been held back by the drawn-out negotiations of a free trade accord between Europe and the Mercosur trade bloc formed by Brazil, Argentina,Uruguay, Paraguay and, more recently, Venezuela.

Off and on talks have been held since 1999 and were taken up again in 2010 after a six-year freeze. Talks have floundered in the past over European agricultural subsidies and the opening of Mercosur industries to competition from Europe.

Natural gas rallies on near term warm weather forecast ATURAL Gas prices rallied last week on near-term warm weather forecast while nearterm supply disruptions and lowerthan-expected injection also bolstered prices.

Barclays Research noted that near month contract rose seven cents to $4.77 per MMBTU.The back of the curve has also edged higher, with calendar 2015 and calendar 2016 adding six cents and four cents to $4.39 and $4.31 per MMBTU respectively.

The spread between calendar 2015 and calendar 2016 is in backwardation, despite stronger fundamentals expected in 2016. Calendar 2017 rallied by seven cents w/w as the market continues to digest the meaning of a recent announcement by the DOE regarding a change in the procedure of non-FTA LNG export rovals.

“Nevertheless, for the rest of the summer, assuming normal weather scenarios, we believe prices should average around $4.50 as reductions in coal-to-gas displacement and produc-

N

tion growth narrow the storage deficit.” Barclays said.

For the week ending June 5, the storage injection reported by the EIA came in about 3 Bcf below the consensus estimate. Although this injection broke a seven-week trend of storage injections coming in consistently above market expectations, it is the fifth injection in a row above 100 Bcf, a phenomenon that has not occurred since 2009. For the week in reference, working gas in storage rose 107 Bcf, lower than the consensus of 110 Bcf. The East injected 65 Bcf, and the West added 13 Bcf, while the producing region grew 29 Bcf. The storage deficit to last year’s level decreased by 10 Bcf to 727 Bcf, while the storage deficit to the fiveyear average fell by 19 Bcf, to 877 Bcf. “We continue to expect the storage deficit to last year’s level to narrow further throughout the injection season and storage to end October at 3.4 Tcf, or 400 Bcf below the year-ago level.

•Pipelines supplying gas from Russia to Ukraine, which have been disrupted on account of ongoing talks between the two countries amid plans by Russia to withdraw a deal on gas export subsidies.

Germany’s Weidmann rejects calls for euro devaluation

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HE head of Germany’s Bundesbank has rejected calls from some European countries for the euro to be devalued to help exporters in a magazine interview.

In a pre-publication statement, Germany’s Focus magazine reported Jens Weidmann as saying any move to weaken the currency could lead other central banks to follow suit, prompting a “devaluation race” that would only have losers.

“Competitiveness cannot be brought about through a devaluation. It is generated (by) companies with attractive products that stand their ground on the markets,” Weidmann, seen as the most hawkish European Central Bank policymaker, said.

“A strong economy can also tolerate a strong currency.”

Euro zone states including France have called for talks to address what

they consider the excessive strength of the euro once a new European Parliament is in place later this year.

The ECB does not target the euro’s exchange rate but the strength of the currency has been seen as contributing to inflation that has fallen far short of the central bank’s target of just below two per cent.

The euro is trading at around $1.35 (1.08 pounds), having fallen from $1.40 at the start of last month as markets anticipated moves made early in June by the central bank to loosen policy to spur growth and avert the threat of deflation.

A strong currency makes exports more expensive.

Weidmann, who emphasised his opposition to the ECB buying government bonds, also appeared to dismiss potential purchases of other assets by the euro zone central bank.

“In some countries – including in Germany – we see the danger of a real estate bubble. And then we as the euro system should buy Dutch real estate loans?” he said.

The ECB decided unanimously this month to cut interest rates to record lows – taking the rate on overnight deposits below zero – and to launch measures to stimulate lending to small and medium-sized companies, the backbone of the euro zone economy.

Weidmann said he had misgivings about the package but had agreed to it because it was justifiable given low inflation.

He did not expect the negative deposit rate would do much to boost loans in the euro zone, however, arguing that banks provided few loans in southern regions because “many firms (there) hardly demand fresh money due to the weak economy”.

Railways, nuclear power on agenda of Li’s European visit C HINA will likely explore business opportunities in the highspeed railway, nuclear power and shipbuilding industries during Premier Li Keqiang’s upcoming visit to the United Kingdom and Greece, experts said.

Li was scheduled to begin a six-day visit to the two countries on Monday – his third European trip since taking office last year– according to the Foreign Ministry.

He is slated to meet British Prime Minister David Cameron at his London residence on a “reciprocal visit” following the British leader’s trip to China last year. Li will also meet Queen Elizabeth II. It will be the first visit to the UK by a Chinese premier in three years.

Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Chao said talks with Cameron will cover trade, investment, energy and cultural exchanges.

Ma Zhengang, former Chinese

ambassador to the UK, said the visit is an indication that Sino-British relations are getting back on track after signs of recovery in ties last December when Cameron visited Beijing.

Bilateral relations nosedived in 2012 when Cameron met the Dalai Lama, prompting China to cancel scheduled meetings with the UK. Tian Dewen, a researcher of European studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said he expects the visit will focus on economic cooperation.

He identified the high-speed railway and nuclear power industries as two fields with high potential for cooperation.

Ma said the UK’s relatively aging infrastructure presents great opportunities for Chinese investors and exporters.

Bilateral trade exceeded $70 billion in 2013, a rise of 11 per cent year-onyear. That percentage far exceeds the 2.1-percent growth for overall trade between China and Europe.

Zhao Junjie, an expert of European studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China and Greece will likely discuss the port, aviation, tourism and trade industries.

He said China’s advantages in the shipbuilding industry dovetail with Greece’s need to revive its traditional strength in sea transportation.

Li and his Greek counterpart Antonis Samaras are expected to visit Piraeus port near Athens, part of which is operated by China’s State-owned shipping giant China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co under a 35-year-lease signed in 2009.

It was the first time that a Chinese firm had been granted operating rights to an overseas port.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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THE NATION

BUSINESS PENSION

Retired policeman petitions govt over non-payment of benefits A

RETIRED Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Richard Ogundare, has petitioned the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro, over nonpayment of his retirement benefits 10 years after serving the Nigeria Police Force for 35 years.

Ogundare, who served between 1969 and 1979 in the Nigerian Army before he was seconded to the Nigeria Police, is also aggrieved because the PSC refused to merge his number of service years.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar was copied in the petition written and signed by his lawyers, Kehinde Hassan Bamibola& Co. According to the petition, Ogundare has not received his retirement benefits since he retired in 2004.

Stories by Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

The petition stated: “We have the authority, instruction and consent of our client to call your attention to the inhuman treatment he has been receiving from your commission after he has duly served his fatherland, Nigeria meritoriously formerly as a military personnel from 1969 before he got seconded/enlisted to the Nigeria Police Force in 1979.

“Our client informed us with documentary evidences that, he applied to merge his service years sometimes in 2002 and that the application was not recommended. He would have served for 35 as at December 1, 2004, if the merging application had been granted.

“However, he served the Nigeria Police meritoriously till April 2007

before he was retired from the service. It is so painful and we consider it an act unleashing unmerited hardship on our client, that ever since his retirement, he has not received his retirement benefits. He has been suffering and languishing in abject poverty as a result of non-payment of his retirement benefits.”

The petition further read that a letter from PSC dated July, 2006 put Ogundare’s retirement date at April 24, 2004 while another letter dated May 3, 2007 with the heading “Retirement Benefits” put the effective date of his retirement at April 24, 2006 with factual affirmation that he was not indebted to the Federal Government.

“Going by the letter from PSC, he actually applied for merging of his service years comprising the service years with the Nigerian Army from

1969 to the period he joined the Nigeria Police 1979, but the application was turned down. He was made to serve beyond December 2004 till April 2007. Assuming the merging application was granted, he would have clocked 35 years at the service by December, 2004.

“He actually served the Nigerian Police Force for 28 years from 1979 to 2007. That, the period between December 2004 and April 2007 should be reasonably computed into his service years for the treatment, calculation and payment of his retirement benefits.

“We hereby appeal to your good office to pay our client all his retirement benefits as he is in great need of finances for his health and other necessities. The ‘dead does not spend money’ and so he should enjoy what

• Okiro

he has laboured for while he is still on earth now. We are looking forward to hearing from you that his Retirement Benefits have been paid fully” it read.

Efforts to get the PSC’s reaction proved abortive as at press time.

NLPC records 14.35% returns on RSA investment

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LPC Pension Fund Administrator, a pension fund administrator has generated 14.35 per cent returns on the investment in Retirement Savings Account (RSA) pension funds in 2013 financial year.

The PFA recorded gross earnings of N1.6 billion in the year under review, a 30 per cent increase from the N1.23billion recorded in 2012.

Total fund under the management also grew from N59.5billion in 2012 to N79.15billion in 2013.

The company however, recorded a profit after tax of N388.58 million in 2013 from N294.1 million in 2012, a 32 per cent increase.

The Managing Director, NLPC, Wale Kolawolewho disclosed this during the firm’s ninth annual general meeting in Lagos, said the company will continue to render

qualitative services to its numerous account holders and retirees so as to ensure that their life after retirement is full of happiness with sound mind.

The Chairman of the company, Olabode Emmanuel, said earnings per share also increased from 20.14k in 2012 to 25.9k in 2013.

He said: “Shareholders funds increased from N1.2billion in 2012 to N1.6billion in 2013 and

global fund has continued to grow.

“Despite stiff competition and a challenging economic climate, the firm had continued to forge ahead, which confirms the ability of the management to steer the company on profitable course.

The emergence of the world economy from global recession and the impressive growth rate of the Nigerian economy is expected

Wiggle becomes NIA chairman

‘Whereabouts of Insurance Bill unknown’

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HERE is uncertainty over the whereabout of the Insurance Bill, which is yet to be sent to the National Assembly.

Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, members of a civil society organisation, the Transparent Protection Limited/ GTE (TPL) led by Dr Sam Obyeka, said they have been searching for the Insurance bill.

Onyeka said they could only attribute the alleged disappearance of the bill to “administrative issues.” He said comments about the bill, which is an Executive bill, can only be made by the Minister of finance. According to him, “only the ministry and Minister of Finance can say what is happening to the insurance bill but we hope that something will be done about it’’.

He exonerated the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), saying the insurance regulator had done its bit by making its input into the Bill and forwarding same to the supervising ministry of finance.

Speaking on the same issue the

By Nduka Chiejina (Asst Editor)

Programme Manager of TPL Mr. Godson Ibekwe-Umelo said NAICOM has done its bit but that attempts to locate the bill at the ministry of finance has continued to hit brick walls.

Ibekwe-Umelo said the ministry of finance has not been forthcoming with any positive response to the whereabouts of the Insurance bill by opting to play “a little to the right a little to the left.”

Ibekwe-Umelo said TPL along with other civil society organisations “are concerned about the potential unwholesome outcomes of information technology revolution in the absence of a proper framework for protecting the interest of policyholders.”

He stated that there was urgent need to develop appropriate legal frameworks for protecting online policy holders. He called on “appropriate bodies to move quickly to introduce rules for online insurance and also to forge a workable strategic relationship with the Nigerian Communica-

tions Commission (NCC) for online insurance policyholders’ protection.”

Information and communication technology was noted to critically impact the financial sector particularly insurance, which has led to a collaborative venture between partners to promote insurance development in Nigeria by employing social media as its major tool to bring about transformation in the sector.

The goal of the partnership, Ibekwe-Umelo said, is to promote insurance awareness in Nigeria through popular participation to increase insurance sector’s contribution to the GDP from 0.6 per cent to three per cent by the end of 2016.

The group said it was alarmed and concerned that over 79 per cent of micro enterprises in Nigeria do not have any form of insurance protection. Given this development, the group said there was need to urgently mobilize micro enterprises through microinsurance awareness to enhance productivity as well as ensure overall economic growth.

to impact positively on output and employment in 2014.”

Emmanuel saidthis is expected to lead to increase in contributions and remittances as well as reduction in the rate of untimely retirements and claim.

All things being equal, we expect more funds under the management and increase in earnings and improved profitability in the years ahead, he said.

• Association holds 43rd AGM

• Wiggle

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ANAGING Director of Linkage Assurance Plc, Godwin Wiggle, will be sworn in as the new chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) at the association’s 43rd Annual General Meeting.

The event is billed to hold on June 26, 2014 at Atlantic View Hall, Best Western, The Island Hotel, Bar Beach, Victoria Island in Lagos.

The Director-General, NIA, Sunday Thomas, said the occasion will avail the outgoing Chairman, Dr. Remi Olowude, the opportunity to address the general assembly of insurers of his stewardship and developments

in the sector.

The representatives of member companies of the association will also be electing a new deputy chairman and other principal officers of the Governing Council.

The General Assembly will also consider the presentation of chairman’s statement and report of the governing council, consideration and adoption of the audited accounts for year ended 31st December 2013 and the treasurer’s report thereon; Appointment of new auditors; election of officers to fill vacant positions in the governing council; and to consider and if thought fit, approve the following as a special resolution to alter the articles of association of NIA Thomas added that “this year’s AGM will provide the needed opportunity for the association to present a scorecard of its activities in the last one year as well as release vital statistics on the performance of the insurance industry’’.

Cash deals for homes reach record with boomers retiring

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IKE Trafton bought a house in a suburb of Boise, Idaho, where he plans to retire. He made the deal without signing a stack of mortgage papers.

Trafton, 55, and his wife Cindy, 54, paid $400,000 in cash for the 3,200square-foot house in Eagle after selling their 4,400-square-foot home in a Portland, Oregon, suburb for $680,000.

Like a growing number of baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, the Traftons had no desire to get

a mortgage.

“I feel better about owning my home outright,” said Trafton, who’s moving to a region with an average of 200 sunny days a year and skiing in the winter. “At this stage in our lives, we can afford it, and it’s better than having a monthly mortgage payment hanging over us.”

U.S. home-price gains have restored $3.8 trillion of value to owners since the beginning of the real estate recovery in 2012, according to Federal Re-

serve data. A record number of Americans are using that equity to pay cash for properties, avoiding a mortgage process that has become even more onerous in the wake of the 2007 housing collapse. In the first quarter, 29 percent of non-investment homebuyers used cash, the highest on record for the period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Cash deals

The majority of people making allcash deals are baby boomers mostly

because America’s largest-ever generation is beginning to retire, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors. In 2012, there were a record 61.8 million Americans over the age of 60, according to the Census. That compares with 46.6 million in 2000.

Lending falls Lending for mortgages to purchase homes fell to $115 billion in the first quarter, the lowest in three years, according to the Mortgage Bankers As-

sociation. In the first three months of 2014, buyers plunked down $105.1 billion of their own money for properties, compared with $84.7 billion a year earlier, according to Bloomberg data. The share of purchases made by investors, who typically pay cash, dropped to the lowest first-quarter level since 2010.

“The whole investor class, the ones doing most of the cash purchasing until now, is stepping back,” Yun said.

“Baby boomers are taking their place.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP A university graduate proves that the days of small beginning should not be despised. Starting small as a cobbler, he has become an entrepreneurial model for youths, showing the way in self-sustenance through shoe making. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

Living on shoe making L

ONG before he graduated, he was already his own boss.

And while his contemporaries roamed the streets after graduating from various tertiary institutions in search of unavailable jobs, he became an employer.

The story of Abraham William, a cobbler, is one that aptly captures the determination of an indigent’s quest for success. After learning shoe making in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, William has taken what was his childhood passion of shoe making, to become a small scale footwear manufacturing firm. Today, he is the Chief Executive, AB Leather Works in Shomolu, a suburb of Lagos.

“I learnt the trade many years ago in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for three years; and today, I am a happy man,” he told The Nation. He certainly has every reason to be happy. From a business he started with less than N50, 000, Abraham has grown his trade to become lucrative. For instance, he used proceed from the trade to educate himself at the University of Lagos, where he obtained a degree in Business Administration in 2011.

Besides, on his payroll are 10 apprentices and journeymen. He has also been able to acquire different machines and equipment to modernise his work. This has made him famous, especially for his unique footwear designs and quality, and carving a niche for his busi-

ness. His firm also makes old shoes become new again and custom-making leather goods.

As a young business owner, William is proud of what he has been able to accomplish. He therefore admonished the young generation to explore the idea of manufacturing local shoes. The market for shoes, he explained, is huge, especially considering the nation’s growing population. To succeed, he advised entrepreneurs to focus on producing high-quality products that are able to compete with other companies vying for market share and consumers’ attention. In the market, the quality, attributes and brand of the product, he said, should be able to stand on its own merit.

William’s commitment to continuously support young Nigerian entrepreneurs is based on his believe that they are vital to economic growth. Small and medium-sized businesses, he said have continued to create jobs while strengthening economic recovery. For him, the problem is that many people who make shoes are not trained in the art and science of making shoes and are not ready to do it well.

“The best way to make it with small – scale – shoe business is to carve a niche and offer something that big brands may not be offering. Particularly, create a new design that will attract a com-

mon man and a wealthy customer to your business,” he said.

Satisfaction for William comes in the feeling he gets when customers love what he has done; hence, his continued effort to put his energy and ideas into building a profitable business, which has been buoyed by his tertiary education, has positioned him to acquire capacity to coordinate his financials, market himself, interact better with his customers, and converse with them about things they are interested in.

“The business has repaid its start up capital many times over,” a satisfied William said. Though his vocation involves a lot of hard work and challenges, his strong passion has always kept him going.

Austin Esia, another shoe cobbler of 20 years, corroborates William’s position. He said the business of shoe making has become lucrative because everybody wears shoes.

The business, he explained, is low risk. According to him, making an entry into shoe business is fairly easy if there is focus. “There are no significant barriers such as stringent government regulations or prohibitive capital expenses, to entry into shoe making business.

One can start a shoe store even without a huge initial investment capital, depending on inventory selection and shoe location. The right location is extremely critical

•William

to the success of a shoe retail store,” he explained.

But he says the vocation is not for the lazy. This is based on the enormous man hours that go into working on a shoe. For instance, William said he works for about 13 hours daily, while Esia does about the same time daily.

For this duo, shoe making is the business for unemployed youths.

Esia advised young entrepreneurs to explore opportunities within the industry, because with patience

and perseverance, they can grow tiny businesses into large establishments manufacturing all kinds of footwear and equipment. Besides, there is a huge job potential in the vocation which can serve as a means of job creation for the teeming unemployed population.

One aspect of shoe making that is a money spinner in some areas is shoe shining. The startup capital for this is low: a large can of Kiwi polish which sells for N150 and a shoe brush of N50, you are in business.

AMEN canvasses SMEs’ export drive for industrial growth

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•A shoe shiner at work

Group plans national small business week

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HE Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON) is planning a National Small Business Week for entrepreneurs and small businesses across the country.

The event is billed for the last week of October.

Its President, Dr. Femi Egbesola, said the association will take the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from across the country on the ceonomy.

In addition to events, panels, and talks that happen around the country, winners of the Small Business Person of the Year will be unveiled at the event.

The sassociation will provide small-business owners with strategic counselling, selects the winners

based on a handful of factors, including the business’staying power, growth in the number of employees, sales growth, innovation in the field, and contributions to the community. The winners are creating jobs, driving innovation, and carving out niche markets.

According to him, the association is working to grow small businesses, create jobs, drive innovation, and increase competitiveness, adding that it was ready to honour entrepreneurs that have done the nation proud.

The weeklong event, he added, will focus on startups that need the best solutions that deliver value to their business.

He said participants will hear from three outstanding international business owners and three local

entrepreneurs.

As part of the events, the association, Egbesola added, would be hosting a roundtable for small businesses and industry experts on the topic of how small businesses can succeed.

During the week, he said participants would be informed on opportunities provided by the Federal and Lagos State governments through provision of industrial parks.

He cited the affordability and availability of land to potential industrial tenants, with prices pushing locations closer to the city up in price.

He said the association is determined to support small businesses with access to funding, entrepreneurial development, and advocacy.

RESIDENT, Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria(AMEN), Prince Saviour Iche, said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to start considering the option of exporting overseas if they want to see the economy grow.

This, he explained, however require, improvement on packaging of their products to meet standards that are able to explore international opportunities.

While many exciting business opportunities lie overseas, he said many small firms are daunted enough by the challenges to put their export plans on the back burner. He said small firms like the ones he owes have received lots of requests for exports but securing the necessary finance to underpin an export trade is proving to be a challenge for a lot of businesses.

He said Nigeria’s dependence on imported goods would only stop if the government at all levels promote skills acquisition, which would make local industries grow.

To this end, he announced that the association has acquired export licence to assist members carry out export trading. Within this, it is not only big players that are getting into the export business.

He lamented that inadequate support for local industries had made Nigeria dependent on for-

eign countries for basic goods such as matches box, toothpicks, cotton buds, water starch, disinfectants, toilet wash, stain removers, body perfume, air freshener, insecticides, body and hair creams among others.

“We, at AMEN, want to industrialise Nigeria. We want Nigeria to be an industrialised nation. We are tired of importing common products such as soaps and other household items that we can produce ourselves,” Iche said.

Right now, he said, the local cosmetic and detergents industry was so developed for the government to stop importation of such products. The small and medium industry for perfumery and cosmetics, he maintained, is large and is expanding, motivated by the gradual access of their population to fragrances and personal care products.

According to him, the number of SMEs’ manufacturing cosmetic and toiletry products have increased.

Iche said the association was ready to work with the government to give an environment where small business could thrive.

He reiterated that SMEs are critical in generating income and employment, adding that these could lead to better standard of living, reduction in poverty, crime rate and rural industrialisation, among others.

‘Nigeria’s dependence on imported goods would only stop if government at all levels promote skills acquisition, which, they claimed would make local industries grow’

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

40

EMPOWERMENT CLINIC with

Superstar sales secrets BOOK REVIEW Author: Barry Farber Publisher: Elpac Publishing Reviewer: Goke Ilesanmi

GOKE ILESANMI

A

S a result of the importance of sales to sustainability and profitability of a business, we are Xraying this sales book entitled “Superstar Sales Secrets”, written by Barry Farber. Farber is the president of Farber Training Systems, Inc., and has trained thousands of salespeople, managers and trainers to reach new levels of sales success.

Farber says the world of sales has changed considerably over the last decade, with customers more sophisticated and demanding. Farber educates that today’s sales professionals must demonstrate a high level of honesty with an everincreasing ability to build rapport and deeply understand customers’ wants and needs.

This author assures that this book is a comprehensive guide for beginners as well as a concise reference for the seasoned professionals especially that it cuts away all the fluff and ‘theory’ of selling and gets right down to the core skills that every salesperson needs to have.

This book has eight chapters referred to as “Stages”. Chapter one is entitled “Motivation”. Here, Farber asserts that nobody has ever said selling is easy. He says this is because it takes hard work

and persistence to do it well and achieve success. Rejection and adversity are daily occurrences in this profession, educates this author.

In his words, “That’s why motivation is the most important factor in sales success. There’s an old saying that goes, ‘Life is like a grindstone – it either grinds you down or polishes you up.’ You can let rejection and adversity grind you down. Or you can face up to hardship and view it as an opportunity and challenge that can spur you on to greater success.”

He says attitude towards one’s job is the factor that makes two salespeople of equal talent and ability not to achieve equal success. This consultant educates that a positive attitude is the expectation that if we do all that we can do, if we develop our potential to its fullest, we will achieve the results we want.

Chapter two is based on the subject matter of prospecting. Here, this author explains that successful selling is not a nine-to-five job as top salespeople are prospecting all the time. He stresses that the more you put into your sales career, the more you get out of it. Farber says your sales goal is to attract and maintain customers, that is, to build relationships.

This author adds that every time you meet someone, you should be sincerely interested in learning about whom he or she is, what he or she does and whether or not you can be of service to him or her.

Farber advises against pushing yourself on people as this will only push them away. Customers are too intelligent to fall for manipulative tricks, but they will respond to a sincere desire to find out how your product or service can be of

benefit to them, discloses this author.

Chapter three focuses on needs analysis. According to this consultant here, “If you were selling shoes, you wouldn’t just grab any old pair of shoes regardless of the size, style, or colour preference of the customer. It would be a miracle if you ever made a match.”

He says yet, many salespeople try to ‘pitch’ prospects into buying before they know anything about them. This author reveals that new salespeople often find that the way to keep control of a sale is to keep talking – to go through their presentation point by point, hoping that by the time they are finished they will have covered the customer’s interest.

Farber educates that a presentation can only be effective if you know what the customer’s interest is beforehand, and purposely hit each point. He says this is where needs analysis comes in and stresses that once you know the customer’s needs, you can determine how your product or service can best meet those needs. Farber reflects that three ways of analysing the needs are through research, asking questions and listening.

In chapters four to seven, he discusses concepts such as presentations, how to handle objections, closing and follow-up.

Chapter eight is entitled “Time management and the new technology”. Farber says there are so many sales calls to make, so much territory to cover, so many letters, proposals and reports to write, but there is so little time. He adds that every salesperson faces this same dilemma of how to make the best and most productive use of every working hour. “If you constantly feel pressured and worry about what you should be doing next and all you’ve yet to accomplish, you can’t concentrate on your main goal – generating sales. That’s why time management is an absolutely essential skill for sales success,” Farber educates.

As regards style, the text ranks high.

The language is simple while the presentation is very logical and didactic.

Farber uses graphics to achieve visual

reinforcement of readers’ understanding.

What’s more, the title of the book is short yet assertive.

However, a subjunctive or conditionalclause error is committed on page 59 thus: “If you were selling shoes, you wouldn’t just grab any old pair of shoes regardless of the size, style, or colour preference of the customer.” It ought to have been “If you are selling shoes, you won’t just grab any old pair of shoes regardless of the size, style, or colour preference of the customer.”

The Open Possibility type of the conditional clauses ought to have been used instead of the Theoretical Possibility type used, especially that the hypothetical illustration is still possible, at least in the context of the text.

On the whole, this book is intellectually revealing. It is a must-read for all salespeople and those who are prepared to succeed in their business engagements because selling is critical to business success.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Communication strategies in mergers and acquisitions

T

HE concept of mergers and acquisitions has long been considered one of the fastest routes to business growth.

Yet, experience has shown that most mergers fail to achieve the expected synergy and are more often counterproductive at the end of the day. Post-merger integration challenges are many. Even though nobody expects structural changes occasioned by mergers to be so smooth, there are appropriate strategies that can be put in place to ensure that the integration process is carefully managed to limit disruptions and achieve synergy so as to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders. One of the strategies for achieving successful mergers or acquisitions is effective communication.

Communication role Communication needs to begin during the preliminary stage of the merger or acquisition to set the tone for success. Too often, communication does not start until it is too late. Research shows that mergers and acquisitions go through three broad phases.

As part of an AT Kearney global survey conducted in 1998 to 1999, the question, “Which phase bears the greatest risk of failure?”, brought the following response: Strategy development, target shortlisting, due diligence - 30%; Negotiation and closing the deal - 17% and Post-merger integration - 53%.

People issues prominent time

and

most

This response shows that the most important time for a merger or take-over is when the deal has been formalised and the more difficult stage of “bedding down” the process has started, thus requiring intensive communication. However, there is a case that communication should start early to

By Goke Ilesanmi

pave the way for internal acceptance and post-merger integration. Overwhelming experience indicates directly or indirectly that people issues are the main reason for take-over failures. And communication is still central to the people issues. According to McKinsey’s studies, “Management of the human side of the merger is the real key to maximising the value of the deal.” Watson Wyatt Worldwide says cultural incompatibility is consistently the biggest barrier to integration. But Mercer Human Resource Consultants’ discovery is that out of three key merger factors – people, processes and systems – only people issues made a difference to the success of mergers in the decade to 2001.

Employee communication Effective employee or internal communication is the first or second most important issue emerging in all studies of mergers. Internal communication and culture changes are identified as the hardest to achieve, but the most important in merger success. Tragically, they are generally under-resourced in post-merger integration, and are often absent before the deal and the due diligence phases. Interestingly, customer issues are also extremely poorly resourced.

At this analytical juncture, the questions to ask are, “How could management handle the situation?” and “How could highly-paid management consultants let this happen?”

The two most important constituencies to look after – customers and employees – have largely been ignored. And the reason for this defies logic. Most of the merger communication budgets around the world have been spent on external communication rather than employee or internal communication.

Regardless of the brilliance of the vision and the fit in a merger, the subsequent success of the deal depends mostly on the employees. They are the ones whose day-today actions can make a merger work or collapse after the deal has been sealed. Sufficient investment in internal communication is the link in keeping the employee attitudes positive towards the changes brought about by the merger.

Early communication Even before a formal merger or acquisition is underway, employees often become aware from indirect information or by chance that something is underway. It is human nature to be inquisitive. If they feel management is keeping information from them, quite understandably they start to feel anxious.

When people are uncertain, they start speculating about the clues in front of them. Invariably this interpretation of clues becomes paranoia as they chat with colleagues and quickly have the impression that the management is conspiring to catch them unawares. The grapevine goes overtime with rumours. Productivity will begin to drop as staff waste time in discussing rumours and losing the steam of their motivation. With well-developed rumours, some staff will actually start leaving the company before the “bad news” is broken to them.

Initial indifference Research shows that when a merger is announced, the staff in the acquiring company may not feel concerned initially. They belong to the new parent and do not anticipate much change. This sense of security is not always justified because the process of establishing the new joint organisation can

reveal areas of the acquiring company that could be improved upon. However, if two roughly-equal parties merge, change will hit both sides. Employees will become anxious about their jobs. They will suddenly have to confront loss of status and influence; uncertainty about the employers’ plans; a fight for individual survival as fear of job cuts catches them; increased workloads because some people leave voluntarily or involuntarily; a spillover effect into individuals’ lives.

Fact It is a truism that effective or strategic communication plays a key role in addressing these issues, but it is difficult and complex.

This is because communication demands intensive time from senior management at a time when they may be totally devoted to the technical and financial aspects of the deal, and may not have sufficiently considered the impact on others. Often the skill of effective communication requires training because many managers have never received guidance on good interpersonal communication practices.

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

GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Certified 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 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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WEDNESDAY JUNE 18, 2014

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

EKITI POLITICS Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi spoke with reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on preparations for the governorship poll, campaigns and violence as well as concern for free and fair election. Excerpts:

‘APC ‘ll not tolerate rigging’ Y

OU have gone round the towns and villages for campaigns.

What has been your message to them?

Basically to thank them for their support in the past three and a half years, to solicit their support in the coming election and to highlight what the government has been able to achieve, specifically in their communities and collectively for the state.

Luckily for us, there is a track record that is palpable and tangible. When I get to any community, before I say anything, one of the things the royal father touches on is what we have been able to do to make a difference in the lives of his people.

Of course, these are not wealthy communities in terms of material wealth but they have genuine intentions.

Government has helped by giving them money for what we call community projects specifically and they have been able to make a lot of difference in their communities.

Then, of course, I tell them that this election is going to be about character, it is going to be about integrity, it is going to be between light and darkness and the choice is with our people.

I ask them, ‘do we want a government that is driven by integrity or we want a government that is driven by people of low moral fibre, people that do not represent the values that Ekiti has been known for over the years, people who will not be accountable to them? And the reception has been great and I really must thank God and our people for that.

Every single community that we have been to, we have not had a negative reception. We have had surprising reception in some places we visited feeling that because some opposition figures come from their, we would receive lukewarm reception.

That has not been the case. The work of the government speaks for it everywhere we go.

What will be your administration’s focus in your second term?

The vision to roadmap to Ekiti recovery was to make poverty history in Ekiti and, clearly, we have achieved a major dent on poverty; you can judge this from some of the results we are garnering from our social welfare initiative.

This is a government that is ideologically rooted in social democracy; we believe that everyone cannot be for himself.

We must have an unbreakable bond that enables society to strengthen itself and government has a responsibility to help the weak and vulnerable.

You refer to the social security benefit scheme; you refer to our free education, our free health scheme. These are initiatives tied to our anti-poverty strategy and it has achieved a tremendous difference in Ekiti State.

What we are now doing is not jettisoning any of those eight-point agenda. We are consolidating and strengthening them in a manner that they become a way of life. We want to do it in such a way that no government will come and say security is not my priority, I don’t have money for free education, I do not have money for free health care. We have used the last three and a half years to build infrastructure, but we now need to consolidate on that by focusing more on jobs for the people and that is why we are extending our cover-

•Governor Fayemi (middle), his wife, Erelu Bisi and Senator Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central) at a campaign in Ado-Ekiti.

age on education to ‘Ekiti Knowledge Zone, ‘ which is a free zone because education is our industry and we believe we can achieve a knowledge economy that is productive and can utilize a lot of the young people who have degrees but have no skills. We need to build them up.

We are going to focus on employment and empowerment more than what we are doing now because we have 20,000 jobs, directly or indirectly, out there in the youth and commercial agriculture, in the volunteer corps and in our various initiatives.

We have that but we believe that we can even elevate the kind of jobs we make available to our young people so that they will improve on their sense of self-worth. So you see a huge focus on employment, you see a greater focus in agriculture and an additional focus on tourism as vehicles for economic prosperity in our state.

Then, we will of course not shy away from the education sector.

However, we are going to introduce free meals in primary schools. Our enrolment in Ekiti is good, our enrolment figure is the highest in the country but we still feel that there is a lot of dots to connect in terms of nutrition of our young people so that they grow at the rate they are supposed to grow, their brain develops at the rate it is supposed to develop and we also create an economy around the feeding of our children who go to school.

How have you steered APC members from eschew violence?

As a rule, we do not get involved in violence in APC, we are very clear on that. We even developed a code of ethics which really makes our abhorrence of violence indisputable and equivocal.

That we have done at the level of a baseline and this is the minimum irreducible for us. We held a mega rally and not one incidence of violence was recorded because we do not have a culture of violence and we do not tolerate it. However, even when you do not have a culture of violence and violence is brought to your door step by

people who belong to other political tendencies, how do you restrain people from reacting when they are attacked? This is a challenge and it is a challenge I cannot tell you I have an answer to. I cannot continue to tell my people to turn the other cheek when they are being attacked. I am the governor; I could unleash massive force on many of these characters who do these things.

If I were not to be the person I am, we would have really seen a degeneration even worse than some of the skirmishes you have noticed but because of who I am and because I believe leadership also calls for restraint, I have been a major restraining influence on my campaign, on party members, who are attacked unprovoked since almost a month that we have spent traversing the length and breadth of this state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has allegedly reduced the voters’ strength for both Ekiti and Osun states. Do you suspect any foul play?, Well, I do not know if there has been a reduction in the voters’ figure in Ekiti. I know that INEC released a figure recently and I know that the draft was released to parties and it is pretty close to what we used to have in Ekiti even in 2011.The voters’ figure is 762,000 or thereabouts and that is sizeable; even if those in that register vote, it would amount to a significant number.

I know, however, that from what I have read in the newspapers and from what my own monitors have told me, from card collection across the local government areas, the collection rate is not what we would like it to be. We are closer to 60 per cent now.

Our problem with the INEC is not that; our problem is the credibility of this Permanent Voter’s Card that has not been used without electronic readers and that is the point we have consistently made. As advocates of one man, one vote, the only way a Permanent Voter’s Card becomes interesting to some of us, is if it can be ma-

chine readable and that it can detect multiple voting, multiple registration and fake user of the card.

That is the relevance of the Permanent Voter’s Card. If it is not going to be used in a manner that the Presiding Officers and the party agents can detect that ‘this card does not belong to Kayode Fayemi, so why is he using it?’, I do not see the big deal in a Permanent Voters’ Card.

I think INEC should listen to us because if you cannot use a PVC in a machine readable manner for an election as tiny as Ekiti and Osun states, how are you going to pilot for 2015 when you now claim you want to use it?

I do not find that believable, I do not find it credible and our party’s position is very clear, we have said it consistently that the only condition that would reduce the level of fraud in this election, is to use the machine because we have believable information that these PVCs are being cloned.

These cards are like ATM cards. What is the beauty of an ATM card? If you have N500,000 in your account and you remove N20,000, the time you removed the N20,000 and the amount you removed is there. That is the beauty of the card reader. You cannot now come to your bank and deny that you did not take the money.

So, this is common sense because almost every village has an ATM machine. When you put the card that they give you in your bank to use in an ATM, it records the time and the amount you collected money, it reduces it from your money in your account.

This is what we are saying Professor Jega should do because these PVCs are like ATM cards. Why do people like treating us as if we are still in the stone age? It is only people who are afraid of genuine voters that would not want an electronic machine reader used for this election.

Does that form part of your fears for this election?

We have concerns; we do not have fears because we build scenarios. I am saying that this election will be easier

‘My expectation from the police and security agencies is that they will do everything to protect the integrity of the election. I know that, once INEC has done its own job, the police and critical segments of the security agencies will be involved in protecting the integrity of the election. If they are not allowed to do their own responsibility, it can be a problem’

fought, by all concerned, and it will give the INEC greater credibility, if they conform to the basis of issuing PVCs. The only relevance of the PVC is it enhances the credibility and integrity of the process and there is only way it can do that and that is if it is read by the machine.

So, it is a concern, it is not a fear and the onus is on INEC to convince us as to why they cannot use the card reader.

How many machine readers do they need for Ekiti and Osun states because the elections will not take place the same day? Let us assume they will need 3,000 machine readers, will that make them sacrifice the credibility of the election?

I believe it is in Professor Jega’s interest to listen to us because we are even his best advocates by insisting that things should be done properly.

Former Governor Segun Oni has defected to your party. How do you see his support for you?

What most people do not actually remember is that, of all the people who were on the PDP side, way back in 2007, the one person that I had the closest affinity to was Governor Segun Oni. It is not just because we were members of EEleven, a group of Ekiti stakeholders, but also because of his mien.

I have had cause to tell people over the last few weeks since he moved over to us, that even in the heat of the moment when tempers were flaring all over the place, I never had a personal negative word against Governor Oni. I always talked about his party and his government and not him because I have always known him to be a decent person.

This is not a contradiction.

What he has even done now has really shown how much of a leader he is because he has gone beyond personal issues and pettiness. There are a lot of people who will not do things for you because you have gone to say hello to them in their house.

Governor Oni has gone way beyond that and if you listened to his speech, it was the most impactful at our rally because it demonstrated sincerity, candour and not being petty. He said we are erecting a new platform and it is about the future of our children and our state, it is not about us. Nobody is perfect.

It comes back to what I have been saying that this election is not going to be about performance because performance is not in doubt. Nobody challenges whether Fayemi has performed or not anymore, I think the icing on the cake is going to be about character.

That is the point Governor Oni made in his remarks that character matters and, particularly in Ekiti, our people cherish integrity and they are not going to leave a gold standard to follow sand; they are not going to leave a dual carriage way and go into the bus.

I can tell you that Governor Oni’s coming has shifted the dynamics in critical local governments, he remains a factor because you cannot be governor for three and a half years and not have anchors of people. So, on number base, it is a plus, on character definition, no one can do a better job than him.

As the election draws near, what are your expectations?

My expectation from the police and security agencies is that they will do everything to protect the integrity of the election. I know that, once INEC has done its own job, the police and critical segments of the security agencies will be involved in protecting the integrity of the election. If they are not allowed to do their own responsibility, it can be a problem.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY JUNE 18, 2014

POLITICS A disagreement in the Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is threatening its cohesion. The scramble for the 2015 governorship ticket is tearing the party apart, making the political future of Deputy Governor Bala Ngillari to hang in the balance, writes BARNABAS MANYAM.

•Nyako

•Abubakar

• Ngillari

•Ardo

•Madaki

2015: Governorship ticket tears Adamawa PDP apart

S

WIFT and unprecedented changes are taking place in the Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As a result, the political future of the deputy governor, Bala James Ngillari, is hanging in the balance.

Ngillari’s profile rose swiftly when he refused to defect alongside Governor Murtala Nyako, who dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year.

At the time, PDP bigwigs in Abuja were in support of his bid for the governorship in 2015 on the platform of the former ruling party. But, since then, a lot of developments have taken place. Now, and new and equally credible aspirants have also emerged.

Ngillari was taken aback by a media statement credited to the PDP chairman, Chief Joel Hammanjoda Madaki, that the governorship ticket has been zoned to Adamawa Central Senatorial District.

Stakeholders in the party were surprised that Madaki could go public

with such a sensitive matter, without discussing at the PDP executive committee meeting. They say even though the high chief may have his own opinion, he should not have presented as if it is the party’s official position.

One of the governorship aspirants, who has been fighting to build the PDP for more than six years, Dr. Umar Ardo, was the first to respond.

The genial Ardo said the chief may have been quoted out of context by the newspaper, even though he admitted that he had not read the publication.

According to Ardo, it may also have been Madaki’s personal opinion, which may not go down well with many party faithful. He added however, that as a good party man,

he would accept it in good faith.

Given his close relationship with Madaki, observers say Ardo was being economical with the truth.

“He has been a close ally of the elder statesman for many years. In fact, he is like a brother to him. So, he will not publically oppose him,” said a party chieftain.

The deputy governor is a politician with impeccable qualities. He has climbed every surmountable mountain in his political life. But, he prefers to work quietly from the background.

From the remarkable role he played during the Oputa Panel, to his days in the National Assembly, Ngillari has been very active politically. He had already secured his ticket to return to the House of Rep-

resentatives for a second term, when he was picked the deputy to Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako.

This time around, it remains to be seen, if he will spring a surprise. But, the statement by Madaki, who holds the traditional title of the Nzomoro Kaku, meaning the defender of the Bwatiye nation, may have jeopardised the hopes of the prodigious deputy governor.

Going by Madaki’s statement, the deputy governor, who is from the Northern Senatorial District, is out of contention for the ticket, in spite of the fact that he has contributed so much to the party and had refused to defect to the APC. PDP bigwigs in Abuja are of the view that Ngillari should be allowed to spend one term in office as gover-

‘Going by Madaki’s statement, the deputy governor, who is from the Northern Senatorial District, is out of contention for the ticket, in spite of the fact that he has contributed so much to the party and had refused to defect to the APC’

nor.

Ardo, in an interview some months ago, said that President Goodluck Jonathan had already destroyed the PDP zoning formula and that the governor of Adamawa State can come from anywhere, because zoning is now irrelevant in the PDP. The chapter has more than 25 governorship aspirants, who are from the three zones and more are still coming out. There is no telling who will clinch the ticket from aspirants eying the coveted ticket.

For now, many of the aspirants like Ngillari and Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, who are all from the Northern Senatorial zone, are oiling their machinery to do battle against others like Dr. Dahiru Ahmed Modibbo, who has allegations of corruption hanging on his neck, courtesy of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the ICPC. But, observers say some of these cases lack merit. But, that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Dr. Modibbo is prosecuting his ambition.

Human rights activist Jonathan Ubandoma, who highlights the issues that will shape the next governorship election in Nasarawa State, contends that Governor Tanko Al-Makura deserves a second term.

Al-Makura’s quest for second term in Nasarawa

•Al-Makura

F

OUR years ago, Nasarawa State was one of the most backward states in the federation. Roads were bad. Social amenities were inadequate. In Lafia, Keffi, Nasawan Toto and Akwanga, people thirsted for dividends of democracy.

That was the situation in the 12 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Strife, barbarism, backwardness, discord, disharmony and an indolent work-force stagnated the progress of the state.

The picture was indeed, made worse by the acrimony that ruled the political firmament. People were generally unhappy. Those were lucky to lean on the government by executing jobs contracted out to them did it in good faith but were treated like slaves because the jobs were done but the governors refused to honour their part of the contract and so left people to go hungry. A hungry man, they say, is an angry man. The state, from Lafia

to Keffi, Marraraba, Akwanga and Doma, was inhabited by nothing but angry people.

This discontent continued, until the 2011 elections when a messiah in the name of Umar Tanko Al Makura stepped up to the plate and offered to drag the state out of the economic, political and social doldrums in which it found itself. Then resistance to change began to manifest. The core establishment in the state was not in the mood to give up power to a caring and responsive government so it stood firmly in the way of what seemed like a silver lining at the end of the Nasarawa tunnel. At a point, when the presidential candidate of the CPC Muhammadu Buhari, to which the agent of change Umar Tanko Al Makura, alias Taal, belonged wanted to visit the state, the entire civil service and indeed the entire traditional institution in the state was ordered to look the other way.

Those who the gods want to destroy, they say, they first make mad.

The people of Nasarawa are very progressive people. They are also a very rational people. They are well endowed in both human capital and natural resources and their accomplishment in several fields since they existed in the old Benue Plateau State leading to Plateau State from where they were created knows no bounds. So, the masses of Nasarawa are not about to be blind-

folded into believing that the spook works better than the mannequin.

That singular resistance to change by the traditional institution as dictated by the state government became the game-changer. Nasarawa people read the handwriting on the wall and decided to stand by the truth. They voted en masse for Taal.

The beautiful cosmopolis that is emerging in Lafia and other towns in the state today are not an accident of history. They are the fruit of the germination of an idea that was about to be buried with the decent and dedicated citizens of a state that would have lived under a perpetual bondage as designed by the PDP. When he began to vie for the governorship of the state and was asked why he was so determined since he

‘The beautiful cosmopolis that is emerging in Lafia and other towns in the state today are not an accident of history. They are the fruit of the germination of an idea that was about to be buried with the decent and dedicated citizens of a state that would have lived under a perpetual bondage as designed by the PDP’

was a man of means who did not need the state to live in opulence and luxury, Taal said just one word transformation. It is argued in many academic quarters that the word transformation was synonymous with the Taal campaigns before the Goodluck Jonathan administration adopted it. One man jocularly said in a debate that the word did not originate with Goodluck but the “Goodkid” from Nasarawa, Umar Tanko Al-Makura. And it is so carried. When asked to buttress his argument, he said the good kid Al Makura or Taal has over turned the sorry situation in the state which was soaked in poor infrastructure, unemployment, dearth of economic opportunities, deliberate falsehood and poor service delivery to a state full of hope and promise which is gradually imbibing a human face.

In the past, the state was a ghost.

Today, Nasarawa is evolving as a face that its people could be proud of. In fact the first civilian governor of the state Dr Abdullahi Adamu has thrown his weight and total allegiance to this achiever whose drive to move the state forward has no rival. Already, just three years into his administration, there are well-paved roads in all the major towns of the state. There are also health care facilities that are equipped with modern tools and affordable drugs. This situation has also begun to attract qualified medical personnel and auxiliary workers who would once desert the

state like a plague.

Agriculture, the mainstay of the state has seen a boost. Improved seedlings are everywhere and the fertilizer scarcity that used to be the bane of the average farmer has become history. While agric is getting a boost education is being embellished. A walk across the state shows that several schools have received a makeover and the quality of teaching is looking up. The feeding of wards in the states schools have improved because learning is not as easy on a hungry stomach. To show that this is a socially responsible government, the downtrodden in the communities like women and people living with disabilities have since endorsed this administration as the one that serves their interests the most. It is a testimony of greatness and a large heart.

But, while all these are home truths more palatable is the decongestion of the city by the restriction imposed on commercial motorcyclists who used to swarm Lafia and surrounding towns like bees to honey. Worse even are the atrocities that used to be associated with them in the areas of street violence and petty crimes. These are gone with the decisive action of the governor who put his foot down to deal with the menace regardless of whose ox is gored. Today the once inclement traffic situation caused by these cyclists has been turned to a marital bliss between two wheels, tricycles and automobiles, something that once looked impossible to boot.

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

How the environment makes entrepreneur?

W

HAT has environmental phenomenon got to do with entrepreneurship? A lot, says former Ekiti State Chief Justice Kayode Bamisile. According to him, the environmental phenomenon will play a majo role in the emergence of entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

He spoke at the 2014 edition of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, with the theme: Cultural Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria, held at the South-West Zonal Office of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Bamisile said: “The disparities among nations in developing entrepreneurial societies have also been attributed to environmental differences between societies both in time and spaces,” adding that entrepreneurship in Nigeria is a function of the environment.

Some of the fundamental aspects of the social system, he said, included the cultures of a people as it affects the development of the entrepreneurial spirit, and motivation as it either enhances or inhibits entrepreneurship behaviour and drive among people.

Bamisile highlighted some family values and roles that determine responsibilities for the provision of the economic wellbeing of the family unit, saying, “in some societies and cultures, the men are given a total role of bread-winners and the women restricted to home-keeping; in other societies, the bread-winner is borne by both the man and the woman, thus allowing the woman a space to engage in entrepreneurial activities.”

The retired jurist, however, did not restrict himself to the environmental factor alone; he also identified the socio-cultural system, religion, education, and poverty level as some of the factors that affect the emergence of entrepreneurship in Nigeria and Africa at large.

Earlier in his address, the General Manager of FRCN, Positive FM, Akure, Rev. Olusegun Ayankoso, who was the chairman of the occasion, appreciated NICO’s effort in marking the World Culture Day event each year, and called on well-meaning Nigerians to be actively involved in cultural entrepreneurship ventures that will earn the nation foreign exchange.

He lamented that some of the socio-cultural menaces in the society today have led to the inability of most of the youths to engage themselves in meaningful ventures, stressing that, there were so many entrepreneurial skills that, when engaged in, would totally reduce the rate of violence and youth unrest prevalent in the societies today.

In his goodwill message, Mr Samuel Olusunle, Acting Director/Chief Executive, Engineering Materials Development Institute, Akure, felicitated with NICO on the successful celebration of the 2014 World Culture Day. He said the nation’s culture sector would move Nigeria from its mono-economy, to generate youth employment and create wealth.

In his words: “The culture and tourism sector of the Nigerian economy has the wherewithal to promote national pride, generate revenue, and protect our national image on the international scene, a source of employment and rural development.”

He advised Nigerians to take pride in cultural attires, assuring that his institute would be willing to explore any mutually beneficial area of collaboration with NICO to contribute to national development.

Also in a goodwill message, the Director of Culture, Ondo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Lawrence Amimi, encouraged culture stakeholders and the mass media to always deliberate on cultural matters in

•Delegates at the conference

CONFERENCE the indigenous languages as some of the inadequacies in our lives today are due to the subjugation of the indigenous culture to borrowed cultures, which, to him, was neo-colonialism, a cankerworm that the nation needs to fight with vigour.

In a lecture, titled: In Search of Creative Entrepreneurs, the Coordinator, NICO South-West Zone, Mr. Ohi Ojo, defined the concept of entrepreneurship as, “the art of making money by starting or running business, especially when this involves taking (financial) risks,” emphasising the importance of entrepreneurship in the evolution of the cultural industry in Nigeria which has helped to impact on the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said that the current rebasing of the economy highlights the importance of the cultural industry in the overall economic outlook of the country, noting that, “a cursory look at the industry and a methodological approach through entrepreneurship will open up the great economic potential in that sector;” pointing out other areas

‘The culture and tourism sector of the Nigerian economy has the wherewithal to promote national pride, generate revenue, and protect our national image on the international scene, a source of employment and rural development’

of cultural interest where entrepreneurs ought to focus on, which include, arts and craft, traditional medicine, food, heritage sites, religion, music and drama.

There were questions and comments after the lecture as to what government was doing to assist entrepreneurs; how it would be possible to promote traditional medicine since government had banned adverts on traditional herbal practice; government’s efforts to ensure the production of standard products by entrepreneurs; how the issue of favouritism could be curbed when securing government loan for the establishment of small scale enterprises; and what government was doing to remove some of the stringent measures attached to securing loans from the agricultural and other development banks in the country.

While responding to some of the questions, Mr. Ojo said most entrepreneurs cannot stand alone in the production chain but needed to collaborate with others to come out with better creative works, adding that, most times, traditional medicines are not advertised, yet they still get appreciable patronage.

He submitted that the issue of favouritism was a universal challenge, and regarding advertisement of traditional medicines, he noted that, “government is only trying to protect us from death. It is difficult to prove the efficacy of native medicine due to its metaphysical nature and it is not a total ban but have to go through the relevant agencies for proper certification.”

Ayankoso stressed the need for a dress culture, saying: “We have lost interest in what is ours,” and charged everyone to take pride in their cultures and wear their native attires.

Highlights of the events were a drama performance, entitled, Local Content, staged by the NICO SWZ Cultural Troupe and Ewi (poetry) by Mr. Babatunde Adewunmi of Budget Unit of the institute.

•Culled from NICO News

Ebeano in Berlin

By Ozolua Uhakheme ts) (Arts) Assistant Editor (Ar

F

TOURISM

OR three-and-a-half years, Valentine Nnamani was jobless. He lost his job (bricklaying and concrete technician) at a construction firm, Bilfielder Berger, Berlin, Germany - a parent company of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. This condition forced him to take to cooking, first as a nonprofit outfit under cover for two years. The patronage he got during that period gave him the confidence to invest in cooking. However, Nnamani was scared of the uncertainty and whether he could make it through cooking in foreign land.

Today, Nnamani’s Afro Intercontinental Restaurant (Ebeano) has become one of the first choice African restaurants in Tiergarten Mitte, Berlin, Germany. From an initial 20 customers per day the restaurant now boasts of over 70 clients per day plus indoor and home delivery services.

“For me, cooking is a hobby. When I cooked for 70 pupils of a school in 2005, there I discovered my talent in cooking. And I chose to open a restaurant when some of my friends visited my house and they confessed that they enjoyed the meal I served

them. At a point, I asked myself why I got into the business, but for the push by my friends. This was in 2008,” he recalled.

Nnamani, who is a traditional chief from Neke Community in Enugu State later braced up to register the restaurant, which got German government approval. “For the past four years, Germans now know Nigeria has a rich food culture. In fact, the appreciation and patronage since then have been enormous. Apart from Nigerians or Africans, the Germans are getting interested in the menu,” he said.

His hard work got rewarded in 2013 when the restaurant was awarded a gold medal and certificate-Gastrol gold for integration kitchen. According to him, this has lifted the restaurant business with a client base of 50 per cent Africans and 50 per cent Europeans. Looking back, cooking has been a blessing for him.

Nnamani who was a clearing agent in Apapa, Lagos for seven years before travelling to Germany, said he left Nigeria because the late General Sanni Abacha’s administration was very unfriendly. Apart from cuisines, Nnamani also promote music and movie of Nigerian and other African countries. In order to reach out to larger audience in Berlin, Nnamani is planning to expand his outlets while retaining the old spot. According to him, the success of his business to a large extent, is the function of support from African countries’ embassies in Berlin that patronise Afro International Restaurant.

•Nnamani

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

The best jeans you’ve never heard of

D

ESIGNER Richard Babalola worked long and hard to get his Babson Zotto jeans range on the racks of high-end stores in Flanders.

Some 20 years ago, Richard Babalola left his home country, Nigeria, for Belgium. He is currently based in Antwerp with his wife and two children. The artist and designer has been working hard to get his Babson Zotto denim label on the racks of local and international boutiques.

Babalola grew up in a house that was bordered by a tailor shop on each side. In 1989, he obtained an arts degree at the Polytechnic Ibadan institute in south-western Nigeria, and he started making clothes not long after. “My first label was called New Dimension, a collection of tie-and-die fabrics and batiks,” he recalls.

Babalola also exported to Europe during that period, and after a friend convinced him to try his luck abroad, he applied for a visa and arrived in Belgium in 1991. “I bought a sewing machine at a Sunday market, not knowing what I’d do with it,” he says. “I fell in love with jeans and worked for years to get the right cut and fit.”

The designer says he went to great lengths to make the best jeans possible. “I would cut up jeans to study how they were made. Then start from scratch with a paper pattern to design jeans with the right fit from waist to foot.”

In 2008, Babalola registered his brand on the market. “Babson Zotto, with the first part referring to my surname and the second to my oldest brother’s DJ name,” he explains.

In those first years, Babalola often went down to the factories producing his jeans to follow the entire manufacturing process until he was happy with the end product. His exacting standards paid off since his jeans label was quickly picked up by local media outlets. This in turn helped him to win over owners of high-end boutiques, such as La Bottega in Hasselt, to carry his jeans.

“Women loved the fit and the finish,” Babalola says, adding that some of his de-

From Katrien Lindemans,

FASHION signs even include Swarovski crystals. “But as the orders increased, I had to start finding investors.”To get his name out to a wider audience, the designer also exploited his other talent: painting. He makes both abstract works and portraits in oil and acrylic.

For his portraits, he tries to come as close as possible to a photograph of the person.

“The more you do it, the better you become,” he says. His portraits often depict public figures such as footballer Romelu Lukaku, Queen Mathilde, Herman Van Rompuy and TV presenter Ann Van Elsen. I’m thinking about a range of T-shirts for both men and women.

“Most of them don’t know that I have painted their portrait, but I want to show that I can do it,” Babalola says. Recently, the artist offered such an airbrush portrait to Sally Mbanefo, the director-general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation. Upon accepting the artwork at a Berlin fair, she thanked Babalola for “doing his country proud with his handiwork and for distinguishing himself in his chosen profession”. With both his jeans label and artworks, Babalola is hoping to attract investors so that he can grow his business and, in the long term, have his denim exported to the rest of the world. He’s interested in Nigeria in particular, not just because it’s his native country but also because it currently has the fastest-growing economy in Africa. “I’ve been in Belgium for over 20 years now, and I’ve got the experience,” he says. And while nobody knows what the future will bring, the designer is ready for more.

“I’m thinking about a range of T-shirts for both men and women”, he says, “made from very high quality fabrics, but sold at an affordable price.” What exactly he’s up to, he won’t reveal just yet. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if his artworks have something to do with it.

•Babalola

Ooni donates land for Oduduwa project

Three presidents for Soyinka’s literary prize award

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HREE Heads of State have confirmed their attendance at the fifth edition of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature, which coincides with the 80th birthday of the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka.

The event is being sponsored by national carrier, Globacom.

The leaders, who are also expected at the presentation of a book in Soyinka’s honour three days after the prize award are Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia) and John Dramani Mahama (Ghana).

The presentation is slated for Accra, Ghana on July 8, three days after the prize award on July 5 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Is-

•Prof Soyinka

land, Lagos.

Other distinguished individuals expected at the event include former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, former Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and renowned Ghanaian author, Prof Ama Ata Aidoo.

The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature is a biennial event to recognise the best literary work produced by an African. It was established by the Lumina Foundation in 2005 to promote literary excellence in Africa and has since become the African equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

The organisers of the award have announced a long list of 10 African authors from a total of 163 entries submitted from 17 African countries in the genre of Drama, which is the focus of the 2014 edition.

A shortlist of candidates for the prize is expected to be announced shortly, while the ultimate winner is expected to emerge on July 5.

As part of the activities to make the event colourful, Globacom has concluded plans to invite some of its subscribers as guests of honour. To stand a chance to be invited, the subscribers are encouraged to increase the usage of airtime on the Glo network by 50 percent before June 24.

Subscribers chosen will receive special perks from the operator in addition to being celebrated on the special night.

For this edition of the prize, entries were invited from authors of any published play or collection of plays by the same author of African descent, published within the last two years (that is, a play published between 2012 and 2013). Globacom was also the main sponsor at the last edition.

A

PAN Yoruba group, Oduduwa Descendants World Assembly (ODWA) is initiating a forum for all sons and daughters of Yorubaland to re- open discussion on the unity and progress of their race.

The group is using the launching ceremony of the Directory and Compendium of Yoruba Monarch, holding on July 11 as an avenue to commence the discussion. The National Coordinator and Chief Resource Person of ODWA, Heir Prince Emmanuel Adeleye Ashaye, spoke on the activities of the group to re- build the fractured house of Oduduwa.

Ashaye said “the role of Oduduwa Descendants World Assembly (ODWA) in the pan Nigeria since the time Africa was created, Yoruba has been known to possess powerful royalty and royal empire. And these are sets of people who can truly trace their origin and source to Abraham. They are ancient and modern in their ways of life. They are knowledgeable, exposed and very peculiar indeed, with successive Golden Age. No wonders why they have always been in the midst of world greatest civilisation. ODWA is all out to restore back to Nigeria what Nigeria has lost through corruption and a deceitful federalism form of a government” Ashaye added that there is peace among the Yoruba monarchs.“ There is nothing to worry about over what is assumed to be the age -long rivalry between the two Yoruba paramount rulers which people believe may scuttle this project. He continue “ During our recent World Press Conference I made it clear to those in attendance that the two Paramount Rulers under reference are not sworn enemies. Their implied disagreement is not capable of scuttling our project. The construction of the Yoruba World Headquarters is an all Yoruba Project which they have embraced.

In fact, they are all praying that the beginning and the end of the construction will happen during their life time. For instance, one

By Taiw o Abiodun aiwo

PROJECT of them gave us the 100 hectares of land on which we are to build the Yoruba World Headquarters, while the other paramount ruler is willing to donate land for Annex and other ancillary buildings. The Yoruba World Headquarters is a World Project which is to be financed through generous donations by the cheerful world. Since no financial strains are going to be put on either of them, then, ‘abuse ti buse’, that is, the job is done.

On ODWA’s plan to mobilise the support of all Yoruba Monarchs towards the actualisation of the dream of a United Yoruba Nation , Ashaye said “ The Project belongs to all the Yoruba; it is their baby.

They own it, and they are ready to service and uphold it as a thing of joy and pride to them. There is no Yoruba monarch that is not disturbed by this disunity. All of them are worried, and for which they have been praying and necessary propitiations offered on regular basis in the closets of their Palaces. No meaningful Yoruba Oba with direct or indirect lineage to Oduduwa will be happy if we don’t have a United Yoruba Nation. In fact, the Yoruba politicians are the most affected by this malady as the other tribal groups usually take them for a ride since they know that Yoruba have a divided home. Therefore, since our prayers have been answered by having someone to bell the cat in the form of ODWA, which is a non-partisan, non-governmental Socio-cultural group without any affiliation to any known group or groups in the world, ODWA is simply the divine medicine that will cure the illnesses and sicknesses of ‘waste of time’ that have been plaguing the Yoruba Nation”.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

BUSINESS EXTRA

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Bankers’ Committee: interest rates reduction not immediate

HE Bankers’ Committee has said interest rates will not be reduced anytime soon but will take a gradual process to realise.

Addressing journalists at the end of the 316th Bankers’ Committee Meeting in Abuja yesterday, the Managaing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Mr. Segun Agbaje said interest rate will remain the way it is in the short to medium term.

He said: “On the issue of interest rate, where we are today is that in the short to medium term, interest rates are likely to stay where they are as the fundamentals of the economies remain fixed.

“There are many impediments to lower interest rates like rate of inflation, type of exchange rates desired, what the cost of funds of the banks are, cost of providing infrastructure, cost of pro-

From Nduka Chiejina Assistant Editor

viding personnel.”

All these he said come into what is called cost of funding before the margin is determined. “Even macro economic factors of a country also affect what interest rates are charged. There are so many variables that determine interest rate.

Whether you live in lower interest rate environment, we do not want interest rate that is below the rate of inflation,” Agbaje said.

However, as the nation deals “with such things as interest rates and import substitution, you will start to see interest rates considerably move downwards” he said.

“With price stability at the fore front of the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regime, it means exchange rate stability as an initiative

of the CBN will continue to be pursued,”he added.

He commended the CBN for maintaining inflation at a single digit and advised that “all the monetary policies should ensure that we continue to have single digit inflation.”

Speaking for the CBN, Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, reiterated what Agbaje had earlier said that Emefiele is passionate about the reduction of interest rate She however agreed that “it will be done gradually; it is not something that can be done tomorrow. The CBN governor along with the banking industry will achieve this in the long run.”

She said the CBN Governor Mr Godwin Emefiele is committed to financial system stability and as such “there will be zero tolerance for infractions no soft touch regulation or supervision.”

Regulation and supervision by the CBN under Emefiele she said, will be very intense.

For serial bank debtors who go from one bank to another with different names and guises taking money and not paying back Mrs. Martins said “such people will not be able to get credit anywhere in the system and will be blacklisted.”

CEO, UBA, Philip Oduoza said the biometric gathering exercise which is a means of identifying bank customers has already started.

So far about 10,000 customers he said have been enrolled for the biometric exercise and progress continues to be made as the roll out of customers started two days.

The biometric exercise he said will assist in consumer lending to provide credit availability to people excluded from the banking system.

Fed Govt, states, local govts share N683.8b •Excess Crude Account swells to $3.7b

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HE three governments in Nigeria shared N683.898 billion for

May. Addressing journalists in Abuja at the end of the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Jonah Otunla, said the distributable statutory revenue for May was N582.934 billion with an additional N35.549 billion proposed for distribution under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

Otunla also disclosed that the country’s Excess Crude Account has increased from $3.6 billion in April to $3.73 billion in May. To arrive at the total distributable figure for May, he said the sum of N159.688 billion was sourced from excess non-oil revenue as well as proceeds from Value Added Tax (VAT).

The gross revenue of N844.032 billion was realised for the month of May which was higher than the

From Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor

N584.151 billion received in April by N259.881 billion.

Revenue for the month under review grew because of the bulk payment of $1.2 billion made by Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) and the upward review of estimates by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited and other companies.

However, Otunla noted that oil production was affected negatively by theft, repairs and maintenance of ruptured pipelines.

The net statutory allocation to the federal, state and local governments was N567.824 billion with the Federal Government pocketing N271.340 billion or 52.68 per cent, states got N137,627 billion or 26.72 per cent, local governments received N106.105 billion or 20.60 per cent while the oil producing states got an additional N52.751 billion under the 13 per cent Derivation Fund.

Confab delegates turn down return of Nigeria Airways

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•From left: Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director Mrs Oyinkan Adewale; Group Managing Director Emeka Emuwa; Chairman Udoma Udo Udoma and Company Secretary Muyiwa Sonubi, all of Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, at the bank’s 45th Annual General Meeting in Lagos ... yesterday.

NUPENG warns against unbundling NNPC before PIB’s passage •Fed Govt ‘must rehabilitate refineries before privatisation’

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HE Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) workers has warned against unbundling state-run oil firm, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before the passage into law of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Its President Comrade Igwe Achise, who was reacting to reports that government is planning to unbundle the firm before the passage into law of PIB, advised “the Federal Government not to, in any form bulkanise the NNPC.” He however urged the government to expedite action on the passage of the bill at the National Assembly.

The NUPENG boss, who spoke at a press briefing after the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at Abuja, added that when the PIB becomes law, “we will sit down to discuss the next line of action, the balkanisation and business model for the NNPC, that is the position of NUPENG.”

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Achise also recalled that oil workers reached an agreement with the Federal Government on the conditions to meet before the privatisation of the four refineries, the government is yet to meet the conditions.

Among the conditions, according to him, are that the refineries’ Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) must be carried out, the pipelines must be secured, the existing depots of NNPC should be made to work effectively.

He said: “The government must also make sure that new refineries are built in this country. If you don’t meet these demands in making sure that these refineries are being rehabilitated, also working optimally as expected, we will not allow government to sell our refineries for peanuts.”

On the strike ultimatum given by the union, he said the workers have suspended the strike pending the outcome of

the findings of the team State Security Services (SSS), Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Judicial Council (NJC) , which is investigating the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) crisis.

The team, according to him, would present its report on June 26, while the union takes its decision on the matter at its June 30th meeting.

He said: “So far, in the course of our meeting, an agreement was reached and a team was constituted -the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Justice, the NJC, are being mandated to meet with the Directorate of the State Security Service, to investigate these allegations of NUPENG, in the cause of the lingering crisis and to proffer a solution to them.”

He explained that NUPENG did not issue the ultimatum to inflict pains on Nigerians but to pursue the issue of the union’s collective agreement that was signed with IPMAN in 2009.

ATIONAL Conference delegates yesterday massively voted against the revitalisation of the disbanded Nigeria Airways.

The vote was taken as the conference considered the report of its committee on Transport chaired by Senator Musa Adede.

The proposal was that the Presidencyshould take immediate action to revive the Nigeria Airways or in the alternative establish a new national carrier that will be private sector driven.

Before the vote was taken, delegates were informed that the disbanded national carrier was yet to pay its workers while it is also owing some foreign companies.

When the two options were put to vote, delegates rejected

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Dele Anofi, Abuja

them.

Delegates adopted the proposal to move all issues of marine business to the Concurrent List just as they also agreed that River Benue should be dredged to make it navigational throughout the year.

The conference also accepted the proposal that for effective and efficient transport system rail, land, water and sea transportation should be decentralised to spell out the legislative competence of the federal and state governments.

Delegates rejected the proposal to rationalise federal roads and hand them over to the federating units.

54

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-06-14

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-06-14

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

55

EQUITIES

Shareholders approve N117b capital raising for Union Bank

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HAREHOLDERS of Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc yesterday approved major resolutions to enhance the capital base of the bank, reorganize its capital structure and motivate the staff as it outlines short-term targets aimed at strengthening the position of the bank.

At the annual general meeting in Lagos, shareholders authorised the board of the bank to take all necessary steps to raise medium term funding up to a maximum of $750 million or its equivalent in any currency, currently estimated at N117 billion at official exchange rate.

The issuance would be through debt instruments, tenured bonds and Tier II Securities or a combination of these financing options and on such terms as may be determined by the board.

Also, the shareholders mandated the board to take necessary steps to reduce the balance on the company’s share premium account

by N286.98 billion to be applied to the negative retained earnings of

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Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

N272.064 million as at December 31, 2013 for the purpose of reducing same to zero and to facilitate the refund of N14.92 billion to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria as excess capital arising from the corporation’s injection of the financial accommodation amount of N305.70 billion.

In what would be a major boost to staff’s morale, the meeting empowered the bank to set aside up to 570.69 million ordinary shares from its unissued ordinary shares to fund an employee share incentive programme.

The approved shares represent some three per cent of the banks’ authorized share capital of 19.02 billion ordinary shares.

The meeting also authorised the board to take all necessary steps to cancel some 37.16 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each of its issued

and fully paid shares, which it inadvertently held following the acquisition of Union Merchant Bank Limited in 2005. The shares were subsequently reconstructed and reallotted pro-rata in 2011.

Addressing shareholders at the meeting, chairman, Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, outlined that the bank has finalized a three-year growth plan which provides a clear direction for its growth.

According to him, Union Bank aspires to be a highly respected provider of quality banking services, and to achieve this, the bank has identified six core areas which are pivotal to its success including the quality of customer experience, the quality of client base, the quality of talent, the quality of banking platform, professional standards, and the quality of earnings.

Group managing director, Union

Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, added that the focus going forward would be on implementing the key elements of the bank’s growth plan.

“For 2014, our focus will be on executing key elements of our strategy which we believe will yield immediate results,” Emuwa said.

According to him, the bank would reposition its business to reflect a more balanced retail, commercial and corporate banking model with a view to making significant contributions to financial inclusion in Nigeria.

He said the bank plans to extend its customer base through a more convenient services points and advanced technological services adding that the bank plans to also double its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and enhance its mobile banking platform.

He noted that management’s priorities in the immediate past year were improvement of the bank’s efficiency and development of a medium-term strategy and it made considerable progress on the two counts.

With respect to the divestment of

Union Bank’s non-banking portfolio companies in compliance with the Central Bank of Nigeria‘s Regulation on the Scope of Banking Activities and Ancillary Matters, Emuwa said the divestments will also enable the bank to focus on its core banking priorities and further consolidate its efforts to regain its position as a leading commercial bank in Nigeria.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2013 showed that group gross earnings closed 2013 at N121 billion as against N117 billion in 2012. Interest income however declined from N85 billion in 2012 to N81 billion in 2013. Net interest income also dropped from N63 billion in 2012 to N57 billion in 2013.

Union Bank however reduced operating expenses by 18 per cent from N73 billion to N60 billion. With restructuring costs of N10.7 billion, the bank increased pre-tax profit to N3.8 billion in 2013 as against N2.9 billion in 2013. Profit after tax jumped from N1.2 billion to N3.8 billion.

NSE to add Conoil, Sterling Bank, others to top index

IGERIAN Stock Exchange (NSE) is expected to add Conoil Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and three other stocks to the top index of 30 most capitalised stocks at the stock market in the forthcoming review of stock market’s indices.

The NSE is expected to review the six group indices that track performance of some groups of stocks at the stock market by the end of this month. These included the NSE 30 Index, which tracks the 30 most capitalised stocks; the NSE 50 Index, which tracks the top 50 stocks; the NSE Banking Index, which tracks banking subsector; the NSE Consumer Goods Index, which serves as benchmark index for the consumer goods stocks; the NSE Oil and Gas Index, which tracks the oil and gas sector; the NSE Industrial

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•Set aside 571m shares as incentives to staff •Approve N15b refund to AMCON

•UACN, BOC, Livestock Feeds join ethical stocks Index, which underscores the building materials and other industrial goods stocks; the NSE Insurance Index, that tracks insurance stocks and the NSE Lotus Islamic Index, which tracks select stocks adjudged to meet the stringent Islamic standards of ethical stocks.

In a preliminary review, the NSE yesterday indicated that it would remove five stocks and replaced these with Conoil, Sterling Bank, Mobil Oil Nigeria, Seven-Up Bottling Company and Ashaka Cement to the NSE 30 Index. Also, the trio of UAC of Nigeria, BOC Gases and Livestock Feeds would be added to the NSE Lotus Islamic Index.

The composition of the indices after the review will be effective on July 1, 2014.

The NSE-30, NSE-50 and NSE Industrial Indices are modified market capitalization index with the numbers of included stocks fixed at 30, 50 and 10 respectively. The numbers of included stocks in the NSEConsumer Goods, Banking, Insurance and Oil and Gas Indices are 15, 10, 15 and seven respectively.

The stocks will be picked based on their market capitalization from the most liquid sectors. The liquidity is based on the number of times the stock is traded during the preceding half year. To be included, the stock must be traded for at least 70 per cent of the number of times the market opened for business.

The NSE Index Committee noted that Exchange was not oblivious of

UK to sell $339m Islamic bonds

RITAIN plans to sell 200 million pounds, about $339 million, of five-year Islamic bonds in the coming weeks as it seeks to become the first non-Muslim nation to issue the debt.

The sale, subject to market conditions, will build on efforts to make Britain the hub of Islamic and Chinese finance, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said in his annual Mansion House speech in London.

Investor returns on the sukuk, the Islamic equivalent of a bond, will be “broadly equivalent” to that on conventional United Kingdom (UK) government debt of a similar maturity, according to the Treasury.

Prime Minister David Cameron had announced the plan to sell securities that comply with Islam’s ban on interest on October 29, 2013.

The sukuk will help establish London as a global capital for Islamic finance alongside Dubai and Kuala

Lumpur, Cameron said. The industry is growing 17 per cent a year and may be worth $2.67 trillion by 2017, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. “It is with these active steps that together we are making Britain the undisputed center of the global financial system,” Osborne said.

Bloomberg reported that proceeds from the sukuk, to be sold by a special purpose vehicle, will go toward buying a 99-year head-lease on three central government properties and land legally owned by the Department for Communities and Local Government but occupied by other government departments, the Treasury said. The sukuk will be underpinned by rental income from three office properties that will remain in government ownership during the lifetime of the sukuk.

The UK chose HSBC Holdings Plc in January to arrange and advise on its debut Islamic bond issue, It also appointed Barwa Bank, CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, National Bank of

Abu Dhabi and Standard Chartered Plc as joint lead managers.

The UK government has weighed the sale of a sukuk since at least 2007, when it ordered a study into the possibility of issuing the securities. Selling Islamic debt hadn’t been deemed value for money, Robert Stheeman, chief executive officer of the Debt Management Office, said in September, before the announcement of the current plan.

Islamic bonds are typically backed by assets or cash flow. About 60 per cent of global sukuk is issued from Malaysia, according to the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre. Islamic finance should be as British as “fish and chips,” London’s then Lord Mayor, Roger Gifford, said in a speech at a sukuk summit last June.

The UK is home to about 2.7 million Muslims out of a total population of 63.7 million, according to government statistics.

the fact that the number of the stocks that will be included in some of the indices may be inappropriate for optimal portfolio diversification; however, the numbers would be reviewed as sector conditions change.

The NSE began publishing the NSE 30 Index in February 2009 with index values available from January 1, 2007.

On July 1, 2008, the NSE developed four sectoral indices with a base value of 1,000 points, designed to provide investable benchmarks to capture the performance of specific sectors. The sectoral indices comprise the top 15 most capitalized and liquid companies in the insurance and consumer goods sectors, top ten most capitalized and liquid companies in the banking and industrial goods sector and the top seven most capitalized and liquid companies in the oil & gas sector.

In July 2012, the NSE launched the NSE Lotus Islamic index (NSE LII) which consists of companies whose business practices are in conformity with the principles of Shari’ah with the aim of increasing the breadth of the market and creating an important benchmark for investments as the alternative non-interest investment space widened. All the companies that appear on the Islamic index have been thoroughly screened by Lotus Capital Halal Investment, in accordance with a methodology approved by an internationally recognized Shari’ah Advisory Board comprising of renowned Islamic scholars.

The price indices, which were developed using the market capitalization methodology, are rebalanced on a biannual basis -on the first business day in January and in July.

Biggest Thai investors say stocks are too expensive

T

WO of Thailand’s biggest money managers say the surge in stocks that sent the benchmark SET Index (SET) into a bull market yesterday has gone too far, too fast.

The nation’s Social Security Office, which invests pension contributions from local workers, is holding cash in anticipation of a market decline, Win Phromphaet, the SSO’s head of investments, said at a conference in Bangkok.

Investors are too sanguine about the prospects for economic growth after the army seized control of the government on May 22, according to Prasert Khanobthamchai, the chief investment officer at Kasikorn Asset Management Co. Bloomberg reported that the money managers are skeptical the rally will last after the benchmark SET Index jumped 20 percent from this year’s low on bets the military government will fast-track measures to revive the economy. The stock measure is valued at 13.5 times estimated 12month earnings, 14 percent more expensive than the five-year average.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index trades at a multiple of 10.9.

“Thai stocks have limited upside now as several share prices have exceeded our price targets,” said Win, who invests about 100 billion baht ($3 billion) in domestic equities. “We are holding cash and very cautious.”

Overseas investors unloaded a net $36 million of Thai stocks yesterday, a fifth day of net selling and the biggest outflow in two weeks, according to Stock Exchange of Thailand data. They had added $250 million to holdings in the six days to June 9.

56

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

MONEYLINK

‘Africa needs $40b yearly to bridge infrastructure gap’

E

CONOMIST and former Chairman, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Jim O’Neill, has said Africa needs to bridge the $40 billion per annum investment deficit in the continent.

He spoke during the African Finance Corporation (AFC) conference on infrastructure held in Lagos.

O’Neill said infrastructure in general has been estimated to have the potential to add an average of two per cent to Africa’s economic growth rate over the next decade as investment is brought to bear to bridge the deficit.

He said Africa’s future depends on the continent’s policy makers doing the right thing. “That is working to create better governance, reducing crime, fighting corruption and delivering improved infrastructure. Infrastructure development is both a de-

North, sub-Saharan Africa issue $8.1b bonds

fining challenge and a standout investment opportunity for Africa and investors around the world,” he said.

He said Nigeria is growing at seven per cent despite poor access to power, stressing that decent power could boost economic growth to between 10 and 12 per cent. O’Neill said there is no reason the country should not become a member of the G20 club.

The conference which attracted more than 500 leading thinkers from government, academia, business and finance, fuelled energetic debate on both the opportunities and the challenges of the African infrastructure landscape.

AFC Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Alli said there is great potentials in Africa which investors are key-

N

•Alli

ing into. “Our vision at the AFC is to bridge the infrastructure divide and seek a strong return for our shareholders at the same time. We believe our core role comes at the earliest stage of project conception and development. While international capital will be fundamental in bridging the investment divide, that capital will have nowhere to go if Africa does not focus on the development of bankable, sustainable projects,” he said.

Sterling Bank gets new directors

S

TERLING Bank yesterday announced the appointment of six men and women to its board.

The inclusion of women is in line with the gender ratio requirement of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In a statement, the bank said the appointment is based on its renewed effort to strengthen its board in line with its corporate governance and sustainability culture.

The new board members whose appointments have been approved by the CBN are Ms. Tamarakare Yekwe, Mrs. Omolara Akanji, Asue Ighodalo, Raghavan Karthikeyan, Mr. Kayode Lawal (Executive Director) and Mr. Abubakar Suleiman (Executive Director).

The bank explained that the appointment of these six seasoned pro-

fessionals with diverse experience in the private and public sectors would further enhance the capacity of the board to deliver on its corporate goals.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yemi Adeola expressed his optimism that the bank would benefit immensely from the wealth of experience of the six directors as their appointments were carried out on the basis of skills, rich professional experience and corporate governance best practice. “We are also mindful of the need to be gender sensitive in the constitution of our Board. “The track record of the six new appointees typifies the value system of the Bank which is hinged on integrity, dynamism, excellent service delivery and entrepreneurship,” he said.

Tamarakare Yekwe, the current Principal Partner, ‘Kare Yekwe & Co. (Legal Practitioners & Consultants) was a member of the Governing Council, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Presidential Technical Committee on Housing and Urban Development.

She was the pioneer Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Bayelsa State; and has also served as a director in a number of institutions including the Federal Savings Bank of Nigeria, Continental Merchant Bank of Nigeria Plc, International Merchant Bank Plc and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981. Reply Reply to all Forward.

DATA BANK

FGN BONDS Tenor

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year

35m 35m

11.039 12.23

19-05-2014 18-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 400m 400m 400m 400m 400m 400m

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33

NIDF

OBB Rate

Price Loss 2754.67

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day

Amount 30m 46.7m

Rate % 10.96 9.62

Date 28-04-2012 “

GAINERS AS AT 17-10-14

SYMBOL OANDO CAVERTON MRS COSTAIN FIDSON NEIMETH MBENEFIT MANSARD JOSBREW CONTINSURE

O/PRICE 21.00 5.48 48.00 1.40 2.89 1.24 0.52 2.55 2.79 1.06

C/PRICE 23.15 5.89 51.36 1.47 3.03 1.30 0.54 2.62 2.85 1.08

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD NGN GBP

147.6000 239.4810

149.7100 244.0123

150.7100 245.6422

-2.11 -2.57

NGN EUR 212.4997 NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) 149.7450 (S/N) Bureau de Change 152.0000 (S/N)

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

CHANGE 2.15 0.41 3.36 0.07 0.14 0.06 0.02 0.07 0.06 0.02

DISCOUNT WINDOWx Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00%

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE 65.65 14.82 6.27 164.42 11.85 3.98 30.20 2.45 1.66 4.91

CHANGE -7.08 -1.05 -0.33 -8.58 -0.61 -0.20 -1.40 -0.11 -0.07 -0.15

Amount Sold ($) 399.9m 399.9m 399.9m

Exchange Rate (N) 155.75 155.8 155.7

Date 2-5-14 2-3-14 1-29-14

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX

NSE

6-2-14

28-10-11

% Change

CAP Index

N13.07tr 40,766.16

N6.617tr 20,903.16

-1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGET FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FIDELITY NIGFUND INTERCONTINENTAL INTEGRITY FUND KAKAWA GUARANTEED INCOME FUND

Offer Price Bid Price 157.99 157.07 9.17 9.08 1.09 1.08 1.18 1.18 0.68 0.68 1.39 1.33 1,664.78 1,661.81 1,087.24 1,086.78 119.02 118.19 1,087.30 1,087.00 1.67 1.62 1.05 1.03

LEGACY FUND NIGERIA INTER DEBIT FUND PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND STANBIC IBTC ETHICAL FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

LOSERS AS AT 17-6-14

CONOIL 72.73 ETI 15.87 DIAMONDBNK 6.60 NB 173.00 CHAMPION 12.46 ETERNA 4.18 GUARANTY 31.60 AIRSERVICE 2.56 MAYBAKER 1.73 SCOA 5.06

annual report on the continent, adding that a “disorderly increase in interest rates” represented an economic risk.

African officials and some investors are worried that an increase in interest rates in countries such as the US would reduce the significant portfolio inflows that nations including Kenya and Nigeria have seen in their local securities markets.

But Aurelien Mali, a senior analyst at Moody’s, told FT that the African region had shown considerable resilience to financial shocks.

“We expect that investors’ interest for the region will be sustained given the strong macroeconomic growth outlook for Africa, which we estimate to average 5-6 per cent over the next five years”.

The JPMorgan Nexgem Africa index, which tracks the bond market in the region, is yielding 6.8 per cent, down from a peak this year of 7.9 per cent in late June when fears about the direction of Fed policy drove rates higher. But the index is up from a low-point in January of 5.3 per cent. Yields move inversely to prices.

Moody’s anticipates that six new African countries will debut in the international capital markets with hard currency bonds within the next few years: Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique.

“We see significant potential in Africa for increasing the use of international capital markets in the medium to long term,” the rating agency said in a report.

ORTH and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries raised $8.1 billion bonds in the last one year, the largest ever amount of hard currency from international capital markets, a report by Financial Times (FT) has said.

The bond issuance record set in 2010 has been broken by this year’s feat.

Egypt and South Africa have issued the largest share of US dollar bonds so far this year in Africa, with smaller contributions from Ghana, Nigeria and Rwanda.

Credit rating agency, Moody’s said the fund raised is above the previous record of $7.2 billion set in 2010 for the whole year and far above the $1.2 billion they raised from bonds a decade ago.

It said although the issuance has increased substantially, the size of the international bond market in Africa remains small. Moody’s put the total stock of government and corporate debt in hard currency at 3.7 per cent of the size of the African economy, compared to 11.3 per cent in Latin America and 5.1 per cent in Asia.

The record issuance comes as the World Bank warned that Africa’s economic outlook could suffer due to the impact of higher global interest rates arising from the “inevitable” tightening of monetary policy in developed countries.

“The search for yields among investors has supported strong capital flows to developing countries in recent years, including sub-Saharan African countries,” the Washington-based body said in its semi-

Stories by Collins Nweze

143.11

142.62

0.78 1,944.64 13.62 1.07

0.76 1,936.31 13.28 1.05

1.3379 1.3544 1.0146 1.1770

1.3271 1.3544 0.9967 1.1770

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000

8.5000

Movement

57

THE NATION WEDNESDAY JUNE 18, 2014

NEWS

NBA accuses police of assault From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

T

HE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin Branch, yesterday accused the police of alleged brutality of its member.

NBA added that some “overzealous police officers last Friday stripped Taofiq Sanusi, beating him to a stupor”.

The Chairman, Mobolaji Ojibara, spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a special court session in honour of Justice Joseph Ibiwoye, who died in April.

Ojibara said: “Permit me, my lord, to also use this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the leadership of the Ilorin Bar to uphold and protect the rights and dignity of all its members.

“It is in this regard that the Ilorin NBA condemns the acts of intimidation and persecution of its members in the course of their professional pursuit by the police. “ We call on all members, including the judiciary, to join in and resist this trend.”

He said the brutalised officer was thrown into jail with hardened criminals for “daring to visit the police station to procure the bail of his clients”.

His words: “Upon hearing about the inhumane treatment and wrongful detention, his colleague, Ahmed Alawaye, who also visited the police station to request for the release of the detained lawyer, was also injured and thrown out of the police station.

“It thus becomes exigent, more than ever, to condemn these frequent mindless acts of the police, intimidating and harassing counsel involved in their professional pursuit.

“The matter has again brought to fore "the worrisome, continuing and unhealthy operational culture of the police force, whose officers believe that their uniforms and ranks put them above Nigerian citizens and laws.”

T

Niger Assembly suspends Minority leader

HE Niger State House of Assembly yesterday suspended its Minority Leader, Muhammad Nuradeen Umar, for three months for allegedly maligning its integrity.

He was suspended in absentia as he was not on his desk when the motion for his suspension was moved.

In the motion under matters of urgent public attention, Yusuf Kure (Paikoro) called the attention of the

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

House to an interview Umar granted an Abuja tabloid, where he levelled grievous allegations on the leadership and members of the Assembly.

The Minority leader, who represents Kontagora I, was alleged to have accused his

colleagues of receiving bribes from the executive to impeach two former speakers.

The lawmaker was also alleged to have said the executive has been interfering in the House’s affairs.

Describing the allegations as untrue, unfounded, malicious and capable of tar-

nishing the House’s image, Kure said the principal officer should be suspended and investigated.

Muhammad Bashir Lokogoma (Wushishi) condemned the allegations.

The House supported the motion and adopted the prayers therein, slamming the three-month suspension.

It directed its Committee on Ethics, Public Petitions and Privileges to investigate the allegations and report back to it.

Report: Attah didn’t get 100m medical allowance F ORMER Akwa Ibom State Governor Victor Attah did not get N100million medical allowance, it was learnt yesterday.

Governor Godswill Akpabio, it was gathered, twisted public records to justify the case for jumbo payouts provided for former governors and their deputies in the state’s 2014 Executive Pension Law. Records from the governor’s office showed that contrary to the administration’s claim that it paid more than N100 million yearly in medical expenses to Attah, the average amount paid to Attah per year was N13 million.

According to the records, the Akpabio administration paid N93 million in medical expenses to the former governor for seven years, 2007-2014.

If the expenses, which added up to N93 million in seven years, are annualised, the amount comes to N13 million yearly.

In the wake of the huge public outcry that trailed news of the provisions for lavish payouts, including N100 million annual medical allowance, for former governors, Akpabio said he was prompted by ex-

cessive medical bills from former governors to impose a cap of N100 million on medical allowance yearly.

However, records from Akpabio’s office showed that in 2007 Attah received N5,898,457 for medical expenses; N19,437,991 in 2008; and N7,752,953 in 2009.

The records also showed that Attah received N56,750,348 in 2010 and 2011; and N3,165,954 in 2012. Sources said about half of the expenses was the cost of evacuating Attah’s late wife,

•Attah

Nnenyin, by air ambulance at more than N41 million in 2010.

Akpabio had tried to justify the pension law, following a protest by saying that what he did was to protect public resources from excessive demands by past leaders.

From Austine Tsenzughul, Bauchi

KOFAR Wase Tagabas, Karofin Madaki and Railway Quarters communities in Bauchi State yesterday stormed the office of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to protest the nine-month power outage in the areas.

The protest, which began at PHCN’s Federal Low Cost Housing Estate Office to the state headquarters was joined by youths from the affected communities and elders.

Their spokesman, Muhammad Sani, said: ‘’We have been in the dark for over nine months now.

“We have been surviving on generators and it is not funny.

“We pay our bills promptly for electricity we have not consumed with the hope that power will be restored.”

He said several complaints to PHCN have not yielded any positive result. ‘’If nothing is done this time, we will have no choice but to report to Consumer Protection Council (CPC).

But the PHCN Business Manager, Aliyu Tanimu, said: ‘’It is only my boss who can comment, but he has travelled to Abuja.”

Church programme CHRIST Apostolic Church, Mount Zion, will hold its Three Nights of Prophetic transformation tagged: “Operation Change My Story Oh Lord” today.

There will be an anointing service on Sunday at 7am.

It will hold at the church auditorium, 4, Adegbola Street, Opposite Ikeja Local Government, Ikeja Along Busstop, Ikeja, Lagos.

The chief host, Pastor Emmanuel Ayodele said the programme will be life transforming.

Petrol tanker explodes

Benue APC hails Odigie-Oyegun

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

T

HERE was chaos in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, yesterday when a tanker carrying petroleum products rammed into a vehicle and burst into flames.

An eyewitness, Daniel, said the tanker was coming from the North Bank axis of the capital.

The incident, which resulted in a gridlock, forced motorists to divert to the Old Bridge.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Utilities, Gadaffi Asemanya, advised drivers to always have fire extinguishers.

He said there was no casualty but decried the attitude of the tanker driver and his assistant who escaped.

Police spokesman Daniel Ezeala confirmed the incident.

Communities protest blackout

•Director-General, National Council for Women Development (NCWD), Ms Onyeka Onwenu, celebrating “Day of the African Child” with children at NCWD Centre, Abuja

A

Defend yourselves, group urges Taraba people

SOCIO-cultural group, Jukun Development Association (JDA), has called on the people of southern Taraba to defend themselves against external aggression.

The group called for the evacuation of Fulani herdsmen from southern Taraba.

It claimed that the presence of the herdsmen, driven from Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue, was responsible for the rising cases of violence in its Taraba State.

The group threatened that

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

if the herdsmen refused to leave, its members would take up arms against them.

In a statement by its National President, Benjamin Bako Danborno, JDA said the call to arms became necessary due to Federal Government’s failure to check the violence and protect the Jukun people.

Last Sunday’s attack on Christians by armed Fulani herdsmen in three Jukun villages led to the death of 115

people.

The group expressed its disappointment on all elected and appointed Jukun people both in Abuja and Jalingo, for “their conspiracy of silence”.

Danburno said the spontaneous eruption of violence at Wukari, Ibi and Rafinkada, all in southern Taraba, have further confirmed the group’s fear of a grand plan to exterminate the Jukun people.

He called on all Jukun sons around the world to rise in

defence of the Jukun people.

“We see in all these a grand design by some disgruntled politicians to deliberately heat up the polity of southern Taraba and render the zone incapable of being able to produce a candidate for the governorship election.

“Let us assure them that such gimmicks will fail like others before it.

“Let us also caution detractors that we are all peace loving in southern Taraba and we want justice.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has congratulated the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, on his election.

Its Publicity Secretary, Ayem T. Atsem, said the emergence of the technocrat will put the party in a better stead to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ayem called on supporters to remain committed to the party.

He warned them to be wary of the antics of the PDP, which are meant to destabilise the party.

The party also lauded the leadership qualities of the State Chairman, Abba Yaro, noting that his leadership qualities would be used to the party's advantage.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

58

CITYBEATS A

POLICEMAN, simply identified as Corporal Nathaniel, has been killed by armed robbers, who stormed a new-generation bank at the popular Alaba International Market, Ojo on the outskirts of Lagos.

The incident was said to have occurred on June 11, when the hoodlums snatched bags of money containing over N15million belonging to the bank and made away with the policeman’s rifle.

The bandits, who rode motorcycles, were said to have opened fire on the policemen

Robbers ‘kill’ policeman in bank raid

•Four held

By Jude Isiguzo

escorting a bullion van parked some metres away from the bank’s cash centre.

Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, were said to have arrested two policemen and two employees of the bank in connection with the incident.

A police source said Ben-

Man macheted over Nigeria/Iran match

A

GHANAIAN football fan, simply identified as Koffi, sustained machete cut in Ilasan, Lagos State during the World Cup match between Nigeria and Iran on Monday, it was learnt yesterday.

It all happened at a bar where a man, Sunday Usman, who was said to have been drunk, brought out a cutlass to threaten other viewers for mocking the Super Eagles over their lacklustre performance.

It was gathered that Usman, who hails from Edo State, had repeatedly warned Koffi, to stop uttering provocative words against the Nigerian players, but he would not listen.

An eyewitness said: “Usman

By Jude Isiguzo

was drunk because he had been drinking Alomo Bitters. I was surprised when Usman threatened to deal with Koffi if he continued mocking the Nigerian team.

“Koffi thought the man was joking. Usman left the scene and returned with a cutlass.

Others who were viewing the match scampered for safety.

Usman cut Koffi in the head with the knife.”

Following the attack, the source said that the people around disarmed Usman and beat him until he fell down.

The victim was said to have been quickly rushed to a private hospital for medical attention.

One dies in Lagos boat mishap

O

By Jude Isiguzo

NE person died when a 10-seater passenger boat capsized on Monday along the Tin-Can-Kirikiri water channel in Lagos, it was learnt yesterday.

Five others, who were rescued by local divers, are receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital at Ojo. It was gathered that the boat took off from Ojo at about 12.15pm and was heading towards Tin-Can/Coconut area when it ran into a huge wave created by a big commercial vessel.

The wave, it was learnt, threw the boat high skywards before it landed on its side, spilling all the passengers and cargo into the water.

An eyewitness said: “Those who could swim swam to the nearby island, while few others were rescued by a team of fishermen and local dredgers”.

SouthWest Spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, who confirmed the incident, said the accident occurred in Ibasa area, confirming that only one person died.

jamin Ene, an Inspector, and the slain policeman escorted the bank’s bullion van from Apapa to Alaba, where they were attacked.

They were said to have been to two major customers, including a filling station, before heading for the Alaba market, from where they planned to move to the bank’s head office.

Another police source said: “The police escorts were heading for Alaba to collect money from their bank, but the roads were blocked.

There was heavy traffic. The bullion van could not drive forward.

“The two cashiers who went with the bullion van decided to trek inside and pick the money. They asked the two policemen and the driver of the bullion van to wait. It was later discovered that a bulldozer blocked the road, causing the traffic.

“Just as the cashiers were about to put the money into the van, the robbers struck, killing the corporal instantly.

Inspector Benjamin Ene, the

driver of the bullion van and the two cashiers ran away.

The robbers took the money and escaped on a motorbike.

They also made away with the slain corporal’s AK47 rifle.”

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Apapa Police Station, Usman Ndabobo, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), reportedly declared that the late Nathaniel and Ene were on illegal duty.

Commissioner of Police Umar Manko ordered Ene’s arrest. The two cashiers, Mr.

Obadina and Akinbo, were also arrested.

It was learnt that Ndabobo had repeatedly warned his men against going on escort duties outside Apapa.

Police spokesperson Ngozi Braide, who confirmed the incident, said: “There was no policeman arrested in connection with that bank robbery. We are highly suspecting insiders’ connection because of the way the robbery was carried out. Two staff and a security guard of the bank have been arrested.”

•Destiny Yusuf

• Morydiyat Salawudeen

•Akeem Abdulazeez

the severity of the ailment and the hospital involved, is being conducted free of charge.

Esther Babalola, 18, who came from Ikotun, a Lagos suburb, underwent the tests, but the Mission Director of Alliance for Smile, Barbara Fisher, said she could not undergo the surgery because of a threat to her speech and breathing by her age. The surgery, The Nation was told, is better done during infancy to facilitate healing and rehabilitation.

Mr Shuaib Abdulazeez, father of 41-day-old Akeem was turned back after the tests be-

cause his son “is yet to be three months old,” being the stipulated age for the surgery.

The District Governor of Rotary, Mr Olugbemiga Olowu, said the aim of the surgery is to reach out to the community and bring relief to patients as part of the areas of focus of the club, which include maternal and child health and disease prevention.

The Rotary, he said, was also involved in a similar collaborative exercise in Ogun State last year, where 75 people had the corrective surgery.

and Infrastructure, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, who spoke with The Nation through his Public Relations Officer (PRO), Biola Fagunwa, said the state has a commitment to provide roads as a socioeconomic infrastructure necessary as a catalyst for economic activities and improvement of social condition of the people. But he said the state cannot rehabilitate every road within the state at once because of limited resources.

Hamzat added: “We are currently working on Igi Olugbin Road. The first phase

of the project which comprises of Bakare Avenue, Salami Shuaibu Street, Adaranijo and Onisemo streets, is almost completed.

Under the phase 2, Messrs HFP Engineering Ltd, the same contractor that handled Phase 1, will work on Igi Olugbin-Okuta Road and Deji Aladejobi Street.”

He debunked insinuations that the government deliberately delayed the project for later use as a campaign strategy, saying that the state is bent on providing the dividends of democracy to all residents.

Succour for cleft/palate patients

S

INCE Monday, children with cleft lips and palate defects have been enjoying free corrective surgery jointly sponsored by the Rotary International District 9110, the Alliance for Smile, a United States-based non-governmental organisation, and the Lagos State Government. It will end on June 26.

“Cleft is said to be a defect of the lip or upper part of the mouth that occurs before birth. Palate occurs around the roof of the teeth, causing speech defects. It is believed to be caused by folic acid deficiency in particular between seven to 14 weeks into pregnancy.

The Head, Burns and Plastic Surgery of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof Idowu Fadeyibi, said excessive exposure to radiation, intake of unprescribed drugs, infections, lifestyle habits and environmental contaminations are some of the known causes of the diseases.

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By Nneka Nwaneri

Fadeyibi, who said such deformities could be picked from the womb of the mother through ultrasound scan, urged mothers to go to proper places for antennal care, eat nutritious foods and avoid natural (herbal) drugs during pregnancy to avoid the risk.

During the programme yesterday at the Critical Care Unit of LASUTH, children and adults were screened. The corrective surgery, which normally costs between N250, 000 and N300,000, depending on

Residents in pains over ‘abandoned’ road

ESIDENTS in the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State have urged Governor Babatunde Fashola to prevail on the contractor handling the rehabilitation of Igi-Olugbin/Pedro Road to end their pains.

The “abandoned” road, which has become a nightmare to both motorists and commuters, starts from the popular Johnson bus stop through Ladi-lak to Bariga. It is the major link for residents to Palmgrove, Onipanu and Bariga.

A driver on the route, Taiwo Olaniyi, lamented: “We are suffering on this road because of big pot holes, especially from Johnson to Mosalashi bus stops. I don’t know why we are being punished by the government. It is not fair because we pay our taxes. Why did they repair the road from Palmgrove and stop at Johnson last year; to punish us?

“We spend between N5, 000 and N7, 000 on our vehicles at least, twice every week. It has been worsened by the rains. The worst affected parts of our vehicles include the break systems, tires, shock absorbers and springs.”

Taiwo, who said more than 100 buses ply the route daily, noted that apart from the expenses incurred weekly to keep the buses running, they

By Uyoatta Eshiet

spend money on drugs daily to take care of body pains.

A tricycle operator at LadiLak bus stop, who plies the Ladi-Lak , Palm Grove to Onipanu route, Sulaiman Orelope, said the bad portions of the road affects him and other operators negatively as the machines are not strong to withstand such hassles.

The residents said more than 70 per cent of the roads in the whole area are in very bad shape requiring urgent attention.

Commissioner for Works

• The Igi-Olugbin road ... yesterday

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

NEWS

$22.5m Safe School Fund takes shape Continued from page 4 •Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha (left) with Bishop David Oyedepo during his visit to the Government House, Owerri... yesterday

are going to be working wth us to make the communities safe and the schools safer so that our children who are in these areas can come back to school.”

“And Mr President has kicked off this initiative by opening and instructing that I open a trust fund which we have already put N1.6 billion,” she said She added: “The private sector is also putting N1.6 million.

His Excellency Gordon Brown is going to be raising some resources and the governors are also putting in commitment.

“We are intent on trying to make sure that our children in the states have an environments which they can come

Boko Haram kingpin among 486 suspects held Continued from page 4

heading to and what they were going to do. These facts came out of the preliminary grilling of the suspects.”

But the source noted that it was still early to conclude that the suspects were actually Boko Haram insurgents or not.

Only a comprehensive investigation, which is going on, can reveal the true identities of the suspects, it was learnt.

“We will trace them to their take-off point; their families; their mission and their sponsors. Definitely, they started their journey somewhere,” the source said.

The source also said “the idea of claiming that Northerners were arrested could ignite tension nationwide as if the military is isolating them for a purpose.

“We are not against Northerners moving to any part of the country. But alleged security breach, especially suspicious movement in the dead hours of the night cannot be discountenanced,” he

said, adding: “We appeal to Nigerians to see the security challenge facing the nation as a common problem which we must collaborate to tackle.

“The military will release its findings to the public. If they have a genuine mission, then we will release them and give these people security advisory on their movement next time.

“And if they are on a dangerous mission to Port Harcourt, the law will take its course, with fairness to all.

The ultimate objective is to secure every part of Nigeria.”

Security agencies are probing also Boko Haram’s purported letters to Chibok community in Borno, some villages in Jos and some parts of Benue State, sources told The Nation yesterday.

Besides, security has been strengthened in all “mission areas”, especially frontline places in the Northeast.

According to highly-placed sources, the military and security agencies were not dismissing Boko Haram’s letters to Chibok, Jos environs, and

some parts of Benue State.

Although in terms of intelligence gathering, the letters could be phantom to divert attention of troops, the military high command has issued red alert to all formations in the Northeast to ward off any aggression.

The military is said to have intelligence report confirming that the letters were sent to Chibok, some environs of Jos and some parts of Benue State.

“We will not take anything for granted. In line with our operations generally, every portion of the mission area is important,” said the source, who added: “So, the military high command has ordered all formations to beef up security in Chibok, targeted areas in Plateau and Benue states and all frontline areas in the Northeast.

“Following the ambush tactics of the insurgents, all military formations and security posts are on red alert.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “Going by the modus operandi of Boko

Haram, the letters could be phantom because they had been striking without notice.

“This is why we are also probing the sources of the letters to ascertain whether it was sheer propaganda or a tactical way of diverting the attention of the troops. Some elements may take advantage of the security challenge to heighten tension.

“We will get to the root of these letters and subject them to forensic examination. In any case, troops are on the alert to avoid being caught off-guard.”

On the plan to rescue the Chibok girls, who have been in captivity in the last 65 days, another source added: “The military is repackaging its approach to come out in a hard way against the insurgents.

“We are preparing for a major bang, if it will get to this stage, to rescue the girls.

You will recall that there had been a lull in the past few weeks; it is because the military is also re-strategising.”

sibility of INEC (1st Defendant) does not include settlement or resolution of internal squabbles or leadership tussles within a political party.

“That it is the duty of PDP (2nd defendant) to appoint its national officers and INEC only keeps records of same.

“That it is not the responsibility of INEC to pick or choose who to recognize as national Officer of a political party.

“That INEC has been served with several suits and court processes with respect to the issue of National Secretary of PDP. “At a recent meeting between INEC and PDP, the

electoral commission advised PDP to forward to it any court order declaring anyone as its National Secretary.”

The defendants are the Independent National Electoral Commission (1st defendant); the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Oyinlola.

They raised two issues for determination. These are: Whether by the combined effect of Section 223 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(as amended) and Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2010(as amended), the 1st defendant is not obliged to accord recognition to Oladipo, who was nominated by the Southwest Caretaker Committee of the

PDP at the Special Extra-Ordinary Congress of the SouthWest zone held on the 4th of January 2014 to fill the vacancy in the position of National Secretary of the party occurring by reason of the suspension and subsequent expulsion of Oyinlola, the erstwhile National Secretary, from the party sometime in November 2013.

If the answer to question one is in the affirmative, then whether the first defendant is not obliged to amend its records in relation to the PDP (the 2nd defendant herein) to reflect the name of Prof. Wale Oladipo as the National Secretary of the party.

of it. It is definitely an idle talk. You know this is election time and people will be saying all sorts of things.

Anybody can say anything.

You can also ask the military authorities and you will confirm what I said. INEC is not aware of it; I seriously think it is an idle talk.”

INEC opposes PDP’s suit on Oyinlola’s successor Continued from page 4

ficer, Vilba Kintai on June 16, INEC said it should be left out of internal dispute of PDP. The affidavit reads: “That the statutory duty of the 1st defendant (INEC) is to monitor and keep records of the activities of political parties in Nigeria and ensuring their compliance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. “That the subject matter of the plaintiffs’ suit bothers on internal dispute within the 2nd defendant over the appointment of a National Officer (Secretary) of the 2nd defendant.

“That the statutory respon-

Ekiti poll: Aircraft with suspicious cargo land Akure Continued from page 1

political leaders of one of the top political parties, desperate to win the election by hook or crook, were behind the plot.

It also alleged that a meeting to fine-tune the rigging plan was held at an Akure hotel on Monday before the items were brought in yesterday.

The EYEM President said if security agents were really out to work, they should find

out the destination of the fake thumb-printed ballot papers.

“These people are unbelievably wicked and desperate. In fact, part of their plan on Saturday is to start jubilation that they have won even while elections are still ongoing,” EYEM said.

But the Independent National Electoral commission described the allegation as an “idle talk”.

Mr Kayode Robert Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega, said: INEC is not aware

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Fire at Atlas Cove

IREMEN were last night battling to put out a fire at the pipelines near the Atlas Cove Depot in Lagos.

The depot belongs to the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora-

tion (NNPC) It is believed that vandals caused the incident Spokesman of the NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, who confirmed the incident, said that officials of the company were already at the scene to put out the fire.

back to school and not have their education truncated.”

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said there would be an Emergency Relief Window that will support the rapid/immediate deployment of relief assistance to affected communities and households.

The scope of the support she said will include evacuation and temporary accommodation (e.g. tents, mosquito nets and sanitation facilities), water supply (boreholes), provision of food supplies, medical supplies and provision of first aid and emergency healthcare services, and cash transfer programs.

The fund she explained, will also support rapid needs assessment (where one is required), and also help fill immediate security gaps. “This window is meant to complement NEMA’s resources,” she

said.

Borno State Governor Shettima said the process will be devoid of politics.

He said: “It is an issue that basically boils down to education, poverty, empowerment.

By the grace of God, we want to give you our commitment that we are going to pursue this thing vigourously with all the resources, human and materials, in our disposal and please it will be completely devoid of politics.”

Yobe Governor Gaidam said: “We promise to give him all the necessary cooperation to ensure that the programme succeeds. We are also going to partner with him and the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that this programme becomes successful at the end of the day.”

60-year old gives birth through IVF Continued from page 4

Okewale, who expressed joy at the successful delivery. Okewale said the physical condition of the mother - and not just the age - is a major factor that determines the success of conception and delivery through IVF. “We treat only after strict medical check of couples. For us, age is not important in our decision to take her on; what was important is the physical condition of the mother. Older women generally make better patients in our experience,” Okewale said.

The new mother, she was full of enthusiasm and joy over her new baby. She said what kept her going after many years of childlessness was faith in God and a belief in herself.

Mrs. Irurhe said she had tried to have a baby for many years and had gone to many hospitals both within and outside the country for a solution to her childlessness. But in 2010, her journey came to an end when she was introduced to St. Ives Hospital and the treatment began.

“I believe we should not limit God and what the doctors can do in this modern age. I believe this is the appointed time. I was very hopeful throughout the years I was childless and I remained focused on God. We went to many hospitals but we didn’t give up,” she said.

The joyful mother said her husband’s Catholic faith prevented him from marrying a second wife as the two of them put their faith in God. “We didn’t have much pressure, even though our marriage is cross cultural –I am Yoruba; my husband is Edo- but we remained hopeful,” she said.

Desmond Adekunle Irurhe was elated at the birth of his baby. When asked if she supported his wife going for the IVF he replied: “ I supported her throughout because my wife

was dogged and she believed in herself. When I saw her faith, I had no choice but to go with her.

She kept telling me she would have her child”.

The husband said even though there was pressure, it wasn’t too much. “I wasn’t thinking of another wife. I came from a monogamous family and I decided she is all I will have. The family was understanding too and we fought together to get this baby.”

Irurhe praised the medical team at the hospital, saying they made everything easy for them. “ The hospital didn’t give us any problem, they were very helpful and we thank them for the successful delivery.”

With the successful delivery, hope rises for older women who may want to go the way of IVF in child conception. In Nigeria, the cost of the IVF treatment varies but from available statistics, the most expensive treatment is under N2million. The Iruhres paid less than N1 million for their successful treatment.

“I will advise couples who are trying to get a baby to try the IVF. My case has rekindled hope for the barren woman. I will say the couple should relax and take it as it comes, they will surely smile,” the mother said.

Having a first child at the age of 60 years may not be the norm but for the mother, it is an experience she does not mind going through again. “ I don’t know if I will have another baby, but if the doctors say I can, I will try it,” she said, smilling.

Mrs. Omolara Irurhe: We have tried for many years to have a baby and after we failed to get a baby naturally we opted for the IVF. We had gone to many hospitals before here but the treatments that we received didn’t work. We came in contact with this hospital in 2010 before we delivered this baby.

“I give glory to God, we kept our faith in God, we believe this is God’s appointed time.

NUJ condemns media clampdown

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HE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the recent clampdown on the media by the Federal Government, describing the action as a throwback to the military era. The union said the invasion of newspaper distribution centres by soldiers was an affront on the freedom of the people to be informed.

The union, in a communique issued after its National Executive Council meeting held in Gembu, Taraba State, cautioned the government against further attack on the media, saying it would resist the move.

The statement reads: “The unwarranted attack on the me-

By Wale Ajetunmobi

dia by the military is condemnable and an attempt to deprive Nigerians the rights to be informed. We caution against any further assault on the media as it is unacceptable and may be counterproductive.”

NUJ also condemned the non-remittance of membership dues by state council, describing the development as worrisome. The union said it would not hesitate to take punitive action against defaulting councils.

In view of the hazards being faced by media practitioners, the union urged journalists to avail themselves of its insurance scheme, which it said is affordable.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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FOREIGN NEWS

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Kenyan president blames domestic foes on attacks

ENYA’s president said yesterday that lethal assaults over the past two days that left an estimated 63 people dead were the work of “local political networks,” and were not carried out by the Shabab, a Somali extremist group that has claimed responsibility for the violence.

“The attack in Lamu was well planned, orchestrated and politically motivated ethnic violence against a Kenyan

community,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said, addressing the nation and referring to the county targeted by the violence. He did not provide evidence to support his assertion.

“This, therefore, was not an Al Shabab terrorist attack. Evidence indicates local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of the heinous attacks,” he said. “This also played into the opportunist network of other criminal gangs.”

UK to re-open Iran embassy

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RITAIN said yesterday it would re-open its embassy in Iran “within months,” after a hiatus of more than two and a half years, a diplomatic breakthrough that underscores the West’s desire to secure Tehran’s help in Iraq and elsewhere.

The move came after the United States, a close British ally, said it may launch air strikes and act jointly with archenemy Iran to shore up the Iraqi government, after a rampage by Sunni Islamist insurgents that has scrambled alliances in the Middle East.

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The announcement, by British Foreign Secretary William Hague, is likely to raise hopes of a breakthrough in talks with world powers about Iran’s disputed nuclear programme. It coincided with negotiations aimed at securing such a agreement.

Britain severed direct diplomatic relations with Iran after activists stormed its embassy in Tehran in late 2011. The 2013 election in Iran of a relative moderate, President Hassan Rouhani, who replaced hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, paved the way for a thaw in ties.

Hague said that Britain would move quickly to re-establish a small initial presence at the Tehran embassy but said it wouldn’t be able to offer visa services to Iranians at first.

Spain: Police target cells recruiting war volunteers

Fierce clashes erupt near Baghdad

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SLAMIC militants yesterday attacked areas in central Baqouba, a city just 30 miles northeast of Iraq’s capital Baghdad, but were pushed back by security forces and tribal fighters.

In one incident, at least 44 Sunni prisoners died in an apparent foiled rescue attempt by Sunni Muslim militants from the alQaeda breakaway group known as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — referred to as ISIL or ISIS. The Levant is a traditional name for the region including Iraq and greater Syria.

The fighting is the closest yet to Baghdad following lightning offensives that have seen Sunni extremists take large swaths of territory in the north of the country over the past week. The militants say they intend to march on Baghdad and the southern Shiite holy city of Karbala.

In the clash that left several dozen Sunni prisoners dead, militants stormed a police station in Baqouba, the capital of Diyala province, in a reported attempt to free the prisoners.

There were conflicting accounts over who was responsible for the killings — the attackers themselves or Iraqi security forces.

Meanwhile, residents said many took up arms against the insurgents.

“When the attack started I took my weapon as many people in my area came out and shot the insurgents,” said

Nameer al Baiati, a professor at Diyala University. “There were around 100 fighters most of them shooting with heavy weapons.”

No fighting has occurred in the city since the attack was halted, according to locals. “The city is back to normal,” said Ali al Saadi, a lawyer in Baqouba.

Still, in the past 24 hours Iraqi security forces killed 56 militants and wounded 21 just outside the capital during clashes with ISIL forces, said Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan Ibrahim.

In the strategic city of Tal Afar near the Syrian border, militants were reportedly in control of most of the town, but pockets of resistance remain with soldiers, policemen and armed residents holding onto the city airport, according to Nineveh provincial council Deputy Chief Nureddin Qabalan.

Iraqi Gen. Abu Al Waleed, however, contested the reports that militants had seized the town, saying his troops were still fighting.

“I will tell the Iraqi people very happy news very soon,” said Al Waleed. “We recovered most of the parts of Tal Afar.”

In another incident yesterday, gunmen took control of the western Iraqi town of Al-Qaim, near the border crossing with Syria.

The latest violence comes as both Iran and the United States deepen their involvement in the conflict, with the commander of Tehran’s elite Quds Force providing assistance to the Iraqi

military and the U.S. beefing up security at its embassy in the capital.

The ISIL’s vow to march to Baghdad, then south to the Shiite holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, mark the worst threat to Iraq’s stability since U.S. troops withdrew in 2011.

The White House insisted Monday that the U.S. would not be sending combat troops to Iraq, but is deploying up to 275 military troops to protect the U.S. Embassy and other American interests and is considering sending a contingent of special forces soldiers.

Some embassy staff have been moved elsewhere in Iraq and to neighboring Jordan, the State Department said.

President Obama, who notified Congress of the deployment on Monday under the requirements of the War Powers Resolution, said the troops are equipped for combat and will remain in Iraq until the security situation becomes such that they are no longer needed.

Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the U.S. is willing to talk with Iran to stem the advance by extremists and would not rule out possible military cooperation with the longtime enemy.

But the Pentagon quickly underscored that Washington would not be consulting with Iran on any potential military intervention. “We are not planning to engage with Iran on military activities inside Iraq,” said Rear Adm. John Kirby, the

Pentagon spokesman.

A photograph released on June 17 by Albaraka News allegedly shows a militant fighter from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant tying up a captured Iraqi soldier at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq on June 12. (Photo: Albaraka News via epa) Neighboring Iran, which backs the Shiite-led government of President Nouri alMaliki, the besieged prime minister, is also staking out a higher profile as the security situation deteriorates.

Iranian Gen. Ghasem Soleimani, commander of Tehran’s elite Quds Force, has been consulting in Iraq on how to roll back the militant onslaught.

In another sign of closer cooperation between Tehran and the West, British Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament Tuesday that Britain would reopen its embassy in Tehran following an improvement in bilateral relations in recent months. Hague said the “circumstances were right” to improve ties.

Despite impressive gains in recent days, Sunni insurgents are not likely strong enough to take over Iraq’s Shiite south, said Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA operations officer who now works at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“Iraq’s military has more than enough in its home terrain to prevent Sunni militants to make inroads,” Gerecht said.

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N this tiny North African enclave, the Spanish police have cracked down in recent weeks on a network of Islamic militants with footholds in Spain and Morocco that they say has recruited and dispatched young volunteers to join insurgencies from Mali to Libya to Syria.

The Spanish authorities described the cells as radicalized and connected via the Internet to some of the most dangerous militant groups that are fueling conflicts from Western Africa to Syria and Iraq, while also reinforcing fears that fighters with European passports will return with deadly skills to strike at home.

Six Spanish citizens were arrested two weeks ago in this town, several of whom had served in the Spanish military, security officials said.

Across Europe, authorities have stepped up surveillance and arrests of suspected militants as the Syrian conflict lures hundreds of fighters with European passports.

•Shia men are volunteering to fight for the Iraqi army in large numbers.

PHOTO: AFP

U.S. captures suspected leader of Benghazi attack

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NITED States commandos have captured the suspected leader of the 2012 attack on the United States mission in Benghazi, Libya, that

killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, White House and Pentagon officials said Tuesday.

Apprehension of the suspect, Ahmed Abu Khattala, is a major breakthrough in the twoand-a-half-year-old investigation into the attack, which also killed three other Americans, just two months before the presidential election in the United States. President Obama vowed swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice, but efforts to identify and prosecute the attackers were stymied by the chaos of the event and the broader mayhem in Libya.

Mr. Obama’s handling of the attack and the aftermath became a lightning rod for Republican critics. They accused him of misleading Americans about the circumstances behind it for his own political purposes and of failing to aggressively pursue those responsible — accusations that Mr. Obama and his

defenders have strenuously denied.

Seen as an eccentric extremist even by his ultra conservative Islamist neighbors, he was wanted by the United States as a prime suspect in the Benghazi attack.

Officials briefed on the investigation have said for more than a year that a plan to capture Mr. Abu Khattala was on Mr. Obama’s desk awaiting approval. But the administration held back, in part for fear that an American raid to retrieve him might further destabilize the already tenuous Libyan government.

Diplomats also suggested that the United States investigators might have been struggling to produce sufficient witness testimony and other evidence to convict Mr. Abu Khattala of responsibility for the deaths in an American court.

In an interview with The New York Times shortly after

the Benghazi attack, Mr. Abu Khattala scoffed at the American effort to hold him accountable — another reflection of the atmosphere of lawlessness that pervaded Libya after the overthrow and death of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the country’s longtime autocrat, in October 2011.

The execution of the raid, which was first reported by The Washington Post, appears to signal that the investigators are confident in their case, and it may also reflect an acceptance that Libya is unlikely to become a stable partner in the pursuit of the culprits any time soon.Indeed, a renegade general based in Benghazi is currently waging a low-grade military campaign against local Islamist militants like Mr. Abu Khattala, and the United States may have sought to arrest the suspect before the general, Khalifa Heftar, killed him in the fighting there.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

61

NEWS (SHOWBIZ)

High hopes as CBS launches CONSAT in Nigeria

•CEO Consat, Mayokun Okunola flanked by the company’s Director of OPS and IT, Funmilola Adewon(left) and Director of Content, Addy Awofisayo during the media unveiling

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N what could prove to be the battle for digital television service in Nigeria, Continental Satellite Limited (CSL) yesterday launched a new Pay-TV platform under the brand name, CONSAT. Chief Executive Officer of CSL, Mayokun Okunola said the new entrant into the satellite television services will provide world-class content at a fair price for Nigerians, to facilitate true digital experience as the country prepares to migrate from analog to digital broadcasting in 2015.

In a colourful ceremony to mark the launch of the product, Okunola said CONSAT will become the satellite of choice for middle and low income earners in Nigeria. “We are operating from Nigeria, we have the cutting edge technology, we are affordable and we provide compelling content for our viewers,” he said.

According to the CONSAT boss, the age of monopoly whereby a digital television is dictating what the viewers should see is over. He maintained that CONSAT will give Nigerians a choice and “value for investment” while also

By Seun Akioye

projecting Africa to the outside world positively.

“Monopoly is not going to be sustainable; Nigerians should have a choice of what they want to watch and where they want to watch it. Yesterday when Nigeria played, majority watched from viewing centers. But with CONSAT, you will soon be able to watch sports not hinged on only one provider.” He also hinted that CONSAT may bid for the exclusive rights to air the prestigious English Premier League. “We are improving everyday and adding more to our channels, we want to make a difference in the lives of the average Nigerian and we are not ruling out that option,” he added.

Okunola who has over 17 years experience in telecoms and satellite television warned competitors not to under estimate the new platform. “Don’t under estimate us, we cover the 36 states of Nigeria and offer compelling and exclusive national and international channels including 10 free channels which you can see when your subscription runs out. We are the

platform of choice and we are just starting,” he declared.

CONSAT is starting with 55 channels which cut across News, Music, Sports, Religion, Documentary and Movies. According to Okunola, the platform is focused on increasing the number of channels available to 70 before the end of the year and over 100 channels by 2015. “ We have invested in a telenovela channel through a thirdparty partner for the women who love novella entertainment. Our channels also include international news, home grown entertainment, State TV and terrestrial channels,” he said.

Reacting to why subscribers who are already on a particular PAY- TV platform should move to CONSAT, Okunola said content is key. He said the huge investment in the company will not be fully maximized if CONSAT does not air compelling and relevant content. Also reacting, the Director of Content, Addy Awofisayo said CONSAT is working with content providers to ensure that relevant African contents are provided for subscribers.

“Our content providers are

very passionate, we plan on developing our own content. It is our mandate to air contents from Nigeria and take it across the world, we will continue to invest in content,” she said.

Also, the Chief Operating Officer of Continental Broadcasting Services, (CBS), mother company to CONSAT, Mr. Lemi Olalemi said the debut of CONSAT has changed the dynamics of digital broadcasting in Nigeria.

“CONSAT is fully Nigerian owned and we are giving Africa a voice and telling the Nigerian story to the world. If you look at what other platforms are providing in news, it is directed either to the Middle-East, Europe or the United States. In CONSAT, you have TVC News which is broadcasting through African eyes; soon there will be TVC Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. CONSAT gives you more value for money,” he said.

But more importantly, CONSAT said it has a role to play as Nigeria migrates from analog to digital broadcasting in 2015. “We feel strongly that we have a role to play in digital migration, when it begins in Nigeria. We want to offer a choice to the middle and low income earners in Nigeria,” Okunola said.

Also echoing this position, music producer and ace broadcaster, Kenny Ogungbe said the digital market has been thrown open. “According to statistics, there are 40 million television sets in Nigeria and DSTV has only three million subscribers. So what CONSAT is offering is a chance to join the digital platform so that instead of having a decrease in the number of television viewers, we will have an increase. There will be 70 million television sets, the future has opened, the migration has started,” he said.

For subscribers willing to take advantage of the new platform, CONSAT decoder comes at a discounted price of N14,999 with a two-month free subscription and free installation.

Tracy Morgan out of critical condition

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OLLOWING his recent involvement in a ghastly auto crash, Hollywood actor and comedian, Tracy Morgan, is said to have come out of critical condition.

According to reports, doctors said the actor was now in fair condition and showed signs of great improvement, nine days after his early morning car crash in New Jersey.

Morgan had been listed in a critical condition and had undergone surgery in the days following the accident, to repair a broken leg.

Morgan’s assistant, Jeff Millea, said: “His personality is certainly starting to come back as well.”

The actor received hundreds of thousands of support from his fellow entertainers and his fans across the world immediately the

news of his condition broke.

Morgan and his crew were returning from the Saturday night live comedy tour in Dover, Del, when a truck rammed into their limo bus on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Veteran comic and writer James McNair was killed, while Morgan, Millea, Ardie Fuqua and Harris Stanton were severely injured.

•Morgan

•Tee-Y Mix, Immaculate and Oyinkanade

Tee-Y Mix launches record label

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T was a milestone in the professional life of frontline music producer, TeeY Mix, when he announced the official launch of his music label, Vivace Records (pronounced Vi-Vah-Chey Records) last Friday.

Though his manager, Akinbanjo Akanbi, disclosed that the ceremony for the launch would come up later, he said it had been officially launched online.

The Vivace Records boss, who has produced hit songs for some of the Nigerian popular acts in the past 10 years, explained that he is passionate about good music. “I also want to help the crop of talented music artistes who don’t have the opportunities to realise their full potentials in the Nigerian music industry. I want to create more music super stars.” he added.

He further revealed that two budding acts, Immaculate Patience Edache, aka Immacu-

F

partner producers, ID Cabasa, Terry G and D’Tunes.

The six finalists are currently under the mentorship of ID Cabasa, who is helping them to develop their skills to qualify for the final stage.

Each of the contestants will have equal chances of winning the N1million prize money and three years recording deal through public online and SMS voting. The contestants’ first track, which was produced on

ID Cabasa’s beat, has been uploaded on the project website.

To listen and vote for their favourite contestants, the public is enjoined to log on to www.naijastreetchamp.com/ votes or SMS winner stage

late, and Oyinkansade Dare Akande, aka Oyinkansade, had already been signed to the new outfit. “Both artistes exemplify the true essence of the lively, vivid and appealing music that Vivace Records represents,” he explained.

Immaculate was the first runner-up on the MTN Project Fame West Africa season 6. The Benue State-born act is a seasoned singer, songwriter and performer.

Oyinkanade, a graduate of music from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, wowed viewers in the MTN Project Fame West Africa season 5 as a singer, composer and entertainer.

Despite the huge popularity of Nigerian music, Tee-Y Mix maintained that it could be more dominant not only on the African continent but also on the global stage.

COSON mourns Kefee

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HE Board, members and management of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) have expressed shock over the passing on of award-winning gospel singer, Keffi Obareki, aka Kefee.

Reacting to the sad development, chairman of COSON, Tony Okoroji, described the singer as a gift to the Nigerian music industry.

“Her incredible talent, soaring voice and never-say-die spirit in a very difficult industry made her truly outstanding. Her song, Kokoroko, remains one of my favourite Nigerian recordings of the recent era. Kefee and I had a unique relationship. In difficult moments, she always sought my counsel. When she wanted to start her musical

Naija Street Champ: Six finalists enter studio with top music producers

ROM indications, it appears the six finalists in the ongoing Naija Street Champ, a music talent hunt contest, are headed for stardom, as they have now entered the studio with the three

Mercy Michael

name to 33142. The finalist with the least votes will be evicted until the final four emerge.

The top four finalists will then compete for the N1million prize money at the grand finale of the competition, where the ultimate winners of the maiden competition will emerge.

The six finalists are Sulaimon Idris (Dabreez) representing Surulere zone; Shanuolu Adesola (Sholz) representing Ipaja Zone; Rodney Brown Edemhanria (Rodney) representing Ikeja zone; Abimbola Olugbenga (Raptitude) representing Bariga/Akoka zone; Christian Olamide (Dakris) representing Agege/Ogba zone and Celestine Ogar (Big Daddy Africa) representing Festac zone.

•Kefee

training in Los Angeles, she asked for my written recommendation, which I was so glad to do,” Okoroji said.

Also, the General Manager of COSON, Chinedu Chukwuji, said: “I am yet to get over the shock I received following the news of Kefee’s passing on. I find it hard to believe how someone so young and vibrant can be here one day and is gone the next. She came around to the office only a few weeks ago, chatting and smiling. So, to hear this news now is so devastating. Kefee may have gone to be with the Lord, but her music keeps her alive in our hearts. She will be greatly missed.”

Kefee Don Momoh( nee Obareki) passed on in the United States of America last Friday. Fondly referred to as the Branama Queen, Kefee came into the limelight with her hit track, Branama, in 2003. She was one of Nigeria’s most promising female music acts. Some of her hit songs include Kokoroko and Sapele Water, among others.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY JUNE 18, 2014

62

NEWS

Suspected kidnappers’den demolished in Anambra •Police arrest 17

ANAMBRA State Police Command demolished yesterday two buildings belonging to suspected kidnappers at Ogidi and Ojoto in Idemili North and South local governments.

Police Commissioner Usman Gwary led the demolition squad, which included the Commander of the State Antirobbery Squad (SARS), James Nwafor.

He said the owners of the buildings were at large.

Gwary said: “The suspects kept about 14 victims and earned over N100 million.

“Governor Willie Obiano has revoked the certificates of ownership of the buildings and has ordered their demolition “Any building used for crime or built with the pro-

T

•Ladies involved in counterfeiting

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

ing that 600 bags of chemical for plastics found in a warehouse in Asaba, Delta State were confiscated.

Two persons said to be dealing in ammunition, Chigozie Ezeora and Chukwudi Ugwu, were also arrested.

Nnaemeka Ugonna and Onyeka Okoli were nabbed in Onitsha for robbing with motorcycles.

Five girls, Oluchukwu Yoko from Ezza in Ebonyi State,

ceeds of crime will be demolished.”

Also paraded were 17 suspects involved in kidnapping, armed robbery and hijacking of goods. Three girls involved in faking number plates and driving licences were equally paraded.

The three suspects involved in the diversion of vehicles conveying goods are Ndubuisi Udokoro, Lawrence Nweze

•Fake number plates’ catridges

and Moredays Chukwuma, who was arrested two years ago and released by a court for a similar offence.

Police spokesman Emeka Chukwuemeka told reporters that the suspects were accused of diverting trailers carrying

tissues, refrigerators and chemicals, adding that their method of operation was to arrest the owners of the vehicles, tie them, blindfold them and carry away their goods.

He said they had been in the business for a long time, add-

Panic grips Imo residents over attack

HERE is tension in the Hausa community in Imo State, following the arrest of six suspects by the police in connection with the foiled terror attack on a church in Owerri.

Most of the Hausa, it was learnt, had fled their homes and

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•The suspects

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

other locations where they usually converged, for fear of attack by youths, who see them as security threats.

Some of the deserted areas are Onitsha/Owerri Road and Mbaise Road, where Hausa pet-

ty traders and labourers stay.

Police spokesman Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the arrest, said the suspects had not been linked to the bombs planted at the Winners’ Chapel in Owerri. He said the nationalities of the suspects would not be made public to avoid com-

promise.

There is panic in the state, as people avoid crowded public places.

Most television viewing centres, where football fans converge, were empty on Monday night during the Nigeria-Iran match.

Oyedepo visits Okorocha after bomb scare

HE Bishop of the Living Faith Church International (aka Winners’ Chapel), Dr. David Oyedepo, visited yesterday the Imo State headquarters of the church where bombs were found on Sunday.

The cleric, who also visited Governor Rochas Okorocha at the Government House in Owerri, thanked him for intervening to avert a disaster.

He said it was regrettable that the nation was being

•Prays for leaders plagued by the Boko Haram insurgency, which had taken a toll on the citizens’ lives and property.

The bishop prayed for God’s intervention, saying God should “give our leaders the wisdom to stop terrorism.”

Dr. Oyedepo, who stressed that prompt action was needed by the gov-

ernment to solve the problem, noted that Boko Haram was beyond politics.

He urged people to cooperate with the government to tackle the menace.

Okorocha hailed Dr. Oyedepo for the visit and assured him that government would not relent in its efforts to ensure the security of life and property.

“Imo State is protected by the Holy Spirit,” he added.

The governor lauded the church for uplifting the spiritual lives of the people and promoting education by establishing one of the best universities – Covenant University, Sango Ota, Ogun State.

Okorocha enjoined Dr. Oyedepo to build a campus of the university in Imo State, assuring him that the state would provide land.

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ORMER Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani told the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday that he is unfit to stand trial.

He said he is suffering from a “chronic” heart problem, having undergone surgery.

The development again stalled his trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The commission, on March 7, re-arraigned Nnamani before Justice Mohammed Yunusa on 105 counts of money laundering and economic crimes involving about N4.5billion state funds.

He and his former aide, Sunday Anyaogu, and six firms - Rainbownet Nig Ltd, Hillgate Nig Ltd, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nig Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth

High School were charged.

Part of the alleged laundered money was meant for local governments, which was allegedly transferred to Nnamani’s bank account in the United States of America.

The crime was allegedly committed when Nnamani, also a former senator, was governor between 1999 and 2007.

The charge was filed seven years ago, but trial is yet to begin, as the case has suffered delays due to adjournments.

It has also passed through four judges due to transfers and retirements.

Yesterday, Nnamani’s lawyer, Mr. Oluyele Delano (SAN), said the principle of fair hearing required that his client must be well enough to defend himself.

He said: “The first accused is ill. He has undergone a quadruple bypass, an open

heart surgery, and while there was relative success with regard to the surgery, he has embarked on a slow, tedious recovery process.

“Unfortunately, he recently suffered a setback to his health in that he continues to suffer chronic chest pains, which the doctors suspect, it may be that his heart is rejecting the pacemaker that has been installed there.

“My Lord, a dead man cannot be tried. I humbly crave the indulgence of the court to give us more time to be in a position to defend the allegations against us.

“The doctrine of fair hearing acknowledges the need for the accused not to be prejudiced in his ability to defend the accusations against him on account of ill health.”

EFCC’s lawyer Mr. Kelvin Uzozie did not oppose the request for an adjournment, but said he did not think Nnamani’s health problem

Ekiti berates Bamidele over comments on EKSU’s mid-term break

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From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

KITI State Government has urged the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele not to politicise the issue of the mid-semester break declared by the Governing Council of the Ekiti State University (EKSU).

The administration said the action was a proactive measure aimed at ensuring that the students are safe with their parents and guardians during the polls.

The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo gave the state government’s position in a statement made available to reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

He said contrary to the claims of the LP candidate, there was no plan to disenfranchise the students as most of them were residents in the state and would therefore be able to vote during the election, if they registered .

While noting that the governing council of the university must have considered the security of lives of the students ahead of any other reason in arriving at the decision, Ekundayo wondered why a decision that is statutorily was being linked to the state government. “ It is common knowledge that the elections are around the corner. Everyone knows that security is the number one issue in Nigeria today. I am sure the council of the university made up of seasoned administrators and caring parents must have held wide ranging consultations in arriving at its decisions.

‘LP candidate will win’

A

Nnamani: I’m unfit to stand trial

Charity Ahue from Gboko in Benue State, Odo Maryann from Enugu in Enugu State, Chukwueloka Chioma from Nnewi in Anambra State and Orji Chinelo from Ohazara in Ebonyi State were arrested for faking products.

Chukwuemeka said they were nabbed in Nnewi, adding that they specialised in producing fake number plates and driving licences.

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

TOP politician in Ekiti State, Chief Ojo Falegan has expressed confidence that the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Opeyemi Bamidele, would emerge victorious on Satur-

day.

Falegan, in a statement by the Administrative Secretary, Ekiti Labour Party Elders’ Forum, Niyi Ajibulu in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said this while addressing a meeting of the forum in AdoEkiti, the state capital.

The LP chieftain, who was one of those who agitated for the creation of the state, said his prediction on Bamidele was hinged on public opinion.

He described Bamidele as the best among contending candidates.

He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, did not deserve another term of office.

According to him, those seeking another term of office had not done enough to be trusted.

He said he was convinced that Bamidele was a genuine candidate who has the interest of the state at heart.

•Nnamani

was serious enough to stop his trial.

Said he: “Illness per se is not a ground for stalling a trial. The question is, is the accused capable of understanding the proceedings?”

Justice Yunusa adjourned till November 3 for trial.

Ultimatum for vehicle owners

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HE Lagos State Police Command has warned owners of abandoned and accident vehicles parked at Ajah Police Station to come and remove them or lose them to members of the public through auction two weeks after this publication.

The vehicles Volkswagen Jettea DX 618KSF, Suzuki S/ Car LSD 559 XC; Fanagon- bus SMK 299 XH, Volkswagen Golf KSF 11BR, Volkswagen Bus EPE 703 XG, Mazda bus XY 663 FKJ, Opel Astral GF 865 LND, Volkswagen Golf CB 503 FKJ, Mitsubishi Carisma ABD 452 AA

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

63

TODAY IN THE NATION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

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AST week, I promised that as soon as I am able to solve the problem of downloading texts from my phone into my laptop, I’ll reproduce some of the texts I’d received in reaction to my columns of the last several weeks, specifically those on the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State and my tribute to Dan Agbese, veteran journalist and co-founder of Newswatch, at 70.

Today I am reproducing those texts, plus some on my obituary about the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, last week, even though I am unable to resolve my digital wahala. Instead I’ve had to type them from my phone. I felt compelled to produce the texts to quickly correct several rather egregious mistakes I made in the obituary.

Before reproducing the texts, however, I thought I should devote at least half the column this morning to this not-so-small matter of a gentleman’s word being his honour.

The reader will, I am sure, recall that two years ago, President Goodluck Jonathan gave us his word in a lengthy interview that made the cover of Tell newsmagazine (February 27, 2012) that

by June, last year, no Nigerian would need the use of stand-by generators anymore. “I promise Nigerians,” he said in the interview, “we will stabilise power but if you ask me how many megawatts, I will not tell you.”

However, even though he said he would not be drawn on specific targets, he assured Nigerians that electricity supply will be so stable those with generators will “dash” them to him. “By the middle of next year,” he said, “you will ‘dash’ me your generator. I’ll send it out of this country because we won’t need it here anymore.”

About a year and a half before the Tell interview, on August 26, 2010 to be exact, the president unfurled the roadmap of his power reform agenda. It targeted 14,000 megawatts by 2013 and 40,000 by 2020. At that time the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) was generating about 3,500, a far cry from the country’s demand in excess of 25,000 which itself fell far short of South Africa’s 40,000 with a population of 50 million, compared to ours which is more than triple.

This month, it is one year since the president is supposed to have taken delivery of our supposedly superfluous standby generators and sent them out of the country. Yet it looks like, far from “dashing” him our generators, those who can afford them are indeed in need of more.

And for those who can’t, there’s no light at the end of the dark tunnel they’ve been groping around in since the president unfurled his roadmap.

Nothing could be more embarrassing to the president over his failure to deliver on his promise than what happened on this year’s Democracy Day on May 29 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. The president had just climbed the podium to present a compendium of his achievements in the last one year to a select audience of youths at the night event when the lights went off. He stood waiting for nearly twenty minutes before the lights returned.

Given the importance of adequate power supply for the growth of our economy, the president clearly has a lot of work to do to convince Nigerians that the recent rebasing of our GDP, which his administration would want Nigerians to celebrate, is nothing more than economic

T

HE verb, ‘litter’, has over a dozen meanings, but Hardball is driven under this piece by just two. The first is to give birth, used particularly in cases of animals, while the second meaning is to drop thrash without properly disposing of it. It is this second take that struck Hardball when it was learnt that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) admitted to having about 4,000 uncompleted projects in its book.

This piece of information was let out as the commission defended its N322 billion budget for 2014 at the National Assembly.

It is common knowledge that the entire country is a littering of uncompleted projects - including the national headquarter building of the ruling PDP, which stands like an ugly curse somewhere in Abuja – but that one agency of government could bear such incubus of leftover jobs is beyond believe.

Could it be possible that the management

VOL.9 NO.2,882

‘As things stand now, it will be most appropriate for the government to explore dialogue, whether put together by Obasanjo or any other person, to get the girls out before it is too late’

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

People and Politics By

MOHAMMED HARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

A president’s most embarrassing moment Sir, Anytime I need an increase in my system of adrenalin or better still bile, I read your piece.

Please go and negotiate with your brothers Boko Haram and leave our president alone.

President Yar’adua never went to the creeks to negotiate with the criminal militants. It was the good people of Niger Delta who supported the president and called the boys to order. Call Nyako, go to Sambisa forest, talk to your murderous Shekau to end the killing. If not, he will finish all of you. +2348188515867.

•Jonathan

hallucination, to use the words reproduced below of one of my respondents.

And now to the texts.

As we crucify Nyako Sir, You will always defend anything NORTH, be it North Africa. It is now clear that you and your elites know these uncommon criminals. Be bold and courageous enough to present them for DIALOGUE. Note that I don’t like you but I love your grammar that’s why I read your article.

Detach yourself from NORTHERN agenda and be nationalistic. +2348022740309.

Sir, Why did you not ask your criminal brothers to accept the amnesty offered by the President? I am not surprised you supported Nyako. +2348037168007.

Sir, Please let’s join hands together and push this country ahead. Complains will never help us. +2347066583610.

Sir, Why are you always rationalising things when it affects the North? Stop being divisive and educate your brothers on how to live with others. +2348034059462.

Sir, A dull president with crooks manning our security. What do you expect? We need new thinking, new blood.

Zakka Mangut +2347018324878.

Sir, What Governor Nyako said about GEJ was true. The First Family is a circus. The security chiefs are jesters. The government is a comedy of idiotic errors. That’s what they are.

Bashir I Wada. +2348080620712.

Sir, Do help us tell Boko Haram that they are cowards. We the Niger Delta militants are, through this medium, challenging them to battle. We will not only kill them all, we will cook their flesh and eat every one of them like chicken. +2347054795500.

Sir, The truth of the matter is that Muslims have been frightened into silence in this country. We all know that Nyako said the truth. See how Patience Jonathan was threatening Borno State governor.

Alabi Tajudeen. +234 8055952747

Rebasing our economy

Sir, Excellent critique in your column of yesterday in The Nation on the maddening hallucination of our President and his so-called economic experts, first on the old debt relief of 2005 and now the laughable statistical “rebased GDP” which is part of the self-imposed image of a balloon nation.

Professor Sam Oyovbaire.

Dan Agbese at 70.

Sir, I want to thank you for your beautiful piece on our Dan Agbese. I’ll always remember him for his article on the late Chief Awolowo prior to his last birthday in 1987. In that article Agbese eulogised the qualities and

DELE AGEKAMEH

contributions of Chief Awolowo and wrote that he will be remembered as the best president Nigeria never had. The sage died a few weeks after the publication and the late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu made the same statement thereafter. While Nigerians were crediting the statement to Chief Ojukwu, Dan Agbese was the author and originator of the statement.

Adefemi Aribatise, Lagos. +2348028597775.

Several of the respondents to my piece on Dan at 70 wanted to know where they could buy his books which I referred to. They should contact him on 08033218058 or through his email address, ochima44@yahoo.com.

Mohammed.

Ekiti governorship election Sir, You have just won the highest bid price for Project Kayode as contractor columnist.

Please keep off paid job like this and do the real Haruna stuff you’re made of. +2348057716603 Sir, What you describe as a formidable rigging machine is as much an APC thing. In case you don’t know, the growing perception in the Southwest today is that the APC is not exactly averse to the electoral infractions they are wont to charge the PDP with. This explains why the sympathy for Fayemi is not overwhelming.

Kuteyi R. R. Ondo. +2348062549133.

Sir, I am not from Ekiti but I am a strong advocate of the social policies imparting on lives of the people. Fayemi has just done that. May Almighty God never allow the likes of Fayose to ruin the good works. Ekiti should be ready to defend their votes bearing in mind that Fayose’s antics at rigging remains notorious. +2348036216991.

The death of Ado Bayero

Sir, Your Wednesday column of June 11 refers. 1. Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano is outside the city wall not inside as you stated. 2. Azare town is in Katagum Emirate not Bauchi and 3.

You forgot to add that the emir was also Chancellor of UNIMAID at one time. Thank you.

Prof. Yahaya Shehu.

I stand corrected on all three counts. On the second count, Azare is indeed the capital of Katagum Emirate. In addition, Emir Muhammadu Inuwa, as many readers pointed out, was an uncle of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi and not his cousin, as I said.

All the errors are regretted.

Mohammed.

Sir, In your Wednesday June 11, 2014, column you forgot to mention the Maitatsine saga in 1984. +2348058559098.

Sir, With due respect, I wish to make this correction. Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s father was a Chadian. He is Gwado-gwado not Babur as you mentioned in your piece.

Habibu Hamisu Ibrahim +2348033262011.

HARDBALL

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

NDDC’s 4,000 littering

become us, you would think the legislators would fulminate or even faint upon being so casually assaulted with the 4,000 litter caper, but it was water on the back of a big, fat pumpkin; it just runs to the ground. The legislators, masters of the dark game of corruption themselves, just took it in their dirty strides. Our legislators are dead people; or let’s be gracious and say they are living dead to corruption. They can’t see it any more; they can’t hear it and they can’t feel it.

If only they had any breath in them they would have instantly gone raving mad and called for an enquiry into the activities of NDDC in the last 14 years. In a country that is still living, where the Richter scale of corruption still ticks, this 4,000 projects expose would have started a malevolent volcanic eruption that would have blown all scales to smithereens. This is indeed, the land of the dead.

of NDDC was just posturing and speaking off the cuff to win the sympathy of the legislators and also win a larger chunk of the national cake? Is it possible that the NDDC chaps could not fathom the enormity and magnitude of the words they issued forth to the legislators?

NDDC was founded 14 years ago as a body to mediate between the government and the much-deprived people of the oil-rich Niger Delta. It was founded after a few other bodies like it had floundered. Both the federal government and the international oil companies had become so irresponsible and indeed derelict in their relationship with the communities that ‘lay’ Nigeria’s golden egg so to speak that a specialised agency had to be created to pool funds and intervene. But see the result

we have 14 years after – 4,000 abandoned projects, a littering of dirt on the landscape of the Niger Delta!

Bereft of further ideas about how to tackle what is actually a simple problem, the federal government, in another fit of insouciance, set up another body, a comparative and competing body, the Ministry of Niger Delta, to rescue the thoroughly damaged creeks that spew Nigeria’s very life-blood – crude oil. If you ever doubted that Nigeria was a standing monolith of corruption, the NDDC is the best proof you need. How and why else could a government agency cause even more environmental damage to a region it was set up to rescue?

To underscore how well the monster has

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