June 26, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

•Jega, six national commissioners to retire on Tuesday P7 •I got no money, says Fayose as APC insists on N22b refund P8 •Lagos assures residents of security after bank robbery P56 •Judge to rule July 1 on Kashamu’s extradition case P5 •Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3257 FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

Buhari for talks with Obama NEWS

Page 4

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TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

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•INSIDE: PRESIDENT APPOINTS AGF P58 SEC SUMMONS BROKERS’ CHIEF OVER N16B P11

Dollar scarcity hits banks •Bank MDs lament as CBN struggles

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ANKS are under pressure to meet customers’ foreign exchange (forex) demand amid scarcity of the dollar in the financial services sector.

This was the position of top bank executives who spoke yesterday at the “CEOS Roundtable: Banking & Oil Industries” organised by Bloomberg in Lagos.

The Group Managing Director/CEO, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, Bisi Onasanya, said forex scarcity was making it difficult for lenders to immediately meet the demands of im-

By Collins Nweze, Snr. Finance Correspondent

porters requiring the greenback for transactions.

Manufacturers are unable to fund the importation of their raw materials because of the scarcity of dollars.

“Banks are not getting forex.

Forex is drying up from the market. I sympathise with the CBN at this time and we cannot keep supporting the naira at this rate,” Onasanya said.

Onasanya said many manufacturers had huge cash, but no forex to buy. He attributed the scarcity to the go down in oil revenues, which is ex-

•From left: Iain Pitt, co-founder and CEO Oil & Gas Council; Adewale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive Oando PLC; and Drake Lawhead, Managing Director Oil & Gas Council, following the conferment of the “Africa Executive of The Year Award” on Mr. Tinubu at the Oil & Gas Council’s 2015 Africa Assembly Award Dinner in Paris, France... on Wednesday.

Continued on page 4

National Assembly crisis: Buhari backs APC’s stand Party insists on its list of officers FromYusuf Alli, Abuja

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HE President spoke yesterday on the National Assembly crisis, saying he expected the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers to toe the party’s line in the election of principal officers.

Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday announced the names of principal officers and adjourned plenary till July 21.

President Muhammadu Buhari said: “The party did a straw poll – an open and transparent one – which should have been respected. There is no confusion about anything. The party did a process, the President had wished that the party would take that to the very end but that didn’t happen,” presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said.

“The President has a responsibility to the party; the President has a responsibility to the nation and as far as we are looking at the situation, it has not gotten out of control. It is still within manageable parameters; it is a little storm. We will overcome and Nigerians better get used to it,” he added while speaking on Channels Television.

Although APC senators maintained the peace inspite of the disagreement of the Senator Ahmed LaWILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS wan‘s supporters with the

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EVER RETURN?

Continued on page 4

•CHA OS: The rowdy session at the House of Reps...yesterday. A member (right) whose dress was torn during the •CHAOS: fracas...yesterday.

STORY ON PAGE 4 PHOTOS: ABAYOMI FAYESE

•BRAND P13 •AGRIC P16 •POLITICS P17 •SPORTS P23 •CITYBEATS P56 •FOREIGN P60

tation

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

2

NEWS

APC: Party su

•Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode (left); Secreatry to the State Government (SSG), Tunji Bello (second right); Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti (second right) and a former Lagos Commissioner for Home Affairs & Culture, Tunde Balogun (right) during the governor’s on-the-spot assessment of traffic flash points in the Apapa axis...yesterday.

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Early in the month, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was basking in the euphoria of victory. Barley 25 days after its transition from an opposition to a ruling party, it is submerged in a crisis. The party leadership is battling to enforce party supremacy and discipline. But, senators and House of Representatives members are raising objections.

The crisis triggered by the selection of principal National Assembly officers may continue to stake the party's unity, unless steps are taken to reconcile the gladiatiors. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU, Assistant Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN report.

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HE Eighth Senate is torn apart by protracted crises.

Observers are blaming the development on two factors - capacity of lawmakers for rebellion and the winner-takes-all syndrome.

The victims are the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nigerians, who are weary of the intra-party squabbles.

The bone of contention in the Red and Green chambers is the selection of principal officers. The first leg of the crisis - the election of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member - triggered controversy, bitterness and condemnation in the Up•From left: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Financial Derivative Company Ltd, Bismarck Rewane; Managing Director/CEO, per Chamber. In the Lower ChamFidelity Bank Plc., Nnamdi Okonkwo; Deputy Ambassador of Netherlands to Nigeria, Mitchel Deleen, Chairman of Council, ber, the emergence of Yakubu Nigeria Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, Reginald Ihejiahi at the Annual General Meeting of the Chamber in Lagos...yesteeday. Dogara and Lasun Yusuf set the tone for confusion.

The ruling party cried blue murder, saying that its candidates, Dr. Ahmad Lawan and George Akume as well as Femi Gbajabiamila and M.T. Monguno, were rejected by their colleagues.

APC accepted its fate, hoping that the rebellion will not be repeated by the legislators. The party felt that the selection of principal officers would smoothen all the rough edges.

But the party got it all wrong.

Rather than heal the wounds, the selection plunged the party into another round of crisis.

In the Upper Chamber, the process led to commotion at the parliamentary caucus meeting. The party nominated Lawan and Akume for the positions of Senate Leader and Deputy Senate Leader. Its National Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun, forwarded the letter of endorsement to Saraki. But, the Senate President ignored the directive. Instead of reading the letter on the From left: Partner, Brand Protection, Jackson, Etti & Edu, Obafemi Agaba; Partner/Head, Intellectual Property Practice, Uwa floor, Saraki and his group opted for Ohiku; Director, Corporate Affairs/ Health & Value, Pfizer, Margaret Olele; Partner, Anadach Consulting, Dr. Enoma Alade ; Director, Regulatory Affairs, Pfizer, Bunmi Femi - Oyekan and Deputy Director Marketing, NTA, Dr. Martina Agberien at a Senator Ali Udume as the Senate media parley on Intellectual Property issues in Lagos.

Leader, contrary to the party’s directive. The climax of the commotion was yesterday’s announcement of the officers picked by the caucuses.

House Speaker Dogara could not name the principal officers yesterday as members went wild. He adjounrned till July 21. Before the adjourment, a lawmaker’s dress was torn in the violence that engulfed the chamber.

Crisis of trust too soon

•From left: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lashone Links Group, Dr. Lanre Shonekan, a graduant of the group’s Business School, Temitope Noi, Special Adviser to the company, Pastor Lawrence Orioche and a representative of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mrs. Nkechi Twu at the group’s stakeholders forum/ graduation in PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUMI Lagos.

Now, mutual distrust, suspicion and ruptured confidence are the hallmarks of the National Assembly.

The polarisation is inimical to the health of the ruling party.

Little did the ruling party know that this fate was awaiting it after its historic electoral victory. For more than a year, the APC fought for power as a united fold. On March 28, it succeeded in drawing the curtains on the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s rule. But, shortly after its victory, the party be-

came a divided house, to the consternation of its founding fathers, now having an axe to grind with perceived rebellious federal legislators, trying to liquidate the time-tested doctrine of party supremacy.

To the party leaders, led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party is supreme and, therefore, members should defer to its principles. But, the legislators have a contrary opinion.

To them, there is a limitation to the efficacy of party influence. In fact, they have argued that when there is a conflict between party supremacy and senators’ personal wish, the former should take the back stage.

The protracted crisis is an eye opener. Two issues are now on the front burner. The first is APC’s apparent inability to manage success and the second is the obvious weakness of the party’s crisis resolution mechanism. While President Muhammadu Buhari appears to be watching from sidelines as the ruling party battles with crises, the combatants on both sides are waxing stronger.

Nigerians, who are taken aback, are saying that they voted for the APC to turn around the country and not to turn the National Assembly into ‘Houses of Commotion’.

Both chambers have not known peace since their inauguration on June 9. In fact, the President has cleverly treated the National Assembly as a no-go area. Although Nigerians expected him to give ‘a speech from the throne’ during the inauguration, he merely sent his proclamation letters to the National Assembly Clerk.

Ahead of the inauguration, a crisis was brewing among the APC senators. Efforts to douse the tension had met a brick wall. The Senate was on June 9 enveloped in anxiety as the clerk conducted elections into the two key principal offices of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President. Lawan and Akume claimed that they were billed to attend a meeting with the President in the morning at the International Conference Centre. Thus, they were absent from the inauguration. Nevertheless, the clerk excluded 51 senators and went ahead with the election that eventually threw up Saraki as the Senate President and Ekweremadu, his deputy.

In the House of Representatives, Dogara and Yusuf were elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker, against the directive of the party, whose national spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, cried foul. The election led to the emergence of a bi-partisan leadership in the chambers and since then, peace appears to have taken a flight from the hallowed chambers.

Should lawmakers be above the party?

Against the background of the unfolding events, the question on the

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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NEWS

ty supremacy undergoes stress test

•Saraki

•Odigie-Oyegun

•Lawan

•Ekweremadu

•Akume

Again, Saraki defies party’s directive

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HERE seems to be no let-up on the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC). The naming of principal officers for the Eighth Senate has added salt to the party’s wound. By refusing to honour the party’s position, Dr. Bukola Saraki has re-enacted the controversy that threw him up as Senate President on June 9.

Rather than read the letter written to the Senate by APC’s National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on the floor of the Upper Chamber on Wednesday, he ruled Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who brought up a motion on the matter, out of order.

The letter spelt out the party’s position and its choice candidates for principal offices in the Senate.

In it are the names of senators Ahmed Lawan (Northeast, Majority Leader); George Akume (Northcentral, Deputy Majority Leader); Prof. Sola Adeyeye (Southwest Chief Whip) and Abu Ibrahim (Northwest, Deputy Chief Whip).

A similar letter to House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, listed the names of preferred candidates for the principal offices in the lower legislative chamber. They are: Femi Gbajabiamila (House Leader), Southwest; Alhassan Ado Doguwa (Deputy House Leader), Northwest; M.T. Monguno (Chief Whip), Northeast and Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip), Southsouth.

Saraki directed the caucuses in the senate to meet and submit their nominees for the principal offices. He discountenanced the chairman’s letter conveying the party position.

Before adjourning yesterday till July 21, Saraki named the principal officers.

Constitutional lawyer Prof Itse Sagay, (SAN), described Saraki’s defiance as a rebellion against the party.

“It is a rebellion against the process that brought him to the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly. It is lips of many observers is: should senators be above the parties that brought them to power? A situation where lawmakers belonging to the same platform would descend to the level of physical assaults at the sittings on Tuesday and yesterday, over the sharing of principal offices, leaves much to be desired.

Apparently, the position of the Senate President and House of Reprersentative Speaker is at variance with that of the party leadership. The party had, in its wisdom, shared the offices in its wisdom. But, the Senate President believes the offices should be zoned to specific regions and that the senators within

the height of indiscipline that could lead to party’s collapse if care is not taken,” he said Sagay went on: “The leadership of the APC should take the bull by the horn and discipline over ambitious Saraki. He should be expelled from the party before he destroyed it. Saraki has succeeded in destabilising the APC through his in-subordinate and confrontational attitude.

“The party should make its position known and stand by its nominees for the principal offices in the Senate. APC should call the bluff of arrogant and power conscious senate president.

“The party should not condone indiscipline. It should mete out severe punishment to Saraki and his co-travellers in the Senate who belong to the ruling party”.

Another lawyer, Monday Ubani, described Saraki’s posturing as very sad.

According to him, with what has played out again in the selection of principal officers, if Saraki has his way, and if he remains as Senate President, everything he does will favour members of the Senate and not the APC. Ubani, a former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, said Saraki’s allegiance will be to the members of the Senate, particularly those who facilitated his emergence as Senate President.

The former NBA chair said: “His (Saraki’s) ambition has put him in a quagmire and he is ready to do the evil. He will not take directive from the party but from members. Saraki will go back to PDP sooner or later.

“APC is in trouble with such a man occupying that position. His disposition will affect the executive arm of government. With such a conservative element at the helm of the National Assembly, the change APC is working for will be perverted. Nigeria is in trouble.”

the zonal caucuses should be the ones that would decide who gets what.

For instance, the Deputy Chip Whip, which the party zoned to the Northwest, has been given to the Southsouth by the Senate President.

Trouble started at a meeting convened by Senator Saraki when he asked each zonal caucus to meet and present choices for the offices. In reaction, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North), a member of the Senate Unity Forum, rejected Saraki’s suggestion. He said it was the exclusive preserve of the party to do so.

Angered by the northern senator’s

demand, Senator Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central), the only Southwest senator in Saraki’s Like Mind Senators’ camp, shouted Hunkuyi down.

Alasoadura also faulted the party’s choice of Senator Olusola Adeyeye as the Chief Whip. Alasoadura’s submission was said to have infuriated a senator from the Northwest, who charged at Alasoadura in anger, pushing him down in the process.

But, for the intervention of other senators, the commotion would have degenerated into a ‘show of shame’.

The APC leadership and its elected officials in the National Assembly have been having a running battle over party supremacy, since the

groups loyal to Saraki and Dogara decided to go against their party’ position in picking the principal officers.

Despite the efforts of APC governors, who met on Tuesday and urged National Assembly members, elected on the APC platform to toe the party line, the Senate sank deeper into crisis yesterday. President Buhari and the governors had in a late Tuesday night meeting at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, resolved that the Senate President and other APC members in the Senate should henceforth respect the views of the party that brought them into power.

Imo State Governor and Chairman, APC Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha, who spoke with State House correspondents after the meeting, said the party’s views should be respected.

The decision of the governors was aimed at ending the leadership tussle that has pitted lawmakers against one another.

“But, the issue of which particular office should go to which member, should be left to the lawmakers to decide. If the ruling party does that, there will be peace because the members have their own mandates; the mandate of the President is different.

“We should learn from what obtains in other climes; there is nowhere in the world that the party dictates to the A civil society activist and President of the Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS), Mashood Erubami, cautioned the APC to be very careful in handling the situation.

He said: “The way members of the PDP jumped into the APC boat when they saw that their own platform was sinking should not be allowed to repeat itself.

“The ruling party has to be careful, so that the same mistake the PDP made, which gave APC the opportunity to come up, will not repeat itself. I will advise the party leadership to be cautious in dealing with the recalcitrant senators; they should do more of confidence building and reconciliation.”

Erubami said what makes the situation a delicate one for the ruling party, is the fact that its members are quarrelling over the sharing of offices.

His words: “What is causing this infraction is not because workers are not being paid their salaries; it is not because there are no drugs in the hospitals; it is not because of the escalating insecurity in the country.

The disagreement is based on political interests and expectations. If those expectations are not being met, there is no way there can be harmony.

“The truth is that the various groups that came together to form the APC did so because of their individual interests and because some of the expected interests are not being met, that is why we are having this problem.

“In the first instance, I had expected the leadership of the various groups that make up the party to have been part of the leadership, so that whatever positions they are going to share would have been discussed at that level and harmonised before it comes into the public domain. This would have helped to unite them, because once an individual senator knows that the leader of his own group was part of the decision, he will have no cause to disagree.”

He said the unfolding events within the floor of the Senate suggest that there is not much binding members of the ruling party in terms of ideology.

The activist said: “Forget ideology; forget even political philosophy;

what bound them together was the quest to drive the PDP away from power.

“They have fought the battle successfully; it is unfortunate that managing that success is proving to be their undoing. It is the sharing of positions that is tearing them apart; what belongs to a group cannot be appropriated by an individual, as we are witnessing on the floor of the Senate. The positions ought to have been shared collectively.”

Party’s NWC position Could Saraki have acted alone?

Observers believe some fifth columnists within the APC hierarchy have been aiding and abetting the former Kwara State governor.

It was learnt that some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were compromised by the Saraki camp.

The observers feel that emboldened Saraki to defy the party. But, who the compromised members are could not be ascertained last night.

The Nation learnt that the black legs in the NWC have been collecting money from the Saraki camp.

Implications The seed of indiscipline sown by the Senate leadership, and which has permeated to the House of Representatives, may germinate and blossom into a monster. The long-term effect may be disastrous for the ruling party.

Since a group of APC senators are now leaning on the numerical strength of opposition senators to challenge the ruling party to a duel, the crisis of confidence may permeate relations between the party leadership and the senate leadership.

Alraedy, there appears to be a disconnect between the party with the National Assembly leadership.

According to observers, the crisis underscores the character of the APC as an amalgam of incompatible political actors, who were merely united by the hunt for federal power without any collective subscription to solid ideological principles.

There are three characteristics of a political party. These are ideology, organisation and leadership. All three are inter-connected. If partymen and women elected on the platform of the APC disobey its directives, the implication is either an utter disrespect to leadership or rejection of the leadership style. The disdain may be extended to the Presidency with the passage of time.

Indeed, senators who cannot cooperate with the party leadership may find it difficult to also work harmoniously with the President, who is mandated by the party leadership to implement the party’s manifestos and programmes to the benefit of the people.

However, the solution to the imbroglio is elusive. In the interest of the party, the APC leaders and the federal lawmakers should sheathe their swords and return to the table of brotherhood. They must embrace the ‘Emmanuel Alayande Formula for Peace.’ The formula is reconciliation. Both sides must demonstrate extreme self-sacrifice and self-abnegation. They must be less inflexible and more condescending at the negotiation table. The baseline, however, is for the two struggling groups to acknowledge that, in the final analysis, no individual is greater than the party.

Besides, the ‘Change’ mantra that warmed the party into the hearts on Nigerians and brought it out of 16 years of position to power, must be uphled at whatever price. What Nigerians expect is an all-round ‘change’. That is the only way to repay the elector’s goodwill.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

NEWS Buhari for talks with Obama

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OMBATING the Boko Haram insurgency will take the centre stage when United States President Barack Obama hosts President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House on July 20.

Buhari’s first state visit to the White House is on Obama’s invitation.

Both leaders met at the sideline of the G7 Nation’s meeting in Germany earlier this month.

A statement yesterday from the White House said Obama will host Buhari at the White House on July 20 to discuss fighting the Boko Haram militant group, among other issues.

“The visit will underscore

•Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (middle) applauds as his wife Dolapo, unveils the book “The Nigerian Judiciary, the Departing Glory” by the late Justice P.O.E. Bassey after a lecture in his memory in Calabar...yesterday. With them are Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade (left) and others.

Senate adjourns after Saraki announces officers

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HE controversial way the Principal Officers of the Senate emerged yesterday may have forced the upper chamber on a long recess.

The Senate, which resumed plenary on Tuesday after a two-week break, adjourned for 27 days.

The newly appointed Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, announced the adjournment of the Sen-

From Onyedi Ojiabor, and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

ate till July 21.

The announcement was seconded by Senator Philip Aduda (PDP FCT).

Senate President Bukola Saraki later explained that the recess was to allow the adhoc committees on finance and legislative agenda to complete their assignments.

He added that the lawmak-

ers could break the recess anytime based on exigency.

On the emergence of Ndume, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah and Senator Francis Alimikhena as Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader and Deputy Majority Whip, Senate President Bukola Saraki read letters written to him by the All Progressives Congress (APC ) NortheEast, North-West and South-South caucuses.

Saraki said the North East caucus had nominated Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as the Majority Leader; North-West Senate caucus adopted Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah as the Deputy Leader and the South-South Senate caucus endorsed Senator France Alimikhena as the Deputy Whip.

The Senate President was silent on the position of SenContinued on page 61

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From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

dependence and sanctity of the legislative arm of government, as enshrined in the constitution.

The statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh, said: “The barbaric attempt to physically assault a duly elected Speaker and seize the mace, the authority of the House, was a direct attack on the Nigerian parliament which embodies the supremacy of the people and our freedom as a democratic nation”.

The party said what Nigerians witnessed in the House on Thursday clearly underscored the fact that the APC has exhausted its excuses and has now imported its internal contradictions into an independent arm of government as a way to further cover its lack of ideas for governance.

The statement also added that the dishonourable conduct by the APC lawmakers was an act from a script and that it did not come to it as a surprise, “given that they are bred and nurtured under a

Continued on page 61

Niger Republic kills 15 Boko Haram suspects

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IFTEEN Boko Haram fighters were killed and 20 others arrested by the Niger Republic Defence and Security Forces (FDS) during clashes that occurred between June 18 and 23 in Niger’s Diffa region, near the Nigerian border.

A source yesterday said following the attack carried out on June 17 in Niger’s Gueskerou commune by the Islamist sect, killing 38 civilians, FDS launched ground and air operations.

The spokesman for Niger’s Defence Ministry, Moustapha Ledru, said 15 terrorists had been killed, 20 others arrested, one armoured vehicle recov-

ered and 20 motorcycles destroyed during the operation.

No injuries were reported on the part of the army, the statement by the defence ministry’s spokesman said.

The statement quoted Niger’s National Defence Minister, Karidjo Mahamadou, as hailing the FDS for the brilliant operation against the terrorists and encouraged them to continue with the fight to restore peace and security.

Nigerien and Chadian forces are engaged in a large-scale operation against Boko Haram to secure Lake Chad basin and stop further attacks in Nigerien regions of Diffa and Bosso.

Dollar scarcity hits banks

PDP condemns fracas in House over positions HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned yesterday’s fracas in the House of Representatives, describing it as a show of shame and national embarrassment.

The party said the development called to question the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC to democracy, unity and the stability of the country.

According to the PDP, the row was a direct consequence of President Buhari’s lack of democratic credentials to rein in his party to respect the in-

the United States’ ... commitment to strengthening and expanding our partnership with Nigeria’s new government,” it said.

During the visit, Obama will discuss “a holistic, regional approach to combating Boko Haram” with Buhari.

Advancing economic and political reforms in Nigeria will also be discussed between senior government advisers from both countries, the White House said.

U.S. officials have also said the United States could send more advisers to Nigeria to train its military, and it could help boost the nation’s economy through more invest-

political platform that lacks discipline and thrives on violence as an unwritten manifesto” “We state unequivocally that the onus lies on President Buhari to ensure that all democratic institutions are harnessed for effectiveness, a responsibility he has apparently abdicated by allowing his personal interest to instigate division in the parliament, a tendency that poses great threat to the survival of our democracy and the stability of the nation”, the PDP said.

Continued from page 1

pected to drop from $84 billion in 2014 to $55 billion this year. The bank chief said there was little the apex bank can do to reverse the trend, except to partner with other regulators and promote the diversification of the economy.

Zenith Bank Managing Director/CEO Mr. Peter Amangbo agreed with Onasanya. He said the CBN was yet to clear the backlog of forex demands from importers and until that is done, it will

be unwise to allow market forces decide the fate of the naira.

Amangbo said: “We have a case of panic and that has clogged the market. There is no need to devalue the naira.

But CBN needs to clear the forex backlog before allowing market forces to determine naira status. When the investment climate is conducive, investors will come in and boost dollar supply.”

He said the CBN’s forex policy, including ban placed Continued on page 61

National Assembly crisis: Buhari backs APC’s stand Continued from page 1

list of principal officers announced by Saraki, which is in contradiction to that sent to the Senate President by the APC, the party rejected Saraki’s list.

On Saraki’s list are: Senate Leader Ali Ndume (Borno South), who is standing trial for alleged link to the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi) Deputy Leader and Francis Alimikhena (Edo) Deputy Chief Whip. The name of the Chief Whip was not read.

Last night, APC National Secretary Mai Mala Buni issued a statement tittled: “National Assembly crisis: We stand on our list of principal officers.”

The statement said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly condemned what transpired at both chambers of the National Assembly on Thursday, June 25th 2015.

“The party stands by the list sent by the party to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“The National Caucus, Board of Trustees (BOT) and

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Row in House of Reps over principal officers

HE House of Representatives was on fire yesterday. Members were shouting and threatening one another - a reminder of the Sixth House at its most shameful moments.

The reason was the deep suspicion that the wishes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the selection of principal officers was going to be truncated by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

In a June 23 letter addressed to Dogara, the APC sent a list of names for principal officers.

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila ( South West) was chosen as the Majority Leader, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (North West), Deputy Majority Leader,; M.T. Monguno ( North East), Chief Whip; and Hon. Pally Iriase (South South), Deputy Chief Whip.

A member from Sokoto State attempted to snatch the mace. Sitting was disrupt-

National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party will meet within the next few days to discuss the evolving developments in the National Assembly.”

On the party’s list are Lawan (Majority Leader); Prof. Sola Adeyeye (Chief Whip); Sen. George Akume (Deputy Majority Leader); and Sen. Abu Ibrahim (Deputy Chief Whip).

ed for over two hours and the business of the day as listed in the order paper was terminated.

The drama began as Dogara invited Hon. Oker Jev to move a motion that the House dissolves into an executive session.

But a member from Sokoto State, Balarabe Abdullahi Salame shouted “point of Order, point of order!” He was not recognised by the Speaker. He thereafter attempted to snatch the mace.

The Sergeants- at- Arm sprang to thwart the move and other members joined the fray. They surged back and forth like a raging sea as they struggled, some to grab the mace; others to stop them.

Having failed to seize the mace, Salame made straight for the Speaker, holding his dress. Members rushed to stop him, forming a protective ring around Doga-

For the House, the party listed Gbajabiamila (House Leader); Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (Deputy House Leader); M. T. Monguno (Chief Whip) and Hon. Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip).

The President was expected to show leadership in the resolution of the crisis, but, according to Shehu, he offered not to interfere to assert the in-

ra.

The mace was eventually moved to a safe place after about 25 minutes struggle.

However the conflict heightened when Hon. Hassan Garba Ado-Doguwa ( APC Kano) clambered on the table on which the mace previously sat but was pushed down by irate members.

In the struggle, some members fell to the floor and the bulky volumes of the acts of Parliament on the table became missiles, used freely by lawmakers loyal to Femi Gbajabiamila and those on Dogara’s side.

From that moment till about past 12pm, members were swearing and threatening one another.

Suddenly, chants of ‘’all we are saying, give us Gbaja’’ rent the air. There were also interjections of ‘’APC’’. PDP

dependence of the legislature.

He said Buhari provided guidance while he left the APC leadership and governors to resolve the logjam.

He added: “Politics, as its theory says, is basically about contest for interests and these interests may be fully defined by political party programme (while) some of these things may be outside political par-

Continued on page 61

ty programme.” ”They just cannot file up in a single line and say ‘here we are, we are all present’.

“When the governors met with the President, they told him that ‘we are the leaders in our states and we have influence over all of these senators. They come from our places and from us and we can handle it.

“The President mostly listened to what they were saying and in fairness to them, the governors took responsibility for the way forward.

“They advised the President to maintain his posture not to be seen to be meddling in the affairs of the National Assembly; ‘stay above it and allow us to handle it’ and I think this is what you saw coming from the governors.”

“As a leader, the President has given guidance… His own position is that if the eye troubles you, whatever medicine you’re going to apply, don’t put a pin. The President is not unconcerned.”

As a result of tension in the National Assembly, state chairmen of APC were locked in a meeting last night in Abuja.

No fewer than 28 of the 36 chairmen were in Abuja.

A source said: “The chairmen were shocked that the party’s directive was disrespected by Senators and Representatives.”

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5

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El-Rufai seeks reforms

Court decides on Kashamu’s suit July 1

J

USTICE Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed July 1 for ruling on whether or not he could proceed with the extradition proceedings against a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Buruji Kashamu.

The judge chose the date yesterday after listening to arguments from Muslim Hassan (representing the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Ajibola Oluyede (for Kashamu) on the issue.

At the commencement of proceedings yesterday, Hassan noted Kashamu’s absence in court and drew the judge’s attention to the development and sought the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.

He argued that extradition proceedings, being a criminal one requires the presence of the respondent, against whom a charge was pending in the United States.

Hassan contended that the

‘

Current action has been extinguished by the decision of this court as per Abang J. The only thing left is for this court to decide the kind of burial to be accorded it From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

court could not take any step in the case until Kashamu was present.

“This is a criminal case. We urge that a warrant of arrest be issued by virtue of Section 6 of the Extradition,” Hassan said.

He faulted the argument by Ajibola that the proceedings before the court was no longer necessary in view of two decisions by Juatices Okon Abang and Ibrahim Buba of the Lagos division of the court nullifying the extradition proceedings.

He insisted that the judges in Lagos lacked the powers to nullify proceedings before their brother judge when they do not have supervisory ju-

’

risdiction over the court in Abuja. He argued that the orders by the Lagos division were far reaching and should be set aside.

Hassan noted that the cases on which the Lagos judges gave their decisions were in relation to Kashamu’s allegation that there were plans to abduct him and transfer him abroad illegally. He said the orders by the Lagos judges were on Kashamu’s claim of abduction and illegal deportation.

Hassan said the extradition proceedings was a legal way of transferring an individual wanted abroad for alleged criminal offences.

He urged the court to set aside the orders made in respect of the extradition pro-

ceedings pending in Abuja by Buba and Abang, which Oluyede tendered yesterday.

“It is wrong for Justice Abang to nullify a process not before him, which proceedings have not commenced here. I urge the court to set siade the orders,” Hassan said.

Oluyede, while tendering copies of the decisions by the Lagos orders, stressed the aspect where the judges nullified the extradition proceedings and any other steps to extradite Kashamu in relation to the request by the United States government.

He argued that the “current action has been extinguished by the decision of this court as per Abang J. The only thing left is for this court to decide the kind of burial to be accorded it”.

Justice Kolawole, after listening to parties, said he needed time to consider all the documents submitted by parties before giving his ruling. He adjourned to July 1 for ruling.

Court stops FRSC from arresting owners of ‘old’ licences T HE Federal High Court in Lagos has held that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) cannot arrest any motorist for not having the new driver’s licence if the old version is yet to expire.

Ruling on a suit brought by a lawyer, Mr Tope Alabi, Justice John Tsoho granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining FRSC “from compelling the valid driver licence holders, including the plaintiff to renew same when such driver licences have not expired.”

Alabi, who jointed the Na-

By Joseph Jibueze

tional Assembly, FRSC and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as respondents, had prayed the court to hold that by several sections of the FRSC Act, No. 22, 2007, the corps’ bid to control the production and issuance of number plates and driver licences is unconstitutional, null and void.

He prayed the court to hold that going by the provisions of sections 4 and 5 of the 2011 Constitution, the production

and issuance of number plates and driver licences is a residual matter within the exclusive legislative and executive competence of states.

The court, however, held that he was bound by the Court of Appeal decision which affirmed FRSC’s powers to issue licenses and plate numbers.

However, he made an order restraining the defendants “from cracking down on those, including the plaintiff, still using their existing registered number plates on

their vehicles.”

He further restrained the defendants “from cracking down on those, including the plaintiff, still using unexpired drivers licences pending the time within which same will expire and due for renewal.”

Alabi said FRSC had vowed that there was “no going back on September deadline for all Nigerians to replace their Number plates and renew their unexpired drivers licences.”

He said it was in the interest of justice to allow valid driver licence holders to make use of them pending when they will expire or be due for renewal.

From Dele Anofi, Abuja

•El-Rufai

K

ADUNA State Governor Malam Nasir elRufai has said a comprehensive reform of the civil service is imperative.

The former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said in the next four years, Nigerians should expect fundamental institutional and behavioural change in the country’s political leaders.

He spoke in Abuja yesterday during a public presentation of a two-volume book on civil service authored by Goke Adegoroye, a former Permanent Secretary and pioneer Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reform.

The governor said one of the problems responsible for the decadence in the Federal Civil Service was the syndrome of protecting an ‘evil minority’ by the system.

He said the powerful evil minority is mostly a few incompetent and corrupt officers that the authorities are afraid to discipline.

The governor said: “My advice is that if you want the civil service institution to survive, you must learn to do away with the evil minority that you protect, as a matter of duty.

“It is a wrong application of duty to protect them, you must learn to know those that are bad, that are bringing disrespect to the service to just go.

“If you do that, we will end

Lawyer to court: force Buhari to appoint ministers

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CTIVIST-LAWYER E b u n - O l u Adegboruwa has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to compel Muhammadu Buhari to appoint ministers without further delay or cease to function as President.

The lawyer is praying the court to determine whether or not by virtue of section 147(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, President

By Joseph Jibueze

Buhari is not obliged and under obligation to appoint qualified persons into offices as ministers upon his swearing in and oath of office since May 29.

He also wants the court to determine whether Buhari’s failure to appoint ministers does not disqualify him from continuing to function as President.

Among others, he is praying for a declaration that the president’s failure to appoint ministers to run and administer the country’s affairs is illegal, unconstitutional and null and void.

He sought an order directing Buhari to appoint ministers forthwith, including a qualified person into the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Adegboruwa, a former

Student’s Union president of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is a member of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Campaign for Democracy (CD), among others, and served as secretary of the Joint Action Committee of National Democratic Coalition, NADECO in 1997.

According to him, since Buhari was sworn in, “he has been acting as a lone ranger

•From left: Director, Healthcare Programmes, Bayer Pharma AG, Dr. Michael Heerde; Director, Health, Population and Nutrition office, USAID Nigeria, Dr. Nancy Lowenthal; Director Family Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Balami Wapada and Senior Bayer Representative/ Head, Bayer Healthcare West Central Africa, Mr. Amechi Nwachukwu at the launch of Microgynon Fe Oral Contraceptive in Abuja.

and in a dictatorial manner, contrary to the Constitution, which he publicly swore to uphold, without any minister or advisers.”

He said since May 29, the country had been in some form of confusion, while everything was grounded on account of the failure to constitute the Federal Executive Council.

“I know as a fact that the First Respondent (Buhari) has been contesting election into the office of President for 16 years now since 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 and I verily believe that he must have orchestrated a programme of action for why he wanted to rule Nigeria but he has since his election and inauguration refused to name any persons as ministers.

“I know as a fact for instance that cases are being filed in court by and against the Federal Republic of Nigeria; legal issues have been arising for consideration and yet the President has refused and or failed to appoint any qualified person as the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation in compliance with the Constitution.

“The failure, neglect or refusal to appoint qualified persons into the offices of ministers... is capable of collapsing the economy of this nation and may likely affect me and those connected to me,” Adegboruwa said.

The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge.

up with a better service and a better country.”

Linking bureaucratic reform to political rebirth in the country, El-Rufai said the process that led to the outcome of last general elections has created a platform to institutionalise free and credible elections.

He said: “You will see over the next four years a fundamental change in the conduct of political office holders.

“The reason is just that in the last election, it was clear that votes counted as the voice of the voters mattered most more than any time in our recent history.

“So, all of us voted, without any doubt that as long as there is card reader and Permanent Voter Card (PVC), if you don’t work for the people, you are out in four years.

“That’s how to keep the political class honest and the way to keep the civil servants honest is for the service to decide to keep itself honest.

“This can be achieved by following the financial regulation and public service rules strictly and dealing with anyone who floats it as a way of preserving the institution itself.

“I have not seen a lot of that during my time with the Federal Government. I just spent three weeks in Kaduna but I will watch out if Kaduna is any different. But I don’t think so just because of this syndrome of let us protect our own no matter how bad they are is a problem of civil service.

“Where the Federal Civil Service is right now is more troubling because it is only those in Administration, Finance, Supply that get to Permanent Secretary positions these days because of money involved in those lines and that is a major indictment.

“Something must be done about it because as a country, we can not succeed beyond the capacity and capabilities of our civil service.”

The governor urged Nigerians to be ready for hard decisions from the Federal Government.

“The country is broke, the treasury is empty. Debts at $70b, 26 states having difficulties paying salaries, though many of them for reasons beyond their control.

“The country must reform its governing system, which means hard decisions must be taken, and I think it is an opportunity for the entire governance structure and the machinery of government to be reviewed and I think the public service, particularly the civil service have a key role to play in this renewal.”

The author said the Federal Civil Service is worse off now than 2010 when he retired as Head of Service, adding that failure to implement rules guiding the service was a major cause of the pervasive decadence.

He said career progression is now dependent on patronage as reward for performance was no longer relevant.

Dignitaries at the packed event include Amb. Babagana Kingibe, Bukar Usman, Steve Oronsaye, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Yayale Ahmed, Amb. Ayo Olukanni and Amb. Joe Keshi among others.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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NEWS

Court sacks Anambra PDP Rep

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USTICE Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday ordered the sack of Emeka Godwin Idu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member of House of Representatives representing Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency of Anambra State.

The judge also ordered the cancellation of the Certificate of Return issued him (Idu) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Ademola was ruling in a suit by Lynda ChubaOkadigbo, who challenged the decision of the party to substitute her name after being accepted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), with that of Idu. Chuba-Ikpeazu had filed the suit on March 18, 2015, seeking among others to set

From Eric Ikhilae Abuja

aside the party’s decision.

The PDP, INEC, the National Working Committee of the PDP and Idu were defendants in the suit. But INEC did not file any defence.

Justice Ademola held that the substitution of ChubaIkpeazu was wrong because it did not confirm with the requirement under the law.

He held that legitimate substitution could only occur where the original candidate voluntarily withdraw or where he/she dies.

Justice Ademola ordered the Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly to swear in Chuba-Ikpeazu as replacement for Idu immediately.

The judge, who held that the plaintiff’s suit succeeds, granted all the prayers sought by the plaintiff.

He held that the substitution of her name with that of Idu violated sections 31(2)(j) and 50 of the PDP constitution; sections 31(1)(2) and 33 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended); section 222(c)of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 25 (xii) of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections, 2014 of the PDP. He dismissed the contention of Idu’s lawyer Alex Izinyon (SAN) that the court had no jurisdiction over the case since it was a pre-election matter that could only be entertained by a state High Court.

Justice Ademola granted four ancillary orders “to meet the justice of the case and give effect to the court’s judgment.

“The plaintiff, Honourable Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu, is hereby declared as the 1st defendant’s (PDP’s) candi-

date for the House of Representatives with regard to the Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency.

“It is also declared that the plaintiff, Honourable Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu, is the honourable member representing Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives for this session.

“The 4th defendant, Godwin Emeka Idu, is ordered to vacate that seat in the Federal House of Representatives whilst the certificate of return issued to him is hereby cancelled.

“The 2nd defendant, INEC, is hereby ordered to issue certificate of return to Honourable the rightful member representing Onitsha North/South in the House of Representatives.

“Finally, the Honourable Speaker of the House of Rep-

Foundation tutors pupils on career choices From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

T •Idu

resentatives and the Clerk of the National Assembly are ordered to swear in Honourable Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu as member representing Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives forthwith,” the judge said.

Obasanjo urges Nigerians to celebrate fellow citizens

F

ORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has said Nigerians do not appreciate their best until outsiders take the lead in identifying such people for honour and celebration.

Obasanjo said human treasures abound in the country and urged Nigerians to make good use of them to foster unity, growth and development of Nigeria.

The ex-President spoke yes-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

terday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at a luncheon organised by his family in honour of Rev. Josiah IdowuFearon, who has just been appointed secretary-general of the World Anglican Communion.

The luncheon took place at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).

Obasanjo said: “One of the things we don’t often do well in Nigeria is that we don’t often see good in ourselves; and one of the things that God does fairly well for us is that He makes others to see the good in us.

“I believe that is what has happened in the life of the man whom we are celebrating and honouring today. I believe that Bishop IdowuFearon, who is now the Sec-

retary-General for the Global Anglican Communion falls into this category.”

Rev. Idowu-Fearon described Obasanjo as a nontribal and non-sectional Nigerian and leader, who has an undying passion to unite the country.

He said his relationship with the former leader has shown that he “is a Nigerian that takes everyone together irrespective of religion, tribe

anything.”

In attendance at the event were the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo Aremu Adedotun, the Onibara of Ibara, Oba Timothy Omolade, Ogun Deputy Governor Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, Archbishop of Abuja Diocese of the Catholic Church, Cardinal John Onaiyekan and publisher of the Leadership newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah.

•Director-General, Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), Mrs Olubunmi Adekoje (left); FOCI President, Mr Solomon Ogunbusola (third left); Deputy President, PHOTO: NAN Mr Moses Anisa (right) and members of the Federation, during the product presentation in Abuja ... yesterday.

Honour for cleaner who returned N12m

T

HE Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airpor (MMIA) Division yesterday presented Ms. Josephine Ugwu, the airport cleaner, who returned N12 million found at the Lagos Airport toilet with a certificate and plaque for her honesty.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mr. Haminu Makama who presented the award to her on behalf of the PCRC members, urged her to continue with her honesty despite the high unemployment rate in the country.

Ugwu is a cleaner with a concessionaire of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Patovilki Industrial Cleaning. Before she returned the N12 million late last year, she was on a

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

monthly salary of N7,000.

Makama explained that Ms Ugwu was honoured for doing the right thing in a society where many would have disappeared with the money, stressing that her conduct would project the image of the country well, even in international country.

He urged other Nigerians, especially workers, to emulate her exemplary character in their conduct.

The Chairman, PCRC, MMIA Division, Alhaji Falekulo Akinlolu Lamidi, said the committee recognised Ms Ugwu for her character.

He said: “Today, we are recognising a honest worker, who has displayed great character that is worthy of emulation to others. Just yesterday (Wednesday), some groups

forced themselves into banks and carted away several millions of naira while only one person returned the sum of N12 million that belongs to a passenger.

“I believe that with what she has done, she should be recognised by all. The money she returned was much, but there are some rewards that are bigger than money, which she has displayed. PCRC is very impressed with your courageous and honest behaviours and this is worth being emulated.

“Some people may be abusing you, but God will continue to shoulder your responsibility. That money you returned could build a house, but can’t build a home. We hope your yet unborn generation would benefit from your honesty.”

The committee will hang her picture in the proposed

PCRC building at the Beesam Police Station within the airport.

The Royal Majesty, Ewu Town, Oba Shakirudeen Adesina Kuti, lauded the award recipient for her courageous character.

Ms Ugwu noted that it was not the first time she was returning money within the airport vicinity.

She said she had earlier returned N600,000 left at the airport toilet and another N3 million.

Ms Ugwu thanked the committee for recognising her and promised that she would continue to display honesty in all her deeds.

She added that she was yet to get the job promised her by the management of FAAN, but noted “it is under process and I have submitted my credentials with them”.

WO hundred and thirty-five pupils from 10 secondary schools in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, have received instructions from the Kola Daisi Foundation Youth Empowerment Centre (KDFYEC) on ways to make good career choices.

The facilitators at the seminar, which was held yesterday at the Civic Centre, Ibadan, are Makinde Ayodeji, Femi Babatunde and Seun Funmi.

In his address, the media officer of the foundation, Mr Adebisi Bello said the career choice seminar was organised for secondary school pupils to help them with their career choices.

He noted that most youths had failed in life because they chose careers they had no knowledge about.

Bello said the centre was an offshoot of the Kola Daisi Foundation.

“It is an edutainment centre that gives school youths and out-of-school youths a place to come and learn and still have entertainment as well,” he said.

To address the wrong choice of career, Bello said KDYEC organises career choice seminar once every three months, adding: ”This is the second edition this year for pupils from different schools in Ibadan”.

On the mode of selection for the schools, he said it was a mixture of pupils from private and public secondary schools.

“The goals of this foundation is to strengthen youth empowerment activities for job creation and poverty reduction, enhance youth participation in public issues for acquisition of knowledge and healthy living, increase our collaborative efforts with others for mutual benefits and synergy.

“We also enhance learning capacity of the youth thereby improving their understanding of development issues,” he said.

We’ll work for peace in Senate, says Ekwunife

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HE Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife, has said senators are committed to ensure peace and unity in the upper chamber.

She said the struggle for positions was normal in any democratic arrangement.

Ekwunife spoke when the women branch of Nri Progressive Union, Abuja, visited her.

She noted that over 80 per cent of senators were happy with the selection of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, and Senator Francis Alimikhena as principal officers of the Senate.

The senator added that those who might not be favourably disposed to the emergence of the principal officers would be happy with time.

“We want a united Senate

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

family and we will work to achieve that,” she said.

Ekwunife told her visitors that she was part of them and would work to represent her constituents better.

She said: “I am part of you. I am overwhelmed by you visit.

I will always be there for you.

You gave me all your support during my election and you voted for me.”

The President of the union, Mrs. Evelyn Ejide, said they visited Ekwunife to express their happiness over her election to the Senate.

Mrs. Ejide said: “We are here to formally congratulate you and to tell you that we are happy with your election. One day we will visit you in the Presidential Villa.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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NEWS

Osinbajo, Ayade, others seek attitudinal change

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ICE President Yemi Osinbajo and Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade and other eminent personalities yesterday advocated attitudinal change and entrenchment of strong core values among the citizenry to engender national growth.

They maintained that no nation could develop without keeping to strong moral values and hard work.

Osinbajo, Ayade and others spoke at the 10th memorial anniversary in honour of the Late Justice Peter Odo Effiong Bassey at the University of Calabar International Conference Centre.

The Vice President said no nation could attain greatness

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

without work ethic.

Delivering a lecture titled: “Social Virtues in the Nigerian Renaissance”, Osinbajo said: “I would quote from the scripture, which says that righteousness exalts a nation.

It is a simple expression, but it carries great depth. No society has developed without keeping to some form of core values. Governance has to be based on principles and ideals.”

He added: “The success story of Western civilisation is based on ethic and hard work ,which culminates in high productivity when you do the right type of work.”

“You must have the capac-

ity to work hard and produce a goal as no society in the world can excel without adopting the principles of hard work because in the developed world, one is paid according to input and man hour in the office. We should justify our pay to justify our time and value for money as well as imbibe the right ways of doing things.”

He stressed the need for the principle of integrity and trustworthiness, which, he noted, is the bedrock of the credit system all over the world.

The Vice President said the “nation must place morality before federal character to ensure its success and it should go for the best rather than

look for where someone comes from.”

On the rule of law, Osinbajo noted that consequence should be allowed to take its course as social justice is critical while opportunities should be made available for all to have access to education and health care services.

Ayade explained that “most decadence in society comes from the lack of morality,” adding that “morality is the exact fabric that drives the future of a country.”

He enjoined those in attendance, especially students of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, to “reflect on the topic of the lecture and see how they could make

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

‘Why Senate adjourned for 27 days’

T

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

S

ENATE President’s Office said yesterday that the adjournment of the Upper Chamber’s plenary to July 21, was meant to give the Senate Ad-Hoc Committees on Legislative Agenda and Review of the Senate’s Finances time to conclude their work and submit their reports.

A statement by the Media Office said the two committees were given one-week to submit their reports.

It added that the Senate would reconvene at any time before the adjourned date to consider any matter of urgent national importance or to attend to any national assignment requiring its attention.

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

mittee activities.

“The watchword in our financial issues will be fiscal conservatism.

“It is, therefore, on this arm that the committee is mandated to carry out thorough fiscal examination on the Senate finances with the aim of coming up with the best cost-effective regime in the Eighth Senate.”

Members of the finance committee also include Ahmed Sani (Zamfara West), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North), Sonny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South), and Senate Minority Leader, James Manager (Delta South).

Others are Senators Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central), Dino Melaye (Kogi West) and Ben MurrayBruce (Bayelsa East).

Before inaugurating the committee on Legislative Agenda, Saraki said the committee was expected to chart a renewed course for the Eighth Senate,

through “total recognition of the works of yesterday, the difficulties of today and the challenges of tomorrow.”

He said: “Legislatures globally respect and fulfill a core, yet central function of the parliament; which is purely scrutiny and assent giving.

“This is why the legislature by any global description depicts it as the link between the people and those who govern them.

“In essence, they (Legislatures) do not govern, but they provide the means by which a political system can maintain the balance between effectiveness and consent - that is, between the needs of government to be able to raise resources necessary to carry out a programme of public policy and to maintain the consent of the people.

“The challenges ahead are very daunting and onerous in nature and this, therefore, requires the input of the whole committee towards generating a refined report.”

lated to the strength or weakness of the judiciary. For a nation our size and complexity, our judiciary is one of the most poorly remunerated in the world.

“It is the responsibility of the judiciary to apply the consequences of breaches to the law. Divine law provides consequences to keep a deviant humanity in check. The place of consequences is vital in society. It ensures general wellbeing of society. Rule of law should not be a slogan, but our way of life,” he said.

The Vice President later unveiled the last publication by late Justice Bassey entitled: “The Nigerian Judiciary, The Parting Glory.”

Jega, six commissioners to bow out next week

Saraki raises panels to review lawmakers’ pay, agenda S ENATE President Bukola Saraki yesterday appointed Senate Leader Ali Ndume as chairman of the Eighth Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda and Senate Minority Leader James Manager to head the Ad-hoc Committee on Finance.

He gave the two committees one week to submit their reports.

Saraki, while inaugurating the ad-hoc committee on finance, urged the members to monitor and review Senate finances.

He noted that the subject of reduction in cost of governance had been a sensitive matter on the front burner of national issues, especially with regards to the Legislature.

The Senate President insisted that the negative discussion could be due to an underlining ambiguity in the monthly salaries of legislators and their allowances.

“There still persists the need to project clarity, accountability and transparency in all legislative matters and legislators’ welfare,” he said.

He added that the Eighth Senate recognised the concerns raised by the citizens about the cost of running office, following the economic challenges facing the nation.

“The Senate will be more transparent regarding all public funds spent for the purpose of paying salaries and allowances of legislators and ensure that distinction is sufficiently made between what a legislator actually earns and what is spent to run and implement legislative business and com-

their contributions to uplift the country.”Former Minister for Education Dr. Oby Ezekwesili said the problem facing the country since Independence was a distorted incentive regime, where hard work is scorned and unaccountable wealth is glorified.

“When society operates on distorted core values, where they elevate ignoble acquisition of wealth without effort, it would never be able to allocate resources maximally and efficiently,” she said.

Former Cross River State Governor Mr. Donald Duke said a lot should be done to improve the judiciary, as it is the main arm of government that defines society.

“Deviants in society are re-

•Saraki

He added that the objectives of the committee included increasing the institutional capacity of the Senate, building a legislative autonomy and strengthening the committee system, oversight functions, extensive representation and outreach, stakeholders and civil society involvement.

Others include implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reduction in running cost, and effective legislative support system.

Its members also include Senators Babajide Omoworare (Osun East), Duro Faseyi (Ekiti North), Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central), Sonny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South) and Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central).

Others are Senators Hope Uzodinma (Imo West), Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East), George Sekibo (Rivers East), John Enoh (Cross River Central) and Mohammed Hassan (Yobe South).

Other are Senators Binta Garba (Adamawa North), Kabiru Gaya (Kano South), Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central), Bala Na’Allah (Kebbi South), David Umoru (Niger East) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau Central).

•From Left: Privatisation Adviser, Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility Mr. Bill Slegg; Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Chairman Dr. Sam Amadi and the commission’s Deputy General Manager, Engineering Division, Mr. Abdullahi Mohammed, at a workshop for NERC appointed inspectors in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

HE tenure of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega and six other national commissioners will end on Tuesday.

Jega and the commissioners were inaugurated by former President Goodluck E. Jonathan on June 30, 2010, according to a news bulletin by the commission yesterday.

The affected commissioners are Col. M.K. Hammanga (rtd), Adamawa State (Northeast); Dr. Ishmael Jikiri Igbani, Rivers State (Southsouth); Prof. Lai Olurode, Osun State (Southwest); Dame Gladys Nne Nwafor, Abia State (Southeast); Mrs. Thelma Amata Iremiren, Delta State (Southsouth); and Dr. Nuru A. Yakubu, Yobe State (Northeast).

Four other National Commissioners are to leave the commission in July and August this year.

They are: Dr. Abdulkadir S. Oniyangi, Kwara State (North Central), whose tenure will expire on July 21; Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari, Jigawa State, (Northwest), whose tenure will also expire on July 21; Dr. Chris O. Iyimoga, Nasarawa State (Northcentral); and Ambassador (Dr.) Mohammed Ahmad Wali, Sokoto State, (Northwest) tenure will end on August 11.

The bulletin indicated that activities at the commission would not in any way be affected by the exit of Jega and the other national commissioners.

It stated: “But even as the commission is being depleted, following the progressive expiration of the tenures of National Commissioners, its (INEC’s) work will continue apace and uninterrupted because it can always form a quorum.”

Section 159 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that meetings of the commission can be chaired by another person.

The tenures of 16 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) expired last week and they have left the commission.

Oando chief gets ‘Africa Executive of the Year’

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ANDO Plc Group’s Chief Executive Officer Wale Tinubu has been honoured with the Africa Executive of the Year award at the third edition of the Oil & Gas Council’s 2015 Africa Assembly Award dinner, which was held at the InterContinental Le Grand, Paris, France.

The award recognises the contribution of individuals in leadership positions and excellence in the African oil and gas industry.

Tinubu was unanimously chosen as the “African Business Executive of the Year” in recognition of his pioneering leadership within Africa’s Oil & Gas sector.

Under his direction, Oando has steadily increased its operational activities following its strategic and much-lauded landmark $1.56 billion acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria, Creating Nigeria’ first indigenous major, thereby crystallising the emergence of local home-grown companies in the upstream sector.

Tinubu, while accepting the award, said: “This accolade is testament to our collective organisational belief

‘This accolade is testament to our collective organisational belief at Oando in the tenets of entrepreneurship, innovation and perseverance’ at Oando in the tenets of entrepreneurship, innovation and perseverance. I am extremely humbled by this achievement, and it serves as further motivation to keep evolving, whilst creating opportunities, surpassing our milestones, and strengthening Africa’s active participation in the global marketplace.”

The award is the second received by Tinubu this month.

On June 6, he was recognised for his entrepreneurial achievements and inducted into the Ernst & Young’s World Entrepreneur of the Year Academy in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

NEWS House to monitor textbooks’ review

Oyo builds three silos

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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HE Oyo State House of Assembly has urged education stakeholders to regulate the periodic review of recommended text books in public and private schools This followed a motion by Olusegun Ajanaku, who noted that books used in public and private primary and secondary schools are recommended and reviewed periodically by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Curriculum Development Directorate of the Ministry of Education.

He lamented that publishers, schools and unscrupulous officials collaborate to review recommended textbooks at will for self enrichment.

This act, Ajanaku stated, frustrates the culture of siblings inheriting books, thereby making parents spend unnecessary and outrageous amount of money to buy books.

“Urgent steps need to be taken to correct the anomalies.

“Recommended texbooks ought not to be reviewed at least, for a period of four to five years” Ajanaku said The Speaker, Michael Adeyemo, directed that SUBEB, Ministry of Education and Association of Proprietors of Private Schools should appear before the House on July 7.

House to Aregbesola: respond to petition From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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HE Osun State House of Assembly has asked Governor Rauf Aregbesola to respond to the petition by Justice Oloyede Folahanmi, in which she demanded his impeachment for failure to pay workers’ salaries.

The petition reads: “Consequently, the admitted inability of Mr. Governor and his deputy to pay pensions, salaries and allowances for periods ranging from eight to 11 months now as a consequence of their own decision to accumulate debts beyond the capacity of the state’s internally generated revenue, whilst the very ‘actors’, Mr. Governor and his deputy, continue to enjoy their security allowances in hundreds of millions, is a violation of their oaths of office.”

In a letter attached to the petition by the Assembly to the governor, the 26-member parliament demanded a reply.

The Speaker said: “The onus of proof lies on the petitioner, who is ready to defend her allegations. Governor Aregbesola’s response would also be awaited for the sake of fair hearing.”

The Speaker said the legislature had resolved to give Justice Oloyede’s petition a critical attention because she is a serving judge, more so that she holds a prime position in the judiciary, an independent arm of government.

Salaam, who appealed to the opposition and critics of the government to always channel their grievances peacefully, however, condemned the way some people were blackmailing the state over the delayed salaries.

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•From left: Prof. Tomilayo Adekanye, Guest Speaker/Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology Abuja, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, Emeritus Prof. Bayo Adekanye and Emeritus Prof. Bunmi Ayoade at a public lecture in honour of PHOTO: FEMI ILESANMI, IBADAN Profs. Adekanye and Ayoade at the University of Ibadan...yesterday.

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APC: Fayose got N22b refund

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in

Ekiti State yesterday insisted that Governor Ayo Fayose collected N22 billion refund on federal projects executed by his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

The party advised the governor to stop deceiving the people, saying the truth came to light during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign through a former minister.

A statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, faulted the governor’s claims on the cost per kilometre of roads built by Fayemi.

It said the former governor engaged contractors with the lowest cost without compromising job quality.

The party added that such roads and other infrastructure were incomparable with the ones executed

by Fayose, which collapsed barely six months after they were opened.

It said there was no truth in Fayose’s claim that the contractor working on the dualisation of Ado-IkereOndo State boundary abandoned the job.

“It was Fayose who cancelled the contract and directed the contractor to use the money he collected to build some roads in Bawa Estate area of Ado-Ekiti.

No payment received, says govt

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HE Ekiti State government has denied collecting N22billion from the Federal Government.

In a statement yesterday by Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, the government said: “The Ekiti State government is being owed N12, 220,513,024.08 as at today.

“Between 2004 and 2014, the government spent N15, 720,513,024.08 on construction and rehabilitation of federal roads, of which N3.5billion was refunded.”

The government said N1.5 billion was reFrom Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

“Who does not know that Ado-Ikere-Ondo road boundary construction is costlier than Bawa Estate road?

“But the governor has not told the people the contract variation cost he collected from the contractor and the remaining fund was diverted to Afao-Ekiti, his town,” Olatubosun explained.

He added: “His claim that Fayemi’s cost of road per kilometre is expensive is not only false but also ridiculous.

“The truth of the matter is that the cost of the roads per kilometre awarded by Fayemi’s government is the cheapest in the country even cheaper than the then PDP-controlled Federal Government cost.

funded in November 2004 while N2 billion was refunded in December 2007.

The statement added: “We wish to state the Ayodele Fayose-led government has not received any refund from the Federal Government.

“In actual fact, till date, the total amount spent on federal roads is N15.7bilion and we wonder how the Federal Government could have paid Ekiti State N22billion when N15.7billion was spent and N3.5billion was refunded in 2004 and 2007, leaving N12.2billion unpaid.”

‘It is an afterthought and diversionary for Fayose to now claim that the Federal Government did not approve federal roads built by the state.

‘This is a devious way by Fayose to cover up his tracks after collecting N22 billion refund on roads and N2 billion ecological fund.

“This was revealed by former Minister of State for Works, Dayo Adeyeye, during ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti.

“Adeyeye should know the details of construction works in his home state, particularly for such a man with burning ambition to become governor and we have every reason to believe him.

“Ekiti workers and people are asking what has

Fayose done with the money that he cannot pay their salary? This is heartless and wicked.”

Olatubosun said the party had been vindicated by the new revelation that Ekiti State is not on the list of states being owed by the Federal Government, adding that denying collecting a refund on federal projects was no longer tenable.

‘Up till now, the governor has not shown Ekiti people his development programme.

“All he has been talking about is debts. Nobody knows anything about his assets, as he has refused to declare them,” Olatubosun said.

He added that the governor must tell Ekiti people how he had been spending their money, insisting that he must show his development plan to the people.

HE Oyo State government has begun the building of three stateof-the-art silos to improve the quality and quantity of storage of agricultural produce.

The silos are sited in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.

Speaking during inspection of the silo being built in Oyo town, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Kehinde, said the Abiola Ajimobi administration has demonstrated its commitment to transform all sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture.

Kehinde said the governor achieved its aim through partnership with both local and foreign investors.

A director of the China National Heavy Machinery Corporation, which is the technical partner to Rahvet International, the company building the silos, Yang Shaoya, said the silo would be of world-class quality.

Shaoya, who was accompanied by Shi Zhenling, also revealed that Oyo is one of the few states to benefit from the Federal Government high quality cassava processing industries to be established by his corporation in China.

Police search for pistol owner From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

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HE police in Ogun State will send a beretta pistol recovered from kidnappers to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) for forensic analysis.

It added that the forensic analysis would not only aid investigation into the kidnapping of a nonagenarian, Pa Amos Iposiola Samaye, but also assist in identifying crime sponsors.

The Commissioner of Police, Valentine Ntomchukwu, displayed the beretta pistol at Eleweran, the Command Headquarters, while parading Emeka Obi, Oluyeye Akintunde and Samuel Adewunmi for the “kidnapping” of Pa Samaya.

Pa Samaya, 97, was rescued last week at Aye forest on the Ijebu Ode - Benin Expressway.

Ntomchukwu said the serial number of the service pistol had been defaced by the suspects.

Obi, who supplied the pistol, said he acquired it from a Chief Security Officer (CSO) working for one of the militants in Bayelsa State.

Tribunal to decide on Ambode’s objection today

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HE Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Ikeja will today decide whether to hear the preliminary objection filed by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Jimi Agbaje’s petition.

Agbaje is challenging the declaration of Ambode as winner of the April 11 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At the resumed hearing yesterday, the tribunal

By Adebisi Onanuga

Chairman, Justice Mohammed Ibrahim Sirajo, proposed that all preliminary objections should be taken along with the petition.

Ambode’s counsel Wole Olanipekun and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Muiz Banire opposed the proposal.

Olanipekun argued that paragraphs 18 and 47 (1) of the Electoral Act specified that objections shall be taken before the hearing of the petition.

He argued that the petitioner had not presented any extreme circumstance before the court to warrant the nonhearing of the preliminary objection before the substantive motion.

The senior lawyer also insisted that the tribunal did not have the discretion to change the election petition hearing procedure as the Electoral Act left no room for manoeuvring.

Banire said the tribunal’s suggestion was against the electoral law as it would automatically terminate all

preliminary objections in the matter.

He argued that the position of the law is that whenever an objection is brought through a motion, such objection must be heard immediately.

But Agbaje’s counsel Clement Onwuenwunor aligned himself with the tribunal’s position.

He argued that the proposal represents the position of the law as contained in paragraph 12 of the Electoral Act, 2012 as amended.

•Ambode

Justice Sirajo said the statutory 180 days period for the hearing would begin after the ruling.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

NEWS Wike restores Omehia’s rights as ex-Rivers governor

Buhari hails ECOWAS, ECCAS war against Boko Haram

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IVERS State Governor Nyesom Wike has formally restored the entitlements and benefits of Sir Celestine Omehia as a former governor.

Wike also formally reinstated Omehia’s official portrait among those of former Rivers State governors at the Executive Council Chamber of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

At the ceremony yesterday, Wike said the decision stemmed from the fact that Omehia was governor between May 29, 2007 and October 25, 2007, when he took decisions on behalf of the state and initiated projects.

He said: “I hereby put back his official portrait among those of former governors. He is now entitled to the benefits of all former governors.”

Wike said the era of politics of bitterness was over in Rivers State, adding that it was not right to personalise governance.

Omehia described yesterday as the most historic day of his political career.

He said the restoration of his rights as a former governor indicated that his dark political days were over.

‘APC candidate’s certificates genuine’ From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HE Acting Registrar of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, Mr. Folaremi Adeojo-Malaji, yesterday appeared before the State Election Petitions Tribunal following the petition of alleged fake certificates against the lawmaker representing Oredo East, Osaigbovo Iyoha.

The petition was filed by Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate, Okoro Osadebamwen. He contested against Osaigbovo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Okoro alleged that the credentials presented by Osaigbovo to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were forged.

Folaremi was subpoenaed to testify on whether or not Osaigbovo attended and graduated from the institution.

Folaremi confirmed that he signed the certificate presented by Osaigbovo, adding that it was not a forgery.

The Registrar said the certificate was authentic.

The Acting Registrar said the name of the institution had been changed three times - from Bendel State University to Edo State University and to the Ambrose Alli University.

He said: “I did not come here to lie. I have been employed in the university for present 33 years.”

Head Teacher of Oba Akenzua II Primary School, Esther Izevbuwa, presented the school’s register where Osaigbovo’s name was listed as a pupil.

Osaigbovo’s lawyer, Ken Mozia, told the court that a subpoena had not been served on the registrar of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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•From left: Board members of Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria: Tunji Oyebanji; Prof Pat Utomi; Managing Director/ Chief Executive Office, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and guest speaker, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim; President of the society, Chief Olusegun Osunkoye and co-guest speaker, Dr Ayo Teriba, at the society’s executive breakfast meeting in Lagos.

PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUNMI

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Delta is broke, says Okowa

ELTA State is broke, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said yesterday.

The governor spoke in Asaba, the state capital, at a briefing with lawmakers on the state’s financial status.

Giving statistics on the state’s debt profile, Okowa said Delta would need to run a monthly deficit of “about N2 billion and would need to borrow to pay salaries and finance the running cost of government”.

With N637.2 billion owed to commercial banks and outstanding contractual obligations, the Okowa administration called for belt tightening and understanding among residents.

The governor said Delta was owing commercial banks N98.62 billion (principal sum) and out-

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

standing contractual obligation of N538,601,421.50.

He said in 2011, the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration took a N50 billion facility from the bond market with a repayment period of seven years in 84 instalments at N1.098 billion each month.

According to him, the facility would terminate in September 2018 with 40 more instalments (totalling N43.92 billion) with effect from this month.

Okowa recalled that in November 2014, Delta State guaranteed some contractors with the issuance of an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) of N2.23 billion monthly for which the contractors had received N40 billion.

Okowa said having

paid four instalments, the state has 20 more monthly instalments of N44.60, which would extend through 2017.

The governor said the state had an outstanding overdraft facility of N19 billion and N715 million with Zenith Bank Plc of N19 billion and N715 million.

He said other smaller loan and overdrafts, totalling N2 billion, are yet to be paid.

Okowa said with effect from June to March 2017, after a deduction of N4.60 billion from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) receipts, the state would draw a meagre N3.4 billion, assuming the FAAC allocation stays at N8.03 billion.

With receipts from Internally Generated Reve-

nue (IGR) at N2.0 billion monthly, the governor noted that the funds available to run the state is N5.40 billion monthly.

He regretted that with 60,000 workers and a wage bill of N7,437,940,015.38, the N5.4 billion balance is insufficient to offset the wage bill, let alone fund overheads or capital projects.

Okowa urged the House of Assembly to review this year’s budget of N409 billion, adding: “It is no longer realistic in the wake of current realities.”

The governor said his administration had been “hard put to pay workers’ salaries; Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs) have been running at half steam due to the inability of state to provide money for their operations”.

Wike to demote first-class monarchs

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NLESS there is a legal intervention, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is set to demote some first-class traditional rulers.

The governor has approached the House of Assembly to repeal the Council of Traditional Rulers Law, 2014, passed by the Seventh Assembly.

Some monarchs were allegedly promoted by the Rotimi Amaechi administration to spite perceived nonsupporters of his government.

The Eighth Assembly has accused the last Assembly of contributing to the crisis in

From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

the state by its enactment of several laws that were not in the overall interest of the people.

The accusation came on the heels of an Executive Bill, titled: Rivers State Traditional Rulers Bill 2015, which seeks to repeal the existing Council of Traditional Rulers Law, 2014.

In their debates yesterday, the lawmakers flayed the last Assembly for hasting to pass bills into laws to “massage the ego of past government”.

But three of the principal officers of the Assembly -

Martin Amaewhule (Leader), Lolo Donabari (Deputy Leader) and Evans Bipi (Chief Whip), among others - said the law, which the executive bill wanted to repeal, was not in the interest of the state.

The lawmakers said it was disheartening that the last administration “disjointed and balkanised” traditional institutions.

They noted that the enactment of the law caused infractions against the state and should be examined in the interest of the people.

The lawmakers said the law, which the executive bill sought to repeal, demysti-

fied traditional stools and turned monarchs to politicians.

According to them, the Assembly should regulate the appointment of traditional rulers to forestall further crisis in the communities.

Speaker Ikuinyi Ibani said he was a victim of “traditional sadism”.

He stressed that, if customs and norms of the people were respected, chieftaincy squabbles would not exist.

Ibani mandated an ad hoc committee to conduct a public hearing on the matter and report back to the Assembly.

IAUE VC’s abductors yet to contact family after one week

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NE week after gunmen abducted the Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rumuolumini, Port Harcourt, Prof. Rosemund Dienye Green-Osahogulu, her family has said her abductors have not contacted them.

Her husband, Prof Dele Oshogulu, spoke with our reporter on phone yesterday.

He said: “I’m yet to receive any call regarding the abduction of my wife. We have not heard from her or from her abductors. No ransom has been placed on her.”

Prof. Rosemund was abducted last Thursday at 6:45pm on Okocha Road in Port Harcourt when she was returning from work.

The university’s Registrar, Mr. Ikem Adiele, told our reporter that activities at the institution had been af-

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

fected by her absence.

Adiele said the university’s administration revolved around the Office of theVice Chancellor.

He said: “The university cannot function effectively without the vice chancellor. She is the one to sign the files and other papers and she is also the signatory to the university’s cheque. So, we need her presence urgently.”

Adiele said the university authority and the Students’ Union government (SUG) were working hard for her release or rescue.

He urged the public to assist security agencies with information that could lead to her unconditional release.

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday welcomed efforts to strengthen and expand cooperation between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on the war against terrorism.

Speaking at a meeting with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, Buhari restated his view that greater regional and international cooperation was needed to ensure victory over terrorism in Nigeria and other countries.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari assured Ouedraogo that Nigeria would hold further consultations with other stakeholders to agree on a new date for the ECOWAS-ECCAS security summit on Boko Haram, earlier scheduled to hold in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on April 8, 2015.

It reads: “The summit was postponed because of the general elections in Nigeria on March 28 and April 11, 2015.

Union to Wike: sacking traffic marshals illegal From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

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WEEK after Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike disbanded the Road Traffic Management Agency (TIMA-RIV), the state chapter of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) has accused the governor of violating a law.

AUPCTRE, in a communiqué yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, by its Chairman Henry Urombo and the Secretary Adekeye Johnson, said rather than sack the traffic marshals, the governor should have integrated them into government’s payroll.

The union noted that TIMARIV was a creation of the State Traffic Law No. 6 of 2009, adding that Part V, Section 40 legally states the establishment, composition and formation of its board.

Urombo read the communiqué yesterday after the council’s executive meeting in Port Harcourt.

The union leader said Section 50, sub-section 1(c) stipulates the conditions of the service rules.

He said the disbandment of the traffic marshals would affect the workers and their dependents, considering the harsh economic realities.

Urombo said: “It will lead to an increase in the rate of unemployment and crime in the state.

“Government’s action was against stipulated laws. TIMARIV is currently owed eight months’ salaries -from October 2014 to May 2015. The staff strength of TIMA-RIV stands at over 706, duly employed and confirmed, as enshrined in the public service rule.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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NEWS

RAMADAN KAREEM Ex-speaker cautions traders

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ORMER Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Femi Bamisile has appealed to market women not to capitalise on the Ramadan to increase prices of foodstuffs.

Bamisile, in his Ramadan message congratulated Muslims for witnessing another 30-day spiritual exercise that will deepen their relationship with Allah.

He urged traders to have mercy on the poor and not add to their suffering by increasing prices of their items.

Bamisile said Islam

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

preaches love for fellow human beings which he noted can be best practised during the Ramadan season.

The former Speaker who is an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain sympathised with civil servants in the state who are being owed two months’ salary arrears.

He urged Muslims to use the period of Ramadan to make supplications to Allah to intervene in the security situation in the state.

For Hajj. Are the months well known. If any one undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenty, nor wickness, nor wrangling in Hajj. And whatever good ye do, (be sure) ALLAH knoweth it.. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is right conduct. So fear me. O ye that are wise.

Ramadan 9, 1436AH

‘Period of sober reflection’

‘Civilisation has robbed us of value’

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Zikrullah Abdul Ganiy has urged Muslims to work and reap more rewards during the ongoing Ramadan.

The Islamic cleric gave the advice in a lecture he delivered entitled Unique features of Islam organised by the Islamic Brotherhood Forum of Nigeria at Victory College Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State.

He described fasting as a period of sober reflection which gives opportunity to move closer to Allah and seek His face in supplication and prayers.

Chairman on the occasion Mallam Muri Ogunmodede urged Muslims to be time conscious as Islam is known off.

By Medinat Kanabe

•AbdusSalam

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N Islamic scholar AbdurRasaq AbdusSalam has bemoaned what he called the negative impact of civilisation in the society.

In a lecture titled: Westernisation or civilization: Any connection with Islam? AbdusSalam, the Deputy Director, Programmes (English), Voice of Nigeria (VON) was of the opinion that life before the present

civilisation is better.

He spoke at the annual Ramadan lecture and Iftar of the Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness (MICA), Alimosho Branch held at Club 9 Multipurpose Hall, Egbeda, Lagos.

According to him, civilisation has robbed the society values of orderliness, kindness, and morality, adding that what is missing in the society is control and that control needs to be restored.

He said: “We didn’t need so much policing. When I was young, we had just one policeman policing about 10 local governments. People didn’t

have to lock their shops when they are not there because anybody who bought any good would pay and leave without stealing but the case is not the same today.”

“When we put control in place, we will have a semblance of morality, and of orderliness. We will spend less policing ourselves,” he added.

Also speaking, Imam Isah Sidiq called on Muslims to always be righteous.

“We must also be kind, generous, God fearing, repentant, being dutiful to our parents, worship Allah without associating partner with him to prepare for the last hour,” he said.

Qu’ran 2 vs 197 Sponsored by ALHAJI KHAMIS TUNDE BADMUS Asiwaju Musulumi of the Yorubaland

RAMADAN GUIDE WITH FEMI ABBAS e-mail: femabbas@yahoo.com Tel: 08122697498

Ramadan and your health

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EAR in year out , Muslims in most parts of the world always view Ramadan from economic, social, moral and spiritual perspectives. What they don’t seem to know is that the practical lessons of this divine month are far beyond that scope.

Science is in a state of continuous evolution and new discoveries follow one another’s heels. There is a large flow of information coming like a spring from scholarly symposia, encyclopaedias and medical journals which put the modern man always on the right path of knowledge.

Biologically, human beings grow old and eventually die. Very few people ponder over this occurrence. We have all accepted it as a natural phenomenon which we must abide by willingly or unwillingly.

Apart from old age, most people die not because they are naturally ripe for death but because the blood flowing through their coronary arteries clots sometimes prematurely and render their body systems partially or fully ineffective.

Because of the excessive consumption of certain improper diets, and other defective factors in our biological set-ups, human arteries become hard and rusty hence the mad rush for treatment.

This process of rustiness in human system is medically called Atheroma. And many theories have been advanced to explain its mechanism especially how it causes rustiness in human blood vessels.

One of the great advantages of fasting (especially Ramadan fasting) is to increase the power of the blood to dissolve blood clots whether those clots are in the coronary arteries of the heart that cause heart attack or in the cerebral arteries that cause stroke.

Fasting, therefore, does not only lower blood pressure and alleviate angina pectoris (severe chest pain resulting from a reduced supply of blood and oxygen to the heart); it also prevents arteriosclerosis (an arterial disease occurring especially in the elderly, characterized by elasticity and thickening of the blood flow). Not only that.

Fasting also reduces the mortality rate of myocardial infarction otherwise called heart attack.

The blood sugar is maintained at a steady level during fasting, the glucose being formed in the level from glycogen and natural fat which have been mobilized to dispose tissue.

Ramadan brings about an increase in secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary. Growth hormone causes an increase in human weight and acceleration of linear growth with widening epiphysis (the end of the lung at the point where it was previously separated by cartilage to allow bone to grow) especially in young animals.

•From Left: Chief Imam of Oriwu Central Mosque in Ikorodu, Alhaji Yahya As-Samadaani; Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Sanai Agunbiade; Guest Speaker, Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLafeef and Chief Whip, Lagos House of Assembly, Hon Rotimi Abiru, during the 5th Annual Ramadan lecture in Lagos.

Bank workers donate to IDPs in Yobe HE Northeast officials of Federal Mortgage Bank yesterday donated food items to help Internally Displaced Persons perform Ramadan fast with ease.

The donation was done by the bank’s Branch Man-

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From Duku JOEL, Damaturu

ager in Damaturu, Alhaji Abdu Goni at the Pompomari Primary School Camp in Damaturu.

Goni said the gesture was part of their monthly contributions dedicated to amelio-

rate the suffering of the Internally Displaced Persons in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno.

“We felt it a duty to contribute monthly stipends and assist our brothers and sisters within IDPs camp in Yobe, Adamawa, Borno, and

Free Iftar for road users in Saudi

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ORE than 15,000 Iftar meals containing dates, croissant, cupcake, juice and water bottles will be distributed to drivers and street passers during the holy month of Ramadan, courtesy of a charity initiative launched by the International Islamic Relief Organization, Saudi Arabia (IIROSA) and the Al- Tamimi Market Company.

Under the charity initiative, a total of 150 Iftar boxes are

being distributed every day on the streets of Jeddah, Riyadh and Eastern Province.

The organisers said they have finished all preparations to hand out the Iftar parcels for the whole month of Ramadan to people who get stuck in traffic, main roads and to those who are unable to reach their destinations on time as well as for people who cannot afford Iftar.

These free mass iftar meals

Lagos Deputy Governor for lecture

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AGOS State Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Adebule will lead guests to the second Ramadan lecture of the Anwar-ul Islam College Agege Old Students’ Association (ACAOSA).

The lecture titled Change in a nation - Islamic Perspective will hold tomorrow at the school premises, College Road, Oniwaya, Agege, Lagos.

A statement by ACAOSA National Publicity Secretary, Muftau Ottun, said Senator Musiliu Obanikoro will chair the event while the lecture will be delivered by the Chief Imam Jamatul-Islamiyat Magodo Central Mosque Sheikh Abdulsemi Olojeola. National President ACAOSA Lawal Pedro (SAN) is the Chief host.

are distributed with the help of Basmat Amal volunteers in Jeddah, whereas several youngsters are volunteering in different cities.

Yazeed, Marketing Manager of Al-Tamimi Company said, “This project is very strong and effective. It is the first time to coordinate with IIROSA to deliver humanitarian services to the community. Moreover, with several volunteers coming to support this project, it clearly indicates a symbol of engagement and an enhanced sense of volunteerism in the Kingdom.”

Ehsaan Saleh Taieb, acting secretary general of IIROSA said: “This campaign titled ‘Iftar with us’ is among the other Ramadan projects held during the holy month every year. This project is expected to impact 10,000 fasting people across the Kingdom.”

Abuja,” he said He said the distribution will continue throughout the North eastern states affected by the insurgency monthly for a period of time.

Items distributed include rice, vegetable oil, garri, sugar and beans.

Cleric urges Nigerians to shun immorality

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URDEER MadhuSalam Arabic and Islamic Institute Chief Imam Iysa Siddique, has called on Nigerians to desist from immorality as the signs of the last days were evident.

Siddique said Nigerians needed to draw closer to God and remain faithful.

He said: “Everyone should stay in tune with the Almighty God by giving alms and praying five times daily. The signs of the last hour are evident now. In Israel, we have cases of people giving birth to one eyed babies, which was written in the holy book as a sign of the last hour.

“Also fornication and adultery are now the order of the day; people no longer see nudity as an act of immorality.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

‘Power supply to North less than 1%‘ From Grace Obike, Abuja

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HAIRMAN Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Dr. Sam Amadi has said the Northern part of the country receives about one per cent or less of power supply.

He blamed this development on lack of sufficient connection and weak transmission infrastructure which can support between 100 and 1000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity.

Amadi said the national imperative would be to provide more power to the North as a way of reducing poverty, since this same part of the country has the largest indicators of poverty and least power supply.

He spoke yesterday in Abuja, on Energy and Household Poverty, at the annual lecture of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). He lamented that many people do not have access to electricity but are saddled with the burden of paying electricity bills.

He said Nigeria has one of the least per capital wattage in the world meaning that the number of power each person has is lower in Nigeria than Ghana and other countries.

“Today in Nigeria, there are many people who do not even have access to electricity. That number is close to 40 and above, people who have no connection whatsoever at all to electricity. So the first marker to energy poverty is access, to people who do not have access to electricity.

‘We must explore the off-grid system.

Power generated mustn’t go to Osogbo before it gets distributed. We lose 37% of generated power anytime we do this. Why don’t we remove Egbin and Afam power plants from the national grid and let them serve Lagos or Southwest and Southeast respectively? If this is done, there will be great improvement’ - MD/CEO, Mayok Engineering Works Limited, Chief Abayomi Awodipe

SEC drags Okumagba, others BlackBerry earns $137m software, to panel over N16b funds from tech licensing T G

HE Securities and Ex change Commission (SEC), has dragged the suspended president, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and Group Managing Director, BGL Plc, Mr Albert Okumagba before the Commission’s Administrative Proceedings Committee (APC) over allegations of unpaid investors’ funds of more than N16 billion and sundry infractions.

In a circular dated June 25, 2015 obtained yesterday by The Nation, SEC stated that it has directed Okumagba, other suspended officials of BGL Group and the three companies under the BGL Group to appear before the APC on August 4-5 this year.

The companies include BGL Securities Limited, BGL Capital Limited and BGL Asset Management Limited.

The APC is the apex adjudicatory arm of the capital market regulator. Usually,

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

SEC, in furtherance of its investors’ protection mandate, stands as the plaintiff while the other group will be defendants. Unresolved cases can only be referred to the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST), which has similar powers as a high court.

SEC had in May this year suspended Okumagba, other sponsored officials of BGL Group and its subsidiaries and all companies under BGL Group from all capital market activities. The Commission insisted that the suspension remains in force in addition to the directive to appear before the panel.

SEC indicated that Okumagba and others are being arraigned at the panel over several allegations of capital market infractions, including earlier investiga-

tions that indicated that the group owed investors about N5.8 billion and had accumulated N11 billion in unpaid matured funds to investors.

“The SEC received over 40 letters of investor complaints against BGL Group Plc alleging indebtedness to the tune of about N5.8 billion. Investigations were conducted and all-parties meetings were arranged by SEC during which repayment agreements were struck between BGL and some of the affected investors. Unfortunately, BGL continued reneging on promises to restitute investors,” SEC stated in what appeared to be its preliminary charge sheet.

The Commission pointed out that it had obtained a court order from IST and set up a seven-man Interim Management Team (IMT) for BGL Group as a necessary, wellconsidered action with the sole objective of protecting

investors while a more detailed forensic audit was conducted to determine the financial health of the companies within the BGL Group and the nature and extent of infractions committed by the BGL management.

SEC stated that the preliminary report of the forensic auditors showed, among other facts, that indeed BGL Group was in a critical financial state in which the group’s management had progressively eroded its shareholders’ funds through losses sustained over a five-year period totaling about N48 billion as at December 31 last year.

The Commission alleged that the investigations uncovered that billions of naira in investors’ funds were put at extreme risk through questionable investments by the BGL management in some illiquid, unlisted companies’ securities; one of which has been declared bankrupt.

Edo begins presumptive tax implementation From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HAIRMAN, Edo Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Chief Oseni Elamah, has said the state would soon begin the implementation of the presumptive tax regime as part of reforms in tax administration in the state.

He said the new tax regime targeted individuals in the informal sector whose income could not be ascertain by tax officers.

Elamah who spoke during a press briefing said those in the informal sector would be encouraged to document their income over a period of one year to enable tax authorities ascertain their income because taxes are paid on income earned.

He said: “This is where the tax officer is not able to ascertain correctly the income of an individual, he is allowed to use the best of judgment.

“Under this regime, we are to encourage those in the informal sector where records of their are not kept to keep record to enable the authority ascertain their income because taxes are paid on income that are earned.”

•From left: Ambode, Executive Secretary, Yaba Local Government, Bola Olumegbon-Lawal and Asunmo during the governor’s facility tour of Tejuosho Shopping Complex, Yaba, Lagos....yesterday.

Ambode orders dislodgement of street traders at Tejuosho market

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AGOS State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has ordered immediate dislodgement of street traders around Tejuosho Market Yaba, Lagos.

He gave the order yesterday during an inspection tour of the premises of the new ultramodern Tejuosho Shopping Complex.

He said his administration would not allow street traders to keep obstructing traffic flow and cause hardship for Lagosians who ply the roads even as he urged them to move into the shopping complex without delay.

He said: “We want the traders to move into the market immediately. We do not want to see anybody on the road.

By Bamidele Salako

As much as possible, we will deploy more people to enforce the directive to ensure the road is free because the residents are complaining. It is a good thing that you have a large underground parking space that can accommodate about one thousand cars so that cars will not be parked on the road.’’

Managing Director of MRI Investments, Mr. Idris Asunmo reiterated the governor’s stance and maintained that the facility was ready to be occupied.

He said: “The governor came around to have a look at the market and its environs.

He is concerned about the ob-

struction of traffic in the market surroundings which is caused principally by the street traders.

“Having seen the situation for himself, he has directed the task force to come and enforce the dislodgement of those street traders. However, he also tasked us to ensure their smooth movement into the market since the stores (K clamp) built for them are ready to be occupied.”

On the readiness of the new market for the business of buying and selling, Mr. Asunmo, whose organisation is charged with managing the complex, said the facility is fully ready, as some traders have already moved in and have started displaying their

wares.

He said the traders would have moved into their stalls before now, if the allocation process by the office of the previous Deputy Governor had been completed.

By Lucas Ajanaku

LOBAL leader in mo bile communications, BlackBerry Limited yesterday reported its financial results for the three months ended May 3, this year, earning a total of $137million from software and technology licensing, a 150 per cent increase over its first quarter result.

The company also posted $123million in what it described as its ‘positive free cash flow’ in the quarter, adding that cash and investments balance of $3.32 billion at the end of the fiscal quarter was also achieved, marking an increase of $50 million over its fourth quarter financial year It reported an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (commonly abbreviated (EBITDA) of $157 million, a five per cent increase over first quarter this year, adding that the firm also acquired WatchDox, a leader in highsecurity document synchronization, sharing and management; launched the BlackBerry Leap in April, with availability in 22 markets; entered into joint development deals with Wistron and Compal for devices, in addition to the Company’s existing partnership with Foxconn It said revenue for the first quarter of this year was $658 million. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 40 per cent for hardware, 38 per cent for services and 21 per cent for software and technology licensing. BlackBerry had 2,600 enterprise customer wins in the quarter. Approximately 45 per cent of the licenses associated with these deals are cross-platform. During the first quarter, the Company recognized hardware revenue on approximately 1.1 million Total cash, cash equivalents, short-term and longterm investments was $3.32 billion as of May 30, 2015. The cash balance increased $50 million in the first quarter.

Excluding $1.25 billion in the face value of our debt, the net cash balance at the end of the quarter was $2.07 billion.

Purchase orders with contract manufacturers totaled approximately $238 million at the end of the first quarter, compared to $394 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

12

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

BUSINESS NEWS ‘Govt urged to make Nigeria attractive to investors’

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HE Chairman, Interna tional Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Nigeria, Mr Babatunde Savage has urged the Federal Government to make the country attractive to investors in order to enhance the value of the nation’s currency.

Speaking yesterday at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, during ICC’s 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM), Mr Savage said the country needs to look at areas where we have opportunities and develop them.

“We need to reduce the cost of doing business in the country so that foreign investors can come in and begin to see the country as a nation for investment,” he said.

This, he said would in itself create a lot of wealth that will help to enhance the value of the naira.

“The fundamentals will be right, it is not just trying to tweet the figures of exchange, it is actually looking at the fundamentals that will enable us to compete with the outside world and be a part of the global community and also be respected for who we are, which has some rating for the country. Our sovereign risk will be reduced or lowered in a way that people will see us as a stable nation for investment.

These are some of the areas that we need to look at in looking at all the ramifications of business in the country. “ “When you talk of inter play of currency in Nigeria and the issue of fluctuation in

By Olatunde Odebiyi

the currency rate, we should be talking of the productivity of the nation, the interplay between input and output of trade between one country and other countries. The Central Bank of Nigeria has to look into this to shape what the rate should be because risk is attached to the way we operate in this country.

“We need to remove waste in the way we do things and encourage efficiency and competitiveness in the way we operate. “ He urged the Federal Government and other relevant institutions to continue to take a closer look at implementing laudable programmes to revive the economy He added that the presentation of the 2014 Annual Report and Accounts is designed to put on the front burner the true and fair view of the Chamber’s performance with audited financial statements and the non-financial informations, saying, ICC Nigeria is a part of the international chamber which is the biggest of the world business organisation that helps to promote international trade and investments regarding issues that deals with cross border transactions.

“There are areas, rules and regulations that enable you to compete favourably with other countries. We ensure that the rules are applied in Nigeria and that the rules are actually applied for that purpose.

Advert 7x3

•From left: A staff of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mrs. Gold Ukatta; the bank’s Branch Manager, National Assembly, Folake Joseph and a customer, Christiana Ukatta, during the Public Health and Fitness Walk organised by the bank in Abuja.

Power supply to exceed 5,500Mw next month

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OWER supply would ex ceed 5,500 megawatts in (Mw) next month, the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi assured yesterday in Abuja .

According to him, there is improvement in gas supply while transmission capacity has now increased to 5,500Mw. He spoke while playing host to the European Union (EU) delegation.

The chairman explained that there is improvement in gas supply to the power plants, stressing that the Group Executive Director,

•EU to invest 150m euro in power sector From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Gas, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has assured him that further improvement is underway in gas supply.

He said: “Primarily, we talk about the supply of gas and the available capacity. Much of the vandalisms are in the gas side. The gas problem is getting better.

“We had meeting with the GED of gas at NNPC and he told us of improvements coming up. We hope that by the end of July, with the repair work going on, we might be able to do maybe above 5500Mws. “The assurance we have is the East-West Gas Pipeline is projected for completion sometime towards the end of 2016. The idea is that we should be able to do slightly above 6000Mws. “The problem is that it depends also on increase in capacity. If we get the NIPP plants, we are looking at 4700Mws. If we add this to the distribution companies, we can go above 9000Mws. Right now, we don’t have enough gas to do above that.”

The EU however said it has a •150million facility that it is currently looking at where to expend it to support electricity development in the country.

Its representative, Gerrit

William Clarke said: “The EU has a 150million Euros support to the power sector. This initiative concentrates on Nigeria, looking at the areas where this 150 million Euros could be spent.”

Clarke noted that the EU is studying how it can best intervene in making access to electricity easier to Nigeria.

He said: “The EU is looking to how they can support additional power supply. Solar power is an offshoot of that.

We are representing the European Union Delegation.

There is a program called Sustainable Energy for All. They have a gross facility of 150million euros. “ We are investigating how projects for access to electricity, and how best the EU can make impact and help Nigeria get better access to electricity. We are looking at bottlenecks and also coming up with potential projects that the EU can support.”

Another representative of the union, Peter Cameron, said because the EU is interested in in access to energy in the country, the delegation has been touring and holding meetings in the nation since last week.

According to him, the EU is passionate about identifying and tackling an issue in the power sector.

He added that the commission would seek to know po-

tential projects that would be of interest to the NERC for the EU to improve access.

Dr. Amadi told the delegation that the notable challenge in the sector is power supply, noting that the market now produces an average of 3,800Mw. He said power supply was very low in the last two months because of vandalism of gas pipeline and drop in water level in the hydro plants.

His words: “The obvious bottleneck is supply. As you know, we do average now 3800Mw as at last week.

“Two months before then, we were very low because of combined issues of vandalism as well as lack of supply from gas suppliers because of facility, repair and slightly, some drop in hydro. Essentially, we see it as a problem of supply. Of course, we are about 80-85 per cent gas base.

“They are looking at 20162017. With the gas that will come from the new and existing pipelines, the operators think that we can get enough to get us the available capacity that we have, and the recoverable capacity that the generators would have.

“So, gas is a challenge. But it is being addressed. Hopefully, the new government would do more with vandalism. The reports we have from them is that there is containment and vandalism has dropped as well.

Union Bank appoints receiver-manager for Dansa Foods

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NION Bank Nig Plc has appointed a re ceiver-manager over Dansa Foods Ltd following its alleged failure to liquidate a N4billion debt.

The bank under a deed of appointment dated July 22, last year appointed Chukwudi Enebeli of Pinheiro & Company as the receiver-manager of Dansa Foods (in receivership) by virtue of an all asset debenture dated May 28, 22009.

The bank through its receiver-manager is praying the Federal High Court in Lagos to make an order directing all creditors of Dansa Foods to domicile all monies due to the company in the receivership account opened

By Joseph Jibueze

in Union Bank. ?In a 25-paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summons deposed to by the relationship manager in charge of Dansa Foods Mrs Olufunmilola Ayoola, the bank is contending that having advanced facilities of N5.2billion to Dansa Foods sometime in 2008 and following several restructuring of the facilities at the request of the customer, Dansa Foods has allegedly not fulfilled its repayment obligation.

The bank contended that Dansa Foods’s inability to repay the debt has adversely affected its liquidity and abil-

ity to extend loans to small scale medium businesses which in turn would have helped in boosting the nation’s economy.

The bank is also praying for an order to take over all the company’s factory at 1, Dansa Drive, off Badagry Expressway, Abule Oshun, Lagos and all assets of the company. ?Directors of Dansa Foods have filed an application through their counsel, Messers Rickey Tarfa & Co challenging the legal representation of the receivermanager. ?After the hearing of pending application yesterday, Justice Yunusa adjourned till October 19 for ruling.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

13

THE NATION

BUSINESS BRANDS & MARKETING

e-mail: adedejiademigbuji@yahoo.com /mobile line: 08131075667

A new advertising campaign by Nigerian Breweries for its premium brand, Guilder, has brought to the fore how the mind of most men meanders when faced certain challenges. Comically, the TV advert, The Ultimate Beer for Men, seems to make jest of the gender, but it raises fundamental questions and provides answers, ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI writes.

New TV commercial underscores what men dread!

“S

TORYTELLING” is a new trend that is sweeping through the entire brands building community like a whirlwind. Born out of the need to depart from the old creative approach of brand owners’ desperate push in selling a brand, more and more creative experts are now buried in the idea of “small stories that can be very powerful communication tools” that can help brands connect with target markets better.

Locally and globally, the wave of brand story, telling creative approach in advertising is unprecedented. Brand builders look out for social issues, explore the plot, the setting and eventually grab a leeway of selling their brands to unsuspecting consumers. For instance, when FirstBank of Nigeria bankrolled a soap opera, B4 30, the aim of the brand was to help young women-single and married- below 30 years of age share their stories on challenges of singlehood and marital life.

Worried that such social issue is a story everyone under this age group shies away from discussing in public as a result of social stigma attached to that age bracket, the bank decided to sponsor the series to raise awareness on this social issue and indirectly position the 120 year old iconic brand as a bank that cares.

It will also be recalled that the Marketing Director at Hyundai UK. Mr. Andrew Cullis, at a point in the lifecycle of its brand, decided to tell a serious storytelling about Hyundai and hunted for an agency to deliver this new creative direction, but could find none until he hired Red Bee, formerly the BBC’s in-house agency, which has a heritage steeped in broadcast media.

The brand explore a campaign theme “Feel like a man”, to convey the product specifications of Hyundai’s Sante Fe car model in a comedic way. Hyundai’s approach also demonstrates that brand storytellers must take account of the art and science of human life but as a marketer, the brand handlers ultimately want emotional engagement to translate into profit.

In a recent case, Nigerian Breweries is towing same storytelling creative strategy to position Guilder as a beer for men. The brewer released a 45 seconds TV commercial ‘The Ultimate Beer for Men’ exploring courage as a theme. Presenting three different stories, the Guilder TV reveals most-dreaded fear of men: fear of losing a job, receiving quit notice from landlord, being underestimated by opposite sex (lover) and confronting a would-be father in-law especially a discipline one.

In the 45 second TV commercials, a young man, Mike, is caught between sitting back and receiving no positive reviews for his stellar performance in the office. As the scene opens, zooming in on staff of his company cheering when the Managing Director of the company presents the annual sales results with 30 per cent growth without recognising Mike’s sterling contribution to the result.

Standing amidst other staff, Mike is not happy, hence, refuses to clap and smile. Perhaps with the thought of resigning, the consequence of such action stares him in the face: Quit notice from landlord, divorce letter from his wife, loss of proper-

• A screen grab of the TV Advert showing Dan, one of the model in the TV advert.

ties. Rather than take such routes to protest lack of reward for his massive contribution to the growth, he dares the odd. Audaciously, he walks to his boss’s office, but rather than being scolded, his boss gave him a cup of Guilder, signifying recognition of his performance afterall. As he drinks the Guilderbranded cup of the Guilder beer with the foam of the beer lacing his moustache, he smiles and overcomes his worries.

Another version of the commercial, features a young man, John.

While shopping for new wears in a boutique, John spots a pretty young lady walking into the shop. Unnoticed, John falls in love with the lady, but finds it difficult to walk up to her to express his feelings. From admiration to fear, fear to imagination, John, finds himself in the web of imagination.

He pictures the lady addressing him as a petrol attendant before her friends who burst into laughter, making John looking ridiculous.

Coming back to his senses and undeterred, John walked audaciously towards the lady who gave him a cautious audience, with a glass of

Guilder to settle in.

Finally, the brand handler also shared the story of an upwardly mobile and dashing man, Dan who is ready to marry an army general’s daughter. Sets inside a sitting room with a royal décor, an electrifying ambience and a chandelier lightening Dan’s clean shave, the picture frames of would-be fatherin-law, dressed in military uniform, scares him; but he pretends as if he is unperturbed. Beaming with a forced smile at his fiancée, a certain photo frame-a hard-look of his father-in-law- hanging on the walls changed his countenance.

He became afraid as the unwelcoming facial expression of the General transits him into an imagination: The General arrives eventually and is ushered into the sitting room by two heavily-built body guards. Standing in the middle of the body guards, the General roars at him, issues a command with façade of fury, that Dan should stay off his daughter- but it is a mere imagination. As he returns to reality, the would-be father-in-law enters the sitting room without any guard and immediately welcomes

Dan with a handshake while the fiancée looks on with smile.

Positioned as “The Ultimate Beer for Men” in the pay-off of the TV commercial, the advert tells a story of courage and men in their daily encounters in a bid to position Guilder at a beer for men of guts. Like in the psychology of minds played out by Guilder’s “The Ultimate Beer for Men” TV Commercial, portray men as being prone to certain fears, such as security in workplace, chasing girls, or approaching wouldbe life-partners and meeting fatherin-laws.

This scenarios confine them into various imagination that could dampen their aspiration if not well handled, but the Guilder brand is positioned as a beer that helps men remain the men in the face of potent fear, hence, making the brand meet the needs of the target audience: Men. “This means that for the brand, there is “MAN” in every man and it only needs discovering for such to lead to accomplishments and conquests of fears, career and even the opposite sex (love). And Guilder inspires this,” said a creative expert who viewed the TV commer-

‘Stories work in marketing because everyone understands what a story is about. When the story is highly relevant to the needs and interests of the audience, it’s a powerful and persuasive way to convey information’

cial.

According to an expert at Smart Marketing Strategy, Jean Gianfagna, storytelling is fundamental to every culture. He said stories work in marketing because everyone understands what a story is about. “When the story is highly relevant to the needs and interests of the audience, it’s a powerful and persuasive way to convey information,” he said.

Guilder has always explored story-telling to encourage men to achieve great exploits and remain strong-minded. Through one of its sponsored radio programmes called The Ultimate State of Mind (TUSOM) on various radio stations across the country, the brand owners explores this to draw the attention of men to the challenges of survival and the can-do spirit that enables men to conquer. While the brand launch of the Ultimate Search, Nigeria’s first reality show is also meant to inspire courage among men and later extends the same message to women when it started featuring women in the show, reviewers are not surprised by the new creative trajectory of the Guilder brand. Last year the brand handler launched new bottle. As a result of the features of the new bottle which comes with a masculine shoulder, some industry observers said the brand is offering strength and character to his consumers.

The Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, said the Guilder relaunch was in tandem with the company’s penchant for innovation, which has sustained its leadership in the brewery sector.

He said: “In 1946, the story of innovation started with Nigerian Breweries Plc. We launched the Guilder brand in 1970 in a unique brown bottle with a unique logo and unique recipe. This unique beer is loved by millions of Nigerians who savour the taste every day, every week, every month and every year. Gulder was the first beer to be launched in cans, which is a further sign of its innovativeness.”

Vervelde described Guilder’s new bottle launch as revolutionary. He further said: “It is a historic moment for the Guilder brand. The new bottle which was contained in the Cube reflects that this celebrated brand, Guilder, is at the forefront of advancement and I can assure that what you are going to see is the result of several years of hard work and skill that the brewery industry has seen in a long while.”

The Marketing Director, Messrs Walter Drenth, described the bottle as the most innovative in Nigeria.

He said: “What we have done is to take Guilder from a 1970 bottle and transformed it to a 2020 bottle. I can tell you that this is the most innovative bottle in the Nigerian beer market today. Let me also assure that despite the efforts and resources committed to giving our esteemed consumers of Guilder this classy bottle, the price and the taste remain the same.”

According market survey, Guilder is the second highest selling beer in the country. It spent about N0.7 billion on above-the-line advert last year trailing behind Guinness Extra Stout’s N1.6 billion and Star Larger beer’s N1.5 billion in the same media category.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

14

Brandnews

‘Embrace digital brand marketing’

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HE Managing Director of MediaReach OMD, Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya, has advised marketing communication practitioners who are yet to embrace digital brand marketing to do so.

Ogunkoya spoke during the Google Day organised by MediaReach and Google as part of efforts by both firms to improve clients’ businesses with digital brand marketing tools.

He noted that there were still players who are undecided about the relevance of digital brand marketing despite its importance in marketing communication.

His words: “It is high time we decided to take active steps in the interest of our corporations.”

He said the deal between Google and MediaReach was meant to exchange ideas on the survival strategies for brands now that the players were faced with stiff competition not only in Nigeria, but also in other parts of the world.

Addressing staff members of the two companies, the Country Man-

Stories by Adedeji Ademigbuji

ager, Google, Juliet Chiazor, said it was imperative for any organisation that would survive to develop a strategic marketing campaign that could stand out in the competitive market.

She noted that customers were faced with about 2,000 marketing messages streamed on various communication platforms daily.

Chiazor said for any player to excel, its communication must be appropriate and target at the right audience.

She said Google upholds innovation in its dealings because it is aware of dynamism of various markets the world over.

Chiazor said Google has solutions that corporations could use to achieve their goals in the target markets. Some of those solutions, according to her, are: Google Voice Search; Google Maps; Google Now; and Google Photo Sphere.

She declared that television viewership was declining as audi-

ences were shifting online.

Specifically, she said there was an increase of 60 percent of online video streaming that customers are faced with.

“Brand building elements still entail awareness and emotional engagement just as the case with traditional marketing platforms”, she added. Based on this, she advised that video should be seen as an integral part of brand building and should be used more in brand communication.

Meanwhile, the Chief Digital Officer of MediaReach OMD, Patrick Gomes, has acknowledged that social media has a very important role to play in placing corporations ahead of competition in the market.

His words: “At MediaReach OMD, we are aware of the new trend towards digital marketing as the future of brand communication. We already have channeled our process towards the development and our clients have started benefiting from the initiative.”

• From left: Ogunkoya; Chiazor and Chief Digital Officer, Google, Patrick Gomes, at Google Day, organised by Google and MediaReach on brand marketing in Lagos.

Why we celebrated our channel partners,

by Airtel boss A

IRTEL’s Channel partners have contributed to the success of the telco, Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, has said.

Speaking at an event to celebrate the telco’s trade partners, Ogunsanya praised them for their commitment and loyalty in the financial year.

The event, with the theme Winning customers for life partnership attracted over 70 Airtel Channel Partners from across the country. It featured special musical and comedy performances from top Nigerian artiste, Tubaba and comedian, Akpororo.

Acknowledging the roles played by the partners in Airtel’s brand growth over the years, Ogunsanya said: “We thank all our Channel Partners for demonstrating exceptional zeal towards the achievement of the business objectives of our company. As partners in progress, they have contributed immensely to our success and fulfillment of promises made by the Airtel Nigeria to its teeming customers.

“There is no doubt that our highly esteemed Channel Partners

deserve to be acknowledged and commended for the effort they have invested into their businesses and the drive they have shown towards the success of this brand. It stands to reason that we offer you a warm handshake and encourage you to keep partnering with us to deliver better results.”

He described Airtel’s partnership with its channel partners as a winning partnership rooted in shared interest to enrich the lives of Nigerians, shared values that reinforce people empowerment and innovativeness, and most importantly, a shared passion to win customers for life.

He assured them that Airtel Nigeria would continue to provide support where needed and increase its investment in network quality and performance.

“We will continue to invest in the expansion of our network and the enhancement of quality of service.

Also, we are continuously evolving with innovative new products to offer telecoms consumers across the country with bespoke, world class

mobile solutions that will enrich their lives and empower them to realise their full potential,” said Ogunsanya.

Akwa Ibom-based Channel Partner, Mr. Unyime Idem, who is Managing Director, Idems Ultimate Ltd, won the CEO’s Award for Excellence and the grand prize of a 2015 Mercedes Benz GL 450, while another Channel Partner, Chief Ogoeze Nwabueze, the Managing Director of C&N Abuson Investments Ltd, won a 2015 Toyota Landcruiser for emerging as the National Primary Sales Champion.

Prizes presented to other winners included brand new Toyota Hiace buses, generators, laser jet printers, Shop on Wheels, mobile tabs and a 2015 Hyundai Elantra donated by Zenith Bank, one of the sponsors of the raffle draw.

Some of the top executives of the company who graced the occasion were Godfrey Efeurhobo, Chief Sales Officer; Maurice Newa, Chief Commercial Officer; Krishna Menon, Chief Finance Officer; Gbenga Rotimi, Director, Legal; Gbemiga Owolabi, Director, HR and Tenu Awoonor, Director, Strategy & Performance Management.

Deepening remittances through sport ERE you at Campos mini stadium in Lagos when Peter Rufai former Super Eagles former goalie and captain rolled back the years and stopped some penalty kicks? If you were not there, you have missed vintage Rufai. I am sure during his active years he did not show so much enthusiasm!

May be because the environment was relax and friendly.

Rufai actually stopped several penalty kicks which were taken by veterans of the game of football. I strategically declined against taking a penalty kick.

Why? I would have scored and Rufai is a friend. It was not a joke. It was a family football fanfare organised by Systemspecs Limited under the Remita Corporate Champions Cup (RC3) football initiative to keep corporate employees in top physical condition.

Kids watched as their fathers took a tumble on the pitch. Wives sheered as their husband celebrated a goal. Friends and ardent football fans exchanged banters as radio deadliest football personalities, Femi and the Gang from Nigeria Info ran commentaries to add verve to the final between UBA and Nestle. Sorry, guys, UBA lost. Nestle won. However, the initiative was a melting pot of activities for employees and employers from different organisations across several industries.

Remita removed restricted boundaries. CEOs and floor managers let down their hairs on a Sunday evening with no deadline starring at you.

Management of UBA, Etisalat, MTN, Nestle, Leadway Assurance, employees and their families were enthusiastic about the tournament which lasted three weeks. However, some corporate organisations have engaged in sporting activity. The flip side is that it is confined to their four walls. Access Bank, First Bank, Fidelity Bank, GTBank and Lagos Business School have similar healthy routines. On the other hand, Remita – an electronic payment platform that helps you to move and receive payment easily - has extended the frontiers of promoting healthy living beyond the office walls.

W

Through RC3, the sports-oriented electronic payment platform is designed to encourage a healthier lifestyle while increasing interaction between employees of different organisations in a fun atmosphere. Remita platform has attracted the involvement of about 15 corporate giants from different sectors of the economy.

John Obaro, CEO, who by the way scored his penalty kick, explained that Remita is at the forefront of promoting a healthy work-life balance and crossindustry relationships among professionals through sports. “We want people to exercise and have fun without stress”. I am not sure if the Executive Director, ‘Deremi Atanda, score his penalty kick but he explained that work-life balance is about people feeling satisfied with the way they divide their time and energy between paid work and other things they need and want to do.

Remita harnesses the potentials of football to reach the public, especially corporate Nigeria.

While I watch the game of football at the Campos mini stadium, I realised that it is important for corporate executives to live healthy lifestyles as it would enable them to lead healthy organisations. I also reckoned that is why Remita used sport as a powerful unifying force within the society.

According to report, Remita moves over $2.5 billion monthly as the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) payment gateway. In its own way of deepening remittances through sport, Remita platform works with the public and private organisations of different sizes. It makes receiving and making payments easy.

Developed 100 per cent in Nigeria, Remita empowers SMEs, multinationals, states, MDAs, NGOs etc to receive payments from their customers through a wide range of convenient payment channels such as their website, internet banking, mobile wallet, PoS or any bank branch.

As an individual, you can make remittance through Remita for direct debit or standing order such as your pay TV subscription so that you can watch as Peter Rufai saves some penalty kicks.

Huawei makes Top 100 Global Brands list

H

UAWEI has been named one of BrandZ’s ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ for 2015, ranking 70 on the list.

Marking Huawei’s debut on the BrandZ list, the achievement follows Huawei’s ranking on Interbrand’s ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands’ list last year.

The BrandZ ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ list is developed by Millward Brown Optimor, a leading global research agency that operates under the world’s largest communications services group, WPP. The Global Head of BrandZ, Ms. Doreen Wang, said: “Huawei has made it onto a BrandZ list for the first time today. This is the result of

Huawei’s solid carrier business and also its active expansion into the enterprise and consumer businesses.

Huawei has invested in its global technology offering, demonstrated with two third of its revenue coming from markets outside of China.

Ranking on the BrandZ list recognises Huawei’s real strengths.”

Huawei’s brand value is estimated to be over $15 billion in the year and ranks 16th in the technology sector on BrandZ’s list.

The Senior Marketing Manager, Consumer Business Group (BG) of the brand, Mr. Olaonipekun Okunowo, said: “This is a great joy to Huawei globally to be ranked on the BrandZ ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ list for 2015.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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Notwithstanding its potential, agriculture has been hampered by poor growing conditions, limited resources, rising temperatures and other impact of climate change, making sustainable farming difficult. The good news, however, is that many affordable solutions are emerging to help farmers increase their productivity. One of these methods is a scheme in which scientists adopt villages and promote best farming practices. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Adopted villages: The journey so far L

USH climate and rich soil make states in Nigeria well suited for agriculture. This notwithstanding, farmers still grow crops at the subsistence level.

For rural dwellers, building a better life takes energy, hard work and commitment day after day.

Most rural families have little land to produce sufficient food and poor knowledge of modern farming practice to improve yields. In fact, it takes them a lot to grow and produce nutritious food. One of them is Olayiwola Lawal. He is a member of a cooperative group in Akure, Ondo State.

Earlier, he was struggling to survive. Somehow, his community was selected as an adopted village by the Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Akure, under the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) initiative.

Today, he has been taught how to raise fish. Lawal now raises fish as a source of income and protein.

He does other things. He is among a number of Nigerians benefitting from the adopted villages and schools programme implemented nationwide to improve the availability of food in communities and trained future farmers from secondary schools.

Thus far, he has learned a great deal about improved farming practices.

Adopted village is a scheme where research institutes, universities and colleges of agriculture are encouraged to adopt one village each and promote best farming practices and government’s policies.

The basic idea is to ensure farmers benefit from best farm practices. It is one of WAAPP-Nigeria’s funded projects in the country.

Since his community was selected as an adopted village, extension specialists from FCA visit farms, providing services to ensure that farmers make good use of input.

On the other hand, cooperatives help to promote the conditions for adoption by motivating the farmers to improve productivity.

By fostering or adopting a village, the institution help farmers within a locality develop modern farming skills to earn income through small-scale sustainable agricultural projects, cottage industries and small enterprises.

The programme addresses many of the most fundamental problems faced by rural people seeking to improve their quality of life.

Traditionally, small-scale farming has been presented as unprofitable and particularly unappealing to the youth. But the approach is painting a different picture.

Lawal sees WAAPP investment through adopted village programme not only helping to reduce poverty but assisting rural communities and transforming them into places where a new generation of farmers, fishermen and small business owners want to live.

As he looks to the future, he sees farmers from the area moving into adjacent markets within Ondo State.

Generally, smallholder producers within the WAAPP-funded adopted village programme are

• Students of Aquinas College, Akure being introduced to fish farming.

• National Project Coordinator WAAPP, Prof. Damian Chikwendu

• Odedina

proud of helping to transform the various value chains, making it inclusive and efficient.

Thanks to interventions, today many villages offer cottage processing businesses.

Speaking with The Nation, the Programme Manager, Abia State Agriculture Development Programme (ADP), Mr Enyinnaya Elekwachi, said adopted village approach is paying off in the state.

Through it, farmers learn to process produce into higher-value forms and increase income.

To him, rural development is about building vibrant, inclusive communities that are self-sustaining which the adopted village approach represents.

Generally, the projects foster entrepreneurial capacity of small farmers to help them achieve food and nutrition security and build thriving rural economies.

For instance at Ibulesowo Community, Akure, the project was also able to facilitate cottage cassava processing factories and procurement of processing equipment and tools for flour and garri.

The impact of this is a source of inspiration for WAAPP Nigeria and FCA to up scale the technology in other areas of Ondo and the South-west.

Since many communities appreciate the value of fish both as an important food and source of proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats, WAAPP Nigeria is working through adopted villages to ensure fish farming through aquaculture is widely practiced.

The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Dr Samson Odedina said his college is helping WAAPP Nigeria to promote the programme.

He said the specific objectives of adopted villages and schools, are to enhance food security and market competitiveness, empower resource-poor farmers, enhance job and self employment opportunities for youths and women, augment sustainable natural resource management efforts of the communities.

Through adopted villages, he said FCA is working with WAAPP Nigeria to get better tools into the hands of farmers, reduce the barriers between farmers and markets, and help farming families become a part of a functioning private-sector agricultural and food system.

He said the college works with farmers in each adopted village.

The college officers collaborate with farmers, through cooperatives. Farmers are providing incen-

tives based on the adoption of the techniques in their villages.

He said the college’s vision remains a prosperous rural Nigeria and the goal is to reduce poverty by enabling marginal farmers to make sustainable improvements to their well being through more effective management of resources.

He listed the college adopted villages to include Eleyowo Community and Ibulesowo Community, Akure and Owode Community in Akure North local government area.

The college also has three adopted schools, which include Ogbe High School, Oda road, Akure,Eji-Oba High School, ObaIle Akure and Aquinas College, Akure.

The major activities are cassava value addition. So far, the adopted Village intervention activities have increased yield of small cassava farmers. The college adopted village programme has trained groups with equipment support to participate profitably and benefit from cassava-based value chains.

Nationwide, more than 30 villages have been adopted. Direct farmer beneficiaries have exceeded 20,000. There are more than 20 secondary schools across the country which are participating with over 20,000 students’ enrollments.

Just last month, farmers in three adopted communities in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) got get improved seeds from the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) in collaboration with the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) to enhance their farming activities.

The three benefitting communities are Karshi in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Kawu in Bwari Area Council and Kiyi in Kuje Area Council.

Speaking at the flag-off of the distribution in Karshi, ARCN’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Baba Yusuf Abubakar, said that WAAPP-Nigeria in 2013 mandated the council to establish agriculture research

outreach centre in the three adopted villages and schools.

Abubakar, who was represented

by Prof Olusola Oni, said the programme is meant to facilitate the transfer and adoption of improved agricultural technologies to the farming communities in the territory.

The Executive Secretary also noted that the overall goal of the programme is to improve the economic status of the farmers and better their standard of living.

He said the improved seeds to be given to farmers in the three communities include about 5.7 metric tonnes of maize, rice and sorghum as well as 643 yam seeds.

He called on the benefitting farmers to take advantage of the opportunity by following the recommended practice in using the seeds.

Earlier, the programme coordinator, Mrs Catherine Alao, had assured that the council will monitor the benefiting farmers by visiting their farmlands on weekly basis to offer solution to any problems they might encounter.

The ARCN’s Desk Officer in Karshi, Aminu R. Abdullahi, said the seeds would get to the serious minded farmers through their leaders in the community.

The traditional ruler of Karshi, Alhaji Sama’ila Muhammed, who was represented by the Hakimi of the community, lauded the programme and assured the council of his community’s interest in its activities.

Some of the farmers, expressed joy over the programme but pleaded with the council to continue to guide them on how to make proper use of the seeds for better results during the harvesting period.

The development objective of WAAPP Nigeria, is to strengthen the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) to contribute to technological development, dissemination and adoption to boost productivity . Over the years, the uptake of technologies emanating from NARIs by the farmers has been a major problem. Consequently, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) use innovation platforms in resuscitation of the adopted villages innovation platforms of the NARIs. ARCN has increased its facilitation to the Agricultural Research Outreach Centres (AROC) in NARIs adopted villages and schools.

With adopted villages, many projects and cooperatives are being funded to provide inputs and other services to their members.

WAAPP is implementing the concept of adopted Schools to disseminate improved agricultural technologies and farm practices in the secondary schools through the NARS. The main objective of this concept is to ensure that impact of agricultural research and training is felt in secondary schools.With adopted villages spinning up everywhere, Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are now beginning to reopen and commence activities within the sector and the possibility of diversifying their product line is forthcoming.

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FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

The Buhari Administration is barely 25 days old. But, a frank appraisal of the administration’s first steps has been made. In an interview monitored by ROBERT EGBE on Channels TV, United Kingdom High Commissioner to Nigeria Dr. Andrew Popcock shares his thoughts on a wide range of issues affecting Nigeria, including the prospects of the All Progressives Congress(APC) government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

‘Buhari has made a strong start’ B

UHARI’s win, a political earthquake

in on that. So if you’re looking at military reform, it might be a good idea to look at procurement. If you’re looking at reforming the oil sector, it might do to look at revenue diversion of the money that ever reaches the federation account, never mind oil theft. So, to break up the great corruption cocoon, into project-size bites in which you can focus on particular difficulties. And I think what’s important is, nothing succeeds like success. If you begin to make an impact, if you begin to challenge the network or more importantly, the attitudes, and you begin to show that impunity – the ability to steal public money and get away with it – if you can show that impunity is no longer the norm, then things will begin to click in a different direction. So, a strong start, but a focused start, I think, is the key to this.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s win was not just a political change, it was a political earthquake. I was present at President Buhari’s inauguration last month and the British Foreign Secretary came, the American Secretary of State and many African Heads of States came as well and the president made the most astonishing, ambitious, analytical and indeed self-critical inaugural speech I’ve ever heard.

It was remarkable. So, that is in itself an extremely good thing, but what he’s also done, of course, is, I think he recognises as well that it’s raised the bar. It’s lifted people’s expectations of what this new government is about and what it has promised to deliver. And I think we now need to move to delivery stage.

Security: The UK’s help in intelligence

The president has made a ‘strong, focused start’ The president looked at the country so critically (in his inaugural speech); he looked at the security situation, particularly in the North East (of Nigeria). But not just the North East, he looked at crime, at instability in the Middle Belt and The Delta. So, he looked at it pretty plainly and said, ‘This is not where we want to be.’ And he looked at governance both at the federal level and the state level and he made some very interesting observations about the federal government not wishing to interfere in the governance of the states, as that is the states’ issue, at the same time acting as a sort of referees, at least as a sort of element of oversight to make sure that the states were being managed properly and public money was being managed properly. He looked at the international agenda which, I must say, I think one thing this administration has done is to start very strongly on the diplomatic agenda. The first thing the president has done is with his neighbours. The second thing is to invite his neighbours to Abuja for a summit about the North East. He’s been to the G-7 where he met (Chancellor) Angela Merkel (of Germany) and our own prime minister (David Cameron) and other G-7 leaders. He’s been to South Africa, where I think it’s important not just for African Union purposes but to rebuild the diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, the two power houses of the continent; they need to work together. That’s a very strong and well focused start. I think what people are now looking for, people want more of this. People are looking for the domestic agenda to develop.

Nigeria needs a ‘grown up form of politics’ I think the president has defined his own agenda here, I mean what needs to happen is, I mean the North East is a very complicated issue, the key thing, the key point that we made to our Nigerian friends is that the security response is only one of the many responses required in the north east.

It’s an essential response but it’s not the single one. So, while the Nigerian army needs to approach this in as effective a way as possible, you need also to do a number of things, you need to get the politics right, for too long the federal and state governments have been at logger heads, to put it mildly, you need a more grown up form of politics recognising that Borno State and the surrounding states are an essential part of the country and need to be treated as such.

Secondly, you need an element of economic uplift, people up there need hope, they need the prospects of employment, and you need to address the dire humanitarian situation with almost two million people internally displaced. So there’s an element of humanitarian as well as economic response.

And the third area is, working with the neighbours, this is now a problem that’s overlapped borders, the neighbours wish to be engaged, indeed Chad has been immensely helpful on the military side. So, those four things; the security side, the development side, the political side and the cross border regional side have to come together in a synchronised approach.

I think president Buhari understands this, and the question is just to get the people and the mechanisms in place, and let me use this as a quick commercial for the UK, we want to help with this.

How The UK can help Nigeria recover stolen funds I think the simple answer is, in any way we can. Some of it requires good old fashioned police work. What we would need to do is work closely with the federal authorities; with

•Popcock

You give a soldier those two things and you’ve created a much more effective unit. So, that is what we can offer and it’s not a theoretical thing, we’re not going to put British soldiers in Borno State the EFCC, the federal police, with the Nigerian government in other aspects to learn as much about what they know, and we will help, as will other administrations in Europe and the United States, to try and trace funds like this. As you know (The late) General (Sani) Abacha’s stolen billions were tracked down to banks, I think, in Switzerland and the Swiss government has been reacting, returning a lot of this money. So, I think the question, this is an important question, but it’s also a multi-dimensional one, as you would expect. Part of the issue is to trace and return stolen money.

But that is only the tip of the iceberg; the real question is (how) to break up the systems, the routines, organisations, individuals that contribute to the leeching of Nigerian public money (and taking it) overseas and even more important, I think, is to assault the mentality that regards public money as a free good and effectively drives large scale corruption.

Now that is an immensely complex business, and, I’m not here to give advice to the president of the federation, but, it just seems to us that to tackle corruption is a bit like launching a war on the Russian front, but, if you do it across the board, you are likely to succeed.

The way to do it is to pick areas of primary focus and zero

Nothing’s gone wrong (with The UK’s assistance to Nigeria), it’s just gone slowly. President (François) Hollande of France convened a meeting in Paris, this was a while ago, after the kidnap of the Chibok girls in an attempt to pull together the friends of Nigeria, the international friends of Nigeria, and, we speak in shorthand, the P3 - the permanent members of the United Nations; France, The United States and The United Kingdom. We followed that up with a meeting in London, and that was then followed up by a meeting in Abuja, operationalising what we were trying to do from the concept to the structures, to activity. And in this activity, the United States, the United Kingdom in particular are contributing to intelligence gathering and what’s as important, intelligence analysis. Feeds from space don’t give you much until you know exactly how to make use of a good map in front of you.

And the second thing that we’ve been doing for a while now is working with the Nigerian Army, actually, training Nigerian soldiers to operate in cohesive units in a combat environment. We want to move from training companies to training battalions, we want to work up to divisional level which would see senior operating elements in Borno State and Adamawa. We’ve made some progress, we need to make a great deal more. But what we need above everything else, is access. Let us in, allow us to talk to the very senior people, allow us access to the crews and this is something the Nigerian Army needs to provide us, with the tools that are required (for training Nigerian soldiers), weapons and ammunitions, communications, uniforms. The troops are there but they have not been as well-equipped as they might have been.

That can be rectified. Nigeria has a military budget of five billion dollars a year. That is more than adequate to provide the basic inputs the troops need.

British trainers find Nigerian soldiers to be ‘really good material’ Nigerian Army Battalions and Brigades who are part of the third division based in Maiduguri, combatants. What we’ve found, and it’s worth saying this because the Nigerian Army has had a difficult time of late, and senior officers have often accused soldiers of being cowards and there have been court-martials and so forth. The British regiment that was training two companies of Nigerian soldiers recently, who then went on to do extremely well in Adamawa State, and push Boko Haram out of parts of in and around Mubi; the British regiment that trained them said they preferred working with Nigerian soldiers to working with soldiers they’ve trained in other countries, because they found the Nigerian soldier to be really good material; loyal, hardy and prepared to take risks. But he didn’t have, not just some basic equipment, but the training to give him confidence in two things: firstly, that he had a good chance of staying alive, and secondly, that he had a good chance of winning. You give a soldier those two things and you’ve created a much more effective unit. So, that is what we can offer and it’s not a theoretical thing, we’re not going to put British soldiers in Borno State. This is a Nigerian conflict, no Nigerian government, not least this one, has ever asked for someone to come and fight their battles, but what we can and will do, is train Nigerian soldiers to fight more effectively and we’ve seen that they can do it. So, our prime minister’s aide has offered to the president (Buhari), our foreign Secretary told me that recently.

What we’re waiting for is the access and whatever arrangements are going to be made by the command at the top of The Nigerian Armed Forces so that we can move forward.

THE NATION FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2015

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It is how the individual lawmakers are able to ‘manage these interests and subdue them to national interest that will make the difference ’

POLITICS

The emergence of a bi-partisan leadership at the Senate, headed by Dr. Bukola Saraki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ike Ekeremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as his deputy, took many Nigerians by storm because it is unprecedented in the current political dispensation. Assistant Editor ONYEDI OJIABOR examines the development and its implications on the polity.

Saraki/Ekweremadu: Senate and its bi-partisan leadership

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HE emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Senate President and Dr. Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy has continued to reverberate in the country. For the first time, the country woke up to the reality of a bi-partisan leadership in the Senate.

But, what is the implication of the emerging scenario in the Senate?

Some believe that the marriage of convenience in the Senate may not last because it is built on a quicksand.

The Eight Senate was inaugurated on June 9, 2015, under questionable circumstances. In the days to come, a bitter power struggle between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might ensue on the floor of the Senate.

On the other hand, this might be in the overall interest of the nation, according to some analysts, because in the process lawmakers in the Red Chamber may resort to building a broad consensus in carrying out its principal functions. This development, in their view, would strengthen the Senate and make it more people-oriented.

No doubt, the debate for and against the bi-partisan leadership in the Senate will continue for quite a long time.

The implications of the development, observers say, will soon unfold to make things clearer. A lot of things hitherto taken for granted and considered settled in the Senate may assume a different dimension.

For instance, in the past, it was common for Senators belonging to the majority party to gather somewhere in a closet to rehearse the steps that will be taken to arrive at decisions on the floor of the Senate. Thus, they merely come to the floor of the Red Chamber to act the script. The new arrangement in the upper chamber may have foreclosed such compromised decisions.

The meaning is that it will be difficult to ignore the opposition in the Senate for whatever reason.

Again, in the past, whenever the ruling party is to hold its National Executive Council meeting, the Senate is usually held to ransom and forced to close. With the emergence of a Deputy President of the Senate from the opposition party, the Senate can decide to continue its sitting.

Decisions taken at such sitting will be binding on the Senate if the issue of quorum was not raised.

It should not also be forgotten that with the new arrangement in the Senate, the executive arm of government can no longer easily have its way on issues in which it has special interest, especially with the minority party now being part of the presiding officers.

Besides, for the first time, the country is likely to witness robust, healthy and vigorous debates on the floor of the Senate. At the end of the day, issues are more likely to be decided on their merit. Decisions are likely to be enriched because the era of “carry go or bow and go” would be a thing of the past. This is likely to be the case, provided the opposition does not sell out.

Observers say the fact that the majority and the minority parties are fairly matched is a healthy development. The APC, which is the majority party, has 59 senators, while the PDP, the minority party, has 49 senators. The implication, according to such observers, is that the upper legislative chamber may be very slow in arriving at decisions, due to divergence of personal and party interests.

“Unless it is well managed, the divergence of interests may breed fric-

•Saraki

•Ekweremadu

It should not also be forgotten that with the new arrangement in the Senate, the executive arm of government can no longer easily have its way on issues in which it has special interest tion because the opposition with its large number of members and a presiding officer on its side may decide to challenge issues it is strongly opposed to,” an observer who wants to remain anonymous said.

What is more, it is believed that the APC members in the chamber may remain largely divided because of the division created during the election of the key principal officers. The partnership between Saraki and PDP members within the chamber, observers say, is likely to prevail for a long time because the former Kwara State governor and his backers are likely to remain perpetually in fear of the APC majority who opposed his emergence. Saraki is also likely to be in perpetual fear of PDP senators though majority of the opposition lawmakers supported him to emerge.

The APC, insiders say, may have sued for peace and are now willing to bury the hatchet.

But, the different caucuses within the ruling party will continue to habour mutual suspicion. It may prove difficult to manage and probably erase the suspicion. “Everything however depends on how Saraki will handle the explosive situation. If he is tactful, Saraki can ensure that the Senate behaves like a family where unnecessary partisanship on issues of national interest will largely be subdued. Former Senate President, David Mark, did it successfully where even APC Senators went to represent him at occasions,” the unnamed observer noted.

Other observers say Saraki would have to perfect the art of blending opinions, do more of introspection on issues, regardless of his interests.

Such observers argue that extreme political intrigues and unabridged inflicting of his views on matters of

national interest may turn out to be Saraki’s undoing.

Mark and Ekweremadu’s leadership of the Senate, although they belonged to the same party, brought stability to the upper chamber. Between 1999 and 2007, a period of eight years, the Senate had five different leaderships. But, between 2007 and 2015, another period of eight years, it had only one leadership with Senators Mark and Ekweremadu holding sway.

Prior to the inauguration of the National Assembly, when senators within the APC were divided over the election of its key principal officers, it is instructive that some senators even within the ruling party were rooting for Ekweremdu’s return as Deputy President of the Senate.

What was not clear then was whether he would agree to defect to the party to be able to clinch the position and whether the APC would accept to have a PDP man as Deputy Senate President, considering the fact that the opposition party has 49 seats in the chamber. The proponents of the above idea believe that Ekweremadu’s re-emergence will bring experience and stability in the handling of the affairs of the Senate and the country, irrespective of his political party.

Ekweremadu has always been rated among the majority of his colleagues and various zonal caucuses as highly detribalized, humble, intelligent, and a straightforward personality.

A public affairs analyst, Nicholas Ozor, who spoke about what the Saraki/Ekweremadu leadership portends for the Senate, insisted that the whole thing depends on the political and psychological temperament of Saraki and Ekweremadu and not necessarily about the party

they belong to. Ozor said: “It will be foolhardy to believe that all APC senators would always support the proposals and bills brought by President Muhammadu Buhari to the floor of the Senate.

“Individual, regional, ethnic, political and even religious interest would always play up. It is how the individual lawmakers are able to manage these interests and subdue them to national interest that will make the difference. For instance, if some of his public comments are anything to go by, it is safe to say that Ekweremadu favours a responsible opposition. For his widely published address to his constituents after the presidential and National Assembly polls, as well as his recent address at the PDP National Assembly members retreat in Port Harcourt, leaves no one in doubt that he places national interest above party interest. I don’t see someone with Ekweremadu’s kind of mindset working at cross purposes with any policy that would move the nation forward.”

Ozor also cited the example of the PDP, which he described as both the ‘real’ opposition in parliament for the 16 years it held sway as majority in the National Assembly. He also explained how leadership of at least one chamber had always been at loggerheads with the executive arm for the 16 years even though they were of the same party.

In the Enugu address, Ekweremadu said: “It needs to be reiterated, however, that the Southeast PDP and indeed Ndigbo have nothing against President Mohammadu Buhari as a person or against his incoming administration. We will work hand-in-hand with him in line with our regional agenda and the overall development

of Nigeria. We will give him all the support to succeed because he was elected as the President of Nigeria, not president of the APC or any section of the country in particular”.

Preaching constructive opposition in Port Harcourt, Ekweremdu had stated: “Let me quickly add that ours should not be an opposition that sees nothing good in any government action or policy. We should not engage in market square propaganda and destructive criticism that turn truth upside-down or tends to incite the citizenry against the government in power…. So, we must oppose responsibly and with patriotism. We must play by the rules and stick to verifiable facts. The PDP lawmakers in the 8th National Assembly should hold the ruling APC accountable on each of its campaign promises…. We should also provide policy alternatives, dissect every executive bills on its merit, and provide informed and energetic oversight of the executive to ensure that Nigerians are not cheated at any point in time. We should ensure that successive national budgets address national needs and that they do so equitably. We should only support the confirmation of appointments that meet competency test and comply with the principles of federal character and equal opportunity”.

Ozor argued that what Senator Ekweremadu listed were what should ordinarily constitute the role of a legislator in a democracy, irrespective of whether he is in the opposition or majority party.

In the same vein, an Ibadan-based political analyst, Zachaeus Adebayo, also insist that if the Benue and Plateau Houses of Assembly could work with the APC lawmakers as Speakers. Even though the PDP are in the majority in both houses, he saw no reason why the situation in the Senate should be different. His words: “The APC’s Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange was elected Speaker of a house where the PDP is in majority, while the PDP made do with only the Deputy Speakership position.

Hon. James Okefe Ejembi. Ikyange beat PDP’s Hon Ucha to the Speakership position. In Plateau State, Hon. Peter Azi of the APC was also elected Speaker of the 24-member House of Assembly, whereas the PDP is in the majority with 13 seats.

So, it is all about democracy in action. Much more depends on the readiness of the individuals in question to work.

Some observers however contend that for Ekweremadu to continue to enjoy the support of a greater majority of the Senators, he should always be Deputy Senate President whenever he presides. He must not try to outshine Saraki at any point in time. By that, analysts say, the fear that PDP Senators may hijack the Senate will greatly be reduced.

It is also the thinking in some political settings that Saraki, as unpredictable as he may be, needs to combine some level of political maturity and native intelligence to weather the storm stoked by the novelty of a bi-partisan leadership of the Senate.

To most watchers, the political chessboard in the Eight Senate will not only be interesting, but will also remain unpredictable. A lot, they say, will depend on Saraki and Ekweremadu’s political sagacity.

With some nibbling from within and outside the country’s political circles, Nigerians are likely to gain more from the Eight Senate.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL

LETTER

Atuche’s discharge • Again, natural justice loses to technical justice

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HE recent discharge, on technical grounds, of Mr. Francis Atuche, former Managing Director of Bank PHB, bodes ill for the justice system and for the nation as a whole.

Mr. Atuche was facing a N25.7 billion, 27-count charge of stealing and conspiracy at the Lagos High Court. Also charged with him was his wife, Elizabeth, and Mr. Ugo Anyanwu, a former Chief Financial Officer of Bank PHB. The presiding judge, Justice Lateef LawalAkapo, ruled that the charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lacked merit.

The judge claimed that the court was bound by rulings of the Court of Appeal in similar cases involving Messrs Okey Nwosu and Erastus Akingbola, where charges brought had been struck out owing to lack of jurisdiction. The appellate court had ruled that criminal cases involving the capital market were the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

‘This sustained subversion of the legal process is a reflection of deep-rooted flaws in the country’s legal system. It exposes the suspect competence of prosecutorial agencies like the EFCC, which allow themselves to be repeatedly ambushed by clever lawyers determined to bog them down in a minefield of technicalities’

Although the EFCC argued that it had challenged the Court of Appeal’s rulings and applied for an adjournment in Atuche’s case, Justice Lawal-Akapo pointed out that he could not go against a subsisting ruling of the appellate court, and thus dismissed the commission’s application in his ruling.

Once again, serious charges preferred against prominent Nigerian citizens have failed because of legal technicalities rather than substantive issues. The accused were not set free because they were found to be innocent of charges of stealing and conspiracy, but because the presiding judge found that his court lacked the jurisdiction to try the case.

Whether or not acts of theft and conspiracy were indeed committed, is the crucial question.

It appears that the strategy of focusing upon technical rather than substantive issues has become a dominant theme in Nigeria’s judicial process. The ostensible ill-health of accused persons entitles them to extended periods abroad treating themselves while the case waits. Crimes that are supposed to be punished with incarceration now have the option of ridiculously low fines. At worst, the convicted thieves are ordered to return what they stole without spending a day in jail. Barefaced corruption and theft become the less-serious offence of contract-splitting, and consequently attract short custodial sentences. A few months of “bed-rest” in exclusive hospitals is substituted for years of imprisonment.

This sustained subversion of the legal process is a reflection of deep-rooted

flaws in the country’s legal system. It exposes the suspect competence of prosecutorial agencies like the EFCC, which allow themselves to be repeatedly ambushed by clever lawyers determined to bog them down in a minefield of technicalities that take years to determine, and distract the court from focusing on the substantive issues. The judges themselves cannot be absolved of blame; far too many of them appear to be content to grant endless requests for adjournment and allow disputes over jurisdiction to drag on, instead of forcing counsel to concentrate on the case.

The tragic consequence of these shortcomings is that the courts are failing to live up to their status as the last resort of the common man. In the Atuche case, the damage done to shareholders and customers of Bank PHB was certainly not the consequence of technicalities.

Savings were lost, livelihoods destroyed, and individuals ruined. Public funds that could have been put to better use were diverted towards saving the bank from collapse. Given the amount of suffering caused, the resort to legal technicalities to determine guilt or innocence is an obscenity.

The EFCC must ensure that it revives its prosecution of the individuals it has charged. The commission should speed up the resolution of its appeal against the cases of Nwosu and Akingbola; if a favourable ruling is obtained, it must take the Atuche case to the Federal High Court.

A legal system in which fine points of law have become more significant than issues of right and wrong is a disgrace to Nigeria.

Dan Maraya Jos (1946 – 2015) •A musical brand departs

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IS songs reflected a strong folk element, and his technique of dramatic rendition that incorporated mimicry thrilled audiences across the country, in high and low places. A music celebrity, his better known name expressed a fitting assonantal musicality. Dan Maraya Jos, born Adamu Wayya in 1946, was renamed after losing his parents. He became “The Little Orphan of Jos”, which is what his more popular name means; it was a combination that not only described his orphanhood but also defined his origin, having been born in B’ukur, near Jos in present-day Plateau State.

Growing up in a royal setting following his adoption by a local emir after the death of his father who had been a court musician, Dan Maraya chose the musical path before his teenage years. He was inspired to make a local musical instrument called Kuntigi while on a visit to Maiduguri, and this marked the beginning of his long-lasting romance with the instrument. Described as a “small, single-stringed lute” with a body that is “usually a large, oval-shaped sardine can covered with goatskin,” the Kuntigi supplied the sounds that spiced Dan Maraya’s songs. He represented a fastfading circle of musicians who have successfully exploited the musical resources of indigenous culture.

His death in his hometown on June 20 aged 69 ended a musical career that brought him recognition and honour.

Among his garlands are the national decorations, Member of the Order of the

Niger (MON) and Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), the United Nations Peace Medal and an honorary doctorate from the University of Jos. It is symbolic of his stature that his last known public performance was at the Peoples Democratic Party’s December 2014 fundraiser in Abuja toward the 2015 general elections, where he had a handshake with then President Goodluck Jonathan after his act.

It is worth noting that Dan Maraya’s celebrated musicianship did not serve only the powerful. Beyond the praisesinging aspect of his repertoire, many of his songs reflected social consciousness and passed for social commentary. For instance, his first and perhaps most famous song, Wak’ar Karen Mota (Song of the Driver’s Mate), focused on “the young men who get passengers in and out of minivan buses and do the dirty work of changing tyres, pushing broken-down vans, and the like.”

Also notable for their social content are Jawabin Aure (Discourse on Marriage), a song that “lists the problems attendant in divorce and admonishes married couples to try to patch up their differences,” and Auren Dole (Forced Marriage) which “decries the practice of families arranging marriages for their daughters rather than letting them decide on their own mates.”

It is commendable that the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria has announced plans to establish a foundation in his memory which will cater for orphans and widows. Dan Maraya

reportedly provided shelter for more than 13 orphans in his lifetime, and his philanthropy was informed by his own experience of orphanism.

There is no doubt that Dan Maraya achieved the status of a musical brand, and it is remarkable that his appeal and musical influence transcended the country’s northern region where his story began. He was a familiar performer at important events of national significance; and it is a testimony to his wide acceptance that although he sang in the Hausa language, he had many fans outside his ethnic environment. His relevance was captured in a tribute by former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar who said: “Dan Maraya Jos used music to contribute to national unity, peace and stability by preaching togetherness.”

‘There is no doubt that Dan Maraya achieved the status of a musical brand, and it is remarkable that his appeal and musical influence transcended the country’s northern region where his story began. He was a familiar performer at important events of national significance’

Where is President Buhari?

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IR: Permit me to state George Santayana’s words ‘’ Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it’’.

The All Progressive Congress APC was founded on February 6 , 2013 from a merger of ACN , CPC , ANPP , a part of APGA and later the New PDP members joined its fold.

That the then President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat on March 31, the first time in Nigeria’s political history an opposition political party unseated a governing party in a general election is no longer news. But what is news is the internal wrangling among lawmakers belonging to the victorious APC. The candidates sponsored by the party for the leadership of the National Asembly, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila for the Senate President and Speaker respectively failed to clinch victory following an alliance between Senator Bukola Saraki and Honourable Yakubu Dogara and members of the PDP. Now here’s the big picture. Nigerians voted for change: Change in the economy, an end to corruption or government stealing et al and not the display of ego. At a time like this, party men and women should exude discipline and respect for their party and earnestly support President Buhari in bringing about the needed change Nigerians yearn for.

To every challenge there’s a solution; the hammer and anvil approach should be discarded as legislators are not small boys to roll over at anyone’s whims and caprices as against their legitimate ambitions. The Senate President and Speaker should apply wisdom by prevailing on their supporters to sheath their swords, concede the Principal positions to the party and show true sportsmanship and respect for party’s leadership.

This should serve as a lesson to other parties that ‘’ Humility is indeed strength ‘’ No man or woman is bigger than his or her political party on whose platform they came to limelight. Lest we forget, Senator Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari, the various state governors and a host of other principal actors staked enormous resources, time and faced threats to ensure this party came to fruition.

Martin Luther King jnr once said ‘’We are not makers of history; we are made by history ‘’. The time is nigh for governors, party leaders and stakeholders to nip the wrangling in the bud before it spirals out of proportion. A party man who would continue to defy his party would also defy the President and sponsor same.

President Muhammadu Buhari need the legislature; the legislators need the President.

Both need the party and Nigeria needs all.

• Wonder Akpeki Sapele, Delta State.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: With caps in hands, our governors were at Aso Villa literally begging for money to sustain governance at home. This is coming on the heels of President Buhari’s proclamation that he inherited an empty treasury. The presidential statement is a note of warning and a clarion call for citizens to expect stringent measures and to brace up for the challenges this condition will soon throw up.

Running to the federal government for cover and a quick fix to this national dilemma will not avail much because the federal government has bigger responsibilities.

When has it become the duty of states to construct federal roads while most feeder roads are impassable?

It is incumbent on the governors to look inward and also quickly embrace a new fashion of frugality which is in tune with the economic realities on ground. If change is indeed here to herald the beginning of a remarkable leap into re-inventing the Nigeria of our dream, then, governors and governments at the

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Getting Nigeria back on track state level must get their priorities right.

As a prelude to reviving a bankrupt nation, state governments should take bold steps at institutionalising a robust Internally Generated Revenue mechanism as a way out of this financial crunch.

There should be a culture of tax payment and accurate remittances in states. Apart from civil and public servants whose taxes are deducted at source, how many companies willingly pay their taxes accurately and completely?

Do we as a nation still have to rely primarily on petroleum products for survival? The awful events wit-

Buhari and APC crisis

IR: The All Progressive Party (APC), is now the ruling party in Nigeria. As an amalgamation of many political parties from diverse socio-political and religious backgrounds, the party, against all odds, made history by becoming the ruling party on May 29. The APC is now facing big challenges from within. Challenges that the party has never witnessed in its one year of existence. The challenges are an indifferent President, aggrieved and ambitious members, political ideology and implementing changes promised to Nigerians.

The APC has to get it right now.

Nigerians cannot afford another era of leadership or party that only cares for the well-being of few Nigerians. The recent election of National Assembly (NASS) leadership is an indication of deep cracks

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within the party. Some ambitious party beneficiaries truncated the will of the party by conniving with the Peoples Democratic Party to get power. It is sad that the President was indifferent to the matter. If party members understand that the end justify the means, then some of them may even undermine him later. The party ought to have punished them immediately. Both APC NASS members and state governors of the APC are beneficiaries of the party; why harmed the interest of the party?

The President should rein in the errant party members. There must be party loyalty. The party must mean something. The President is the leader of the party and must act as such.

• Abdulbaqi Jari, Katsina.

nessed in the twilight of the last administration and many more point to the error in relying on one product for development. Agriculture in the states should be mechanised and revolutionalised for food sufficiency, stability and economic growth. The traditional rainy season fertilizer distribution and other agro incentives to farmers should still be maintained and improved

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upon. Agricultural processing, good and accessible road network for easy transportation of goods and services from rural to urban areas deserves governments’ attention. We should embrace the principle of derivation and true federalism which grants states the autonomy and authority to explore resources in their lands and pay accruable tax to the centre.

Do we still have to run a bi-cameral

legislation with its attendant cost implications?

Nigeria is a state of great potentials over-burdened with corruption, wastages, huge debt and lack of basic infrastructure. The essential themes which caught the fancy of voters in the build up to the elections of governors were the promises of change, the running of allinclusive and people-oriented governments. The nation needs urgent overhaul and there is no doubt that the states hold the ace to reviving her. The governors alone cannot pull through this in isolation of the support of citizens of each state. We must all lend a strong helping hand to surmount these challenges.

• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, Kaduna.

Bailout: To be or not to be?

IR: Arguments have been raging in the media, particularly newspapers whether the federal government should come to the aid of the financially distressed states or not. It is obvious that majority of the states are in financial mess with many of the states owing arrears of workers’ salaries up to five or more months. How these states found themselves in this quagmire is a conjecture because it is clear that the federal government does not owe the states their statutory allocations.

Many commentators had queried the constitutionality of the bailout, while some have blamed the governors for misapplication, misappropriation of funds amongst other misdemeanors. My concern here are the effects of the financial distress, particularly, non-payment of workers’ salaries on Nigerians and the way forward.

It is a known fact that the money in circulation is determined majorly by prompt payment of workers’ salaries. Invariably, non-payment of workers’ salaries at the moment has led to less money in circulation,

with concomitant low purchasing power, and reduction in sales and services. Secondly, it has brought untold hardship on workers and their dependants. In many states, churches, mosques, NGOs, and individual have been contributing food items, clothing materials, household items for distribution to the workers as if they are refugees.

The fact is that cash crunch in the states is affecting citizenry adversely and the earlier the federal government comes in the better.

Nigerians are resilient people and our governments have been taking good advantage of this fact. Nonetheless, they are implored not to take their luck too far. President Muhammadu Buhari has a great role to play of this wise. Nigerians bought his change mantra because they were fed up with inept leadership sustained by deceit. That was why he was voted into power after years of toiling, irrespective of campaign of calumny and hate campaign embarked upon by the ancien regime and its supporters. They have handed over their destinies unto his hands for the next four years. There-

fore, how the nation got to this mess is immaterial at the moment. It was evident that the nation’s economy had been grounded by the immediate past administration irrespective of the deceit that Nigeria was the largest economy in Africa. That was why change was imminent and this we have gotten. Consequently, what is imperative is the amelioration of the effects of the hard times on Nigerians. This is the only way to show that the change is real. My position is that the federal government should bail out the states and this should not be grants. An arrangement should be made with commercial banks to lend the states money with federal government as guarantor. The states should find means of paying back the loans after getting out of this mess. As the saying goes, we should chase away the fox before reprimanding the hen. This is the context in which I will like President Buhari to look into the issue of bailout.

• Adewuyi Adegbite, Apake, Ogbomoso.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 16

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COMMENTS

The way the music dies...

• For music…journalism)

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

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DO not hereby profess the gift of clairvoyance but very soon, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun a.k.a Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Peter and Paul Okoye (P-Square) and very sadly, Olamide Adedeji a.k.a Olamide, will go the way of Dapo Oyebanji (D Banj). Each of their last albums and now ubiquitous singles are beginning to sound alike. Their music is criminally routine and devoid of soul. This is because they murder quality and artistry in a frantic jostle for money, unearned greatness and interminable minutes in the spotlight.

Every song is borne of a story.

Every artiste should tell a story; the nature of message (s) contained in the artiste’s story however, depends on the artiste’s inventiveness and innate constitution. The essence and quality of their stories are responsible for their eventual rise to acclaim and even immortality. On the flipside, it could accelerate their descent into obscurity even as their music fades like the mad rant of What are our artistes’ stories?

Olamide for instance, keeps screaming about the same thing in his music; it does not require much depth or discernment to grasp the essence of his music. This is an extremely talented young artiste who believes someone and everyone out there are out to kill or neuter him.

His mythical foes are legion and he squanders priceless seconds cursing and articulating puerile vituperation. The poor boy desperately seeks to intone menace and an insolent hip hop culture that has led many talented artistes to untimely grave and many more to their tethers end.

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Worried music enthusiasts may however, seek solace in the fact that Olamide, like many of his ilk, are poor copycats of pathetic studio gangsters.

Many of these artistes engage in mock battles or microphone wars to project non-existent rancour among them. For instance, it wouldn’t be surprising to find that the oft rumoured beef or supremacy wars between Olamide and his over-hyped foe ‘Chairman’ is a ruse. Likewise the latter’s seemingly condescending jibes in response.

Lest we forget Eedris Abdul Kareem, Steven Ugochukwu a.k.a Ruggedman, Timaya, Terry G and so on who persistently refused to grow up and evolve until they faded into nothingness.

While Ruggedman rode to acclaim criticizing Eedris AbdulKareem and his record label, Eedris, smarting from the sting of Ruggedman’s jibes, channeled priceless music industry wisdom and ignored him. Although he went on to outlive Ruggedman in the industry, the two artistes are virtually non-existent at the moment.

Save occasional appearances at the now ubiquitous red carpet events, very few of their fans would have glimpses of them.

Many Nigerian artistes , like the prototypical damaged good or fame junkie throng the ‘red carpet’ at major events like fashion shows, reality shows, younger artistes’ album launches and so on to assault our senses and peace with infinitely puerile rants and antics that range from the vulgar to the delinquent.

In one of Wizkid’s songs, the youngster lapsed into a hideous

ONDUCT any survey any day, any time of Nigerians’ preferred staple food and you will be shocked bread will top on the list! Although the preparation and consumption of this high wheat content flour meal is undoubtedly ancient and global, the broadness of its acceptance as a befitting consumable is indeed due to its human body-nourishing status having been globally certified by acclaimed food scientists and nutritionists as dependable source of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron and calcium. This fact is not lost on the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria’s institution charged with the regulation and control of pharmaceutical products and food. It is little wonder that recently it embarked on another step up action in many parts of the country on bread safety through its Bread Quality Initiative. It is the agency’s way of bringing to bear acceptable sanity, standards, as well as hygienic and good manufacturing practices in its production. Over 500 bakeries in Lagos State, for example made their bread available for the test during the exercise.

The uncommon penchant of Dr. Paul Orhii, the Director General of NAFDAC, for safe bread is equally fuelled by his realization that the bakery industry in the country remains big source of employment for many Nigerians and serves also as revenue earner for the government, especially at the state and local levels. So, the recent step up action nationwide, a follow up to several other initiatives, focused onthe- spot bread for the detection of the banned potassium bromate (removed from the list of bread improvers by World Health Organisation in 1992) and other harmful bread improvers. NAFDAC has consistently emphasized to bakers and flour millers the deleterious effects potassium bromate, a deadly carcinogenic improver, which has also been proved by experts to degrade vitamins A2, B1, B2, E and Niacin, the main vitamins available in bread.

Deployment of effective communication media and capacity building count among the measures adopted by the agency to realize its objectives; they include introduction and sustenance of inter-state consumers and bakers enlightenment; regular work/talk shops for the bakers; robust training for existing and would-be bakers; and certification of products with appropriate labels and authorization. Others are unscheduled inspection of baking facilities; acquainting bakers with modern production trends and practices, and engaging the press on ways and means of ensuring maximum public enlightenment. The agency has a crop of field inspectors equipped with state-of-the-art equipments for this purpose. And NAFDAC boss, Dr Orhii, is known to have been personally involved in this exercise through unscheduled inspection of production plants.

drone of “I want your body sleeping in my bed” intermittently lacing it with “Tinubu eleniyan, Fashola eleniyan...” and so on. The song is hideously woven together, ruining the airwaves and forming knots in the eardrums of discerning music enthusiasts. But like the deluge of infantile purring and drivel persistently churned out by new generation Nigerian artistes, you could still dance or at least bob your head to the beat.

‘If you make a record about a gun, on that very same record or album there’s gotta be a record about not using a gun. If you’re making a record on the bitches or the hoes, there’s got to be a record about your aunt who worked all of the days of her life to send all her children to college,’ said Darryl McDaniels of the RunDMC fame recently. The American rap artiste bemoaning the descent of the American hip hop culture - which Nigerian artistes are unquestioningly emulating - said: ‘It seems like stupid America celebrates a person that says “yeah I’m a drug dealer, I’m bringing the drugs into the hood.”

While admitting that his group intoned violence in their heydays, he argued that they backed it up with something good and positive.

“The reason why hip hop exists is because it started out with good intentions, once all the good intentions left, the music became polluted, it became disrespectful it became immature,” he said.

At least, for Nigeria’s middling ‘hip hop,’ ‘afro pop’ or ‘afro hip hop’ aficionados, it foots the bills for the easy girls, flashy cars and blingbling. More importantly, it provides the wads that fit into colourful envelopes of various shapes and sizes, the soul of entertainment journalism. Perhaps put more precisely, the life-boat of charlatans selling off news pages – that ought to be hard-

earned – for as little as N10, 000 for two pages and N5, 000 or N3, 000 for a page, while passing themselves off as entertainment writers to the detriment of journalists who would remain true to journalism and music.

The music died because they’ve killed it. Shame on the artistes perverting the music for the love of fame and money. Shame on those of us who diminish the music in order to find it and sing it. Shame being the fitting apparel to those of us who make smaller, the luxuriant tropes of the bight of the muse.

Shame on all powerful and giant telecommunication networks spending a few millions to rip us off hundreds of hard earned millions in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)…in the name of perverse music reality shows. Shame on the producer, director, video-jockey (VJ), dancer, artiste and songwriter perpetually burying the essence of the music for the sake of a few desperate Naira, and more.

And yet the greater shame on the Nigerian press for whom and what we have become to the music; we, the hideous trolls dishing discordant tunes to the sound of music; we, the standard-bearers on whose watch the music skits and grinds to a stop.

Thus we go nameless and artless in music; the music we make becomes the echo of something else, like nothingness and vile. The artistes we make and celebrate annoy us, disrespect us and confound us. And the music they make is hardly the work of genius. It’s simply deafening and hogwash. Bet you hear their crinkle and chirp like crickets gone nuts: Senge Menge…Wiskolowiska…Je ka collabo…Baby je ki’n sangolo, sangolo eee…I’m in love with two women; I don’t know which one to

take; and you could still dance to it.

Do you?

The readers whose interests we ought to serve and whose interests we continually compromise for the love of the “flava” have decided to jettison their loyalty and reverence of our approximation of how a particular song sounds or what emotions it evokes, however articulate it may be, ever since they discovered that it’s not just that we have sold out professionalism for the “flava” but that we have increasingly become shorn of the mandatory musical gen and artistry – while parading an army of bedazzled wanna-be music critics and bootlickers masquerading as entertainment reporters and writers.

Truth is, our music suffers and flutters due to the dearth of competent music journalism, among other factors. The best that we have done and that we could ever possibly do is to serve as errand boys and publicists to every wanna be music star, acclaimed star and charlatan with N10, 000, N5, 000 and well slanted interview plants, prepared in question and answer formats by individual artistes’ in-house publicists and managers.

Just recently, an esteemed reader and music enthusiast marveled why seven national dailies would parade a struggling music star and music talent hunt finalist on their entertainment cover. The answer is simple: she got “flava.”

‘Thus we go nameless and artless in music; the music we make becomes the echo of something else, like nothingness and vile.

The artistes we make and celebrate annoy us, disrespect us and confound us’

NAFDAC’s drive for healthy bread

By Martins F.O. Ikhilae Deterrent measures adopted by NAFDAC include closure of illegal and substandard production plants; mopping up bad products from sales outlets; ensuring that amateur bakers are cut out from the business; comprehensive product registration; entrenched sustainable feedback mechanism for the resolution of consumer complaints; bringing together the bakers through unionization like the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria for ease of coordination, control and regulation. It is also instructive to note that the agency has made it mandatory for flour millers to fortify their products with vitamins A and B. There is drive for the enforcement of mandatory compliance with good hygiene practice and good manufacturing practice at food production facilities.

Moreover, the agency has through intensive research, come up with healthier and internationally acceptable baking inputs for use in production. They include Morphan 500 of Morrison Industries PLC; EDC 95 Dough of Edlen International Incorporated USA; EDC 2000 (an improvement on EDC Dough Oxidant) of the same firm; Bake Rite of Chellarams PLC; and Puratos S500( blue bread improver) of Purators W-V/SA Industraialaan Belgium. Others are Painforce concentrated bread improver of Ducros SS84200 France; Vahiforce of the same firm; and ALL GREEN bread improver of Florum Limited, Israel.

Also certified by the agency are DYNAMIL of S.I LESAFFRE of France; UNIPAN super bread improver of DSM bakery ingredients MIJL WEG of Netherland; ALPHAMALT BXT of Myhlenchemeie, GM BH RERRCAMP of Ahansbury; AMIPAN of ICA Food ingredients by Kalshovenza Industry of Netherland; ANGEL of Angel Yeast Company Limited China; PANOK SUPPER BAKE bread improver of BONS Industries Limited; SUPREME LONG LIFE of Crown Flower Mills; SUPREME MAXI and SUPREME SPECIAL of the same.

Others are BETTA BAKER (20Kg carton) of First Blends Limited; BETTA BAKER (10g sachet) of the same company; BRAMMCO Power Integrated Dough Improver of Networking Africa Limited; PB of Pacific Biscuit Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, VITARISE of Vitachem Nigeria Limited, NPB Bakery improver of Associated Biotechnology Limited; FLOMOD Flour Additive of First Blends Limited; BETTA BAKER bread premix of First blends Limited; LGM 22T tablet bread improver of Lemmy’s Global MT Nigeria Limited; and PROSON block bread improver of IFART Limited.

To avail the nation of consumable processed food, the agency ensured that decent and standardized production and hygienic practices were adopted and fully embraced by fast food service (eateries) operators, while bakers/bakeries were successfully compelled to desist from anti-human health sustaining practices, such as avoiding the usage of the deadly carcinogenic Potassium Bromate as dough enhancer. To be mentioned is the drive to include cassava flour in bread baking, upgrading of NAFDAC surveillance systems, and capacity-building through modernized globally standardised trainings for its workforce.

Consistently hosting of consultative fora with stakeholders, advocacy visits to states chief executives, traditional rulers, youth leaders, inclusion of food safety education in school curricula, the NYSC community development service programmes, modification and sustenance of its consumer safety programmes are direct and indirect ways by NAFDAC to serve the nation and Nigerians better. They conform with the global strategy of emphasising preventive and not reactive approach to safeguarding the safety of foods.

Here is imploring the Association of Master Bakers and Confectioners of Nigeria and other stakeholders to work with NAFDAC to ensure that Nigerians can conveniently and confidently access hygienic and nutritious “Bread of Life” rather than unhygienic and contaminated “Bread of Death.”

• Ikhilae is a Lagos-based public affairs analyst

‘Deterrent measures adopted by NAFDAC include closure of illegal and substandard production plants; mopping up bad products from sales outlets; ensuring that amateur bakers are cut out from the business; comprehensive product registration; entrenched sustainable feedback mechanism for the resolution of consumer complaints; bringing together the bakers through unionization like the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria for ease of coordination, control and regulation’

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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COMMENTS ‘No evil deed will go unpunished; any evil done by man to man will be redressed; if not now then certainly later; if not by man, then

by God for the victory of evil over good is temporary’ - Dele Giwa (1947-1986)

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AST week, this column did not appear on this page because I was slightly indisposed and had to have some rest.

Surprisingly, some ardent readers of this column bombarded me with calls. Others, in adherence to the instruction on this masthead, merely sent in text messages requesting to know among others, why I starved them of the usual weekly menu that they always look forward to read.

But one curious question on the lips of callers, especially from as far as London and America was the perceived trampling upon the interest of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu with regards to the national assembly leadership elections in the Senate and the House of Representatives - where Bukola Saraki, through artifice, emerged as Senate President without legitimacy, while Dogara, in a fair but keen contest, emerged as Speaker.

Both cases were a sharp disdain to their party, the All Progressives Congress’s (APC’s) internal democratic position. Surprisingly, rather than embrace armistice, Saraki has again this week, taken treachery and disloyalty to party and principles to another level by jettisoning suggested candidates of APC for other principal positions. His irresponsible political pride to his party marks the beginning of a chain of events in this dispensation, the end of which might be detrimental to the well-touted change mantra.

And back to my ardent readers in the Diaspora who daily monitor political events at home with keen interest and those at home who felt Asiwaju was not well treated in the

‘There is no doubt that Asiwaju who was given the power with which he overpowered the tyranny of Obasanjo in 2003 and 2007 and that of Jonathan in 2015 will still be availed such biblical ‘Samsonic’ power in the on-going scheming against his person.’

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Asiwaju: Let them say national assembly leadership contest, my response has always been to refer to the article I wrote in my column penultimate week titled: ‘Too early in the day.’

Another interesting but quite unsettling question thrown at me was the one that borders on the fact that some APC governors from the western region, contrary to earlier agreed position, furtively connived with the Saraki led APC/PDP rebels, therefore leading to their betrayal of Asiwaju. My people abroad based on what they claimed they read on the social media mentioned two former governors and in particular, one serving governor in the southwest who they alleged is plotting in earnest to replace current VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo because of his overbloated closeness to the corridor of power at the centre. This column believes that none of the southwest governors with the fear of God should have the effrontery of betraying the national leader of APC that ensured the fruition of today’s touted change mantra across the country.

I reminded the callers in the Diaspora and within the country on phone that most current politicians lack party discipline and would go to any length to get what they want. But the proviso that yours sincerely added was that it is too early in the day to be shouting ‘uhuru’ for any group because 24 hours is too long a period in politics and that, it is better that whatever they referred to as having happened might be a signal/lesson for Tinubu and discerning others on the political firmament to tighten their belts and be prepared for the fierce political contest in future, God sparing our lives. One thing is however certain: Whoever the latter-day master that those former and serving governors that are privately having nocturnal meetings with today’s powers-

T is surprising how fate manifests in certain interesting, but unique ways. When former President Goodluck Jonathan suddenly sacked former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, and appointed Solomon Arase in his place, not a few eyebrows were raised. Mainly because the action came few days after the presidential election which the ex-President lost, the decision naturally stoked a fire.

Not a few believed that the President was punishing the former police boss, Abba for failing to adhere to an alleged script to rig the presidential election in his favour. Thus, the expectation was that firing Arase would be one of the first pronouncements President Buhari would make on assuming office. Some even went to the extent of believing that the reinstatement of Abba was only a matter of time.

Today, it is doubtful that those who saw the development in this light would still be thinking in this manner. Indeed, if the morning really foretells the day, Arase may just be the talisman that not only Buhari and the APC, but the entire country needs at the moment to bring about the expected change everybody is talking about.

Now, it seems a long way from when policemen locked out lawmakers and thus prevented them from gaining access to their offices and the chambers of the National Assembly to perform their legitimate duties. Time was when lawmakers, who ought to be role models, had to scale the fence to eventually access their offices. Nigerians will also recall that it was only few months ago that the Speaker of the parliament, was stripped of his security on account of his joining another political party.

Before then, Nigerians would readily recall the Anambra episode of some years back when policemen provided cover for arsonists who went on rampage in the state to the extent of burning down the government house because it pleased some powerful interests in government. Then of course is the Rivers State story during which the police was enmeshed in needless controversies.

So, when President Buhari etched those eternal words across the pages of history that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody, a police boss different from the likes of Arase would have given a lie to it soon after that the President would have had to contend with managing the attendant embarrassment.

But this is the era of change. With Buhari playing the role of a statesman by refusing to kill the fly with the sledgehammer as others before him would have done, it

that-be and in day time pretending to be with Tinubu may be serving, such master must realise that what they were publicly perceived to have done to Tinubu will be done to them in due course as present man-of-the-moment in power. A word is enough for the wise.

After all, betrayal is a thing that is common wherever there is contest of sort - I mean wherever there is politics in whatever garb resembling leadership contest. The current publicly touted contest is expected but the most important thing is for Tinubu to triumph at the end of the day because he gave his all so as to ensure that the change at the centre came to being. There were several reassuring examples that show that Tinubu, because of his altruistic pursuit of the birth of the current dispensation, will supplant his enemies.

The story of treacheries against Tinubu has biblical foundations. And the consolation is that all will be well in the end. To start with is the history of the biblically Samson who was betrayed when his wife, Delilah, after being bribed, revealed the secret of his power - his hair - to his enemies who captured and threw him into the lion’s den before God at the nick of time rescued him by imbuing him with powers that were beyond human comprehension - and with which he overpowered the lion. There is no doubt that Asiwaju who was given this power with which he overpowered the tyranny of Obasanjo in 2003 and 2007 and that of Jonathan in 2015 will still be availed such biblical ‘Samsonic’ power in the on going scheming against his person. Not even a man who was renowned to have betrayed his father while alive can use devilish plot to triumph for too long in the unfolding political game.

In the same bible, we could not easily forget how biblical Joseph’s siblings conspired

against him, sold him to slavery and later lied to their father that his beloved son had been killed. Joseph not only later in life bailed out his brothers and father but his entire people from famine which could have destroyed an entire race if help had not come from him, through almighty God. Those that benefitted from Tinubu’s political savvy, large-heartedness and vast connections to get power and become somebody and are now plotting against him will in the end prostrate before him when nemesis catches up with them.

Tinubu has etched his name on the sand of time and there is no way the history of this epoch would be written that a broad significant portion of it will not be devoted to the undeniable political giant strides of this great politician. Whatever anybody says about him in panegyrics, abuse or malign, the truth is that whatever his foibles, his good side far more outweighs his weaknesses which is why he was able to lead the battle that democratically supplanted a sitting centre government for the first time in the history of the country.

The inimitable King of Juju music, Sunday Adegeye, aka Sunny Ade once titled one of his records: ‘Let them say’ and this column is seizing this opportunity to say that Tinubu should let his detractors and traducers say whatever they like because as the Yoruba would say: ‘Anju won kose wi lejo, ija lara won kotan boro.’ To Tinubu, this column refers to the cliché; uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. The same thing that is being done to Tinubu was done to the late sage, Papa Obafemi Awolowo, foremost leader of western region’s political foundation and also late Aare MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of unjustly annulled June12, 1993 Presidential election. In Tinubu’s case, he would live to see his trampling over his envious enemies.

To the open and secret traducers of Tinubu, including his pretentious political associates and aides, yours sincerely craves readers indulgence to quote the inimitable journalist/ columnist of repute, late Dele Giwa in one of his incisive weekly column in now rested Newswatch magazine where he once wrote: ‘No evil deed will go unpunished; any evil done by man to man will be redressed; if not now then certainly later; if not by man, then

by God for the victory of evil over good is temporary.’ Like the biblical Samson and Joseph, yours sincerely foresees Tinubu’s gallant triumph over his enemies. He will surely have a good, toothy laugh in the end.

Arase: Change has come

By Ody Chukwube was fitting also for the IG to up the ante.

What does this portend? Simple. The police boss having divested himself and his office from primordial sentiments and proclivities has dared to be different and in so doing, become the change agent himself. Now, this has left him with the space to apply professionalism which the Nigerian Police has, over the years, been denied as an institution and an agent of development.

The pronouncements of Arase as IG, since then, have become the gauge with which the future is likely to be measured. They conduce of an officer who does not only possess the right pedigree, but is imbued with the clear head to exploit his rich experience in the service and as a respected intellectual, to bring about the revolution, which many believe would transform the police architecture into a viable and robust institution Nigeria has been yearning for.

A public affairs commentator recently captured the essence of Arase happening on the scene when he observed that it must be the handiwork of God to have thrown him up at the moment when the Nigeria is battling insurgency. His reason is that this is the period Arase’s specialty as an intelligence officer would come quite handy, because whatever force the military applies to root out the Boko Haram terrorists that have been harassing the country needed to be complimented with a deeply rooted intelligence police force.

It has been said that what he does not know about policing may not be worth knowing. He is not only highly educated but is also an educator himself, especially in police matters as a one-time instructor at the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Police College Enugu. This gives him the added advantage of having a network of officers and men who he had trained and who would naturally relate to him from the position of trust.

Of course, some of the innovations the police boss introduced recently, appear to give vent to this. For instance, unlike in the past where his predecessors had, immediately after assuming office similarly ordered the removal of road blocks across the country, Arase’s came with a unique model.

Apart from deploying 250 vehicles for motorised patrol, he

also ensured that he incentivised the police personnel by arranging with local merchants to provide them with daily meal at strategic locations in addition to the extra allowance they would be paid for the job, to reduce the motivation for the road block option.

To ensure strict adherence, he has also taken recourse to the social media, opening platforms through which the public could report the existence of road blocks within minutes of sighting them in any part of the country without physically having to make the report, which could either scare them or expose them to known repercussions.

The use of technology also includes monitoring crime scenes from his office through a crime map, such that an armed robbery case in a remote area of the country would instantly prompt in his office and an alert would be sent to the nearest police formation to intervene, just as it happens in police formations of developed countries.

Well, it is morning yet. There have been cases in this country where things started well and thereafter got stuck in the web of societal vagaries. Perhaps, it might be too early to judge the situation. But with the disposition of the President so far, Arase, as Inspector General of Police, even if tempted, may find no room to derail. And if morning foretells the day, he may well become the seasoning in the recipe that Buhari’s change promises the country. The people can only watch and pray.

‘Apart from deploying 250 vehicles for motorised patrol, he also ensured that he incentivised the police personnel by arranging with local merchants to provide them with daily meal at strategic locations in addition to the extra allowance they would be paid for the job, to reduce the motivation for the road block option’

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON SOUTHEAST STATES

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

Facelift for Enugu public schools

Philanthropist gives all to the poor

Abia clears drains

•PAGE 26

•PAGE 37

•PAGE 40

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Months of violence and tension from criminal groups are coming to an end in Imo State as the police and Department of State Security (DSS) tackle the criminals. OKODILI NDIDI reports

•The suspected cultists

Respite from kidnappers, cultists in Imo fear in the people.

The activities of these dare-devil criminals are more rampant in the oil-producing communities of Ohaji Egbema and Oguta, where they torture, maim and kill innocent citizens daily.

Most painfully, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Frampton Akpanika, was killed in his apartment.

It is unclear if Akpanika’s murder stirred the security forces into action. The crackdown on cultism and kidnapping has begun to yield

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S

ECURITY agents have stepped up to the felons and the people can now sleep peacefully. For a while, such peaceful rest was a luxury that residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital, and environs could not afford. Kidnappers and cultists were about, perpetrating all manner of violence. Rival cultists often clashed in broad daylight, leaving blood and corpses in places that residents could easily see. Kidnapping was also on the increase. The criminals struck

Over 25 suspected cultists have been arrested in a forest, where they were allegedly holding what was referred to as their national conference, during which new members were reportedly recruited. It was also gathered that the group was fine-tuning their next attack

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result. Over 25 suspected cultists have been arrested in a forest, where they were allegedly holding what was referred to as their na-

tional conference, during which new members were reportedly recruited. It was also gathered that the group was fine-tuning their

next attack.

The cultists were reportedly nabbed by police in an ambush operation, according to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Austin Evbakavbokun, who was represented by the Command’s spokesperson, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Enwerem while parading the bandits at the Command’s headquarters disclosed that the Police •Continued on page 26

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

26

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT •Continued from page 25

•The suspected kidnappers

Respite from kidnappers, cultists in Imo rest of the syndicate and the rescue of the victim.

The Governor commended the recent efforts of security operatives in the state for ensuring that kidnapping and other related crimes are brought to the barest minimum.

He assured that the state government will continue to provide ad-

equate support and partnership to all security operatives to make the state peaceful and crime free.

The state Police Command had also arrested two suspected kidnappers, Ebuka Ibeh and Kelechi Nwogu, from Orsu Local Government Area of the state, who allegedly specialised in the abduction and selling of under-age children.

The duo before their arrest had succeeded in abducting two minors, aged 4 and 3 years from their home before luck ran out of them.

One of the suspects, during interrogation, confessed that the two children, Chigozie and Chukwuka Ezeribe from the same parents, were kidnapped along the road while their mother was out to fetch

Facelift for Enugu public schools It is a new dawn for pupils as the Enugu State government restructures public schools, reports SUNDAY OGUNTOLA, who toured institutions in some of the state’s local governments

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N the first day of resumption, 14-year-old Amarachi Eze ran into the school premises panting. She was running late for the morning assembly. But she ran out almost immediately, distraught she was in a wrong school. The environment looked too clean to be the one she left behind weeks ago. The long grasses were gone; the lawn was immaculately cut. The football pitch was unrecognisable.

This cannot be my school, she muttered under her breath. Her last classroom was no longer there. A

new, sparkling structure of five classrooms with impressive roofing sheet stood before her. She was half-way through the exit gate when a teacher demanded where she was running to.

“I missed my way, Sir,” she said.

It took the smiling teacher almost two minutes to assure Amarachi she had indeed resumed in the same school she had attended for two years. What she was seeing, the teacher told her, was a complete overhaul of the school’s infrastructure by the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board

•The newly renovated Primary School, Agbani Road in Enugu South

them food.

He said, “When we monitored and found out that their mother was out we grabbed the children and drove off in a motorbike and took them to where we wanted to sell them to a waiting buyer”.

The rescued children have been reunited with their family according to the state police boss.

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acted on a tip-off by concerned residents, who saw them gathering in the forest.

He said, “This group of cultists belongs to the Black Axe Fraternity and they were arrested while holding their national conference in the forest. We have promised that we are going to fight criminality to a standstill in Imo State.

“They are the ones terrorising the state capital and other parts of the state. The command has resolved to fish them out from wherever they may be hiding and to make the state uncomfortable for all criminal elements because since the birds have learnt to fly without perching, we have learnt to shoot without missing”.

Some of the cultists who were mainly between the ages of 19 and 26, said they were in the forest to settle a looming crisis between the two leading cult groups in the state to avoid bloodshed, while others denied that they were just passing through the forest when they were apprehended by the Police.

Also, a six-man kidnap syndicate was also busted by the Department of State Security (DSS).

The gang which includes five males and a female, were arrested after they had kidnapped Nnawike Chinaka in Nkwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Parading the suspects before the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, the state Director of the DSS, Mr. Francis Ejiofor disclosed that the Command has set up a special Taskforce to curb the rising cases of kidnapping in the State.

He said that the operation is beginning to yield result with the ar-

•Governor Ugwuanyi

•Mrs. Onuora

(ENUSUBEB).

facilities of the school.

Chukwu Bernard, the principal of the JSS section of the school, told our correspondent: “All the buildings were nothing to write home about. There were cracks everywhere; some were even about collapsing. The roofs were leaking too. As a result, class activities were also disturbed during rainy seasons. In most cases, we even had to send the children back home because of the leaking roof. That was how bad things were here before.”

In such atmosphere, learning was everything but smooth. The teachers grumbled while the students suffered in silence. But then ENUSUBEB stepped in. In less than three months, the agency succeeded in completely renovating five classrooms. Bernard loves to describe the intervention as a complete facelift.

“The classrooms were renovated while the roofs were fixed with new sheet. Today, when it rains, we don’t even stop teaching. Class activities continue notwithstanding.

The students are happy and learning faster than before. It all looks like a miracle but this school has been completely turned around,” he added.

As it is in Achi, so it is in Inde-

Facelift Girls Secondary School, Achi, which Eze attends with hundred others, typifies remarkable turnarounds that ENUSUBEB is recording in public schools. Some two years ago, the school was completely wrecked. Nothing worked again with the fast deteriorating

The classrooms were renovated while the roofs were fixed with new sheets. Today, when it rains, we don’t even stop teaching. Class activities continue, notwithstanding.

The students are happy and learning faster than before.

It all looks like a miracle but this school has been completely turned around

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pendent Layout Primary School, Enugu. The school only boasted of four classrooms with decrepit toilets. Pupils were afraid to use the facility for excretion. So, they defecated in a nearby bush and urinated everywhere else. The entire environment was messy, making pupils and teachers vulnerable to diseases.

ENUSUBEB’s intervention has since increased the number of classrooms available in the school. According to the Head Teacher, Mrs. Onah Ngozi, the fortunes of the school have changed for the best.

“Before now, we had only four classrooms. Our toilets were bad and abandoned. But we have been impressed by the quality of projects in the school. The projects are beneficial to the students and teachers.

We now have better and conducive learning environment. We have enough space for teachers. It is easier now to impart knowledge •Continued on page 37

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

27

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

•Some blocks of the newly renovated junior secondary schools

Facelift for Enugu public schools and the pupils are learning faster.

Since the toilets were renovated, we have a healthy and hygienic environment,” she stated.

The Vice Principal of the nearby Government School in Independent Layout Enugu, Mrs. Okoli Chinelo, is equally impressed by the turnarounds in her school. She said: “We appreciate what has been done here.

We have better toilet environment, especially with the increase in teachers and students. Things were not like this before but the projects have delivered quality environment for better learning and teaching.”

Projects, projects and projects Such turnaround stories have been recorded across the 17 local government areas of the state. In less than two years since the current leadership of the agency came on board, 488 projects have been executed. This is in stark contrast to the 515 projects carried out in 15 years under previous administrations.

Checks revealed that the projects are spread across the local governments in such a way that the entire state is covered. Aninri has 28; Awgu 28; Enugu East 37; Enugu North 24; Enugu South 33; Ezeagu 25; Igbo Etiti 28; Igbo Eze North 33; Igbo Eze South 7; Isi Uzo 14; Nkanu East 11; Nkanu West 27; Nsukka 31; Oji River 22; Udenu 31; Udi 60; Uzo Uwani 21. 80 percent of them have been completed in less than two years.

The image maker of the agency, Mrs. Eberechukwu Nnaji, told our correspondent that the idea is to spread the projects so that many rural dwellers and children in Enugu will benefit from them. “For us, it is about service delivery and access to basic education by every child of school age in Enugu. We believe that environment goes a long way

in teaching and learning. So, we are focused on making sure that the students and teachers feel comfortable so that the learning process can be effective and yield the desired results,” she explained.

Our correspondent observed the roofs of the schools have what experts call multi-tiles. Nnaji explained that the schools’ roofing projects utilised Emenite Multi-tiles roof, a new technology in the industry. This, she said, was adopted because of its excellent acoustic properties, resistance to fire, termite, pest attack and rot, water resistance, impact resistance, rust proof and good thermal property.

Beyond projects ENUSUBEB is not all about hardware in terms of construction of school facilities and provision of furniture. The board is doing much more in the areas of capacity training of teachers and school administrators. Since 2014, over 10,000 teachers in the schools have enjoyed one training programme or the other.

For example, head and class teachers in Primary 1, 2 and 3 receive training in leadership, literacy and numeracy every term. Charles Nwoye, who participated in some of the programmes, said his teaching has taken a leap. “There were several things I didn’t know before that I now do. I believe I am a better teacher now. My students are also posting better results. Everything changed for me the day I started receiving free training from ENUSUBEB,” he said.

No fewer than 596 school communities have also established functional School Based Management Committees (SBMC) following strategic trainings. The concept integrates communities into school management, ensuring proper protection of school facilities and voluntary supports.

Through the initiative, the chairman of Udi local government, Hon.

•Amechi Primary School in Awkwunanu

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•Continued from page 26

There were several things I didn’t know before that I now do. I believe I am a better teacher now. My students are also posting better results.

Everything changed for me the day I started receiving free training from ENUSUBEB

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Chinedu Iloeje, built a six-classroom block with toilet and overhead water tanks in six communities. In response to SBMC’s request for assistance, Nigerian Breweries Plc also built three classroom blocks with head teacher’s office and libraries in Community Primary School (CPS) Nsude; CPS Ngwo-uno; CPS Awhum and Cen-

tral School, Eke. Pupils of Central School Eke and Community Primary School Omaeke are also enjoying the meal programme supervised by SBMC with sponsorship by Nigerian Breweries and Pan African Community Initiative on Education and Health (PACIEH), a nongovernmental organisation.

There is also the training of 48 specialists in quality assurance by the agency to improve on supervision of schools. The quality evaluators consider critical aspects such as achievements and standard; learners’ skills and participation; teaching and learning; curriculum and other activities; care guidance and support; the learning environment and effective leadership and management in schools. So far, 91 schools in Udi and 40 in Nsukka have been quality assured. To assure all the public schools, plans are on to train all head teachers on quality assurance self evaluation.

Unlike many states, ENUSUBEB has ensured regular and prompt payment of teachers’ salaries. Teachers, who spoke with our correspondent, confirmed that they receive their salaries, at worst, the first week of every month. This, they said, motivates their delivery and gives them something to cheer about.

To fight ghost teachers and rid •Continued on page 39

Abia oil communities’ youths list demands T

HEY are richly blessed with crude oil, but what do residents of Ukwa East and Ukwa West Local Government Areas in Abia State get for their endowments? Pretty little, say their angry youths.

No different from abundantly endowed Niger Delta communities, infrastructure in Ukwa West

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

and Ukwa East is woeful. The roads are impassable, there is no potable water, and where any facility exists, it is in a very bad state.

Irked by this abysmal profile, youths from the two oil-rich councils under their umbrella body,

Joint Youth Council of Ukwa, a pressure group, at the end of a mid-year review, listed their demands.

The resolutions were taken after a special congress held in Umuebulungwu-Asa, Ukwa West LGA. The youths want both the state and federal government to address in their areas.

In a communiqué signed by sev-

eral of its leaders, the group called on the Abia State government to revive all moribund industrial, tourist and agricultural sites, in addition to resuscitation Ogwe Golden Chicken Farm, Abia Palm (Nig) Ltd, Akwete Weaving Industry and the Azumini Blue River in Ukwa.

They also appealed to the Gover-

nor Okezie Ikpeazu to extend the ongoing road reconstruction exercise in Aba to Ukwa and to pay attention to Obohia-Ohuru-Aba Road, Ohanku-Aba and OgweObokwe-Uratta Junction roads.

The group which noted that •Continued on page 28

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

28

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

•Ezeemo flanked by prison officials, PPA leaders in Anambra

•Continued from page 27 their communities have been in darkness for a year, pleaded with the Okezie-led government to change the Ukwa power phase to the nearby Afam Power Station since, according to them, the AlaOji Power Station was already overloaded.

The youths also condemned the

Gloom for Anambra inmates From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

thin down the number of prisoners in Awka, reducing it from 480 to 437 in a clemency. Some inmates have converted to Christianity, a number even becoming pastors, and some enrolling in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Still, the horrors persist. The borehole sunk in 2009 by the state government has seized to function and whenever it worked, the water had better not be ingested.

Also, the clinic built by the government does not have a single drug, not even pain killers.

The inmates take a sachet of packaged water three times a day

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T

HE challenges in the prisons are well documented: cells accommodate more than double the capacity for inmates who, in some cases, have to take turns sleeping. At the Awka prisons in the Anambra State capital, no fewer than 50 inmates struggle for space in one cell; in fact, the facility built in 1904 to house 238 persons, accommodates 480. Things are hardly any better at two other prisons in the state, one in Onitsha, the commercial hub of the state, the other at Ekwulobia.

The sad thing is that conditions are worsening for people behind bars in the state, as The Nation found out during a visit of a philanthropist and politician, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, to the prison to mark his 59th birthday with the inmates.

The state Chief Judge, Justice Peter Nnanna Umeadi helped to

The borehole sunk in 2009 by the state government has seized to function and whenever it worked, the water had better not be ingested

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in the prison because they have no water, while they contribute money raised by their relatives to purchase diesel for the plant.

The Nation gathered that the last time the government gave a vehicle to the prison was in 2000.

However, despite the suffering and pains being gone through by the inmates, the Nation gathered that they have not been able to react because of the way prison staff handle them.

Reacting on the numerous prob-

lems in the prison, the deputy controller of prisons (DCP), Matthew Kalu, confirmed the problems, adding that Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), has been another major problem in the place.

He said, “The inmates here are suffering and we need a rescue mission in this place; nothing is working, the government has abandoned this place.”

“We pray that the present administration will look in the direction of the prisons, government is not doing anything apart from feeding the inmates and you can imagine the type of food; •Continued on page 40

Abia oil communities’ youths list demands relocation of “prestigious Asa High School to a mere primary school block and the premises turned to a military barracks”.

They called for the immediate vacation of the military or the relocation of Asa High School to a

more befitting site, even as they hope that the famous and premier Ndoki Grammar School, Obohia should be upgraded to a campus of any of the state-owned tertiary institutions.

Among other things that the

youths clamoured for was the appointment of qualified indigenous Ukwa people into principal offices in both the executive and legislative arms of government. They stressed that they would no longer tolerate the recycling of people with no proven records of community service into government positions in the state.

The Ukwa youth council equally expressed the hope that the new state government will, in its first 100 days in office, start work on the proposed Obeaku-Ndoki Sea Port.

They also called for the relocation of the Abia State Oil Producing Area development Commission’s (ASOPADEC) office to Ukwa for effective and efficient service delivery and the increase in the commission’s annual budget.

Part of their communiqué read, “The council pleads with the dy-

namic governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to give utmost priority to youth empowerment for Ukwa especially in the political appointments, entrepreneurship and business patronage.

“The council heartily congratulates Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, the Governor of Abia State on his recent flag-off of mass road reconstruction in Aba. ”The council frowns at the recent political appointments so far made in the state as no Ukwa son or daughter was considered for the principal offices in the Executive or Legislative arms of the government. Such appointments should be given to qualified Ukwa sons and daughters with proven records of community service and as community appeal, as we will not tolerate the recycling of people who have no such track records”.

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The council frowns at the recent political appointments so far made in the state as no Ukwa son or daughter was considered for the principal offices in the executive or legislative arms of the government

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•Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi (left) with Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Onitsha branch, Mr Chudi Obieze during a visit to the Chief Judge in Onitsha

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHSOUTH STATES

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

PAGE 29

Bedridden for two years •Cruel fate of Rivers’ father of 11

•Angus on the bed at the bone setter’s clinic. Inset is the ill-fated taxi

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INSIDE

WO years ago, a fatal motor accident on Igwuruta Road in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State confined Mr. Dike Angus, a church security officer, to bed. Since then, he has been bedridden and traumatised.

Dike, who is now seeking assistance to get back on his feet and to start catering for his family, believes that if government takes him to a bone specialist he will walk again.

Narrating his journey to helplessness, Dike, a father of 11 children, said the driver was on high speed when the vehicle had a head-on collision with a trailer. He said every other passenger, including the

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

driver, died. He survived but was unconscious for several days.

He said the car was badly damaged after the collision with the trailer.

His words: “It was a small car with five passengers. We boarded it from Igwuruta to Omegwa in on November 19, 2012. Everybody that boarded the vehicle died except me.

Though, somehow I was also declared dead because at that point, according to those who saw me, there was nothing in me that looked like I was alive. The driver was on a high speed and he collided with

‘It’s Urhobo’s turn to head Amnesty Office’ PAGES 34

heavy duty truck; that is the only thing I could remember. The rest of the story is what I heard from people when I regained myself.

“When I woke up from the hospital bed, they told me that nobody survived. With the level of injury I was not surprised. I saw enough reasons to thank God for my life. I have 11 children; some of them are no longer going to school. All we are thinking now is how to eat. Even when I am not in this condition, things were very difficult for me. I was working as a church security guard before the accident happened. All I need now is help from anybody to enable me walk again so that I can go out to struggle for the survival of my family.”

He said in spite of his condition, he knew he could make it again, adding that he has been bed-ridden for so long, making it difficult for him to get N300, 000 which the bone doctor said would be enough to make him walk.

“I want to walk again, and I know with the advice of my bone doctor, I will. I am begging, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesome Wike, the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Hon. Bestman Amadi, to assist me financially. I need N300, 000 to get out of the bed. There are things my bone doctor wants to buy because I owe him he could not do anything than to wait till I bring more money. To be frank, he has helped me; he made me to start

moving my legs even to stand with it. But there are more to do if there is money.

“Since this accident happened, most of my friends and relatives have not been coming close to me.

I have spent all the money I had, there is nothing left again. The present condition of my family is a very serious problem to me. I am the breadwinner of my family; my wife is not doing anything for now.

The society we are living is not encouraging. Politicians and privilege individuals are moving millions daily but somebody somewhere is dying because of N1,000. What a wonderful world. But I know even if the whole world abandons me, God will surely see me through.”

Nasty, brutish life Lawmakers groan in Owan over Calabar-Itu community Road PAGES 32

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

NIGER DELTA REPORT COMMUNITY NEWS Ibeno monarch to Akwa Ibom govt: fix our road

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HE Paramount Ruler of Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Owong Effiong Achianga, has urged Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel to revisit the abandoned Eket-Ibeno road.

He said completing the road was one of the governor’s pre-election promises to the area, saying the people face untold hardship daily by on the road.

He spoke in his palace during the week: “Ibeno remains the major revenue base of the state” and appealed to him take more than a passing interest.

The monarch also dismissed the allegation of fraud leveled against him in the disbursement of the N1.3 billion oil spill palliative fund given

by ExxonMobil to cushion the effect of oil spill in his domain.

The Paramount Ruler described the allegation as a total blackmail aimed at disparaging his office, adding that such attack could be the handiwork of mischief makers and non indigenes of Ibeno.

He said the recent palliative fund was paid to E&T Consultant, with the brief to expend the cash to improve social infrastructure, including education and other life-touching projects.

From Uyoatta Eshiet, Uyo

The monarch dismissed as unfounded, report that restive youths in his domain were spoiling for war over the alleged mismanagement of the funds, recalling that he had been using his office as the traditional ruler of the area to attract peace and other incentives to the people and urged his subjects to disregard such incitement.

Achianga, a successful fisherman and contractor to some oil companies including Chevron, Addax, Total E&P, Conoil and NDDC, said he had attracted jobs and scholarship to no fewer than 60 Ibeno youths and craved for peaceful environment for more developments to thrive in his domain.

Meanwhile, youth leaders under the aegis of the Ibeno Youths Council Forum (IYCF) dissociated themselves from the reported impending violence in the area over the disputed funds. The President, Comrade John Bassey David and others expressed confidence in the monarch’s leadership style so far, adding that such funds have been properly managed to impact positively in the affected communities.

Boost for child rights in Rivers From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

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HE General Manager of the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation, Medline Tador, has urged parents to help end child marriage.

Tador, who lamented that Africa has the second highest rate of child marriage in the world after South Asia, reiterated that it was time all stakeholders came together to fight the menace.

She spoke at an event to mark this year’s “Day of the African Child”; an annual event organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to draw attention to the plight of African children.

She spoke on the theme: “25 Years After the Adoption of the African Children’s Charter: Accelerating Our Collective Efforts to End Child Marriage” at Abonnema, Akuku- Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Represented by the Director of Production, Constance Amaehule, the General Manager reminded community leaders, traditional and religious organisations, parents and the school of their roles in the fight against early marriage.

She advocated the use of jingles and drama in radio and television houses to highlight its negative effects, and reaffirmed the commitment of Radio Rivers in assisting UNICEF in its health advocacy programmes.

In a remark, the Acting Education Supervisor in Akuku- Toru LGA, Sukubo Nath-Obu, enjoined all to come together to end the practice of early child marriage because it is not good development.

He said that the council would continue to join resources with UNICEF in the crusade against early child marriage, and thanked the organisers for holding this year’s celebration in the area.

The two day event featured art competition and drama presentation by the participating schools to drive home the negative effects of early child marriage.

Also, the General Manager of Rivers State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Chibunma Kakada, identified poor access to good and safe drinking water and poor toilet facilities as some of the challenges facing the girl child.

Ex-Edo SSG donates blood to mark birthday

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S part of activities to mark his 53rd birthday, a former Secretary to the Edo State Government and chieftain of the Peoples' Democratic Party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, recently led hundreds of his supporters to the Edo State branch of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) to donate blood.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu hosted his supporters to a sumptuous breakfast at his residence before they departed to Reservation Road where the office of the NBTS is located.

The former SSG told newsmen that he thought a better way to celebrate and thank God for sparing his life was to donate blood to save lives.

According to him, "My wife and I share the same birthdate which is June 21. It is a way of giving back to the society. I believe birthday celebration is an opportunity to give back in a unique way.

"On the 14th of June, I saw on television that it was world donor's day and the theme was 'Thank You for saving a life'. There was an appeal by the World Health Organisation to people to regularly donate blood to

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

those who desperately need them.

"I thought there was no way to appreciate God than to donate part of the blood he gave me. I don't know how the blood came into my body. It is better way to thank God. I know myself alone cannot make impact and I had to appeal to my friends to join in blood donation and I will like to have a minimum of 100 friends but the number here is over 200. We want to encourage people to come. There are people dying for lack of blood. People should come out and donate blood."

Acting Head of Clinical Services of NBTS, Dr. Arogundade Bosede, thanked the donors for their gestures and added that people would donate blood often if they knew the health benefits.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu also visited a Christian missionary camp currently housing some displaced persons from the Northern part of the country.

He donated cash and food items and promised to mobilise his friends to provide basic amenities for persons in the camp.

NIGER DELTA REPORT COMMUNITY NEWS

Rivers local governments of controversy A T

HE Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), then headed by Prof. Augustine Ahiauzu, on May 23, when Rotimi Amaechi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was governor, conducted the local government election in the state.

The election, which had 27 political parties participating, was, however, boycotted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whole leaders claimed did not follow the local government law and due process, but dismissed Ahiauzu.

The Rivers local government election was held in 22 of the 23 LGAs, excluding Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, where the tenure of the chairman and councillors will expire next year. APC won all the 22 chairmanship seats, thereby controlling all the 23 LGAs. A former Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, who was Amaechi’s Chief of Staff and ex-Chairman of Obio/Akpor LG council of Rivers state, shortly after the 2015 LG poll, as governor-elect, hinted that he would dissolve the LG councils, shortly after his inauguration.

The members of the Rivers House of Assembly, immediately after their inauguration, invited the RSIEC chairman and the commissioners, as well as the chairman and members of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission (RSJSC) to appear on June 8, which they did.

The Rivers House of Assembly, led

by Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani of Andoni constituency, has 31 PDP members and only one lawmaker belonging to the APC. The Rivers legislators recommended to Wike to dissolve both RSIEC (which conducted the LG election in accordance with the law) and RSJSC, which the governor implemented in the evening of the same June 8, which the Rivers Chairman of the APC, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said was meant to witch-hunt Amaechi and his teeming supporters.

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers chapter, Chimbiko Iche Akarolo, of Port Harcourt City LG council, declared that Wike had no powers to dissolve the councils, while urging him to go to court, if he was not comfortable with the election.

On June 11, the LG chairmen got wind of the plan by the Rivers lawmakers to recommend to Wike to dissolve the councils and decided to stage a peaceful protest round Port Harcourt, which was terminated at the state’s House of Assembly, with the chairmen vowing to resist the planned unconstitutional dissolution.

The council chairmen and their protesting supporters remained undaunted, in spite of the teargas by the police, who prevented them from accessing the Rivers House of Assembly complex.

Prior to the massive protest, the council chairmen had earlier addressed a news conference at the Port Harcourt LGA (PHALGA) House on William Jumbo Street and declared that if Wike decided to return to self help, they would also opt for it, saying illegality would beget illegality.

They accused Wike of having a sinister plot to plunge Rivers state into another round of avoidable crisis, insisting that they would defend the renascent democracy, warning of dire consequences of dissolving the LG councils.

The displeased LG chairmen stated that the new Rivers governor wanted to turn the state into his personal estate, stressing that Rivers people want bread not bullets, declaring that if it

On Monday, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria granted an Order of Interim Injunction against the sacking of the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Will this save the council bosses? BISI OLANIYI reports meant dying to defend democracy, they would not mind losing their lives in fighting a just cause and added that Wike was not prepared for governance.

The protesters, armed with placards bearing various inscriptions and chanting anti-Wike songs, shut down Port Harcourt, thereby affecting commercial activities and traffic, with motorists hurriedly making detour, to avoid any incident.

The Commander of the Swift Operation Squad (SOS) in Rivers, Romokere Ibani, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), who led the policemen to stop the protesters in front of the state’s House of Assembly, said there was the need to give peace a chance.

ACP Ibani, a Rivers indigene, said: “We will convey your message to the appropriate quarters. Rivers State belongs to all of us. We should not resort to self help. Politics will come and go.

Let us not destroy our place.

“I am pleading for relative peace in Rivers State. It is only when there is peace that we can have development.

In the interest of peace, let us go back.

We must reason together.”

Some of the placards carried by the chairmen read: “Wike is inviting anarchy to Rivers State, Federal Government must call him to order”, “We cannot be intimidated to abandon out God/people-given mandates. The 23 LGAs’ Chairmen have come to stay for good” “Wike wants to destroy our local councils”, “No to dissolution” “NJC is in Wike’s pocket” “Rivers State is falling fast under Wike” and “Our mandate is sacrosanct.”

Others were: “We shall resist you with every legal means at our disposal.

We say no to councils’ dissolution”, “Your election is not more credible than ours. Leave LGAs’ chairmen alone”, “Rivers people want peace, not dissolution”, “Members of Rivers State House of Assembly should concentrate on serving Rivers people, instead of witch-hunting LG chairmen”, “Wike should remember 2014 Supreme Court judgment on tenure of LGAs’ chairmen” and “Dissolution of LGAs is detrimental.”

Inscriptions on placards also included: “Darkness has taken over Rivers State again, FG send help to us now”, “Every action has a reaction, Wike”, “Respect the third tier of government”, “Wike wants to destroy our local councils”, “Rule of law is the beauty of democracy”, “PDP/Wike, leave elected LG chairmen alone”, “Wike is embodiment of thuggery, impunity and everything that is evil, President Buhari, save us.”

The Legal Adviser of ALGON in Rivers State, Sogbeye Eli, of Degema (Kalabari) LG council, who read the speech at the news conference, while responding to reporters’ questions, said: “We have a matter in court. If Wike’s government is a responsible government, the government should wait for the legal process to go through. If the government does not wait for the decision of the court and resorts to self-help, we will resort to self-help. Illegality will beget illegality.

“Wike’s government also has questions over the April 11, 2015 election, before the Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja. If the National Assembly has not been used by anybody to dissolve the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or send its Rivers REC (Resident Electoral Commissioner), Gesila Khan, to jail, we wonder why the hurry and the interest in Rivers State.

“If they (Wike and his allies) subvert

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If they (Wike and his allies) subvert the law and the due process of the law, and do anything outside of what the law allows, we will resist it. If that means we are going to die, let us die. The most important thing is that we are going to enforce a regime of resistance •Amaechi

the law and the due process of the law, and do anything outside of what the law allows, we will resist it. If that means we are going to die, let us die. The most important thing is that we are going to enforce a regime of resistance.

“Maybe this may be the point local government autonomy will be finally defined. First, let us define Rivers State as no man’s property. If you have a grouse, go to court. People should allow the rule of law to prevail, not the rule of man. Rivers State needs peace. The people want bread not bullets. If you cannot protect lives and property, why are you in government?”

ALGON in Rivers State, in the news conference’s speech, titled: “We Must Defend our Democracy,” declared that danger was looming in the horizon for the prized democracy.

The LG chairmen stated that there was a sinister plot by Wike’s government to plunge Rivers into another round of avoidable crises, after the most mindless bloodletting the state had ever known in its 48-year history, in the name of struggle to wrest transient political power.

On June 18, the Rivers ALGON members called for the immediate dismissal of Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court (FHC), Port Harcourt for allegedly taking sides with the PDP and Wike on the plan to dissolve the councils. He was accused of bribery in a case in his court.

The LG chairmen also accused the

•Wike

FHC judge of judicial rascality and impertinence, gross violation of the Nigerian constitution, perpetration of corruption and impunity, thereby sending petition against him to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the allegations and dismiss him.

They stated that Justice Akanbi of the FHC One abused court proceedings in the pre-election matter that had gone to the appellate court, which he adjourned sine die (indefinitely) on April 29, 2015, while the appeal court adjourned till October 12, 2015.

The Forum of Concerned Lawyers in Rivers State, through its Chairman, Chris Itamunola, in Port Harcourt, however, called for the arrest of the 23 LG chairmen, while expressing surprise that they could so unjustly accuse Justice Akanbi of taking bribe to see the councils dissolved.

The concerned lawyers said: “The allegation by the Rivers LG chairmen that Justice Lambo Akanbi financially compromised regarding the case that is subsisting in the FHC, is not only serious, but a very contemptuous issue and the option open to the judge is to immediately round them up, get them arrested and send the case to an independent court for trial. Since a judge cannot be a judge in his own court.

“You do not come to the public domain to make such wild and spurious allegations. When this same class of politicians got very favourable judgments before the honourable court and the same Justice Lambo Akanbi, some-

time in 2014, regarding the chief judge’s matter and some other ones, there was no wild allegation whatsoever. The music cannot be different in times like this.”

The PDP filed the suit at the FHC, Port Harcourt against holding the LG election on May 23 this year and for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to release the voter registers to the RSIEC. INEC, RSIEC, Governor of Rivers State, Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service were defendants in the suit.

The then governor of Rivers state (Amaechi) and RSIEC appealed against the order of Justice Akanbi to show cause why the motion filed by the PDP should not be granted.

The LG chairmen noted that Justice Akanbi no longer had jurisdiction to entertain any further proceeding in the case, making him to adjourn sine die, to enable the Court of Appeal to decide the matter.

The Rivers solicitor-general, however, condemned the allegations levelled against him and Justice Akanbi by the LG bosses.

Godwin, in his reaction in Port Harcourt, insisted that he was at the FHC on June 16 to represent the present Rivers government and RSIEC in the matter filed by the PDP against the conduct of the May 23 LG election.

The solicitor-general reiterated that the case was initially adjourned sine die by the court, but resumed to regularise the development on the matter,

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following a change of government.

Godwin said: “With the new government, common sense should have indicated that it would be unfair to continue with the counsel, who was pursuing a different interest from the interest of the present government. So, the proper thing to do and at a time when there was no Attorney-General, was to debrief him, so that when the matter comes up, we will take over the matter.

“That was why we wrote to Nwofor on June 2 and we also gave a copy to the court, Nwofor knows that ethically, if we have written to him, to say you are no longer the counsel in the matter, you cannot insist that you must continue with the matter as counsel.”

On Monday, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria presided over by Hon. Justice J.T. Agbadu-Fishim, holden at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State granted an Order of Interim Injunction against the governor of Rivers State, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Attorney-General of Rivers State and their agents from dissolving, suspending, sacking terminating or in any manner whatsoever interfering with the tenure of office of the 23 Local Government Councils of Rivers State.

The order will remain in force until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

Will Wike respect this order or find a way around it? Time will tell.

Oil mining leases: Emami makes case for communities

NIGER Delta activist and one of the leaders of the oil-rich Ugborodo Community in Warri Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Ayirimi Emami, has accused the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration of sidelining communities in oil mining leases.

He called for a probe into 'secret oil blocs' operatorship' contract allegedly entered with some private companies in the immediate past administration.

Emami said there is the need for a critical look at the period of Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke's headship of the petroleum industry.

His position was contained in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, a copy of which was made available to Niger Delta Report.

Emami, who is Chief Executive of A&E Petroleum, said many contracts entered into by the last administration flouted the open and competitive bid practice mandated by the Public Procurement Act. He said host communities were sidelined in the sales of the oil firms, noting that the Minister flouted an order that bidding for Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 4, 26, 30, 34, 38, 41 and 42 be thrown open with host communities granted right of involvement.

"The Federal Ministry of Petroleum flagrantly disobeyed the directive and surreptitiously granted the leases to non-indigenes against the Local Content Act or rights of preemption and /or first refusal by people of the host communities, who

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

had the financial/technical capability to acquire them."

He faulted the sale of such assets to Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, which he said neither tendered nor bidded for the bloc, as well as the sale of Shell Petroleum Development Company's stakes in OML 42 to Neconde Energy Limited.

In the case of Atlantic Drilling Concept, Emami said "the company only paid upfront cash payment of little more than $50 million initial entrance fee, for a lease that should ordinarily cost no less than $ 800 million.

He suggested the probe should provide insight into: "Why the immediate past Minister of Petroleum furtively approve Oil blocs' rights to companies without due process and the yardstick for regulating the discretional allocation of Nigeria's National Oil and Gas assets.

"How does these ridiculous undervalued secretive allocations of Nigeria's most lucrative Oil and Gas assets support or strengthen Nigeria's economic and political integrity?

"Why were companies which have interests in each other, such as, Seven Energy, Septa Energy, Seplat Energy and Atlantic Energy were favoured so much in the award of rights in OML 4, 26, 30, 34, 38, 41 and 42, and why did the former Minister of Petroleum violate industry guidelines and the Procurement Act to favour these companies?"

Okomu Oil, communities search for peace From Shola O'Neil, South-south Regional Editor, Warri

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HE management of Okomu Oil Company in Okomu, Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, has canvassed for a good working relationship with members of the host communities where the company is located.

The firm experienced shortfall in production last year when some Ijaw youths supposedly from Okomu community burnt some hectares of plantation and attacked workers of the firm.

Managing Director of Okomu Oil, Dr Graham Hefer who spoke at a one day round table interaction with host communities, said he hoped to strike a mutual understanding with the host communities with a view to boosting the company's social responsibility.

Dr. Hefer said the interaction was to boost harmonious affinity between the company and the communities as well as identifying areas of needs of the host communities.

According to him, "As a company we want to make sure that all our host communities understand how we wish to work together so as to tackle any issues or problem that may arise in the future."

"Since we started this interactive session, there has been strong peace and mutual relationship between the company host communities, including knowing the community corporate social needs. We have succeeded in employing many qualified indigenes across all host communities without discrimination and we are happy that the communities are working side by side with us to achieve more goals."

After the round table interaction, both parties agreed that the communities should provide peaceful environment for the company to thrive and that that company in return should place priority on the area of needs or request of communities.

One of the community leaders, Mr. Ogbemudia Benjamin said the interaction had helped them to know the right and privileges of the communities and the company.

He said, "The discussion has helped us to know the dos and don'ts in our dealings with the company. We are going to continue the existing peace and it is hoped that the interaction will assist both parties in dealing with each other".

Akwa Ibom youths to learn mechanised farming

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KWA Ibom State government plans to train its youths in mechanised farming. It also intends to train 1,000 youths in Oracle Database Software Management.

Governor Udom Emmanuel, who made this known Sunday at Qua Iboe Church, 2 Abak Road, Uyo, noted: “I am in discussion with Oracle to train at least 1,000 youths in Akwa Ibom State on Oracle Database Software Management System.”

Emmanuel, who noted that most of those employed by banks and companies are those with Oracle certifications, said Akwa Ibom youths must be imbued with relevant skills that would make them self-reliant, pointing out “I want to make sure that our youths acquire skills so that they can mostly be on their own. We want to facilitate this to help some of our youths to also acquire skills. One thousand is a good number and we can see

how we can train them in Uyo to reduce the cost instead of moving them to Lagos,” he said.

The governor further hinted that the state government would send 100 Akwa Ibom youths to Israel by the end of July to acquire training and skills in mechanised farming, and described Israel as an outstanding country in the world with track-record in agriculture, saying: “By end of July, we will send about 100 youths to Israel to acquire some skills and also at the same time do pilgrimage as well.

Those people that will come back are those that will actually back up our mechanised farming in agriculture. We know when it comes to agriculture today, Israel is one of the greatest.

These are some of the things we will do in human development that will actually enhance the quality of life of our people but we need your kind prayers.”

h Chief inauguocks of hole for

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

Auchi Poly…Breaking new grounds L

AST November 21, Auchi Polytechnic matriculated 91 students as the first set to begin various degree programmes in the 2014/2015 session.

Dr Philipa Idogho, the rector of the polytechnic, said during the matriculation that the polytechnic would run the programmes in affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa.

She recalled that the then Bendel State Government Technical College which was established in 1964 was upgraded and called Auchi Polytechnic in 1973. ``It began with the mandate to train skilled manpower in engineering, sciences, environmental studies, business studies and art and design. ``The polytechnic was taken over by the Federal Government in 1994 and it is currently running 63 programmes up to the Higher National Diploma. ``It is the first polytechnic in the South-South geo-political zone of the country to be awarding degrees,'' she said.

The rector also said the institution had concluded plans to start the award of degrees in 11 disciplines.

She claimed that the Senate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, had approved the affiliation after assessing the infrastructure and manpower in the affected disciplines.

According to her, the programmes include Electrical/Electronics, Civil Engineering, Business Administration, Accounting, Building Technology, Estate Management and Education/Physics, among others.

She also said the polytechnic management was expecting the National Universities Commission (NUC) to carry out an assessment of facilities and personnel of the institution.

According to Idogho, the polytechnic can transmute into a university easily because of its emphasis on

•Dickson

By Ehigimetor Igbaugba

sound academic programmes and training of staff of the institution. ``We are now in better stead to continue to improve on teaching and learning environment in the polytechnic. ``The management of the polytechnic is determined to improve and sustain the ranking of the polytechnic among other institutions,'' he said.

With this achievement, observers note that the polytechnic has remained relevant in the education sector, promoting excellence and required manpower in all discipline.

Commending the school authority for transforming the polytechnic, Mr

Nyesom Wike, the former Supervising Minister of Education, said that the Federal Government remained committed to the development of technical and vocational education.

Mr Mustapha Oshiobugie, the polytechnic's spokesman, said: ``It is the rector's vision to make the polytechnic relevant to its immediate community and the country as a whole. ``Her success story is visible in the upgrading of infrastructure, massive capacity building and productive management-student relationship, among other values. ``During Idogho's tenure, the polytechnic authority has constructed many well furnished offices and classrooms. ``Also it has sponsored more than

80 per cent of both academic and nonacademic to various conferences, seminars and workshops. ``Before she came, we had only four Ph.D holders, but now we have more than 20 of them while more than 30 staff members of the institution are at their various stages of their Ph.D programmes,'' he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Geroge Okosun, the former Chairman, Auchi Polytechnic Academic Staff Union, said Idogho had ``turned Auchi Polytechnic into a success story.''

In the same vein, Mr Abdulwasiu Bukoye, a staff of the polytechnic, said he was impressed with the performance of the school authority. ``I came here in 2009 not knowing

anybody. I got my appointment on merit. I have several other persons that can attest to this. I understand this was not so easy before she came in. ``I just hope she continues in this direction in addition with her development strides,'' he said.

Mr Vincent Okhani, the Dean of School of Environmental Studies of the polytechnic, described Idogho as a leader of men and resources.

Appraising the performance of the institution, the rector observed that the school authority had made its modest contributions to the infrastructural transformation of Auchi Polytechnic. ``Our target is to create a learning environment in which students do not struggle for use of lecture rooms; where our laboratories have the right equipment and facilities. ``I am glad to note that, in general terms, our students perform competitively within prevailing national standards; they have won laurels at national mathematical and debate competitions. ``Some of them easily pass the relevant professional examinations while yet in school, or soon after graduation. ``Auchi Polytechnic has produced quality personnel for the construction, corporate, socio- economic, political and religious sectors of Nigeria. ``Our products hold their heads proudly high wherever the spirit of enterprise, for which the institution is known, leads them,'' she said.

By and large, concerned citizens suggest that all education stakeholders and head of educational institutions at all levels should encourage the effective implementation of development programmes.

According to them, stakeholders also ought to work effectively to offer solution to the challenges of implementation of the strategies to attain effective transformation.

•Igbaugba is of the News Agency of Nigeria

Why Bayelsa pays salaries despite economic distress

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ESPITE the economic crunch which has rendered about 18 states incapable of paying their workers, Bayelsa prides itself as one of the few states that regularly pay their workers. The state is also not ranked among the heavily indebted states in the country.

A prominent Niger Delta activist and Coordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group, Mr. Joseph Evah, told Niger Delta Report that the approach adopted by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, was the reason behind salary payment by the government.

Evah even advised governors in distressed states to understudy the management skills of Dickson. He urged such governors to find out the level of financial prudence employed by the governor to keep Bayelsa afloat despite the economic crunch and debt burden in the country.

Evah said Bayelsa is fortunate to have Dickson at the helms of affairs at a time many states are unable to meet their basic financial obligations including payment of salaries.

Speaking in Yenagoa recently, he asked Bayelsans to count themselves fortunate and to repay the governor by reelecting him for a second term.

He said: “Despite the various strides in infrastructure, education, health and economic development, Bayelsa State is not an indebted state as a borrower in the capital market and it is also a reminder to the skeptics that the state was not one of

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

several others listed either among the heavily indebted states or the least indebted as current figures of the Debt Management Office (DMO) in the external debt categories indicated”.

He said the leadership style of the governor has distinguished him as a visionary and modern manager with indent understanding of public policy and public finance.

He said the financial crunch weighing down many states with the biggest problem being inability to pay salaries was caused by excessive borrowing and the challenge of dwindling revenue from the federation account.

According to him borrowing without a productive base is not a sustainable policy and as such should be discouraged forthwith. He, however, acknowledged that Bayelsa despite going through the same revenue shortfall from the centre as other states, is able to keep afloat because of careful planning, blocking of leakages in the system, prudent and purposeful use of public funds and zero tolerance to corruption.

Evah said diversification of the national economy was key praising the state government for being in the forefront of exploiting alternative means of revenue other than oil and gas.

He said: “At a time like this, I think

we should take stock of the challenges of development in Bayelsa State and with particular reference to the governor’s management style and results in economic development as a factor of public sector finance management.

“We have followed the national debates in the last few weeks on the tough situations in the economy which has a common concern in liquidity crisis where debt overhang is a major issue across the states and the widespread concern about inability to pay salaries.

“Although borrowing is not a bad thing when tied to specific development agenda, excessive borrowing to the extent of constituting liability to effective running of governments and meeting statutory obligations is an issue.

“While we are not in any position to condemn those caught in the web of financial tightrope especially in view of the huge shortfall in revenue from the federation account, we find it important to draw the attention of our people back home to the shrewd management by Governor Seriake Dickson which has helped to keep the state afloat till date.

“Indeed, we believe that the economic diversification agenda of the state government is the future which can help to create jobs and rely less and less on oil and gas. It is the solution to economic stability and sustenance.

“The truth is that no one state in

the nation today can claim to be performing at optimal capacity for obvious reasons but the fact that Bayelsa State has continued to pay salaries and running government to keep up with other statutory obligations is a feat we should commend. It clearly speaks to vision, capacity, prudence and good leadership.

“We find it important to make this point to correct critics of the state government who are usually influenced by politics rather than the remarkable achievements of the governor.”

Furthermore, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Esueme Kikile, said the governor employed prudence, accountability and transparency to manage the resources of the state and ensure that workers were not shortchanged.

He said Dickson constituted a Financial Management Committee chaired by his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) and mandated it to carry out monthly review of government’s financial obligations and ensure that the basic ones are fulfilled.

Kikile said the salaries of workers are the first-line charge of the government adding that other financial obligations including project execution were secondary.

“It is our highest priority as a government. We don’t want to put the workers in a situation where they won’t be able to meet up with their

•Dickson

family obligations.

“So, we make salaries the first-line charge. What we do is once we get our receipt from the Federation Account, after all necessary deductions, we then pay salaries.

That is why we are witnessing a lull in our projects. It is a strategic management process put together by the governor”.

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33

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

NIGER DELTA REPORT FEATURE

NIGER DELTA REPORT PERSPECTIVE

Nasty, brutish life in Owan •Community appeals to Oshiomhole to fix their road

N

IGERIANS in the last sixteen years of experimental democracy have demonstrated and shown obligation in the area of civil responsibility by voting various political parties and political office holders into political offices. But the question of fulfilment of electioneering promise hangs in the balance. Painfully, Nigerians have grown accustomed to, and are used to their plights being shelved aside and their hopes smashed by politicians who made empty promises at elections without any intention of fulfilling them.

Since 2007, a stranded people of Okpuje community in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State have set their hopes on the slender shoulders of a man they have dubbed the political saviour of their time, in the person of Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the Governor of Edo State. Seven years on the saddle, their exulted hopes have become forlorn and faded, and have been replaced with resentments, hopelessness, despairs and utter indignations.

The people are now rumbling and urging Governor Adams Oshiomhole to honour his pact with them to fix their road nearly seven in office! Numbering almost fifty thousand in population with about thirty thousand register voters, the largest in the local government, the community leaders, coated with an appeal, have no kind words for Mr Oshiomhole. They alleged the governor visited the community repeatedly with helicopters to rake in votes for his political parties; then as AC, ACN and now, the APC. A great numbers of old and young in the community felt used, deceived and dished several times over by dubious politicians who constantly lure the people away into voting political parties with vague platitudes without keeping their promises. The Opkuje inhabitants would not forget in a hurry how their own son deceived and frittered away their common patrimony and lost the opportunity to fix the less than 8 kilometres road as two-term Local Government Chairman on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The seven autonomous communities of Okpuje sub-clan are directly linked by the less than 8 kilometres major road that has been abandoned by successive local and state governments. The sub-clan remains one of the largest and most vibrant political ward in the entire local government with agriculture as the dominant occupation of the rural dwellers. The community also serves as a tourists attraction since it is rich in culture and

By Dave Ikhueoya

has accounted for the reason thousands of people flock the place yearly for their annual festival. There is no doubt that the agricultural occupation of Opkuje people has contributed greatly to better rural livelihood and general economy growth of not only the rural areas but the state in general. It remains a puzzle that Okpuje is impoverished, abandoned, developmentally excuded ward in the state on account of inaccessible road.

The level of abandonment and obvious consequences of absolute bad road have become alarming due to huge economic losses. It becomes even more worrisome that Okpuje people continued to be law abiding; pay taxes to govt and still actively involved in all electoral processes, but remains the most underdeveloped ward. The road is the only road in Owan West that has been generating serious attention long before Mr Adams Oshiomhole become governor. The road still remains in its sorry state even at the twilight of Oshiomhole government.

As it stands, the people cannot do otherwise than to call the government attention repeatedly and appeal to Governor Oshiomhole not to renege on his promise on this most important road that link several communities.

Besides, the road also connects to the present Secretary to the State Government’s private residence and this has left many tongues wagging. Not only that, the SSG’s mother is said to be a native of the sleepy town of Okpuje.

That the people have been voting for Mr Adams Oshiomhole and his political party is enough evidence to prove the social contract between the people and the governor. This is the reason the people are continually calling on the governor to keep his own side of the bargain before the expiration of his tenure.

Prior to Governor Oshiomhole’s governorship, Hon. Daniel Asekhamen, the former local government chairman was alleged to have awarded the same road to his automobile mechanic elder brother, Titus Asekhamen based in Port Harcourt without the slightest knowledge of construction or any known registered company. While a few persons believe Hon Asekhamen’s elder brother made minimal dent on the road were hundreds of millions of naira went down unaccounted for, prominent citizens of Okpuje community disagree, almost violently. They are of the view that Hon Asekhemen and his brother mechanic brother should be thoroughly investigated, prosecuted and jailed if

•Igbafen

•Okpuje road

•Okpuje road

•Okpuje road

found guilty for ruining the the economic live of an industrious and progressive people.

They lamented the horrible and deplorable condition of the road which makes life nasty, brutish and unbearable for not only the inhabitants of the seven sub-clan but the motorists, traders, tourists, artisans, farmers and wellwishers who traverse the length and breadth of the once boisterous and most populous towns for various economic activities. Virtually everyone on the streets of Okpuje expects to see Hon. Daniel Asekhamen and his elder brother behind prison walls for ruining their means of livelihood, which they claim lies on the road.

Speaking for the Okpuje Progressive Union, (OPU), the highest sociopolitical group in the sub-clan, and on behalf of the President, Mr Osadebe Clement Ogedengbe, the Vice President Mr Mutaba Asekhamen bluntly denounced and relentlessly chided Hon. Asekhamen whom he called the nemesis of Okpuje road and people.

He quipped at the unreality of the claims that Hon. Asekhamen made any impact on the road: “Our road was 100 per cent in order, even though it is an earth road before Daniel Asekhamen swept his way through to the Council and destroyed everything thereof. Ordinarily, I drive my cars from the neighbouring town, Uzebba

to my home town, Oromen without stress. Now, I have to park my car in a family friend’s house after Asekhamen’s house and hops on a motorbike to get to my house”.

Mr Mutaba alleged that while Oshiomhole has turned his ancestral birthplace, Etsakor East, Etsakor West and Cetral local government areas (Auchi speaking in Edo North) to model cities with newly constructed roads, walkways and street lights, the governor refused to tar a single kilometre of road in Owan West Local Government. He therefore questioned the morality behind the mindless maginalisation of his people, giving the fact that Owan West falls into the

same senatorial district as the governor’s, Edo North.

He said the reason Okpuje community voted for the APC in the last general elections was solely on account of Prof Julius Ihonvbere’s last minutes appeal that the governor would mobilise contractors to fix the road once the elections are over. He retorted that the governor who could not visit Okpuje’s towns in the last election as a result of bad road belatedly visited a neighbouring town, Uzebba, few hours before the general election and reiterated the promise his Secretary to the State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere had earlier made.

The Vice President chronicled the

reason himself and the community have been supporting Governor Oshiomhole since 2007 after the governor made public pronouncement at Osaije Central School, Ivbiodohen to fix the road if elected governor. “We were moved after the governor’s solemn promise to mounted serious campaign against the PDP that have ruined our futune, believing that the comrade governor would come to our aid as promised. Okpuje Progressive Union sponsored many of our people to Benin to testified in court in favour of Mr Adams Oshiomhole to enable him retrieve his mandate from the PDP sitting governor, Prof Osareimen Osunbor to our detriment at the time.

“We mounted similar rigorous campaign in 2011 for his re-election after he came to Okpuje with Helicopter three times, promising to fix the same road. The governor made similar promises elsewhere in the local government in the course of the last general elections, using Okpuje road for the umpteenth times to cajole the people in order to win the people’s sympathy and votes in the entire local government and the people sadly fell for the tramp again because of our brother and son, Prof Julius Ihonvbere who is virtually incapacitated in his government”.

A notable chief and Major (Rtd) Benjamin Jimoh Igbafen also recounted how Governor Oshiomhole deceived them into voting his party several times without fulfilling his electoral promise concerning the road.

Major Igbafen gave vivid account on how the governor who could only access the community by a helicopter due to the deplorable condition of the road told the unhappy people that the contractor handling Uroe-Ikhin-Otuo road in Owan East will relocate promptly to Okpuje road as soon as the construction is completed.

High Chief Major Igbafen said a check by his people has revealed that the contractor working on Owan East road which Governor Oshiomhole promised would relocate to Okpuje road has since completed or left UroeIkhin-Otuo road to wherever they come from over two years ago.

The retired Major groaned in righteous anger: “Several letters from me and the entire community reminding the governor of his promise to my people at the electioneering were never responded to”, saying it was governance by deceit by the rambled governor”. He asserted that no single road project by the present government has been constructed in the entire Owan West local government, let alone Okpuje road, yet several road projects are going on in other parts of the state particularly the governor’s local government.

He further stated that any government that can’t keep its electoral promise or extend its reach to every part of the sphere of its geographical domain is either myopic or it is simply interested in marginalising a part of the whole. He said Okpuje with a total population of nearly fifty thousand people with about twenty thousand registered voters spread across the seven major communities namely, Ikpeyan, Oromen, Okeigho Avbioghola, Ivbiodonhen, Oah and Iloje deserve government patronages with regards to the road construction or other basic amenities.

Chief Igbafen intones that “the basic fundamental purpose of governance is to extend development to the farthest part and, to the wretched of the earth, thereby creating a sense of belonging and social integration into the larger society for the less privileged. Dripping venom, the retired Major says, “anything short of that, as with Mr Oshiomhole’s government, is sheer hollowness”. It is left to be seen whether Mr Adams Oshiomhole will fulfil his electoral promise to a resolute people who have been hanging their hopes tenaciously over the years on his shoulders as his administration tapes off.

•Ikhueoya sent this piece from Benin

Violence and Rivers State

I

RESOLVED many weeks ago to refrain from commenting on election matters for personal reasons. But for those miserable weeks, I also struggled continually with my conscience.

However, I wish to state that this article was not inspired only by my conscience; I am troubled also by the verdict of posterity.

What kind of country are we building? Are we proud of our institutions? And above all, our youths, are we satisfied with their conduct particularly during elections?

Politics is superior to economics essentially because elections outcome determine to a very large extent, our level of development. This is so because the quality of governance depends largely on leaders who emerge after elections.

In Rivers State, some of us are worried by the processes that eventually led to elections outcome that we now live with. We are therefore concerned, not just about our grimy political past, but also about our future. To keep quiet, obviously will amount to endorsing a process that many both within and outside the state have acknowledged as flawed.

The violence and carnage that characterised election in Rivers State were predicted many months before the polls by international and local observers, civil societies, some political parties, government agencies, religious groups and even the media. The violence and killing were in many ways, a disaster foretold. There was already a correlation between political violence during the campaigns and also during the actual

elections. To my surprise, the pointers to massive violence that eventually characterised the elections in Rivers were there, yet they were ignored.

Sadly, the brutality and bloodshed was not only widespread but also executed with unmatched impunity and viciousness by well known politicians and security agents across the services.

From Abua-Odual, Ogba-EgbemaNdoni, Eleme, Ahoada East and West to Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Andoni, Bonny, Emohua, Etche, Ikwere, Khana, Gokana, Obio-Akpor, Tai, Okrika and other local governments, the stories were similar: barefaced intimidation, molestation, endless threats, arson and deaths.

I am in agreement with many observers who are of the view that the unprecedented violence of April 11 governorship election would have been nipped in the bud if there had been sanctions for the brazen impunity and violence witnessed during the presidential and National Assembly elections which held earlier. Where there are no consequences for infractions, impunity, violence and crime, lawlessness thrive and that was what we witnessed.

But the battle for the soul of Rivers was fiercest in Okrika, home town of Mrs Patience Jonathan, Nigeria’s former First Lady. Many had argued that all the atrocities and impunity that took place in Okrika and Ogu-Bolu in particular and the entire Rivers State in general, from campaign to election proper, had official endorsement and perhaps took firm roots in the two LGA’s. Those who doubted or thought differently, with the fullness of time, have now come to fully appreciate the unseen evil hands at work.

The tragedy of Okrika began with the high drama that played out before the entire country during APC’s rally in there which culminated in the attack on journalists and APC supporters, and death of a police man. In fact, Okrika was a basket case, coupled with the influx of arms, thugs and mercenaries who personally chased away voters and took electoral materials in all the wards.

The fatalities of Okrika received national condemnation but not national response to punish those who were actors in the incident.

By far the most worrisome was the complicity of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the violence before, during and after the elections. In fact, the PDP maintained a larger than life presence as the party was fingered in all the ignoble activities in virtually all the troubled spots in the state. There were open intimidation, threats and name-dropping of very high politicians and government officials by the hoodlums For example, in Andoni Local Government Area, there were countless instances of violent activities believed to have been propelled by agents of government. Eye witnesses said that on the eve of the April election, shooting lasted for several hours in Ekede, Isiodum, Dema, Ajakajak and Ikuru town. It was however later gathered that the gun shots were fired by political thugs and security men attached to VIPs. This dimension of electoral violence in Rivers State is significant because it revealed how highly placed government officials perpetrated and coordinated violence.

As it turned out, this scary pattern of persistent shooting was not limited to Andoni and its environs. In fact, gun men were unrelenting in other local governments like Asari-Toru, AkukuToru, Khana, Gokana, Okrika, Abua-Odual, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Eleme, Obio-Akpor, Tai, Ogu-Bolo, and even the hitherto peaceful

‘

Max Princewill

Opobo-Nkoro. Their aim apparently, was to attack those courageous enough to challenge them and also scare voters. The operational template of unleashing violence and intimidating the people was essentially the same across the communities and LGA’s.

Aside human targets, properties were also targeted during the presidential and governorship elections. However, the attacks came to a climax during the April governorship election. In AsariToru local government area alone, over eight major cases of arson were recorded. It began with the bombing of the RAC Centre which caused total destruction of both sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials.

As if that was not enough, four INEC delivery vans were also burnt. The height of the destruction however, was the separate attacks on the houses of two prominent APC members in the local government: Mrs. Joeba West, Commissioner for Women Affairs in the Amaechi-led government and Dr. Dawari George, a former member of the House of Representatives. Earlier on, APC offices in Okrika, Bonny and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni local government areas had been bombed.

One similar thread that runs deep through all the incidents of violent attacks across the length and breadth of the entire Rivers State is hijack of electoral materials.

This desperation obviously gives the impression that certain persons where either opposed or not prepared for a fair contest from start. Unfortunately, the police did not help matters as they watched while terror was visited on the people.

I wish to state here that prior to the election, everybody who felt excluded repeatedly pointed accusing fingers at the direction of the PDP, a fear that necessitated the countless meetings and joint statements by other aggrieved political parties who complained endlessly about the unfair advantage of the then ruling party.

But we must stop groaning at some point and seek solutions.

No country becomes prosperous without a solid foundation. Nigeria, therefore must look inwards because she is neither lacking in insightful report documents or the right calibre of individuals that can make a difference. As a people, we can actually begin this self-examination by revisiting for instance, the Justice Uwais National Electoral Reform Committee report, amending the Electoral Act and energizing our electoral legal framework to avoid the revelations in Rivers and Akwa States where results were written in private homes.

All said, one terrifying truth that will haunt our people as we come to terms with reality is the fact that we have lost a good opportunity to show our true selves. For many years now, the entire country has associated us with violence and death but I know we are definitely a misunderstood people. This unfortunate profiling, clearly is a fallout of immoral actions of some desperate politicians in our dear state but we have a duty to redeem our image.

Political struggle is not only a contest; it is also a competition among prepared and capable contenders. Can we, in all sincerity, say in the midst of all the violence and death that characterised the elections, that our State’s representatives at all levels of leadership are truly our choices? Can we also say confidently, irrespective of party affiliation, that our representatives are all products of our collective decision via the ballot box? As a people, I think we must think deeply through this calamity and pray that never again would we allow impunity thrive on our land.

And for our country, there are wider implications for the Nigerian nation state. If the nightmare that took place in Rivers State is left unaddressed, then we will all be guilty of setting a dangerous precedence. Heart-warming however, is the repeated promise by President Muhammadu Buhari that the electoral violence in Rivers State will be definitely addressed. But beyond the painful fact that the electorates were denied their inalienable right to vote for their preferred candidate, there is the growing belief that crime pays, even under the guise of political contestation.

•Princewill, a public commentator, lives in Port Harcourt

If the nightmare that took place in Rivers State is left unaddressed, then we will all be guilty of setting a dangerous precedence. Heartwarming however, is the repeated promise by President Muhammadu Buhari that the electoral violence in Rivers State will be definitely addressed

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

INTERVIEW

NIGER DELTA REPORT BRIEFS

‘It’s Urhobo’s turn to head amnesty office’ T

HE President, National Coalition Niger Delta Ex-Agitators (NCNDE-A) , Israel Akpodoro, in this interview, explains why the Urhobo-speaking people should take charge of the Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government.

You have been in the forefront of engaging a technocrat to lead the Amnesty Programme, what informs your position?

Well, a technocrat would certainly manage that laudable programme of the Federal Government much better than a politician would do. While a detribalised administrator seeks ways to better the lives of the people, a hedonistic, fraudulent and tribalistic politician will want to loot the Amnesty Office dry and sustain the lopsidedness already existing in the distribution of the benefits of the programme.

In this regard, the amnesty programme was designed by a detribalised, well educated Urhobo man whose track record is that of honesty and sincerity. He came up with the template with which originally the amnesty took off until the looting cabal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ýcame on board to hijack and messed up the programme. This Urhobo man drew the road map for today’s amnesty programme without bias. This is why I am of the opinion that the management of the amnesty programme goes to another ethnic nationality and not the ijaw nation any more.

Why not the Ijaw nation?

At the risk of sounding tribal, I wish to state categorically that the Ijaw monopolised all the positives in the programme . About 85 per cent of the beneficiaries of the programme overseas are mainly Ijaw people. Other nationalities in the region noted the same pattern of tribalism ýbetween the duo because they are ijaw people.

It behoves on President Buhari to look beyond the Ijaw and remember that the Delta region is not for the Ijaw alone. We have the Urhobo, Ndokwa, Isoko, Itsekiri, Akwa Ibom, Ibiobio, Ikwere, Ogoni, Kalabari, Andoni, and Efik tribes in the region. The urhobo are the 5th largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria and should therefore be considered by the president for the job.

Talking about security of the oil facilities in the country, what’s your position on the revocation by the Federal Government of the pipeline surveillance contracts recently?

The Federal Government, through the NNPC, took the right step in the cancellation of those pipeline contracts. The Federal Government should consider re-awarding the contracts to the ex-militants in their different domains to complement what the security agencies would do. While the conventional security apparatus have the needed expertise, the non conventional securities mostly the exmilitants know the terrains and could in a synergy with conventional security achieve the desired protection for the oil facilities. Surveillance contracts should, therefore, be awarded to the oil facility bearing communities. The security of pipelines in Urhoboland should be awarded to Urhobo man ditto other tribes.

Equity should displace discrimination in the distribution of the positives of the amnesty program. During the past administration, the people of the Niger Delta region witnessed the worst marginalisation as it concerns the amnesty programme. Except you were connected to the powers that be, even if you are an Ijaw man, nothing

Lawmakers groan over Itu-Calabar From Uyoatta Eshiet, Uyo

R

ESIDENTS of Calabar, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and other Nigerians who daily have to ply the Itu-Calabar Federal Highway, the all important Federal single lane highway constructed in the 1970s, have appealed to the Federal Government to save the road from being cut into two at Enen Atai Itam, in Itu Local Government Area by gully erosion.

Raising a motion of very urgent public importance, the representative of Itu State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Hon. (Prince) Idongesit Ituen described the condition of the road as "life threatening". He said gully erosion is almost cutting the road into two. Hon Ituen said if nothing serious is done urgently within the next few days, Cross River may be cut off from her Sout-South and South-Eastern neighbours.Supporting the motion, Hon. Onofiok Luke, representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency, wondered what ecological funds were meant for while thousands of lives were threatened. He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to act fast to have the road reconstructed and dualised to save the Southsouth, Southeastern states who are the most affected from accidents, death and waste of man-hours every day.

Luke, however, commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for steps taken to have some remedial works done to save lives. He said the steps taken

by Udom should be taken further by the Federal Government by having the whole road reconstructed into a dual carriage way.

Members representing Etinan, Nsit Atai, Mkpat Enin, Esit Eket/ Ibeno state constituencies called on the President to help the Akwa Ibom people and other Nigerians who daily take the risk of going on that road because there is no alternative route to or from Calabar open to them.

The Speaker, Hon. Aniekan Uko, set up a five member committee to visit the road and report back to the House next week Tuesday.

Director to Bayelsa youths: farming can give you fame, money

T

•Akpodoro

comes to you let alone be ing from another tribe.

Aside from Urhobo nation, what other tribe would you readily recommend for the job?

A man from Ndokwa or Isoko nations will equally assuage the people of the region because these are tribes that have suffered various degrees of marginalisation. My major take, however, is that it must not be an Ijaw man this time. Any other tribe from the region will be okay, Ijaw must learn to know that the amnesty office is not their exclusive preserve.

How do you think the current peace in the Delta region can be sustained?

If the right people are put in the right place, peace would certainly prevail in the region and nobody would threaten the peace under any guise. Let's try other people in the management of the amnesty and we would all see the difference. Past administrators saw the amnesty as their baby feeder and what I am saying is that they should be probed.

How can an office be gutted by fire a day or two before or after your exit as head of that office? Recently, youths barricaded the East-West road over unpaid allowances but further investigation proved that the boys were incited by a man who was reluctant to handover the office.

He actually called the boys and ordered them to block the road to stampede the FG into payment of the allowance because he wanted to loot the office that month. A new administrator would ensure ad-

equate payment of the ex-agitators across board without discrimination, d?evelop the boys according to laid down rules honestly and with utmost sincerity. ?Meeting the needs of the people of the region is another thing this administration should look into. Environmental degradation, gas flaring, pollution, poverty, unemployment...are still plaguing the region and all these ought to have been addressed by the immediate past government but for sleaze occasioned by wanton corruption. Peace, no doubt will reign supreme in the region because the people now know better who their enemies are. Our common enemies are the looters of the amnesty office whose priorities are to acquire property all over the world, fund girlfriends, buy aeroplanes at the detriment of the people. Our common enemies in the Delta are those who submitted fake list of names purportedly from the region to dupe the Federal Government in its amnesty programme and monthly they smile to the bank while the downtrodden and the masses of the Niger Delta people died in pains and anguish from acute poverty and common ailments. The people of the Niger Delta region now know that the state governor who loot the treasury rather than use it to better the lots of the people is the enemy of the region/people and not the Federal Government. We now know better that the people of the Niger Delta are its own worst enemies and not the man in Abuja.

HE Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Bayelsa, Dr Francis Umokoro, has advised the unemployed youth in the state to embrace agriculture as business.

Umokoro, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Tuesday, said that farming could give them fame.

According to him, agricultural development is also good for the nation building and will also boost food production. ``No nation can survive without agriculture; so, let us encourage food production because our land is highly fertile for all kinds of crops. ``We have gone round Bayelsa and established that you need no irrigation for any plantation, especially rice because of the swampy nature of the environment. ``Cassava can survive; beans, yam and vegetable fruits can also survive here in Bayelsa. ``It worries me each time I pass through highways and see vast of uncultivated land lying fallow and yet our youths are going round in circle without jobs," the Director stressed.

Umokoro said that to overcome the threat of unemployment in the country, all hands must be on deck, urging the youth in Bayelsa to develop interest in farming now.

He said that the Federal Government was committed to building of human capacity in the area of agriculture. ``The government has been up-anddoing in supplying farm inputs like fertiliser, tractors, seedling among others. ``Bayelsa has been benefiting from the distribution of this fertiliser which is done on a subsidised rate and distribution is always four bags per hectare. ``The farmers get them on a subsidised price, which means that the Federal Government pays 25 per cent, the state pay 25 per cent while the farmers pay 50 per cent. ``So, the government has made it so easy that even the young farmers can invest and survive with farming; they can go for credit loan in banks," he said.

The director urged farmers in the state to educate the unemployed youth on the importance of agriculture in order to support farming business in the state and Nigeria at large.

Akwa Ibom group seeks more money for Maritime Academy, Oron

T

HE National Assembly has been urged to enhance funding opportunities for the nation's premiermaritime training institution, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) by passing a Bill seeking the increase current five per cent funding from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to 15 per cent.

The request was made in Abuja on Wednesday by a group, the Civil Societies of Nigeria (CSN), Akwa-Ibom chapter. The group, while lamenting the inability of the institution to meet its responsibilities, blamed the development on paucity of funds and neglect by past administrations.

The group, led by Richard Wilson, hailed the current management of the institution led by Dr. Joshua Okpo, which it said has improved on the standard of the school. It called for the retention of Okpo as the school's Rector in view of his achievement so far.

CSN faulted the planned conversion of the institution located in Oron, Akwa Ibom State to a conventional university, arguing that such a decision will rob Nigerians the privilege of the institution established to train marine engineers and seafarers.

The group described as mere political move the reported announcement by the immediate governor of the state, Goodwill Akpabio that the Goodluck Jonathan government had approved the school's conversion.

"When did the federal government empower former governor Godswil Akpabio to overtly announce the conversion of a highly technical institution such as MAN Oron into a university without strict adherence to due process?

"The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Convention, which Nigeria is a member state, makes it mandatory for Certificate of Competency (CoC), issued by the institution, to be acceptable beyond the shores of Nigeria, while degrees can only assist the holder in other aspects of maritime education and training.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

36

NIGER DELTA REPORT COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

I

DO not know how to start this epistle.

My confusion stems from the fact that you, Otueneh, are dead and I am alive.

How does the living communicate with the dead? They say it takes the deep to call to the deep. But, I will go ahead and write you and take solace in what my wife Abimbola once told me while trying to convince me to do a newspaper obituary for my late father. She had told me my father would love it and I asked her: “how will he see it?” Her reply: “He liked newspapers and who knows there may be a way they get to read newspapers there.”

Otueneh, I take it that you liked newspapers and read many of them before last Friday when four gunmen suspected to be assassins invaded the home of Emmanuel Bristol Alagbariya, your boss, the National General Secretary of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and killed you-- Sylvanus Otueneh.

It was your boss, the man whose Personal Assistant you were they were looking for. But, the assailants felt that since you were good enough to personally assist him then you could personally die for him.

At the time they got you, you were busy with your boss on the upcoming Rivers State Ijaw Summit, in commemoration of the 58 years of the Henry Willinks Commission Report and celebration ofIjaw heroes for their contributions to the Niger Delta. It was for this purpose that you and others were gathered in your boss’s home that Friday.

The planning committee’s members were waiting for your boss to join them when one of his buses drove into the compound. It was followed by the assassins, who thought he was in the bus. They obviously had been waiting around. Upon entering, they encircled the place, apparently thinking your boss was in the bus.

But they soon discovered that their target was not around. They went into the room where the committee members were waiting and ordered them to lie flat. They were angry when they did not find Alagbariya. And they vented their anger on you. Now, you lie cold in the morgue.

I am told you were a frontline youth leader campaigning for a better life for the Ijaw and Niger Delta youths. Now, you are gone and will not participate in the June 26 summit where the likes of the late Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye, Major Jasper Isaac Adaka Boro, Dr. I. J. M. Fiberesima, Chief U. O. Ekeneokot and Chief P. J Warmate will be honoured for their contributions to Niger Delta, Rivers State and Nigeria. Instead, you and these men you were part of the plan to honour dwell in the same plane. I hope you will see them and tell them what you were planning for them before death took you.

But, that is not all you should tell them. Let them in on the situation of things in the Niger Delta. Tell them that in the Niger Delta, luxury is still a stranger to many. It is something they hear about and see when the rich choose to throw their weight about.

For so many in the region, Otueneh, tell the

OLUKOREDE YISHAU

ABOVE WHISPERS

•A weekly intervention on Southsouth people and matters

olukoredeyishau@gmail.com

Dear Otueneh ‘

Whoever lives by the sword shall die by the sword; whoever sheds the blood of any fellow human-being will know no peace for the rest of his or her miserable life.

He or she will look for sleep and not find; he or she will search for joy and it will flee from him or her

•Blood stain left by the late Otueneh’s killers

elders you now share the same enclave, sending their children to school is a big deal. Tell them the people are still poor in this rich region, where the oil of Nigeria’s prosperity is drilled.

Tell them that close to many’s homes is a constant reminder of their sorry lives: the Residential Area or RA, as we are wont to call it, of the multinational the government gave the licence to drill oil on its behalf. When compared with the RA, what many call homes in the region cannot be described better than saying “heaven and hell, side by side”. Many’s homes are hell; the RAs are heaven.

Tell the elder gone past that it is as though the bulk of the inhabitants of the region have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Or, how does one explain the excruciating poverty?

Otueneh, tell the elders gone past that in

‘

many Niger Delta communities, oil pipelines are not underground. They are in the open.

And often they burst or are burst and the soils and people’s means of existence are damaged in the process.

They have shouted, protested and threatened violence over their fate, yet change has refused to come. It is as if the multinationals also has another licence: to send them all to their early graves. Yet, their leaders, the men who lay claim to being elected to lead them, are least bothered about environmental genocide.

Aggravated asthma, increases in respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis and decreased lung function and premature death are not uncommon. I beseech you Otueneh to let the elders gone past know this. Things have changed but not much since they left.

There is a message you must bear to the elders gone past for me. It is the fact that mul-

LAST WORD

H

tinationals go about painting a picture of being an asset to the people, when it is, indeed, a curse. Tell them that many brains are still being flared out by the gas flares from flow stations, which are at the centre of many a town.

Tell them that findings have revealed that the oil companies are more interested in the oil than in the people’s well-being. The people can die for all they care. They seem to be saying that oil is more important than man.

Forget other mantras they bandy around.

Worse still, Otueneh, don’ forget to tell the elders gone past that governments in the region are accomplices in this man’s inhumanity to man. The royalties and levies are what matter.

You must not forget this important message too: our youths have gone mad with the way they are now looking for easy money. They now see militancy, kidnapping, illegal bunkering and armed robbery the best professions. They need leadership and direction.

Even after the proclamation of the Presidential Amnesty, criminalities have not fully abated. Tell our elders the blood of the innocent was shed in Rivers before, during and after the last general elections. The madness has gone down now, which confirms that they were politically-motivated. I beg you in the name of everything you held dear Otueneh, tell our elders to declare that whoever lives by the sword shall die by the sword; whoever sheds the blood of any fellow human-being will know not peace for the rest of his or her miserable life. He or she will look for sleep and no find; he or she will search for joy and it will flee from him or her; he or she will wish for good health and it shall not be well with him or her; and to wrap it up, woe unto evil doers. The pain your parents, loved ones, friends and wellwishers have known in the last seven days that you have been killed will be the lot of your killers in multitude.

Otueneh, let me call it a day on this note: Soon, you will be buried and like we do in this country, your case file will be buried not long after. Many who have been assassinated like you have had their files buried almost along with their bodies. So, you own won’t be the first. Your death further diminishes our humanity. It calls to question the right of some people to answer human-beings. They are actually animals. The sort of fate that befell you brings to mind This Animal Called Man, the title of a book written by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. The people who killed you in place of your boss are animals of the lowest breed.

The great Shakespeare once said: “Truth sunk into the earth shall rise again.” I wait to see if this will be true in your case. If the truth your killers think they have buried will rise for us all to see and know. I know you cannot rise. You are far gone. But, it will be a balm if the truth about your death is unearthed.

Bye, dear Otueneh, the man with a name so poetic I could not resist repeating it again and again.

BY IMAM BELLO

And Orubebe makes Akwa Ibom exco

E removed his suit, folded his sleeves, tightened the fist of his hand and was ready for a fight with the All Progressives Congress (APC) agents who were carrying out the order of the Election Petition Tribunal to inspect, copy and scan ballot papers and other election materials used to declare former Governor Godswill Akpabio as winner of the March 28 Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district election.

The man of the moment is a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Uwemedimo Nwoko. He lost his cool that Tuesday. He must have impressed Akpabio, who has now fulfilled his promise to ensure Nwoko is retained as a member of the Executive Council. He is one of the lucky 19 men who served Akpabio and will now serve Udom Emmanuel.

The drama went to the extent that the former chief law officer of the state fumed with rage that over his dead body would he allow the scanning of the over 450,000 ballot papers the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate allegedly scored.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), party agents and reporters watched in shock and disbelief as Nwoko recreated a replica of the Godsday Orubebe show at the International Conference Centre during the collation and announcement of the Presidential results.

Activities at the conference hall of the electoral commission in Uyo, venue of the inspection, came to a standstill for more than two hours. Security personnel comprising mostly men of the Department of State Security (DSS) and Police pleaded with APC agents to exercise restraint.

To many, the action was shameful, shocking, disgusting and unbecoming. Not even pleas by officers and men of the DSS that he should show some level of civility could stop Nwoko.

Nwoko’s position was that the ballot papers would not be scanned until they tribunal’s order was interpreted by the tribunal.

Many could not reconcile that Nwoko to the one they knew. He was a lawyer in private practice loved by many for his radical bent and as-

sistance to the underprivileged.

He was sworn in by Akpabio as the 14th Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the oil-rich state on Tuesday, January 13. He served the administration for 20 weeks. He is considered the first Attorney General of the state with a robust background in rights activism.

Before relocating to Akwa Ibom, Nwoko practised law in Lagos. Many will remember him as the lawyer who dragged retired Air Vice Marshal Nsikak Eduok to court on allegation of the murder of his domestic servant.

The Victor Attah administration saw ‘hell’ in the hands of Nwoko. He disagreed openly with the administration on issues revolving around constitutionalism. Former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation Michael Aondoakaa cannot forget Nwoko in a hurry over his handling of a pre-election brief arising from the 2007 general elections. Nwoko was the lawyer to Emmanuel Obot, who challenged the election of Basssey up to the Supreme Court where a unanimous judgment was delivered by Justice Dahiru Musdapher returning Obot as

duly elected into the House of Representatives.

During the adjudication on the case, Nwoko accused Aonadokaa of violating the tenets of the rule of law by impeding the judgment of the court. This contributed to the stripping of Aondoakaa of the title of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC). Another factor that culminated in the move against Aondoakaa was a petition submitted by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).

The 50-year-old Nwoko has close to 25 years experience in law practice majoring in commercial, property and public law. So, it was not surprising that the human rights community in Akwa Ibom and the House of Assembly were happy when he was made the attorney-general.

The Nwoko of that Tuesday is quite different from the vintage Nwoko who ate, slept and dreamt the rule of law. Anger sure got a better part of him and it will take some time for him to shrug off the new image. Perhaps, his resurfacing in the Akwa Ibom exco is good enough to justify his Orubebe replay.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

37

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

S

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NNOSON Motors Nigeria Limited is locked in a legal battle with the Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) gulping billions of naira.

The motor manufacturing company has instituted a N30 billion suit against GTB, following alleged damages the company suffered as a result of an ex parte order of Mareva Injunction, which GTB ap-

•Paul and his mother cutting the cake at a reception

Philanthropist gives all to the poor From Chris Oji, Enugu

to sell them and use the proceeds to help the have-nots.

“He has been sharing rice and cows since 1998 to widows and the indigent. His philanthropy has grown from the widows to the needy. He believes in hard work.

God has endowed him today. He will continue to be rich and flowing out.

Chukwuma congratulated Erinne for attaining the age of 60 of which he contributed major part of his life for service to humanity. “The age of 60 is just a ripe age. We have 120 years to live. Seventy is the retirement age. It is time for one to enjoy

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OMETHING memorable is happening in Enugu. A man who just turned 60 gave all he had to the needy. He did so by formalising a foundation dedicated to the needs of the poor.

The man, Mr. Paul Erinne, an engineer of repute, on that day marked both the inauguration of the Paul Erinne Foundation and his 60th birthday by bequeathing “all I have to humanity.”

He announced this at the birthday party held at the Oakland Centre Enugu. That announcement drew a prolonged applause from the audience which included the deputy governor of Anambra state who represented Governor Willie Obiano and the former governor of Anambra state, Senator Chris Ngige.

Erinne told the audience that he was taking the decision on his own volition and not to impress anybody. “Nobody asked me to do it, and I am doing it not to impress anybody. It is purely for the concern I have for the poor and the needy in the society.”

Prior to the birthday bash, a thanks giving service was held in his honour at the Cathedral of Good Shepherd , Independence Layout Enugu. The service was officiated by the Anglican bishop of Enugu, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma. And Erinne prayed: “My birthday. Another year of my life has come to a close, and a new day begins for me, Lord, eternal caretaker of my life and lover of my soul in Christ Jesus.You have been good to me through the years.

You have given me health and strength, friends and relatives, enjoyment and pleasure, and above all, your gospel with its many promises of peace and forgiveness.

My grateful heart praises you.

“Give me the grace to rededicate myself to you again for the service of the poor and the needy on this commemoration of my birthday and greater willingness to serve you faithfully and continually.”

In his homily, Archbishop Chukwuma poured encomiums on Erinne for his concern for the poor and the needy. Chukwuma said: “Charity to the poor is another way of thanksgiving. Paul is known for his penchant in remembering the poor. He follows the biblical injunction that asks owners of lands

He has been sharing rice and cows since 1998 to widows and the indigent.

His philanthropy has grown from the widows to the needy. He believes in hard work. God has endowed him today. He will continue to be rich and flowing out

,

what he labored for all his life. I prefer to be invited to birthdays and not burials. I detest invitations to burials because I am not an un-

dertaker.

At the service were Priests and Reverend sisters of the Catholic Church who were led by a Monsi-

Innoson sues bank From Chris Oji, Enugu

plied and obtained, freezing Innoson’s accounts in all the banks in Nigeria.

However, on June 10, Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in a considered ruling set aside the ex parte order of September 1, 2014 and the writ of summons as well.

The running legal battle between Innoson and GTB started when Innoson challenged the action of the Nigeria Customs Service for auctioning its goods.

In a Garnishee Order Absolute, the court had ordered GTB to pay Innoson N2,048,737,443.67 from the Customs account.

Rather than comply with the Garnishee Order Absolute of the court, GTB on February 6, 2015 appealed the judgment, but the Court of Appeal in Appeal no. CA/1/258/2011 affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court and ordered GTB to pay the judgment debt of N2,048,737,443.67 to Innoson.

gnor , a representative of the Catholic bishop of Enugu, Bishop Callistus Onaga. A surprising aspect of the Paul Erinne Foundation is that Erinne, thoufg an Anglican gave the foundation to the catholic church to run. This was informed by his belief that the catholic priests and reverend sisters were known to be good missionaries with penchant for caring of the poor and the needy. But the Board of Trustees is made up of nine distinguished Nigerians drawn from other denominations as well as different aspects of life.

Among them include Dr. T. C. •Continued on page 38

GTB, instead, appealed to the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal’s decision.

In another suit, Innoson sued GTB for imposing excess and unlawful charges on the company’s account with the bank amounting to N559 million.

The trial court gave a N4.7 billion judgment in favour of Innoson.

GTB appealed the judgment of the Awka High Court, but the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, upheld the judgment and ordered GTB to pay the judgment debt, which stood at over N5.7 billion, into an interestyielding account in the name of the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal.

GTB has appealed to the Supreme Court.

The lingering legal tussle will soon be decided by the apex court.

,

The running legal battle between Innoson and GTB started when Innoson challenged the action of the Nigeria Customs Service for auctioning its goods

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•Innocent Chukwuma, Chief Executive, Innoson Motors

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

38

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Energy Society seeks alternative power From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

more than other countries, yet we lack electricity power, which we need to change”.

The RAESON boss said that there is need for alternative energies in ameliorating the country’s energy challenges and reduce the over dependence on oil and gas as the main source of power.

Akujor regretted that constant erratic and inadequate power supply, stressing that such has affected the setting-up and maintenance of critical strands of national infrastructure.

He said that there are 60% of Nigerians do not have access to electricity and that most of them do not make use alternative energy such as solar, wind or biomass.

In his address, the chancellor Gre-

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HE Renewable and Alternative Energy Society of Nigeria (RAESON) has decried the dependence on one source of power generation, stressing the need to explore other power sources in the country.

The association said that power is the basis for sound economic foundation of any country that wants to fast-track its economic development and ensure that its citizens have quality living standard.

Speaking at its 5th annual conference at Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), the president of RAESON, Prof Chidi Akujor said that they are ready to partner with government to solve the energy problem and move the economy forward.

Akujor said that his association believes that a solution to the electric power challenges will require the inclusion of renewable energy in the nation’s power sector.

He said, “We agree that Nigeria has a lot of energy, like petroleum, gas, solar radiation among others

We agree that Nigeria has a lot of energy, like petroleum, gas, solar radiation, among others, more than other countries, yet we lack electricity power, which we need to change

,

gory University, Dr Gregory Ibeh said that there reason for RAESON to be the new face of energy in the country which will go a long way in putting the country on the part of success.

Ibeh said that there is need for

alternative energy in the country which has numerous resources for alternative energy supply, stressing that such could be tapped with less expenses for the benefit of all.

The GUU chancellor said, “The world is talking about alternative

energy for its people and economic development, so the Nigeria cannot be left behind from what the world is talking about”.

He noted that there are wind storms everywhere in the country, “There is need for the engineers in the society come together to harvest the wind for energy generation for the improvement of the country’s economy”.

Ibeh explained that the reason behind the failure of the power plants by the government of President Jonathan was because of gas pipeline which are always vandalized by people who want to steal the gas.

He noted that alternative energy is the best thing that would happen to the society, stressing that they are environment friendly unlike gas with its constant emission of air pollution.

Varsity’s N10m for cooperative women From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

resented managing director of the bank, Bashir Ogungbagbe said that the cooperative societies satisfied the requirements of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for such facility.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Edeoga said that CBN mandated that they put forth 30% of the amount which he said the societies met and advised the beneficiaries

to use the loan for the purpose it was meant.

Edeoga said that the cooperative societies under the umbrella of their national body the Quintessential Women Cooperative Society, met the required conditions for such credit facility, hence the money they were given.

The VC told them to use the loan as seed for greater harvest even as it marked the beginning of more access to such facilities and assured them of the readiness of the bank

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HE Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) Micro-Finance Bank has lifted two women groups with the sum N10 million credit as part of its social responsibility.

The two women cooperative societies groups known as Nneji and Selisam Multi-purpose Cooperative Societies were among the beneficiaries of N5 million cheque each group got from microfinance bank.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Hilary Edeoga who rep-

The cooperative societies under the umbrella of their national body the Quintessential Women Cooperative Society, met the required conditions for such credit facility, hence the money they were given

,

to assist them whenever they had challenge in the management of the loan.

In her address to the beneficiaries, the Vice President of the Quintessential Women Association, Rev Mrs Janet Eyo said the association was borne out of the vision to empower women, since the hands of Nigerian women have remained weak for too long.

Eyo said that Abia was one of the 15 states, after Akwa Ibom and Kwara states that got government approval through CBN having fulfilled the conditions and announced that the money would revolve for 10 years thereby allowing more women societies to benefit.

She said the association was ful-

filled especially after several banks had disappointed them and urged the beneficiaries not to squander the opportunity but keep to the terms of repayment in order to benefit more.

She encouraged more women cooperative societies to identify with the association in order to lift their families out of poverty, stressing that the era when women sit at home for their husbands to provide for them is over.

The representative of the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC] one of the partners to the project, Mr Dimgba Eruba, said the commission was elated at the pros•Continued on page 39

Land tears families apart •From right: Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke at the church service with other guests

Philanthropist gives all to the poor •Continued from page 37 Osanakpo (SAN), Dr. Samuel Erinne based in the United States, Mrs. Ijeoma Egbo, a female evangelist; Emeka Egbo, an industrialist; Rev. Fr. Peter Agbonome, head of Holy Ghost Congregation, eastern province and Rev. Mother Lonnie Martha Akaraga, mother superior general of handsmaids of Holy Christ Jesus.

Others include, Rev. Fr. Jude Odiaka, head of Jesuit Congregation in Nigeria and the founder of the foundation, Paul Erinne, a Lagos based industrialist.

The mission and vision of the foundation is to become the bastion of hope, the beacon of love and unfettered service to the less privileged and humanity at large.

It is also to nuture and nourish a lasting platform that will perpetually seek to the need of the down trodden without let or hin-

drance anywhere in the world.

Paul Erinne got the calling to serve humanity some 30years ago aboard a flight from Kenya to Zambia when he was an undergraduate. He consummated a covenant with God while the aircraft was going through a terrific turbulence.

Enveloped in fear as the aircraft was quivering and tearing through the storm, a voice said to him “,fear not my son, I shall preserve your life ,you shall not die on this trip, you shall not only get to your destination but you must fulfill your destiny in life but don’t forget to honour me when the time comes”.

In the horrific situation, the young man vowed in his heart that if God does His own part of this bargain that he will surely keep his.

When his age mates were still grappling with finding a career path, success embraced the young man and wealth came his way too.

He was imbued with all the good things of life at a very young age.

Sometimes we make vows which when it is time to fulfil, it becomes burdensome to us.

Not so with Erinne.

He began in a small scale with scholarship grants for indigent students, paying hospital bills for the sick, donating a hostel block to a university and donating a building to a motherless babies home.

Considering the magnitude of God’s blessings unto him as he clocks the diamond age of three scores, he insists he must birth a befitting philanthropic brand that would outlive him to perpetually serve the less privileged and humanity at large. That is how the Paul Erinne Foundation (PEF) came to be. And on June 12 precisely, Erinne bequeathed all he had labored for, to the service of humanity.

T

WO families, Okoronwiro and Nwankwo-Eje, in Umuhu, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, have fallen out over the ownership of a parcel of land and the economic trees on it.

In 2003 the Okoronwiro family put up an advertorial in a newspaper claiming joint ownership of the land as well as the allied items on it.

But in a counter claim, the Nwankwo-Eje family led by Geoffrey E. Nwankwo debunked the coownership posture, adding that such claim should be retracted.

He warned that any member of the public who had anything to do with the land, economic trees and other properties in Umuhu, Umunebo village without consulting the Nwankwo-Eje Family would have themselves to blame.

He maintained that any such transaction shall be null and void and of no consequence.

Nwankwo noted that the family historically, were the occupants and direct descendants of Umuhuagorom clan or dynasty, adding that

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

no other in Umunebo village of Uvumegbenadiji Ufuma.

Furthermore, he claimed that the Okoronwiro descendants were incorporated in Umuhu dynasty by the Nwankwo-Eje, adding that the terms reached in the years had been abandoned.

He said that the said article was void in associating Nwankwo-Eje family with any pre-occupation and indiscriminate land deal or sale of economic trees that were jointly owned by both families.

This, according to the family was inciting, libelous and scandalous, in bad faith, mischievous as well as laced with ulterior motive and falsification of history.

They said that all rights and privileges pertaining to the Umuhu dynasty and its property in Oha Agbada, Iyi Ogwugwu, Ugwuajirija, Nkwa, Ugwuagadinwanyi, Oguro, Osum, Anaocha, Isigwuikpa, Ohe Uno, Ohe agu and Oriehi rest and belonged to the Nwankwo-Eje Family.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

39

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT Facelift for Enugu public schools •Continued from page 27 the service of unqualified teachers, the agency has also carried out staff biometrics. The exercise exposed over 1,000 teachers with altered birth dates; those with suspicious certificates; suspected impersonators; and those due for retirement.

The staff audit has also revealed the precise number of teachers needed to cover public schools in the state.

Praising ENUSUBEB for its many strides, the chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Enugu wing, Comrade Ozo Nnaji (JP) said teachers have never had it this

T

HE Project Director of Youth for Agriculture Nigeria (YFA), Obinna Ibiam has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that his administration keys into a programme involving youth in agriculture.

He also said that state governors and minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will equally do the same.

Yet, that is not all. Even federal legislators and their state counterparts are not left out in the appeal to see that youths do not idle away but be engaged in tilling the ground in the various ways.

The result is manifold, according to the YFA leader. One, it will ensure food security apart from

•Another completed school project good in the state. He hailed the biometric exercise, saying it has led to proper identification of serv-

ing teachers and discovery of those with falsified certificates.

According to him, the exercise

has also helped to identify those deserving of promotion, leading to cases of rapid promotion. Nnaji

‘Employ youths in agric’ From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

keeping youths out of vice.

Ibiam said that there is need for the Federal Government, state governors and legislators to ensure that they promote agricultural programmes in their various areas for youth empowerment.

Speaking with The Nation in Umuahia, Ibiam said that the presidency, state governors and legislators should key into the programme through YFA for ef-

fective operation.

Ibiam said that the lawmakers at various levels should ensure that they enact laws that will enhance youth employment in agricultural programmes if the issue of food for all is to be realised.

He maintained that if the youths of the country are empowered to have exportable agricultural produce in all the agricultural commodity value chain, “The value of our currency will increase, there will be food and employment”.

The project director YFA said that if the youth employment in agriculture programme is al-

lowed to succeed, “It will help to reduce youth restiveness, hunger, unemployment and poverty”.

Ibiam said that the YFA programme is the only alternative avenue to crude oil revenue problem the world is facing now, stressing that the only way for Nigeria to survive is to go back to agriculture.

He said that the YFA has a nine year strategic plan with the federal government to catalyze youth employment in agriculture programme to the grass root to create 37 million jobs in all the 774 council areas of the country.

also the massive capacity building of teachers was commendable just as the renovation of schools across the state was unequalled.

He said: “I am happy because teachers in the state have been well looked after. Things have never been this good for us. We receive our salaries promptly. The agency has cleared all outstanding promotion and leave allowance arrears.

This has given us confidence and assured that we are indeed considered important.

“I am equally elated that the Teachers Enhancement Arrears (TEA) has been completely paid from 10 percent to 27.5 percent.

There is also the N25, 000 running cost support for Primary Head Teachers across the states. We are glad that we have an agency that has our back and are poised to continue contribution to youth empowerment through effective impartation of knowledge.”

Varsity’s N10m for cooperative women •Continued from page 38 pect of partnering with the association.

Eruba said that the scheme is a success having already proved them reliable partners which, stressing that it was the reason the association was provided with a rice processing machine donated to the association through NDDC. He said the Commission would also partner with the women in training programmes and urged them to invite NDDC whenever they were ready for such programmes.

•Senator Nkechi Nwaogu displaying her party card after the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osisioma Local Government admitted her into the party. With her are chairman, APC, Abia State, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa (left) and other party chiefs in the state

•Watermelon sellers at a railway market in Kaduna

•People buying pineapples at a railway fruit market in Kaduna

•Armed robbers operational vehicles allegedly bombed by them as they fled through the waterways

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Abia clears drains A

•Some of the gutters being de-silted From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

round to monitor the scooping of gutters, it was a good step by the governor towards restoring the original master plan of Aba. “It is a positive step by the Abia State government. The evacuation of the debris from the gutters will help to cushion the effect of flooding in this town especially, now that we are in the rainy season and I hope that they will be able to finish the exercise before the rain sets in properly”, a resident who simply gave his name as Uchenna said.

But Christian Ogor disagrees with Uchenna as he recalled, “In 2013 or thereabout, Governor Theodore Orji (immediate past governor) embarked on such process. If you will remember, they concentrated much on Azikiwe road where they scooped out a lot

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BIA State has started clearing the clogged drains of Aba, its commercial hub.

The city is blighted by a network of bad roads and is perennial flooded, sometimes leading to the loss of lives and properties.

Silted drainage is often blamed for the flooding, which is most disturbing in the rainy season.

The perennial flooding according to environmental experts can be attributed to the blocked drainages and canals with domestic and industrial waste which prevents water from flowing freely through the channels into the Aba River.

However, Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu during his inaugural speech and other events had promised that he was going to tackle the case of flooding menace in Aba, warning all landlords and owners of various illegal structures on water ways to evacuate them or have them pulled down when the government would move in its bulldozers to action.

And in fulfillment of his promises to ameliorate the incidence of flooding in Aba as the rain sets in, the state government has since last week Friday began de-silting of drainages within the commercial heartbeat of Abia State.

The streets and areas so far covered by the exercise include Park road, St. Michael’s Road, hospital road, Umule, Ukaegbu, Umuojima among other places where the exercise is going on simultaneously.

While many residents and shop owners have lauded the state government’s step in addressing the case of flooding, others have equally expressed their reservations over the exercise.

According to some residents that spoke to our reporter who went

of debris from the gutters along that road and before you know it, majority of them went back to the gutters.

“Look at how what they have scooped out is littering the road and making our roads look dirtier. It is not that I am against what the gov-

ernment is doing. Since Friday or Saturday that they scooped out all these things from the gutters, they were yet to come and use their truck to remove them. You know how many times that it has rained in Aba and majority of what they were able to scoop out are still going back

into the drainages. It is also obstructing movements along the road and causing unnecessary traffic jam.

“I don’t think that rainy season is a time to do this and do it better.

So, while I am against people dumping their industrial and domestic wastes into the gutters, I equally want to advice the government to ensure that something urgent is done to ensure that whatever that is removed from the gutters will be promptly evacuated if they know that they won’t end up wasting their monies and efforts as well”, he advised.

However, an official of the Abia State Government appealed to Aba residents to be patient with the state government and promised that they were on top of the matter, stressing that they would soon evacuate the debris littering the roads.

to have rest outside your home, but in Nigeria, it is a different ball game, but we must not continue to profess negativity, but we should be positive in what we do” “I have not come for a sermon in the prison but to celebrate with our fellow human beings, who are being neglected because of what some of them do not know

about,” Ezeemo said.

However, while speaking with the inmates before he cut his birthday cake with them, Ezeemo, told them not to see their condition as the worst in life, adding that they should not lose hope.

“You are here for reformatory purpose, but you should not see yourself as failures, the reason for some of you being here could be

as a result of mistaken identity,” Ezeemo said.

The provost general in the prison who described himself as Mohammadu Buhari in the prison, claimed that some of the inmates had spent 12 years there.

He said that over 200 inmates in the Awka prison would not have ended up there if they had someone to stand for them.

The evacuation of the debris from the gutters will help to cushion the effect of flooding in this town especially, now that we are in the rainy season and I hope that they will be able to finish the exercise before the rain sets in properly

,

Gloom for Anambra inmates •Continued from page 28

[only God] is sustaining them.”

Also, Assistant Controller of Prisons (ACP) in Aguata prisons, Paschal Ibegbuleme corroborated what Kalu said, adding that prisons have been neglected and abandoned.

Ekwy Okafor, the prisons welfare officer, heaped praises on Ezeemo for coming to celebrate his birthday with people who are neglected and abandoned.

He said Ezeemo had shown the kind of real love Jesus Christ showed that made him to suffer for the people.

Okafor, further said that what Ezeemo did was rare because he alleged that the big people in the society including top politicians always go to big hotels to celebrate their birthdays, adding that the philanthropist has shown example of a good leader.

The prison staff described Ezeemo as a hero, a giant, a humanitarian, a philanthropist and a listener to the voiceless.

•Awka prisons

Speaking with The Nation, Ezeemo said what he did was to satisfy his mind, his heart, his soul and his body.

A Paul Haris fellow of the Rotary Club International, Ezeemo lamented that all the basic things that make life meaningful were all lacking in the prisons.

Ezeemo said, “In advanced countries, being a prisoner was

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26 2015

43

COMMENTARY

P

REAMBLE Perhaps no institution in Islam has brought as much harmony to human societies as Zakah. Its divine decree and revelation to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the 5th year of Hijrah was a social revolution coming to mankind with an ecstasy of delight. That decree was the Fatwah that ushered Zakah into the world and made it the third pillar of Islam.

Hitherto, there was no organised system of redistribution of wealth for the purpose of alleviating poverty in any society. Although the Prophet had introduced Sadaqah (voluntary charity) as a pecuniary bridge among the Muslim social strata, this was only done according to the whims of the rich. And it had a specific neither time nor a specific measure.

While in Makkah, the Prophet was limited to only two pillars of Islam. These were ‘Iman’ (Faith) and Salat (observance of five daily prayers). The three other fundamental pillars of Islam came to him through divine revelations in Madinah.

Of the three, Ramadan was the first to came in the third year of Hijrah. It was followed by Zakah which came in the fifth year of Hijrah. These two pillars were finally anchored by Hajj in the 7th year of Hijrah. However, Zakah is our immediate concern here.

FEMI ABBAS ON femabbas756@gmail.com 08115708536

Facts about Zakah ‘Insisting on gold as a universal measure of Nisab in today’s world is nothing but a dogmatic ambush for Zakah as well as a clandestine collaboration with some enemies of Islam to ditch the third pillar of that divine religion’

Essence of Zakah Zakah is not about redistribution of wealth between the rich and the poor alone. It is much more about social interaction of individuals and groups in any society for the purpose of boosting tolerance, security, peace and harmony. With the coming of Zakah as the third obligatory pillar of Islam, the mutual suspicion between the rich and the poor in Madinah was reduced to its barest minimum and the instrumentality of governance was formidably strengthened.

Zakah is the only pillar of Islam that affects other people’s lives through the giving hands of the rich and the receiving hands of the poor. Other pillars of Islam such as Iman (Faith), Salat (Worship), Sawm (fasting) and Hajj (Pilgrimage) are all personal to whoever observes them. They cannot be shared with any other person.

It is only Zakah that requires the giver and the recipient to interact heatedly to the benefit of the latter.

Controversy over Nisab The main problem of Zakah in the world today is in the controversy over the interpretation of Nisab (i.e. the minimum taxable amount from which Zakah is supposed to be paid) as prescribed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Some modern scholars have become so lazy and perhaps so intellectually retarded that they only rely on research carried out by primordial scholars some centuries ago. Such modern scholars believe that the research carried out according to the situation of those primordial periods should suffice in projecting Islam to eternity. They have forgotten that Islam is a dynamic and not a dogmatic religion.

Thus in matters of Zakah, such scholars are so rigid on using gold as the measure for determining Nisab that they do not even care if Zakah is no longer paid and the five pillars of Islam are technically reduced to four. They have ignored the fact that the same Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who prescribed gold as a measure of Nisab for sellers and buyers of gold also prescribed silver (as a measure of Nisab for dealers in silver as well as the majority of Muslims who are engaged in other businesses).

That same Prophet even went further to prescribe the specific amount of money that can be termed as Nisab in certain currencies available during his time. He said, as reported by Ali Bn Abi Talib, that if you have 200 Dirham or 20 Dinar you are liable to paying Zakah. This means that if you are in possession of a net income that amounts to 200 Dirham or 20 Dinar, Zakah payment becomes obligatory on you.

How the Jews influence Nisab Since payment of Zakah is not about money alone, subjecting the Nisab of Zakah to the market price of gold is like surrendering a whole pillar of Islam to the whim of the Jewish gold dealers who invariably determine the price of that commodity to the detriment of Zakah as a pillar of Islam. It is generally known

throughout the world that the principal traders in gold are the Jews. And they are the ones determining its price from time to time.

While some scholars insist on waiting for the current price of gold to be able to determine Nisab of Zakah only a few people know that as of today it requires just a minimum of about 200 UAE Dirham (according to the Prophet’s prescription) which is an equivalence of $54 or N10,744 as the net amount of money from which Zakah is to be paid in a year. And only two and a half per cent of this amount which is now N268 (according to current rate of exchange) is payable from it. The figure here is based on 200 UAE Dirham in accordance with the Prophet’s prescription. By this, only those who have less than N10744 as net income in a year will not pay Zakah. Yet Nigerian Muslims prefer to spend thousands of dollars on Hajj every year without ever paying Zakah.

Due Process In Islam, everything is done by due process. And Zakah cannot be of any exception.

The process of paying Zakah includes the following: •Being a genuine Muslim •Attainment of the age of maturity •Intention to pay Zakah and not Sadaqah; •Timeliness (the amount must have remained in custody for one year); •Correct amount (i.e. to pay according to Nisab); • Ensuring that the paid Zakah reaches the intended recipient;

Explanation The wealth on which Zakah must be paid are basically seven. These include: gold and silver; cash income; agricultural products; livestock; property and mineral resources.

Every male or female Muslim who has a net income of at least N10,744 which is an equivalence of 200 UAE Dirham prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as reported by Ali Bn Abi Talib, the third Caliph should pay Zakah. The Prophet was quoted as saying that if you have a net income of 200 Dirham or 20 Dinar you are liable to the payment of Zakah. The fact that he mentioned Dirham which was coined in silver before Dinar which was coined in gold confirms his preference for silver over gold as a measure of Nisab. And based on the quoted Hadith, Umar Bn Khattab also laid emphasis on silver during his caliphate and provided opportunity for most working Muslims to pay Zakah.

Both Dirham and Dinar are still very much in use today in some Arab countries. For instance in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Syria and Morocco, the currency in use is Dirham while countries such as Jordan, Iraq, Libya and Kuwait use Dinar.

Most of the prescriptions of Nisab by to-

day’s Nigeria’s Islamic scholars are based on the current global market value of gold as determined by the Jewish gold traders. This is contradictory to the position of the second Caliph (Umar Bn Khattab) who adopted 200 silver-based Dirham prescribed by the Prophet to enable majority of the citizenry pay Zakah even as he did not prevent those who preferred gold as Nisab measure from using it.

Personal Comment Insisting on gold as a universal measure of Nisab in today’s world is nothing but a dogmatic ambush for Zakah as well as a clandestine collaboration with some enemies of Islam to ditch the third pillar of that divine religion. The Prophet had guarded against this by considering the implications of not paying Zakah before he prescribed Dirham and Dinar. Now, going by the current market price of gold, which has put Nisab at over N600000, more than 85% of Nigerian Muslims may not be able to pay Zakah. And this has been the case year in and year out for many past decades. The implication of this is that most Nigerian Muslims will never be able to pay Zakah throughout their life time. Yet, some Nigerian scholars insist on Nisab based on gold price not minding the plight of those who are technically excluded from the payment of Zakah.

Using Dirham for Nisab?

This column (The Message) chose the UAE Dirham as a measure of Nisab for Nigerian Muslims because of their familiarity with Dirham. Many Nigerians either travel to Dubai for business transactions or pass through that city which is globally acknowledged as an international transit on their ways to some countries in Asia or Australia. By that, they have become familiar with the UAE currency called Dirham which the Prophet recommended as a matter of priority. The argument that the Dirham of the Prophet’s time was different from today’s Dirham as being advanced by some so-called scholars is as pedestrian as saying that since the Prophet did not mention Naira as a measure of Nisab, Zakah should not be paid in Naira. Can anybody prove that the available gold or silver during the Prophet’s time was different from that of today? Just as gold is gold whether during the Prophet’s time or today so is Dirham or Dinar remains the same.

Payable Amount What is statutorily payable from N10,744 = N268 (which amounts to 21/ 2% or 1/40) of that amount. Today, the Dirham used in the United Arab Emir-

ates is globally recognised as denominated in silver just as the Dinar used in Jordan or Iraq or Kuwait is recognised as denominated in gold. It is therefore grossly erroneous to impose the price of gold as determined by the Jews on Nigerian Muslims as the only yardstick for measuring Nisab.

Zakah of Property With regards to landed property, no Zakah is paid on a residential building that is not commercialised fully or partly. If however, a part of it is commercialised and made a source of income (i.e. a part of it is let out) Zakah should be paid on the amount realised from the income generated from the commercialised part. If an open land is rented out commercially, Zakah should be paid on the amount realised from it provided that the net amount there from reaches the prescribed Nisab of N10,744 per annum. But if the property is completely sold out the payable sum on it should be 21/2% or 1/40 of the amount realised from its sale.

Other properties on which Zakah should be paid include machinery leased out which generates income or a plot of land leased out on commercial basis or a well of water used for commercial purpose.

Whatever is realised from any of these should be assessed according to the prescribed measure and 21/2% or 1/40 of its net balance should be paid as Zakah after deducting all expenses incurred on its process as well as payment of any debt.

Agricultural Products As for the agricultural products, the prescribed minimum quantity from which Zakah should be paid is 653 kilograms. Such products include cash crops, legumes, fruits as well as tuber. There is no payment of Zakah on anything less than that weight.

And the measure to be paid on agricultural products generally is 10% if the farm is not irrigated. But if irrigation is involved, only 5% is to be paid. This is to enable the farmer to cater for the cost of irrigation.

The Zakah on farm products is paid immediately after harvesting. Payment of Zakah on agricultural products, especially crops, may be more than once in a year because it is a matter of pay as you harvest.

Livestock In the case of livestock, the quantities from which Zakah should be paid vary from animal to animal. For instance, one cow is given as Zakah out of every 30 cows. One goat or one sheep is given as Zakah out of every 40. One year old goat or sheep is given as Zakah on every five camels.

The minimum taxable Nisab on gold is 20 Dinar. Out of this, half of one Dinar, which amounts to 1/40 of 20 Dinar is payable. Anything in excess of 20 Dinar is calculated accordingly. Besides gold and silver, there is no Zakah on mines until they have been converted into cash or cash-able values. Zakat may also be paid on expected payment of debt if the debtor is reliable and trustworthy.

Beneficiaries of Zakah The statutory beneficiaries of Zakah are contained in Chapter 9 verse 60 of the Qur’an as follows: “Verily, Sadaqah (obligatory alms) are only for the poor and the needy and those who work on its collection and those whose hearts are to be reconciled (i.e. new converts) and to free those in bondage (debtors and prisoners) as well in the path of God (building of Mosques, orphanages etc) and the wayfarers; a duty imposed by God; God is all-knowing, all seeing”.

The administration of Zakah to these people should be done by the State authorities in Islamic societies or a committee headed

by Muftis of each locality with Islamic scholars as members.

It is better to disburse Zakah within the extended family or in the neighbourhood than to carry it outside one’s environment.

In countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iran and the likes, the time for paying Zakah is set to coincide with Ramadan period. This does not however mean that every Zakah time must fall in Ramadan.

Generally, the business of Zakah is as serious with Allah as it is in the lives of the poor masses that will benefit from it. Thus, it is not a topic to be fully treated in a single day column of this type. It may therefore be continued in this column in the near future.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

44

NEWS

•The late Sawyer

•The late Adadevoh

•Chukwu

The outbreak of Ebola Virus last year tested Nigeria’s readiness for emergency. At the end, the country emerged a global model.

But, there is a snag now: petitions are flying here and there over the management of the N19b Ebola Management Fund. There is also the twist of a possible fake medic who has been in the Ministry of Health since 2006, reports OLUKOREDE YISHAU

Messy Ebola fight in health ministry O

N the periphery, it can pass as the tale of a man drowning and dragging others along.

But, it may not be that simple. A forensic look can reveal more. In a way, it all began on July 20, last year.

That day, a senior Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) official from Liberia, Patrick Sawyer, arrived in Lagos aboard Asky Airline. Months before Sawyer’s arrival, his country had been enmeshed in a severe fight with the Ebola Virus. Guinea and Sierra Leone were also in the throes of Ebola.

Since the three countries are not so far away from Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health had envisaged a situation where the deadly virus could find its way into the country through its many porous borders. It was with this in mind that the ministry and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on July 15, last year organised a stakeholders meeting to work on a contingency plan. Three days after the contingency plans were worked out, the then Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, wrote the Permanent Secretary, Linus Awute, seeking details of its antiEbola strategies. He got the details a day after Sawyer arrived Lagos.

Then it was not clear what was wrong with him.

On July 23, last year, the Federal Ministry of Health team moved to Lagos in order to work with Lagos team. Blood and urine samples were collected from the late Sawyer and were sent to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital Non Communicable Disease Control Laboratory where urine samples tested positive to Ebola virus disease. The samples sent to World Bank funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics Infectious Disease (ACEGID) at the Redeemers University detected viral DNA and Ebola Zaire MGB Virus strain. The World Health Organisation (WHO) collaborating Laboratory for Ebola Virus in Dakar also confirmed same. He died 6.50am on July 25. It dawned on the ministry and Nigerians that the scourge was finally here.

Given the country’s unpreparedness for emergency situations, there were fears about how the whole fight would be carried out. At the end, Nigeria earned accolades for its management of the virus. The country was able to contain it within Lagos and Port Harcourt, with less than 10 casualties, including the index patient Sawyer and the doctor who attended to him at the First Consultant Clinic, Obalended, Lagos, Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh.

It was really a moment the country was a reference point, even to the United States. And Chukwu almost rode on the back of the Ebola fight into the Government House in

Abakaliki, Ebonyi State before political tacticians stopped him.

The euphoria is over. Now, there is a messy fight. Behind this is money. The N19 billion released for the management of the scourge. Aside the police, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC) is also probing the Ebola funds.

On June 10, around noon and 2pm. Men of the police’s Analytical, Tracking and Interception Centre stormed the ministry located at the Three Arm Zone. It seems their targets were Awute, Director, Health Emergency Response and Disaster Management, Akintunde Kehinde and the Project Director (NCDC), Prof. Nasidi Abdulsalam.

The officers accused these men of failing to honour invitations to defend themselves over the allegations of mismanaging the Ebola funds.

The permanent secretary and the NCDC boss were not around. Kehinde was picked up from his office and dragged to the third floor. The police team was resisted by the workers who felt the manner of the arrest was arbitrary.

The workers prevented the police from whisking him away. They followed the team to the car park and blocked the exit. The private security guards were ordered to lock the gate so that the team would not be able to go out.

At a point, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) attached to the Federal Secretariat, Mr. John Eleke, approached the team and tutored them on the need to allow the arrest go through a proper channel to avoid chaos. He suggested that the director should be taken to police post within the secretariat, which the workers agreed to.

Kehinde, in a statement, said: “They were led by an Inspector of police named Inspector Adamu. He introduced himself as team leader from Apo Police Station, Analytical Tracking and Interception Center (SARS), Abuja branch . I then demanded for his warrant of arrest which he told me he has none but an invitation letter has been sent to me and acknowledged by me which I said ‘no’ I did not receive any invitation letter. I resisted the attempt and told Mr Adamu, the team leader, that before I can follow them I have to take permission from my superior, who is the Permanent Secretary and the Director of Human Resources .

“At that point, so called “Dr George”-Martins Ugwu ordered that I should be bundled and handcuffed, which I also resisted before Inspector Adamu and the other police in plain cloth with his gun hitting me on my shoulder and Adamu was dragging me together with the police that held the gun down the stair

•Awute

‘

I have come to the realisation that prisons are built for men and if that is where I belong, I should be put there. But what I know is that I have been transparent in the handling of the Ebola funds. I deserve honour and nothing more for my role in containing the virus

‘

•Ugwu or Daniel?

case from the third floor to the ground floor towards their private car. From the third floor, where I was being manhandled by the Inspector Adamu and the armed police officer, so called “Dr George” ordered the pressmen and women that accompanied them to the ministry to start covering the event of shame and humiliation, assault, molestation and harassment.”

Kehinde was later allowed to report to the police himself. He is back in the ministry and awaiting further action from the police.

Between Daniel and Ugwu In this messy fight, one name that has kept coming up is Martins Ugwu or Dr. George Davidson Daniel. He is an employee of the ministry, who is now on suspension. The reason for his suspension has yet to fully unravel. The ministry accused him of impersonation. He is known in the ministry as Daniel, but the ministry

said it found out his real name is Ugwu. He joined the ministry in 2006 as a Medical Officer II on grade level 12.

Three of his colleagues – Dr. Adebayo Williams, Chidozie Godwin and Abdulazeez Umar, petitioned the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) on May 13. The petitioners said Ugwu was using the certificate of a medic in Jos, Dr. Davidson Daniel.

The FCSC forwarded the petition to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the body in charge of keeping the records of all medical practitioners. The council discovered that it has a doctor named George Davidson Daniel in its archive, but the picture sent to it from the ministry is different from the one in its archive.

On June 4, the Registrar of MDCN, Dr. A. Ibrahim, in a letter to the Chairman of FCSC, Deacon Joan Ayo, confirmed that Ugwu was impersonating Daniel.

The council wrote: “Records available to the council revealed that this Dr. Davidson Daniel George is an impostor as he is impersonating another Dr. Davidson Daniel who is the genuine doctor and currently undertaking his residency training in Jos, Plateau State. Council summoned and interacted with the genuine doctor who gave some vital information on the impostor. Council has reported the matter to the law enforcement agency as a case of impersonation, with the genuine doctor deposing to a statement with regards to what happened between him and the fake doctor whose real name is Mr. Martins Ugwu. As it is, Mr. Martins Ugwu is an imposter. You may therefore wish to take further actions to deal with this matter in accordance with the provisions of the law.”

On June 5, the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), in a letter to the Chairman of FCSC, confirmed that the real George Davidson Daniel graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in May 2002. The latter was signed by the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Prof. A. G. Bakari.

After the investigations, FCSC urged Awute to hand over the suspect to the police for prosecution.

Ugwu was thereafter placed on suspension pending his dismissal from the Service.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command is investigating the impersonation case against Ugwu.

And now the whistleblower But as far as Ugwu is concerned, he sees himself as the whistleblower, who has unearthed fraud in the disbursement of the N1.9bn Ebola intervention fund. In his petition, he claimed that the ministry spent N900 million on isolation tents. He accused

Kehinde of initiating vouchers of N28.2 million to pay for the decontamination of First Consultant Hospital in Obalende, which had already been done by the Lagos State government.

The petitioner also alleged that N63.5 million meant for the training of volunteers in Liberia and Sierra Leone were unaccounted for.

But Kehinde, in a statement to the Police, agreed that Lagos State did the decontamination of the hospital, and that on realising this, the funds were returned to the ministry.

The petitioner also alleged that Prof. Nasidi withdrew N63,581,250 million claiming it was meant for pre-departure training of volunteers who left the country on December 5, last year for Liberia and Sierra Leone. He claimed that the African Union Commission paid for all the expenses.

He also claimed that N30,769,000 million was withdrawn from the Ebola account for a treatment research group, adding that N14,415,000 million was expended on a meeting for 15 people.

Kehinde explained that “on one occasion, so called “Dr. George came to my office, around January 2015 to demand from me his own share of the national cake, and alleged that he and a group of lawyers went after former Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu and petitioned against him to derail his ambition. I sent him out of my office and he promised to come back in the way that I will never expect. Since then, he has been sending false information, photocopy government vouchers, documents of those that he tagged as enemies of his ”.

In a telephone chat with The Nation yesterday, Awute said he had nothing to hide and would cooperate with all law enforcement agencies to investigate the allegations. He expressed confidence that at the end of the day, the truth would emerge.

He said: “I have come to the realisation that prisons are built for men and if that is where I belong, I should be put there. But what I know is that I have been transparent in the handling of the Ebola funds. I deserve honour and nothing more for my role in containing the virus.”

Certainly, this is not the end of the matters. It remains to be seen who truly the petitioner is between Ugwu and Dr. Daniel. It also remains to be seen if the allegations are true or just the concoctions of an angry man.

All eyes are on the police and the ICPC to get to the bottom of the matters.

•Additional reports by Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

Invest in livestock, African countries urged A

LIVESTOCK expert and Executive Director of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, has challenged African countries to invest in livestock.

He spoke as a guest lecturer at the yearly lecture of the Department of Animal Science with the Directorate of International Programmes, University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom State.

He decried the low level of investments and lack of interest by most African countries, including Nigeria, in the sector, saying the situation was pathetic.

Akinbamijo said the major challenge that livestock investors face in Africa is low capacity for inno-

• ‘Sector’s global value hits $1.4 tr From Uyoatta Essiet, Uyo

vation.

On why African countries must take action, Akinbamijo said total asset value of the global livestock market stood at $1.4 trillion and the sector globally employs about 1.3 billion people with Africa gaining or contributing very little.

He said of the five highest value global commodities, four are livestock.

The FARA chief said by 2040, 70 percent of global beef and milk will be produced in developing countries by small holders.

On global food production, Akinbamijo said by 2050, the meat and milk markets are projected to increase 145 percent and 155 percent, respectively, over 2005/07 levels.

He said over this period, Africa’s increase in volume of meat consumed will be at par with that of the developed world and Latin America and gains in the size of Africa’s milk markets will be stronger than in any other region except South Asia.

He said further that the yearly growth rates in both meat and milk

consumption are projected to be higher in Africa than in any other region except in South Asia. In both volume and value, beef, milk and poultry will provide business opportunities for Africa’s livestock producers, sellers and investors, the FARA Boss submitted.

He however regretted that since livestock do not get the attention it deserve in most part of Africa, its potential to contribute to economic well-being of the continent is under-exploited.

According to him, three quarters of Africa’s rural households, who possess livestock, employ about 50 per cent of agricultural labour force. He added that the trend accounts for about one third of agri-

cultural Gross Domestic Product GDP (contributes about 10 per cent of GDP).

He said that livestock which is the fastest growing agriculture subsector, provides food; employment and income; soil fertility improvement; traction (ploughing and transport), including capital accumulation to cope with food crises and major life events.

He, however, advised African governments and investors in livestock to add value to their stock for greater markets outreach.

The lecture with the theme “Livestock and the economic wellbeing in Africa” was sponsored by by Dantata Foods and Allied Products.

• From left: Chief Operating Officer, Ondo State Cocoa Revolution Project and Centre for Cocoa Development Initiatives, Robo Adhuze; Executive Secretary, Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Segun Adewumi; Secretary, Ondo State Cocoa Revolution Project, Toba Adenowuro; Chief of Party, World Cocoa Foundation-Africa Cocoa Initiative, Ambassador Sona Ebai; General Secretary, Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Adeniran Alagbada and Ondo State Cocoa Seed Garden Officer, Vincent Shaba, during a visit by WCF-ACI and CAN to CRP headquarters in Akure, Ondo State caiptal.

Association chief flays state of slaughter houses

T

HE President, Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Dr Femi Egbesola, has warned that poor slaughter houses across the country was putting public health at risk.

Speaking with The Nation, Egbesola said there were no official controls to ensure meat safety and maintain consumer confi-

By Daniel Essiet

dence.

He warned of potential risks of food borne diseases, adding that this can be minimised with stringent animal health control measures.

Given the state of the abattoirs, he said consumers may eat meat containing contaminants.

At some of the abattoirs, resi-

dents have complained about bad odours from bloody fleeces loaded from the abattoirs. He said animals intended for human consumption and admitted to the slaughterhouses for slaughtering and dressing should be subject to inspections. Before animals are slaughtered, he said they should be inspected by qualified officials.

He advised that animals arriv-

DFID, KACCIMA to promote local rice

T

HE retail sector project of Growth and Employment in States (GEMS), a Department for International Development (DFID) funded project in Nigeria, in collaboration with Kano Chamber of Commerce Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) , has organised the first Kano made- in- Nigeria Rice Fair.

Rice fair, aimed at creating a link between rice producers and rice marketers, is to discourage the importation of foreign rice to the country the Federal Government. It is to also encourage promoting locally produced rice, creating market for it and also raising the awareness of the public on Nigerian

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

rice brand.

Addressing participants at the fair, the Head, GEMS4 Wholesale Retail Sector Project, Mr. Tunde Oyerinde, said the project is a market development initiative and that the project has the mandate to stimulate market system changes that encourages growth and access to funds which will in turn result into the creation of 10,000 new jobs as well as increasing the income level of 500,000 people, especially the poor, rural dwellers and women.

According to him, it is disheartening to note that despite the increase in the consumption

of rice, integrated commercial mills are not producing at full capacity. Oyerinde noted that it is also good to hear that the mills have started processing local rice rather than processing imported rice. “We would like to see new relationships developed and also wish to see supply chain deals signed between commercial rice mills, major distributors and the banks,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address KACCIMA president Farouk Rabi’u Dansulaika stated that the initiative will strengthen the chamber’s support to local rice market with the zeal of making it a center for export as against importation of rice.

ing at the abattoir to be slaughtered should be inspected for signs of illness before they enter the premises.

Throughout the slaughter process, Egbesola emphasised that meat inspection procedures should be carried out by trained personnel to identify signs of disease in the carcass.

He stressed that a situation

where quality control is compromised may lead to “dead and sick animals being slaughtered and sold.

He called for proper audits of slaughterhouses to ensure that consumers are eating meat free from diseases and contaminants.

He urged the government to involve more in the audit of meat production.

Forum gets technical support from Nigeria

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HE Federal Government has once again, demonstrated its support for the African Agricultural Research for Development through the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

In six months, the government did not only fulfilled its promise to make financial contribution to FARA, it also followed it by providing two experts to support FARA’s work.

Sequel to the agreement signed between the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (TAC), Abuja Nigeria and FARA Ghana, two TAC volunteers, Miss Taiwo Owoeye, a Communication specialist and Mr Daniel Ayeni an Information Communication Technology specialist were last week assigned to serve at FARA for two years.

The TAC volunteers led by the Director of Programmes, Dr Mrs Oladele Abiodun, were introduced to the Executive Director of FARA, Dr

Yemi Akinbamijo in the presence of Senior Counselor of the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana, Mrs Abimbola Reuben and other high ranking staff at FARA. Earlier on, the TAC team had met with the Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana-Amb Oluseyi Onafowokan who advised the volunteers to be diligent in their duties.

Also at the meeting was Minister I at the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana, Mr Abraham Poko who spoke on the survival strategy in Ghana.

The TAC scheme started in 1987 and was designed as a foreign policy tool aimed to serve as an enduring technical assistance scheme which identifies the use of a large pool of trained manpower available in Nigeria to enhance the socio-economic development of benefitting African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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THE NATION

BUSINESS

E-mail: toniaitose@gmail.com

sms : 07035302326

SHOPPING

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

For fruit sellers, Ramadan is boom time Fruits are essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan. This is because Muslims use them to break their fast in the evenings. Fruit sellers across the Lagos metropolis say this is boom time for them as they now make bountiful sales. In spite of an appreciable increase in the prices of fruits, they say demand for them is on the rise too, TONIA ‘DIYAN reports.

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AST week, Nigerian Muslims joined their counterparts across the world to start observing this year’s Ramadan fast.

When it is not Ramadan, some of them do not see the nutritional benefit of adding fruits to their daily meals. Some say they patronise fruit sellers only during Ramadan when they have to break their fast first with fruits and then, their meals.

However, the last two months have seen price-sensitive markets across Lagos suffer from higher food costs. This higher prices have not affected the demand for fruits in Lagos.

Visits to some fruits market in Lagos showed that the holy month has turned into boom time for fruit sellers who are enjoying high demand. Every year, there is a surge in spending before, during and after Ramadan, with increase in prices of food items and fruits in the traditional markets across the country. Market survey showed that demand for fruits tend to increase by around 60 per cent during Ramadan compared to other months.

Fruit traders have revealed that demand for fruit is up this Ramadan despite significantly higher prices compared to last year’s regardless of price hikes.

Market sources say the supply of fruits to the metropolis has risen by between 35 and 40 per cent in wholesale fruit markets particularly in Ketu fruit market. However, they have said it will go up further in the course of the 30-day fasting period.

It was also discovered that demand for fruits such as apple, citrus fruits such as oranges and tangerine, water melon, pineapple and banana have considerably increased but sellers say patronage remains high.

Speaking on the development, Ketu fruit Market Association President, Madam Adebayo Balogun said: “There is increase in the supply of fruits in this market because we are aware that this is a major market for all kinds of fruit in mainland apart from Idi Oro market at Mushin. We have stock of varieties of fruits and we are seeing huge patronage from customers. We are selling more oranges, water melon, pineapple and apple now. We get apple from Cotonou and other fruits from the north.”

For Adebayo Bello, a fruit shop owner in Agege, Ramadan has been a boom time. Bello neatly packed fruits in different basket sizes and displayed them as ‘fruit hampers’. According to him, before the Ramadan, his shop usually sells about 10 baskets of fruit per day. Sales have jumped up to about 50 baskets over the past few days because of Ramadan .

“I have reached my best sales this week. I am busier than I used to be since Ramadan began. Most times now, it is hard to find a good time to eat lunch. I think people are more enlightened about the importance of fruits to the body and they have decided to take advantage of the season.”

Bello’s story is not alone in this holy month of bountiful harvest. His colleague, Aruna Muritala, said prices have gone up thanks to the rising demand. With an average shopper spending N15, 000 or more to buy fruits that will last his household for two weeks, it is really a boom time.

“The fact that prices of fruits have gone up and their quantity reduced doesn’t make patronage low for us. There are few people however who have reduced the amount and quantity of fruits. At weekends, the Christians who buy to eat and traders who buy to resell in bits, also buy in smaller quantities.

But our Muslim customer’s, particularly the traders, buy more than they did at this time last year.”

Kafayat Jimoh, a roadside fruit seller who operates at the retails end of the business along Awolowo Way, Ikeja, agrees no less with Muritala. She said: “By yesterday, a basket of small-sized oranges increased from N300 to N600 per basket. Prices for lime has however remained the same,

•Fruit market

standing at N150 per paint container. “I believe that fruit prices will return to normal after the Ramadan. This is the usual change in price that occurs yearly and we are used to it,” Jimoh said.

At Mile 12 market in Kosofe, demand for fruits as well as other food items has risen from 20 to 25 per cent. A source also told The Nation Shopping that Ramadan is also a great boom for some companies specialising in beverages, saying more than half of beverages annual sales happen during the month of Ramadan.

A farmer who transports fruits from the north, Abubakar Sanni, said last year, he and his team brought 20 trailers of fruits to Ketu fruit market in Lagos. This year, the number of trailers increased to 40 loads because of demand for fruits. “We are receiving many more orders for Ramadan this year than last year; people are making very good profits selling fruits during Ramadan.Dates, apples, orange, pears, grapes and bananas are the most popular fruits consumed during Ramadan,” he said Several other market fruit vendor The Nation Shopping spoke to reported similar increases in business.

At Mushin, a fruit seller simply known as

Iya Mariam who sells fruits in small sizes of N50, said she makes sales better than she made last year. She said it is common with the Ramadan season. “Sales this Ramadan is better than what it was last year. I am counting my gains. I have more Muslims patronising me to break their fast daily with fruits before their meal. I think it is better to buy fruits in bit because of its preservation and affordability.

Here, you can get fruits worth N50.

“I make profit of N5,000 daily on all the fruits I sell and I finish selling them before night. I buy from Ketu fruit market and Arena market in Oshodi because I am sure of getting cheap bargains at these markets because they stock fruits in large quantity.”

Iya Mariam cannot afford to buy in large quantities, so she buys in dozens. According to her, a dozen of water melon costs N3,500, a dozen of pine apple-N1,200, 30 pieces of orange-N1,300, a medium-size bunch of bananaN3,000 and N4,000 respectively.

Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed, an orange vendor, attributed the increase to the high cost of transporting the items from where they are supplied.

“The cost of transporting these fruits is high; therefore, we increase our prices. This is coupled with the security challenges in most parts

of the north which has made movements difficult. If you can’t be daring, you can’t be in the business, because soldiers harass us on the road when we go up North to buy the fruits. So we end up spending more money and more days on the road, and you know all these will be eventually included in the final cost of the goods,” he said.

Also speaking, Suraju Shuabu, a water melon seller, said the high cost could be attributed to the cost of supply.

According to him, their suppliers in the north have increased their prices. But Malam Oseni, who said he was in the market to buy oranges and water melon, attributed the situation to the “simple economics principle of ‘the higher the demand, the higher the price.”

According to some Muslims, people consume a lot of fruits during Ramadan due to the change in the digestive system as well as the spiritual blessings of consuming it before breaking the fast.

So they believe that when sellers see that the demands are higher, they increase the prices too. However, water melon happens to be the most expensive fruit in the market, as the increased demand keeps raising its prices beyond the N500 and N700.

Cussons Baby takes winner, family to Dubai

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OLLOWING a seven-day trip to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE’s) commercial city by Morireoluwa Davids and her family for winning the second edition of Cussons Baby Moment, the Brand Manager Cussons Baby, Oluwaseun Ayeni, has said the brand has fulfilled its promise to the winner and is ready to offer more to its customers.

Describing her experience as interesting, the winner’s mother, Funmilayo David, urged mothers to participate with in the Cussons Baby Moment contest, saying it is life-transforming.

She said: “It was fun-filled and interesting.

We went to Dubai Mall, which is the biggest mall in the world and afterwards to see the dancing fountain, behind it was the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa). It was awesome and beautiful.

“The whole trip has been eventful filled with sweet memories. We are saying thank you to Cussons Baby for this opportunity to explore Dubai, which I heard was a beautiful city and I have confirmed it is really beautiful.

“It was a fun experience and the family had so much to look forward to anytime around.”

On the objectives of the competition, Ayeni said it is about rewarding the customers and giving parents the opportunity to showcase their beautiful babies.

• Winner's Mother, Funmilayo Davids and Cussons Baby Moment 2 winnerMorireoluwa Davids shopping at Dubai Mall, Kids Store .

By Tonia ‘Diyan

She said: “It is all about giving families an opportunity to showcase their beautiful bundles of joy for a chance to go on an all-expense paid trip. It is also about providing a platform to communicate one on one with our consumers and the opportunity to meet

new consumers.

“We are almost done with preparations for season 3. As such, parents should keep taking pictures and recording videos of their cute babies and they shouldn’t forget to keep visiting the Cussons Baby Facebook page for more information.”

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

SHOPPING

Natural hair products exhibition holds in Lagos HE ambience was fun yet educational, and attendees were given the opportunity to relax, mingle, shop, but most importantly, learn, before heading off with a generous goody bag.

It was the fifth anniversary of Kinky Apothecary where it launched the Nigerian Natural Hair & Beauty Show at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. It was a culmination of all their workshops and events over the prior years.

There was an exhibition featuring The Kinky Apothecary’s pop-up shop where guests were able to browse and purchase hair products and accessories. Also, brands showcased their wares, ranging from body products such as R and R Luxury and Ajali, to florists Prime Flowers and Horticulture, who keyed in to the healthy lifestyle aspect of the event by providing fresh vegetables in addition to flowers, candles and home wares. Some new Nigerian brands such as Uwa Earth Foods and Bubble Tii Nigeria chose the event as an opportunity to launch.

Established in May 2010 by Nibi Lawson, The Kinky Apothecary is Nigeria’s first onestop natural hair shop. The main aim was to bring superior hair products and informationwithin the reach of women in Nigeria concerned about the health of their hair.

Founder, The Kinky Apothecary and organiser of The Nigerian Natural Hair & Beauty

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By Ochu ohunene latifah

Show, Nibi Lawson, who chaired a panel, consisting of Hollywood celebrity stylist Felicia Leatherwood, NgoziOpara, founder, The Heat Free Hair Movement natural hair weaves, ObiaEwah, Founder and Formulating Chemist of Obia Natural Haircare, WunmiAkinlagun of Woman In The Jungle, IjeomaEboh of Klassy Kinks and Cassidy Blackwell of naturalselectionblog.com.

After the panel, each speaker headed a workshop giving in depth information and advice on their individual speciality.

The attendance at the event showed that the natural hair revolution, first set in motion in Nigeria by The Kinky Apothecary in 2010, is not imagined, and that standards of beauty are slowly beginning to shift.

Lawson said she was ”overwhelmed’’ with how the show went. ‘’I had such high expectations and I was so happy that they were met.

We can’t wait to bring something even bigger and better next year! This event involved a lot of hard work, disappointment, tears sometimes for several months, but ultimately it is worth it,’’ Lawson said.

The show targeted mainly natural hair, where people could come and gain all the information they needed.

On the challenges of putting the show together, and others, Lawson said: “Dealing with infrastructural deficiencies, slow internet, power failure, putting together a

•Felicia Leatherwood gives an impromptu demonstration

dedicated and committed team was an issue.

She added that in the natural hair industry, the main problem is that the market is still not 100 per cent where it should be. Most people unfortunately still see natural hair as un-

kempt and unattractive. Yes, women can look beautiful in straight and weaves hair but natural hair is amazing, and it has come to stay.”

She said the next event would hold next May.

eTranzact to drive mobile banking in Africa E

•Omo Brand Ambassador, Funke Akindele showing off the new 100g Omo fast action at ultimate Showdown at Pen-cinema, Agege Lagos. With her are participants.

Online firm to launch TV show

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NLINE content provider Ndani TV has announced plan to launch its new online content bouquet ‘The Ndani Series Bouquet’ next month.

The bouquet is being powered by GTBank Plc. It contains four new shows: ‘Real Talk’ with Cornelia O’dwyer, ‘Skinny Girl in Transit’, ‘One Chance’ and ‘African Dream’.

It features an all-new season two of its popular series, ‘Officer Titus’, which tells the story of a traffic law enforcement officer in Lagos.

Ndani TV is excited about the new series as they mark another achievement in online content, highlighting the continuous growth the brand has embarked on in the last three years in terms of promoting contemporary African culture through great online content.

The goal of Ndani TV is not just to create great online content with spectacular visuals, but also to tell African stories to Africans in Africa, in the Diaspora and to the rest of the world.

Ndani TV will appeal to a wide audience, as the content covers various genres from comedy, thriller, drama to inspirational and entertainment talk shows.

By Ponle Akodu

Head of Production, Ndani TV, Agnes Marquis, said: “The stories that we tell on Ndani TV are not just well crafted, but are created from the everyday realities of the average youth, the complexities of everyday living, the comedy of our lives, living in the cosmopolitan city of Lagos, which is especially reflected in the series ‘Officer Titus’.’’

The Ndani TV is the creator of hit TV shows, Gidi Up, ‘The Juice’ and ‘The Interview’ with Frank Donga.

• Member, Board of Trustees (BoT), Child Care Trust,Ms Esther Salako, receiving a donation from the Make a Difference Campaign by Mr Biggs in Abuja.

TRANZACT International has held a mobile banking Masterclass in London, England. It was titled: “The future of mobile banking masterclass”.

The event was attended by some heads of e-banking and mobile banking from Nigeria’s top banks.

Members of eTranzact’s top management, including its CEO, Mr Valentine Obi; ED, Business development, Mr Sullivan Akala; ED, Strategy and Corporate Development, Mr Ike Eze; Group Head, Business development, Mr Adeyemi Adeyemo and other top management staff attended the five-day event.

The major goal of the Masterclass was to provide a platform to discuss new innovations in mobile banking targeted at making mobile banking more about the customer and launching new innovations to make the customer onboarding process easier.

Topics discussed ranged from how to improve the mobile banking experience for customers and innovations in providing support for customers, to unveiling eTranzact’s improvements in the onboarding process and mobile architecture of the mobile banking application.

With over 15 million smartphones in circulation in Nigeria and with efforts by the OEMs to increase this number by making smartphones even more affordable, mobile banking adoption in Nigeria has also increased, leading to the need to scale up technology resources as well as think up new ways to make the process easy for customers, and eTranzact has been heavily focused on building the infrastructural backbone of what is required to take mobile banking to new heights.

Participants at the Mobile Banking

By Tonia ‘Diyan

Masterclass spoke about some trends they had identified among their customers as well as possible ways they could improve the process.

Speaking on what the banks and their customers should begin to see immediately after the Masterclass, Obi, said: “To us, every product we build is ultimately about the customer whether at the corporate or individual level, and we want to ensure that we are meeting their needs both locally and globally, pushing ourselves every day. We understand the part we play in the growth of mobile banking and payments as a whole and through constructive feedback from our partners and innovation; we want to continue to play this role now and in the future. ‘’At eTranzact, we believe in using the power of technology to build bridges across continents and we will continue to invest in research and build up our capacity to achieve these goals.”

Mr Adeyemi Adeyemo, Group Head, Business Development, who spoke on the achievements by his company, said: “We are excited about the steps we have taken to improve the overall experience of our partner banks and for their customers. We have a key role to play in driving innovation and we are ready to embrace it. ‘’We come with major improvements in the mobile banking applications for all our partner banks and hope we can begin to roll out the changes as soon as possible. The changes not only cover the user in-

terfaces of the different banks, but also try to merge the user’s lifestyle and improve the signup process for the application. We are also working with all our partner banks to help them enjoy the full capability of the USSD platform for mobile banking. ‘’As mobile banking becomes more segmented, the next step is to achieve greater personalisation, and we want to make the user’s habits and needs focal points of the newly redesigned apps. ‘’With our new onboarding process, we want to eliminate visits to bank branches so consumers can begin using mobile banking applications, while still maintaining the security of the platform. ‘’Taking a look at the opportunities in mobile, the gap between mobile banking and traditional banking has closed significantly, with Gartner Inc, the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company, predicting that the global mobile transaction market will be worth $721 billion and more than 450 million users by 2017.’’ eTranzact’s effort in mobile began in 2003 long before mobile banking was introduced in the country. The team believed that mobile would be at the forefront of payment innovation, and had a dedicated team working on research and development.

This led to pioneering research that kick-started the mobile banking sector in Nigeria.

A giant in the sector, eTranzact has deals with over 50 commercial banks and 350 micro finance institutions across Africa. It builds and facilitates mobile banking transactions through its mobile switching platform and has more than 12 years’ experience processing financial transactions in Africa,

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

PEOPLE THE NATION

For information on how to feature on this page, contact:

E-mail:societygirlontop@gmail.com Tel :08060829778

BISHOP ADEMOWO’S SON WEDS

•From left: groom’s mother Mrs Oluranti Ademowo; Dicesan Bishop of Lagos and the Dean Emeritus of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion Rev. Dr. Adebola Ademowo; former Deputy Governor Lagos State Mrs Adejoke OrelopeAdefulure; Ogun State Deputy Governor Mrs Yetunde Onanuga; Primate of the Anglican Communion Rev Nicholas Okoh; his wife Nkasiobi and Deputy Governor Osun State Otunba Titilayo Laoye-Tomori at the wedding of Rev Ademowo’s son at St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Ora-Igbomina Osun State last Saturday.

•The couple, former Miss Aseola Oladipo and Oreoluwa Ademowo

BIRTHDAY

•Chief Executive Officer TeeJay Associates Nigeria Limited and founder Big Daddy Foundation, Chief Adetunji Adeleye celebrated his 60th birthday at his Akure home in Ondo State

DINNER Last Tuesday, Chairman of Tricontinental Group Chief Olabintan Famutimi organised a farewell dinner for the outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Andrew Pockock.

OLUCHI IGBOKWE was at the Sounthern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, venue of the dinner, where many captains of industries, envoys and business moguls were in attendance.

There was a toast amid laughter as the new High Commissioner Sir Ray Kyles was •From left: Sir Pocock; Chief Famutinmi and Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) introduced Prof Bolaji Akinterinwa

THANKSGIVING

WEDDING

•From right: House of Representatives member, Kosofe Federal Constituency Hon Rotimi Agunsoye; Pastor Bisi Olowoyo and Mrs Yinka Agunsoye after a thanksgiving service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God Victory Chapel, Magodo, Lagos, last Sunday

•Former Miss Victoria Fatukasi and her beau Oluwaseyi Adeyemo after their wedding at Ilesha West Local Government Secretariat

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

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CITYBEATS ‘Robbers forced us to load money for them’

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

•Guard relives ‘horrible experience’

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SECURITY man with one of the banks robbed in Ikorodu, Lagos, on Wednesday, yesterday relived what he called “an horrible experience”.

The robbery scene was desolatethe day after- as many offices, including the banks, were closed.

Traffic on Ogolonto Road was light; the few businesses that opened within 500metres of Majidun Bridge, assessed the damaged to their properties by stray bullets.

Twelve people were injured; eight vehicles were damaged during the operation.

The injured, Olufunsho Ajibike, Tobi Balogun, Ariyo Taiwo, Agboola Biodun, Olanipekun Seun, Onikosi Segun, Adebisi Kolawole, Sunday Folorunsho, Rilwan Olaniyan, Damilola Adediran, Olabanji Abiye and Janet Adeshina, were treated at the Ikorodu General Hospital and discharged.

Nineteen-year-old Olaniyan, it was learnt, was transferred to another hospital on Lagos Mainland for surgery.

The security man said the gun men numbering about 15 came in through Beach Road, shooting as they paraded the road.

The hoodlums, according to him, were coordinated and split themselves into groups.

Those who entered the banks threw dynamites that shattered the security doors; two others (man and a woman) went into the Ebute Ipakodo Police Station, shooting sporadically.

The others, he said, took control of the road, shooting.

“I have been instructed not to talk to you. I can really talk much but please it was a horrible experience. It was sad and terrible. We all ran. Not even the policemen came out.

He said: “The robbers, small children, meant business. But I think they were not out to kill anyone. They were just shooting to scare people off.”

Other eyewitnesses in a nearby restaurant told The Nation that few policemen came out about 30 minutes after the armed robbers had left.

Some of the boys, who claimed they were on the other side (police station side) when the incident occurred, said the policemen re-

•Scene of the robbery...yesterday

‘

The police could not do anything. They removed their uniforms; some of them ran away. Even the female ones removed their uniforms and had only their underwears on.

They were rolling on the floor and screaming ‘I am a criminal!

’

By Precious Igbonwelundu

moved their uniforms and fled when the robbers besieged the station.

“You need to see what happened here yesterday (Wednesday). I am laughing but it is not funny. The truth is that we do not have security in this country.

“See our policemen shouting “I am a criminal! I am a criminal! Because two young armed robbers held them captive.

“The police could not do anything. They removed their uniforms; some of them ran away.

Even the female ones removed their uniforms and had only their underwears on. They were rolling on the floor and screaming ‘I am a criminal! All of them.

“I am laughing because the police waited until the robbers had gone before they came out and started parading, looking for innocent people to arrest.

“But it is not their fault though.

Because they cannot match those armed robbers. Those guys had better guns and even bombs. They were very prepared,” said an eyewitness.

Another eye witness, Tunde, who spoke in Yoruba, told The Nation that

•Damilola...yesterday

most of the hoodlums wore military camouflage and the new army brown boots.

When The Nation visited the Origin Jetty, Where the robbers escaped in two speed boats afer torching their vehicles, some of the damaged vehicles had been taken off the road.

It was learnt that some vehicles belonging to people who had gone to work through the waterways were affected when the hoodlums burnt their own vehicles.

A man, who gave his name as T.J, said they scampered for safety through the canal at the sound of the gunshots.

He said: “I am yet to recover my voice. My sister, it was not funny.

The way they were shooting and jubilating, not a single policeman or soldier pursued them.

“They were just shooting on their own and it was in the course of the jubilation that they shot that teenager.

“As they were coming, we took our boats away so that they didn’t hijack anyone. But when we could no longer stand the pressure from

•Her injured hand

the bullet, I personally dived into the canal and burst out on the other street.

“I was inside the canal when I heard them calling on their boats to come for them. I saw two speed boats come to the jetty and they jumped in and left.

“By the time I came out, they had set their vehicles on fire and the fire affected other people’s cars too.

Then, the bullets they were shooting also damaged some people’s windscreens and other parts. Even my car was affected and at the moment, it is at the panel beater’s place. In all, about eight cars were destroyed.”

It was learnt that the robbers told the bankers to “cooperate or die.”

Another eyewitness, Damilola Adediran, who sustained neck and hand injuries, said the robbers forced customers to load money in their bags.

Adediran, who has since gone to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, because of her “worried mother”, told The Nation on telephone that the robbers did not even mind that she was bleeding.

“I was in the bank with my brother to deposit money. Suddenly, we saw glasses flying and people started running to take cover.

“The glasses cut me on my hand and neck. We all ran. Immediately they entered, they said they were not in the bank to kill anyone that people should either cooperate or die.

“By that time, they have gotten access to where the money is and I was hiding just beside the place.

When they then saw the money, I just noticed someone dragging me by my neck and telling me to be packing money into bags for them.

“They forced bank customers and staff to pack money for them and when they finished they left. It was my brother who called my sister to take me to the hospital after they have gone.

“I just thank God that nothing happened to me and my brother.

Most people sustained injuries from broken glasses. They did not shoot guns inside the bank. They just went for the money and then forced us to pack it for them,” she said.

Robbery Squad (SARS) before I was brought to NSCDC base two weeks ago where I was allowed to reach my family. I don’t know anything about it. I didn’t vandalise anything.”

Ashamu Mauhtin, a native of Ajara in Badagry, said he was selling petrol when he was held.

“I am a manager at Dapkik Pet-

rol Station. I am not a vandal. Three of my colleagues and I were on duty when we got arrested. We sell to fishermen to gallons at N87 with the fuel pump. We have informed the owner of the filling station who was not around when we got arrested and has promised to send someone. I don’t know anything about it,” he said.

Civil Defence nabs 17 ‘pipeline vandals’

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PERATIVES of the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, yesterday paraded 17 suspected pipeline vandals.

The suspects were arrested around the high seas by soldiers with stolen Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

NSCDC Commandant, Gabriel Abafi, said the suspects were arrested with 700 gallons and 96 gallons of 25 litres of petrol and three speed boats.

He said: ”The vandals thought we have gone to rest but we are everywhere. I thank the officers of the Nigerian Army for their courage. We shall give the exhibits to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for storage and then the court will rule over it.

People should desist from such il-

By Basirat Braimah

legal act.

One of the suspects, Adewunmi Oyewogan, a security man, said:”I just got employed by Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) as a security.

The day before I was arrested, I received a phone call from my wife but when I couldn’t hear her well, I decided to go home because I was worried. Around 5.30am, I took permission to go home from Commando , our boss who was in charge. When I got to the shore at Atlas Cove, Apapa in Lagos, I saw some men on the floor. I don’t know anything about this. I was only employed as a security man in the area.”

Segun Ashogbon, who hails from Igbokoda in Ondo State said:”I had to find a means of livelihood when my father died three years ago. I

•The suspects...yesterday

am a boat driver. Since his death, families left us. Around April, I had just bought five gallons of petrol form Agip in Apapa for my boat before I was apprehended by Naval officials. I ply liverpool to Ojo Road everyday. I explained to them but they didn’t listen to me. I was detained for two months then later transferred to Special Anti-

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Protest at Alausa over Ayangburen stool

•The protesters with the lawmakers...yesterday

By Adebisi Onanuga and Okoeki Oziegbe

before things got out of hand.

He recalled that a similar thing happened in 1957 during the days of Ladega, saying: “They manipulated the process and put Okoya in Ipebi in order to ascend the throne of Ayangburen of Ikorodu. Two months into his stay at ‘Ipebi’, the people were already shooting themselves”.

Their protest, he said, was to prevent a recurrence, adding that they rejected Shotobi’s selection because it was done in defiance of the known norms, culture and tradition of Ikorodu.

They contended that as Odofin of Ikorodu, Shotobi was an ‘Iwarefa’ and should not on any condition be el-

evated to the status of Ayangburen of Ikorodu.

They warned that the selection of Shotobi defied the culture and tradition of the people because he participated in the burial of the lastý Ayangburen and beat the Ofufu drum, stressing that these are taboo for an aspiring traditional ruler.

Besides, he said no traditional rite was performed by the kingmakers as Shotobi did not visit Osugbo, Iledi and Ipebi, where a new Oba is to spend three months before the staff of office is presented to him.

Shodipo said the ruling of Justice Akintunde Savage of the Ikorodu High Court did not pronounce Shotobi the Oba-elect, wondering why the last administration con-

firmed his selection.

He accused the last administration of complicity, saying former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s visit to Ikorodu three days to his handover for theý commissioning of the new palace was turned to presentation of staff of office to Shotobi.

Hon. Olulade, assured them that they would consider their petition at their sitting on Monday.

The lawmaker said: “We have heard from you. Be assured we are here for you. We assure you that we would look into all the issues raised in your petition so that the matter can be resolved amicably”.

Olulade thanked them for their peaceful protest and for not resorting to violence.

Apapa traffic: ‘Tough times await erring drivers’

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RAFFIC gridlock on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway will soon be a thing of the past, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said yesterday after an assessment.

He said a task force comprising all security agencies, including the police, would began “24/7 monitoring” of traffic to ease motorists’ and commutters’ parks.

“Right now on our part, the immediate palliative is that we will set up a task force involving most of our security agencies, including the police and we will do a 24/7 monitoring of traffic flow.

“We will pay more attention to enforcement. Form this evening, there will be more focus on enforcement and its funding. We are going to give incentives to our law enforcement officers to ensure that traffic law is obeyed,” Ambode said during a tour of major traffic points in Apapa, Lekki and Ajah.

Ambode frowned on indiscriminate parking on Apapa Expressway by tanker drivers, saying he was ready to end traffic gridlock to give

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HIS month’s environmental sanitation will hold tomorrow between 7am and 10am. There will be restriction, according to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Hakeem Ogunbambi, an engineer, advised residents to participate in the exercise, which was not held last month, because of the inauguration of the president and some governors.

While stressing the importance of a clean and hygienic environment towards the promotion of tourism and

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

M

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HE battle for the Ayangburen of Ikorodu stool shifted yesterday to the Lagos State secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja.

Some Ikorodu indigenes stormed the secretariat, protesting the selection of Odofin Kabiru Shotobi as the Ayangburen.

The placard-carrying protesters were led by members of the Lasunwon Ruling House.

Among their leaders are Prince Oluowo Adeyeri, Prince Shakiru Shodipo and Prince Taoridi Shokunbi from the Adegorushen, Lambo and Odusajo Royal families of the Lasunwon Ruling Houses.

They rejected the choice of Shotobi, who is from the Adegorushen Royal family, insisting that he should revert to his position as Odofin.

The protesters did not meet Governor Akinwumi Ambode, but they submitted their petition to a security personnel at the entrance of his office. They were given a date to visit the governor.

But they were received at the House of Assembly by three members - Segun Olulade, Desmond Elliot and Adedamola Kasumu - on behalf of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

Adeyeri told the Speaker’s representatives that they were seeking the governor’s and lawmakers’ intervention

Ultimatum for okada riders, tricyclists

•Government to set up task force

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

road users respite.

The governor said the traffic jam was caused by many factors, adding that a stakeholders’ meeting would soon be convened to find a lasting solution to it.

“What we have done in the last three hours is trying to find out what are the issues that pertain to Apapa. We have all seen that the gridlock in Apapa is multifaceted. We have examined things that relate to activities of trailer and tanker drivers. It is totally unacceptable that we would be having tankers and trailers on our bridges.

“It is also not acceptable that they would decide to block all lanes that lead to Apapa. We have also seen that we must do something immediately to alleviate the challenges that the residents and businessmen are facing.

But again, you will also realise that the roads that lead to Apapa Wharf and Tin Can Island actually belong to the Federal Government,” he said.

Ambode added: “This

bridge (Tin Can) has been under construction in the last six years; we have also seen a trailer park that can actually contain about 500 trailers at a time, which has been abandoned by the Federal Government. What we want to do now is firstly to appeal to the Federal Government, most especially Mr. President, that the contractor constructing this particular bridge should come back to site and once we are able to open the trailer park, we would be able to allow other trailers and tankers to use the park.”

He noted that the tank farms in the area were an additional challenge, saying: “That is a major security challenge for the state government. We have to start to look at the security issues relating to these tank farms. All trailers across the country come to these tank farms. The tank farm owners will soon be summoned to a meeting to tell us what they see as their remedy to this menace that we are having in Apapa.”

Police chief Kayode Aderanti said his concern was

the nexus between infrastructural development and the crime rate in the area.

“What we have observed in the last one year, due to the road network, is that most of these trailers always collapse and when this happens, you see a lot of hoodlums coming around to steal most of the items meant to be shipped to different parts of the country.

“So, we are of the view that by the time we have very good infrastructural development in Apapa area and free flow of traffic, there will be less criminality by hoodlums who take advantage of the situation. Then there will be a boost in the economy of Lagos State,” he said.

Commodore Daniel Ikoli, Commander, NNS Beecroft, Apapa Naval Base, said: “We are supporting the state government and the police at ensuring security within Apapa area. Under that same apparatus, you would agree with me that we have also been present in mitigating the traffic gridlock in Apapa.

We try to ensure that everybody that moves into Apapa enjoys stress-free movement.”

Sanitation holds in Lagos tomorrow economic potentials of the state, Ogunbambi urged Lagosians to actively participate in the cleaning of their homes, drains and totality of their environment.

He further stated that apart from this monthly exercise, cleaning the environment should be a daily affair, stressing that human beings daily generate waste which must be daily disposed. “We should also be mindful of our drains as we are now in the peak of

the rainy season,” he added.

He emphasised that global climatic condition have continuously affected rainfall patterns across the world as such coastal cities like Lagos are prone to flooding. “This explains why we have intensified our mid-rain deflooding programme that consists of continuous dredging, cleaning and maintenance of drainage channels across the state,” the Permanent Secretary explained.

He implored residents to desist from dumping waste inside drainage channels and shun acts compromising drainage alignment, such as erection of structures on drainage setbacks among others.

Ogunbambi warned residents who still patronise cart pushers to desist from the illegal act, saying that it is inimical to the waste management policy of the state government.

OTORCYCLISTS and tricycle operators in Lagos State have been issued a 21-day ultimatum by the state government to vacate restricted routes. Any-

one Any erring operator caught after the expiration of the ultimatum on July 16, it said, would be prosecuted.

Penalty for riding on prohibited routes, according to the law, is three years imprisonment, with an option of community service and the forfeiture of the vehicle.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tunji Bello, who addressed reporters yesterday, said the resolution was taken after series of consultative meetings with the leadership of the various motorcycle and tricycle associations.

He said the government is angry at the impunity with which okada and tricycle operators flout the laws guiding their operations, warning that government would no longer tolerate their recalcitrant attitude.

The SSG said government would not allow a return to the recent past when crime rate and road accidents caused by unruly motorcycle riders were prevalent, before it begins the enforcement of the Road Traffic Law. He hinted that the state government had directed a massive public enlightenment that will precede the full enforcement of the restriction order to sensitise all operators and residents on the need to conform to the law.

The leadership of the motorcycle and tricycles operators thanked the government for taking them into confidence before starting the enforcement.

Seminar holds on sexual SEMINAR on child abuse, rape sexual abuse and

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rape will hold in Lagos tomorrow.

The organisers said it is being held by an organisation, Home of Change Foundation (HOCEF), following a survey that revealed a high prevalence of child rape in Nigeria.

The seminar will hold at the Oriade Local Government, Mumuni Adio Road, Satellite Town.

The director of HOCEF, Mrs. Celine N. Anyogu, a lawyer, said a survey by the Nigeria Demographic and

Health Survey (DHS) revealed that 2.5 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 49, first experienced sexual violence before the age of 10.

Speakers at the one-day seminar include experts from the medical, police, human rights, psychological and sociological fields.

They include: Dr. Mrs. Sarah Christian of RHOWIL Medical Hospital, Lagos.

Mrs. Anyogu said five speakers will present papers.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

58

NEWS

Senate seeks solution to landslide in Abia

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HE landslide in Isuikwuato and Arochukwu local government areas of Abia State was among major issues the Senate discussed yesterday.

The senator representing Abia North, Mao Ohuabunwa, brought the matter to the Senate under a motion of urgent importance.

Ohuabunwa recalled that on June 12, a landslide occurred in Isuikwuato and Arochukwu local government areas, both in Abia North Senatorial District.

The senator said the landslide was caused by denudation and torrential rains.

He said major roads connecting the communities to neighbouring towns had been in deplorable condition.

The roads, Ohuabunwa said, has been cut off, making it im-

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

possible for commuters to get to their homes and other states.

The senator said the affected local governments are boundary towns with Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and Enugu states.

He regretted that economic activities had worsened and farmers unable to convey their produce to markets.

The lawmaker said he was concerned that because of the downpour, the residents of the affected communities had become homeless and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

Ohuabunwa said most residents had migrated to neighbouring communities for refuge, thereby exposing them to untold hardship, poverty and socio-economic hazards.

He said: “The situation is pathetic. The entire communities are in disarray. The people are scattered in their own areas.

The challenge is on the Senate to immediately get the people resettled to give them a sense of belonging.”

Ohuabunwa prayed the Senate to set up an ad hoc committee to visit the affected areas and commiserate with them.

The senator also urged the Senate to prevail on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send materials to the victims.

He advised his colleagues to mandate the Federal Emergency Road Management Agency (FERMA) to give the roads in the affected communities some palliative measures to enable residents access their homes and farms.

Ohuabunwa also prayed the Senate to prevail on the Federal Ministry of Work to reaward the contract for the construction of Arochukwu-Ohafia and Isuikwuato roads.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, who seconded the motion, noted that considering the enormity of the disaster, the economy of state and the country would be adversely affected.

The senator said immediate action should be taken to tackle erosion and repair the roads in parts of the country.

Senate President Bukola Saraki said the same problem affected virtually all parts of the country.

He said a consolidated motion on the subject should be tabled for discussion on how to tackle bad roads, erosion and other ecological disasters across the country.

Association makes case for clean environment

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HE Association of Society of Environmental and Health Science Student, Africa , National Open University, Lagos has solicited the cooperation of people for a clean, safe and sustainable environment, as a panacea for a prosperous nation.

The association’s President, Chief Oshobhaseva Iyasele and Vice President, Ohiagbara James, spoke during a beautification exercise carried out by the association on 24 Road, K Close, Festac Town, Lagos.

They noted that “a clean environment is the only way of solving the myriad of health challenges bedevilling the country”. They appreciated the work of the former chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale for his ingenuity and vision in transforming the through adherence to environmental laws.

The association helms-

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday approved the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Idris as the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

A statement issued by Mr Haruna Imrana, the Director Communications, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) said: “The Head of the Civil Ser-

vice of the Federation Mr. Danladi Kifasi, who announced the appointment said it is with effect from 25th of June 2015’’, the statement said.

It said that the AGF who hails from Kano State, was born on Nov. 25, 1960, and was until his appointment, the Director of Finance and Accounts, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

UN agency unveils drug control masterplan

By Evelyn Osagie

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S the world commemorates the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will today unveil the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).

The event is one of the agency’s activities for marking the day which is celebrated every June 26. In line with international drug control conventions, NDCMP provides an integrated and comprehensive roadmap for multi-sectoral interventions to address a wide array of drug-related issues in Nigeria, according to UNODC. “The NDCMP outlines activities that will help reduce the incidences of illicit cultivation, production, use and trafficking of narcotic substances under four main pillars. These pillars include law enforcement, drug demand reduction, access and control of narcotics and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes, and coordination”.

“The NDCMP was formulated through a participatory and nationwide consultative process supported by the European Union funded project, Response to Drugs and Related Organised Crime in Nigeria, implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The masterplan was signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan, on May 22, 2015,” according to a statement signed by UNODC Outreach and Communications Officer, James Ayodele.

Church inaugurates men’s fellowship

T •Iyasele (middle) and others...yesterday.

men urged Lagos State Government Akinwunmi Ambode to provide an ave-

nue for students of the association to contribute their own quota to the development of

Lagos State and Nigeria.

They advised residents to plant trees and keep their environment clean.

Cholera kills eight in Ebonyi communities IGHT persons have died in a fresh cholera outbreak in Ebonyi State.

Three of the deaths were recorded in Ndiogbu Ndieze village, Izzi Local Government Area.

Seventeen other persons have been hospitalised in the community.

Five deaths were confirmed by the Director of Public Health and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Chris-

Buhari appoints AGF

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

tian Achi, at Ikwo in Ikwo Local Government Area.

The State Epidemiologist, Dr. Francis Onwe, and other officials of the Ministry of Health have visited the affected areas and distributed drugs to residents.

A resident of Ndiogbu Ndieze village, whose younger brother was among the dead, Chief Austin Igwe Edeze, said people who attended the funeral of a

casualty, started vomiting and defecating uncontrollably on their return.

He said: “Nobody suspected that cholera was responsible for the frequent vomiting and defecation.

“Before we realised that it was cholera, he was down, vomiting and stooling. So, we took him to the hospital and he died early in the morning.

“We raised the alarm to the Ministry of Health and the offi-

cials advised that we should quickly bury him to avoid the disease spreading. We obeyed and buried him immediately.

“The Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry sent a team to us for enlightenment on the prevention of the disease. It donated some drugs, after the lecture.”

Dr. Onwe said Chief Edeze contacted health officials when his younger brother died from the epidemic.

HE Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Wonderful Area, Jackross Bus Stop, Iyesi, Ota, Ogun Province 3, will inaugurate its men’s fellowship on Sunday June 28. The theme of the occasion is: The excellent man as a shining star.

This, the church said, would be preceded by a praise night today, tagged: Praise to high heavens.

The church said it would also have a health talk by a specialist on prostate cancer

awareness and prevention.

The church said the grand finale of the thanksgiving would hold on June 28.

The guest speakers include Pastor S. Omosanya of PLC Victory Zone, Ota, Ogun State; a financial expert, Mr Adekola Owolabiformer, Dean, Babcock University, IlishanRemo, Ogun State and Prof Solomon Adebola.

The church promised to hold a send forth for Pastors Pius Yeigba and Joshua Madami.

Iree family matriarch dies

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HE matriarch of Fadesere family of Ile-Oba compound, Iree, Osun State, Mrs. Grace Modupe Fadesere, JP, is dead. She was 79.

The late Mrs Fadesere was the Iya Ijo of St. Benedict Catholic Cathedral, Osogbo, and the Life Matron of the Association of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Osogbo Diocese.

A retired secondary school teacher, an administrator and a public commentator and former Caretaker Chairperson of Ila Local Government Area of Osun State, the late Mrs Fadesere will be buried after a funeral mass at St. Benedict Catholic Cathedral, Osogbo, on July 10.

Govt to suspended monarchs: leave Okorocha out of your travails

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HE Imo State government has urged 40 suspended traditional rulers to resolve the issues that led to their suspension by the Council of Traditional Rulers, instead of involving Governor Rochas Okorocha.

In a statement yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the government noted that the embattled monarchs were paying for their disrespect for constitution of their council.

It advised them not to hide under political sentiments.

The statement said: “The traditional rulers in question are only being hunted by their miscalculation during the 2015 elections. They have begun to run

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

when no one is pursuing them.

The traditional rulers allowed themselves to be deceived by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and they went beyond their bounds; the fear of that costly mistake is now their palaver.

“We have read reports in newspapers of a purported court order granted to about 40 traditional rulers in the state, restraining Governor Okorocha from suspending them as traditional rulers.

“The reports in question also said the traditional rulers had gone to court to challenge the ‘alleged excesses’ of the governor. In all the reports, the traditional rulers did not tell Nigerians what is the crux of the mat-

ter or the bone of contention.

“Having carefully dodged the issue of telling Nigerians and Imo people in particular what the problem is all about and the main reason for which they went to court because the ‘alleged excesses’ of the governor would not have made them to go to court, we conclude that they are being hunted by their unfortunate actions during the 2015 elections. In fact, they are being battled by their consciences.”

The statement added: “The truth is that Governor Okorocha or his government has neither suspended any of the 40 traditional rulers nor queried any of them for any reason to warrant their going to court. So, the reported court order restraining

the governor from suspending the traditional rulers is questionable or even suspicious. We, therefore, challenge the traditional rulers to publish the referenced court order for Nigerians to read because we strongly believe that an order cannot be given in the vacuum. It must be anchored on something.

“What happened, which the traditional rulers didn’t want to tell the world is that the state Council of traditional rulers, led

by HRM Eze Samuel Ohiri had suspended four traditional rulers from the Council and set up a panel to look into the conduct of fifty others over their gross involvement in politics and disobedience to a directive given by the Council during the election time.”

•President, Media Independent Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya (left) presenting the association's membership certificate to the Managing Director, BrandEye Media, Mr. Femi Adelusi at the induction of members into MIPAN in Lagos...yesterday

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

59

NEWS US decries Boko Haram attacks From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

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HE United States (US) has condemned the Boko Haram attacks in Borno State where about 40 persons have been killed in the last one week.

It reiterated its support for Nigeria in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.

In a statement by the US Department of State spokesperson, John Kirby, US urged the Nigerian government to take steps to secure and govern the liberated areas.

He said: “We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the recent attacks in Borno State, which have resulted in more than 40 deaths. We condemn in the strongest terms, the continued and widespread violence inflicted by Boko Haram on innocent men, women and children. Those responsible must be held accountable.

“These latest attacks serve as a reminder that despite progress on the battlefield, Boko Haram remains capable of deadly and destabilising acts of terrorism. We commend the efforts by the Nigerian military, as well as the military of Chad, Niger and Cameroon for the gains they have made fighting Boko Haram. We encourage the Nigerian government to take steps to secure and govern liberated areas by filling in behind military successes with police and civilian administration.”

“The United States stands with Nigeria in the face of this threat. We will continue to take steps to increase our support for their efforts.”

Rain claims two in Kano From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

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TORRENTIAL rain in Tudun Wada Local Government Area of Kano State has claimed two lives and destroyed cash crops worth millions of naira.

The council Chairman, Ibrahim Nayola, who confirmed the incident to reporters in Kano, said the rain, which lasted for hours, caused flood and destroyed buildings.

He said he had visited the affected areas to assess the magnitude of the damage.

Nayola sympathised with the victims and expressed sadness about the incident, describing it as an act of God. He urged them to be patient, as efforts were being made to provide them with relief materials.

According to him, the council had informed the state government through the Ministry of Local Government for assistance to the victims.

N13b missing from Katsina treasury, says governor K

ATSINA State Governor Aminu Masari has said N13 billion is missing from the account of the Ministry of Finance.

He spoke yesterday in Katsina at his maiden news conference.

Masari said: “We are investigating the whereabouts of this staggering sum in the document handed over to the Transition Committee.

“The Ministry of Finance has failed to account for this whopping sum of money.”

The governor said there was a huge gap from the records the former administration handed over to the Transition Committee.

He said government had set up a panel to go through

the financial records, which the former administration handed over to his government to know the position of things.

Masari said N700million got missing from the account of the Primary Education Board within one year.

He said the government

had directed the Chairman and Executive Secretary of the board to go on a compulsory leave.

According to him, his administration would carry out investigation in order to be fair to all.

The governor urged the people to be patient, as government was determined to provide more dividends of democracy to them after the investigation.

A

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

NIGER State government yesterday dissolved caretaker committees in the 25 local governments.

They were inherited from the last administration.

The Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Ibraheem Dooba, told reporters in Minna that the chairmen were instructed to hand over to the Directors of Personnel Management (DPM).

He urged the people to remain calm as they await information on the date of the local government election.

Kaduna, firm partner on open budget system

•Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sidi (left), discussing with the Executive Secretary, Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Retired Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (right), who visited him in Abuja...yesterday. With them is the Public Relations PHOTO: NAN Consultant, CCC, Mr. Yushan Shuaibu (second right).

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ORNO State government has denied appointing the Head Teacher of the Government Secondary School (GSS), Chibok, Mrs. Asabe Kwambura, as a commissioner-nominee.

It described the report as “a mischievous joke”.

The denial is coming on the heels of reports in the social media that Governor Kashim Shettima has forwarded Mrs. Kwambura’s name to the House of Assembly for screening.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Isa Gusau, said: “In the last one week, we have noticed a very strange information being circulated by some online media platforms, claiming that Governor Shettima has

Borno denies appointing Chibok school headteacher as commissioner From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

nominated Mrs. Kwambura as commissioner for Education.

“We ignored the story for what it was, a mischievous joke and a cheap blackmail that didn’t deserve any response, as it was mainly ‘trending’ on the social media.

“However, we noticed and most unfortunately, that in recent days, some otherwise respected FM stations reported such a joke without even making the slightest attempt to cross-check with the officials of the Borno State gov-

ernment, or at least, find out from the media houses that have correspondents resident in the state, who are in a position to have accurate information about the activities of Governor Shettima and happenings in the state.

“To start with, neither a president nor a governor nominates anyone as minister or commissioner for a particular ministry. The usual practice is to nominate someone as minister or commissioner-designate for screening by lawmakers and it is only after nominees are approved by lawmakers and

administered oaths of offices and allegiance that they are allocated ministries.

“In government procedures across Nigeria, only special advisers, heads of federal or state government establishments, commissioners in commissions and certain chief executives are announced by a president or governor, stating their responsibilities at the time of their nomination for screening by lawmakers or in some cases, they are sworn-in without lawmakers’ screening, depending on constitutional requirements.”

Army gives cheques to fallen heroes’ families

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HE Army has presented cheques to the next-of-kin of the 62 officers and soldiers, who died in operation “ZAMAM LAFIYA” in the Northeast.

The Chief of Administration, Maj.-Gen Adamu Abubakar, who presented the cheques in Abuja yesterday, said they were provided by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

He said the cheques were part of palliatives put in place to cushion the effect of the loss of their breadwinners.

Gen. Abubakar said: “The cheque is not part of the statutory payment; it is just a relief for the families of our fallen heroes in the Northeast.

“I must reiterate that the affected families should start processing the benefits of

their breadwinners early, so that we can make prompt payment.

“After this, you still have a lot to collect; you have the group life assurance claim, benevolent fund, Nigerian Army Welfare Insurance Scheme and the gratuity of the soldier.

“The last one will be the sponsorship of children below 18 from nursery school

up to the university; which the Army will take responsibility of.”

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Esther Odigie, said she was grateful for the gesture, as the money would help the family.

Mrs. Helen Makwusuba thanked the Army for the gesture, saying the money would assist her in taking care of the children.

APC leadership hailed for resolving crisis GROUP, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara South, Lagos branch, has hailed the leadership of the party “for resolving the crisis caused by the elections of National Assembly leaders.”

In a statement by the Chairman, Fattah Amolegbe; Publicity Secretary, Tayo Awodiji; Women Leader, Mrs. Olabisi Abolaji and Chairman, Elders’ Forum, Chief Jimoh

Niger dissolves caretaker committees

•Lai Mohammed exonerated

By Tokunbo Ogunsami

Adeoti, the body praised the APC leadership for resolving the impasse.

It said the path of peace embarked on by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in resolving the crisis was an indication of its readiness to lead the country with wisdom.

The group congratulated

Senate President Bukola Saraki on his election and prayed that Almighty Allah would grant him the wisdom and strength to justify the confidence reposed in him.

It rejoiced with Senator Ibrahim Rafiu, who represents Kwara South and Princess Funke Adedoyin, a lawmaker representing Ifelodun, Isin and Irepodun Federal Con-

stituency, on the election of Senator Saraki as the Senate President.

The statement exonerated the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, from blame on the statement issued on the matter on behalf of the party.

Members of the body said what he did was official. “As the party’s spokesman, he must carry out its directive.”

The group noted that the

people, who blamed Mohammed, wanted to cause misunderstanding between him and Senator Saraki.

The Chairman of the Stakeholders’ Summit Committee of the body, Chief Bode Anifaloyin, has urged the people of Kwara South to support the group to ensure the success of the summit holding in September. He said it would address the social and economic problems facing the district.

Kaduna State government has agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with BudgIT, Nigeria’s foremost civic technology organisation, to begin the development of an open budgeting system.

Placing a premium on the principles of transparency and using civic tools to optimise efficiency, the government has decided to work with BudgIT to design a platform, which allows citizens to see the policies, budgets, procurement records and also status of fund releases in a single space. People will be able to verify and monitor government’s progress, using their mobile phones.

BudgIT co-founder, Oluseun Onigbinde, said: “This initiative is to deepen the interaction between citizens and government, in line with the current mood of the country for increased transparency and accountability.

Kanu for burial June 29 KANU Kris Kanu, who died on April 14 at 49, will be buried on June 29 in his home town, Amannagwu, in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State.

He was born on December 23, 1966. He attended Our Lady of Apostles Catholic Primary School, Lagos and the Escondido Primary School in San Francisco, California, United States.

KK, as he was fondly called, also attended Federal Government College, Jos and studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

He worked in some companies, including Schlumberger, IMC Plc. and Moudaco Group.

Kris married Lucy in June 2004 and they have two daughters, Audrey and Stephanie.

•Kanu

60

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

FOREIGN NEWS

Karachi heat wave now claims more than 1,000 lives

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HE unforgiving heat has spared no one.

The very young, the very old and those in the prime of their lives.

Corpses covered in flies lie outside city morgues. Inside, bodies up on bodies are piled high.

Hospitals are overwhelmed, relying on volunteers and donors for ice, water and even spare beds.

By Thursday, the death toll from the oppressive heat wave in Sindh province topped 1,000, officials told CNN. But even without the numbers, the full extent of the misery isn’t hard to gauge.

At the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center in Sindh’s capital, Karachi, heat stroke victims are wheeled in daily, swelling the numbers well

beyond capacity.

The overwhelmed doctors and nurses do what they can.

But with supplies limited, the government-run hospital is relying on volunteers and donors for even the basic necessities, they say.

Family members tend to many of the patients, wiping their brows with sponges and keeping them cool with wet, grimy towels.

Burundi Vice President flees to Belgium

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ERVAIS Rufyikiri, second Vice President of Burundi, fled to Brussels in a protest against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid to seek a third term in office.

He said yesterday that he could no longer support Nkurunziza's unconstitutional attempt for a third term, adding that Nkurunziza's actions have plunged the country into a deep crisis.

Report from Bujumbura said before Rufyikiri, 50, fled to Belgium, where he earned his doctorate, other officials had left the country, including a constitutional court judge and members of the electoral commission.

For fear of an outbreak of new violence more than 100,000 people have fled Burundi into neighbouring

A

• Rufyikiri

countries.

A civil war that claimed 300,000 lives in Burundi ended in the country 12 years ago.

The opposition considers Nkurunziza's attempt to serve a third term unconstitutional.

Protests that have gone on

for weeks have not persuaded Nkurunziza to reverse course, with the EU and U.S. demanding a postponement of the election until the matter is resolved.

Parliamentary elections are to take place on Monday and presidential elections are scheduled for July 15.

ment took part in Thursday's vote, meaning 498 votes were needed to reach 75% of the 664 lawmakers in total.

The amendment bill was "not enacted", parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann said, after the 388 votes in favour of change fell below the threshold needed for it to pass.

Of Myanmar's 664 lawmakers, 166 are military appointees while the rest are elected MPs. Reports said 583 members voted in parliament on Thursday, including all of the 166 Over the last four years the public pronouncements of the Burmese army towards the reforms taking place have been deliberately ambiguous.

Now, thanks to the Constitutional Amendment Bill, it's been forced to draw a line in the sand.

It's now clear that while the military has allowed re-

duction in its political power.

That means the general election later this year, while an important moment, will be largely cosmetic. Even if the NLD wins the most seats, the military-protected constitution will ensure that key decisions and positions remain with army officers and appointees.

The vote on Thursday was a secret ballot, but crunching the numbers it looks like more than 90% of the elected MPs voted for a change.

That's quite a coalition, with the largest group among them being the USDP, Myanmar's ruling party. The USDP is usually described as being "military backed" and is stuffed full of former generals. And yet its MPs voted in large numbers to remove the military veto.

This may yet turn out to be a watershed day for Myanmar.

Rwanda intelligence chief granted bail

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WANDA's intelligence chief Karenzi Karake has been granted bail of £1m ($1.6m) by a court in London.

Karenzi Karake was detained at London's Heathrow Airport on Saturday, in response to a European Arrest Warrant.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame had earlier launched a scathing verbal attack on the UK government over Gen Karake's arrest.

Mr Kagame said it was a

M

ORE Nigerians may benefit from the International Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)’s Mandela Washington Fellowship aimed to empower youths with entrepreneurial and leadership skills, its Network Coordinator, United States Department of State, Paul Swider has said.

This follows the decision of the United States Government to increase the total positions offered annually from 500 to 1000 next year.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders to spur growth and prosperity across Africa.

Addressing journalists at Co-Creation Hub in Lagos yesterday, Swider said He explained that the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders brings 500 dynamic young African leaders, ages 25-35, from across the continent to the United States for 6 weeks of leadership training and

By Daniel Essiet

mentoring at twenty U.S. universities and colleges in three areas: business and entrepreneurship, civic engagement and public administration.

Selected from nearly 50,000 applications, he said participants in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders represented the extraordinary promise of an emerging generation of entrepreneurs, activists, and public officials.

Upon returning to their home countries, he said the fellows have access to professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking and training, and seed funding to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations.

He said the US government decided to expand the slots to give more Africans opportunity to participate in the programme.

Last year , the fellows were also hosted in Washington, D.C. for a three-day Presidential Summit featuring a

Town Hall with President Barack Obama Following their in-depth academic coursework and leadership training, he said some Fellows remained in the United States to participate in eight-week professional internships with American NGOs, private companies, and governmental offices.

Through YALI, he said the United States has invested significant resources to enhance leadership skills, promote entrepreneurship and connect young African leaders with one another and with Americans. Since 2010, he said the U.S. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the new flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.

U.S. Supreme Court okays Obamacare

Myanmar parliament votes to keep vote in Myanmar's forms elsewhere it will not parliament has failed military veto contemplate even a small re-

to remove the army's veto over constitutional change, dealing a blow to hopes for fuller democracy.

The bill received a majority of MPs' votes but not the 75% needed to pass.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy is expected to see big gains against the ruling party in an election likely to take place in the autumn.

The NLD swept the last free general election in 1990 but the then-ruling military junta ignored the results.

Ms Suu Kyi is barred from running for president because her two sons hold British not Burmese passports a ruling she says is unfair.

Earlier in June, a parliamentary committee proposed changes to the constitution article that bars Ms Suu Kyi - but they did not change the part that affects her status.

Both chambers of parlia-

U.S. to increase slots for young African Leaders Initiative

continuation of "colonialism" and accused the British of "arrogance and contempt".

Gen Karake is accused by Spain of ordering massacres in the wake of the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

He will be freed once the £1m is paid and other bail conditions are met.

After the hearing, Rwanda's High Commissioner to Britain, Williams Nkurunziza, said: "I'm very happy but I would have been happier if he would have

been allowed to return.

"This is the best it gets with this legal system."

Gen Karake will have to report to police daily and live either at the high commissioner's home or in a house rented by the Rwandan embassy.

President Kagame said that the British authorities "must have mistaken [Gen Karake] for an illegal immigrant. The way they treat illegal immigrants is the way they treat all of us".

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BAMACARE supporters celebrate the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Health Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images After two years of uncertainty and months of heated, often inscrutable legal debate, the verdict on Obamacare is in: In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled this morning that the Affordable Care Act -- in-

cluding the individual mandate, which requires that virtually all Americans purchase health insurance -- is constitutional. Obama's signature legislative achievement stood on the grounds that establishing a penalty for refusing to buy health insurance is tantamount to raising the sort of tax that is within Congress' taxation powers.

In a surprise twist of events, the conservative Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the Court's four liberal jus-

tices, replacing Justice Anthony Kennedy, who joined three conservative justices in a dissent, as the swing voter.

No doubt the Obama administration will view this as a massive victory -- and rightfully so -- but it's not a total one; the Court decided that individual states can decide not to expand their Medicaid programs, as ACA calls for, without losing all federal Medicaid funding (they can still lose new funds).

EXPRESSO

A note for Governor Ambode •Continued

from Back page

They must be galvanised to work for the people in the grassroots. There is a limit to what one man can do or the places he can go to in Lagos.

If the LGAs are not working, he would only be working at about 40 percent capacity no matter how hard he tried.

For instance a visit Ejigbo area of Alimoso especially now that the rains are here would be like visiting a huge pig sty; hardly any street is passable; a testimony to the total failure of governance.

Just how many streets can a governor reach? He must therefore make the LGAs do their jobs and accountably too.

The scourge of ‘hood gangs One crying matter AA

must attend to with utmost urgency is the question of hoodlums and street gangs rampaging in areas of the state like Mushin, Fadeyi, Somolu-Bariga, Ajah etc. this situation has indeed gone out of hand already. Gruesome killings and wanton destruction of property of residents have gone on for too long. AA must reaffirm the authority and presence of government in the state, pronto.

Age of creative economy The last point the new

helmsman must note is the

need to restructure the economy of the state. No matter how we look at it, the state is highly leveraged. The economy has merely been hinged on high taxes and federal allocation. It is still a renttaking economy buoyed by huge debt. This is less than half its potential. There is need for a new template of more robust and creative economy especially in this season of depression.

For instance what are the strategic assets of the state?

How developed are these?

Apart from just taking taxes what direct investments is the state doing for bigger economic cakes. Yes there is the new city, the free zone, refineries and airport all in the making but there is room for much more.

Another instance: Lagos is almost like a tourist desert.

Not even residents have public places for family relaxation or sight-seeing how much more visitors and foreigners. The Bar Beach, commonplace as it was, used to be a popular public convergence for fun-seekers in Lagos. It is no more and millions of Lagosians are stranded. A moderately made-up and well-secured public beach would be a huge earner. The huge tourism potential of Badagry is untapped.

That town ought to be a glo-

bal hub for historical and cultural tourism. The slavery sites in Ghana and Senegal are not any more significant than the Badagry slave port, they are only better developed and better projected.

We are talking about Lagos carefully developing and making capital of her waterways and aqua-culture economy, expansive beach economy, slave trade economy, ICT economy, entertainment and culture economy and sports economy. Lagos can drive and sustain a viable football league, basketball league, and catalyze swimming and athletics clubs.

Even in the traditional businesses, a million or two more people more will pay taxes with a slight review and a better approach. Engaging big businesses better and a friendlier industrialization policy could see the state’s economy grow to twice its current size without being overly indebted.

Lastly, Lagos must set up a carefully manned federal government intervention panel to fashion out ways and manner of engagement. And multilateral agencies should find a haven in Lagos for spending development dollars. But the conditions must be conducive. Lagos, a fledgling mega city needs all the funding it can get.

61

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

NEWS Row in House of Reps over principal officers Continued from page 4

member chanted ‘’shame’’ in response.

At exactly 12:34 pm, the mace re-entered the Chamber, causing members to applaud.

Oker Jev thereafter moved that plenary resumes. Goni Bukar Lawan (Yobe), who seconded nearly caused anther round of unrest as his reference to Jeff as “Acting Leader “ incensed Hon. Madaki who launched at him but was held back by other members.

But immediately the members settled down, Dogara pleaded for patience, saying the contentious issue of Principal Officers will be resolved.

He said: “We are very fortunate. Let me remind us of the fact that we are very very fortunate. In a nation of 170 million people only 360 of us are selected or elected to represent the people and we should be grateful to our constituents for sending us here.”

He said APC has promised “change” and that Nigerians expect the change to manifest. “ As to the issues that led to the fracas today, we will sit down as leaders and resolve whatever the fight; we have to ensure that this matter as quickly as possible is resolved and that is what we will do by the grace of God.” He approved the votes and proceedings of the next day and adjourned plenary till July 21.

After the House adjourned, both the APC and the PDP caucuses traded blames over the matter.

The APC Caucus said the problem was caused by Dogara’s actions at plenary.

The APC’s position was read

by Hon. Nasiru Sani Zangon Daura ( APC Katsina State.)

“The action that occurred inside the chamber of the House of Representatives was in reaction to the illegal and unconstitutional action taken by Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives, an action in his usual tradition of total disregard to the wishes of the majority members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus, the party itself and the spirit of the party.

“We are aware of a letter sent by our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), dated 23rd June 2015 conveying the approval of the party’s Principal Officers vis a vis the APC House Leader, the APC Chief Whip, the APC Deputy House Leader and the APC Deputy Chief Whip for the House of Representatives.

“This letter by the party is in compliance with the expressed wish and mandate of the majority members of the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives.

“This action of the party and the APC House Caucus is in compliance with the Nigerian Constitution, the House Rules and parliamentary tradition, practices and precedents in Nigeria and all over the world.

“But to our surprise and in breach of our privilege and rights as contained in the Constitution and extant House Rules, Mr. Speaker refused to read the letter from our party.

“The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are not party principal officers but are House of Representatives Presiding Officers and by precedent and practice are expected to provide a level

playing ground for all members, while the party principal officers are supposed to be the main advocates for their individual party positions.

“The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are elected by all members of the House of Representatives, irrespective of party affiliation and it is also possible under our extant rules for a Speaker and his Deputy to be elected from a minority/ opposition party in the National Assembly.

“Therefore, Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives cannot under extant Laws and House Rules appoint, choose, select, dictate or even provide guidance on how party principal officers emerge or are elected or selected. That responsibility and authority lies with each party and party’s caucus members in the House.

The PDP said the fracas was caused by the “unparliamentary” behaviour of APC members on the floor.

The Caucus, in a briefing led

by Hon. Leo Ogor, said: ”Something unparliamentary happened today and I think it’s important from the minority point we should put the facts before the public.

“Because of issues that border on some level of agitation he decided that we go into executive session to discuss as parliamentarians. A very embarrassing and unpleasant action took place from the APC group; they decided to take laws into their hands, turned the House upside down and went as far as even carrying the mace, which is the symbol of authority.”

Buhari for talks with Obama Continued from page 4

ment in its oil and gas sector.

Also yesterday, the U.S. reiterated its continued support for Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.

It condemned the recent attacks by the sect, which killed about 40 persons in Borno State in the last one week.

A statement by John Kirby of the Department of State also urged the government of Nigeria to take steps to secure and govern liberated areas by filling in behind military successes with police and civilian administration.

“We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of the victims of recent attacks in Borno State, attacks that resulted in more than 40 deaths. We condemn in the strongest terms the continued and widespread violence inflicted by Boko Haram on innocent men, women, and children in Nigeria. Those responsible must be held accountable.

“These latest attacks serve as a reminder that despite progress on the battlefield, Boko Haram remains capable of deadly and destabilising

acts of terrorism. We commend the efforts by the Nigerian military, as well as the militaries of Chad, Niger, and Cameroon for the gains they have made fighting Boko Haram. We encourage the government of Nigeria to take steps to secure and govern liberated areas by filling in behind military successes with police and civilian administration.

“The United States stands with Nigeria in the face of this threat. We will continue to take steps to increase our support for their efforts,” Kirby said.

Dollar scarcity hits banks

Continued from page 4

on some commodities from accessing forex from the official window, could be positive in the long run because there are local substitutes for each of the products affected.

“CBN acted well. When you have scarce resources, you

allocate them to areas of importance. We’re not in a hopeless situation,” he said.

The naira yesterday suffered a major setback, 24 hours after the announcement of the new forex policy by the CBN. President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (AB-

CON), Alhaji Musa Gwadabe, said: “From a relative position of N221 to dollar, the naira nosedived to N225 to dollar yesterday. Also, the policy further creates room for speculation and hoarding.

CBN needs to ensure adequate flow of forex to the real sector and create enabling environment to boost investors’ confidence.”

Senate adjourns after Saraki announces officers Continued from page 4

ate Chief Whip zoned to the South-West.

It was learnt that Senators from the South-West caucus did not write Saraki “because they felt that the APC letter on Senate offices was should suffice”.

Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) who seemed to be displeased with the way the Senate positions were filled, raised two Points of Order.

Marafa raised Order 28 (1) and Constitution Point of Order 65 (1E). “There should be a majority leader of the Senate who should be a Senator nominated from the party

with the highest number of Senators.”

Marafa said, “This point of order was raised yesterday and another colleague raised another point of order distinguishing between the word from and by.

Senator Danjuma Goje ( Gombe Central ) countered.

Goje said, “Senator Marafa raised the same order yesterday (Wednesday) and the Senate President ruled that the issue had been discussed and should not be opened again. “ I don’t know why the issue is being reopened. This is contrary to the rules of the Senate. We are the highest law making institution in the

country.”

Saraki said: “Let me refer to Order 53 (6), which states that it will be out of order to attempt to reconsider any specific question upon which the Senate has come to a conclusion.”

Ndume pleaded for understanding. He noted that though every senator is qualified for every position in the Senate, only one person can occupy a position.

Ndume said that he may not be the best, but he was prepared to conduct the duties of the Senate Leader to the best of his ability and ensure that every senator is carried along.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

62

SHOWBIZ

I once hawked in traffic, says Nigerian Idol 5 winner, K-Peace

• K-Peace

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INNER of Nigerian Idol Season 5, O l a k u n l e Ogunrombi, aka K-Peace has made some revelations about his humble beginning, saying his life was once like that of a person living in the ‘wilderness’..

The Ogun State-born singer revealed that he once hawked edibles like Gala, pure water and soft drinks in the traffic after the death of his father.

He could not thank the organizers of Nigerian Idol enough, for the music contest that changed the story of his life as winner of the coveted prize of N7.5 million, an all-expense paid trip to Dubai, a Hyundai Sports Utility Vehicle and a N7.5 million recording deal with South Africa-based Universal Music label among other largesse.

“I come from a family of five children and we were well-catered for. My father was an engineer with Leventis Motors at one time, but he lost his job and later tried his hands at trading in motor parts. We eventually lost him to cardiac arrest.

That marked the beginning of many difficult years for every one of us, including our mother whose duty it was to provide for us,” said

the 32-year-old who took the competition by storm with a unique genre of music; the FujiRnB which he calls a fusion of contemporary and Fuji music.

“At that time, I covered Mile 2 to Maza-Maza and Alakija, selling Chin-chin. I later sold Gala, Pure water and soft drinks around the “Chopping Centre” neighbourhood of Festac Town,” he said.

K-Peace had started out sealing and supplying Chin-Chin to some roadside traders, but opted to go into direct selling when he realised he would make more money doing so.

Prior to this, he had worked as a casual worker in a factory at Maza-Maza where he worked daily from 7 am to 5 pm for a paltry sum of N120.00 with an option of overtime at N30.00 per day.

He was on that job for a year before switching to roadside trading.

All that had changed on coming to the show, but his glorious triumph and the attendant rewards, monetary and non-monetary will obviously boost his finances and music career.

During the show, K-Peace repeatedly shone like the star that he is today. He was a leading light among the final top 12 contestants and he left no one in doubt about his music qualities and, more so, his rating as a top contender for the top prize throughout the seven weeks that the spotlight was cast on them.

Nigerian Idol focuses on discovering Nigerian youths with talent in music, giving them a unique platform to take shots at stardom. The season 5 was by sponsored

by Payporte, Etisalat Nigeria, Cool Fm, Tantalizers, Cadbury Nigeria, Zaron, Dabur Toothpaste, So-Klin, ORS and Ellis Suites.

Lincoln’s Clan comes on Africa Magic

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new pan-African soap opera, Lincoln’s Clan, has berthed on DSTV channel, Africa Magic.

Produced by Total Recall Media Limited, a foremost media production outfit in Lagos, the soap debuted on Africa Magic Channel (Showcase) 151, showing on Fridays by 8.30pm with a repeat edition on Channel 153 (Urban) on Sundays by 9.00pm.

Starring veteran actor Norbert Young, Doris Simeon, Thandekile Maseko, Dineo Mofammere, Remi Oyekunle, Alex Ganzallo and others, The Lincoln’s Clan project is a synergy of two leading countries in Africa South Africa and Nigeria -

• Poster of Lyncoln

showcasing the business life, cultural diversity and promoting the African spirit of oneness and unity.

Shot on a canon 5D mark III camera in Fourways, South Africa and Nigeria, Lincoln’s Clan is a story of power play and wealth that portrays a Nigerian clan called The Lincolns. Used to getting their way in everything they do, the deep secret between them threatens their bond and existence as a family. An initial struggle between the two crown heirs dominates their daily lives, but a new family secret reared its ugly head making the sworn enemies to come together for a common cause. Despite the headaches

the heirs bring to the family, the Lincoln’s head will do anything to protect the wealth and name of family.

The screen-play series was written by Adekunle Salawu, episodes directed

by Ola Kris Akinola and Chuma Ikeazor, series director was Teejaysstar T.O, Producers were Alayande Stephen T. & Femi Idowu while Oluseyi Adebanjo was the Executive Producer.

Total Recall Media Limited is the producer of REEL E on TV and Radio, E-ACCESS, Buzz Live with Owen Gee, Two Sides of a Coin soap series and now Lincoln’s Clan series. They equally publish REEL E Magazine.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015

63

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.10 NO. 3257

TODAY IN THE NATION ‘There is no doubt that Asiwaju who was given the power with which he overpowered the tyranny of Obasanjo in 2003 and 2007 and that of Jonathan in 2015 will still be availed such biblical ‘Samsonic’ power in the on-going scheming against his person.’

MOBOLAJI SANUSI

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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HERE are incurable racists. Anyone who doubts this should go to Mother Emmanuel, Charleston, North Carolina, the Black church where a racist wreaked havoc last week, leaving dead nine innocent souls studying the Bible in God’s sanctuary.

Do racists really have any genuine object of their racism? Or is the object only a construction of their sick imagination? When Dylan Roof looked in the eyes of nine church men and women and ranted about why they had to die in his hands, what did he see? Did he really see a species different from him?

Of course not! He saw what he was brought up to believe, what his narrow minded peers planted in him. He couldn’t see a biologically different species because there is none.

Scientists have long accepted the truth that the classification of human beings into racial groups based on assumed differences in genetic or biological properties has no foundation in reality. But back in the days of slavery and Jim Crow, the word of science didn’t really matter. Politics did. And still does.

The seed that bigotry planted, politics watered, and it germinated and bore the fruit of hate. The ensuing embrace of the fruit brutalised communities of colour which came to reluctantly accept the existence of race and rallied to assert and protect the dignity of the Negro race.

This was why W. E. B. Du Bois, back in 1897, declared the “verdict of science” on race that “we have at least two, perhaps three, great families of human beings—the whites and Negroes, possibly the yellow race” and that “other races have arisen from the intermingling of the blood of these two.” However, as if unsatisfied with this “final word of science”, Du Bois goes on to suggest that it “is nothing more than an acknowledgement that, so far as purely physical characteristics are concerned, the differences between men do not explain all the differences of their history. And that great as the various races of men, their likenesses are greater, and upon this rests the whole scientific doctrine of human brotherhood.”

But what is “the whole scientific doctrine of human brotherhood”? Du Bois does not tell us. As a child of his age, he cannot just shrug off the idea of race with its suffocating grip on humanity. Thus in his Eureka moment, Du Bois gives us his own verdict: “the history of the world is the history, not of individuals, but of groups, not of nations, but of races, and he who ignores or seeks to override the race idea in human history ignores and overrides the central thought of human history.” And he defines a race as “a vast family of human beings, generally of common

SEGUN GBADEGESIN gbadegesin@thenationonlineng.net

The challenge of moving beyond race blood and language, always of common history, traditions and impulses, who are both voluntarily and involuntarily striving together for the accomplishment of certain more or less vividly conceived ideals of life.”

I have read Du Bois at least once a year in the last 20 years and each time, something new is presented to me from the versatile mind of this ancestor. For instance, with a closer attention to Du Bois’s reference to “the whole scientific doctrine of human brotherhood” in which he appears to have anticipated the science of human genome and its wonderful conclusions, he could go all the way to declare the idea of race division as unscientific and unacceptable. Instead he caved in.

Long after Du Bois’s concession, there have been reviews of the “verdict of science” on race. The American Association of Physical Anthropology declares that, “all humans living today belong to a single species, Homo Sapiens, and share a common descent….

There is great genetic diversity within all human populations. Pure races, in the sense of genetically homogenous populations do not exist in the human species…”

In 1998, The American Anthropological Association (AAA) declared that “human populations are not unambiguous, clearly demarcated biological distinct groups. Evidence from the analysis of genetics (e.g.

DNA) indicates that 94% of physical variation lies within so-called racial groups. Conventional geographical “racial” groupings differ from one another only in about 6% of their genes. This means that there is greater variation within “racial” groups than between them.”

Tracing the history of the race concept and its practice in the US, the AAA declares that, “given what we know about the capacity of normal humans to achieve and function within any culture, we conclude that present-day inequalities between so-called “racial”

Y

ESTERDAY is a closed book, today open history It was necessary to let much of the noise and hoopla of change to die down in order to find space for this small voice. Then again, it would amount to a disservice bordering on illwill to the new regime at Alausa not to lend one’s voice. If only for the reason that one has been a long-term observer of this emerging megacity – as far back as Baba Lateef Jakande era; one would therefore be unfair not to make one’s humble input for the overall good of our city.

It must be noted that the new helmsman in Lagos, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (AA), has started on a delightful note. He has touched down running. Quite salutary that he has set about his job rather gracefully without looking back and seeking to pick holes in his predecessor’s tenure. If only for the reason that no two circumstances are quite the same and of course, that ex-governor Raji Fashola served to the acclaim of most Lagosians. The ball is in AA’s court now and the world ahead is far larger than what has gone by. He must therefore, resist the temptation to be seen to be casting aspersion or to look back in anger.

Quick off the starting block Having said that, it is quite remarkable that he starts off with one of the most troubling issues for Lagosians today – traffic logjam. That AA elected to visit most of the traffic prone areas of the city says something about his having his finger on the pulse of the city. It suggests that he has an understanding of the challenges

‘

The foregoing consensus notwithstanding, there is a strong interest in keeping race as a tool of science. This interest appeals to two different but related reasons

’

groups are not consequences of their biological inheritance, but products of historical and contemporary social, economic, educational and practical circumstances.”

The foregoing consensus notwithstanding, there is a strong interest in keeping race as a tool of science. This interest appeals to two different but related reasons. The first argues that since race classification is embedded in the routine collection and analysis of scientific data, it is not practicable, possible, or desirable to purge science of race. The second argues that while race may not be a scientifically meaningful concept, as long as it continues to influence social life through several paths, including racism, race classification must have a role to play in fighting the injustice of racism.

With regard to the first argument, there is no doubt that race classification is embedded in the routine collection and analysis of scientific data. But it is also true that the collection and analysis of scientific data may be carried out in disregard of the verdict of science. If in fact there is no scientific foundation for race, and if there is no biological race, then the collection of “scientific” data on race is in defiance of science and it is as such scientifically invalid. To purge science of race

STEVE OSUJI

EXPRESSO

steve.osuji@yahoo.com

•Columnist of the Year (NMMA)

A note for Governor Ambode Re: Peter Principle: a correction

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AST week, in the lead article here, “Troubled governors and the Peter Principle”, I wrote that “Obi (erstwhile Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra State) did not only leave about N80 billion in cash for his successor, Chief Willie Obiano, he put millions of the state’s funds in bonds that will mature in a few year’s time at some profit.”

Mr. Valentine Obienyen, media aide to Obi, came in with a correction, which one thinks is quite important to be reflected, if only for the purposes of record. He said that a total N75 billion was saved by Obi and handed to his successor, Gov. Obiano and broken down thus: “N25 billion in cash (naira); equivalent of N25 billion in dollar bonds and another N25 billion in local investments.”

The error is regretted, though the point of the piece remains valid. While many of Obi’s contemporaries almost ran their states to bankruptcy; with huge, unsustainable debts and unpaid salaries to show for it today (notwithstanding that it was a period of boom), Obi showed maturity, prudence and fiscal discipline that is uncommon in this place and age.

That he never borrowed a kobo for eight years is an indication of a rare resource management acumen that needs to be emulated. from the prism of the people.

To unlock a huge gridlock To illustrate, some commuters in some heavy traffic areas

of the city may have suffered the pains of traffic gridlock in particular spots for upwards of 20 years. Dopemu First Bridge and Iyana Ipaja

should not therefore be impracticable or impossible. For it would only require doing away with the collection of “scientific” data on race, that is, doing away with bad science.

It is true that due to centuries of classification without scientific validity, some group have enjoyed privileges while others have been deprived. The result of this is still very much with us. The politics of race, rather than the biology of race, is the driver of hate, discrimination, and dehumanization.

Race is not an accurate “pie slicer” to slice people into genetic groups. It is a social classification. So though science assures that biological race is a myth, racist ideology succeeds in creating a system that effectively slices people into groups of differing powers and opportunities.

The power is unassailable, and the opportunities are immense. Consider what has been noticed in the wake of the execution of innocent Bible study participants. Upon his arrest, Roof was handled with care and respect by the officers. He was protected with body armor from possible harm. Compare this with the arrest of an innocent young Black girl attending a pool party in Texas.

The police officer threw her to the pavement and sat on top of her in her swim suit. Then he aimed his gun at the young men and women around.

While some liberal commentators courageously saw racism in Roof’s act, others dogged the question. They described Roof a misguided kid or a sick child who needs help. They psychoanalyze the issue on behalf of a racist murderer. This kind of psychoanalysis doesn’t generally take preeminence in the case of a Black suspect.

But the power is more brazenly flaunted. In the wake of Roof’s murderous attack and the public revelation of his hate manifesto on his webpage, there is a debate about the continued relevance of confederate paraphernalia including the battle flag. Should there be a debate, really?

For many Southerners, including selfidentifying liberals, these symbols of oppression are symbols of their heritage for which they are proud.

There are descendants of slave owners who would defend slavery till death. One told an interviewer that slavery was the best social security that America offered Blacks. And he didn’t consider himself a racist! “If I am a racist, why would I have so many Blacks working for me?” he asked. We still have a long ways to go to move beyond race.

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080 Second Bridge along the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway, which are among the spots he visited, are just two examples where Lagosians have suffered daily (morning and evening) for over two decades without anyone coming with succour or solution.

The point is that there is always a solution to any problem, much less traffic gridlock spots, but only if someone cared. All around the state – from Alimoso to Apapa, Ikeja, Third Mainland, Lekki to Ajah, hardly any area is free of daily traffic snarl that keeps commuters locked down for long spells.

Apapa must be declared an emergency case immediately with joint LASG/FG task force mobilised to solve what has long been the shame of the nation at our premier sea port.

There is need for a committee to rethink the entire road and transport template of the state. In the meantime, urgent palliative measures are needed in places like Iyana Ejigbo, Mushin Olosa, to mention only two.

Some critical side roads need to be opened up too.

The LGAs conundrum Talking about side roads, most of his efforts would amount to naught if his LGAs remain comatose the way they have been for a long time. The LGAs were not created just to pay salaries to a few people; they were set up for very important purposes.

•Continued

on page 60

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Editor Daily:08099365644, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790. WEBSITE: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO