The Nation Mar 11, 2014 by The Nation

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PDP clears 13 for Ekiti poll

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VOL. 9, NO. 2784 TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

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Obi, Shekarau, Gbemi Saraki, others may be named ministers

My ordeal, by quadruplets’ dad

HE outgoing Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and three others may soon join President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet, The Nation learnt. Others being considered are ex-Governors Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano) and Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto). Senator Gbemisola Saraki (Kwara) is also listed. But Gbemisola’s likely nomination is creating division in the

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Onitsha

MAN, whose wife was delivered of quadruplets in Nkpor, Idemmili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Mr Sampson Ekene Okeke, rather than jubilate, is questioning God on why He should give his family four babies at once. He had prayed for a baby boy after having three girls. Then the new arrivals. Okeke said: “When my wife, Esther, became pregnant, all I knew was that it was a regular pregnancy until the medical director of Kanayo Specialist Hospital, Onitsha, told me that Continued on page 2

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•Obi

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, with many stakeholders opposing her choice. The stakeholders, who have accused PDP National Chairman Adamu Muazu of being behind Gbemisola’s nomination, have threatened to join forces with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015 should her likely nomination stand. It was also learnt that the new

arrowhead of PDP in Kwara State, Hajiya Muinat Bola Shagaya, does not favour Gbemisola for Kwara’s slot. Notwithstanding, Dr. Jonathan has asked his ministers to either support him and the PDP or get out of the cabinet. He said there was no way a minister in the cabinet could claim to be apolitical in a govContinued on page 2

•31 KILLED IN BENUE P58 •DEJI’S STOOL ROW IN RULING HOUSE P8 •TCN LOSES N1B P11

2015: Jega defends INEC’s two-day election time table 150,000 polling units to be used Permanent voter card issuance ‘poor in Ekiti’ By Lawal Ogienagbon, Deputy Editor

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will use about 150,000 polling units for the 2015 elections, its Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, said yesterday. The polling units will be 30,000 more than the 120,000 used for the 2011 elections. But Jega, who spoke in Lagos, ruled out holding the elections in one day because of what he called the ‘’enormous challenge involved’’. He said INEC was increasing the number of polling units because some units have as many as 3000 voters, adding : “This is not ideal. It should be an average size of 500 voters per unit.” INEC, he said, would not change the order of elections, noting that the presidential poll was not the first held in 2011, but the second after the National Assembly’s. He said: ‘’We did elections for three days in 2011, starting with the presidential, then the National Assembly and governorship/Houses of Assembly. In 2015, we have reduced the number of election days to two, beginning with the presidential/National Assembly, followed by the governorship/ Houses of Assembly. We cannot do the elec•Jega

Continued on page 2

•Sympathisers gather in front of Mercyland Prayer Ministry, Alaro Oke-Itunu, Ibadan where a night fire killed three worshippers...yesterday. •SEE P AGE 9 PA

PHOTOS: FEMI ILESANMI

Three burnt to death in Ibadan church fire

•The church building after the inferno...yesterday

•CHINA URGES MALAYSIA TO INTENSIFY SEARCH FOR FLIGHT MH370 P60

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS NLC to govt: we’ll resist fuel price hike

•President Goodluck Jonathan (third right), switching on an automated construction equipment to perform the ground breaking for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha…yesterday. With him (from left) are: Anambra State Governor-elect Willie Obiano, Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze; Anambra State Governor Peter Obi; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolomemen and the Chairman, House Of Representatives Committee on Works, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi.

Permanent voter card issuance ‘poor in Ekiti’

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been scored low by stakeholders in the issuance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Ekiti State. Speaking yesterday at an interactive forum with stakeholders, including a coalition of civil society groups, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi from the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) said: “INEC failed to sufficiently sensitise the electorate for the exercise.” The civil society groups lamented the insufficiency of personnel across the 2,195 polling units, adding that only one ad hoc staff (a youth corps member) attended to a large crowd while many collected their PVCs through proxies. Representatives of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, African Centre for Leadership , Strategy and Development, HEDA Resource Centre, New Initiative for Social Development, West African Network for Peace, Centre for Democracy and Development, National Council for Women Societies and Electoral Reform Network were present. Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi said: “Incidents of relocation of registration units led to confusion

2015: Jega defends INEC’s two-day election time table Continued from page 1

tions in a day. To try it will be inviting more challenges to the system. Doing the elections in one day will mean deploying five different ballot boxes and ballot papers. We will also have to give illiterates too five different ballot papers. “Logistics will be too enormous. Instead of moving materials for a particular election, we will be moving materials for all the elections. It will be cumbersome. It is not impossible to do it in a day, but it will be challenging. So, we decided to hold it in two days. We decided to hold the presidential/National Assembly elections the same day and the governorship/Houses of Assembly the same day. We tried to be rational and logical in fixing the dates”. Jega denied that the African Peoples Congress was denied registration because of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the process through which the associations sought registration was different. APC, he said, is the product of a merger of some existing parties, adding that the party complied with the requirements of merger and was registered. Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

over designated points of PVCs collection in some councils, while attention forms were inadequate in most polling units. There was tension at some registration units as people scrambled for the few available forms.

The African Peoples Congress, Jega said, was not registered because it did not meet the requirements for the registration of a new party. Jega said : “After looking at the documents of the African Peoples Congress, it was duly informed on why it could not be registered. APC met all requirements for merger. INEC was guided by the law in whatever it did. Anybody who feels otherwise can go to court.” The INEC chief said he harboured no fear over the outcome of the forthcoming National Conference affecting the 2015 elections, adding: “I have hopes for 2015; it will be better than 2011. But I have concerns that some politicians have not attuned their minds to ensure that the elections are free and fair.” To ensure credible elections in 2015, he said, INEC has cleaned up the voter register, pointing out that the integrity of the register is crucial to the integrity of the elections. The clean-up, Jega said, became necessary because INEC inherited a register “with too many challenges” in 2011, adding that there is need for continuous voter registration in most states to capture those who have attained the age of 18. He said the register was better than that of 2011

“We expected INEC and other stakeholders to sensitise the people on the importance of the exercise. Most people came to the venue without knowing what they were there to do. “The names of deceased persons were on the register. For

Continued on page 60

example, at Igbehin in Atikankan Registration Area, PU 002, Fakorede’s House, the name of the former Deputy Governor, the late Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka, among others, was on the list. Continued on page 60

ABOUR warned yesterday against further “punishment” of Nigerians by the Federal Government, with the lingering petrol scarcity nationwide. Many filling stations in Lagos did not have petrol and the scarcity was biting hard in Abuja, the nation’s capital. In many other cities, prices went up to as high as N120 per litre. The official price is N97 per litre. But the government is insisting that there is enough supply of products and that the scarcity is artificial. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warned that if the nationwide scarcity is to pave the way for increase in prices of petroleum products, the labour movement would resist the attempt. NLC President Abdulwahed Omar, in a statement, said trading blame between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the oil marketers seems to be a ploy to inflict pains on Nigerians to compel them to accept increase in fuel prices. But Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Maduake said at the weekend in Lagos after inspecting some filling stations that the government has no plan to increase fuel price. The NLC President said: “Assurances by the NNPC notwith-

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

standing, the tirade and buck passing between the corporation and marketers indicate an attempt to deliberately inflict hardship on Nigerians so as to accept increase in fuel prices. We hope this is not the case, as the Labour Movement will resist any attempt to further impoverish the working people with increase in fuel prices.” The statement, which NLC titled: “Stop punishing Nigerians with fuel scarcity”, warned that Nigerians could only hold the Federal Government responsible for the scarcity and not the marketers. Omar added: “We didn’t elect marketers to govern us. Government must take full responsibility for the scarcity and take decisive steps to restore normalcy urgently.” The NLC recalled since the last few weeks when scarcity of petroleum products at sales stations became noticeable, workers and the Nigerian people have experienced excruciating hardship and trauma with incoherent excuses from marketers and ostensible helplessness from the Federal government as well as relevant agencies responsible to rectify the deplorable situation. Omar noted that the scarcity Continued on page 60

My ordeal, by quadruplets’ dad Continued from page 1

she had twins, only for her to be delivered of three boys and a girl. “I now have eight of them, three boys and five girls. The Lord has answered my prayers.” Okeke, a businessman, appealed for financial assistance from Governor Peter Obi and good spirited Nigerians for the burden of keeping the children . He said: “The children are owned by everybody once they are out of the womb”. Two of the quadruplets

weighed 2.5kg. The other two weighed 2.2kg. A group of Christians, the St. Paul main group from St. Peters Anglican Church, Nkpor, led by Prince Kenneth Madu Akwasa, has embarked on intensive prayers for the protection of the quadruplets and their parents. They were accompanied by the vicar, Rev Ndubuisi Amaechina, Catechist-Ugo O, Christopher Ogham and Secretary, Sam Ogu. They donated an undisclosed amount of money and two dozens of pampers to the babies.

2015: PDP to decide if contest will be open, says Akpabio

KWA Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will decide if the 2015 governorship election will be open to all the aspirants from the three senatori-

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

al districts. Akpabio spoke in response to a question posed by Senator Effiong Bob who sought to know where Uyo SenatoContinued on page 60

Obi, Shekarau, Gbemi Saraki, others may be named ministers Continued from page 1

ernment formed by a political party. The list of the four nominees is to be sent to the Senate after due consultations with some stakeholders. A Presidency source said: “So far, Obi, Shekarau, Bafarawa and Gbemisola have been pencilled down for ministerial slots, barring last-minute change of mind by the President. “The appointment of the four is part of the new focus of the cabinet to have a mixture of technocrats and politicians. You know this is a transition cabinet, which should be useful during the campaign period. “Also, the reality of the defection into PDP by some bigwigs is that there must be some reallignment and political concessions. Politics is about being part of a government. “For Obi, apart from his track records in office, he is rated as central to the President’s success in 2015 through the mobilisation of the Igbo. You cannot have Obi in the cabinet without an impact because he is an epitome of good governance.

“We are expecting that the names will soon be sent to the Senate for consideration.” As at press time, however, the choice of Gbemisola Saraki has caused ripples within Kwara PDP. It was learnt that the rallying point of PDP in Kwara State, Hajiya Muinat Bola Shagaya, is opposed to Gbemisola for “not being a team player” since she joined the party. Although it was gathered that the PDP leadership had reconciled Shagaya and Gbemisola before the latter’s defection, but the two leaders have not worked harmoniously. A top leader of PDP in Kwara State said: “Initially, we were asked to submit a list of 10 names but it was later pruned to three. Now, we learnt the National Chairman of PDP is in favour of Gbemisola Saraki to reduce the choice to one. “Our leaders are throwing up candidates like Prof. Shuaibu Oba Abdulraheem; Dele Belgore (SAN); Kunle Sulyman; exMinister Ibrahim Bio; John Dara and Senator Makanjuola Ajadi. Some even suggested picking

from younger elements to join the cabinet. They are making a case for younger ones like Hon. Ibrahim Oloriegbe and Lanre Issa Onilu. “Gbemisola cannot be acceptable to all PDP leaders in the state. She cannot just come and hijack the party. She is also not a team player. “For instance, we were expected to mobilise members of PDP in Kwara to the rally in Minna last Saturday. But instead of working with others, Gbemisola went behind to ferry her supporters to Minna to prove a point that she is in charge of Kwara PDP. All her supporters were visible at the rally as if other stakeholders were insignificant. “The President should consult very well before making Gbemisola a minister or else PDP should forget Kwara in 2015. The truth is that she contested under ACPN in 2011, did she go far? She needs to pay her dues in PDP before hopping to a ministerial seat.” Jonathan has asked his ministers to either support him and the PDP or leave the cabinet.

Another source in the Presidency said: “In a government formed by a political party, there is no basis for being apolitical at all. Once you are a minister, you are expected to implement the programmes of PDP “The President has told the ministers to either back him and PDP or leave the cabinet. He reaffirmed his position with the sack of Bolaji Abdullahi as the minister of Sports last Wednesday. “Let me tell you, the real reason Abdullahi was removed had to do with his refusal to read a speech supporting PDP at the party’s rally in Ilorin last Monday. He stood his ground that he is not a politician. The President also showed him that he should go for other business if he cannot identify with a party upon which he is serving the nation. “This same rule now applies to all ministers; they have to identify with PDP directly or indirectly. The alternative is to quit.” It was gathered last night that the President has directed all ministers to perform or be boot-

ed out. A government official, who spoke with our correspondent, said the President vowed to stick to the Performance Benchmark for assessing ministers. The source said: “The President said once a minister has no concrete achievements to impact on the lives of Nigerians, he or she should be prepared to go. “As a first step, the President has told the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, to sit up; he said he is not happy with the present state of the Federal Capital Territory. “The Minister is not sustaining the master plan of the city and the security situation is at its lowest ebb. Most of the key projects being completed by the minister were inherited; no new outstanding projects have been added. “This FCT administration has preoccupied itself with land allocations than infrastructural development. “The President’s concerns informed why the FCT Minister was running helter-skelter on Monday and threatening all his

•Shekarau

directors. He has transferred the same aggression to the directors by vowing to sack them.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS

No end yet to T

•Wife of Lagos State Governor, Abimbola Fashola (right), presenting a document to Mrs Kudirat Adamson, one of the beneficiaries of the Good Boys and Girls Empowerment Scheme (GBES) during the 10th Town Hall Meeting of Senator Oluremi Tinubu in Lagos...yesterday. With them is Senator Tinubu. PHOTO: TAIWO OKANLAWON

• President, Federation of Construction Industry, Solomon Ogunbusola (middle) and Executives of Service Department, West African Ceramics Ltd, Sachin Katare(left) and Kunche Surendra,during the Building Construction & Mining Mart 2014 Expo in Lagos.

•From left: Senior Manager, Treasury, Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited, Kazeem Owolabi, Managing Director, Ben Akaneme, Company Secretary Linda Tobi and Deputy General Manager Bola Aruna at the unveling of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited (former Gthomes Limited) in Lagos.

•From left: Public Relations Officer, Health Information Managers’ Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Adegite Peter, National 1st Vice President, Association of Medical Laboratory ScientIstS of Nigeria, Alhaji Toyosi Raheed, Chairman, Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association (AHPA), Dr. Godswil Okora and National Secretary, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Victor Okwuosa at a news conference by AHPA and the Joint Health Sector Unions in Lagos...yesterday. PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

HE controversy dogging the National Conference may well continue into its inauguration. Many groups and individuals yesterday complained about exemption from the list or the ability of some delegates to represent their constituencies. The Southern Taraba Stakeholders Forum (STSF) yesterday rejected the nomination of Mrs. Salome Jankada as one of the state’s delegates. Jankada, a politician from Southern Taraba, was nominated alongside Justice Adamu Aliyu and Alhaji Suleiman Zubairu by Acting Governor Garba Umar. The Taraba Christian Youth Vanguard (TCYV) is also not happy that the list has two Muslims and a Christian, which, according to it, is not a true reflection of the ratio of Christians and Muslims in Taraba. Spokesman of the Southern Taraba Stakeholders Forum, James Abe Nwunuji, in a statement yesterday, said Jankada’s name should be dropped because she was not the choice of Southern Taraba people. “Jankada did not emanate from us, she must be dropped,” said Nwunuji. Nwunuji was reacting to a statement by the Acting Governor Umar’s Chief Press Secretary Kefas Sule that Jankada, among the other nominees, were selected in consultations with stakeholders in the three senatorial zones. Nwunuji said: “We heard with a sense of disbelief what Mr. Kefas Sule said concerning the national conference nominee Mrs. Salome Jankada. “Sule said Jankada emerged (on the delegates list) as a nominee after consultation with stakeholders from Southern Taraba. He is lying devilishly. “When and which stakeholders did the deputy governor consult from southern Taraba? “At no time were we consulted as stakeholders, unless Umar does not know who the (real) stakeholders from the zone are.” The forum said if they were actually consulted, they would not have suggested Jankada’s name, adding that Jankada was not a member of the ruling PDP but a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP). “Jankada simply does not qualify, both morally and politically. “If Umar had asked us, we have elder statesmen and women that could competently represent us. “Southern Taraba has a slew of quality materials that will provide sound representation at the confab. “By handpicking Jankada, Umar has a plan to ridicule the people of Southern Taraba. “We once rejected Jankada’s candidature for senate on the same moral and political grounds. As a minister, she was not in touch with us, as she largely stayed in Abuja.” The forum insisted that Jankada’s name must be dropped; if she is not substituted, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chairman of the conference, retired Chief Justice Idris Lagbo Kutigi should not inaugurate her –in the interest of the people of Southern Taraba. Jankada’s sin is that, apart from being a strong political foe of recuperating Governor Danbaba Suntai, the former minister has been supporting Umar who hails from Northern Taraba for governorship, against the agitation for power shift by the people of Southern Taraba, The Nation learnt. “By picking Jankada, Umar has only paid her with the confab slot, for her services of insisting on his (Umar’s) governorship in 2015. She must be dropped.” The forum said.

Itsekiri, Urhobo kick Many Itsekiri people in the Niger Delta have also kicked against the Federal Government’s allocation of a single delegate to represent them at the

•Dr Jonathan

From Shola O’Neil, Warri, Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo, Osagie Otabor, Benin, Bolaji Ogundele, Warri, Damisi Ojo, Akure and Tony Akowe, Kaduna

national conference, which kicks off next Monday. A member of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, Chief Isaac Jemide, was named as a delegate to the muchawaited conference after several protests by Itsekiri leaders over their ‘marginalisation’ in the list released last Thursday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Comrade Mathew Itsekure of the Itsekiri National Youth Council said the Itsekiri nation was neither impressed by the manner of the announcement nor a single delegate allotted to his kinsmen. Speaking in a telephone chat with The Nation, Itsekure said: “Even the announcement of Chief Jemide, to us, is still a rumour and mere reactionary move from the Federal Government. We demand a minimum of three candidates because it is not safe for us to have a single delegate to represent the Itsekiri nation. “It is unacceptable to Itsekiri people who are a major contributor to the nation’s resources – we contribute as much as 30% in Delta State and we cannot accept a situation where we are relegated to a conference where the life and future of this country is being discussed.” He denounced the manner of Jemide’s appointment via a television broadcast by the SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, describing it as an afterthought and indication of how the Federal Government sees the Itsekiri nation. Itsekure said the Itsekiri ethnic nation was able to produce four delegated during a similar conference held on the eve of Nigeria’s independence in London. He said the Itsekiri were not against other ethnic groups having whatever number of representatives in the talk shop, maintaining that the Itsekiri people merely wanted a strong voice at the conference. He listed devolution of power, true fiscal federalism and resource control as some of the issues that the Itsekiri people would want to canvass at the conference. The Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) said its people have been shut out of the conference. The Urhobo People’s Forum (UPF) described its single representation as an injustice to its people. Speaking to reporters in Warri yesterday, President of the INYC, Shola Jakpa, said it would be difficult to get the Itsekiri people to be calm in the face of the ongoing exclusion of the people

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

o National Conference controversy ‘

If the proposed national conference is intended to heal wounds and lay a better foundation for an enduring country, then we all have a responsibility to avoid such as deliberate exclusion as we are witnessing today •Ekweremadu

in a matter that affect their destiny. “We have been told to be calm about being made not to have a say in a conference to determine who gets what, when and how in a renegotiated Nigeria. How does anybody expect us to be calm? This is the only National Conference since in the annals of Nigeria that we are being alienated. “It is more surprising that this is happening to us at a time the Itsekiri nation remains entirely a PDP territory under a minority President even in the face of the current wind of defections against the ruling party. All Itsekiri lawmakers at state and federal level remain Itsekiri. We respect President and remain supportive of his government. How can we then be calm to be so humiliated?” Also speaking, Secretary of the organisation, Oritseweyimi Eyitemi, said: “The only reason why this illtreatment has not degenerated into a breakdown of law and order is because we have given ears to the counsels and directions of our elders. No one should tie the hands of our elders. Whatever direction they say we should take over this matter, we will obey. “But the right thing to do will be for the powers that be to correct this anomaly. A situation where other ethnic minorities get as much as 20 representations without Itsekiris not being accorded the courtesy of even a single representation is inciting. It does not call for calm at all.” The UPF, in a statement issued in Warri by its coordinator, Omiregua Nathaniel Dortie, said the list had done injustice to Urhobo people and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the anomaly was corrected. Dortie said: “The marginalisation of Urhobo in the forced marriage called Nigeria is very offensive. By every measure, Urhobo deserves a good number of representation in the Southsouth delegates’ list. “We call on the President to immediately correct this injustice. What sins has the Urhobo people committed that cannot be forgiven. Urhobo popula-

•Anyim

•Ozekhome

How National Conference can reposition Nigeria, by Ekweremadu

EPUTY Senate President Ike Ekweremadu yesterday said the National Conference could help reposition the country, if well handled by delegates. Ekweremadu spoke at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport before boarding the presidential jet with President Goodluck Jonathan to Onitsha for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha. A statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu in Abuja, said: “The National Conference is something that I believe will reposition this country if handled well. “I want to appeal to participants to approach it from the point of view of patriots, not just as individuals representing their various states, ethnic groups, political parties, ethnic groups or professional bodies. tion is higher than that of 7 States in Nigeria. As one of the majority ethnic groups in the Southsouth, we cannot be denied representation in the delegates list. “We call on the Urhobo Progress Union, Urhobo Kings, politicians, religious leaders, youth groups, market women and artisans to fight with one voice in fighting the injustice being orchestrated by the powers that be.”

Ijaw in Ondo reject delegates’ list The Ijaw Community in Ondo State yesterday rejected the list of delegates that will represent the state at the National Conference. The community argued that there was an error in the compilation of the list of delegates from the state for the conference. Its leader, High Chief Francis Williams, said the Ijaws are a distinct nationality that should be accorded their right in that capacity. He said it was wrong for the Ijaws in Ondo State not to be represented at the conference having participated in the pre-conference activities.

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

“They should think as Nigerians and about what we have to do to ensure the stability and progress of the nation and ensure that we bequeath a nation that our children will be proud of.” He said the National Assembly would give the delegates all the legislative support to deliberate and come up with their decisions. He added: “Ultimately, their decisions will come to the National Assembly for legislation and I have no doubt that the National Assembly will support the final outcome because it is the wish of Nigerians.”

Williams said: “The other issue which makes the non inclusion of Ijaws in Delegates’ list confronting and intriguing is the noncompliance with Federal Government’s directive on composition of the National Conference. “It is clearly stated in the directive that the 15 delegates per geo-political zone must reflect ethnic and religious diversities in the zones. Undoubtedly, the Ijaw and Yoruba are the two distinct ethnic nationalities in the Southwest. “The point is that, the criteria of ethnic and religious diversity makes it mandatory for the minority Ijaw ethnic nationality in Ondo State and by extension the southwest geo-political zone to be duly represented at the National Conference. “The fact before us today is that there is an error in the compilation of list of delegates from Ondo state for the national conference. While we do not know whether the error is genuine or a deliberate attempt to rob us of our right, our position is that the error should be corrected without any delay.”

Williams added that the error should be corrected before the inauguration of the conference. “If the proposed national conference is intended to heal wounds and lay a better foundation for an enduring country, then we all have a responsibility to avoid such as deliberate exclusion as we are witnessing today,” Williams added.

Youths protest Ozekhome’s replacement The Kukuruku Youth Renaissance Network has protested the alleged replacement of human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, with Senator Yisa Braimah to represent Afenmai Ethnic Nationalities at the National Conference. It said the conference was not a tea or a drinking bar but a place for intellectuals who know how to brainstorm and deliver good ideas. A statement by its Secretary-General, Tony Igebor, wondered who nominated Braimah after the Afenmai Forum nominated Ozekhome. The statement reads: “We pass a vote of no confidence in the process that brought Senator Braimah and call

‘

for immediate reversal. No man can dictate who represent Afenmai Ethnic Nationalities. We are wise enough to decide who represent us.”

‘Many delegates responsible for Nigeria’s woes’ A youth activist and social critic, Solomon Dalong has said the list of delegates to the National Conference contains names of those responsible for the nation’s woes. Speaking with reporters after the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Youth Consultative Forum (NYCF) in Kaduna, Dalong queried the criteria that was used to choose the delegates. He noted that having served in several capacity in the country and failed to lay good examples, he said the delegates derailed in their various responsibilities and wondered why such men who are in their seventies and eighties are the ones to chart a new course for the nation. He noted that the youths who are the future leaders have been sidelined in the nomination and ask President Jonathan to look into the and find ways of having more youths in the conference, because it is their future that would be discussed, he added. According to him, at least 60 per cent of those selected by the President should be the youth, adding that they were disappointed at the lists, saying many of those going to the conference will only be there to go and sleep and collect allowances without making any meaningful contributions. “We are still going to have the same thing at President Jonathan’s National Conference because it has sidelined major stakeholders in the Nigerian project and unless those he selected to attend theNational Conference are just a campaign team for somebody,” he said. Chairman Board of Trustee of NYCF, Mallam Ishaku Garba, said the conference would help Nigerians to know their differences and address them.

Okonkwo to Igbo delegates: align with Ohaneze on confab

HE president of Committee 21, an Igbo socio-political group, Senator Annie Okonkwo, has urged Igbo to support the Ohaneze Ndigbo’s position on the National Conference. Okonkwo, in a statement yesterday by his media aide, Collins Ugwu, said: “Any opportunity for a national jaw-jaw of this dimension is better than war-war. The potency to correct structural and social injustices is best served through dialogue than the violence of

warfare. People must appreciate that it is better late than never. “I call on Ndigbo of all persuasions to strategically stand behind Ohaneze Ndigbo as our delegates go to the conference to canvass our position and interests, because the Igbo must make a statement that on this very issue of national dialogue, we are one, since the consequences of our collective deprivations as a people is neither discriminatory nor selective.” He advised Igbo delegates to the conference: “It

will be a lamentable self-inflicted disaster, difficult to forgive, much less forget if the policies and protocols of governance that will shape the future of this country are negotiated without the best of our deepest inputs from our cerebral fountain of knowledge, wisdom and prized attributes. “It is therefore of solemn importance that our unvanished reflections, desires and demands are skillfully orchestrated,

persuasively canvassed and convincingly articulated with no room for self opportunism or vain grandstanding, because our delegates should never make the mistake of coming home with analogue rating when we clearly have a digital capacity. That is why we should go to the confab with competence and character, to optimize our confidence and capacity to seal a fair deal for Ndigbo who certainly will not accept anything less.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS VC to govt: give more cash to education THE Vice Chancellor of the Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu University, Uli, Prof. Fidelis Okafor, has called for improved funding to end the high cost of tertiary education in the country. Okafor told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka yesterday that the wage bills and infrastructure needs of the institutions were increasing with the student population. He said the internally generated revenues of both public and private universities could not match their financial needs. He called on the private sector to partner with the Anambra government in the provision of infrastructure in the university such as students’ hostels. “We appreciate the efforts of the federal and Anambra governments to improve the state of infrastructure in the university. “We are asking for more allocations to be able to pay the workers and take care of other overhead without borrowing. “This will reduce school fees which are being used to complement whatever we are getting now.”

APC to Jonathan: visit Yobe T pupils’ families HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to visit Yobe State to commiserate with the bereaved families of the schoolchildren murdered by terrorists last month. In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it was inconceivable that about two weeks after the killings of more than 29 schoolchildren, the President has visited the state. It said such a visit would provide great succour to the families of the victims and reassure them that their government has not abandoned them. The statement reads: “There is no other democracy in the world in which that number of schoolchildren will be killed and the head of government will carry on

with business as usual. Since the killings, President Jonathan has made a national broadcast in which he mentioned the killings only as a footnote, instead of making it the central point of the broadcast. “Since the killings, the President has presided over a wasteful national celebration, in which the drums were rolled out to mark the country’s centenary even as devastated families were still mourning and those injured were reeling from their pains. “Since the killings, President Jonathan has been gallivanting across the country, surreptitiously kick-starting his electioneering campaign for 2015 under the guise of receiving some inconse-

quential political jobbers now wearing the tag of defectors. This junketing has taken the President everywhere, including Sokoto, Minna, Ilorin and Onitsha. But he has pointedly avoided Yobe. To put it mildly, the father of the nation has been practically dancing on the graves of those innocent souls. This is not the stuff of leadership and the President must make amends by visiting Yobe today.’’ The party said Jonathan should take a cue to what obtains in other lands, especially in the US after which Nigeria has modelled its democracy. “In January 2014, US President Barack Obama flew to Tennessee, where he spoke at a high school where stu-

dents were still reeling from the shooting death of just one of their classmates; In 2012, President Obama paid a similar visit to Newtown in Connecticut, where he met relatives of the 20 schoolchildren and 8 adults who were shot. These are examples worthy of emulation by President Jonathan,’’ it said. The APC challenged the President to tell Nigerians why he has not or why he would not visit the scene of the gruesome murders. “Whatever his reasons are, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces must not give the impression that there is any part of the country he cannot visit for any reason whatsoever, otherwise he would only have succeeded in handing some sort of victory to the terrorists who have continued to kill and plunder in the Northeast,’’ it said.

Kumuyi, Ezekwesili to address youths By Adeola Ogunlade

THE General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM), Pastor William Kumuyi, and the former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, are expected to address youths on empowerment in a programme tagged: Youth Empowerment Summit, YES. Over 100,000 youths drawn from public and private schools and young school leavers in Lagos State are expected to gather at the Deeper Life Conference Contre on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, on Saturday, March, 22. Pastor Kumuyi is the Convener of YES. The event promises to be one of the single biggest gatherings of youths in Nigeria and is being packaged by the Deeper Life Students’ Outreach (DLSO). A statement by the National Youth Coordinator, DCLM, Pastor Peter Elias, said the theme of this year’s event is “Empowerment for Greatness.”

HE Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) on Monday said it would soon prosecute teachers that failed to register with the council as required by law. The counci’s Registrar, Prof. Addison Wokocha, disclosed this during the first induction ceremony of graduates of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) post Graduate Diploma in Education programmes and NCE of the 2010 to 2012 session, in Kaduna . Wokocha said those teaching without obtaining licence or registering with the council risked prosecution and other penalties. He recalled that the Federal Government had directed every teacher to register and obtain the minimum NCE certificate to qualify as teachers. “In 2011, TRCN with the support of various stakeholders and inputs from technical experts had developed the professional standards for Nigerian teachers. “ Arising from the prevalence of qualified but incompetent teachers, TRCN is poised to rigorously sensitise all stakeholders towards the implementation of these requirements in order to mitigate the negative effect of incompetent teachers in the school system. “ I therefore urge you to abide by the contents of these standards to avoid sanctions,” he said.

Jonathan’s wife honours friends of women

•Vice-President Namadi Sambo (second left), Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu (left), Managing Director Emzor Phamastical, Stella Okoli (third left) and Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko (second right) listening to Glory OpusunjuNene at the Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage at the Banquet Hall, State House in Abuja. PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN

Shonekan urges private sector to support govt

ORMER Head of Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan yesterday urged the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and well-meaning individuals to support governments in infrastructural development. He said governments cannot provide all that the people need. Shonekan spoke at the Seventh Anniversary of the City Profs Academy (CPA) and the inauguration of CPA - Community Library Initiative (CLI) Ijebu Imusin Community e-Library. It has the theme “Community

Unregistered teachers to be prosecuted

•Ijebu Imusin gets e-library By Wale Adepoju

library initiative in Nigeria: a vote for the reading culture!”. He said the provision of the e-library at the federal, state and local governments should be complemented by well-meaning individuals and NGOs, stressing that this would bring development to all the stakeholders. Shonekan, who was the Chairman of the occasion, said e-libraries were built developed countries by NGOs and wealthy individuals despite their financial

and material resources, adding that similar things should be done to develop Nigeria. He praised the Ogun State government for being at the forefront of social economic development of the people but stressed that it still needed the participation of private sector, NGOs and kind-hearted individuals in economic development cannot be over-emphasised. He thanked the initiators of the library, City Profs Educational Foundation (CPEF) for establishing the

library, adding: “What you have done will leave your steps on the sand of time.” Besides, the gesture would help to improve the standards of education. He said each time he saw private sectors and NGOs giving to the society it usually raised his hope that the future would be bright. He said when children have a place to read books it would improve their learning and make them better students. Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun said education was one of his state focal points, adding that the

e-library would help to raise the standard of education. He said books were next to teachers as aids for learning, saying reading proficiently was an integral part of academic success. Amosun, represented by his Commissioner for Education and Technology, Mr Segun Odubela, enjoined the people to guide and take ownership of the facility. Amosun said no government has monopoly of fund to provide all that the people wanted, adding that everybody should work together to ensure success.

S part of the events marking this year’s International Women’s Day, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has honoured some “women-friendly leaders” of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Presenting the awards yesterday on behalf of the First Lady, the State Coordinator of the Women for Change and Development Initiative, Chief (Mrs) Abosede Ogunleye, said the awardees were chosen after a careful appraisal of their support for women. Among the award recipients were former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye; Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee, PDP, South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu; Chairman, Elders Council, PDP, Ogun State, Alhaji Agboola Alausa; State PDP Chairman, Engr. Adebayo Dayo; former acting Zonal Secretary, Chief ‘Pegba Otemolu; PDP chieftain, Chief Tunde Olowu; State PDP Secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo; party stalwart, Chief Zacchaeus Oyekunle and governorship aspirant, Kayode Amusan, among others. Kashamu, who spoke for the recipients, thanked the organisers of the event for the honour. He donated N1million and three cars to the organisation. He also announced the donation of office space to the organisation within the premises of the Goodluck Jonathan Political Centre, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS Health professionals to withdraw services

•Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun (right); Fuji maestro, Wasiu Ayinde (left) and his mother, Alhaja Aminat Sadia Anifowose, during the 57 birthday celebration of the musician in Ijebu-Ode...at the weekend

We ‘ll impound vehicles without new number plates, says FRSC

HE Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said it would from July 1 impound vehicles without the new number plates. It said the deadline for the procurement of the new number plates and driving licence remained June 30. FRSC’s Assistant Corps Marshal, Administration and Strategy, Operations Department, Mr. Ademola Lawal, spoke in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday. Lawal, on tour of the Southsouth to sensitise people on the process of procuring the number plates and driving licence, said nobody would be spared in the enforcement of the new law. He said the process of pro-

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

curement was not difficult and advised vehicle owners against patronising touts. Said Lawal: “The enforcement of the use of the new number plates will begin on June 30. Once this starts, nobody, irrespective of his status, will be spared. I urge Nigerians to make use of the available windows to procure theirs. “Let me also sound it clearly that the process of procuring a new number plate and driving licence does not waste time as being speculated. It is only those who go through touts that are complaining that the process wastes time. “The form you are going to

fill is not more than a page. The process is not cumbersome. You can begin registration in your home and go to our website meant for vehicle registration, fill it, print it out and take it to the Board of Internal Revenue in your state for payment. It is as simple as that.” According to him, when the implementation commenced, each vehicle impounded would attract N10,000 fine. His words: “If you do not have the new number plate when enforcement begins, an offender will be made to pay N10,000 fine. Also, his vehicle will be impounded, pending when he is able to procure the number plate. “As for the driving licence, those who did not have licence

before are expected to go to an approved driving school in their states. After graduating from such a school, you will take your certificate to the Vehicle Inspection Office where you will be tested on eligibility.” Lawal said the price for a driving licence as determined by the Joint Task Board chaired by the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service remains N6,350. As for number plate, he said the price is N12,500 for those registering a new car, while those replacing old ones are expected to pay N10,000. He warned that the era of obtaining driver’s licence and number plates by proxy was over.

Jonathan laments high capital flight on medical tourism

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday lamented the high rate and capital flight being wasted on medical tourism by Nigerians abroad. He spoke through Vice President Namadi Sambo at a Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. In a bid to achieve the 30 per cent health insurance coverage as targeted by the Federal Government, stakeholders have suggested ways to this, besides making it compulsory, as earlier canvassed. At the summit, it was the opinion that quality health care could be achieved with the right political will. President Jonathan noted that although Nigeria had made good progress in the health sector, it had not got to “where we ought to be.” Stressing that the country was working with partners to improve healthcare services, he said many Nigerians in the diaspora are returning home to invest in the health system. Said he: “We are not where we ought to be in health care delivery. For this to be possible, health insurance must be a regular culture, as it is at an unacceptable level.” Urging Nigerians to be involved and contribute to the drive towards affordable healthy care delivery, the President said universal health coverage is the priority of government at all levels. He said the challenges limiting the attainment of the universal health care are surmountable, as the political leadership would provide the

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

support and commitment for the people to access it. President Jonathan said: “We set our own target to achieve universal health care next year and have invested in programmes towards this. We have worked with partners to access primary health care medicine and have also improved infrastructure. “Many Nigerians in the diaspora are returning home to invest in our health care system. Social health insurance is also gaining ground. It is important that physical access to good health care can be achieved.

“We still have a large number of people today, travelling out of the country to seek health care services. The scale of medical tourism is enormously not justifiable. We are conscious that they can be addressed with appropriate policy review if desirable. The lawmakers and others must come together to make laws that will ensure better health delivery for Nigerians.” The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said financial access is possible if health insurance is made compulsory and treated as the right of citizens. According to him, establishing independent health quality commission to ensure stan-

dard and compliance would also be desirable to enhance the desired results. Towards boosting the universal health care system in the country, he suggested the introduction of one naira levy per telephone calls made by anybody in the country. Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko said to boost universal health care, the country needs better approach than just paying lip service. A sustained political will, he said, would do all that was required in the drive to achieve universal health care by next year and that more than the targeted 30 per cent projection would be achieved.

Ondo workers protest against contributory pension bill

OVERNMENT activities were yesterday stalled for several hours in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, as civil servants in the state staged a peaceful protest against the bill on Contributory Pension Scheme forwarded to the State House of Assembly by Governor Olusegun Mimiko. The workers locked all government offices as early as 8.00 am. They thereafter invaded the State House of Assembly complex on Igbatoro road, Akure in protest against the bill recently forwarded to the House by the governor. The workers had last week threatened to block every road leading to the Assembly and ensure that there was no access to the venue of the Public hearing on the bill which

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

was slated for yesterday. They had vowed to use every legal to fight government, including grounding all government activities if what they described as “hurried and forceful commencement of implementation of the scheme” without their consent was not reversed. The workers in a letter written by the Joint Negotiation Committee (JNC), that the scheme was a fraudulent means of enslaving the entire workforce in the state. Titled: Are we save in Our Own State?,the workers accused the Office of the Head of Service(HoS) colluding with the state government to enslave the entire workers. The workers noted that the circular issued by the state government on

March,4 had showed the true colour of the present administration in the state, which they said had been full of policy pretension and not genuinely disposed to workers welfare. Ondo JNC maintained that the law establishing the scheme allows it to be domesticated by each state with input from stakeholders, especially workers in the state public service. The workers who were sceptical about the genuineness of the state government on the scheme, called on the government to show proof of evidence that the employer (government) was fully prepared to pay its own monthly share of the contribution as well as the actual valuation before implementation could commence in the State.

HE coalition of professionals in the health sector, besides medics, under the aegis of the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (AHPA) and Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), has vowed to ask its members to withdraw their services, should the meeting with the Secretary to the Government fail to produce the desired result. The coalition wants the government to redress its grievances, ranging from the proposed change of service of healthcare workers in Nigeria to a review of CONHESS negotiation with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH); amendment of Section 1 (1) of the National Health Bill and privatisation of public health facilities. The Chairman, Assembly of Healthcare Associations and President, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Dr. Godswill Okpara, said at a news briefing in Lagos that members rejected the scheme of service proposed unilaterally by the

By Oyeyemi GbengaMustapha

Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, during the meeting of the council last month. He said: “In pursuit of the Health Minister’s agenda, the ministry led by the minister did not consult any of the health professional associations or professional councils in line with due process, in a bid to impose a new scheme of service on health professionals, besides his professional constituency of medicine. “One of the absurdities in the proposed scheme is the desire of the Health Minister to change the nomenclature of the apex cadre from director associated with other graduate ranks to chief, which is unacceptable. We also observe that even Prof. Chukwu’s FMOH has issued a circular on skipping of CONHESS 10. It is not accommodated in the proposed scheme of service by the FMOH.”

‘Nigeria losing grants from abroad’ From: Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

HE Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, yesterday lamented the rate at which Nigeria is losing grants from foreign countries. He said the country loses out in competitions for grant, which he described as not good, particularly for the education sector and the country at large. The NUC boss spoke in Abuja at a five-day grant writing workshop organised by the commission for universities, research institutes, polytechnics and the chief executives of other nongovernment organisations. He acknowledged that the sector had the problem of retiring grant from overseas sponsors, hence the need for the workshop. His words: “Everyday we lose out a competition for grant. Even the proposals that we (NUC) have are poorly written. What we have done today is to call in those who are familiar with the issue of grant writing. We have problems of retiring grant from overseas sponsors. When they bring grant, we do not write proper report and financial statement. The consequence is that we close line for future applicants.”

President summons ministers, perm sec over lawlessness in FCT

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has summoned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, over what he described as the deplorable condition of the nation’s capital. Also invited are the Minister of State (FCT), Olajumoke Akinjide and Permanent Secretary, John Chukwu, an engineer. Mohammed spoke yesterday in Abuja after inspecting the environmental condition of the city, which he said he was not pleased with. The minister inspected Kubwa Expressway, Zuba and Airport Road and was disgusted at the filth around the city, especially along Area 1 down to Asokoro. He complained about commercial motorcyclists and Keke-Napep operators, whom he said were more than vehicle owners. Mohammed said the ugly development was unaccept-

From Grace Obike, Abuja

able. He said: “Mr. President called me and my colleague, the Minister of State and the permanent secretary to draw our attention to this. I felt embarrassed. “I have told the directors that the information they have been giving me in files about the state of the city are lies because I am getting my information from other sources. “We are sending notice to those people violating our bylaws that enough is enough. People will not be allowed to operate Keke-Napep where they are not supposed to operate. Nobody will be allowed to ride motorcycles in our city with impunity because they breach security. Street traders are not allowed to operate. “We will not allow this place to become a dungeon in the spirit of lawlessness.”

Centenary: Fed Govt launches three months lottery programme From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

HE Federal Government yesterday launched a 90-day lottery programme, as part of the activities to mark the centenary celebration. This was announced by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, in Abuja. According to him, N100 million is the star price, while 90 Hyundai cars would be won on a daily basis for 90 days. Other consolation prices, he said, included tricycles, generators, smart phones, television sets and freezers.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS

Fashola signs Consumer Protection Bill into Law •Agencies’ boards inaugurated By Oziegbe Okoeki

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola has signed the State Consumer Protection Agency Bill into law. The bill is aimed at protecting consumers against unscrupulous manufacturers and service providers. Signing the bill yesterday at the Conference Room of the Lagos House, Ikeja, Fashola said in advanced countries, consumers are treated like kings and are given value for their money. He said: “This is a simple legislative intervention. When I was growing up, I heard stories of people buying household equipment, cloths and shoes and returning them after use to stores for replacement. “The rationale is that in such economies, there is appreciation or value for money. Customers are recognised as king and Lagos, being Africa’s mega and model city, cannot be different. One of the selling points of this state internationally is its large population and the consumption power that comes with it. “No government that is alive to its responsibility will not protect its citizens and ensure that they get value for their money. What the law

•The board members - Mrs. Omotayo Itseumah; Mr Wale Eletu; Mr Akin Onimole; Mrs. Akinwolemiwa; Mr Olalekan Lasisi and Mr. Keneth Odusanya, taking PHOTO: NAN their oath of office...yesterday.

will do for us is tell consumers that they are not helpless. In the end, everybody benefits. It will raise the service level and improve the quality of goods pushed into the market.” Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Ade Ipaye said: “The law repeals the Consumer Protection Committee Law, but it complements other statutory

commissions. It will not affect rights that are already established under other laws. “Its main objective is to promote and protect the rights of consumers, especially against the marketing of goods and services that are hazardous to life. Consumers have the right to be informed about the quantity, quality, standard and price of goods and services as the case may

HE Osupa Ruling House, whose turn it is to produce the next Deji of Akure, has been embroiled in a leadership crisis. Another leadership of the house has emerged. It was learnt that the Head of the House, Dr. Adebimpe Ige Ogunleye and the Secretary, Adebanjo Adeleye, were removed at a general meeting on January 26. According to a statement signed by a member of the Ruling House, Toyin Aladetoyinbo, another head and secretary have been appointed. The new Head is Bishop Aladeyeye Aladegbaye and the Secretary is Michael Adeniyan. However, the Ogunleye faction has released the names of six princes, who are interested in the Deji’s stool. Aladetoyinbo described Ogunleye’s action as null and void, adding that he (Ogunleye) is no more the head of the Ruling house. He said any contestant who obtains a form or writes a letter of intent to the Ogunleye faction does so at his own risk. The Ruling House has set-up a committee headed to settle disputes in the family.

Akande hails Ajimobi’s wife

LL Progressives Congress (APC) Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande has hailed efforts by the Access to Basic medical Care (ABC) Foundation, an initiative of the Oyo State governor’s wife, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, to give free health care services to the people. Akande spoke while inspecting facilities at the ABC HUB, headquarters of the foundation, on Ring Road in Ibadan. He described the foundation as “a good initiative that will improve public health with its intervention activities”. Akande urged well meaning Nigerians to partner the foundation. Mrs. Ajimobi, who took Akande and her husband, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, round the headquarters, said support for the foundation can come in form of drugs and equipment, not necessarily financial. She said the ABC is a non-profit outfit and has no affiliation with the government, adding: “At ABC, health is important to us. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation. We give free quality health care services and we have a lot of patients who need medical intervention. “We welcome any form of support, which does not necessarily have to be financial. It could be materials, such as drugs or medical equipment like gloves.”

tions in cases. The penalty depends on whether one is a first time offender, in which case the fine is N500,000 or three months imprisonment. Second time offender’s fine is N750,000 or six months imprisonment. Continuous violation of the law attracts a fine of N20,000 per day as long as the violation persists. Also yesterday, the gover-

nor inaugurated the boards of the state’s Public Procurement Agency and the Audit Service Commission. The six-man Audit Service Commission is chaired by a former Accountant-General of the State, Mrs. Modupe Akinwolemiwa. The Public Procurement Agency, also consisting of six members, is headed by Ipaye.

Boy found dead in Ekiti well

Akure Ruling House in leadership row From Damisi Ojo, Akure

be, so as to be protected against unfair trade practices. It protects the rights to seek redress against unfair trade practices, to be heard and given due consideration as well as the rights to consumer education.” Ipaye said complaints can be filed by one or more consumers, adding that a company may be liable as well as its directors after investiga-

HE body of a oneyear-old boy, Ayomide Ojo, has been found in a well in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The well is behind the boy’s home at Agbado Street. The body was found by a search party on Sunday. A man, Shomo Owoeye, and his wife have been arrested for Ojo’s death and are being held at the Police Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. Police spokesman Victor Babayemi said the body had been deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital in Ikere-Ekiti, adding that an autopsy has begun to ascertain how the boy died. Babayemi said: “The autopsy became necessary be-

•Man held for ‘defiling’ sick woman From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

cause the well in which the boy was dumped was covered with planks, which showed that some people opened the well and dumped the boy there. “There were signs of violence on the boy’s head and no water came out of his mouth when his stomach was pressed after he was brought out of the well. This shows that he was killed before he was dumped in the well.” He said the boy’s mother, Mrs. Oredola Olakunboye, said the only person she suspected was Owoeye because “he had been denying being the boy’s father”.

According to Babayemi, Mrs. Olakunboye, a widow, and Owoeye had an affair and the relationship produced the late Ayomide. He quoted Mrs. Olakunboye as saying: “I and the man were not married. After my husband’s death, he used to come to our house to ask after our health. After sometime, we had a relationship and I got pregnant. I told him, but he said he was not responsible for the pregnancy and said I should terminate it. I did not and since I gave birth to the boy, he had been seeking ways to kill him. “Yesterday (Sunday), I was doing something outside our house and I went

inside to take something. When I came out, my son was missing.” Also at the weekend, a man was arrested in AdoEkiti for allegedly “raping a mentally ill woman. It was learnt that the incident occurred on Saturday night at an uncompleted building in Ajebamidele. It was gathered that the suspect, who drives a Mercedes Benz car, had been visiting the woman at night for some time. He was apprehended by residents. Babayemi said: “I have not been briefed. I was going out when they brought the case to the headquartres. I will need to get back to the office to know the details.”

Osun students protest lecturers’ strike

TUDENTS, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), protested yesterday the ongoing strike by their lecturers in Osun Stateowned polytechnics and colleges of education. As early as 9am, the students converged on Olaiya Junction, carrying placards and singing solidarity songs. They caused a traffic gridlock for over three hours. Chairman, NANS Joint Campus Committee, Osun chapter, Comrade Samuel Awowole urged the government to meet the demands of lecturers, so that they can resume work. He also urged the government to recruit more lecturers and provide adequate learning equipment in state-owned tertiary institutions.

•APC: aspirant behind demonstration From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Awowole said: “We are compelled to troop out again because the incessant strike by our lecturers, leading to continuous closure of our schools, is affecting us. Sadly, the state government has done little or nothing to persuade our lecturers to go back to work.” Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Maishanu led a team of policemen to control the students and prevent a break down of law and order. He urged the students to end the protest and leave the road. Commissioner for Information Sunday Akere said: “The government is doing its best to resolve the impasse. We met with the students’ leadership at

the weekend, so we did not expect the protests this morning (yesterday). We are still meetings with their leaders.” The All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun chapter, said it has information that a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant is behind the students’ protest. In a statement by its Publicity Director, Kunle Oyatomi, APC said the aspirant’s plan was to cause chaos through the protest. It alleged that the plan was finalised last Thursday at a hotel in Ijebu-Jesa, where the students were “mobilised to hit the street”. According to the party, the aspirant in question is seeking to get students’ support for his

electoral ambition. It said: “The students were enticed with money to start the operation on Monday (yesterday) and continue with a larger turnout during the week.” APC urged security agencies to ensure that Osun remains peaceful, adding that, if the students’ protest is not properly handled, it could turn violent. It expressed disappointment that “after all the good things Governor Rauf Aregbesola did for the students by increasing their bursary from N2,000 to N10,000 and reducing the school fees from N42,000 to N25,000, their gratitude is to disrupt the state’s peace, so that the people who made life difficult for them before Aregbesola came in can return to power.” The party urged parents of call their children to order.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS

Ekiti poll: PDP clears 13, drops Olowoporoku, two others •Knocks for INEC over voter cards

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disqualified three of its 16 governorship aspirants in Ekiti State. Senator Bode Olowoporoku, Mr. Peter Obafemi and Mrs. Bosede Dada were dropped by the Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba-led screening committee. Ndoma-Egba told reporters yesterday that Olowoporoku was disqualified for failing to provide his tax clearance certificate and the court judgment he claimed overturned his expulsion from the party. Obafemi was rejected for failing to produce his NYSC discharge certificate. Mrs. Dada was dropped because she could not produce her secondary school leaving certificate, evidence of tax and membership dues payment. Those cleared are former Police Minister Caleb Olubolade; former Governor Ayo

We‘ll resist PDP’s ‘rigging plan’

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

HE campaign organisation of Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has told Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to stop strategising on how to win the June 21 governorship election, stressing that the people will take their destiny in their hands and vote for the most credible candidate. The organisation was reacting to a meeting held by the PDP Governor’s Forum at the weekend in Minna, Niger State, where the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls were top on the agenda. In a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Dimeji Daniels, the organisation said: “This is 2014, three years and five months since Ekiti people started enjoying good governance under the Fayemi administration. The people, having seen in less than four years of the Fayemi administration what the PDP could not do in the seven-and-a-half years when it ruled the state, are angrier with the PDP and are ready to resist its evil machinations. “In less than four years, the life expectancy of Ekiti people became the highest in the country because of the administration’s free health missions and the N5,000 monthly stipend given to 25,000 senior citizens. “This is historic, the first in sub-Saharan Africa. Before Fayemi became the governor, the child and maternal mortality rate under the PDP administration was 420 per 100,000 births, because 62 per cent of expectant mothers were delivered of their babies at home. “In less than a year after Fayemi assumed office, the mortality rate dropped to 135 per 100,000 births because under the administration’s free health policy, expectant mothers can walk into any government-owned hospital and be attended to. This is why Ekiti has the lowest child and maternal mortality rate in the country today.” The organisation said PDP-controlled states have not been able to achieve this feat despite the billions that accrue to them as allocation, adding that the Ekiti State government, through Fayemi’s creativity and prudence, has wiped off the tears of its people, “which were brought about by the PDP’s seven-and-ahalf years of misrule”. It described Akwa-Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio’s From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja and Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

Fayose; Mr. Adeyeye,

Three burnt to death in Ibadan church fire

Dayo Mr.

Oluwadare Bejide, Mr. Bodunde Adeyanju, Erelu Ogundipe, Mr. Gbenga Aluko, Mr. Mr. Abiodun Aluko, Mr.

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

claim that Ekiti people were ready to vote for the PDP in June as erroneous and mischievous, adding: “Governor Akpabio is obviously being misled by his PDP lackeys posing as governorship aspirants in Ekiti State. These are fellows who are more interested in the money they can make off President Jonathan for the June 21 poll. As far as they are concerned, this governorship contest gives them an opportunity to make money. “It is business for them, as usual! I would think that no leader who knows his onions would rely on lies to draw conclusions. We are ready to host Akpabio in Ekiti State, so that he can have a feel of what good governance means and how a leader does not need billions of oil money before he can miraculously turn around the fortunes of his people. “He would also have the opportunity to know first-hand that Ekiti people see PDP as a party they never want to have anything to do with. While Akpabio’s statement that Ekiti was a PDP-ruled state in 2007 is true, it is necessary to refresh his knowledge of Ekiti history and politics. “Ekiti has always identified with progressive politics. An attempt to forcefully change this was what led to the 1983 election carnage in the old Ondo State, which Ekiti was part of. At the return of Nigeria to civil rule in 1999, Ekiti toed the progressive path again, only for the then President Olusegun Obasanjo to foist a character like Ayo Fayose on the state in 2003.” The organisation warned the PDP to shelve “its rigging plans”, adding that it would be shocked by the volume of resistance it would get, if it fails to do. It said: “We recall the words of former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole, when he boasted in Igede-Ekiti at a rally for Mr. Segun Oni before the 2009 rerun that the PDP ‘will use soldiers’. Indeed, true to Bankole’s words, they brought soldiers to Ekiti to chaperone the Ayoka theatre of the absurd, but God and the people of Ekiti rejected them, such that they ended up in ignominy. That was in 2009.”

Adewale Aribisala, Mr. Adebisi Omoyeni, Mr. Oluropo Ogunbolude, Mr. Omolara Adubiaro and Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi.

The disqualified aspirants are free to approach the party’s screening appeal committee.

HREE worshippers were burnt to death yesterday at a church in Ibadan, Oyo State. The incident occurred at Mercyland Prayers Ministry at Okoro. It was learnt that the fire started about 1:45am and raged on for almost three hours. Sources said the fire started at the entrance of the church and was fuelled by a nearby generating set containing petrol. They said the church was covered with smoke and worshippers struggled to get out. Many made it out alive, but two men and a woman were burnt to death. The church’s roof and chairs were burnt. A survivor, simply identified as Akin, said some worshippers were asleep when the fire began. The fire was put out at 4:05am by men of the State Fire Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Police.

APC begins sensitisation on ward HE representative congresses in Ondo of Akure North/

•Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu (right) and Director, World Bank, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly at a Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja...yesterday.

South in the House of Representatives, Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde, yesterday urged All Progressives Congress (APC) members to elect credible leaders at the ward congresses in Ondo State. Abegunde spoke during a two-day tour of wards in Akure North Local Government Oba-Ile, Bolorunduro, Ogbese, Ita Ogbolu, Igbatoro and Iju. He sensitised the people on the need to sustain peace and unity in the party. At Oba-Ile, the Akureborn politician hailed the people for turning out during the APC membership registration, explaining the benefits of being members of the party. Lamenting the deplorable state of roads in the town, Abegunde said the

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

rehabilitation of the road connecting Oba-Ile to the Owo/Ilesa road and that of Bolorunduro were included in this year’s budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). He decried the high rate of unemployment in the country, blaming it on the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration. Abegunde said parents should educate their children to prepare them for future challenges, promising to register over 200 students for the National Examination Council (NECO). On the forthcoming congresses, Abegunde urged members not to be intimidated by any group in the

Ilaje poll: Farukanmi urges APC chieftains to reconcile

LL Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Ondo State Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi has urged party members in Ilaje/Ese-Odo local government to reconcile and work for victory at the proposed House of Representatives by-election. The Second Republic senator, who chairs the APC Screening/Selection Committee for the poll, was said to have selected the former student union activist and banker, Com-

By Emmanuel Oladesu

rade Bola Ajimuda, as the party’s flag bearer. However, other party leaders opted for Chief Adewale Omojuwa, leading to crisis in the local government chapter. The committee headed by Farukanmi conducted the selection, following the failure of the Ilaje/Ese-Odo APC Elders’ Forum led by Prof. Fola Ebosemiju to pick a candidate from 11 aspirants from either Ilaje/Ese-

Odo Constituency 1 or 11. The aspirants are Olusoji Ehinlanwo, Ajimuda, Felix Rawa, Omojuwa, Adebanbo Odoro, Jolomi Oluwasola, and Desmond Iwajomo. Others are Akin Esanmore, Aiyedatiwa Lucky, Olorunnimbe Tawose and Williams Aiyerin. In his report, Farukanmi said that the selection committee examined the aspirants’ academic background, managerial and political experience, acceptability, integrity, propensity for per-

formance, articulation and communication skill, charisma and financial capacity. He said that four of the aspirants showed the capacity to represent the constituency. They are Ehinlanwo, Ajimuda, Omojuwa and Odoro. Farukanmi added: “But, going through the manifesto submitted by Comrade Bola Ajimuda, which compares with no other one and his level of articulation, I wish to recommend Comrade Bola Ajimuda”.

However, other members of the committee disagreed with the elder statesman. Acknowledging their objection, Farukanmi said that, as indigenes of the constituency, they have vested interests. The party chieftain urged peace and unity in the troubled chapter, saying that they are critical to victory at the poll. He added: ‘The party should embark on more reconciliation across every specter of the membership in the area”.

party, adding: “Do not allow yourselves to be intimidated during the congresses. Some people have been planning to intimidate you, but do not worry; I will be with you on that day. We will ensure that your voice is heard and your desired result will be achieved.” He assured the people that no candidate would be imposed on them, adding that credible leaders would be elected in wards. Assuring Nigerians of a better standard of living, if the APC takes over governance at the centre, Abegunde urged them to take their destinies in their hands and vote out the PDP in 2015. At Ogbese, the people thanked Abegunde for giving the community a transformer. At Ago Ado, they thanked him for giving them a borehole. An APC chieftain in the area, Mr. Saka Yusuf, said the massive turnout showed that they were ready for a change. Senator Olorunnibe Farukanmi said the meeting with the wards was to enable them understand the processes of the coming congresses. Other APC stalwarts with him were Adebola Omeye, J.B Opedun, Mrs. Atere, Mr. Isaac Adu, Otunba Gbotimo, Idowu Otetubi, Dr. Jossy Abegunde and Akinola Olaleye.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

CITYBEATS Prayer for peace W TO seek God’s intervention in the myriads of problems besetting the nation and its people among other things, various ministers of God will on Wednesday gather for fervent prayers. It will hold at the maiden edition of the Lunch-Hour Fellowship, where The Turner Ogboru Ministries will participate. The organisers said it would take place at The Chapel of Christ The Light on Secretariat Road, near the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Central Business District (CBD), Alausa, Ikeja, at 3.00 p.m. The theme of the event, according to a statement, is: “Prayer and supplication for all saints and the nation in the holy ghost.” “It is expected to be attended by various ministers of God, General Overseers, other religious faithful, government officials and others from all walks of life. It is a divine intervention against the crises that have enveloped the nation. It is an avenue for total divine deliverance and the spiritual rejuvenation of the society, the state and the nation in general,” the statement added.

Foundation lifts 2000 MORE than 2000 people have benefitted from the free health programme organised by the Mike Egbayelo Foundation in Lagos State. The programme, which took place in Apapa Local Government Area, was part of the independent mobilisation programme for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Apapa. It was a one-week event that afforded residents of Apapa to benefit from the free blood pressure and blood sugar tests; free cancer screening, free eye test and free eyeglasses, drugs and treatment.

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

HEN at 23, the heavens appeared smiling on Nathaniel Obasefunmi on his academic ambition, he was hit by what is medically known as end-stage kidney problem. Now, he needs N5million to undergo kidney transplant at an Indian hospital, but his parents cannot afford the cost as all they laboured for had gone into managing the ailment. “I have been suffering unbearable pains all over me. I cannot breathe. My heart is heavy. My parents and siblings are crying every day because this sickness has wrecked us and we have turned to a family of beggars. Nigerians should ensure that I don’t die,” he said, sobbing. Obasefunmi, in April last year, was diagnosed with the ailment while seeking admission into the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. He had earlier obtained a National Diploma certificate from the Department of Office Technology Management, Kwara State Polytechnic. “We are now beggars,” his mother, Grace Obasefunmi, who teaches at the Ilota Junior Secondary School, Ilorin, said, adding: “My husband and I have exhausted our life savings and incurred over N4million debt to safe our son’s life.” Mrs Obasefunmi recalled: “He returned from the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UMTE) hall in April last year and started vomiting. Initially, we thought it was malaria; we gave him some drugs. It was after several tests that he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. “Then, he started undergoing dialysis at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ido in Ekiti State, around June, last year, and we have since been on it. It was initially on a twice-a-week arrangement, later, it became thrice weekly. We have been doing it at N420,000 per month for almost a year.

•Nathaniel ... last week

Kidney disease threatens man’s life By Precious Igbonwelundu, Staff Correspondent

“The sickness has turned us into a family of beggars. As I speak, we are living on foodstuffs donated to us by sympathisers including my siblings. This is too difficult for me. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), where I worship, has tried its best for me. I’m ashamed that church members are always contributing money to assist me on the dialysis.” She spoke further: “All my children were initially withdrawn from their private schools to public schools before we stopped some of them totally. I want Nigerians to please

help me. They should not abandon me to this; they should not allow this child to die. He will be 24 by May 10 and he is a very brilliant boy.” A medical report signed by Dr O.E. Fadipe of the FMC, Ido-Ekiti confirmed that Nathaniel would need the renal transplant. For the victim’s father, Inspector Tunde Frederic Obasefunmi, who is attached to the Health Division of the Nigeria Police, Tanke, Ilorin, who has only four years left in service, said, sobbing: “If you realise what I have been going through, you will cry for me. I live on supports from my church and some neighbours to feed my family. All my salaries and my wife’s are expended on dialysis.”

By sending SHI HELP NATHANIEL to 35140 at N100 per sms, a nongovernmental body, Sought and Help Initiative (SHI), is out to raise funds to save the young man’s life. Urging Nigerians to rescue the victim, SHI’s director, Daniel Soetan, said the concept is aimed at raising funds faster for Nathaniel through SMS Fund Raising Platform (SFRP). Alternatively, Nigerians willing to assist him, according to Soetan, can send their contributions to Obasefunmi Aaron Gbenga through Guarantee Trust Bank account number 0115914950. “To send N500 or N1,000, a sender only needs to send same SMS five to ten times. There is greater reward in helping the needy; please let us help Nathaniel to live a better life. We need about 50,000 to 100,000 SMS of N100 each to raise N5million for Nathaniel. He will not have to wait endlessly for a few rich ones who hardly help people they don’t know,” said Soetan.

NEWS (SHOWBIZ)

Obesere didn’t rape Olanike, says victim’s relation

N Ibadan-based woman, Mrs. Bola Okoro, has described as untrue the allegation by Miss Olanike Olaiya that popular Fuji musician, Alhaji Abass Akande, a.k.a Obesere, raped her during a visit to his Okota, Lagos home. Olaiya had alleged that the popular musician advised her to sleep in his house on that fateful day when she went to seek his assistance about her business. However, in an interview with The Nation in Ibadan on Saturday, Okoro explained that she had been responsible for the upkeep of Olaiya and her daughter, Folawe, for over five years. She added that Olaiya had earlier revealed her plans to blackmail Obesere. According to her, “I warned her not to try such a thing and I thought she would heed my advice. Obesere is my business partner and I introduced Olanike to him, so he could help her in her business. I didn’t know she had an evil intent. She was with Obesere on Tuesday when she called me that she was coming to Ibadan to check on her child the following day. But I told her to hold on because I was coming to Lagos for a meeting. She came to meet me at the venue of the meeting. There was nothing wrong with her until we got to Ibadan. But Obesere called

Anita Joseph: ‘Why I rejected my man’s proposal’

By Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

me that Olanike said she was bleeding, so I should take her to hospital. “When I asked her what happened to her, she told me that she needed money and that I should join her to defraud Obesere. But I refused. She said she needed N10million. So, I was surprised to know that she later went to Lagos and reported the matter at the Okota Police Station.” Okoro, who further alleged that some people were backing Olaiya to tarnish Obesere’s image, also said “Her real name is Morenike Kikelomo. I offered to take

•Obesere

her in after her parents sent her out as a result of her undisciplined lifestyle. I have known Obesere for over 12 years. He is a responsible and kind-hearted individual who cannot hurt a fly. I wonder why he would stoop so low to rape or use a girl for ritual when so many girls out there want to have him.”

Music producer, Hcode is dead

By Dupe AyinalOlasunkanmi

him for two years and we have dated for a year. “I don’t want to disclose his identity. All I can say is that his name is Mr. M. He is a good guy, but he can stab you when he gets jealous; he is so possessive. He knows who I am. Why wouldn’t he know? He had seen me on television before we eventually met. He has been following my movies. He is not in support of my career. He wants me to quit after marriage. He doesn’t want me out because he doesn’t like my involvement in love scenes. He doesn’t want people to be looking at me and me exposing myself because of romantic scenes. Of course, I have

•Anita Joseph

marriage in mind. But I am not in a hurry to walk down the aisle.”

Jesse Jagz, Lindsey Brown thrill at Jos concert

OP Nigerian music producer and movie director Harry Mordi, popularly known as Hcode, has passed on. He died of asthma on Saturday night. Hcode, who was in his 20s, was popular for some great musical works, including Get Down, a collaborative work between Tuface Idibia and Vector. He returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom (UK) in 2007 and stormed the music scene with the formation of a group, called

OLLYWOOD actress Anita Joseph was in the news recently when she reportedly turned down the proposal of her boyfriend. Immediately the news broke, it generated reactions from her fans, who were at a loss about her motive for taking such a decision. However, she has come out to clear the air about the contentious issue. According to her, “I rejected it because I cannot be a full housewife. He wants me to quit acting and become a full housewife. But I am not that type who sits at home all day. I love working; I love being busy. He said when we get married, I will quit acting. I have known

P •Hcode

H20, which was responsible for the hit single, Naira. Until his death, he was the CEO of Ear Waxx Studios, a production company he founded in 2007.

By Yusufu Aminu

OPULAR singers Jesse Jagz and Lindsey Brow, on Saturday, thrilled the crowd at the Crest Hotels, Jos, Plateau State, at a talent hunt show organised by Sweetwater Entertainment. Spokesman of the entertainment company Peter Kumdum said: “Sweetwater was set up to be the first choice shop in music and entertainment in Nigeria.As part of plans in making the brand available to youths who can champion the cause of peace in Plateau State, the live concert featured performances by up-and-coming talents in music, poetry and comedy. They performed with Jesse Jagz.There were also performances byYaksmam, Crazy-legs, MC Longs, Funny G and Admiral Fashino.

•Jesse Jagz

BUSINESS

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

TCN incurs N1b losses as 12 towers collapse From John Ofikhenua,

Abuja

HE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said it would spend about N1billion to rebuild 12 towers and rehabilitate another one lost to a fire between Sapele and Ughelli in Delta State. The firm said in a statement that it has lost one of its 330kV transmission lines from Sapele to Ughelli in Delta State and twelve towers along the line route, to a fire incident caused by a petrol tanker which caught fire between towers 88 and 89 at about 9:42am on Sunday. Following the accident, the company, pleaded with vehicle drivers, especially those that hull highly inflammable items such as petrol to drive with care and also to ensure that their vehicles are in good order always, to avoid such massive losses to the company and the nation. It pledged to do all it could to reconstruct the 330kV transmission line as quickly as possible to check further losses to the nation. The fire caused the melting and snapping of all of the line conductors between the two towers, causing a loss of balance along the transmission line, swinging of towers which resulted in their eventual collapse. Tower 81did not collapse, but was bent by the incident, it said. The statement reads: “The loaded petrol tanker which fell and caught fire at Ogborode Junction, near Warri in Delta State, destroyed the 330kV SapeleUghelli transmission line and brought down TCN’s towers No 82 to 93 along its route.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$117.4/barrel Cocoa -$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,396.9/troy Sugar -$163/lb MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE -N11.4 trillion JSE -Z5.112trillion NYSE -$10.84 trillion LSE -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -8% Treasury Bills -10.58%(91d) Maximum lending -30% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -1% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $45b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238 RIYAL -40.472

At the moment, there is an average of about 18 hours per day of constant power supply to different parts of the country. This feat was brought about by the implementation of the integrated power sector reform programme anchored on the power roadmap. - Minister of Information, Labaran Maku

‘FIRS generated N9.8tr in two years’

HE Federal Inland Rev enue Service (FIRS) has generated about N9.812 trillion within the last two years, the House of Representative Committee on Finance learnt yesterday. Speaking before the Hon. Jibrin Almumin headed Committee during the hearing on the Framework for the 2014 Budget and the economy, the Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Alhaji Kabir Mashi, said N5.007 trillion was generated in 2012,

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

while N4. 805 trillion came in 2013. The FIRS has earlier claimed in its various statements, including its website, that the collection of N5.007 trillion in 2012, is the largest in the annals of the organisation and that the collection of N4. 805 trillion in 2013 was the second largest. While responding to questions by the Committee on the revenue inflow for 2011,

2012 and 2013, as well as its expected income for the current year, Mashi said the organisation overshot its projection for the year 2013 by N405billion. His words: “We collected N5.007 trillion in 2012 against our target of N3.6 trillion. In 2011, we collected N4.6 trillion against our budget of N3. 7 trillion. In 2014 the target is N3.9 trillion. We are projecting to collect N4.1 trillion.” Mashi, who became the Acting Chairman of the FIRS

in April 2012, said the projection of N4.1 trillion is based on the (Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT) benchmark which, he explained, is different from the actual market price of crude oil. While treating the FIRS presentation yesterday, Jibrin explained that the process was seamless, because the Cmmittee had partially considered the FIRS projections for the year, while looking at the 2014 Budget of the agency two weeks ago.

• Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola signing a law to establish the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency...yesterday. With him are Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Ade Ipaye (right) and Chairman, House Committee on Transportation, Commerce and Industry, Hon. Bisi Yusuf.

2.3GHz spectrum: NCC silent on payment of $23,251m I

T was unclear last night whether Biflux Commu nications, the winner of the 2.3giga hertz (GHz) spectrum sold by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on February 19had paid the $23.251million bid price. According to the guidelines, the winner has 14 “business days” to pay the bid price. The loser, Globacom, automatically carts away the prized spectrum, if it fails to meet the deadline. The 14day window lapsed yesterday. Director, Spectrum Administration, NCC, Nwaulume Augustine, explained during the auction, that the 14 business days started counting from when the winner was announced, adding that aside the $23.251million bid price, the firm also has 30 days to pay another N155million for Unified Access Service Licence which will allow it to operate as “wholesale wireless broadband services’ provider. An NCC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity last night, said though it is true that the deadline lapsed yesterday, there was still time for the

By Lucas Ajanaku

firm to pay. “It lapses today (yesterday), but today has not ended. So, your anxiety over whether they will pay or not, is baseless,” the official said. While announcing the winner, the Executive Vice President/Chief executive Officer, NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah, said the process which was electronically powered, went through two rounds. While the first round, which had set $23million in addition to another 15 per cent which made total to stand at $26.450million, had produced no winner, the machine immediately switched to “tie breakers’ indicating that neither of the two bidders was ready to go above what was put on offer. He said the failure to meet the payment schedule would see Glo coasting home with the licence. Director, Bitflux Communications, Biodun Omoniyi, congratulated the NCC on the open, fair and transparent process, and Globacom on being magnanimous even in defeat because, according to him,

“nobody can put his head down to fight with the Bull.” Another Director, Tokunbo Talabi, expressed gratitude to the NCC for organisisng a “suspense filled and tension soaked, yet transparent bid process”. He thanked everyone for the support and prayers, adding that the firm will not disappoint Nigerians. Group Chief Operating Officer, Globacom, Mohammed Jameel who led the team, said the national operator considered the spectrum price too high, when compared with what was offered in the past, adding that it does not align with the telco’s business model. He commended the NCC for the successful completion of the process and wished the winner the best, adding that Glo will be willing to participate in subsequent spectrum auctions by the NCC. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications Technology, Dr Tunji Olaopa, the Minister, Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said the emergence

of a wholesale wireless broadband service provider, will accelerate broadband penetration in the country and spur economic growth, development and prosperity of the people of Nigeria. She said since a 10 per cent increase in broadband translates to 1.3 per cent growth in the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the impact of cheap and ubiquitous broadband on national development could only be imagined. Mrs Johnson pledged to keep working hard to ensure that all the obstacles on the way of infrastructure rollout in the country are removed, adding that the fact that the telecoms industry is growing at 30 per cent is symptomatic of the fact that the prospects for returns on investment are enormous. According to him, the result was not expected but said the firm drew up its business plan and followed it to the letters, having faith in itself and was driven by patriotic zeal. He said the result is a clear vote for smaller firms too, saying:”Giving us a chance to do this is a way of encouraging indigenous companies to grow.”

CBN begins same-day value for cheques in September •Special clearing session for defaulters inaugurated

By Collins Nweze

HE Central Bank of Ni geria (CBN) will on September 4 begin sameday value for cheque transaction. The cheque clearing system, CBN Director, Banking and Payment System, ‘Dipo Fatokun, explained, will allow both the beneficiary banks and customers get value, the same day transactions are consummated. Fatokun, who made this known this yesterday in a circular to all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), said the policy became exigent as a result of developments in the processing of cheques. He said the measure was also prompted by the need to enhance the effectiveness of the cheque truncation (online clearing) procedures following changes to the Nigeria Bankers Clearing House Rules. He said cheques presented in the automated clearing house in day T+1, earn value for the beneficiary on day T+2, whereas the beneficiary bank is settled in day T+1. The CBN said it believes that the delivery of value to beneficiaries at the close of business on day T+1, is achievable, adding that such a move would further enhance the National Payment System and contribute to the attainment of the goals of the PSV 2020. “All Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) are hereby directed to configure their systems to give values to their customers on day T+1 (same day the DMBs are given value for the presentment),” he said. The CBN envisaged that these changes to the process may affect banks’ internal control practices, as well as systems, he noted, saying this made the apex bank to stipulate that T+1 value to banks’ customers is to be fully operational by September 4, rather than the policy being implemented immediately. Fatokun said a special clearing session has been introduced to cater for exigencies that often make the first clearing session to close later than the prescribed time of 8am daily. He said some DMBs often make passionate appeals for the extension of time, of five to six minutes, just few minutes before 8.00 a.m. with reasons associated with data transmission. “NIBSS often obliged these request because turning down such requests would mean that the bank(s) would not be able to present cheques for clearing on that day, as fresh cheques are allowed only in the first session,” he said. However such time extension, he said, always put pressure on all other DMBs that have completed data transmission well before the 8am deadline, and such banks would not have access to their respective clearing report until noon.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

BUSINESS NEWS

Dangote Cement hits market with new 52.5N grade • Launches higher grade of cement, the first in Africa

S the debate rages over the quality of cement produced in the country, leading manufacturers of the commodity, Dangote Cement Plc yesterday raised the bar further when it launched a muchhigher grade of the product, 52.5N into the market. Group Managing Director (GMD) of the company, Devakumar Edwin told reporters in Lagos that Dangote Cement Plc has begun the production of the cement grade from all of its three plants in Ibese, Ogun State, Gboko, Benue State and Obajana in Kogi state. The cement firm said it has scored another first as the 52.5 grade of cement is being produced in Africa for the first time, thus attesting to the resolve of the Dangote Cement to be a leading international producer of cement. Basking in the euphoria of the new feat, Edwin disclosed that the new cement grade, which has been certified by the Standard Organisation (SON), as conforming to the require-

ments of NIS 444-2003 and other relevant standards, would sell for the same amount as the lower grade 42.5N type. Giving reasons for this, the GMD stated that the its costs more to produce the 52.5 grade but that Dangote Cement decided to sell at the same price in the interest of its customers and so as to make it affordable to all. Edwin displayed the SON certificate which read in part “considering the inspection carried out at your factory by a team of SON officers and the outcome of the laboratory samples of the product of your company, I have the pleasure to inform you that the under listed product of your company is hereby adjuged by the SON to conform to the requirements of NIS 4441:2003 and other relevant standards.” He explained that the new cement could be used for all construction, but that it is the best for any civil construction having bearing colum.

Edwin also said though Dangote Cement was also the first to produce the 42.5N grade earlier while other manufacturers were churning out 32.5 grade, pointing out that the desire to research into how to improve the quality of its products necessitated the new grade. The Dangote Cement boss reasoned that with the higher grade of cement quality, the incidence of building collapse could be controlled. Joseph Makoju, the Honorary Adviser to the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, described the introduction of the new cement as ground breaking, saying Nigeria is now one of the best quality producers of cement in the world. “No matter the sophistication of the structure, this is the best grade for any civil construction. Dangote did not create the standard. The standard has been there, we have only blazed the trail by starting its production. Its’ good for lead bearing colums,” Makoju explained.

N25.7b theft charge: Atuche loses bid to stay proceedings

ORMER Managing Di rector of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche yesterday lost in his bid to stay proceedings in a N25.7 billion theft charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). A Lagos State High court presided by Justice Lateefat Okunnu, struck out his application. Atuche is charged alongside his wife, Elizabeth and a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu. The EFCC alleged that the offence was committed when Atuche was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank. At the resumed hearing, Atuche’s Counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), urged the court to stay proceedings, pending the determination of the appeals by the defendants at the court of Appeal, Lagos Division. He said the EFCC had applied for stay of proceedings at the Appeal Court and has also petitioned that the panel

By Adebisi Onanuga

of judges be reconstituted. “The prosecution had filed a stay of proceedings against our appeal at the Appeal Court. “They want the court to stay hearing of our appeal pending the determination of their own appeal against the ruling delivered by the Appeal Court on November 21,2013 at the Supreme Court,” Chief Idigbe said. Idigbe accused the EFCC of frustrating Atuche’s appeal at the Appeal Court by seeking a stay of proceedings, demanding the reconstitution of the panel. Idigbe said it was, therefore,proper and in the interest of justice, for the court to wait for the decision of the apex court. But the EFCC counsel, Mr Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the defendants’ application, which he said, was an abuse of court processes. He argued that the application for stay of proceedings

filed was a ploy to delay proceedings. “The law as it stands mandate the court to uphold Section 40 of the EFCC Act,” he submitted. Justice Okunnu held that Section 273 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) prohibited her from entertaining the application. She said Section 40 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act also compelled her not to determine the application. According to her, Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that a criminal charge should be concluded quickly. “I hereby strike out the application in its entirety,” she said. The trial judge, thereafter, adjourned the matter till tomorrow for continuation of trial. The Appeal Court also struck out the theft charges preferred against a former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Mr Okey Nwosu by the EFCC.

CPC, telecom operators step up with policy initiative for consumers

HE Consumer Protec tion Council (CPC) in partnership with telecoms operators, has come up with policy initiative that will provide comfort and protection for telecoms subscribers. Its Director-General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, who spoke during the consumer round table on phone rights, with the theme: ‘Fix our phone right’ in Abuja, said in tackling these issues, the Council has adopted some measures, one of which is the on-going meeting with telecom operators. She said: “The Council is using this week of the world consumer right day to host this programme during which we will deliberate on the state

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

of the consumer in the telecom sector and what needs to be done to assuage the rampant abuse of the consumer rights. “In Nigeria, we have over 120milllion telephone lines and the population is 167million. With the revolution occassioned by the introduction of the global system for mobile communication in 2001, almost every home in Nigeria now owns at least a mobile phone. “While adopting the theme, fix our phones, the international consumer movement set an agenda that deals with issues that affect mobile consumers across the world, like

providing consumees with fair contracts explained in clear, complete and accessible language, provide consumers with their money worth, provide consumers with fair transparent billing, providing with power over their own information and listening, responding to consumer complaints.” She added: “This issues affect us all as the record of complaints in CPC shows that Nigerian consumers are faced with challenges that revolve around them. These include, poor network service, enrolment of subscribers in unsolicited services, unlawful deduction, wrong billing, exploitative automated services, unauthorised sim swap, poor customers service.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NATION

* The Environment * Mortgage * Apartments * Security * Homes * Real Estate

BUSINESS Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com 08062722507

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

property@thenationonlineng.net muyiwalucas2002@yahoo.com

•People registering for the Ogun State Home Charter Scheme

The long walk to obtaining land titles may soon end, courtesy of the initiatives of some state governments. Experts believe this is a good move, which may check the scam-infested old process. Assistant Editor MUYIWA LUCAS writes.

C of O collection made easy

‘

This new electronic document is more secure as it is designed to eliminate cloning and issuance of documents that are not genuine

‘

IS demeanour says it all: frustration and regrets. But for the people that consoled him, perhaps he would have harmed himself. Listeners opened their mouths wide as Adeola Ogunniran, a pensioner, told the story of how he lost N500,000 to fraudsters pretending to be agents who process Certificates of Occupancy (C of O). According to him, about seven years ago, he had gone to the Lands Bureau in Alausa, Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, to regularise his house documents. He was accosted by a young man who promised to assist him. To date, he has neither seen the young man, nor received his title documents. For Alabi Olorunnishola, a landlord in Akute in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, the amount he has spent on procuring a C of O for his property has tripled the cost of buying the land 12 years ago. He also engaged an agent, who purportedly specialises in facilitating such documents. But five years on, the documents are not yet ready, despite coughing out about N400, 000. The agent, he said, is also at large. He has since keyed into the Home Charter Scheme put in place by the Ogun State government. For Ogunniran and Olorunnishola, their loss and long days of waiting and the loss may be over. This is because the Lagos State government has simplified the process of getting the C of O. Some days ago, the government issued electronic Cs of O to 55 property owners, to set the new regime rolling. At the ceremony, Governor Babatunde Fashola said the migration from the paper title to an electronic C of O platform was to tackle counterfeiting of the document, as it would eliminate fraud and ensure efficiency in land administration. “This new electronic document is more secure as it is designed to eliminate cloning and issuance of documents that are not genuine. Those issued with this e-C of O can be sure they have bought land rather than law suits. The new document guarantees safety of properties,” Fashola said at the presentation in Ikeja. He said landlords with authentic paper C of O had nothing to worry about as they would soon be required to exchange that copy for the e-C of O. The process of obtaining the e-C of O is faster and less cumbersome. The document is issued within 45 days after an applicant has concluded and filled all the documents. The process begins with a letter addressed to the Executive Secretary, Land Use and Allocation Committee, Lands Bureau, The Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja; this is

followed by a completed C of O Form and Land Information Certificate with receipts. Four copies of original Survey Plan, two on cloth background and two on paper; four passport photographs with white background; and a sketch map of the site location; a duly stamped purchase receipt; evidence of payment of income tax; development levy. But for a corporate body, two directors’ tax clearance and development levy are required. Also a publication fee of N10,000 is charged - this is for an applicant’s name to be published in a national newspaper. The essence is to make the public aware in case there is a dispute on the property for which the C of O is being sought; capital contribution fee subject to a minimum of N30,000; a building plan approval if there is already a building on the land; and copy of tenement rate receipt if the building is occupied. While this provides the basic requirement for the document, there is a slight variation between processing requirement for state and none for state land. In Ogun, the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration is trying to alleviate the sufferings of the people seeking to obtain C of O. With its Home Charter Scheme, which has turned out to be very successful, the state hopes that 1,500 Cs of O will be issued monthly to land and property owners across the state. The state is also set to launch a website that will provide comprehensive information and procedures on land matters, including industrial, agricultural and residential locations and acquisitions as well as title documents processing. Having launched the Homeowners’ Charter in December last year to allow homeowners to regularise the legal status and documentation of their properties at a huge discount on

what they would be required to pay, the state government is also planning to step up the issuance of Cs of O to speed up property development across the state. The Special Adviser/Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mr. Adewale Oshinowo, recalled that homeowners in the state usually have difficulties using their properties as collateral or selling their properties due to lack of documentation and ownership titles. But with the scheme, this will be a thing of the past. The scheme grants a window of grace to owners of eligible properties who built on their land without the required approvals or illegally built on land acquisition to obtain Building Plan Approval, C of O or other title documents. All penalties and fines are being waived and the documentation requirements have been relaxed and fee discounted to enable as many residents as possible to benefit. Oshinowo, through his Information Officer, Mr. Ademola Orunbon, said more 30 days have been given to the days of obtaining and submission of forms to enable the residents of the state benefit from the window opportunity, as the deadline for the form is March 31, this year. He said the launching of the website on land matters would take place next month, adding that the Ogun Geographic Information System (GIS) and Land Management System (LAMS) project is unprecedented in the history of the country, and on completion, is expected to improve and transform the socio-economic development of the state. The consultants implementing the project include; IQ System Solution Limited, GeoQinetiq Limited, Spatial Matrix Limited and Digital Spatial Solutions Limited. GeoQinetiq would launch the first modern Continuously Operating Reference System (CORS) network in the country for Ogun to upgrade its survey system. The network of three CORS stations being implemented on this project would enable the government to determine where to locate its infrastructure and help the government address boundary disputes and reduce loss of territory and the inherent loss of revenue. He said another four CORS stations would be implemented; the project would allow surveyors, government agencies and the public to access data through radio satellites, GPRS, internet and post processing. The design, planning, re-observation and correction of 200 first and 200 second order survey controls all over the state is also underway.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

BUSINESS MOTORING

The latest Rolls Royce Phantom has once again redefined the luxury car market as it combines the state-of-theart technology and engineering with timeless contemporary design, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

HE Phantom has raised the profile of the Rolls-Royce brand as it emerges the world’s super-luxury

car. This coincides with the opening of the Rolls Royce showroom in Lagos after the Coscharis Group and Rolls Royce Motor Company have sealed a partnership/ franchise deal. The Phantom, the flagship model for the Rolls-Royce brand, was recently named the super-luxury car by WhatCar magazine in its annual car of the year issue. “It takes a special car to successfully fend off its rivals for eight years - and the Rolls-Royce Phantom is just that car. Yet again, it is the best top-end luxury car money can buy,” the automotive consumer guide states. Rolls Royce says the latest expression of Phantom is once again redefining the luxury car market as it combines the state-of-the-art technology and engineering with timeless contemporary design. Looking at the features of the 2014 Rolls-Royce Phantom, experts say they are not surprised at the return of Phantom as the sup e r luxury car. F o r i n stance, a n online automobile journal, the Car Conn e c tion, says the Phantom, which comes in Coupe, Drophead Coupe and Sedan, brings unmistakable presence and prestige to its owner. It notes: “No matter how you slice it, the Phantom is an expansive, substantial vehicle in all its forms; a classicallystyled and absolutely unmistakable exterior with its tall, upright grille, slabsided proportions and a spirit of ecstasy hood ornament herald back to the company’s origins, while blending that heritage with a more modern personality.” This reinforces the position of the auto manufacturer in declaring thus: “Created with the desire to build the best car in the world, the Phantom combines compelling charisma with design cues that are unmistakably Rolls-Royce.” Inspired by the J-class yachts of the 1930s, it explains that the Phantom Drop head Coupé continues the long tradition of two-door, four-seat Rolls-Royce convertibles. Rolls Royce also states that the Coupé is the most driver-orientated Phantom, which offers a sleek combination of classic proportions, presence and breathtaking detailing. Interior The Phantom’s cabin is, simply, the definition of automotive opulence, says the Car Connection. And it praises the full-grain woods, supple hand-stitched leathers, real metal trim, and in all of them, immaculate craftsmanship and attention to detail. “Everything you can see, touch, or smell speaks of quality and substance,” it added. Its standard features are listed as extensive; adding that nearly anything not included can be added on request, for a fee, of course. Custom paint, embroidery, wheels, headliners, upholstery styles and

Rolls Royce Phantom: luxury, classy

colors, steering wheels, drink cabinets, and nearly any technological add-on you can imagine are all possible.

Exterior The Phantom is rectangular, making no bones about its brick-like shape and mammoth proportions, reports digitaltrends.com, in its latest review of the vehicle. It sits on stocky 21-inch wheels with ‘RR’ logos that stand vertically, even at speed. There is a mix of chrome, shimmering paint and cloth that convey fortune t o the

cently said the manufacturer’s partnership with Coscharis would be mutually beneficial and stressed that its customers would be the ultimate beneficiaries. It said: “Rolls Royce is a very successful car company. We sold more cars last year than ever before but it is only 3,600 cars as well. So, it is small and we want to stay small because our cars are a thing of beauty, a work of art. We don’t compete against any other cars; we compete against a big Yacht, a piece of art worth $10m or a diamond ring. We are really competing in that high-end luxury area.” It said the company was interested in keeping

•Rolls Royce Phantom

outward o b server; and most notable is the Phantom’s tremendous slatted grille. Performance The Phantom comes with a 6.75-litre V-12 engine rated at 453 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. The engine can get the Phantom to 60 mph under six seconds—and it does it in a serene, unflappable manner. An eight-speed automatic transmission handles the gear shifts, sending power to the rear wheels. The Phantom is not a driver’s car; it is expectedly meant to be ridden in and driven by a chauffeur, to be fully enjoyed.

its products very exclusive. Coscharis Group President Dr Cosmas Maduka, said Rolls Royce was the latest in the Coscharis’ family of cars, saying “we will continue to set standards

Safety Although the Phantom may not have been crash tested by the official agencies, it is described as a substantial piece of machinery, made largely of steel, and outfitted with nearly all of the modern accoutrements. The safety features are traction and stability control, a suite of airbags, parking sensors, and optional front and rear cameras. Rolls Royce Motor had re-

•Interior of the car

and when others try to catch up, we bring in something new. But it looks like we are the climax now because I don’t know where we will go after the Rolls Royce.” The Managing Director of Coscharis Group, Mr. Josiah Samuel, said: “By our reckoning, there are about 150 Rolls Royce cars in Nigeria and the good news is that we can actually take care of those iconic cars. “Rolls Royce is not the type of car that is bought off the showroom like every other car. It is a car that is kept for life and on account of that; you need to put your entire identity in that car.” “Part of our success is that we build cars that are very unique for the region. What we will do is to build special cars that are relevant for Nigeria that will take the weather and roads into cons i d e r ation.” It said the partnership w a s aimed at better serving the customers, adding, “ W e n o w have the o n l y authorised dealership in the entire Africa area. Besides South Africa, this is the only authorised dealership in sub Saharan Africa and North Africa. It is a new milestone and a new beginning for this great organisation.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

MOTORING

•PAN Managing Director Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi (second left) greeting former Head of States General Yakubu Gowon at the unveiling of Peugeot cars in Lagos. With them is PAN Executive Director Alhaji Jumat Alli-Oluwafuyi.

AZDA Motor has global plans for the latest model of its best-selling Axela compact, which is sold outside of Japan as the Mazda3. The Japanese automaker plans to make the new Mazda3 at all its three main overseas production bases in Mexico, Thailand and China, in addition to Japan. Mazda motor will work to boost global Mazda3 sales by some 30

Mazda goes global with new Mazda3 Stories by Tajudeen Adebanjo

per cent to 500,000 units a year as early as fiscal 2014. Reaching that goal will be key to the firm’s larger objective, which is to increase overall cars sales by 40 per cent to 1.7 million units in the year to March

ABC acquires 80 trucks, injects additional 3,200 tons capacity

BC Hauls has acquired 80 Shacman heavy-duty trucks, thereby increasing its haulage business by an additional 3,200 tons capacity. ABC Hauls is the haulage division of ABC Transport, Nigeria’s most innovative coach operator. Expansion of ABC Hauls began between late 2013 and mid-January of 2014, with an investment of over N1billion on trucks, human and material resources. The increase in capacity and investment were a direct result of the new and renewed contracts between ABC Transport and certain major manufacturers in the industry. ABC Hauls has diversified from transporting only cement products (bagged and unbagged) to accommodating other structures of the economy. The transport firm is set to becoming a total logistics organisation, and will convey fast moving consumer goods. The choice of Shacman truck,

•From right: Mr. Lukman Mamadu of National Automitive Council (NAC) watches as Mr Homer Kim of KIA Motors and Mr Jacky Hathiramani of Dana Motors signed Letter of Intent to build an assembly plant in Nigeria.

according to the company was as a result of the auto-maker’s success in many difficult terrains such as Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Russia, and Iran. Shacman is a leading Chinese truck maker. Meanwhile, the firm has acquired three hectares of land in Calabar, Cross River state. The land will serve as a truck park, maintenance depot, and transit accommodation for the driving crew. To provide seamless haulage transportation across the breadth of Nigeria, ABC Hauls has installed online tracking software for its numerous trucks as well as speed limiters. Presently, hundreds of staff are being recruited to fill up the openings arising from the expansions in the haulage business, while a productivity and safety enhancement training has been scheduled for truck drivers and attendants in Calabar and Ewekoro respectively.

venture factory with Ford Motor. Production has also began in China at Mazda’s plant in Nanjing All three overseas bases will start with production of the gasoline-engine version of the Mazda3. The plant in Mexico is also designed to make the smaller Mazda2 (sold in Japan as the Demio), but it will focus on the Mazda3 in order to expand sales in North America.

2016 while reducing domestic production to just half of total output. The newest Mazda3 was released last fall with an updated design and a full complement of the automaker’s fuel-saving Skyactiv technologies. It is available in gasoline, diesel and hybrid ver-

sions. Until recently, the Mazda3 was manufactured only in Japan, at a factory in Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture. But Mazda began making the car at its new factory in Mexico on January 6, and in February will begin assembly in Thailand at a joint

LASAA hails Hyundai Motors

HE Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) has lauded Hyundai Motors Nigeria for lending credence to the 2013 ‘Lagos Countdown’ event, where the auto company donated one Hyundai Veloster sports car as grand prize to winner of the grand raffle draw at the annual event to wind up an outgoing year and herald a brand New Year. LASAA Managing Director, Mr George Noah, who made the remark at the grand finale of the 2013 Lagos Countdown said: “Hyundai’s support is in line with the agency’s intent to leverage the countdown event as a platform to deliver joy to the people.” Noah enjoined other corporate bodies to emulate the magnanimity of Hyundai Motors Nigeria and support subsequent events in future. The highlight of the 2013 Lagos Countdown that attracted sponsors from wide-ranging blue chip companies and organisations was

the presentation of one Hyundai Veloster car to a lucky winner of the grand raffle draw, Ahmed Aluko of Mobil Oil. Head – Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited Jatin Nadkarni, said: “Hyundai is delighted to partner with the Lagos State Government on this

annual year-end event, which is a period of sharing and merrymaking. Our company is passionate about offering products and services that are targeted at improving the quality of life of both our customers and the society where we operate.”

‘Hyundai is delighted to partner with the Lagos State Government on this annual year-end event, which is a period of sharing and merrymaking. Our company is passionate about offering products and services that are targeted at improving the quality of life of both our customers and the society where we operate’

SAFE DRIVING

Better dimension to road accident prevention II

HE focus on the use of high fines to prevent reckless driving may not be very effective because majority of traffic offenders believe that they are not likely to be caught. However, drivers should be made to take more responsibility for what is occurring on the roads. This will be more effective than slamming ridiculously high fines on traffic offenders. •All Categories of Drivers and Vehicle Owners must be made to undergo regular refresher courses because peer influence in driving cannot be over looked. There is always the tendency for those obeying traffic rules to renege and imitate the errant Drivers. •Public and Private Sector Organisations must be encouraged or compelled to regularly train their Drivers because of the level of irreparable lives and properties being lost through Driver errors and allied factors. •Insurance Companies in Nige-

ria should have incentives such as discount on premiums for individuals and Organisations that sponsored their Drivers for retraining programmes. This will encourage Driver training and development for accident prevention in the country. This has been very effective in countries like United State of America. •As Nigerian Governments and Non-governmental Organisations have been focusing on the campaign against HIV/AIDS, they should focus even more attention on the campaign against Road Accidents which is killing more people than HIV/AID and at a faster rate. •There should be no Sacred Cow or VIP in the enforcement of road traffic laws and regulations. Leaders or VIPs are expected to lead by example and anything contrary must be resisted vehemently. I further challenge the Federal and State Ministries of Transport, Federal Road Safety Commis-

sion, State Traffic Management Agencies and other Stakeholders to come together in a result-oriented conference to deliberate on the above and other related issues with the aim of coming up with a common resolution to be implemented at the Federal and State levels to enhance the war against road crashes and fatalities. Otherwise, Nigeria will have little or nothing to show at the end of the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety come 2020 and the Accra Declaration on Road Safety having failed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing fatality rate through road safety. The goal of all and Sundry in Nigeria should be to put the safety of lives far above income generation and stop every form of masquerading or pretence. There has been cases of these Federal and State Governments Agencies, competing and blackmailing themselves in order to secure the contract for the training of the

Drivers of some blue-chip companies. Can we say their interest is in the Drivers safety on the road or on financial gain? There was even a very funny development where one of the Government Agencies threatened to be arresting the Drivers of a blue chip company if they fail to give them the contract for the training of their Drivers. Is it not obvious now, where their interests are? The Regulations guiding the operation of some of these Agencies recognizes the Driving Schools as the Trainers of Drivers (fresh and re-training). I am very sure that if this matter is not properly addressed as suggested in this article, Nigeria will continue to move in circles in the war against road crashes and fatalities without making any meaningful impact. The National and State Assemblies must objectively rise up to this challenge to ensure that the relevant legislations are amended or

Jide Owatunmise Registrar / Chief Executive, Professional Driving and Safety Academy

enacted to address the issues raised in this article because if the right steps are not taken to efficiently and effectively address the road safety and road traffic engineering challenges, the consequences can affect anyone in Nigeria no matter the status because we and our loved ones all use the Nigeria roads at one time or the other.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

FROM OTHER LANDS

The uninhibited press, 50 years later

Do as I say • Jonathan wants leaders to make people-centred policies their watchword!

LTHOUGH he was recently in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, for a purely partisan purpose – to receive decampees from other political parties to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – President Goodluck Jonathan made a thought-provoking and statesmanlike remark. He called on political leaders in the country to make the welfare of the people the thrust of their policies and programmes. This is in tandem with the maxim of the pursuit by the state of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of the people. But democracy naturally should serve as a vehicle for promoting public welfare and development only when public officers, particularly elected ones, rise above brazen partisanship, subordinate themselves to the rule of law, promote transparency and accountability and elevate the public interest above personal considerations. On all these counts, it is doubtful if President Jonathan is faithful to his own counsel. As President, he has not shown the example he is recommending to other political leaders. President Jonathan is the leader of all Nigerians and not just members of the PDP. In that case, should he have been at Ilorin to receive politicians decamping to his party? Could he not have left that task to the party chairman and other partisan functionaries? Is the presidency not too elevated an office to be trivialised this way? Beyond this, what exactly is Dr Jonathan’s notion of the welfare of the people? In his words on that occasion, “We ask ourselves why you get yourself into politics. You have to think about your people, not yourself. People who think about the people follow the People’s

Democratic Party and PDP is the only people’s party”. This is a rather pedestrian view of ‘people-oriented governance’ advocated by Jonathan. We would have expected the President to emphasise such key indicators of service delivery as power supply, education, health, infrastructure, security and job creation, which transcend partisan boundaries. Even then, if supporting the PDP is the magic wand to promoting the people’s welfare as insinuated by Dr Jonathan, why have the conditions of the majority of Nigerians steadily worsened under the watch of the PDP in the last 15 years? And this is despite the fact that the PDP has been controlling the Federal Government since 1999 and has received the bulk of the country’s revenue! Still extolling what he believes are the virtues of the party, the President said, “If you get outside Nigeria and you ask the people from all over the world the names of the political parties we have in Nigeria, they will say PDP and others because you know it is only PDP that has members in every voting unit in this country”. Some may excuse this kind of statement as understandable campaign rhetoric but it is unbefitting of the office of President of Nigeria. It is also insensitive to the need for a plurality of viable political parties to engender the kind of competitive governance that can promote public welfare. Obviously still in the mood of the occasion, the President said “it is only in PDP that people like me can come from low level and stand here as the President of this country because PDP is not owned by any individual”. But is the PDP really free of the deficiencies that have charac-

terised political parties in this dispensation? After all, it is public knowledge that the party has been seriously hit, especially with recent damaging defections specifically because of the President’s perceived hijacking of the party. Things must have gone incredibly bad for the President to become his party’s campaign manager; indeed, it is the height of desperation to get attention and possibly coerce people into joining the fast sinking ruling party. For the umpteenth time, we urge Dr Jonathan to be more cautious and reflective in his public utterances. It is tragic if despite how bad things are in the country, he could still find time to embark on this frivolous mission, wasting the tax-payers’ time and money in the process. No wonder the country keeps regressing in his time.

‘If supporting the PDP is the magic wand to promoting the people’s welfare as insinuated by Dr Jonathan, why have the conditions of the majority of Nigerians steadily worsened under the watch of the PDP in the last 15 years? And this is despite the fact that the PDP has been controlling the Federal Government since 1999 and has received the bulk of the country’s revenue!’

A welcome action

•It is good that a retired judge is challenging her retirement in court

HE compulsory retirement of two judges by President Goodluck Jonathan, based on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) has generated some controversy. This is unlike similar previous retirements. One of the retired judges, Justice Gladys Olotu, has gotten leave of court ex parte to sue the President, the NJC, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Federal Attorney General, seeking for an order of certiorari, to bring the recommendation of the NJC for her to be retired, before the court, to be quashed. Constitutionally, the NJC is empowered by section 21(b) of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution to recommend to the President the removal from office of certain class of judicial officers, like the

‘Justice Olotu, having exercised her constitutional rights is entitled to have her day in court. While the judges that will preside over her case are also answerable to the NJC, it is hoped that they will rise above that challenge to act judicially and judiciously in accordance with their oaths of office’

affected judge. We have severally encouraged the various Chief Justices of Nigeria and the NJC which they head, to stem corruption and ineptitude in the judiciary. Since Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar assumed responsibility as the CJN, nine judges have been sanctioned. Among the recent cases were former Acting President, Court of Appeal, Justice Dalhatu Adamu, Justices Gladys Olotu, Ufot Inyang, A. A. Adeleye and D. O. Amaechina, variously of the federal and state high courts. But, in most cases where the NJC recommends to the President or Governor the retirement of a federal or state judicial officer, respectively, the indicted judicial official does not stare back at the NJC, or take their case before a court of law, for adjudication. Moreover, in those cases, the corrupt conduct is in the public domain. But when a judicial officer is charged with ineptitude or inefficiency, which she denies, the public is less emotive than when a case of corruption is alleged. So, the sympathy may sway. Nonetheless, the NJC is still primarily the body that is constitutionally empowered to investigate all allegations of official misconduct against judges. The council’s power in this regard is enormous and far-reaching. That is why it is hoped that the august body must at all times act judiciously, considering the calibre of its members. It is also hoped that the learned CJN and the other justices and very senior lawyers

who sit in the council would, at all times, remember that it is the career of their colleagues that they preside over. While it may be intriguing to see a successful judicial adjudication against the NJC, because of the peculiarity of the statutory body, it is within the right of any person who feels that his or her right has been abridged by any authority to approach the court for redress. That is the clear purport of section 6(6)(d) of the 1999 constitution when it says: “the judicial powers vested (in court) in accordance with the forgoing provisions of this section – shall extend to all matters between persons, or between government or authority and to any person in Nigeria, and to all actions and proceedings relating thereto, for the determination of any question as to the civil rights and obligations of that person”. Justice Olotu, having exercised her constitutional rights is entitled to have her day in court. While the judges that will preside over her case are also answerable to the NJC, it is hoped that they will rise above that challenge to act judicially and judiciously in accordance with their oaths of office. In essence, they must eschew bias or intimidation in meting out justice to the case brought by their learned colleague. On our part, we restate the need for evenhandedness by the NJC in all dealings, as we believe that is a surest way to avoid a seeming indictment of its process, by one of its own.

ERHAPS no one understood both the necessity and the costs of a free press better than Thomas Jefferson. In a 1787 letter to a friend, he wrote, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Two decades later, Jefferson, by then a president battered by years of criticism, saw things differently. “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper,” he wrote. “Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.” This tension lies at the heart of the First Amendment’s guarantee that “no law” may abridge “the freedom of speech, or of the press.” How is society to preserve open criticism of the government, while also protecting individuals from libel, or the publication of damaging false statements? Fifty years ago this Sunday, the Supreme Court answered that question with a landmark decision in New York Times v. Sullivan. The ruling instantly changed libel law in the United States, and it still represents the clearest and most forceful defense of press freedom in American history. The case involved an ad that had appeared in The Times in 1960, condemning “an unprecedented wave of terror” against civil-rights demonstrators by “Southern violators,” particularly in Alabama. The ad was a plea for national attention, and for donations to support the movement. L. B. Sullivan, a Montgomery city commissioner, sued The Times for libel, claiming that the ad clearly targeted him, even if not by name, and that it contained numerous factual errors. Applying plaintiff-friendly libel laws, an Alabama state court awarded him $500,000. The Supreme Court voted unanimously to overturn that verdict. The country’s founders believed, Justice William Brennan Jr. wrote, quoting an earlier decision, “that public discussion is a political duty, and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government.” Such discussion, he added, must be “uninhibited, robust, and wide-open,” and “may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.” To the court, the civil-rights context was key: The ad was “an expression of grievance and protest on one of the major public issues of our time,” and Alabama officials could not shut down that criticism, even though it contained minor errors. “Erroneous statement is inevitable in free debate,” Justice Brennan reasoned, and “must be protected if the freedoms of expression are to have the breathing space that they need to survive.” With this in mind, the court announced a new “actual malice” standard that requires a public official to prove that the defendant knew the statement was false, or recklessly disregarded its truth or falsity. (Private citizens rightly have a lower hurdle to clear; generally, they need only show that a falsehood is the result of negligence.) The ruling was revolutionary, because the court for the first time rejected virtually any attempt to squelch criticism of public officials — even if false — as antithetical to “the central meaning of the First Amendment.” Today, our understanding of freedom of the press comes in large part from the Sullivan case. Its core observations and principles remain unchallenged, even as the Internet has turned everyone into a worldwide publisher — capable of calling public officials instantly to account for their actions, and also of ruining reputations with the click of a mouse. But the government can upset the Sullivan case’s delicate balance by aggressively shutting down avenues of inquiry, as the Obama administration has done to an extreme degree in prosecuting those suspected of leaking classified documents, and even seizing reporters’ records. Uninhibited and robust criticism can go only so far without meaningful access to information. Still, American press freedoms rank among the broadest in the world. Citizens and media organizations in countries from China to India to Britain do not enjoy the same protections. In many parts of the world, journalists are censored, harassed, imprisoned and worse, simply for doing their jobs and challenging or criticizing government officials. In this area of the law, at least, the United States remains a laudable example. – New York Times

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: I remember the day the man died. My younger brother and I after a very long queue at the Bida Sawmill came home around 7:30pm with two big sacks of sawdust to be used for the popular "Abacha Stove" necessitated by acute lack of kerosene and many more necessities of life. Things were really messy then. I can't remember what we were watching but I can remember that it was something of great interest to dad and his friend. I was almost dozing off when dad and his friend went in to a sort of frenzy shouting, jumping and clapping hands. At first, I thought it was a football match. Then I listened carefully as the newscaster repeated the news that the head of state, General Sani

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Abacha, Soyinka and the centenary awards Abacha was dead. Even as a kid, I couldn't wrap my head around why dad and his friend were happy at the death of 'the man'. I could remember how dad frequently associated 'the man' with virtually every woe we were experiencing from lack of water, food, money to freedom of movement. Abacha was simply called 'the man' or 'this man' by dad. Years

later, I realised why dad and his friend were joyous. The man's death meant different things to different people. To majority of Nigerians, Abacha's death at least meant that the dark days were over. For my brother and I, it meant that going to queue at Bida Sawmill to fetch sawdust for "Abacha Stove" was over. When recently, the inept men and

women running the affairs of this country decided to award people they felt have contributed to bring us to where we are today in celebration of 100 years of our 'countryhood', one wasn't surprised to see Abacha on the list of awardees. I knew what he was going to say but I called my dad to ask him his opinion on Abacha's presence on the list anyway. I was shocked when he

Let Ekiti governorship campaign be issue-based

IR: “Weep not, child, weep not, my darling, with these kisses let me remove your tears; the ravening clouds shall not long be victorious. They shall not long possess the sky – shall devour the stars only in apparition; Jupiter shall emerge-be patient-watch again another night – the Pleiades shall emerge”. These words are those of a father consoling his child on a beach at night in a bid to give a highly importunate and crestfallen young one a lullaby to enjoy a relief from the endless cries piercing his eardrums. This is the season of politics in Ekiti State and politicians gunning for the forthcoming governorship election will use all tricks in the book including lies, blackmail, subterfuge, unrealistic promises and other devices to hoodwink the electorate.

Many of the aspirants have resorted to telling lies all in the name of clinching the gubernatorial tickets of their parties. The most egregious falsehood from the governorship motley crowd was the one spewed by a recently sacked Minister who represented the state at the federal cabinet before he was relieved of his job for apparent non-performance. In a bid to justify his ambition of winning his party’s ticket and ultimately clinch the highest seat in the state, the ex-minister accused the Fayemi administration of doing nothing with funds accruing to the to the state from the federation account. Those of us who knew the condition Fayemi met the state in October 2010 believe that the governor has faithfully utilized the resources available to turn around the fortunes of the state in the areas of in-

frastructure, education, tourism, human capital development, urban renewal, agriculture, empowerment, among others. One would have thought the exminister would have been honest to acknowledge that Fayemi has done a lot and that he should tell the Ekiti electorate what he would do better if realises his ambition if ruling the state on the platform of his party. I don’t need to be a minister to be able to educate this aspirant on the achievements of the APC-led government in Ekiti – in Ipoti Ekiti, his hometown. These achievements include the renovation of Ipoti High School, construction of the 17kilometre Ipoti/Ayetoro road, 5.3km Ipoti/Ilukuno/Oke-Oro road and payment of social security stipends to the aged people in Ipoti. We have not forgotten the

Grants-in-Aid to communities to execute projects peculiar to their needs, construction of five kilometres of roads across the 16 Local Government areas (phase 1 & 2). In all these, Fayemi has restored Ekiti’s core values through good governance, quality and viable representation and service delivery. I want to advise all aspirants in all parties to make their campaigns issues-based and not to engage in distortion of facts, character assassination, mudslinging and deliberate use of falsehood to gain advantage. Ekiti people are wise, knowledgeable and discerning enough to know what is good for them and they will speak with their votes at the June 21 governorship election. • Sina Odewale, Ado-Ekiti

said he would have protested if 'the man' didn't make the list. To him, if the awards were for those who brought us here, then Abacha deserves double honours for quickening our steps down the path of lawlessness, terror, intimidation, monumental national looting, devaluation of naira and human life, impunity, and prostitution! Now I understand. So to Abacha's children, your riposte to Prof. Wole Soyinka because he poked his long finger in the nose of your late father is in order. But the fact that your father was a dread to many a fellow country men and women can't be eroded by even the best written open letter. You all must appreciate Nigerians for their patience and ability to suffer and smile. You owe God and humanity thanks that Nigerians are not like the Iraqis, Libyans, Egyptians or Tunisians. In Nigeria, we do not visit the sins of the father on the children. But please do not over stretch that rope of generosity. For the rest of us, we must not, as Prof. Wole Soyinka did, wait for the lion's leg to be broken or till the lion is dead before we go asking for the debt he owes us. During the peak of the Abacha dark days, Soyinka stood out as a voice. We read of the activities of the "Radio Kudirat". We read of how the man had to disguise to escape the Abacha-bred killer dogs. Standing up to Abacha even in the hidden was the most daring thing to do at that time. But Prof. Soyinka did. So to me, he's earned the right to reject his own share of the national embarrassment called Centenary Awards fairly and squarely albeit giving us the reasons why. • Usman Katun Umar Bida, Niger State

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

COMMENTS

local interests, as against the AN a toxic presidency produce a present joke of making it a cenwholesome president? That is tral affair, and its consequent one fundament players across paralysis. the political divide have refused to grasp. After the failed hope of five That appears responsible for the condecades, therefore, it is sheer ceptual fog that continues to plague the folly to entrust the fortune of National Conference, billed to take off Nigerians to a good man or on March 17. woman, without radically reOn the virtual eve of a supposedly structuring the bad system. make-or-mar confab, partisan temper Olakunle That is more or less what the appears coalesced on the ruinous centrism APC roadmap offers. The APC lordbeek1@gmail.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) Abimbola that has beggared Nigeria for decades now good men and women are wel— and seems set to see its eventual uncome. But even more welcome ravelling. is a good system! The trajectory of the Nigerian ruling The system to do the job is court, since the colonial times, appears robust federalism, with even clear enough. Lord Fredrick Lugard To be sure, the newly released All Progressives Congress (APC) more robust checks and balances, between a pared down centre headed a colonial regime sold to total local exploitation for its road map appears exciting. But it is still based on the centralist and much more energised federating units. That should ensure Metropole. tenet of an all-powerful and all-rich federal government; that the real economy is in the constituent parts, with the federal At independence, foreign domination gave way to local domiwould nevertheless spend its excess money more responsibly government doing positive facilitation and coordination. nation. The collapse into military rule, shortly after, further than the reckless and spendthrift Jonathan Presidency. Former President Obasanjo and incumbent President Jonathan formalised the notion of power without responsibility. If the APC federal government is pledged to creating two jobs are a pole apart as any can be: the one, a gruff, irredeemable old Even with the current democracy, little has changed. From for every one job a state creates, the simple logical conclusion is soldier whose default temper is dictatorship; the other a harmOlusegun Obasanjo to Goodluck Jonathan, the ruling ethos apthat the central government is an economic Leviathan, far richer less-looking, ever-smiling bloke with a supposed liberal tempears clearly on the side of an unquestionable Leviathan, even than the states it is supporting. per. with the mouthing of “democracy” and “federalism”. No doubt, creating jobs that way is not unwelcome. Indeed, it But see the difference in their presidencies: six and half-aAt the root of this subversion of democracy and good governwould be hailed by all — the distressed youths and their everdozen, when the issue is unconscionable domination and wieldance is idle funds in the central till, that gives each succeeding stressed parents and guardians. But it hardly changes the curing power without responsibility! president the Dutch courage that it could do and undo — so long rent folly of building an economy top-down, instead of downThe one suborned the local economy for an illicit presidential as it has enough cash to fund its rascality. And all the talk about up. That is the bane of Nigeria’s pseudo-federalism, and the library complex; and is living happily ever after with his trothe unity of Nigeria being a “no go” area is all scarecrow stuff: root of the country’s perennial under-development. phy. The other cannot account for an allegedly missing US$ 20 to divert attention from the real dangers; and keep the central Where then are the sharp federalist alternatives, that should billion oil money. Yet he is flushed, not with regret, but with a Leviathan intact. mark APC out as leading the push from sickly centrism to visickening sense of divine entitlement for second term! Even in the build-up to the confab, you could tell from the brant federalism, in the best tradition of “Change”, its political Obasanjo and Jonathan are both products of a toxic presibody language of the Jonathan Presidency that it is anxious that war cry? dency. Any wonder they have not emerged non-toxic presithose idle funds are never drained off, so that it could retain the Still, APC may well be a victim of its grand coalition. Aside dents? instrument to wield humongous mischief, powered by idle from the South West that has a radical federalist agenda, the So, the first task before the National Conference, if they really money. attitude of others appears somewhat ambivalent, even if it is the want Nigeria’s survival, is to detoxify the Presidency flush with What is more? Though one should always give the extant fashion these days to mouth “true federalism”. toxic money, and channel such to development, where it is government the benefit of the doubt, that its intentions are noThe North is basically centrist at heart, which is understandneeded. ble and its motive pure, the N7 billion budget for the confab, able. That region has most benefited from Nigeria’s skewed Two eminent Nigerians are pointing at the way out. with the anticipated N4 million allowance for each delegate, federalism — and power nepotism. But it also has paid the Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth secretarylooks like some grand but cynical bribe to lure who is who into stiffest price of its dysfunction. With its parlous development general, is voting for a restructured federation, based on federsome bazaar, from which they can’t possibly pull out until it is index, it is a region purging from the sweet poison of its “good” ating regions of states. too late. fortune. Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who shares in the notoriety of Yet, if this conference fails to fix Nigeria for good, other dyThe South East is torn between growing and managing its the military and its central command complex that has left Ninamics would fix Nigeria for ill. landlocked homeland — which, with its talent it is perfectly geria winded, warns at the mutual desperation between his But not only the government side is fixated with centrist tencapable of doing — and the fate of its far-flung Ndigbo in the native North (ogling central power as it is) and the South-South dencies. The opposition too is not entirely cured of that ailment. “Nigerian Diaspora”. Its ambivalence on the federal cause is — read opportunistic Jonathan (not in a hurry to spew out, to perhaps understandable. use Achebe-speak, the palm kernel thrust in its mouth by beThe South-South, on the other hand, screams federalism and nevolent spirits!). ‘Obasanjo and Jonathan are both resource control to have more of its oil wealth — hardly illegitiThe National Conference must rid Nigeria of its misery — a products of a toxic presidency. Any mate. But if Jonathan can nick the good luck of four more years, toxic presidency that fattens while the people in its charge waste. it would appear quite open to a central bazaar’s last hurrah. It is the arrogant face of mindless centrism that has underdevelwonder they have not emerged nonThese might therefore be the cross-current APC had been navioped Nigeria for too long. gating before coming up with its road map, which is anything toxic presidents?’ But should it preserve this hideous Leviathan, it would have but federal, save for its proposal to vest minerals and mining in paved Nigeria’s way to Golgotha.

epublican ipples

Scrapping a toxic presidency

F it seems any measure of the hunger in the land for talks – the Jonathan National Conference must have surprised itself at the roll call of delegates. For a conference without a guarantee of a definitive outcome, it has, surprisingly, thus far, managed to surpass expectations in terms of membership. As it appears, initial scepticisms about what the enfeebled body could achieve appear to have worn off; it seems that not even the contrarians in the South-west could resist the pressure to send their first eleven. At last, Nigerians have a platform to address some of the nagging questions about our statehood. Here, at last is our Eureka moment! Issues about the conference of course remain, starting with the question of what the conference seeks to achieve. For not only is the so-called Nigerian malaise over-diagnosed, the issue really has never been one of shortage of prescriptions to get the Leviathan working. This is where the coming days should be exciting as the delegates meet to chart their idea of the way forward. I do not think anyone disputes that a sizeable chunk of the problems facing the nation are of a constitutional nature. Indeed, majority of Nigerians would appear to have resolved that the present constitution, as amended, is federal only in name. This extends to the structure of relations between the constituent units in the Nigerian federation. At least, majority of citizens would seem agreed that the bizarre fiscal architecture that it has spawned –under which rent is rewarded while mutually assured poverty is guaranteed – is a prescription for disaster. The same goes for the awesome power of the Nigerian presidency in the face of retreating state institutions – something that makes the Nigerian presidency near absolutist – possibly the most powerful in the whole wide world. Add all of these to the humongous cost of governance that leaves paltry little for development, the incipient micro nationalism tearing at the heart of the nation’s unity in the atmosphere of increasing diminution of effectiveness of state power and authority could only be the end game. The point therefore cannot be over-made about the need to re-examine the structure of the union to guarantee its future survival. After 100 years of forced cohabitation, the signs of stress to the union are too palpable; they have grown to such extent that we can only ignore the symptoms only to our collective peril. Even without the now palpable weakened capacity of the Nigerian state to secure lives and property in the face of the renewed scourge of the Boko Haram and the unrelenting militancy in the Niger Delta that has seen oil production plummet by

Policy Sanya Oni sanyaoni@yahoo.co.uk 08051101841

A leap of faith nearly one-filth in the last one year, the reality on the main street –by this I mean youth unemployment, rising poverty and the harsh reality of de-industrialisation – leaves little room for denials. These days, all we hear are claims of “progress” on all fronts; the truth however is that Nigeria is in far deeper trouble than anyone would care to admit. Nigeria sits precariously on the edge. Where does the National Conference idea fit in the survival mix? That is the tough question. Not even the convener, the federal government, pretends to have the answers. Nigerians don’t either. It is simply taken that the journey would lead somewhere –a leap into the abyss of faith - minus work. With due respect to the eminent body of 492 wise men and women many of them distinguished by any measure, I personally suffer no illusions about what their efforts would come to. My problem with the charade is the lie that the Jonathan National Conference, an extra-constitutional body, would dare to tread where the National Assembly– a body that enjoys constitutional legitimacy – dread. Whether the issue is the fundamental alterations of the structures of government described as devolution of powers, or routine matters of governance, I do not see the conference, short of staging a coup d’etat, imagining at any point that it could supplant the National Assembly. Which of course makes the suggestion that the conference could proffer binding resolutions wishful. Even at that, the requirement that resolutions could only be carried by consensus or majority 75 percent vote renders the prospects of any agreements not just potentially problematic but nigh impossibility. Not only are cleavages too deep, there are far too few areas that the contending groups in the polity have found agreement. How about the more practical approach, the less frac-

tious and potentially far more productive route of the ongoing amendment with additional focus on revamping our institutions to curb the brazen outlawry dispensed by the PDP in the name of governance? As attractive as it appears, that prospect offers possibilities that are unlikely to be far-reaching enough. Can you think of the national parliament that has had nearly the whole of 15 years to tinker with the awesome fiscal powers of the federal leviathan but did nothing suddenly finding the good sense in taming own unbridled appetite and that of the executive? Think it would ever happen? Not now – or in the foreseeable future. So how does the Jonathan conference propose to surmount the hurdle? Is the National Conference therefore entirely useless? Not really. The conference would no doubt help to foster some degree of understanding among the disparate groups on a number of contending issues. Indeed, some of the resolutions may well come handy in the amendment process since, again, it is the National Assembly that has the final say on the outcome of the process. The important point is – this is hardly the time to dwell on the lie that the National Conference can offer Nigerians something that it is not in a position to do. I don’t want to go into the question of whether the outlay of N7 billion voted for the conference is money well spent. To me, it is a matter of opinion. If you ask me, what is N7 billion in the self-help republic where officials routinely help themselves to billions of naira from the public till with no adverse consequences; a republic which lately reported a lone official allegedly chalking up N10 billion in air charters? Where is the way forward? I wish I, or anyone for that matter, know. Not when the Nigerian thief has stolen more than the owner can pretend not to notice. As it appears, the myth about Nigerians’ infinite capacity to bear pain has some substance after all.

‘Can you think of the national parliament that has had nearly the whole of 15 years to tinker with the awesome fiscal powers of the federal leviathan but did nothing suddenly finding the good sense in taming own unbridled appetite and that of the executive?’

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

COMMENTS

HEN most Nigerians had thought that the days of motorists spending the night at filling stations in a seemingly endless wait for fuel had long gone, the devil appeared again in Lagos, Abuja and most of our major towns and cities last week crippling economic activities. And as usual, the government is blaming saboteurs for the scarcity. For most of last week, many people could not leave their homes either because they couldn’t get fuel for their vehicles (cars) or couldn’t afford the astronomical fare hike imposed by commercial transporters. While the pumps at filling stations could not dispense petrol as their tanks were dry, the mobile filling stations operated by touts along busy roads and highways were in full operation selling a litre of petrol for as high as N500 and in some cases N1,000 depending on how desperate the situation of the intending buyer was. From one filling station to another, motorists wore long faces in frustration as their vehicles gather dust after several days on the queue with no hope of getting fuel. At the stations they were told there were no supplies from the marketers, yet they heard on their radio and television government officials insisting that fuel was available and was being hoarded by God knows who. From the comfort of their homes and of-

‘Most people, especially would argue that the solution lies in privatizing the existing refineries and encourage private businesses to build more refineries to increase local capacity to refine our crude oil into petrol, diesel and other petroleum products not just for internal use but also for export’

Return of fuel queues fices the Minister of Petroleum and her officials at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) could see millions of litres of fuel out there being diverted and the people were asking; by who and to where? If truly the fuel was there and being taken elsewhere, whose duty is it to apprehend those diverting the commodity? Is it not the government? When the queue first appeared the usual response was to blame it on panic buying. Each time one hears this one gets annoyed. Why would anybody rush to buy fuel if it is there at the filling stations in abundance? Why would anybody buy the commodity if he doesn’t need it? With people’s disposable income fast depleting, nobody would want to buy more that the quantity of fuel he requires at a time, but if somebody would need like 60 litres over a period of two/three days he would look for money to buy the 60 litres at once if he suspects that he might not get the commodity to buy again the next day or the day after at the official price due to one reason or another. Is this what they call panic buying? I think it’s just common sense; preparing ahead of time. If the Minister of Petroleum, Madam Deziani Allison-Madueke and her officials had been planning ahead, no amount of fuel diversion by whoever would be enough to cause petrol scarcity. But we all know that they don’t plan ahead; we know that this government has no plan beyond today. If they do, why is it that there is no strategic reserve from where petrol can be pumped into the market in times of emergencies or shortage like we’ve

ONE time American author and actor, Bob Barker once said: “I think that age as a number is not nearly as important as health. You can be in poor health and be pretty miserable at 40 or 50. If you’re in good health, you can enjoy things into your 80s”. It is obvious that the present government in Abia State took cognizance of the need for standard health care delivery to the people as basis for longevity as propounded by Bob Barker many decades ago. Anybody who knows the state very well would remember that apart from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in the state capital Umuahia, there were no functional hospitals or health centres in the state before the present government came into office in 2007. This is not because there are no government hospitals in the state, there are, but were neglected and abandoned by successive governments in the state for years. Residents who needed medical attention sought for it at the Federal Medical Centre or any other private hospital within or outside the state. Most people in the rural areas who have no money or access to quality health care services resorted to self-medication from patent medicine dealers. Today, the situation has changed dramatically. The health sector in the state has witnessed tremendous improvement and development under the present government under whose watch health care delivery formed one of the cardinal agenda from the beginning. In Umuahia and Aba metropolis, we now have the state-ofthe-art Abia Specialist and Diagnostic Hospital, first of its kind in the country which was constructed by the state government through a Private-Public Initiative. Since the facility was commissioned, it has become like a Mecca of sorts for those seeking for medical attention even from outside the state. The hospital has also provided employments for some people in the state. Presently, some Nigerian doctors are undergoing training in the hospital because it has become a referral centre for health professionals beyond the state. Even patients that would been flown abroad for medical treatment are now being treated in the hospital since it boasts of the state-of-the-art facility comparable to what is obtained in developed countries. In order to reduce congestion in the specialist hospital and expand health service in the state, the government has already made Amachara General Hospital an annex of the specialist hospital. In that regard, the renal dialysis and ophthalmology centre are about to take off in the hospital. Several buildings have been completed at Amachara General Hospital which include a three-storey building for house officers and a two-storey building for resident doctors. Also completed and equipped are the

just had? One is not even sure the NNPC or its subsidiary in charge of fuel supply could say the exact litres of fuel Nigerians consume daily, because if this is known, then it would be easier to foresee shortage before it arrives any time there was likely to be disruption in supply. Oil business is essentially a futures business. Supplies (whether crude oil or refined products) are ordered and paid for months ahead and contingencies are made ahead of time for any disruption or delay in supply by wise buyers. The spot market is there to take care of any emergency order. Of course this comes at a higher price but at least the problem of disruption would have been solved. We all know the problem facing our refineries and even if the problems are no longer there and they are operating at installed capacity, their entire production would not be enough to satisfy the Nigerian market so we would still need to import. For a very long time now, we have had to rely on fuel import either directly or through marketers and this must be paid for. Did we order and pay for enough fuel? The major marketers always complain about government owing them for fuel import and each time Nigerians hear this they fear that scarcity was around the corner. And from experience this had always been the case each time there was fuel shortage. So why was the government owing these people? If somebody is helping you to discharge your responsibility to your people the least you

can do is to pay that person promptly. If the government through its appropriate agency had made sure our refineries are working and have enough capacity to satisfy the market, there would have been no need for fuel import, therefore no need to rely on marketers. In fact, the marketers would be buying from the refineries here for sale at their various filling stations scattered across the country. So why can’t we fix the refineries? This is a million Naira question that only the government could answer. We have been told several times that Port Harcourt and Warri refineries are about coming back to life. Even if and when they are back, how far can they ameliorate the problem? Kaduna refinery? Don’t even talk about that. I think it is about time we decide on what to do with these refineries; should government own and operate them or sell them to core investors? The modern trend tend to support privatizing the refineries but then if the experience of the recently privatized Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN) is anything to go by, Nigerians wouldn’t want the refineries to be sold. Since the private investors in the power sector assumed control of the electricity companies, not much has been felt by Nigerians in terms of improved power supply. What we have been having in the last couple of months is darkness, sprinkled with few hours of light. So if the refineries go to private hands, Nigerians are afraid of a similar treatment. But then they are also worried that the government has not shown any capacity to do the job better. So what do we do? Most people, especially would argue that the solution lies in privatizing the existing refineries and encourage private businesses to build more refineries to increase local capacity to refine our crude oil into petrol, diesel and other petroleum products not just for internal use but also for export. I do not know the extent of damage the last fuel scarcity has done to the battered image of the Jonathan administration, but I do know that if the trend should continue it would spell doom for the President and his party in the 2015 general elections. A word is enough for the wise.

The changing face of Abia’s health sector By Mercy Nwaogu theatre and the accident and emergency centre of the hospital. With this the hospital has become a modern hospital with the needed manpower and facilities in operation now. Also not left in the on-going health revolution in the state is the Umunneto General Hospital which the state government has given a facelift by the massive construction of new structures, and equipping it with modern facilities. The hospital which was before now a shadow of what a medical facility should be can now compete with any modern hospital in Nigeria and beyond in all ramifications. At the commercial city of Aba, the government has constructed a modern auditorium at the Specialist Hospital Abayi, for student doctors of Abia State University Teaching Hospital. Millions of naira has been released to the management of the hospital for speedy completion of several projects in the hospital to ensure that patients get quality medical service and students graduate as at when due. The same treatment has been meted to the nursing department of teaching hospital whose accreditation process that has stagnated for years now is nearing completion. It should be recalled that before 2007, only two schools of nursing in the state were fully accreditated; presently seven have been granted full accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. Also, the School of Health Technology Aba, the School of Nursing Umuahia, the Uzuakoli Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre have witnessed massive rehabilitation and expansion. Also in partnership with EU-Prime, the state government has distributed more than 20 vans to the council areas in the state for effective immunization of children against polio and other sicknesses. And in line with Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, the state government has built over 230 health centres across the 17 council areas in state. Most of the centres, which are mainly located in the rural areas, have been equipped. Health personnel have been posted to the already completed and equipped centres with good incentives such as accommodation and means of transportation to encourage them and make their work easier. Some of the centres without resident doctors have visiting doctors attached to them and qualified nurses permanently attached to attend to the patients with the visiting doctors coming regularly.

The present government has also paid all the counterpart funds relating to HIV/AIDS programmes in the state and for other health agencies that have anything to do with HIV/AIDS. Due to the impressive performance of the state in reproductive health in partnership with United Nations Funds For Population Activities, UNFPA, the state remains the only one in the South-east zone selected for participation in UNFPA. In addition, the organization has selected the state as its zonal headquarters. Today, the state that took the back seat in the area of quality health service some years ago is now among the leading states in quality healthcare delivery in the country thanks to the vision and commitment of the present administration. Instead of the residents of state going out of the state like before to seek for medical attention, the reverse is now the case as people from other states now troop into the state for medical attention that are either free or affordable. No wonder several health organizations including a prominent non-governmental organization, Health Watch Initiative, nominated and conferred on Governor T.A Orji different awards including the Health Ambassador of the Year. • Mrs Nwaogu, a retired nurse wrote from Mbaise, Imo State

‘Today, the state that took the back seat in the area of quality health service some years ago is now among the leading states in quality healthcare delivery in the country thanks to the vision and commitment of the present administration. Instead of the residents of state going out of the state to seek for medical attention, the reverse is now the case as people from other states now troop into the state for medical attention that are either free or affordable’

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

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If Nigeria must make progress, the national confab presents the most golden opportunity for Nigeria to restructure

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E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

See page 26

The drop in revenue for states from the Federation Account has strained the relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and some governors. This development has reinforced calls for the enthronement of true federalism and fiscal restructuring at the forthcoming national conference. ADEBISI ONANUGA reports. THE ISSUE:

INSIDE:

HE relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and some governors appears cold. Reason: the disagreement on how the money and revenues paid into the Federation Account, particularly from the sale of crude oil, are shared and allocated among the three levels of government. Section 162(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) establishes the Federation Account where all revenues collected by the government shall be paid, with a few exceptions. Sub-section (2) empowers the National Assembly to determine the formula for the distribution of funds in the Federation Account. It provides: “The President, upon the receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account, and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account, the allocation principles, especially those of population, equality of states, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density; ”Provided that the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than 13 per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resources.” The proviso to the sub-section entrenched, with respect to natural resources, the principle of derivation in any formula the National Assembly may come up with. By this principle, “not less than 13 per cent” of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resource shall be payable to a state of the Federation from which such natural resources are derived. For a state to qualify for this allocation of funds from the Federation Account, the natural resources must have come from within the boundaries of the state, that is, the resources must be located within that state. Unfortunately, the Federal Government has deviated from the constitutional provisions with the governors now accusing it of deliberately manipulating the Federation Account to give the impression that there are inadequate funds to share, despite steady increase in oil prices since the beginning of the year. The 2014 Budget is predicated on $74 per barrel of crude oil while an estimated 2.39 million barrels per day were forecast for sale. But sales of crude has remained steady at $109, leaving a profit margin of over $35, which means more money coming to the Federation Account and vice versa. Expectedly, more money is to be shared by the Federal and state governments. But, regrettably, allocation to states have been on the decline, hence the worry over the state of economy and the unending decline of allocation going to the states of late. Every state in Nigeria depends largely on the allocation from the Federation Account, just as its respective annual budget is predicated upon earnings from the Federation Account. With this they are able to develop their states. The only exception is Lagos that has been able to harness its resources for developmental projects. Allocations to states, especially opposition states, have been haphazardly done with the latter complaining of a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to strangulate them and starve them of funds ahead of 2015. This has resulted in their difficulty to execute developmental projects. Unfortunately for the states, Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is the chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC), has not convened the meeting of the council, which could have addressed issues raised by the governors. The meeting has been postponed five times. Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso, last week ac-

‘Why we partner NBA to enforce rights of prison inmates’

THE BIG QUESTION

Will National Conference tackle true federalism? cused the government of causing divisions among the governors. He alleged that President Jonathan gave governors in Plateau Governor Jonah Jang’s faction of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) N2 billion each as ecological fund. The money, he claimed, was taken from the common purse of the country and was not given to governors who voted for Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as chairman of NGF. Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has described the government’s inability to meet its financial obligations to the states as a recipe to national disaster. Oshiomhole, while reacting to Federal Government’s inability to pay monthly allocations to states, urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay the over N2.3 trillion owed the Federation Account, adding

Appeal Court validates Econet’s five per cent shares -Page 27

-Page 37

that the corporation was not sincere with Nigerians on the number of barrels of oil refined daily. “I don’t know if the Federal Government is broke, but I know there is a serious crisis and it is unprecedented in the history of this country. For the first time, since 1999, allocations can no longer come as at when due to states. I have been involved in trying to understand what the reasons are and I have not seen anything yet. Whether we use the word broke or you deny the word broke, the truth is that there is financial crisis in Nigeria which has very serious national security implication. “So, I am hoping that the NNPC should wake up and meet its obligation to the Federation Account. Ootherwise, the integrity of the government is at stake,” he said, adding: “they collect 455,000 barrels per day for domestic refinery, but they also agreed that the refineries are not working, that at the very best they cannot refine more than 100,000 barrels per day. So, the question is what are you doing with the balance of 355,000? “If you multiply $109 by 455,000 barrels per day, you will imagine the kind of money NNPC ought to be paying into the Federation Account. And from some of the figures that have been thrown around, NNPC is owing the Federation Account over N2.3 trillion,” he said. The Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF, at its meeting in Abuja last week also condemned the Federal Government for illegal deductions from states’ funds. Besides, the All Progressive Congress (APC) governors decried what they called ‘flagrant disregard by the Federal Government of the Constitution and the Appropriation Act on collection and sharing of government revenue and implementation of budgets. The governors wondered why the President Jonathan’s administration has consistently been unable to implement budget provisions, which it willingly formulated and passed into law by the National Assembly. In a communiqué, they vowed to take appropriate legal actions to compel the Federal Government to respect the constitutional rights of states and comply fully with the Appropriation Act. “We wish to say that there is no justification for the continuous dwindling revenue collections into the Federation Account given that the price of crude oil, being the main revenue earner, has been relatively stable and above $100 per barrel since the beginning of 2013. “The Forum excoriates the Federal Government’s consistent flagrant disregard for the Constitution and the Appropriation Act as passed by the National Assembly. In fact, we wonder why the Jonathan’s administration is unable to implement the budget provisions, which it willingly formulated and which the National Assembly passed into law,” they noted. A comparative analysis of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) monthly economic report and that of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), conducted by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, indicated that revenues accruing to the Federation Account were not fully reported. According to Fayemi, the Nigerian economy is highly dependent on the proceeds from sale of oil. He noted that oil represents 95 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and 80 per cent of budgetary revenue for the federation while revenue from taxes, custom and others account for 20 per cent of budgetary revenue. Hence, income from revenue generating agencies are expected to be transferred to the Consolidated Revenue Account for appropriation. Fayemi noted that there was no time Nigerian oil sold less than $95 in 2013 and $110 in 2014. “Conclusively, Nigerian earned more revenue from oil sales in 2013 and 2014 than budgeted,” he said, add•Continued on page 26

Boko Haram and National Conference -Page 38

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

LAW COVER CONT’D

Will National Conference tackle true federalism? •Jonathan

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The current revenue allocation formula should be reviewed and discussed fully at the national conference with the hope of finding a lasting and dispassionate solution inline with the principles and ideals of true federalism

•Fagbohungbe

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probe of the missing fund at whcih the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, told the committee that she would hire foreign experts for forensic audit of NNPC. •Justice Kutigi

•Continued from page 25

ing that this can be corroborated by a comparison of revenue reported by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC). He said any major change due to poor handling/depletion of the nation’s resources would have ripple effects on the implementation of budget at the state and local government levels. Fayemi said the report of earnings to the federation by CBN was an indication that Nigeria earned more revenue than was reported into the Federation Account by the Federal Government. He said the effect of the depletion of the nation’s revenue has created a huge financial burden for states, including Ekiti, in meeting its obligations. According to him, average monthly deduction from money due to his state is N481 million which has resulted in the inability of the state government to meet its commitments as and when due and increasing vicious circle of poverty in the country. Huge sums of money meant for the account have been declared missing or found their way into other accounts. Amaechi, while inspecting some projects in Obio/Akpor Local Government Wednesday last week, cited, among other revelations, sleaze in federal agencies, alleged misuse of subsidies on petrol, kerosene and sharp practices in the allocation of oil blocs, saying: “whopping sum of $10 billion and $20 billion were alleged to be missing.” The suspended CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi had raised the alarm that the $49.8 billion, which was supposed to be remitted to the coffers of the Federal Government through the apex bank, was nowhere to be found. Sanusi’s allegation and petition to the Senate Committee led to the ongoing

REACTIONS The development has thrown up a number of issues as Nigerians are worried over the state of health of the economy. More worried are pundits who are questioning the rationale of a fiscal policy that does not guarantee equity in the sharing and allocation of revenue among the federating units; the need for a sovereign wealth fund and an excess crude oil account that does not have constitutional backing. Lawyers versed in fiscal policy issues agreed that the country is not broke, blaming the situation on the absence of true federalism, insincerity on the part of the government and those whose duty is to manage the funds coming into the Federation Account. They included Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, Monday Ubani and a member of the Ogun State Judicial Council, Abayomi Omoyinmi. Fagbogungbe argued that that it is not right and a breach of the Constitution for the President to withhold the money that belongs to states because it is from the Federation Account which belongs to the states, Federal Government and the local governments. He could not fathom the reason for the decline in the revenue to the Federal Government which caused the decline in revenue to states. “The reason is that we have not been told whether the number of crude that we sell per annum has changed from what we sold the previous year. The money accruing to the account should change because we have not been selling below the baseline. The quantity of oil we have been selling per day, per week, per month and per year has not changed nor declined. “So, what would now be responsible for the decline in the income to the Federal Government? That means something is wrong and we are getting to know what is wrong. From the CBN revelation, it means that there is a prob-

•Ubani

•Omoyinmi

lem in the management of our revenue. I don’t think we need a body to tell us that the issue is the management. Our revenue has not been well managed, such that we are short of revenue. We are not short of revenue, it is the management of it that is the problem,” he said. Fagbohungbe said it did not matter whether Nigeria adopted a Federation Account or fiscal federalism in the sharing of revenue, it all depended on the operator. He said what this means is that “the Minister of Finance should be sacked, the Minister of Petroleum should quit, the MD of

NNPC should also be removed because they have been accused of the mismanagement of our fund. The coordinating minister is not coordinating anything, so she should leave. She is the one causing the problem for Nigeria. The three of them should go at once so that we can have peace in our finance management and the oil industry. This their second coming has not been helpful to Nigeria,” he stated. Ubani agreed with Fagbohungbe that going by the Constitution, it is wrong for the President to withhold what is due to the states. He said every amount that accrued to the federation must be credited into the Federation Account and be shared accordingly by the three tiers of government. “But there are strange things happening at this time in Nigeria. We heard the President saying the other time that any state governor that abuses him that it would affect his state. In other words, the President is trying to claim absolute power now. It means that states would not get what is due to them because they are abusing him. “Secondly, what I don’t understand is the issue of dwindling of allocation when the price of crude internationally has increased and it keeps soaring daily. So, why is the Federation Account being manipulated to the extent that states are being denied their normal allocation? It tells you that there is no serious governance going on in the country, that what all the money is being conserved for is for electoral purposes at the federal level,” he said. Ubani further noted that if the states are being denied their allocation due to them on purpose, then the governors would not be able to run their state effectively, whereas the Federal Government would have enough money to throw around. His words: “It shows that the money they are conserving is for electioneering purposes at the federal level. It explains why the states are being under-funded in order to put them in bad light before the people so that they would not probably return some of the governors to office. So, it is about politics, all the conservation, all the non allocation of funds to states. That is what is going on actually. That is why they are manipulating the processes.” He said the development was a reflection of the fact that we are not operating a federal structure the way we should. He said if we continue with the way it is now, Boko Haram will continue, kidnapping will continue, stealing will continue, smuggling will continue unemployment will continue and all manner of violence will be unleashed on Nigerians and there would be agitation and much violence in the system because we are not running an efficient federal system. Omoyinmi also argued that the President has no right, legal or moral, to withhold funds that belong to the state under any pretence. This has been confirmed by the Supreme Court in the case brought against the Federal government by Lagos State during the Obasanjo era when Lagos State government allocation was withheld on the ground that the state government created additional local government councils. THE WAY OUT To Fagbohungbe, the system of revenue allocation can only be changed by the National Assembly. He said the issue should be discussed at the confab. Let’s wait for what they would say at the confab. Ubani said if Nigeria must make progress, the national confab presents the most golden opportunity for Nigeria to restructure. If we must run a very effective federal structure, where every region or state will assume control over what it produces, giving only a percentage to the Federal Government, then we must return to the federal system between 1960 and 1966. So, running to Abuja, cap in hand, to beg for money, should stop. Omoyinmi said a sovereign wealth fund or excess crude account was uncalled for and not constitutionally provided. To him, it is very unlikely that there would be equity sharing in as much as its sharing and its creation do not have the effect of law. He stressed that the current revenue allocation formula should be reviewed and discussed fully at the national conference with the hope of finding a lasting and dispassionate solution inline with the principles and ideals of true federalism.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

LAW PERSONALITY Prof. Bem Angwe is the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and chairman Network of Human Rights Institutions in West Africa. In this interview, he speaks on why the Commission partnered with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to enforce the rights of awaiting trial inmates, the challenges facing the Commission and what is being done to protect and promote human rights across the West African Sub-region. Legal Editor, JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU met him. Excerpts:

‘Why we partner NBA to enforce rights of prison inmates’ T HE National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is currently reviewing the national action plan to ensure that rights of Nigerians are protected and promoted, how far have you gone with the review and what are the implications for the country? The 1993 Vienna Convention makes it obligatory for all nations of the world to declare in form of an action plan, the steps that they intend to take in ensuring that the rights of the citizens are not only respected, but also recognised and protected. In that direction, as soon as Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, it commenced the process of coming up with a national action plan. This process was led by the country’s Ministry of Justice. Happily, Nigeria deposited the national action plan in Geneva in 2009. In Geneva, the then Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Chief Micheal Aondoakaa led Nigerians to deposit this document. The document was supposed to be in place and implemented between 2009 and 2013. How far have we gone with the implementation ? I am happy to inform you that last week, the NHRC convened a stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna to assess the level of implementation where Nigeria strongly made a commitment to respect the rights of all Nigerians. At this conference, people from different walks of life, from government Ministries and departments, commissioners, civil society organisations and members of the general public came to asses the level of implementation of the national action plan. What was their verdict? It is not concluded yet because we are also going to convene another meeting for the southern parts of the country in Owerri, Imo State and at the end of the day, the commission will leave Nigerians to come up with a self assessment report of the level of implementation of the national action plan. In the national action plan, ministries and organisations were given specific responsibilities in ensuring the implementation of the action plan. Now, if this action plan is followed and Nigeria implements the commitments made before the international community and to Nigerians, the NHRC will be happy because human rights will become an issue that is on the table and Nigeria would be equalled to other parts of the world where human rights are recognised and highly

respected. In this process, the commission is going to ensure that governments in Nigeria at all levels are made to implement the full contents of the national action plan for the benefit of all Nigerians. As the chairman of the Network of Human Rights Institutions in West Africa, what steps have you taken to improve respect for human rights in the sub-region? In January this year, we convened a meeting in Senegal where the various stakeholders were brought together to put in place a work plan for the promotion of human rights in West Africa. We adopted a working document so that national institutions in West Africa, the office of the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner and the United Nations Secretary-General ‘s representative in West Africa, together with their representatives came together and we are strategising on the best way to promote human rights in West Africa. We are particular about the current situation that challenges the enjoyment of human rights within the sub-region particularly, the activities of terrorist groups within the sub-region. In addition to that, as the chairman of the Network for Human Rights Institutions within the region, I will make sure that the institutions attain A status like Nigeria and for that reason, we are going to have a consultative meeting in Mali to see how Mali’s human rights institutions would be strengthened, see how we will advocate with the government of Mali to also come up with a legislation on the Paris Principle compliance that will give independence to the human rights commission there and empower the commission to rise and protect the rights of Malians. After that, we are going to the Gambia to ensure that its government establishes a human rights commission, so that the rights of the people of the Gambia will also be promoted and protected. We are also collaborating with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to make sure that the ECOWAS Human Rights Court is strengthened and given all the powers to enable the court rise to the challenge of protecting the rights of persons, particularly with respect to the enforcement of those rights within the West African Sub-Region The National Human Rights Commission recently briefed Pro Bono lawyers of the NBA

•Prof Angwe

across the country to sue various state governments and their officers for delaying the arraignment and prosecution of awaiting trial inmates, who have spent longer time than necessary in Nigerian Prisons. Why did you do this and what has been the result of this action? The Commission, by its laws, is mandated to visit prisons and other detention centres and in the course of our audit of Nigerian Prisons, we discovered that more that more than 70per cent of Nigerians in prisons are awaiting trial and many of them have been there for over 10 years without their trial coming to an end. And we felt that this kind of situation should not be allowed to continue, because it constitutes a violation of the rights of the inmates since the constitution of the country guarantees their innocence until they are proved guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. A situation where a person is kept in prison beyond the term he would have served if he was properly convicted amounts to a violation of the rights of the person concerned. So, this commission with its mandate cannot be crying just like other institutions cry over this problem of congestion of prisons. So, we decided to invoke our mandate to seek redress and the enforcement of the rights of these inmates, particularly given the fact that most of their offences are states’ offences and states are responsible for the long delays of their non trial. What the commission has decided to do is to institute action against the various state governments. So, the commission is partnering with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to enforce the rights of these persons. We started

the first batch last year and more than 200 actions were filed in the name of the commission against various state governments across the country. This year, we are going to continue and we are going to sue many more states to make them sit up and ensure that the rights of Nigerians are respected and that Nigerians are not kept in detention or criminalised unnecessarily over a long period of time. What do you consider to be the greatest challenge facing your commission? The greatest challenge facing this commission today is funding. The commission is prepared to work for Nigerians and enforce the rights of Nigerians. We receive complaints on daily basis, that sometimes it becomes very difficult for this commission to investigate these complaints properly. For instance, we have offices across the various states of the federation, but we don’t even have vehicles to help us carry out our investigations. Because there are no funds, it becomes difficult for us to respond to many of the cases which we have on our hands. For instance, look at the current security situation in the Northeast, we are supposed to be monitoring the security situation there and the activities of the security operatives that are battling the insurgents, but it becomes very difficult for this commission to monitor when we don’t even have vehicles to use in monitoring the situation. So, we have this major challenge of funding and with the lack of funding, we don’t even have enough staff as we should have. The second major challenge is the activities of unknown persons, everyday you hear cases of these insurgents killing Nigerians, which is a major violation of the rights of people, so we are very disturbed. There is so much impunity with respect to the violation of the rights of people and this is a major challenge that we are facing in the realisation of the protection of the rights of Nigerian people. It was reported the your commission received petition against the operation of fake medical institutions and pharmacies in the country, what are you doing about this? The Commission has received series of complaints over the activities of Patent Medicine dealers, operators of pharmaceutical stores, who do not have the licence to carry out such operations and their activities resulting in the death of so many Nigerians. The commission is at the moment investigating this, we have written to the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria to avail us of the list of the list of people who are licensed to sell drugs or operate patent medicine stores in Nigeria. We have also written to them to give us report on the activities of some of them. What the commission is doing now is warning all such persons who are not licensed to sell medicine or sell drugs in this country to regularise their operations or close down their shops or go to jail.

Delta election dispute: ECOWAS Court to give judgment against Nigeria, NJC

ARING any untoward hindrances, the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) may proceed to give judgment against Nigeria in a case of rights violation initiated by a Nigerian, Jude Eluemuno Azekwoh. This is because the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council (NJC), who are defendants in the suit, declined to respond to the suit filed on December 9 last year, with processes duly served on them. The defendants’ refusal to enter defence, the plaintiff argued in a fresh application, violates the requirement under Article 35(1) of the court’s rules, which require a defendant to enter defence within a month of being served with originating processes in respect of a pending case. In the new application filed by lawyer to the plaintiff, Bernard Udemba “an order entering final judgment against the defendants as per the claims in the originating summons dated November 27, 2013” was sought. The plaintiff, in the application pursuant to Articles 35(1) and 90(1) of the court’s rules 2002, argued that

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

by declining to enter defence within the required time, meant that the defendants have acted in breach of Article 90(1) of the court’s rules. Article 90(1) provides that “if a defendant, on whom an application initiating proceedings has been duly served, fails to lodge a defence to the application in the proper form within the time prescribed, the applicant may apply for judgement by default.” The plaintiff hinged his application among others, on the ground that since the defendants have failed to enter defence by virtue of Article 75 of the court’s rules, “the court can now proceed to deliver judgment in default” because the defendants have exceeded the required 30 days within which they ought to enter defence. “The applicant has, by this application, exercised the right to proceed for default judgment in the event that the defendants’ failure to file defence. “The combined effect of Articles 35(1) and 90(1) of the rules of this court is that judgment can now be made against the defendants, the plaintiff having applied for it,” Azekwoh said.

He argued that the defendants’ refusal to enter defence, having been duly served with the originating processes, ought to be seen as a disrespect to the court’s authority. The plaintiff contended that the defendants’ continued refusal to respond to the suit amounted to an abuse of the court’s process. He urged the court to protect its authority and dignity from abuses by proceeding to give judgment against the defendants, as required under its rules. Azekwoh principally accused the defendants of unjustly denying him the opportunity of having his case properly adjudicated upon by the Nigerian judicial system. The plaintiff, who seeks among others, $10million as compensation, argued that by their actions or inaction, the defendants violated his rights as guaranteed under Sections 3, 7 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR). Azekwoh participated in the 2011 Delta North Senatorial election as a candidate of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), which Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa of the People’s Democratic Party ((PDP) won.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, he went before the Electoral Tribunal to contest the result. The tribunal struck out his petition on the ground that his application for the pre-trial session was not by way of motion. He appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Benin, Edo State where he claimed his appeal was unfairly dismissed. His recourse to the ECOWAS Court, he said, was because of the alleged failure of the NJC, an agency of the Federal Government with control over the nation’s judiciary, to act on the petitions written by his lawyer, Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), asking the NJC to look into the case. Okpeseyi, had in one of the petitions, said Azekwoh’s “petition was sacrificed on the altar of technicalities” at both the tribunal and the appeal, thereby leaving unresolved, the questions raised about the competence of the PDP candidate now occupying the disputed senatorial seat. “The decision and approach of the panel of justices of the Court of Appeal, Benin in respect of this matter, violently violated our client’s right to fair hearing, compromised his appeal and has occasioned miscar-

riage of justice,” Okpeseyi said in one of the petitions, copies of which formed parts of the court documents. Azekwoh argued that where his appeal against a decision of an electoral tribunal was “dismissed for no reason in law and in fact, without hearing,” his right to equality before the law, protection of the law, fair hearing and right to participate in government, guaranteed by the ACHPR, has been violated. He is praying the ECOWAS court to declare: * “That his right to equality before the law and protection was violated as the Appeal Court in Benin allegedly refused to hear his appeal on no justifiable legal or factual ground; *”That his rights, as a Nigerian and citizen of ECOWAS, to have his case heard at the appellate level of the country’s court and be accorded fair hearing were violated when the Court of Appeal, Benin refused to hear his appeal no: CA/B/EPT/230/2011; *”That the failure of the NJC to act on his petitions has resulted in the continued breach of his right to fair hearing and freedom to participate in the government contrary to Articles 7 and 13 of the ACHPR.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

LEGAL OPINION

NIALS: 35 years after By John Austin Unachukwu

•Prof Azinge (SAN)

IGERIAN Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) has rolled out a week long programme of activities to mark its 35 years of existence and contributions to the development of legal scholarship in the country. The scholarship was the brainchild of the dogged determination of great men and women whose vision has left a lasting legacy resonating through generations yet unborn and the passion of a true academic. The Institute began with the dynamic approach of the late Justice Timothy Aguda, who was its first Director-General. Aguda’s appointment in 1978 came with its challenges. But with his resilience, he tenaciously fought for the Institute’s autonomy. The institute was finally recognised by the then Supreme Military Council (SMC), when it enacted into law the Decree establishing the institute with effect from June 27, 1984. Chronicling the legacies of the Institute are by no means a simple task, as the 35 years of its existence is worthy of note in history. The trail blazing efforts of the Institute began with intellectual engagements as far back as March 17 1979, when it had its official opening speech delivered by Prof. Roy Marshall, the then

Secretary of the United kingdom’s Vice- Chancellors and Principals Committee. Prof. Marshall’s Inaugural lecture had in attendance the late Justice Teslim O. Elias of the International Court of Justice at “The Hague”. Evidently, the Institute has always celebrated its anniversary with an array of erudite scholars of international repute. Over the years, the Institute has laboured tirelessly to actualise the dreams of its founding fathers. A review of its academic precedents is remarkable, beginning with the introduction of its first training course in Practice and Procedure and courses in Legal Drafting, which has run throughout the course of its existence. The Institute’s postgraduate school (PGS) – Akinola Aguda School of Post Graduate Studies, established in 1997 as the Postgraduate Studies Unit with the exclusive aim of running a postgraduate Diploma and Masters degree in legislative drafting , was the first of its kind and has since grown to become second to none in Africa. NIALS from inception, has been endowed with highly talented and dedicated academic staff, who have made remarkable progress in research, thereby contributing immensely to the nation’s development in the field of law. In the words of the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) , Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN): “The Institute has remained one of the most focused and aggressive providers of continuing legal education and development schemes ever witnessed by the legal profession in Nigeria.” The institute has expanded the scope of its research and dissemination activities in order to meet the challenges of its greatly enhanced mandate under its enabling statute. Through its large reservoir of academic programmes ranging from scholarly publications; public lectures; roundtables; continuous legal education and post graduate programmes the institute has won itself a pride of place. The passion to steer NIALS to greater heights has been the drive of distinguished individuals and highly skilled academics of

international repute. These innovative past and present Directors-General have each laid the foundation that demonstrated their driving force behind the success of the institute. Indeed, the great strides the institute has made can be ascribed to great individuals, who have left their enviable marks on the pages of our history. Some of these worthy personalities must be commended for their resounding efforts. They are Prof. Ayo Ajomo; Prof. Ignatius Ayua (SAN); Prof. D. Guobadia and the current Director-General Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN). In order to reinvent and reorient legal research in Nigeria the institute under the visionary and dynamic leadership of Prof. Azinge introduced the Ph. D programme in Legislative Drafting in 2009. Indeed, the beneficiaries of this course can testify that huge resources have been saved in attending the institute as opposed to education outside the shores of this country. On December 7, last year, history was made when the institute produced its first set of Ph. D graduates with the conferment of Doctor of Philosophy in legislative drafting on two welldeserving scholars. In fulfilment of its mandate as the centre for advanced legal research and in order to continue a tradition of excellence in training knowledgeable skilled and highly trained legal practitioners, the institute has recently developed an online platform to create an accessible, user friendly web environment to support E- Learning. This, it is believed, will enable the delivery of course materials and test requirements for NIALS. The Institute publishes more that 30 peer review journals and over 500 books of nternational standard. Its library occupies a unique place pivotal to the discharge of the institutes functions. It has the largest collection of materials with over 12,000 valuable volumes. In the words of former President of the NBA, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN): “One of the high points in the history of the Institute was the Centenary Law Summit, which has been internationally applauded as the unsurpassed

scholarly engagement by any tertiary institution this year. So, also is the Festival of Legal Scholarship adjudged locally and internationally as the most innovative and brilliantly conceived programme globally.” As a way of giving back to the society, NIALS recently established the Mohammed Lawal Uwais Public Service Award for well deserving Nigerians in the civil service. This has indeed, fostered a revival of the Civil Service. Amongst other notable contributions to the society, the institute recently introduced the NIALS online Pro bono law clinic, a legal advice center where clients can visit for answers to knotty legal issues. Also the institute celebrates periodically the success of lawyers, jurists and statesmen, who have made extraordinary contributions to law and humanity, with platforms such as NIALS Hall of Fame and the Conferment of Fellowships. These milestones are being celebrated from March 10 -17 2014. The events took off yesterday in Lagos with an inaugural lecture by Prof Animi Awah, titled: “Harnessing Nigeria’s Banking System: Potential for Sustainable Development”. To further celebrate NIALS contributions to national development, a social media assessment will take place to celebrate the support which the have given the Institute. Also, all the fellows of the institute will gather for a conversation on law and order as a way to celebrate the success of lawyers and jurists in the NIALS Hall of Fame. After which a prestigious award would be held to commemorate outstanding contributions to humanity. Professors holding chairs in the institute will be formally inaugurated with a symposium which will be a platform to discuss contemporary issues in law. As part of NIALS contributions to development the institute will organise a walk against domestic violence and an enlightenment initiative to sensitise the public on the Nigerian Constitution. To draw the curtain on its festivities, NIALS Founders Day lecture will be delivered by Justice Karibi Whyte (rtd), titled: “In the eyes of the law”.

A paper presented by CHIEF JOE-KYARI GADZAMA (SAN) at the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Law School.

50 years of legal education in Nigeria: A critique •Continued from lastweek YOU could beat your chest firmly in the past and boast that lawyers would never be arrested or charged to court for the sort of crimes you would expect from an average lawless citizen but that is not the case now as the legal profession has been infiltrated by wolves in sheep’s clothing who could not care less about its Rules of Professional Conduct and old traditions. Lawyers now get arrested for crimes bordering on tampering with clients’ money. This was unthinkable in the past but it is now the norm. Something needs to be done about the system that produces our lawyers so that the society can return to seeing them as the social engineers that they are. The Legal Profession has therefore suffered from the problems experienced by the institutions of legal education, most especially: •Lack of synergy between the institutions, Lack of basic facilities, Too many students, Industrial actions, Lack of basic facilities, Very few lecturers in faculties of law who actually practise law.

7. The way forward (a) Synergy in curriculum between Nigerian Faculties of law and the Nigerian law school.

Over 70% of a Lawyer’s foundation is the job of the University he/she attends. It is therefore important that the Universities prepare a law student adequately for the complexities of legal practice. A lawyer must not only demonstrate intelligence and great wit, he is also supposed to be honest and above board. I am well aware of the fact that the issue is sometimes out of the hands of the Universities as the foundation of some students might have been severely damaged in Secondary School. Education in Nigeria is at its lowest ebb and even though the authorities are rising to the challenge, there is still a lot to do. At the Law School, a law graduate is introduced to the ethics of the profession but one wonders if nine (9) months is not too short a period for this. The Law Faculties could be made to incorporate professional ethics into their curriculum over the five (5) sessions that a law student is expected to spend in the University. Overtime, the ethics of the profession become engraved in the minds of the law students who will most likely know them by heart by the time they graduate. This same solution could be applied to other aspects of law in which lawyers experience problems today. That way, the introduction to procedural law is gradual and not sudden. It should also be a pre-condition that a Law Student must be found worthy both in learning and in character before he/she

is sent to the Nigerian Law School. This will go a long way in preparing law students for the side of law which is nothing like what they have learnt in the University.

(b) More practising lawyers should be engaged as lecturers or part-time lecturers.

The Universities and to a lesser extent, the Nigerian Law School, are the factories in which an aspiring lawyer’s foundation is built. By the time law graduates proceed to the Nigerian Law School for the relatively short period (nine months) that they would be there, the seeds sown during their time at the University (where they spend about five years and in some cases, more) would have taken hold, molding them into the lawyers that they will be. The Nigerian Law School equips them for Legal Practice but what has been learnt for five years cannot be compared to what is learnt in nine months. The Faculties at the Universities therefore have a lot to do if they are to produce competent law graduates and by extension, competent lawyers. The Universities therefore have to ensure that more practising lawyers are employed as lecturers in their faculties. Periodic accreditation programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Council for Legal Education (Nigerian Law School) would also help to ensure that the faculties of law have the requisite teaching personnel and the right learning environment for their law students30.

The Nigerian Law School as presently constituted is over centralized in terms of admission and examination. Although there is a Secretary to the Council of Legal Education and Chairman of the Council, the Director General of the Nigerian Law School virtually runs the Council. This should not be the case. It should be the other way round, that is, the Council running the law schools. In any case, before the multicampus system was introduced, there was no legislation providing for multi-campus. It was merely an administrative fiat. We believe that the Legal Education Act of 1962 is overdue for immediate review and amendment to provide for autonomous campuses and separation of the Council from the Law School31.

(d) Private Law Schools And Institutions At present, we have a total of one hundred and twenty eight Universities in the country. Fifty (50) out of this number are Private Universities, forty (40) are Federal universities while

•Gadzama

the remaining thirty eight (38) are State Universities. If private individuals or institutions, can run Universities, I do not see any reason private individuals or institutions cannot run Law Schools under the guidelines to be published by the Council of Legal Education and a central examination conducted by the Council. However, there must be strict regulations and accreditation of such Private Law Schools. This is more or less the practice in other climes, for example, the English system has moved from four Inns of Court to the creation of additional ten institutions for the training of lawyers.

(e) Rating of Faculties

Faculties of law in Nigeria should be rated annually. This rating should be continuous with the parameters clearly stated. It should also be the basis upon which law school forms are issued to these faculties of law, regardless of their previous standing with the Council of Legal Education. This way, there would be competition which would only bode well for the legal profession in the long run as a favourable. •To be continued next week

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON NORTHERN STATES TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

PAGE 29

Reviving Dala Hill of Kano •PAGE 30

Ahmed empowers drivers with N150m •PAGE 32

Irish drift culvet constructed on a swampy part of teh road

Boost for Kaduna rural communities

Celebrating 100 years in pain •PAGE 33

Through the Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP), the Kaduna State Governor is opening up villages and improving the lot of the people, TONY AKOWE reports.

T was to be the market day at Tamie Village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, a quiet settlement, about 35 kilometres from Kaduna metropolis and 15 kilometres from Jaji Military Cantonment. Rather than be at the market, the people and their chief, Mallam Abdullahi Aliyu, and a few elders gathered at what appears a makeshift palace constructed with old corrugated zinc. They were enjoying their local delicacy when some reporters, accompanied by officials of the Kaduna Rural Access Mobility Project (KADRAMP), arrived. The elders vacated their seats for the visitors to interact with their chief. Briefing the reporters, Aliyu said the community had only a primary health centre, addding that, until about two years ago, the only means of transportation were motorcycles. He said: “No vehicle came to this village until two years ago when this road was built by KADRAMP. The only means of transportation to and from this place were motor

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

cycles and we used to pay as much as N300 to get to Rigachukwu from here. “But with the construction of the road, vehicles come here and that has reduced the cost of transportation. Our children can now go to school without hindrance. “In the past, teachers posted to our village schools stayed away during the rainy season because they could

not come to school, the road usually get flooded when it rains. But all that has changed. As you can see, we are a farming community. Today, we can afford to take our farm produce to the market because we have road.” The Rigachukwu-Tamie-Birnin Yaro Road constructed by the Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP) to make the rural communities accessible is one of the over 400 kilometres of roads that have been constructed

RAMP is designed to open up the rural areas and enhance access for the rural dwellers that produce 90 per cent of the foods consumed by the state’s growing population…The state government has opened up many rural communities with the construction of feeder roads. Such feeder roads are also central to economic activities in these areas as they provide easy access for farmers to evacuate their farm produce to markets

across the state under the first phase of the project. The project is largely funded by the World Bank. The Kaduna State government provided 20 per cent counterpart fund. The site engineer Mr. Ibrahim Balarabe, told our correspondent that the road is beginning to open up the area, adding that the economic wellbeing of the people has improved. On the road to Tamie Village, it was discovered that buildings are evidence that the area is going up receiving attention from developers. Balarabe said: “Before the construction of this road, a piece of land here costs between N30, 000 and N50, 000. At present, the price of a plot of land has gone up to close to N200, 000. That is an indication that efforts being put into this project are beginning to yield dividend through opening up of the area for development.” He further noted that the roads constructed are subjected to what he called “output and performance road contract.” This means that the contrac•Continued on page 30

Dry season farming support for 30,000 •PAGE 34

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NORTH REPORT

ANO is famous as the commercial nerve centre of the North. It also has some features excellent for tourism. Among these is the Dala Hill which stands about 518 metres above sea level and covers a land mass of 289, 892 metres. On the peak of the hill is a flat surface and is surrounded by rocky soil which protects the landscape from harsh weather conditions. One gets to the peak of the hill through ascending stairway which was constructed by guides to aid tourists. Ditches and other features of early settlements like potsherds, iron smelting slags, burial grounds and dye pits are some of the prominent characteristics of the hill’s base. Situated in the heart of Kano City, Dala Hill served as a viewing point for ancient Kano warriors who were always mindful of invading enemies. In the 7th Century, Dala Hill was a hunting site and gathering point for the iron-smelting community. At the end of the 15th Century and the beginning of the 16th Century, Kano was originally known as Dala, so named after the hill. There is no gainsaying the fact that Dala Hill is of immense historical significance as it was where the people of Kano settled. The Hill was the epitome of pre-Islamic traditional and cultural practices that characterised the centuries before the advent of Islam to Kano in the 15th Century. The hill was a major source of iron ore in the Kano region. Due to the presence of iron ore and the security it provided, craftsmen were fascinated about it. In the circumstances, therefore, the Dala community developed into a haven for mining, smelting and iron works. A visit to the hill revealed that the hill, which remains one of the significant landmarks for tourism in Kano, is in a shambles. The hill is suffering from serious encroachment, prominent among which is building of houses around the hill. The situation has further defaced the beautiful features of the hill. Refuse dumps have become outstanding trait of the hill. The flight of steps through which one ascends the hill is totally dilapidated. Cashing in on the unsightly situa-

Reviving Dala Hill of

•The remains of the abandoned Dala Hill

tion, residents have begun to defecate at the base of the hill which is now a shadow of itself. Aside this, erosion is another phenomenon contributing to the wishy-washy state of the hill as it washes away its surface. Practically, the hill has disused electricity generating set house and a desolate administrative block as signs of having been in use. The fences are falling down and the hill, at present, serves as a hideout for criminals and hoodlums. Worried by the sorry state of the hill, a lecturer of History at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. Sule Bello described Dala Hill as a total mess, even as he wondered why government has not done anything to revitalise it. According to him, Dala Hill, in those days, used to be attractive to various people for various reasons.

•An over view of Kano

‘Gradually, Dala Hill became a settlement, market place and an industrial centre. The area became an industrial community as the number of iron ore miners increased. Some of them were mining iron ore, some were mining salt, while some were engaged in production of various kind of craft wood, leather, weaving, and some engaged in agricultural production’ Some people came to settle there in order to mine iron ore. The miners then combine their businesses with local trade and these boosted economic activities within the community. Owing to this, Dala Hill became an attraction to many people from various parts of the world that mi-

grated to and settled in Kano. “Gradually, Dala Hill became a settlement, market place and an industrial centre. The area became an industrial community as the number of iron ore miners increased. Some of them were mining iron ore, some were mining salt, while some

were engaged in production of various kind of craft wood, leather, weaving, and some engaged in agricultural production. “The important thing about Kano is its cosmopolitan nature. The inhabitants comprise people from various professions who engaged in industrial and commercial activities. “There is also the Goron Dutse Hill, a twin to Dala Hill. It was around these two hills that people settled. In fact, in those days, people from this part of the world settled around hills. “For example, every hill you see around Kano must be a settlement for people in the early days. You have another hill around Panisau and Magwan. So, people settled there because of security and economic purposes. “The state of Dala Hill and Goron Dutse Hill in Kano is very impor-

Boost for Kaduna rural communities tors are paid based on their performance and quality of the job done. “The contractors are supposed to stay and maintain the road for three years. Within that period, we don’t expect to see any pothole on the road. We have a monitoring mechanism whereby people, including the benefiting communities, are expected to drive on the road at 50 kilometres per hour and report any incident of pothole to the RAMP. “If there is a pothole on the road, the contractor will not be paid for that month until he fixes the bad spot,” he said. He, however, said even though the roads are supposed to be earth roads, he did not rule out the possibility of tarring them, pointing out that the volume of traffic on the road will determine whether the roads will be tarred or not. A resident of the area who identified himself as Shehu, said the only problem they are experiencing at the moment is that the road is too dusty. Shehu said: “We are happy that government has constructed the road for us. Before now, we could not travel during the rainy season because there was no road. But since the road was constructed, we can now move from one point to the other. “The problem we are having now is the dust. If two cars drive past us now, we will not see any building for sometime because of the dust. We will be happier if government can do something about the dust.”

‘The state government has opened up many rural communities with the construction of feeder roads. Such feeder roads are also central to economic activities in these areas as they provide easy access for farmers to evacuate their farm produce to markets’ •Continued from page 29 •Market shade

Commenting on the project, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Hon. Bashir Aliyu Idris said: “RAMP is designed to open up the rural areas and enhance access for the rural dwellers that produce 90 per cent of the foods consumed by the state’s growing population. Through the project, 400kms of rural roads have been upgraded and rehabilitated. These were roads that were impassable before they were

constructed. “The project has also constructed 135 river crossings, drafted a new road transport policy and completed the classification of road network. A new GIS-based state road network map has been developed,” he said. Also commenting on the project, National Coordinator of RAMP Ubandoma Ularamu said Kaduna

State was one of the two states alongside Cross River State that were involved in RAMP I, while six other states are involved in RAMP II. He said: “The project started in 2008 with the initial package worth $72 million. World Bank gives $60 million while Kaduna State government added $12 million counterpart fund.”

While appreciating World Bank’s commitment in opening up communities in the state through the RAMP, the state government has restated its determination to continue to open up rural communities through provision of roads and electricity, even though Tamie Village is yet to benefit from such luxury. Director-General, Media

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NORTH REPORT

ll of Kano

•Top view of Dala Hill. Part of it has become a refuse dump

tant. The picture of the two hills is heavily engraved in the minds of the community because they have a lot of regard for them. You must be in Kano to sight Dala Hill. Travellers coming from afar will view the hill and might think they have reached Kano, not knowing that the journey is still far. Dala Hill is also very important for archaeological work. The various historical features of Kano like the City Wall, the dyeing pit and the groundnut pyramid are all connected to Dala Hill which is the most denselypopulated area of the city. “Most great businessmen in Kano live around Dala Hill. So, the Dala Hill is very important, that is why we are able to preserve it; and I think that is what the government is trying to do by providing facilities which can boost economic activities and promote tourism.

“I am also aware that government is planning to develop the hill as a tourist resort and a research centre. There is also going to be a new design for the entire place by reconstructing the steps which will enable tourists to gain access to the top of the hill,” he said. Also speaking, a 55-year-old Malam Haruna Dankabosi who has lived near the hillside for the past 40 years said craftsmanship is a profession he inherited from his father which he has been practising in the past 40 years. According to him, the beautiful features of Dala Hill have gradually disappeared, even as he regretted that economic activities that were hallmarks of the hill are now in the trash can of history. “We in the profession are finding things very difficult as government turns deaf ear to our plight,” he said.

‘Intensify action on cassava bread initiative’

HE Chairman, Fortunate Buttered Bread, Alhaji Hakeem Adejumo has urged the Federal Government to be more committed to the cassava bread initiative. Such committment, he said, would encourage massive production of cassava. The initiative, he said, will also improve farmers’ income. Adejumo spoke after receiving certificate of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MACAP) from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). He further said the cassava bread initiative would provide job opportunities for millions of “our teeming youths.” Alhaji Adejumo said: “The government needs to do more to improve power supply. The company relies much on diesel-powered generating set for its production. This is not good enough as it is negatively affecting production cost.

The government needs to do more to improve power supply. The company relies much on diesel-powered generating set for its production. This is not good enough as it is negatively affecting production cost…Security is another area government should give priority attention to. Indeed, security is the bedrock of economic and political development of any country From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

“Security is another area government should give priority attention

to. Indeed, security is the bedrock of economic and political development of any country. A lot should be done to ensure security of lives and property. “The relative stability in the price of baking materials has impacted positively on bread making business. This, in turn, has stabilised the prices of bread, thus making bread affordable to the people.” Presenting the MACAP certificate to Alhaji Adejumo, the state Director of SON, Popoola Adesina said the award was informed by the company’s compliance with the minimum industry regulations. The director added that Fortunate Buttered Bread is bromate-free and therefore fit for human consumption. Mr. Adesina urged the management of the company to report any form of faking and counterfeiting of its products to the organisation.

Expert advocates quality education for women

HE Federal Government has been urged to give women quality and functinal education to enhance the country’s growth. Speaking at closing ceremony of a national conference organised by the Nigerian Aid Group of Islam and the JNI, a professor of Education at Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Mrs Aishatu Madawaki Isah said such education was necessary for women to contribute to health and other development initiatives. The theme of the conference attended by women from 25 states of the federation was: “Women, the Centre-point for community Health and National Development.’’ Mrs Isah said the Nigerian woman had the potential to contribute to all aspects of national and human development like their counterparts in other parts of the world. The don, represented by Hajiya Halima Abubakar, said: “The Nigerian woman, if given the space and required knowledge, has the dependable strength to size up any woman from across the globe. “Therefore, women should be adequately empowered with the right type of education.” Earlier, the Sokoto State President of the Nigerian Aid Group, Ahaji Sani Umar said the conference was

‘The Nigerian woman, if given the space and required knowledge, has the dependable strength to size up any woman from across the globe’ From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

part of the ongoing national efforts to promote the campaign for effective healthcare as it concerns maternal and child health. Umar said the importance of the conference could not be over-emphasised considering the importance of women in the society. According to the District Head of Gagi, women are strong pillars in the society and the immediate family,” stating that “the importance of this conference is too glaring. The traditional ruler also said the conference was a good one considering the socio-cultural, economic and health challenges in the society. ‘’This conference aims at ensuring the significant reduction in maternal mortality, and by extension, to reduce the rate of child mortality through collaboration between healthcare service providers and community at all levels,’’ he said.

•Market shade •Market shade

and Publicity to the governor, Ahmed Maiyaki told journalists at a workshop on the activities of RAMP that the state built 11 feeder roads in rural communities last year while it connected 20 others with electricity. While challenging journalists to concentrate more on developmental journalism which will help in

keeping the people abreast of happenings, especially in the rural areas, he said: “The Yero administration last year was also able to connect 20 rural communities with electricity through the rural electrification project. The benefiting communities spread across the 23 local government areas were Kujama/Tokace and Manini all in

Chikun Local Government Area), Bele (Soba LGA), Kuli (Kubau LGA), Ankara (Sanga LGA) and Nkojo (Kagarko LGA). “The state government has opened up many rural communities with the construction of feeder roads. Such feeder roads are also central to economic activities in these areas as they provide easy access for farm-

ers to evacuate their farm produce to markets. “Last year alone, Kaduna State government completed feeder roads in 11 communities which included Kajuru-Kujeni Road, Anfana-Katsit Road and Tashan Zago-Aba Malam Road, among others. “ Also last year, farmers in all

rural communities procured fertiliser, hybrid seeds and chemicals at 60 per cent less than the market price. This was followed up with free distribution of the commodities to indigent farmers. “The aim of government was to boost food production and improve the economic well-being of the people.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NORTH REPORT

‘Be change agents’ From Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

•Ahmed empowers drivers...

Ahmed empowers drivers with N150m

OOD TIMES are here for commercial drivers in Kwara State. They have a revolving loan of N150 million from the government which also launched 100 taxi cabs procured at N50 million. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said during the launch: “In the coming months, we intend to extend the empowerment to other operators in the dynamic transport sector.” He added: “This N50 million intervention brings to a cumulative N674m the amount of revolving credit disbursed to beneficiaries under the Kwara State Entrepreneurship scheme from 2012 to date. “Let me therefore congratulate the beneficiaries of these taxicabs for joining the growing list of those empowered by this administration under the scheme. “Indeed, the choice of taxi drivers is due their importance to efficient intra and inter-city transport services. As we all know, taxi drivers are crucial to mobility of people and their goods as well as to enhanced socio-economic activities across the length and breadth of Kwara state. “Let me however state that the revolving loan scheme for taxi drivers is not part of government largesse. I therefore call on the beneficiaries to work hard and repay the loans promptly so that others can benefit. Indeed, this is why funds for the purchase of these taxis were disbursed to the transporters through micro finance banks.”

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

The governor added that previous revolving loan schemes have recorded more than 70 per cent repayment rate.” Said he: “An added benefit of disbursing funds through micro finance banks is that it has improved banking inclusion by bringing more people into the system as those who were previously unable to access the services now enjoy the service. “You will agree with me that one of the challenges of our transport system in Nigeria is lack of maintenance. This negative attitude often puts the lives of innocent road users in needless jeopardy and contributes to early deterioration of road infrastructure. “I therefore urge you to maintain your vehicles regularly, obey traffic regulations, and cooperate fully with security agencies to make our roads accident free and safe in the interest of your successful business. “At this point, I wish to acknowledge the rapport and cooperation existing among the different transport Unions in Kwara State. I therefore implore you to sustain this relationship for the good of all. Specifically, I admonish you to shun the rancour and acrimony that often lead to crises. “I hope I can continue to count on your cooperation and support for a more progressive and prosperous future for you as individuals and for the state as a whole.”

•Some of the vehicles Ahmed distributed to transporters.

In a remark, the state Commerce and Cooperatives Commissioner, Alhaji Suleiman Alege said the scheme is aimed at boosting public-private partnership in the state. Alege said: “The procurement and allocation of these taxi cabs to private operators, is one of the windows of opportunities that the state government is using to grow the public-private partnership transformation model, in its continuing efforts to empower the citizenry for self-employment, poverty alleviation, employment generation and the enhancement of the socio-economic wellbeing of our people. “The desire of the state government to take the state’s economy to new heights and indeed improve the people’s living standard in the state has been a major impetus for growing the state’s micro-credit intervention scheme. “I therefore use this occasion to appeal to the various artisan groups,

to register their members under the various ministries so that the government can generate a database that will enable it to properly plan for their needs. “Those who have the privilege of acquiring the taxi cabs today, should see themselves as ambassadors of the state by conducting themselves in accordance with international standards so as not to compromise Ilorin, the state capital as an emerging commercial hub in the West African sub-region. Also speaking, chairman of Kwara state chapter RTEAN, Alhaji Yisa Ore, appreciated the state government gesture, and promised to redeem the pledge made on repayment. The transporters’ boss also confirmed on consultation with government on the choice of vehicle procured, adding that the vehicles are rugged and durable, particularly with large membership number in the transport unions.

Jang seeks better life for rural dwellers From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

•Jang

LATEAU State Governor Jonah David Jang has advised local government chairmen to concentrate on programmes that will make life better for the people. He spoke in Jos, the state capital, while signing into law the 2014 appropriation bill and swearing-in of newly elected local government chairmen. He said: “These two events signify a beginning, a beginning for the ten-

ure of local government chairmen and for the budget, beginning of a new financial year 2014” Addressing residents of the state who converged on Government House for both events, Governor Jang said: “My dear compatriots, I have just signed into law the 2014 Appropriation Bill of N225, 058,026,306.00. The driving force behind this budget is our administration’s conviction that service delivery and the honour of our covenant with the people is the ultimate, while time is of the essence. We are resolved on working on our projects till the last minute of the administration. We remain committed towards completing the numerous projects. That is our focus. Speaking on the challenges of government in its effort to meet the needs of the people ,the governor said: “While we strive to better the lot of our people, we are challenged by re-

sources. We have had to reorganise all our revenue generating agencies towards mobilising sufficient funds to finance our projects. As we intensify internal revenue generation initiatives, we equally appeal to our citizens to cooperate and pay all taxes such as land levies and water rates among others. In addition, we are exploring all avenues for revenue including the Federal Government and the private sector. The governor urged ministries,departments and agencies to strictly comply with budgetary provision as poor monitoring remains the bane of the budget implementation . He said: “A major bane of budget implementation is poor monitoring. I, therefore, wish to direct the State Planning Commission to ensure MDAs strictly comply with budgetary provision. In line with this, I charge all ministries, departments and agencies to immediately commence the process of budget implementation so as to avoid last minute rush”.

Sustaining his government’s fight against corruption, Governor Jang said: ‘’All expenditures should be carried out based on budget approval. It equally means financial prudence should be upheld in all government dealings.This is because we will not relent in our fight against corruption. I wish to caution MDA Heads to ensure this implementation is not only on paper, but is carried out to the later. MDA’s are therefore advised to strengthen their internal monitoring machinery. “At this point, I wish to appreciate the State House of Assembly for the deep interest they have shown in the budget proposal and the value they have added to it. I count it a worthy partnership. The governor said the event opened another chapter in the entrenchment of democracy at the third tier of government as newly elected chairmen were sworn in. He congratulated the chairmen on their victory at the polls.

HE Emir of Argungu in Kebbi State, Alhaji Ismaila Mohammadu Mera has said journalists can be agents of change if they imbibe the ethics of their profession and the fear of God. The monarch spoke in Kebbi while receiving reporters who visited him in Argungu. He said journalists throughout the world are considered to be agents of peace and development because of their role in reporting events in the society as well as government’s policies and programmes. This, he said, they could achieve through their commitment to unbiased and balanced reportage of events as they unfold in the society. The Emir also advised that they should propagate peace and shun the temptation of being used by selfish politicians to rob the country of the much-desired peace and development. “You can make or mar the country depending on how you go about disseminating information. This is because journalists are noble people in the society. Based on this understanding, you should use the power of your profession to preach peace as the society depends on you for information, more so as the 2015 general elections are around the corner,” he said. The Emir further urged journalists to help douse the current political tension in the country through their reportage. On security, the Emir said the insecurity in some parts of the north was unfortunate, warning that those perpetuating it should be responsible for the countless loss of lives of innocent people, pointing out that Islam does not give anybody the legal authority to kill his fellow mankind no matter his religious or cultural leaning.

‘How to make Civil Defence work’ From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

HE Sokoto State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Alhaji Yushau Aliyu, has called for support for the Corps to enable it discharge its responsibilities to Nigerians. Alhaji Aliyu made the call while addressing newsmen on the activities to commemorate the 2014 Civil Defence Day with the theme; ‘’Civil Defence and Culture of Prevention for a Safer Society.’’ Aliyu noted that it was necessary to strengthen the corps, adding that “it is indeed an essential to provide all that are necessary for optimal performance of the corps. ‘’We must create a culture of civil defence based on prevention rather than response. “While prevention is a vital factor, it is also a complex task that requires adaptation to new situations. ‘’Many emergency response simulation services should be inspired from the various types of risks that exist to enhance the response capacity and proper handling of emergency interventions,’’ he added. He maintained that prevention programmes should focus on areas such as risk assessment through adoption and development of national as well as regional mechanisms and tools. ‘’The implementation of these programmes involves close co-operation with higher authorities and monitoring from the private and public sectors,” he said.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com

Page 33

Celebrating 100 years in pain

IGERIA marked its 100 years as a corporate entity after the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates in 1914. But many Nigerians felt the celebrations were not worth it, coming at a time Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks in the Northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. To prevent an untoward situation, security operatives, especially the military, did not leave anything to chance in ensuring that the International Conference Centre (ICC) venue of the Centenary celebrations and other key places were protected. All roads leading to the venue of the event where President Goodluck Jonathan presided over the awards ceremony to mark the Centenary were blocked, preventing free flow of traffic around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Commercial drivers and other motorists were confused on which route to follow. The confusion was compounded by the fuel scarcity that sparked long queues at filling stations. Guests were thoroughly screened. Those prevented from entering joined onlookers in anticipation that they could be allowed in later. A taxi driver, who identified himself as Jude said the celebration made no meaning to him. He said: "What is my business with their celebration? The celebration is not going to put food on my table or pay my children's school fees. I don't even understand why they are bothering themselves celebrating in the midst of fuel scarcity and insecurity in the country." A spectators, Chukwuma Okoye said he had been standing there for more than an hour but the security

‘What is my business with their celebration? The celebration is not going to put food on my table or pay my children's school fees. I don't even understand why they are bothering themselves celebrating in the midst of fuel scarcity and insecurity in the country’ From Gbenga Omokhunu and Grace Obike

operatives refused to allow him in because he was not accredited. He said: "The event is only for rich and socially recognised people. They

told us that they will only be admitting 400 people into the venue so we have to hang around wondering what is going on inside the venue." Another onlooker who gave his name as Lawal Ola, said: "Centenary is for people that have eaten enough. My parents were both not born 100

•Some world leaders at Nigeria’s Centenary celebrations.

years ago let alone me. I don't see any reason I should be bothered about it." Outside the venue, the celebration appeared more like it was meant for the military than the civilians, with the security operatives looking at everyone that passes by suspiciously. Immediately, the road block started from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Towers but it was later dismantled because of the traffic gridlock. It then was mounted at the Nigerian Defence College where people had to park their cars and walk to their destinations under severe security check. One of the decorators for the event who gave his name as Adebayo said: "I am here for the decoration. We were part of the people that decorated the venue of the event and we want to make sure that everything goes on well with the decoration. So far, all is well. There has been no problem." Another onlooker, Ela Isa who is a

business man said: "As you can see, the most challenging part of this country is the security. Since we cannot get into the venue, it is an opportunity for us to stay outside and watch to see what is going on. We thank God that there is no problem in terms of security breech. "I want Nigerians to use this occasion to come together and embrace peace for the progress of the country. Our future will be brighter if our leaders are sincere. The security operatives are trying their best. All they want from us is prayers." The National Stadium, one of the venues earmarked for the celebrations, which hosted musicians was also blocked. At 7:00 in the evening, when President Goodluck Jonathan arrived at the venue, all routes to the place were blocked. The development hindered free flow of traffic.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

ABUJA REVIEW

•Cassava farm

Dry season farming support for 30,000

VER 30,000 farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have received support for dry season farming from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). The initiative, a collaboration between the FCT and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture was launched in December last year as part of efforts to ensure food security. The Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, said at the official flag-off ceremony of the 2013/ 2014 dry season farming in Gada Biu in Kwali Area Council that dry season farming in the FCT would produce additional 45,000 metric tons of grain, to the Nigerian grain market, diversify the economy and enhance foreign exchange earnings. Akinjide, represented at the occasion by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr John Chukwu said: “The business of agriculture in Nigeria has been left mostly to the peasant and small-time farmers. While their efforts may, to a large extent, meet the basic needs of the country, it has not done same for the country’s economy or economic conditions of farmers.

‘We are determined to improve agricultural productivity of small-scale farmers by ensuring that they embrace modern farming methods and take full advantage of abundant market opportunities to boost their economic base’ From Grace Obike

“We are determined to improve agricultural productivity of smallscale farmers by ensuring that they embrace modern farming methods and take full advantage of abundant market opportunities to boost their economic base. “The Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) which was launched in 2011 has

recorded appreciable success in the FCT with more farmers accessing farm inputs with ease. During the 2013 rain-fed farming exercise, 92,143 farmers (82.8 per cent) out of the 111,276 FCT farmers captured on the GES national data base representing 82.5 per cent redeemed their farm inputs (fertiliser and seeds) through the e-Wallet platform.” The Secretary, FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat Mrs. Olvadi Madayi said the FCT has signed on to the Nigerian Incentivebase Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending System (NIRSAL) programme which is promoted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that farmers have easy access to credit for their farm enterprises. Madayi said: “We will strive to ensure that FCT farmers have easy access to agricultural inputs as well as markets for their products through off-takers and contract farming system. “In addition, we are encouraging private entrepreneurs in the FCT to complement government’s effort in value addition and product marketing.”

Communities urged to set up vigilance groups From Gbenga Omokhunu

FCT Minister, Mohammed

AS a result of the recent attack on residents of Kujekwa community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by some suspected gunmen during which one person die and 50 cows stolen, the chairman Mr. Shaban Tete, has advised the people to set up vigilance groups to prevent future occurrence. Tete, who stated this during a media interaction with newsmen, said it had become necessary for people in the community to come together and set up a vigilance group in order to checkmate activities of criminal. This, he said, is because the

police alone cannot fight crime. According to the council chief, though there are special security agents trained to tackle crimes, members of communities should see security as a collective responsibility which should not be left in the hands of the government alone. He said forming a vigilance group among the people of the community and other communities will, no doubt, go a long way in checkmating cases of stealing and the Fulani clashes in the area. “The leadership of the council is seriously worried over the recent attack on my people at Kujekwa village where gunmen invaded the village with sophisticated weapons and killed one person while over 50 cows were stolen. I think the other alternative to put an end to such occurrence is for the village head and elders to come together to see how the

people can form vigilance group in the community, so that we can see how we will support them,” he said. He urged residents to expedite action on the setting up of vigilance group so that the council would see how best to assist the group with equipment and monthly stipend that can motivate them in the discharge of their duties to the community. He revealed that the council’s leadership has written a letter to the Commissioner of Police of the FCT, Mr. Femi Ogunbayode on the need to establish a police post at the community to stand as primary option in checkmating criminal activities in the area, which he said an approval has already been given to the deployment of policemen in the area. Recall that, on December 30, last year, some suspected gunmen numbering about 20 with AK 47 rifles invaded Kujekwa community in Kuje, killed one person, burgled some shops and stole 50 cows from the community.

Agency honours 17 staff

HE Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has honoured 17 of its workers. The assessment which led to the awards covered 2011, 2012 and 2013. The recipients were selected from all grade levels. Present at the award ceremony held at Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, were Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze who was also Chairman of the occasion, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, Director-General Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Emeka Eze, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Works, Dr. Abubakar Koro Muhammad who represented Minister of Works, Alhaji Kassim Ibrahim Bataiya, President, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) who is also a member of FERMA Governing Board as well as other members of the Governing Board, representatives of major contractors and other dignitaries. Addressing the recipients and other members of staff of the agency, Senator Ayogu Eze said the reward for hard work was more work, even as he advised those who were recognised to show more commitment. He also advised those yet to be recognised to work harder and be optimistic. He also said the impact of FERMA on government’s effort to improve federal roads nation-wide has been felt and praised by the public. Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, expressed his happiness over the commitment of FERMA to improving the country’s

road sector. With FERMA’s achievements, he said, the notion that civil servants don’t contribute to economic growth has been effectively proved wrong. Contributing, Chairman FERMA Governing Board, Mr Ezekiel O. Adeniji said the board is lucky to have a competent and committed management team as well as a conducive policy environment and good will from the Goodluck Jonathan administration, which was determined to turn around the fortunes of the federal road network. In the same manner, Managing Director/CEO of FERMA Mr Gabriel Amuchi thanked the recipients and other members of staff for contributing towards the agency’s success through effective maintenance of federal roads. The agency, he said, has reduced the stock of poor and bad roads on the federal road network from 85 per cent in 2003 when FERMA commenced operation to about 26 per cent in 2013. He said FERMA is better positioned and resolved in its commitment to improving the country’s road network with the acquisition of necessary machinery as well as engagement and training of staff. He also said management is enhancing staff welfare. Among the recipients were Mrs. Maryam M. Sanusi, Assistant Director and Head of Communications and Public Relations Unit, Mrs Iniobong L. Usoro, Acting General Manager (Procurement), Mr Kaboshiyo D. Avongs, Zonal Coordinator, northwest zone I and Mr Thomas Bassey Eyo, Head Research and Development, among others

•FERMA officials at work

Community pleads for amenities

From Gbenga Omokhunu

Residents of Tokulo in Bwari Area Council have urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed to provide essential amenities for them. Some residents who spoke to our correspondent on the issue lamented that the community had been without electricity for long. A resident, Mamuud Idir said it was unfortunate that they could predict when light would be available in their community; an amenity most communities have been enjoying for years. “As I am talking to you now, I don’t know when we will be able to enjoy light. There are no poles, no electricity cables and no transformers. For me, it would be a miracle if this community is provided with electricity. I wonder why we should continue to say that we are in the FCT when we do not have light,” he said. Mohammed Dogo who owns a shop at the area stated that “availability of electricity brings about economic development in any community, even as he added that lack of it has made the community to be stagnant. “Wherever there is electricity, there is development. I own a shop here but because of lack of electricity, there is no maximal improvement in my business. My drinks are hardly cold. Things I would have loved to preserve in the fridge are always spoilt. “We have a makeshift place where we go to charge our phones. The owner puts on his electricity generating set and collects N50 from us to charge our phones. It is rather unfortunate. We hope that something will be done for our community this year.” Another resident, John Igo said the community lacks good roads that could link it to neighbouring communities, adding that lack of potable water is another serious issue members of the community are suffering from, as they depend on the local stream for their water supply. “I am calling on the area council to help us. I hope this year will be a good one for us and our forgotten town,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

ABUJA REVIEW

•From left: Minister of Sports, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo; Minister of Police Affairs, Abduljelili Oyewale Adesiyan; Minister of Environment Lawrencia Laraban and Minister of Land and Housing, Akon Etim Eyakenyi taking oath of office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN •From left: Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Kaduna State Governor, Lamaran Yero and Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam during the National Council on Privatisation meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN.

Policy to protect health workers coming

POLICY that will protect health workers from work hazards while performing their duties is

•Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen (left) being decorated with the 3rd degree attire of the Catholic Knights of Saint Mulumba Nigeria by Supreme Knight, Brother Anthony Onuh, during the investiture of 3rd and 4th degree Knights of Saint Mulumba in Abuja.

in the offing. The Secretary, FCT Health Secretariat, Dr Ademola Onakomaiya revealed this at a press briefing in Abuja. This is coming on the heels of the information that about 100 health workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have so far contracted Hepatitis B, HIV and AIDS and other diseases due to poor disposal of medical waste. The workers are said to have contracted these diseases from careless disposal of injections and other medical wastes. Dr. Ademola Onakomaiya said that the administration, in accordance with international best practices, has approved the FCT healthcare waste management

From: Grace Obike, Abuja

guidelines to curtail the disposal of such waste in the FCT. Onakomaiya said in Abuja that the administration will spend N300 yearly in the next three years to its target. He said: “The Minister directed that the old policy be streamlined into guidelines for a more suitable FCT waste management policy within the next few weeks, to formulate guideline that will be broad and holistic in approach towards healthcare waste management. “The reason for this guideline is for public health workers who are prone to dangers of contracting hepatitis B, HIV and AIDS and other diseases to have a guideline to follow for medical waste management.”

Abuja residents demand development commission

A GROUP, Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) has urged the Federal Government to create a development commission to take care of members of indigenous communities who were displaced for Abuja’s development as the nation’s capital. OIDA noted that the commission should be fashioned after Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or the Hydro-Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC). OIDA President, Pastor Danladi Jeji made the call during the second FCT Heritage Day celebration held in Gwagwalada. He said displaced communities in Abuja have not been compensated for their confiscated lands, even as he said they are finding it difficult to make a living due to loss of their communities, houses and farmlands to government and private developers. He said: “The proposed Abuja Original Inhabitants Development Commission (AOIDC) should be statutory and should derive its funding from the 30 per cent of all sales accruing from all lands allocated within the FCT. When established, AOIDC would deal with the lingering issues of relocation, resettlement and compensation for all projects, affected communities and persons.” Continuing, he disclosed the association’s plan to sue the Federal Government if it continuous to confiscate their lands without regard for their rights. Presenting a paper entitled “Anni-

‘Our resilience, however, should not be misjudged for weakness or indolence. Government should pay attention to the entreaties of OIDA for attention and dialogue, given that it has utilised legal means of contributing to national discourse and engagement with government and nonstate actors of governance’ From Gbenga Omokhunu and Grace Obike

hilation of Abuja Original Inhabitants and Imperatives of Democratisation of the Federal Capital Territory,” the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences Nasarawa State University and Guest Speaker at the occasion, Prof. Andrew Zamani urged the Federal Government to appreciate the need for an all-inclusive

policy to tackle the problems of the indigenous people of the FCT. Prof. Zamani said: “There are no special privileges for the inhabitants in this regard as is the case for the people of Niger Delta through the Niger Delta Development Commission. Original inhabitants of Abuja need structures for self-governance. The second-tier will provide the basis for a local government system that is people-oriented. More sena-

torial seats and federal constituencies should be created to increase representation in the National Assembly. “Our resilience, however, should not be misjudged for weakness or indolence. Government should pay attention to the entreaties of OIDA for attention and dialogue, given that it has utilised legal means of contributing to national discourse and engagement with government and non-state actors of governance. A lot can be achieved through dialogue.” The event which acted as showcase for the rich cultural heritage of the nine indigenous ethnic groups in the FCT had had cultural troupes and masquerades from different ethnic groups that thrilled spectators to colourful display, dances, fireworks and durbar. The association also used the occasion to launch N200 million education endowment funds which aims

at paying the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) fees for 1,000 Abuja indigenous senior secondary school students. The funds, according to the association, would assist several communities that still lack schools or access to proper education. They decried a situation in which only a few lucky ones have access to basic education, adding that many peasant families hardly cope with the responsibility of sending their children or wards to secondary schools in Abuja city centre that are very far away from their communities. The association pleaded with the Minister of the FCT Senator Bala Mohammed to make basic and secondary education in the satellite towns and rural communities accessible to the inhabitants so as to reduce the huge gap in terms of quality education by the FCT natives.

Forum makes case for rural communities

HE Chairman of South West Peoples’ Forum in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Hon. Femi Sanusi has called on political office holders to evolve policies that would affect people’s lives, especially those in the rural communities this year. Briefing reporters in Abuja, Sanusi praised the chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Micah Jiba for his efforts in delivering dividends of democracy to people at the rural areas. His commitment to people’s welfare, he said, earned him the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Golden Award of Excellence. People at the grassroots, Sanusi said, deserved better living condition, adding that if most political office holders can reach out to the people at the grassroots, Nigeria will be a better place for everybody to live in. “Most people at the grassroots have been neglected by subsequent ad-

By Gbenga Omokhunu

ministrations, so much so that they are losing confidence in elected public officers. I believe that if council chairmen could affect the lives of people in their council areas as Hon. Micah Jiba is doing, people at the grassroots will have faith in government. “Also, if elected political office holders in the FCT could affect the lives of people at the grassroots like Senator Phillip Aduda who has also remains committed to the well-being of people at the grassroots, Abuja would be the best place for those who are indigenous and non-indigenous to it to stay. “I would like to appeal to political office holders to emulate Hon. Micah Jiba and Senator Phillip Aduda by making dividends of democracy accessible to them this year. This is because that is what people at the grassroots expect from their leaders,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

ABUJA REVIEW

HERE was a bombshell in the Federal Executive Council Chamber last Wednesday when the Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi was dropped from the cabinet. Unusual of him, President Goodluck Jonathan surprised some ministers, top Presidency officials and journalists when he named Danagogo as the new Sports Minister after he and 10 other new ministers were sworn in. When the President made the announcement without explaining whether Abdullahi, who was absent at the meeting, was sacked from the cabinet or re-assigned to another ministry, many in the chamber thought the President might have made a mistake and might have wanted to name the new man as Minister of State for Sports. Abdullahi, who was said to be unaware of his sack when the rug was pulled off his feet, was airborne to Poland where Nigeria’s athletes are participating in the World Indoor Athletics Championships. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati was able to get across to the President and later confirmed to journalists that Abdullahi was actually sacked. No reason was given. Many of those in the chamber that morning were taken aback by Mr President’s surprise package as it was never in their imagination that morning that a minister under whose tenure unprecedented achievements were recorded in the sports sector could be shown the way out just like that. But from the grapevine, it was gathered that his sack was not unconnected with his alleged below expectation role during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally in his home state, Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday last week. He is believed not only to be a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but accused of 100 per cent loyalty to the actors in the APC-controlled Kwara State. But many stakeholders have frowned at the sacrifice of merit on the altar of political or other considerations given the interest and unifying factor sports play in the lives of Nigerians. Right from the moment the news broke, there have been mixed reactions trailing the sack of the minister. While some hailed the development, others regard the action to be against national interest, claiming that it was wrong to sack the head of a winning team. Reacting to the development,

Sacking a winning team? President of the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA), Victor Orji, even though he commended Abdullahi for transforming the sports sector and bringing Nigeria back to winning ways, maintained that the development would not have any negative impact on sports development in Nigeria. “Government is a continuum. So, the new minister will just have to continue with the development programmes on ground. Since the Director-General of the National Sports Commission and the other directors are still on ground, they will not want to disrupt the good things the former minister has put in place,’’ he said. But the National Beach Volleyball Coach, Chakuma Ismail, said Abdullahi’s removal when Nigeria was witnessing positive changes in sports could be a disservice. In the same manner, FCT Volleyball Coach, Zulu Usman expressed fears that Abdullahi’s programmes might be halted by the new minister which will adversely affect the progress on ground towards taking Nigeria’s sports to a new height. “Abdullahi has a good record because we achieved more successes during his tenure, more than some other sports ministers. I feel he

From the Villa By Augustine Ehikioya should have been left to continue,’’ he said. Abdullahi’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Julius Ogunro listed the achievements of his boss to include Nigeria winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa in February 2013 after 19 years, the Super Eagles’ qualification for the Brazil 2014 World Cup and Golden Eaglets winning the FIFA Under 17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirate late last year. Other achievements, according to him, included Nigeria becoming number one nation in Africa in athletics and weightlifting.

“Never in the history of African athletics has one country been winner of the senior, junior and youth championships at the same time. Nigeria has won the whole three in the last two years. First we won the Senior Athletics Championship in Port Novo (June 27-July1, 2012), followed by the inaugural Youth Championship in Warri, Delta State (March 2013) and lastly, we won the Junior Championship in Mauritius (August- September 2013),” he said. He went on: “After 14 years absence on the medals table of the IAAF World Championships, Blessing Okagbare won two medals for

Nigeria in the last IAAF World Championship, which took place in Russia in August 2013. She won a silver medal in long jump and a bronze medal in the 200 meter race. The last time Nigeria won any medal was at the Seville’99 IAAF World Championship in Seville, Spain, where Gloria Alozie and Francis Obikwelu won a silver medal in the 100m hurdles and a bronze medal in the 200m respectively.” While stressing that funding and smooth running of the Nigeria Premier League has never had it so good under Abdullahi, he said the ex-minister held the first ever National Youth Games for athletes between the ages of 13 and 17 in December 2013 with over 300 special talents discovered for Nigeria. According to him, Abdullahi, who met a football sector that was in total disarray with many conflicts and court cases, was able to settle the issues and made the warring parties embrace comprehensive peace deal in the sector. Based on the blueprint of the Presidential Retreat on Sports and the failure of Team Nigeria to win a single medal at the London 2012 Olympics Games, Abdullahi was said

NIPR to battle quacks T HE Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has drawn a battle line with unregistered public relations (PR) practitioners. The institute said it would make it a criminal offence for people to practise Public Relations without qualifications and those found wanting, will be prosecuted. This, according to the body, is to curtail the activities of quacks in the industry. The Chairman, NIPR Abuja Chapter, Ohaeri Osondu, during a visit to The Nation in Abuja office. He said the NIPR chartered decree 16 of June 1990 regulates the practice of public relations, has the responsibility to determine who practises PR, in line with the ethics of the profession. He said: “In line with this, NIPR is going to have a robust structure that will address quackery. First of all, we will tame and rehabilitate quacks and the willing ones will be assimilated, then the unwilling

From Grace Obike

ones, who fail to utilise the window of opportunity opened to them, will be sanctioned, prosecuted and dealt with. “We have a committee at the national level called advocacy, enforcement and compliance committee, this committee is made up of formidable practitioners from the military, paramilitary, police, civil service and as well as private sector. For example, we can give the grace of 90 or 180 days as the case may be as window of opportunity for retraining. “There will also be enlightenment programmes, after that entire window is shot; we go to prosecution which is enforcement and compliance.” Osondu also said that NIPR is seeking to work with The Nation in sensitising the public because PR messages meant for a larger audience can only be made possible through the print, which The Nation Newspaper is a frontier.

•From left: Lucy Agbe, PR/Executive, Osondu Ohaeri, NIPR Capital chapter chairman, Nkiru Udeh, Auditor, Yomi Odunuga, Deputy Editor, The Nation Newspapers, Nations Capital, Martha Agbo, secretary, Tunde Oladapo, ViceChairman and Nwosu Uzoma, Administration Secretary at the event.

Deputy Editor, The Nation’s newspaper, the nation’s capital, Yomi Odunuga, stated that the job of the media is to disseminate information to as many people as possible by projecting all parts of the story and giving credence to whomever it should be given to. Odunuga urged NIPR to clearly

differentiate between media consultants from Public Relations consultants to avoid making wrong arrests. In his words, “I am bothered because when you say that you are in public relations, people tend to mix the media with public relations. The managerial position of NIPR is to know the difference so you will not

just go and arrest a media consultant and think that you are arresting someone that is practising public relations. He also told them to ensure that they educate the government on the responsibility and right of every individual.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

CASE OF THE WEEK LEGAL DIARY

Appeal Court validates Econet’s five per cent shares

HE Appeal Court, Lagos judicial division last week validated the five per cent shares of Econet Wireless International (EWI) in the Econet Wireless Nigeria (EWN) as its equity contribution for the operation of a Global System for Mobile Network (GSM) in Nigeria. The judgment, read by Justice Habeeb Abiru, upheld the decision of Justice M .L Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Kaduna delivered on January 24, 2012, which restored EWI to its rightful position within the GSM 13 years ago. The appellate court held that the Arbitral Tribunal chaired by Hon. Justice Emmanuel Sanyaolu, was in order for declaring that the Offer Letter made by Celtel Nigeria BV to Econet Wireless Limited was right. EWI had dragged EWN to the Federal High Court and claimed among others, that the plaintiff is still a shareholder and member of the 1 st Defendant’s company; that the 1st defendant’s letter of November 24, 2003 removing the plaintiff’s name as shareholder and member of the first defendant’s company is illegal, null and void; that all general meeting (be it annual or extra ordinary) of the first defendant held after November 13, 2003 and to which the plaintiff was not put on notice are irregular, illegal, null and void; that all resolutions passed by the company in lieu of the holding of general meeting pursuant to the provisions of Section 234 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 to which the plaintiff is not a party, is irregular, illegal, null and void. EWI also sought from the court a declaration that pending the determination of the suit and suit No. FHC/CS/962/2003 between the parties, pending before the Federal High Court, the first defendant could not and should not transfer its assets(including the license granted to it by the defendant) for the operation of GSM Networks(GSM) in Nigeria, to any company incorporated and jointly owned by the first defendant and Vodacom and any other company; that notwithstanding the provisions of Section 234 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, a resolution to effect a change of name of the first defendant cannot be validly effected without complying with the provisions of Sections 31 (3) and 45(1) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act amongst other provisions. The company asked the court for an order setting aside all resolutions and decisions taken at any such meeting as referred to in clause 3 and 4 above; an order of injunction against the second defendant from giving any effect to any request made to it by the first defendant for the transfer of the license granted to it by the second defendant until the determination of the suit and suit No. FHC/L/CS/ 962/2003 and an order of injunction restraining the first defendant from doing any of the acts set out in claim 7 above. It further asked for an order setting aside the resolution circulated by the 1st Defendant pursuant to the provisions of Section 234 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. EWI had claimed that by the provisions of the CAMA 2004, it was a member of EWN val-

Lagos holds stakeholders’ forum

By Adebisi Onanuga

idly holding five percent of the shares of EWN and that by the provision of Section 90 of CAMA, EWN had no power to delete its name from EWN’s register of members without the sanction of the court. The company further argued that the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) had no right in law to change its name in spite of its protest. EWI therefore, urged the appellate court to determine: (i.) Whether the lower court was correct when it held that the appellant did not make out a credible case showing that the share certificates issued to the first respondent as the registered owner of five million of its ordinary shares fully paid up were wrongly, unlawfully or irregularly given or were given in error without authorisation by its board of directors, or upon a mistake or misapprehension and misrepresentation and that the entry without sufficient cause; (ii.) Whether the lower Court was correct when it held that the Board of Directors of the appellant was not, in the circumstances of this case, empowered under the provisions of members by deleting the name of the first respondent thereon without first seeking or obtaining the leave or sanction of a court to do so. Justice Abiru’s judgment, which was endorsed by Justices AbuduAboki and Ita .G. Mbaba upheld the decision of Justice Shuaib, which initially dismissed the submission of CAC that it had the right to change the name of EWI. Justice Mbaba in supporting Justice Abiru reasoned that: “Appellant can not be taken serious to say that it made and lived under the alleged error or mistake, considering the fact that first respondent’s acceptance and registration as shareholder in the Appellant had passed through intense negotiation and scrutiny (which even included a court process and order, as per suit No. LD/1408/2001, which admitted the minutes of the board meeting of the Appellant, held on 19/6/2001 (Exhibit C2), allotting the five million ordinary shares to the first respondent). And the Extra ordinary general meeting of the Appellant, held on October 6, 2003, as per Exhibit D4! “How come the Board of Directors now alleges making mistake or error in the registration of the 1st respondent as shareholder, after their final decision had been ratified at the Extra Ordinary General Meeting of the Appellant, reached in October, 2003,” he held. Justice Shuaib had granted the plaintiff’s declarations and held that: “In the light of the above and considering my findings, judgment is accordingly entered in favour of the plaintiff against the defendants to the effect that the removal of the plaintiff as shareholder and member of the first defendant was illegal and that the meetings held after November 13, 2003 to which the plaintiff was not put on notice was also illegal, null and void. Consequently, the resolutions and decisions thereby taken as well as the effects given by the second defendant are hereby set aside.”

•Acting President, Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa The appellate court, confirming the decision of the lower court, held that EWI was duly registered as a member of EWN. The upper court also dismissed the counterclaim of EWN that it suffered cash losses as a result of EWI’s inability to pay for its shares. On the arbitral tribunal issue, Celtel Nigeria BV had earlier dragged Econet Wireless Limited; Delta State Ministry of Finance Incorporated (DSMFI); O&O Network Ltd; DTSG Ecoshares Limited; FBC Asset, AkwaIbom Investment & Industrial Promotion Council; Ibile Holdings Limited; First City Telecoms Limited; LAC Telecoms Limited; All speaks Nigeria Limited; S&D Ventures Limited and Oceanic Securities International Limited before a Lagos High court presided by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie . Other respondents are Mr. Boye Olusanya; Mr. Tunde Hassan Odukale; Condor Investments Limited; Mr. Bolaji Balogun; Broad Communications Limited; Mr. Oba Otudeko; Ms. Foluke Otudeko and Mr. Ayo Adeboye. Since it is a consolidated suit, Ibile Holdings Limited also sued all the respondents listed above including Celtel BV. The third suit, which was consolidated before Justice Adefope-Okojie, was initiated by DSMFI and DTSG Ecoshares Limited listed the same respondents while the suit by Akwa Ibom Investment and Industrial Promotion Council was the fourth suit where the same respondents were listed. The relief sought from the court by Celtel Nigeria BV include: (i) An order setting aside the Partial Final Award dated September 22, 2011 and made by the Arbitral Tribunal, constituted of Hon. Justice E. O. Sanyaolu (rtd), Mr Fidelis Oditah QC, SAN and Mr Stephen Bata and (ii) An order of injunction restraining all respondents identified above by themselves, their servants, agents and or privies from taken steps by doing anything whatsoever towards reconvening, reconstituting and/or participating in further arbitration proceeding subsequent to the Partial Final Award dated December 22, 2011 before the arbitral panel constituting Hon. Justice E. O. Sanyaolu (rtd) Mr. Fidelis Oditah QC, SAN and Stephen Bata by any means whatsoever, including electronic mail communications, video conferences or any other means towards concluding procedure in respect of the final award of damages.

Lagos family loses property to adopted children

LAGOS High Court sitting in Ikeja has restrained Josiah Akinhanmi and the probate registrar from parading themselves as the administrators of the properties left behind by the late Madam Isabella Kofoworola Akinhanmi. Justice Olajumoke Emeya issued the order last Friday while delievering judgement in a suit filed by John Alani Soluade and Funmilayo Akinbayo, beneficiaries of the will of the late Madam Akinhanmi. The defendants in the suit are Akinhanmi, an engineer who represented the family of the late Pa Joshua Akinhanmi, husband to the late Madam Akinhanmi; the Probate Registrar; administratotrs of the estate of Pa Akinhanmi; Incorpotarted trustees of the First Anglican Mission and the Administrator-General of Lagos State. Justice Emeya restrained the first and third defendants; the Probate Registrar; Lagos State; their agents; caretakers; privies and successorsin-title or assigns from interfering in the administration of the properties situated at 174 and 186 Murtalla Muhammed Way, Ebute Metta, Lagos, left behind by the late Madam Akinhanmi. They were also barred from collecting rents,

By Adebisi Onanuga

annuity, royalties or any form of revenue whatsoever or ejecting tenants or managing and controlling the Ebute Metta properties. The claimants, in a nine point relief contained in their amended statement of claim, had prayed the court to declare, among others, that the second defendant is not entitled to deal or dialogue with or consider any probate application from the first defendant in respect of the estate of late Madam Kofoworola Akinhanmi. In addition, the claimants sought the court’s declaration that the first defendant has no title or interest in the estate of the late Madam Akinhanmi as relates to the Ebute Metta properties. They also sought a declaration that the first and second claimants and Mrs. Cicilia Abike Osoba are beneficiaries of late Madam Akinhanmi in respect of the Ebute Metta properties. In their amended statement of defence, the first defendant urged the court to uphold that the claimants are not adopted children of late Madam Kofoworola Akinhanmi, who died childless. The defendants wanted the court to uphold that the late Pa Akinhanmi, who died in January 1938, was the original owner of the two

properties at Ebute Metta . Among issues listed for determination by the defendants were that the court should determine that the claimants have failed to establish that the late Madam Akinhanmi made a valid Will that could give the Ebute Metta properties to them (the claimants). Justice Emeya based her judgement on two issues; whether the will of late Kofoworola Akinhanmi dated July 9, 1984 was valid and that of the custody of the first defendant. In her judgement, the judge held that the late Madam Akinhanmi, validly adopted the first claimant having taken him in to nurse him since he was six years old and sent him to school. She held that the copy of the Will found with the probate registrar and the one at the office of Abiola Oshodi, the solicitor to to the late Madam Akinhanmi, though not signed nor witnessed by anyone as her last Will and testament, were the same. The judge said the late Madam Akinhanmi’s solicitor’s office was the proper place for her Will to be kept. She said she believed that Madam Akinhanmi was of sound mind and had the capacity to make the Will as at the time she died as the issue of her ability was not in contention.

THE Lagos State Judiciary will on Thursday hold stakeholders’ forum. It has as theme “Fast track rules and procedures in Lagos State”. The event, which is scheduled to hold between 9. 00 a.m. an d 2.00 p.m. at the City Hall, Lagos is being organised in collaboration with Justice For All (J4A) of the British Council and Human Development Initiatives (HDI and will be open to all lawyers. A statement by the state judiciary listed topics to be discussed to include ,”Recent Developments in Operations of the fast track courts; commercial dispute resolution in Lagos State: using the fast track courts; and making fast track courts fast; a judge’s perspective in practical steps”.

Kano branch holds law week NIGERIAN Bar Association (NBA) Kano branch will hold her law week from tomorrow to Friday at the Murtala Muhammed Library. The annual Dinner will hold on Saturday, at the Grand Central Hotel, Kano by 8. pm

NBA creates new branches THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) last week in Ado-Ekiti announced the creation of new branches of the association. NBA President, Okwy Wali SAN announced the creation of the following branches: Sagbama branch was created from Yenagoa branch, Keffi branch was created from Lafia branch, Oron branch was created from Uyo branch, Anocha branch created from Aguata and Awka branches. This brings the total number of NBA branches to 108.

NBA Badagry branch elects new officers THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Badagry branch, has elected new officers. They are: Chief Chris nOkoye-chairman, Kiki James Deyon-Vice Chairman, Obianuju M. Chukwuma-Okafor-Secretary, Robinson Osaeleh-Treasurer, Nkolika Ezemba Financial Secretary, Mocha S. Christian-P.R.O., Onwumere Ijeoma Social Secretary Matesun Adebayo-Auditor, Isreal S. Lagbamue-Asst. Secretary, Egbe Gladys Ex.-Officio member.

NBA Eket branch gets new officers THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Eket branch, has elected new officers to run the affairs of the branch for the next two years. The new officers are: Akpadia Ebituchairman,Kingsley Umo- Vice chairman, Mfon Etukudoh-Secrertary, Mrs. Dayo Ojuawu, Treasurer, kelechi OluigboFinancial Secretary, Peter Ime AkpanPublicity Secretaryand Richard IyahaWelfare Officer.

NBA Sokoto branch elects new officers SOKOTO branch of the NBA has elected the following officers: Steve U. Nwokechairman, Dr. Balkisu Saidu-Vice-Chairman, Mohammed Nuhu – Secretary, Zulai Bello- Asst. Secretary, Phirdausi A. ChadiTreasurer, Aishatu A. Illo- Financial . Sec retary, Mohammed A. Sambo –Provost, Kabiru Mohammed-Welfare Secretary Almustapha Y. Abubakar-NEC Rep.

NBA loses member THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Friday last week lost one of its members, Mr. Isaac Kwafut. Mr. Kwafut from Pankshin branch died at Lokoja, Kogi State on Friday on his way back to Pankshin after the quarterly National Executive Committee meeting of the NBA which held in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Mr. Kwafut took ill on Thursday night and was rushed to the State General Hospital where he received medical attention and was discharged promptly. He died the following day on his way to his station after the meeting. He was called to the Bar in 1995, was the immediate past chairman of Pankshin branch and their current NEC Rep.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

LAW & SOCIETY NBA Ohafia inuagurates centre

LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

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IGERIAN Bar Association (NBA) Ohafia branch, penultmate week Friday in Ohafia, Abia State commissioned its Ultra-Modern Bar Centre for its members. The Centre was donated to the branch by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo State, Hon. Umeh Kalu. It was inuagurated by the Secretary to Abia State Government (SSG), Prof. Mkpa Mkpa as part of the events marking the 2013 Law week of the branch. The event, originally scheduled for last December, had to be shifted to this year. In his remarks, Hon. Umeh Kalu said: “ The Bar Centre is my own contribution and assistance to the state government in uplifting the Judiciary in the state. It is my own way of giving back to the profession that made me what I am today and assisting the governor of Abia State in what he is doing to improve the state judiciary” The topic for the week was “ The effect of a dynamic Judiciary in a democratic regime and the guest speaker was Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN). In his welcome address, the chairman of NBA Ohafia branch, Mr. Ume Maduka thanked the state government and Hon Umeh Kalu for contributing to the development of Ohafia Bar. Maduka said: “On behalf of members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ohafia Branch, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to this occasion of our 2013 Law Week and it is our wish that all of us here will benefit good portions of the good things this new year will bring. “Our Branch was licensed to operate as a full fledge branch under the leadership of the 19th President of NBA, Hon. O.C.J. Okocha, (SAN) in June, 2001. From that year, the branch, which has passed through the

gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com

•From left: Hon. Umeh Kalu, Acting Chief Judge Abia State, Justice Stella Nwakanma, Prof. Mkpa Mkpa, Justice C. Abaji, (JCA) and Maduka Kalu.

•Alegeh (left) and Prof. Awah Kalu (SAN) By John Austin Unachukwu

leadership of four Chairmen, has grown from strength to strength. “We pay tributes to the leaders that steered the affairs of the branch from the one room office made available to us for our meetings by Chief E. U. Ndukwe to the where we are today.” Maduka said Ohafia branch is the only branch of NBA in Abia North Senatorial District with various Judicial Divisions including Ohafia, Arochukwu; Bende; Igbere; Isiukwuato; Umunnechi Ututu and Uzuakoli. He called on lawyers from the zone to identify and register with

the branch. He drew lawyers’ attention to Section 15 (i)(d) of NBA Constitution. He said: “The auditorium we are in today is a result of one man’s magnanimity. It was singlehandedly built for our branch by Chief Umeh Kalu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Abia State.” The branch honoured those who made excellent contributions to the legal profession including the late Justice A.K. Uche, the late Hon. Nwakanma Okoro (SAN), the late Hon. Echeme Emole and others alive. Also honoured were Hon. O.C.J. Okocha, Miannaya Essien (SAN) and Mr. Jackson Agbai.

SERAP drags Coca-Cola, NBC to UN over harmful drinks, abuse of right to health

OCIO-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged Coca-Cola Limited and the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited to the United Nations’ (UN) Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights over what it described as “serious breaches of corporate responsibility to respect the right to health of Nigerians and the failure to provide effective remedies to victims.” The organisation said: “This failure of due diligence has implications for the enjoyment of the economic and social rights guaranteed under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.” The group petitioned the UN following the disclosure by the Nigerian Consumer Protection Council (NCPC) of cases of harmful drinks including two half-empty cans of Sprite, a product manufactured by the NBC under the licence and authority of Coca-Cola Limited, and rusty bottle crown corks, cans and foreign particles in products. The NCPC also said the companies have failed to put in place a shelf life policy for their products to facilitate the removal of expired products from the market. According to SERAP, “both CocaCola and NBC have failed and or neglected to subject their manufacturing process to inspection by appropriate authorities, contrary to national laws and international standards, in particular, the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework. The principles were endorsed by the UN Human Rights’ Council in June

By Adebisi Onanuga

2011.” The organisation also argued that: “Coca-Cola and NBC are required to ensure that their activities do not directly or indirectly cause human rights abuses, and to provide effective remedies to victims in cases of abuses of human rights. They must seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations, products or services by their business relationships, even if they have not contributed to those impacts.” “The human rights abuses by CocaCola and NBC illustrate the lack of explicit human rights policies by several companies operating in Nigeria and which have continued to contribute to the violations and abuses of the economic and social rights of millions of Nigerians. Even companies with human rights policies have failed and or neglected to effectively implement these policies for the sake of profit,” the organisation added. SERAP said: “We believe that human rights abuses by Coca-Cola and NBC cannot be justified in the light of the letter and spirit of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the UN Guiding Principles as well as the Committee’s own jurisprudence.” It, therefore, requested the committee, “being the principal body established to monitor compliance with the Covenant”, to act urgently not only to ensure that corporate bodies like Coca-Cola and NBC are not directly or indirectly abusing the economic and social rights of Nigerians under the Covenant and the Guid-

ing Principles, but also protect the sanctity, credibility, efficacy and authority of the Covenant and the Guiding Principles and the Committee’s role in ensuring that corporate practices do not directly or indirectly lead to abuses of human rights.” “The Committee should work with the Working Group on the issues of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises to put pressure on Coca-Cola and NBC to respect their social responsibility to promote human rights and afford remedies to the victims involved in this case,” SERAP said. The communication Manager, Coca Cola/Nigerian Bottling Company, Mrs. Oluyomi Onakoya declined comment on SERAP’s petition to the UN. “As you will appreciate, this matter is currently under judicial review. As such, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time. We have been operating in Nigeria since 1951 and at all times have conducted our business in compliance with the country’s laws and regulatory requirements concerning our industry. “Throughout the past 63 years we have applied processes and procedures to institute high quality standards in production and achieve international values for all aspects of operations including those involving human rights, community support and environmental protection. “Our commitments and our application of our Mission and Values and the monitoring of our progress in these regards, can be found on our website,” she said.

Boko Haram and National Conference THE resort to maximum terror by the Boko Haram insurgents in the runup to the National Conference, starting on March 17, may be a political message to the Nigerian elite. If so, I hope they take note. With over 400 children, youths, adults, old men and women slaughtered or burnt to death, within five weeks to the start of the conference by the incendiary elements, the biggest issue for the national confab will no doubt be: ‘what can be done to secure lives and property in Nigeria’. The old national scarecrow, resource control, can only come second, now. Even the conferees will no doubt be wary of any suspicious movement, stampede or a carelessly lying suspicious object; as they wheel and deal in the cozy environment of Abuja. This column supported the convocation of the national confab, even before it became agreeable to the majority of Nigerians. The reason is simple. Nigeria as presently governed can not survive a few more decades, regardless of all the optimism by those temporary benefiting. And the reason is because there is perverse corruption, particularly the carefree massive stealing of our common resources, by public officials across the land. This gross mis-governance is possible because of the structural defects in our country, which our political office holders exploit to divide the people and avoid any form of accountability. But to my chagrin, and I guess most Nigerians, the 492 potential conferees, who I thought would change the paradigm, appear already ensnared into the gang of national treasury looters. Forgive my impudence, but there is no other way to describe the humongous allowances that the federal government has promised the delegates. That may explain, why retired and tired old men and women are struggling to get a share of the gravy. One source said the delegates will be paid 4 million naira per month, with other comforts. If that is true, each delegate will ‘earn’ 12 million naira for the three months they will sit. This ridiculous waste of scarce national resources will be shared from the mind boggling budget of a whooping 7 billion naira budget, for the conference. Now, if we rail at the audacious impunity of our law makers and executive officials, who appropriate unconstitutional allowances to themselves, what moral authority will the potentially conniving conferees have to propose an equitable protection and re-distribution of our national resources. Indeed, if truly the National conferees who will soon assemble to proffer the solutions to our current crisis, will be comfortable with such an anomalous earning for what should at best be a part-time patriotic engagement, then we wont be surprised if their time at the conference will be spent hankering over allowances, comforts and similar distractions. It does appear to me, now, that what the President has opted for, by agreeing to a national conference, is an opportunity to assemble the crème de la crème of our socio-political and economic elites, and summarily bribe them to shut-up and allow him a secound term in office, in 2015. For it is unthinkable that after grabbing, just in the same manner as our current political office holders are doing, 12 million naira and other sundry entitlements for a mere three months ‘work’; the participants will have the mindset or the temerity to thoroughly appreciate and proffer solutions to the dire economic and political crises starring our dear country in the face. Their case may not be different from the leaders of the Niger-Delta militants, who have been ensnared by the Abuja glitterati, that they have completely forgotten their recent past. If in doubt, compare the ‘rag tag generals and war lords’ that came out of the creeks to shake the hands of former President Yar’Adua on being offered an amnesty program and the suave and sharp looking ‘billionaire business men and philanthropist pretenders’ parading the corridors of power after having handsomely been settled because of who they were. The magic is the massive infusion of luxury and unearned income, which has compromised them. Such cycle is the tragedy of the Nigerian elite. When he/she is outside the corridors of power, the mind is uncluttered and he/she appreciates what needs to be done to have a functional nation, in the true sense of it. Unfortunately, when the elite gets into power or a position to influence a change, he/she is overwhelmed by the unearned easy life, and soon becomes so encumbered that he/she turns into a clog in the wheel of any measure of national progress. Regrettably, President Jonathan and the rest of them are, whether they know it or not, in that quandary. Our country, as is, is a nightmare, regardless of the amount of resources you may have accumulated. If for no other reason, for the simple one that you can not say with any measure of certainty, that you and your wealth are safe and secure. So as the conferees engage in their task, with all the temptations of excessive comfort, they should spare a thought as to the audacious impunity of the Boko Haram. What inspires and sustains it? What needs to be done to contain and resolve it - militarily or politically? They should also spare a thought as to why our national resource is like an unmanned bazaar, such that our public officials freely steal to their hearts’ desire. They should question the legitimacy of the sources and the security of national resource, both human and material. Here they should ask themselves, whether what is in place is fair, reasonable and sustainable. Luckily, nobody is expecting them to re-invent the wheel. Precedents, systems and process abound. What is needed is for them to spare a thought for the possibilities. For comments: 08033054939 (sms only)

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

LAW & SOCIETY

NBA urges NASS to amend constitution, electoral act •Amaechi heads electoral committee

HE Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) last week in Ekiti State, called on the National Assembly to amend the nation’s constitution and relevant sections of the electoral act to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the country. NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN) made this statement at the opening ceremony of the just concluded National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the NBA in AdoEkiti, the state capital. Wali said: “As Nigeria prepares for another round of elections, especially with the forthcoming elections in Ekiti and Osun States, NBA calls on the appropriate authorities, especially the legislature, to embark on a speedy amendment of the constitution and the Electoral Act with a view to ensuring free and credible elections in Nigeria.” He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite action in putting the necessary structures, policies and plans in place as part of the preparations for the 2015 general elections, adding that voters’ education must be taken seriously as voter apathy remains one way of getting wrong people into public offices . He said: “As we march towards 2015, the NBA will be collaborating with INEC and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in series of enlightenment campaigns . The citizenry must be aware of the powers of the ballot box and that they can make all the difference with their votes. We must stop the attitude of sitting in the comfort of our homes on election days only to complain later. This is the time to enter judgement on the activities and action of politicians.” H e frowned at the attitude of lawyers, who address the press wearing their wig and gown. He said: “ The Bar has watched with

By John Austin Unachukwu

high level of disgust as some of our members, who are conducting cases in courts, emerge from court sessions in their full regalia to start addressing media men on issues that are still subject to litigation in courts. Some times, these lawyers even appear on television screens with law books to address points that are still part of cases pending in courts.” The NBA condemned the recent killing of pupils of Federal Government College, Buni, Yobe State by Boko Haram terrorists, commiserated with their families and relatives, and observed a minute silence in their honour. It called on the Federal Government to go back to the drawing board and review the strategy to fight against terror because the current strategy is not working optimally. The NEC restated the position of the NBA not to participate in the forthcoming National Conference unless the delegates slot of the association is increased from the current one slot given to it. It also called for financial autonomy of the judiciary, stating that the independence of the Judiciary must be guaranteed and secured. It called for the funds approved for the judiciary to be released to it as soon as the budget is passed into law by the appropriate authorities Wali informed NEC members that contractors working on the NBA building in Abuja have gone back to site because the association has secured all the necessary building approvals from the relevant government agencies. He equally informed them that the NBA seven storey building in Lagos is likely to be inuagurated in June this year and that the Nigerian Law School has been granted access to the building through

Adeola Hopewell Street. Meanwhile, former AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice in Abia State, Mr. Okey Amechi (SAN) at the NBA NECmeeting appointed chairman of the NBA electoral committee to oversee the election new officers to take over from the incumbent administration whose tenure expires in August. Other members of the committee are Safia Balarabe- Secretary, Ibrahim Aliyu Nasarawa, Leo Ohagba and Nasiru Maidiyia In a chat with The Nation, Amechi (SAN ), said: “We are going to conduct the election based on the constitution of the NBA. We are not going to depart from the constitution neither would we allow any candidate to depart from the constitution. When we talk of the guidelines or code of conducts, we are only talking about playing according to the NBA constitutional provisions whatever it forbids, we forbid it and whatever it approves, we approves it that is all. That is all we are saying, nobody is going to be harassed unnecessarily or be subjected to an unfair treatment, no there will be level playing field for all the contestants in the election no matter the offices they are contesting for. On when the guidelines will be out, Amechi (SAN) said: “ Very soon, after our first meeting which may be in the next one week or two weeks. Remember that the NEC has to ratify it, so it may be approved by the next NEC, we cannot just release the guidelines like that. Everything will be ready before the next NMEC and if we have reasons to contact any of the candidates before then we will definitely do so. But I am assuring you that it is going to be free and fair and we are going to waste time this time around. I seriously believe that on the election day, before 1.00 we have released the result and gone.”

•From right: Dr Kayode Fayemi, his deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu and Wali.

• From left: Dr. Ikpeze Ogugua, Aare Afe Bablola (SAN) and Ichie L. M. E. Ezeofor (Bencher).

• From left: Chairman Eastern Bar Forum, Ogbonna O. Igwenyi, J.S. Okutepa (SAN) and Okey Amechi (SAN).

Lagos judiciary workers to join nationwide strike

CTIVITIES in the high courts and magistrate courts will be paralysed tomorrow as the Lagos State Branch of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has directed it members to join the three-day warning strike ordered by its national body. The industrial action has been scheduled for between Wednesday, March 12 and Friday, March 14, 2014. Workers are directed to withdraw their services “by closing all gates leading to courts and Judiciary outfits”. The strike is meant to compel the Federal and state governments to obey the order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which granted financial autonomy and independence of the Judiciary. Part of a communique issued by the Lagos State JUSUN, and jointly signed by its Chairman, E.O Abioye; Assistant General Secretary, Segun Agboola and Bayo Gbose, PRO, the Union, said: “The exco in session hereby directs all staff to comply with the threeday warning strike commencing from March 12 to March14, 2014. “The exco in session also wish to intimate all staff that if the judgement debtors( Federal and state governments) refuse to obey/implement/ comply with the judgement/ order of the court, the union will commence an indefinite strike action on a date that will be communicated to all members by the National Executive Committee.”

By Adebisi Onanuga

The National Executive Council of the union after a three-day NEC meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State, and signed by its national President, Marwan Mustapha Adamu and General Secretary, I.M. Adetola, had ordered its members nationwide to begin a warning strike from March 12 to March 14. In a communiqué, it said the decision to go on strike was informed by the alleged failure of the government to obey court order and its refusal to pay funds accruable to the states’ judiciary in the Federation Account directly to the heads of courts. It stated that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in a judgment delivered on January 13, 2014 mandated government to comply with the provisions of Sections 81(3), 121(3) and 162(9) of the 1999 Constitution as amended in the disbursement of funds to Heads of courts forthwith. According to JUSUN, the court declared the piecemeal payment/ allocations of funds through the state ministries of finance to the states’ judiciary as “unconstitutional, unprocedural, cumbersome, null and void.” The court, according to the union, further stated that such should be stopped forthwith. JUSUN claimed that instead of the judgment debtors—the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and the

state governors implementing the judgment, they allegedly resorted to threatening the heads of courts and allegedly deducted salaries of unions’ executives and members in their respective states. The union warned that it would embark on an indefinite strike if the affected authorities failed to implement the court judgment after the warning strike. “The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria wishes to state clearly and unequivocally that the judgment/ order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which is clear and unambiguous, and the financial autonomy and the independence of judiciary is non-negotiable. “It is expected that from the date of the judgment/order of 13/1/ 2014, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Accountants-General of states of the federation, the Auditor-General of the Federation and states and the executive governors of states, who are already served with the court order, should have completed the process of transferring/handing over all necessary accounting materials affecting judiciary of the states to the heads of courts in accordance with the judgment. “It is further expected that the preparation of vouchers, issuance of cheques for salaries and allowances of the judiciary staff by the accountants general of states should have stopped.

• From left: former Secretary NBA, Ibrahim Eddy Mark (Bencher), Ken Njemanze (SAN), First-Vice President NBA, Osas J Erhabor and Legal Adviser NBA, Sule Usman.

• NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN), middle with former NBA President Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) at the commissioning of the Bar Centre donated by Olanipekun to Ikere-Ekiti branch of the NBA.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

BOOK REVIEW

Compendium of Nigerian Laws on corruption, economic, financial crimes

INTRODUCTION:

HIS authoritative, attractively packaged and well-researched work titled: “Compendium of Nigerian Laws on Corruption, Economic & Financial Crimes” is authored by Mr. Chuma C. Chinye, who is eminently qualified by virtue of his antecedents, profile and pedigree to write on the subject matter. Currently serving as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Rivers State and having previously served at the Federal level in such capacities as the Special Assistant to the Attorney-General of the Federation, legal adviser and member, Board of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Chinye is qualified to write on the subject matter. Chinye was also the legal adviser to the joint Tax Board; Senior Special Assistant to the National President of the Association of the Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and project adviser to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on “Fix Nigeria Project”. He has nearly 25 years post-call experience and a record of impressive association with leading law firms in Nigeria. Chinye in writing the book sought to achieve far-reaching objectives. First, the need to inform and sensitise the citizenry on the applicable laws on corruption, economic and financial crimes to forestall ignorance; Secondly, the need to assemble all laws on the subject together; Thirdly, the need to develop the jurisprudence on corruption, economic and financial crimes; Fourthly, the need to make available traceable case law within Nigeria and other jurisdictions on the subject matter; Fifthly, the need to deepen discourse on the subject matter in order to promote intense analysis and consciousness, which is the bedrock of intellectualism; lastly, the need to improve the study and practice of law on corruption, economic and financial crimes across disciplines particularly in our universities.

Analysis of Text:

The work is in two volumes (Volumes 1 and 2). Both volumes of the compendium contain a wide array of legislations that impact on the subject matter laced “with comments, case law and cross-references”. Volume 1 running into 646 pages and terminating with the profile of the author covers eleven (11) chapters each of which examine different legislations. Volume 1 also contains about two hundred and sixty one (261) reported cases. Volume 2 containing chapter 12 to chapter 27 (16 chapters) examines other statutory legislations on the subject matter coupled with a consideration of two hundred and sixty four (264) reported cases all decided at various courts in Nigeria and abroad and is proof that indeed the Nigerian judiciary has indeed been very active in fighting Corruption, Economic and Financial Crimes . The book is also very rich in statutes, relevant rules and valuable materials on the subject matter of great jurisprudential value – a factor that may have impacted greatly on its quality outcome. In addition, this work is loaded in terms of types and weight of authority. It is a unique resource material in that being a compendium of Nigerian laws on Corruption, Economic and Financial Crimes, it no doubt constitutes primary authority on the subject. Fully loaded with comments, case law and cross references, it also alludes to secondary authority, both of which are of mandatory and persuasive import to the researcher and other users of the book. Altogether, the book examined 27 different legislations – an indication that indeed the author and his editorial team may have covered the field extensively on the subject matter. The book is also arranged in chapters for clarity with each chapter devoted to a consideration of a major statutory provision that impacts on corruption, economic and financial crimes. Chapter 1 discusses the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related Offences Act 2006 with the referred chapter enriched by introductory comment, commentaries on each of the provisions enacted including copious use of cross references, case laws, general and concluding commentaries on the salient provisions. Chapter 1 discusses the Provisions of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences act 2006. Bank Employees, etc. (Declaration of Assets) Act No 24 of 1986 which is the subject matter of chapter 2 examines detailed provisions “…for the declaration of assets by employees of banks operating in Nigeria and to empower the president to extend its application to other categories of persons”. Chapter 3 examines code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act 1989 dealing “…with complaints of corruption by public servants for the breaches of its provisions”. Chapter 4 discusses Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2003 the legislation designed “…to prohibit and prescribe punishment for corrupt practices; and other related offences and to establish Anti-Corruption Commission”. Chapter 5 covers Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwhole-

BOOK REVIEW Book Title: Compendium of Nigerian Laws on Corruption, Economic & Financial Crimes. Author:

Chuma C. Chinye

Year of Publication:

2013

Pagination:

1378 pages

Reviewer:

Wahab Shittu

some Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1999 detailing provisions “for the prohibition of sale and distribution of counterfeit, adulterated, banned or fake, substandard or expired drug or unwholesome processed food; and of sale, of drugs or poisons in certain premises or places”. Chapter 6 examines Counterfeit Currency (Special Provision) Act No. 22 of 1984 providing “…for penalties of counterfeiting in currency and other ancillary matters”. Chapter 7 discusses Criminal Code Act. Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. Chapter 8 covers Currency Offences Act, No. 14 of 1920 which is designed “…to prohibit certain acts tending to depreciate currency” . Chapter 9 discusses the Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act, No 44 of 1977 making it “…an offence for any person anywhere in Nigeria to induce the delivery of any property or to purport to settle a lawful obligation by means of a cheque which when presented within a reasonable time is dishonoured on the grounds that no funds or insufficient funds were standing to the credit of the drawer of the cheque, and for matters connected therewith”. Chapter 10 covers Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 enacted to curb the menace of Economic and Financial Crimes. Chapter 11 discusses Examination Malpractices Act, No. 33 of 1999 and creates “… offences relating to examination malpractices and to prescribe penalties for such offences” with a view to addressing the incidence of examination malpractices in the country. Chapter 12 discusses Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Act 1994 with a view to providing a mechanism “… for the recovery of debts owed to failed banks and for the Trial of Offences relating to Financial Malpractices in Banks and other Financial Institutions” . Chapter 13 discusses the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 to ensure “… prudent management of the Nation’s Resources, ensure Long-Term Macro-Economic stability of the National Economy, secure greater accountability and transparency in Fiscal operations within the Medium Term Fiscal Policy Framework, and the establishment of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to ensure the promotion and enforcement of the Nation’s Economic objectives; and for related matters” Chapter 14 dealing with Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995 strives “…to establish an Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market and to provide for the monitoring and supervision of the transactions conducted in the market and for matters connected therewith”. Chapter 15 discusses Freedom of Information Act 2011 designed “ …to make public records and information more freely available, provide for

‘

public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving public officers from adverse consequences of disclosing certain kinds of official information without authorization and establish procedures for the achievement of those purposes and ; for related matters” . Chapter 16 discusses Miscellaneous Offences Act 1984 which created “… a number of miscellaneous offences with stiff penalties and for the trial of such offenders”. Chapter 17 examines Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 to check the menace of money laundering offences. Chapter 18 discusses National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Act 1993 which establishes “… the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control with the functions, among others, to regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and chemicals”. Chapter 19 discusses the National Drug Law Enforcement Act 1989 which established “…the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to enforce laws against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs and to empower the agency to investigate persons suspected to have dealings in drugs and other related matters”. Chapter 20 discusses Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Act 2007, a legislation providing “…for the establishment of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) charged with the responsibility, among other things, for the development of a framework for transparency and accountability in the reporting and disclosure by all extractive industry companies of revenue due to or paid to the Federal Government”. Chapter 21 covers the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation Act 1988 which established “…the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation for the purpose of insuring all deposit liabilities of licensed banks and other financial institutions”. Chapter 22 deals with the Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act 1960 designed “…to supplement the Penal Code of the Northern States in respect of matters within the exclusive legislative competence of the National Assembly, and for purposes ancillary thereto”. Chapter 23 discusses Public Accounts Committee Act 1987 “…to establish the Public Accounts Committee to examine the audited accounts of all offices and courts of the Federation and the Auditor-General’s report thereon and other detailed matters”. Chapter 24 discusses the Public Complaints Commission Act 1975 which established “…the Public Complaints Commission with wide powers to inquire into complaints by members of the public concerning the administrative action of any public authority and companies or their officials, and other matters ancillary thereto”.. Chapter 25 relates to Public Procurement Act 2007 enacted “…to establish the National Council on Public Procurement and the Bureau of Public Procurement as the regulatory authorities responsible for the monitoring and oversight of Public Procurement, harmonizing the existing government policies and practices by regulating, setting standards and developing the legal framework and professional capacity for public procurement in Nigeria, and for related matters”. Chapter 26 discusses the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act 1984 which makes “…provisions for the Investigation of the Assets of any Public Officer who is alleged to have been engaged in corrupt practices, unjust enrichment of himself or any other person who has abused his office or has in any way breached the Code of Conduct for Public Officers contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. The final chapter, Chapter 27 deals with Trade Malpractices (Miscellaneous Offences) Act 1992 creating “…certain offences relating to trade malpractices”. The book terminates with the rich brief profile of the author who is currently engaged in public service. These chapters examine holistically, the legislations in detail, their jurisdiction, and the penalty provisions including mechanism for enforcement. Each of the chapters is also laced with case law, cross-references and authoritative commentary on the statutory provisions considered drawing comparative analysis and case law materials from within and outside jurisdictions to enrich the subject matter.

The author has distinguished himself by writing this book which will no doubt make substantial contributions to the practice of law and legal commentaries that will no doubt become a major source of reference by legal practitioners, judges, law teachers and law students

’

The comments of the author at the end of each of the chapters are useful commentary on the law providing a refreshing perspective on the analysis of the legislation being considered. These commentaries constitute secondary authority to the legal mind that are quite useful in legal research because the analysis can help the reader or researcher understand complex legal issues and also refer the researcher to primary authority of comparative jurisprudential value. Consequently the book is unique in that it takes the reader on an excursion of detailed examination of the legislations considered through the cases giving the reader a twin advantage of appreciating the salient statutory provisions contained in each of the legislations as well as judicial interpretations of those provisions through the cases. Thus, the practitioner, the adjudicator, the researcher, the student and the reader will find it handy and authoritative indeed. Strengths and Uniqueness of the Book: A compelling attraction of the book is the weight of commentaries either as introductory comment, at the end of each section of the statutory provisions examined, by way of cross-references or through the mechanism of general comment and finally by way of concluding comment at the end of the statutory provisions being considered. “The number “419” was derived from the Criminal Code Act which provides for the offence of “obtaining goods by false pretence” under section 419. Other sections dealing with fraud and involving false pretence under the criminal code include: sections 19A, 19B and 20. False pretence is defined under section 418 of the Criminal Code Act.”(See page 5, chapter 1). The author also makes effective use of cross reference in explaining the meaning of false pretence in section 20 of the Advance fee fraud and other related offences Act when he writes: “For the definition of “False Pretence” see section 20 of the Act; also see section 418 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38 LFN, 2004.” The further strengths of the book lie in the fact that the source materials are current and the force of the commentaries are quite authoritative. Reference to case law materials and effective use of cross references including comparative analysis of the jurisprudence of the subject matter of corruption, economic and financial crimes make the book a compelling research material for all stakeholders in the administration of justice. Indeed this book is a must read for all those who are interested in the subject matter of corruption, economic and financial crimes including how these offences impact on the developmental process. It is also useful for those interested in determining the ingredients of the offences that constitute corruption, economic and financial crimes and how those ingredients may be established for successful prosecutions of culprits. Prosecutors of these offences bordering on corruption, economic and financial crimes and defence lawyers would also find the book very useful. The wide diversity and dimension covered by corruption, economic and financial crimes are also fully illustrated with statutory and case law authorities for the guidance of all stakeholders in the administration of justice. The simplicity of style and language deployed by the author in writing the book also offers the general reader the opportunity of following the submissions and arguments raised in the book without difficulties. Concluding Remarks: Obviously impressed by the brilliance, experience, exposure and contribution of the author to legal knowledge including the strength of this work, the author narrated the seeming disappointment of the distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, who wrote the Foreword to the book, at the digression of the author from legal practice owing to public service– a factor which the distinguished senator attributed to the non-recognition presently of the author as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Given the strength of this powerful work, I am in complete agreement with the sentiments on the author expressed by the distinguished senator who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Notwithstanding, the author need not worry any further at the prospect of attaining this exalted rank very soon, for he has written a very useful book impactful on legal scholarship, development and law practice generally. This masterpiece is authoritative. The author has distinguished himself by writing this book which will no doubt make substantial contributions to the practice of law and legal commentaries that will no doubt become a major source of reference by legal practitioners, judges, law teachers and law students. The conclusion that can be reached without any fear of contradiction is that the author has greatly succeeded in writing a very useful book that would impact positively on the subject matter of corruption, economic and financial crimes.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

President Goodluck Jonathan has visited Kwara State to boost the morale of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, wo have lost many of their leaders to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Correspondent ADEKUNLE JIMOH examines the challenges confronting the troubled chapter, ahead of the 2015 elections.

2015: Can Kwara PDP spring surprise?

HE defection of the Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members led by Senator Bukola Saraki, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is taking its toll on the party. For 11 years, the PDP was the ruling party. But, now, it is in the opposition, struggling for relevance in the Northcentral state. The defection has changed the political landscape in Kwara. Following Saraki’s defection to the APC, the 2011 governorship candidate of the defunct ACN, Dele Belgore (SAN) and his supporters left the APC for the PDP. Also, the son of the late Governor Mohammed Lawal, Hakeem, his supporters, and the former Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) governorship candidate, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, who is Senator Saraki’s sibling, also defected to the PDP. When Gbemisola returned to the fold, PDP stakeholders were happy. They said that the defection of his brother, will not diminish the popularity of the party. Saraki’s men who have not defected include Senator Simeon Ajibola, from Kwara South, his predecessor, Senator Sulaiman Ajadi, who has been appointed the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Prof. Oba Abdulraheem, and former Transport and Sports Minister Alhaji Bio Ibrahim. President Jonathan, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and other party leaders also believe that the PDP still has a future because these chieftains have not left the chapter. At the recent PDP rally in Ilorin, the state capital, the national leaders basked in the euphoria of hope. Speakers at the event said that the huge crowd at the Metropolitan Square was encouraging. Dr Jonathan said: “Today is a great day because, as all the speakers that spoke first have spoken, Kwara is a PDP state. Kwara truly believes in the PDP because, for now, it is only the PDP that can bring liberation. “We ask ourselves: why do you get yourself into politics? It is your people that matter in politics and not yourself. If you get involved in politics, you have to think about your people, not yourself. People who think about the people follow the people’s party and the PDP is the only people’s party. “PDP is the party that, even if you go outside Nigeria and you ask people from all over the world

which are the political parties we have in Nigeria? They will say, ‘PDP and others.’ Because you know it is only in the PDP that everybody voting has in this country. It is only the PDP people that can take this country to where we want it to be. I say it without any contradiction. Because only in the PDP that people like me can come from the low level and stand here as the President of this country because the PDP is not owned by any individuals. “It is not owned by any group of people. We do not have dictators in PDP. We have leaders who believe in people; that s why in PDP we talk about one man, one vote, one woman, one vote and one youth, one vote. “PDP is the only party that can liberate everybody and also liberate Kwara State; it is only the PDP that can give you what you want.” Senate President David Mark boasted that, “those who are pretending to leave the party would soon come back”. He urged the people to have the large heart to accept them when they come back. He added: “The only party that promotes democracy and good governance is the PDP. This is the reason why we have this large turn out of people to welcome Mr. President. The turn out was so impressive that I almost shed tears.” Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who thanked President Jonathan for what he had done for Kwara State in education and agriculture, said that¸ “the PDP train is moving and anybody that does not join it now is late”. To Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, Kwara belongs to the PDP. He said: “PDP shall reclaim its mandate in Kwara. We worked for it and we shall not allow it to be snatched away by anybody.” Adducing reasons for his defection, Belgore said: “We are joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has shed the very core of the liabilities that made our people run away from it. “We are joining hands with other like minds in the PDP, who were unjustly shut out because

•Party members at the rally.

of their progressive bent to endear the party to the people of Kwara State. “Together we will work to advocate and bring about economic liberation, equal opportunity for all and positive development to our dear state and its people. “We join forces to break the shackles of oppression and restore our state back to its former glory. It is never easy to leave a party that one has nurtured to such an enviable position. “My supporters and I call on all those who wish Kwara State well, both within and beyond Kwara, indigenes and non-indigenes, to support us in the PDP to fight this just and noble cause so as to bring a brighter day to the lives of our people and to renew their positive aspirations.” Belgore added: “Today is very symbolic. It is symbolic because people have waited for us to make a pronouncement on our political future” Senator Gbemisola Saraki said her return would boost the fortune of the chapter. She said: “Three years may not be so much a long time, but it has been long enough for me to learn very important lessons. During this period, I have interacted more and intimately with thousands of Kwarans from different towns and villages. I have closely related with people of varied status. I have related with the very poor, the common people, the educated and the uneducated, the workers, the unemployed, the old and the young people. “I have interacted with the traditional rulers, the community and religious leaders. I have lived every day of my life as an

Ilorin woman and as a Kwaran. I have had my happy moments. I derive my utmost joy when I have you, especially the common people, around me. You have had my low moments. Unfortunately, this has been more pronounced because each day, I see despair and helplessness from people who are ordinarily hardworking, honest, and courageous. I hear tales that are heart rendering” Gbemi, as she is fondly called, said that the defection of her brother to the APC notwithstanding, the PDP remains the party of majority of Kwarans. She stressed: “The majority of the people of Kwara State remains in PDP. We must therefore, show our strength. “We must begin to pull together and give our support to President Goodluck Jonathan. It is clear that the reason for the defection by a loud few is because of their personal and selfish reasons. It is not about Kwarans, majority of whom remain solidly committed to our party and the national leadership.” The Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, Solomon Edoga, said that the party would wrest power from the APC in 2015 elections. He added: “We have seen that the PDP is Kwara and Kwara is the PDP. The ground that President Goodluck Jonathan is coming to cultivate is a politically very fertile and the harvest is going to be jumbo. The shackles of bondage will finally be broken on that day and the President is coming here to cut the freedom cake. Kwara is now free. Every voice will now be heard.

‘The ground that President Goodluck Jonathan is coming to cultivate is a politically very fertile and the harvest is going to be jumbo. The shackles of bondage will finally be broken on that day and the President is coming here to cut the freedom cake. Kwara is now free. Every voice will now be heard’

Decisions will become bottom-top approach. “As from 2015 elections, votes will count and will be counted. The one man one vote mantra will be in place in the state. Elections will now be based on the voice of the people and that is why we are putting in place an elders’ committee. The committee will midwife all the processes that will lead to the elections of our ward, local government and state executives.” Gbemisola said that the PDP is on course because of its commitment to internal democracy. She added: “Internal democracy is now liberally practised in the PDP. The PDP is trying to make itself the biggest party in Africa. That shows how universal we are. The PDP we are building is one where godfatherism will not count, where one man show is an aberration.” However, keen observers of Kwara politics contend that the PDP faces a difficult future. “Its leadership is now weak,” said an observer. Other analysts are of the opinion that Kwara PDP has become an amalgam of ambitious and power crazy politicians who will not kowtow to any consensus arrangement. They argue that the choice of party leaders at the next congress and selection of ther governorship candidate next year will tear the party into shreds. It is believed that Abdul-raheem, Ibrahim, Belgore and Gbemi Saraki are interested in the governorship race. Thus, observers contend that, when the party is seized by postprimary crises, there will be no strong leadership to broker peace and reconciliation. The determination of the APC family to retain the state is also a setback to the PDP. The APC now has the majority in the House of Assembly. As the ruling party, it also leans on the power of incumbency, which the PDP lacks. An observer put this into perspective: “Saraki has never lost any election in Kwara. They made a mistake of allowing him to leave the party. With the large number of supporters behind him, the APC, under his leadership, will retain the state.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

POLITICS Chief Great Ogboru was the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) governorship candidate in Delta State in 2011. He spoke with reporters in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on the proposed national conference and the tasks before the delegates. LEKE AKEREDOLU was there.

‘Confab without referendum is meaningless’

HE Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), is no longer active. Are you planning to defect to another political party? Discussions, consultations and talks towards merging are on for now. What I have always told the press is that we don’t join political parties; we are a political party, the Democratic People’s Party. And, if we are going to do anything, it will be done as a party. So, if as we expect in the no distant future, our party will take a decision, it will be to merge with some other political parties. Certainly, not defection not as you put it. Not that I as a person will defect to another party. That will never happen. But your younger brother, Julius, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party last year. Is this not a setback for you? The issue of Julius, my brother, is not an issue at all. It has been given attention in the press, but it is really no issue because, from our place, we have leaders and we have followers. We have families and we have friends and kinsmen. I am not sure that the decision he took is popular, not in the immediate community and not in the wider community. So, to that extent, his moving to the PDP is not a big blow at all. His joining the PDP is a question of choice. Having said that, I will conclude that it was a very unpopular decisionwhen it was taken, how it was taken and the activities he continues to propagate. Are you in Akure to hold talks with the governor of Ondo State on the possibility of joining the Labour Party? We are looking at optional alternatives where the interest of people of Delta State in the DPP will be best protected. Yes, we are discussing with the Labour Party. It is a very good option and we are looking at it very closely. What is your position on the proposed national conference? It depends on those who are pro or against the conference. Those who are against it believe that nothing good will come out of it and it will end up like a talk shop. My own view on that issue is that, nevertheless, we have to talk. I am not sure that the mood of the country today would permit a talk shop for the sake of it. I want to believe that, whatever agenda setting will be put in place, restricting the parameters of the conference may not nec-

essarily hold water because from the agitations, so far, from the ethnic nationalities, some opinion leaders, the tendency is that people want to get to the roots of the problems that bedevil this country from the time of the amalgamation till today and they believe that we have to do it in such a way that it ends up on the table of the people of this country. It must go beyond what we have today as a national assembly. It must go for a referendum and let the people decide their fate once and for all. And, if you want to look at it, why are we talking in the first place? If we are satisfied with what we have today, there is no need for the conference. If there is a conference in the first place, knowing that we have a National Assembly in place, it shows that something is lacking, which is beyond the capacity and capability of the National Assembly. If that is the case, it goes to the root cause of our ethnic nationalities, who we are, where we are and how we got to where we are today, which is to say that such a conference, whatever the outcome, cannot be restricted again to that National Assembly, which by the convocation of this conference, have been proven to be unable to handle the issues. Therefore, the people must decide through referendum. You are an Uhrobo leader. Are you working with others to present a common agenda at the conference? If you say I am an Uhrobo leader, that will be restricting my person to an ethnic nationality. I do not speak for an ethnic nationality. I speak about the Nigerian state as we have met it or as we inherited it and we are looking for a solution for the so-called nationality question. And I think that is what the national conference is all about. The nationality issue, how do we address it? Do you subscribe to the idea that there must be no-go areas at the conference? There should be nothing like no-go areas.

No-go areas presuppose that there should be no conference at all. If there is a conference, the outcome cannot be determined. I want to believe that those fears being nursed by some Nigerians are uncalled for. The fear of no-go area is to imagine that there are some persons coming to the table of brotherhood to ask for the country to be disintegrated. That is not going to happen. I want to believe that 99 per cent of this country believes so much in this country. They have lived together for the past 100 years under one nation called Nigeria. Therefore, they have acquired mutual understanding, mutual benefits, mutual tolerance and they have lived together for over 100 years. So, the basis for discussing our unity, which was absent in 1914, is actually there today because we have mutual understanding. We are interdependent. So, what is going to affect the Northern part of the country is mostly to affect the Southern part of this country. To that extent, we have to look for a solution that will make us unite. The philosophical underpinning for that kind of union has to be defined from the conference. What are those areas we have found in the past that make it impossible for our union to work effectively, to have that cohesion, to make us have strong and a virile nation? What are those things lacking? I believe that these are things that should be discussed at the conference. It is also possible that we have fears that are misplaced. In that type of conference where all issues are inclusive, no restrictions. Everybody can come there and say whatever they want to say. At the end of the day, Nigeria will better off for it. I will ask all of you here, you are all educated people, you come from different parts of this country, if I were to ask you today, how did your ethnic nationality come into Nigeria? With all your education and exposure, you will be looking at me. All you can say is that Lord Lugard amalgamated us in 1914. Where

‘Lord Lugard amalgamated us in 1914. Where are the amalgamation documents? What are the conditions for that amalgamation? What are the limits of that amalgamation? We cannot be living under a treaty or a union that is not defined. Those are the things we have to discuss. Forget about the fears of disintegration. That is not going to happen. But, we have to build a lasting legacy for generations to come’

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

not succeed in manipulating the election results”. The politician said that Niger State PDP decided to host the rally because the state government has lost the popularity battle. He said the party has failed the state in the last 14 years. Stressing that the APC is unperturbed by the rally, he said: “The jamboree will have no effect on the rising profile of the APC in Niger state. The rally cannot change the perception of the people in Niger State about the PDP as a failed party and their preference for the APC. “The President’s visit will not in anyway affect the strength of the APC in Niger state. The PDP has never won election in Niger State. All the victories given to the PDP were a ruse. So, there is no hope for President Jonathan or the PDP in Niger State and the rally will not im-

‘The PDP has no welfare plan for the citizens. All they are concerned about is 2015 and how they will manipulate the 2015 election results, which, God will not allow. They will not succeed in manipulating the election results’

are the amalgamation documents? What are the conditions for that amalgamation? What are the limits of that amalgamation? We cannot be living under a treaty or a union that is not defined. Those are the things we have to discuss. Forget about the fears of disintegration. That is not going to happen. But, we have to build a lasting legacy for generations to come. I am very sure the President of our country doesn’t have a copy of the treaty and we call ourselves a nation. There is no document that has replaced that Lugardian treaty that is not right. And then, the constitution that you have in place talks about the Nigerian people and they did not participate in giving our nation a constitution. It was given to us by the military. These are the issues that the conference must talk about. We as educated Nigerians, with our experiences, now after 100 years of living as one nation, it does not matter the imperfection of that existence. The fact that we are realize that now we are mutually vulnerable and interdependent means we are ready to look at the hundred years that we have lived together and the shortcomings to have a direction for the future, a working arrangement for the future, an arrangement that can lead to a better Nigeria, that is what this conference should be about. Where there is peace, there will be prosperity, there will be security of lives and I am very sure that we will be having a better environment, a more prosperous nation, a healthier nation and a better country. That is what the conference should be about, nothing short.

‘Okun Yoruba should be in Southwest’

PDP Northcentral rally a jamboree, says APC HE Niger State All Progres sive Congress (APC) has flayed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for holding a rally in the Northcentral Zone at a time the area is freting under the scourge of insecurity. Its Interim Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Musa, told reporters in Minna, the state capital, that the rally was ill-timed, adding that it was a deceptive ploy by the ruling party to flag off the second term campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan. He however, said that the rally would not affect the fortune of the APC in the state. Musa added: “A million rallies by the PDP in Niger State cannot move us or change the fortune of the PDP. We are now on ground. Let them hold more rallies. It will not affect our fortune”. The APC chieftain berated the ruling party for lack of prioritiation, stressing that, instead of solving mounting national problems, President Goodluck Jonathan was involved in a jamboree. Musa said: “The so-called PDP Northcentral Solidarity and Unity Rally is a jamboree. It is unfortunate that when our citizens are being killed in the Northeast and in Plateau State, which is in the Northcentral, our President is busy shuttling from one state to another doing jamboree. “The PDP has no welfare plan for the citizens. All they are concerned about is 2015 and how they will manipulate the 2015 election results, which, God will not allow. They will

•Ogboru

•Lambo

prove their chance in any way.”. Musa said that it is worrisome that Governor Mu’azu Aliyu, who is the Chairman of Northern States Governors Forum, hosted the rally at a time the peace is the region is being threatened bt the Boko Haram sect. He said: “As the chairman of Northern governors, Aliyu should not be organising a jamboree. Rather, he should be concerned about putting an end to the problems of the North. He has shifted his priorities”. Also reacting, Mr. David Umaru, a lawyer and governorship candidate of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), said cannot change the peoples’ perception about the PDP. He said: “No amount of rallies held in Niger State can shake us; neither will it affect the fortune of the APC in the state. We are strongly on ground.”

HE Okun Yoruba people in Kogi State have resolved to press for the readjustment of their political boundary at the national conference to enable them join their kith and kin in the Southwest geo-political zone. They have also reaffirmed their Yoruba culture, values and territory Which, were congruent with the Southwest “without any natural or ecological barrier”. In a communiqué issued in Kabba, Kogi State, after the meeting of the Okun Development Association, the people complained about marginalization of their interest. The conference, which was presided over by former Health Minister Professor Eyitayo Lambo was convened to fashion out the agenda of the articulate Okun people. A member of the ‘Okun Think Tank’, Mr. Tunde Ipinmisho, who read the communiqué, said that the Okun people and their Oworo compatriots have agreed to opt for a new state to be carved out and re-grouped in the Southwest, based on their economic potentials. He said the people of Okun would not object to cooperation and relationship any group sympathetic to their interests. Delegates to the meeting also demanded for the creation of more local government areas in the Okun and Oworo territories to enhance effective participatory democracy and good governance. The Okun people are in Yagba West, Yagba East, Mopamuro, Ijumu and Kabba/Bunu Local Government Areas of Kogi State. The Oworo people are lumped together with other ethnic groups in Lokoja Local Government Area. They expressed confidence in their delegates to the National Conference, regardless of the platform through which such nominations were obtained. Okun people called for the restructuring of Nigeria into six regions and a federal centre with both tiers of government working as coordinate, rather than subordinate and super-ordinate structures and “in accordance with their separate constitutions.” Each region, they said, should consist of agreed number of states with each state divided into local government areas while each local government area is further broken into districts and development areas. Okun people also called for an amendment to the constitution to establish the local government become an autonomous fourth tier of government in the country and the second tier in the states in the new regions. It advocated for the scrapping of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the Local Government Service Commission in the states and their administrative functions transferred to the local governments. They suggested that provision be made in the constitution to enforce the rotation of the seat of executive power among the component parts of the federal, regional, state and local government areas to guard against domination by any group of persons or interests.

HEALTH

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

As an assisted form of reproduction, surrogacy is fast gaining acceptance among infertile couples. But it has psychological, legal and social implications, which, experts advise, must be addressed before couples go into it. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports.

Knowing all about surrogacy T HERE is nothing some couples have not done to have children. But all their efforts have come to nought. Experts say all hope is not lost for them. They can still have children through what is known medically as surrogacy. Surrogacy is a special arrangement under which a woman agrees to have a baby for a couple or person. The arrangement comes with legal, social and economic implications. So, before couples go into it, they are informed of these implications. Ngozi Erasele, a 48-year-old lawyer, who attempted in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) four times without success, was puzzled when she was referred to her clinic manager for talks on surrogacy. According to the Clinic Manager, Nordica Fertility, Mrs Ranti Ajayi, surrogacy is complicated because it is a controversial form of infertility treatment. Views, she notes, vary among faiths, personal beliefs and national legislation. "There is also a range of far more personal surrogacy issues to consider, such as whether you feel you will bond with your child in the same way if you had conceived same by yourself and whether your child should be told about his or her origins. So no one should walk into it blindly or uninformed." Mrs Ajayi added: "Thankfully, Nigeria has liberal views on surrogacy. Though a client can decide to obtain here in the country or over seas. But before a couple or client settles for surrogacy as an option in assisted reproduction, there must be a medical necessity to participate in surrogacy, and that is why there is the need to visit an IVF doctor and ask if he or she recommends that you do surrogacy.” "Keeping your good figure or a stressful high-powered job are not valid reasons to work with a surrogate mother. Most IVF doctors (and all good IVF doctors) will only work

‘It is important to remember that the parties are coming together to help the infertile couple become a family and parents. No one is looking to become best friends. If everyone develops a friendship, that is wonderful, but everyone should remember the reason for finding each other’

with couples that have a medical reason to do surrogacy. There are sometimes psychological issues that can be included, and at such we consider psychological to be a medical reason," she said. She said after deciding on surrogacy, the next issue is affordability, that is the cost. Do you have the financial ability to pay for the pregnancy? Can you cope with the costs of a highrisk pregnancy, premature birth and miscarriage? The next step after a medical need has been established is what she described as psychological counselling for the couple. Mrs Ajayi said: "The need to see a counsellor to discuss if surrogacy is right for you, and if you can actually do surrogacy cannot be overruled. Some concerns should be ironed out, such as, can you allow someone to carry a child for you? There are women who need a surrogate mother, but will try to control every aspect of the surrogate's life, and this will cause conflicts between them. Seriously consider child-free living, and discuss this option with your counsellor. “In the same vein, Psychological counselling and evaluation for the surrogate and her husband or partner are recommended. Burning questions must be asked and aswered honestly, such as what is her motivation for becoming a surrogate mother? Has she

done surrogacy before, and what went wrong or right that she feels the need to do it again? Does she understand that the couple will be involved in the pregnancy and may have different opinions regarding pregnancy care and treatment? How involved will she allow the couple to be? These are some of the questions to get honest and credible answers to. It is also good to get a written psychological clearance on the chosen surrogate mother." Another grey area is to understand the legal status of surrogacy law in the state (if obtained overseas) where the surrogate mother lives. "This is crucial to get an independent legal consultation regarding the laws of the state she lives in. If there are any doubts about finalising your parental rights, do not proceed. If you plan on having her deliver in another state, do not proceed, because she could have a premature delivery. All parties should have independent legal counsel represent them, and all parties must sign legal contracts before any medical procedure is undertaken. All parties should complete a surrogacy questionnaire that is shared with each other. These questionnaires include questions about mental illness, hospitalisations, genetic illnesses, prior marriages, prior children, health status, marital status, bankruptcies and legal judgements, prior preg-

•Mrs Ajayi

nancy history, infertility history, etc. "While the agreement is on-going and the surrogacy is initiated, there should be continuing psychological counselling for all parties throughout the pregnancy and for at least two months after birth. At least one parent should be biologically connected to the child being conceived. If both egg donor and sperm donor are needed with a surrogate mother, be prepared for a far more complicated relationship both legally and psychologically. That is not the end. The participating client must not over look the need to discuss and document everyone's expectation of the surrogacy relationship. Mrs Ajayi said: “This is where each party learns what is expected of him or her by the other, and if they can do what is expected of them. They should also discuss the kind of relationship they believe they would want after birth. Many couples and surrogate mothers find they cannot answer this question, because they have never participated in surrogacy before. This is an answer in itself, as it indicates they are open to many possibilities. A counsellor can guide the parties by giving them the˜what ifs."

Mrs Ajayi said, “It is important to remember that the parties are coming together to help the infertile couple become a family and parents. No one is looking to become best friends. If everyone develops a friendship, that is wonderful, but everyone should remember the reason for finding each other. If a long-term relationship is expected by any party, that is okay, but the request needs to be evaluated in terms of what is in the best interest of the child. More specifically, the client should not agree to continue a close relationship after birth and that the surrogate can attend all birthday parties. The child, at some time, should have the right to decide what relationship is comfortable for him and who attends his birthday parties or special events and celebrations like Open Day in school and graduation." Once these questions are answered, the next step will be easy, says Mrs Ajayi. "Select the right surrogacy agency, by evaluating the advantages to working with a reputable surrogacy agency some hanky-panky would be avoided in the whole deal, either at the onset, middle or end. You see, surrogacy issues are not restricted to you and your surrogate. You need to consider carefully what, if anything, you plan to tell your child. If your friends or members of your family know about the surrogacy, then it may be better to tell your child yourself than to risk him/her finding out second hand and feeling deceived, or some opportunists blackmailing the whole development. For example, if the surrogate was simply the host for a child conceived using your own gametes, then this may not be an issue at all. On the other hand, if the surrogate also provided her own eggs, then you may feel that your child has a right to know their genetic origins. You need to check the rules on donor anonymity in your chosen country if you feel this may cause surrogacy issues in your child's later life."

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

HEALTH

Mental illness on the rise, says expert

R Eniola Adeola (not real name) is battling with mental health challenges. His ordeal was said to have begun when he lost his job. At first, he was said to have started hearing strange voices, which he eventually started responding to. While at work, Adeola's colleagues said he complained that some “unseen” forces were hitting the underneath of his seat. Then his attitude was said to have changed as he began to regard everybody as an enemy. He was also said to have stopped shaking hands with others and when he needed to shake hands at all, he would wrap his hand with a handkerchief. Adeola was said to have displayed this strange attitude at home too. He would put a glass of water he wanted to drink outside in the open and tell everyone that the water needed ventilation. His wife and children said, when displaying strange behaviours Adeola fell one day and got injured while trying to stand on a bottle. To some of his neighbours, his attitude was of serious

By Wale Adepoju

concern. They said he would, on occasions trek barefooted to the market and when asked why he would say: "You don't know anything". But what many around did not notice on time was that he had come down with the disease of the mindotherwise known as mental illness. A similar victim of the condition is Mrs Aderonke Adu, who started talking to herself shortly after she was sacked. She was the bread winner for the family of nine including her husband, who is jobless. Her world came crashing when she was sacked after putting 23 years into the public service. She had wanted to clock 25 years on the job before she was fired two years before her envisaged time. Her husband said she refused to sleep for many nights as she got highly irritable. At every slightest opportunity, according to her husband, Mrs Adu would flare up and curse endlessly, contrary to her meek nature and pleasant disposition. Like Mr Adeola, she started walking barefooted and

chose to isolate herself from people around her. These two scenarios paint a grim picture of the state of mental illness in the country. But the mindboggling question is tracking how many are afflicted with this seemingly debilitating illness. According to a consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye of Federal NeuroPsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Yaba, Lagos about 20 per cent of world's population is living with one form of mental illness or the other. "By this, 20 per cent of Nigeria's population of 160 million may be mentally sick," he said. He said not all mental illness was noticeable, as only close relative usually know that the individual is experiencing such ailment. Owoeye said patients who present at general outpatient department of hospitals for mental illnesses were about 30 per cent. Why mental ailment? He said it is common because of culture, social economic background and neglect of mental illness, its manifestation and treatment.

Owoeye said: "People who have mental illness don't receive treatment as they should. "Mental illness is any clinical condition characterised with psychological disturbance, such as disturbances in thinking, emotion, memory and behaviour. That is, it's severe enough to cause pain or distress either to the person who is having the condition or to those around him; also severe enough and associated with impairment in the ability of the person to function socially and occupationally." He said there are three factors responsible for the ailment. They are the predisposing, precipitating and perpetrating factors but one or two may be operating at a time. Pre-disposing factors, he said are factors that operate earlier in life of an individual and appear to cause mental illness later in life. This, he said can happen during pregnancy, especially when the mother is malnourished or suffer from infection or traumatised due to a fall during pregnancy. •From left: Medical Director, St Kizito Clinic, Dr Alda Gemmani, Govt Affairs Representative, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) Yetunde Okereke; CNL staff, Mrs Agnes Adekunle; representative of Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA) CNL, Sam Otuonye and Secretary, Eti Osa Local Govt of Lagos State, Mrs Lanre Ibrahim at the handing over of medical equipment, including Mobile Xray machine to St Kizito Clinic.

Groups sign MoU to tackle infertility

HERE is a new initiative to tackle childlessness in the country. A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ASPIRE and the Bridge Clinic last week in Ikeja, Lagos. They spoke on their preparedness to pull resources to confront the monster. ASPIRE is the Association for the prevention of Infertility and Promotion of Reproductive Health and Rights. It is a patient

By Bode Monogbe

advocacy group created to tackle the silence and social stigma associated with infertility. The Bridge Clinic is the first focused in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinic in Nigeria, with three branches across the country. It provides high quality care in reproductive health. Speaking at the event, Dr Babatunde Ogunkunle, the Senior Consultant Gynaecologist,

The Bridge Clinic, described infertility as a source of worries and sorrow to many couples especially in our society where premiums on child bearing are very high. According to him, the collaboration will bring succour to childless couples as they explore opportunities provided by the groups. On her part, Mrs Ifeoma Emekwe, representing

ASPIRE,explained how the group would create awareness on the myths and stigma associated with reproductive health. Its strategic plan include: monthly radio shows; quarterly newsletters; quarterly interactive sessions; welcome forum, quarterly outreach; bi-annual community engagement; quarterly membership drive and breakfast outreach.

DENTAL TALK with Dr Samuel Awosolu 08108155239 (SMS Only); email- samawosolu@yahoo.co.uk

Injurious habits that must be discouraged (2)

SING the mouth to siphon petrol or more like a pump. The perennial scarcity of fuel artificial or real though not so common in recent times plus the inconsistency of power supply has often necessitated the use of jerry cans or container to obtain petrol and petroleum products. The mouth is used in a form of negative pressure to suck the fuel into the vehicles or the tanks of power generating sets through a piped hose. In the process many times fuel and whatever petrol products , diesel kerosene is swallowed. The habit is common amongst road side vehicle mechanics and other artisans who use petrol and petroleum products. Petrol and petroleum products contain a lot of toxic substances, some cancer causing others items like lead have toxic effects on body tissues and organs. These practices are to be discouraged, there are funnels and mechanical siphons in the market which will make fuel transfer if necessary.

• Thumb sucking, lip/cheek-biting, tongue thrusting Thumb-sucking is a habit that can over time have serious oral consequences seen both in children and adults. It can cause protrusion of the teeth, in Yoruba 'eleyin shamuga'. (mal-occlusion).This affects function of the individual and also his profile. The lips may become incompetent and not close properly. Cheek biting on the other hand may lead to inflammation, pain and discomfort.

• Electricians using teeth to prise plastics covering wire cables. The use of teeth to prise wire cables from the plastic coating the copper or aluminium wires inside. This habit is common amongst artisans like electricians who work with copper cables. These habits are to be discouraged as it may cause injuries from the copper cables to the oral cavity. Sports whereby the teeth are used to lift or pull items are also to be discouraged.

•The use of toothpicks. Safety pins The use of tooth picks (wooden) to remove food debris between the teeth creating spaces literarily called pockets. The food that gets impacted within these teeth pockets irritate the teeth making the gums recede. The use of tooth-picks are to be discouraged, dental floss should be used to remove food debris between teeth they are available at pharmacies and chemists. They can also be obtained at your dentist surgery. The dentist should be able to advise you on how to use. The debris can also be removed using inter-dental brushes and plastic tooth-picks designed by dentists.

•Eating gritty and dangerous items like sand and sharp items like grass. There is no health benefit in these actions and they may rather cause injury to the oral tissues and structures.

• Sharing toothbrushes This is to be discouraged as many communicable diseases could be transferred from one individual to the other. It is unhygienic to say the least.

•Allowing babies to sleep with feeding bottles and sweet containing comforters

• The Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Rahman Lawal (second right), Acting Principal, Federal School of Occupational Therapy, Mobolaji Balogun (left); Registrar, Peter Akeredolu (second left) and Director, Administration, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Razak Oyetola at the ninth convocation of the Federal School of Occupational Therapy.

The present state of the society where both parents have to go to work on a daily basis, the pressure of day cares and baby- sitting becomes chronic. A substantial part of society especially mothers find it easy to multitask and in the process children may suffer nutritionally, close quarter attention is not given to children in general they are made to watch television cartoons with feeding bottle in their mouth or comforters laced with sugar and sweeteners. The close extended family being not close by or available for baby-sitting duties . The daycares and nursery have also gotten on the band wagon. Daycares have also been accused of sedating crying babies. The use of feeding bottles for long periods increases the risk of dental decay , feeding bottle caries as it is known. It affects the upper teeth, it is certainly criminal to engage in these acts. The feeding formula milk contains sugar and as well easily causes dental caries, the chances of tooth decay increases increases with duration of exposure to the sugar containing milk. The list of habits that need be discouraged is by no means exhaustive , a follow up will be done in due course. •See you next week

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NATION

BUSINESS MARITIME

e-mail: maritime@thenationonlineng.net

NIWA to enforce safety code on waterways

HE proposed safety code on the waterways is aimed at safeguarding the lives of those in the riverine areas, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hajia Maryam Ciroma, has said. Speaking during the kick off of a safety campaign on the waterways in Nupeko and Malale, Niger State, she said the agency observed that indigenes of the areas do not wear life jackets. She said the campaign was meant to sensitise Nigerians on safety measures in case of accidents. She noted that the two boat mishaps in Nupeko and Malale could have been avoided if the measures were observed by the boat operators. Hajia Ciroma said when the accidents occurred, the authority moved in quickly to cushion the effect on the victims by donating relief materials, such as live jackets to the affected communities.

NESREA condemns burning of contrabands

• From left: Adeniyi and Yusuf

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

Operators score PAAR high T

HE Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) introduced about four months ago by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is fast-tracking goods clearance at the ports, operators have said. PAAR processes, according to them, are in tandem with international best practice, enhancing trade, economic competitiveness, revenue collection and border security. They, however, decried delays at the ports after they have completed PAAR processes. The National President, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, said PAAR, unlike the Risk Assessment Report (RAR), has made cargo clearance easy. He said the intelligence report by Customs Investigation Unit (CIU), System Audit, the State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), shipping firms and other stakeholders was being studied by Customs to identify high risk shipments. The ANLCA chief noted that PAAR provides a timely multi-dimensional risk analysis at every stage of Customs processes and is a critical to clearance procedure. The delay associated with the release of cargo, despite the introduction of PAAR, the ANLCA chief said, should be blamed on some importers who, he claimed, make wrong entries, and some Customs officers, who are determined to corrupt the system. But the Intelligence Component of PAAR, Shittu said, is facilitating the management of data across multiple agencies as part of the Integrated Risk Management Approach by Customs and other security agencies. Shittu, however, pointed out that some of the hiccups in PAAR are the non-availability of benchmark by Customs and the failure of some importers to declare their goods correctly. “The issue of bench-mark is very essential so that importers will know the amount they are going to pay for a particular container they are importing and PAAR would be more successful,” he said. The Chairman, Shipping Investment Limited, Mr Gbeleyi Ojodu,

She, however, said it was not enough to donate life jackets, adding that the need to teach and tell them how to wear life jackets and why it is essential. “We realised that it is not enough to just donate these life jackets, but we have to explain to the boats owners and operators how to make use of these jackets effectively to save lives in the future. “We are visiting these two communities not only to enlighten them on all the necessary guidelines, but to also make additional life jackets available for the use of these communities. “We hope that at the end of our visit, the communities would have been able to embrace all the necessary safety guidelines on our waterways,” she added. Hajia Ciroma also disclosed that the campaign would be taken to all geo-political zones across the country, especially the riverine areas.

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda Maritime Correspondent

said PAAR provides the supportbase for Valuation Risk Assessment in compliance with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Customs Valuation. Commodities sensitive from valuation angle, Ojodu said, are identified and reviewed as vital for accurate assessment of duties, prevent capital flight and capture correct trade data required by importers. He said some of the advantages of PAAR include digitalisation of import documentation; expert tariff classification tool; assessment of Customs; import export commodity database; detail intelligent risk configuration encompassing; issuance of PAAR; SMS alert integration service; confirmation of transaction value by the supplier; flagging up of high risk commodities; fast-tracking of trusted traders and third Party pricing data, among others. But an importer, Mr Deji Pitan said PAAR has not translated to quick clearance of goods from the ports. Some Customs officer, Pitan said, still query PAAR after it had been issued and subject containers to physical examination, thereby delaying cargo clearance. The officers, he alleged, subject their cargoes to physical examination to extort importers and their clearing agents. But Customs National Public Relations Officer Wale Adeniyi said PAAR provides a standard format for classifying goods. The Common External Tariff Concordance, he said, had been linked to the Customs PAAR for easy navigation and accurate classification. “When an importer made a wrong classification, there is no way he would not have problem in getting his goods out of the port. “The Concordance contains a list of HS code and serves as an integrated search engine in order to facilitate accurate classification of goods. “The user are guided by the system on how to classify his product as well as other relevant information like whether the item is prohibited or not. It is not

enough to say you are importing spoon or radio. You must be able to state the type and the place of origin,” Adeniyi said. He said the Comptroller-General of Customs has directed NCS’officers to address all traders in their local languages for proper understanding of PAAR. As part of plans to make stakeholders key into the scheme, Adeniyi said Help Desks and dedicated communication hotlines were provided to enable stakeholders and the public to channel complaints, observations and suggestions on the process. The image maker said the Help Desks are provided at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja and other Commands across the Country. He said such feedbacks can also be channelled through some dedicated numbers, including 09 4621597, 09 4621598 and 09 4621599. Customs Deputy Comptroller, ICT Operations, Mr Bashar Yusuf also said that traders would have their cargoes released immediately from the port with the genuine documents processed through PAAR. “The cargoes would be cleared before arrival, once other government agencies operating at the port confirmed the documents through PAAR,’’ he said.

HE National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has said it is ready to collaborate with other agencies to stop the burning of contraband goods. The agency, he said, has bought an equipment on sustainable burning – the Air Curtain Burner, which controls the emission of air pollutants. Speaking with reporters, its Director-General, Dr Ngeri Benebo said NESREA’s collaboration with other agencies in the destruction of contraband was yielding positive results, noting that the culture of burning would soon be over. She said the agency’s sensitisation had made some achievements as the public would soon begin to appreciate the new method pf destroying prohibited goods. The NESREA said the agency was collaborating with the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigerian Customs Service and NAFDAC on adopt the sustainable burning mechanism. She said the mechanism was introduced to safeguard the health of the

people, noting that open burning is hazardous to health. “It is in recognition of the adverse impact of open burning that the Federal Government enacted the National Environmental (Control of Bush, Forest fire and Open Burning) Regulations. “It was, particularly, to stem the tide of the high incidence of pollution arising from induced human activities, including open burning. “This effort is aimed at minimising the destruction of the environment through fire outbreak, burning of material that may affect the ecosystem’s health through the emission of hazardous air pollutants. “We have observed overtime that the heavy human health and environmental cost arising from emissions and the resultant air pollution during disposal of contraband in open burning could no longer continue. “The accumulation of these particulates in the human respiratory system often leads to persistent cough, sneezing, wheezing and general body discomfort. “It also aggravates existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis,” she said.

Customs seizes N1.8m Indian hemp

HE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun State Command, has seized 553.5 kilogrammes of Indian hemp valued at N1.8 million, at the Imeko Command. Speaking while handing over the items to the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Area Comptroller, Haruna Mamudu, said the patrol team covering Imeko made the seizure. He said no arrest was made.

The breakdown showed that 15 sacks of Indian Hemp were seized on December 30, last year, while 98 sacks were seized on January 3, this year. The Comptroller, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller in-charge of Imeko order station, Dappa Williams, handed over the items to the representatives of the NDLEA, led by Abduallahi Sardauna.

Govt urged to reduce interest rates

HE Federal Government has been urged to cut interest rates to enable ship owners upgrade their facilities and compete with foreigners. In an interview with The Nation in Lagos, some stakeholders urged the government to build a vibrant investment climate for the sector. The Chairman, Logistic Chains, Mr Bola Adebaj said there should be policies to create synergies between the industry and other sectors, such as banking and manufacturing. He said 60 per cent of the inward and outward bound goods in the West and Central Africa sub-region pass through the nation’s waterways, calling on the Central

Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar to assist in developing the industry. He said the country needs to expand its merchant fleet based on the high volume of bulk liquid, gas and dry cargoes that pass through its waterways. He suggested measures, such as dedicated institutional financing mechanism for the shipping and maritime sector, a comprehensive maritime regulatory policy, to delineate the role and responsibilities of the government and private sector in the development of the maritime sector and building. Another stakeholder, and the President, Folas Motors, Mr

Folagade Adeyemi, said the purchase of modern vessels, Adeyemi said, would also provide jobs for millions of Nigerians and the restive youths across the country. He said there was need for a sustained partnership between the private and public sectors for effective funding. The country, he said, had not enjoyed the commercial benefits of transporting large quantities of cargoes because the local ship owners lack the necessary capital. Adeyemi suggested that the Federal Government should integrate education into the university system so that Nigerians who are interested in seafaring can get the necessary training needed to promote the sector.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

THE NATION

BUSINESS ENERGY

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

In the last two weeks, the public has virtually been going through hell getting fuel, despite the claim of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that there is enough stock in circulation. Is it a case of hoarding by retail outlets? Is it sabotage of the government’s efforts or operational hiccups? Assistant Editor EMEKA UGWUANYI reports.

The other side of fuel scarcity

OR the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), it was a testy two weeks. Fuel scarcity virtually paralysed parts of the country despite its claim that there is enough stock to go ground. As the country seems to be getting over the crisis, it is not clear how long the respite will last because many outlets are still not selling Investigation by The Nation revealed that while Lagos residents suffered the scarcity, many filling stations, including those belonging to major and independent oil marketers, had stocks, but refused to sell to create artificial scarcity to enable them sell above the N97 per litre pump price. They opened at night when they were sure that the regulatory agencies were not on duty and sold at between N110 and N120 per litre and above. For those with jerry cans, some stations collected extra N500 to fill 25-litre cans. The question is:Why should these retail station owners engage in such malpractice when the product was bought at the normal price, and will attract subsidy reimbursement from the government? The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), experts said, also needs to wake up to its responsibility and ensure that in such situations, even if they entail working beyond the normal working hours, appropriate punishment should be meted to those marketers that tend to disrupt economic activities by creating artificial scarcity, such as hoarding. Operating licences of such marketers can as well be revoked or retail stations found flouting the guidelines closed for a reasonable period, they added. They also added that the regulators should allow the government concentrate on how to tackle and eliminate crude and product theft and pipeline vandalism. Recently, the NNPC said it was deploying horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology to solve the continual pipeline vandalism at Arepo in Ogun State and Ije-Ododo in Lagos. How the fuel scarcity battle was fought The Executive Director, Commercials, Product and Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, told The Nation that the scarcity, which he described as artificially-induced, was an embarrassment to the government and because of that, the Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, directed him to relocate to Lagos with a mandate to dismantle the queues and eliminate the scarcity within 48 hours. He said: “The government is concerned and worried about the supply shortage situation in Lagos and to that extent, the Minister of Petroleum Resources directed that as the Executive Director, Commercial, that I should temporarily relocate to Lagos despite my busy schedule to ensure that the queue situation is dismantled. Arising from that directive, I arrived in Lagos on Monday. The first thing I did on getting to Lagos was to con-

•Queues at a filling station during the scarcity

tact all the stakeholders in the supply-chain. Ordinarily, most people think that the job of supply of petroleum is limited to the NNPC and the major marketers, but the truth of the matter is that the supply chain (making petroleum products available to the populace) involves the NNPC, major marketers and other marketers, including depot owners. Under the supply arrangement, the NNPC is expected to supply about 50 per cent of the national requirement as approved by the PPPRA through its marketing operational arm – the PPMC, while the other marketers, supply the balance. “That has been the arrangement and suddenly, the nation noticed disruption in supply that was characterised by the queues in some cities, including Lagos and Abuja. The Abuja supply shortage started around the commencement of the centenary celebration and on the directive of the minister, NNPC and other stakeholders rose to the situation and were able to contain the situation before we witnessed the shortage in Lagos and the ministerial directive was that I should come and coordinate the resolution of the problem.” NNPC’s strategy He continued: “On arrival in Lagos, I quickly contacted all the relevant parties, including the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) led by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, representatives of independent marketers, officials of the PPMC, mainly depot managers, vessel receipt programming managers and officials of NNPC Retail. “From the Monday night, we put in strategic measures aimed at quickly resolving the problem and we gave ourselves a deadline of 48 hours to clear the queues starting from Tuesday. We started by embarking on intensive monitoring of the various outlets in Lagos and continued with it till Thursday

while monitoring discharge of vessels at various terminals and the distribution of products.” He said the strategy team set up comprised representatives of PPMC, MOMAN, Independent Petroleum Marketing Association Nigeria (IPMAN) and NNPC Retail because fuel supply is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the downstream, adding that at the end of each day, they held a meeting to assess the impact of what we have done. “Part of the reason for monitoring was to establish reason for the sudden queues and try to address such issue with the ultimate aim of dismantling the queue. One of the things we established is that the queues witnessed in Lagos, had with attitudinal problems of some Nigerians, in the sense that we experienced an abusive process that, ordinarily, should not arise in the process of petroleum products retailing and dispensing. “People were apprehensive based on the level of information they have that probably there was not enough supply and people tend to buy more than they need stockpile them. We witnessed that and can substantiate that with a number of cases. “On the supply side, all the jetties are wet as the BOB, Capital Oil and New Atlas Cove Jetty, among others. They have vessels discharging there. There is no reason for panicbuying by the public. “This is aside other marketers that are doing something to bring their cargoes and these will neutralise any queue that may remain,” Komolafe said. He said between Tuesday and Sunday, some vessels, including Alizea (22,000 metric tonnes) received about 30 million litres. Others were Ocean Centuria, NIPCO (22 million litres); United Enterprises (22 million litres), Conoil 22 million litres, bringing the total volumes distributed to 96 million litres. He said this week, NNPC would bring in three cargoes totalling 90MT while Conoil will bring in an-

other 22 million litres, Mobil 18 million litres and NIPCO another 22 million litres aside what the independents and depot owners will bring in. Mrs. Alison-Madueke said the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that the country is wet with petroleum products, adding that the ministry had sustained this feat in the past three years and that nobody or group would distract it from this important national assignment. She said she would ensure that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) maintain strict internal control and processes on import allocation and subsidy payments. Mrs Alison-Madueke on Saturday and Sunday inspected filling stations in Lagos to find out how the scarcity problem was tackled, know the level of supply and establish the cause of the problem. She alleged that diversion of products by petroleum truck drivers as what contributed to the scarcity. She said products don’t reach their designated destination, assuring that she would address the issue. She was satisfied that the matter had been solved. She also restated her commitment to collaborating with the military personnel to fight other acts of sabotage, such as crude and products theft, which have grave economic impacts on the economy. Part of the collaboration led to the arrest of some oil thieves. For instance, the spokesman of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) charged with stemming the oil theft scourge in the Niger Delta region, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, last year said the taskforce arrested 29 alleged oil thieves and destroyed 127 illegal refineries in the region. He explained that in Bayelsa State, troops of the 343 Regiment of the JTF in southern Ijaw Local Government Area clamped down on 98 illegal crude oil distillation sites, which were operating with

119 illegal distillation tanks and 37 large open wooden boats (Cotonou boats) laden with stolen crude oil and illegally-distilled automated gas oil (AGO). Nwachukwu added that men of the 29 Battalion and the Gun Boat Patrol Company also arrested a barge with three crew members and a vessel christened MT Tora Eagle with 11 crew members in Bodo waterways and Akassa creek in Rivers and Bayelsa states. He said: “The barge was intercepted while conveying some quantity of illegally sourced crude oil, while the vessel was laden with 3,600 drums of stolen petroleum product. The troops also destroyed five illegal crude oil distillation sites and 10 Cotonou boats filled with stolen crude oil along Lewe, Bodo, Elem Sagangama, Oluwasiri and Bodo West in Rivers State.” He said the JTF’s Operation Pulo Shield, 19 and 3 Battalions’troops covering Edo and Delta states scuttled 24 illegal oil distillation camps and 73 Cotonou boats. Thirty-one of such boats were arrested at an illegal crude oil loading point close to an abandoned oil well in Warri North, while 27 of the arrested boats were intercepted in Egara Creek along the NNPC pipeline in Warri South Local Government Area. “The operation also swept through Ajide, Lagos; Makara, Egwu Aghara watersides in WarriNorth, Warri North-West, Warri South West and Ethiope West Local Government areas of Delta, where oil stealing was also found to be thriving. “The outfit intercepted 61 pieces of 75 HP speed boats and a truck laden with 33,000 litres of AGO while they were still lifting the stolen products. Five hundred and two drums, 22 steel tanks, four plastic surface tanks, 77 metal drums laden with stolen crude oil and illegally distilled AGO and four pumping machines used by the oil thieves were also seized during the operations,” Nwachukwu added.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

MONEYLINK

Naira recovers as CBN, Eni auction dollar

Sterling Bank renews pledge to agent banking

HE naira yesterday firmed by 0.30 per cent against the dollar. That was after an undisclosed oil company sold dollars to some lenders and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervened to prop up the naira. The local unit closed at N164.40 to the dollar, up from Friday’s close of N164.90. Reuters said the naira has been trading around N164 to N165 to the dollar, supported by direct intervention which helped the unit recover from as low as N169.

TERLING Bank Plc yesterday launched the Financial Inclusion Initiative through the agent banking model meant to bring banking closer to the people. Speaking during the scheme launch in Lagos, the bank’s Executive Director Lagos, Puri Davendra said agent banking remains a practice that the bank is keen on entrenching in its operations. He said passion for the banking model is not about profit making, but is based on the lender’s determination to ensure that more than 35 million adult Nigerians excluded from the financial services get included. Davendra said getting such people included into the financial system will further create wealth and employment for the population. Group Head, E-Business, Fatai Amoo said the agent banking plan is not happening by chance. He said there is so much ignorance about banking in the rural areas that the banking model is meant to address. He said that agent banking thrives

Stories by Collins Nweze

The naira trouble started when the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was suspended by P r e s i dent Goodluck Jonathan on February 20. Acting Governor, Dr. Sarah Alade was appointed to serve out Sanusi’s tenure. Dealers said the CBN sold an undisclosed amount to some lenders on the interbank market, while $20 million were sold by the local unit of Italian oil company, Eni. “We see the naira at around N165 this week,

•Dr. Alade

unless more dollars come into the market,” one dealer said.

Skye Bank, others partner on loyalty scheme

KYE Bank Plc is leading other financial and non-financial institutions to power Intercontinental Hotel Lagos’ ‘Reward Club’, a loyalty programme meant to reward bookers and customers of the hotel. The bank is leading the team of Master card debit card issuers in the scheme to reward bookers of rooms, meetings, banquets in the reward scheme tagged ‘Intercontinental Reward club’. Explaining the features of the Mastercard debit card, at a media briefing on Friday night, the Group Head, E-Channels, Skye Bank, Mr. Chuks Iku, said the card could be used through electronic channels such as Point of-Sale (PoS) terminals and on the web. “This is promoting Loyalty. You can also use this card to make payment anywhere in the world. This is a universal card,” he said. The Skye Bank E-Channels Head said

By Modupe Oluneye

the bank would also be promoting the Federal Government’s ‘Cashless Policy’ which seeks to deemphasise the use of cash in our daily financial transactions. In addition, Iku noted that the card would promote flexibility in payment as well as enhancing the bank’s brand equity. Iku further said the Mastercard issued by Skye Bank has similar features with the bank’s Skye Priority Pass which also offers patrons membership of the world’s largest independent airport lounge access programme with the use of its Priority Pass cards. “This offers great value for money and allows you to use any of 600 airport lounges whenever you travel. Other benefits of the programme are: access to over 600 airport VIP lounges, in over 100 countries and over 300 cities, guar-

anteed use regardless of class of travel, or airline flown, access to over 100 lounges in the US (even on domestic flights) and peace and quiet - the chance to relax before a flight”, he said.

Bankers’ Committee marks Money Week

HE Bankers’ Committee through its Financial Literacy and Public Enlightenment SubCommittee (FLSC) has mapped out activities targeted at primary and secondary school students to mark the 2014 edition of Global Money Week. The event which started yesterday, will last till March, 17. In a statement, the committee said March 13, has been designated ‘Financial Literacy Day’. The aim of both Global Money Week and Financial Literacy Day is to inculcate sound financial knowledge and fiscal planning skills in children and the youth.

It said planned activities to mark the week include visits by officials of the various financial institutions to schools adopted by their institutions. “The financial institution CEOs will during their visit, teach selected students from the schools a module of a Financial Literacy curriculum specially designed by Junior Achievement Nigeria - a non-governmental organisation focused on educating children about their economic environment. Other activities include visits by students to banks to observe bank activities. The Central Bank of

FGN BONDS Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 350m 150m 350m 138m 350m 113m

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 10-3-14

SYMBOL SKYEBANK ROYALEX VITAFOAM ACADEMY TRANSCORP MANSARD FIDSON GUARANTY PRESTIGE STANBIC

O/PRICE 3.56 0.60 4.38 1.72 3.90 2.24 3.00 24.99 0.54 20.54

C/PRICE 3.77 0.63 4.59 1.80 4.08 2.34 3.13 26.00 0.56 21.25

CHANGE 0.21 0.03 0.21 0.08 0.18 0.10 0.13 1.01 0.02 0.71

O/PRICE

AIICO INTENEGINS UBCAP CHAMS GNI WAPIC COURTVILLE CONOIL AFRIPRUD FBNH

0.85 0.64 2.91 0.56 0.57 0.88 0.72 49.12 3.98 13.00

C/PRICE 0.81 0.61 2.80 0.54 0.55 0.85 0.70 48.00 3.90 12.80

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

Bureau de Change 152.0000 (S/N) Parallel Market 153.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N)

DISCOUNT WINDOWx Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 11.8%

Date 2-7-12 27-6-12 22-6-12

7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Offer Price

AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 156.27 ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH 9.17 BGL NUBIAN FUND 1.06 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.17 CANARY GROWTH FUND 0.69 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 CORAL INCOME FUND 1,620.45 FBN FIXED INCOME FUND 1,000.00 FBN HERITAGE FUND 115.83 FBN MONEY MARKET FUND 100.00 FIDELITY NIGFUND 1.67 INTERCONTINENTAL INTEGRITY FUND 1.05 KAKAWA GUARANTE ED INCOME FUND 143.11 LEGACY FUND 0.78 NIGERIA INTER DEBIT FUND 1,886.59 • • • •

NIBOR Tenor

NSE CAP Index

Name

CHANGE -0.04 -0.03 -0.11 -0.02 -0.02 -0.03 -0.02 -1.12 -0.08 -0.20

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8 155.7

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

LOSERS AS AT 10-3-14

SYMBOL

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m 113m

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

OBB Rate Call Rate

Nigeria will also be organising a Child and Youth Finance Fair/Exhibition in Abuja to mark the week,” it said. Speaking on the activities, Emeka Emuwa, Chairman of the Financial Literacy and Public Enlightenment Sub-Committee and Group Managing Director of Union Bank said, “Financial Literacy is a key enabler in our quest to achieve Financial Inclusion for sustained economic growth and development in Nigeria. Members of the Bankers’ Committee are fully committed to stepping up our activities in this area.

DATA BANK

Tenor

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

through biometric solution, making it safe and secure for bank customers. “Our agents are empowered in a structured manner to carry out their business. Wea want to increase agent access knowing that agent banking gives customers access to credit,” he said. He said aside it was not enough for banks to only embark on corporate social responsibility without deliberately tackling poverty. Amoo said that plans to eradicate poverty and bring financial services are discussed with much hype and promise, but in reality, no real action is taken. He said agent banking will help fix the challenge. He said the apex bank has taken steps to simplify banking, making it available in both the rural and urban areas. He said both the literate and illiterate can now open and run accounts on the agent bank model by simply allowing the agents to take their fingerprints.

UBA UBA UBA UBA

Movement

BALANCED FUND BOND FUND EQUITY FUND MONEY MARKET FUND

1.33363 1.2859 1.0198 1.1454

Bid Price 155.84 9.08 1.05 1.17 0.68 1.33 1,618.47 1,000.00 115.13 100.00 1.62 1.03 142.62 0.76 1,883.42 1.3245 1.2859 1.0013 1.1454

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

THE NATION TUESDAY,MARCH 11, 2014

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT

10-3-14

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 10-3-14

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

EQUITIES

Investors swap 3.11% equity stake in NEM Insurance I

NVESTORS swapped about 3.11 per cent equity stake in NEM Insurance Plc yesterday in cross deals that signaled significant portfolio readjustments. A total of 164.04 million ordinary shares of NEM valued at N126.55 million were exchanged in 25 deals. Reliable market sources said the transactions were done through cross deals, implying that the buying and selling sides had perfected the transfer and merely ratified such through the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The cross deals on NEM were part of the highlights of the market, though it was still unclear whether the transfers were internal realignment of holdings by an investor or transfer of ownership between a seller and a buyer. With market capitalisation of N4.33 billion, NEM currently has 5.28 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each outstanding on the NSE. Its share price

•Equities sustain rally with 0.57% gain Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

closed trading at 82 kobo per share. Transactions on NEM nudged the overall market activity, which obviously was set for below-average performance before the cross deals. Aggregate turnover totaled 383.28 million shares valued at N2.73 billion in 4,626 deals. Financial services sector accounted for about 83 per cent of aggregate turnover with a sectoral turnover of 316.22 million shares worth N1.57 billion in 2,661 deals. Ongoing bargain hunting in the banking and manufacturing sectors

spurred the overall pricing trend, with more advancers than losers. Market-wide valuebased indices indicated an average day-on-day gain of 0.57 per cent, implying a capital gain of N71 billion. Aggregate market value of all equities rose from N12.512 trillion to close at N12.583 trillion. The All Share Index (ASI), the main value index that tracks all equities on the NSE, also crossed the line from 38,952.47 points to 39,172.76 points. However, the average year-todate return remained negative at -5.22 per cent.

Nigerian Breweries led the 30stock gainers’ list with a gain of N3.41 to close at N149.50. Guaranty Trust Bank rose by N1.01 to close at N26. Stanbic IBTC Holdings followed with a gain of 71 kobo to close at N21.25. PZ Cussons Nigeria added 51 kobo to close at N35.50. Okomu Oil and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) chalked up 50 kobo each to close at N41.55 and N15. Vitafoam Nigeria and Skye Bank gathered 21 kobo each to close at N4.59 and N3.77. Access Bank rose by 20 kobo to N7.70. United Bank for Africa (UBA) added 19 kobo to close at N7.70. Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) rose by 18 kobo to close at N4.08 while Zenith Bank rallied 15 kobo to close at N21.60 per share. On the downside, Nestle Nigeria topped the 23-stock losers’ list with

• CEO, NSE, Oscar Onyema a drop of N9.15 to close at N1,026.35. Conoil placed second with a loss of N1.12 to close at N48. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria followed with a loss of 70 kobo to close at N70. Dangote Cement declined by 54 kobo to close at N236.86 while Portland Paints & Products dropped by 27 kobo to close at N5.13 per share.

NSE prepares to list ETF on 30 most capitalised companies

NVESTORS in the Nigerian stock market will be able to invest on the underlying performance of the 30 most capitalised stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with the impending listing of an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) on the basket of stocks. ETF is a security that tracks the performance of a specified security or other assets including stocks, basket of assets, indices, commodity prices, foreign currency rates, and derivatives among others. There are many types of ETF. Index-based ETF, like index fund, tracks specified market index. The NSE yesterday indicated that it has concluded arrangements to list the Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund this month, increasing the number of ETF at the stock market to two. It had in late 2011 listed a gold-based ETF known as NewGold. NewGold originated from ABSA Capital and was then already listed on the JSE Stock Exchange of South Africa. The Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund, an index-based ETF, will track NSE 30 Index, the value-based index that mirrors the pricing trends of the 30 most capitalised stocks on the NSE. The Offer for Subscription of 100 million units of the Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF had commenced on Monday, 13 January 2014 and closed on Friday, 31 January 2014. Executive director, business development, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri said the Vetiva Griffin 30 ETF is an open-ended fund that is designed to track the performance of the constituent companies of the NSE 30 Index and to replicate the price and yield performance of the Index. He explained that the NSE 30 Index is a price index weighted by adjusted market capitalization of the top 30 companies on the NSE in terms of market capitalization and liquidity.

“In order to provide an alternative investment window for investors, the first ETF was launched on the Nigeria bourse in December 2011. We are using the ETF product category to open up cost-effective diversification opportunities for investors, while giving the broker-dealer community an instrument to better service their clientele. This listing of the VG 30 ETF is anticipated to help advance the investor market in

Africa’s fastest growing economy by further broadening the choice of asset classes open to local investors,” said Jalo-Waziri. Managing director, Vetiva Fund Managers Limited, Mr. Damilola Ajayi said Vetiva developed the VG 30 ETF to give investors optimal exposure to the Nigerian bourse by tracking the movement of the NSE 30 index.

According to him, the listing on the NSE underscored the successful completion of the Initial Public Offer (IPO) of the ETF. Ernst & Young, the third largest multinational professional services firm in the world, has reported that the global ETF industry had 5,042 ETFs, with 10,053 listings, assets of US$2.3 trillion, from 215 providers on 58 exchanges as at October 2013. It also predicted annual growth of 15 per cent to 30 per cent globally over

the next five years. ETFs are essentially index funds that are listed and traded on the Exchange like shares. Buying and selling ETFs is as simple as buying and selling of shares. Unlike shares and mutual funds however, the ETFs will trade continuously all day long and allow investors to lock in a price for the underlying stocks immediately, rather than being bought and sold based on end-of-day prices.

Unilever plans manufacturing plant in Ethiopia

NILEVER Plc, the parent company of Unilever Nigeria Plc, plans to open a manufacturing plant in Ethiopia during in 2015 in continuation of its expansion in Africa. Unilever, the world’s secondbiggest consumer-products maker, had earlier expanded into Vietnam and the London- and Rotterdam-based company is presently renting premises for a plant in the Chinese-built Eastern Industry Zone in Dukem, 31 kilometers (19 miles) southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa. Head, corporate affairs in Africa, Unilever, Dougie Brew confirmed the expansion to Bloomberg noting that Unilever, which already imports Knorr stock cubes and Omo detergent into Ethiopia, may initially make fabric-cleaning soaps before moving into food. “The plans are ambitious for Ethiopia because we see it as a growing market,” Brew said from London. “We’ve taken a longterm investment decision in Ethiopia because of the demography,

broad-based growth and opportunity to create a genuinely inclusive and sustainable business model from scratch.” Ethiopia’s economy is projected to expand 8.0 per cent in the fiscal year to July 7 after growing an average of 9.3 per cent for the past four years, according to an October report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The country’s estimated population last year of 93.9 million people, sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest, is increasing at 2.9 per cent a year, according to the United States (US) Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook. Yum! Brands Inc, the owner of the KFC fast-food chain, has also said it’s considering entering Ethiopia as it expands across the continent. Unilever had invested $130 million in Vietnam as the business grew annually at more than 10 per cent for 14 years after opening in 1995, a 2009 report by a think-tank at the Southeast Asian nation’s Plan-

ning and Investment Ministry said. The company is looking at a “similar scale” operations in Ethiopia, Brew said. Ethiopia’s economy, at $41.6 billion, is almost four times smaller than Vietnam’s, according to World Bank data. The company plans to build a “comprehensive consumer-goods manufacturing business” in Ethiopia, which will source from Ethiopian suppliers, Brew said. “Retail is still a restricted sector so a lot of our work will be developing local Ethiopian companies that will act as distributors.” The case study by Vietnam’s Central Institute for Economic Management praised Unilever Vietnam Co. for sourcing 60 per cent of raw materials and all of its packaging domestically by 2007. The company created 1,200 jobs directly and 8,000 indirectly in the country, according to the report posted on Unilever’s website. Foreign direct investment in Ethiopia may be 2.8 per cent of gross domestic product this fiscal

year and will “increase gradually to a long-run yearly average of 4.5 per cent” as policies increasingly favor private businesses, the IMF said in October. The average for other low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa was likely to be more than 5 percent of GDP last year, the IMF said in November. Unilever’s global reputation may encourage more Western companies to manufacture in the country, said Abdulmenan Mohammed Hamza, an independent Ethiopian economist based in London. To maximize the benefits that foreign investment brings, the government should improve its tax-collection systems, Hamza said in emailed response to questions. “Considering the incapacity and inexperience of the government to conduct the audit of such complex companies, tax avoidance is a serious issue,” Hamza said. Unilever, which owns brands including Lynx deodorant, Vaseline and Lipton Tea, will focus on sales in Ethiopia and later neighbours including South Sudan and Somalia once security improves.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS

Second Niger Bridge won’t be abandoned, says Jonathan P RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday performed the ground-breaking for the N117 billion Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State. President Jonathan said the project would be handled by Messrs Julius Berger-NSIA Consortium. He said it was programmed in compliance with the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Act and the Public Procurement Act. The President assured that the bridge would never be abandoned but would be completed on time. He said: "Federal Government is executing this project under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for a concession period of 25 years, through a 'Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT)' model. "We have confidence in the capacity and competence of the concessionaire, Messrs Julius Berger-NSIA Consortium, to deliver this project for N117 billion." He said to ensure the project was delivered on schedule, Federal Government would contribute 25 per cent, about N30 billion. Recalling that the project was part of his electoral promises in 2011, President Jonathan hailed Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and the indigenes for their patience,

Obi laments Zik’s poor funeral •President explains delay in bridge From Nwanosike Onu, Awka and Okungbowa Aiwere, Asaba

NAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi wept at Onitsha at the ground-breaking for the Second Niger Bridge by President Jonathan. He lamented the poor funeral given to the late President Nnamdi Azikiwe, by the Federal Government. Obi said if one compared how and where past African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya were buried, one could see that the burial site of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was not befitting. He hailed President Jonathan for building a mausoleum for Azikiwe, which he said was abandoned by past administrations. President Jonathan explained the delay in the Second Niger Bridge, saying the bridge was delayed so that it would not be abandoned after the ground-breaking. He said a project of such magnitude required proper financing. "I believe as at that time, government did not take certain things into consideration. I am saying so because many expected me to lay the foundation stone before now. "Some may say it is because elections are coming, this is why I am doing it today. Such a major infrastructure requires proper arrangement and financing to start it and ensure that the job does not stop somewhere. So, we passed through these to make sure that as we are laying this foundation stone, work will not stop. To facilitate the timely release, the Federal Government has committed about 25 per cent of the total fund. We have enough money to last a year and I believe with that work will begin immediately." From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

understanding, support and cooperation. "As we commemorate our centenary, I believe this bridge will deepen nation-

al integration and enhance economic and social interaction in the Southeast and other parts of the country’’, he said, adding: "As part of our administration's Transformation Agenda in the road sector,

we have set out to build two important bridges across the nation's two great rivers - River Niger and River Benue. These are the LokoOweto Bridge linking Nasarawa and Benue states, which is progressing and this second Niger Bridge connecting Anambra and Delta states. "The Second Niger Bridge, whose foundation we are laying today, represents a strategic national infrastructure, with great socio-economic prospects for the contiguous states and the country. It is an important economic artery, which will connect the great markets of Onitsha and Aba, as well as the industrial hub of Nnewi and beyond, to the northern and southern parts of the country. "On completion, this bridge, which is being built almost 50 years after the existing bridge was opened, will alleviate the pains experienced by travellers, following congestions on the old bridge, particularly at festive periods. It will improve road transportation in the Southeast and reduce travel hours." The event was attended by Governors Obi and Uduaghan. Ebonyi State Governor Martins Elechi and Abia State Governor Theodore Orji were also present. Other personalities at the ceremony included Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha, Minister of Works Mike Onolememe and Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

•The banner and some of the items recovered

MASSOB attacked Enugu Govt House, say police •It’s a lie, says group From Chris Oji, Enugu

HE Enugu State Police Command yesterday alleged that members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) attacked the Enugu State Government House on Saturday. Commissioner of Police Abubakar Adamu Mohammed spoke at a news conference. He alleged that the invaders tried to enter the Government House to hoist the Biafran flag. But MASSOB secretariat denied the allegation, saying the invaders might be miscreants sponsored by politicians. “We can’t try such a thing. We have cordial relationship with the Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime. MASSOB is for the protection of the Igbo interest, including that of the Enugu governor, as he is delivering democracy dividends to the indigenes,” MASSOB Director of Information

Uchenna Madu said. The police chief said none of the invaders was shot dead, but three were arrested and one injured. He identified them as Ifeanyi Chukwuma, Francis Uwakacha, Sunday Okafor and Shadrack Onukogu, from Anambra State. Mohammed said the suspects said: “They were invited by some people. They have given us their names. We will soon arrest them.” He said he did not know whether their sponsors were politicians or not, adding: “The motive of the people, who invited them, is what we want to establish. “We are after the people, who invited them. Investigation is on. We’ll soon arraign those who have been arrested and look for their sponsors.” The police commissioner said items recovered from the invaders included two big banners of MASSOB, assorted Biafran flags, machetes and a bag containing charms.

Suspected robbers kill commercial motorcyclist

47-YEAR-OLD commercial motorcyclist, Mr. Herbert Madu, was killed yesterday by suspected robbers at Umunjem, Irete in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State. The deceased’s father, a security guard at Irete Industrial Layout, who spoke to our re-

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

porter, said he knew of his son’s death about 7:30 a.m. yesterday when he was contacted by eyewitnesses. He said his son left home about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday but did not return. The deceased’s father said he suspected that his son might

have been hit in the neck with a hard object by suspected robbers because it was swollen. He said the hoodlums pushed him into a gutter. At the scene, the Divisional Police Officer at the Anti Kidnapping Unit, Linus Nnwiwu, was leading his team to evacuate the body.

Panic over leaking petrol in Lagos community

HERE was pandemonium yesterday at Isheri, a Lagos suburb following a petroleum pipeline leakage that caused a pool of fuel. Residents around Iyana-Odo Bus stop, on LASU-Iyana-Iba Road raised the alarm after they discovered that their ground was soaked with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) leaking out of a Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) pipelines. According to an eyewitness, some of the residents for fear of being consumed by fire, scampered for safety. Others made efforts to contact the appropriate agencies. Members of the community wondered where the PMS emanated from. The eyewitness said: “We suddenly realised that the ground was soaked with PMS such that the fuel formed a pool but we did not know the source. “Obviously, it may have leaked from underground pipe and would have been leaked for so long to soak everywhere like that. “We could not reach the NNPC nor emergency agencies till about 3:30pm and they came and closed the valve.

By Precious Igbonwelundu, Staff Correspondent

“Also fire service officials were onground to neutralise the petrol to avoid inferno,” the source said. The Southwest zonal spokesman of the National Emergency management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye said the NNPC has confirmed there was a leakage between Idimu and Diamond Estate in Lagos. “This is to allay fears of alleged explosion making the round. The supply sources and valves have been shut by NNPC staffers from satellite town this evening,” he said. Confirming the incident, Director, State Fire Service, Rasaq Fadipe said they got an alert around 3:45pm. Although the cause of the leakage could not be readily ascertained, Fadipe said it could have emanated from defective valves. “The leakage was underground and it soaked the whole place with fuel and resulted in a pool of fuel. NNPC officials were on ground to contain the situation. They locked up the valves. “We were able to go round

the community to sensitise the people to avoid cooking or lighting matches. “Also, we temporarily closed all mechanic workshops in the area to avoid fire outbreak. “Then, we used foam chemicals to neutralise the PMS and condoned off the area,” Fadipe said. He added that the fire service also averted another inferno on Ajuwon-Akute Road, after a tanker laden with 33,000 litres of PMS rammed into a stationed car. He said the trailer marked XY154SMK was descending a hill and suddenly lost control before ramming into a stationary Toyota Camry with registration number LSD583AZ. “We immediately got to the place as PMS was spilling into a nearby carnal. Then, another vehicle was brought to transload the product while we neutralised the fuel to avoid disaster,” he said. Advising articulated vehicle owners to ensure they purchase 9kg dry chemical powder fire extinguisher for their vehicles as first aid measures in case of an emergency, Fadipe urged them to employ literate drivers who can read and understand road signals.

THE NATION TUESDAY MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS Ex-Edo SSG, others remanded

•Minister of State for Power Mohammed Wakil welcoming Chief Operating Officer, Springcot Group, a Chinese Power Infrastructure firm, Peter.J. Sharper, to his office in Abuja...yesterday

Bayelsa denies suit on ex-governor’s loot

AYELSA State government yesterday denied a suit asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release N1.4 billion and $1.3 million recovered from exGovernor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to it, with interest. A statement by Governor Seriake Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the government was not part of the suit filed against EFCC. The government disowned George Uboh, chief executive of Panic Alert Security System, who was reported to have filed the matter on behalf of the state.. “The Bayelsa State government denies the reports and states that it did not mandate any individual or firm to act on its behalf to request or in-

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa and Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

stitute any suit against the EFCC. “We frown at the reports and called on the EFCC and the public to disregard the publications”, the statement said. The EFCC refuted the allegation that it was trading with the money. EFCC's spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said in a statement yesterday that "the news reports about a matter said to have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by George Uboh, ostensibly acting on the instruction of the Bayelsa State government, is provocative misinformation and cheap blackmail. "The commission states that it has not been served a copy of the purported proc-

esses and cannot comment on a matter, which does not have any known existence beyond the media reports. However, if and when the commission is served, EFCC will give a legal response. "The commission seriously doubts that the Bayelsa State government instructed Mr. George Uboh to act on its behalf, contrary to the claim of the busybody. "If however, it did, then it is most unfortunate, because the highly defamatory allegations he has made ostensibly on their behalf cannot and will not shield Bayelsa State government and its officials from investigations. ‘’If the goal of the purveyors of the reports was to make EFCC stop or soft-pedal in its intensive and extensive investigation of Bayelsa State government and its officials,

they failed woefully. "The clearly noxious allegations that the commission is not only holding on to recovered funds of the Bayelsa State government but also "trading with the funds by way of funds placement/fixed deposits" could only have been calculated to impugn the hardearned credibility of the EFCC. "Let it be known that the sensational allegations, wild accusations and imputations contained in the scandalous reports strike at the heart of EFCC's values and rules of engagement and will not be allowed to go unanswered. "Those pushing this deliberate misinformation for whatever ends should prepare to substantiate them," Uwujaren said.

Jonathan’s cousin: Police arrest six

IX suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnap of Inengite Nitabai, who is President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin. Nitabai was abducted by 10 gunmen on February 23 from his home in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He was driven from his home in his Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) by the bandits, who harassed his inlaw and collected N400,000 from his wife. There were concerns over Nitabai’s health after rumours of his death spread in Yenagoa. Commissioner of Police Hilary Opara said six persons were arrested in connection with the incident. He said he could not confirm rumours of the victim’s death. “All l can tell you is that we are working hard to ensure that the victim is released unhurt. We are sure that we can free him,” he said. It was gathered that the kidnappers promised to release their victim on Sunday but they failed to show up at Akemplai village in Ogbia. Relations were said to have gathered at a location in the village to receive Nitabai. A family source, who was

N Edo State High Court has remanded in custody three former officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board and a former Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Simon Imuekheme. Imuekheme, Joseph Emoabino, Aghator Efe and Davidi Igbinoba are to remain in custody till Friday when their bail applications will be heard. The quartet were arraigned on an eight-count of misappropriation of N113 million. They pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. The offences were contrary to sections 22(5) and 26(1) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. They were accused of spending money allocated for some projects on others not covered by the intervention funds allocated by the State Universal Basic Education Commission/state government. They are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the offence, which was

Yenagoa

at the location from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., said the abductors deceived them. “We learnt that he was going to be released at Akemplai village in Ogbia. We went there and waited for hours. We neither saw the kidnappers nor their victim. We came back home disappointed and worried,” the source said. It was gathered that security agencies surrounded the village and the waterside with their gunboats. Troops from the Joint Task Force (JTF), anti-kidnap squad and the Department of

State Security (DSS) were said to laid ambush. The troops were reportedly withdrawn at 5 a.m. on Monday after the fruitless wait. It was gathered that the police stormed Odioma in Brass Local Government Area and arrested the father of the suspected ring leader. The police were also said to have sent a special squad to an undisclosed location outside the state in search of Nitabai. His assailants demanded N500 million ransom and rejected the family’s N30 million offer, describing it as “too small.” Jonathan paid a private

HE death has been announced of Pa Godfrey Bamawo. Pa Bamawo died in Lagos on March 8. He was 88. The late Bamawo was a journalist, who worked in the defunct West African Pilot and Business Times, where he became an editor. He had a MSC degree in Economics from Germany and taught German in various schools across the country. The late Bamawo was also involved in the opening of the defunct Indres Savings and Loans Mortgage Bank. He was a community

•The late Bamawo

leader and member of the All Saints Anglican Church, Montgomery, Yaba. The late Bamawo is survived by wives, children, grand children and great grand children. Funeral arrangement will be announced.

Old Boys inaugurate projects

T •Nitabai

visit to Otuoke, his hometown, in Ogbia Local Government Area, on Friday. He attended the funeral of the late father of his aide, Mr. Patrick Oba, who hails from his hometown. The President was reportedly briefed by security agencies and his family of efforts to free Nitabai.

HE Old Students Association of Federal Government College (FEGOCOWOSA), Warri, Delta State, has inaugurated four projects in the school. The ceremony, which was part of events to mark its Annual General Meeting, was attended by old students from across the world. Outgoing National President Akinwunmi Ambode said the projects were executed to give back to the school, which had given them so much. “My vision was to do everything we could to make Federal Government College, Warri, great, to inspire the next generation to be the

Ogbebor seeks better representation for Itsekiri TSEKIRI leader Mrs Rita Lori Ogbebor has rejected what she called the slim representation of the ethnic stock at the national conference. She said the government should reverse the poor representation. Mrs Ogbebor, the Igba of Warri made her position known in a letter to Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Chief Anyim Pius Anyim. She alleged that other tribes in Delta State and the Southsouth geo-political zone enjoyed better representation. The letter reads: “There are 15 delegates and none of these is an Itsekiri man or woman.

allegedly committed on June 5, 2012, when Emoabino was the SUBEB chairman, Igbinoba secretary and Efe director of Finance and Accounts. Imuekemhe‘s counsel Omoruyi Omonuwa applied for the accused to be granted bail. Omonuwa’s bail application was opposed by the EFCC counsel, Larry Aso. Aso said he was opposing the application on the grounds that the quartet had been on administrative bail since the matter was supposed to come up in court on February 26. Prosecution Counsel Larry Peters said he was yet to respond to the bail applications and reminded the court that the administrative bail granted the accused had elapsed. Justice Esther Edigin turned down the bail application because the administrative bail had elapsed since the matter was now before the court. “I cannot grant bail when the bail application has not been heard,” she stressed. She ordered that the accused be remanded in custody till March 14 when the bail application comes up for hearing.

Pa Bamawo is dead

• Patriarch still in captivity From Mike Odiegwu,

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

“It is needless to emphasise the position of the Itsekiri people in the region. Apart from the huge economic contributions of the Itsekiri people, is the fact that the Itsekiri people have been crying for many years about their marginalization and subjugation. “They are very important minorities being suffocated by majority ethnic groups. Before now, it is on record that we have prayed Nigeria and God for a review of nigeria’s political structure. Our case as a minor minority is not a new source of nationality challenge. it has always been a serious matter in restructuring Nigeria in a way beneficial to all as

historical record dating back to colonial era abundantly demonstrates. “Itsekiri therefore welcomed with joy and gratitude to God that this administration, thought it fit to encourage or bring about this national conference. That we are therefore excluded from the southsouth political zone cannot be imagined. “What is more painful is that of the 15 delegates chosen specifically for the Southsouth geopolitical zone (for Socio Political/Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups), one can count about four to six Efik/Ibibio, two to three Ijaw, two or three Ikwerre, but no Itsekiri, and no Ogoni?”

best they can be.” The former accountantgeneral of Lagos State and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, described education as “the most potent weapon against poverty”, adding that “if youths have good education, they will be better placed to overcome the challenges ahead.” The four projects include a new state-of-the-art Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) centre, a 500KVA electricity generator, an expanded infirmary (sick bay) and a renovated dining hall.

Vehicle owners get ultimatum

he Lagos State Police Command has warned owners of abandoned vehicles parked at Elere and Owode Onirin Division to remove them or lose them to members of the public through auction, three weeks after this publication. The vehicles are V/ Wagon bus registered XT 260 LSD; V/Wagon bus registered XW 57 LSR and Toyoto Camry unregistered.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS Kwara to employ 8,200

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

WARA State government will employ 8,200 youths to reduce unemployment. Of this figure, the state will employ about 5,000 in the first quarter, Secretary to the State Government Isiaka Gold told reporters yesterday. Gold, who also chairs the Committee on Quickwin Empowerment and Employment Programme, added that the state spends about N200 million monthly on the project. He said the state would empower 5,400 youths in the first phase. “The solution lies in encouraging and empowering more youths to embark on entrepreneurship to create livelihood for themselves and employment for others. “Let me emphasise that this employment scheme is open to youths resident in Kwara State, regardless of their political affiliation, gender, religion, ethnic identity or state of origin.’’

31 killed in Makurdi

HE National President of Tombo Development Association (TODA), Isaac Gbaa, has said 31 people have been killed by mercenaries since the attack on Tombo settlement started last Thursday. In a statement in Makurdi, Gbaa said 20 people were killed in Tse Ibwar, Tse Dzungwe, Tse Gbeleve, Avule, Tatse, Nyajo and Swaki. Gbaa said: “Eleven people

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

were killed on Sunday; two major settlements in Tombo ward. “Some people were captured alive and they were forced to take them around the villages to be destroyed, before they were slaughtered. This is genocide.” The community leader decried statements credited to the police PPRO that no person was killed in the crisis.

Yobe emir dies in road crash

From Duku Joel, Damaturu

HE Emir of Ngelzarma in Fune Local Government of Yobe State, Mahammadu Mai Yeri Ibn Isa II, is dead. The emir was reported to have died in an accident in Gerei, Adamawa State, yesterday. The Secretary of the Emirate Council, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Mai Yeri, who confirmed the death in Damaturu, said Yeri (49) is survived by two wives and 13 children. It was gathered that his father whom he succeeded, also died in an accident on Damaturu/Maiduguri Road. A palace source said the late emir would be buried on Tuesday at his home town in Ngelzarma.

Church programme

HE Power of Bethsaida Evangelical Ministries aka Ori-Oke Aseyori has begun a seven-week interdenominational programme. The event will hold at 3, Mafoyofo Street, off Ikugbomire, Loburo, Mowe, Ogun State. The chief host, Prophet Hammed Afolabi, said it is set to uplift of residents in the community.

PUBLIC NOTICE OYINKANSOLA

I, formerly known and addressed as Ms. Odubiro Mofolashade Oyinkansola now wish to be known and addressed as Ms. Stephens Mercedes Folashade. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE ANIETIE

I, formerly known and addressed as Anietie Effiong Asuquo now wish to be known and addressed as Prosper Effiong Asuquo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

• Udoh and the baby’s father,

HE police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested five persons in connection with the theft of a three-day-old baby girl. Police Commissioner Umar Gwadabe listed them as Miss Imaobong Udoh (baby’s mother), Mrs. Regina James (buyer) and Mfon James (her husband), Mrs. Comfort Henry (birth attendant) and Emmanuel Okon (homeopathic doctor). The commissioner said Mrs. James paid N150, 000 to Udoh and N110, 000 to Okon

Uyo

for the transaction. His words: “On March 3, a case of child stealing was reported by Eteobong James, involving a three-day-old baby girl sold for N260, 000. Based on the report, the suspects were arrested. “Okon was the one who arranged the deal and took the baby from point of de-

HE Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn-Garbai, has directed residents of the state to fast for three days, beginning today, “for divine intervention on the Boko Haram insurgency.’’ In a statement issued yesterday in Maiduguri, the emir said: “I am appealing to residents of the state to observe a

livery at Nna-Enin in Urhan Local Government Area to the buyers at 37, Church Road, Uyo.” James said his wife told him she was pregnant and he gave her money for antenatal care, but was surprised to hear that she bought the baby. He said: “I am a trader, my wife, Regina, told me she was pregnant and I gave her money for ante-natal.

three-day fast to seek Allah’s mercy in ending the crisis facing us. “I believe we should continue to seek Allah’s help toward peace in the state.” Ibn-Garbai added that the renewed violence by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect had led to destruction of life and property.

The Shehu noted that it was time to seek God’s intervention and urged residents to start the fasting today and end on Thursday. He also directed that special prayers be held in mosques and churches to seek God’s help and urged residents to remain prayerful after the fasting.

Gemade condemns Benue killings •Laments alleged army involvement

OGUNWOLA

BEYIOKU

From Kazeem Ibrahym,

“On that fateful day, she told me she was in labour and later informed me she was delivered of a baby girl. “I did not know she bought the baby since she has given birth to four children before, although three died.” Okon said the woman (Regina) brought the girl to him so that he could take care of her during ante-natal. He said he collected N30, 000 from Regina, which was the money he used in taking care of Udoh.

Borno to fast for three days to end insurgency

I, formerly known and addressed as Ogunwola Funsho Peter now wish to be known and addressed as Wealth Funsho Peter . All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Beyioku Mulikat Omotesho now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okunubi Beyioku Mulikat Omotesho. All former documents remain valid. Lagos State Local Government Service Commission and general public should please take note.

• Regina and Mfon James...yesterday. PHOTOS: KAZEEM IBRAHYM

Herbalist, four others arrested for alleged child theft

PUBLIC NOTICE

Etebong Edem James

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor, Abuja

PUBLIC NOTICE JOSHUA

I, formerly known and addressed as Ikhisemoje Joshua now wish to be known and addressed as Ikhisemoje Joshua Tose. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AUCTION! AUCTION!! AUCTION!!! On the instruction of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, there will be a public auction of unserviceable vehicles at the premises of the local government secretariat with the removal of purchase goods within 48hours The auction date will commence on Thursday 13th March 2014 at 10:00am prompt GOVERNMENT LIANCENSE AUCTIONNER

J.F. OBITUNDE 08033466559

•Gemade

HAIRMAN, Senate Committee on National Planning, Senator Barnabas Gemade, yesterday condemned attacks in parts of Benue State

by Fulani herdsmen. Gemade, who represents Benue North East, urged the Federal Government to intervene and bring the perpetrators to book. The lawmaker, in a statement by his media aide, Benji Ugba Uyeh, said: “Fulani herdsmen killed and injured dozens in Tyobibi-Gbetim, AnybeAzege, Genyi, Dwem, Awashua, Tse-Nyaki and

Anyiin in Logo Local Government Area, Jato Aka, Yaase, Waya and Inyamate in Kwande Local Government Area as well as Sai and other communities in Yooyo Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area. Gemade said attacks were reported in Gwer West, Guma and Agatu Local Government Area. He said the attackers displaced thousands and destroyed property worth millions.

Gemade condemned “in strong terms these attacks that have become habitual in Tiv land.” He said “more worrisome” to him “is also the fact that Nigerian Army troops were allegedly involved in the mayhem in Jato Aka, where they were said to have seized and burnt over 100 motorcycles belonging to members of the Benue Motorcycle Association under the guise that their men was attacked.”

Elders meet in Kano over Boko Haram

ORNO Elders Forum yesterday in Kano decried the silence of the Federal Government on the carnage in Borno State. The elders noted that the security challenges in the Northeast, particularly Borno State, was a concern for Nigerians. Convener of the conference Maitama Sule said the purpose was to unite the North to enable it speak with one voice. In a message: ‘’ State of the

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

North’’, Sule said the North is united. He condemned the use of religion to divide the region and called on the Federal Government to deploy its might to halt the killings, adding that both religions preach love, peace and not violence. “A situation where a community is wiped out, places of worship destroyed without recourse to women,

‘A situation where a community is wiped out, places of worship destroyed without recourse to women, children and the elderly is barbaric and cannot be linked to a particular religion’ children and the elderly is barbaric and cannot be

linked to a particular religion.’’ In his address, titled: ‘’The North: A Past in the Future’’, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed lamented that the people of the North were today without leaders, who will take a stand on the national conference and convince the nation to respect that position. Ahmed regretted that the North lacks leaders to move against the assault on the lives of poor and defenceless citizens.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

NEWS Osun PDP suspends secretary

Agric takes centre stage at Ife Day

•Group to raise N500m for community projects

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State yesterday suspended its state Secretary, Mr. Raphael Towobola. A statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Bola Ajao. Said the secretary was suspended as a result of a vote of no confidence passed on him by his ward over allegation of antiparty activities. He said the suspension would be in place until the State Disciplinary Committee presented its findings. “The action is in line with Section 57 (3) of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party 2012 as amended,’’ Ajao added.

N584m debt: Defendant seeks out-of-court settlement with bank

LE-IFE, the cradle of the Yoruba, has returned the development of agriculture to the front burner. The yearly Ife Day celebration will take the youths through agriculture orientation to boost the economy of the ancient city. Members of the Ife Development Board (IDB), organisers of the Ife Day billed for March 13 to 15, spoke on the plan during a visit to The Nation’s headquarters in Lagos. The theme of this year’s celebration is: “Industrialisation for youth empowerment”. Those on the IDB’s threeman delegation to The Nation were the President, Prof Muibi Opeloye; Mr. Gbenga Adefaye and Mr. Kola Adetunmbi. Opeloye said: “Ife is an agrarian community and we have youths who are unemployed. We need necessary facilities like water, electrici-

•Mr Adetunmbi (left) and Prof Opeloye on the occasion. By Joe Agbro Jr.

ty and roads, and that is why we need the government’s assistance.” The board spoke of plans to raise N500 million during the celebration. Opeloye said: “Before the government comes to our aid, we want to start something.” He said the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, has donated land and funds for the board’s agricultural drive. Adefaye, who is the general manager/editor-in-chief of Vanguard and a former president of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), said it is imperative that Ife youths take advantage of agriculture, given the abundance of fertile land.

He said there was need to provide basic infrastructure, such as roads, to the many farms in the state. Adefaye said: “Some elites who have farms cannot access their farms when rain falls and the ordinary person cannot provide these infrastructure.” Adetunmbi called for the creation of an industrial park to create jobs. Activities lined up for the Ife Day celebration include cultural displays and a gala night on March 14. The grand finale, which includes the fund raising holds on March 15 at the Government Technical College on Ifewara Road at 10am. The fund raising will be chaired by Mallam Yusuf Ali.

By Precious Igbonwelundu, Staff Correspondent

Prince Toye Ariyo is the chief launcher. Governor Rauf Aregbesola is the chief host. Vice-President Namadi Sambo; Senate President David Mark and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal are expected at the event. Also expected are Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Peter Obi (Anambra), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Gabriel Suswam (Benue). Others are Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Usman Dakingari (Kebbi) and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo). The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, is the royal father of the day.

Firm sues INEC over unpaid N7.5m publicity fee

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been before an Abuja High Court for reneging on a N7.5 million pre-2011 general election publicity contract. In a suit filed on February 27, the firm, Godson and Godman accused INEC of refusing to pay the contract sum after the plaintiff had delivered the required services-public enlightenment on INEC’s prepar-

By Precious Igbonwelundu, Staff Correspondent

edness to conduct a hitch-free 2011 general elections. Through its counsel, Agwu Agwu, the media consultancy firm is urging the court to enter judgment against INEC for refusing to abide by terms of a contract dated January 19, 2010, which was awarded under the former chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu and lasted five months. The company is demand-

ing N7.5 million being the cost of the services rendered as well as 10 per cent interest on judgment debt from the date of judgment till the sum is liquidated. In an affidavit made pursuant to order 21 Rule 1 of the Civil Procedure Rules, the firm’s Chief Executive, Ken Ugbechie averred that INEC had in 2010, hired the services of the plaintiff. He said on January 19, 2010,

INEC awarded a contract to the plaintiff to inspire/generate expository news materials to sufficiently enlighten the electorate on the commission’s activities to ensure a hitch-free 2011 General Election. Ugbechie said they diligently executed the contract worth N7.5 million, which was verified by officers of INEC but the commission was yet to pay the media outfit.

N oil well construction engineer, Femi Omotayo, yesterday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that he has offered to settle his indebtedness to Sterling Bank Plc out of court. Omotayo was said to have offered N250 million settlement to the bank though the it’s lawyer, Kunle Ogunba (SAN). But the lawyer told the Justice James Tsoho that he was not aware of the offer. Ogunba urged the court to adjourn so that parties can explore an out of court settlement. “I’m not against the case being adjourned so that we can continue to interrogate the settlement,” Ogunba said. Sterling Bank had asked the court to declare Omotayo bankrupt for allegedly owing it about N584million. Joined as debtors along with Omotayo in the petition dated July 25, last year, are A.O.S International (Oil and Gas) Ltd and A.O.S Orwell Ltd. In the suit Omotayo was said to be the Managing Director and a majority shareholder in A.O.S Orwell Limited which emerged from a merger with A.O.S International (Oil and Gas) Limited. He was said to have been the personal guarantor for the loan which was applied for and granted to QED International (Oil and Gas) Nigeria Limited in 2006. The bank had claimed that despite the extensions and restructuring of the facilities, Omotayo “failed, refused and/or neglected to liquidate his indebtedness to the creditor/applicant”. Accompanying the petition is an application for interlocutory order to appoint a nominee “as it might deem fit or desirable or alternatively the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court” to take charge of the respondents’ assets. The bank also sought an order of preservative injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from transferring or tampering or dissipating their assets, which are mainly landed properties located at 1, Fola Jinadu Crescent, Gbagada, Phase 1, Lagos; 58, Raymond Njoku Street, South West Ikoyi, Lagos; 17/19 Bolaji Banwo Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos and 34A, Warehouse Road Apapa, Lagos. Justice Tsoho, after listening to the parties, adjourned till April 29 for a report of settlement.

Your Sexual Health & You: Novelty Tips, Questions & Answers I need your advice. I have been suffering from herpes for a few years now and each time I think it has been cured, it will come back again. I am finally in a wonderful relationship with a woman that I want to marry and I desperately need a cure. She does not know that I have Herpes because I don’t want to scare her and drive her away but I don’t want her to contact it either. Right now, we use condom during intercourse. Please what do I do? Sam Dear Sam, it is actually a good thing that you are concerned about your fiancée contacting this disease. Unfortunately, the Herpes Simplex Virus (type 1 and 2) has no cure. The reason it has no cure is that the virus bonds with the nervous system within your spinal cord in a manner that is almost impossible to eliminate. The only good news about your situation is that herpes will not kill you. It is just a nuisance of a disease that manifests in the form of one or two blisters around your mouth or genitals and is very itchy. A Herpes outbreak comes and goes every few months and there are medications that you can take to suppress the frequency of the outbreaks and treat the blisters when they come, such as Valtrex, Famvir and Acyclovir. You also need to know that herpes can be transmitted through other means apart from sexual intercourse. Any form of skin to skin contact when you are having an outbreak is enough to infect someone. Simply put, if you shake someone’s hand, especially with sweaty palms during an outbreak, you can give the person Herpes. That is why one in every six people you meet has Herpes. Many people who have it don’t even know that they have it because not everybody has the cold sores or blisters symptoms during an outbreak. My advice is to tell your fiancée the truth. It is likely she already has the herpes virus anyway because it can also be contacted through kissing. Both of you can live very normal lives even with herpes and as time goes on, the frequency of your outbreaks will reduce to

once or twice a year with the occasional blister or itching– Uche I have diabetes and it has killed my sex life. My erection is so soft that penetration is impossible. I am still a young man with a young wife. I need your help. Thank you – Sola Sorry about that. Often it is the medication for the diabetes that weakens the erection.However, there is hope. Some erection supplements can be taken by diabetics an example of which is the Exploding Thunder supplement.Exploding Thunderrestores your erections and enables you perform better than ever – Uche I am 59.I had surgery three years ago. Since then, I have not been able to get an erection. I have tried all kinds of medication and taken Viagra but nothing has worked. Can you help? – Frank Frank that is unfortunate.If Viagra did not work for you, I wouldn’t recommend wasting money on more supplements. I suggest wearing an artificial penis for intercourse instead. It is called a Penile Extension and it comes in sizes of six, eight and ten inches. Penile Extensions are realistic looking, firm like a real erection and will help you fulfil your marital obligations to your wife. Sorry and good luck – Uche I have a penis like a five year old. Is there any kind of enlargement that can help? Samuel Samuelcombineregular penis enlargement exercises (with the Penis Enlargement Pump) and an enlargement supplement like Big Bam Boo. Do this every day and within months of constant use, you will notice some impressive growth– Uche The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08191978308 or 08027901621 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

FOREIGN NEWS

China urges Malaysia to intensify search for flight MH370

HINA has urged Malaysia to “step up its efforts” in the search for the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane that disappeared on Saturday. A massive search and rescue operation involving nine countries has found no trace of the plane or the 239 people on board - most of whom were Chinese. The authorities are further expanding the search areas in the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea.

Flight MH370 vanished from radar en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Relatives of the missing passengers have been told to prepare for the worst. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang had earlier urged the Malaysian authorities to sharpen its search efforts. “We have a responsibility to demand and urge the Malaysian side to step up search efforts, start an investigation as soon as possible and provide relevant in-

formation to China correctly and in a timely manner,” he said. Patience appears to be wearing thin in the search for the missing aeroplane, says the BBC’s Celia Hatton in Beijing. The Malaysian authorities are attempting to address Chinese concerns - they have reissued a pledge to fly worried family members to Kuala Lumpur so they can be closer to the search efforts, our correspondent adds. But one victim’s relative - Guo Qishun, whose son-in-law was

on the plane - said he did not see the point of flying to Malaysia. “If we go to Malaysia, we can do nothing but wait, just like we are doing in Beijing now. If we go to Malaysia, who can we rely on? Most of us don’t speak English,” he told the Associated Press news agency. Earlier, the Malaysian authorities said they had identified one of the two men travelling on the missing plane on stolen passports. Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar

LENTEN MESSAGE Theme: Be loosed and make progress

NYBODY who desires to traverse this world successfully needs to tread with high spiritual caution as the Bible attests to it that the world is filled with darkness, cruelty and wickedness. In view of this,the Bible encourages us to have respect unto the covenant ( Psalm 74:20) and put on the whole armor of God to be able to withstand and stand against the machinations of powers of darkness ( Ephesians 6:10-13). God created donkeys for instance, to be used as means of transportation of people and property from one location to another. It is apt to state however that it is not every creature that live to fulfill divine purpose because there are agents of darkness with assignment to steal, kill and destroy God’s plans for His creatures ( John 10:10a). The ass in our text suffered the same fate

Text: “........ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.”. Mark 11:2 By The Revd. Henry O. Adelegan

as no man has ever rode on her from infancy to adulthood. It was so bad to the extent that she even made a baby in that state of dependency and captivity. Her captors tied her to a place where two ways met, hindered her movements and frustrated her purpose. From a very far distance, Jesus Christ spotted her and commanded that His disciples should go and loose her, with a word of caution that if her captors attempted to resist them, they should let them know that “The Lord has need of it”. With these words spoken, the arresting powers released and allowed her go.

That same day, she fulfilled her purpose, carried the King of Kings and became a celebrity in Jerusalem. Beloved, it does not matter for how long you have been trying to make a headway in life and to no avail or discovered that some forces have hindered your movement and prohibited you from being somebody in life, the moment you genuinely surrender your life to Jesus Christ, your story will change like the ass that was tied and released. He will take the driver’s seat of your life and navigate you to your Promised Land. As you turn to Jesus Christ during this Lenten season, He will locate and deliver you from whatever road junction

Continued on page 2

procedures and clean up the voter register”, so that Ekiti could have a credible election on June 21. Director-General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation Bimbo Daramola said the exercise showed that INEC did not overcome past errors. Daramola said: “While some would say it is normal to expect criticisms from the Fayemi

camp, it is obvious that there were lapses in the exercise, which make one wonder if INEC was prepared for it. “I attended INEC stakeholders’ session, which was presided over by the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and one of the things he said actually came into play. For example, the impression I came off with at the meeting was that the number of cards that would

A •Revd Adelegan

you are being tied, set you at liberty, realign you with purpose, change your story and make you a celebrity in your family, office, church and town in the name of Jesus. Prayers: Oh Lord, I surrender my life to you, forgive my sins dear Lord, I acknowledge you as my Lord and Savior, pay attention to my life during this Lenten season, deliver me from every evil injunction and cause my life to move forward in Jesus’ name.

be available would reflect the number of people posted on the voter register. But, it turned out not to be so. “I imagined that everyone whose name makes it into the register would have a complementary PVC, but that was not so. I cannot help asking if Jega was aware of steps to be taken before the date to avoid mistakes as have been noticed?”

2015: Jega defends INEC’s two-day election time table Continued on page 2

“and compares with any voter register in the world”. Eligible voters in all the states, he said, would get their permanent voter cards (PVCs) before the 2015 elections. The PVCs, he said, were being distributed in Ekiti and Osun states where governorship elections will hold on June 21 and August 9.

Jega promised that there would not be a repeat of the Anambra State governorship election fiasco in Ekiti and Osun, saying the crisis was caused by the wrong distribution of the customised result sheets in Idemili North Local Government Area. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been threatening to reject the voter’s register

which INEC wants to use for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states and for the 2015 general elections. The party’s interim national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, told reporters at Ila-Orangun, his Osun State home town at the weekend, after collecting his permanent voter’s card that INEC’s records had been manipulated.

He described his experience in Ila-Orangun as “very uncomfortable” because of so many “irregularities”. Akande said though he collected his card with ease, the story was different for many others, who had registered in 2011 but could not find their names in the register. Many people found their names appearing twice, according to him.

2015: PDP to decide if contest will be open Continued on page 2

rial District belonged in the 2015 power tussle. He described Uyo as a special senatorial district. The governor spoke during the on-going town hall meeting of the Etinan Federal Constituency in Etinan council, Akwa Ibom state. The governor said if Uyo Senatorial District does not contest in the primaries of the PDP, Uyo will contest in the opposition party. Akpabio said: “In 2015, if PDP were to speak in clear conscience, it can no longer say that two senatorial districts are going to contest. By 1999 till 2015, two senatorial

districts have tasted power. “Uyo Senatorial District under former Governor Victor Attah. Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district under Governor Godswill Akpabio. The only senatorial district left is Eket Senatorial District, therefore the party will speak. “If the party wants to open it up for the three senatorial districts so be it. Even in 2007 it was still open to the whole state. The main opposition that I had was from Uyo. Uyo is very enlightened. It is the capital of Akwa Ibom. “Even if we go 2015, if the candidate of the state is not from Uyo senatorial district, the next person from the op-

position will be from Uyo. I hope you know that. Uyo cannot fail to contest election. It is a fact. This one that Senator Effiong Bob is asking where is Uyo, Uyo knows that it will contest election. “Whether you like it or not Uyo will contest. If Uyo does not contest the primaries of the PDP, Uyo will contest in the opposition. Even the opposition leader if we had any today, is he not from Uyo? The reality is that Uyo is too important and nobody can ignore Uyo. Uyo will never be left out of government. At what stage can you leave Uyo out?” Akpabio explained that af-

taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Azharuddin Abdul Rahman: "All security protocols have been complied with" Commander William Marks from the US Seventh Fleet, which is taking part in the search, said he expected the plane's flight recorders to be floating in the water. He said the recorders, also known as "black boxes", were fitted with radio beacons that can be picked up by radar. Despite a wide search, radar had not so far picked up any signals, he said. None of the debris and oil slicks spotted in the water so far have proven to be linked to the disappearance.

Syria Rebels free kidnapped nuns

NEWS Civil Society groups score election agency low “Party agents interfered with the registration process under the guise that one youth corps member assigned to a unit cannot singlehandedly attend to the hundreds of people on the queue and this is not good for our democracy, considering the experiences of the past.” The civil society groups urged INEC to “fine tune electoral

said they could not reveal his identity, but confirmed the man was not Malaysian. International police agency Interpol has confirmed the passengers were travelling with Italian and Austrian passports stolen in Thailand years ago. At a news conference on Monday, Malaysia's civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the two men were "not Asian-looking men". He insisted that all security protocols had been complied with before the plane took off. Experts say the presence of two passengers with stolen passports is a breach of security, but is relatively common in the region and could relate to illegal migration. Some 40 ships and 34 aircraft from nine different nations are

ter the town hall meeting, the stakeholders and elders of the state will sit and decide on how to zone positions. His words: “After this town hall meeting, the next thing we will do is to sit down as stakeholders and elders and attempt to zone positions so that when we bring it out you will know that if this person takes governorship, another person takes deputy governor. “Those who are going to be aspirants must sign the MoU that this sharing formula approved by the circus of our party is what they will adhere to then immediately after that we will make our pronouncement.”

GROUP of Greek Orthodox nuns held for three months by rebels in Syria after being taken from their convent in Maaloula have arrived back in Damascus. The nuns were brought to the Lebanese border town of Arsal early yesterday where they were handed over to Lebanese officials and then driven to Syria. They said they were tired, but that they had been mostly well treated. They were freed as part of a prisoner exchange involving some 150 women and children held by the Syrian government. The deal was negotiated by officials from Qatar and Lebanon. The release of the nuns took several hours more than expected, and at one point the deal appeared on the verge of collapse. General Abbas Ibrahim, the director of Lebanon's General Security agency who played a key role in mediating the deal, said the kidnappers tried to secure better terms at the last minute. He said he ordered the officers in charge of receiving the nuns to walk away when the captors demanded more prisoners than the agreed 150 be set free. "I knew they'd call back," he told journalists gathered in Jdeidet Yaboos. The nuns and their attendants, exhausted but apparently well after their ordeal, were brought through a rebel border crossing to Arsal, a town the north-eastern Bekaa Valley, early yesterday.

‘We’ll resist fuel price hike’ Continued on page 2

of the product and long hours at fuel stations have clearly slowed down productivity and its attendant effect on service delivery and production within the economy. According to the NLC, while importers claim the unnecessary delay in obtaining import approvals from the Federal Government, which enable them import the products early enough to meet up with public demands, is the cause of the scarcity; the NNPC insists the products are available, but the marketers are hoarding products to deliberately increase prices. The congress said that the recent announcement by the NNPC that it has supplied 50 million litres of fuel to marketers and intensified its monitoring exercise to check hoarding of the product has not ameliorated, but heightened the suffering of Nigerians as prices have continued to skyrocket with a litre of fuel selling between N500 – N800 in the parallel market. The NLC said that it was bad enough that Nigeria was importing products it produces, and scandalous that the government had not fixed the rot in the petroleum industry despite promises publicly made by successive administrations between 1999 and now. Omar said: “We believe the government can do better by immediately bringing supplies of these products to its normal status because the economy may be halted soon, should the scarcity continue.” The persistent fuel scarcity has taken its toll on the residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as transport fare has increased by between 50 and 100 per cent.

A correspondent the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who went round some parts of Abuja reports that worst hit are civil servants and traders who waited endlessly at their various bus stops without much hope of getting vehicles. Motorists, who managed to get the product after several hours of queuing at fuel stations, transferred the burden on passengers by charging almost double the normal fare. Mr Yusuf Yahaya, a civil servant, who lives in Lugbe on Airport Road, said he suffered at the bus stop while coming to work on yesterday morning. Yahaya said he spent several hours before getting a vehicle and the driver charged him N150 for a distance that previously went for N100. “Can you imagine how long I waited at the bus top this morning without getting any vehicle, but because I have to get to work at all cost, I paid the extra unbudgeted fare. “The situation is becoming worrisome and I think the authorities need to rise to the challenge before it is hijacked by the perceived enemies of the nation,” he said. Miss Salamatu Biu, another civil servant, said that she had been paying more than the normal fare to get to work since the fuel scarcity started. “I used to pay between N300 and N400 to get to the office before, but now there is no day I pay less than N600 per drop from my house to the office, which means I spend N1,200 daily on transportation,” she said. Mrs Patience Ojo said the fare from Nyanya to Maraba to the city centre, which used to cost between N100 and N150 had increased to between N200 and N300, depending on the destination.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

SPORT EXTRA Dangote to redeem Eagles’ $1m pledge

FRICA’S richest man Aliko Dangote is set to fulfill his promise to reward Nigeria’s team with $1m for winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. After a public appeal by Super Eagles’ captain Vincent Enyeama, it seems Dangote is about to come good. He told BBC Sport: “We’ve been waiting for Nigerian officials to collect the money but nobody has written to us. “We will write to them, asking for the account numbers of the players, then we’ll make the transfer immediately.” Dangote, who is group president and chief executive officer of the Dangote Group, is reputed to be Africa’s richest man. Earlier this month he became the first African to be listed in the top 25 of Forbes magazine’s annual ranking of global billionaires, with a net worth of $25bn. His wealth has been accumulated from a business

empire that he founded in 1977 and now includes the number one sugar production company in Nigeria, a cement factory and textile products. Dangote added that “the money was promised through the presidency [during a state dinner last February]” and he had been waiting to be approached about the pledge.

The delay led to a public appeal by Nigeria’s goalkeeper Enyeama, who said: “It was just a reminder to patriots who are very busy and may not have been prompted after they made their pledges. “The players are determined to bring more honours to fatherland at the forthcoming World Cup.”

•Super Eagles players celebrate with trophy after winning the 2013 AFCON in South Africa

NSC targets N20.5m revenue generation for 2014 •House Committee showers encomiums on Elegbeleye

HE National Sports Commission (NSC), is targeting is targeting a revenue generation of N20.5 million at the end of 2014 fiscal year. The Commission had visited the House of Representatives Committee on Sports to defend the Budget for the 2014 Fiscal year but was asked to take a bow after eulogising him. Elegbeleye had told the House Committee on Sports that the targeted fund would come from the use of main bowl, car parks, staff canteen, handball court, shops and

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja kiosks, swimming pools and use of open space. The document submitted by the NSC revealed that while the ministry raked in N12.225 million revenue in 2013 from the same sources, it has an 82.7 per cent projection in 2014. Also against the insistent of the upper chambers of the Senate, the members of the Representatives Sports Committee have unanimously told the Director General of the Commission, Hon. Gbenga

200 players for 2014 FOSLA Academy Football Scholarship Scheme

VER 200 players from the six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) will compete for the 2014 FOSLA Academy Football Scholarship program. The annual football program which is sponsored by the former NFF President Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, will be held at the Academy’s playing ground in Karshi, Abuja. According to the Acting Chairman of the Academy Dr. John Ogbadu, the program which is aimed at picking the naturally endowed players from the FCT will hold between 4th and 5th April, 2014. According to him, “the players must be below the ages of 13 years and must be in Primary 5 or 6. They are expected to commence their academic activities with other fee-paying students next academic session”. The chairman further said “it would interest you to know that FOSLA Academy remains the only privately owned secondary school in Nigeria that has football embedded in its curriculum. Our curriculum is tailored in accordance with the National Policy of Education. Our school is also open to other students who may not want to play football, but wish to concentrate on their academic pursuit. We also accept students whose parents will want them to be taught the rudiments of the game of football, while combining it with their academics. We provide the best of facilities for all these. Our school has

From Andrew Abah, Abuja been rated highly by the FCT Education Board as one with international standard”. He said that the six Area Councils of FCT are expected to present a team. He said only the ten best players would be selected at the end of the program “the teams would play a tournament where the best players would be selected. “We would have some prominent coaches on ground to do the selection, while those that could not make it, would be encouraged to enter the school as fee-paying students.”

Elegbeleye, to take a bow as a former member of the committee. House Committee members had showered encomiums on the NSC DG, describing his appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan as a round peg in a round hole, just as they attributed the successes recorded in sports to his performance. First to speak after the DG had finished presenting the annual appropriation for the Commission, a member from Imo State, Hon. Alphonus Gerald Ilonta, had moved motion for the committee to simply allow the DG, ‘not to take a bow but to walk away’. “Interestingly, this is the first time we are meeting with the Hon Elegbeleye since his appointment by Mr President. The achievements recorded in sports since his assumption of office are indications that he is the right person for the job. “He has distinguished himself and we should be proud of him. In view of this, I want to move the motion for this committee to tell the DG not to take a bow but to walk away. I want to base my motion on the fact that having been on this side previously, he knows what to do and how to do it to take Nigerian sports to the next level,” he noted.

Red House wins Fortlad’s 8th Inter-House Sport

ED House emerged the overall winner of the eighth edition of Fortlad Private School interhouse sports held at the Mushin Sports Centre on Monday. The house clinched seven gold, four silver and eight bronze medals. Yellow House placed a distant second position with five gold, six silver and three bronze medals, while Blue House claimed third with three gold, six silver and two bronze medals. Green House settled for three gold, two silver and five bronze medals to place fourth. The competition also produced other races such as sack, parents and school officials’ competitions as well as 4x100m relay races by invited schools. Winners were

By Israel Odebiyi, Israel Sodipo, Oderinde Kudirat awarded trophies and medals at the end of the sports competition. In the Primary arm of the school, Blue House carted home 5 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze medals to emerge the best House for the day. Green was first runner up with 5 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals. Yellow House had to make do with third place after garnering 5 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals while Orange House could only manage 4 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals. After the competition, the proprietress of the school, Mrs Susan Omosule, advised parents to allow their children participate in sporting events.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.9

NO.2,784

TODAY IN THE NATION ‘‘Can you think of the national parliament that has had nearly the whole of 15 years to tinker with the awesome fiscal powers of the federal leviathan but did nothing suddenly finding the good sense in taming own unbridled appetite and that of the executive?’ SANYA ONI

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

R Goodluck Jonathan’s National Conference may yet re-shape Nigeria and define Nigerian-ness in ways that not even the most fervent protagonists of restructuring could have contemplated. But on the strength of how the conveners have gone about recruiting delegates, there is much cause to doubt whether it will change the existing order in any significant way. Advertised as a forum for addressing the National Question, the Conference was not going to be a desultory parody, the type staged by Sani Abacha, of frightful memory, to bury “June 12” and buy legitimacy for his murderous regime, and by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was widely believed to have confected it as a back-door route to a third term prohibited by the Constitution. Instead, the gathering was going to discuss, if not re-negotiate, the fundamental basis of Nigeria’s political existence, the sharing of power and management of national resources in terms of access, control, and distribution. Where the motley assemblies convened by Abacha and Obasanjo could only tiptoe around those issues on which discussion was not entirely foreclosed, representatives of Nigeria’s federating units, would at the Jonathan Conference engage in a wise, robust and uninhibited discussion to resolve, once and for all, the National Question. That, at any rate, was how Dr Jonathan sold the idea to the public. The pitch was a volte face for which nothing had prepared the public, and it was rendered all the more suspect by the timing. How do you convene a National Conference on the eve, literally, of a General Election, with the ruling party in disarray, in the face of an insurgency that has made a vast stretch of Northeastern Nigeria ungovernable, and an economy in which more growth has been translating into greater popular misery? Was the whole thing not a distraction? Could a new arrangement be designed in three months? Many thoughtful persons across the country who had for decades been demanding a National Conference embraced the proposal enthusiastically. To them, here was a chance, at last, to fix Nigeria and nudge it firmly and irreversibly into the place for which nature has so richly endowed it. There were also the usual careerists who saw the whole thing as an opportunity to bask in the glow of the Conference and more importantly pick up a good slice of the N7 billion voted for Helpful as always in such matters, the news media quickly figured it out that each delegate stood to take home some N4 million. That opened the floodgates for lobbying and influence-peddling. The list of delegates released last week represents both groups —those genuinely seeking significant if not radical change, and

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

Preface to the National Conference

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•Conference Chairman Justice Idris Kutigi

those with an eye on the main chance, plus more than a sprinkling of candidates handpicked by the Federal Government using a formula that is nothing less than a perversion of a “gathering of the tribes” demanded by protagonists of the National Conference and promised by Dr Jonathan. Learned societies like the Nigeria Academy of Science and professional bodies like the Nigeria Union of Journalists have suddenly been conferred with the status of “federating units.” Nor is it always clear how the delegates for many of the constituencies identified on the list were chosen. Take, an example, the two individuals who have been named to represent expatriate Nigerians in the United States, among whom I have counted myself for the past 16 years. I do not know them, and if any meeting was held at which they were voted to represent us, I was given no notification. I have inquired from fellow expatriate Ni-

RIPPLES POOR CEMENT USE, OTHERS CAUSE BUILDING COLLAPSE–News

Yes, ONE BAG OF CEMENT to ONE TRUCK OF SAND

How do you convene a National Conference on the eve, literally, of a General Election, with the ruling party in disarray, in the face of an insurgency that has made a vast stretch of Northeastern Nigeria ungovernable, and an economy in which more growth has been translating into greater popular misery?

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gerians living in the continental United States, from the Atlantic Northeast to the Pacific Northwest, and from the Florida panhandle to Sacramento, and their story is the same. They do not know the individuals, and had played no part in their selection. The very idea of designating some persons to represent expatriate Nigerians in America or Europe or Asia or Australia is grounded on the misapprehension that they are organised into a body that can speak and act for them. There are no such bodies. The authorities in Abuja know that but still went ahead with their accustomed fudging to pick “delegates” for them. The bodies that are best placed to address the National Question are the accredited delegates representing the 36 states and Abuja FCT, the so-called geopolitical zones, ethnic

HARDBALL

VERY Nigerian adult must be conversant with the Ogbanje (Abiku) mythology in Nigeria’s traditional religion. Ogbanje is the (evil) spirit child whose intention of coming to the world is to bring pains and sorrow to his parents. How does he do this? Simple: No sooner is he born than he dies. But he would not be such a baleful augury if he remained dead; no, Abiku is a wanderer, a tormentor who goes and comes at will as if death is but a stroll in the park. Ogbanje, the brief sojourner would return again and again until he is stopped. Hardball obviously has been triggered into mythology by a strange event that happened last Saturday. President Goodluck Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clan had hit Minna, Niger State, for a rally and after the show it was time for the president to fly back to Abuja; the president and his entourage had boarded and were ready for take off. But behold, the engine Air Force One, our presidential jet, would not crack. The ‘return engine would not pick’, someone offered. After a frustratingly long period of fiddling by technicians the big bird would not budge. The president had to fly the vice president’s jet while the VP was given

When an engine refuses to return a ride by the senate president. You must have seen the Abiku connection now: the engine of the president’s number one jet refused to return to base after an outing; Air Force One refused to return home, it chose to sleep out on the tarmac of a lonely little airport. Hmm, rather ominous but coming on the back of a horrendous air mishap in far away Malaysia, we say rather the jet refused to crack than it stopped running mid air (Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 with 239 people on board disappeared on Saturday and was yet to be found as at yesterday. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims). Even as we rejoice and raise praises to heaven that a divine force must have intervened to avert a presidential air mishap, few questions puzzle the mind of Hardball and Nigerians of course. One: is it feasible that a jet would fly from Abuja to Minna, a nextdoor city that would have been more con-

nationalities and socio cultural organisations, traditional institutions, and of various faiths. But in an effort to create the illusion of democratic participation, delegate selection has been fragmented in ways that have no bearing on the National Question, the main issue before the National Conference. As far as I know, the National Question has never been a central concern of the International Federation of Women Lawyers. Yet it has been assigned two delegates – the same number as the recognised political parties with millions of card-carrying members. Former legislators and governors and chairmen of local government councils could easily have been accommodated as delegates of zones, ethnic nationalities, geopolitical zones, or political parties. But they have been assigned separate quotas of delegates, as have retired senior military, police, and national security officials. The 17 “statesmen” handpicked by the Federal Government to serve as delegates could also have been selected by their ethnic nationalities, states, or zones. And you have to wonder how they arrived at a quota of six delegates to represent people living with disabilities, and how the six were selected, to say nothing about whether they have a position on the National Question. This fragmentation, plus the packing of the Conference with handpicked delegates supposedly representing interests that are hardly critical to fruitful discussion of the National Question, can only constrain the room for the consensus that should, according to the Conference’s rules of procedure, undergird decision-making. In the absence of consensus, the rules stipulate that decisions taken by the Conference must be backed by 75 percent of the 492 delegates. It so happens that there are more than enough handpicked delegates answering to the Presidency or to no coherent constituency who can be counted upon to supply the 25 percent of votes required to block resolutions. Is this the product of design or just pure coincidence? A good many of the handpicked delegates and those going in on quotas assigned to all kinds of fringe associations have been around for so long in public life and contributed in measures large and small to our present grief. To them, the system is not broken. It has served them well. So, why fix it? Given this arrangement, one can hardly blame those in the attentive audience – or stakeholders, to employ the stultifying Nigerian locution – who believe tenaciously that at the end of the National Conference, the National Question will remain largely unresolved. •For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above veniently accessed by road? Two: it was speculated that “high temperature affected the engine of the aircraft” as the weather in Niger State was very hot. The speculation went on that only Air Force One and not the other planes on the trip were affected by the excessive heat because the premium jet is ‘more digitalised’, if you understand what that means. Is it plausible that an aircraft at rest would have its engine ‘overheated’? What would happen to the engine if the aircraft was on long haul journey and firing away at 8000 kilometers per hour? Three: this is a N9 billion jet that is only about five years old. Our Air Force One suffered what Nigerian roadside mechanics call ‘hard-starting’ regardless that about N48 billion has been devoted to the 11 high-end jets in the presidential fleet in the last four years. In the current budget, N4.91 billion has been set aside for the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) out of which N1.52 billion is allocated for solely for aircraft maintenance. There is another N747 million set aside for the PAF aircraft fuelling. Having blessed our president with 11 luxury jets and with the multi- billion naira pampering of the PAF, we beg to be spared any ogbanje story.

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