The Nation Mar 30, 2014 by The Nation

Newspaper of the Year

Ekiti PDP crisis: 13 aspirants pick Aluko as guber candidate –Page 5

Nigerians must defend their votes in 2015 –Tinubu –Page 4

Confab delegates plot to defy Presidency –Page 6

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Vol.08, No. 2803

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

SUNDAY

MARCH 30, 2014

N200.00

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the colloquium to mark his 62 birthday yesterday in Lagos. Middle, cutting the cake. They are flanked from left by Lagos State Deputy Governor, Adejoke Adefulire, former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Femi Pedro, Seyi Tinubu, others are Bishop Adebola Ademowo, in red robe, former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. From right are Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Senator Chris Ngige, Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Olufunso, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and APC National Chairman, Chief Adebisi Akande. Photo: MUYIWA HASSAN

INSECURITY

Blame govs not me, says Jonathan ABDUSALAMI ABUBAKAR –Pages 4 & 5

‘What’s happening in Nigeria now is –Pages IBADAN CLERIC CAUGHT SLITTING WOMAN’S THROAT mind-boggling’ 40 & 41 External forces arming Boko Haram –President Vows to reclaim Borno, Yobe, Adamawa in 2015

–Page 5

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

2 PAGE

CAPTURED

Outrage over Brazil rape poll

N Brazil, the land of mini bikinis and voluptuous carnival dancers, most people say a woman who shows off her body deserves to be raped, according to a poll that has triggered outrage. Of the 3,810 respondents of both sexes who responded to the government's Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) survey released this week, about 2,480 65 percent justified raping women who wear “clothing that shows off the body.” And 58.5 percent of respondents also agreed that “if women knew how to behave, there would be fewer rapes.” Most of the May-June poll's respondents 66.5 percent were women. Brazilian women and some men, too promptly reacted angrily on blogs and social media to the study's findings.

Close shave A petrol tanker fell on two vehicles spilling all its contents on the Iyana Isolo bridge, Lagos early Saturday morning. Luckily, the fuel did not ignite and there were no reports of causalities. Photo: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.

BAROMETER sunday@thenationonlineng.net

National Conference's fissuring tendencies

T is not clear how the chairman of the national conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, will resolve the contentious and foundational issues punctuating confab deliberations, but there is little ambiguity where the conference appears headed, and what kind of rabble-rousing and philippics the delegates are themselves capable of. There will be thunderous reasons for disagreements in the near future, when the conference gets

properly underway, but for now, the disagreement centres improbably on the issue of voting method, whether it should be by three-quarter majority as directed by the president when he inaugurated the conference, or by twothirds majority as constitutional purists thought realistic and reasonable. The choices seem to have hardened roughly along regional lines of North and South, obviously indicating differing political cultures and regional suspicions. It may be too early for opponents of the conference to feel justified that their misgivings are beginning to manifest disagreeably, especially considering how stridently they had warned that the conference was both misjudged and mistimed, and Presi-

dent Goodluck Jonathan himself motivated by ignoble and prehensile goals. But given the hardening of views and positions, much of these dating back to the politics and cultures of the First Republic, it is indeed difficult to see signs of amelioration in the immediate future. Justice Kutigi will be hard put to rein in contrasting and conflicting views from the regions, some of which are expressed alarmingly along ethnic, militia and religious lines. Indeed, Justice Kutigi himself was the first to sail near the wind when Tunde Bakare, activist Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly church, took him up on his idiosyncratic manner of lacing his opening remarks with religious invocations. There are no reports of whether the Justice was

irritated or whether he took Pastor Bakare's intervention gamely. But it was right after that that the voting method brouhaha broke out, for which the rules of voting whether by consensus, three-quarter or two-thirds proved ironically incapable of resolving. Forty-nine wise men, whom some have dubbed supermen, have been assembled to help cut the Gordian knot, though not without the unhelpful hint by some cynical observers that the 'wise men' were united more by their age and jaded ideas than by any endowment of wisdom. Some even went as far as describing the 49 as participant wreckers of the earlier republics. Barometer won't venture into psychology whether psychology of politics or political psychology. If conference leaders feel the 49 are wise and will deliver on the assignment, Barometer is prepared and willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. By far the most portentous event in the conference last week, if not quite the most poignant, is

Between Gani Adams and Naseer Kura

ANI Adams, a leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) is, I think, Jonathan's appointee to the national conference on the platform of the Southwest Geopolitical zone, while Naseer Kura of the Basic Rights Action, Kano, is a delegate on the platform of Civil Society groups. In a short, inconspicuous story published by this newspaper last Wednesday, the two men dared each other; or more accurately, Mr Adams chided and dared Mallam Kura for being obstreperous. Mallam Kura, it was reported, had gone to extraordinary lengths to be heard, struggling for the microphone and shouting on top of his

voice, but he was still unsuccessful. When some delegates failed to mollify Mallam Kura's rage, Mr Adams, exhibiting his essential, sometimes unflattering self, dared him to do his worst. That brief eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation caused a hullaballoo. Now, tempers will flare intermittently in the packed National Judicial Council (NJC) auditorium of the conference, and be lost now and again resulting in perhaps very unseemly melee, but the public will carefully examine the delegates as a way of weighing the wisdom or otherwise of those who nominated or appointed them to the conference. Already, given the personalities

of scores of the delegates, and in the light of their contributions so far, not to talk of their provocative gestures, it is hard not to feel depressed by the appalling depth to which the country has sunk. No rational person fairly conversant with Nigerian history can fail to notice the huge difference between the patriotism, realism and sobriety of previous conferences on Nigeria, especially those held before independence, and the frivolity of the ongoing conference. Given the decline in quality of leadership, is it a surprise that the list of delegates is of such worrisome complexion and stature?

the calculated outburst of the Lamido Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo Mustafa. Riled by what he saw as the hubristic determination of the South to change what seems a difficult and more embracing three-quarter majority voting method into a more accessible and achievable two-thirds, Dr Mustafa harshly reminded his fellow conferees that if push came to shove, his people would have a soft landing in the neighbouring Cameroun. Some have described this threat as a veiled message from the North, though former Governor of Borno State, Mohammed Goni, in his attempt to underplay Dr Mustapha's dire statements, argued that achieving consensus in the North over such a weighty matter was problematic. However, the visit to Aso Villa by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, leading other Muslims to complain of underrepresentation of Muslims in the conference, was truly indicative of underlying fissures both nationally and in the conference. The conference is just getting underway. In the coming weeks, it will be obvious that by allowing political, ethnic, religious and social divisions to harden over the decades without serious check, past and present leaders may have engendered a dangerous stalemate capable of triggering a major explosion. It also remains to be seen whether President Jonathan has not unwisely transferred responsibility for defusing this time bomb an act he could have done sensibly and calculatingly to a cacophonous mass of 492 men and women, many of them embittered by past grievances, the frustrations of age, and deep loathing for either the staid conservatism of their northern opponents or the feisty progressivism of their southern enemies.

By ADEKUNLE ADE-ADELEYE

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

COLUMN

The rise of the unemployment industry

nooping around With

Tatalo Alamu

•Immigration recruitment at Abuja stadium

ABA, Comrade Abba Moro! It seems the struggle to turn the world into one vast workers’ paradise can make one to forget how it works with a huge crowd of actually unemployed people seeking only three square meals a day. There is nowhere else in the world where the masses are packed into a constricted space like that without some massive consequences. And it is not likely that we are ever going to see a more worker unfriendly act from a comrade to prospective workers. Like every other tragedy in Nigeria, the current one also comes with its own paradox. One thing that must be of curiosity to the sociologists and political scientists of this diseased and dysfunctional nation is the rise of the unemployment industry in the country. Please permit the amazing oxymoron. Unemployment is industry. In Nigeria, catering for the jobless and fleecing them in the process is big business. This historic heist is manned by a capillary network of crooks, conmen , confidence tricksters and assorted confederates who find lucrative employment in unemployment. The higher the level of unemployment, the bigger the growth and expansion of the unemployment industry and its capacity-building for joblessness. The greater the number of our unemployed youths roaming the streets or crowding the stadia, the

EATH stalks everywhere in the land. From the far North to the deep South, the entire country has become one huge killing field. It has never been like this. The citizens are overwhelmed by death-fatigue. You never know whose number will come up next. Say goodnight to somebody and be foolish enough to assume that they would still be there in the morning. Before then, the circumstances of death seemed hazy and eerily unsettling. But while trawling the old Saturday edition of a national newspaper last weekend, Snooper was confronted by the unmistakable proof of mortality. There on page

FTER his numerous scams to get enlisted in the National Conference failed and fell with a resounding thud, Okon decided to take matters and the law directly into his own hands. As usual, he had barged in spotting the snow white uniform of a decorated butler in the services of some colonial potentate with a carved bronze walking stick to match. The old boy was quite a sight to behold. Grandstanding but with his legs barely standing under him, the crazy boy immediately opened fire. “Oga, I wan quickly reach dem yeye confab for Abuja. He get one old man I wan beat up”, the mad boy announced eyeing snooper as if he was the old man. “Really? Go ahead. I don’t think

better the prospects of the unemployment industry. This is one unique industry that thrives on de-industrialisation and the massive flight of capital. Better still, it is the industrialization of poverty and misery. Snooper has lived in many countries in the world, but has never seen where a person becomes a multi-millionaire or even a billionaire from generating and managing unemployment. But this is what is happening. At a cool one thousand naira per head, the individuals behind this heinous scam would have raked in a billion naira if there were a million job seekers. If Nigeria were to double its current unemployment production capacity, the revenues accruing can be humongous indeed. Why collect money from over seven hundred thousand applicants when the actual vacancy is just below six thousand? Most of the vacancies, in any case, would have been filled even before the multitude commit pen to paper. In this particular case, the contracted consultancy was discovered to have last filed its annual returns with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 1998. This is nothing but social cannibalism at its most hair-raising. To seek to work in the Nigerian Immigration Service has become the surest route to terminal emigration to the land of the unreturnable. While we recoil in disbelief at the recently discovered forest of horror in Ibadan where human parts are

openly stockpiled, we must also not forget stadia where the unemployed are packed like sardines before being sent summarily packing. As the Jurassic Age stares us in the face all over again, the entire country resembles one vast forest of horror. Franz Kafka would have been clucking away in his grave . There are times when actual reality in contemporary Nigeria trumps the most ghoulish and improbable of fictional creations. It was Kafka, the master craftsman of vicious and fatally entrapping bureaucracies, who once penned a short story titled, The Hunger Artist. It was about a man who turned professional teaching people how to endure hunger and manage the pangs of compulsory fasting. But let us be clear about this. There are certain professions which disgrace and dishonour humanity. Profiting from poverty, hunger, misery, want and joblessness is one of these. It is a scandalous indictment of humanity and the mental health of our society. It is even more scandalous when the offending agency is a government parastatal under the ministry that is in charge of the internal security of the nation. It calls to question the internal security architecture of the entire country. This is not a scandal that can be treated with kids’ gloves, hoping that it will go away of its own accord, like so many other scandals that have plagued this administration.

This is about our youths and the flowers of the nation. In sane and civilized climes, there would have been by now, a flurry of resignations over the tragedy that led to the death of so many of our unemployed youths. But that would be the day in Nigeria. But there is a limit to which even an anarchic society can thrive on disorder as its organizing principle. Once again, it is being rumoured that the supervising minister of the offending ministry and his accomplices are being shielded because they are protégés of a powerful functionary of the state. The official is said to have boasted that nothing on earth can touch his minions. The Jonathan administration is remarkable for its serial breach of the trust and confidence of the populace. Hence, its low esteem and the dramatic decline of its authority and legitimacy. Once again, Goodluck Jonathan is letting the opportunity slip by to lay the foundation of institutional order as the bulwark of any civilized and sane society. We have a word of honorable advice for the president. Having succeeded in pacifying and placating a substantial fraction of the elite with rustling tea leaves in Abuja, he should not add open discontent and rebellion from the margins and from the down under to his shopping list of political palavers. This is the surest and fastest route to an apocalyptic meltdown whose outcome will make Somalia a child’s play. Given the government’s celebrated incontinence, the omens in that direction are very dire indeed. The Fourth Republic has become the graveyard of institutional order in Nigeria. Before they come into their own as neutral arbiters acting with impersonal rigour, institutions require leaders of strong ethical persuasion and formidable moral stamina to guide and guard them through teething tutelage. Institutions are repeated gestures eventually routinised and burnt into human consciousness through accumulated practice. To nur-

I too knew Ogona Robert Itua 67, in an article titled Expressway to death, was the picture of Robert starring at the world with his trademark deadpan calmness. Robert was our favourite electrical miracle worker and refrigerator technician. He was very proficient and professional. He had a puckish sense of humour and abundant selfconfidence. Only once did he overreach himself when he dabbled into an area beyond his core competence. It ended in a fiasco and with Robert in hiding for quite some time. When

he finally emerged from preventive self-evaporation, he was all smiles, as if nothing had happened. Snooper quickly cut his losses at this point. On Monday February 10, Robert who also worked as a technician with Zenith Bank, was going to Ajah on the Lekki-Epe highway. While attempting to cross the road, he was knocked down by a reverend gentleman who was driving recklessly against traffic. The servant of the Lord attempted to flee but was apprehended by police. But unfortu-

nately, it was too late for Robert. He gave up the ghost in the early hours of the following day. That same morning as if by some bizarre intuition, Snooper decided to call Robert after a long absence. After the phone rang out twice, it was a lady that picked it. An even more eerie conversation ensued. “May I speak to Robert?” Snooper requested. “I need to know who is calling” the lady insisted with a calm voice. After introducing myself, there was

Okon storms the National Confab

you will live to regret it”, snooper sniggered with much mirth and malice. “I go regret to live if I no wire dem baba well well”, the crazy boy retorted as he stormed out. Two days later and by an amazing coincidence, snooper was on recce at the venue of the Confab when his attention was drawn to a commotion at the accreditation stand. Lo, it was the selfsame Okon. After being savagely frisked to the point of exhaustion, he was asked to produce his letter of accreditation. Pronto, some heavy duty recharge cards flew out of Okon’s pocket and clattered on the table. “What is this?” one of the clerks

demanded testily. “Abi na Etisalat you dey take do am?” Okon queried. The clerk flew into a rage. “Listen, where is your letter of accreditation?” he screamed at Okon. “I don tell you say if you no want dem Glo and dem MTN, I fit get Starcomms, abi dat one don pafuka sef? Dis yeye grammar no go take you reach far”, Okon insisted. At this point, an old man came forward, trying to apply the wisdom of Solomon. “Okay sir, which group are you representing?”, the old man asked Okon with the suavity of a native

healer. “I dey represent dem HAN, Houseboys Association of Nigeria”, Okon replied in a strangely subdued voice. The earlier punishment was taking its toll. The old man broke into prolonged hiccup accompanied by loud laughter. “Han ko, hun ni”, the old man jeered with tears of mirth streaming from his face. “Dem houseboys boku for dem confluence. Why you wan join dem? Dem don reach 492 sef”, another old man sneered. “So how dem come better Okon? No be dem problem we dey talk about be dis? Okay wey TAM?” Okon

ture and grow this requires leaders of deep integrity, honour and principle. Let us take an example from our next door neighbour and rival. In the era of post-military democracy, Ghana appears to have left us at the starting block. Through accumulated practice, Ghana has virtually institutionalized periodic elections as the acceptable democratic mechanism for electoral change. It has always been a close run thing, featuring all the potential fault lines of regionalism, religion and ethnicity, but sanity always prevails. On the other hand, postmilitary democracy in Nigeria has witnessed much rancor, violence, disregard for rules and conventions and much presidential delinquency. The institutional mechanism for lawful and peaceful change is deliberately famished, stymied and stultified. With an eye to his electoral fortunes, Dr Jonathan is obviously wary of moving against political appointees who give his administration such a bad name and an unsavoury reputation. In a country where ethnic heroism is better respected than ethical heroism, he can hardly be blamed. But in the end, his presidency is going to be judged by its quality rather than the length of tenure. In the long run, somebody will have to pay for the horror and stench coming from the moral collapse of the Nigerian presidency. The stampede of the unemployed youth of the country resulting in needless death requires some immediate restitution even if it is at the purely symbolic level. The circumstances of this national tragedy are so glaring and questionable that a criminal investigation for corporate manslaughter ought to have commenced. If unemployment is going to be a business, it does not require culpable homicide. And neither can the fallout be contained by business as usual panel-beating. That is known as government by default and dereliction. some silence and hesitation from the other end. “He is late”, came the terse response. “Oh no, I didn’t ask him to come”, Snooper mumbled, trying to make sense of this. “Sir, Robert died this morning. He was knocked down yesterday. I am still in the hospital”. The news struck like thunderbolt. Snooper hung on speechless. It took minutes for this to sink in. Poor Robert has been added to the grim statistics of manslaughter in what is fast becoming an axis of death for pedestrians. May his gentle and amiable soul rest in peace. demanded. “Who be Tam sef?” somebody queried. “Na dem ogbologbo professor. He no dey. He don do him own for dem Muri time” ,somebody volunteered. “You see now, yeye people!” Okon growled. “Tam be feeding and transport money. TAM be turn around maintainment. Abi if you say make I turn go back Lagos, na empty hand man go take go?” At this point, an officer in mufti who had been watching the whole drama with mounting displeasure suddenly thundered. “Arrest this man as a Boko Haram suspect!” Like an Olympics pole vault champion, Okon leapt to freedom and took to his heels.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

NEWS ASIWAJU TINUBU’S 62ND BIRTHDAY

•L-R: Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Chief Bisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

•National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to the right, at the colloquium to mark his 62 birthday yesterday in Lagos. They are flanked from the left by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Bishop Adebola Ademowo

•Muslem clerics at Asiwaju Tinubu’s 62nd birthday

Jonathan blames Northeast govs for P Boko Haram insurgency

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday turned the blamed for the raging insurgency in the Northeast on the governors in the zone. He said they, more than anyone else, should take responsibility for the reign of terror imposed by members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram on Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. Jonathan, who spoke at the Northeast zonal rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi, said it was a shame for the governors to shift the blame for the insecurity on the Federal Government. “It is shameful for a governor who has stayed in power in his state for up to six years or more to come to me and talk about bad leadership when you have youth in your state, more than half of whom have not attended primary school and you are doing nothing about it,” he said. He added: “State Gover-

that witnessed commercial kidnapping and we tackled it.” He described the situation as very sad but pledged that the federal government would do its best to redress the situation. “It is very sad what is happening in the Northeast but as a government we are working very hard to ensure that peace is brought back to the Northeast and the region’s glory will surely be restored. These challenges are only temporary,” President Goodluck said. He also promised to provide opportunities for the creation of wealth and infrastructure in the Northeast. E x p r e s s i n g appreciation that the zone is facing serious security chal-

lenges, he said government would tackle the security challenges in the country to guarantee free movement of Nigerians. “Boko Haram in the North East, kidnapping in the South South or armed robbery in the South East, we must bring them to a reasonable control,`` he said. He vowed that the PDP would reclaim Adamawa, retain Taraba and take over Borno and Yobe States. He noted that those claiming to be strong opposition in Adamawa state are only “living with one vote.” Other speakers who spoke at the rally acknowledged the insecurity in the region. The National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu,

called on aspirants in the party to go back to their villages and seek the people’s mandate, stressing that there is no God Father in PDP today. He said: “Only the God of Adam and Eve that can give you power. All our people who want to seek political officers should go back to their villages and ask the people for their mandate because the simple definition of Democracy means Power to the People by the People and for the People. So you don’t need a God father to win election in PDP today.” Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, who spoke for his colleagues, said they would deliver the zone to the PDP in next year’s elections.

‘’The entire Northeast is a PDP Zone and it will remain under the control of PDP come 2015 general elections,’’ he boasted. Yuguda praised Jonathan for initiating and completing several development projects in the zone but pleaded for the completion of the Kafin Zaki Dam in the Ganjuwa local government area of the state. Security in and around Bauchi ahead and during the rally was very tight with armed security men deployed in many parts of the city. Many roads were blocked and party supporters had a tough time accessing Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium,venue of the rally on account of the tight security. Some were molested by the security men. Some even had to leave after waiting in the scorching sun for several hours for the President who came behind schedule. He apologised for his late arrival.

woes by voting wisely next year and beyond. He said the common man is the biggest investor in Nigeria because he pays his taxes diligently “but the problem is that the common man has not realised that he is the biggest investor in the country. “ He said the story of the common man that was told at the gathering suggested that the top job in the country would be a difficult one for the person that emerges as President in 2015. Fashola said:”But the common man must decide who he wants to give the top job to. He must do so with his vote by electing those who have demonstrated that, given half a change, they would deliver. “The leader we are celebrating today comes from a humble background. He used

to live in a flat somewhere in Aguda, Surulere, Lagos, which got flooded and at a different time he was a disc jokey.” Tinubu said in his final remarks that he was looking forward to his 63rd birthday with a new government in place at the federal level next year. Present at the gathering were the Interim National Chairman of APC ,Chief Bisi Akande; former Head of State ,General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd); former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) , Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun). Others are Deputy Governor of Lagos State Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Senator

Oluremi Tinubu, Aremo Segun Osoba, Deputy Governor of Osun State, Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Segun Adesegun; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State Sarah Sosan; Deputy Governor of Imo State Eze Madumere; Interim Publicity Secretary of APC ,Alhaji Lai Mohammed; former Lagos State Commissioner for Health Leke Pitan; former Political Adviser to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Sunny Ajose; former Secretary of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) Ayo Opadokun; Senator Ajayi Borofice, Mrs. Kemi Nelson, Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), Interim Legal Adviser of APC, Muiz Banire; Chief Tajudeen Olusi, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Mrs.

Madeline Ibru, Mr. Wale Edun, Senator Gbenga Obadara, Mrs. Abba Folawiyo and Senator Abu Ibrahim, Also there were: Senator Chris Ngige, Mr. Dele Alake , Otunba Dele Ajomale, Prof. Yemi Osibajo , Hon. Rafeequat Onabamiro, Mr. Sam Omatseye, Senator Oloruninbe Mamora, Chief Wale Oshun, Prof. Pat Utomi, Chief Razak Okoya, Mr. Femi Falana, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Elder James Odunbaku, Commissioner of Environment Tunji Bello, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Dele Momodu, Hon. Abike Dabiri, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Commissioner for Information Lagos State Lateef Ibirogba, Mrs. Funso Amosun, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Prof. Adebayo Williams,

•No godfather in PDP, says Mauzu

From Duku Joel/ Austine Tsenzunghul,Bauchi

nors should be ashamed when our children do not go to primary and secondary schools and they decide to carry arms. “We had insecurity challenges in Bayelsa when I was deputy governor and later governor and we handled them. It is not the duty of the Federal Government to send children to Primary and Secondary schools but it is the constitutional right of the Federal Government to make sure children attend tertiary institutions which we have done. “How can you allow hungry youths to just go out and start killing people? Bayelsa was the first state in Nigeria

Nigerians must defend their votes in 2015 - Tinubu

ATIONAL leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday asked Nigerians to use their votes to determine their fate beyond 2015. He said it is only through the democratic process that they can effect a change. Speaking during the 6th annual Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos, the former Lagos State governor said that the generality of Nigerians should be ready to vote and defend their votes next year if they want break the shackle of poverty once and for all. “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is shameless. The number of years they have governed is meaningless to them but the votes they can steal matter to them most,” he said.

By Raymond Mordi, Leke Salaudeen and Musa Odoshimokhe

Tinubu went on: “They can’t account for the $20 billion; they keep dodging the question over the missing oil money. There is no story about the stolen money, they should account for the money. “They steal public fund; they can’t account for it; they steal from pensioners. It is a shame.” Also speaking at the colloquium which took place under the theme, The summit of the common man, Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, said ordinary Nigerians should recognise that they are the biggest stakeholders in the country. He challenged them to lead the way in getting the country out of its present

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is convinced that external forces are arming the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, in its insurgency in the north. He said yesterday in Abuja that ordinarily the sect members whether as a group or as individuals lack the wherewithal to buy the sophisticated weapons they are using in terrorising people especially in Adamawa,Borno and Yobe States. “When you look at the characters that carry the weapons in the turbulent areas including the northern part of my country, you see a young person carrying an AK-47 rifle that is approximately more than $1,000 but the total sum of everything the person wears on his body, from the canvass to whatever he puts on, is not up to $50,” President Jonathan said at the Seventh Joint Annual Meeting of the Economic Community of Africa (ECA), Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and African Union (AU) Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance. He wondered: “Where is the money coming from that they are using to buy these expensive guns and very poor wretched boys carry these weapons to kill, destabilise the society, increase our problems in terms of economic development? “Are there some external forces that don’t want Africa to grow that are providing these weapons?” President Jonathan urged African governments to ”deepen our regional integration efforts and also to work towards a continental free trade area” and implored the continent’s leaders to find answers to “why is it that our economic growth is not being translated into job creation in the continent.”

External forces arming Boko Haram, says Jonathan By Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor)

He could not understand why Africa is yet to shift away from its economy based on primary commodities. “Is it because of lack of energy? Is it because of corruption in government and in the private sector? Is it the key infrastructural issues? Is it because our governments are very unstable? Is it because of security issues?” Jonathan asked delegates at the conference with the theme

‘Industrialisation for Inclusive and Transformative Development Agenda’ to all “work together as a team, exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge and learning from each other’s experience.” He also charged them “to work together for regional infrastructural projects to implement our plans for industrialisation and trade integration.” Also speaking at the conference, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, said the time has come for African countries to

actualise the Common African Position (CAP) for the industrialisation and development of the continent. She said the document was adopted at the 26th AU Head of Government meeting at Addis Ababa and has received wide range of consultations and is all inclusive. The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Jan Eliasson, said there could be no peace without development, no development without peace, and no

peace or development without human rights and the rule of law. The nexus between peace and development, he said, “is essential, and effective institutions and rule of law are paramount for both peace and development.” The ambitious commitment to establish a continental free trade area by 2017, he noted, would give momentum to Africa’s industrial development, but he cautioned that mobilization of domestic resources will be important.

•L-R: Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; South African Minister of Finance, Mr. Pravin Gordhan and Executive Secretary, African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, during the African Ministers of Finance meeting in Abuja… yesterday

Ekiti PDP crisis: Olubolade, 12 others pick Aluko as ‘consensus’ candidate

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) forces ranged against the party’s governorship candidate in the June 21 governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, stepped up their opposition to him yesterday. Former Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt Caleb Olubolade (rtd), Mr. Wale Aribisala, Mr. Ropo Ogunbolude, Modupe Ogundipe, Dr Kadijat Adubiaro, Mr. Peter Obafemi, Deji Ajayi, Dare Bejide and Bodunde Adeyanju adopted Senator Gbenga Aluko as their ‘consensus candidate.’ They were all defeated by Fayose in the party’s primary held in Ado Ekiti penultimate Saturday. They had all protested the conduct of the primary,

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

saying it was manipulated in his favour. They also claimed that Fayose is ineligible to seek the party’s ticket in the first place. The national leadership of the PDP has, however, already endorsed the emergence of Fayose as the party’s candidate in the election. The 13 aggrieved aspirants met in Abuja on Friday to take their decision. At the meeting were: Olubolade, Adeyeye, Aribisala, Ogunbolude, Makanjuola Ogundipe, Adubiaro, Obafemi, Ajayi, Bejide and Adeyanju. Aluko told reporters by phone from Abuja yesterday that the move followed a directive

from President Goodluck Jonathan. “The move by the proconsensus aspirants to select me was an unanimous decision taken after due consideration. The next move will be to present me to the party’s national leaders for approval,” he said. F a y o s e ’ s former deputy during his truncated first tenure, Bisi Omoyeni, was not at Friday’s meeting. The Ekiti State Chairman of the party, Makanjuola Ogundipe, who shunned the controversial primary in Ado Ekiti, was said to have presided over the consensus meeting. Aluko said Ogundipe has written to President Jonathan to intimate him with the development. But another aggrieved

aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, contradicted the purported adoption in a statement issued by the Director General of his campaign organisation, Hon Bisi Kolawole. “The 12 aspirants that met in Abuja yesterday (Friday) did not unanimously agree on anyone as a consensus candidate,” he said. Only five out of the 12 aspirants, according to him, “supported one of the aspirants,” and stressed that “any agreement on a consensus candidate this time around must be truly unanimous.” He added: “A situation where only five very weak aspirants supported one of the aspirants cannot be regarded as a consensus agreement. Rather, consensus should take into consideration the strength of

the aspirants. “Most importantly, what ought to have been done was for the aspirants to call for the implementation of the Chief Bode George’s Committee Report, which all of them signed to abide with. “Since all the aspirants signed to abide with the decision of the Chief Bode George Committee, what should have been done simply was the implementation of the report, and that was what Prince Adeyeye pointed out at the meeting. “It is therefore our position in PAAM that if the consensus option is still necessary in view of the present situation, report of the Chief Bode George Committee, which considered the strength of the aspirants must form the basis,” Kolawole said.

NEWS

Ibadan cleric caught while slitting woman’s throat From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

UT for providence, another ritual target would have been killed in Ibadan at the weekend by an Islamic cleric (Alfa). Chiwendu Nkwocha was already pinned to the ground by the suspect, Isa Salaudeen, in his room at Ori Eru in Ibadan, with the knife slicing through her neck when, with the last strength in her, she screamed for help at the top of her voice. Residents in the neighbourhood rushed to the scene with one of them kicking the door open. When Salaudeen looked up, he saw a crowd. He dropped the knife and made to flee. He did not go far before he was caught and given the beating of his life. Some in the crowd even wanted him lynched on the spot. A resident of the area told The Nation that the suspect had told his victim, Nkwocha, that she needed to be exorcised of some evil spirits troubling her. The ‘ritual ‘would be performed by the Alfa with Nkwocha all alone with him in the room, the source said. She agreed and the Alfa commenced the ‘ritual’ by pinning her to the ground and putting the knife to her neck. However, the knife appeared not to be sharp enough and forced the Alfa to reach for another knife. That gave the victim an opportunity to fight for her life by shouting for help. The eyewitness said: “People heard the lady shout from inside the house and they kicked the door open only to find her pinned down by the Alfa who was already cutting her neck. “But once the door was kicked open by those who responded to the woman’s shouts for help, the Alfa ran out of the house when the first person broke in. “The woman’s neck was already cut. The head would have been totally cut off if help hadn’t come”. Another resident of the area, Taiwo Agunlofi, said angry youths gave the fleeing Alfa a chase and caught up with him in no time. They were in the process of lynching him when the police arrived the scene and intervened. They arrested the suspect and dispersed the crowd that gathered to kill him. Nkwocha was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Other residents in the area also told The Nation that the victim was brought to Salaudeen by her boyfriend, who was still at large, for “spiritual cleansing”. According to them, Salaudeen and the yet- to- be named boyfriend must have connived to use her for money rituals. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Olabisi Ilobanafor confirmed the incident and said that Salaudeen was in police custody while investigation continues. Ilobanafor said it appeared that the suspect used different knives in attempting to slaughter Nkwocha.According to her, the suspect has made useful statements to the police. The Alfa’s room and parlour have been locked up. The incident came barely a week after the discovery of the Soka ‘Forest of Death’ in Ibadan suspected to be a den of ritualists. Many decomposed bodies and human parts were found in the forest while about 18 kidnapped people were rescued alive from the bush.

NEWS

Jonathan pushes for holistic approach to problems in Mali •Seeks free, fair election in Guinea Bissau From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan wants a holistic approach to the problems in Mali with a view to achieving sustainable peace and stability. He is also advocating free and fair elections in Guinea Bissau and the full support of all members of ECOWAS and other international partners for that country. He spoke at the closed door session of the 44th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government on Friday night in Cote d’Ivoire. Jonathan, who was a mediator in the Malian crisis along with his Burkina Faso counterpart, Blaise Compaore, said that having achieved some level of peace, Mali now requires tolerance, peaceful coexistence, unity and deliberate efforts to preserve its territorial integrity. He said: “It is clear that any strategy for settling the Malian issue has to be based on a holistic approach. We have a responsibility to continue to encourage the government and other parties to the Malian question to continue to exert their best efforts in the ongoing search for a definitive solution to the problems in Mali.” “In addressing the remaining issues in Mali, care must be taken to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of the country, even while room is created for the various groups to co exist peacefully”. On the situation in Guinea Bissau, he urged his colleagues and other international partners to give full support to the country to ensure the success of its forthcoming elections. All political groups and other stakeholders in the country, he said should ensure the polls are free and fair and to also accept the results in good faith. He encouraged the winners to form a government of national unity and the Armed Forces to stay away from governance and respect the new civilian order. Also at the conference were President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia, Blaize Compaore of Burkina Faso, John Dramani Mahnma of Ghana, Ellen JohnsonSirleaf of Liberia, Boni Yayi of Benin Republic, Ibrahim Boukar Keita of Mali, Mahmadou Issoufou of Niger Republic and many others. The Ghanaian leader was also elected new chairman of ECOWAS during the 2- day conference. He took over from the host country’s leader, Alassane Outtara.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

Confab: Delegates plot to defy Presidency

S the National Conference enters its third week, there are indications that delegate may ignore President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive not to discuss issues bothering on the unity of the country. Some delegates, The Nation gathered, are already evaluating issues they consider to be critical to the continued existence of Nigeria as one nation. They want such issues to be thoroughly discussed at the conference regardless of government’s position on them. The Presidency, according to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, had declared that discussions about the oneness of Nigeria are no-go-areas for the delegates. Anyim, in unveiling the modalities for the conference had said: ”The national conference shall tentatively last for three months and shall discuss any material, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation; thus the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable.” However, sources at the confab said some delegates want to push for the discussion of all issues. It was also gathered that steps are already being taken to convince more delegates into seeking the discussion of the nogo- areas. One source said: “I can au-

By Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor

thoritatively confirm to you that we are talking seriously about ensuring that the conference discusses all issues. There is no way we will come here and miss the opportunity to restructure Nigeria. “If we do that, we would have failed the people we came here to represent. While it is true that we were told not to discuss the unity of this country, I want to tell you that is one thing we cannot afford to leave un-discussed. “Nobody is bent on dividing the country but most of us are worried about how we should exist together as a nation. What we are saying is that unless we discuss the unity of this country, we will not be able to agree on how we want to live together. “It is not okay that we should continue to exist as a country on terms that are obviously not satisfactory to all the parties involved in the union. “It is because of this that we are now talking together on how to get the confab to set aside that directive and allow for the discussion of all issues without constraints and conditions. It is only when this is done that we can say we have achieved the intentions of a gathering such as this.” The Nation also gathered that

some delegates met at a location in Abuja on Thursday to finetune strategies on how to lobby more delegates into the move to set aside the no –go-areas. A participant at the meeting said it was called by worried delegates to enlighten others on the need for swift action on how to set aside certain inhibitions that are likely to affect the outcome of the entire talk shop negatively. “I don’t want to agree that it was a secret meeting. This is because it was freely announced and discussed on the floor of the conference same day it was held. “I, for one, was not secretly invited. It was initiated by respected delegates here at the confab. “The discussions at the meeting bothered on how to ensure that we maximise the opportunity offered by the confab to satisfy the yearning s of our people. “It also discussed how to ensure that all issues that are needed to be discussed by a confab as this are tabled and thrashed out. “We resolved to continue to enlighten more of the delegates on the need to put Nigeria first before any other things. We agreed to reach out across all divides in the quest for thorough deliberation of the Nigerian questions.” A delegate representing one of the self determination groups

•A section of supporters at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) North East rally in Bauchi yesterday.

at the conference confirmed the moves, said:”It is wrong to say what we are doing by discussing how to ensure the discussion of all issues is a new plot to defy anybody. “Did we sign any undertaking to come here and be guided by any restriction? Is this not a talk shop meant to fashion ways forward for us as a people and as one nation? “Please, tell me: how can we move forward in unity if we don’t get answers to the many questions hanging on our nationhood? “Even before the conference was inaugurated, our people had been saying they wanted all issues discussed. The records are there. All sections of the country canvassed the discussion of all issues. “The President General of the Ohaneze Ndigbo told the federal government that the organisation wouldn’t be restricted at the conference. “He declared that they would want all problems to be mentioned and discussed. That’s their position on it. Similarly, the Movement for the Realisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) said it was coming to the conference to table the demand for Biafra State. “You will also recall that the Odua Peoples Congress leader said each section of the constitution ought to be mentioned”.

PHOTO:. DUKU JOEL

Fresh crisis looms at ports over PAAR

FRESH crisis is looming at the ports over

the administration of PreArrival Assessment Report (PAAR) recently introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service. Many importers and clearing agents are not happy with the introduction of the PAAR and are planning to shut down the ports over the delay caused by the scheme, according to sources close to the Association of the Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents

By Oluwakemi Dauda

(ANLCA). The ports, one source said, might be shut down before the end of the week. The National Executive Council of ANLCA has already summoned an emergency meeting to reconsider its relationship with the Customs on the issue. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at the association’s National Secretariat. Importers are w o r r i e d a b o u t

the development, which they say may delay the clearing of their goods. Spokesman of the importers, Alaba Arogundade, urged the Customs and clearing agents to resolve the matter amicably to save them from paying demurrage to terminal operators. Arogundade said: “When PAAR was introduced, Customs promised us that it would take us few hours to get our goods out of the ports. But the delay we are facing now is even more than when RAR was in op-

eration. “Therefore, there is an urgent need for the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar to call a meeting of stakeholders that would resolve the crisis between Customs and clearing agents in the interest of peace and the nation’s economy”. Contacted, the National President of ANLCA, Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, confirmed tomorrow’s emergency meeting but refused to disclose the agenda of the meeting.

Rehabilitation of Port HarcourtMaiduguri rail line for completion in 2014, says Maku

HE federal government would complete the ongoing rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail line by the end of 2014. The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, announced this at the PDP North-East Zonal Rally in Bauchi yesterday. He said that the Lagos to Kano line was completed last year. He added that government was determined to revive the agricultural sector through encouraging the shift from subsistence to commercial production. He added that this had attracted a private firm to invest 40 million dollars in rice production in Taraba for domestic consumption and for export. “The project has taken off’’, he said. According to him, the Federal Ministry Agriculture has undertaken massive intervention to m a k e t h e N o r t h- E a s t zone the lead producer of cotton and sorghum in the country. “Farmers in the zone have been supported to produce cotton, sorghum, tomato and other vegetables due to their rich agricultural heritage. He said farmers’ income in the zone had increased to N75 billion due to government’s intervention through its Agricultural Transformation Agenda in the past three years. On education, the minister said government had established 10 universities in the north in the past four years five in north west, three in north east and two in north central. “We have also constructed 125 Almajiri schools in the north, mostly in the north eastern states, furnished and handed over to the states to ensure that we take our children away from the streets. “The idea is that in addition to Qura’anic education, which is important, they would also learn modern education for the growth and development of the nation. “The President has also ordered the production of text books for supply to all public primary schools in the country. “The books, which have been handed over to the various state governments, would be distributed free of charge to all pupils from primary one up to J SS3,’’ Maku said.

NEWS

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

79,000mt of seeds for farmers

Jonathan: Federal varsities not community property

From: Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

•Ojukwu, Alakija, other bag awards By Adegunle Olugbamila and Chris Oji, Enugu

OST communities where federal institutions are sited should not consider such schools their property, President Goodluck Jonathan warned yesterday. He spoke through the Supervisory Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, at the 43rd convocation and award of higher/honorary degrees of University of Nigeria(UNN) Nsukka. Expressing happiness that normalcy has returned to UNN after a protest over the choice of the new Vice Chancellor, Jonathan urged the host Nsukka community to shelve ethnic sentiments and pave way for due process. Jonathan said: “Universities are international and universal learning centers where people of all races are given equal opportunities to excel. “We must at all times preserve the sanctity of our ivory towers as centers of excellence. Parochial and clownish tendencies must be taken out of universities”. He said selfish and clannish tendencies are alien to university system. The President challenges administrators of universities to endeavour to push them up in global ranking. He however warned that the funds released to universities should be applied judiciously with priority to projects that will impact more directly on the quality of teaching and groundbreaking researches. Emotions run high at the Margaret Ekpo convocation grounds during the conferment of a posthumous Doctor of Laws honoris causa on the Late Odimegwu Ojukwu, leader of the defunct Biafra. Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, Chief (Mrs.) Bianca Ojukwu, received the award on behalf of her husband. Dancing troupes sang praises of the departed Biafran warlord outside the convocation arena bearing banners such as “UNN remembers our hero”, “Ojukwu lives on”, among others. Three outstanding entrepreneurs, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, a player in oil and gas; Chief Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson Auto Manufacturing Company in Nnewi and Chief Maduka Onyishi of the popular Peace Mass Transit bus service, also bagged Doctor of Business Administration (Hon. DBA) degrees from the university. Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Alakija, rated by Forbes magazine as Africa’s richest woman, urged graduands to dream big. “I once dared to dream,” Alakija stated while urging them not to lose track of their visions and the lessons from their studies. The university awarded 338 Doctorate degrees, 2015 masters and 515 post graduate diplomas at the 43rd Convocation ceremony. Among the Phd recipients was Dr Stella Dickson, wife of the Bayelsa State Governor.

•L-R: Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar; Corps Marshall and Chief Executive of Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) and Justice Hahmud Mohammed at the Supreme Court...recently.

Aircraft manufacturers, business jet owners worried over probe

I R C R A F T manufacturers and private jet operators in Nigeria have cautioned aviation stakeholders from making bogus claims and allegations against users of business jets. Such unsavoury statements, they said, are capable of having negative impact on their business. They, however, said government agencies and the National Assembly committees should not hesitate to probe allegations bordering on the costs of maintaining aircraft used by top functionaries. Their concern came on the heels of investigations that aviation agencies have not released any documents to members of the House of Representatives investigating funds allegedly spent on the maintenance of the jets used by the Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke A source in the industry hinted yesterday that none of the aviation agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has released any documents or

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

logs of the aircraft movement to the committee. According to the business jet operators, the allegations against Alison- Madueke over the use of private jets have the capacity to undermine benefits of the use of jets in the strategic oil and gas sector. Speaking at a two- day Nigerian Business Aviation Conference, moderator of the forum, Mr. Alan Peaford, said lawmakers were drawing undue attention to the aviation sector with the allegations. He said it is a global practice for oil and gas corporations, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to hire private business jets for its operations, which could also serve the minister in charge of the sector. Peaford argued that for senior government officials and high net worth individuals to move around, they need to hire private / business jets that would move them to locations where scheduled operators do not fly into. According to him: “Business jets are required to

move senior government officials and key personnel of major oil and gas organisations around to negotiate businesses that would bring wealth to the country. “Business jets go to places where there is potential for wealth creation. So, for people to continue making allegations against people operating business jets in Nigeria and their manufacturers is not helping the business of business aviation. “Nothing is wrong if the NNPC is using business jets to facilitate their operations. All such comments and allegations will do huge harm to our business.” An oil and gas logistic operator, Nuhu Adams, said business jets are not luxurious but tools to facilitate meetings and business for players in the economy including government officials. Adams is in charge of logistics at Orleans Invest West Africa Limited. He said many operators in the oil and gas sector in the Niger Delta and other areas would require the services of private / business jets to enable them move their business partners and clients from

location to another in areas where there are no scheduled flights. Adams insisted it is wrong for some people to condemn government officials hiring business jets. Convener of the Nigerian Business Aviation Conference, Segun Demuren, said the business of aviation is critical to the development of the economy. He said the over 150 private jets operating in Nigeria contribute significantly to the economy. Demuren is Managing Director of Evergreen Apple Nigeria, operators of a private terminal for charter jets at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. He said: “We are not interested in the cost of the aircraft repairs, as to whether the sum is big or small, but that people who utilise private jets should not be demonised.” The Acting Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Engineer Benedict Adeyileka, said the agency is promoting the growth of business jets by setting up a general aviation directorate to regulate their operations.

He said the government would soon start the process of employment into the civil service to further give employment opportunities to the youths in the state. On the complaint that they were yet to benefit from the loans given to artisans in the state, Iroju said the first tranche of the fund was solely from the state government as the Federal government through NERFUND was yet to redeem its pledge. According to him: “We had appraised the ODSG/

NERFUND loan programme and it was discovered that the MoU stipulated that a total sum of N1billion was to be disbursed as loan and both parties were to contribute at the ratio 4:6 in two batches. “Unfortunately Ondo State government contributed her own N200million in the first batch while NERFUND is yet to contribute its own part until now.” Iroju said all attempts to make the federal government agency fulfill its part of the deal has not sailed through.

at Otukpo, considered the fact that the programme must be relevant to the needs of the environment, adding “as a centre of excellence, I am sure it would add value to academics and the entire society.” He assured that adequate manpower and facilities would be provided for the effective teaching and training of medical personnel.

Okojie said the products of the institution would address the shortfall in medical and paramedical personnel in the country. He told the Professor Eugene Okpere- led governing council to put necessary measure in place to access about N2.5billion in the TETFUND for projects for the new college.

Ondo faults delay in payment of NERFUND

NDO State government has lamented the delay in the release of the National Economic Reconstruction Fund(NERFUND) by the federal government. The Commissioner for Employment and Productivity, Ogundeji Iroju, disclosed this during a meeting with artisans in the state. He flayed the delay in the payment of the counterpart fund to the coffers of the state by the National Economic

From: Damisi Ojo, Akure

Reconstruction Fund to artisans. The commissioner said the government was doing all within its capacity to alleviate the unemployment problem in the state by providing jobs to the teeming youths. The 8, 000 youths given direct employment by the government, Iroju said, included those in the traffic section, waste management department and direct labour agency.

FG sites College of Medical Sciences in Otukpo

HE federal government has approved the establishment of College of Health Sciences for the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State. The college, to be located in the Otukpo new campus of the university, will accommodate all health and medical science courses in addition to a modern teaching hospital.

By Sam Egburonu

These were announced by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, in Abuja at the weekend when he inaugurated the governing council of the new college. Okojie explained that the NUC, in approving the college

HE Federal Government yesterday unfolded plans to distribute 79,000mt of seeds made up of 45,000mt of rice seeds and 47,000mt of maize seeds to farmers during the 2014 farming season. The Acting Coordinating Director of National Agricultural Seed Council, Anthony Olatokun, told newsmen in Abuja that 12.5kg of rice seeds and 10kg maize would be distributed to the farmers during the 2014 wet season He disclosed that the federal government may not distribute free seeds to farmers, explaining that farmers would have to pay ten percent of the actual money. The reason, according to him, was that findings have shown that farmers eat the seed raw and some of them do not take proper care of the seeds given them. Faulting a report that put the adoption rate of seeds in the country at five percent, Olatokun said: “We may institute a legal action on the author of that report because they are sending wrong signal to the public. “The adoption rate test carried out by the council revealed a 76 per cent adoption rate during wet season and 87 per cent adoption rate during dry season.”

NUJ kicks over arrest of Wabara

HE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) yesterday demanded the unconditional release of The Associate Editor of The Sun Newspapers, Ebere Wabara, who was arrested yesterday in his Lagos residence on the orders of the Abia State Government. It said the arrest and detention of the veteran journalist by the police on the orders of Abia State governor, Chief Theodore Orji, implies the nation has not got over the inglorious years of military regimes. A statement by the National Secretary of the NUJ, Shuaibu Leman, further accused Orji of showing open bias by frustrating efforts to effect the release of Ebere. It reads: “We vehemently protest over and repudiate the actions of government and authorities who make a mockery of the freedom of association and commitments to pluralism and democracy when they encourage a culture of impunity and lawlessness against the media. “Holding journalists like Wabara clearly carries the imprint of military regimes and we hasten to caution our leaders who are beneficiaries of the struggle by the media to entrench democracy to avoid acts of impunity if we desire to succeed in our quest for national development”.

Lagos opens access for public bidding of contracts By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

HE Lagos State Government has created opportunities that would enable the average residents have open access to bid for government contracts. The general manger of the state public procurement agency, Mr. Akin Onimole, disclosed this when a delegation from the Niger State government who are in the state to understudy the Lagos procurement reforms, visited the office of the state head of service, Mrs. Josephine Williams. Onimole stated that until now, there were limited opportunities for residents to bid for government contracts, adding that with the implementation of the state procurement reforms, the treasure of open bidding will be greatly enlarged. “Beginning from April, there will be many advertisements and the average Lagosians will have more opportunities to bid. Prior to the implementation, there were limited opportunities for open competitive bidding, but with the advent of implementation, the treasure for open bidding has been greatly enlarged.” Onimole further added that the development would promote accountability, transparency and encourage best practices in the civil service. He said the Niger State delegation stand to learn a lot from the Lagos State experience, noting that a similar visit was paid to the Federal Bureau of Procurement by the Lagos State to share from its experiences and challenges. The leader of the Niger State delegation, Mr. Siraj Said, said the visit was important considering that the state recently set up its procurement agency.

NAFDAC warns motor park traders From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

NEWS

N its bid to rid motor parks of fake drugs, substandard and unwholesome products, the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has partnered with Youth Corps members on an enlightenment programme at various motor parks in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. The state NAFDAC coordinator, Mrs. Juliana Abayomi, who disclosed this in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said that during her campaign at Maraba and Offa motor parks, she elaborated on the inherent dangers associated with consuming fake, adulterated and sub-standard products, which include loss of relevant vitamins in the body, increased chances of having cancer, loss of iodine in the body, to mention but a few. She further stated that NAFDAC officials and those of other regulatory agencies recently went round Kwara North Senatorial Zone for inspection and monitoring. The NAFDAC boss disclosed that some water manufacturing firms, patent and pharmacy stores in the locality were punished because of their negligence in un-wholesome practices.

Our escape from Ogun murderous cop, an act of God- Survivors

HREE survivors of Thursday shooting in Akingbala- Eleweran area of Abeokuta have ascribed their escape from being felled by the bullets fired by Police Corporal Sunkanmi Ogunbiyi, to “act of God.” Corporal Ogunbiyi, who was attached to the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), on the fateful day had allegedly shot dead his wife, Corporal Oluwatosin Faremi, five other persons and injuring three others-Toheen Sanusi, Sikirulai Wahab and Ali Funmi, before killing himself

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

with his rifle. The Nation gathered during a visit to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta that the survivors who are still receiving treatment are still in shock over the scary incidence. One of the survivors, 10 years old Toheeb Sanusi, was said to have been living with his grandmother, Iya Basira, (the third to be killed in the morning gun attack by Ogunbiyi) since he was two years old. He was at home on that

fateful morning with his grandmother when Ogunbiyi burst into their apartment and opened fire on anyone in sight. The bullets struck the lad at the back and also at his left hand side. Also, 27 years old Sikirulai Wahab, a plumber who was shot at his left arm and back, is at the Accident and Emergency Ward. He was still sleeping when The Nation enquired about him as at noon on Friday. But the worst-hit among the survivors is 33 years old Funmi Ali. The bullets pierced through her intestine and left

an opening at her back, according to a source in FMC. She has since undergone surgery and is recuperating at the Intensive Care unit. FMC’s image maker, Mr. Segun Orisajo, in a chat with The Nation said the hospital is doing its best to take care of the survivors. The Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who had earlier described the incident as “unfortunate,” said the police is still gathering information from various sources in a bit to ascertain what led Ogunbiyi into killing himself, wife and four others.

•L-R: Ekiti State Governor/ University Visitor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, presenting the keys of a new bus to the President of the University's Students Union, Tunde Ibitola, while the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Patrick Aina; Special Assistant (Students Affairs) to the Governor, Adeolu Oyebode and Vice President, EKSU Students Union, Pius Olubukola, watch during the 19th convocation ceremony at the University campus in Ado Ekiti….. yesterday.

National confab: Methodist Church cleric raises concern solutions to the myriads HE Methodist Church of over delegates’ attitude ing of economic, political and soNigeria has bemoaned

the high rate of drama being displayed by delegates at the ongoing National Conference. Deploring what it called the ‘lackadaiscal attitude of the delegates,’ the Bishop of Agodi Diocese, Rev. Amos Ajiboye, while addressing journalists at Methodist Bishop’s House in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on the

HE national leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) has threatened a showdown with the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof. Biyi Daramola, over what it described as his “uncultured attitude” towards their members. According to the national vice president who also doubles as the chairman, Western Zone of the union, Comrade Alfred Jimoh, he accused Daramola of not providing the enabling environment to engage in a peaceful dialogue that could promote industrial

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

communiqué issued at the just concluded synod of the Diocese, said some of the utterances emanating from some members of the National Conference are not in consonance with the letters and spirit underlying the exercise. He added, “I want these delegates to know that they

are not there to make money, fight for food or be taking a nap while there is a serious discussion going on among other members of the confab. The reason why they are there is to represent the interest of their people.” The Methodist Church cleric admonished the delegates to preoccupy themselves with providing endur-

cial problems confronting the country. Commenting on the just concluded Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise where 16 job seekers lost their lives, Ajiboye condemned the poor organisation of the examination by the exercise of Interior, Abba Moro. He called on the minister to resign immediately.

SSANU threatens showdown with FUTA VC From Damisi Ojo, Akure

relations in the institution. Jimoh alleged that the vice chancellor allegedly disgraced him and his team in his office on Friday when they came to pay him a courtesy visit and table some issues affecting his members. Some of these issues, according to him, included the non-payment of the salary of workers who were either demoted or had their appointment terminated but later recalled in 2012. Jimoh alleged that the

Daramola’s reaction to the issues raise was unbecoming of a person occupying the exalted office of a VC, adding, “Such an exalted office in an academic environment is supposed to be the height of everything. But what Professor Daramola did was a disgrace to the university community. “We had barely mentioned any of these issues that brought us to his office before he started shouting. The vice chancellor does not have the patience to listen to union

leaders to express their views. We could not table all the issues we intended to bring before him for simple dialogue. To this end, he has frustrated peaceful dialogue. Consequently, SSANU national and FUTA branch have drawn a battle line with Professor Daramola. If Daramola will not allow dialogue on labour issues, then there will be crisis in the University.” Efforts to get the VC’s reaction were not successful, as calls to his telephone indicated it was switched off.

Ondo indigenes in Osun rally support for Aregebsola’s second term

HE Ondo State indigenes resident in Osun State on Friday pledged their support for the second term ambition of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ifedayo Sunday Abegunde, representing Akure North/South Federal Constituency, led hun-

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

dreds of Ondo indegenes to the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Osogbo, the Osun State capital to inaugurate the Aregbesola Sunshine Movement, one of the groups campaigning for the governor’s

term second term in office. Abegunde said that Aregbesola deserves a second term, because of his landmark achievements in many sectors. The coordinator of the Aregbesola Sunshine Movement, Hon. Saka Yusuf Ogunleye, assured that Ondo indegenes resident in Osun Satte would do everything

within the confines of the law to ensure that Aregbesola wins the August 9 governorship election.The Assistant Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Gbenga Akano, who represented Aregbesola at the programme, expressed gratitude to the group for its interest in the governor and development of the state.

Ex-INEC commissioner joins senatorial race From Damisi Ojo, Akure

FORMER top official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Martins Okunfolami, has declared his interest to contest the 2015 Ondo South senatorial election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Speaking in Ore, Odogbo Local Government Area, the former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo, Oyo and Plateau States, also used the occasion to call on politicians to desist from engaging in acts capable of sabotaging the conduct of free and fair polls by INEC. According to him, the successful conduct of a free and fair election is not the responsibility of INEC alone, even as he urged Nigerian voters to ask pertinent questions from those asking for their votes. Decrying the use of security operatives by politicians during the conduct of elections, Okunfolami said, “There can never be free and fair election in a situation where somebody will violate the law and use a department of the government to intimidate all of us including INEC officials. “At that level, INEC cannot do anything. Some of our experiences at INEC, you may be counting votes and a large number of soldiers will surround you with guns and the next thing you will hear is carry! carry!! carry!!! you are not safe here. In that kind of situation, you have no choice than to follow them. “I have seen a situation where one of these oppressed politicians slapped the face of an INEC official just because she refused to follow their instruction.”

LASAA boss win Lagos man of the year award By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

HE Managing Director of the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), Mr. George Noah, has emerged winner of this year’s Lagos State Man of the Year Award (LASMAYA). Noah, who won the award having polled the highest number of votes, said it was put in place by the organisers to recognise exemplary public service. According to him, “The award is a vindication of the efforts we put into our work at LASAA both individually and collectively as an agency. The award means people are watching us and appreciative of what we are doing to making Lagos better.” Some of the former winners include Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who is the Lagos State commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.

THE NATIO N ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

THE NATIO N ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Ropo Sekoni

Page 14

Femi Orebe Page 16

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Diezani here, Diezani there tunjade@yahoo.co.uk 08054503906 (sms only)

Wetin dis Diezani do?

HAVE been following the unwarranted virulent attacks on the person of our dear petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, especially since the fuel subsidy protests of January 2012, with keen interest, or, if you like, with rapt attention. By the way, what has happened to these twin expressions, ‘rapt attention’ and ‘keen interest’, that used to adorn the pages of our newspapers years ago? Newspaper readers will remember that back then, no newspaper was complete without them. Somebody of substance must be doing something while others looked on with keen interest; or saying something to which they listened with rapt attention. But this is not my worry today. My concern today has to do with why we can’t stomach beautiful things in this country. It was the House of Representatives that started this nonsense when it took on our amiable director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Arunma Oteh. There has been no love lost between her and the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, since 2012, over investigations into the remote and immediate causes of the collapse of the capital market between 2008 and that year. The House recommended her removal even as it refused to allocate funds to the commission last year. The rest is history. But for President Goodluck Jonathan who has eyes for good things and appreciated the fact of the extra time that God spent ‘crafting’ Oteh, and therefore insisted that she must remain the boss at our SEC, Ms Oteh would have been rendered jobless by our representatives. Even when the House thought it had done its worst, by denying her oxygen, President Jonathan graciously opened his oxygen bank from which the beautiful lady and the commission have been drawing happily ever since. Now, having lost the struggle to remove Oteh, the unrelenting critics moved over to Stella Oduah, our former aviation minister. The bile was that she approved for her use two bullet-proof cars for N255million (they say N255million is whopping; whopping must have lost its meaning!). The president refused to be moved by the clamour to kick Ms Oduah out for months, until his courage failed him and he let go. With the score at 1-1, the critics are not done yet; they want to increase their tally at the president’s expense. They have shifted the battlefield to the petroleum ministry, the president’s (or is it the country’s) jugular. They say the ministry stinks. As if even ministries that don’t have oil are not stinking. They have been at this since the fuel subsidy protest in 2012. Now, our first female petroleum minister is being investigated by the federal lawmakers over allegation that she squandered(?) about N10billion to charter and maintain private jets for her personal use. What is baffling is that our federal lawmakers who should know are the leading orchestra investigating these obviously petty expenses. According to reports, a return trip on one of the chartered jets, Global Express XRS, costs

•Alison-Madueke

tax payers 600,000 Euros (over N136 million). In 2011, the minister reportedly flew in this jet on just two occasions (costing 1,200,000 Euros/over N270 million), among other allegations. The fascinating thing about AlisonMadueke is that, even as they keep pillorying her, she refused to say a word. Rather, she focused on her mandate, and for the better part of the period since the 2012 protests, we hardly had fuel scarcity; importation was going commendably. The effect of our attacks on her is now being felt; fuel supply, like electricity supply, has also become epileptic. We have either intentionally or inadvertently put our fingers into Alison-Madueke’s mouth and she has bitten us. A woman that had all the while said petrol price would not go up has abandoned the masses on whose behalf she has been enjoying herself, and joined those clamouring for subsidy removal. That is how far we have succeeded in annoying our lamb that ordinarily could not hurt a fly. Unfortunately, what many of the critics do not know is that everything deposited in the petroleum minister deserves special attention. From her hair, to her captivating eyes, her lips (if you like, you can say they are inviting; may you not be invited to trouble in Jesus’ name); her nose, her mouth, her all. I had to summarise the rest under the ‘her all’ heading lest I fall into temptation like one prominent Nigerian who, when describing the wife of a former Nigerian president some years back, used words such as ‘beautiful’, (which was okay), ‘intelligent’ (which was also not bad); but when he launched into things like ‘succulent’, many of us thought he was taking a rude joke too far. Succulent? Whatever the context, how did he know? In countries where the security agents truly know their job, they should have arrested the man and made him to explain all he knew about the word he used to describe the country’s First Lady. The truth is, nothing about AlisonMadueke could have come cheap. For exam-

“Now, are we saying splashing a mere 600,000 Euros (N136million) per trip is too much for our oil minister? Come on! Those who feel so should check what the real oil sheikhs do with petro-dollars. Or, do we want her colleagues in other countries to start having the feeling that, like the rest of us, our oil minister too is under some resource curse? I hope we are not suggesting that our petroleum minister should travel in any of those flying coffins in the air all in the name of prudence and accountability?”

ple, it is doubtful if any hair stylist in the country is competent to do jerry curl for her. Not even our former Number Three citizen of the Etekete fame who was an acknowledged hair dresser before she landed the plum number three job is competent to handle the oil minister’s hair. The minister must engage in all kinds of tourisms to keep fit – hair tourism, medical tourism, manicure tourism, pedicure tourism, etc. All these things, as Shina Peters said, na ego dey talk! Since the minister has to embark on all kinds of tourism, she must, of necessity, travel to fix her hair, tend her tender nails and address other minor details concerning her fragile body. Now, are we saying splashing a mere 600,000 Euros (N136million) per trip is too much for our oil minister? Come on! Those who feel so should check what the real oil sheikhs do with petro-dollars. Or, do we want her colleagues in other countries to start having the feeling that, like the rest of us, our oil minister too is under some resource curse? I hope we are not suggesting that our petroleum minister should travel in any of those flying coffins in the air all in the name of prudence and accountability? I commend President Jonathan for his abiding faith in Alison-Madueke and the other paragons of beauty in his government. But honestly, we should be serious, at least for once. If we want beautiful women in and around the corridors of power, to illuminate the government’s path, we have to understand that they don’t come cheap. The stakes are higher when they are not only beautiful but are also light complexioned. I thought I knew so much about some of these things until a comrade-in-the-struggle made me know I was a nincompoop (yes, nincompoop) when he told me that women are the lubricants of the struggle. Such a thing never occurred to me until I was taught. Again, we have to understand that the president could not have taken his eyes to the market while shopping for these pretty women for government, only to turn round to fire them just because some arm-chair critics say they are not good. Before you start insinuating, President Jonathan stopped the struggle many years ago. Someone who can buy as many pairs of the best of Italian shoes today cannot remember anything called struggle again; so he has nothing to do with lubricant! Moreover, like many of his predecessors, we have been told that he too means well for the country. Even Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, that he suspended attested to that. Therefore, if the President has found these powerful women indispensable (I didn’t say irresistible, mind you), he alone knows what he went through convincing them to join his government. We do not even know the terms. But the president should not be disturbed by these criticisms. Indeed, he should be ready for more queries, like some people trying to sniff for what’s gwan, in other words, why is the president ever ready to make his shoulders available for women in government who have cause to lean on them? The president should reply them that nothing is gwan, just deference to the Beijing Declaration, no more, no less. Finally, there should not be any issue in this matter; the thing is, we only do not understand ourselves. And that is not new; after all, one man’s poison is another man’s meat!

Attention: Fashola By Gabriel Adeyemi Onafowokan

HANK you for the giant strides achieved in development and governance of Lagos State and for the accolades you’ve gained far and wide. My father was particularly proud of you except for some reservations that he had which will I mention later. My father and mother served the Lagos State government meritoriously for very many years at the local government level and upon retirement they complained for very many years as they felt short changed. I attended the last verification exercise in December of 2013 on the behalf of my father, whilst my mother attended in person despite her failing health, and with gratitude to God it was to be their last as my father died a few weeks after even as my mother was to follow two months after. They were paid N7,400 and N10,400 in December and neither one of them was able to make it to the bank and I doubt that such funds would ever be accessible to anyone and they died poor . I remember my mum always saying that she was rich and a millionaire, only if the state government would pay her all of her arrears, inclusive of the 142% which I grew up hearing about that had been either promised or allocated to them and my father on the 16th of December, 2013 still made mention of, he infact said he was expecting three years salary. Pray your Excellency tells us what the benefit of these yearly verification exercises are for. I will seek to have their accounts closed and go through the normal process for the government of Lagos to stop paying these pitiable amounts,it was never enough to do anything and it never came in on time anyway. Who knows, if the 142% or whatever was paid, they might have been able to afford a better life and treatment, they might have also gone to their deaths feeling so appreciative of your government. Your Excellency, my parents lived well devoid of their entitlements even though they expected more from the government of Lagos State, and it is on this note that I’ve written this. I have always believed in you and your government much as they did for you and the AD,AC,ACN and APC which they never ceased to support and vote for. They are dead, buried and will be buried, as the other sick and expectant ones whom I met at the last exercise. Please do that which you believe is right and is true and achievable. Sentimentally, you grew up in my dads neighbourhood and an uncle of yours who is also a pensioner stood as the best man my dad when he got married to my mum. All I ask in memory of my mum and all of those who died without their entitlements is that you see these other people off to their graves happy and fulfilled that their services were well recognised and their entitlements paid to them. I speak in favour of the likes of Akinnawo, Ogunrombi, Shorunke, Alexander and a whole lot of others. I am expectant of a worthy response from Your Excellency and I will pursue all means possible to hear from you, Your Excellency. May God bless and keep you. Gabriel Adeyemi Onafowokan writes from Lagos

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

COMMENT

Confab: too soon for the Nigerian factor Many people in the context of oral tradition simply say that the Nigerian factor is about doing the same wrong thing over and over and expecting different results each time this happens

HE national conference called by President Jonathan is just in its second week, but avoidable conference-tearing noises are already emanating from delegates on voting pattern. Delegates across traditional regional divides are already up in arms about what should be the right percentage of votes to take decisions in the case of lack of consensus on any issue. Northern delegates argue that the best way to come close to consensus when it does not exist is to adopt the three-fourths of votes recommended by the president. On the other hand, southern delegates are adamant on using two-thirds majority to take decisions as it is done in most democracies. Conference delegates have been assured that the decision on three-quarters has presidential backing, having emanated from the Okurounmu advisory committee that recommended conference modalities to President Jonathan. The leadership of the conference has called for further consultations with delegate leaders on the division on what is to constitute majority decision. The latest decision is to continue the conference while waiting for the result of further consultations, hoping that more time would calm nerves. Many Nigerians have started to express lack of surprise about the crisis over voting pattern. They have put the disagreement in the category of what is known in popular parlance as the Nigerian factor. The Nigerian factor is a term that is used largely outside the corridor of power. The only time I heard the word in a formal sector is when money paid to me at a bank was less than what it should have been. I asked to speak with the manager who said, “I am sorry sir, it must have been the Nigerian factor.” I was too much in a hurry to ask for elaboration. But several Nigerians have attempted to define this nebulous term, in order to

make it meaningful to users of the term and their audience. One of such writers, Mike Ikhariale in an article, “The Nigerian Factor” in the Punch of December 1, 2013, defined the Nigerian factor as a syndrome that is illustrated by “incapacity or unwillingness to play by the rules” or the propensity to “make covenants we do not intend to keep.” Another public affairs commentator, Chris Ngwodo, describes the syndrome as a phenomenon that is at once social, psychic, and psychological, which embodies the potential failure of any enterprise and a behaviour that derives from “a perverse pleasure from inflicting pain on each other.” In his own definition, Tochukwu Ezukanma refers to the syndrome as “the propensity for mediocrity or the belief that anything is possible regardless of whether the input is right or proper.” Many people in the context of oral tradition simply say that the Nigerian factor is about doing the same wrong thing over and over and expecting different results each time this happens. The noise at the national conference in the last few days over voting pattern illustrates all of the definitions identified above, especially the belief that whatever Nigerians choose to do about anything can work, regardless of structural or logical evidence to the contrary. Many average Nigerians would readily explain the resolution to defer taking a decision on voting pattern until after further consultations with the same groups that are sharply divided on the issue as a resurgence of the Nigerian factor in the conference hall. The spirit of anything is possible became evident after delegates overlooked Victor Attah’s caution on ignoring the “soul of the conference” and calling for progress without the rule that to guide decision making. It is amazing that delegates would defer making a decision on what is central to the progress of the conference. But this is a normal behaviour within the framework of mak-

ing any situation, right or wrong, work. It is surprising that members did not suggest that the principle of three-fourths majority should be taken back to the president for review. Most of the delegates opposed to the principle believed to have originated in the presidency should have asked that the recommended rule be taken back to the president for review and re-formulation. From the tone of the president at the opening of the conference, it is unlikely that he would have knowingly created a booby trap for delegates most of whom he nominated. To insist on 75% of votes for taking decisions when there is no consensus amounts to allowing the wish of 26% voters (a clear minority) to prevail, at the expense of the wish of 74% voters. Dr. Bello Mohammed’s observation that the intention behind the controversial three-fourths majority vote is to ensure that all decisions are almost consensual sounds plausible, but it is also plausible that the rule could have been designed to prevent any substantial change to the status quo that the conference is designed to review. The threat by some delegates to walk out of the conference does not solve any problem. Even if delegates are summarily sent back home by the president, the need to discuss the sources of the tension that frustrate peace and progress in the country will still be around for discussion at another time. In other words, the demand for national conference will not disappear after a mass walk-out. What must be addressed if the conference is to make any progress is for delegates against three-fourths majority vote to appeal to President Jonathan to remove the insurmountable obstacle put in the way of decision making at the conference. To expect that delegates who are divided on this fundamental matter will all come to a consensus on one of the two divergent principles of majoritarian decision is to act in the spirit of the Nigerian factor: anything is pos-

sible or anything can be made to work. So far, delegates have started on a right note. They have all accepted the indivisibility or indissolubility of Nigeria. In other words, nobody is pressing for deconstruction of the Nigerian State. All delegates have accepted this No-Go area, to assure each other that there is nothing to fear by anyone who means well for the country. What is full of risk is a principle that virtually leaves no room for anything other than ideas that enjoy consensus. If there was such possibility, there would have been no basis for any national conference. A national conference has become necessary because of the unmistakable centrifugal forces that have frustrated the pursuit of peace and progress in the country for decades. If the rule purportedly passed to the conference from the presidency prevails, there may be no substantial decision on devolution, resource control, fiscal federalism, etc. Given the palpable divergence of visions about the country across the regions, it will be myopic to expect consensus on any issue that is fundamental. The hot disagreement over what constitutes a game-changing majority rule is a sign of the paralysis awaiting discussion of issues that relate to the architecture of governance. If the conference is able to make recommendations only on issues that are not central to shared sovereignty that has been the basis of conflict since 1966, then the country will be thrown back to the era of agitation for sovereign national conference, thus making agitation for national conference a permanent feature of the polity and a perpetual source of tension. It is important to call on President Jonathan to prevent this conference from the abortion or miscarriage of President Obasanjo’s National Political and Reform Conference.

COMMENT

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

Diezani squandering Nigeria cannot sustain this minister’s taste

IEZAN I Alison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum Resources’ flamboyance has become burdensome on the nation’s till. At a time the government she serves wants Nigerians to believe, erroneously, that fuel subsidy cannot be sustained, she was caught engaging in lifestyle that is tantamount to financial philandering by the House of Representatives. Representative Samuel Babatunde Adejare gave legislative seal to what has for months been a speculation in public domain through a motion titled: “Urgent need to investigate the waste of resources on the arbitrary charter and maintenance of a Challenger 850 aircraft for non-official use.” The legislator puts it succinctly: “In these days of scarce national resources where public finance is shrinking in the face of ever-increasing national needs…, an official of government could waste public funds on such luxury as chartering a Challenger 850 aircraft for extra official use … Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been committing 500,000 Euros (N130 million) monthly to maintain the aircraft, thus in two (2) years, the Minister had committed at least N3.120 billion in maintaining the private jet, which is used solely for her personal needs and those of her immediate family, which is an appalling act.” Surprisingly, while investigations into the wasteful spending was on-going, another jet, a Global Express XRS jet, ostensibly chartered and deployed specifically for Diezani’s additional private and official trips overseas, was uncovered. More alarming is that the return trip on this XRS jet is conservatively put at •600,000. This particular jet reportedly gulped N10billion in the last two years to fly the minister. She reportedly flew in the Global Express XRS twice in 2011 and also twice in 2013 on a return trip bill of •600,000(over N136 million) per trip. In two years, the woman had spent, just on two occasions for 2011 alone, not less than 1,200,000 Euros/ over N270 million.

O conquer Boko Haram, the military and the federal government should adopt new tactics. My suggestion to the federal government is to evacuate all the villagers to the cities in the three affected states, since Boko Haram have shifted their dastardly activities from the cities to the villages because of the concentration of security men in the cities. This will enable the military to engage the insurgents fully militarily without fear of civilian casualties. This can be carried out one state after the other and this will bring effective coordination between the Army/Airforce and other security agencies. As it is now, the military has been careful in their operations not to destroy the civilians they are trying to protect. If the civilians are evacuated from all the black spots in the three states, the military will be free to bombard all the Boko Haram’s hideouts or bunkers without fear of civilian casualties. By so doing, they will be routed out either by killing them or by capturing them. If this is done, I am sure within two months Boko Haram will be a forgotten issue; although this exercise will cost a lot of money, there will be instant result. For instance, if it is flood that occupies these three states, will the govt leave the people to die? Therefore, it is possible to evacuate the villagers to enable the military face Boko Haram squarely and professionally. The military are doing

Yet, the proclivity of the petroleum minister for flying in chartered jets seems insatiable because nobody seems officially bothered about her penchant for wasting public funds. A chronicle of such unnecessary travels include: travelling in a private jet at the cost of $300,000 while on a recent trip to South Africa with President Goodluck Jonathan: During the last Easter break, she reportedly flew a private jet to Dubai with members of her family at $300,000: She reportedly abhors attending meetings outside the country in commercial or presidential jets in the last two years and she has purportedly spent over N2billion on maintaining aircraft within the same period. She seems to derive pleasure in being the only minister of the Federal Republic that attends events with the President in private jets. The improvidence on mostly trips that were of no benefit to the country by the minister is abhorrent in a country where graduates routinely die in pursuit of elusive employment. Yet, scarce money was paid as allowances to foreign crews for the minister’s trips, this is aside payments for hangar parking and rents, among others. The profligate Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has denied chartering private jets for the minister’s personal use or that of her family, claiming that it had done so for official purposes for her and other officials on official

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

•Editor Festus Eriye •Deputy Editor Olayinka Oyegbile •Associate Editors Taiwo Ogundipe Sam Egburonu

•Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye

assignments. The House of Representatives has to dig deep into this matter. It should be noted all the same that the world would have known of NNPC’s involvement in most of these shady transactions if only the corporation had not been keeping its books to its chest. The corporation reportedly spends $500,000 monthly in maintaining the Challenger 850 Visa Jet for her. President Jonathan owes Nigerians a duty to put a halt to Alison-Madueke’s financial transgressions. It has become pertinent for the president to let her, in unmistakably terms, understand that she is not above the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and other laws that demand economic discipline from Nigeria’s public officers. Her continuing unchecked proclivity for wasteful spending of public funds smacks of avoidable culture of impunity that certainly portends peril to the nation’s economic wellbeing. In better managed climes where public ethos is treated with sanctity, such a minister in such vital ministry would have become history. We expect nothing less from the president at this point in time because Alison-Madueke has amplified disdainful contempt for Nigerians whose oil she is paid to administer. She does not, till the present moment, deem it necessary to publicly answer to some of the grievous allegations against her. No doubt, she has failed woefully in effectively and transparently doing this job and she should not stay a day longer in office. What she has successfully displayed in her days in office was her haughty profile as a powerful minister that is harboured by an indecisive president. The president should, for once, display true firmness by wielding the big stick against his minister that has thrown decorum to the winds in her deployment of public funds. What is undeniable is that the allegations around her are too messy and have become a serious embarrassment to the nation as an oil producing country. Diezani must go.

LETTER

To conquer Boko Haram

so-called elders from the north threatened to drag the former Chief of Army Staff to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, claiming that the military probably mistakenly killed about 20 civilians. How

their best. It is easier said than done - some arm chair critics sit in the comfort of their offices to write whatever comes to their heads against the military not minding that the military we are talking about are

human beings with their own families. They are not fighting a conventional warfare; what they are engaged in is a shadow war, where you hardly come face to face with the enemy before he strikes. Recently, some

EROSENE and firewood are the two most conventional sources of fuel for domestic cooking stoves in Nigeria. These two sources of domestic cooking fuel have been seen to have high level of carbon emission which in majority of cases have been found to be unhealthy to our human body let alone children. Over the past four decades, Nigerians living in townships and rural areas are used to either kerosene cook-stoves or firewood as the popular fuel for domestic cooking. This killer trend has a long history in our society; possibly due to the available resources, i.e. forest reserves and crude oil. But then as the world is drifting more into cleaner sources of energy, there is need for the Nigerian authorities to adopt these measures with adequate sensitisation programme, especially at the grassroots level and with the private sector’s support. Green energy is becoming popular in America, Asia and Europe due to their huge

Evil of kerosene and firewood

carbon footprint over the years with little or no penetration into most African countries. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is not becoming a conventional source of fuel for cookstoves in Nigeria. The use of LPG as source of fuel is common in the urban, particularly in places where its supply is readily accessible and not in the rural areas of Nigeria. The main reasons why LPG is widely adopted for household use are: it is convenient to operate, easy to control, and clean to use because of the blue flame emitted during cooking. However, because of the continued increase in the price of oil in the world market, the price of LPG fuel has gone up tremendously and is continuously increasing at a fast rate. At present, a 12.5-kg LPG, that is commonly used by common households for cooking, costs as high as 3,000 naira - 3,500 naira per cylinder in urban areas. For a typical household, having four children, one LPG

tank can be consumed within 20 to 30 days only depending on the number and amount of food being cooked. Use of LPG is proving rather expensive for the government, consumer and the environment as well. For the past years, gasifier stoves using biomass as fuel have been developed in countries like the US, China, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and other developing countries in Asia. These gasifier stoves produce a flammable gas by burning the fuel with limited amount of air. These stoves can easily replace the conventional LPG stove. This stove has no problem of pollution and using the abundant rice husk and other biomass fuel, it can drastically reduce the cost of cooking fuel. Rice farmers in Nigeria can easily access the waste of rice husks from their individual farms or from rice processors as fuel needed for rice husk biomass gas stoves. Benefits of the Biomass Gas

do we want the military to prosecute this war against Boko Haram successfully when we continue to demoralise them by our actions? Boko Haram mixed with civilians when they want to commit harvoc. Are Boko Haram not civilians too? They only wear military camouflage when they want to release Stove: The rice husk gas stove technology is found to have the following advantages, not only to users but to the general public as well: 1. It is a good replacement for LPG stove, particularly in terms of fuel savings and quality of flame (i.e., luminous blue flame) produced during cooking. By direct energy conversion, about 50 kg of rice husk can replace a cylinder. 2. It will significantly reduce the cost of household spending on conventional fuel sources such as electricity, kerosene, wood, and wood charcoal. 3. It will help reduce the carbon dioxide emission in the air brought about by the burning of LPG, wood and other biomass fuel in the traditional cook-stoves, which contributes to the ozone layer depletion and consequently in the “greenhouse effect” into the atmosphere. By Egun Sunday egunsunday@hotmail.com.

communiqué. The military is in a dilemma regarding separating the chaff from the wheat because Boko Haram members live amongst the people and they have no symbol or mark to identify them. Now that school children have become endangered species, what do we do to put an end to Boko Haram’s dastardly acts against school children? Fifty-nine school children were killed in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, 37 children in Adamawa State, which were just the recent incidents. Sooner or later, parents will start the withdrawal of their children from schools which will surely make the north to be more educationally disadvantaged than before. My message to Mr. President is that it is high time to look for the sponsors of Boko Haram; it is not enough to pursue Boko Haram members, pursue the sponsors as well. When the police arrest an armed robber, he will recount his experiences from the first day he joined the robbery gang. Why don’t we apply the same method to captured Boko Haram members to spill the beans concerning their sponsors? Boko Haram mostly live in the jungle, how do they come about the Hilux buses in their convoys and the large caches of sophisticated weapons they are using. Where does the money come from? Let us be serious for once. Israel Oyegbile Sabo Tasha Kaduna.

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THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

Fayemi: Four more years (3) We will repay Fayemi with our votes come June 21, 2014, and no Jupiter will succeed in manipulating our victory

ODAY, we conclude the trilogy on the above topic and from the outset, let us emphasise that the manner of former governor Ayo Fayose’s emergence as PDP’s governorship candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti has clearly demonstrated the Jonathan mindset. It is one that will rig elections, even a national one and say, so what? Here is a president who has severally been described as a snake and therefore capable of committing the most heinous democratic coup without batting an eyelid, still believing he could not be linked to it; a skilful falconer. He is doing this not knowing the reverberations can completely evaporate his 2015 ambitions. Even if the PDP could so contemptuously brush aside the interests of its remaining 12 contestants who each paid N11 Million, I think it behoves President Jonathan to have thought of the larger picture, the consequences for self and country especially for a man claiming to lead a transformational government. Had he done that, he would have realised that Ekiti has gone far past his candidate in the full knowledge that former governor Ayo Fayose has a past, writ large, in the state. It is a past so bad some people reading this will believe my days are numbered. In the instant case though, there are no fears, as Ayo is my own brother. Unfortunately, Jonathan and his party’s attraction to him is exactly that past of unmitigated mayhem. It is what they see as the only answer to

Fayemi’s intimidating record as governor. For them, therefore, the other 12 contestants are what you will describe as disposables. But the truth is, and I can see it a mile away, Fayose is being used in this macabre dance to test run 2015. I will explain. The way he was egregiously announced over and above the others, in a take-it-or- leave-it audacity now reportedly ratified by the party’s National Working Committee, is a perfect picture of how the president intends to use the INEC not only in the two 2014 governorship elections in Yoruba land, but also at the presidential election come 2015. They think nothing of failure and if there happens to be a crisis , especially arising from manipulating the 2015 election, the fallback position will be to encourage the South- South to secede with Jonathan, the snake, claiming he has no hands in it as he would not have, otherwise, convoked his diversionary national conference. They see it as a win-win situation. Well, I do not know what could happen at the national level, but his minders got it massively wrong in the Southwest. In 1966, the Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC)-controlled federal government, after ravaging the Western Region, giving it a sole administrator of its own description, was about unleashing the entire Nigerian Army on it when the bubble burst. That story would repeat itself in ’83 and ‘93 with dire consequences for the country. I have no idea how

old the president’s current anchormen were in 1965 -66 but the history of that carnage in the entire Western Nigeria, but especially in Lagos, is written in indelible ink for those who have ears. One other thing driving their plot is the fact that, at the instance of a Senator Omisore and his likes in the Senate, that distinguished chamber, at a time Omisore was going to contest the Osun governorship election, enacted that governorship appeals would now terminate at the Supreme Court . With that in mind, they believe that INEC only has to declare their wish and the rest will be history as the case could go on, literally, for a life time. They need be told that if any of the elections in Ekiti or Osun is rigged – please note there is a conditional precedent – then the Americans may have missed their 2015 apocalyptic date for Nigeria by several months. The history of the Yoruba goes back thousands of years. We were never, as a corporate whole, slaves to any group, small or big and no Kashamu, for whatever personal profits, can haul us into any modern day servitude to Jonathan even when an Obasanjo now counts for nothing with him. If six decades down the line, Awo fed us on education, nobody, especially from the Avatar’s neck of wood, will now come and haul Yoruba into any kind of modern day slavery. We will remain our own masters, deciding our own preferences, making our choices, like it or not. Fortunately for us in Yoruba land, especially in Ekiti and Osun, the ‘soldiers’ Jonathan is pressing into service have such odious history our people can never forget in a hurry, be it Omisore as deputy gov-

ernor in Osun or Fayose, as governor of Ekiti - a history of blood and mayhem whose gory details I will leave to Yoruba stakeholder groups which must now rise and denounce this millennial plot against the Yoruba nation. In contra-distinction to their ‘soldiers’, those they are trying to oust through foul means in both Ekiti and Osun are exemplars in the true tradition of cultured Yoruba people, men who have worked their hands to the bare bones in the service of our people. They have both rekindled the Awo developmental paradigm and we can no longer be taken back to the 14th century. Dating back to Awo, the Yoruba has a history of development which they appreciate. Short-changed during both the military interregnum and the PDP’s seven years of the locust when every facet of life in the region degraded, the last four years of the APC has been an era of reconstruction and modernisation. In education, where Fayemi’s first surprise as governor was the state’s unbelievable 29 percentage pass in the preceding WASCE, pass rate last year was above 70 percent. The Youth Commercial Agriculture Programme has seen thousands of our hitherto unemployed young people become gainfully engaged, even as employers of labour themselves. Care of the elderly has been taken to a new level totally unprecedented anywhere in Nigeria. In tourism, Ikogosi, popular only as a rodents’ reservation colony in PDP days, has been completely transformed into a world class tourist centre now being patronised by a minimum 20,000 local and international visitors per

month. Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, glows, day and night, just as urban renewal is on-going in other towns. Among other state agencies, the Water Corporation is doing everything possible to increase the water stock in the state so that many more areas can have treated water and given the governor’s leadership style and pedigree, the World Bank is giving substantial assistance to this just as it is doing in education and like so many other development partners currently actively engaged in the state. It is no longer the Ekiti State Ayo Fayose was governor over. Despite the lies being peddled about by the opposition, teachers remain happy and supportive of a governor that has done the most for them of any Ekiti governor. Most local government workers are appreciative of the fact that to continue in employment, the government had, of necessity, to plug the corroding leakages which a tiny few was using to short change the system. Okada riders, recently empowered by the government, can see the difference between the roads, then and now, as they ply their trade on the new Ekiti road network which must rank among the best in the entire country even if the federal government is deliberating with holding refund of roads done on its behalf with its formal authorisation. Ekitis are no ingrates. We will repay Fayemi with our votes come June 21, 2014, and no Jupiter will succeed in manipulating our victory. Rather, it is their serpentine ploys, unholy alliances and evil schemes that will collapse like a pack of cards.

Oh, to be king just for one day! Why is every Nigerian you meet now just waiting to get into government so that s/he can corner some resources for their personal use in Europe and other barracuda islands?

N the spirit of continuity, I want to share with you two text messages I received during the week over last week’s entry. As usual, I have taken the liberty to remove abbreviations. After all the rigmarole, you hit the nail on the head. This is because when in our situation the government becomes the entity that corners all the resources to itself at the expense of the society, the unfortunate incident and nightmare of 15.03.2014 is definitely waiting to happen again. To avoid a repeat of this disgrace and embarrassment on itself, the government should without further delay let go its stranglehold on our resources! Until they do this, it is their duty to create jobs for the unemployed citizens. 2348036732277. Madam, please there’re issues that we shouldn’t trivialise. Government has enormous resources to create wealth especially in a primitive society like ours. Where’s your private sector in Nigeria? Public organizations are mismanaged and taken over by the same gang and you call it private sector. Enough of this weekly jesting please. 2348037058775. Now, all those in favour of our continuing the weekly jesting on this column say ‘aye’; and those not in favour say ‘nay’. There you are, sir, the ‘ayes’ have it. The weekly jesting continues. Remember that around

here, we do not count votes, we weigh them. That is why your vote and my vote don’t count. They never have. Funny that these gentlemen (I assume) should come up with these very words around this period when we are approaching April Fool’s day. You know that day, don’t you? That is when someone wakes you up to tell you that you’ve won a lottery of ten million Naira and you jump up and down on your bed for ten minutes before you sit down and recollect that you did not buy any lottery ticket. Long ago, I read of how some poor folks watching a video were told that they could pluck spaghetti strings off trees and they all requested to know where they could get that tree. It is also the day that we remember jesters, clowns, comedians and all those involved in the art of lifting up our spirits and helping us to see that we have not quite succeeded in wrecking this world beyond repairs. There are still some funny people in it to make it bearable with laughter, humour or jesting. The problem with humour is that it does not really care where it lands. Sir, if you are familiar with the antics of jesters, you will notice that they lift base things and people to sublime heights and bring kings and other sublime things to the base level with the gentle art of humour. Indeed, so adept are jesters at their

trade that the kings who keep them know that the true worth of their Highnesses as sovereign lieges lies in the tongues of their jesters. Back then, that was a very important responsibility. The power of the jester’s glib was expected to be employed in criticising their masters, other nobles and everyone else by bringing out the truth. It is reported that Queen Elizabeth I had to rebuke her own jester for being ‘insufficiently severe with her’. She knew the truth: that many a truth laid in jest. Truth hurts, and absolute truth hurts absolutely. Jesting manages however to mitigate many offensive and malodorous contents of many truths while not reducing their worth. With humour, you can ridicule and heal. To concentrate on ridiculing alone reduces the art of humour to base laughter, which will not do. That is purposeless and tasteless. When humour is used to heal, however, the object of laughter is reborn as s/he sees himself or herself as a spirit renewed. Someone once said that the man who does not appreciate humour has never looked in a mirror because the greatest piece of evidence of nature’s mirth is there. You have two choices in your response to nature. First, you can berate it for sculpting you with that big, flat nose (which makes you oh, so African!), flat forehead that resembles Africa’s flat tableland, or thick lips (again so African!), not to talk of your black, black skin. I wonder, have you ever asked where nature got that from? Or, you can react by laughing with nature. I chose a long time ago

to laugh with nature at my persistently woolly hair seeming to defy all the known American relaxers; my big, fat lips; and Jonathan’s political somersaults. That way, I keep my sanity and my head of hair. Did I mention that many times, jesters lost their heads because they said the wrong truths to the wrong persons? Too true. Very importantly now, when the gift of the gab is bestowed on you, man, you do not stop to ask questions. It just seizes you something terrible and you hardly know when you are wanting to make people who have been going around with perpetual frowns from dawn to dusk have something to smile about. I hasten to add, however, that I am no jester; I do not believe I am sufficiently qualified to be one. My art, a mere rigmarole as it is, is not honed enough to be compared to a jester’s or an April Fooler. My clothes are not even that colourful. However, I am not unmindful of the pain expressed by our two respondents. I feel the anger caused by having governments that think their only duty is to squander the nation’s resources in Europe while not providing jobs for its citizens. It even exacts taxes off its citizens by making them provide their own amenities – water, energy, oil, rain. For this year’s April fool’s day, I could tell you that the government said if you want fuel in your tank, feel free to dig your garden for oil but I won’t. I could tell you that if you want rain on your crops, sink a well or borehole, and hold up the sprinkler over your head, but I won’t. You

know why? It is largely because we are doing those things already. When we were sinking a well in my house, I kept the soil sample for a geologist to check just to be sure the silt did not resemble the kind found in oil-rich areas. So now, I have taken to inspecting new wells just to be sure. Anyway, my main worry is this: why is every Nigerian you meet now just waiting to get into government so that s/he can corner some resources for their personal use in Europe and the other barracuda islands? This bizarre mindset that is so essentially Nigerian is where you and I should direct our anger. One of the stories concerning how April fool’s day began was that a king in Europe allowed his court jester to rule the kingdom for one day. The poor thing, the only thing he was said to have done was to institute the April Fool’s day to celebrate jesting, clowning or generally just fooling around. So, I ask you, if you were king of this unstable kingdom for one day, what would you do? Would you take all the country’s resources to Europe like our leaders because they believe the ship is sinking; or would you command food for everyone; or would you simply lie by Jonathan’s pool all day and forget you have problems? Just what would you do? Me, I would look for the wisest one in the kingdom, and contract out the job to him. Then I would sit down to plan how to continue to rigmarole and jest in honour of the smile, and April fool’s day. Thank you for asking.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

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The national conference: things it will talk about and things it will not talk about (3) May Allah provide for you so that you can provide for us! The ultimate supplication of the almajaris and talakawa of the North to the rich and the powerful. Its origins date back to the precolonial, precapitalist, feudal epoch.

N this concluding piece in the series that began in this column two weeks ago, perhaps it is best to start the discussion by quoting directly from the concluding sentence of last week’s essay: “At the end of JNC, whether we will have a looser or stronger federation is only one part of the epic drama of the times we are living through now. The more important thing is the fact that our peoples will always have to live together. If we are to live together in peace, justice and equality, what unites our peoples beyond their imagined and real differences must take precedence over what the political elites broker as appeasements to their greed, their megalomania and their bankruptcy.” Please make no mistake about it, compatriots, what will emerge from the JNC will, in one form another, be appeasements to the demands of each formation of the power blocs of the ruling elites of the country. Whether what emerges is a stronger or a looser federation, the fundamental thing is that some factions of our elites will feel more satisfied and others will feel considerably dissatisfied and aggrieved. If a reasonably high proportion of our elites feel satisfied, then the status quo of looting and squandermania would have bought some more time for itself. I personally think that this is highly unlikely, but I may be wrong. What is more likely is that a much larger proportion of our political and economic elites will walk away from JNC highly dissatisfied and disgruntled. Why is this the more likely scenario that we will get at the conclusion of the deliberations at JNC? The reason for this is simple in outline but considerably complicated in its substance: we have reached the limit of how much social peace and cohesion can be “bought” by the sharing of power and wealth exclusively amongst the elites, with the concomitant massive exclusion of the vast majority of Nigerians from all parts of the country. That’s it: we have reached the limit; we in fact reached the limit a long time ago of the quotient of tolerable cohesion and social peace that can be bought and prolonged on the basis of the economic and political marginalization of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians through the exclusive sharing of power and wealth among our elites. If that is the profile in its simple outlines, what is the nature of the more complicated substantive dimensions of this conjunctural crisis in which looting, squandermania and patronage peddling can no longer either secure cohesion among our elites or “Pax Nigeriana” in the country as a whole? Allow me to carefully elaborate what this entails. As I remarked in last week’s column, long before the peoples and cultures of our country were “amal-

•Nigerian school children: Do they have a future with 'evaporation economics'?

gamated” by colonial administrative diktat into one country, our peoples had made deep and wide cultural, linguistic and economic exchanges amongst themselves. Incidentally, they had also made wars of conquest and domination against one another. But even through those wars, the exchanges sustaining life and civilized existence continued. From this, I repeat one of the central observations that I made last week: whether at the end of the JNC confab we have a stronger or looser federation, whether or not the crisis of power and wealth sharing among our elites is resolved, our peoples, our societies will always live together in this national and regional patch of the planet as they have done for more than millennium. However, local, regional and global capitalism has massively impacted upon the ageold patterns of economic and cultural exchanges between our peoples. In particular patronage peddling by the elites to the poor and the marginalized as a means of maintaining social cohesion and inter-group peace can no longer work in the epoch of modern regional and global capitalism. I do not wish to mince my words on this particular point. Those who among our progressive and radical comrades who denounce the present looting frenzy and wanton squandermania of our political elites as a form of capitalism are not exactly accurate in their denunciation. The kind of looting with utter shamelessness and impunity that characterizes the political economy of our country at the present time is “capitalist” in name only. Capitalism is justly famous and even celebrated by its defenders for creating wealth in vast proportions. Its fundamental flaw is the vastly unequal and exploitative nature of the distribution of wealth generated. Capitalism that squanders wealth and that is funda-

mentally based not on the generation of more wealth from oil revenues but the sharing and dissipation of the oil revenues as loot is no capitalism. To give a particularly apt illustration of the crucial point I am making here, permit me to briefly explore the profoundly non-capitalistic nature of the use of patronage peddling as the primary means of “sharing” their nonproductive, looted wealth with the masses of ordinary Nigerians by our elites. In doing this, I wish to invoke the system and practice of the socalled “trickle down economics” that is the hallmark of the bastions of capitalism at its most conservative and recalcitrant in the sharing of wealth with the majority of workers and the poor in even the richest capitalist countries in the world. Trickle down economics is fairly easy to understand, even if admittedly it is extremely difficult to combat. Basically it means through extremely low rates of taxation, through loopholes that favour the rich in the regulation of how wealth is produced and shared, an extremely small minority of the very rich keep the lion’s share of the total wealth produced in a nation’s economy, but making sure that they do not consume the whole of the social surplus, that some fraction does “trickle down” to the majority of the populace. In some cases, 5 to 10% of the population keeps 80 to 85% of the social surplus, of the total wealth produced. At the height of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, the activists and spokespersons of the movement symbolically chose 99% of the population of the United States as the fraction to which 1% of the social surplus “trickles down to”. On the surface, the manner in which our economic and political elites keep the lion’s share of our oil wealth while doling out mere pittance to the majority of Nigerians everywhere in the country seems to be another example, another form of

“trickle down economics”. The President, the Executive Governors, the Ministers and Commissioners, the Senators and Honourables, the Chairmen and Chairwomen of the local government authorities, they all take their respective jumbo shares of our oil wealth, but pass some of it, a little portion of it, to their constituents, their “people”. The wealth has trickled down, hasn’t it? We are practicing our own brand of trickle down economics, aren’t we? No, we are not! For the simple but crushing truth is that in our context, all the wealth, all the oil revenues, are consumed, the small, infinitesimal proportion that goes to the masses of ordinary Nigerians as well as the lion’s share that our elites keep for themselves. Looted, squandered wealth is not real, productive wealth, whether in its bloated incarnation among our elites or in its ridiculously and insultingly small handouts to the masses. In truly capitalist economies and nations where real trickle down economics is practiced, factories don’t close down in their hundreds of thousands because the wealth has been consumed; millions of young school leavers and graduates don’t face mass unemployment and a bleak future because oil wealth is mostly looted and squandered and not put to the production of more wealth, more productive economic activities. No, we are not practicing trickle down economics; what we are practicing is “evaporation economics”: the crude oil turns to oil wealth; and the oil wealth evaporates and vanishes. “May Allah provide for you so that you can provide for us”. So goes the epigraph to this piece. We must not judge this supplication that degrades both the giver and the receiver in the light the values and processes of modern capitalism. In pre-capitalist and feudal societies,

obligations of the rich to the poor did not generate new wealth but neither did they evaporate the wealth that was produced. But in the age of global capitalism, to continue to distribute the wealth of the country along the lines of this feudal supplication of the poor to the rich is to condemn our country to a long, endless form of “capitalism” that will never generate wealth but only “evaporate” it. For those who might think that I am ending this series on a note of an apologia for capitalism, let me reply strongly by saying that that is not the case. Capitalism is not the end of the story in the unfolding of history in our country and our world. And there are various forms of capitalism. The ones that I find the most admirable and the most humane are the social democratic societies and economies of the truly capitalist world. There does not seem to be the ghost of a chance that deliberations at JNC will free us from “evaporation economics” and deliver us to a capitalism that we can begin to work on. So this seems like crying in the wilderness. Sometimes, in a single human life or in the lives of entire communities out of wilderness come new possibilities. More importantly, the true wilderness in our country at the present tine is in JNC and what it represents. If much of what I have written in this series is correct, JNC will fade quickly into the oblivion of history. And we shall continue the search for a country in which all our peoples, all those that constitute the vast majority of the excluded and marginalized will find restitution under a different order of organization of life and its possibilities that does not rest on “evaporation economics.” Biodun Jeyifo bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

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Lamido Adamawa and the secessionists T

HE stool of the Lamido of Adamawa is one of the most respected in Nigeria. But in many parts of this country – especially the southern extremities – its present occupant, Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha, is largely unknown. Last week at the National Conference in Abuja, he introduced himself in spectacular fashion to a countrywide audience. Called to comment on the voting formula by which decisions would be taken at the confab, he veered off on a riff threatening to ship his ancient kingdom off to Cameroon if certain trends he had noticed were not quickly checked. The outrage that greeted his tirade had as much to do with the fact that he deviated from the matter at hand, and went off on a tangent, as much as it had to do with him openly threatening secession. Some have even come down hard on conference chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi for allowing the Lamido to vent his feelings in such a manner. But that would be failing to acknowledge that the chairman’s options for shutting him up were limited. Traditional rulers are by nature conservative. They are more likely to speak like diplomats rather than be caught lobbing verbal bombs. In that wise, I was slightly surprised at the sentiments ventilated so openly by the Lamido. Again, his comments seem to go against the grain because secession is not an agenda that most would associate with the North. If anything, the region and its people have often been painted as the section of this country most desperate to retain Nigeria as a going concern. Its leaders are always to be found pressing the notion that the unity of this country is non-negotiable. Even the Boko Haram insurgency that has devastated the North East is not so much about breaking away, as it is about overthrowing the existing secular order and imposing a radical Islamist agenda on the country as a whole. Neither Abubakar Shekau nor his predecessor, Mohammed Yusuf, has ever indicated any desire to merge with Niger, Chad, or founding some theocratic Eldorado on the dunes of the Sahara. Down south, it is a totally different picture. Chaffing from years of perceived dominance of the power structures by Northerners, you would find plenty of would-be secessionists roaming the three zones. Even if you want to dismiss them as comic sideshows, you cannot ignore the fact that the spirit of Biafra lives on in the South East. It is what has kept an organisation like the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra alive for 15 years. So successful has the separatist franchise been that it is now giving rise to copycats and spin-off groups like the so-called Biafra Zionist Movement. Their main claim to fame so far has been the harebrained at-

•Lamido tempt by 50 its machete-wielding cadres to storm the Enugu State Government House with the intention of hoisting the Biafran flag. The misadventure ended with gun-toting policemen killing one of them and putting the rest to flight. A few kilometers down the road in the South-South zone, the likes of Asari Dokubo keep warning us that if President Goodluck Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015, the region would pull out of Nigeria taking its crude oil along. Empty threat? May be. But the fact is that is the thinking of influential individuals who have in the past taken up arms against the state, and have warned that they would not hesitate to return to the creeks in pursuit of their objectives. At some point the birth of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) was linked to a separatist sentiment that flowered briefly in the aftermath of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola. But over the years the South-West has drifted towards to a consensus that some form of self-government within Nigeria wasn’t

such a bad proposition. That has forced the once fiery and feared OPC to rebrand itself as a socio-cultural organisation that today limits its activities to providing protection and settling communal conflicts. This background shows that in today’s Nigeria there’s no paucity of the desire to separate. What is shocking is our capacity to live in denial and that remains a huge part of the reason why the country is not working. We head into conferences like the ongoing one saying the country’s existence as one country is not up for debate. But stopping our ears with cotton wool would not address the frustrations of the secessionists. We need to put such matters front and center of the discussions so all sides can decide once and for all whether it is more attractive to split peacefully – in the manner of the old Czechoslovakia; or whether we should make more of an effort at working out a formula that enables us to live amicably as one unit. Everything so far points to the fact that

Recycled leaders and sleeping delegates

UR condolences to the family of retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Hamma Misau, a delegate at the ongoing National Conference who died last Thursday at the National Hospital in Abuja. Misau was 67 when he passed on. He became the subject of widespread caustic comments after photographs of him asleep during a session of the confab went viral. The publication of the pictures stirred some individuals with an anti-democratic temper to attempt to gag media covering the

conference. And that from persons charged with charting the course for a new Nigeria! All week I have had interesting exchanges around this business of some of the more elderly delegates feeling the strain and nodding off in the course of discussions. Someone wondered why the some of the same names who had been in the mix from the 60s and 70s – and have contributed to turning the country on its head – are the ones we are looking up to for deliverance. My position is that there is place for the older delegates because of their institutional

memory. Their experience and knowledge is vital in this sort of exercise. I noticed for instance that in responding to the Lamido of Adamawa’s secessionist threat in a newspaper report last week, elder statesman Chief Olaniwun Ajayi began talking about something that happened in 1947! Some people may see recycling of grayhaired leaders going on, but my perspective is that there’s nothing wrong if some of those who contributed to messing up Nigeria are made to clean up the mess they created.

we are at best two countries – or even worse 10 or 20 countries rolled into one. We are so divided by religion that no amount of national conferences would end the rivalry between Christians and Muslims. That much is evident from the protest march to Aso Villa led by the Sultan of Sokoto to protest alleged marginalisation of Muslims in the make-up of delegates. Such is the depth of feeling over the issue. We are so divided by religion to the extent that a band of killers doing business under the Boko Haram banner would not rest until it has brought everyone under its dominion. Parts of North Central Nigeria are still seething on account of religious differences. It is so bad it is almost like India and Pakistan at independence. The only difference is that there are no clean dividing lines to separate the followers of the different faiths. The intermingling of Christians and Muslims is as complex in the South as it is in the most unlikely parts of the North East and North West. We are so divided by a sense of regional identification of North and South that mirrors the old British Protectorates welded together by Lord Lugard. Today, that same split is playing out in Abuja in the showdown over voting formula – the North insisting on three-quarters and the South on two-thirds majority. Fifty-two years after independence most people are more locked into their religious and regional identity as Northerners and Southerners, Christians and Muslims, than they are as Nigerians. Until we can deal with how these disparate peoples can relate in an artificial concept called Nigeria, we would continue to flush billions down the drain in so-called national conferences. It all begins by facing the fact that the sentiments expressed by the Lamido are things people mutter about in their homes every day. Such matters ought to be on the table in any conference that would truly address our national question.

New states? Not again!

REPORT in The Nation last week spoke of pressure on members of the National Assembly Committee on Constitution Review to create new states. Already, as many as 57 requests are pending before the legislature. As I understand it some elements within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Presidency see this as some sort of trump card that could give them an edge in national elections next year. Whatever may be the selfish calculations driving it, the push for new states is nothing short of scandalous. The bulk of the existing 36 states are insolvent. Most of them cannot pay workers’ salaries. Lots cannot survive without the monthly hand out from the Federation Account. The performance of these entities has exposed the limit to which state creation can be a tool for developing the country. Much of what passes for development activities begin and end in these one-street state capitals. This is not just about the ingenuity of governors in imposing more tax burdens on hapless citizens in the name of generating internal revenue. It is about the fact that the cash from the center cannot carry the lumbering bureaucracies and expense outlets that would come with the so-called new states. All reasonable people should oppose this nonsense.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

Tinubu, the modern political game changer, at 62 PAGES 20

Voting mode heat, threats and other matters

2015: ‘INEC should go back to option A4’

PAGE 21

PAGE 23

2015: Jonathan divides Yar’Adua’s camp

ROM 2007 to 2010, the image of the former Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Sayydi Abba Ruma, loomed large. Widely regarded as a super-minister and the go-to man in the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Ruma was, unarguably, the most influential member of the late

The once closely-knit political associates of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua seem to have gone their different ways, no thanks to their discordant tunes over the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo president’s kitchen cabinet. But he was not the only notable figure of the late president’s shadowy inner caucus. There were also Dr. Mansur Muhtar, the unassuming

Minister for Finance; the National Economic Adviser, Yakubu Taminu; and the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed.

Also highly influential but outside the political caucus is the late president’s Aide-De-Camp, Col. (now Brig. Gen.) Mustapha Onoyiveta, who is currently the Chief of Staff to the Chief of Army

Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, and Chief Security Officer (CSO), Yusuf Tilde. Ahead of the 2015 general elections, the Yar’Adua boys (with the exception of Onoyiveta and Tilde), The Nation reliably gathered, have held several meetings with the aim of forging a united front on the candidates to support for •Continued on Page 20

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

POLITICS

Tinubu, the modern political game changer, at 62

IS type blazes the brilliant trail across the political firmament like a meteor once in a blue moon; eliciting varied comments from different observers of diverse perspectives. And that depends on where one stands on each side of the great political divide. His breed is here on a bold mission - to right the many wrongs wrought by anti-democratic forces (both military despots and unpatriotic civilians) with the aim to leave his immediate community, his state, his country, indeed the world much better than he met it. Such a mission, we must admit, is not for the lily-livered but for men of steel. It would, therefore, be foolhardy for any of his teeming admirers to expect even those who he has come to rescue from the stranglehold of the political oppressors to applaud his noble efforts. Such is the dilemma of the socio-political matrix within which political strategists operate; all because they see what many do not. Put simply, he is a visionary armed with the 3-C concept of courage, candour and charisma, possessed all to the quantum level. But as usual, not a few would understand or even identify with his DNA and more so align with his consistent political ideology of people-friendly governance down to the grassroots. Lest we forget, it was his undying love for democracy as an enduring political vehicle to deliver the greatest good to the majority of fellow Nigerians that saw him confront the monstrosity that the military dictatorship had turned his dear nation into. What with the crude, callous and conscienceless annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to have been squarely won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola of blessed memory. His claim to the enthronement of democracy, therefore, did not start last night. That is much unlike many self-seeking politicians of our current dispensation who care less about the source and form of the waters from which they gulp to the point of self asphyxiation! Notwithstanding, our man of today is none other than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the erstwhile governor of the Centre of Excellence, a one-time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has over the last decade come to redefine the concept of party politics in the effervescent terrain called Nigeria. From the Alliance for Democracy (AD) through the Action Congress (AC) to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now, the game changer tagged the All Progressives Congress (APC) his rare managerial acumen of men and materials all come to the fore. He knew, right from the outset, that it was going to be a long-drawn battle, especially with political power in the iron fist of the late General Sani Abacha. He again it was, who provided the buffer that cushioned the efforts of pro-democracy activists as NADECO brought the attention of the world to the castration and gross violation of the people’s inalienable human rights. Let it be known that at that material time, he had all the opportunity to sell out as some fair-weather friends did to betray our common cause. But Tinubu chose, and wisely too, to stay on the people’s side while the struggle lasted. Had he been a political turn-coat, we would have no moral ground to identify with him, least of all celebrate him on this auspicious occasion. Perhaps, it would be more appropriate to

By Idowu Ajanaku

underscore his sweeping political machinery to the metaphor of the broom, which incidentally has been adopted for much of the metamorphosis of the aforementioned political parties of the progressives. To start with, he, Tinubu as the governor, who took the mantle of Lagos State amidst monumental filth that clogged the drainages and the highways swept it all with the introduction of LASTMA. Other creative organs of government such as LASTMA, KAI, LAMATA that his visionary administration establ i s h e d brought sanity and safety in the critical areas of public health, transportation, education and massive infrastructural development. They have been copied by governors from virtually all the six geopolitic a l zones of the country. Worthy of note, also, is that a l l these took place even in the face of daunting odds. Not the least being the withholding of allocations to local government councils that stretched from months to years, when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo held sway at the federal level. In other climes, well-heeled writers, historians and political sci-

entists would be all over him to decipher that unique attribute that has made him a strong brand of a survivor. This raises some fundamentally significant questions. How did Lagos State weather the storm of months without federal allocation when the internally generated revenue was yet to assume a sustaining level? How did his AD-led political party, more like a David pitched against the behemoth of a Goliath, survive the political onslaught of the PDP rigging machinery that bulldozed its way through the South-West geo-political zone? He became ‘the last man standing’; how did he do it? How did he wrestle back the same zone from the stranglehold of the same PDP in 2007 and went on to strengthen his hold on the vastly resourceful and politically sophisticated zone by 2011? And to cap all the trilogy of the bruising battles won, how did the ACN merge with other progressive parties in the mold of CPC and ANPP, both from the northern fold, now giving the PDP sleepless nights? It was the democrat in him that saw Tinubu calling for Resource Control as a senator against the vociferous voices of those w h o claim to love the country o n l y when it suits their fancies. Today, that clamour re-echoes with greater verve and frenzy as the National Conference kicks off its deliberations. But would anyone remember who belled the cat? That is the million naira question. From all these salutary efforts, it would be a disservice to our sense of history to misconstrue Tinubu as a self-serving

politician. If he was one, perhaps he would have been contented to cocoon himself with the AD. And he would not have used his political clout to assist incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State to send the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) packing, even though it is controlled by the Labour Party, just as he had done in Ekiti and Osun states. Even when he has been accused of influencing choices for the party, one issue even die-hard critics would not deny is that he makes the best choices, always. Name them; the award-winning governors of Lagos, Ekiti, Osun, Edo, Oyo and Ogun states do not come to political prominence, every day. Do they? That magic wand of his, to identify the best man for the job, should be a source of PhD thesis. To all those who, out of sheer envy, label APC as a political party devoid of philosophy, a closer look at the ground-breaking achievements of the states under its purview would reveal one. And that is the enduring principle of making governance to be driven by the wishes, aspirations, dreams and desires of the average Nigerian. That is, rather than that of a fraudulent family of shameless kleptomaniacs, whose stock-intrade is not only to steal the nation blind but to make culprits walk our streets with a sneering swagger under the leaking umbrella of the crass culture of insidious impunity. Asiwaju, no doubt, believes in the sustenance of justice, fairness, equity and people-driven development. He believes, and firmly too, that it all starts with free, fair and credible elections. That always provides the firm foundation for the house of democracy to stand. Only then would people’s votes count. If that is not a political philosophy, then what is? According to Michael Ciric, an American political analyst, ‘voters tend to believe in political ideology much more than those who are actually running for office. Naturally, candidates will more often than not say whatever they must in order to get elected and worry about their promises later…Still, for most people, their political choices pretty much comes down to a belief in a particular ideology as opposed to the candidate being the best qualified for the job.’ One may say that happens only in America. But evidence abounds here in Nigeria that political ideologies have played their part in electoral choices made. It did so with the late Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe as it also did for the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. And now, as the 2015 general elections move closer by the day, Nigerians would be hard put to trust the PDP, a political party that has since 1999 been unable to turn the fortunes of a vastly blessed country in favour of its longsuffering people. With monumental fraud in the form of pension scam, aviation mess, oil subsidy scandal, money allegedly growing wings from the NNPC Nigerians would want to pitch their tents with the ideology of the progressives to make their choices count and their voices heard, loud and clear. That opposition to the PDP is the APC. One man, whose political antecedents would provide a credible factor in the yet unbalanced equation in the political landscape, is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. As we celebrate him today, we wish him God’s abiding grace and fruitful years in the service of our fatherland. Has the Game-Changer an ace has under his sleeve, come 2015? Only time will tell.

2015: Division in Yar’Adua’s camp over Jonathan •Continued from Page 19 certain elective offices. Members of the group, who were reportedly placed under security watch after President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office in 2010, sources disclosed, initially spoke with one voice, with many of them still bitter over the ‘ill treatment’ allegedly meted out to them by Jonathan. Until three months ago, the consensus reached by the group was to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to another party. On getting wind of this plan, the presidency, according to sources, quickly moved in. Allegedly handed the brief to nip the plan in the bud was the Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, who is a close ally of the president. Shema’s task was to co-opt the ‘Yar’Adua boys’ to support Jonathan’s alleged re-election ambition. The governor, who along with Ruma and Taminu,

served as commissioners under Yar’Adua as governor of Katsina from 1999 to 2007, was allegedly not disposed to reaching out to his former colleagues due to what sources described as ‘mutual distrust.’ This mutual distrust, it was learnt, also extended to Shema’s relationship with Yar’Adua’s immediate family, particularly the widow, Turai. Within weeks, The Nation gathered that Shema made headway with two members of the Yar’Adua group by allegedly convincing them to forget whatever differences they might have with President Jonathan and support the latter’s reelection in 2015. But two other members are said to be kicking against what they referred to as the ‘unilateral decision’ of their colleagues to support Jonathan, who they hold responsible for literally running members of the group out of the political scene. This disagreement, sources insist, is said to have been partly responsible for

the indefinite postponement of the formal declaration of the Yar’Adua group for the All Progressives Congress (APC). The presidency on its part is reportedly not giving up on getting the endorsement of the group, The Nation has gathered. According to a source, the presidency’s strategists believe that the Yar’Adua group’s endorsement of Jonathan’s 2015 project will prove a masterstroke in the determined quest to further divide the ranks of the northern establishment, which is believed to be fiercely opposed to the president’s re-election. But in the event that the crisis among the ‘Yar’Adua boys’ remains unresolved, sources said this scenario will fit into the presidency’s calculations to divide the ranks of influential groups and associations in the north that are averse to the president’s come-back bid. As a source put it, “Rather than the Yar’Adua group joining the APC, a situation that could further damage the

president’s 2015 ambition in the north, the presidency will prefer a situation where there is a crisis in the group, thus making the members not to speak with one voice.” While it could not be ascertained the individual position of members of the group on the matter at hand, it was gathered that no meeting has been held in the last three months with a view to finding the way forward. Another source who spoke to The Nation, however, said the crisis in the Yar’Adua group is simply imagined than real. According to the source, the Yar’Adua group remains as united as ever, adding that the decision to postpone its defection to the APC was a tactical political move calculated at confusing the presidency. But as the president prepares to formally announce his plan to seek reelection, the big poser is: will the Yar’Adua group throw their weight behind him or seek their political relevance elsewhere? The waiting game continues.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

POLITICS

AT THE NATIONAL CONFAB THIS WEEK

Voting mode heat, threats and other matters B

EING the first week of actual deliberation at the 2014 National Conference, many Nigerians had not expected much drama and controversy. So many issues, bothering on procedure and appointment of various levels of leadership at the conference still needed to be resolved and were, according to analysts, not too critical to elicit much heat and disagreement. They were wrong for the week turned out to feature so much heat. It began with the debate on the voting mode, plus other issues arising from the inaugural speech of President Goodluck Jonathan, the previous week, which re- opened debate on the possibility of subjecting the decisions of the conference to a referendum. When the conference chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, asked delegates to contribute to the voting mode debate, the heat commenced, especially as the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha, took over the stage, with a long speech that literarily put fire on the conference. Threat of a walk out... Observers say the high point of this week’s deliberations at the confab remains the drama that trailed Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha’s threat to walk out on the conference with other northern delegates. Mustapha, nominated for the conference on the platform of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, said he and other delegates from the north may walk out if pushed to the wall over unresolved mode of voting. The royal father made the threat immediately the delegates settled for the day’s business. The conference chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, had called for comments on whether the conference would call for memoranda from the public on its assignment when Mustapha sidetracked the issue to throw the bombshell. He said: “I just want to sound a note of warning and that is why I requested to be given time to speak before the start of business today, “The note of warning I want to sound is that we should not take a cue from the so-called civilised people of western countries because they are always after their own interest and they can use anything – coercion, force and other means to protect their interest. “Listening to the debates and the behaviour of some delegates here, it really beats my imagination how a gathering of people like us will behave like the way we are behaving. “Mr. President delivered his address here and he laid down what we are supposed to discuss, but many people here, sorry to say, especially some elder statesmen who claimed to be strong loyalists of Mr. President…” “But, unfortunately, these people are in the forefront to contradict what Mr. President said. At the rate we are going, in the long run, this conference may not achieve its purpose...” “In the long run, if we are not careful, this conference will flop – God forbid. And if it flops, the resultant effect can not be predicted by anyone of us here. “If something happens and the country disintegrates – God forbid – many of those who are shouting their heads off will have nowhere to go. “I and the people of Adamawa – and many others – have somewhere to go. I am the Lamido of Adamawa and my kingdom transcends Nigeria and Cameroon... “Unless you want to disobey the President, then you can do whatever you want and if we are pushed to the wall, we will easily walk out of this

In this review, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that the 2014 National Conference kicks off deliberations with unexpected drama, threats and many more.

•Kutigi

•Mustapha

conference,” he said. Outrage follows Both delegates and other Nigerians, have, throughout the week expressed outrage over the statement by Mustapha. Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, for example, said he was not surprised by the threat. Mr. Ayo Opadokun reminded the monarch that his territory was in Nigeria on the magnanimity of the Nigerian people in the first place. Former Governor of Borno State Mohammed Goni also said that the traditional ruler could not have meant the statement the way it was perceived, while Mrs. Daisy Danjuma urged Nigerians to be patient and await the outcome of the conference. Sir Ajayi, an elder statesman, who is representing the Southwest geo-political zone on the platform of socio-political/ cultural and ethnic nationality groups, said he was not surprised by the pronouncement of the monarch. He said: “I am not particularly surprised because since 1947, until our independence, the northern leaders have always been threatening secession or walking out and the British people always begged them and giving them what they want. “For instance, the first general conference held in Ibadan in 1950, the North came with four demands and if not granted they would walk our. “The demands were parity of the membership of the House of Representatives with the South; that is, whatever bill they brought to the House they will win because the North controls the House. “Secondly, they want the revenue of the country to be shared on per capital basis, because they have been given the impression that they were more in number than the people of the South put together. “Three, they said the boundary between the North and the South should not be adjusted, that is Ilorin, Kabba and other towns, on that axis would continue to be part of the North. “Lastly, they want Lagos to cease to be part of Nigeria. Little, by little the North got all they demanded for, which became, the undoing of Nigeria because that was what led to the first military coup.

“The reality is that, and which is very worrrisome, is the statement and then the attitude of the chairman, who failed to stop him making comments on a subject that was not on the table. Ayo Opadokun said the statement was uncalled for, as Adamawa is in Nigeria on the magnanimity of the people of Nigerians. He said: “It’s an unfortunate statement because we should be talking about issues that bring us together and not the ones that separate us. “It’s even more unfortunate because his comment was not on what was on the debate as at that time. Even when the Chairman called him to order, he continued to make that damaging statement. “Saying that he has a place to go should the country disintegrate, he must be reminded that his living in Nigeria was at the instance of the good people of Nigeria, spearheaded by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who fought Cameroon to the United Nations. “I believe this conference is going to achieve the desired result for this country, but not at the expense of our rights to be happy staying together. In other words, we would not allow anyone to impose conditions on us. “We can persuade people, persuade ourselves because there is a lot of joy living together. But, if your coming together will cause some injustice, people will resist.” Goni however expressed belief that

•Onyekweli

Lamido could not have meant the statement the way it was perceived. According to him, the threat could be a reaction to the helplessness experienced by his subjects over security challenges and the seeming inability of Federal and state governments to stem the insurgencies. He also doubted that the threat would be carried out because to convince others would be impossible. His words: “I don’t think it is strongly meant because, in his view, he knew it can not be binding on other people. I want to believe that the statement was made as a result of pressure of the lingering security challenges being faced by the people of his area. “You know, this is a place where killings occur almost on daily basis and the frustration of seeing that government efforts have not been able to stop the killings. “In other words, I see it as just a statement made on the spur of the moment. I don’t think he meant it. Moreover, we have been together in this country and since the Constitution Conference of 1979, which I attended and subsequent ones, it has always been made clear that the unity of this country can not be compromised.” The coming of the conference arbitrators The confusion, punctuated by attempts to shout down the Mustapher, forced the conference to adjourn plenary to tackle the controversial mode of voting. Later, the Deputy Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, announced a 49-member list of delegates, mainly elders, selected to resolve the problem. It is of note that until the end of the week, even the list of the wisemen itself became another issue of disagreement amongst delegates, since some of them, epecially the younger, more radical delegates, were not comfortable with the list. Before adjournment on Tuesday, the delegates mandated the chairman to consult with leaders of delegations to reach a consensus on the thorny question of whether the conference would decide issues by three-quarters majority or twothirds majority, if consensus on an issue fails. By Wednesday , the conference could not agree on this issue. Instead, the controversy threw up a North/South divide, as most of the Northern delegates demande for three-quarters majority, while most of the Southern delegates want two-thirds majority as the mode of voting. For most of the week, the behind-thedoor meetings to resolve the voting pattern dominated the political discuss.

Misau bows out...

HE conference however lost a delegate, on Thursday, March 27, 2014. News of the death of AIG Hamma Misau (Rtd), at the National Hospital in Abuja, at the weekend, brought back the controversies recorded at the conference during the week as some delegates challenged media men for capturing and publishing or airing pictures and scenes that they considered uncomplimentary. It would be recalled that the late Misau, who died of an undisclosed illness at the age of 67, was captured in a photo during the week, showing where he was taking a nap at the conference. This picture was shared on social media.

•Misau

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

POLITICS

Adeleke and PDP: A bond forever

IGHT now, many politicians in Osun State, just like in other parts of the country, are out presenting themselves for various elective offices through party primaries. There are alignments, repositioning and re-engineering going on in different PDP caucuses in Osun State to sell their candidates As should be expected, there are a few aspirants in Osun PDP, who are distinguishably placed to try their hands on the ‘political plough’ and give the PDP the desired victory at the August 9, 2014 governorship election. Senator Isiaka Adeleke, who, a few days ago, announced his readiness to partake in his party governorship primaries comes to mind. His emergence at the PDP governorship primaries, slated for April 5, 2014, has changed the permutations on the ground. It has altered the political calculus in the PDP. And as should be expected, some lily-livered and chicken-hearted contenders for the PDP ticket are out with one cheap blackmail or the other against Senator Isiaka Adeleke, as if he is not eminently qualified to seek the highest political office in the land. His outing is God’s own project. A divine call to serve Isiaka Adeleke is a colourful politician, with a touch of the magic wand. He is not new to innuendoes or abracadabra from opponents. He saw it in 2003 and took the outcome with philosophical calmness. He never loses sleep over any overt or covert measures by his detractors to unjustly castigate him. To him, it is selfless service to the people. No wonder, politicians and nonpoliticians alike are joyous that Adeleke is now in the race to make it positively eventful and result-oriented. The response to his bid to present himself for the governorship race in Osun has been electrifying and a repeat of his outing in 1990, when he participated and won the Osun governorship race. Adeleke is not new to controversy, which he sees as part of politicking. Without sounding immodest, Isiaka Adeleke is the toast of Osun electorate. He towers above those who were politically non-existent in 1992 when Adeleke became the governor at the age of 35. The difference is clear. Isiaka Adeleke is a quintessential politician, who is set to do the PDP proud. But some undignified people within the Osun PDP are crying ‘blue murder’ that Isiaka Adeleke is peddling the name of President

•Adeleke

By Olumide Lawal Goodluck Jonathan to back up his ambition. Why not, if not? When has it become a crime to associate one’s person or goal with credible people, like President Jonathan, who, in anyway, is the political leader and father of all in the PDP, no matter who you are. If, therefore, Adeleke is rightly asserting that Jonathan is favourably disposed to his ambition, why couldn’t other aspirants use Obama’s name to back up their ambition? Jonathan’s good name opens door to prosperity. Associating with him is therefore not out of place. The hand of Esau and voice of Jacob behind the run-Adeleke-down syndrome came up with a syndicated publication in some newspapers a few days ago to call for the head of Isiaka Adeleke for daring to mention Jonathan’s name as regards his next move to become the PDP flag bearer. Adeleke has no apologies to offer this group of people. In war, be it conventional or political, all is fair to win. Adeleke, in 1990 through 1991, traversed

the length and breadth of old Oyo State, canvassing for support to become the governor. He gained wide acceptance from that endeavour. And today, from as far as Oke-Ogun, the political friendship cultivated by Adeleke remains as solid as rock of Gibraltar. No wonder, they are coming from Shaki, Oke-Iho, Iganna, Iseyin, Ago Amodu, Ago Are to solidarise with Adeleke, since he announced his bid to contest the PDP governorship primaries on April 5, 2014. Across Osun State, the song on the lips of the people is one of “the messiah has come” to give the PDP creditability in presenting a formidable, acceptable and people-friendly candidate for the April 5th election. If in 1992 election in Osun State, Adeleke could coast home to victory, through the grace of God and the vast support of the electorate, nothing stops him now that he has gained wider political experience to fly the flag of the PDP. Osun PDP executive council, under the leadership of Alhaji Ganiy Ola-Oluwa, should not compromise itself or be biased against other aspirants, particularly Isiaka Adeleke. He should provide a level-playing

field for all aspirants to test the water. There should not be any favouritism. Even if OlaOluwa has sympathy for a particular aspirant, he should play it down. The more, the merrier. Why did the Ganiy Ola-Oluwa executive council allow a particular aspirant to become the alter-ego of the PDP in Osun and in the process dictate who gets what as far as political patronages are concerned and at the expense of party elders. Any aspirant is free to parade the name of Vice President Sambo, if that will ease his case. All the cheap excuses being peddled by the Ganiy Ola-Oluwa executive council against Adeleke, such as financial membership’s status, should be thrown into the depth of the ocean, as they hold no water. This scheming has failed, as far as Adeleke is concerned. During the 2011 presidential election, Senator Isiaka Adeleke was the only politician of the PDP extraction who delivered his two local governments- Ede North and Ede South - to President Goodluck Jonathan. INEC archives will readily confirm this claim. What, therefore, is the false assertion that Senator Adeleke is working against the victory of Jonathan in 2015 through alleged interaction with APC chieftains? Cheap blackmail! This jittery measure by Adeleke’s opponents is unfortunate. They should discuss issues and not character assassination. Is anybody going to stop latter day entrant like Alhaji Lateef Akande Bakare from obtaining the PDP governorship forms? Ganiy Ola-Oluwa should know that the bigger the head, the bigger the headache – courtesy MKO Abiola of blessed memory. Adeleke, as an elder statesman, respects all shades of opinions as far as societal good of the people are concerned. His humanitarian and philanthropic gestures to all and sundry are legendary and cut across political divides. Adeleke is PDP personified in body and soul. He sleeps, dreams and thinks PDP 24/7. Adeleke is out for the good of the PDP and indeed the people of Osun State. He is now the rallying point for the party in Osun. For one thing, he is not prepared to join issues with political Lilliputians over trivialities. His focus is on getting the PDP ticket and becoming the next governor of Osun State. April 5 will settle the matter, when it will be a goal scored in a grand style by Isiaka Adeleke against concerted force of fate. •Lawal is the Media Adviser to Senator Isiaka Adeleke

2015 Delta governorship: I am the chosen one, says Olejeme

HE chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, has declared herself the chosen one for the governorship seat of Delta State in 2015. “Don’t bother to look for another candidate. I will be governor in 2015. I am the chosen one for Delta State,” she told her supporters and some Delta prominent personalities. She made the declaration during the week even as her ambition to fly the Peoples Democratic Party’s flag for the 2015 governorship election in Delta State received a boost this week, following endorsements from more prominent Deltans. For example, those who joined the Olejeme for Governor’s Train between Wednesday and this weekend included the new Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Peter Onwusanya, chairman, ULO Construction Company, Chief Uche Okpuno, former commissioner for women affairs, Chief Theodora GiwaAmu, Chief Edwin Uzor and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oshimili South Local Government Area. Most of them listed Olejeme’s achievements and leadership style as reasons for endorsing her. Chairman of PDP, Oshimili South Local Government Area, Evangelist Ebielim Muaduemezie, who first made public his endorsement when Olejeme and her entourage paid a courtesy visit to party leaders and top government functionaries in the state said: “For Oshimili South PDP, Olejeme is our daughter. She has all it takes

By Sam Egburonu

to be governor of Delta State. She will transform Delta State. Her ambition is our project. We will never disappoint her.” He also described Olejeme as a listening leader who has the interest of the people at heart. “Don’t be cajoled by political jobbers, especially those printing posters. They are merely looking for political positions. We are solidly behind you. You will be in Government House in 2015,” he said. Speaker Onwusanya also explained why he supports Olejeme’s ambition, when he said, “Information about you has really touched my heart. It is a great opportunity to be seated with you. I must thank you for your compassionate spirit and the employment and government patronages you provided to Deltans, particularly the people of Oshimili South Local Government Area. You are eminently qualified to vie for any post in the country. This is not a political statement, keep the flag flying. You will be there. You will finish the race strong. God will give you the strength and enablement.” Also, according to Ebireri Henry of You and I Foundation, “when Olejeme went to Ogwashi-Uku during the week to commiserate with the family of the late Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, many prominent Deltans, including Barrister Paul Uwechue, extolled her leadership qualities, commending her for contributing to the progress of the country.”

Responding to the support, Olejeme urged Oshimili South political leaders, Deltans, especially Anioma people, to stand by her. “Don’t bother to look for a n o t h e r candidate. I will be governor in 2015. I am t h e chosen one for Delta State” h e s a i d , appealing to Hon. N d i d i Elumelu, Senator Ifeanyi O k o w a , E l d e r G o d s w i l l Orubebe and others not to waste their time and energies, insisting: “God h a s pronounced me as governor of Delta State.” •Olejeme

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

POLITICS

2015: ‘INEC should go back to option A4’

HE Independent National Electoral Commission recently released the 2015 election timetable, which has come under heavy criticism in some quarters. How comfortable are you with the timetable? INEC is a body created by law (constitution). Its constitutional roles are defined therein. So, INEC brought out the timetable whether they consulted anyone or not, they have the right to produce a timetable. I don’t see anything wrong in that timetable. We always talk about bandwagon effect; if you do the presidential election first and PDP or APC wins, it will rub upon all other elections. That is the complaint they have. If you also do it bottom up; assuming you do the House of Assembly and governorship first, if they win, it will be a bandwagon effect. So, I don’t see why people should be bothering themselves about the timetable that INEC released. I also believe they took into consideration the law which says they should hold an election before the tenure of the incumbent expires. They took into consideration all the provisions of the law. So, I don’t see why anybody should be agitated or aggrieved by that timetable. For me, I don’t have anything against the time table. What is your view on the proposed plans by the Abia State Government to construct an airport in the state? The governor has his priorities. As a person, I don’t think building an airport, from my perspective, is really a priority. How many of us use the airports we have around here? Less than 2% of Abians fly. It is expensive, dangerous and risky. A lot of people wouldn’t want to subject themselves to that kind of dangerous journeys. So, for me, it is not a priority. Our roads are bad. The money he will use to build the airport should be used to fix our roads. There is so much unemployment. Why doesn’t he use the money he is going to use in building the airport to fix some of the industries and employ people? When we have gotten to a stage, there are certain indexes we will get to before we begin to talk about airport. But, for now, I don’t think it is a priority. But as I said, the governor has his own priority, maybe he wants to leave legacy projects. Immediately after the result of 2011 election was announced, you and other political flag bearers in a press conference alleged that there was massive rigging and now people are

Bob Chiedozie Ogu was the 2010 All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate in Abia State. In this interview with Sunny Nwankwo in Aba, the politician, lawyer and Secretary of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aba branch, bares his mind on Abia 2015, the electoral process and other national issues. Excerpts agitating for e-voting method as a means of curbing electoral malpractice. Do you think adopting electronic system of voting will bring to an end the endemic electoral malpractices in the country? Well, the truth is that when we talk about e-voting, a lot of people don’t understand what e-voting is all about. E-voting does not mean that there won’t be rigging. Yes, it can reduce the level of rigging. But anything electronic can also be manipulated. When Humphrey Nwosu was the chairman of the electoral body in the country, he tried option A-4 where people queued behind their candidates. Do not forget that Abiola’s election, regarded as the freest and fairest election, was a product of the option A-4. What is wrong with our going back to option A-4? Let us queue behind our candidates, with option A-4, there is minimal rigging. He tried an option and it worked well, why can’t we go back to option A-4? My position is that INEC should go back to option A-4. Let us dust what we did during Humphrey Nwosu’s tenure and I am sure that will reduce rigging in this country. Having contested in 2011 as a gubernatorial candidate and with 2015 in view, avail us the anomalies you noticed in 2011 and the corrective measure you would proffer First and foremost, the problem lies with citizens of Nigeria. The average Nigerian doesn’t care about democracy. He is not interested in who leads him. He is interested in how much he gets in the cause of an election. How would you rate the level of political awareness among Abians and Nigerians in general? On the average, Nigerians are politically aware. In Abia State, the level of awareness is low and I don’t blame the people. I don’t blame them, because right from time, a number of persons have not been interested in what goes on around them. There is a kind of cultural problem there. An average Igbo man doesn’t believe in agitation. He believes in handing every problem, even the one he can solve, to God; let God handle it. So, the level of political awareness is not high as it is in Imo State. In Imo State, they have serious political awareness that the people can decide to change the government and they will succeed, but in Abia, it is not like that. So, what measures do you think can be adopted to raise the political awareness of the people in the state?

One is education, and that is where you journalists will play a big role. We need to educate our people on what is really going on. It is only when our people get educated that they will begin to understand. As 2015 approaches, do you also want to run for an office? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because as I speak with you now, my ambition is to be the governor of this state. And why is it my ambition? It is to do the right things so that people will know that there could be another angle to governance apart from primitive acquisition of wealth. The ‘no’ aspect of it is that, as I speak with you now, it will be the 7th wonder of the world for a person to win election in Abia State from any other political party apart from the PDP. As I speak with you, there is so much long queue of those who want to run that it is almost impossible for somebody to cash in and get a ticket, unless it is an act of God. So, I won’t see a losing ship and I will go and sink with that ship because I want to make a point. So, that is the ‘no’ aspect of it. Though Governor T. A Orji has made it clear that he wants to handover to an Ngwaman at the end of his tenure, Isiukwuato people are also saying that going by the ABIA acronym, meaning (Afikpo, Bende, Isiukwuato and Aba), that it is their turn to produce the next governor instead of the Ukwa Ngwa. Don’t you think they have a case? Those advancing this argument are just being mischievous with respect to that “I”. They knew nothing about the creation of Abia State. They were not part of the Abia Charter of Equity. The Abia Charter of Equity recognised two dominant groups: the Old Aba Division and the Old Bende Division. They were the two groups that met….. I have all the minutes of the meetings. I have all the agreements that were entered into. Isiukwuato was part of the Old Bende Division. Aba consists of the Old Aba Division, all Ukwa Ngwa areas, they were part of the Aba Division. It was in the course of the meeting that somebody said why don’t we try this name, Abia? That there is a place he saw that name in the Bible and said why don’t we try it? They are just being mischievous with that “I”. That “I” if I also want to argue like them is Isiala Ngwa or Ikwuano? Why should it be Isiukwuato at the end of the day? What is your parting shot to Ngwa politicians and Abia electorate? It is only equitable for the Abia electorate to allow an Ngwa man to go in now. I wouldn’t want it to be something Ngwa people will force their way through. Let it be a consensus so that when it is also the turn for it to move, we will also concede to other groups. So, I will ask the average Abian to support any Ngwa candidate of their choice and let an Ngwa man emerge as the governor.

Thoughts on immigration disaster

T is two weeks now since the ineptitude of successive Nigerian governments and the incompetence of the Jonathan administration in particular were advertised through the blood sacrifice of blooming young flowers who had been invited to stadiums in different parts of the country for interviews to fill vacant positions in the Nigerian Immigration Service. It is shocking that, at this point, realising that a multitude of Nigerian men and women had indicated interest in the jobs and had actually paid to register, Minister Abba Moro’s men could proceed to throw up question papers for which desperate candidates had to scramble. The stampede that followed the poor organisation led to avoidable deaths and injuries. A government that ought to provide joy readily dished out tears, sorrow and deaths. All over the world, viewers of major television channels were treated to such shameful shows from Nigeria. It is good that, after all, Moro has accepted responsibility for his failure, but refused to accept the natural act that ought to have followed such ignoble act- resignation. I agree with all who have called for Moro’s sack. He ought to go for exhibiting such gross incompetence. He also deserves the stick for encouraging monumental corruption and fleecing helpless unemployed youths of the money they had not earned. But, much more than Moro, our anger should be directed at the successive Peoples Democratic Party’s administrations since 1999. How could the fact that the monster of unemployment grew so big under their watch be excused? Besides, President Goodluck Jonathan only told the Federal Executive Council that families of victims would be compensated. Who were the consultants? How were they hired? And, who did? No one is asking the very necessary questions. Rather than bury their heads in shame, the PDP lords are asking why such a huge crowd turned up for the interview in Lagos and Kano, states controlled by the opposition All Progressives Congress. First, the constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of movement. There is no evidence that all the would-be interviewees were resident in states where they turned up for selection. In any case, it is not impossible that jobless youths from neighbouring states, believing that their chances would be brighter in the mega cities, migrated there for the exercise. Second, Lagos and Kano are the most populous states of the Federation and the capital cities are being threatened by population explosion. It is therefore understandable that more people turned up there than, say, Ebonyi, Ekiti and Nasarawa States. Third, the Nigerian economy is one indivisible unit at the moment. The centre drives the process. The planlessness of the federal government that has disproportionately cornered resources from all parts of the country is bound to reflect in different aspects of life nationwide. When Karl Maeir published the book, This House Has Fallen, many of us were up in arms against his categorization of Nigeria as a failed state. We considered the title provocative and the submission irreverent. Some of us argued that Nigeria still had an opportunity to redeem itself and, since it retained control of agencies of coercion, it could only have been a failing state. But, 14 years down the line, it appears that the ship of state is really approaching a huge rock and the captain is asleep. We need no seer or prophet to realise that disaster thus looms. Nigeria has never been so incompetently run; not even under the Shagari administration. It has never been so rapaciously looted, not even under the military that were not accountable to the people. Yet, this is an election year and the fellows in charge have the audacity to campaign for another term, thereby insulting us by suggesting that they have performed well. There is in office an Oil minister under whose watch oil theft has become a norm. There is in place a coordinating minister of the economy who has lost total control of affairs. Despite huge sums committed to generating and distributing electricity, we generate more excuses than power supply and this government has not put in place a single policy measure to shore up the quality of education and conserve the billions of dollars that Nigerians expend in seeking good education abroad, including neighbouring countries. Not long ago, it was bemoaning the dubious reputation of Nigeria as the one that spends the most on dispatching its citizens abroad for treatment for even common diseases. Our anger should be directed at Mr. Jonathan. In 2011, he promised nothing and has delivered nothing. Next year, we should permanently lock him out of the Government House. In the interim, Moro must go. His godfathers should be exposed. The two consultants should be asked to refund the illegally obtained fund. But, more fundamentally, Nigerians should reject Jonathan for further compounding their woes. It is obvious that he and his team have nothing to offer us. May the good Lord save us and spare our country of the horrors.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

POLITICS

HOSE who understand power within the context of democracy know, as Chinua Achebe pens in one of his classics, the “Arrow of God”, that their power is “no more than the power of a child over a goat that was said to be his”. On the day the goat is killed or sold, it would know the rightful owner. That power belongs to the people. In the novel, Ezeulu is the chief priest of Ulu, the deity of Umuaro. Although he knows that he is “merely a watchman” for the gods, he is obsessed with the immensity of his powers over the lunar year and crop, hence the people. Describing Ezeulu, his main antagonist, Nwaka, says: “A man who carries a deity is not a king. He is there to perform its ritual and to carry sacrifice to it. But …Ezeulu… wants to be king, priest, diviner, all.” Ezeulu is also a character of pathos. Those whom the gods want to kill, they first make mad. Thus, looking at the chain of events surrounding this tragic hero, I sometimes wonder if the gods themselves did not deliberately goad their chief priest to destruction, perhaps to punish him and/or teach mortals some lessons in the vanity of power. Yet, whichever it is, the storyline of Umuaro and Ezeulu playing out in Enugu politics ahead of the 2015 general election does not show that mortals have learnt a thing. The forced endorsements and political impunity being perpetrated by the Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, and his kitchen cabinet is just like an Ezeulu testing his powers against the will of the people, and perhaps the gods. Let us rewind to 2013. Governor Chime overreached himself when he decreed that all federal lawmakers from Enugu State doing second tenure and upwards must retire in 2015. This naturally drew public ire as it was generally considered unconstitutional, arrogant, dictatorial, and illogical. Illogical in the sense that Chime, who is completing the maximum two terms as governor, would have certainly gone for a third, and even more terms had the constitution permitted. But he does not see the need for himself to retire. Instead,

Chime and politics of forced endorsement

• Chime By Nicholas Ozor

he wants them swept away to create space for himself and his cronies to retire to the NASS. This is unjust, selfish, and grossly undemocratic. Consequently, to assert himself, just like Ezeulu, Chime, working in consonance with Engr. Vita Abba, the State Chairman of the PDP in Enugu, who himself has a governorship ambition, has literally brought the Enugu PDP and the state in general under unnecessary tension through his endorsement project. Worse still, they go about it childishly because rather than give Chime any edge, the gale of compelled and fraudulent endorsements expose him as jittery, insecure, unloved, and lacking in true followership. Otherwise, why would a sitting governor be so panicky about his senatorial ambition

as to be literarily chasing local council chairmen and party executives about and threatening them to endorse him and his chief of staff? This has also come with a lot of impunities. For visiting former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and Chime’s godfather who recently rejoined the PDP, several ward chairmen and executives were suspended because the governor’s Chief of Staff, Ifeoma Nwobodo, is running for the senatorial seat, which Nnamani is also eyeing. For reasoning against the hasty endorsements, for resisting the attempt to force PDP chairmen in the five LGAs of Enugu West Senatorial District to sign a document purportedly zoning the senatorial seat from Greater Awgu (Chief Ekweremadu’s area) to Udi/ Ezeagu (Chime’s area), the party chairman in his native Udi LGA, Uchenna

Ogbodo, has not been allowed to function. For advising against sponsoring a newspaper advertorial against Chief Ike Ekweremadu by the Awgu LGA chapter of the governor’s college of political sycophants, a Permanent Secretary in Enugu State, Barrister Eze O. Eze, was unceremoniously demoted to a Director. These so-called stakeholders are given money to place adverts announcing purported endorsements of Chime by LG party executives without even consulting the executives concerned. That was why courageous LG party executives have equally been issuing statements/advertorials denying the whole rubbish. And one hopes that the anti-graft agencies are noting government’s misappropriated spending on this charade. Meanwhile, the future of our youths and health of our people are also put at risk as the state government has descended on the Ikeoha Foundation, Ekweremadu’s NGO. The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Chris Okoro, has ordered secondary school principals not to release their students to participate in the 2014 edition of Ikeoha Quiz Competition, which has promoted competitive learning for over a decade in the senatorial district. Winning schools - up to the second runner up receive instructional and science equipment, while overall winning students who gain admission into higher institutions of learning have always received half a million naira each. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. George Eze, has also stopped the distribution of 20,000 units of anti-malarial drugs acquired by the Ikeoha Foundation to assist health centres in the area to fight the malaria scourge, the highest killer and bane of infants, nursing and pregnant mothers. All in the name of politics! The question now is, after all the “yeye” endorsements, what next? Have Chime, Ifeoma Nwobodo and co become PDP flag bearers for the next election? Has that precluded those interested in the seats Chime and company are gunning for from contesting? Has that made them Senators? No. So, this over-

heating of the Enugu polity serves nothing except the awful showcasing of power drunkenness, foolery, and abundance of poor strategists and bad cooks in Chime’s kitchen cabinet. Chime is undoubtedly the governor of Enugu State. But that does not confer on him the powers to expropriate the rights of the Enugu PDP faithful and Enugu people to elect leaders of their choice in a free and fair party primary and general election, respectively. The constitutional powers of the governor and the state party chairman are not more than that power which a child has over a goat said to be his. Their role is to ensure the welfare of the goat, not to sell or kill it. This, Chime has failed to appreciate. He has neither lived humbly like a man whose palm kernels were cracked by benevolent spirits nor has he shown gratitude/respect to those the gods used to elevate him. Thus, when one considers his rising impunities and controversies, I sometimes wonder if the gods are not deliberately goading him on the path of self destruction - like Ezeulu. Otherwise, why should a governor be so excessive and reckless with power, arrogating unto himself powers over the destinies of men? A man who stands against the voice of the people and will of the gods should observe the anus of the proud dog who tried to put off the furnace with his puny fart. Consider Ezeulu who eventually loses everything that is important to him - his family, his religion, his community (which abandons him), his favourite son (Obika), and ultimately, his sanity. The villagers have no sympathy for him because, to them, their god had taken sides with them against his headstrong and ambitious priest, thereby upholding the wisdom of their ancestors - that no man, however great, was greater than his people. — Nicholas Ozor wrote in from Awgu, Enugu State

Chimaroke and Ebeano metamorphosis

S political eclipses go, the one suffered by Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, the former governor of Enugu State, in the aftermath of the 2007 general elections bears little comparison. From the Olympian heights of a larger-than-life political career, Nnamani has had to cascade to the labyrinths of anonymity. Back in the days when Nnamani called the shots as a two-term governor, the full extent of his powers was at once unimaginable and unrestrained. He decreed his own political invincibility and prowled the political space. For eight years, his political opponents accepted their fate that they stood no chance against him. As a quintessential political strong man, he dominated the political space without remorse or restraint. Ever ready to confront the threat posed by an ant with a bayonet, he plunged the state into a security hell-hole with grave consequences. Elsewhere, he projected the image of an intellectual in politics; a man of praxis. Thus, he embarked on a nation-wide lecture circuit through which he sought to position himself effectively as the philosopher-king of the Fourth Republic. As his tenure wound to an end in 2007, it became obvious that this self-styled master political strategist had lost much of his touted reflexes and was barely groping at straw to stay politically afloat. This was the indirect consequence of years of playing indiscriminate hardball, not knowing when to be selective in matters of political squabbles and when to

By Cyprian Nwodo chart a retreat. Although primed for the political wilderness at that critical juncture, but with the senate seat of the Enugu East Senatorial Zone neatly tucked inside his pocket, not a few onlookers would have given him an odd chance of staging a dramatic comeback. Instead, he sank deeper and deeper into the morass. As it turned out, his senatorial outing degenerated to a nightmare. From being the most travelled governor in the course of his lecture circuit, Chimaroke suddenly lost his voice on the floor of the senate, a platform many thought offered a chance to ventilate his thoughts on national issues. He bade farewell to the senate following a disastrous trouncing in the April 2011 general elections in the hands of a disgruntled political crony, who would later become his godfather’s nemesis. The circumstances and scale of his defeat in that fateful election left him in political coma ever since, as a result of which he stayed away completely from his palatial country home at Agbani from April 2011 till December 2013. His fugitive Ebeano troops, looked on aghast; demoralised. From nowhere, the former governor surfaced in Agbani during the Christmas celebrations. It has to be said that his return was not without the drama and histrionics associated with the Ebeano kingpin. In a matter of days, the main purport of the former governor’s homecoming became clear: the man had been recruited by the Ebeano political family in the state, led by Abuja-based

members of the National Assembly, to champion a planned onslaught against Governor Sullivan Chime and his home-based group of politicians come 2015. Sensing the odds stacked against them in the impending confrontation with Chime and also aware of the no-love-lost relationship between Chime and his predecessor since 2007, the Abuja group was not in doubt that Chimaroke fits the mould. The quartet of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Nnaji, Representative Ofor Chukwuegbo and Peace Nnaji in particular appear to have been worked up unnecessarily since Chime’s popular pronouncement that all members of the National Assembly from the state, who have served up to two terms and above, will be replaced by new faces come 2015. It is not surprising, therefore, that they are the ones in the vanguard of the plot to recruit Chimaroke towards the 2015 polls. It remains to be seen how Chimaroke can ultimately resolve fundamental differences with selfish power-hungry politicians united by greed and avarice. By and large, the shifting alliance betrays political weakness on the part of the Abuja group, an admission that they are incapable of taking on Chime without assistance, as they have erroneously led their supporters to believe. Chimaroke’s sin for which he is being resisted by the political elite and intelligentsia of the state is that he stuck out his neck for elements of the Ebeano regime that he championed, against better advice and at the risk of his (own) political future.

• Nnamani

But today, here we are! Chimaroke is groping desperately to reinvent yesterday. While he held court to receive his visitors during his stay, he had a oneliner for their multitude of complaints and frustrations under the present dispensation: “don’t worry; we shall soon take over again.” This no doubt sounded like cold comfort to the ears of some discerning individuals among them. The contradictions are being magnified by the day. While Ekweremadu and co have been selling the dummy that the former governor returned at the behest of President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady, the masquerade is not without his own game plan though. There is also the not-so-simple matter of streamlining conflicting ambitions

ahead of 2015. Chimaroke still covets the Enugu East Senatorial seat currently occupied by a member of the Abuja quartet, Gilbert Nnaji, who has not hidden his desire to return to the senate. In the light of what is now playing out, Chimaroke’s hastily orchestrated return underlines the desperation of the quartet and the decimated ranks of the Ebeano fugitive troops. But what they probably did not reckon with is that their man remains a figure who can hardly serve as a rallying political point under the prevailing circumstances. •Dr. Nwodo teaches at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

POLITICS

Zionist Biafra: What do they want? S

INCE the early hours of March 8, 2014, when some daring youths, belonging to a group known as Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF), invaded the Enugu State Government House, flying the rising sun flag of the defunct Republic of Biafra, there has been growing concern over their identity, their leadership, their sponsors and their real mission. The concern deepened last weekend when some insiders, quoting security reports in the zone, said the group, a faction of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), was again heading to Imo State Government House, as part of its alleged plan to take over the the South-East states governments as a prelude to its expressed mission of re-declaring the defunct Republic of Biafra. This followed the boldness of the leadership of the BZF, which promptly claimed responsibility for the attack on Enugu State Government House and hinted in the media that the next target would be Owerri, the Imo State capital. While the Police in Enugu declared the leader of the group, Barrister Benjamin Igwe Onwuka, wanted, Imo State Government issued a statement warning the group to stay away from the state. The police in Enugu said Onwuka, 52, is wanted for alleged treasonable felony. The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who issued the statement, said that “investigations into the alleged attack on Government House on March 8, 2014 by 4.30 a.m. have been intensified as some arrests have been made to that effect and suspects already helping the police in their investigations to unravel all those behind the dastardly act and bring them to book while manhunt on the fleeing persons are in top gear.” He said: “The state police command has declared one Onwuka Benjamin Igwe wanted for treasonable felony. Onwuka Bejamin Igwe is one of the suspected actors in the unlawful act of 8/3/14 at Government House and since then has not been seen. He is 5ft 2 inches tall and not too dark in complexion and about 52 years and speaks English and Ibo languages fluently.” In the statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to Imo State Governor on media, Sam Onwuemeodo, the state government said: “All the security agencies in the state have been alerted to this threat, and they will work in tandem with other agencies of the state government to ensure that the long existing peace in the state is not brought under any threat or jeopardy by any group, no matter which name, such group goes with. “Imo state is known as the most peaceful state in the federation, if not in Africa, and the visionary and people-oriented government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha has continued to ensure that the state remains peaceful, and any

Following the security threat posed by the activities of Biafra Zionist Federation in the South-East zone, governments and other leaders are seeking ways of securing the zone, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu

•Onwuka

attempt by any group to harm the peace of the state will be resisted. “The leadership of the Zionist Biafra must have been aware that Imo State has the long history of being a peaceful state and the people of the state would not compromise that feat,” it said. The government also warned the BZF to stay away from the state as any attempt by the group to destabilise the existing peace in the state would be suicidal . It also urged visitors to the Government House and the state in general to cooperate with security personnel and others working, to ensure that the state remains the most peaceful state in the country. Governors, other Igbo leaders move to counter group Worried by the threat, the governments of the South-East states, not only resolved to take individual precautions to avoid being taken unawares again but to work together to unveil the forces behind the group and similar groups

threatening the security of the zone. So, although the March 25, 2015 South-East governors’ meeting in Enugu was officially meant to review the participation of representatives from the region at the ongoing national conference, The Nation learnt that it afforded the governors of the zone an opportunity to review the threat posed by the Zionist group. The Chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum and Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, who briefed journalists after the meeting that lasted for over three hours, acknowledged that they reviewed the security situation in the region at the meeting. We learnt that the leaders discussed the emergence of the pro-Biafra group among other cases of youth’s restiveness, criminal activities and other forms of militancy in he zone. Coming few days after the invasion of Enugu State Government House, which

necessitated a general beef-up of security in and around Government Houses in the SouthEast, following the recent attack on Enugu Government House by members of the Biafra Zion Movement (BZM), who vowed to hoist their flags in Enugu and Imo Government Houses and thereafter, take over the region, the governors, according to sources pledged to exchange security information on the activities of such groups and to work together on security issues. Apart from governors, other leaders in Igbo land, including community leaders have condemned the youths for invading a Govenment House and threatening to invade others. “The youths are being over zealous and should be educated on how to express their discontents within the Nigerian state. Many of them have not been born in the days of Biafra, so they do not know what they are doing,” Chief Ihejirika Uzor, said on Friday. He advised Onwuka and his group to change tactics and learn to make legitimate demands if they feel marginalised in any way. But to Sir Augstin Ugorji, “BZM is another manifestation of failure of leadership in Nigeria, which has left our youths frustrated and confused. The question we must ask ourselves is why the call for actualisation of Biafra, in whatever form, has remained unquenched?” What they are up to Shortly after leading his group for the night operation at the Enugu Government House, Onwuka had claimed members of his group took control of the Enugu State seat of power for about four hours after they successfully hoisted the flag of the Republic of Biafra and some banners at the main gate. He told newsmen that their mission was primarily to reclaim the old headquarters of the former Biafra Republic, dismissing speculations that the group was sponsored by some politicians in Enugu State. He explained that the major target of the BZF members was to hoist the Biafran flag as a symbol of rebirth of the defunct Biafra Republic, adding that member of his group who were not armed and who had no charms whatsoever, were in the Government House from 3 am to 7am before soldiers dislodged them, insisting that they accomplished their mission. In an earlier interview, Onwuka had given insight into the plans of his group and how they intend to approach it. As he put it: “Our quest for independence is within the UN convention on the Right to Self determination. “Whoever uses force against us would be subject to face the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against Humanity,” adding, “We are going to follow the path of the South Sudanese.” For now, the chase is on even as well meaning Nigerians continue to express concern over federal government’s seeming inability to discover the antidote to the persistent echo of Biafra, 44 years after the civil war.

2015: ‘APC will form government at the centre’

HY don’t you leave politics and concentrate on your businesses, like many other successful businessmen and women who have vowed not to enter into politics? I am in politics because I know I have a lot to offer to my people any day, any time. I want to contribute my quota towards the development of my family, kindred, village, community, local government, state and my good country, Nigeria. Do you have to be a politician to impact on your people? I have a foundation that has positively touched the lives of my people and will still positively continue to touch lives. Before I joined politics, I was deeply involved in community development efforts, especially as they relate to women and children’s health. My forte had been business, service to God and humanity and community development. But I see politics as the vehicle through which I will massively advance the many selfless services I am deeply and seriously involved in. I used to be a chieftain of the PDP in Ohaji Egbema Ugwuta. I aspired to represent my constituency at the National Assembly under the platform of the PDP in 2011. But today, I have joined the progressives. APC is a political party made for all the progressives in this country. Don’t you see the name? All Progressives Congress. Those who think they are progressives have gathered together to move the country forward, so I cannot stay behind. I most join the moving

Chief Uzoma Ezediaro aspired to represent Ohaji/Egbema/Ugwuta Federal Constituency at the National Assembly in 2011 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but has since defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview, he revealed why he dumped the PDP for the APC and why the APC stands a good chance to sweep the polls in 2015. Excerpts:train and as far as Nigerian politics is concerned today, the APC is the moving train with only the progressives inside. As a progressive, I must be where my fellow progressives are. It is not only myself. Every progressive in Nigeria wants to be with fellow progressives. Can’t you see what is happening in Nigerian politics at the moment? Do you think it is easy for a governor under a ruling party at the centre to dump the party for another political party that is not a ruling party? You are aware yourself how many PDP governors defected to the APC. Those PDP governors are the progressives and there is no how they will not stay where their fellow progressives are. Do you know how many members of the House of Representatives and senators that are progressives that have dumped their parties and joined their fellow progressives in the APC? Even my governor dumped the party under which he became the governor of Imo State and joined his fellow progressives in the APC. I am talking of APGA. APGA is not the party of the progressives and the moment he (Okorocha) realised that, he

dumped them for the APC. Go round the states in this country and see the performance of all the APC governors, then compare it with the performance of other political parties’ governors. If we can tell ourselves the truth, you know they are not comparable. A progressive is a progressive any day, any time. Even the Bible said it that the righteous cannot dwell in the midst of the unrighteous. APC people are the righteous, other parties know who they are. But some Ndigbo are criticising Okorocha for leaving APGA for the APC. They said APGA is the party of Ndigbo and the APC is the party of the Yoruba and Hausa people. What can you say about that? The people making these claims are not progressives and they do not understand what politics is. When you said some people are saying APGA is the party of the Igbos and the APC party of the Yorubas and Hausas, I laugh. I am laughing because those people don’t know what they are talking about. If APGA is the party of the Igbos, why is it not controlling all the states that make up

the Igbo nation? Why is it that out of the five SouthEast zone, for example, they are only managing to control one? What those people are saying is not true because if it is true, all the Igbo states would have been under APGA? I want to tell you that had it been that there was a free and fair election in Anambra State, APGA would have lost woefully. So, how is APGA Igbo party? When they said the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) was a Yourba party, that was understandable because all the states that made up Yoruba states were under AD then. So, all I am saying is people should know what is on ground before they talk. Many strong members of the PDP today are the Igbos, why didn’t they join APGA? APC is not a Yoruba or Hausa party. It is a national party made up of only all the progressives in Nigeria. So, anybody criticising Governor Okorocha for joining his fellow progressives in the APC is an enemy of Ndigbo and should be seen as such because it is only in the APC that a good Nigerian president of Igbo extraction would be achieved.

26 POLITICS

ripples

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GLAMOUR

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32 GLAMOUR

ADETUTU AUDU

crownkool@yahoo.com

08023849036, 08112662587

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GLAMOUR 33

34 GLAMOUR/OUT & ABOUT

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SPORT & STYLE

SS &

SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

Dr. D.K Olukoya, General Overseer, Mountain of Fire & Miracles

MY LIFE AND PASSION FOR FOOTBALL

36 SPORT & STYLE

DR. D.K OLUKOYA OF MFM

My life and passion for football By Morakinyo Abodunrin

Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, (MFM), runs one of the fastest growing churches in the country. Apart from his church affairs, one other passion he pursues religiously is his love for football. He is the financier of the wavemaking MFM FC. Revealing Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, as his all-time favourite footballer, he spoke eloquently in an electronic mail interview with The Nation Sport &Style, about his life and growing up years in the barracks as a son of a Police Officer where his passion for sport was fired up.

NATION SPORT & STYLE SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up like every normal child and did participate in sporting activities. My father was a policeman and that means we kept moving around Nigeria because of the normal posting in The Nigeria Police Force. I was in charge of the footballer's kits at the Adekunle Police barracks because I played football as an outside right, today's No 7. I also did athletics.â&#x20AC;&#x153;

SPORT & STYLE 45

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Zinedine Zidane: The King and a man for big occasions

38 MAGAZINE

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Herdsmen or killer squads? •Continued from Page 37

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40 MAGAZINE

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MAGAZINE 41

42 MAGAZINE

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A northern nightmare

•Continued on Page 76

•National Security Adviser, Dasuki

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-- Page 53

Milky drinks: What quality?

How frontline staffers ruin organisation

Furore over illicit naira trade Page 58, 59

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NAICOM to restructure Insurance sector targets N1trn compulsory insurance scheme for market development T M R Akin Ogunbiyi, the Managing Director of Mutual Benefits Assurance, says recent returns from micro insurance products can raise the industry's MDRI target to N1 trillion. Ogunbiyi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Friday in Lagos that operators in the informal sector held the key to the realisation of the N1trillion target. Market Development and Re-structuring Initiative (MDRI) is the

framework of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for measuring the industry's growth. NAICOM had proposed to hit the target in 2012, but failed. Ogunbiyi said that the sector was becoming more vibrant in line with the objective of Vision 20:2020. He said that premium in the sector was easy to collect, while its claim report was low and easy to verify. "Having invested much in the micro insurance business, we are now

reaping the benefit. "We are collecting close to N1billion monthly on our various micro insurance products. "We have also boosted employment nationwide with almost 7, 000 insurance foot soldiers who sell various products. "Imagine what will happen if all insurance companies come on board," he said. Ogunbiyi said that there were still many areas to explore as the operators could leverage on the over 160

million population. He, however, said that companies should expect to make some sacrifices at the take off stage due to investments on infrastructure. According to him, once the foundation is laid and the companies win the trust of potential buyers, consumers will come willingly with their own ideas and needs. Ogunbiyi said that Mutual Benefits Assurance had registered over 1,000 cooperative societies to market its micro insurance products.

â&#x20AC;˘From left: Chief Olubunmi Olaopa, Group Managing Director, Evans Medical Plc, Chief Ademola Edu, Chairman, Evans Medical Plc, Mr. Wole Abegunde, Managing Director, Meristem Securities Limited, and Mrs. Adesua Akintemi, Company Secretary, during the Completion Board Meeting, Rights Issue held at the company's Board Room, in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

Subsidy fraud: Court dismisses charge against oil marketer

FEDERAL High Court in Lagos at the weekend upheld a no-case submission by an oil marketer, Samuel Owa, and three others charged with N1.7 billion fuel subsidy fraud. Justice Ibrahim Buba dismissed a four-count charge preferred against Owa and a cargo surveyor, Oassisi Wajutom, and their

HE Nigeria E m p l o y e r s Consultative Association (NECA) at the weekend urged regulatory agencies to contribute positively to the development of Nigeria. Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, NECA's Director-General, Mr Segun Oshinowo, said that `` some of the regulatory bodies are

companies, Stone Bridge Oil Ltd. and Vibrant Ventures Ltd. The judge upheld the submission of the Defence Counsel, Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN), who said that the prosecution could not prove the allegations against the accused. Buba held that there were no relevant documents before the court to substantiate the claim of the prosecution - the

Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force. He held that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubts. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nwobike made the no-case submission on March 5. He said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubts

that the accused forged documents to defraud the Federal Government in the guise of importing petrol. Nwobike submitted that his clients had no case to answer since the evidence by prosecution witnesses confirmed that they brought petroleum products into Nigeria. He had prayed the court to dismiss the charge.

NECA urges regulatory agencies on dialogue inimical to wealth creation. He said that the regulatory bodies should be open to dialogue with stakeholders at all times, stressing that ``dialogue is key to the development of any country.'' ``It is only in this environment that regulatory agencies that have been set up

to protect the interest of Nigerians would be adverse to dialogue. ``The purpose of dialogue is to promote development and to give stakeholders the opportunity to make inputs in the way you do your job.'' he said. He argued that the ultimate reason for creating

the regulatory agencies was to ensure that products consumed by Nigerians were of good quality. ``It is pretty difficult for me to connect to the way some of these regulatory agencies are slamming fines on companies and we do not see any changes in what they are trying to correct.''

HE National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) over the weekend announced that strategies were in place to ensure that Nigerians benefitted from all insurance policies mandated by law. NAICOM Head of Strategy, Mr Babajide Oniwinde, made this known at the Micro-Insurance Learning and Knowledge (MILK) workshop in Abuja. He said that although insurance penetration in Nigeria was low, compulsory insurance policies would change the peoples' perception. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Motor Third Party, Builders Liability, Healthcare Professional Liability, Group Life, and the Occupiers Liability Insurance are the compulsory insurance policies currently in place. ``Taking additional insurance policies can only be guaranteed if people learn to trust the insurance system. "To ensure that, we have set up a complaint bureau to receive complaints from members of the public on legitimate claims that are not paid. `` We also introduced the 'no premium, no cover' so that premiums are paid on time and insurance companies will therefore have no excuse not to pay claims,'' he said. Oniwinde lamented the existence of fake policies in the market, which he said, were limiting the impact that compulsory insurance policies were supposed to have on the people. He said: ``The issue is that, a lot of people are still buying fake insurance, especially the Motor Third Party Liability Insurance. ``However, the Nigeria Insurance Association has set up a database where you can check if your policy is genuine. ``If your policy is genuine and say you have an accident, all you have to do is to give your details to the driver that is responsible for the accident. ``He is then to pass it to his insurers and you will be contacted to have your car fixed.'' Mr Micheal McCord, the president, Micro Insurance Centre, lead speaker at the workshop, said that insurance would endure better when simple products that could meet everyday demands were created. ``You can increase insurance demand in Nigeria by having good products and environment where insurers pay claims when they are supposed to. ``This will help to expand the market very quickly and it will also ensure that people understand that insurers do honour their promises. ``It is all about providing good products and servicing them properly,'' he said.

Manufacturer blames poor industrial growth on power outage

HIEF Azubuike Okafor, the Managing Director of Zubee International Company, says epileptic power supply and high diesel consumption are hindering industrial growth in the South-East. Okafor told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Onitsha that companies' profits, which should have been ploughed back into businesses, were being used to buy diesel daily. ``Most industrialists are only managing to survive due to unstable power supply to energise their factories. "We are wary of Federal Government's unending promise to stabilise power supply. ``The country's industrialists have been patriotic enough to continue in business despite the unending challenge of power supply within this year. `Today, much of the profit generated is ploughed into the purchase of diesel to power industrial machines and not for expansion any longer,'' he said. Okafor, whose company specialises in confectioneries, said that if power was stable, many investors would be attracted to the manufacturing sector. He called on Federal Government and the Anambra Government to create enabling environment for manufacturing to thrive to invigorate the economy.

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BUSINESS

Furore over illicit n A huge industry has been built around freshly minted naira notes by individuals who make brisk business selling the nation's legal tender far above its official face value. This development has prompted lawmakers to push for tougher sanctions against perpetrators of the illicit trade. In this report Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf examines the issues

T the popular Ojota Motor Park, along the LagosIkorodu Expressway, in Lagos, anybody who walks into the park is seen as a potential customer by the army of women, mostly in their 30s and middleages who hawk local currencies around the vicinity of the park. When our reporter visited the park over the weekend, it was an eye-opener of some sort, as he had an encounter with these women who practically dance attendance upon him in their desperation to sell their 'wares.' Unknown to this reporter, one of the women who had trained her eyes on him immediately he arrived at the park, promptly accosted him in a smart move to vend off her other aggressive competitors but they would not be outdone as they all trailed behind her to get a piece of the action from a supposed new 'customer.' Eyeing the reporter rather coyly, the first interloper asked in staccato English, "Shey you wan change money? I get N100, N200, N500 and N1,000. I go give you correct price, true to God if you buy from me. Abeg help me buy, abeg." As the reporter leafed through his breast-pocket, the other women who were within earshot apparently mistook the gesture as a green light and they quickly swarmed on him like bees. "Abeg come change new naira", they all chorused sheepishly, and promptly waved freshly mint naira notes of different denominations carefully wrapped in sealed transparent water-proof nylon cases towards the reporter. But after haggling for some minutes over prices, and sensing that no deal would be struck at the end, the aggressive currency hawkers soon left, visibly angry, and cursing the reporter under their breaths for wasting their precious time. The scenario at the Ojota Motor Park, is what plays out typically in most motor parks and garages spread across the federation whether in Iddo, under the Oshodi Bridge, Okewo Isheyin Garage, in Matori, Mushin axis of Lagos, Ojoo, in Ibadan, Ikole, Ijero in Ekiti State, Ijebu Ife in Ogun State to OkeIgbo in Ondo State, even at Jabi park, Abuja, Effurun park in Delta, Onitsha Park, Ramat Park and Iyaro Park, in Benin, where new naira notes are freely hawked by dealers to willing buyers at a fee. Craze for new naira notes The sales of new notes has gone for much longer, as hawking of currency notes at social events and parks have been on in the last 15 to 20 years. This trend remained curiously unabated when most money deposit banks (MDBs) in a twist of irony claim nonavailability of new notes of lower denominations in their vaults.

In an interview with The Nation, a respondent who simply gave his name as Adio, an upwardly mobile executive in one of the oil-servicing companies in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, recalled that when he walked down the aisle with his heartthrob last February, there was a 'shower' of naira rain, as guests and well-wishers at the packed auditorium literally pelted the newlyweds with crispy wads of naira notes of all the denominations ranging from N50 to N1, 000. But the drama, he said, didn't end at the auditorium. According to him: "As the wedding train moved outside the pavilion, along Trans-Amadi layout, we were accosted by middleaged women and men who dangled freshly mint naira notes and who were literally falling over themselves to sell to prospective buyers desirous of going on a spraying spree at the wedding reception. They were out to make brisk business. And as I later found out, many of these currency hawkers have a dossier of happening spots in and around the Garden City, where they throng at most weekends to sell their goods." Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Babatunde Soremekun, a socialite, gave a fresh perspective on what fuels the culture of trade in new naira notes. He said, "In a society where we have many party buffs, who see any occasion whether weddings, childdedication, house-warming, birthday parties, to mention just a few as an occasion to make statement. "Typically, in this part of the world, we are party-lovers with a culture steep in social spending. From experience, I know many of my contemporaries devote quite a lot on spraying at parties. So, this is why there is a boom in the sale of new naira notes." Mr. Raji Usman, a bureau de change operator, who also sells new notes around Oando Filling Station in Mushin axis of Lagos, is also on the same page with Soremekun. According to him, the driving force behind the practice is the craze for new notes by many people who believe that having new notes at social events is a status symbol of sorts. Expatiating, he said: "Most times, people place orders for new naira notes from midweek and it peaks at the weekend. Majority of our patrons are mostly women of average means." Face value of new naira note There is a burgeoning trade in the sale of new naira notes. Investigation by The Nation showed that sellers demand 30% commission per N1000 new note, mostly of N20, N50, N100 or N200 notes as the case may be. In most Lagos motor parks, new

â&#x20AC;˘Acting CBN governor, Dr. Sarah Alade

notes come at a fee, as they charge the highest commission because travelers buy at any rate as they need the lower denominations which are not easy to come by at the countryside. While N1000 exchanges for between N700 and N800 in Lagos and Ogun States, the same exchanges for between N800 and N900 in the hinterland; depending on the city and how long the supposed party is expected to last. "Why should a N1000 note, old

or mint, exchange for smaller denominations of the naira (N50, N100 or, N200) lose its value to as low as N800 in the same country? That is the level to which mint fresh naira notes hawkers in the country have unofficially devalued the nation's currency," Mr. James Olamilekan lamented. Hawkers, bank staff unholy alliance Investigation by The Nation revealed that many of the hawkers get their supply of new notes from

the banks. Some of those who confided in The Nation, claimed they are charged exorbitant fees by officials of CBN and commercial banks to get allocation for the new notes, indicating that the charges they pay to get the new notes is passed to the customers just to be able to break even. When our correspondent who posed as a prospective buyer requested to exchange a huge amount of naira to be denominated in lower figures for a big party coming soon, a middle-aged woman who trades in illegal currency claimed that she could always meet the demand of their customers at short notice. The Nation further gathered that bank managers in connivance with their colleagues within and outside their branches are responsible for how the mint fresh notes get into the hands of the illegal hawkers. A source from one of the first generation banks who spoke with our correspondent on the condition anonymity, said it is what the managers live on since the CBN policies has made illegal lending difficult for them. "There is no branch manager who can deny knowledge of the business. Every week, we get allocation of new notes from the CBN through our head offices or regional branches, to exchange for the old notes in circulation; but what the branch managers and operations managers do is release the money to their clients at an agreed commission. "The allocation usually comes

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

BUSINESS

t naira trade

on Mondays or Tuesdays, but by Friday, you will discover that everything is gone and when you check the books of the branches, no fraud is detected. It is a very clean, lucrative, but illegal business for bankers. It goes on in nearly every bank across the country," the source said. Asked why the management does not sanction those involved in the business, the source retorted: "For which offence? What the examiners are after is to ensure that nobody attempts or commits any fraud in the system. In this business, the ledger is always balanced, the record is always clean, and since no fraud is perceived or seen to have been committed or about to be committed, nobody raises any eye brow." In his words, "In the good old times, I can still remember following my father or even going alone to any of the few commercial banks to change any amount without having to bribe any one or having to know any of the top bank guys before I am attended to by the officials." On why it is very difficult to get clean and crisp notes from the local banks, a source in one of the new generation banks said that the various local banks were in collaboration with the fresh notes sellers, which makes it very difficult for one to get clean notes at the bank unless the fellow is "a powerful personality or a big boy/girl" who the banks could not give dirty notes. According to him, "is it today you know that bank managers give out the new notes to people for a fee? When last were you paid new notes at your bank after a transaction?" Extant law outlawing trade in local currencies Although the sales of mint fresh naira notes booms in most parts of the country, section 26 of CBN's Act only permit the sale of the naira notes in exchange for other currencies and not naira. The 1999 constitution, Section 3 and 4 of the country's currency offences Act cap c44, LFN of 2004, make illegal sales of the naira a punishable offence. It stipulates that offenders could be sent to jail or made to pay fines as the case may be. The CBN also stipulates that it is an offence punishable under the law to spray or the trample upon the nation's currency notes. The Act prohibits the spraying of any note issued by CBN during social events. The Legal Adviser/Director of Legal Services of the apex bank, Mr. Anthony Oladunjoye, quoted in one

of the papers he presented at a CBN forum, to have frowned at the spraying and sales of naira, and said it is an offence punishable under the country's laws. The CBN's head of legal department, also stressed that the law enforcement agents are empowered by the law to arrest and prosecute the sellers and buyers of crisp naira notes. The Currency Act vests the Federal High Court with the jurisdiction and power to try offences committed under the act. But has anybody ever been convicted for trading in naira notes? A short message sent to the Director of Communications, CBN, Mr. Ugochukwu Okorafor, was not responded to, even at press time last night. However, a source at CBN's Lagos office who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the booming business is illegal and the Police have ordered the arrest of both dealers and buyers, adding that the offence is punishable under the laws of the country. However, it is a wonder that the illegal business has gone on despite the CBN's various warnings against the trade. Also worrisome is the inability of the police to arrest and prosecute the dealers of the country's naira notes. It is hoped that CBN, commercial banks and the Police would join hands to wage war against those who trade in the country's currency notes, and also provide a situation where people could walk into a banking hall and exchange any amount of mutilated notes for new or denominations of their choices without having to know a bank manager or official. No longer at ease with illicit naira trade Apparently miffed by the rising wave of this illicit trade on naira notes, the House of Representatives, has called on the acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Sarah Alade, to investigate the alleged "bribe for new Naira notes'' allegation against some of the bank's staff. The House of Representatives last Thursday blamed the growing trading in new naira notes on members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria. In a resolution in Abuja, last Thursday, the House alleged that there was a cartel made up of bank workers, who exchange the new naira notes for gratifications and later resell them to members of the public.

The resolution followed a motion by Rep. Ismail Hussain (PDP-Kogi), which was adopted when put to vote by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal. The motion was entitled: "Urgent need to energise the fight against the trading in Naira Notes.'' The House urged the Nigeria Police and State Security Service to investigate, arrest and prosecute any bank official or any person engaged in the illegal sale or hawking of Naira notes. It also urged the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to further intensify its campaign against the abuse of the Naira. The House also urged the CBN to replace the mutilated old Naira notes with new ones. Hussain said that Section 21(4) of the CBN Act, 2007, has made it a punishable offence for any person to hawk, sell, or trade in Naira notes or coins other than the notes issued by CBN. According to him, the persistent scarcity of new and lower notes has created an avenue for illegal currency hawkers to make brisk business of selling the Naira notes. Hussain said that the illegal sale of the Naira notes by officials and touts had persisted in spite of the provisions of the CBN Act. He expressed concern by the unconfirmed reports that currency hawkers bribe some devious officials of the CBN to obtain the new notes which genuine bank customers could not get. Giving further insight into how the cartel operates, the lawmaker stated that hawkers around Dei-Dei Junction in Abuja were charging N200 commission on every N1, 000 sold, and for "every N2, 000, they get no less than N400." Besides investigating the cartel, the motion asked the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security to arrest and prosecute bank workers involved in the illegal transaction. A member from Anambra State, Mrs. Uche Uwkwunife, informed the House that the act was common in the Lagos area, where residents "sprayed" notes at social gatherings. Mr. Fort Dike called on the CBN to ensure that it tracked all new notes released to the public through commercial banks. "The CBN is to blame for this problem. It is the CBN that issues new notes to the public. If the notes find their way into the wrong hands, we should blame the CBN. The Central Bank is culpable, the commercial banks are culpable; but CBN is the regulator," he added. Hussain urged the CBN governor to as a matter of urgency look into the matter. In their various contributions to the debate, Reps Abike DabiriErewa (APC Lagos), Fort Dike (PDPAnambra), condemned the sale of Naira notes, saying that it was an illegal and fraudulent act. Rep Nosakhare Osahon, (APCEdo), said: "It sounds absurd that people sell Naira notes, this is fraud and corruption of the highest order.'' Osahon added that lower denomination notes like N5, N10, N20 and N50 were scarce in the country, thereby "creating an avenue for illegal currency hawkers to make brisk business of selling the naira notes." But whether the renewed vigour by the lawmakers will stem the tide of illicit trade in naira now or in the future, analysts have argued, remains to be seen.

â&#x20AC;˘From left: Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, Mrs. Tanwa Koya, Head Girl, Agidingbi Junior Grammar School, Miss Tomisin Oludele, Chairman, LSWRC, Mr. Taiwo Sebiola, School Principal, Mrs. Sherifat Mohammed and Head Boy, Master Jida Idris during presentation of gifts to the school, to mark 2014 World Water Day, in Agidingbi, Lagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

Expert counts environmental cost of terror across Nigeria

HE incessant terror attacks across the north eastern part of the country has continue to have devastating effect on the environment, including socio-economic wellbeing of the affected communities, Mr. Valentine Ottis Opone, an environmental specialist has said. Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Opone, member, National Registry of Environmental Professionals, United States, among other groups, observed that: "The situation in the northeast is so alarming to the people and their environment, that experts having X-rayed the potential damage of such activities to the total environment of the locals are getting worried. The damage ranges from that of the ecosystem; that is, on the flora and the fauna and what that it portends to those places in years to come. For instance, it some of them may remain inhabitable." Shedding light on the form and scope of the damage wrought on the environment on account of the armed conflict, he said: "One is that the place is engulfed in a lot of toxic fumes, ranging from carbon monoxide to Chlorophyll carbon and other greenhouse gases. These are emanating from the emissions of the weapons that they are deploying in attacks. The danger that this portends is that it goes further to pollute the lithosphere (soil), the atmosphere and hydrosphere." On the effect of the toxic gases or the waste emanating from the weapon, he said: "Such are either deposited on the soil and thus impede the soil morphology, thereby making the soil infertile or causing the soil to be toxic. It makes one to recall the case of Caladium that was formed in a large place in China; it emanated from waste, which were effluent from a textile soil; after a very long time, the same land was used for rice plantation and it was discovered that the rice from the farm became toxic to the people, causing a disease called tai-tai (weakening of the bone). This goes a long way to tell how chemicals can be injurious to plants and animals." Speaking further, he said: "In the same manner, the chemical deposits on the ground emanating from waste, bombs or bullets can also be washed by erosion into the nearby water body (underground or surface), thereby increasing the biodegradable substance or chemical deposits of such surfaces, leading to los of aquatic life. Of course, we know the importance of this menace - some people will lose their jobs." "Again, the water is polluted for drinking for human beings and the other biotic life. On the lithosphere, the evaporation taking place from the water body on the earth crust goes back to the atmosphere; so, if such air is polluted, it leads to acidic rain, which is not good for consumption. This leads to economic sabotage, decay of resources and infrastructure and global warming. These are some of the effects. So, you can see that warfare or war equipment; even bombs, bullets, can impact on the soil."

Council tackles drainage, roads in 2014 budget

HE Apapa Local Government Area will spend the sum of one billion, two hundred and eighty four million, sixty seven thousand, eight hundred naira (N2,088,180,520.69) during the 2014 fiscal year. Presenting the council's budget to members of the House, its chairman Ayodeji Joseph said 2014 budget will play a pivotal role to improve the Apapa's business climate. Joseph promised to address the challenges of drainages and bad roads in the council, noting that government solicit the support of residents of Apapa in the implementation of the budget. He said: "The budget is expected to improve and transform the council in all facet of life. That is why we have constructed roads, culverts, built classrooms and improve the health sector to ensure better business climate for residents." Joseph added that his administration has not reneged on its determination to serve the people. This, he explains informed the integration of the youths in the development of the council. He said: "Nothing practically is achievable in an atmosphere of rancour and upheavals. The achievement so far recorded by this administration can only be attributed to the peace that has permeated our operation right from inception." He said the council will spend N780,800,000 as overhead cost, N300,207,838.64 for staff salaries, while teachers' salaries N223,000,000 and N112,682.05 is expected to be budget surplus. Joseph said: "We have been able to introduce some fraud prevention measures into our revenue generation and collection. It is our hope that these measures will block some identified loopholes." He stressed that any budget that does not give priority to the people would end up achieving nothing. "We have moved from the era where the people dance to the tune dictated by government, instead it is the people that dictate tune that government must dance to."

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

BUSINESS

HE Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has assured that it would continue to put pressure on telecom operators in the country to provide optimal services to customers. The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Dr Eugene Jumah, gave the assurance in a message to the 62nd edition of the NCC Consumer Outreach Programme, held at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State. Represented by Dr Femi Atoyebi, the Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs, Jumah said the commission would sanction any service provider for unapproved increase in tariff and poor services. He allayed the fears that the use of mobile phones has adverse effect on the health of users, saying the claim has no scientific basis.

NCC assures improvement in telecom services ``There has not been any scientific proof that radiation from mobile phones is harmful to the health of subscribers," he said. According to him, all telecommunication masts have recommended heights, to which the commission always ensured strict compliance to prevent harmful radiation from getting down to human beings and animals around. ``As it is now, for someone to be affected by radiation from masts, that person must have climbed the mast naked. ``If such radiation is so harmful, all the people in United State of America would have died, because they have been using it a long time ago,"

he said. He said the consumer outreach programme was aimed at bringing together telecom service providers to address some of the challenges of their subscribers. ``It is an avenue to rub minds on issues developing within the telecom industries. ``We give opportunity to the customers to have a voice to ask many questions, and it is a forum for the commission to also make enquiries and if possible make suggestions on how to move the industry forward," he added. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most subscribers at the forum described the services offered

by telecom operators as awful and called on the NCC to live up to its responsibilities. Timothy Tanko, a staff of the university said customers were having difficulties accessing the networks, an urged the oprators to improve their services. Ibrahim Ndako, an Electrical Engineering student urged the NCC to direct service providers to desist from sending unsolicited text messages to subscribers. Also, Esther Moses, another student, advised the service providers to improve on their relationship with customers, saying it the attitude of their personnel needed to change for the better.

LASG shuts eight firms for non-remittance of N24.7m tax

HE Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) over the weekend said it sealed eight companies this week for refusing to remit more than N24.7 million personal income taxes of their workers. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) covering the enforcement team reported on that three of the companies were closed on March 25 for failing to remit N3.8 million taxes. The other five companies were sealed on March 26 for nonpayment of N20.9 million tax debts. Mrs Folasade Coker-Afolayan, the Head of Enforcement Unit of LIRS, told NAN that the companies defaulted in the remittance of personal income taxes of their workers. Coker-Afolayan, who led the team, said the liabilities covered periods ranging from one year to three years, adding payment of taxes was a civic responsibility of all workers. She said the government needed the taxes to provide infrastructure for economic development and improved standard of living.

Air Peace explores new safety horizons

N upcoming airline in Nigeria, Air Peace Limited, has pledged to redefine the experience of air travel in the country, as it puts in place a system, Captain Babatunde Adekoya, its Director of Flight Operations, described as "an unparalleled safety consciousness, second to none." Adekoya said the company is committed "to conquering new horizons," adding Air Peace has an impressive understanding of customer satisfaction which fuels her goal towards the delivery of safe and peaceful flight operations in Nigeria and beyond. "This basically informs the five year contract which Air Peace has signed with Flight Aerospace Solutions Ltd (FLYTH) of Canada, to be the service provider for our Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS 220) which has been installed on all our aircraft for effective flight tracking, automated engine data monitoring for real time trending, satellite voice communications all geared towards ensuring your maximum safety on board. Explaining measures already put in place by the airline to ensure world standard safety standard, Adekoya said, "At Air Peace, our thirst for professionalism drives the recruitment processes in spite of the fact that it comes to us at a very huge cost. Air Peace pilots are sent to a world class training facility - CAE in the United Kingdom for preemployment assessment.â&#x20AC;&#x153; â&#x20AC;˘From left: Mr Tunde Braimah, of Mansard Insurance, Representative of Managing Director/CEO Sterling Bank, Mr Segun Anako, and Managing Director /CEO Continental Alarm, Mr Okwy Okeke, during a seminar on curbing losses due to fire and Allied Claims in Lagos recently. PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

NPA to update hydrographic data on nation's channels "preliminary meetings and contacts to implement the plan". The statement said that an update of the nation's hydrographic chart would capture recent strides and efforts by the Federal Government and private operators in the maritime industry. It said that it was regrettable that recent progress reports on the improvement of draught of the nation's channels were not noticed.

"It is sad that improvement of draught and innovations by the private sector in the development of deep seaports were not noticed by the international maritime community because they are not captured in recent hydrographic charts," it said. It quoted Rear Admiral Tom Karston, Head of the UKHO, as saying that the collaboration would further boost long- term port development plans and proposals between both countries.

HE Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says it has concluded plans to update hydrographic data and information on the nation's navigable channels. This was contained in a statement issued over the weekend in Lagos by the Assistant General Manager (Public Affairs) in NPA, Mr Musa Ilya. Hydrographic helps to obtain data or information for compilation of nautical charts for safe navigation.

It is also used for measuring water depth mostly in coastal zones. NPA said that the update would be carried out in collaboration with the U.K. Hydrographic Office (UKHO). According to the statement, UKHO collects data on maritime boundaries and seaport channels across the world and produces charts to assist ships in their navigation. The NPA said that both organisations had held

UBA declares N264.7b gross earnings for 2013

HE United Bank for Africa (UBA) has announced gross earnings of N264.7 billion for the financial year ended Dec. 31, 2013. The earnings showed a 20.3 per cent growth over the N220.1 billion recorded in 2012. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that figures were contained in the company's audited result released by the

Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday in Lagos. The bank said the growth in earnings was largely driven by growth of 40.4 per cent in loans and advances and the 25 per cent growth in its total deposits. In the same vein, the bank's loan-to-deposit ratio rose from 38.7 per cent to 44.3 per cent.

The bank's profit before tax also rose by 7.8 per cent to N56.1 billion from the N52 billion posted in 2012. The bank has proposed a dividend of 50k per share to its shareholders. NAN reports that the bank also proposed a dividend of 50k to shareholders in 2013. The bank attributed the growth to prudent cost

management policies, enhanced efficiency and the impact of other productive initiatives. Commenting on the result, Mr Phillips Oduoza, the bank's Group Managing Director, described the gross earnings for 2013 as impressive "with positive contributions from all our businesses".

CBN guarantees N886m loans for farmers in Adamawa

ENTRAL Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has guaranteed more than N886 million worth of loans for farmers in Adamawa, Alhaji Abba Baba, an assistant director with the bank, said. Baba told the News

Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola over the weekend that 8,854 farmers had benefitted from the scheme, aimed at achieving national food security. He said the scheme was designed to assist farmers to

acquire soft loans from commercial banks. Baba said, ``CBN has guaranteed a total of N886, 792,736 million for 8,854 farmers in Adamawa from 2012 to date.'' He said that the maximum

loan a farmer received under the scheme was N10 million, adding that the loan was to be repaid within one year. Baba said 3,831 farmers were guaranteed for N366 million in 2012 and 4,192 farmers benefited in 2013.

TomTom rewards loyal customers with Brazil trip

ADBURY Nigeria Plc has set machinery in motion to reward loyal customers for their unwavering support over the years, with the flagging off of the Tom Tom consumer loyalty reward promo with an all-expense paid trip to Brazil. In a statement, Head, Corporate & Government Affairs of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bala Yesufu said that ''if a consumer presents one TomTom candy to the roving TomTom Promo crew from March 15th to April 30th 2014, he or she will collect a raffle ticket in exchange for the empty TomTom pillow wrapper which qualifies him or her for a draw.'' The ''digital raffle draws", Yesufu stressed, would hold in three major cities - Abuja, Lagos and Calabar where winners would emerge and proceed on an all-expense paid trip to Brazil.''

Expert decries operations of unlicensed auto-tracking firms

HE continued patronage of unlicensed auto-tracking companies by a section of the insurance companies is contrary to National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Gbemi Oyeneyin, has said. Oyeneyin, who is the Managing Director, Int'l Systems Network Ltd, recalled that: "In 2012, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) made it mandatory for companies operating the GPS/GPRS Auto-Tracking Systems in Nigeria to obtain NCC Licence. "It therefore became illegal for all existing Auto-tracking Companies to continue to operate without obtaining such NCC Licence." Speaking further, Oyeneyinn reiterated that some insurance companies still patronise those other unlicensed vendors for the auto-tracking of their vehicles comprehensive policy clients across the country, a development, he said, constitute serious security breach.

Duke, others grace opening of new eatery

ORMER governor of Cross Rivers State, Mr. Donald Duke, his amiable wife, Onari, were among the dignitaries who graced the commissioning of CommintBuka, a new eatery at Surulere, Lagos, recently. Also at the event was Revd. Julius Omonola, Pastor New Heritage Baptist Church, and his counterpart at Good Tidings Baptist Church, Rev. Ayomide Akano, among other distinguished guests. While commenting on the new eatery which is the brainchild of Mrs. Foluso Ojelade and Mr. Jeff Enitan Fayomi, Duke applauded the gesture as noteworthy.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

CHAMPION golfer, art collector, hotelier. There may be no one on our list who is more of a Renaissance man. But the most interesting part of Vik's story—the business dealings that built his empire, leaving a trail of angry investors in his wake— has never been told.

BUSINESS

Alexander Vik: The untold story of his business deals

HE most interesting man in the world isn’t a beer pitchman. He’s a guy who once heli-skied into a British Columbia avalanche and survived despite being buried while two companions died. He tamed an 11,000-acre wilderness, where pumas roamed, into a winery that sells pricey Bordeaux-style blends. He and his wife personally selected each chair and commode for their ultraluxury art hotel in Uruguay. A Norwegian who was raised in Sweden and schooled in the Canary Islands, Vik attended Harvard, where he won the Ivy League golf championship—twice. He brought up his children in an eight-bedroom Greenwich, Connecticut, mansion that once belonged to a Rockefeller heir, but he claims residence in Monaco. And while he does not drink often, when he does, he prefers Christiania Vodka, made from a 400-year-old recipe that originated in the court of Norway’s King Christian IV. He owns it. We could go on and on. (His Manhattan art gallery sells 20th-century Italian furniture! His pre-retirement hobby has been playing ice hockey! He comes from a family of fur merchants!) But for most readers the most interesting thing about Alexander Vik, 59, is how he built a personal fortune that Forbes estimates to be at least $1 billion, dabbling in virtually every modern financial bubble—from closed-end country funds to dotcom 1.0 to derivatives—while leaving a small army of investors and business partners fuming in his wake. It’s a story that’s never fully been told. The secretive Vik hasn’t granted an interview about his business dealings in more than seven years and rebuffed several attempts to contact him for this story. But his 35-year track record reveals a lucky streak that borders on the miraculous. “Alex was a super risk taker, and sometimes these guys can worm out of things,” says Stephen Greenberg, a former general counsel at one of Vik’s insurance companies, who later clashed with his boss in court. “Everything he did was so complicated with so many companies. Trying to get to the bottom of anything would get people very frustrated.” With a tendency to operate through offshore companies, Vik has bought and sold everything from insurance companies to penny stocks and even once tried to break up French media giant Vivendi. His biggest ventures and bets ultimately failed, yet Vik almost always seemed to come out on top, emerging unscathed and often richer, even as those who invested alongside him were burned. Harvard itself may be

•Alexander Vik

By Nathan Vardi something of a club, but current and former athletes there have cleaved off their own, the Harvard Varsity Club. Among them is Alexander Vik, who came to America for the first time as a member of the Class of 1978. There is a page devoted to him on the club’s website, featuring a photo of Vik. “In busi•Akinkuotu ness, ‘brand’ is very much in vogue,” Vik notes below it, “and Harvard has the greatest global educational brand and we have to continue to nurture it.” Vik’s business brand started on Wall Street, where he worked as a broker at firms like Kidder, Peabody during the day and converted Manhattan rentals into condos at night. His big break, though, came courtesy of his wealthy dad, who bought a controlling interest in the Scandinavia Fund and put Vik in charge, with younger brother Gustav riding along as treasurer. On paper it was a value play. The Scandinavia Fund traded at a discount during the late 1980s, when some closed-end country funds were selling at unjustifiable premiums to their underlying holdings. But in reality, investors claimed Vik tried to turn it into a piggy bank. Under Vik Scandinavia Fund went into cash just before equities in countries like Norway soared. The fund tried to buy real estate loans from a financial firm that had loaned the Viks money to buy shares of France Fund, another closed-end country vehicle. As the closed-end-fund bubble deflated, minority shareholders sued in 1989 for not fully disclosing the connection between Vik and other financial firms and breaching fiduciary duties. Vik denied wrongdoing, and Scandinavia Fund ended up settling the lawsuits, reportedly for less than $700,000. No matter. Insurance soon piqued Vik’s interest. Hurricane

Andrew, which leveled South Florida, had pummeled underwriters, and the Viks bought up insurance assets. They set up shop in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and Vik Brothers Insurance was soon writing $300 million of property and casualty insurance premiums, when Vik sold it in 1997 to Highlands Insurance for $100 million. His timing was good: By 2002 Highlands filed for bankruptcy, though Vik Brothers Insurance was not the cause. In another insurance move Vik teamed up with two big insurers from Sweden and Finland and bought Home Insurance Co for $800 million. The insurance companies bought out Vik’s minority stake soon after. Again, good timing. In 1998 Home Insurance failed. It’s unclear how much money Vik and his family made from their adventures, but Vik emerged unscathed. And he still controlled Scandinavia Fund— his family owned 73 percent— which he had converted into an operating company. Since it still traded on the American Stock Exchange, he now had a public vehicle for dealmaking. And because he based it in the Cayman Islands, his company could operate with more opacity, delaying financial filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission. At first Vik used the firm to run a resort in the Canary Islands. But then came the internet bubble, and he turned his attention there. With Vik as CEO, Scandinavia Co became Xcelera.com and in 1999 purchased a majority stake in Mirror Image Internet, an internetcaching company in Woburn, Massachusetts. Scandinavia also began scooping up minority stakes in a grab bag of companies—Active ISP, deo.com and e-game—that had good stories, even if they had neither revenues nor paying customers. Press releases and press appearances

floated the stock. Vik would personally craft the wording late into the night, sweating the details of each promotional outburst. “Relatively speaking, there’s very little competition. This is a brand-new field that didn’t exist a year-and-a-half ago. People are projecting it to be $14 billion by the year 2003,” Vik said in one interview. On CNN’s now defunct financial channel he answered a question about Xcelera’s “voodoo” by likening it, in theory, to Akamai Technologies, a comparison that drove Akamai executives crazy. “What’s frustrating is that there are all these press releases they put out,” Akamai’s late founder, Danny Lewin, told Forbes at the time. “But there’s no revenue, no customers, no service.” While Xcelera is largely forgotten, it may have been the biggest dotcom bubble stock of the era: In April 1999 it was trading at 21 cents a share, in March 2000 at $112.50. The 54,000% rise, valuing Xcelera at $11.7 billion, made the likes of Pets.com, Webvan, and theglobe.com look like blue chips. The stock collapsed soon, but not before Vik and his family sold $250 million of Xcelera stock, according to a class action filed by shareholders. He denied the allegations. For more than a decade Vik faced Xcelera-related lawsuits, and for more than a decade he won. “We spent years on the case, and you don’t do that unless you think you have something,” says Peter Pease, the frustrated plaintiff lawyer who spearheaded a major class action. (A federal judge disagreed: She tossed the case on the first day of trial, citing lack of evidence.) Minority shareholders of Mirror Image sued Vik in Delaware state court and also lost. Vik was unchastened. After Xcelera’s stock was delisted, Vik launched a successful tender offer to buy the remaining shares for 25 cents each without disclosing any financial information about the company, according to a shareholder class action that accused Vik of insider trading and market manipulation. He denied the allegations. And again, Vik prevailed and held on to the remaining assets of Xcelera. Still, even people who felt cheated by Vik found his charm tough to resist. Visiting Vik’s Greenwich mansion was like entering a Scandinavian version of the Louvre, packed with works by the region’s top artists. Vik also keeps prized art possessions in New York in a two-bedroom apartment on the 67th floor of the Time Warner Center that he bought for $4 million in 2004 and later transferred to wife, Carrie. He travels constantly to visit his vineyard in Chile, homes in France and Monaco and hotels in Uruguay. “Up on the Estancia it’s like Marlboro country,” Vik told ForbesLife in 2011 about his Uruguayan properties. “Romantic and rustic, with gauchos. But on the beach it’s like SaintTropez in the summer, with parties and dancing and beautiful people.” •Culled from Forbes India

If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell six friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends--- Jeff Bezos

Frontline staffers, not poor product ruin organisations

RONT line staffers are those group of personnel who on regular basis interact physically with clients or relate with them virtually all the time. They could as well be referred to as brand ambassadors or the face of the business as their image imparts greatly on any organisation. Little wonder, most firms pay careful attention in the recruitment processes for individuals who possess decent looks and the charisma they are willing to identify with when sourcing for roles of customer care executives, contact centre agents, public relation officers, marketing and sales executives, hostesses, receptionists to mention but a few. A product on the other hand is an output of various thought processes put together to meet the specific need of a target market. However, a lot more is required in addition to a charming demeanour for the overall success of the roles which these categories of employees occupy as it would ultimately translate to the achievement of an organisation's goals and objectives, which include but not limited to the following viz: Good product knowledge: An individual visiting a bank for the first time will most likely request to see a customer care office before proceeding with any transaction if at all. They are therefore saddled with the responsibility of having readily good information about all their bank products and services. Same applies for a sales attendant in a store. While most organizations have made the job easy with flyers for different products and services, customers who demand information are not to be handed leaflets without further explanation or clarifications. It is a major turn off for most clients as they could have visited the website for the same information or as well picked up the same flyer or bulletin and takes a walk. An individual approaching a staff has presented the organisation a golden opportunity through the staff not only to get convinced about the need to make actual purchase, but to make repeat visits for other items in stock or services provided. Training and periodic retraining: Ever wondered why you get no special attention from a store you visit often, a service provider, or even your bank, it is because those who are to give personalised service get overwhelmed after a while and just treat all clients like "business as usual." Hence a compulsive need for customer service training on their induction into the organisation and retraining when necessary as revealed by appraisals. Unfortunately, performances are usually not reviewed, provided an extreme case of misconduct is not in question, sales are made and accounts are balanced. Incentives: There should be a definite scorecard designed against which the performance of frontline officers are measured. As much as many organisations do not slack in ensuring that appropriate sanctions apply for shortcomings, error and violation of policies, employers should also look in the direction of giving commensurate reward to exceptional and deserving members of staff. It is of importance to have this spelt out clearly and made available to the knowledge of all employees just as it is often done for misdeeds and corresponding penalties. Synergy: In the bid to improve the efficiency of operations and to cut cost, globally, organisations are increasingly tending towards outsourcing certain functions and more frontline duties fall in this category. It is however observed that as the take home differs considerably between those in full employment and contract staff with the outsourced functions often saddled with more laborious activities, so also is the differential treatment with worse cases experienced when full staffs as they are popularly called do not extend the necessary support to the contract staff on the job causing a slack in duties. Some will rather turn down their duties than be at the mercy of a full staff to get their approval or consent where required. While individuals of outsourced remain in contract employment with the firm, they may continue to be the constant and only contact some clients may have with the organisation, a customer-centric and forward thinking business would then understand and enforce the need for this fraction to be treated with equal respect as their colleagues in full employment, ensuring that they get all the support needed to enable them carry out their duties without hitches. This is because customers are often not aware of the nature of contracts binding the faces they meet with their organisation and demand good service each and every time. Where all these is present in an organisation's structure, naturally, frontline staff would willingly stick out their neck for the organisations because they feel a sense of ownership. However, where some or all of this is lacking, this group of people most likely take out their frustrations on clients with the long run effect being high employee turnover, conscious or unconscious de-marketing of the brand by those who are supposed to build its image, lackadaisical attitude to the job, seeking gratification elsewhere either by sourcing for jobs that can be run concurrently, and some fraudsters caught in the act has given this lame excuse for the act. All hope is however not lost because with the right strategies employed to redefine the market, redesign and rebrand the product based on the feedback from survey and analysis, it will most likely

62 With

JILL OKEKE

jillokeke@yahoo.com, 07069429757 THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

went to Mushin market two weeks ago to buy groceries. Just outside the shop where I was shopping, a woman was pouring one of the popular milk drinks inside a bowl of corn cereal (pap). Holding unto the woman's wrapper were two children of about four years old each. Curiosity got the better part of me. Why on earth was this woman pouring this drink in the plastic can into the children's pap? Could she possibly be thinking it was milk? I thought to myself. Leaving the groceries I was picking I went outside and greeted the woman in a very friendly manner. I offered her kids biscuit which they shyly took from me. Seeing that the woman was now relaxed with me, I asked her why she was using that supposed milk drink to make pap for her children. Confirming my worst fears, she said the drink had enough milk in it to be as nutritionally high as the normal cow's milk in the market. Picking the discarded plastic bottle, I began to study the contents of the drink and the nutritional value. Actually, about two years ago I had met a man of about 37 years old who was drinking from a plastic bottle of a s t r a w b e r r y flavoured milky drink with relish, believing that half the contents of the bottle was pure cow's milk and as such was taking a high protein drink. I am not writing that consumers should stop taking them but they should know exactly what they are consuming and if it meets their needs. They should not be deceived because of the colour and the labelling. Most of us, both literate and non-literate, do not stop to read labels or even ponder about the nutritional contents of what we gulp down or how what we take is going to enhance our health. Milk and its derivatives, yogurt, cheese, cream, butter etcetera have become so highly valued in human diet because of their nutritional value and their culinary possibilities. Dairy products contain nutrients of great nutritional value such as protein and calcium which are necessary during periods of rapid growth. So as a mother like the woman at Mushin market, what do you want for your children? Do you want fillers or nutritionally-rich foods. For the benefit of this write up, we will be focusing only on those drinks in the market labelled 'Milky Drink'. We have many of them out there but the popular ones among children are Bobo Milk, CwayNutri Milk, BB Star, Vijuy Milk, Tigo Milk drink, Bolt, Chi Fit and Smart milk, Peak School Smart flavoured milk, amongst others. Most of these drinks come slightly thick and in different flavours of chocolate, pineapple, orange, apple, strawberry, vanilla, banana while some are plain milky on sight. Let us look at them one after the other to study their contents. According to the list of ingredients on Bobo apple milk drink, the drink contains, water, milk powder, sugar, apple juice, citric acid, carboxmethyl, cellulose, sodium citrate, apple flavour, fast green colour, yellow tartrazine, potassium sorbate, acesufame-k, vitamin-C, sucrose fatty acid esters. The nutrition composition per 100ml, protein approximately 1.0g, Vitamin C

LG Electronics launches world's first refrigerators with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Power Cut Evercoolâ&#x20AC;? technology into Nigerian market

Milky drinks: What quality? 30.0 mg, Energy 140 Kj , fat 31.0 g and Carbohydrate exactly 5.0g. According to the nutrition information as stated on the 210ml plastic bottle of BB Star apple flavoured drink, contained in each 100ml of the drink is 1.0g of protein, fat 0.7g, potassium 20mg,zinc 60ug, Calcium 20mg60mg, Sodium 10mg, energy 150kj. According to the nutrient facts also listed in a 520ml of Nutri-Milk each 100ml of the drink contains approximately 1.0g of protein, fat 1.0g, carbohydrate 5.0g, calories 140kj, calcium 20mg 60mg, taurine 10mg 50mg, vitamin B1 100-200mg, vitamin B6 10120ug, magnesium 1.0-10mg, potassium 20mg, fruit content 10.0g and sodium 10mg. As stated by the manufacturers of Viju Milk drink in the 550ml of their drink, nutrition information per 100ml is vitamin B3, 1.0mg 4.0mg, vitamin B6, 10ug 120ug, vitamin B12, 0.01ug 0.18ug, vitamin A, 30ug 100ug, vitamin D, 1ug 4ug, vitamin E, 1.0mg 2.0mg, taurine, 10mg 50mg, calcium, 20mg 60mg, magnesium, 1.0mg 10mg, potassium, 20mg, sodium, 10mg, zinc, 60ug, protein, 1.0g, fat, 0.7g, carbohydrate, 5.0g, energy, 140kg. Nutrition facts according to TigoMilk drink per 100ml is, protein, 1.0g, fat, 1.0g, vitamin A, 30-120ug, vitamin B3, 1.0-4mg, vitamin B6, 10-120ug, vitamin B12, 0.010.18ug, vitamin C, 12ug, vitamin D, 1-4ug, vitamin E, 1.0-2.0mg, calcium, 20mg, carbohydrate, 5.0mg, taurine, 10-50mg, magnesium, 1.0-10mg, potassium, 20mg, sodium, 1omg, energy, 140kj, fruit, 5g. Peak School Smart, which seems to contain the highest level of protein per 100ml is protein 1.6g, iodine 32mcg, iron 2.0mg, vitamin B12 0.49mcg, vitamin B9 51mcg, vitamin B6 0.32mg, vitamin B5 1.00mg, vitamin B2 0.22mg, vitamin B1 0.46mg, carbohydrate 15g, omega -6 175mg, omega 3, 17mg, total fat 1.8g and energy 85Kcal/356KJ. Apart from flavour, most people go for milk drinks because of the nutrients, especially protein, they believe can be derived from it. But looking at the nutrition facts as stated

by the manufacturers of these drinks except Peak School Smart, the protein content are quite low especially as the drinks are touted to be milk drinks. Anybody taking these drinks for the protein content, for example the woman adding it to pap because of the protein content, is merely wasting time. Children between the ages of one and three need 0.55 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For a toddler weighing 30pounds, this translates to 16.5 grams of protein per day. As a child increases in age, protein needs decreases. Children between four and six years need 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight so a 45-pound five-year old requires 22.5grams of protein. Girls between the ages of seven and 14 years require 46 grams of protein per day while boys of the same age require 52 grams. Women between the ages of 19 and 70 plus needs about 46 grams of protein while men in the same age group will require 56 grams of protein daily. Explaining further, the Director, Production, Analytical and Lab. Management, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Mrs A.U Ozumba, said that a cup of milk has eight grams of protein. A 3-ounce piece of meat has about 21 grams of protein while a cup of dry beans has about 16 grams of protein. Some people may want to argue that children also eat other things in the day apart from the consumption of these socalled milk drinks, but it is necessary especially for parents who give it to children daily to know the nutritional contents of the drink and the nutritional needs of their children. Apart from other nutritional contents as stated by the manufacturers of these drinks on the bottles, the protein content according to them per 100 ml is 1.0gram except Peak School Smart which stated 1.6gram as the protein content. Protein is a major component of our muscles, organs, skin; the protein in our diet also helps our body repair cells and makes new cells. This is especially important for children because children are constantly going through periods of growth and development that allow for proper wound healing and helps the body maintain fluid

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

BUSINESS

is sued for $1 billion Ethanol rises to highest PwC over MF Global collapse price since July 2006 T

THANOL rose to the highest price since July 2006 as demand for the biofuel climbed while rail congestion held down production rates. Futures surged 7.8 percent. Distillers are being forced to dial back output because of the availability of trains to transport corn to turn into the biofuel. The same delays are affecting the shipment of ethanol to the population-dense East Coast from the corn-rich Midwest, where about 89 percent of plants are located. "It is logistics, logistics, logistics," said Julie Ward, an assistant vice president at R.J. O'Brien & Associates, a broker in Des Moines, Iowa. "It all boils down to that. The further you have to carry it, the harder it is to get there." Denatured ethanol for April delivery gained 23.5 cents to $3.252 a gallon on the Chicago Board of Trade, the highest settlement since July 11, 2006. It was the biggest jump since Oct. 8, 2010. Futures have risen 33 percent in the past year. Volume was 15 percent

above the 100-day average at 2:07 p.m. A 2007 U.S. law requires the biofuel, mostly made from corn, to be blended into gasoline, so higher ethanol costs can boost retail prices for the motor fuel. Regular gasoline at U.S. pumps, averaged nationwide, reached $3.537 a gallon yesterday, the most since Sept. 12, according to Heathrow, Florida-based AAA, the nation's largest motoring group. Ethanol companies haven't been able to increase production to meet higher consumption because they can't get tank cars quickly enough, Ward said. Demand combined with severe winter weather have limited rail transport. The biofuel shortfall might last through April as plants go offline for routine maintenance before the U.S. summer driving season, she said. Spot ethanol in New York Harbor climbed 12 cents to $4.10 a gallon, up 60 percent from a year ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Refinery and blender

inputs, a measure of consumption, advanced 1.4 percent last week to the highest level since Dec. 20, data from the Energy Information Administration show. Flint Hills Resources LLC, which owns and operates oil refineries and ethanol plants in the U.S., plans to close its Iowa Falls, Iowa, mill from March 31 through April 11, its website shows. Plymouth Energy LLC will shut its Merrill, Iowa, distillery on April 1, April 2 and possibly April 3, according to its website. Ethanol inventories last week were down 10 percent from a year earlier and are at a seasonal record low, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee, established by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to address problems, said in a presentation this month that tank car availability for ethanol is "extremely tight due to reduced velocity." While petroleum

products are shipped via pipeline, ethanol is delivered by rail, truck and barge. Ethanol, which has traded at a discount to gasoline for the past two years, switched to a premium this week. It widened to 31.45 cents today, the most expensive the additive has been in relation to the motor fuel since Feb. 25, 2009. The spread was 7.44 cents yesterday. Gasoline for April delivery slipped 0.51 cent to $2.9375 a gallon on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The futures cover reformulated gasoline, made to be blended with ethanol before delivery to filling stations. The biofuel also increased in spot regions. Ethanol in Chicago rose 40 cents to a record $3.80 a gallon, data compiled by Bloomberg show. On the Gulf Coast, the fuel advanced 38 cents to $3.985, also an alltime high. On the West Coast, the additive gained 3.5 cents to $3.95 a gallon, Culled from Bloomberg.com

HE administrator of MF Global Holdings Ltd's bankruptcy plan on Friday sued PricewaterhouseCoopers for at least $1 billion, accusing the auditor of professional malpractice in connection with the brokerage's investment in European sovereign debt. According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, PwC provided "flatly erroneous accounting advice" to MF Global and its then-chief executive Jon Corrine by recommending the use of off-balance sheet structures for the brokerage's $6.3 billion bet on the debt. Market worries about that exposure was among the factors that led to MF Global's quick collapse and October 31, 2011, bankruptcy. The lawsuit said it is the first case seeking to hold PwC liable for malpractice over its advice concerning, and approval of, the accounting treatment for the debt. Creditors would share in any recoveries if the lawsuit were to be successful. A PwC spokeswoman declined to comment. •Source: Reuters

BlackBerry posts $5.9 billion loss in 2013

TRUGGLING smartphone maker BlackBerry on Friday reported a loss of $423 million in the fourth quarter of its 2014 fiscal year, with revenues plummeting. The company said revenues fell to $976 million in the fourth quarter - down from $2.7 billion 12 months earlier. Sales of smartphones fell from 1.9 million to 1.3 million in the fourth quarter, the company said. BlackBerry said it delivered some 3.4 million smartphones in the quarter, but 2.3 million were the older models using its BlackBerry 7 operating system. The company last year introduced the BlackBerry 10 operating system in an effort to regain ground lost to rivals such as Apple and others using the Google Android operating system. In December, BlackBerry unveiled a manufacturing partnership with Taiwan-based Foxconn and a revamped organizational structure. The deal makes Foxconn the manufacturer and allows BlackBerry to focus on software and services. The company also announced last year it was slashing some 4,500 jobs, or 40 per cent of its workforce, as part of the restructuring. BlackBerry at one point last year put itself up for sale, but later abandoned hopes of finding a buyer, and instead pegged its future on a $1 billion cash infusion. The revenue breakdown for the fourth quarter was 37 per cent for hardware, 56 per cent for services and seven per cent for software and other revenue. "I am very pleased with our progress and execution in the fiscal fourth quarter against the strategy we laid out three months ago," said CEO John Chen, who took the reins in November as the company sought to revive its fortunes. •Source: AFP

Siemens teams up with Huaneng, Shanghai Electric on China energy

•Melanie Mosier, left, and Elia Herevia install camshafts in a 3.5 litre engine at the Ford Engine Plant on March 28, 2014 in Lima, Ohio. The company announced plans to add 300 jobs and invest $500 million to build a new 2.7 litre Ecoboost engine at the Ford Engine Plant. Mark Lyons/Getty Images/AFP

UN announces first countries to benefit from African-led food security fund

UNIQUE, Africa-led United Nationsbacked fund designed to improve food security across the continent has become a reality for the first six countries slated to benefit from the initiative. The Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, the Niger and South Sudan today signed agreements in Tunis, Tunisia, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to receive $2 million each from the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund. "The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund shows that African countries are ready to step up

and work with their neighbours to build a sustainable and food secure region, and to have the future we want," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, who encouraged other African Governments to join the effort and contribute to the Fund. The agreements were signed during the FAO Regional Conference for Africa in the Tunisian capital, which opened Monday 24 March and concluded today with a reaffirmation of its commitment to food security and sustainable development. A final report adopted by the Conference recognized the importance of enhancing the business opportunities that

agriculture offers to African youth as a pathway to social inclusion, food security and sustainable development. The contributions to the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund will be used to bolster a wide range of projects to improve food security, nutrition, agriculture and rural development. According to FAO, the respective $2 million allocations will support projects including livelihoods resilience opportunities for conflict-affected rural communities in the Central African Republic, poverty reduction opportunities for rural communities in Ethiopia, and building the resilience of

vulnerable communities to climatic shocks in one of the most affected districts in Malawi. The funds will also , help with improving employment opportunities in Mali, improving nutrition, supporting natural resources management and increasing access to financial and social protection services in Nigeria, and providing information, equipment, seeds and livestock services to protect and restore livelihoods in South Sudan. The trust fund, which is housed at FAO, was originally proposed in 2012 by President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo, and launched last year with a funding package of $30 million from Equatorial Guinea.

IEMENS AG (SIE) agreed to work with Huaneng Power International and Shanghai Electric Group as Europe's biggest engineering company tries to sell more cleanenergy technologies into the Chinese market. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in advanced gas turbine and steam power plant technology as well as the modernization and upgrade of steam turbine units and wind power, Munich-based Siemens said in an e-mailed statement today. The companies announced the agreement as Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Siemens Chief Executive Officer Joe Kaeser, who took over in August after a series of missed profit goals, is trying to boost the company's business in emerging markets. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week to discuss high-speed rail and energy projects despite attempts by governments in Europe and the U.S. to isolate and impose sanctions against the Russian government following the annexation of Crimea. •Source: Bloomberg.com

Lufthansa pilots' union calls strike

ILOTS at Lufthansa will hold a three-day strike from 2200 GMT on 1 April, their union has announced. The strike, over pay and working conditions, is likely to cause the cancellation of hundreds of flights. It will affect Lufthansa passenger services at all airports in Germany, as well as Lufthansa Cargo and low-cost carrier Germanwings. If it goes ahead, it will be the third strike to hit Frankfurt airport, Lufthansa's home base, in six weeks. The airline's management is urging the pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), to come back to the negotiating table as soon as possible. "With the good will of everyone involved, we should be able to avert a strike," said Lufthansa's head of personnel, Dr Bettina Volkens. In the meantime, the airline says it will take whatever steps it can to minimise the effect of a strike on its customers.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

Choosing your advertising agency I

T took some time to cast the topic for this piece, for the same reason we thought of working on it. The options were various as they were finely different in meaning and implication. Our choice was finally determined by the need to eliminate ambiguity, controversy and argument, just so that the import is not lost in us. We are also clear in our minds, the need to cut out any such distractions occasioned by semantics, flamboyance for reasons of modernity. To begin, therefore, advertising agencies will remain Advertising Agencies as we know it. We do not have any qualms with those who like to be seen and referred to as creative hot-shops, brand activators…and all such other identities which, at best, come across as desperate attempt at differentiation, it all comes down to ideas and creative work that sell. According to Drew Cannon in her article “How To Choose an Advertising Agency” posted on inc.com in August 11, 2011, unlike in the past when advert agencies were traditionally defined along certain structures, agencies now come in varying forms today, starting from 10-men experimental to enormous traditional firms with global reach, and everything in-between. We have come to accommodate these products of change, not minding how they present themselves, provided they keep the underlying essence of creative ideas and work that sell brands. The focus of this piece is draw attention to the importance of advertising agency engagement and the need for brands or brand owners to see the process as very crucial to the success of their brand(s) and entire marketing success, and as such, to strictly adhere to the process, for their own good. Brand management is systematic, procedural, creative and objective-driven. These characteristics explains why on value measurement, what you get is a direct consequence of what was invested (the computer’s GIGO – garbage in, garbage-out). Last week, we considered a set of variables in the process of developing brand communication or brand advertising messages, grouped as the imperatives of the creative process. In it we laid out those key elements that must be derived in the creative process. Every one of those listed elements is weighty and consequential upon the quality of creative product in form of advert or campaign. Characteristically, they can only be derived by working through every step of the creative process. Because of their importance, deriving these creative elements is the essence of the advertising agency engaged for the job or assignment of working through the creative process. Suffice, therefore, the agency’s quality, strength, capability has a direct relationship and consequence on the quality of the final creative output or product. In other words, an agency-driven brand support is only as good, effective, creative, impactful and successful, to the extent the engaged advertising agency is competent. Interestingly, the competence or strength of any creative team or advertising agency can be determined, just as the creative imperatives for good and effective creative process and products are derived. Therefore, just as it is the job of the creative team to derive the imperatives for top-end creative product(s), so it is the duty of the client and/or its representative to determine the right advertising agency or team to be engaged to manage

their brand. There-in lays the justification for a systematic (and creative) agency selection process. As in every process, selecting or appointing an agency is indeed, only a process. It is open to individual determination along the gamut of adherence. The extent to which the process which we see as equally a creative process is adhered to is a function of the extent to which the selecting team considers it as important, understands its import and consequence, and its intellectual and creative capacity to judge the weighty issues. There must be the will and ability to work the process. There have been instances where Agency selection process stretches for very long through several stages. For some clients, consultants are engaged to guide them through the process. There have also been cases where the selection process results in a tie between two or more agencies, and the final choice becomes dependent on news and more critical factors. In a situation where it becomes too difficult to clearly agree on the winner-agency, a particular business or account is shared between two agencies because they are considered equally tied based on the agreed parameters set for the selection process. Selecting and engaging the advertising agency for a brand is serious and as important as developing the brand itself. That is why, in ideal situation, the process is devoid of emotion. In her article “HOW TO CHOOSE AN ADVERTISING AGENCY” (posted on in.com on August 11, 2011), Drew Cannon, among other submissions, break the process into four major steps: ASKING – about for the agencies that fall within the pre-determined

consideration bracket, WRITING – a request for proposal (in other words, writing the brief), SEARCH thoroughly (carefully run through a guided selection procedure), and ENTER into selection meetings prepared (agency engagement). Cannon’s submission can be taken as a very brief summary of the ideal agency selection and engagement process, open to expansion and a more detailed and functional model. But the important thing here is that it captures the reason and operative guideline for a proper agency selection process: THE (MARKETING)OBJECTIVE! Marketing and its attendant consideration and actions are derived and determined at every point. The process starts with and ends with the client, but focused on the brand and the target market, which is the reason for being. It is the consequence of every such action on the bottom-line (which is the marketing objective for the brand and brand-owners, that makes it imperative for the right decision to be taken at every step of the way. In turn, that right step is as spelt out on the (client’s) brief. It all starts with THE BRIEF. The process starts with the client’s brief to the initially chosen agencies, inviting them to a pitch. It is upon the strength of the client’s brief, the agencies prepare for presentation at a pitch setting. In turn, invited agencies make a presentation of their proposal, which should essentially be their understanding and interpretation of the client’s brief. After the presentation, the client goes back to score the agencies based on the strength of their presentation, with the initiating brief as the reference point.

Nothing is given to chance, whims and caprices; the brief takes pre-eminence over every other consideration. The very important consideration in the entire process is the brief. Therefore, the brief has to be professionally written, focused, strategically focused and robust in its consideration of immediate and future success of the brand at the market place. The flip side of this analysis is the compromise of the ideal agency selection and engagement process. Unlike in the ideal scenario, the compromised system does not respect the brief. It is all based on personal gains, unstructured method, unsystematic process based on the whims and judgment of individuals who operate outside any pattern. The compromised system does not take the brand into consideration. The decision maker’s choice is based determined by personal relationship, immediate financial gains and other selfish considerations. That is why, as at today, over 75% of big brand management businesses are in the hands of service providers who either outright non-professionals or those who engaged in distant related endeavors such as journalism and public relations, but now positions as brand management consultants BECAUSE THEY ARE CONNECTED TO THE MAN/WOMAN WHO DECIDES WHO MANAGES THE BRAND. In our market place, mediocrity has taken over professionalism as a consequence of corruption, greed and selfishness. Apart from the profession and professionals who suffer from this corrupt system, brands are failing, the consumer/ market is suffering and investments are failing – except we go back to the ideal situation.

Ammasco, NATA partner on SMEs Page 66 â&#x20AC;˘Mohammad

HAT is Ereke Royal Buka all about? Ereke Royal Buka is a division of Ereke Royal Company Limited. By God's grace, we have 20 workers here. We are into preparing pure local and organic dishes to our customers at affordable prices starting from as little as N50. Ereke Royal Buka is not an eatery but purely a local buka like the popular 'mama-put', where you simply finger-point what you want. I tell you the truth, I cook myself. I'm a chef. I've been a chef since 1994 and I love doing it. When I employ my workers, I tell them, see, you can know how to cook but I want my taste and before any food goes out of the kitchen, I have to taste them, yes. I also invent food. I can put anything together to make food. Do you cook at home too? Yes, I do the cooking in the house. The point is, I even train my wife. Though, she knows how to cook but I still train her to my taste. Here in Nigeria, your wife cooks but abroad, anybody cooks. I love cooking because it is my hobby and that is why I always advice my children that please, if you want to study or do anything, do what you enjoy doing most. What makes your eatery unique compared to others out there? The difference is just the comfort and the paramount thing is the customer relation you get when you enter the buka. There is nothing like eating and sweating. I dislike it so much. But to answer your question directly, the uniqueness is the comfortability and customer relation. The company policy is, customers have 100% right over employees of the company. If a customer slaps you, you should report that customer to the authority or the company for them to take a step. But if you slap a customer back, that means you have lost a thousand customers. It is very easy to lose customers than to gain them. So, in my company we place high premium on customer relations. Many people in your shoes would have preferred white collar jobs. Why did you choose this line of business? You know what, all fingers are not equal. One thing in life is individual differences and all of us cannot be doing white collar jobs. Another reason for

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

'Start-ups should make customers cornerstone of their businesses' Prince Aderemi Efunnuga, a Nigerian, who holds a British citizenship, is a graduate of mechanical engineering from The Polytechnic, Ibadan. Efunnuga left the shores of this country for greener pastures in 1986, and returned few years back after sojourning in some parts of Europe and the United States, where he founded the fast-rising Ereke Buka brand, which specialises in serving local delicacies at rock-bottom prices. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf and Ibrahim Adam, he shares his experience running a fledging restaurant chain and other related issues

xxx

â&#x20AC;˘Efunnuga

going into this kind of business is that no human being will wake up in the morning that will not eat, apart from people that are fasting and the fasting is not going to be every day. If you have another opportunity in engineering, will you leave cooking? You see, engineering is not a white collar job if you really want to practice it. Although I'm an automobile engineer I will never leave cooking for engineering, never. See, when people see me cooking, they will be curious to taste the food. And when they get in, taste the food, find what they want, they always come back. What has the feedback from your customers been

PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

like? I love this question. My customers love the concept of the buka and also commend me and my workers. Even some will say no customers come into Ereke Royal Buka that will not come back again. You will always want to come back again. Is there any plan to expand your eatery across other states or even the West African sub-region like that of Mr. Biggs and co? Yes, I do have plans to open other outlets. As a matter of fact, there is another outlet at Abule Egba beside Total filling station. My next port of call is Sango and Ifo in Ogun State. I believe gradually we will be all over

the place. Just to let you know, I use to own Ereke Restaurant at the North side of Chicago in USA but had to close it temporarily. What form of assistance do you require from government to further drive the success of your business? The only assistance any organisation needs from the government now is stable electricity power supply. The money we use for fuel and diesel is killing the business. Although the return on investment is averagely okay, but if the government can give us stable electricity it would make a lot of difference. You can imagine spending N250, 000 monthly on diesel and petrol. But if the electricity is stable, that monthly N250,

000 will be in the organisation's pocket. You plan events too? So what does it take to start an event planning company in terms of capital? To be an event planner, you must be financially okay. Depending on the class of people or clients you want to deal with, for a high class planning, it will cost N2025million and for the middle class planning, N6-7million will be okay. For how long have you been planning events? I've been in the business since 1994 while I was still living in Chicago, USA. Do you consider it lucrative? Yes, it is a profitable business in Nigeria compared to

the ones operating abroad especially if you handle it very. What are the challenges of this business? This business is built on trust. But I thank God. I tell them you don't have to pay me but after the service. I've done that severally and I don't think there's any problem with that. Talk of handling the business abroad, when I was coming back home I sold the business off. How do you combine event planning and running a buka? The event planning is not an everyday thing, so it's very easy. But buka is an everyday affair and most of the time, event planning is for the weekend. I have workers for event planning. Event planning is not a business you handle on your own. You have to hire professionals that will handle various departments just like division of labour. But the cooking aspect, I don't joke with that because that is the Ereke taste. Is there anybody or organistion that regulates this business? You see, I am not with anybody or organisation that controls the business but there is one for the buka. I won't even say an organisation but the Ministry of Health and Environment; they come here constantly to check on us for us not to sell bad food to our customers. When I got to Nigeria, when I was starting this business and I noticed that such happens here, I felt very glad because the same thing happens in Chicago. You cannot open a restaurant without certification from a qualified health organisation. How much does someone makes on the average in a month or per day? That is a good one. As I've said earlier, this business is a lucrative business. You gain and you lose. But event planning is not something you get all the time. In a year, probably, you get 10 or 11 events. Average monthly income is about N3million. How would you compare the business climate in Nigeria and abroad? For me as an individual, I prefer doing my business in Nigeria because population is on my side. 99 % here are Nigerians compared to abroad where there are different ethnics. So, I will say, the buka and the event planning business are more profitable here in Nigeria when compared abroad.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

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What is Amosun up to?

EFORE I was invited to be part of the team to go on an inspection tour of the projects that the governor of Ogun State Senator Ibikunle Amosun was doing, I have heard so much about those projects already from people who had visited Ogun State for one reason or another. On two or three occasions that I also had cause to visit Abeokuta for some engagements, I had encountered some of the road projects. All entry and exit points in Ogun State have become construction sites. And the road projects are so massive that even a blind man who cannot see what is going on can feel the equipment that are making noise. But despite this project hoopla, the man Amosun was still in media deficit. He is one governor that you may not see his face or hear anything about in major newspapers for two or three days except when he is attending the wedding ceremony of the daughter or son of a political chieftain in the APC or when he is fighting his godfather and Ogun State lawmakers or when he is attending funeral ceremonies. His persona had overwhelmed his hard work image. Though the man is strategically positioned in the Lagos-Ibadan press axis, he is consistently a victim of media bypass. Though the man is the landlord of the Arepomedia Mafia, he lacks the leverage to enhance his work image to the public. Amosun has one of the best journalists in Nigeria as his commissioner for information, yet he is under-reported. So, what went wrong? Thank God I went on the tour with the governor and other media chiefs like Bayo Onanuga, Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Soji Akinrinade, Yakubu Mohammed, Sam Omatseye, Sola Oshunkeye, Segun Ayobolu, Eniola Bello, Gbenga Adefaye and others. The reason(s) for the governor’s media scarcity became so clear to me after the tour. Amosun is a man of tomorrow that is ruling a society that is opposed to tomorrow. This contrast produces complex paradox that is responsible for Amosun’s media deficit. Does Amosun expect to be celebrated for doing a Six-lane road with

By Dapo Thomas

drains, walkways and street lights when the godfather has not eaten? Does he not know that elaborate projects of this magnitude are affecting the percentage of returns expected by the godfather(s)? What is wrong with Amosun? He is modernising an ancient town with what he calls “Ogun Standard” road when those who ruled before him are still alive. Can’t he see that what will bring glory to him will confer shame on others? What he is doing today in Ogun State is casting aspersion on the integrity and image of those who ruled Ogun State yesterday. When the godfather was angry with him, it was because he was making his failure very visible. Amosun is a man of transcendental vision whose perceptive instinct is tormenting his adversaries. The network of conspiracy against Amosun is such that even his own party people now constitute themselves into opposition. Amosun’s adversaries are not the masses who lined the roads to wave to him as the convoy drove past. His adversaries are the elites who are challenged by his passion and zeal for rapid development. It is the elite who feel threatened by the high cost of such rapid development to their own personal material accumulation. It is the elite that are the governor’s major headache because they are the people who indulge themselves in the intrigues of competition, rivalry, envy and power tussles. The masses’ major expectation is to be pampered with good infrastructure and welfarist programmes that can alleviate and deflate the pressure of lack. From Itoku to Lafenwa from Sapon to Sango, From Agbado OkeAro to Alagbole, Yakoyo to Ojodu, the people were excited about what was going on around them. But are the godfathers happy? What is wrong with Amosun? Why must a man who was a beneficiary of the godfather’s political support dump his godfather for the masses? Amosun is a man of strong discerning power. He

knows the godfather gives support but he cannot give the votes. It is the people who have the votes. The godfather believes in bribing the voters on the day of election but Amosun feels projects are more ideal as incentives for voters than pecuniary inducements. The godfathers are always interested in dictating the pace of action because it guarantees them subservience and obedience from the godsons. The conspiracy against Amosun is so terrible that one cannot but marvel at the way he is still forging ahead with his projects. Work goes on 24/7 everyday including Sundays at the various sites almost at the same tempo. There is no sign at all that any of the projects will be abandoned. Amosun is determined. He is an accountant; he is having it smooth with funds. He is not looking back because his hand is on the plough. But his adversaries are unrelenting too. They will force him to look back. If the godfather cannot do it, then the next godson will do it. What is wrong with Amosun? Does he not know that the template of performance that he has set up is on the high side and the next godson does not want it too high. He is envious of a legacy that will be difficult to match. He is also building his own pyramid of ha t e when he i s y et t o customise his power. In our society, we kill initiatives and run down ideas with our mouth because we are afraid of comparative assessment. The next godson is an incubating enemy because he must not be seen to be friendly with a governor that has rubbished the achievements of the godfather. Why for God’s sake must members of the same party establish fraternities of hate for a performer like Amosun? If it is the collective wish of leaders that all their projects and programmes must be peoplefocused, why must there be disagreements among them again over what the governor is doing? What is wrong with Amosun? Already, he is constructing roads with six lanes which he calls the Ogun Standard road. In areas like Sapon

Nigeria will survive, says cleric

LL will be well with Nigeria despite the challenges facing the country, the general overseer of Manna Prayer Mountain Ministry, Bishop Chris Kwakpovwe, has stated. He spoke at the March anointing service of the interdenominational ministry in Ogudu, Lagos. Speaking on a message titled enough is enough, the author of the devotional booklet, Our

By Sunday Oguntola

Daily Manna, said Nigerians will overcome all the challenges facing them. The pharmacist-turnedpreacher urged Nigerians to keep faith alive and not lose hope. His wife, Rev. (Mrs.) Ejiro Kwakpovwe, expressed delight that the devotional booklet has been breaking new grounds. She said: “It has successfully touched millions of lives around Nigeria and the world at large”.

The election which was keenly contested also produced Hon. Isa Alabi as (Gen. Secretary) and Siaka Ahmed (financial Sec.) They are to be assisted by Hon. Muhammed Yusuf (Dept. Fin. Secretary). Chief Audu

and Itoku, he is doing ten lanes. If he is doing all these, what will the next godson use for his own campaign? In addition, he is building modern pedestrian bridges (installed with A/C) and bus stops which look like mini event centres with seats and cover. He is building model schools, model markets existing side by side some fine apartments and so on and so forth. With all these, what will the next godson tell the people that he wants to do? What is more, Amosun is providing a 20-year infrastructure for a town like Aiyetoro. A town that will be satisfied with asphalt overlay for their “Onikolobo roads” is now a proud owner of the Ogun Standard road (six lanes) with two of the lanes being used as a median for now. I came up with two theories when I saw what the governor is doing in the state. One, he is either compensating the people for having endured delayed development since the state was created, or two, he is a man that is in a hurry to actualise his vision of development suspecting that the man coming after him may be a “jegudujera” (thieving) governor that will clean up whatever money he was going to leave behind. What is wrong with Amosun? Why is he building beautiful luxury gated estates in the state when he can build “ultra modern” estates like the ones built by his predecessor in

Aiyetoro? Who does not know that these days “ultra modern estates” mean “uncompleted sheds’ fit for goats and cows? That is another reason for Amosun’s media deficit. His achievements, initiatives, innovations, modernising projects must not appear in newspapers because they irritate his predecessors and remind them of their inadequacies and failures. There is something about the power of the media: It can cause blackout and it can illuminate. Unconsciously entangled in the intrigues of power, the media put Amosun’s numerous projects in the dark and a hardworking man is presented to the public as a very indolent governor who has nothing to show for the people that voted him into office. Whereas governors who never did half of what Amosun has done were given unstinting adulations while Amosun was unfairly abandoned. It would have been understandable if Amosun is a governor in one remote part of Nigeria. But he is actively and strategically located within the Lagos-Ibadan press and yet he is shut out completely. It was a wise decision by Amosun to have taken the “big men” in the media on a tour of just a fraction of his projects for them to see how unfair they have been to him. Is it still appropriate to ask the question: What is wrong with Amosun?

Confab: Imam urge delegates to fear God

T •Kwakpovwe

Ebira community elects officers

BIRA Community Union of Nigeria, Ibadan branch, Ojoo, elects new officers to run the body’s affairs for the next four years. Former chairman, Hon. Jimoh Ovadoba was elected President and Hon. David Onimisi the Vice President.

•Amosun

Ovanimoh and Messrs M.J. Omoyi. Moses Dongo, Sunday R. Onuchi, Sule Alli and Enevene Sunday were also elected into various offices. Azeez Ozi Sanni remains the union’s PRO. The positions of elders and patrons were not contested for.

HE Chairman, Eti-Osa Council of Imams and Alfas, Alhaji Abdul-Barri Afini, has called on delegates at the National Conference to allow the fear of God guide them in all their deliberations. He stated that lack of God’s consciousness and love for one another has been militating against development in the country. According to him, the on-going dialogue would only be meaningful if all issues are discussed with the fear of God and

love for the downtrodden. Afini gave the charge during a seminar organised by the council for the new Islamic title holders in Eti-Osa, Lagos ahead of their conferment on April 6. The conferment would be chaired by former Governor of Lagos State and APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Governors Babatunde Raji Fashola and Abiola Ajimobi of Lagos and Oyo States respectively will be special guests of honour.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

‘Why churches must be politically neutral’ Bold and daring, Rev. Yinka Ojo is the senior pastor of Grace Family Church Lagos. He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on issues affecting the church and the nation. Excerpts:

HAT is your definition of ministerial success? A minister of the gospel is not a celebrity, a corporate entity or a superstar but a called person. So, the yardsticks for measuring his success would be different. It can’t be about material acquisition. The definition of success for a minister then is finding out what God has called you to do and progressively achieving it. Success is progressive achievement of God-given goals. This means each minister of the gospel has been given different roles and so there can’t be a universal parameter for measurement of success. So, in essence, only Jesus knows who is truly successful in the ministry because He is the one that calls people in the first place to do works of the ministry. So, it is not necessarily about having a mega church? Not at all. Mega churches could be wonderful but are they producing disciples? Large, visible ministries could be good but are they really visible in the eyes of the Lord? So, we have to really be careful. I wonder sometimes if some of these mega churches can survive the testing of their works by fire. I say it that the bigger the churches, the bigger the ashes for founders of mega churches in the last days, if they are not doing what God really called them to do. I think that we have to be careful really because a lot of secular, humanistic, secular teachings have found their ways to the church. We now measure our success by our cars, sizes of congregation and financial muscles. We are celebrating these things more than the teachings of Christ. I heard one preacher say ‘go only where you are celebrated’. I said to myself had Jesus gone only where he was celebrated, nobody would have been saved. His own people rejected him but he kept at it and he fulfilled the goals of God. We really have to balance our teachings. The will of God could be enjoyable sometimes but could also be unpalatable. Remember Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted. So, we should stop telling people success is about fame, wealth and comfort. Don’t you think it is just an innocent attempt to make the gospel man-friendly? Well but at what cost?

How related to that is to the message of Christ? Had Jesus been living today, many would have said his messages are not user-friendly. He said things like brood of vipers. He confronted the powers of his days and said ‘your father, the devil…’’ These are not motivational or positive thinking but hard core messages. He didn’t preach that all of the times but he did sometimes. So, I don’t buy that school of thought that is after manfriendly messages. I would rather preach the whole, balanced gospel. If you are obedient to the master, He would bring people in. Those who will be strong spiritually must be fed on balanced diet. If you feed a child only on cakes, he won’t be strong and will have bad dentition. You have got to introduce stuff like vegetables, proteins and others with occasional cakes. But is anything wrong in baiting in before feeding them on real stuff? The question is: Has that worked? In the last 25 years, what kind of Christians has that produced? If you check the quality of most Christians, it is nothing to write home about. We should just go back to the way the gospel was preached by Christ and the early church. It was not popular but it produced great results. We need to be secure that people might not like our messages but must hear what God has to say. God did not call us to be popular; only Jesus should be popular. If you preach the correct gospel, you might not have much people but God will take care of you. The fact is that most pastoring today were called to be teachers, prophets and evangelists. The lure of tithes and offerings has enslaved many. If you are where God wants you to be, He could send a raven like He did to Elijah to take care of you. The raven was not a member of Elijah’s church. At a point, he had just a member, a widow, who took good care of him. You just spoke about Elijah. How come we don’t have such radical, outspoken prophet in the land again? How come most of our preachers just want to romance the powers-thatbe? I think the more political you are as a pastor, the farther you are from your true calling. Two, the roles of Old Testament prophets

are different from what we should have now. The old prophets spoke to kings and the nation. In the New Testament, the primary assignment of prophets is for the church, not for the political class. They could speak occasionally to the nation but they are primarily for the church. They strengthen the church and disciple people to take over the business, political and other arms of life. The more of such trained people we have, the more we see changes in the society. They are above corruption and pollution because they have been dead to the flesh. The president has said he would be worshipping in different churches from now till 2015. Would you be happy to receive him? Oh, sure because there is no gate fee in the church. Anybody that wants to come is most welcome. If the president chooses to worship with us, we would allow him. I don’t know him too well to allow him speak but if I know him a little bit and I have an idea of what he wants to say, he would speak to the church. He won’t preach but because of his office, I would allow him to speak for a brief moment, if he asks for it. Would you allow him canvass for votes? Capital NO. Why? Every political persuasion is represented in my church. If he canvasses for votes, I must then look for other political leaders to allow speak. I believe the church should be careful not to be used to push any political agenda. Jesus did not say ‘go to the world and preach politics’. He said we must only preach the gospel because it is sacred. I feel every church and pastor should be politically neutral or else we would hinder people from hearing the gospel. Is that not being politically naïve and inactive? It is not at all. I will vote during elections but I will never tell my members to vote for one candidate. But I will teach them enough to know how to identify good candidates, without endorsing any. Is anything bad in endorsing candidates as a Christian leader? Everything is bad. I will never endorse any candidate. It could get you into troubles. If you endorse a candidate in the US, you could lose your non-profit status. They

xxx

•Ojo

endorse but they do it in a subtle way. But I will never endorse. I will just tell members to vote for someone their conscience tells them to. You mention the US but pastors endorse candidate there. Even Billy Graham does that a lot, especially during presidential elections? Yes but Graham has got his fingers burnt many

times. There was a particular candidate he endorsed who happened to be a member of the Mormon Church. He got into troubles and had to change his website. He lost his non-profit status. But I have found nobody goes to Joel Osteen’s church, which is the largest in America today. I think he got it right on endorsement. He said his father told him to allow peo-

ple support whoever they want to sustain neutrality. So, what would be your advice to that pastor in the remotest part of Nigeria, feeling shortchanged for being in the ministry? I will just say who called you? What did he call you to do? If you are doing it, you are successful. Don’t look at others. Just hang on to God and you will glad

NEWS

‘God would visit Nigeria in anger’

OD will soon visit the nation and avenge the many injustices against the masses, the General Overseer of the Wind and Fire Christian Ministry Lagos, Prophet Azibuke Okoro, has declared. He warned leaders against acts of impunity, saying the grace of God has been overstretched over their lives. Okoro, who lamented the

epileptic power supply across the country, said God has run out of patience with leaders over the exploitation of the masses. According to him: “The wind has already blown and God said His grace is expired on Nigeria. “He said I should tell all Nigerians to engage in incessant prayers and forsake their evil

ways. “The recent stampede of the immigration applicants is part of the impunity we are talking about. If the nation had set its priority right, Nigeria would not have been in such a mess. “God said he will move in Nigeria with His strong hand. The wicked people have provoked me to anger with their sacrifices of innocent blood.”

IGHER ground is the theme of the young leaders congress organised by The Secondary School Outreach (SSO), an arm of Christ The Redeemer’s Ministries. It holds at the Youth Centre, The Redemption

Camp along Lagos to Ibadan Expressway, Mowe, Ogun State from April 9-12. The spokesman, Pastor Taiwo Olaayo Oluwa, said children, teenagers and students in junior and senior

secondary schools are expected at the congress. There will be talks, seminar and skills acquisition programmes during the congress, he added.

for a stable and united Nigeria. A statement said the star winner will go home with three internet ready desktop computers, a printer, a trophy, a laptop and N100, 000 cash, including a plaque. The first runner up school

gets two internet ready desktop computers, a printer and cash prize of N75, 000 with a plaque for the student. The second runner school gets an internet ready computer while the student gets N50, 000 cash prize and a plaque.

By Jeremiah Oke

2014 young leaders’ congress

Mike Okonkwo’s essay competition opens

NTRIES for the 11th Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition for secondary school students has opened. It runs from March 3 to May 2. This year’s theme is The power of your vote: a catalyst

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

WORSHIP NEWS

COLUMN

Living Faith By Dr. David Oyedepo

Engaging prayer and fasting for financial fortune!

•The MD of LASACO Assurance Plc, Venerable Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi and his wife Ayodele during his collation as Archdeacon in the Diocese of Yewa at Cathedral Church of Christ Ilaro, Ogun State by Rt. Rev (Dr) S.O.M Adebola( now retired Bishop of Yewa)… recently

Nobody can stop the gospel, says Foursquare scribe

O amount of oppositions, hostilities and conspiracies can stop the spread of the gospel within and outside Nigeria, the National Secretary of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Rev. Ikechukwu Ugbaja, has stated. He said the gospel is a living organism that is unstoppable by the “forces of arms and human hostilities.” Ugbaja spoke last week with newsmen at the Yaba National Headquarters of the church on the forthcoming International Conference for Ministers and Leaders (ICML) organised by the church. The conference with the theme making maximum impact holds from April 14-19 at Foursquare Camp Ajebo, Ogun State. Asked to comment on the ceaseless attacks against churches and Christian communities in the north, Ugbaja said those who imagine they can wipe out the

By Sunday Oguntola

gospel through the arms of flesh and ammunition are mistaken. He said persecutions strengthen and fortify the church as against the extinction agenda of the attackers. The cleric assured: “The gospel is here to stay. Nobody can exterminate Christianity out of this land. The gospel is a living organism that cannot be stopped by the forces of arms and human hostilities.” On the ongoing national conference, Ugbaja stated that Nigeria would emerge from the exercise stronger and better. He said the confab is necessary after 100 years of experiment, stating that Nigerians need to come together to discuss whether the project is working or not. “Nigeria is evolving and will work because it is still under construction. We’d get there by the grace of God and Nigeria will work,” he said in

response to whether or not the nation is working. He blamed the woes of the country on leadership, arguing that “when God intends to transform a leader, he focuses on leadership. When you get the right leaders, everything else falls into place.” Ugbaja stated that the conference, which over 10,000 workers, leaders and pastors of the church have already registered for, would have 23 plenary sessions focusing on leadership skill development for family, generational thinking and stamina for ministry. There would also be 19 learning tracks, 26 units/ groups and 13 regional Discipling A Whole Nation (DAWN) presentations. 56 speakers are expected at the conference including the General Overseer of the church, Rev Felix Meduoye, Prof. Yemi Osibajo, Rev Nahor, Prof. Vuyani Ntintili from South Africa and Rev. Mike Adegbile.

SU seeks prosecution of sexual abusers

HE Scripture Union of Nigeria has called for concerted efforts to combat the rising wave of sexual abuse of young people. It urged churches and parents to collaborate to prevent further sexual abuses and bring offenders to book. The National Coordinator of the group, Michael Ayodele, stated this during a media parley in Lagos. Ayodele said: ‘‘We call on all churches and religious bodies in the country to rise up and join this fight against evil

By Emmanuel Udodinma

and injustice against our children who it is our mandate by God to bring up in the fear and nurture of God. “That such evil is occurring in the church is a slap on our face and showing its occurrence among pastors and church leaders is a worse pain inflicted on our Holy God. “The church should be in the fore front of this fight to save our children and uphold our testimony. “While the occurrence of sexual abuse by pastors and

church leaders, the silence or inaction to respond to such pastors to bring then to book is unacceptable and seems to confirm our connivance with evil.” He added: “We are saying that the voice of the church should be louder and discipline of culprits should be stronger to deter others from it. “Parents must therefore adopt positive parenting and properly educate their children adequately on social evils of our time and the way to prevent the children from them.’’

‘Why many are spiritually blind’

HE Presiding Pastor of Christ Chosen Church of God, Pastor Isaac Balogun, has declared Nigerians must overcome spiritual blindness to achieve destiny. He blamed blindness on spiritual apathy, saying Christians must be alert to get the best of God. Balogun spoke last weekend in Port Harcourt when he was consecrated as the Senior Apostle of Christ Chosen Church of God, Nkpolu, Rivers State. In a chat with The Nation after the ceremony, the cleric said only living in the counsel of God will help man

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

overcome all his numerous challenges. He attributed his elevation to God and commitment to kingdom affairs. Balogun said: “I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve Him. To be frank, He has been a good God for me and my family. “My elevation today has been dedicated to God, but one thing I will not forget to say before Him is that He made the journey so easy for me. “The authority of the church finds me worthy of the crown but who am I to wear this

•Balogun and wife after consecration

crown?” He called on other ministers to remain faithful, assuring that they would be elevated in no time.

ECOGNIZE that prayer and fasting on their own, do not guarantee financial fortune. But they provide a platform for accessing supernatural wealth. How do prayer and fasting empower believers for financial fortune? This is a good question, particularly if you have heard me say that God’s prosperity plan has no respect for prayer and fasting, because it is a covenant. •Every provision of the Kingdom is only accessible by revelation: Understand that revelation is the key to every provision in the Kingdom and financial fortune is one of the provisions of redemption (2 Corinthians 8:9). Every of our inheritance is only accessible by revelation and prayer and fasting are boosters of revelation. Until we can see it, we cannot access it. Until we can see it, it cannot be given to us (Genesis 13:1415). So, God’s Word is the highway to our inheritance, because every of our inheritance is only deliverable through revelation (2 Peter 1:3). Prayer and fasting are the spiritual platforms for outbreak of revelation. There are certain things we may not get, except

E who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs 13:20) If you’re going to get the most out of your life, you’ve got to learn to recognise dangerous relationships, then know how to walk away from them. Be more discerning about the company you keep! Sever any tie that strangles or limits you! Why? Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1Corinthians 15:33) A dangerous relationship is like a leg with gangrene; if you don’t amputate it, the infection can cost you your life. Unless you have the Wisdom and the Courage to cut off what won’t heal – you would eventually end up losing a lot more, because whoever cannot increase you, will eventually Decrease you. Have you heard the story about the scorpion who asked the frog to carry him across the river because he couldn’t swim? The frog said, “If I carry you on my back you’ll sting me”. “The scorpion replied, “If I did that, we’d both drown. “The frog thought about it, found it convincing and told him to hop on. But when they were halfway across the river the scorpion stung him anyway. As they were both drowning the frog said in disbelief, “You promised you wouldn’t; why did you sting me? “The scorpion replied, “I can’t help it; it’s my nature to

we are in a fast. Why? There is a blindfolding force from hell that is against our breaking forth in revelation (2 Corinthians 4:4). There are certain things we will never believe, until revelation dawns. The devil does not want that to happen, so he blocks our access. Some of these hindrances will never go, except by prayer and fasting. So, prayer and fasting enhance our access to the needed revelation to access our provisions in redemption, which includes financial fortune. •Every story of financial breakthrough is traceable to divine guidance: Divine guidance is a vital gateway to realms of financial fortune. We become spiritually sensitive to divine leadings in prayer and fasting. Every supernatural breakthrough is traceable to divine guidance, because when God leads the way, all the gates will lift up their heads. •Abraham was guided into realms of financial fortune. When the Lord is leading, He guides us into realms of irresistible breakthroughs. When the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want. Goodness and mercy shall follow us (Psalm 23:1-2). •We engage prayer and

fasting to cast out opposing forces standing on our path to financial fortune: There are forces that are sitting on people’s destiny that won’t let them lift up their heads. In the course of our prayer and fasting, we are to cast out the forces of wickedness sitting on our destiny of prosperity. (Zechariah 1:21). •So, we dislodge the horns of the gentiles in prayer and fasting. We destroy oppositions to any aspect of our destiny, including our financial lives, in prayer and fasting. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21). •We engage prayer and fasting to access higher dimensions of grace: We access grace in prayer, but we access great grace in prayer and fasting. It takes grace to align with the covenant demands of financial fortune. You need grace to be a giver, particularly when you are in need. That kind of grace was upon the Macedonian church (2 Corinthians 8:1-3). The altar of prayer is the throne of grace; we obtain grace to help in the time of need (Hebrews 4:16). So, it takes grace to be a tireless giver. Prayer and fasting, on their own, do not entitle us to financial fortune; they entitle our access to the provision by revelation, so that God can be committed to confirming it in our lives, particularly as we engage in the demands. In other words, we access the grace to align tirelessly with the demands of the Covenant from the altar of prayer and fasting. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

Wise associations By Pastor (Mrs) Ann Salu

sting!” Today ask God to help you discern the dangerous relationships’ in your life and to give you the strength to disconnect from them. Your future depends on it! Re-evaluate your life and friendships Isaiah the great prophet could not commence the task that God called him to do until King Uzziah died: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple (Isaiah 6:1) Abraham has to separate from Lot before God reveals Abraham’s inheritance to him. The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. (Genesis 13: 14-15) Unwise relationships and associations have destroyed the potential and the abilities of multiplied thousands of could-be winners. Below are few criteria on how to distinguish an enemy from a friend: Four characteristics of an enemy •Those who are more critical than they are complimentary and encouraging •Those who belittle and laugh

at your God given dreams and goals •Those who embarrass and humiliate you •Those who drain your energy and waste your time through useless conversation: Four Qualities of wise associations •Those who speak words that builds your faith and confidence. •Those who see the worthiness of your God given dreams and goals •Those who become enthusiastic when you enter their presence •Those who remind you of your special gifts and abilities Become more selective, connect with anyone who celebrates you and disconnect from anyone who tolerates you. Pray this with me Dearest Father, Please give me the wisdom to choose friends who are godly. I pray that you would take anyone who is not a godly influence out of my life or else transform that person into your likeness. Take away any loneliness or low self-esteem that would cause me to seek out less than God-glorifying relationships. In Jesus’ name I pray that you would teach me the meaning of true friendship, teach me how to be a good friend and make strong, close lasting relationships. May each of my friendships always glorify Y o u . annetheevangelist@yahoo.com

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

Still no evidence of Flight 370

Ghana's president takes over as ECOWAS head

HANAIAN President John Dramani Mahama has been elected the new head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a summit of the 15-nation regional bloc, his Ivorian predecessor announced yesterday. "I am very happy to tell you that yesterday (Friday) my peers... decided to name as head of ECOWAS, my brother and friend John Dramani Mahama, the president of the Republic of Ghana," said Ivory Coast's leader Alassane Ouattara in a speech at the closing of the ECOWAS summit. Ouattara has wrapped up two one-year terms as head of the West African group during which he dealt with the democratic transition in Guinea-Bissau and the war in Mali. Ousattara touted his achievements in Mali, which has faced a coup and Islamist insurgency during his tenure. "The election of President Ibrahim Boubacar KeĂŻta on August 11, 2012, was the result of a successful transition in Mali," he said. The bloc's new leader, 55year-old Mahama, was vice president in Ghana when president John Atta Mills died in July 2012. He was elected the leader of a country seen as beacon of democracy in West Africa in December that year.

Assad to run for president despite war

YRIAN President Bashar Assad is quietly preparing the ground to hold elections by early this summer to win another 7-year term, even as the Syrian conflict rampages into its fourth year with large parts of the country either in ruins or under opposition control and nearly a third of the population scattered by civil war. Amid the destruction, which has left more than 140,000 dead, presidential elections may seem impossible. But Syrian officials insist they will be held on time. The election is central to the Syrian government's depiction of the conflict on the international stage. At failed peace negotiations earlier this year in Geneva, Syrian officials categorically ruled out that Assad would step down in the face of the rebel uprising aimed at ousting him. Instead, they present the elections due at the end of Assad's term as the solution to the crisis: If the people choose Assad in the election, the fight should end; if Assad loses, then he will leave. Observers say it would be preposterous to think a vote could reflect a real choice, and that Assad is certain to win. It would be impossible to hold polls in areas controlled by rebels. In areas under government control, many would not dare vote for anyone but Assad for fear of secret police who have kept a close eye on past elections.

â&#x20AC;˘ Peter McGraith and David Cabreza seen inside the town hall during the historic day for gay couples in London as the law that allowed same-sex marriage in England and Wales was put in effect at the stroke of midnight on 29, March 2014. The couple, partners who have been together for 17 years, were first in line at the Islington Town Hall, with human rights advocate Peter Tatchell acting as their chief witness and a crowd of well-wishers cheering them on. PHOTO: AFP

First couples wed as same-sex marriage becomes legal in UK T

HE first same-sex weddings have taken place after gay marriage became legal in England and Wales at midnight. Politicians from the main parties have hailed the change in the law. David Cameron said the move sent a message that people were now equal "whether gay or straight", but some religious groups remain opposed. Scotland passed a similar law in February; the first same-sex marriages are expected there in October. Northern Ireland has no plans to follow suit. In an article for the Pink News website, the prime minister wrote: "This weekend is an important moment for our country. "It says we are a country that will continue to honour its proud traditions of respect, tolerance and equal worth." The law change would encourage young people unsure

of their sexuality, he added. Teresa Millward and Helen Brearley Teresa Millward and Helen Brearley married in Halifax Sean Adl-Tabatabai, left, and Sinclair Treadway Sean Adl-Tabatabai and Sinclair Treadway married in the council chamber at Camden Town Hall in London Sandi Toksvig and partner Debbie Sandi Toksvig and her partner Debbie renewed their civil partnership vows at an event in London celebrating the law change Later yesterday morning, Mr Cameron tweeted: "Congratulations to the gay couples who have already been married - and my best wishes to those about to be on this historic day." Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said "Britain will be a different place" as a result. Every wedding has a photographer but this one had hundreds.

Outside Islington Town Hall, well-wishers stopped in the street to point their smartphones while TV crews fought for the best views. As the loving couple appeared on the steps, crowds cheered and even sang the tune to Here Comes The Bride - ironic perhaps, since this was a gay wedding with two grooms. Peter McGraith and David Cabreza are one of the first same-sex couples to marry in England and Wales. The law, passed in Parliament last year, came into effect today. And for some who have campaigned for years, the waiting was over. As the clock ticked past midnight, registrars started speaking, rings were exchanged and the confetti flew. Not everyone is taken by the idea though. Some politicians and religious leaders still oppose the change. And in Islington, as the two grooms beamed giant smiles, they reminded their guests that the

battle for equality is still ongoing. He congratulated his party for being part of the reform, saying: "If our change to the law means a single young man or young woman who wants to come out, but who is scared of what the world will say, now feels safer, stronger, taller - well, for me, getting into coalition government will have been worth it just for that." Labour leader Ed Miliband congratulated those planning to tie the knot. "This is an incredibly happy time for so many gay couples and lesbian couples who will be getting married, but it's an incredibly proud time for our country as well, recognising equal marriage in law," he said. However, he warned that the "battle for true equality" was not yet won. Several couples were ready to tie the knot the moment the law changed.

Russia vows no Ukraine invasion as leaders seek solution acknowledged the divisions

USSIA yesterday pledged it would not invade mainland Ukraine following its seizure of Crimea and said it favoured the ex-Soviet state becoming a federation as a way of defusing the crisis. Tensions have run high after Russian President Vladimir Putin ripped up the post-Soviet order with Moscow's lightning takeover of Crimea from Ukraine, with the United States

accusing Russia of massing tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine's eastern border. But telephone talks between Putin and US counterpart Barack Obama late on Friday were the latest sign of a slight lessening in tensions between Moscow and the West and a search for a mutual solution in what remains the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hinted at what were

Moscow's main demands in the negotiations -- that Ukraine should be made into a federation and commit to not joining NATO, while order should be restored to the Ukrainian capital Kiev where protesters have thronged the city centre for half a year. Lavrov said in a major Russian television interview broadcast Saturday that Moscow has absolutely no intention of ordering its armed forces to cross over the Ukrainian border and

between Moscow and the West on the crisis are narrowing. "We have absolutely no intention and no interests in crossing the Ukrainian border," he said. "We (Russia and the West) are getting closer in our positions," he added, saying recent contacts had shown the outlines of a "possible joint initiative which could be presented to our Ukrainian colleagues," he added.

Chinese military plane scanning part of a search zone the size of Poland for signs of debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 spotted several objects floating in the sea yesterday, including two bearing colors of the missing jet. But it was not immediately clear whether the objects were related to the 3week-old investigation, and the second day of searching in the area ended with no evidence found of the jet, officials said. The Chinese Ilyushin IL76 spotted three floating objects, China's official Xinhua News Agency said, a day after several planes and ships combing the newly targeted area closer to Australia saw several other objects. Ships from China and Australia scooped up items described only as "objects from the ocean," but none were "confirmed to be related" to Flight 370, said a statement from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is overseeing the search. Relatives and friends of the passengers said they were tortured by the uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones, as they wait for hard evidence that the plane crashed.

Afghan election commission HQ under attack by Taliban

ALIBAN insurgents have attacked the headquarters of the Afghan election commission in Kabul, a week before the presidential election. Gunmen broke into a nearby building, disguised as women, and fired at the election commission with automatic weapons. Afghan special forces have killed all four attackers, according to police. The attack comes a week before presidential elections which the Taliban have vowed to disrupt. Insurgents in the Afghan capital targeted a building housing foreign aid workers on Friday. Police chief of Kabul General Zahir told the BBC "We are now clearing rooms. Afghan special forces are firing room to room," adding that "I think all of the attackers are killed." That claim could not be independently verified. The Taliban threatened to disrupt the Afghan election process and are carrying out what looks like a planned campaign, increasing in intensity as election day approaches. The attack on the election commission is the fourth significant Taliban attack in Afghanistan in the past eight days, beginning with an assault on Kabul's Serena hotel, where they were targeting international election observers. There has also been an attack on a bank in Kunar where police were lining up to cash pay cheques, and an assault on a guest house in Kabul used by foreign aid workers.

THE NATION ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

WORLD/COMMENTARY

HE Crimean plebiscite ended as expected. The Crimean electorate voted and the vast majority voted to become Russians. Russia quickly annexed the Ukrainian province and that was that. Western nations called foul, stating they would not abide a vote cast under the shadow of coercion. They derided the exercise as a mockery of the democratic ideal. The people's will should not be influenced at the point of a bayonet or the sinister turret of an armored vehicle. Visible Russian steel and mace flawed the election by guiding it to an affirmative result more skewed than necessary. Given the historic links between Russian and Crimea and given the uncertain future of Ukraine under the new hybrid government in Kiev, most of the electorate probably voted as they saw fit to do. That the Russians manipulated the exercise and told the people to vote in this manner does not mean they would have voted otherwise in a freer atmosphere. Once Russia opened the door and showed the way, the majority of Crimea seemed destined to enter. But Russia wanted the secession vote by more than a simple majority. Moscow wanted an outcome evincing a virtual unanimity to quit Ukraine. Their engineering achieved the desired outcome. However, the very engineering Moscow used to produce this near consensus, permanently taints the legacy of the vote in a way a more modest but more honest margin of victory would have avoided. In short, the final outcome appears accurate but the score and margin of victory were inflated. Because of this Russian overreach, it was an imperfect but not a bogus referendum. With more than a hint of unalloyed effrontery, Western nations huffed against the Crimean plebiscite. Over the years, they have sprinkled the fulsome perfume of their approval on elections viler than what occurred last week on that strategic finger jutting into the northern eye of the Black Sea. Despite Western consternation, Russia absorbed Crimea without a shot fired or massive veins of bloodshed. This is one of history's most surgically swift and least violent annexations of vital real estate of one nation by another. In one sense, this is a stinging rebuke of American and Western diplomacy. Washington and other Western capitals lectured Moscow from their manual of international commandments: "Thou shall bow as directed." When this ersatz moral appeal fell, the West threatened crippling sanctions. Moscow was undeterred because its vital strategic interests were at stake. Moscow decided that losing the strategic naval base in Crimea was an intolerable reduction. Russia could stomach whatever economic poison the West would risk but it could not stomach the loss of its base. Russia also knew economic sanctions were dual-bladed. Any sanctions America and Europe imposed might hurt Russia but the measures would also injure the West. In the end, Russia called the West's bluff. It annexed the Crimea and dared the West to cast sanctions its way. The West had no stomach for harsh measures that could also pummel key sectors of the flagging European Union economy. Thus, they imposed symbolic assets freezes and visa bans on a handful of Russian officials. The sanctions were underwhelming at best and worthless in the main. There is no reasonable expectation of them crippling the Russian economy or any material part of it any more than one anticipates a single sheet of paper on the ground to trip an elephant. At this moment, Russia flashes the winning hand but the situation is not static. We are witnessing the piecemeal reestablishment of a balance of power between the Western Powers and the strongest nation of Eastern Europe. The precise boundaries were erased when the Soviet Union cascaded into history's recesses. The emergence of Russia now requires the drawing of new boundaries to represent the power balance. The undertaking must be done with care and astute calculation. Risks are high. Had both sides rushed like bulls into the Ukrainian fracas, an updated, inverted echo of the Cuban Missile Crisis, in the fashion of a potential nuclear standoff, would have neared the table. Restraint and care are lessons diplomats on both sides must learn from this near miss. Potential disaster lurks in every miscalculation and overreach. Putin is more adept at geopolitics than his Western counterparts. That he plays the weaker hand also adds sobriety to his deliberations and actions. Western leaders have been slapped by the reality that they cannot waltz their EUNATO political-military condominium right up to Moscow's doorstep without the Russian bear standing on its haunches to deter the

The consequences of Crimea In a strange land, a man is vulnerable; at his own doorstep, that same man stands insuperable.

â&#x20AC;˘ Russian army MI-35 military helicopter patrols the area as Ukrainian servicemen guard a checkpoint near the village of Strelkovo

advance by extracting more than a pound of flesh in the process. Putin has amassed a significant troop presence on Ukraine's eastern border. The West screams this preludes an invasion. They misread the situation or they are attempting to cajole Putin into forfeiting the advantage proximity has afforded. The Russian has the stomach to devour more of Ukraine but realises the meal will cause more long-term indigestion than its worth. Invasion is unlikely. Instead, he positions troops at the Ukrainian eastern door to remind Kiev not to dance to closely to the West and to deter Western military aid to Ukraine. If the West does try to materially assist the Ukrainian military, Putin may seize part of the east to provide himself as large a buffer as possible from the West's encroachment into Russia's traditional sphere of influence. At the moment, Putin is not seeking land but he wants sufficient breathing space as he believes the West is trying to bridle his nation. In very many ways, this crisis should not have occurred if Western leaders were adept practitioners of realpolitik. By enticing Ukraine and other nations under Russia's shadow with NATO membership was fool's gold both for the haughty giver and hapless recipient. As can be seen, the West has no will to fight Russia over real estate in that eastern European neighborhood. Yet, if a great power is unwilling to fight for a nation because that nation is peripheral to its interests, it is illogical and dangerous for that power to forge a military alliance with the lesser nation. Yet, this unwise condition is what the West seemed intent to establish with Ukraine and others. Another troubling aspect of the Western mentality is a fundamental misreading of the fall of the Soviet Union. America believes it won the Cold War because its policies contained communist expansion until the Soviet Union extinguished itself like a penned wildfire with no place to go. This myth afflicts both Republican and Democrat alike. It is a totem of American foreign policy. When faced with a serious threat, American leaders quickly grab at the old elixir. They want to contain every perceived foe. In Europe, Russia is the target. China is the Asian

equivalent. In the Middle East, the cage bears Iran's name. The only problem is that the vaunted policy of containment did not work. Or we can say it worked so brilliantly only because it failed so miserably. Knowing America wanted to contain their empire, Soviet leaders rushed headlong to establish a presence in every place imaginable, including places where they had no reason to be. The Soviet Union did not fall because it was contained. It fell because it held too much alien, distant and unproductive territory. As a consequence of World War II, the Soviets ingested much of war-torn Eastern Europe. Disheveled by that war, the Soviet Union needed development help. Instead, it sought global empire. The demise of the Soviet Union became a matter of fate upon deciding to contest America for global empire. Not satisfied with Eastern Europe, the Soviets interposed themselves in Africa where they had no historic ties or interests. Within thirty years, more than a third of the continent leaned Moscow's way. If this is containment it is containment in the breach of itself. At times in wary league with China, the Soviets pushed communism through Southeast Asia. In the Americas, it brought communism to Cuba, miles from the United States' southern extremity. Other nations such as Nicaragua experienced socialist, Soviet-funded revolutions and governments. Again, the Soviets had no historic ties and real interests in this region. The Soviets where there out of a bloated sense of empire. They paid a high cost of their miscalculation. They destroyed their empire in the very building of it. Imperial overreach is an expensive undertaking with massive overhead costs. Unless the empire rakes in as much as it spends, its days are numbered. It becomes bankrupt and collapses due to the growing costs of just its minimal upkeep. The political economy becomes debased and less productive. The fiction is maintained that all is well, efficient and growing when the reality is that much is corrupt, stagnant and unproductive. This is the history of the Soviet Union. America did not win the Cold War as much as the Soviet Union lost it by overreaching because it wanted to reach parity with America.

America's containment policy worked in a way much like curing a drunkard by threatening to remove the alcoholic beverages from his house. Believing the threat, the man imbibes the entire inventory only to pass away from toxic intake. The remedy's failure proved more effective than had it succeeded. We are certain the man will never take another hard drink. He is dead. Whatever he now imbibes is not of this world. Ironically, the nation now seeking to contain others should be working to better constrain itself. The American notion of the reach of its power far extends the scope of its true interests. Since the Clinton Administration, America's foreign policy establishment has been guilty of overreach, most egregiously in the theater of war. Its track record in this aspect of its foreign escapades has been abysmal. The second Iraqi war was launched on a fraudulent pretext but the damage done thereby to American interests and to the Middle East has been indeed real. As a result, Al Qaeda gained a foothold where before it had none. It would use this platform to sally into the Syrian civil war. Iranian influence in Iraq has grown. America is seen as a villain. This week is the third anniversary of the Libyan war. If that nation sustains its current mad dash toward the gates of anomie, Gaddafi will be elevated to the status of a martyr. Afghanistan is no better than it was ten years ago. The lesson should be obvious but America's leaders can't see it for they wear blinders woven of the dense fabric of arrogant power. To the extent possible, even great empires should limit warfare to areas close to home and only for reasons of obvious vital importance. The more distant the field of battle, the more uncertain the outcome. He who frequently fights in other's backyards drains his energy and his treasury. Such engagements fuel the military machine but sap the nation. Such an imbalance is unsustainable. Currently, American foreign policy lumbers toward three containment exercises. America simultaneously seeks to contain Russia, China and Iran. These parallel tracks will prove costly. Most likely, there will be serious miscalculations because American leaders so believe the world should understand them that they seek not to understand the world. Such mistakes will lead other weaker nations to rely on flippant American braggadocio as ironclad assurances. A smaller nation will wrestle one of the three containment targets, believing America will anneal their weak position. In its right mind, America will balk for it never should war against a great power for a small reason. However, at some point, America might miscalculate and be goaded into confrontation with one of the three. The prospect of world war looms in such a mistake. America and its Western friends must huddle to rethink their policy. This is not about establishing moral dominance over all others because their group is strong. The American coalition may be the strongest but it is not omnipotent. It is vulnerable. The farther away from its area of strategic interests and the more confrontations it seeks, the more vulnerable it gets. Also, the chance of major warfare escalates. Moreover, America's internal democracy suffers the militaristic the nation becomes. The reason and logic required for democracy to flourish are drowned by the sound of the drums of war. America also risks losing its role as the universal currency the more it seeks to impose sanctions against other powerful nations just because those states might decide to follow the dictates of their national interests as they interpret them. In the end, America and its allies as well as Russia need to draw sobering lessons from this crisis. For the sake of regional peace, the West must respect the reality of Russian power and its resultant sphere of influence. Russia must realize it has won a battle but it should go no further in a war where no side wins if war is fully engaged. It need not press further in Ukraine. It should negotiate with America to turn the rest of Ukraine and other geographically sensitive states into "demilitarized zones," thus forging neutral states between contesting spheres of influences. The same should be repeated with China and Iran. Conversely, America will overextend itself if it tries to contain three major nations simultaneously. America places itself in danger of having survived the Cold War only to slowly drain itself by engaging in a trio of unnecessary mini-cold wars. Yet, such is the way of empires. They tend to be more powerful than prudent. That is why none has lasted. History watches and the clock ticks on the American imperial endeavor. 08060340825 (sms only )

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

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AKINBAMI

I formerly known and addressed as MISS AKINBAMI OLUFUNKE OLUWASEUN, now wish to be known address as MRS ADEFISOYE ONIFADE OLUFUNKE all former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

KOLEADE

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Koleade Adetobi Adejumoke now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. lgbalajobi Adetobi Adejumoke. All former documents remain valid. Olabisi Onabanjo University, NYSC and general public should please take note.

OGUNSOLA

I formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogunsola Oluwatoyin Yetunde, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Okunoye Victoria Oluwatoyin. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OLOYADE

OBIANO

I,formerly known and addressed as MR OBIANO CHRISTOPHER OKWUCHUKWU wish to be known and addressed as MR. SOLOMON CHRISTOPHER OKWUCHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Embassy and general public please take note.

MUSTAPHA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS MUSTAPHA RASHIDAT OMOTAYO , now wish to be known and addressed as MRS HASSAN RASHIDAT OMOTAYO. All former documents remain valid. General Public should please take note.

EKEANYANWU

I, formerly known as Miss Onyinyechi Eucharist Ekeanyanwu, now wish to known and addressed as Mrs. Onyinyechi Edewor Oputa JP. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

AMECHI

I, formerly known as Miss Francisca Nwanade Amechi, now wish to known and addressed as Mrs Francisca Amechi Emordi. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

NKUTT

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Imaobong Michael Nkutt, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Imaobong Kubiat Bassey Etang. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OROK

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS INYANG, IGEMI OROK, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS IGEMI UBONG E. AARON. Federal Government Girls College, Calabar, University of Calabar and general public please take note.

AKINSOWON

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Akinsowon, Titilayo Oluwatoyin, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Tijani, Titilayo Oluwatoyin. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

OYESANMI

Formerly known and addressed as Oyesanmi Sulaiman Kayode, Oyesanmi Sulayman Kayode, Oyesanmi Sule Kayode, Oyesanmi Kayode, now wish to be known and addressed as Oyesanmi Sulayman Olukayode. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

FASASI

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Fasasi, Kafilat Abiodun, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Gbadegesin, Kafilah Abiodun. All former documents remain valid. Crescent University, U.I., OOU and general public take note.

OTEMUYI

MOHAMMED

I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Otemuyi, Rhoda Damilola, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Akinlabi, Rhoda Damilola. All former documents remain valid. FGGC Gboko, OOU, NYSC and general public take note.

NWOKO

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NWIZU IJEOMA COMFORT, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ACHUKA IJEOMA COMFORT. All former documents remain valid. University of Jos and the general should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Mohammed Soliat Adeleye now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ayodele Soliat Adeleye. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluchi Betty Nwoko, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluchi Betty Ukpo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

NWIZU

Nigeria needs $2.5b to meet MDGs target on sanitation’

IGERIA needs about $2.5 billion to meet the Millennium Development Goals target on water, sanitation and hygiene, the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, has said. The minister said funding was a major challenge despite government providing $750 million dollars with additional $100 million dollars from development partners to improve sanitation and hygiene. She explained that government was finding it difficult to provide sanitation facilities due to the growing population of the country. Ochekpe who spoke in Abuja at the weekend when she received a delegation from the United Nations led by its Deputy Secretary - General, Jan Eliasson in her office. She called on states and local government to compliment efforts of the federal government to improve access to sanitation and hygiene in rural areas. Eliasson said the UN was committed in assisting Nigeria in meeting its MDGs target on water, sanitation and hygiene.

Obasanjo, UNODC, NDLEA demand attention on effects of narcotics By Kelvin Osa Okunbor XECUTIVE Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov; former President of Nigeria and current Chair of West African Commission on Drugs (WACD), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Chairman/ Chief Executive, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, have called for increased attention to health, drug abuse prevention and treatment in West Africa. They made the call at the just concluded 57th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) held in Vienna with highlight on impact of drug consumption on governance, security and development. Fedotov said: “There is urgent need to address demand and facilitate quality treatment and rehabilitation services.” Obasanjo highlighted the importance of stepping up actions to end drug-related user problems in the region. He said: “Drugs pose a serious threat to peace and security in West Africa. Organised crime syndicates use the region as a hub to transit drugs to other parts of the world. “This development calls for funding to be more proportionately directed towards health, treatment and rehabilitation services, which are lacking.” Giade also canvassed increased attention on health challenges of drug use. According to him: “It is imperative for stakeholders to devote quality attention to the attendant health problems of illicit drug use. “This can be addressed through improved funding, training of health care personnel and establishment of Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres.”

THE NATION ON SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2014

NHIS kicks off enrollment of pupils T

HE National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will soon commence enrollment of pupils in public primary schools across the country, its Executive Secretary, Dr Femi Thomas, has stated. He said the enrolment of public primary school pupils in 2014 as well as pregnant women and children under the age of five in 2015 will not only make the scheme attain the presidential mandate of 30per

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

cent coverage but also surpass it. Thomas, who said the agency is currently undergoing restructuring, informed that new departments have also been created to boost its efficiency. A statement by the NHIS head, Media and Public Relations Division, Ayo Osinlu, stated that Thomas made these known during a recent advocacy visit to the Ondo State

governor, Olusegun Mimiko, at the Government House, Akure. Thomas said that the recent passage of the National Health Bill by the Senate and the processes of amending the act establishing the NHIS currently going on in the House of Representatives, will increase the capacity of the organisation to be more effective and responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians.

Why fuel scarcity may linger, by marketers

HE current scarcity of fuel across the country may continue for a while longer except the leadership crisis rocking the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is immediately resolved, marketers in the Eastern zone warned yesterday. Arising from an emergency meeting yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital yesterday, the leadership and members of IPMAN Eastern zone, said allowing the National Executive Council led by Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir to give the association the much needed direction is the first step in resolving the fuel scarcity. Briefing The Nation on the

By Dare Odufowokan

outcome of the meeting called to discuss the lingering fuel crisis and the crisis within IPMAN, Chief Ezekwesili Maduagwuna, said the Eastern zone has passed a vote of confidence on the Abdulkadir- led executive. He warned that the crisis fuelled by some disgruntled elements may trigger fresh fuel scarcity if the association, especially the other zones failed to play their role. He added that the Eastern Zone of IPMAN is putting everything in place to maintain the cordial relationship between the marketers and the National Executive Council to ensure quick resolution of all factors respon-

sible for the scarcity of fuel across the country. Maduagwuna said: “The members of the Independence Marketers Association of Nigeria, Eastern Zone has passed a vote of confidence on the National Executive Council of IPMAN led by Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir. “We did this because we cannot continue to allow some individuals to give IPMAN bad names. I think other zones should emulate us and support the present leadership to avoid fresh fuel scarcity in the country”. He called on the marketers to make product available at all cost while waiting for the resolution of all issues.

Herdsmen or killer squads? •Continued from page 39

"If the Fulani herdsmen's activities are not quickly curtailed, we are inclined to be apprehensive of reprisal actions by the persistent victims. This may lead to an open armed conflict in the regions which may further aggravate the security challenges in the country. The government need to take more drastic action against the herdsmen killers in Plateau State. We are of the opinion that the activities of the Fulani herdsmen deserve no less attention from the federal government than it has given Boko Haram, as both represent unabashed terrorism and unrepentant murder," Aminu Wase, a former police commissioner said. Similarly, in a bid to curb the excesses of Fulani herdsmen who have constituted nuisance to security of people of Oke Ogun area of Oyo State through cattle-rearing on their farmlands, the state government recently warned the Fulanis to resist the temptation of rearing their animals on farmlands. The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Peter Oluremi Odetomi, said the people of the state were not rejecting the Fulani but were opposed to the vandalisation of their crops. “We want to prevent the rancour between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers who complained of destruction of their crops,” he disclosed. Odetomi said that there must be perfect peace between the Fulani and Yoruba in the state, adding that anything that would threaten the existing peace must be avoided. He reminded the

Fulani of the need not to rear their cows on farmlands where the farmers' crops could be destroyed, stressing that doing that would cause rancour between them and the farmers. Also, the Ekiti Government recently set up a 50-man task force on the alleged destruction of farms across the state by persons suspected to be herdsmen. The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ganiyu Owolabi, made this known on Tuesday at a meeting with stakeholders and victims of the clashes. Owolabi said that the government evolved the measure in order to find a permanent solution to the occurrence of such attacks. According to him, the cattle reportedly destroyed between six and seven hectares of farm crops on a daily basis across the state. He said the matter was of serious concern as it threatened government's huge investment in agriculture. He expressed sympathy with the victims whose crops were destroyed, especially Alhaji Giringi Sulaiman. Owolabi noted that about 100,000 hectares of maize and yams farms, valued at about N80 million belonging to Sulaiman along Ijan-Ekiti Road, were attacked and destroyed by suspected herdsmen. The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Jide Arowosafe, noted that many farms, including those of the 'Youth in Agriculture Programme' were reportedly destroyed in recent times. He advised the herdsmen to take advantage of the grazing facility already created at Irele-Ekiti. Arowosafe said that the

government would replicate the facility in all local government areas as a way of curbing the herdsmen's excesses and the rampant destruction of farmlands. Meanwhile, it is not that the country outrightly lack grazing lands. At least, on paper, the federal government in the past got some places to be designated as grazing lands to help the pastoralist Fulanis take care of their herds. `The idea is that the Fulanis will gross the grass they need to feed their cattle and avoid unguarded grazing that has been the cause of so many crises across the country. "Across Nigeria, there are more than 400 grazing reserves covering about 4,200,000 hectares of land. But most of these are yet to be gazetted by the relevant authorities. The state governments will have to gazette them to prevent people from encroaching into them. These are yet to be done in most cases. It is this lack of gazetting that is killing the idea meant to reduce clashes between the herdsmen and farmers to the barest minimum," Sulaiman Faisal Aliyu, spokesperson of the Miyyeti Allah Cattle rearers Association in the southwestern region, said. Most of the grazing reserves are today farmlands being cultivated by some people even after government's order that they be reserved for grazing. Some claim they are yet to be compensated for their land since the idea for the grazing reserve was conceived in 1996. According to Aliyu, keeping the natives away from the grazing reserve has not been easy because they are yet to be settled by the federal government.

THE NATIO N ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

SPORTS THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Awoniyi gets visa for Kalmar switch

Warri Wolves go for broke in Tunisia

ARRI Wolves will attempt to turn around their fortune in Tunisia this evening as they file out against C.A Bizertin in a CAF Confederation Cup game. The return leg match to be played at the 16,000capacity Stade du 15 Octobre in Bizerte, Tunisia, with the overall winners qualifying for the competition playoffs into the group phase. Wolves, who were held to a goalless draw by Bizertin in Warri last weekend, have a tough task to overturn the apple cart in Tunisia. The team, which, travelled with only 16 players instead of 18 or even 20, were said to be struggling financially and couldn't afford to travel with a large number of players and officials.

Louis van Gaal set to take over Tottenham

OUIS van Gaal is set t o b e c o m e Tottenham's next manager with his move is a 'done deal' according to former Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit. Van Gaal, currently in charge of the Netherlands, apparently met with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to discuss terms and Gullit claims the deal is all but finished. Gullit told BBC Radio 5 live: “I know for sure the chairman of Tottenham was at Van Gaal's house.

MARCH 30, 2014

Lippi, others to comb Nigeria for football talents

* Own goal: Chelsea captain John Terry heads the ball over goalkeeper Petr Cech to put into his own net

OLDEN Eaglets striker Taiwo Awoniyi has secured an entry visa to fly to Sweden to sign a precontract with Kalmar. MTNFootball.com first broke the news that Awoniyi has agreed to join the Swedish top league side ahead of several top European clubs like Anderlecht, Benfica and Sampdoria. Awoniyi's visa was based on the invitation of Kalmar and he will now be set to depart to Sweden to sign his deal when he could excuse himself from the Flying Eagles training camp. A family member told MTNFootball.com they are excited for the highly promising striker to join Kalmar as his mother's wish has always being for her son to continue his education, which the Swedish club have now agreed to pay for. Awoniyi will sign a pro deal when he is 18 next year August. He was one of the standout stars as Nigeria won a record fourth FIFA U17 World Cup in Abu Dhabi in November as he scored four goals and made several assists.

EXTRA

Terry's own goal costs first-place Chelsea C

HELSEA'S title challenge has run aground south of the river. A game that was supposed to be awkward rather than terminal ended up exposing this side's inconsistencies, José Mourinho watching in disbelief as his charges' qualities were nullified and eclipsed by Crystal Palace's sheer refusal to wilt. The team involved in a relegation fight had managed a solitary point from 14 games against the elite's top nine prior to this derby. This victory left them just as astonished as it did the weekend's initial leaders. When Fernando Torres chipped over a gaping net right as stoppage time

Palace had actually stifled Chelsea aggressively for long periods, emulating their endeavours against the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in this arena, with Tony Pulis's players a blur of feverish energy and industry. Only once had the visitors prised them apart up to the interval, David Luiz and Fernando Torres taking touches before Eden Hazard slipped the overlapping César Azpilicueta to the by-line. The Spaniard pulled back across goal but Joel Ward, who has impressed wherever he has been employed this term, stretched to distract the onrushing André Schürrle at the far post. The German's attempt dribbled wide, Mourinho thumping the dugout in frustration with his celebration choked. Yet that chance had actually been gleaned on the counter from a Palace attack and, while the home side were Buhari. composed in possesIn a game they struggled rarely sion, they gained some to create many scoring encouragement when pouring chances, Bayelsa finally at the leaders. Yannick Bolasie doubled their lead two min- had already dragged one utes from time through attempt wide when he rather m i d f i e l d e r A z u b u i k e fluffed his lines from Jason Okechukwu. Puncheon's centre, the ball The restart of the second arriving at an awkward height half was delayed by about with his first attempt choked five minutes following an and his follow-up finding the approached after Stuart O'Keefe's error, Selhurst Park breathed again. Not since 1990 had Palace overcome these opponents in a league fixture, Ian Wright lobbing the winner that night; a goal from another era. Here the decisive scorer was actually one of Chelsea's own, John Terry's inadvertent flick early in the second half proving decisive with the nervous tension overcoming all before the end. Mourinho lectured a ball boy for time-wasting, visiting players increasingly flustered out on the turf. In truth, the deserved little from the contest, with their lead at the top of the table suddenly precarious.

Bayelsa qualify for Confed Cup playoffs

IGERIA'S Bayelsa United have qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup playoffs after they beat How Mine of Zimbabwe 2-0 to advance 3-2 on aggregate. Bayelsa, who reached the semi-finals of the same competition in 2009, will know their opponents from the CAF Champions League in the next round of the competition after Monday's draw by CAF. The overall winners of this round will qualify for the mini-league stage of Africa's second-tier club competition. The Nigerian club took the lead against a very defensive How Mine after 57 minutes through Jafar

incident where some fans challenged the visitors for coming down with Juju (fetish substance)which ensured they stopped the home team from breaking the deadlock in the first 45 minutes. Bayelsa were without star striker Peter Ebimobowei, who suffered a hamstring injury in training.

side-netting. There were appeals for penalties when Cameron Jerome tumbled under Gary Cahill's challenge, and Bolasie from that of the England centre-half. Both appeared optimistic. Yet there was rare vulnerability to the title contenders, whose display had been lethargic at best. David Luiz had limped from the contest at the break albeit with a smile as he high-fived home fans in the front row of the Main stand en route to the bench to be replaced by his compatriot, Oscar, though the visitors' mood was soon darkened by Terry's unfortunate error. Ward, fed by Bolasie, had summoned a fine cross towards Joe Ledley at the near post only for the Chelsea captain to leap in aerial challenge and succeed only in flicking it beyond Petr Cech. Palace had not managed a goal from open play since early February. Now Chelsea were scoring them for them. Puncheon, dragging just wide of the far post, might even have added a second even if the concession had sparked a response. Hazard curled goalwards through a clutter of bodies only for Julian Speroni to dive to his left and push the attempt wide.

Mikel weighs options for Chelsea exit

helsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is ready to leave Stamford Bridge. According to The Daily Mail; the Nigerian top player has made up his mind to leave the London club at the end of the season. Mikel, 26, has found firstteam opportunities restricted

since manager Jose Mourinho's return last summer. The January arrival of Nemanja Matic, an important addition in a holding role, has further limited Mikel's chances. But he still has three years on his contract and the Blues would demand a hefty fee.

AVID Lippi, an Italian FIFA licenced agent and son of legendary Marcello Lippi, with other scouts from Portugal and France is set to visit Nigeria in search of budding football talents for onward transfer to top European clubs. The move according to reliable sources may have been motivated by the top notch performances put up by the last set of the national U-17 team at the United Arab Emirate, hence his decision to scout for players in the Africa's most populous country. His arrival date is scheduled tentatively for the 12th of April, 2014 and is being powered by a Nigerian based business mogul Prince Samuel Egbukwu , who doubles as the President of SamVic Football Academy and SamVics Furniture situated on 19 Sanusi Fafunwa street on the Lagos Island. Their stay will last for five days, just as he will be expected to watch an organized football tournament which will involve players selected from various football academies after a screening exercise, and divided into six teams. The competition will be staged at the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos. In a chat with Egbukwu, the wastage of the abundant football talents in the country necessitated his decision to facilitate the coming of Lippi to Nigeria.

Benitez: Mourinho talks too much

HE Spaniard says he has little time for the Portuguese's opinions, explaining that he prefers to deal in facts rather than conjecture Napoli boss Rafael Benitez has fired a retaliatory shot in his ongoing war of words with Jose Mourinho, claiming the Chelsea boss "talks too much". The Portuguese coach claimed during the week that Juventus would not be entitled to view winning this season's Europa League as 'success', given the Serie A titleholders started the season in the Champions League.

RESULTS England Man Utd 4 - 1 Aston Villa C/Palace 1 - 0 Chelsea So'mpton 4 - 0 Newcastle Stoke 1 - 0 Hull City Swansea 3 - 0 Norwich WestBrom 3 - 3 Cardiff Arsenal 1-1 Man City Germany Leverkusen1 - 1 B’hweig Bayern 3 3 Hoffenheim Mainz 05 3 - 0 Augsburg Stuttgart 2 - 3 Dortmund Wolfsburg 2 - 1 Frankfurt

THE NATIO N ON SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

QUOTABLE “This government does not probe anyone in the first place. Anything goes under this government. Nigerians would have been surprised if the Presidency was willing to take the Allison-Madueke matter any further.

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 8, NO. 2803

—Lagos lawyer and activist, Bamidele Aturu, making a comment on the reported decision of the Federal Government not to set up a probe panel to investigate the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

AST Wednesday, the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, in company with Muslim leaders visited President Goodluck Jonathan to complain of underrepresentation of Muslims in the composition of the national conference. This omission, they argued could jeopardise the interests of Muslims in both the deliberations of the conference and its outcome. One of those who accompanied the Sultan, Ishaq Oloyede, a professor of Islamic Studies and Secretary General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, told the media that the president assured them no malice was intended by the apparently skewed composition of the conference. Said he: “We are happy we consulted with him, and he has given us reasons to re-assure the Muslims that Muslims in Nigeria are not deliberately marginalised and he has asked us to convey the feelings of the government, the genuineness of the government, the fairness of the government to the entire populace...” It is unlikely Dr Jonathan deliberately meant to discomfit Muslims, for though the integrity of his Christianity can be questioned, it is precisely these doubts about his Christianity that make him less vulnerable to accusation of unfairness. He may curry Christian votes unreasonably and even recklessly, but he often behaves so irreligiously that he does not appear capable of being a fanatic of anything. Whether the Sultan and Professor Oloyede understood this Jonathan persona or not is hard to say. But at least they feigned some understanding. On the other hand, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has been less timid in its opposition to the composition of the National Conference and its understanding of Jonathan’s motives. The Secretary General of the JNI, Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, argued at a news conference in Kaduna that not only were Muslims being marginalised, the selection of delegates to the conference was also not free and

Danger signals in Jonathan’s conference fair. Citing statistics, the JNI revealed the following: “We find it as disrespectful to the conscience of the Muslims that of the 20 delegates of the Federal Government, only six are Muslims. No Muslim is deemed fit to make the list of delegates from the Nigerian Economic Summit. In fact, in the representation of the security agencies, Muslims have been so unimaginably shortchanged, with only one Muslim out of the six retired military and security personnel, one out of six retired security and NIA officers, and two out of delegates of the Association of Retired Police Officers. This means, of the 18 security experts belonging to these three groups, only four (22.2 per cent) are Muslims.” If more disturbing proof of the complicating role religion is bound to play in Nigerian politics is required, the Southwest Mus-

lim Ummah gave an adequate one in a publication on March 20. For those in the Southwest who had thought and argued that the unifying core of Yoruba culture, not to say its distinctly secular forms, transcended the divisiveness that religion constitutes in modern Nigeria, the said publication controverts that hope. First, it argued that the Southwest Muslim Ummah was not impressed by what is believed to be the Yoruba’s persecution complex, a major plank of the Yoruba agenda in the conference. Then, secondly, it argued that it did not subscribe to nor require the help of any cultural icon, let alone that of Oodua, in order to have a sense of being or for the Yoruba to fight for their place in the sun. Thirdly, it spoke out vehemently against the nuanced separatist request included in the

The Lamido Adamawa’s revelatory eruptions

EACTIONS to the shocking outburst of the Lamido Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo Mustafa, on the floor of the national conference have ranged from the indifferent to the hysterical, and from the liberal to the downright chauvinistic. Asked to give his view on whether the conference should call for memoranda from the public, Dr Mustafa deviated into issues virtually at a tangent to the discussions, issues that had apparently bothered him for some time, and which some believe reflect the perspective of the North on the conference. Miffed by some delegates’ contributions, particularly the socalled elder statesmen – perhaps he meant Edwin Clark – he had bellowed: “…In the long run, if we are not careful, this conference will flop – God forbid. And if it flops, the resultant effect cannot be predicted by anyone of us here. If something happens and the country disintegrates – God forbid – many of those who are shouting their heads off will have nowhere to go. I and the people of Adamawa – and many others – have somewhere to go. I am the Lamido of Adamawa and my kingdom transcends Nigeria and Cameroon. A large part of my kingdom is in the Republic of Cameroon, apart from my kingdom in Adamawa. Part of that kingdom in Cameroon is called Adamawa State, in Cameroon. So, you see, if I run to that place, I can easily assimilate but I want to plead with us to adhere to laid down rules by Mr. President in his address, which include issue of voting.” Ignoring the hecklers, the Lamido added the clincher that seemed to have infuriated many delegates: “Jingoism is not the exclusive preserve of anyone; everyone here is a potential jingoist. If we are pushed to the wall, we will easily walkout of this conference.” Some delegates believed Dr Mustafa reflected the rehearsed opinion of the North, and a Southwest delegate, Olaniwun Ajayi,

•Kutigi

•Clark

characteristically delved into history to remind everyone that the North had always used the secession card to win concessions. Sir Olaniwun deplored both what Dr Mustafa said and Justice Idris Kutigi for giving him room to talk out of order. Other commentators dared the North to secede, even indecently declaring secession would be good riddance to bad rubbish. I think public reactions to Dr Mustafa’s eruptions were hurried, unreflective and absolutely nonsensical. Not only was the Lamido Adamawa’s speech brilliant, revealing and honest, it indicated a critical call for intelligent interventions on three levels. First, the speech actually undermined Dr Jonathan’s proud insistence that the unity of Nigeria should be taken as a given that is not open to discussions. I have always maintained that our unity is more theoretical than practical, and is thus negotiable. Dr Mustafa elegantly addresses that point and reinforced my perception that it is crucial for us to discuss Nigerian unity and agree whether it is desirable or not. Second, and much more importantly, the speech draws critical attention to the need to take a fresh look at the distortionary impact of British colonialism, how it arrested and distorted nation-building in these parts, and how in fact proud and independent peoples and kingdoms have had to sacrifice their cultures and identities in order to accommodate Nigeria as an idea, a British idea. Adamawa, a subordi-

nate kingdom to the Sultanate of Sokoto, as the Lamido nostalgically pointed out last week to recriminating delegates, transcended its present borders in Adamawa State of Nigeria. It extended to parts of Chad, Cameroun and Central African Republic, and had a rich and colourful history since its founding by Modibo Adama in 1809. Third, Dr Mustafa’s eruptions also reflected the frustration felt by many in the North at being stigmatised as parasites who would suffer irreparable damage if Nigeria should break up. This persecution complex, it will be recalled, had provoked deep misunderstanding and resentment between the North and South before and during the First Republic. Apparently, the wounds have not healed. And given the strong views of many southerners about the North’s political tendencies, which tendency Sir Olaniwun unfortunately skewered in his reaction to Dr Mustafa’s outburst, it appears that the politics of the Fourth Republic, and 2015 in particular, will still be influenced by the animosities and prejudices of the past. Though some political leaders in the North and South now have a different and perhaps better appreciation of issues and are prepared to surmount the obstacles that separate and divide the country, there are still others, particularly the old guard in the Southwest, who cling stubbornly to the outdated prejudices of the First and Second Republics. Dr Mustafa’s eruptions have done us the great service of inviting an urgent re-examination of Nigeria’s retrogressive politics, especially the issues surrounding its chaotic founding and mediocre leadership. Had Dr Jonathan done a deep reflection on the proposed conference instead of absentmindedly promoting it for other yet to be determined purposes, he would have led the country on the better and more rewarding path of rebuilding Nigeria from its tumultuous foundations. But now we must keep gambling in the dark with conferences and processes certain to lead nowhere.

Yoruba agenda to the conference, arguing that democracy needed not be based on ethnic nationalities. There were many more arguments in the publication, especially ones promoting the superiority of religious identification over ethnic identification. But in sum, the Southwest Muslim Ummah attempted to debunk the essential underpinnings of the Yoruba agenda by forcefully rejecting any assertion that implies either the superiority of the Yoruba to any other ethnic group or the exclusivity of the Yoruba in a world where other forms of identities, especially that of Islam, is said to be more desirable. They, therefore, rejected the Yoruba agenda, and declared their opposition to its objectives. In other words, if in the foreseeable future Nigeria should fracture, as the Lamido Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo Mustafa, insinuated, the oneness of the Yoruba could not be taken for granted. It is not clear to what extent the Southwest Muslims’ position can be sustained, in view of the demonstrable antagonisms between and within Muslim states in the Middle East and elsewhere, not to talk of the brutal conflicts between Christian states in Europe and elsewhere. From all indications, indeed, the Southwest Muslims’ position is somewhat idealistic. But whether the reference is to the Sultan’s protest group, or the JNI complaint, or the Southwest Muslims’ rebuff of the Yoruba agenda, it is obvious that the Jonathan national conference, with its overwhelming number of handpicked delegates, clearly reveals a grave and urgent threat simmering below the surface of Nigeria’s contrived unity. (See Box). That threat was barely subdued in former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 1977 Constituent Assembly. It, however, began to flare up under the Shehu Shagari presidency, with its many religious uprisings, and became subdued again only when the country was confronted by graver problems of regime tyranny such as was experienced under the Sani Abacha military dictatorship. Under Chief Obasanjo’s second tour of office, elite irresponsibility pushed religion dangerously to the front burner until it produced the Boko Haram monster. A careful consideration of the past, and a deep appreciation of the surface currents of national affairs, not to talk of its salient but potentially more explosive undertow, should have led the Jonathan presidency into adopting a different approach to constitutional amendment, whether fundamental and far-reaching or not. Dr Jonathan will now have to find practical means of moderating and tailoring a conference that could very well become a Frankenstein monster. He will also have to be engaged, even if in the background, in mediating what is certain to be an avalanche of procedural and policy conflicts in the conference, if it is not to miscarry before it reaches the halfway line. Whether the president can manage this tightrope walking is not certain, but his presidency will doubtless be severely challenged. By their positions, the Sultan-led elders, JNI and Southwest Muslims present a comprehensive wake-up call to closet irredentists, potential separatists and politicians who have become so theoretical and so impractical that if they do not force themselves into unity of purpose along beneficial values of tolerance and liberalism, they will surely either hang separately, as one of America’s founding fathers once said of the political class of his time, or dissolve into a maelstrom of war and conflicts. Dr Jonathan ought to have recognised the dangers manifested by the denudation of values in the country he presides over, and the worsening of relationships between groups. He has chosen not to. But now he will have to grapple with new disagreements and conflicts in the conference requiring more boldness and sagacity than he has ever had to muster all his life, or that he is even capable of mustering.

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