March 09, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

•APC petitions ICC over First Lady’s ‘hate speech’ •AND •Makarfi to courts: don’t throw Nigeria into chaos MORE ON PAGES •Peterside: our country is undergoing turbulence 4,5,53&55 •Elections beyond Jonathan, Buhari, says Presidency

...81 D AYS TO GO DA

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

VOL. 10, NO. 3148 MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

N150.00

Borno blast death toll now 62

CBN declares banks sound From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

•Chad, Niger troops fight Boko Haram •Borno plans task force

B

ANKS have got a clean bill of health from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which ran a stress test on the financial institutions.

A statement from the CBN at the weekend disclosed that “the unaudited results of banks and the results released so far, indicated that economic headwinds had not significantly affected returns.”

The statement noted that banks had been directed to have effective risk management systems in place especially price hedging, adding that the CBN would continue to Continued on page 4

•www.thenationonlineng.net

M •Emefiele

ORE deaths have been recorded in Saturday’s multiple attacks on Maiduguri, the beleaguered Borno State capital.

Reports, which put the toll at 62 – it was 58 initially - said many people had been hospitalised.

From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

A woman attendant at the Specialist Hospital, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that “due to the gravity of the injuries of some victims brought to the hospital and coupled with the loss of blood by them, three

could not make it overnight, two died this morning before medical routine checks by the doctor on duty and one is in a critical state”.

Many have been discharged after treatment, she Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: FOREIGN RESERVES DOWN TO $30.87B P31 GAS SHORTAGE CUTS 5M JOBS P25

•A child victim of the blast at the hospital ...yesterday.

•A BL OOD Y WEEKEND: A mother sits with her child at State Hospital as he receives treatment for injuries sustained following BLOOD OODY •More victims of the bombing ...yesterday. a bomb blast on Saturday that left dozens dead and many injured in Maiduguri...yesterday.

PHOTOS: AFP

Polls: No going back on Card Readers, says INEC

•SEE O ASLO ASL PAGES 2&3

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WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15, LAST YEAR EVER RETURN?

‘Policemen’ seize PVCs from owners Cards collection extended to March 22

O

PPONENTS of Card Reader got yesterday some bad news: the machine will be used for the March 28 and April 11 elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did a test run of the machine last Saturday. It was largely successful. This, said an INEC chief, has raised the agency’s confidence in the machine, which it insists will curb rigging.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Par-

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

ty (PDP) is leading the opposition against the machine, saying it is new and untested.

INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega will meet with Resident Electoral Commissioners on Wednesday in Abuja to discuss the Saturday mock election, especially the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Contrary to reports, only one case of a weak Card Reader was recorded

at INEC’s Situation Room on Saturday.

INEC yesterday extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from March 8 to March 22.

As at March 4, the commission had recorded 80.3 percent collection of the PVCs nationwide.

A National Commissioner, who spoke with our correspondent, said the electoral body would not drop Card Readers.

He said: “Nothing happened during

the mock election on Saturday to warrant going back on the use of Card Readers for the general elections. The deployment of the Card Readers was successful and even international observers from the UN have attested to it.

“Contrary to some claims, only one case of Card Reader challenge was recorded at our Situation Room and it was a human thing.

Continued on page 4

•PUPIL STABBED IN IBADAN P8 SIX KILLED IN SOLDIERS, WORSHIPPERS CLASH P4

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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MAY 29 ...81 DAYS TO GO

NEWS

INEC’s •All Progressives Congress (APC)National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (second left); Mr Lelie Karem (left); Mr, Lelie Abi Nader (second right) and former Commissioner for Information & Strategy in Lagos State, Mr Dele Alake when Karem and Nader visited the APC leader after the Walk for Change in Lagos...at the weekend.

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Southwest Coordinator for the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation receiving a copy of ‘GMB Phenomenon’ from the author of the book, Mr. Aderemi Idowu at the Governor’s Office, Osogbo.

The Smart Card Readers (SCRs)were used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend for biometric verifications of potential voters and a mock poll. It was without any major hitch. Stakeholders and observers say it has come to stay as an antidote to rigging. RAYMOND MORDI, LEKE SALAUDEEN and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE take a look at the results from the states and the way forward as enumerated by experts.

A

FTER the field testing of Smart Card Readers (SCRs) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend, the verdict was that it was largely successful. Going by reports from the 12 states where it was tested, the machines performed excellently. According to INEC, there are two steps to be followed in the usage of the SCRs. One is authentication; to ascertain that the card was issued by INEC. The implication is that if anybody brings a fake Permanent Voter Card (PVC), the machine will not authenticate or recognise it as INEC’s card. So, the issue of fake cards or clowned PVCs will not arise.

Impressive turnout in Lagos

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (middle) speaking at the unveiling/inauguration of Glover Road, Ikoyi…yesterday. With him are: one-time Commissioner for Finance in Lagos Mr Olawale Edun (left); Senator Oluremi Tinubu (second left); Commissioner for Works & Infrastructure Dr. Obafemi Hamzat (right) and Executive Secretary, Ikoyi - Obalende Local Council Development Area Ms Toyin Caxton-Martins.

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

•Rivers State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC)Presidential Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi second (left); APC presidential running mate Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (right); Prof. Pat Utomi (left) and founder, Trinity House Ministries, Lagos, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo at an interactive session on "The Nigeria I See" with Osinbajo in Lagos...at the weekend.

PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos, Mr. Akin Orebiyi said: “The next step, after the authentication, is the verification stage, where the bearer of the card will be asked to put his thumb on a particular point on the SCR, to verify whether he or she is the rightful owner of the card. The implication of this is that no person can use another person’s PVC. Impliedly, nobody can be accredited and possibly vote in more than one polling centre.”

The reports were the same from the 12 states chosen across the six geo-political zones by the electoral umpire to test run biometric confirmation of potential voters.

The states are; Lagos, Ekiti, Rivers, Delta, Ebonyi, Anambra, Taraba, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger and Bauchi.

Orebiyi said the mock poll was successful. According to him, there were hitches with few of the machines because the PVCs’ owners’ fingers were wet. The Lagos REC, in a telephone interview, told The Nation that the aim of the test-run was to demonstrate the effectiveness of the SCRs to the public; to demonstrate that PVCs can only be used at the designated polling units. He said that many intending voters, who were not registered in Onigbongbo Ward where the mock poll took place, were rejected by the machines.

Orebiyi said the exercise has proved the efficacy of the new device.

His words: “There was nowhere the battery failed during the exercise.

In few instances, where the cards could not be identified by the machines, we used the back-up register to identify the card owner. Those in this category were about five per cent. May be their hands were wet but with the back-up register, we were able to identify them.

“The test-run has given us the opportunity to demonstrate the process for accreditation on election days.

We will continue to educate the voters as we have planned to hold town hall meetings in all the 774 local government areas in the state, Orebiyi said.

INEC hailed in Niger

In Niger State, 58 per cent of those

who took part were cleared as authentic. The machine rejected the remaining 42 per cent voters.

The National Commissioner for the electoral body, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, said the figures were from the 18 polling units in the ward, which initially had a total of 10,243 persons with PVCs and Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs).

Only 1,799 eligible voters, he added, turned up for the exercise out of which 1,045 were authenticated by the SCRs. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state commended INEC for the mock poll, saying the machine was free from abuse. Its Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa, who observed the exercise, said INEC did a fantastic job, adding that it would knock out the issue of multiple voting.

“The APC is in support of the card reader. This shows that we are moving away from the old age to the new age and that we are moving forward as a nation,” he said.

Minor hitches in Kano The turnout was impressive in Kano State where stakeholders and described the process as hugely successful.

According to the REC in the state, Alhaji Minkaila Abdullahi, the only challenge facing the Commission is the minor problem of the SCRs not capturing some of the finger prints. This, he said, could be attributed to the texture of individual skin. “So, the machine is reliable for the elections,” Abdullahi said.

“The commission is mindful of the fact that there is need for assessment and that is why the accreditation is now made to take place from 8a.m. to 1 p.m. The outcome of this exercise will determine the acceptability of the card reader machine for the election.”

Era of poll’s fraud over in Bauchi The verdict in Bauchi, in the view of the REC, Prof. Hamman Saad, after the exercise, was that the era of electoral malpractices was over and that card readers have come to stay. Prof.

Saad dismissed ongoing campaigns by some groups and politicians for the rejection of SCRs for the forthcoming general elections.

He maintained that “nothing will further strengthen and deepen democracy in Nigeria better than the use of the card readers.”

No major problem in Delta The mock verification in Delta State was also largely successful despite minor hitches and poor turnout. The SCRs performed without any major problem at the Niger Mixed Secondary School and Asagba Primary Schools in Asaba, the state capital.

Delta State Independent Election Commission (DSIEC) chief, Moses Ogbe, urged Nigerians to give card readers a chance. He stated that the error margins of the device were negligible.

According to him, the electoral body may provide basic facilities at polling units to accommodate those whose fingerprints were dirty and could not be verified by the card readers.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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MAY 29 ...81 DAYS TO GO

Card Reader passes litmus test •Potential voters waiting for biometric verification of their PVCs by INEC officials before the mock poll in Kebbi State...at the weekend.

•Potential voters waiting for the biometric confirmation of their PVCs when INEC carried out the field-testing of the SCRs in Bunza, Kebbi State...at the weekend.

Finger prints rejection in Anambra blamed on dirty fingers In Anambra State, the REC, Mr. Edwin Offor Nwatarali, explained that many of the rejected finger prints were attributed to greasy or dirty fingers. He said the commission, however, overcame the problem by making the voters wash their hands and cleaning them properly before coming to thumb print.

“The readers were in good shape and would work smoothly. We believe that on the whole, the card will help us to have credible election,” Nwatarali said.

The minor hitches ranged from the inability of the SCRs to identify some fingers and thumb prints and the slow pace of the process. In Niger State for instance, the major grouse was on the time spent on the accreditation of each voter. Many of the participants that took part in the mock polls described the process as “too slow.”

Smooth verifications in Kaduna, Kwara and FCT INEC National Commissioner supervising Kaduna, Kwara, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, told reporters that the mock verification was smooth except for few hitches with

some SCRs which could be due to finger identification.

He said: “In some instances, people cleaned their hands with methylated spirit which has to do with the level of cleanliness of fingers, because, as soon as the fingers are cleaned, you will be through.”

He disclosed that the over 70 per cent of eligible voters in Gwada ward, who initially failed the verification test were identified as eligible voters since the data in the PVC corresponded with theirs and since the machine also identified them as the genuine owners of the PVCs they presented.

In all, with the success recorded during the mock verification, it appears that the PVCs and SCRs have come to stay.

A prospective voter who participated in mock verification in Lagos, Mr. Olakunle Aremu, hailed the introduction of card readers.

He said: “Initially, I was skeptical about the performance of the machines. But, with what I have seen, I am convinced it will work. It took 20 seconds while in some other it took only five seconds to accredit a voter.

If the machine can accredit up to three voters in a minute, it will hasten up the accreditation process on the day of election.

“Beside the time reduction in accreditation, the card reader will not

allow multiple voting or the use of fake card on the day of election. That will give us a credible poll. Whoever loses will accept his failure in good fate.”

Former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, also joined the ranks of Nigerians who commended INEC for the success of the mock test of the card reader ahead of the general elections. Momoh said anything that would help to grow the democratic process must be embraced, noting that the success of the card readers test across the country should be applauded.

He said: “If card readers will help to enhance the democratic process, we should accept it. If that will make us to avoid multiple registrations, we should give the benefit of doubt.

“I am very happy about the result of the tested card readers across the country. It will make the election transparent. The card readers will identify the authentic owner of the PVCs. So, I am very happy about the news emanating across the country.”

He said skeptics should embrace the card readers in the spirit of free and fair elections.

There is room for improvement “At least, the card readers have been tested; wherever any problem comes up, the INEC has put in place

•Prof. Jega

means to resolving it. INEC has made provision for the card readers; it should be allowed to work rather than condemning its use.

It should be used rather than throwing away the baby with the bath water. Those who say we should use card readers have valued the reason for it.”

Also defending the use of the device, Lagos lawyer Festus Keyamo said the SCRs wil prevent rigging and polls’ manipulation.

He urged those opposes to it to retrace their steps and work harder to secure the votes of the electorate in through the right channel instead of nursing dubious ambition of rigging the elections.

He said: “The fear of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their allied is hinged on the old ways; they want to go back to their old ways of writing and falsifying results. That is why they are afraid of the use of card readers.

His words: “Nigerians will not take that this time around. If anything is done to postpone or truncate the election, we are going to have a mass protest across the country and nobody will stop us.

“Also the plan to remove Prof.

Attahiru Jega should be buried. If they do that, there will be a mass protest. Nobody should blackmail us that we protest as a result of

injustice. You cannot beat a child and not expect the child to cry.

“If they do that, I am ready to go to jail, just like we went to jail during the Gen Sani Abacha time.

INEC must not cave in to PDP pressure; INEC must maintain its sanctity and independence.

Whichever way the results go, Nigerians should be ready to accept it. The ruling party must be ready to accept defeat; the opposition must also be ready to accept defeat.”

Erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said Nigerians will not take excuses, noting that INEC must conduct the March 28 election.

He said: “If the card readers are not working, INEC can do without it. This election must not be postponed again. Any talk about card readers should not be used to postpone these elections. There are speculations that the rescheduled days might be tampered with again but we are saying that we are not ready for any excuse for the postponement of the election.

“There is no reason for INEC not to be ready for the elections.

Three weeks is enough time for INEC to address whatever problem that is being noticed. So, INEC must conduct the elections,” he said.

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

NEWS CBN declares banks sound Continued from page 1

•Cameroonian soldiers carry coffins covered with Cameroonian flags containing the remains of fellow soldiers during a ceremony for 38 soldiers who died in the north of the country while fighting Boko Haram militants, at the military headquarters in Yaounde on March 6. Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have since February been waging an unprecedented joint offensive against Boko Haram insurgents, claiming the recapture of several key towns and villages previously under Islamist control.

monitor banks to ensure sufficient internal retention of capital to serve as buffers.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in a statement last week said the outcome of the IMF Executive Board 2014 Article IV Consultation with Nigeria, commended the efforts of the CBN in ensuring financial system soundness.

According to the IMF statement, “Directors noted that financial soundness indicators remain above prudential norms, but the concentration of credit risks and foreign currency exposures call for continued close oversight.”

The Directors also com-

PHOTO: AFP

Hate speech: APC reports First Lady to NHRC, ICC

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IRST Lady Patience Jonathan has been reported to the International Criminal Council (ICC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Organisation accused the First Lady of threatening the lives of members with her pronouncement at a rally in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, when she asked PDP supporters to “stone” anyone who came to the state asking for “change.

The Organisation’s Director-General and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi said in a letter of complaint is expected to be dispatched to the ICC, NHRC and the Inspector General of Police today: “Change, as the entire country must know by

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

now, is the slogan of the APC - the rallying cry of a political party that wishes to bring hope of greater and better things to come for Nigeria and Nigerians. By her statement, Mrs. Jonathan was clearly calling on PDP supporters in Calabar to attack supporters and campaigners of the APC in the state.”

He likened some of Mrs. Jonathan’s inciting statements and conduct during the political campaign season, to those of Mrs Simone Gbagbo, wife of the former President of Cote D’Ivoire, Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, prior to that country’s 2010 election.

He recalled that the ICC indicted Mrs. Gbagbo for her part in planning to perpetrate brutal attacks, including murder, rape, and sexual vi-

olence, on her husband’s political opponents in the wake of the 2010 election.

The governor added: ”Mrs. Jonathan does not occupy any formal office in the Nigerian government, as the position of First Lady is not recognised by the Nigerian constitution. But Mrs. Gbagbo’s case shows the ICC’s awareness of how someone beyond formal governmental and military hierarchies can be identified as responsible for serious international crimes.”

Mrs Jonathan said at another rally in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari the APC’s presidential candidate, is “brain dead.” That statement has equally attracted condemnation by many Nigerians.

Amaechi added that Mrs.

Jonathan’s “incontrovertible hate speech” not only contravenes the laws of the land, but also goes completely against the Abuja Peace Accord jointly signed by the two presidential candidates Gen. Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan - a gesture which is aimed at forestalling violence before, during and after the 2015 elections.

“PDP supporters in the state who may not know better could easily yield themselves to the First Lady’s admonition and embark on a process of wanton stoning and other attacks against APC members,” Amaechi said.

He urged the police to plan emergency measures to protect the lives and property of APC members in Calabar and the entire Cross River State.

Elections beyond Jonathan, Buhari, says Presidency

I

S President Goodluck Jonathan afraid of an election?

That was the question yesterday as one of his aides spoke on the March 28 poll.

The poll, he said, is beyond the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen.

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Senior Special Assistant to President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, said the elections are about the stability of the country.

Urging the North to wait for the 2019 Presidency, he said when Jonathan completes his second term, the region would

have what he described as an “unequivocal” and “indisputable” opportunity to rule for eight years.

According to him, the Yoruba are no longer causing trouble because their son has been allowed to rule Nigeria for eight years.

“Why can we not concede this remaining four years?” he queried.

He also said the North had always been the Nigeria’s political stabilising group.

Said Okupe: “The North, since independence, has been the political stabilising group in this country. The North is far more advanced than any section of this country in terms of politics and political leadership. When MKO died and ciContinued on page 55

Continued on page 55

Borno blast death toll now 62 Continued from page 1

said.

The attendant hailed the government’s standing order on free treatment of Boko Haram victims, saying it has helped victims.

As part of measures to tighten security in Maiduguri and its environs Governor Kashim Shettima is to set up a Multi-Faith and Ethnic Task Force (MFET).

The measure is to review security surveillance in and around public places, such as markets, bus termini and other places to safeguard lives and property.

The task force will not only enhance security, but will assist the government rebuild the reclaimed towns and communi-

ties by the military in the 21 local governments.

The setting up of MFET was contained in a statement by the governor’s media aide, Isa Umar Gusau, which was given to reporters in Maiduguri yesterday.

The statement reads: “The Multi Faith and Multi Ethnic Task Force will be saddled with the responsibility of evaluating the communities liberated from insurgents, to come up with urgent steps towards reconstructing houses and public infrastructure, such as water supply infrastructure, hospitals, schools, markets and others.

“This task force, which is to work with security agencies, will ensure that liberated comContinued on page 55

Six killed in soldiers, worshippers clash in Southern Kaduna

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CLASH between some military men and some worshippers in Southern Kaduna yesterday led to the death of no fewer than six people. Many others were injured.

The soldiers allegedly shot security guards of St. Peters Catholic Church Gidan-Waya area of Jama’a local government in Kaduna State who mounted a temporary stop and search check point in front of their church during service.

According to a man who simply identified himself as Chris-

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

topher, a residence of GidanWaya, “the clash occured at about 10am when church service was on. A soldier approched the church’s watch men popularly known as Cadet and ordered them to dismantle the temporary check point during the church service, but the boys refused the order on the argument that church service was ongoing and that they would do as soon as service was Continued on page 55

Polls: No going back on Card Readers, says INEC ‘Policemen’ seize PVCs from owners

Continued from page 1

“And concerning some alleged hitches, there were guidelines on what to do at any polling unit to make sure that an eligible voter is allowed to exercise his or her right.”

Responding to a question, the highly-placed source said: “The Chairman of INEC, Prof.

Attahiru Jega will meet with the National Commissioners and all the 37 Resident Electoral Commissioners on Wednesday in Abuja on the outcome of the Mock Election in 12 states and the use of Card Readers.”

The INEC chairman’s Chief Press Secretary Mr. Kayode Idowu, told our correspondent that the mock election was “largely successful”.

“The flaws being claimed were anticipated. The states where fingerprints were not authenticated had the PVC incident form procedure, it was agreed with political parties that the form will be filled,” Idowu said.

Meanwhile, the deadline for the collection of Permanent

SWOOP on the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has begun in Lagos, investigations revealed at the

A

weekend.

This has created another dimension to the battle over the PVC use for the elections slated for March 28 and April 11.

While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) insists on its use, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is opposed to it.

This is in spite of the test run at the weekend, of the card reader that will enhance the PVC use.

A group of people usually dressed in police uniform or sometimes in vests with police inscription, have been found to be collecting PVCs from some people ostensibly with the intention to disenfranchise them.

The people mostly at the receiving end are commercial motorcyclists aka okada riders, mostly of northern ex-

Voter Cards (PVCs) was yesterday extended to March 22.

Prior to the extension, the collection of PVCs, which had reached 80.3 per cent as at March 4, would have ended yesterday.

A statement signed by Id-

Musa Odoshimokhe and Precious Igbonwelundu

traction, in the commercial capital.

What these PVCs collectors do is to pose as policemen enforcing the ban on okada on some major streets. After collecting the motorcycle from the rider by force, they then ask him to bail himself by submitting his PVC, failing which his motorcycle, which is his means of livelihood, would not be released.

As soon as he releases his PVC, his motorcycle is released to him and his PVC taken away.

Yesterday, Mohammed Suleiman, one of the few victims who agreed to speak on record – Others are afraid to be quoted for fear of reprisal – said he was arrested at Aguda, Surulere.

According to him, the men posed as plain clothes policemen and that those arrested were mostly Hausa riders.

He said: “I’m a victim. I was arrested in

owu said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the country by additional two weeks.

“The collection will continue

nd

Aguda area. They told me to bring my PVC before they would release my ‘machine’ to me. When I gave them my PVC, they collected it and refused to return it but they gave me back my motorcycle.

“They did not take me to the station but some of our people were taken to the station before the bikes were released to them on collection of their PVCs.” He however did not mention the police station.

He added: “I think they are aware that many of us carry our PVCs on us and where one cannot produce it on the spot, they ask the person to go and bring it to enable him get back his motorcycle. They arrest us for flimsy reasons – like over speeding or that we ply roads where motorcycles are not permitted.”

An Arewa youth leader in Lagos, Kabiru Ahmed,told our reporter on telephone last night: “We have received such complaints from some of our members and we are in-

until March 22 , 2015, superseding the earlier deadline of March 08th 2015.

“This latest extension offers the last opportunity for duly registered persons to collect their PVCs before the general elections scheduled for March

Continued on page 55

28th and April 11th, 2015.

“INEC hereby calls on registered persons that are yet to collect their PVCs to use this last opportunity in doing so, in order to participate in the forthcoming general elections.”

•Jega

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties(CNPP) yesterday asked INEC to stick to the use of Card Readers.

The conference, which gave the advice in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, urged INEC to take note of the few lapses noted and improve on Continued on page 55

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

5

NEWS

Jonathan’s election-motivated actions can’t save him, says APC E LECTION-propelled acts of governance by President Goodluck Jonathan are “too little, too late” to convince Nigerians to vote for him and his party in the rescheduled polls.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a statement yesterday in Lagos.

The statement reads: “Mr. President, you cannot undo, in six weeks, the glaring instances of cluelessness, incompetence and near total lack of governance that your administration has exhibited in the past six years, even if you move Aso Rock to the Southwest or bribe every Nigerian with the proceeds of corruption. ‘’Your administration-sanctioned smear campaigns against APC leaders, your obscenity-laden meeting with youths, your offer of jobs to 167 out of over 40 million unemployed youths, and your temporary relocation to the Southwest, where you believe your naira and dollar rain will translate to votes are all belated and of no effect.”

The party noted that the President’s latter-day efforts went up in smokes on Saturday when over one million Nigerians marched through the streets of Lagos in support of change, even as “a hurriedly-organised, pretend march led by the President in Abuja failed to distract from the success of the Lagos march, as envisaged

by the organisers”.

APC said its latest opinion poll on the elections showed that Nigerians have already made up their minds regarding which party they would “vote for, even before the six-week postponement of the elections, which was orchestrated to allow the sinking PDP and its candidates at all levels to recover from the dizzying effect of the daily blows being dealt on them by Nigerians”.

The APC said a president, who was playing dirty politics while over 15,000 Nigerians were being murdered by the Boko Haram, could not expect to reap from a sudden resurgence in the fight against the terrorists.

The statement added: “Mr. President, you had all of six years to secure the lives and property of Nigerians, provide jobs, improve the economy, give Nigerians constant power supply and curb corruption, but you did none of those things. ‘’Under your watch, Mr. President, the economy has virtually collapsed with the United States (U.S.) dollar now exchanging for over N220 - the highest ever, mil-

lions of youths are roaming the streets even as your government fleeces them from time to time over phantom jobs, industries are collapsing in droves, Nigerians are more divided than ever, many states and even the Federal Government can’t pay workers’ salaries and corruption is at an all-time high as the looting of the public treasury has become the order of the day while Nigerians have never felt so insecure. ‘’It is amazing, therefore, how you can even think that six weeks of unprecedented bribery of individuals, pretend governance, and cash-induced occult-like ‘prayer’ sessions, among others, will turn the tide in your favour. Nigerians are not fooled by your antics, Mr. President. Your efforts are too little, too late.”

The APC noted that it was glaring that the alleged missing $20 billion, the multi-billion-naira pension scam and the multi-trillion oil subsidy fraud, just to mention a few, all fed into the massive bribery that the Jonathan Administration has engaged in over the past few weeks, hoping to buy the votes of Nigeri-

ans.

It said, however, that such profligate and immoral act would not have been necessary if the administration had done what it was elected to do in the first instance: provide good governance.

“They thought six weeks constitute an eternity. Well, six weeks are almost over now and Nigerians are ready to give the Jonathan Administration the score-sheet it deserves, because they are more interested in contents than in labels, hence would not be hoodwinked by the contrived acts of governance,” APC said.

The party thanked Nigerians for their support, both morally and financially, that has seen the APC becoming a people-driven movement.

“In spite of the massive muckraking by the Jonathan Administration, the use of statistics to dish lies to the public about economic growth and the unprecedented bribery of some citizens, Nigerians are solidly behind us and we thank them for their support. We urge them to continue to eschew all acts of violence even in the face of provocations, and to remain vigilant in the three weeks remaining to the decisive elections,’’ it said.

Jonathan meets Mbeki, Abdusalami at Aso Rock From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan met yesterday with former South African President Thabo Mbeki and a former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar.

The closed-door meeting was held in the President’s official residence at the State House, Abuja.

Details of discussion at the meeting were unknown as none of them spoke with reporters at the end of the meeting.

No official statement has been issued concerning the meeting as at press time.

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•Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama (left) when he visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who fled Yobe State and now in Malam-Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, Gombe State...at the weekend.

PHOTO: NAN

Abuja.

The former governor said the wisdom among the country’s elderly men allowed a Southwest man to become the president after the death of Chief Moshood Abiola, arguing that the same wisdom was needed for four more years for Jonathan, a Southsouth man.

Obi, who lauded late President Umaru Yar’Adua for the wisdom in packaging the amnesty deal, said before the deal, Nigeria produced about 700,000 barrels of oil per day and had been producing about 2.2 million barrels since after the deal.

On qualities that endeared Jonathan to Nigerians, the former

governor said: “President Jonathan has characteristics required among leaders. He is patient and infinitely ready to listen; he is tolerant; he is humble, and above all he has untainted patriotic credentials.

“He also has age going for him.

You know that being a president involves a lot of mental energy and we must accept that at certain age, no matter one’s personal integrity, he is limited in his mental and physical capabilities.”

He argued that what Nigeria needed now was not the type of change witnessed in Egypt, Libya or Iraq, but the sustenance of the change already begun in many

sectors.

He said in education, Jonathan built 14 new universities and had through commitment to the sector, improved the country’s performance in West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) from 25 per cent to over 50 per cent.

He also reeled out list of roads rehabilitated by Jonathan government, adding that no past government in Nigeria did what Jonathan has done in four years.

On the fall of the naira, Obi said it was a global phenomenon caused by the fall in the price of petroleum.

Buhari restates his plan for women

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HE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has restated his commitment to the empowerment of women.

He promised to begin by ensuring that the rights of women as guaranteed by the constitution are protected under his government.

This was contained in a message to Nigerian women, in commemoration of the March 8, 2015 International Women’s Day. “My plan for Nigerian women has been made clear in ‘My Manifesto and Vision for Nigeria’.

•Varsity wants govt to ‘rise up’

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

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HE President of American University of Nigeria (AUN) Yola, Dr. Margee Ensign, has claimed that the institution is feeding about 270,000 Internally-Displaced People (IDPs) weekly, compared to the 15,000 catered for by the government in the IDP camp in Yola.

She expressed concern that the government was not doing enough to cater for the hundreds of thousands that have fled their homes because of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Dr. Ensign, who spoke at an interactive session with reporters in Lagos, said the university started feeding IDPs about a year ago when they found that many employees were housing many relatives from crisis-ridden communities in the Northeast and were struggling to feed them.

She urged the government to rise up to its responsibility before things get out of hand.

She urged the government to “rise up to its responsibility before things get out of hand”.

The AUN President said her driver, for instance, was housing 50 people.

The university, through the Adamawa Peace Initiative (a group of Christian and Muslim leaders in Adamawa State) started feeding the IDPS about eight months ago.

In January, Dr. Ensign said the group fed up to 232,000 five times a week, which has risen to over 270,000 this month.

She said funding for the feeding came from the United States government ($100,000), founder of AUN, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (about $200,000), American Peace Corps and others.

She was worried that with the communities the IDPs left behind destroyed, they might be around the university longer than expected, adding that the university might be unable to sustain the feeding effort.

SERAP replies Okonjo-Iweala on ‘missing N30tn’

Obi: why president needs four more years

ORMER Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has urged the citizenry, for the sake of the nation’s unity and progress, to re-elect President Goodluck Jonathan.

Saying besides the facts that Jonathan had done well to merit a re-election, he added that the socio economic dynamics of the nation demanded that the South-South should be allowed to exhaust their eight years.

Obi, who is the deputy directorgeneral (South) of the Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, spoke at the meeting of the laity of Nigeria at the Pope John Paul 11 Centre,

‘AUN feeding 270,000 IDPs weekly’

“However, I would like to use this special opportunity that the world has set aside to celebrate women, to reiterate my personal commitment to the advancement of Nigerian women in Nigeria and in the Diaspora,” Gen. Buhari said.

In the manifesto released to the media last year December, the APC presidential candidate guaranteed that women would be adequately represented in government appointments.

He also promised to provide greater opportunities for females in education, job creation, and economic empowerment.

“I will recognise and protect women empowerment and gender equality with special emphasis on economic activities in the rural areas,” he said.

Gen. Buhari added that he would use the party structures to promote the concept of reserving a minimum number of seats in the states and National Assembly for women.

“Women all over the world are playing an ever-increasing role in moving their nations forward both in and outside government.

“In keeping with the times, my government will ensure that Nigerian

•Gen. Buhari

women are given the opportunity to rise and play an even more prominent role in moving out great nation forward,” he said.

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NON-governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to “embrace constructive engagement on issues of human rights, transparency and accountability”.

The organisation asked her “to avoid sound bite and opportunistic attacks on civil society organisations simply working to make the government fit for purpose so that it can function to improve the conditions of millions of marginalised and disadvantaged Nigerians.”

SERAP’s advice came after Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala, last week in a statement, lambasted the group for instituting a lawsuit against her over the claim by a former Central Bank governor, Chukwuma Soludo, that Nigeria had lost about N30 trillion to corruption and mismanagement.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said it was “a politically motivated suit against her based on the discredited N30 trillion allegation by Prof. Charles Soludo.

“The suit confirms that SERAP is nothing, but a political tool of the opposition hiding behind the façade of advocacy. Like their previous efforts, this latest one will fail because Nigerians can see through their antics...

“We look forward to meeting SERAP in court.”

But, SERAP, in a statement yesterday by its executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said: “We are disappointed that Mrs. OkonjoIweala’s response offers little in terms of dealing with the real issue and why the minister failed to respond to a valid freedom of information request made under the law signed by this government.”

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

6

NEWS Private jet owners get 90-day ultimatum

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

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HE Federal Government has issued a 90-day ultimatum to private jet owners to streamline their operations according to civil aviation regulations.

The ultimatum was given at the conclusion of a meeting between the officials of the Ministry of Aviation and the stakeholders in the general aviation sector.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Alhaji Mohammed Abass, gave the ultimatum after the meeting, which lasted several hours at Abuja.

As part of the decisions at the meeting, the ban on operators of foreign registered privately operated aircraft has been lifted with conditions.

In a statement by the NCAA’s spokesman, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, the authority said: “In furtherance of the Ministry of Aviation’s calculated efforts to streamline the operations of the private jets owners, a 90 days ultimatum has been given to them to come up with their operational preference.

“As earlier indicated, the 90 days ultimatum is one of the conditions, during which it is expected that all operators would have regularise their documentation to specify their choice of operation.

“However, during this moratorium, it is still subsisting that no private jet owner will be allowed to surreptitiously convert his jet for commercial purposes.”

At the end, it was agreed by those present at the meeting that any violation during the ultimatum and after will be visited with stiffer penalties than earlier earmarked.

•Prof. Osinbajo (middle), his wife, Dolapo, with the physically-challenged basketball players at the novelty match...yesterday.

PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHAEL

Our plans for physically-challenged, by Osinbajo

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) will ensure that the physically-challenged achieve their fullest potentials if elected, its vice presidential candidate, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo, said yesterday.

He said the party would formulate policies and programmes that would be friendly to the physicallychallenged and enhance their contributions to national development.

The former Attorney General of Lagos vowed that never again would disabled Nigerians with talents and skills end up on the streets should the APC wins the March 28

By Sunday Oguntola

presidential election.

Osinbajo spoke at a novelty basketball match to mark his 58th birthday by the Wheel Chair Sport Foundation in Lagos.

He said: “The APC is committed to making sure that every skilled and talented physically-challenged Nigerian achieves their potentials.

“We will make sure that no Nigerian with physical disabilities is useless and stranded in life.

“We value every Nigerian, regardless of physical status, and

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the auspices of the PDP Governors Forum, is expected to have all the PDP governors in attendance.

The governors are also expected to dialogue with civil society organisations in the course of the two-day meeting.

•Judge fixes fresh hearing date From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Reps to Presidency: return Budget Office to NPC

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HE House of Representatives has attributed the dismal budget performance over the years to the removal of the Budget Office from the National Planning Commission (NPC).

The lawmakers said having the Budget Office in the Presidency has made it a near-impossible task of achieving effective planning, implementation and proper coordination of the economy.

Chairman of the House Committee on National Planning Commission, Bethel Amadi, who spoke at NPC’s budget defence at the weekend in Abuja, said the nation should take a cue from other countries that have returned their Budget Office to Planning Commission.

He said: “Many of us in the House are agonised at the amount of resources given to the commission with such a large role. We are of the strong believe that you deserve more than the resources being given to you if you are to truly determine the growth pattern of our economy, implement and as well play your monitoring and evaluation role effectively.

“This is why we are of the opinion that budget office should be part and parcel of the National Planning Commission. The new way of having the budget office in Finance is not working.

“A lot of countries, like India and South Africa, have gone back to the old ways and it is working for them.

The National Planning must sign off before Finance can pay. We can’t just be paying for projects, many of which are like stop gaps.

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

“This is why we have hundreds of uncompleted projects, most of which are very critical to our economy. We know the Ministry has been taken over by the Finance Ministry, but again we want to emphasise that the planning commission must be repositioned if the country is to achieve the desired change.

“We need to build strong institutions and not strong men and women. Powers and authorities should reside in institutions and not individuals.”

While the commission was praised for the achievements recorded last year despite the limited resources at its disposal, the lawmakers assured the Commission of the Committee’s determination of getting the right funding for it to carry out its mandate.

In his presentation, the Minister for National Planning and Vice Chairman of the NPC, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, who described last year’s appropriation as “ridiculous and release insignificant”, regretted that non-compliance with budget allocation by various sectors had remained the major hindrance to the nation’s development.

He also informed the committee that paucity of funds has made the realisation of the commission’s core mandate of formulating, implementing and monitoring/evaluation of policies and projects an uphill task.

you and the nation will be better for it,” he stressed.

Coordinator of the foundation Tope Ogunyemi said the athletes decided to organise the surprise birthday bash for Osinbajo in appreciation of his support for them over the years.

“He’s been like a father to us. He has been supporting us and we felt this is the least we can do in his honour.

“We have nothing to give a man like him, but to express our gratitude to him for unalloyed support over the years,” he stressed.

Court confirms transfer of Nyako’s suit before judgment

PDP governors meet in Lagos today OVERNORS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today meet in Lagos to discuss what they described as key national issues.

The meeting, which is under

moreso, those with disabilities. So, we will never allow anyone suffer for disabilities from May 29th by the grace of God.” He said he was celebrating his birthday with the disabled athletes to demonstrate the APC’s determination to better the lots of physically-challenged Nigerians.

Osinbajo told the disabled not to despair, but to support the party to win the presidency for their conditions to change.

“If you make the change happen, we will change your conditions and situations for the best in a way that

•Nyako

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HE Federal High Court has confirmed the transfer of a suit filed by former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako at the Yola division of the court to a new judge in Bauchi division.

The transfer, now being queried

by Nyako, is coming few weeks after the case file was retrieved by the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, from the earlier trial judge, Justice Bilikisu Aliyu, who had scheduled judgment in the case for February 12.

The Nation had reported last week that the case was transferred out of the Yola division, where Justice Aliyu had planned to deliver judgment before Justice Auta called for the file.

Although no official of the court, including the Chief Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie, was willing to comment on the new development in the case, it was learnt from a fresh hearing notice sent to parties that the case has actually been moved to Bauchi.

The new judge to whom the case is assigned at the Bauchi division, Justice M.G Umar, has scheduled hearing for March 17.

It is, however, not clear what direction the proceedings will take before the new judge. It is equally not known whether the new judge will commence hearing afresh, after the judgment earlier fixed for February 12 was aborted, or he will proceed to deliver the judgment

prepared by the earlier trial judge.

Nyako had initiated the suit to challenge the process leading to his impeachment last year.

The suit, a fundamental rights enforcement case, with the Adamawa State House of Assembly & others as defendants, was one of two suits filed by the governor shortly after he was impeached.

Nyako had, in the fundamental rights enforcement suit, filed in November 2014, alleged that he was denied fair hearing by the impeachment panel, which recommended to the House of Assembly that he should be removed from office.

The trial judge in Yola concluded hearing in the fundamental rights enforcement suit and adjourned to February 12, 2015. Before the date scheduled for judgment, the court’ chief judge called for the file on the ground that a petition was written against the trial judge by the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ishaya Banu, through his lawyer, Festus Keyamo.

Nyako protested Justice Auta’s action in a February 2015 petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing him of seizing the case file and “thereby forestalling the delivery of the court judgment slated for February 12, 2015.”

The Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, on February 18, denied Nyako’s allegation.

She said the court’s chief judge called for the case file to enable him address a petition dated February 3, 2014 written to his office by Keyamo on behalf of the Chief Judge of Adamawa State.

Keyamo was also the lawyer to the current Adamawa State Governor, Bala Ngilari (who was the deputy governor under Nyako), when he fought his way back to power via a suit at the Federal High

Court, Abuja.

Nyako’s lawyer and media aide Olukoya Ogungbeje and Ahmad Sajoh said in the petition to the NJC that “on the day the judgment was to be delivered, the judge was not around. No prior information that the court would not sit and no new date was fixed. We got information that it was the CJ that called for the file.

“As we speak to you, the file remains with the CJ. Whose interest is he protecting? We want Justice Auta to tell the whole world why he has not sent the file back to Federal High Court, Yola.”

Ogungbeje said the former governor also sought the probe of the Chief Judge of the Adamawa State, for showing questionable interest in the case.

“The Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ishaya Banu, is hearing a different case filed by Admiral Murtala Nyako to challenge his impeachment procedure. Justice Banu has refused to hear the suit.

“What is the interest of a chief judge in a suit involving politicians?

He filed an application to join the suit before Justice Bilikisu Aliyu and the judge dismissed the application. As if that was not enough, Justice Banu promptly appealed the judgment. The chief judge has decided to join the foray of litigation.”

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal, Abuja will on March 10 rule on the application by the Adamawa State Chief Judge for the abridgement of time within which to compile records at the trial court and to also stay proceedings at the lower court pending the determination of his appeal.

The Adamawa Chief Judge is appealing the ruling by Justice Aliyu, refusing his application to be joined as a party in Nyako’s fundamental rights enforcement suit, now transferred to Bauchi.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

7

NEWS

Stop harassing our members, Oyo APC warns PDP

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has warned against the illegal arrests and intimidation of its members by security agents on the orders of influential leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, yesterday, the party condemned the frequent invitation and detention of some of its members for alleged van-

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

dalism of President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign billboards in parts of the state.

“For about a month now, the Caretaker Chairman of Oyo West Local Government Area, Adesoji Ojoawo and other members of our party have been regular visitors to the police headquarters in Ibadan for allegedly destroying PDP billboards

even after proving their innocence.

“The council boss was again invited last Friday on the same issue and he has since been detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

“It has been established that the billboard, in question, may have been damaged by heavy winds. These same security agents have failed to act on formal re-

ports of damage done to billboards of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Sen. Abiola Ajimobi and other APC candidates.

“As part of their usual practice, some PDP elements in the state would not spare any effort to intimidate, harass and witch-hunt APC members perceived to be a thorn in their flesh.

“Having failed to utilise the chances at its disposal in

the last 16 years, the PDP is faced with the threat of monumental defeat at the polls.

“Some of their notable members are there sponsoring violence against the opposition but there is nobody to checkmate them. On this note, we call on the PDP power mongers as well as their willing security agents to desist from further abuse of privilege and stop heating up the polity.”

Lawyers walk for Buhari/ Osinbajo From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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GROUP, Lawyers for Change, at the weekend held a rally in Oyo in support of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Speaking at the rally, the Coordinator, Adesina Ogunlana, said the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) is for all lawyers but Lawyers for Change is a political group.

Ogunlana urged voters to vote for change, Buhari and Osinbajo because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ruined the nation and its economy.

NBA Secretary, Oyo State branch, Olajide Olanipekun, said: “Lawyers for Change is not about the NBA or politicking but we believe in Buhari/Osinbajo, especially Osinbajo, who is a professor of law and a former attorney-general in Lagos State for eight years.

“If we don’t have professionals like these in the forefront, we will definitely be led by the knowledge of the mediocre. Nigeria is so buoyant that we can afford anything and that is the reason we need Buhari and Osinbajo to put things right because they have the integrity to manage our resources.”

More support for Jonathan

•From left: Senator Lekan Balogun, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin, when Folarin’s campaign train visited the monarch.

Court fines Army N10m for assault, detention

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Federal High Court in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has awarded N10 million damages against the Army for the assault and unlawful detention of a lawyer, Zerubbabel Omoyele.

Former Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika; Commanding Officer, 19 Battalion, Naquora Barracks, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Capt M.C Ndubuisi and Hassan Habila were joined as respondents.

The victim’s counsel, Tope Temokun, said his client was assaulted and harassed on March 11, 2013, at Okitipupa when he tried to gather evi-

care of the territorial borders of the country and protect the citizens from internal terrorism.

The court berated the officers for the condemnable act, saying soldiers had no power under the law to beat and detain the citizens they ought to protect.

It ordered the Army to pay the applicant N10 million as exemplary damages for the violations of his rights and order of injunction.

The court also restrained the officers and the Army from further harassment of the applicant.

Ajimobi orders payment of workers’ salaries

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

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EADERS of the Old Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the Southern Senatorial District of Ondo State have urged aggrieved members to work for the success of President Goodluck Jonathan and other candidates in the elections.

The leaders, including the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, John-Olu Mafo, Ayo Fayefunmi and others, spoke after a stakeholders’ meeting convened

by Chief Olusola Oke at Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area.

Oke said they have pledged to remain in the party, despite the challenges since the defection of Governor Olusegun Mimiko to the party.

He said: “We have heard and accepted the plea from our leaders for us to forget the past and forge ahead by working and supporting our party in all the elections.

“That we are going to massively mobilise and vote for our presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.”

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

dence in an assault matter against his own client, Joseph Omoranmowo.

Temokun said Omoranmowo was unlawfully detained and allegedly assaulted by Capt Ndubuisi and Habila of the Naquora Barracks, Okitipupa Local Government Area.

The lawyer said Omoyele invited a photographer to take photos of Omoranmowo.

Temokun added that he (Omoyele) was forcibly taken to the barracks, detained and beaten up for daring to obtain evidence against the military officers.

He argued that the military officers violated and breached his client’s right to dignity and personal liberty.

But Army counsel Yemi Akinseye-George contended that the Army set up a panel to investigate the incident.

He argued that since the chief of Army staff and the commandant of the 19 Battallion did not authorise or consent to the acts of the fourth and fifth respondents, they could not be liable.

Justice I.M Sani said it was wrong for the military to assume the role of the police when they were meant to take

•Ajimobi

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YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has directed that all outstanding salaries be paid this week.

Commissioner for Finance Zach Adelabu said salaries were delayed following the late payment of states’ allocation from the Federal Government.

He said the state received the January allocation on February 26, which was a far cry from what was expected.

Adelabu denied the opposition’s claim that local contractors were not being patronised.

The commissioner said over 60 per cent of the contracts awarded by the administration were to local con-

tractors.

His words: “What did they know about capital flight?

These people who are talking just ask them what they understand by the word capital flight. We have 33 local governments building roads that are having a direct and positive bearing on our people.

“They are building schools; supplying furniture; yet they say that those that did these and are still working are not from here? The jobs that the local contractors cannot handle are the ones we are giving out to outsiders.

“One of such projects is the

Mokola flyover. And apart from that flyover and the one done by the military at Molete and Secretariat Bridge, no civilian administration has done such projects in the state.

“We have expanded many roads in conformity with global standard and we are not stopping at that. Other areas as qualitative health care delivery, education, among others, are receiving attention.”

Adelabu assured retired primary school teachers, who are yet to get their salaries, that the government was working to put smiles on their faces.

I didn’t step down for Amosun, says Paseda

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HE governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in Ogun State, Prince Olatunde Rotimi Paseda, has denied insinuations that he has stepped down for Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Paseda said those spreading the rumour are afraid of his grassroots support.

He spoke to reporters yesterday at the arrival hall of the general aviation terminal of the domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, aboard a flight from Kaduna.

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

Paseda said he will not step down for anyone because the UPN remains the party to beat.

His words: “I understand that there are some rumours, hearsays that I have stepped down for Governor Ibikunle Amosun. I’m sure Amosun himself knows that I will never step down for him and in this particular race in Ogun State, he is also aware that it’s between Paseda and Amosun, everyone else is inconsequential. They don’t even have any presence in Ogun State.

“Every household in Ogun State

knows Paseda and there are lots of tricks that are being played. My posters are being removed; my billboards are being replaced.

I think they are just being intimidated. They feel that I am a formidable force and-they think the only way they can do that is to spread ugly rumours that they feel can give them advantage.

“My message to my people is for them to keep doing what they are doing. They know I won’t step down for Amosun.

They will see that Awolowo has been reincarnated and Ogun State will go back to where Awolowo started and left it.”

‘Leave Jega alone’ From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has condemned the alleged plot to sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof.

Attahiru Jega.

The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, yesterday in Akure, said the alleged move to remove Jega gave an impression of attempts to undermine the credibility of the rescheduled general elections.

He said: “We are aware of reports in the media of an alleged grand plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to frustrate the INEC chairman.

“However, we state without equivocation that any attempt to sack or relieve Jega of his duties, under any guise, before the expiration of his tenure will be unacceptable to Nigerians and would be resisted by the people.

“Prof. Jega started the electoral process in 2011 and he should be allowed to complete the process since he is not known to have committed any “sin” known to law.

“Whether terminal or politically-motivated leave, if he is not allowed to do his job by the PDP, it would mean that the party has concluded plans to sabotage the elections.”

‘Sanction erring stations’

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HE Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON) have been urged to sanction television stations and newspapers disseminating damaging documentaries and hate advertorials.

The APC accused the organisations of partisanship and protection of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which it alleged was desperate to remain in office.

APC’s spokesman in Lagos Joe Igbokwe accused a particular television station of engaging in false and desperate propaganda sponsored by agents of the ruling party.

In a statement, Igbokwe said the station undermined decency and decorum in its desperate effort to partake in PDP’s grand looting of the nation’s oil wealth.

“What the station is doing for the collapsing PDP is akin to what similar organisations did for the military in the days Nigerians struggled against dictatorship.

The station is doing this nefarious activity, irrespective of the dangerous consequences these hate propaganda bode for Nigerian even after the election.

“We wonder why the NBC that has been hounding opposition parties and candidates for expressing their views has turned a blind eye to the dangerous and notorious lies and fabrications this station has made its primary business.

“We wonder how a self-respecting broadcasting station could allow itself to be employed as a purveyor of blackmail and slander against those it feels constitute threats to its livelihood.”

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

8

NEWS Ignore Akinjide, says Ajimobi campaign group

Pupil stabbed in Ibadan From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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SENIOR Secondary School (SS) II pupil of Muslim Grammar School, Ibadan, Toib Wahab, has been stabbed to death by his friend.

It was gathered that Wahab(18) and Folarin Sadiq (19) were arguing when the latter brought out a knife from his bag and stabbed Toib in the stomach.

The incident caused chaos in the school, which is located in Odinjo on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A teacher, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “We tried all we could to save Toib’s life.”

Police spokesman Kayode Ajisebutu said the suspect has been arrested and the murder weapon recovered.

He said the encounter occurred outside the school.

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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•From left: Secretary-General, Kini Ipin Yoruba ninu Ijoba PDP, Foluso Aminu, president, Prince Diran Iyanitan and member, Billy Omosebi when the group visited The Nation’s Corporate Head Office in Lagos.

PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUNMI

‘Let peace reign in Oyo’ From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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HE governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has called for peace among governorship candidates.

He urged parties that attended last week’s parley with the police to ensure absolute compliance with the accord signed and called for extension of the same to governorship candidates.

By allowing governorship candidates to sign a peace pact, Makinde opined that it would ensure peaceful conduct of politicians and their supporters, adding that it will ultimately promote a peaceful and conducive environment that can guarantee free, fair credible elections.

He also reiterated his call for an unbiased investigation by the police into the last week’s violence at Odinjo in Ibadan South-East Local Government Area.

“The police findings should be made public and whoever is responsible should be punished.

With 16 years of uninterrupted democracy, we should be seen to have moved away from certain tendencies.”

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Ekiti APC urges improvement on card readers

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the nonrecognition of fingerprints recorded at last Saturday’s test-running of card readers.

The party said the call became necessary to enhance the credibility of the general elections.

Its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said in a statement yesterday that though the verdicts showed that the exercise gave hope for credible polls, there were areas that needed to be amended to remove doubts about the credibility and reliability of the device.

According to him, these include reported lapses in the functioning of the ma-

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

chines and inability of the device to recognise the fingerprints of some prospective voters, owing to dirty fingers.

Olatubosun said the exercise demonstrated evidence of INEC’s readiness to conduct fraud-free polls.

“If the result achieved at the weekend is improved upon, we can safely say that the technology marks the end of over-voting and impersonation,” Olatubosun said.

Describing the time saved during the exercise as incredible, he said the use of card readers will eliminate

spending long hours in the queue while also removing the fears of health issues that might arise from staying long hours in the sun.

“It is incredible that accreditation took less than a minute instead of about five minutes in past exercises.

“Apart from eliminating multiple voting, it will encourage voters to vote for the candidate of their choice, without any fear of result manipulation.

“We praise this innovation

by INEC. From what we have seen in the exercise, INEC has demonstrated that it is ready to create a legacy of credible elections in our country.”

Former Deputy Governor

Sikiru Lawal criticised INEC for waiting few weeks before the elections to test-run the card readers.

Speaking with reporters yesterday, Lawal expressed fears that the March 28 elections might become chaotic as a result of what he called “INEC’s alleged untidy preparations”.

The former deputy governor, who participated in the mock accreditation exercise at Oloja Ese Polling Unit in Ado-Ekiti Ward 9, said the card reader captured his fingerprints on the seventh attempt.

He claimed that 10 others of the 64 verified by the machine suffered a similar fate, wondering how INEC would manage the 764 registered voters in the ward on election day.

Robbers attack Ado-Ekiti estate

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OME residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate on Ilawe Road in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, were robbed by a seven-man gang, which attacked at least six homes.

The robbers carted away cash, electronics, jewelry, laptops, iPads, phones and other valuables after operating unhindered for about three hours.

They were said to have arrived the estate at midnight on motorcycles and headed for the Green Roof Section, where they

•Residents held hostage for three hours From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

divided themselves into small groups.

The chairman of the landlords association, Ayo Orebe, said dogs barked endlessly before the arrival of the robbers, which was a sign that something sinister was about to happen.

Orebe said: “It was at 12:30 am that one of the victims, a young man, rushed to my place.

“He said the robbers broke

into his apartment. He said he would have put up a fight but they put a gun on his son.

“Immediately we called the police and in fairness to them they were in the estate in 10 minutes.

“But I think the fact that they were blaring their sirens put the thieves on guard because the police searched everywhere in the area before they left but they did not see any of the robbers.

“Five other residents,

including a player with Ekiti United Football Club, came to report that they were robbed.

“They said the robbers took away their phones, laptops, computers, and lots of money, among others.

“The victims said they threatened to shoot their children, if they failed to produce their belongings.”

Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi said officers responded promptly to the distress call and succeeded in securing the estate till daybreak.

HE Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the Ajimobi Campaign Organisation has condemned the statement that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would create Ibadan state, if President Goodluck Jonathan is elected.

Describing it as evil and mischievous, the committee said PDP has failed Ibadan people in the last 16 years.

A statement by the committee’s director, Wasiu Olatubosun, said the message could be best described as a package of lies, “used to play on the intelligence of sons and daughters of Ibadan land, who have been yearning for Ibadan state in the last 30 years.

“If truly PDP is sincere in the creation of Ibadan state, why did it take this long to get it done and why has it used it as one of its cardinal campaign promises in the state since 1999.

“After deceiving the good people of Ibadan, they are here again with the same old fable, thinking that Ibadan people would fall for their deceit.

“The people, especially Ibadan people, should beware of the antics of ‘People Deceit Party’as deceit is the hallmark of the Jonathan-led PDP administration and his state campaign coordinator, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, is using the Ibadan state creation to hoodwink the people.

“It would interest the public to know that the creation of Ibadan state was not in the final document submitted to the President through the National Conference.”

Olatubosun urged the people to ignore both the message and the sponsors.

The committee also advised the public to be wary of the antics of some people, who were collecting Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from voters in exchange for money.

Court dismisses CBN ‘s objections to Bank PHB shareholders’ suit

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HE Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed preliminary objections filed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and others against a suit by some shareholders of the defunct Bank PHB Plc. Justice Mohammed Yinusa assumed jurisdiction in the suit in which the plaintiffs are challenging the alleged illegal transfer of their shares to Keystone Bank without compensa-

By Joseph Jibueze tion.

The plaintiffs are demanding N38.6 billion from the defendants being “fair compensation” to them for the value of their investment in Bank PHB Plc. They are also praying for an order setting aside the alleged unlawful nationalisation, compulsory acquisition and expropriation of their investments in Bank PHB, and are seeking N20 billion as damages for the loss of value of

their investments in Bank PHB. CBN, Keystone Bank, Attorney-General of the Federation, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and AMCON are the respondents.

The plaintiffs said NDIC on August 5, 2011, wrote Bank PHB’s managing director informing him that the bank’s assets and liabilities had been transferred to Keystone Bank without any form of adequate compensation to the shareholders.

The plaintiffs are praying the court to declare that the action amounted to unlawful compulsory acquisition of their investment and is, therefore, unconstitutional, arbitrary, null and void.

The defendants, however, filed preliminary objections to the suit, urging the court to strike it out for lack of jurisdiction.

Arguing the objection, CBN’s lawyer Kola Awodein said the plaintiffs did not bring the action properly.

However, the plaintiffs’

lawyer, Anthony Idigbe, urged the court to dismiss the objections.

Justice Yunusa held that as shareholders, the plaintiffs have a say in the bank, adding that no arm of government could take away a citizen’s right to acquire or hold property; therefore, there can be no compulsory acquisition of the shares.

The court said the plaintiffs were right to exercise their right to sue.

Justice Yunusa added that the plaintiffs have the

locus standi to institute the action.

“The mode of commencement is not material, there is no limitation on the time to bring a fundamental human right matter. Also, there is no requirement of compliance with the statutory pre-action notices when it involves fundamental human rights issues,” the court held.

The verdict may affect AMCON’s planned sale of Keystone Bank in the second quarter of this year.

Justice Yinusa adjourned till March 31 for hearing.

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THE NATION MONDAY MARCH 9, 2015

NEWS Man, 78, ‘defiles’ girl, six From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

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78-YEAR-OLD man, Oji Nnachi, an indigene of NkeluEzi, Ogwuma in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has been accused of defiling a sixyear-old girl.

The victim’s father, Nnachi Ndukwe told our reporter that his daughter’s private part was bleeding after the incident.

He urged the police to investigate the matter and find out if the suspect transmitted diseases to the victim.

Ndukwe blamed the alleged defilement to the absence of his wife, Ogechi, whom he said left him and married another man, subjecting him to the difficulty of taking care of his children.

He said: “I returned from work and saw people in my compound. When I asked them what happened, they told me that my daughter had been defiled. Then I saw my daughter, bbleeding.

“I don’t blame the man, I blame my wife who left me and married another man. Since then, my children have lacked proper care.”

The suspect is said to have been arrested by the Afikpo South Police.

Hotel guests robbed in Aba From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba •Founder, Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), Comrade Elliot Uko (fourth left), with members of IYM and Southeast Self Determination Coalition, at a peaceful rally on violence-free elections in Enugu...yesterday

Constituency threatens to recall Speaker

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BONYI North East Constituency has threatened to initiate recall process against the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chukwuma Nwazunku, “if he does not retrace his steps.”

Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting at Randa in Ebonyi Local Government, stakeholders said Nwazunku has betrayed their confidence.

The group, in its

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

communiqué read by Mr. Mike Nwambam, accused the Speaker of not attracting incentive to the people since election, adding that he has turned to be anathema to the collective existence of the constituents.

He wondered why the Speaker, instead of making laws that would impact positively on the people, the pur-

pose for which he was elected, was only interested in seeking the impeachment of other elected people like him.

Nwambam alleged that the Speaker was only interested in leading a move for the removal of his brother, Ikechukwu Nwankwo, who was impeached as the Speaker.

A former Ward Councillor of Enyibichiri Ward II, Ekene

Nwankwo, said Nwazunku had turned to a lion to those who saved him when he was impeached by members of the Assembly last July, including leading the impeachment move against Governor Martin Elechi, who fought tooth and nail to reinstate him as the Speaker.

More than 2,000 persons attended the meeting.

The stakeholders said the Speaker would face a recall.

Ebonyi accuses EFCC of plot to cripple state

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BONYI State government has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the management of Fidelity Bank Plc of working with the enemies of the government to cripple its activities.

The government’s allegation is contained in a suit it filed against the EFCC and Fidelity Bank, before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging, among others, the decision by the bank to freeze its Joint Local Government account No: 5030027464 (held in the bank) allegedly on the directive of the EFCC. The bank had, via a letter dated January 21, stated that the EFCC had directed it (the bank) to place a “no debit order” on the account on the grounds that EFCC was investigating the account for fraud allegedly perpetrated by some state officials.

Governor Martins Elechi is facing impeachment, as 15 members of the House of Assembly are moving against

•Fidelity, UBA, Zenith, ICPC joined as defendants From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

him.

The suit was filed by the Attorney-General, Ben Igwenyi and the 13 local governments. It has as defendants, the EFCC and Fidelity Bank.

Last Monday, Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, upon hearing an application by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), joined the United Bank for Africa (UBA Plc), Zenith Bank Plc and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) as defendants.

The plaintiffs are seeking an order of injunction directing the second defendant (Fidelity) to lift the ‘no debit order’ placed on the account or any accounts with other banks, and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further placing a ‘no debit order’ on their joint account with Fidelity Bank and tampering with any of their assets under any guise.

Eight-month-old kidnapped in Aba •Gunmen abduct man

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IX gunmen at the weekend invaded the home of a man, simply identified as Mr. Amankwo at Amaorji in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, Aba in Abia State and kidnapped his eight-monthold son, Chima.

Sources said the kidnappers, who arrived in a red car, took the baby from his cot.

The abductors’ two mobile phones were allegedly picked up on the scene of the

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

incident.

Also, a resident of Aba was reportedly kidnapped at the weekend.

It was learnt the victim, Nnanna Ngwakwe, was snatched about 7:45pm at 10, Akwarandu Street, opposite a filling station on Ikot Ekpene Road, Ehere, Aba. It was yet to be established whether they have contacted the victim’s family.

They are also seeking an order that the plaintiffs are entitled to fair and adequate compensation as general damages of N500 million for the disruption of the state’s activities and the embarrassment caused it.

The plaintiffs want the court to declare that the powers of the EFCC (exercised through Fidelity Bank) pursuant to sections 21, 24, 28, 29 of the EFCC Act on the plaintiffs’ account with Fidelity, is unlawful.

They want the court to declare that the EFCC, in exercising its powers by directing Fidelity Bank to place a ‘no debit order’ on the plaintiffs’ joint account, without judicial intervention and recourse to the plaintiffs’ rights under Section 36(2) and (5) of the constitution is unconstitutional.

The plaintiffs, in a supporting affidavit, said the basis of the attachment/freeze of the account is that an investigation is ongoing on the ac-

count, and that “the action of the defendants is politicallymotivated by political differences.”

They argued that EFCC’s power to attach assets or property could only be exercised against persons or body of persons corporate or incorporate, who are under investigation and that the government is neither body incorporate or unincorporated.

They added that Ebonyi State government is an entity that cannot be arrested.

“The act of the defendants in freezing the afore-described account has gravely and adversely paralysed the administrative activities of the state and its local government councils.

“The administrative paralyses engendered by the defendants is dire, especially because civil servants can no longer be paid their salaries and therefore, there are not funds to run the day-to-day affairs of the 13 local governments in the state.”

‘I’ll not be under anyone’s shadow’ From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

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HE governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has said he would not operate under anyone’s shadow if elected.

He said as the governor, he would not be an appendage to any stakeholder, nor would he be patronised by anybody, stressing that the signature of his administration would be his only and no other person’s own.

Speaking in Umuahia while interacting with reporters, Ikpeazu said history across the country showed that those who left office as governors did not have any control over those who succeeded them and Abia would not be an exception.

He said the economy of the state would be private sectordriven, stressing that his aim was to move away from the dependence of the state on funds from the federal allocation and oil derivation funds.

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BOUT 10 robbers at the weekend in Aba, Abia State, attacked one of the hotels in the commercial city, stealing valuables and money.

They also stole an unspecified amount of cash from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) on the premises.

Although information about the incident was sketchy, The Nation learnt that the incident occurred about 4 am on Saturday.

A source, who confirmed the incident, said none of the guests was injured.

The source said the bandits fled the scene before the police arrived.

Two suspected robbers were arrested by a vigilance group in Aba.

We must enhance women’s access to education, says Aisha Babangida

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HE Chairperson of Better Life for the African Rural Woman and Founder of the Aisha Babangida Youth Leadership Series, Aisha Babangida, has urged the three tiers of government in Nigeria and Africa to invest more in the education of girls and womenfolk.

According to her, Nigeria must strive to meet UNESCO’s budgetary appropriation for education and must advocate the right of the girl-child to education.

She spoke at the anniversary of the 2015 International Women’s Day in Abuja.

This year’s celebration drew attention to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, with a call from the UN Women’s Beijing +20 Campaign Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!

Babangida used the celebration to commemorate women who have achieved milestones in Nigeria -in the academics, grassroots development, banking, politics and medicine.

She enjoined women to mobilise support for one another in other to grow together.

Babangida singled out the ordinary woman for being steadfast against the odds of societal and economic alienation.

She advised stakeholders to do more for the empowerment of women across board.

The International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. In different parts of the world, the celebrations range from celebration of women’s achievements in economic, political and social spheres to showing them love and appreciation.

Woman ‘kills’ husband in Enugu From Chris Oji, Enugu

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HOUSEWIFE at the weekend in Enugu allegedly killed her husband.

Grace Agbo, was said to have allegedly used a club to hit her husband, Elijah Agbo, on the head.

The Agbos were said to hail from Imirike Agu village in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

They live at Mbu Amon in Isi-Uzo Council where the incident occurred.

Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said the deceased was hale and hearty before the incident and was with his 12-year-old daughter, Deborah.

The body has been deposited at the General Hospital, Ikem, mortuary for autopsy.

The suspect is in custody at the police headquarters, Enugu.

He said: “About 9pm, Deborah was suddenly asked

•Mrs Agbo

by her mother, whose motive was not known, to go to bed.

“It was learnt that Deborah went into her room, only to hear the sound of a heavy hit.

She rushed out and found her father lying in a pool of blood.

“It was discovered that the mother used a big stick found on the scene to hit the father on the head, which caused him injury that made him to slump. He became unconscious and later died.”

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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CITYBEATS Two boys, three others held as A

GANG that specialised in recruiting children to burgle homes in Kirikiri-Ojo, Lagos has been smashed by the Navy.

Five members were arrested and handed over to the police.

According to the Commander NNS WEY, Commodore Ignatius Ilaiya, they were arrested after two of the teenagers sent to break into people’s homes were intercepted by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) WEY personnel at Navy Town, Ojo. The teenagers, aged 13 and 15, told The Nation that they have been stealing for the group since last year.

The duo said they were intimidated and beaten by the older members to start stealing.

Others nabbed are Afeez Lamidi, 29; Abdulsalam Garba, 29 and Ibrahim Idris, 27.

Three others are said to be at large.

The teenagers confessed to have stolen N50,000, N40,000, N12,000, N7, 000 and N5, 000 from the barracks and a motorcycle and a television set which they handed over to the others, who usually gave them N1, 000 after each operation.

The 13-year-old said they used razor blades to cut mosquito nets on doors and windows to gain entry.

He said: “We are four children in my family and I am from Edo State. My mother sells recharge card. These brothers

navy smashes robbery gang

•The suspects

By Precious Igbonwelundu

(pointing at the other suspects) were the ones who forced me to start stealing.

“Everytime they would come to our house and they would be beating me. They said they will injure me if I refused to steal and that if I tell anybody they will deal with me.

“That is how they used to beat us and they would take us to waterside and be teaching us how to enter someone’s house and steal.

“I have been stealing since last December. I have stolen N50,000, N40,000, N12,000, N7,000 and N5000.

We give everything we stole to them and they will give

•The boys

us N1000 each.

“I usually jump fence around 6pm to check if people are around. I was coming to meet my second (the 15-year-old) who was already inside before I was arrested that day. It is my second who usually uses blade to tear nets and we enter the house.

“My parents do not know that I steal. I used to leave when my mother gives me money to go and buy food and I will go home late and tell them I was in my friend’s house.

They do not complain whenever I go home late and I did not tell anyone that I was being forced to

steal because they said they will deal with me.”

His second said he started stealing last December 31, after “several beatings from the adults.”

“Papa Afeez usually takes us to waterside and teach us how to steal. Initially when we refused, they would come to our house and be beating us. He warned us not to tell anyone. We have stolen money many times and also television and motorcycle.

“I use blades to cut nets to enter people’s houses.

Most times too, when we discover some people did not lock their doors, we enter their houses and steal. I

Three held for alleged robbery

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AGOS State Special Anti-Robbery Square (SARS) has arrested three persons for allegedly robbing a driver at gun point.

They are: Aliu Abubakar, 22, Anas Mohammed, 20 and Aliu Adamu, 30.

SARS said they allegedly robbed a driver conveying orange fruit juice at 5am around Cassidi Bus stop at Okokomaiko in Lagos, last month. They pointed a gun and machete at the driver and the conductor, robbed them of their phones and N27, 000 cash.

The driver identified one of the suspects when he and the owner of the goods were invited by the police after arresting the

‘

See my hands, I cannot trigger a gun but I can use machete. It was when my parents couldn’t take care of me that I took to robbery.

By Ebele Boniface

gang.

Abubakar said he never used a gun to rob due to his burnt fingers.

He said: “See my hands, I cannot trigger a gun but I can use machete. It was when my parents couldn’t take care of me that I took to robbery. To feed myself, I did scrap picking. One

’

kilo of scrap is sold for N750. I spend N500 to buy it with N250 gain daily.

We have operated over 10 times. We are five in the group but only three of us were arrested. I had once been remanded for stealing at Kirikiri Medium Prison where I spent three months. We steal phones and hand bags in traffic jams or during rush hours.

Our leader is Shibushele and he is the one in charge of the gun while others use machete.”

Mohammed said he was arrested at his Okokomaiko residence.

“I am a butcher. I sell meat at Odo-eran market in Ojo Army Cantonment, Mammy Market in Lagos. I used to get N700 daily. I participated in the last robbery but I was given a token of N8, 000,” he said.

Adamu also a butcher denied being a member of the gang.

“I only bought mobile phones from Aliu because he sold them at cheaper rates. I knew him as a scrap person. I knew that they were robbers but I never followed them to rob,” he said.

Council teaches youths ways out of crime

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PAPA Local Government Executive Secretary, Bolaji Dada has restated the need to fight crime and other social vice in the society.

Dada said all hands must be on the deck to curtail crime, noting that unemployment is the factor responsible for it.

She said the council would do everything within its power to assist youths who are ready to embrace hard work, stressing that government will train and empower youths to enable them earn decent living.

At a ceremony to teach

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

By Musa Odoshimokhe

youths how to become useful citizens trough self employment, Dada enjoined them to be proactive in the development of the council.

The youths received items ranging from vulcanizing machines, clippers, generators, pope corn machines, hair dresser machines, sewing machines and hair dryers were urged to be proactive in making the society better.

Dada said it was better to teach them how to fish, saying that the effort will lead to multiple effects of reduc-

ing crime and enhancing the economy growth.

She said: “We have decided to move away from tokenism of doling out consumables to people. We believe such consumable be exhausted within weeks, sending their beneficiaries to the squalor where they have always been.

“Today, government should not only concentrate on erecting building and construction of roads while the welfare of the people is push to the background.”

She added that one of the best way of fighting crime is to engage the youth in pro-

ductive venture, noting that the council will continue to play its role the fight to make Apapa and environs better.

“All over the world, especially in Africa, poverty has become a hydra-headed problem which must be tackled by all, using all the available resources at our disposal to nip it in the bud.

“Though this should not be left in the hands of the government alone, everyone must be involved. This includes the philanthropists, corporate bodies and very other person with the milk of human kindness,” she stressed.

do not like stealing but had to do it out of fear. They usually wait for us at the back of the fence while we go inside and steal. After stealing, we meet them at the back of the fence, give them everything and they will give us N1000 each,” he said.

Ilaiya said the children were arrested when a Naval patrol team within the barracks suspected their movements and called them for questioning.

He said people had been complaining about their homes being burgled, prompting the base to take measures to avert a recurrence.

“The suspects confessed they were in the barracks to do reconnaissance so that when they return in the night to execute their plan.

Through interrogation, it was discovered that they are members of a syndicate at Kirikiri. From their confessions, three others including the man who buys stolen items from them were arrested, while a certain Tonton and one Blast are currently on the run. Also the elder brother of one of the suspects, who they also claimed is a member was said to be in Badagry. Efforts are being made to also investigate and arrest him,” Ilaiya said.

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NURTW boss warns against violence

AGOS State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede has warned members to desist from violence.

He said the warning became necessary because of the police threat to seal off any park where there is violence.

Agbede was reviewing the Oshodi crisis in which three persons died at the union’s monthly meeting over the weekend.

The union, he said, would no longer allow disgruntled elements to tarnish its image.

“We have been enjoying peace in the Lagos State council since I came on board about three years ago. I will not fold

my hands and allow some disgruntled elements to rubbish my achievements. We shall not allow them to take us back to the dark period in the history of the union when violent clashes in all the parks were the order of the day,” he said.

Agbede warned that where there is violence, the state council would take over the park after suspending its executive members.

He thanked the police, the Department of Security Service (SSS) and Lagos State government for their support and understanding.

Labourer defiles master’s four-year-old girl

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27-year old labourer, Friday Nwiwe, has been arraigned before an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly raping a four-year old girl.

Nwiwe was said to have ‘defiled’ the Nursery twopupil at her father’s house in Seme Border, near Badagry, Lagos.

The Ebonyi state born defendant is said to be employee of the girl’s father.

He was said to have had carnal knowledge of the girl four days after his employment.

Nwiwe, was reported to have told the girl not to re-

By Safiyyah Abdur-Razaq

port the matter to her mother.

The child sustained injuries in her private parts.

Nwiwe, who pleaded guilty, said “I did not sleep with her; I only inserted my hand into her”.

Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Etim Nkankuk told the court that the defendant committed an offence contrary to Section 134 of the criminal law of Lagos State.

Magistrate Abolarinwa Olatunbosun fixed sentencing, for March 6.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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CITYBEATS The Nation man attacked by hoodlums H

OODLUMS attacked a graphic artist with The Nation Joe Ukah, last Monday, taking away his phone and N15, 000 cash.

The incident happened around Dopemu under bridge on LagosAbeokuta Expressway at 10.30pm when he was returning from office.

Ukah was injured on the head.

He withdrew the money to give his brother who was billed to travel the following day. Part of the money was also meant for his mother in the village.

Ukah, with a bandaged head said yesterday: “A colleague dropped me off near Dopemu bridge; It was really dark so I decided to walk to the next bus stop since my chances of getting a bus there were slim; I was still heading to Abule-Egba. I was almost at the bus stop when suddenly someone grabbed me from behind and searched my pocket. As I began to struggle, four other men came with sticks and hit me on my head. They beat me mercilessly that I bled. Before I knew it, my phone, wallet and the N15, 000 I withdrew earlier on that day had gone.”

Ukah said he wanted to give the

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

No plan to sell water corporation, says MD

By Wale Ajetunmobi

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By Basirat Braimah

money to his brother who was travelling and send some part of it to his mother.

“I used my shirt to tie my head because I had bled so much. I didn’t have a kobo on me. It was a Good Samaritan who saw me that gave me his shirt to put on and N100 to Abule-Egba. When I got to the hospital few minutes past 11pm, the nurses on duty didn’t want to attend to me if not for one of them who recognised me. I wasn’t given first-aid treatment because I had no money on me.

They only stopped the blood and wrapped my head with bandage “The following day, I went back to the hospital because the pain deprived me from sleeping and I thought my head was going to fall off. I was asked to pay N20, 000 for treatment but I deposited N15, 000. My head was stitched in five different places before it was bandaged. I couldn’t resume office for two days because of the pain.

Ukah thanked God for saving his life, urging people to always be on the alert especially at night.

•Ukah

New needle hits market

•Victor (right) assisted by a woman to test the new needle

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AGKORCE Nigeria Limited has launched the MK VanishPoint Retractable Syringes and Needles.

These modern medical apparatus were being introduced into Africa’s largest economic for the first time. The MK VanishPoint syringe, needle and other gadgets that comprise those for blood collection are produced in America

by Retractable Technologies INC. Its African affiliate, Magkorce is franchised to distribute the company’s wide range of medical products in Africa. The products

By Mercy Michael

were formally made public at the seminar and media chat at Greensland International Hotel Resort, Ogba, Ikeja.

Magkorce Director, Obinna Victor lamented that Nigerians buy some of the most expensive items in the world but they cannot spend less on their health status, instead, blaming the devil for their woes.

The uniqueness of the products of MK VanishPoint, Victor said, is to protect the lives.

On possible adulteration of its

products Obinna said: “Care has been taken to stop that. Nobody can bring in fake products of same use.

Its high cost will reduce the desire of adulterators. The technology in its production shall also act as a deterrent to fakers of products. “ He believes that with time, the company shall inculcate government at all levels so that the product can be available to the common man.

“It won’t come easy because of government bottlenecks in getting things done. But it will eventually come to be since our people deserve the best of healthcare facilities. Moreover if an average Nigerian can afford three set of phones, why can’t he or she pay little for the best medical care in the world? It will reduce unnecessary Needle Stick Injuries (NSI) fatalities,” he said.

Chairman of the company, Dr Udochukwu Ihenetu said the MK VanishPoint syringe was develop in quest of a single non-reusable safety syringe that would replace the conventional syringe that has been rumoured to be the

source of NSI. According to him, healthcare workers in Africa suffer an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 accidental NSI each year.

This, he the Ghania-based Nigerian medical practitioner, said amounts to one NSI for every 8,000 injuries given with a conventional syringe.

“Whenever a syringe is reuse, or when a healthcare worker suffers an accidental NSI, it is imperative that test will be conducted to determine whether or not a blood borne disease has been contracted and often the test must be repeated because it may take several months before some pathogens can be detected. HIV sometimes lies dormant in the human body for up to three years. Such test are expensive in Africa, the cost is approximately $7,000. In instances where blood borne disease indeed has been contracted, treatment can be expensive. Victims of NSI are usually frontline healthcare workers: doctors and nurses that the world cannot afford to lose,” he said.

HERE is no plan to sell Corporation (LSWC), its Managing Director, Mr Shayo Holloway, has said.

Rather, the government is considering the public private partnership to meet the state’s water need.

Holloway said: “There is no iota of truth in the speculation that the Lagos State government is planning to sell its water corporation. Rather, the government is seeking a partnership with private sector under the Public Private Partnership Law of 2004 to accelerate development of water infrastructure to meet the demand, which stands at 540 million gallons per day (MGD).”

Holloway, who said the corporation provides water to nine million people daily, said the government had foreseen a situation where water demand would increase to 733 MGD by 2020 because of the increasing population in the state. He stressed that the population projection necessitated the need to boost the corporation’s capacity to provide potable water to the population.

Holloway said the corporation has unveiled a $3.5 billion master plan that would increase potable water production to 745MGD, adding that its implementation would be witnessed by other government agencies to protect public interest.

“To address the current water demand and meet the projection of the near future, LSWC developed a master plan to take the state from its current 210MGD to 745MGD by year 2020, through development of additional large water scheme taking raw water from rivers and lagoons for treatment into potable water,” he said.

The state, Holloway said, could not solely fund the project, which will cover the major water works, adding, that the government has started implementing part of the master plan in Adiyan Phase II, which would add 70MGD to the supply capacity.

He identified boreholes as threat to efforts to provide potable water for the citizenry, saying Lagos is at risk of salt water from the Atlantic Ocean migrating to pollute the ground water because of boreholes in coastal region of the state.

If completely implemented, Holloway said, the master plan would discourage the sinking of boreholes by residents. The multi-billion dollars project, he said, would provide surplus potable water to Lagos homes cheap and discourage the sinking of boreholes.

•Iyaloja-Genaral of Lagos Mrs Folasade Tinubu-Ojo (seventh left) assisted by Lagos State Commissioner for Local Goverments and Chieftaincy Affairs Ademorin Kuye (fifth left); Ikorodu West LCDA Executive Secretary Princess Adunni Oyefusi (fifth right) and other community leaders during commissioning of a New Ultra Modern Market, Ebute in Ikorodu, Lagos

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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CITYBEATS Electricity bill: Residents insist no payment R

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

ESIDENTS of Papa Ashafa and Alagba Community Development Association (CDA) in Agege, Lagos, last Saturday stick to their words that they will not pay electricity bills to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) until the distribution company improves the condition of service.

At a meeting with the IKEDC’s officials, the aggrieved residents came out in hundreds to lodge their complaints before the officials. These include “outright cancellation of power shedding, bills amnesty, stoppage of crazy billing, immediate circulation of pre-paid meters, poor maintenance of transformers and electric cables, nonchalant attitude of officials to the residents, among others.

The residents had on February 23, marched to Dopemu Distribution Centre of the IKEDC to protest the poor situation of the power supply within the area.

Youth Alliance for Better Nigeria Coordinator, Moruf Niniola told the IKEDC officials that the residents are fed up with the poor service, noting that they are paying for the electricity which they didn’t consume.

Niniola said gone are the days residents spent their incomes to buy generators, fuel it and pay for electricity at the end of the month, even at higher billing.

He urged the officials to quickly proffer solution to the problems, saying that the residents didn’t mind removing all the electricity

•The residents at the meeting... on Saturday

By Olalekan Ayeni

poles and the cable within the area if that would provide solution to the problems within the maximum of four weeks of their projection.

A community leader, Chief Afolabi Oniyide, demanded to know the reason for the delayed of the prepaid meters paid for over 7 months ago.

Oniyide said he paid N12, 000 for the prepaid meters when he discovered nontransparency in the company’s billing.

Govt, monarch bicker over land T

HE Lagos State government has accused Oba Bashir Oloruntoyin Saliu of Oworonsoki of illegal sale of land in his domain.

But, the monarch has denied the allegation, saying the land being sold belongs to his family.

In a public notice, Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said: “The attention of the government has been brought to the following illegal activities taking place in Oworonsoki Foreshore/Government Scheme in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State; illegal sales of land by persons, family, traditional institution falsely making claims of ownership to government land and selling same to unsuspecting members of the public, who have failed or refused to check the status of the land being offered for sale

By Kunle Akinrinade

from relevant agencies of government.

“All illegal activities aforementioned including harassment of government allottees and government officials should stop forthwith and any other person (individual, corporate or traditional institution) dealing in any of such illegality shall, henceforth, be promptly sanctioned accordingly and in line with all applicable / relevant provisions of the law.”

At his palace over the weekend, Oba Saliu said: “The traditional institution under my watch is law abiding. We are not illegal land sellers and there is no one involved in the sale of government landed property in my domain. The land that my

Mr Nzebude Uzoma told The Nation that the community have spoke in one voice that no house within the area will pay for electricity bill until the authority solve the crisis.

The Marketing Manager, Dopemu Distribution Company, Mr Victor Amaraegbu, said most of the problems were caused by the country’s low power transmission, but pledged to deliver their message to the company’s higher authority.

He urged the residents to stop tampering with their

metres.

Tampering with metre, he said, might cause highspeeding.

He also appealed to them to shun employing local electricians to work on the electricity cables, transformers or connection in case of disconnection.

These, he said, added to the problems of poor maintenance.

The Branch Team Leader, Mr Banji Ogunleye said the branch had been doing all it could to ensure the damaged cables within the area are replaced.

He presented documents to back his claim.

Another resident Olawale Orebayo, described the company’s over-billing as broad-day robbery.

“There was a time I travelled out of the country for over two months, I could not believe my eyes when I met N28, 000 bill despite that all my home appliances were switched off even the electric cut-out was removed,” he said.

He wondered why residents should be levied heavily when there was not electricity supply.

Orebayo said the company is yet to attend to his complaints after several messages and mails concerning the outrageous bill.

A widow, Mrs Taiwo Adedoyin called for a quick revisit of crazy bills accumulated in her house. She said her tenants have refused to continue paying for the electricity due to the monthly high billing.

She said the tenants had switch to generating set instead of electricity due to power outage and paying higher amount for electricity bill monthly.

family is selling is the 5.171 hectares allotted to me on behalf of the Saliu Salami Rufai Family, which is covered by a Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, signed by the Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, on July 3, 2009.”

“The 5.171 hectares of land were allotted to us, following an Ikeja High Court judgment on October 12, 1994, in suit number ID/390/93. The land was allotted to my family being the original settlers in the community and following a term of settlement ratified by the court as a result of a suit my family filed against Lagos State government. As a matter of fact, we don’t sell our land but lease it out to people. We want to use the land to establish a world class estate like those that can be found in the high brow areas of Lagos State.”

Oba Saliu asked the Lands Bureau to check its record properly before accusing his family of indiscretion.

Disabled persons urge Jonathan to sign bill P

ERSONS living with disabilities have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sign into law the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities’ Bill.

This, they said, would reduce their pain and enable them to function well.

According to the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, “it is not about given them alms all the time but for the President to sign the Bill into law. The bill provides for prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities,

By Ibrahim Adam

right to access to public premises and establishment of a national commission for persons with disabilities among others.

This bill is a legacy bill as no President has ever signed such in the history of the country, he said.

Anyaele complained that provisions were not made for people with disabilities to vote in the forthcoming elections, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to

reverse this.

He also noted that parties and their candidates are not including issues concerning disabled persons in their campaigns.

He urged INEC to make adequate arrangements to ensure that eligible Nigerians with disabilities collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) for them to participate in the coming election and also urged Nigerians to do away violence, saying it can lead to a means of disability.

Bus conductor remanded for alleged murder

A

N Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos has remanded a 25-year old bus conductor, Idris Rilwan, for allegedly killing one Egunjobi Rotimi, 34.

The defendant was said to have conspired with others to commit the offence. He was said to have shot Rotimi dead The incident occurred on February 16 during a fight between Rilwan and Rotimi at Abule-Oba Costain.

The charge reads.”That you Idris Rilwan and others

By Rukayat Jimoh

now at large on February 16 at about 11pm at Costain area of Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

“That you Idris Rilwan did unlawfully kill one Egunjobi Rotimi, 34, by shooting him with a gun and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos.”

Prosecuting police Inspector Cousin Adam prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody pending legal advice from the office of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The defence counsel, Mr Saka Bello, applied for the withdrawal of the charge against his client for want of “proper investigation”.

Magistrate Nurudeen Layeni ordered that the defendant be remanded in Ikoyi prison pending legal advice from DPP’s office. He adjourned the matter to April 7.

•From left: Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA Executive Secretary Toyin Caxton-Martins; Head of Waste and Sanitation Department Yusuf Abdullahi and Council Manager Bashir Kaffo, discussing during a sanitation exercise in the council.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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MONDAY MARCH 9, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

All Progressives Congress (APC) members held a solidarity march in Lagos at the weekend to sensitise Lagosians to the importance of the rescheduled March 28 presidential election. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, who joined the walk from Maryland, Ikeja, to the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, report.

• Asiwaju Tinubu (eight from left), Hon. Jide Sanwoolu, Mrs Funmi Babalola, Chief Kemi Nelson, Ambode, Mr Desmond Elliot, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, Mr. Dele Alake and Hon. Adeola at the event.

Day Lagosians marched for freedom •Tinubu, Osinbajo, Aregbesola walk for APC’s victory

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T was a long walk. It was energy sapping and strenuous, but full of fun and excitement. Its organisers - the Lagos State chapter of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation – simply called it “March for Change”.

According to its Coordinator in the Centre of Excellence, James Abiodun Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives, the 9.2kilometre march was primarily to send a signal to the Federal Government that Lagos Nigeria’s political heartbeat and commercial hub - is ready for the March 28 and April 11 general elections and to psychologically reawaken Lagosians that the days of liberty and freedom are around the corner.

Besides, it was to drum up support for the party’s presential standard bearer, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and other candidates of the party in the rescheduled presidential/National Assembly and governorship/State Assembly elections.

The trek had the trappings of the Great Trek of the 1830s in apartheid South Africa, when the Boers (Dutch/Afrikaans), marched eastward in search of freedom.

The record five-hour walk, which attracted Lagosians from all walks of life, literally brought Lagos Mainland to a standstill on Saturday.

As early as 7am, participants had massed at the Maryland Junction for the March for Change, which kicked off at about 8am.

By 8.00 am, National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was on the starting line

to kick off the march. With him were party leaders, including Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, national and state lawmakers and all candidates of the APC in the forthcoming general elections.

The candidates, who were led by APC presidential running mate Prof Yemi Osinbajo, include: governorship standard bearer Mr Akinwumi Ambode and senatorial candidates from the East, Cestral and West districts.

They are: Seantors Gbenga Bareehu Ashafa and Oluremi Tinubu for the East and Central zones and House of Representatives member Olamilekan Solomon for the West Senatorial zone.

The trio of Ashafa, Olamilekan and Senator Tinubu later took turns to speak for the candidates in their districts at the Teslim Balogun Statdium, where a solidarity rally was held to drop the curtain on the historic march.

Tinubu said it was a walk for freedom and a walk for a new Nigeria where the commonwealth of the people would be judiciously used to better the lives of the masses and not the few, who, he noted, have lorded it over others.

Wearing branded T-shirts bearing the inscription, ’Buhari+Osinbajo, Time for Change Now’, fez caps and sneakers, the party leaders repeatedly said Nigerians will no longer tolerate a shift in the time-table.

For the five hours that the March for Change lasted, Yaba/Ojuelegba bound motorists were restricted to the service lane by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Au-

thority (LASTMA).

Medical personnel of the Lagos State Emergency Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) were also deployed in the route.

Resident-settlers from the East and North (Igbo and Hausa) trooped out en masse and put up spectacular displays as they danced to pro-APC slogans and songs to demonstrate support for the presidential bid of Buhari/ Osinbajo and other APC candidates.

Youths, students, civil society groups, traders, professional bodies and artisans participated in the walk in anticipation of the impending freedom from oppression and impunity.

The march was electrifying. Music blared

It was a walk for ‘freedom and a walk for a new Nigeria where the commonwealth of the people would be judiciously used to better the lives of the masses and not the few, who, he noted, have lorded it over others

’

from the loud speakers mounted on buses branded in the APC colours.

Participants responded rhythmically to lyrics from the record by the popular Yoruba ‘Ewi’ exponent, Olanrewaju Adepoju, which extols the rare qualities of the APC presidential candidate.

Businesses boomed and praise-singers got patronage.

Banners of various sizes and shapes with inscriptions, such as: “Marching into the future with Buhari/Osinbajo”; “Igbo youths adopt Buhari”; “Common Sense Revolution”; and “Civil Society Groups for Buhari”, were on display.

Marching for Change were: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire, who stood in for her principal, Governor Babatunde Fashola; Lagos State governor’s wife Dame Abimbola Fashola, Lagos House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Lagos State APC deputy governorship candidate, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; House of Representative member, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and former Lagos Information and Strategy Commissioner Mr. Dele Alake.

Others are: APC National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed; Lagos State APC Women Leader Mrs Kemi Nelson; Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo; Alhaji Mutiu Are; Tokunbo Wahab; Lanre Odubote; Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe; Bola Ilori; Folami Mohammed, Fuad Oki and Ayodele Adewale.

Gospel songstress Kenny St. Brown was on the band stand at the Teslim Balogun Stadium to usher in the army of walkers at about •Continued on page 18

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THE NATION MONDAY MARCH 9, 2015

has now become a society where a ‘ Nigeria 45-year-old man can no longer get married because of the economic challenges, where a 60 years old man has become a youth just because he cannot feed himself

‘

...

81 D AYS TO GO ...81 DA •Continued on page 18

12.30pm.

Addressing a the crowd of supporters, Tinubu noted that Nigerians have suffered so much that if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gets a renewal of mandate, Nigeria’s economy will bleed to death.

Tinubu thanked the people for their support for the APC, noting that the long walk will not be in vain.

His words: “I thank all of you for participating in Walk for Your Freedom, the march for change. We would have elected a new president to govern us on February 14, but they changed the date to March 28. But today we are marching for that change.

“We are marching for Buhari/Osinbajo on March 28; we are marching for common sense revolution. And for Lagos State, we are marching for Ambode/Adebule on April 11.”

Aregbesola went biblical, linking the appalling situation in the country to the story of Jonah who was sent by God to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh, but disobeyed and tried to escape from God. Aregbesola said: “I am sure both Muslims, Christians and traditionalists would have heard about the story of Jonah in the Bible, he was sent by God to deliver his message but he stubbornly refused to obey God. “Jonah tried to escape but God allowed him to get to the middle of the sea and He caused a storm. When the people in the ship inquired about the reason for the storm and God revealed to them that Jonah was responsible.

They had to throw Jonah over board to have peace. That is how Nigerians have rejected President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The man Jonathan was born good by his parents, hence, they christened him Goodluck. But, as he grew, he departed from the way of the Lord. Just like the biblical Jonah disobeyed God, Jonathan was sent by God to rebuild Nigeria but he has destroyed it. He has been rejected and his party has been rejected as well.

“But, unlike the Biblical Jonah, Nigerians won’t throw him overboard but take him out of the Presidential Villa with our ballot and send him back to his Otuoke country home in Bayelsa State.”

Osinbajo urged the people to vote en masse for the party, noting that it was time for God to liberate the people from the hands of the oppressors.

Osinbajo said: “By the grace of God, we will not be held down by the PDP misrule in Lagos State and other parts of the country. God will save our country. I know that APC will deliver on its promises.

“No amount of intimidation will stop the people from making their choice. Let us all collect our Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to make the change that the country has longed for.”

Ambode said Lagos State will deliver over 85 per cent of its votes to ensure victory for the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket on March 28.

He said: “We said we will do a one millionman march and we did it. We thank all those who have participated in the walk which millions of Nigeria have watched live on the television. We will deliver Lagos State to Gen Buhari and continuity shall hold sway in the Centre of Excellence.”

The Coordinator of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, Faleke, who is the APC candidate for the Ikeja Federal Constituency, praised the APC leaders for enduring 9.2-kilometer freedom walk, an indication that the party is fit to rule.

He said the party will march to victory and noted that the impressive turn out of the people showed their satisfaction with the development in the state.

“We will continue in our tradition of excellence. And we are saying that Lagos is ready for the elections and further shifts will no longer be entertained.”

Alake, who translated PVC as Please Vote for Change, urged Nigerians to vote right and ensure that their votes count.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa expressed optimism that the rescheduled elections will hold and that the APC will coast to victory.

The three senatorial candidates said the PDP can never be an alternative to the APC. Speaking for the civil society groups, Declan Ihekhire, said the body of activists in the state, have decided to pitch tent with the APC team being led Buhari/Osinbajo.

Day Lagosians marched for freedom

• Hon Ademorin Kuye and Mr Dele Alake

‘

I want to say that Nigerians have made up their minds and there is going to be a change at the centre by the grace of God. We are also using this occasion to tell the PDP that Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is not the best product they can offer

He said the perception of Gen Buhari, with his track records will stamp out corruption in the land.

“This is the only man Nigeria can trust to do the job. We are all aware that corruption is the bane of our society and unless we do something about it this country will continue to sink.

“That is why we are here and that is why we will continue to mobilise for Buhari and by the grace of God, he will be elected president of this country on March 28.

Leader of the National Association of the Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest, Oluwatosin Ogungbede, said, Nigerian students were at the receiving end of failed government policy.

He said the incessant strikes at tertiary institutions have made many students to become hopeless, noting that they were not too sure when they will graduate.

Ogungbede said with the dwindling resources of parents and the harsh economic realities, the plight of the Nigerian student have been compounded.

He said: “With over 16,000 students from the Southwest, we will use our ballot power to elect Buhari as the next president of the country.

“Nigeria has now become a society where a 45-year-old man can no longer get married because of the economic challenges, where a 60 years old man has become a youth just because he cannot feed himself.

Ilori said the walk for change has gone a long way to show the popularity of the APC amongst Nigerians.

He said: “You will recall that we started this work for change in Osun, Ogun and we are having the Lagos edition today. It has proven that APC is made up of people who are mentally and physically fit.

“You can see that our leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, who the PDP has so much castigated, has trekked close to 10 kilometers today without resting on the road and was dancing all through.

“I want to challenge the leadership of PDP to stage a five-kilometer walk in Lagos to test its popularity rating. They have been running documentary against the person of Asiwaju but we saw how Lagosians stood for him during the walk.”

The clear message that was delivered by the participants is that a further postponement of the elections is not acceptable and that the May 29 handover date must remain sacrosanct. According to observers, the number of people that trooped out to participate in the exercise is an indication that

‘

they are fed up with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has ruled the country at the centre since the return to civil rule 16 years ago.

The banners displayed by those who participated in the event suggest that, in spite of the delay occasioned by the postponement, Nigerians are ready to vote for the candidates of the APC at all levels. Some of the banners read: “March into New Nigeria”; “On March 28 We Stand”; “Sai Buhari”; “Competent Team to Rescue Nigeria”; and “I am Ready for Change”. A long banner displayed at the stadium by the I am Ready Group says: “I am Ready for a Meal a Day”; “I am Ready to Kick-Out Corruption”; “I am Ready for Emp[loyment”; “I am Ready”; “I am Ready”; “I am Ready”.

The idea of the march from Maryland to the Teslim Balogun Stadium was hatched by the Lagos Coordinator of the Buhari/ Osinbajo Campaign, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, 72 hours prior to the event, to coincide with the arrival of Gen. Buhari in the country from the United Kingdom.

It is to practically demonstrate the change mantra of the APC and to sensitise Lagosians to vote for the party at different levels during the rescheduled general elections. It was also meant to demonstrate the readiness of Lagosians and the party for the election.

Faleke said the walk was a psychological reawakening for the electorate. “It is also meant to send a signal to the PDP that Lagosians are ready for the elections on March 28 and April 11, 2015,” he added.

The Coordinator said the party would not tolerate any further shift of the elections. According to him, the reports emanating from the ongoing war against the insurgents in the Northeast indicate that the military is winning the war. “So, there is no reason for not holding the elections on March 28 and April 11,” he noted, adding: “Lagos State is ready; Nigerians are set for the polls; that is why we embarked on the walk show today.

“The walk is also to say that Nigerians reject the return to the dark age of the use of the Temporary Voters Card (TVC), for the coming elections. There is no going back on the use of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC).”

Faleke said Nigerians were aware of the machinations of the Presidency to win the Southwest at all costs. He said the PDP has resorted to wasting tax-payers’ money on the project. He added that such money could have been used for more meaningful projects, instead of wasting it in the face of decaying infrastructure and other social

needs of the people.

He said: “I want to say that Nigerians have made up their minds and there is going to be a change at the centre by the grace of God. We are also using this occasion to tell the PDP that Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro is not the best product they can offer. His role at the Ekiti election is still being quried.”

According to speakers, the month of March will go down as an important one in the country’s political calendar because it would mark the freedom of the Nigerians from the yolk of bad governance and impunity.

Tinubu said the march from Maryland to Surulere, which is a distance of about 9.2 kilometres, is a march for change, to herald the month of March. He said the PDP postponed the election from February 14 to March 28, as if March 28, which he alluded to as the day of reckoning, would not come.

The APC National Leader said the ruling party postponed the election because it was afraid of being voted out of power. He said: “I thank all of you for heeding the call to walk for your freedom; for agreeing to march for change. This is the month of March. On February 14, we would have elected a new President to govern us! But, they changed it to March, right? Today, we are in the month of March and we are marching for that change that we desire. We are marching for Buhari and Osinbajo; we are marching for common sense revolution!”

Tinubu said Nigerians are fed up with the PDP, which has ruled the country for the last 16 years, but has nothing to show for it. He sang a song in Yoruba, alluding to the fact that Nigerians have persevered with the ruling party for a long time, but have no light to iron their clothes.

He urged Nigerians to vote for APC candidates at all levels, beginning from the presidential election, saying the President has been coming to Lagos in the last couple of weeks to persuade people to vote for him.

Senator Ashafa said it is obvious that the ruling party has been trying to intimidate the electorates not to vote for the candidates of their choice. His words: “I want to seize this opportunity to thank all of you for supporting us. It is obvious they are trying to intimidate you. Will you be intimidated? Are you ready to vote APC? Ambode said the APC has proved a point by undertaking the event dubbed the one million-man march “We said we will do a one million-man march and we did it. Beyond those of us that marched on the streets, others are glued to their television sets, watching this event. He said: “They thought by shifting the day of the election, they could shift our destiny. But, they cannot shift our destiny; our destiny is intertwined with the future of Nigeria; the future of Nigeria is about prosperity.

“We know that the only party that can give you a prosperous future is the APC. They have been saying that they would retain power at all costs, but power belongs to God. Twenty-one days from today, we are going to elect our new president. We are going to usher in the election with a 21-day fasting and prayers. We will go to all our churches, we will go to all our mosques; nothing can stop our destiny.”

Ambode thanked all those who took part in the march for supporting the party, saying the PDP has nothing to offer. He said: “The change we are all asking for is around the corner. Starting from March 28, we will start counting down to this desired change.

This change we are asking for will happen if you vote right.” The APC governorship candidate said to the APC, PVC means “please vote for change” and that Buhari/ Osinbajo will score about 85 per cent in Lagos come March 28.

Members of the APC across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) participated in the march. Political office holders and candidates in the forthcoming general elections and their supporters also took part in the march. Besides, thousands of residents lined up the street, along Ikorodu Road, to cheer them.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

How to rig elections

Tower of Babel •Jonathan’s govt blames everyone else but itself for last week’s avoidable fuel scarcity

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AST week, the economy was again thrown into another cycle of avoidable spasm occasioned by fuel shortages. If it seems a terrible reminder of the criminal mismanagement that has been the lot of the nation’s downstream petroleum sector, it would also be occasion for the blundering Jonathan administration to seek to pin its incompetence on third parties.

This time around, the rationalisations were as many as they were varied – a scene right from the Biblical Tower of Babel. They range from the hare-brained to the utterly ridiculous. From the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the official line was “panic buying”. The ruling party – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would echo: it was the handiwork of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to humiliate the government before national elections. Finance minister Ngozi OkonjoIweala would deny that the shortages had anything to do with “payment issues” but rather “disruption of pipelines and logistical issues”, although she would admit that there was an outstanding N185billion unpaid, and that the marketers and the Federal Government have issues over differentials caused by the devaluation of the naira.

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) on its part says that the fuel marketers’ claim about backlog in subsidy payment was real. Its executive secretary, Farouk Ahmed, actually confirmed to members of the Senate Committee on Petroleum that his agency was indebted to the marketers; nonetheless, he would blame the scarcity on the

devaluation of the naira and the resultant impact on products delivery cost. Nowhere did the Federal Government or its agencies accept culpability in the mess.

Not even against the background of the initial alert by the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) of an impending crisis as a result of the failure

by PPPRA to release the approval for the first quarter fuel importation.

It is noteworthy that this would not be the first time top functionaries of the Jonathan administration would seek shelter in cheap drivel to excuse a failure to perform a basic public duty. Yet again, we are forced to ask if indeed anyone is actually in charge. If we may observe, the same pattern, replicated across the board is precisely why nothing works in the country.

In the power sector, we are told that a country with one of the largest proven reserves in natural gas in the world cannot avail its thermal plants sufficient dry gas; the same way that a country with a supposedly robust Navy and the Army is said to be unable to protect its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC), the result of which an estimated 400,000 barrels of crude is lost to theft and production shut-ins.

Couldn’t the situation that gave rise to the scarcity have been foreseen? In other words, couldn’t the crisis have been averted? The answer would seem obvious. Yes, it may well be that devaluation supplied the catalyst, the issue is that the devaluation could not have been a shot from the blues. If we may ask: shouldn’t the administration have thought through the multi-layered dimensions of the measure given the import-dependent nature of the economy? If the answer is no as it

appears to have been the case, could there have been a better advertisement of the Jonathan administration’s incompetence than its failure all this while to evolve appropriate sequencing of the activities in the oil trade to forestall cyclic disruptions to the fuel supply and distribution chain?

We have said it over and over again; the current crisis in the fuel trade is merely a symptom of a fundamental problem. At the heart of the crisis is the terrible choice foisted on the nation by successive administrations which, for reasons hard to fathom, failed to answer the question of why OPEC’s sixth largest exporter would rely on imported refined petroleum products for its domestic needs. In this wise, the Jonathan administration, which once promised three Greenfield Refineries, far from being less complicit, has merely elected to play to type.

‘It is noteworthy that this would not be the first time top functionaries of the Jonathan administration would seek shelter in cheap drivel to excuse a failure to perform a basic public duty. Yet again, we are forced to ask if indeed anyone is actually in charge. If we may observe, the same pattern, replicated across the board is precisely why nothing works in the country’

Curious cover-up Where is NLNG’s $14.9bn profit with the NNPC?

I

T looks as if the corruption in the nation’s oil and gas industry is getting bigger and bigger daily. Right now, we are into the story of another $14.9bn allegedly missing profit from NLNG. The House of Representatives is currently seeking to know what happened to the fund, which represented the dividends accruing from the sale of liquefied gas from 2004 to 2014, and which the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) admitted it had paid to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

There is a House Committee on Public Accounts whose responsibility is to perform its oversight functions on the NNPC and NLNG. The chairman of the committee, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, said his committee would move a motion at plenary on March 3, to compel the NNPC to bring relevant documents for the purpose of probing the matter. But in a swift reaction, the

‘ We wonder whether, with the usual assistance of the courts that readily grant injunctions to the NNPC on matters of this nature, there would ever be any investigation or probe in the NNPC under the current administration’

NNPC, in its characteristic manner, moved to stop the House from going ahead with the probe through its lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, claiming that “the committee had no right to request for the NLNG accounts”.

On its part, the NLNG had told members of the panel that the Federal Government has 51 percent holding in NLNG while 41 percent is owned by Shell and other private investors. The NLNG is in possession of the amount of fund from the Federal Government’s 51 percent holding which, on its part, it had returned to the Federal Government as dividends between 2004 and 2014, through the NNPC. Adeola said they wrote the NNPC asking for “evidence for the sources of revenues, bank statements, and every expenditure for that account and any other item that would assist in their investigation”. The above evidence is necessary for transparency and accountability in governments, ministries, parastatals and other agencies. But for reasons best known to the NNPC, its lawyer, Mike Ozekhome & Co, wrote quoting section 88 and other sections of the constitution “as to why they cannot and will not come before the committee with these particular documents”.

We agree with Adeola that Mr. Ozekhome operates a private law firm and his chamber’s opinion could not have necessarily represented that of the law courts and that the attempt by the

chambers and NNPC to keep the records requested for from being scrutinised show “that there is more to what we are seeing”. The committee chairman lamented the fact that while the committee only made a simple request on transactions that concern the generality of Nigerians, “the next line of action is to go to your lawyer to start writing and from there move to court to seek injunction preventing us from requesting for that document … This tells you the extent they have used the judiciary to stall a lot of investigations we are carrying out as a House”.

The NLNG has been a success story; so we wonder why it has to be enmeshed in the familiar mess with which the NNPC is well known. The NNPC under the current Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is notorious for using the court to halt any probe of her activities and sleazes in her ministry, and this one is no exception. We wonder whether, with the usual assistance of the courts that readily grant injunctions to the NNPC on matters of this nature, there would ever be any investigation or probe in the NNPC under the current administration.

This will remain the case as long as the NNPC gets away with the habit of always seeking cover under legal technicalities which, curiously enough, the courts freely and quickly oblige it whenever it is asked to render account of money in its custody.

S

IR: As Nigerians go to the polls, it is pertinent for us to probe deeply into the election process, its strengths and weaknesses.

As an active participant in previous elections, it is duty for me to ask the right questions, so as to prevent mistakes of the past.

Election rigging has been a tradition in our elections, from the First Republic till date. It is a refuge for politicians and has acquired its own vocabulary and different procedures, from ballot box stuffing, ballot box snatching, and industrial thumb printing with the aid of palm kernels, result sheet manipulation and others. But the introduction of technology by INEC has put paid to this era of election fraud but our bosses need results and we have to apply the hallowed maxim of “Cunning man Die, Cunning Man Bury am” – the former “Cunning man” being INEC and the later us.

With the introduction of Permanent Voters Card and card readers, it would seem our rigging days are over, but closer examination would show that we have also advanced in technological rigging. Inside the Voter Database are many multiple voters. My polling unit alone has at least four people with double registration and thus double PVCs which have been collected. Other nearby Polling Units also have same predicaments, which casts doubts on the screening system of INEC. This also means our double registrants are already recognized by the card reader so when others are shouting “one man, one vote” our people would be whispering ”one man, two votes” one woman, three votes”.

Our newest scheme is voter suppression, learned from USA and perfected by us. This involves hoarding or misplacement, misdirection of Voter Cards; 600,000 PVC belonging to Cross River found in Kebbi; 600,000 PVC belonging to no one found in Ogun. A more effective option is to compromise INEC ad hoc staff to deny PVC to people with questionable political leanings.

Election Day manipulations would be the icing on the cake. INEC’s directive on voter accreditation provides us a means of using bought PVC as the Senior Polling Officer has some discretion in overruling rejection by the Card reader. As for plans for the card reader, we know they operate via satellite or telecoms signals, such signals can become “Erratic” due to technical issues. For the result collation centres, what happens if in a polling unit of 600 voters, the card transmits 250 actual voters but the result show 500 votes? Would the results be cancelled or would percentages be used to determine the results? Can the ballot papers of accredited voters be identified?

Probably not, so INEC might have to cancel some real votes and validate some of our votes. If INEC decides to cancel results from such polling units, what would be the reaction and we know INEC would want to release the results within a specific time frame.

We hope all these issues would be resolved.

We hope that such expectations are not misplaced.

•Nwachukwu Ugo, dongunno@yahoo.com

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

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20

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

S

IR: The regional military cooperation against Boko Haram is a right step in the right direction; it promises to be the last straw that will break the back of the insurgents. With the deadly routing of the insurgents from hitherto occupied territories and villages in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, it is earnestly hoped that the scourge of this ragtag group that elected to turn civilisation upside will soon be over.

The joint military operations have brought to fore the import of regional collaboration in not only managing the savagery and barbarism of Boko Haram but other regional crises. The success recorded in the military campaign and the on-going momentum should be sustained and not

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 800 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.net

Boko Haram: Lessons of regional co-operation allowed to suffer any setback lest the group re-strategise. Officers and men of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) who have placed their lives on the line need our support to regain the lost pride of our region. Boko Haram insurgents are not spirits but human beings living within our communities. It is therefore our duty to report suspected individuals in and around our vicinities to law enforcement agencies.

That the sect was able to survive and acquire its notoriety was because the environment tended to sustain and accommodate the group’s ideology to the detriment of regional interest. In the words of Franklin Roosevelt, “let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not the president and the senators and the congressmen and government officials, but the voters

Pohamba shattered the jinx

S

IR: Many of Africa ‘s political analysts had expected the 2015 Mo Ibrahim ‘s prize to go the same way it had gone five years ago. To their utter disappointments, someone was there working unnoticed for it. His name is Hifikepunye Pohamba, the Namibian president.

In a continent characterized by political highhandedness, criminalization of opposition, enthronement of mediocrity and political impropriety, Pohamba stands out to be a model.

He broke the four years unclaimed jinx that has griped the prize - the highest leadership award. His success really showcased the foundation ‘s rigorous cum value-free processes of selection.

This feat by Pohamba has shown the speed at which southern African states are racing in the wheels of responsive and people’s oriented government. The three out of four Ibrahim laureate came from SADC states. So what’s the problem with East, West and North Af-

rica? Why is Africa suffering from poverty of leadership?

Pohamba - though dominant figure in Namibian politics - is relatively unknown outside Namibia.

He is not Jacob Zuma that always want to dominate all the issues in Africa or a president of a strong country like Nigeria. He remains himself, a gentle soul - working to better the life of his people.

‘During the decade of Hifikepunye Pohamba’s presidency’ -the award citation runs, ‘Namibia ‘s reputation has been cemented as a well governed, stable and inclusive democracy with media freedom and respect for human rights’. Thus the award was really a recognition for a job well done - a thumb up for Mo Ibrahim foundation.

Of course, the $50million (which is the annual $5m for10 years ) and annual $ 200,000 for life could be unattractive to Nigerian and other African leaders who can make all the money in a day by mere signing of signature. But what they seem to have quickly forgotten is

the global respect it places on their reputation.

Festus Mogae, Pedro Pires because of the award had been and will still be invited to lecture the world on how best to democratize Africa. But who can say the same about Paul Biya of Cameroon, Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Museveni of Uganda, Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, Kibaki of Kenya, Obasanjo of Nigeria or even President Goodluck Jonathan?

The primary aim of Mo Ibrahim prize is to spark up competition among African leaders on who will be top in the good leadership strata but many of them don’t even notice the prize -little wonder it had gone for four years unclaimed.

Pohamba and other Mo Ibrahim laureates have tried to answer the question – can any good thing come from African politics? Let’s pray that the 2016 prize won’t go unclaimed.

•Asikason Jonathan, Lapai, Niger State.

of this country.”

However, why these joint measures were not taken in the last six years is disturbing. Could it be blamed on the differences arising from the colonial history on which basis the region has been unfortunately divided? In fact, it calls to question why African nations have thrown away the African renaissance and eventually forgot our well acclaimed culture of good neighbourliness.

The formation of the Economic Community of West African States

(ECOWAS) in 1975 stemmed from need to promote “…better relations among member nations…by ensuring a stable and secure political environment in which (their) peoples can live in freedom…under the law and in true and lasting peace, free from any threat to or attempt against their security…” With the community threatening to fizzle out of reckoning into apocalyptic doomsday, it remains to be seen how these lofty goals can be accomplished.

The scourge of Boko Haram has reminded individual countries in the sub-region of the urgent need to once again be each other’s keeper.

They should continually rally support and identify with predicaments of neighbouring countries in all circumstances of distress and disaster.

•Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, Kaduna.

Expand Ogbomoso dam

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IR: In the 1960s pipe borne water was adequately supplied to all the nooks and crannies of Ogbomoso metropolis.

Taps were running well. Today, the status of Ogbomoso has changed from what it was in the 1960s. It now has five LGAS, two in the city centre and three in the periphery.

Its population has surged. It boasts of a state owned university, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH) and a host of other privately owned institutions of higher learning.

Water supply to the city centre is so poor that less than 20% of the inhabitants have access to pipe borne water not to talk of the periphery. Ogbomoso is the second largest city after Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State. Water supply in Ogbomoso began to drop from 1983 when it was alleged that the powerful engine meant for its extension was carted away by unknown people. The situation became worse in the 1990s.

Asejire water dam is about 25km from Dugbe in Ibadan. Pipe borne water is supplied to Dugbe and the encompassing areas from Asejire.

What is good for the goose should be seen to be good for the gender.

Water is life. This essential public utility is indeed needed by all the inhabitants of the five Local Government Areas that make up Ogbomoso geo-political zone. We appeal to the federal and Oyo State governments as well as international bodies to rescue us from water borne diseases by expanding Ogbomoso water dam so that water supply could be extended to about 30km radius. By this, taps will run in towns like Iregba, Iresaadu, Oko, Ajaawa, Odooba, Iwo Ate, Idewure, Dada and others while people’s longevity will be greatly enhanced.

• Adelani Olawuyi Odooba – Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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COMMENTS

Remember June 12 A

June 12, 1993 remains a remarkable date in Nigeria.

There is no way it can be forsaken by those who maneuvered the notable electoral event of the day.

Whether it wanted to be ignored or not by manipulators of realities, what happened then cannot be deleted in history. It stays put as the day of the freest and fairest presidential election when the nation’s citizens pronounced their will which those in power then frustrated in self-interest.

Election rigging is not strange in Nigerian politics. It has been at hand even before 1960 political independence. The only thing was the continuing increased electoral abuse overtime. Regrettably, Nigerians have recurrently been denied the opportunity to enjoy suitable democracy as supremely replicated through free and fair electoral process. It is not infrequent to hear forged election results been announced in many parts of the country. The thieving of ballot boxes and the manhandling of polling officers and representatives of the opposing political parties are well implanted in Nigeria. But on that June 12 election, beyond earlier postponements and nullifications of earlier candidates, people voted the way they wanted.

Being truly the freest and fairest in the annals of election in the country, it was to be the beginning of the season for restoration of the nation’s lost political glories. However, when the authentic results were coming out, the reality became contrary to the tyrannical minds of those who cared less for the political advancement of the nation. Chief MKO Abiola, candidate of the then Social Democratic Party was ahead in comprehensible and clear victory over Alhaji Ibrahim Tofa, candidate of National Republican Congress. On senseless excuse, the emerging result was annulled by former dictator military self-acclaimed President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

There was crisis and calamities across the nation. Even when Bababngida was forced to step down, the follow-ups kept dumping the nation that was ordained to be great to the downgrading valley.

Abiola’s insistence on his mandate eventually led to his confinement for several years under the late Gen. Sani Abacha, the nastiest leader Nigeria ever had. His wife, Kudirat fighting for the restoration of her husband’s mandate was gunned down around Lagos tollgate by Abacha military warriors. Many people were also killed while many of value flee out of the country. My humble self was imprisoned for six months just because, as an editor then, I published a story that justly revealed the wickedness and inhumanity of the Abacha regime.

As things are today, it is as if that same season of Nigeria’s degradation is coming back again. With the postponed general elections drawing closer, politicians are in further desperation.

There are lies upon lies by liars without love for the masses.

The military that wrecked Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s 20-month tenure as military Head of State in 1985 largely because of his battle against corruption are now being mobilized to preserve corruption by working for the nation’s most corrupt government.

A look back could also see the military that refused to permit Abiola becoming president despite his victory in the most credible election as the same used in Ekiti State last year to block the right people that were to enter the state and protect political and electoral defaulters desperate to enter and win the election at all costs.

In reality, the Nigerian security services are now much weaker now than they used to be. Still, they are being used, and being planned to be used to retain more belligerent power than any other group in the nation.

After five years of deterioration in curtailing the Boko Haram terrorists, it is thorny to envisage that the security situation in the North East will change conclusively in just six weeks. Even with the military working with some neighbouring countries recapturing villages from the insurgents, the large number of the abducted, internally displaced persons and refugees still might not be able to be free to join in voting. But is all the news from the military really true? Afterall, twice had it been proclaimed that terrorist leader Shekau had been killed, whereas the same authority is promising again that the same declared dead will soon be captured alive.

In wisdom and understanding, we need not forget that privileges alone cannot save anyone. Any authority in political office seeing itself in unending empowerment is in foolhardiness.

No matter the desperation, there is a limit to the time the Creator has made for all things to be operational. Nothing of this world can be everlastingly preserved. Indeed, any leader without positive legacy is bound to end in ordinariness.

In the Scripture, Lot’s wife had many privileges; but she had no grace. She left Sodom with her husband on the day Sodom was destroyed. Against God’s articulated command, walking behind her husband, she looked back at the things of the world in the city.

She was smacked dead at once, and turned into a pillar of salt. Her story was held up as a guiding light when Jesus Christ Himself counselled: “Remember Lot’s wife.”

Today President’s wife is named Patience, but she is living contrary to that name. The way she speaks is not of a diligent First Lady that desiring legacy for her husband. In a recent campaign in Calabar, she asked PDP supporters to stone APC supporters chanting the “change” slogan of the party. In Kogi State, she portrayed Buhari as a man with dead brain, disregarding that an old man can be more experienced in intelligence than a younger naive person.

In similar senseless mode, PDP presidential campaign media head, Femi Fani-Kayode only speaks Queen’s English without

F

IVE Nigerians may need to enlighten their compatriots, especially the filthy poor, on what they consider to be the purpose of wealth, or what they think should be the point of prosperity. They are Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, Mr. Femi Otedola and Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu. These are the country’s representatives in the 2015 magical circle of 1,826 billionaires recognised and celebrated by Forbes, the respected American business magazine that has made a business of ranking the world’s billionaires yearly.

The Forbes World’s Billionaires list is described as “the definitive list of the world’s wealthiest people, profiling and ranking billionaires.” Published each year in March since 1987, the list highlights the estimated total net worth of each inclusion in US dollars, “based on their assets and accounting for debt.” Furthermore, “Royalty and dictators whose wealth comes from their positions are excluded from the list.”

According to the magazine’s latest ranking, Dangote, worth $14.7 billion and Africa’s richest individual, is placed at number 67; Adenuga ($4.2bn) is number 393; Alakija ($1.2bn) is number 949; while Otedola and Rabiu (worth $1bn each) are jointly rated number 1,741.

Beyond the phenomenal and dazzling affluence of these Nigerians, and the international focus on their billions of dollars, the question must be asked: How has the country which provided the space for their outstanding success benefited concretely from their deep pockets? In other words, what efforts have they made to help their poor compatriots rise materially?

Perhaps more fundamentally, it is important to reflect on not only the concept of social responsibility, but also the idea of wealth responsibility or the social duty of the wealthy. It is illuminating that the legendary US billionaire Bill Gates who is worth $79bn and named the world’s

‘What are our Forbes billionaires doing? Or perhaps more significantly, what are they thinking of doing? It cannot be enough to luxuriate in luxury, without a thought for the wretched of the country... The poverty of the affluent may be that they are not thinking of doing something or anything for the poor, or that they are doing little or nothing for the poor’

Poverty of prosperity richest man by Forbes for the 16th time provided what may be regarded as a useful guiding principle for the superrich. He said in an interview: “I’ve been very lucky, and therefore I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world. And that’s kind of a religious belief. I mean, it’s at least a moral belief.”

It is instructive that Gates initiated The Giving Pledge campaign in 2010 with co-US billionaire Warren Buffet who is placed third on Forbes current list. It is officially described as “an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in the world to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.” It is noteworthy that the pledge is “a moral commitment to give,” and “the donation can happen either during the lifetime or after the death of the donor.” Reports said: “An estimate of the contribution promised by the first 40 donors, based on their aggregate wealth as at August 2010, was at least $125 billion…As of April 28, 2011, 69 billionaires had joined the campaign and pledged to give 50% or more of their wealth to charity…As of January 2015, 128 billionaire or former billionaire individuals and couples have signed the pledge.”

What are our Forbes billionaires doing? Or perhaps more significantly, what are they thinking of doing? It cannot be enough to luxuriate in luxury, without a thought for the wretched of the country. However, it may be observed that the business of redeeming the country’s numerous poor is probably too critical to be left to what the superrich might be thinking of doing or what they could do based on their thinking. The poverty of the affluent may be that they are not thinking of doing something or anything for the poor, or that they are doing little or nothing for the poor.

making his brain active when perverting combative allegations to demean the opposition. Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose too has been allowed to remain whom he is: unruly hoodlum.

Instead of promoting issues that will benefit the people, why must presidential campaigns be revolting the kind of crisis that razed the nation in the past? Or are we going back to June 12?

Afenifere: Feedback

“Soon or late, the day is coming, tyrant’s man shall be overthrown.” -George Orwell, Animal Farm.

Soji, your treatise on the so-called Afenifere in Yorubaland was a piece of journalistic excellence. To several people in western region, Afenifere died with Pa Adesanya and Ajasin respectively. Those parading themselves as one today are victims of stomach infrastructure who are of no electoral value and who of course can never come out openly to vote on election day. These so-called, self-appointed leaders have lost their souls, credibility and values (if there is any remaining). I have a strong axiom for these rapacious, selfish leaders thus “one thing is certain about all mortals - the judgment of God and that of posterity.” Whether anybody likes it or not, change is looming and inevitable, come March 28.

- Soji Oloketuyi, Igbemo-Ekiti.

Your piece on Afenifere actually shares my bewilderment on what has become of the old men of Afenifere. They have become an embarrassment to the Yoruba race as they have sadly turned themselves into political Almanjiris just because of their hatred for one man, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. In 2003, due to their cluelessness, the PDP gave them a dazing knockout, snatching all Yoruba states, except Lagos from AD party. They havenowstartedagainwiththebaitofConstitutionalConferencereportimplementation as if it is all about Yorubas. They don’t even consider that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is their son. History will surely serve them a bitter menu.

- Femi Abiwon.

Dear Uncle Omotunde sir, they are the Afenifere arm of PDP who just shamelessly want their share of the bloody petro dollars endorsement contract. Asiwaju will expose their electoral worthlessness on 28 March and11 April, 2015! Thank God, we still have more principled, credible, eminent, incorruptible elder statemen viz Justice Mustapha Akanbi, Pa Sen Ayo Fasanmi, Profs Wole Soyinka, Tam David West, ABOO Oyediran, Gen Alani Akinrinade, etc. who can still be counted upon at a crucial time like this.

- Engr Chief Adewumi Ogundare, Ilorin.

Sir, it is now clear that Afenifere had generally spent their good will among the larger Yorubas and what they live on now is deceit and failed past glory. They are down, and rather for them to rise up, ego will not allow them to. Their inability to rise above their ego will make them to go down permanently into their graves in their dirty rag of ego.

- Falaye Oreoluwa, Abuja Mr Omotunde, the so-called Afenifere elders are actually a sick and confused lot.

They are a spent group who cannot dictate to us Yorubas whom we are to vote for.

They are a shameless group of onijekujes.

- +2348167830707 Groups edorsement of candidates should base on performances not what stomach would eat because tomorrow minces will catch us for our wrong doing.

-G.C.Nnorom The old Afeniferes are now known as Alapapin; they don’t represent Yoruba any more.

- +2348029037867

It is enlightening that former US president Bill Clinton who raised taxes on the wealthy in the 1990s said in retrospect: “As long as people in the top one to five percent are making the lion’s share – 90% or more – of the money, we ought to pay a lion’s share of taxes for the same reason that Willie Sutton robbed banks: that’s where the money is.”

It is relevant to highlight a striking observation by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim at an official forum. He said Nigeria was among the top five countries with the largest number of the poor. It is scandalous that the country ranks third on this list of infamy behind India (with 33 percent of the world’s poor) and China (13 percent).

With 7 percent of the “wretched of the earth”, the country is ahead of Bangladesh (6 percent) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (5 percent). Together these countries are home to nearly 760 million impoverished people.

The portrait of indigence is an inexcusably tragic irony for an oil-rich country, and puts a huge question mark on not only the quality of governance at all political levels in the country, but also the quality of the social responsibility of the rich. It goes without saying that the country’s poor deserve an urgent solution. Kim said: “It is imperative not just to lift people out of extreme poverty; it is also important to make sure that, in the long run, they do not get stuck just above the extreme poverty line due to a lack of opportunities that might impede progress toward better livelihoods.” The overriding concern is whether the people in power and the people who have the power of money are sufficiently interested in providing povertyreducing opportunities, or even whether they care about anything beyond their pockets.

Also pertinent is Nigeria’s ranking by Transparency International (TI) on its 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) focused on 175 countries. The respected watchdog ranked the country 136th. The assessment was based on the presumed extent of public sector corruption in the countries. Nigeria scored 27 out of a maximum 100 marks, and was listed as the 39th most corrupt nation in the world.

Particularly applicable to the country is the TI observation: “A poor score is likely a sign of widespread bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don’t respond to citizens’ needs.” TI Chairman, José Ugaz, said: “The 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that economic growth is undermined and efforts to stop corruption fade when leaders and high level officials abuse power to appropriate public funds for personal gain.”

In the final analysis, the picture is that the country’s poor languish at a hard place between the prosperity of power and the power of prosperity.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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COMMENTS

R

IDDLE over the death of acclaimed Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau is about to be untangled. This ray of hope came from Chadian President, Idriss Deby. He had at a press conference in that country’s capital N’djamena called on Shekau to surrender or face immediate death.

Hear him, “Abubakar Shekau must surrender. We know where he is. If he doesn’t give himself up, he will suffer the same fate as his compatriots. He was in Dikwa two days ago.

He managed to get away, but we know where he is. It’s in his interest to surrender.”

Given the controversy on Shekau’s death and accusations against Nigeria’s African neighbours for not cooperating in the war against Boko Haram, Deby’s intervention is significant in more ways than one.

First, it signifies the accord brokered by the French government for multi-lateral cooperation in the war against the insurgents is beginning to take full shape. Before now, that accord had not been given full cooperation such that the insurgents have had a free reign levying terror on innocent people with reckless abandon.

If the countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon which share very porous and illpoliced boarders with Nigeria had been cooperating in the fight against Boko Haram, perhaps the insurgency would have been crushed long before now. Because of this seeming nonchalance, the insurgents had exploited to the fullest, the porosity of our borders; fleeing into neighbouring countries when hotly pursued by our soldiers.

In one of such occasions, our soldiers were rescued by Cameroonian soldiers as they strayed into their territory. There were then reports that our soldiers were even disarmed by the Cameroonian soldiers in keeping with international conventions; provided food and military protection before they were eventually escorted back into the country.

This matter has been deliberately brought in to underscore the difficulty in fighting Boko Haram in the face of the difficult terrain in which our soldiers have had to operate. It is therefore heart-warming that at last, Nigeria’s neighbours now share our concerns to flush out the insurgents without further delay.

For another, it also illustrates very vividly the enormous successes the Nigerian military have been making in the fight against the insurgents in the last couple of weeks. These successes are no longer in

I

Emeka OMEIHE 08112662675 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

Ray of hope from Chad doubt. Many villages in the war ravaged North-east especially Borno State that is worst hit have been liberated with heavy casualties inflicted on the insurgents.

It is not surprising that following the heavy artillery power of the ground forces backed by aerial bombardments, the insurgents scamper to the borders seeking escape routes.

And there, they are confronted by our foreign neighbours. With consistent push from the Nigerian troops and the cooperation of our neighbours, there is no doubt the days of Boko Haram are numbered.

We are encouraged by the revelations of Deby. And when a president of a country speaks on such a very sensitive matter in public, we have every reason to take him very seriously. There is no reason not to believe Deby knows where Shekau currently is. He has ordered him to surrender or face dire consequences.

But if the psychology of such terrorists is anything to go by, it is very unlikely Shekau will surrender himself alive. He would rather die than give up himself to be humiliated and disgraced. So why wait for him to surrender when from all accounts, such an expectation is a very remote possibility? For a group that wires young girls with explosives for suicide missions, self annihilation will not amount to much for its leader. This is more so when we reckon with the weird religious ideology that propels this extremists terror group.

Going by the weight and certainty with which Deby spoke, the issue of Shekau may even be resolved before this article is published. When we pair this certainty with the

N its desperation to hold on to power at all cost, the People Democratic Party (PDP) has suddenly thrown all caution to the wind. All of a sudden, decorum no longer means anything to the party and its leaders. An inordinate obsession for power has abruptly turned a ruling party into a shameless propaganda machine that is churning out series of lies in inconceivable fashion every minute. Lubricating the propaganda engine of the party is no other than a queer personality who, in saner climes, should be behind the bars over graft matters. That the PDP could even make such a dubious character the rallying point of its presidential campaign propaganda mechanism speaks volume of the party’s make up. Without a doubt, the PDP is on the verge of selfdestruct and the colossal fall of the phony “biggest political party in Africa” is imminent.

It is rather strange how a ruling party, that is supposed to have the edge in a political contest if it had performed well in terms of delivery of visible dividends of democracy for the citizenry, has chosen, rather barefacedly, to resort to propaganda. A ruling party in a normal setting will go into election on the strength of its kept promises, showcasing its people-oriented programmes and meeting the visible testimonies from the people whose lives have been touched and their welfare needs met by the government. Unfortunately, this is not so with the clueless government of Goodluck Jonathan as it cannot point to anything as achievement since 2011 other than a dismally performing economy, a naira that is almost becoming worthless, the over 13,000 innocent lives lost to Boko Haram, a criminally high level impunity, hitech corruption and kleptomania of a high degree as well as kidnapping that has reached an inexplicable degree. Ironically, this is the same party that was initially talking about issue-based political campaigns.

Unfortunately, for the PDP, lies and distortions is a lifeline for a brazen party that wants to cling on to power by all means. So, while the electorates were expecting to hear from the PDP what it has done to improve the economy, stabilise power, create jobs, stem corruption, advance education, upgrade infrastructure and beef up security, the party has chosen to play to the gallery by celebrating frivolities. It has resorted to character assassination and mudslinging as high point of its campaign strategy. Thus, if it is not about Buhari’s age today, it is either about his health, certificate, complexion, height, wife or his children the next day. The demonization of Buhari and other APC leaders have so much become the sole campaign manifesto and agenda of the PDP that the people are already getting tired of it.

While flagging off his re-election bid campaign at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, President Jonathan took the demonization of Buhari to a ridiculous height when he claimed that his administration could not win the war against Boko Haram because General Buhari did not buy ammunitions

fact that Shekau is unlikely to surrender alive, the likely option is that of violent confrontation.

Either way, Shekau’s time has come unless Deby is not sure of his statements. There is no reason not to believe him. It is therefore the expectation that in the next few days, the world will get to know more about Shekau and the Boko Haram insurgency.

We will then be entangled in a controversy of another sort. We will hear such tales as the dead man is not Skekau but a semblance of him. We will be confronted with a crisis of identity given several reports before now that Shekau had long been killed in battle field. All manner of theories will be floated especially by those who would not let the present administration take credit for the feat. The authorities will be hard put to convince the people that this is the original Shekau; not the characters that have been mimicking him. May be the saving grace will be the Chadian authorities. Coming from Deby, all shadows of doubt that are likely to be raised over the identity of the sect leader may not be pushed too far.

This point has to be underscored given that the issue of insecurity in the country has become a serious election issue. The opposition has made it one of its cardinal campaign issues with a promise to ensure the security and territorial integrity of the country. The government in power has reinvigorated the war against terrorism to prove that it has the capacity to tame the monster and take away from the opposition whatever political advantage it seeks

to get by exploiting weaknesses in the war against terrorism.

These are the issues the nation will have to contend with in the way the current escapades against terrorism are likely to be perceived.

This is more so when it is realized that one of the major reasons for shifting the elections was to enable the military conclude its military operations in that part of the country.

Then, many had queried what feat the government would achieve in barely six weeks in a war that has seemingly defied it these years. Many did not see the possibility of that happening.

But the signal coming from Deby and the reported recapturing of many villages from the insurgents now give a glimmer of hope that Boko Haram is now living on borrowed time. That would be a major political feat for the government of the day especially with the elections around the corner. It would have proved beyond reasonable doubt that the military had genuine reasons for asking to have the elections shifted for them to conclude their military operations. The government would then exploit that success for electoral advantage.

But the question will still arise as to why the government had to wait till the last minute before decisively confronting the insurgents. Is it because of the arrival of new equipment or a deliberate strategy to score political points for electoral advantage? These are the issues that will be thrown up if the real Shekau is captured or killed and the insurgency tamed very considerably in the next few days. Whatever the case, it is in the interest of this country that the war is brought to a conclusive end.

‘The question will still arise as to why the government had to wait till the last minute before decisively confronting the insurgents. Is it because of the arrival of new equipment or a deliberate strategy to score political points for electoral advantage?’

PDP’s infamy, admission of failure

By Lateef Ibirogba for the military while the latter was in power way back 1985.

Unknown to the President and his gang of hypocrites, they were merely making a mockery of themselves because what readily came to the minds of men with lucid thoughts is why the President should think of winning a 2015 combat with the weapons bought in 1985! This asymmetrical line of reasoning from the President clearly explains why the nation has been heading in the wrong direction since he came into office. It speaks so much of the sterility of the minds that have unfortunately been saddled with the highly demanding and daunting task of providing seasoned and reasoned leadership for the country.

Naively, the more the PDP attempts to batter and disparage the All Peoples’ Congress, APC, the more it exposes itself to sickening public ridicule. For instance, as the party appears to have given up on Buhari and devised another cruel campaign against the person of Professsor Yemi Osinbajo, his running mate, who Femi Fani- Kayode, the basket mouth of the party who, strangely alleged to have swore to an oath with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign from office after six months, it got condemnation from the people who could not imagine how it suits Femi Fani-Kayode to thrive on ignoble ways. The desperate PDP has left that now to concentrated much energy on frontal attack on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who it now disparages in a documentary which PDP’s television station, AIT broadcast last week to portray the APC national leader in bad light. Unfortunately, this callous attempt has not, in any way, affected the profile of Asiwaju who is leading Nigerians to have the desired change and give the country the long awaited freedom this month.

As at now, many parts of the country have started experiencing fuel scarcity. As if it is not disgusting enough that an oil producing nation of Nigeria’s profile is importing petroleum products into the country at huge cost, the clueless PDPled government, in its characteristic lame duck style of buck passing, said, through Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the national chairman of PDP, that it is the opposition that is responsible for the fuel scarcity being experienced in the country.

The joke around town now is that if it doesn’t rain for some time in the country, the opposition must be the ones behind it. Regrettably for Muazu and his apparently senile cotravelers, however, the Petroleum Products Price Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, has come out to tell Nigerians that the devaluation of the naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) is the real reason for the current fuel crisis. Certainly, the PDP is an assembly of confused and illogical minds who are

toying with the destiny of our great country and who must be voted out so the country can progress.

Hypocrisy and double-speak have become the hallmark of the PDP. It is the worst case of double standard for the PDP to question the basis for General Buhari’s recent appearance at the Chatham House, London, when the same platform was used a few weeks back by the administration, when the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, first gave a hint of the postponement of the general elections. For the hypocritical PDP, it is alright for Dasuki to be at the Chatham House, a globally respected platform where statesmen speak on vital national and international issues, but it suddenly becomes an improper platform because Buhari is involved. The pointless eruption of the PDP and its propaganda machine against Buhari’s outing in London is exactly the kind of reaction that has turned the party and its leaders into a bunch of clowns across the world.

The truth of the matter is that Nigerians are not in any way swayed by the PDP’s tissue of lies and propaganda against Buhari and the APC. They are quite aware that it is the trademark of the failed and unaccepted PDP led government. Nigerians recognize that the PDP’S resort to bankrolling clearly defective propaganda against leaders of the APC is an indirect way of admitting that it has failed the country, but are concerned about the desperation that the PDP and the Lords in Abuja are putting into this election. The way they have been going about to put everything on the way of a free, fair and credible election clearly shows that they do not want Nigeria to continue to be when they are voted out. When a ruling party relies a great deal on propaganda as a major campaign selling point, one does not need to go to a great length before submitting that such a party has nothing to offer the people.

The fact that the PDP–led government has been wasting public funds in broadcasting damaging information about the APC and its leaders as well as the recent hiring of people to protest during General Buhari’s recent appearance at the Chatham House in London are indications of how the country’s hard earned resources is being squandered by the dense and inept Jonathan administration. As it is now, the die is cast and there is no hiding place for these enemies of the people who want to perpetuate kleptomania, mediocrity, brigandage and lack of focus, as imminent trouncing awaits them at the polls. You can postpone an election as much as you want but you cannot destroy the resolve of the people yearning for change.

• Ibirogba is Honourable Commisioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

JOBS

CEO

Flight simulator centre, others to create thousands of jobs - P. 35

‘100 per cent hike in electricity tariff killing businesses’ - P. 37

News Brief

Gas shortage cuts 5m jobs

DPR may withdraw undeveloped oil fields’ licences

By Akinola Ajibade

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ANXIETY has gripped some players in the oil and gas sector as the March 31 deadline given oil firms to attain an appreciable level of development of their undeveloped marginal oil fields approaches.

–Page 26

Olam boosts cocoa, cashew farming with N536m

NIGERIAN cocoa, cashew, and sesame farmers are to benefit from a N536 million lifeline to boost their production. The support, which comes at a zero per cent interest rate to the farmers, comes from Olam Nigeria Limited, a leading agri-business company in Nigeria, under its yearly Olam Livelihood Charter (OLC), scheme, now in its fourth year.

–Page 26

Foreign reserves down by 9% to $30.87b THE foreign exchange reserves fell 9.04 per cent to $30.87 billion by March 4, from $33.94 billion a month earlier, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed last Friday.

–Page 31

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil

$54/barrel

Cocoa

$2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

¢132.70/pound

Cotton

¢95.17pound

Gold

$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

$163/lb RATES

Inflation

8%

Treasury Bills 10.58%(91d) Maximum lending 30% Prime lending

15.87%

Savings rate

3%

91-day NTB

15%

Time Deposit

5.49%

MPR

13%

Foreign Reserve

$34.5b

FOREX (RDAS) US Dollar

168

Pounds

253.26

Euro

190.6968

Swiss Franc

181.1907

Yen

1.4316

CFA

0.2889

WAUA

235.9975

• Group Managing Director, Union Bank, Mr Emeka Emuwa (left); Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Digital Jewels, Mrs Adedoyin Odunfa; Deputy Director, UK Trade and Investment, Mr Bukola Dosunmu; and Head, Information Technology, Union Bank, Lucky Jayaratne at the presentation of ISO 27001-2013 Certification to Union Bank in Lagos.

Unclaimed dividends rise to N90b

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HE total value of unclaimed dividends has risen to about N90 billion as stakeholders step up efforts to reduce outstanding unclaimed monies.

A source at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) told The Nation at the weekend that unclaimed dividends have risen by about 50 per cent in the past two years and stand at N90 billion.

The latest figure confirmed our earlier report that unclaimed dividends have grown steadily in recent years. A 2012 third quarter report by SEC showed that unclaimed dividends have peaked at N50.7 billion by the end of the quarter.

They increased sharply from about N27.8 billion in 2008 to N41.3 billion in 2009, only to hit N41.7 billion in 2010. In 2011 it climbed to N50.2, but increased marginally to N50.7 billion as at September 2012. By the end of 2012, SEC put unclaimed dividends at N60 billion.

The source indicated that the latest review of unclaimed dividends, dated September 2014, showed that unclaimed dividends remained a challenge in the capital market, noting that SEC is leading efforts to stem the growth of unclaimed dividends.

• Registrars move to reduce backlog

By Taofeek salako

The source said another review of the unclaimed dividends might show a significant reduction as Registrars have returned some unclaimed dividends to the paying companies in line with the extant rules and regulations.

A share registration source confirmed that registrars have returned unclaimed dividends to the paying companies and efforts are underway to ensure further reduction in unclaimed dividends.

SEC is almost concluding new rules and regulations, which will see unclaimed dividends being returned to the paying companies rather than being held in the custody of Registrars.

The new rules will allow firms to retrieve unclaimed dividends and invest such money for their benefit. It is a paradigm shift from the current practice where companies are not allowed access to unclaimed dividends until after 12 years.

A draft document on the new rules and regulations on unclaimed dividends by the SEC, indicated that unclaimed dividends, which hitherto

used to be in the custody of Registrars until after they become statute-barred after 12 years, will now revert back to the paying company after 12 months. However, the company is under obligation to make the unclaimed dividends available to the Registrars for payment whenever there is request by any shareholder.

Several shareholder-groups have expressed support for the new rules describing the change as a right step in the right direction, noting that the change in custodianship and the timeline could help to stem the recurring issue of unclaimed dividends.

According to the new rules and regulations, all unclaimed dividends in the custody of the registrars shall be returned to the paying company 12 months after the date of approval of dividends at a general meeting, in the case of final dividends, or a board meeting, in the case of interim dividends. The registrar is expected to provide evidence of such remittance to SEC within 24 hours.

The rules indicated that “where dividends are returned to the company unclaimed, the company may invest the unclaimed divi-

dend for its own benefit in a guaranteed income investment outside the company and no interest shall accrue on the dividends against the company”.

However, unclaimed dividend shall not be used by the company for its own business except in accordance with provisions of Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). Also, a company may retain a minimum of five per cent of the unclaimed dividends in cash or near-cash for the purpose of remittance to the Registrars upon request for payment.

According to the draft, all accrued interests from the failure of Registrars to remit the unclaimed dividends within the time limit prescribed in these Rules and Regulations shall be remitted along with the unclaimed dividend to the paying company. In this instance, the accrued interest shall be calculated at a rate not below a premium of five percent above the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) treasury bills rate.

Failure to remit unclaimed dividends to the paying company by the Registrar as indicated shall attract a penalty of N5 million and an additional sum of N100, 000 for every day such contravention persists.

IGERIA has lost the opportunity of create over five million jobs yearly from petrol-chemical and allied sectors due to the acute gas shortage in the industry, the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), David Ige, has said.

Ige told The Nation that the perennial gas problems are taking its toll on the power, fertiliser and other petrochemical industries in the country. He said a 1.5 million capacity fertiliser plant would come on stream in the next one year to help improve agriculture, just as natural gas users such as power generation companies (GENCOs), fertiliser plants and others have lost greatly to gas shortage. These loses, he explained, are socioeconomical, arguing that they have multiplier effects on the country.

“The effects are evident in the huge unemployment in Nigeria. If we have petrochemical companies operating optimally, nothing stop the country from having st least give million jobs from such firms. But this is contrary to our expectations. Gas has caused a lot of damages in the industry.

The job prospects from the available plants are not forthcoming,’’ Ige explained.

He further noted that the oil and gas plants the Federal Government is planning to create in nine states including, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers have capacity to create jobs, if all go according to plans.

The Ogidigben oil and gas parks in Delta State, he reasoned, would occupy 200 hectares of land, stressing that works were ongoing to make the project a reality.

On the price of gas, Ige said the government had done the right thing by fixing a new gas regime for operators and users of the product.

“With the increase in gas price from $1 to $2.5 per 1009 cubit feet, more investors would come to the sector.

They would no longer afraid of investing in gas which is a feedstock in the industry,” he said.

‘Naira devaluation to affect firms’ balance sheet’

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HE balance sheet of quoted companies on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, especially those with foreign loans, will be adversely affected by the economic crisis, particularly the devaluation of the naira.

It will also force companies to re-strategise by reducing their staff, National Coordinator, Independent

By Chikodi Okereocha

Shareholders’Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir. Sunny Nwosu, has said.

He told The Nation that there are two scenarios from the unfolding economic crisis. He said the first involves firms which depend on imported raw materials for production. “It means they will

pay more for importing raw materials,” he said.

Noting that companies in this category are perhaps, worse hit, Nwosu said the money they budget for import would increase because they would require more naira in acquiring few foreign exchange and in the process, they would not have enough money to op-

erate.

He further said for firms who take foreign loans, naira devaluation would see the borrowing increase so that they would be able to meet the naira requirement. It means such firms would spend more money than budgeted and the result is that their dividend and profit projections are

threatened.

The second scenario, the ISAN National Coordinator noted, involves companies which are exporting. Pointing out that although naira devaluation is supposed to re-energise the non-oil export, Nwosu said the snag, however, is that Nigeria is a mono-economy, depending heavily on oil export.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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BUSINESS NEWS

DPR may withdraw undeveloped oil fields’ licences

A

NXIETY has gripped some players in the oil and gas sec tor as the March 31 deadline given oil firms to attain an appreciable level of development of their undeveloped marginal oil fields approaches.

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in 2003 through a marginal field bid, awarded 24 marginal fields to 30 licensed oil firms. Initially, the licencees were given five years, but owing to some challenges, only about five of the licencees commenced production in the fields.

Due to the low level of activity recorded at the fields, and pleas for extension, the DPR in 2011 wrote the marginal field owners, extend-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

ing the deadline to the end of March. At the moment, only eight of the fields are producing.

An operator, who pleaded that his identity be veiled,, told The Nation that the DPR is determined to revoke the licences of firms that fail to meet the deadline.

“By 2009, only about five companies, including Platform and Midwestern, were in production. I was part of the committee that fought for an extension of the original five years by another four years. The DPR was kind enough to listen to our plea by demonstraing enough understand of the problems. They wrote us in 2011 that the licences

will be extended for another four years to March, 2015. From 2003 to 2015, that is 12 years, which is not bad,” the source said.

He explained that the reason for setting aside marginal oil fields was based on dormant, untouched fields, which are deemed to be commercially unviable by the international oil companies (IOCs). Therefore, fields in such state for more than 10 years were taken away from the IOCs by the government and given to indigenous operators, especially in the wake of the drive for local content participation in the sector. Now, the government, through the DPR, is determined to revoke such licensces from defaulting operators after 12 years, hav-

ing set a number of criteria on which to rank the non-performing oil fields.

The source said the 2003 award of marginal fields was experimental, being the first of its kind in the country; hence, the attendant challenges of funding, security and community issues, as well as contracting problems, among others.

“We were awarded these fields in 2003 and part of the conditions was that after five years, subject to demonstration of sufficient activities, the government has the option to revoke the licence.

“We fought a major battle because being the first experiment; we had a primary problem of funding. The second problem was the inability

of people to collaborate; therefore, it was not possible for somebody to hold on 100 per cent to a field and expect somebody to give you money to develop it.

“Contracting was extremely difficult because many of the contractors didn’t want to work for us unless you pay them because they thought we wouldn’t be able to pay.

Such contractors will mobilise to work for Shell for nothing, but for you, they demand 100 per cent payment upfront. The usual insecurity and community issues, among others compounded the problems. But I can say that the 2003 marginal field bid process is a success story and the most transparent,” the source added.

Manufacturing sector growth shrinks

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• From left: Managing Director, Pecho Plastics Nigeria Limited, Anthony Anyabueke; Managing Director, Petters & Daniels Industries Limited, Peter Ugwuneke; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc., Nnamdi Okonkwo; Managing Director, F. N. Uzo-Best Nigeria Ltd, Uzochukwu Nwadi; Executive Director, Lagos and Southwest Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, Ikemefuna Mbagwu and National President, Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON) Dr. Femi Egbesola at the presentation of the Fidelity /CBN/MSME fund to beneficiaries in Lagos.

Olam boosts cocoa, cashew farming with N536m N

IGERIAN cocoa, cashew and sesame farmers are to benefit from a N536 million lifeline to boost their production.

The support, which comes at a zero per cent interest rate to the farmers, comes from Olam Nigeria Limited, a leading agri-business company in Nigeria, under its yearly Olam Livelihood Charter (OLC), scheme, now in its fourth year.

The Head, Corporate and Government Relations, Olam Nigeria, Mr. Ade Adefeko, said in selecting the beneficiaries, the Charter sets very stringent standards for supporting smallholder communities in Olam’s networks through eight principles of financial support, improved yields, better labour practices, market access, improved crop quality, traceability, social investment and minimising environmental impact.

By Muyiwa Lucas

According to Adefeko, three of Olam International’s 30 flagship OLC initiatives are in Nigeria, where Olam works with cashew, cocoa and sesame smallholder farmers, and in collaboration with TechnoServe, a Washington-based firm, and New York based Rainforest Alliance, as well as other local agronomists in Nigeria.

Through these collaboration and other initiatives, Olam Nigeria provides zero interest financing and agri-input, training on good agricultural and labour practices, as well as social investment in the community. Such investment include providing educational materials, creating boreholes and wells for safe wa-

ter, building a police station and school, development of local roads and the installation of solar-powered lighting.

At last year’s OLC initiatives in Nigeria, it also featured the Charter working with 12,000 farmers in Osun, Ondo and Cross River for cocoa. Also, Kwara and Oyo farmers were assisted for the production of cashew while Jigawa, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Benue farmers were supported for sesame; about 18 per cent of the total farmers were women.

Other initiative of the Charter included 24,140 hectares of crops now under cultivation, advances for crop purchases and mid-term loans for the procurement of farming inputs. Olam also gave a total of 578 training days to farmers for them to imbibe good agricultural practices, among others.

WEMPCO chief to govt: Protect local producers

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NCREASED tariff on imported steel and allied products will protect local producers, the Group Managing Director, Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO), Robert Tung, has said.

He spoke to The Nation at the firm’s headquarters in Lagos.

He lamented the high cost of production facing indigenous manufacturers, which he traced to unfavourable business climate and massive import of goods with local substitutes He called for a policy by the government to protect local industries since they provide jobs and stimulate the growth of the economy.

He said the steel rolling mill is worth $1.5billion and can produce 700,000 metric tones of steel yearly, representing about 65 per cent of the 1.2 million metric tonne used in the country.

To ensure uninterrupted power supply for the firm’s operations, Tung said it has in-

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

vested about $250 million in building a 50 megawatt gas power.

“We realise that importing products with local substitutes costs a lot of foreign exchange for the countryand we thought that since the raw materials for steel are available locally, producing them locally will help conserve foreign exchange,” he said, adding that the steel complex also accommodates a ceramic tiles plant worth $500million, and a nail production plant worth $200million.

These investments, he explained, are a demonstration of the confidence WEMPCO has in the country’s economy, noting that the country is one of the best places to run a business with return on investment.

He praised the new initiative on the industrial policy, noting that if implemented, the

economy will be on the right path to growth.

He however, criticised the citizens penchant for imported goods, saying that even some of their customers insist that they put madein -China inscription on the finished products instead of madein -Nigeria which will boost the image of the country outside this clime.

He said: “Thye government should discourage the penchant for the citizens to prefer imported goods though of lower quality which is usually borne out of inferiority complex . Due to the insistence of some of our customers, we resorted to putting some Chinese inscription on our finished products though they are made locally. As a conglomerate with over 14,000 staff strength, we advise government to carry advocacy on ‘buy Nigeria’, to encourage large industrial concerns like them,” he satated.

ROWTH in the manufactur ing sector shrank to 19.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year. This was as a result of poor electricity supply, with high input costs, and the snowballing effect ot the depreciating naira.

A data obtained from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, showed that the sector contributed 9.11 per cent to the nominal GDP growth during the period, up from 8.65 per cent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2013 and 9.77 per cent in the third quarter of last year.

Thirteen manufacturing and allied activities make up Nigeria’s manufacturing sector which capacity utilisation has gone up to 54 per cent, from around 46 per cent in the first half of 2013/14. The sector is also one of the fastest growing in the economy, recording about 15 per cent real growth in the first three quarters of 2014.

However, as at end of January, the sector’s real GDP growth stood at 13.47 per cent year-on- year, down from 24.59 per cent growth

By Toba Agboola

recorded in the previous year.

The textile, apparel and footwear; food, beverage and tobacco; and cement, drove growth of the sector, increasing by 30.74 per cent, 5.16 percent, and 32.01 per cent.

According to the MAN, investments in the food, beverage and tobacco rose to N92.67 billion in the first half of 2014. This represents 86 per cent hike from N49.95 billion recorded in the second half of 2013.

“As usual, food, beverages and tobacco group took about 19 percent of the total share, with the group’s activities highly driven by the beer and flour mills as well as the confectionery sub-sectors,” says MAN report.

The food, beverage and tobacco group also had a good showing in terms of output as value of goods within the period under review hit N83 billion, from N64.4 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2013.

APCON reform not to strangulate foreign players

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HE Fifth Code of Advertising Practice is not meant to stop foreign players, the immediate past chairman, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi has said.

He said the code, which has been gazetted, is meant to enhance the new licence regime for both local and foreign practitioners.

Since the reform took off, some stakeholders have accused APCON of strangulating foreign players under the guise of protecting local advertisers.

Akinwunmi, however, said this was not true.

“With the gazette of the fifth code and the setting up of the main machinery for the implementation of the licensing regime, APCON has a major role to play in ensuring that there is a faithful adherence to what the law says. I wish to reiterate again

By Adedeji Ademigbuji

that the new regime is not in place to stop foreign players or discourage them. On the other hand, the purpose is to ensure that adequate and proper regulations are in place to ensure that the sector operates professionally. We are aware of some illicit and unathourised activities at the moment, whereby some foreigners are operating illegally within the market simply because there was not council in place,” he said.

With the inauguration of new council, he said that he expects the new council to move quickly to stop such activities.

Prospective investors in the advertising industry, especially foreigners, are required under the reform to show N200 million bank guarantees for the membership of any of the sectoral bodies of the APCON at the entry level.

Why airlines fail in Nigeria, by operators

A

IRLINE operators have adduced lack of proper planning, access to low interest credit, use of wrong equipment, as part of the reasons airlines have a short life span in Nigeria.

The operators, Captain Abdulsalami Mohammed, managing director of Discovery Air and Captain Edward Boyo , chief executive officer of Overland Airways, said if prospective investors in the airline industry carry out detailed feasibility study, the high attrition rate of airlines could be reduced.

Mohammed attributed the high attrition rate of domestic airlines in Nigeria to lack of proper planning by operators, explaining that many people venture into airline

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

business without adequate preparation of all that is required to float a viable airline.

Such ill preparations, Mohammed said, had contributed significantly to the short life span of many airlines. “The short lifespan of most Nigerian airlines could be attributed to lack of proper planning as well as the harsh and non-conducive business environment which makes it difficult for Nigerian operators to access long term credit facilities. It is only when you have a well thought out plan of what is required to run the business that you could hit the ground running and remain in business,” he said.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

28

BUSINESS NEWS

US economy adds 295,000 jobs in February T

HE United States economy added 295,000 jobs in February, while the unemployment rate fell to 5.5 per cent from 5.7per cent, according to Labour Department figures.

It was the 12th month running that the economy added more than 200,000 jobs, the longest such run since 1994.

The stronger-than-expected jobs figure led to a jump in the value of the dollar.

Markets are speculating that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates in June this year.

The Labour Department figure showed there were job gains in a number of sectors including construction, health care, and transportation.

There were also job gains in food and drinks outlets, professional and business services, and warehousing.

However, employment in mining was down over the month.

The figure for the number of jobs created in January was revised down from 257,000 to 239,000.

In February, average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm

payrolls rose by three cents to $24.78, with earnings up by two per cent over the year.

The labour force participation rate fell to 62.8 per cent from 62.9 per cent, as more people made themselves available for work.

So the American labour market is off to the races, leaving behind the legacy of the financial crisis? Or is it?

There is certainly some good news in these figures, such as the 12th consecutive month in which employers have added at least 200,000 jobs. It’s also worth noting just how much some of the bad numbers have come down since the worst of the great recession. Unemployment peaked at 10 per cent and is now 5.5per cent.

A wider measure which includes a number of other groups who are working less than they want to is down from 17 per cent to 11 per cent.

But before the crisis it was as low as eight per cent. Another important comparison is the percentage of the adult population who do have jobs.

That is still significantly lower than it was throughout the 20 years before

2008.

So, the situation is improving but it is still work in progress.

The strong jobs data is likely to raise expectations that the Federal Reserve will be looking at raising interest rates sooner rather than later.

Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, said: “Any sign of undue strength will raise the spectre of rates climbing soonerthanexpected,andwewerealready expecting rates to rise this year.”

Meanwhile, Tom Porcelli, chief US economist at RBS Capital Markets in New York, said: “It’s been looking extremely constructive over the past few months, at the very least it probably gives some people pause for cutting down their GDP expectations this year.

“We had already generated a million jobs in the previous three months, the economy is generating more job growth than we think it has the ability to do. While the summers have been very robust, at some point we’ll have to see the slowdown to some extent.”

Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire to improve bilateral trade

T

HE Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), has expressed confidence on the initiative and willingness of Cote d’Ivoire business community to partner with their Nigerian counterparts.

The Second Deputy National President, Association, Alaba Lawson, made this known during a courtesy visit on NACCIMA by the Cote d’Ivoire Ambassador to Nigeria and Benin Republic, Mrs. Toure Kone Maman.

Lawson, who praised Cote d’Ivoire on its giant strides in agriculture, explained that the business environment, like any other developing countries, has tremendously improved with numerous opportunities in agriculture, oil andgas, telecommunication and power.

She therefore called on the Ambassador to sensitise her country’s businessmen and women through the Chamber of Commerce platform to visit Ni-

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with Cross River State Government has disbursed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF) to 700 enterprises in the state.

The exercise, which was carried out in Calabar, the state capital, through the Cross River State Micro-finance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), was the phase one of the scheme, which saw beneficiaries access a total of N1.4 billion of the N2 billion fund.

Governor Liyel Imoke was excited

at the level of participation of youths and women.

He said: “Let me expressed my deepest appreciation to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who has shown commitment to the growth of private sector, but most importantly, the development and growth of new generation of entrepreneurs.”

“This particular initiative which is designed to support the Small Micro and Medium Enterprise in our country can actually set the agenda for economic growth in

Cross River and Nigeria at large.”

According to the governor, “the President has demonstrated total commitment to the development of our youths through various initiatives which we have never seen in our country before. Some of them include the YOUWIN initiatives, which of course, a few Cross Riverians have benefitted.

“We have seen SURE-P and several other initiatives, but today, we have seen the actualisation of the development of Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise Development Fund with the disbursement of this N2 billion.”

Heritage Bank funds 8.5MW power project

T

HE management of Heritage Bank has announced that the recently completed 8.5 Megawatts (Mw) Peninsula Independent Power Project (PIPP) financed by the bank will be inaugurated this month.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Heritage Bank, Mr. Ifie Sekibo, said the bank is proud to be part of the project activated by the Lagos State Government to provide power supply for businesses and industries around Lekki Peninsula.

He added that the bank’s involvement in the project was borne out of its business objective of continuously offering ingenious financial support and advisory services on investment, project finance, business expansion, modernisation, pro-

By Collins Nweze

duction process and capacity improvement and restructurings that would create multiple economic advantages for the benefits of majority of its stakeholders.

According to him, “the Project Finance facility granted to the Peninsula Independent Power Project was to set up a 8.5 Megawatts Captive Power Generating Plant with a 22km Distribution Network which has the potential of upgrading to a 25 Mw power generating plant that will run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The PIPP will provide power for the Lagos State Government water works and public lighting within Lekki, Victoria Island and

Ikoyi.”

He added that facilities to be connected to the project include Lekki Phase 1 Waterworks, Ligali Ayorinde Waterworks, Victoria Island, Saka Tinubu Waterworks, three boreholes located at Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island and Alexander Road Waterworks Ikoyi. Others include 10 km of New Public Lighting within Lekki Phase 1, 15 km of New Public Lighting within Victoria Island and Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge.

Sekibo noted further that with the recent acquisition of Enterprise Bank, Heritage Bank is set to play more active role in sustainable economic initiatives as well as the CBN efforts to promote financial inclusion and all national banking operational standards.

geria in order to explore areas of partnership and possible investment.

Maman reiterated Cote d’Ivoire’s commitment to building partnership with Nigeria as a big brother, especially in agriculture and trading between the two countries.

The Ambassador, who recalled the state visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Cote d’Ivoire in 2013, said a Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Commission and Seven Agreements were signed by the two countries during the visit.

Maman said she was at the NACCIMA Secretariat to share her country’s progress in cocoa, cashew and coffee production as well as enlist NACCIMA’s support and participation in their forthcoming ‘SARA’ Agriculture Exhibition scheduled for next month in Abidjan.

She noted that her country has created a window for registration of businesses and reduced tax from 35 per cent to 25 per cent.

Toyota gets first woman executive

T

OYOTA Motor Corp (7203.T) has promoted more foreigners to senior posts, including the first woman and first AfricanAmerican to hold executive titles, diversifying a management team long dominated by Japanese men.

The world’s biggest automaker

•From left: Head Transparency, UNGC New York, Dr. Jobi Makinwa; Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo- Waziri; Country Programme Director Nigeria, United Nations (UN) Women, Dr. Grace Ongile; Head, Human Resources, NSE, Ms. Pai Gamde and Executive Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Victor Etuokwu, at the Closing Gong Ceremony in commemoration of International Women's Day celebration at the Exchange in Lagos ... on Friday.

Cross River entrepreneurs get N1.4b SMEs fund

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

A

N expert, Dr. Deinde Omotayo, has called for the restructuring of the oil

sector.

He said this became necessary because of the challenges facing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the sector.

Speaking in Lagos, Omotayo said despite its role as the nation's highest foreign exchange spinner, which amounts to about 90 per cent, the industry has been bedeviled by lack of transparency, corruption and theft.

He said he was worried that over 40,000 barrels of crude oil are allegedly stolen daily by thieves, adding that despite the presence of security agencies, such as the Joint Task Force to police our wa-

appointed Europe chief Didier Leroy to become one of six executive vice presidents (EVP) effective after the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in June. He would be the first foreigner to become a Toyota EVP, the highest post to be held by a nonJapanese.

Toyota also named Julie Hamp, a senior official at Toyota Motor North America, as a managing officer, making the American the company’s first female executive. Christopher Reynolds, an African-American general counsel in North America, will also become a managing officer.

Hamp’s promotion marks a step in Japan’s drive to narrow the gender gap in the workplace. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called on corporate Japan to appoint women to 30 percent of top jobs by 2020 - a target widely seen as unattainable and opposed by the country’s biggest business lobby.

Women account for 11 percent of mid-to-senior level management in Japan and one percent of executive committee members, according to researcher McKinsey.

Toyota has stood out for having few foreign executives - particularly compared with Nissan Motor Co (7201.T), led by Frenchman Carlos Ghosn - given that its home market makes up less than a fifth of its global sales.

Seven of Toyota’s 57 executives are foreign. With the changes due in June, that number will rise to nine of 58.

‘Restructure oil industry’ ter ways, the oil saboteurs still effortlessly have their way, leaving the nation bleeding.

Omotayo, a medical practitioner and stalwart of All Progressives Congress (APC), said in addition to appointing more committed and sound professionals to manage the industry, both the downstream and the upstream sectors of the critical industry should be re-focused to meet the challenge of modern management and set them on the sustainable part of enhancing the country's development.

He accused the Federal government and its gents of running the NNPC aground.

Vodafone introduces policy

V

ODAFONE is introducing a worldwide maternity policy, offering significantly better terms than the statutory minimum in many of the countries where it operates.

The policy includes a minimum of 16 weeks fully-paid maternity leave.

New mothers returning to work will be offered a 30-hour week on full pay for the first six months.

The company said one of the main motivations was to recruit and retain women.

The policy will be introduced by

By Alvin Afadama

the end of the year in all the countries where Vodafone’s operates, including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US. Statutory maternity policies vary across the regions where Vodafone operates but the company said it had decided to provide a minimum level of support to expectant and new mothers at all its businesses.

The impact is likely to be greatest in African countries, India and the United States where legal minimum provision is low.

29

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

ISSUES The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and banks are focusing on agriculture in the hope of turning it to a cash cow in the face of falling oil price.

Consequently, the apex bank has instituted policies aimed at securing low cost funds not only for farmers, but for other operators in the agricultural value chain.

Banks are also expanding credit to the sector to discourage importation of goods that can be produced locally.

COLLINS NWEZE reports.

H

E spoke with passion.

And the message by Alhaji Danladi Garba, Chairman, Tractor Owners & Hiring Facilities Association of Nigeria (TOHFAN) was clear: give operators more credit and see the impact of improved food production not only on the employment market but in the economy.

Garba, at a news conference organised by the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited tagged: 'Agric business: Diversifying the Nigerian economy' said Nigeria can produce its own food and that agric business remains profitable.

Garba is right. Gone are the days when borrowers beg banks to lend to the agric sector. Today, the tides have turned. The buzz for agric financing is on, and no lender wants to be left behind.

This was not the case 10 years ago when no lender would give funds to farmers.

Such loans would be considered lost from the date of approval.

But today, the lenders have begun a scramble for agric businesses, having seen the potential and knowing how much a well priced loan can add to their profitability.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of FCMB Limited, Mr. Ladi Balogun, assured businessmen that the bank will intensify its support to the agricultural sector and its value chain including lending more to the subsector in the interest of the economy. The bank chief said the lender is focused on being a strategic partner to the

• A tractor at work.

Banks scramble for agric businesses government and other stakeholders in the agric sector to ensure food sufficiency, employment and revenue generation.

Balogun said the lender will continue to provide credit to the sector and its value chain, including small and medium scale businesses. He said 30 per cent of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from the agricultural sector. It was 40 per cent before the economy was rebased last year.

"The agric transformation is real.

It is not rhetoric. We built agric business that is at the centre of transforming the economy. If we really want to continue employing the growing population, we need to not only feed Nigeria, but feed the world," he said.

The CEO of FCMB said the lender realises that there are millions of farmers across the country that need credit at affordable rates, considering the level of attraction the

sector has garnered.

"That is why we are increasing our level of support," he stated.

“FCMB is not alone in the scramble to lend to the agric sector. United Bank for Africa (UBA) has also keyed into the programme. Its Managing Director Phillips Oduoza, said the bank has continued to channel resources to the sector because it remains the mainstay of most economies in Africa. "UBA has a deliberate policy to continue to fund agriculture. Our lending to the sector is already above the industry average. We are doing about seven per cent of our total portfolio in agriculture," he said.

Noting that banks' lending to agriculture is generally on the upward swing, he said that banking sector funding to agriculture has moved from just about 0.5 per cent of total industry portfolio prior to 2009 to about 4.9 per cent

‘

of banking industry loan book currently. "Interestingly, the non-performing loans coming from agriculture lending is lower than most people would have thought," he said.

Oduoza also explained that UBA is expanding its electronic banking products to improve the way it serves its more than seven million customers. He said that the bank has rolled out an array of electronic banking products, from cards to point of sale terminals, which is helping to reduce the cost to income ratio of the bank while making a positive impact on the bottom line.

Union Bank of Nigeria Plc is not left out. Its Group Managing Director, Emeka Emuwa, urged Nigeria and other African nations to make agriculture more productive in their fight to end the scourge of poverty on the continent. He spoke at the International Conference organised by the African Rural and

While noting that banks’ lending to agriculture is generally on the upward swing, he said that banking sector funding to agriculture has moved from just about 0.5 per cent of total industry portfolio prior to 2009 to about 4.9 per cent of banking industry loan book

’

Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA) sponsored by the bank.

In his welcome address to the conference with the theme: "Propelling economic development through functional agricultural value chain financing models: Lessons learnt and emerging opportunities, in Lagos, Emuwa advised African nations to redouble their efforts to make agriculture more productive. "If you can get agriculture to become more productive, you will be better positioned to tackle the scourge of poverty in the continent. It is unfortunate that there has been a decline in the sector due to the emergence of other economic sectors in Africa," he said.

Citing Nigeria, Emuwa told the conference participants that the emergence of oil and gas sector stunted the agricultural sector. He said that Union Bank has been supporting agriculture over the years, stressing that in the current financial year, Union Bank will be engaging directly with farmers in order to have a deep understanding of the entire segments of the business so as to inject more funds than have been invested in the past.

"We will continue to invest in agriculture. In the past years, ag• Continued on page 30

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

30

ISSUES •Continued from page 29

riculture has played a significant part in our business but we want to look at the entire value chain more intently. We want to engage with the rural farmers directly and not just from policy level", he emphasised.

Similarly, Ecobank Nigeria said it will grow its agriculture support loans to over N50 billion in the next one year. In a statement, the bank said the plan is in line with its policy to support the growth and development of the agriculture sub-sector of the economy, as part of its contribution to the agricultural transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

Ecobank Country Head, Agric and Export Finance, Abel Ajala, who disclosed this, said the lender has introduced concessionary interest rates for its agriculture finance scheme, as well as created agriculture and export units manned by professionals for easy loan risk assessment, ensuring that beneficiaries utilise fund given to them judiciously.

He noted that Ecobank is supporting the agriculture value chain that comprises the producers, the processors and markets/ exporters of agricultural products.He reiterated that the focus on the agric sector has become necessary to stem an impending food crisis on the continent.

Bankers’ Committee The CBN and deposit money banks in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Bankers' Committee have restated their commitment to expanding bank lending in agro-business in order to discourage importation of goods that can be produced locally.

The bankers also stated their resolve to explore large corporates as anchors to lend to participants across the value chain to improve the capacity of Nigeria's agro-businesses so as to create sustainable jobs and inclusive growth.

The bankers also affirmed their commitment to financial deepening of the economy, improving financial access to key sectors of the economy, innovative solutions for the critical finance of generation, provide finance for small and medium enterprises, among others.

"We note that four basic commodities that are consumed by Nigerians - rice, wheat, fish and sugar jointly account for a significant amount of the country's annual import bill.

We are convinced that the nation has the capacity to produce these consumables in required amounts to meet our domestic consumption needs. With its attendant impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and job creation, agriculture remains a critical focus sector of the financial system," it added.

CBN’s roles The CBN set the tone when it introduced Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) to the banks.

By that single policy, banks can lend to agricultural sector and its value chains without fear of losing such funds. The NIRSAL is already being implemented by the banks and is expected to drive agricultural revolution in the country.

The CBN explained that NIRSAL, unlike previous schemes which encouraged banks to lend without clear strategy to the entire spectrum of the agricultural value chain, emphasises lending to the value chain and to all sizes of producers.

The Federal Government also plans to double agriculture's share of banks' credit to 10 per cent in two years. The loans to agriculture as a share of total credit rose to N320 billion, or five per cent, at the end of last year from less than one per cent in 2011.

Agriculture Minister Akinwunmi Adesina said the Federal Government has made a fundamental shift that agriculture is not a developmental activity, but a business. "The CBN has shifted the mind-set of the banks.

It's a new agriculture sector in which they can actually invest money and make money," Adesina said.

Agric potential Already, banks and the CBN are discussing how to increase lending to the sector.

For the apex bank, government needed to pay more attention to agriculture, which still has one of the greatest potentials in growing the economy.

CBN Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Dr. Sarah Alade said that one way of achiev-

• CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele

• Oduoza

• Balogun

Banks scramble for agric business ing this is by collaborating with the banking system to fix the value-chain problems in the agricultural sector. She said economic development was about enhancing the productive capacity of an economy by using available resources to reduce risks, remove impediments, which otherwise could hinder investment.

Speaking at an international conference on agricultural value-chain financing in Lagos, she said the CBN has so far committed about N1.169 trillion to different intervention schemes being promoted by the Federal Government.

Alade said the funds were committed by the CBN in collaboration with the Federal Government into key economic schemes for economic development.

She listed the schemes as the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (N69 billion); Commercial Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (N200 billion); the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (N200 billion); Small and Medium Enterprises Credit Guarantee Scheme (N200 billion).

Others are the SMEs Restructuring and Refinancing Scheme (N200 billion) and Power and Airlines Intervention Fund (N300 billion).

Alade, who was represented by CBN Director of Research, Charles Mordi, said schemes were meant to address the challenges confronting agriculture and agric business in the country.

She said the Federal Government and CBN instituted the intervention programmes to enable key players in the economy have access to finance, adding that access to credit remains important to agricultural valuechain.

Speaking further, she said the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme was introduced in 1978 to encourage lending to the agric sector. Alade said the scheme has up to date, supported the sector by guarantying loans to over 800,000 beneficiaries.

NIRSAL performance According to the CBN, NIRSAL is also expected to be a catalyst for innovative risk management strategies, long-term financing for agribusiness and significant job creation by new entrepreneurs.

"The mandate of NIRSAL is to act as the custodian of all credit guarantee schemes, interest draw back schemes, and commercialisation initiatives related to an integrated value chain approach to agriculture and agribusiness in Nigeria,'' the CBN

said.

Under NIRSAL, there are five pillars to be addressed by an estimated $500 million that will be invested by the CBN, according to the programme document.

There is also a Risk-sharing Facility of $300 million, planned to address banks' perception of high-risks in the sector by sharing losses on agricultural loans. There is equally an insurance Facility of $30 million intended to expand insurance products for agricultural lending from the current coverage to new products, such as weather index insurance, new variants of pest and disease insurance.

Besides, there is also a Technical Assistance Facility amounting to $60 million meant to equip banks to lend sustainably to agriculture, producers to borrow and use loans more effectively and increase output of better quality agricultural products, among others.

The current improvement in the sector was linked to access to credit through the new policy focused on increasing private sector participation, emphasis on the entire agriculture value chain, and using agriculture to boost employment, wealth creation and food security.

Analysts have praised the performance by banks as demonstrating their fate in the capacity of agriculture to transform the economy. The CBN explained that with the credit trend emanating from the banks, Nigeria might be close to winning its economic diversification objectives that will lead to less dependence on oil.

Years back analysts said the structural imbalance of the economy has over the years, remained a source of concern to government, stakeholders and investors who insist that the economy has to be diversified. The discovery of oil in the early 1970s diverted government's attention from agriculture to oil. This has adversely affected the performance of the agricultural sector over the years but opened calls for the diversification of the economy beyond oil revenues.

Therefore, the dismal performance of the agricultural sector in terms of its contribution to Nigeria's yearly total revenue in the last four decades prompted the CBN, in conjunction with the Bankers' Committee to deliberate on ways of increasing lending to agriculture.

This prompted the CBN, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources to establish the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) in 2009. The CACS was meant to finance agricultural value chain from input supply to marketing. The scheme commenced opera-

‘

Already, banks and the CBN are discussing how to increase lending to the sector. For the apex bank, the government needed to pay more attention to agriculture, which still has one of the greatest potentials in growing the economy

’

tions on April 23, 2009 with the approval of the Federal Government.

The establishment of N200 billion CACS was meant to fast-track the development of the agricultural value sector of the economy through the provision of credit facilities at a single digit interest rate to large-scale commercial farmers.

There has been, in recent years, huge flow of funds from abroad to the agricultural sector. Nigeria attracted agricultural investment worth more than $8 billion in the past 18 months ended June, 2013 Adesina said on June 13. Still, only 40 per cent of its 21 million hectares of arable land is cultivated.

Agriculture employs 70 per cent of Nigeria's population, Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, said.

These statistics, analysts said, remain a pointer to the immense opportunity that the agric sector represents, which the banks and government at all levels need to harness for the overall good of the people.

Impact on the economy A report by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) showed that Agriculture accounts for roughly 41 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria and 50 per cent of the economically active population in the country. Figures revealed by the report showed that if the Nigerian government is sincere in its poverty reduction campaign, it absolutely has to fix agriculture.

It also showed that the country has 70 per cent of its population rightly in rural areas and about 70 per cent also living on less than one dollar a day. It attributed the 70 per cent population figure still living on one dollar a day to the fact that the nation was yet to revive its agricultural sector. It stated that since 2000, agriculture has been the slowest growing sector, growing roughly at about 5.1 per cent per annum.

According to Adesina, who was formerly the Vice President for Policy and Partnerships (AGRA), the subsector's development has to be encouraged in order to transform the economy, generate jobs and equitable growth.

Adesina, who spoke at a Bankers Committee meeting he attended to discuss funding needs for the subsector, said: "When you look at the history of the agriculture sector, in the 60s, we used to have the groundnut pyramid; we used to have palm oil, cocoa among others.

“Nigeria was known as an agricultural basket, not only in the country, but globally.

Today, we have lost all that. So we are actually importing inflation because as global commodity prices are rising, we are importing food and by that we are driving inflation in the country."

Nigeria, he said, is trying to reverse decades of neglect of its farming industry and push agriculture as its "new frontier for growth" because it can no longer depend on oil to drive its economy, President Goodluck Jonathan said in July, last year.

The government's efforts to boost food supply by 20 million metric tons from 2011 to 2015 has seen the country's food import bill drop by more than half to $5 billion from $11 billion two years ago, Adesina said.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

31

MONEYLINK

Foreign reserves down nine per cent to $30.87b T HE foreign exchange reserves fell 9.04 per cent to $30.87 bil lion by March 4, from $33.94 billion a month earlier, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed last Friday.

The CBN has used the reserves to support the ailing naira, which has been hammered by falling global oil prices and uncertainty over the resheduled presidential elections due later this month.

The CBN has also fixed the rate at which banks can buy dollars from International Oil Companies (IOCs) at not more than N2 spread to its clearing rate, dealers said. The policy is the bank’s latest attempt to prop up the naira.

The naira crashed through the psychologically important level of

• Dollar sales by IOCs attract N2 spread Stories by Collins Nweze

N200 to the dollar last month in a route triggered by weak oil prices and tension over the postponement of a presidential election.

The CBN has pledged to stabilise the naira and has been deploying various measures. Dealers said the CBN did not issue a formal circular on the directive, but resorted to persuasion, adding that the total outstanding dollar demand of about $600 million was unmet.

“The Central Bank on Monday fixed the rate at which we can buy dollars from oil companies,” one dealer told Reuters.

Oil companies usually sell dollars through an auction to lenders to buy naira to fund their local operations. The naira closed at N197 to the dollar last Thursday, firmer than N199.9 its ended on Wednesday. Dealers said the bank had beefed up inspection of commercial bank’s trading books to verify utilisation of its dollar sales.

The CBN scrapped its bi-weekly currency auctions last month and a market body said it would sell dollars only at 198 naira, a move that amounted to a de facto devaluation of the currency of

Union Bank wins MasterCard PoS award

U

•CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele

Africa’s biggest economy.

The CBN also barred lenders from reselling Oil company dollars to other lenders unless the sale was backed by a customer order, dealers said.

Ecobank insulated from Nigeria’s currency risks, says CEO

E

COBANK’S Group CEO, Albert Essien has said the current economic and currency headwinds in Nigeria has not affected his company, immensely.

“So far so good, Nigeria is our biggest operation. Our business has not encountered downside risks despite crude oil price fall,” he told CNBC Africa.

Essien said investors needed to make long-term investments decisions as this was not an in and out thing. “Investors need to prepare properly so as to understand the local environment; investors also need to have a focus as what one wants to do. I think Africa offers great opportunities, the continent offers good returns, and though there are challenges, they are surmountable,” he said, adding that the region was anticipating much investment from the Middle East, especially through financing infrastructure development and equity.

He said his group had covered

much ground in attracting talent and diversifying the business in Nigeria, adding that the company was now big on transaction services.

Essien, expected to step down as soon as his tenure ends, said his group was expecting to announce a successor in June.

He said whatever risks are identi-

fied are best viewed holistically rather than in isolation. “New market entrants will need to develop a clear risk appetite and weigh the opportunity against the cost of risk mitigation, which can be expensive,” Essien said.

He said the setting up of a risk review board would help en-

sure the right level and scope of ongoing risk monitoring.

He also urged investors to be prepared to engage with African countries on a long-term basis and avoid abrupt changes in investment focus because of perceived instability in certain markets.

FCMB supports social media week

F

IRST City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited has continued to demonstrate its strength in the delivery of cutting-edge, prompt and cost effective solutions that meets the needs of its customers.

This was displayed during the 2015 Social Media Week (SMW) Lagos conference held last month, where the lender showcased its various e-banking products, apps and social media advancements.

The conference, sponsored by the bank, brought together thought leaders, innovators and business practitioners who in-

teracted and offered insights, ideas, inspirations and trends that enabled participants leverage the benefits of social media to realise their respective individual and business aspirations.

During the five-day conference, the bank exhibited its newly enhanced mobile banking channel, known as FCMBMobile. The product now has a better look and feel, user friendly and more secured features for customers to carry out payments and other transactions. Some of the transactions that can be performed on FCMBMobile include,

funds transfer, checking of account balance, bills payment (e.g Dstv and Gotv subscriptions) and top up of air time on mobile phones, among others. Participants at the conference had an opportunity to download the FCMBMobile app and test firsthand how the product worked.

Commenting on the bank’s e-payment and other electronic channels, the Group Head, Cards and Electronic Banking Group, Mr. John Iwuajoku, said ‘’the added security benefit on FCMBMobile is to ensure that our customers use the channel with peace of mind’’.

NION Bank of Nigeria Plc has emerged the financial industry’s “Cashless POS Activation Champion,” in the MasterCard cashless champion awards for last year.

The bank received the award for recording the highest increase in the activation of its Point of Sale (POS) terminals as recorded by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System’s (NIBSS) Payments Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA) report.

The report indicated that by the end of last year, Union Bank had attained an “active-to-deploy” POS ratio of 98 per cent, against the 56 per cent industry rate. The bank had also deployed the highest number of POS terminals with over three thousand POS points, representing a 116 per cent growth rate when compared to the third quarter of 2014.

Commenting on the award, the Head of E-Business, Mr. Fatai Baruwa said: “As we focus on building a simpler, smarter bank, ensuring that our customers adopt alternative channels for payments and banking services is critical. When a customer requests a debit card, we proactively ensure the customer follows through and activates that card on our POS terminals.

As we get set to rollout our instant card offering across the country, we expect our activation rates to go up”.

In 2014, Union Bank announced that it had begun implementing a transformation strategy that will make it a highly respected provider of quality financial services. The bank has commenced a restructuring of its physical and technology infrastructure as well as optimisation of its branch network.

The MasterCard Cashless Awards was launched in October 2014 by global payments technology company MasterCard and aims to promote a culture of cashless transactions.

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FIDELITY NIG FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

123.29 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,758.44 1,108.93 114.66 121.16 1.67 1.29 1.32 0.95 1.17

123.03 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,758.44 1,108.14 114.03 120.30 1.62 1.28 1.32 0.93 1.17

ECONOMIC INDICATORS FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) March 5, 2015

Inflation: January

8.2%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

Interbank ($/N)

197.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

$33.2b

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR) Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$60.91

Tenor Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 06-03-15

SYMBOL GUARANTY ZENITHBANK FBNH DIAMONDBNK UBA AFRIPRUD SKYEBANK FIDELITYBK CHAMPION CCNN

O/PRICE 22.03 19.00 8.00 4.10 3.70 2.68 2.07 1.27 4.81 10.70

C/PRICE 24.28 20.94 8.81 4.51 4.07 2.94 2.27 1.39 5.17 11.46

CHANGE 10.21 10.21 10.13 10.00 10.00 9.70 9.66 9.45 7.48 7.10

LOSERS AS AT 06-03-15

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

JBERGER MAYBAKER PRESCO DANGFLOUR CAVERTON SEPLAT CAP NEM FLOURMILL CUTIX IKEJAHOTEL

9.00 1.60 32.28 3.51 2.95 450.00 39.78 0.63 34.92 1.44 4.46

C/PRICE 8.55 1.52 30.77 3.34 2.81 430.00 38.20 0.61 33.85 1.40 4.35

CHANGE -5.00 -5.00 -4.97 -4.84 -4.75 -4.44 -3.97 -3.17 -3.06 -2.78 -2.47

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

16.5%

1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months

March 4

March 5

Rate)%

Rate (%)

0.1735 0.2147 0.2615 0.3841 0.6709

0.1715 0.2108 0.2626 0.3857 0.6744

Nigerian Stock Market Indices NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

12-02-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 13-02-15

Overnight (O/N)

14.683

76.583

1M

15.033

15.977

3M

15.809

17.177

6M

16.493

17.908

Statistics All Share Index Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) Deals Volume (mn) Value (NGN’mn)

19 Feb 29,282.04 9,770.36 3,385 564,28 6,087.80

20 Feb 29,383.93 9,804.36 3,714 377,75 6,568.66

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Feb. 13, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

12.44

T-bills - 182

13.85

Transaction Dates

Amount Offered in ($)

Amount Sold in ($)

T-bills - 364

13.92

03/02/2015

500m

499.93m

Bond - 3yrs

15.92

3/12/2014

400m

399.97m

Bond - 5yrs

17.22

1/12/2014

350m

349.96m

Bond - 7yrs

16.59

32

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 06-03-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 06-03-15

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

33

EQUITIES

Investors scramble for banking stocks as equities gain N315b

B

ANKING stocks were the toasts of the investing public last week as the Nigerian equities rode on the back of increased demand to add N315 billion in new capital gains.

With the release of the earnings reports and dividend recommendations of Guaranty Trust Bank and Zenith Bank, investors upped demand for banking stocks in anticipation of the earnings and dividends of the other stocks.

Average gain in the banking sector was more than thrice the average gain the entire market just as banking stocks dominated the activity chart. The NSE Banking Index, the value-based index that tracks banking sector, recorded a week-on-week gain of 9.79 per cent, the highest by any group during the week.

The All Share Index (ASI), the

benchmark index that tracks prices of all quoted equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), indicated week-on-week gain of 3.14 per cent. The ASI rose from its opening index of 30,103.81 points to close the week at 31,049.37 points.

Aggregate market value of all quoted equities closed weekend at N10.360 trillion as against N10.045 trillion recorded as opening value for the week, representing addition of capital gains of about N315 billion.

The NSE 30 Index, which tracks the 30 most capitalized stocks on the NSE, returned average gain of 4.05 per cent during the week. Banking stocks constitute more than one third of the stocks under the NSE 30 Index. The NSE Industrial Goods Index recorded a modest gain of 1.92 per cent while the NSE Consumer Goods Index rose by 1.89 per

cent. However, the NSE Oil and Gas Index dwindled by 2.0 per cent. The NSE Insurance Index dropped by 0.12 per cent while the NSE Lotus Islamic Index, which tracks stocks that comply with Islamic law, indicated a week-on-week decline of 1.75 per cent.

Total turnover at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week stood at 2.13 billion shares worth N24.39 billion in 22,532 deals, representing considerable increase on a total of 1.68 billion shares valued at N21.32 billion that were traded in 21,062 deals two weeks ago.

The turnover indicated increased demand for equities with the positive market situation leaving most equities on the gainers’ list. Price trend analysis showed that 40 equities appreciated while 30 stocks depreciated during the week.

• From left: First Vice President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) Mr Oluwaseyi Abe; President, CIS, Mr Albert Okumagba; Chief Executive Officer, Anabel Group, Mr Nicholas Okoye; Managing Director, UBA Capital Securities, Mr Jude Chiemeka and Chief Executive Officer, Primera Africa Securities Limited, Mrs Lilian Olubi during strategy meeting of CEOs of stockbroking firms organised by CIS and Anabel Group in Lagos.

GTBank, Zenith to pay shareholders • Record N236b N106b dividends profit in 12 months

N

IGERIA’s two most capitalised banks-Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc and Zenith Bank Plc have announced that they recorded pre-tax profit of N236 billion in 2014. The banks will distribute N106 billion as cash dividends to shareholders.

The audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that the banks suppressed the headwinds with appreciable improvements in the topline and the bottom-line. Both banks recorded double-digit growth in the top-line while pretax profit rose by around nine per cent. The two competitive banks are also paying the same dividend rate as GTBank increased cash payout per share by 2.9 per cent to match Zenith Bank’s payout.

The board of directors of GTBank recommended total dividend of N1.75 per share for the 2014 business year as against N1.70 paid for the 2013 business year. The bank will be paying final dividend of N1.50 per share. It had paid interim dividend per share of 25 kobo. This brings total payout to N51.5 billion for the 2014 business year as against N50.03 billion in 2013.

The board of Zenith Bank retained the dividend per share of N1.75, the same rate paid for the 2013 business year. Gross divi-

dend thus stood at N54.94 billion.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts showed that GTBank grew its top-line by 15 per cent with gross earnings of N278.52 billion in 2014 compared with N242.67 billion in 2013. Profit before tax rose by nine per cent from N107.09 billion to N116.39 billion. Profit after tax grew by 10 per cent from N90.02 billion to N98.69 billion.

Earnings per share consequently rose by 10 per cent to N3.47 in 2014 as against N3.17 in 2013.

Balance sheet analysis showed that deposits base expanded by 14 per cent to N1.65 trillion in 2014 compared with N1.44 trillion in 2013. Shareholders’ funds also rose by 13 per cent from N332.35 billion to N374.33 billion. Total balance sheet size rose by 12.4 per cent from N2.10 trillion in 2013 to N2.36 trillion in 2014.

GTBank also continued to maintain disciplined and prudent approach to loan growth as the proportion of non-performing loans to total loans dropped from 3.58 per cent in 2013 to 3.15 per cent in 2014.

In the same vein, Zenith Bank recorded gross earnings of N403.34 billion in 2014, 14.8 per cent above N351.47 billion. Profit

before tax rose by 8.3 per cent from N110.6 billion in 2013 to N119.8 billion in 2014. After taxes, net profit rose by 4.3 per cent to N99.46 billion in 2014 compared with N95.32 billion in 2013. Earnings per share thus stood at N3.16 in 2014 as against N3.01 in 2013.

Zenith Bank continued to show impressive credit risk management and loan efficiency as the proportion of non-performing loans to gross loans and advances dropped from 3.0 per cent in 2013 to 1.8 per cent in 2104.

Shareholders’ funds also increased by 8.5 per cent from N509.25 billion in 2013 to N552.64 billion in 2014.

Managing Director, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Segun Agbaje, said the bank’s financial performance in 2014 attested to the inherent soundness of its strategy and resilience of its earnings.

He attributed the performance to loyalty of customers and commitment and hard work of the staff.

“We remain committed to maximising shareholder value and delivering superior and sustainable returns.

Our objective is to remain a leading player in the financial services sector whilst expanding our franchise in select, high growth African markets where we believe we have competitive advantage,” Agbaje said.

Financial services sector was the most active sector with a turnover of 1.8 billion shares valued at N14.19 billion traded in 14,424 deals; representing 84.24 per cent and 58.20 per cent of the total turnover volume and value respectively.

Conglomerates sector followed with a turnover of 119.52 million shares worth N630.21 million in 1,216 deals. Consumer goods sectors placed third with a turnover of 100.12 million shares worth N6.6 billion in 3,307 deals.

Banking stocks dominated activity chart as investors responded positively to the release of audited reports and accounts and dividend recommendations by leading banks. The trio of FBN Holdings Plc, Access Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc were the most active stocks accounting for 966.58 million shares worth N6.79 billion in 5,901 deals. This represented 45 per cent and 27.8 per cent of the total turnover volume and value respectively.

NSE downgrades Lafarge Africa from high-priced stocks’ list • Lafarge Africa increases stakes in Unicem

T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) at the weekend downgraded Lafarge Africa Plc from the top-ranking “high-priced stocks” list following the depreciation of share price of the cement company.

The NSE had in April last year included Lafarge Africa stocks as one of the specially designated highpriced stock.

The “high-priced stocks”, according to the NSE categorisation, are stocks with share prices of N100 and above and regular and pre-determined level of activities. In 2012, the NSE had alongside the introduction of market making, introduced a pilot programme under which stockbrokers could move prices of “high priced stocks” with 10,000 shares as against the general operating rule of 50,000 shares for the movement of share prices of other stocks.

“Lafarge Africa has traded below N100 for the past four months within the past six months’ timeframe. Therefore, we have removed Lafarge Africa from the list of 10,000 units market-trade price movement equities,” NSE stated.

The Nation had reported exclusively that NSE might review the inclusion of Lafarge Africa with the leading stocks’ group.

With the removal of Lafarge Africa, there are now 12 stocks categorised as “high-priced stocks”.

These included Dangote Cement Plc; Guinness Nigeria Plc; Mobil Nigeria Plc; Nestle Nigeria Plc; Nigerian Breweries Plc; SIM Capital Fund; Skye Shelter Fund; Nigerian Energy Sector Fund (NESF); Total Nigeria Plc; Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc; Forte Oil Plc and Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc. While setting out the criteria for the “high-priced stocks”, head,

market surveillance, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Abimbola Babalola had outlined that the benchmark price of N100 and liquidity are the two considerations for inclusion within the category.

Quoting a source in the know of the review process for the “highpriced stocks”, The Nation had reported that the Exchange would not hesitate to remove any stock that falls short of the criteria for the group.

According to the source, the Exchange will want to maintain the integrity of the ranking process for the “high-priced stocks” as the privilege of low-volume price movement is directly attached to meeting the criteria.

Lafarge Africa had traded at a high of N136.73 per share, but it has failed to sustain the momentum. It opened today at N89 per share.

A source at the Exchange described the review of stocks within the high-priced category as a continuous exercise, noting that Lafarge Africa will be readmitted to the group if its share price and liquidity meet the criteria.

The board of Lafarge Africa is expected to meet this Wednesday to review the company’s earnings and consider the probable dividends that could be paid to shareholders.

There is a strong expectation that impressive dividend payout will trigger a bullish run for the stock.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Cement Holdings B.V.(NCH), an affiliate of Large Africa Plc, has completed the acquisition of the first 15 per cent tranche equity stake in United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited (Unicem). NCH, which is owned 50 per cent by Lafarge Africa, had 70 per cent equity stake in Unicem and with this acquisition, it has now increased its stake to 85 per cent.

Sovereign Trust Insurance extends N1.1b rights issue

S

OVEREIGN Trust Insurance (STI) Plc has extended the acceptance period for its ongoing rights issue by till this weekend.

STI seeks to raise N1.15 billion in new equity funds from existing shareholders through a rights issue of 2.29 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at the nominal price of 50 kobo per share. The shares were preallotted to prequalified shareholders on the basis of one new ordinary share for every three ordinary shares held as at the closure of register for the rights issue.

Securities & Exchange Commission granted STI additional three weeks, moving the initial closing date from February 20, to Friday, March 13.

The net proceeds of the rights issue would be used to finance the insurance company’s five-year blueprint.

The blueprint is expected to reinforce the company’s competiveness’ in the Nigerian market, including its market share.

Several companies are turning to

existing shareholders to raise funds as the primary public offer market remains largely inactive.

Access Bank had last week extended the acceptance period for its ongoing rights issue of N52.6 billion. SEC approved the extension of Access Bank Plc’s rights issue by two weeks to March 18. Access Bank is offering 7.63 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to existing shareholders at N6.90 per share. The rights issue, which opened on January 26, was initially scheduled to close on March 4.

The bank stated that the extension of the acceptance period was done to give shareholders ample time to subscribe for their rights. The management of the bank urged shareholders to take advantage of the extension to pick up their rights.

It is expected that trading on both rights issues of Access Bank and STI will continue on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) all through the extended period.

34

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

Taxation

Penalties for late filers, ABC of tax returns (1)

O

FTEN times taxpayers have little or no knowledge of the basic requirements for filing their tax returns as well as the consequences for

late filing on these returns. Below is a breakdown of the requirements for filing your tax returns, their due dates and penalties for late filing as it applies to various tax types.

1. Requirements for filing Company‘s Income Tax (CIT) In line with Section 55 of the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA) LFN 2004 (as amended), all taxpayers including those granted exemption from tax, are required to file their tax returns to the relevant tax authority every year. The tax returns shall consist of audited accounts (Financial Statement) of the business for the preceding accounting year and must be accompanied by: • Income tax computations • Capital allowance computations • Schedules of fixed assets • True and correct statement in writing containing amount of profit from each and every source • A duly completed self-assessment form signed by a Director or Company Secretary • Evidence of payment (whole or part) of the tax due.

Tax returns under IFRS shall be in line with Section 55 of CITA and should include: i) In respect of first time adopters; • Statement of Financial Position as at the beginning of the earliest comparative period when a taxpayer applies an accounting policy retrospectively or makes a retrospective restatement of items in its financial statement • Statement comparing the tax effect of IFRS adoption with Nigerian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) • Statement of reconciliations from Nigerian GAAP to IFRS • Deferred tax computation ii) In respect of post-first time adoption: • Deferred tax computation Due Dates a) For old companies, six (6) months after the end of the company‘s accounting year. b) For new companies, eighteen (18) months from the date of incorporation or six (6) months after the end of the company‘s first accounting period whichever is earlier. c) A company may request in writing for approval to submit accounts at a later date, in view of any peculiar circumstances, e.g. fire disaster or need to obtain prior approval before submission. This must be specifically approved in writing by the relevant tax authority.

Penalty for late filing of CIT • Section 55 (3) a & b of CITA LFN 2004 (as amended) provides for penalty of N25,000.00 in first month of failure and N5,000.00 for each subsequent month.

2. Requirements for filing Education Tax (EDT) Section 2(a) of the TETFUND (Establishment, Etc.) Act 2011 provides that a company shall be assessed on EDT when being assessed on income tax under the CITA/ PPTA. EDT should be part of the tax computations when filing company income tax (CIT) or petroleum profit tax (PPT) returns.

Due Dates a) For old companies, six (6) months after the end of the company‘s accounting year.

b) For new companies, eighteen (18) months from the date of incorporation or six (6) months after the end of the company‘s first accounting period whichever is earlier.

Penalty for late filing of Education Tax (EDT) • The same penalty applicable to late filing of CIT/ PPT also covers NITDL. 3. Requirements for filingNational Information and Technology Development Levy (NITDL) (for applicable companies only) Section 16 (2) of the NITDA Act, 2007 provides that FIRS while assessing a company for CIT/PPT in accounting period shall also assess such company for NITDL. It should be part of the tax computations when filing returns for CIT/PPT. Note: Companies with N100,000,000 turnover and are engaged in the following business lines are assessable to NITDL: • GSM Service Providers and all Telecommunication companies; • Cyber Companies and Internet Providers; • Pension Managers and Pension related companies; • Banks and other Financial Institutions • Insurance Companies Due Dates a) For old companies, six (6) months after the end of the company‘s accounting year. b) For new companies, eighteen (18) months from the date of incorporation or six (6) months after the end of the company‘s first accounting period whichever is earlier.

• Acting Executive Chairman, FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mohammed

Mashi riod.

Due Dates a) Not later than two (2) months after the commencement of the accounting period of any company engaged in petroleum activities. b) If at any time during such an accounting period, a company is aware that the estimated tax returns requires revision, it shall submit a further return containing the revised estimated tax for such period.

This is in line with Section 33 of PPTA.

Penalty for late filing ofNational Information and Technology Development Levy (NITDL) returns • The same penalty applicable to late filing of CIT/ Penalty for late filing of Estimated Petroleum Profit PPT also covers NITDL. Tax (PPT) Returns 4. Requirements for filing estimated Petroleum Profit • Section 51(1) of the PPTA provides for a penalty of Tax (PPT) returns N10,000.00 and N2,000.00 for every day the failure conIn line with Section 30 of the Petroleum Profit Tax Act tinues.

(PPTA) Cap P13 LFN 2004, every company which or 5. Requirements for filingFinal PPT Returns has been engaged in petroleum operations shall for each In line with Section 30 (2) of the PPTA, the same paraccounting period of the company, make up accounts ticulars as under Estimated Tax Returns should be filed of its profits or losses, arising from those operations, of (not being estimates). Such copy of those accounts and that period and shall prepare the following particu- each copy of those particulars shall contain a declaralars: tion that they are true and complete and shall be signed a) Computation of estimates of adjusted profit/loss by a duly authorized officer of the company or by its and assessable profits. liquidator, receiver or agent of such liquidator or reb) A schedule showing; ceiver. i. The residence at the end of that period in respect of Due Date its assets Within five (5) months after the expiration of the acii. All qualifying petroleum expenditure incurred by counting period of that company.This is in line with it in that period Section 30 (2) of PPTA. iii. The values of any of its assets disposed of in that • To be continued next week period iv. The allowances due to it for that period c) A computation of its estimated chargeable profits for that period d) A statement of other sums, deductible under Section 22 of the PPTA e) A statement of all amounts repaid, refunded, waived or released to the company, as referred to in Section 20 (5) • From left: Mr. Femi Edga, secondy of FIRS to ATAF,Mr. John Kinyuy,Cameroon ,Alh.KabirMashi, Ag. Executive Chairman, FIRS , Mr. Logan wort, Executive secretary ATAF, of the PPTA Dr.NgoziOkonjoIweala, Coordinating Minister for Economy and Minister of Finance, f) A computation of its GershenTakavada, Commissioner General Zimbabwe Revenue Authority & Chairman ATAF, Mr. Mamadou Abbes, Senegal and Mr Andrew Onyeanakwe, Adviser to the Minister during estimated tax for that pe- a visit to minister by ATAF Finance and Audit Committee in Abuja.

35

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS JOBS

• An Embraer aircraft maintenance hangar

Nigeria will soon have a flight simulation centre where pilots will be trained and aircraft maintained. The centre will create jobs for professionals as obtained in other African countries, including Ethiopia, where aviation is a major revenue earner, reports KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR.

Flight simulator centre, others to create thousands of jobs M

ORE jobs are coming in aviation following the Federal Government’s plan to set up a flight simulation centre for Boeing aircraft in Lagos. The centre is proposed for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. It will train pilots who are to be rated on different types of Boeing aircraft.

To complement the centre, the government will acquire a full Jet-Flight Simulator (5000 Series B737) with complete accessories for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

According to the Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, the contract has been awarded to Messrs CAE of Canada at $21.459 million. He said the project is expected to be completed in 24 months.

He said: “The project will serve a dual purpose of a training facility for the college and a source of revenue generation for the country. In addition, it will be used for the initial training of students as it will enjoy the patronage of commercial airliners in Nigeria and West African countries in training of their jet-airliner pilots in compliance with the ICAO and NCAA regulations. The rule is that pilots

must have refresher training every six months.”

Chidoka said the simulator will assist domestic operators to reduce costs incurred on simulator training overseas.

“Flight simulation has made a major contribution to improve aviation safety. It also offers considerable financial saving to airlines and reduces the environmental impact of civil aviation. This facility will be useful for most of the commercial airline pilots in Lagos. It will save huge foreign exchange spent by operators who used to send their pilots overseas for simulation training. This is one of the many projects being embarked upon by the government to change the face of aviation.

“Government under the youth development programme for the Niger Delta has trained 66 pilots. Some of the pilots have undergone Advanced Commercial Pilot Training on instrumental flying and are already employed while others are at various stages of advanced training. Most of the en-

gineers rated on engines and frames have equally been gainfully employed.

“In some countries including Ethiopia, flight simulators are located close to aircraft repair centres also referred to as Maintenance Repair Organisations (MRO). They are facilities the world over, where major repairs on aircraft are carried out by a galaxy of professionals.”

In the industry aircraft maintenance hangars are potential creator of jobs for engineers, avionics specialists and other category of technicians who carry out major repairs on aircraft.

The world over, where aircraft maintenance hangars are established, thousands of jobs are created. This explains the attraction to the United States, Turkey, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya and Ethiopia. These countries have aircraft maintenance hangars.

In fact, aircraft maintenance hangar is a major foreign exchange earner for Ethiopia, where the Boeing maintenance hangar continues to generate thousands of jobs. It is

against this background that the establishment of aircraft maintenance hangars in Nigeria, by airlines and other technical partners, becomes imperative.

In 2001, efforts were made by an American firm to establish a national aircraft hangar at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, but due to a myriad of issues, the project didn’t see the light of day.

For some years now, the clamour to establish aircraft maintenance hangar has been on the front burner among foreign airlines, domestic carriers and some industry players. For instance, there was a plan by the German carrier - Lufthansa to set up an aircraft hangar in Abuja, which it expected would be a major hub for aircraft repairs in West, Central and other parts of Africa. The plan is still in the works and it is believed that it has the potential to create thousands of jobs.

Apart from creating job, such an aircraft maintenance hangar is expected to reduce significantly the huge cost of repairs by domestic carriers, which have to travel as far as Turkey, Germany, and the United •Continued on page 36

36

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

JOBS

Flight simulator centre, others to create thousands of jobs •Continued from page 35

States to fix their aircrafts. Such repairs could also be carried out in Royal Air Maroc facility in Morocco, South Africa or Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa.

A major domestic carrier - Arik Air, a few years ago spoke of plans to rebuild its aircraft maintenance hangar at its headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The expansion of this multi- billion Naira aircraft maintenance hangar is expected to create thousands of jobs for Nigerians as it is being packaged under partnership with major aircraft manufacturers including: Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, Boeing and Airbus.

Speaking on this development, the chairman of Arik Air, Sir Ikhide Arumemi, while receiving the President of Bombardier Mr. Pierre Baeudoin, said agreement on the project has been signed with Lufthansa Technik as major partner. Arumemi explained that this month, Arik Air will sign an agreement with Lufthansa Technik in Germany for the details of how the aircraft maintenance hangar will be rebuilt.

He stated that when completed the hangar will not only carry out major repairs of Arik Air aircrafts but other new generation aircrafts in the fleet of other domestic airlines in the country. He also spoke of plans to consolidate the business relationship between the airline and Bombardier to involve other areas of airline operations, not limited to aircraft acquisition.

Arumemi said very soon, as the number of aircraft types manufactured by Bombardier increases in the fleet of the airlines, discussions on maintenance facility could be explored. “We are on the last lap of the agreement,” he added.

“We are in discussion with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany, this is to enable us rebuild our maintenance hangar, that will take care of the repairs of our Bombardier aircraft, the company is buying into it, even, Boeing is buying into it. The hangar will be rebuilt, and it will take care of major repairs of aircrafts manned

by Lufthansa personnel for the repairs of new generation aircraft of all airlines. This will be affordable for everybody,” he stated.

Apart from Arik, Embraer plans to establish an aircraft service maintenance centre at a SkyJet Airlines

• Chidoka

• Ore

• Fadugba

facility in Kaduna State to take care of executive jets in the Nigerian airspace. The Regional Sales Director, Mr. Lynton Van Aswegen, Embraer Executives Jets for Africa, made this known in Lagos.

The facility according to Aswegen, is predicated on the operational capability of SkyJet Airlines, which will take over the burden of aircraft repairs, insurance and crew matters from the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, which has more of its executive jets flying in the Nigerian airspace.

He said that when the facility comes on stream, it will be the first in Africa, which will save operators of private jets in Nigeria the huge costs of flying their aircraft to Europe, America and other far destinations to maintain their airplanes. The service centre is expected to generate hundreds of jobs for teeming Nigerian aviation professionals.

He said: “We are planning to set up a service centre in Nigeria, Kaduna precisely, at the premises

of SkyJet Airlines facility. It will help operators run their aircraft more efficiently. This will be important to owners of private jets in Nigeria, because most aircraft manufacturers do not have such facility in the country. This will assist them to run the aircraft more efficiently and save them the huge costs of maintenance if they have to ferry the aircraft abroad.

“This is how the SkyJet Airlines facility will be of tremendous help.

It will save cost, as the operators will not need to take their planes outside Nigeria to be fixed. When Embraer appointed SkyJet Airlines, we considered its capacity to manage our aircraft type. This will take the burden of issues involving crew management, insurance and aircraft maintenance off our neck.

“The executive jet business is booming in Nigeria, and it is still growing. This is why Nigeria has the highest number of private jets flying in Africa. And most of the executive jets are new airplanes with the latest technology.”

Meanwhile, President of Aviation Roundtable, Captain Dele Ore and former Secretary-General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Mr. Nick Fadugba, have canvassed the establishment of a strong maintenance repair organisation (MRO) for airlines in Nigeria as one of the ways of generating thousands of jobs for Nigerians.

Ore called on the Federal Government to set up a committee to look into ways of collaborating with the Akwa Ibom maintenance repair and overhaul facility in Uyo to enhance capacity and create jobs.

Fadugba explained that the necessity to set up a maintenance hangar in Nigeria is long overdue, saying that the establishment of such a facility will generate jobs for industry professionals. According to the former AFRAA scribe, there is need for airlines to pool their resources together, establish the maintenance hangar and run it at a profit.

Fadugba said: “Nigeria is ripe to have an aircraft maintenance

‘Flight simulation has made a major contribution to improve aviation safety. It also offers considerable financial saving to airlines and reduces the environmental impact of civil aviation. It will save huge foreign exchange spent by operators who used to send their pilots overseas for simulation training. This is one of the many projects being embarked upon by the government to change the face of aviation’

hangar. It is long overdue. We can acquire the expertise. The point is do we have enough aircraft fleet?

No we don’t. All the commercial aircrafts are just about 50. Seriously speaking, Nigeria needs a modern international MRO (Maintenance Repair Overhaul), in Lagos.

“MRO must be where the business is, which is Lagos. Abuja is great, but MRO must be where the business is, and that is Lagos, because not only will you do line maintenance (daily servicing of the aircraft), you can also do checkslight and heavy repairs on the aircraft. One airline may not be able to build a hangar, or none of them has the fleet size to justify the investment.”

The Chief Executive Officer Belujane Konzults Mr. Chris Aligbe, also canvassed the setting up of a maintenance facility for aircraft repairs in the country, which could generate thousands of jobs for industry professionals.

Aligbe said such a facility would reduce operating costs for domestic carriers that fly their planes overseas for major repairs. If the facility is established here, it would create jobs for the industry’s professionals, he said.

Aligbe, a former spokesman of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited, said to make the project viable, the facilitators must adopt measures to sustain patronage for the project. “A maintenance facility in Nigeria is long overdue. The government should facilitate the establishment of such a project, and ensure that the airlines have enough aircraft in their fleet to ensure that it is profitable.

“If there are not enough aircrafts to sustain the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, it could be a failure. Above all, there must be competence in fleet and aircraft type to make it work. “One sure way of achieving this is the entrenchment of standardisation of fleet and line management to boost the competence of such a facility.”

He stated that without standardisation of aircraft type, the industry could have issues with growth and development as major aircraft repair facilities are driven by the development of competences in aircraft types. “Most of the airlines in Nigeria do not have commonality of aircraft type to drive maintenance and repair overhaul facilities,” he added.

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Should I really apply for the job?

I

STRONGLY believe this one of the most frequent–often agonising question- virtually all seekers face. I have been reading a lot of articles lately about many jobs going unfilled because over 99 per cent of candidates are not 100 per cent qualified for the position. Sometimes employers are frustrated because they cannot find qualified employees. With the millions of graduates unemployed in this country, there is not ONE qualified person to fill the requirements of the job?

Incredulous? It sure happens.

The issue, in my considered opinion, is that job seekers do not understand how the job search works. They review a job posting and mentally catalogue their positives and negatives for the position. Say there are 10 requirements for the job but the seeker only has six of them. What happens? The job seeker moves

By Olu Oyeniran

on to the next job and that job goes unfilled. Funny it may sound; most job seekers don’t haveALL rqiurments!!

Let’s be real for a moment. That job description with the requirements listed is for that illusive ideal candidate - not for the average job seeker. When a job description is put together, the Human Resources gets together with the hiring manager and they go over the job requirements.

The hiring manager, of course, knows more what is needed in the position but the Human Resources associate has done her homework, too - checking other companies for their requirements for the same type of position.

So HR prods the hiring manager into adding more re-

quirements hoping to get that dream candidate who will assist the company in meeting their mission. So, the hiring manager concedes to the HR associate and they put publish the open position with all of the combined requirements.

What happens when that job is advertised? Well, as a job seeker, I can tell you what happens. I see a job posting for a position that looks interesting to me. I open it up and start perusing the qualifications. It doesn’t take long before discouragement hits like a boulder and I close the job posting and go back to my job search. Should you discount the interesting position because I am not 100% qualified? Hell, No! Not at all!

Hiring managers know that they are not going to get everything that they ask for.

Maybe you will present with

skills and experience that the hiring manager and HR didn’t think about that might be even more valuable than the requirements specified in the posting.

Maybe the position has 10 qualifications but you only meet 6 of them. What should you do?

Apply for the position!

Remember, hiring managers already know that they will not find a person with all 10 of the qualifications but if you present with 6 of the 10, more than likely your resume will at least get a look.

Over the course of my 25 years of employment, I have been hired and worked at jobs for which I had only minimal qualifications. The reason I was hired? I showed the interest; I showed that I was eager and willing to learn and then, once on the job, I did exactly that - I worked my butt off! I learned and I grew in each position.

If you are looking for a job and you see a position for which you do not have all of the qualifications, apply for the position. You are doing yourself a world of good and providing yourself with a powerful advantage. When you apply, state in your cover letter that you know that you don’t meet all of the qualifications they are seeking but that you are a fast learner and that you can bring additional skills that would be of great benefit to the company.

Or anything to that effect. Make sure that the hiring manager knows where you stand, knows your work ethic and you will be surprised at the results.

•Oyeniran is Lead Consultant, EkiniConsult & Associates.

He can be reached on Jobsearchhow.com.ng Tel 08083843230 (SMS Only).

37

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

THE CEO As the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Juhel Nigeria Limited and President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Dr. Ifeanyi Eric Okoye understands the factors hindering the growth of the manufacturing sector and what must be done to make it globally competitive. In this interview with Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA, Okoye says if the sector must grow, the poor electricity supply across the country, particularly in the Southeast must improve. He speaks on other issues.

‘100 per cent hike in electricity tariff killing businesses’ T

HE devaluation of the naira because ofthe crash in oil prices is forcing companies to lay off workers. What is your take on this, and what is the situation in the pharmaceutical industry?

It’s a problem and we know where it came from. The nucleus of the problem actually is the fact that we have been operating as a mono economy, depending solely on oil.

Because of that as the price of oil started coming down our naira started tumbling.

This impacted the economy as people have to re-strategise. As far as the pharmaceutical sector is concerned, more than 98 per cent of raw materials used by the are imported. This has affected the prices of goods in the country. So, the prices of drugs will definitely go up a little bit.

However, we believe it’s going to stabilise. Given the mono economy nature of Nigeria, the government’s effort to decentralise the economy will definitely take care of the problem. By the time this goes full circle the economy will become stronger. Nigeria, of course, has been trying to ensure that agriculture is not just about feeding ourselves but also exporting our products. The strategy of trying to make manufacturers stronger by making funds available at affordable cost is good; it is only that we have to encourage the government to go ahead with that and make it permanent, not bringing it as an intervention. It has to be a continuous process so that people can access funds at single digit interest not giving special funds at single digit and then going back to an expensive interest rate. So, we hope that when these things are taken care of, the economy will stabilise and every other sector, including pharmaceutical, will benefit.

How can the country contain the problem of raw materials import, which pushes up cost of production?

That is exactly what we are saying; Nigeria should remove its sole interest in oil so that people can go into agriculture and manufacturing. When they go into agriculture, it will affect some of the raw materials from our agricultural products. If they go more into manufacturing, importation will reduce because most manufacturers in Nigeria will start using raw materials that are locally available. This will definitely reduce importation.

The effects of importation appear to be felt more in the petroleum industry. What is NACCIMA’s position on the privatisation of refineries?

The government has no business in business. Every business must be privatised.

The government can have a little share to protect its interest and not having sole ownership of the business. Any business the government has sole ownership of

• Oso-Eson

will, definitely, suffer because it’s nobody’s business. So, for us, privatisation of the refineries is very necessary. However, in the course of the privatisation, the process must be devoid of corruption in all rami-

fications. It has to be an open process because the right people who will operate the refineries profitably should be allowed to take them over.

Manufacturers still complain of poor

‘As far as the pharmaceutical sector is concerned, more than 98 per cent of raw materials used by the are imported. This has affected the prices of goods in the country. So, the prices of drugs will definitely go up a little bit’

electricity supply more than a year after the privatisation of the power sector. What is the situation in Enugu State and the Southeast?

The situation has not improved; it is even worse now than it has ever been. The worst part of it now is that the tariff has also changed, almost 100 per cent more than it was before January 2015. Before, we used to pay N23.97 kobo per unit of electricity, but from last January it changed to N46.66 kobo per unit and this is killing and really dangerous. The electricity availability has not improved; it is even getting worse and the cost is increasing. This is very dangerous, especially for businesses in the Southeast. The cost is not uniform. In Lagos they pay about N26 per unit of electricity, while in the Southeast we pay N46.66 kobo per •Continued on page 38

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

THE CEO

‘100 per cent hike in electricity tariff killing businesses’ •Continued from page 37

unit. This is unacceptable; it is killing businesses.

How are your members surviving the electricity supply challenge?

We will dialogue with the federal and state governments; there is nothing we can do than dialogue.

With the way things are, do you still have confidence in the ability of the GENCOS and DISCOS to turn things around?

I don’t think the ones in the Southeast are going to achieve anything. However, we got information that they have been given some money; the Central Bank gave them over N200 billion recently. That might help them turn things around.

Are your members accessing the N220 billion CBN fund for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and other simi-

lar funds domiciled in the Bank of Industry for the development of the industrial sector?

Very few have had access to the funds and we are talking to them and telling them to make the funds available to more people in the Southeast. So, we hope they will open up. We are also advising that they should educate the people more on how to access the funds, not just keeping the funds within themselves and asking people to come individually.

From the experience of your members, what are the issues hindering access to the fund?

I think it is information and collateral. If you want a company to grow, the company doesn’t have to invite its great, great grandfathers to sign for them to be able to access to fund. Collateral for the fund should be made easier.

But from the perspective of BoI, most operators seeking fund don’t have bankable business

‘Every business must be privatised.

The government can have a little share to protect its interest and not having sole ownership of the business. Any business the government has sole ownership of will, definitely, suffer because it’s nobody’s business. So, for us, privatisation of the refineries is very necessary’

• Oso-Eson

ideas to back their requests. What is your take on that?

It means that they would need to educate people more so that they will understand what bankable projects are. They don’t pass enough information to the people.

What is the chamber doing to assist members to address some of the challenges of accessing the funds?

What we have to do is to still press BoI and CBN to, if possible, send delegates to chambers when we are having functions to come and educate our members on how to access the fund and present their projects in a way that will be acceptable to them.

Where do you see the economy this year? What are your projections?

Except for the naira problem, which is because of falling oil price, there is hope. And I believe that other issues will be well managed. This year, I think there is hope for the economy. However, it has to be tight; people should really go for what they want; there is no room for unnecessary expenses. The economy will keep growing.

This Enugu International Trade Fair has been shifted to March 1323, 2015. What should participants expect this year?

This year’s trade fair will be completely different from past editions because we have discussed with many foreign companies.

We will have more foreign companies at the fair. Also, we want to introduce innovations. We are going to have a lottery, which means that any visitor to the fair may come with nothing and go home with something valuable and surprising just as in a lottery.

We have also decided to establish a very big tent, about 1,000 square metres and fully air-conditioned for special organisations. We have also invited a strong business man, Chief Arthur Eze to chair the opening and he has accepted. We are expecting over 1.2 million people to visit the fair.

How many firms are expected at the fair?

We are expecting about 500 firms, 80 of which are foreign ones. We are visiting various embassies now. Asian, European, American and Chinese companies would exhibit at the fair.

Is the chamber collaborating with the Enugu State Government? What kind of support are you getting from the state government?

The Enugu State Government has been supportive as before.

This year, at least, it had tried to make the venue of the fair more presentable. It has also before the fair resurfaced the road leading to the ground and the one in front of the fair which is completely tarred. The governor has made Enugu a different city. If you come into Enugu, there is nothing black out in the night. Generators power street lights, highly illuminating the town throughout the night. This has reduced crime within the city at night and allowed people to enjoy the city at night. Today, visitors are free to walk around without fear.

How has previous fairs impacted the economy of state and the Southeast?

If the fairs don’t impact the economy of the state and the nation in general, we will not con-

• Oso-Eson

‘Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture has assisted most of the Southeast, South-Southern states in terms of economic growth of the nation’ tinue what we are doing. Recently, from last year, Nigeria became the biggest economy in the whole of Africa. This is one of the results you are getting from fairs all over the country and Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture has assisted most of the South East, South-Southern states in terms of economic growth of the nation.

So definitely we must have contributed to Nigeria’s being the biggest economy in Africa. If you look at some of the companies within the Southeast, you notice that some of them actually started business from the contacts the made during the fairs. We have a company like Innoson Group, which originated through its contacts from the fairs. The fair has been a fertile ground for business contacts and because it’s a regular thing people look forward to it to come and start new businesses. Entrepreneurs come every year to start new businesses and also grow existing ones. It contributes a lot to the growth of the nation’s economy.

Aside the state government, are you enlisting the support of organisations and private sector operators?

The support we expect from them, which we have got, is for them to be part of the fair. Many foreign companies are part of the fair already and indigenous companies are also part of the fair.

So, they are coming and as they come, they have to make some

payments for taking part in the fair; they also stand to do their businesses. After all, the trade fair complex belongs to the Federal Government, it’s not owned by the state, which means the Federal Government is really part of it. And it’s good to let you know that the President will declare the fair open.

The fair is holding this month.

Did you factor in the coming general elections?

Actually, we changed the date because of the change in election dates. We were to have the fair from March 27 to April 7 but we had to change our dates to March 13 to 23.

What are the arrangements to ensure the security of lives and property of participants at the fair?

We have made necessary arrangements. Like I said earlier Enugu State is the safest state in the federation because of the way the governor had made it. Like I said there is nothing like darkness at night; crimes thrive where there is darkness. Crimes don’t thrive where you have light. The issue is that we have on our own provided some security around the fair. The Federal Government is involved, the Police are involved, and the state government is also involved so there is no problem at all with regards to security. We’ve never had problem of security since we started having fairs over 25 years ago and of course, we won’t have it this time.

39

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

BUSINESS

MOTORING

• Nissan NV350 Urvan

Nissan redesigns Urvan for pleasurable experience Nissan first introduced the Urvan in 1973 and has since remained one of the foremost light commercial fleet and cargo vehicles ever with full-fledged versatility for businesses, hobbies or leisure, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

T

HE Nissan NV350 Urvan commuter and cargo van has been redesigned for product competitiveness consequent upon suggestive demand by professional services, fleet managers and small businesses.

Now equipped with modern features and enhanced tweaks for the 2015 model year, Nissan says the new Urvan is a radical departure from the second generation Urvan model popularly called E23 launched 35 years ago to transport people, goods and services.

Powered by newly developed QR25DE petrol (gasoline) engine and the YD25DDT diesel version, the Japanese automaker says both engines are offspring of Nissan improved technology for best-in-class fuel economy of 9.1km/litre for petrol and 12.2km/litre for diesel which reduce exhaust emissions by as much as 50 per cent.

These engine variants are however mated to a combined 5-speed automatic transmissions that rotate at lower speed and make less noise while driving at high speed – an innovation that enables smooth and responsive acceleration from start to high-speed driving. Drivers would similarly appreciate the new Urvan alternator regenerative control which reduces friction and lower idle speed to guarantee stable driving performance and enhance fuel efficiency.

A progeny of Nissan’s new tagline, ‘Innovation that excites’ and a concerted effort of product planning, design and engineering, the new Urvan 350 is undoubtedly a classleading fuel efficient vehicle remodelled

with ample load capacity and cargo space length of 3,050mm – the longest yet in the light commercial vehicle segment.

Design features Unlike in previous models, the new NV350 is equipped with a host of improvements key among them being new economical engines, class leading fuel efficiency, confident and refreshing styling and a newly added wide body variant in response to high demand for core passenger commuting van.

This is in addition to the strong and bold presence of the redesigned van with roomy and versatile cargo space and advanced equipment for greater convenience and comfort.

Amit Sharma, Stallion NMN Head of Sales and Marketing said the NV initials stand for Nissan Van while 350 represents the total weight of the van put at 3.5 tonnes even though the van can carry a gross weight of 1.25 tonnes.

The new NV350 exterior styling also features intelligent and modern design proposition particularly the aerodynamic frontend design incorporating three-dimensional and imposing angled strut grille with crisp bi-xenon headlight design and LED positioning lights for all grades. The Urvan’s distinctive rear combination taillights with high-mount LED stop lamp and an idiosyncratic character line also gives the vehicle a dynamic side view.

Customers would similarly observe the van’s wheelbase of 15mm has been extended for maximum cargo space and utility. For

example, a 50/50-split folding seat has been remodelled to allow for additional space when loading long items. Coupled with this are utility nuts provided on the side panel of the cargo space to personalise cargo space for utility and convenience.

Other appealing features for increased convenience and comfort include: Push Engine Start button adapted for the first time in commercial vehicles, intelligent key, footoperated parking brake and a vehicle information display at the centre of the instrument cluster.

Interior Inside the vehicle, the driver enjoys plenty of new enhancements such as easier to read dials – thanks to the blue outline and white numbering; keyless entry, auto door lock with side door child lock, light green tinted window glasses, modern clear-cut instrument panel with a black upper area and grey lower section behind the steering wheel.

The Urvan comes with expanded functional cabin expressing a premium feel, utilising light silver colour and planting on steering the shift knob, meters, air-conditioner dial and ventilation parts. Coupled with this is ample legroom for front passengers to provide best seating position with tilt steering and adjustable driving seat for the driver and front occupants.

The new seat configuration has been redesigned such that they can be folded down to accommodate even longer items while the flat floor and boxy shape of the van provide generous room for more loadable

goods.

In the NV350 Wide Body (High Roof) variant for instance, the vehicle can comfortably accommodate 16 passengers with sufficient legroom between each seat rows while the Panel Van model is equipped with additional 185mm of space and larger door alloys for seamless loading of cargo, entry and exit.

Safety Other key features on the new NV350 series are manual control body-coloured door mirrors, auto light system, LED High-Mount Stop Lamp, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), Brake Assist plus front ventilated disc brakes and rear drum. SRS air bag system for driver and front passenger are standard with load limiter pretension seatbelts for driver and front passenger.

Sharma boasted that Nissan will continue to evolve the model to keep good sales over a long time and improve its product competitiveness while making the vehicle a best partner to support customers’ daily life and businesses.

He said: “Once you see, touch and ride the new NV350 Urvan, you would feel the excellence of this new model Urvan available in four variants: 16-seater wide body high roof, panel van standard roof, 15-seater high roof and 15-seater standard roof.

“The entire segments are competitively priced to serve a variety of markets from taxis, people movers, professional services such as ambulances, delivery vehicles, small businesses and the likes.”

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

40

MOTORING Sportage ranks highest among small SUVs

K

IA Sportage has been ranked as the leader in the Small SUV category, marking the firstever VDS award in the brand’s history.The ranking was done by J.D. Power 2015Vehicle Dependability Study(VDS).The industry-wide study examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year old vehicles (2012 model year). Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100). Thus, a lower score reflects a higher long-term quality level. The Sportage ranked first in a field of seven contenders. The latest recognition for Sportage follows the model’s two consecutive J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey (IQS) awards in 2013 and 2014.

“We believe the results of the J.D.

Power Vehicle Dependability Study demonstrate Kia’s on-going commitment to quality and obsession with craftsmanship in building our worldclass products,” Vice-President, Service and Aftersale Operations, Kia Motors America (KMA) John Crowe said.

“The Sportage is a clear example of how far the entire Kia model line-up has progressed, and this kind of quality is tangible evidence of our longterm strategy to enhance the Kia ownership experience,” Crowe added.

VDS measures the long-term quality of vehicles, including new technologies and features currently available to buyers. It includes 32 nameplates and 228 models, covering 177 specific problem symptoms grouped into eight major vehicle categories.

Driver fined $60,000 for over speeding

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• Honda Civic Type R

New Honda Civic breaks record

T

HE new Honda Civic Type R hot hatchback, officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last Wednesday, is now also officially the world’s fastest frontwheel-drive car.

As well as taking the wraps off the eagerly awaited 306bhp, 167mph (269km/h) car, Honda also revealed that in testing it had posted a lap time of just seven minutes and 50.63 seconds when driven on the

Stories by Tajudeen Adebanjo

legendary German racetrack, shaving nearly four whole seconds off the current fastest time.

In recent years, the 20.8km circuit has become the de-facto proving ground for any car that wants to claim sporting credentials and in March 2014, a Seat Leon became the fastest front-wheel drive car ever to lap the circuit, setting a remarkable time of

seven minutes and 58.4 seconds.

However, just two months later, spurred on by Seat’s achievement, Renault broke the record again with a tuned Megan, setting a time of 7 minutes and 54.3 seconds.

But as well as obliterating the existing record, the Honda Civic Type R, which goes on sale this summer, priced from 40,000 British pounds, may have just also thrown down the gauntlet to the competition.

HILE the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) continues to persuade motorists to maintain speed limit and at worse handed minimal fine, the situation overseas is different.

Heavy fine awaits whosoever caught speeding above the limit.

Last week, a motorist, Reima Kuisla was fined $60,000 for going 103km/ h in an 80km/h zone in Finland.

Nigerian motorists nonchalantly cruising above the speed limit with many get away with it.

Kuisla was on his way to the airport when he got caught going 103 km/h (64 mph) in an 80km/h (50 mph) zone, setting him back 60,000 US dollars.

Unlike Nigeria and some other nations, where the flat fine is based on location and speed over the limit, Finland bases the penalty also as a

percentage of daily income, according to the previous year’s tax return.

Since Kuisla earned over 7 million US dollars in 2013, he had a penalty equivalent to a brand-new BMW M3.

The rationale is that the fine should sting for anyone, whether they are scraping by or living in the lap of luxury.

Unsurprisingly, Kuisla isn’t a fan of progressive penalties, saying: “10 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed that I would seriously consider moving abroad. Finland is impossible to live in for certain kinds of people who have high incomes and wealth.”

He wasn’t the only one to pay a hefty sum in Finland — a Nokia executive had pay over 103, 000 US dollars back in 2002 for speeding on a Harley.

Outrageous off-roaders at Geneva Motor Show

A

S demand grows for crossovers and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), so does the need for the well-heeled buyer to stand out from the crowd as some of the most startling concepts at this year’s Geneva Motor Show demonstrate.

Mansory Sahara Edition Subtlety is not a word associated with Mansory, a tuning company that takes cars that are already expensive, exclusive and exotic and dials everything up to 11.

When it’s not squeezing 1000bhp out of a Lamborghini or making limited edition iPhone cases, the Swiss firm focuses on SUVs. The Mansory Sahara Edition started out as a stock Mercedes G Wagon but the company has upped the engine to 838hp and lowered the ride height.

It has got a camouflage paint job

and inside the leather seats carry falcon motifs including feathers. In the rear, there is only room for two as the company has put a fridge between the back seats.

Kahn Design Flying Huntsman 110WB 6x6 British company Kahn Design also started with a venerable modern-day off-road classic, the Land Rover Defender 110 but has binned the car’s original powerplant in favor of a 6.2-liter GM-sourced V8.

To make room for the bigger engine, the company had to make the front end of the car 400mm longer, but that is nothing compared to the trickery at the rear. The Flying Huntsman 110 WB has three wheels, not two, on either side, and is a true 6x6, with power going to every wheel individually. Other changes over the stock Land Rover include a beautiful leather interior,

a panoramic glass roof and the option of full armour plating.

Mercedes-Benz G500 4x42 Concept But perhaps the most outrageous custom SUV is one that comes directly from the manufacturer. The Mercedes G500 4x42 could be the ultimate in off-road performance and on-road ostentation. Under its hood, it has the same twin-turbo V8 that powers Mercedes’ current flagship supercar the AMG GT. At each corner it has a 22-inch wheel wrapped in a proper offroad tire, meaning it has ground clearance of nearly half a meter. It’s wider too — 299mm across because of the wheels and suspension setup.

It stands so high that even Shaquille O’Neal, would need a ladder in order to clean its roof. And while it might look like a road-legal monster truck, the form is all about

• Mansory

function. The way the car is set up it should be able to tackle potentially any type of terrain. Mercedes likens it to driving a rally car.

Though just a concept at the moment, if the demand is there, Mercedes will give the car the green light.

How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents • Continued from last week RIVING schools that issued their certificates to candidates without the information of the candidates submitted to FRSC website and/or supervising Unit commands (Spanning the three months duration) should be sanctioned. d. All driving schools should submit the list of candidates they presented for licence processing on monthly basis to the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) as a form of checks and balances. e. There should be a monthly interactive session of the FRSC with the National Executive Officers of the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) to deliberate on the level of compli-

D

ance by the FRSC and the Driving Schools FRSC Licence production Department should give the officers of the Association (ADIN) the privilege of seeing the list of candidates presented for licence production every month and compare with the list submitted by its members to know the level of compliance and effectiveness.

This if done will also put a stop to the cloning and unauthorised use of Driving School certificates by FRSC, VIO and MVAA for Driver Licence racketeering. f. Possession or use of the old licence should be declared illegal and any candidate holding the old driver licence and the fake new licence should be arrested and prosecuted.

There must be open air announcements to enlighten Nigerians on

this. g. It is a truism that safety of irreparable lives and valuable properties must not be compromised. It therefore behoves the authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders, not to give room to favouritism in the implementation of the above-mentioned steps, no matter the status or position of the candidates either in the government or private sector. h. The Federal Road Safety Commission should embark on secret monitoring of driving schools and FRSC capturing centres/Licence production Department to ensure full compliance with the steps suggested above. i. Call a stakeholders meeting comprising representatives of FRSC, State VIO, MVAA and Association

of Driving Schools (ADIN) and notify them of the new policy and procedures to enhance confidence and compliance.

The above are just our suggestions to your goodselves for consideration based on our experience and findings in the past few years.

We are very confident that if strictly implemented, they will put an end to the sharp practices hitherto perpetrated by driving schools (Certified and Uncertified), FRSC, MVAA and VIO. This will also go a very long way in further boosting the accomplishment of the objectives of the graduated Driver Licensing Scheme as well as the reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

Any government official, driving school, organisation or individual

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

that is still opposed to the adoption and implementation of the steps suggested above is either a direct or indirect beneficiary of the driver licence racketeering conspiracy or ignorant of the workability of the graduated driver licensing scheme.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

41

SHOWBIZ

Day of Nollywood at AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards •Kunle Afolayan, Rita Dominic, Tunde Babalola, Femi Jacobs, O.C. Ukeje win big

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HE Nollywood industry showed its supremacy on the African continent as its movies overwhelmingly dominated others to clinch virtually all the awards at the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), which held on Saturday, at the Expo Hall, Eko Hotel, Lagos.

Nigerians carted away diadems in 29 of the 30 categories of awards show. And out of several nominations, only one film, Veve, outside Nollywood, got awards - produced by Sarika Hemi Lakhani, the film won the Best Local Language Swahili. Also, despite having 11 nominations, A Place In The Stars only won Best Movie (Drama), which was collected by director Steve Gukas.

In a four-hour star-studded event, the AMVCA, in its third year, featured the best from the stable of Africa Magic, the highly coveted DStv channel, dedicated to telling African stories.

Held in association with MultiChoice Africa and Amstel Malta, AMVCA was anchored by IK Osakioduwa and Vimbai Mutinhiri, with a long list of celebrities in the entertainment industry presenting 33 gold statuettes to professionals in the film industry, across 30 categories. The ceremony was transmitted live in 50 African countries on DStv and GOtv Africa Magic channels.

Kunle Afolayan won the AMVCA Movie of the Year 2014 for his movie, October 1, Best Actor in a Drama (Confusion Na Wa) went to OC Ukeje and Kehinde Bankole was Best Actress in a Drama (October 1).

By Joe Agbro Jr.

While Ayo Makun got the New Era Award for exceptional talent, CJ Obasi emerged as the winner of Trailblazer of the Year Award. The five winners, in addition to their statuettes, got one million naira each. And for her contribution to the African film industry, Amaka Igwe, got a post-humous Industry Merit Award which was picked up by her husband, Charles Igwe.

Performances by Osas Ighodaro, Diamond Platinumz, Mavin Crew, Tuface and Lola Rae and P-Square who closed the show were electrifying. The red carpet also hosted Africa’s finest, decked in stylish and glitzy dresses and snazzy suits.

And at the end of the evening, after being nominated in 13 categories, the top hauler was October 1 with nine awards. Aside being the best movie of 2014 and earning Afolayan the Best Movie Director, October 1 also clinched Best Art Director (Movie/ TV): Pat Nebo, Best Costume Designer (Movie/ TV): Deola Sagoe and Obijie Oru, Best Drama Writer (Movie/ TV): Tunde Babalola, Best Lighting Designer: Lanre Omofaiye. It also won Best Make: Up Artist: Sacred Lola Maja and Best Sound Editing: Kulanen Ikyo.

An elated Afolayan, after winning the Best Director said gently, “oluwa, olorun, Olodumare,” three variant expressions for Lord in Yoruba, and added, “mo dupe” which means ‘I thank you.’ He also thanked the organisers of the events for the event and expressed gratitude to his cast and crew.

Dedicating his award to those

• Kunle Afolayan with cast and crew of October 1, after the movie was announced as Movie of the Year

• Genevieve Nnaji with John Ugbe, MD of MultiChoice Nigeria

• Chinedu Ikedieze with Helen Paul

behind the scene, Ukeje gave special mention to Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, founder of Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), as one of the few people who gave him a chance as a burgeoning actor.

“To the people who support you when the only thing they can see is potentials,” he said.

Tunde Babalola also won Best Writer (Comedy) for The Meeting, which ranked a fair second with five awards. “It’s like you’re at a bus stop waiting for a bus,” said Babalola while receiving the second award, “and two buses come at once.”

The Meeting’s other triumphs were Best Movie (Comedy): Mildred Okwo and Rita Dominic, Best Actor (Comedy):

Bobbi Kristina’s aunt chides doctor

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HIS is not about the medical attention given to Bobbi Kristina, ailing daughter of late Whitney Houston. Leolah Brown, aunt of Kristina is pissed at Dr. Phil for making it seem Nick Gordon, the latter’s boyfriend, is a poor soul who needs help, by giving him hearing in private.

Nick is under criminal investigation as a suspect in the case of Kristina, who was rescued from drowning in a bathtub. She has remained in a coma in the last three weeks.

Leolah indignantly went on Facebook Saturday night and railed on the TV show for giving Gordon a platform, saying, “We have strong evidence of foul play. Until this investigation is completed by law enforcement, I would ask that you or anyone else not provide this individual a platform to spin this situation to his benefit.”

The the criminal investigation was launched when authorities found injuries on Kristina’s body after she was dragged out of the bathtub.

Gordon has refused to be interview by cops or tell the

Brown family what happened.

Leolah added, “If Nick Gordon does not have the courage to speak with my brother Bobby Brown and/or law enforcement about what happened the day my niece’s body was found in a bathtub, he does not deserve to have a platform to speak to anyone of your caliber until this investigation is concluded.”

Dr. Phil did an intervention with Nick, who says he’s constantly high on booze and Xanax.

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Femi Jacobs, Best Actress (Comedy): Rita Dominic, and Best Supporting Actress: Linda Ejiofor.

Other winners include Yvonne Bassey who won Best Documentary (The Gift of The Nile), Imoh Umoren as Best New Media – Online (Hard Times), Hafizu Bello and Abubakar Bashir won Best Local Language Hausa (Bincike), Obi Emelonye won Best Local Language Igbo (Onye Ozi), while Faithia Balogun won Best Local Language Yoruba (Iya Alalake) Other awardees include Stanlee Ohikhuare who won Best Cinematographer (Verdict), Ekene Mekwunye who won Best Short Film (Oblivious), Victoria Akujobi who

N4million, Amstel Malta for select winners

EAD sponsors of AfricaMagic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA), Amstel Malta added spice to the plaques won in four select categories, including Best Movie 2014, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Movie (Drama), with N1million naira each and supply of Amstel Malta.

These extra prizes went to Kunle Afolayan, O.C Ukeje, Kehinde Bankole and Steve Gukas respectively.

Presented by Mr Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Amstel Malta brand Brand ambassador, Genevieve Nnaji and former Amstel Malta Box Office winner, O.C Ukeje, the monetary and drink rewards were received with great joy by the four winners.

“I’m very excited about my win , especially for the fact that October1 won in various categories. The AMVCA plaque is a real honour and the cash prize from Amstel Malta makes it so much of a great news. We will keep doing our best to boost the

growth of the industry in every way we can”, said Kunle Afolayan, winner of the Best Overall Movie category.

Speaking at the event, the Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kufre Ekanem, explained the brand’s motive for rewarding the winners this edition.

“We are really glad to have been a part of the AMVCAs since its inception and the twist this year with the cash prize happened because we felt there needed to be some extra motivation for winners.

As a brand, Amstel Malta is keen on encouraging people to be the best they can be and the cash prize was a way to re-emphasise that,” he said.

The premium brand which also rewarded 11 outstanding Theatre Arts students selected from five universities across Nigeria with an all-expense paid trip, make-over sessions and a date with Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji, promised the winners six months supply of the Amstel Malta drink, while the overall winner gets a full year supply of the product.

won Best Video Editor (Reflections), Blossom Chukwujeku who won Best Supporting Actor (Knocking on Heavens Door) and Georgia Arnold who won Best Television Series (Shuga).

“Tonight’s event recognised all the talented individuals who continue to grow this industry,” said M-Net West Africa Regional Director, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, while paying tribute to both the winners and the nominees of the 2015 AMVCAs. “We’re very honoured that we could reward them for their exceptional work. A special thank you to our partners MultiChoice Africa and Amstel for their continued support in making sure that African talent is well and truly recognised in style.”

MultiChoice Africa, CEO Nico Meyer added his con-

gratulations, saying: “The amount of talent and exciting productions we’ve witnessed tonight keeps inspiring and motivating us to continue to deliver quality programming to our DStv and GOtv subscribers on the Africa Magic channels.

MultiChoice will continue to invest in promoting local film and television while collaborating and supporting television and film producers to further build this vibrant and exciting industry A big thank you to our subscribers who continue to show their dedication and participation in this award.”

AMVCA, which is an award driven by viewers’ votes, was tabulated and verified by auditing firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo

Seyi Shay: I didn’t mean to seduce Mr. President

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INGER Seyi Shay, who recently came under attack from fans and the media for spotting a skimpy outfit while posing for a snapshot with President Goodluck Jonathan at a recent youth event, has explained why she wore the controversial outfit.

“I am a very respectable young lady and I was not in any way trying to seduce the President with the outfit I wore. I had two outfits for the event, one was for my performance and the other was worn after I performed. The dress I was pictured in with the President was what I wore during my performance.

By Mercy Michael

“I came on stage and greeted everyone according to their culture and I did the same for Mr. President. He was impressed and he asked where and how I knew how to greet in his native dialect and I said I learnt it. That was what brought about the giggling and smiles in the picture. I’m a performer and what I do on stage doesn’t reflect my everyday life. I had two outfits on that day and it was a youth event. Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed meeting the President? Well, I did and I felt honoured because it is not every day you get to meet the president of your country.”

• Seyi Shay with President Jonathan

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With ekpoita :funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08077706130

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Celebration (9) 6. Greeting (2) 7. Documentation (6) 9. Indelible Mark (4) 10. Former (2) 11. Spread Out (3) 12. Final (4) 14, Resounding Noise (4) 15. In direction of (2) 16, Myself (2) 17. Eager (4) 19. Young Boy (3) 20. Father Christmas (10) 24. Being (2) 26. Tinkle (6) 27. Perform (2) 28. Tease (6)

1. Impression (4) 2. Cereal (4) 3. Created (4) 4. Amuse (6) 5. Celebration of Christ’s birth(9) 8. Free Air (6) 11. Paths (5) 13. Clawed 18. Deserve (4) 19. Juvenile (3) 21. Story (4) 22. So be it (4) 23. Musical Note (2) 25. Gladness (3)

SANTA PUZZLE Find alternative words to the clues below and fill them in their spaces in the grid.The answer to the first word on the grid “ORICK” has 4 letters which should be placed in their spaces in the grid being 1,8,6, and 15 as shown besie the word. The star word, an 11letter word denoting the yuletide will be revealed when done .

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Story of the Christmas Tree

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POETRY

The Legend of Christmas Tree

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Just how powerful a symbol is the Christmas tree?

Any Christmas tree, given the right kind of attention, can be perfect, and even humble things take on exalted meaning in the eyes of Christ.

“The First Christmas Tree”Did you know that an • oak was the inspiration for the first Christmas tree? In this informative story, we learn how an eighth-century monk named Boniface chopped down an oak tree to prove an important religious point, and ended up viewing a small fir sapling as a miracle.

“The First Christmas Tree Lights”Ever wonder about • the origin of Christmas tree lights? This story tells how Martin Luther changed the Christmas tree tradition with the addition of lights, the result of his frightening walk through the dark woods. It reveals the fascinating fact that Christmas trees were originally hung upside down, without lights.

“The Perfect Tree”This delightful story is told from • the perspective of a small, unremarkable tree that worries whether it will be suitable for Christmas. Through the inspired care of a family, it fills the bill perfectly. Try reading this uplifting tale to a child — it will teach him or her some valuable lessons about caring for others.

“The Tale of Three Trees”What if Christmas trees • could talk? What would they say? In this profound Christmas tale, three trees have grandiose hopes for their wood after they’re harvested, and all three are disappointed — temporarily. Eventually, they all play meaningful roles in the life of Jesus Christ. Make this inspirational story part of your family’s Christmas tradition.

“O Christmas Tree” The brief on Christmas Tree • Stories ends here with the story about a “special” Christmas tree everyone thought was too small. Read ‘O Christmas Tree’ to find out how this special tree turned into a bright, beautiful spectacle that would remain with one happy family forever.

Pep Talk

Humour * What did Adam say to his wife on the day before Christmas?

Answer:It’s Christmas, Eve! * What for the trumpet of Ken was kept in the freezer?

Answer: Because he loves cool music. * What is the popular carol in Desert?

Answer: Camel ye Faithful. * Why the Christmas tree can’t stand up?

Answer: It doesn’t have legs.

“The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than in things”. - Thomas S. Monson

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reality is that there’s no PDP in Lagos State. ‘ The The PDP exists only in time of elections; I advise them to strategise properly to become relevant.

They are not relevant; they don’t exist

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81 D AYS TO ...81 DA GO

Hon. Chidi Lloyd is a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. He was at the centre of the crisis that rocked the House. He was among the lawmakers who resisted the impeachment plot against Governor Amaechi. In this interview with PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA in Port Harcourt, the state capital, he says Amaechi’s ‘sin’ was his refusal to misuse public funds.

‘Amaechi’s sin was his inability to share money’ W HAT is your assessment of the campaign so far?

It is unfortunate that many politicians are uneducated; that is the reason for the kind of campaign going on in our democracy.

Instead of telling their supporters what they could do better than the other candidate, they would rather criticise their opponent, by engaging in name calling, destroying campaign billboards and so on. It is indeed condemnable. For instance, in the face of dwindling oil revenue, what aspect of measure do they want to activate. Are you going to diversify the economy from the crude oil economy to an agro economy? How are you going to reduce unemployment rate? How are you going to ensure that people get into university and come out after four years? How are you going to ensure that ASUU wouldn’t go on strike again? How are you going to ensure the effectiveness of the cashless policy, so that those in Abuja would not be carrying cash about while restricting the ordinary man from carrying cash? How are we going to ensure that we are going to manufacture vaccine that could take care of contagious diseases such as we saw in Ebola? What do we do to discourage people from going abroad for medical treatment? These are some of the things that we need to tell the people; rather than criticising opponents.

What are the chances of the APC winning Rivers State?

The Bible says power comes from God; you must also take cognizance of when we came onboard. We are just a year or less now, yet we have performed quite well. I will not want to bother myself with other happenings in other political parties. The essence of every political party is to grab power. Normally, I expect the 25 other registered political parties to moving from place to place, telling the people what they would do

and all that. But, for the APC, we are lucky because we have a governor that has done quite a lot; the governor that people believe in; the governor that the people love. Our free education system here is sine qua non; we have a governor who massively invested in scholarship, taking people’s sons and daughters abroad without minding whose children they are. After Spiff’s government, this is the first democratic government that massively invested in infrastructural development since the creation of Rivers State. You know what Ada-George Road was like before now; you can go back and see that road today. This is a road that was in a bad shape. Today, nobody is talking about it. The people need to ask: Is this the same AdaGeorge that has a two-storey building right in the middle of the road and every part of it flooded? One thing a leader must have in abundance is courage. A leader must be able to offend those who do not want to do things correctly. This is a government that re-constructed AirportOmarelu road, Ubima-Omarelu road, Oginigba, YKC and Woji road etc.

The PDP has been saying that the Amaechi Administration has done nothing...

It is like that, my people say in parable that your enemy cannot see the good side of you. Since Electricity Distribution Company took over, they have been enjoying our investment in electricity without paying a kobo. Their children are in the model

schools built by the same government they are criticising. Many youths are studying abroad, courtesy of the Rivers State scholarship scheme and their children are among the beneficiaries. This is a government that has invested heavily on security, but today all that has broken down is because of those who don’t want the government to succeed.

Kidnappers have come back again; there are all kinds of crimes being committed in the state. If our opponents come now and tell us that we have done well, then what do you expect them to say after that? So, I don’t expect them to say we have done well because the people would chase them away. The issue of the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-led administration or leadership style is not that he hasn’t done well; it is because he decided not to share and has insisted that there is nothing to share.

If you ask any of them today to tell you Amaechi’s sin, they will say he is stubborn and has refused to share.

You want to return to the Rivers State House of Assembly for the fourth time. What have you done for the people of your constituency?

What makes me different from others is that I have the fear of God; if government gives me money I try to reach the people. I have seen people entrusted with public fund, but they betray the trust of the people.

But, those who betrayed the people’s trust don’t live happily because you can’t be happy as a rich man in the midst of hungry and angry people.

I have attracted projects to my con-

•Amaechi

•Lloyd

stituency in an unprecedented manner. The projects are there to see. I attracted one kilometre road with two kilometre drainage in Ubimini community. I completed the construction of Civic Centre in Omudioga. We are currently connecting Omudioga to gas-turbine and grid paid from my pocket. We have constructed a 1.7 kilometre road in Mgbuetor, Emohua Local Government, with 1.4 kilometre drainage on all sides. We have given water to 12 communities in the constituency and also provided 12 generating sets to power the boreholes.

We have built six classroom blocks; we have completed the construction of civic hall in Omuordu, Akpabu.

We have built a 20 unit one-bedroom apartment for corps members, the first of its kind in this nation. I was once a corper, I have served and I know the condition in which I served. We have also built and handed over a Catholic Church to the community; we have built auditorium for Assembly of God Church and we are going to do more. In times of human capital development, it is not my nature to begin to mention the names of those I have assisted one way or the other. I do

not have protocols because everybody is a potential achiever.

That means you don’t close door against your people....

One thing you must know is that people don’t always come for money, even if 80 per cent of those who want to see me ask for money.

But, I have not heard that any politician was beaten up because he said “I don’t have”. Firstly, they will sit down with you in a good atmosphere, some will go home to say I was with that Honorable today and we shook hands. It is not always about money; sometimes when they request N10,000 if you have N2,000 you give. Look, those who are asking for money are not happy, because no man would be happy to ask another man for money.

There was an allegation that, since the defection of Governor Amaechi to the APC, the House of Assembly, which you are the leader, has been under lock.....

The lawyers say he who alleges must prove, the House of Assembly which I am a member and a leader is working. The reason for the confusion you see in politics is because of illiteracy, what does the constitution say when a House of Assembly cannot sit where it is originally domicile. The constitution says by the resolution of a house, the leadership of the house and the governor shall designate another place that will be considered as a sitting venue. And that the place so designated shall be gazetted and will become a sitting venue. So, the question should be have we done that?

And the answer is yes.

The issue of the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi-led administration or leadership style is not that he hasn’t done well; it is because he decided not to share and has insisted that there is nothing to share.

If you ask any of them today to tell you Amaechi’s sin, they will say he is stubborn and has refused to share

Why PDP ‘ll fail in Lagos, by APC chieftain

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HE Lagos State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been advised to work towards getting one or two seats in the House of Assembly instead of dissipating its energy and resources on the governorship election.

All Progressives Congress chieftain Hon. Nicholas Ajayi, who gave this advice, said such a strategy would help the party to build structures in the state.

The APC chieftain also urged the PDP to form a formidable and constructive opposition that would help the APC government deliver more services to the people.

Ajayi said the people of Lagos State will vote massively for the APC, adding that the party will win with over 70 per cent of votes in the governorship election.

“There’s no doubt about it. La-

By Ambrose Nnaji

gos is an APC state; the people of Lagos believe in the APC and they are going to vote massively for the party. I am not excited about the victory, I am more concerned about what comes after the victory, how do we really accomplish our promises to the people because this is what we would be judged in 2019," he said.

Ajayi said there is no way the PDP would win the governorship, because the party does not even have a counselor or a local government chairman.

He said: “The party does not have a member of the state House of Assembly, a member of the Federal House of Representatives and a senator. It does not have the required structures.

“That I am good in character and indeed, do not have a place in elec-

•Ajomale

toral votes, there must be a platform. The reality is that there’s no PDP in Lagos State. The PDP ex-

ists only in time of elections; I advise them to strategise properly to become relevant. They are not relevant; they don’t exist.”

Ajayi said the APC has set a very high standard, adding that at this point in time, there is no need to experiment. He said what is required is consolidation on the achievements that have been made so far.

Ajayi said that the Babatunde Raji Fashola administration has set a very high standard that today many governors in the country, including the PDP governors, are emulating such standards.

He added: “Before this time there was no index for measuring the performance of governors in the country, but today, governors are measured by the number of schools they build, roads, hospitals and other infrastructural and developmental facilities.

“These are the things that the APC government has brought into the Nigerian polity as dividends of democracy. I doubt if a PDP government in Lagos State can deliver such because for a very long time they have not come into governance.”

He said that the candidacy of Akinwunmi Ambode, the APC governorship candidate, has a lot of practical experience that would help take the state to the next level.

According to Ajayi, the standard which the present administration has set is so high that it would be expected that the next governor would try to outdo and deliver the dividends of democracy and good governance better than what the predecessor had done. He added that Ambode is coming to consolidate what has been actualised by Governor Fashola

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Refrain from any act of thuggery ,destruction of bill boards , tearing of posters , injuries to persons , vandalization and burning of valuable property, provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence, whether perpetuated by your followers or opponents

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‘Don’t underrate APGA in Ogun’ Ogun State All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate Prof.

David Bamgbose, spoke with SEYI ODEWALE on his plans for the state and other issues that he and his new party will direct the affairs of Ogun State come May 29.

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OW has your campaign been?

Our campaign journey has been so wonderful. I’m the candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) The whole idea is that we are looking for a party that will match our vision. A party that will not just think of the money bags, a party that will look at programmes and individuals; a party that loves justice. You know one of the banes of the political parties in Nigeria is the consideration of presentation of candidates not based on the generality of interest or antecedents or things an individual has done in the past. Our experience is that two predominant factors played roles in the emergence of candidates, especially in the dominant parties. Of course APGA is the third dominant party in the country.

But in all these dominant parties there is a lot of consideration on the emergence of candidates. It depends on how much can you spend? I can speak authoritatively that the processes of emerging as candidates of some parties have been monetised.

And APGA to you is not monetised?

No, definitely, it is not.

You are now speaking glowingly of APGA, but I remember when you were with Accord Party, you spoke in like manner…

No, no, no. You see our movement from Accord to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was a kind of national action. The whole idea was that everyone in the opposition, especially in our state, must come together against the ruling party. So, everybody moved, even from the Labour Party into the PDP. Accord is a party that was not that monetised even though the idea was that the candidate would have to do a lot on his own. So, when we decided to come to the PDP, my focus was on the dominant party and the emergence of people from this party. Apart from the fact that there is a whole load of factors that may not necessary be because of the people when they are doing the consideration. My experience with APGA has been a little bit different on the strength of the fact that what you have and how much you can spend are not some of the predominant reasons for the emergence of candidates. If that was part of the requirements, someone like me may not get the party’s ticket.

Are you saying that the party is supporting your campaign financially?

Even if I’m not talking of serious financial support to me, they do it on pro-

grammes and the media. The other time we had a flag-off the national leadership of the party put it on the broadcast media and the newspapers without taking a kobo from me.

They did that to promote the project. Not necessarily that they are the ones to do that, but they did it to support us. They have also given buses for campaigns.

Following your political progression of late, one may ask this question, what exactly are you looking for moving from one party to another. You have moved from Accord Party to the PDP and later to APGA and you may probably move from APGA to another party tomorrow, why this?

APGA is very definitive for us; we have berthed. I’m the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State and after the elections it will still be my party.

Did you join APGA simply because you were robbed of the ticket in the PDP? I want to go into its full explanation. My focus has been on a national party; a party that has a very big connection with the Federal Government, even though the manifestoes of parties are almost the same. So, that is why you would see that we were running around the PDP and its related political organisations. The movement to the PDP is basically because of the need to come together to confront the incumbent governor and make a change in our state, but the process of the emergence of the candidate of the PDP was not properly managed. If things had been done in a more transparent manner, some of us will still stay in the party. There was a primary election that was not authorised and quite a number of us boycotted the election on the instruction of the national executive of the party. Not only me, but nine of us boycotted the said election. They now turned around to uphold that same election, which they said was not monitored by them. What they told us initially was that the primaries were not monitored by them.

Did that amount to double standards by you?

Yes, that is why things felt apart and the

centre could not hold. Quite a number of our people had to find their way out of the party. It was not only in Ogun State, it also happened in other states like Oyo. That is why people like Seyi Makinde and Alao Akala moved out. APGA is a party that was ready to give justice and I was approached…

Were you approached or you approached APGA? I was approached. Definitely, when we looked at the party’s constitution and manifesto, we realised that it is a party we can move to, to actualise our dreams and aspirations. The change in Nigeria today needs passion and somebody with the drive.

Things are at a level where every Nigerian must do the unusual.

Which is?

We must go out of our cocoon; our comfort zone in a way everybody would be motivated to contribute in changing the system. So, whatever opportunity and platform that we have in contributing to political space in making the required change, we must seize it. Apart from the fact that things are not done in transparent manner, one of the drive that I have was the urgency and the need to make sure that we contribute to making a difference in Ogun State and Nigeria at large. That is the drive for moving to APGA. Since you moved to APGA, what has been the experience?

The response has been tremendous. I want to inform you authoritatively that APGA is in serious reckoning for the race.

You mean you can give the incumbent a run for his money?

Yes, the incumbent acknowledged it.

Is it the shift in the date of election that is giving you this confidence?

Of course, it gives us more time and gives more time to INEC to get its acts right. If you look at the percentage of collection of PVC in my state, it is worrisome. As at last Monday, it was 40 per cent and as at last Thursday, it was about 50.8 per cent of the actual registered voters. If the election had

‘We must go out of our cocoon; our comfort zone in a way everybody would be motivated to contribute in changing the system. So, whatever opportunity and platform that we have in contributing to political space in making the required change, we must seize it’

•Bamgbose

held, a lot of eligible voters would have been disenfranchised. So, apart from that larger opportunity, our campaign has more time to run its full course. But much more than that, is the response of the people. My candid experience is that people are looking for credible alternative. And if you refuse to give to them, you cannot blame them, because they must choose from what has been presented to them. If good people with good intention refused to do something, then wrong choice may be taken. We observed that from Ipokia to Ijebu Waterside, from Imeko to Ifo, all the four corners of the state, people are a yearning for a change.

You mean subscribe to the excuse given for the shift in polls, which some see as a way of helping someone’s ambition?

It was obvious and clear why the polls were shifted. I don’t know why insecurity was cited as the reason for shifting the polls.

Like I told you, as sophisticated as this state is, less than 40 per cent of registered voters have collected their PVCs. How can you justify that? I wonder, what is the rocket science in the production and distribution of PVCs? Was it because the cards were not produced or the people were not coming out to collect their PVCs? If you look at it categorically, the first challenge was the production of those cards. As at the time that we were to have the election, quite a number of the cards were yet to be produced.

And you felt it was deliberate?

To me, the first question I’m going to ask is that what is the rocket science about card production and distribution? The second question is why must we wait till six months to the elections before starting the production of the cards?

Parties sign peace accord in Kebbi

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•From left: Former Chairman, Ibadan North East Local Government Hon. Gbenga Adewusi; Accord Party governorship candidate in Oyo State Senator Rasidi Ladoja and former President Olusegun Obasanjo during a sympathy visit to the victims of last Sunday Accord Party Campaign Rally in Ibadan.

PHOTO; FEMI ILESANMI, IBADAN

HE Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 10, Alhaji Bala Hassan, has read the riot act to political parties to steer away from violence. He has also made the parties to sign a peace accord.

Hassan warned that the police will take necessary measures within the armbit of the law to deal with trouble makers during the general elections to ensure that a harmonious and conducive atmosphere prevails during and after the exercise.

The new Commissioner of Police, Danladi Mshelbwala said that it was imperative that the peace accord should be replicated at the state level.

He urged politicians to refrain from campaigns that will promote ethno-religious sentiments.

Mshelbwala also warned them

From Khadijat Saidu, Birni-Kebbi

against making any public statement and pronouncement that could spark-off violence and speeches ,which have the capacity to incite any form of violence before, during and after the 2015 elections.

“Refrain from any act of thuggery ,destruction of bill boards , tearing of posters , injuries to persons , vandalization and burning of valuable property, provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence, whether perpetuated by your followers or opponents,” he added.

The police boss also advised them to channel their grievances to the appropriate law enforcement agents and desist from taking the law into their hands.

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

NATION SPORT

Being top doesn't mean anything yet, warns Pique too concerned with," he told Canal Plus after the match.

"We're top, but the league is very long. Being leaders doesn't mean we've won anything. It's the result of a long road which we hope won't come to an end yet.

"We started well, we had a break, but now we're back and we're fine. Now

we're in good form. That's more important at the moment than being top.

"I'm sure we'll drop some more points during the rest of the season, but we must try to make sure we lose less and are top at the end of the season."

Barcelona face a trip to Eibar in the next game in six days' time.

Laporte: Athletic expected more from Real Madrid

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G

ERARD Pique has warned his teammates against the dangers of complacency after Barcelona moved top of La Liga on Sunday.

The Catalans routed Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at Camp Nou, courtesy of a hat-trick from Lionel Messi, two from Luis

Suarez and a goal from the defender himself.

The result sees Luis Enrique's side climb above Real Madrid, who were beaten 1-0 by Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, but Pique is adamant his side have achieved nothing yet.

"It's something we're not

CHANGE OF NAME KIDOH

I formerly known and addressed as Patience Kidoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Patience Francis Ugborofe. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

HE young French defender was surprised by the Blancos' lacklustre performance as they went down 10 at San Mames on Saturday Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte admits they expected a much stronger Real Madrid side to arrive at San Memes on Saturday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side suffered a league defeat to Athletic for the first time since 2010 as Aritz Aduriz netted the only goal of the game.

And 20-year-old France Under 21 stopper Laporte, who watched on from the stands, said he was surprised at Madrid’s lackluster performance.

"It is true that we were expecting a tougher Real Madrid," he told Telefoot.

"Real Madrid remains a great team. They have great players,

but they were a little below their usual level. It happens in football sometimes."

Toni Kroos failed with nine passes in the game, more than in any other game he’s played for Madrid in all competitions, while Cristiano Ronaldo has now failed to get a shot on target in half of his last eight Liga matches.

And Ancelotti admitted his side’s recent problems were down to his misfiring attack.

"Our problem is mostly to do with attacking, we are not finding the same attacking solutions as we did previously," he said.

"That is the problem that we need to fix. We are lacking a little effectiveness up front."

The result means Madrid have taken just 26 games to match last season’s total of five Liga defeats.

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

NATION SPORT

EUROPEAN... EUROPEAN... EUROPEAN... EUROPEAN... EUROPEAN...

Mourinho is not special - Luiz

D

Paris

AVID Luiz has stoked up the tension surrounding Saint-Germain's

Champions League last 16 second-leg clash with Chelsea by claiming Jose Mourinho "is not special".

PSG travel to Stamford Bridge with the tie level at 1-1 following the first leg at the Parc des Princes last

month but Chelsea hold a slight advantage courtesy of their away goal in the French capital.

Luiz left Chelsea for PSG in a •50 million move last June after one frustrating season under the stewardship of Mourinho, who has long been referred to as "the Special One".

But Luiz told a L'Equipe journalist: "He is special for you, not for me.

"I had some great moments at Chelsea and won a lot of titles. I was very happy.

"They are having a great season, defend well and have great players but above all I know my team. We will try to score there and play like we know how.

"We will have a good game plan and implement it the best way possible to achieve a great performance. Both can still qualify."

Ibrahimovic: I wish I ‘d played longer for Mourinho

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ITH Paris SaintGermain and Chelsea set to battle it out for a place in the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday, the striker has reflected on the pair's time at Inter Zlatan Ibrahimovic has spoken of his experience working under Jose Mourinho, lamenting the fact

the pair only spent a year together at Inter.

The striker won the Serie A title under the Portugese's helm, while also finishing as the league's top scorer with 25 goals, footballer of the year, foreign footballer of the year and winning 'Goal of the Year'.

Ibrahimovic was then sold to Barcelona for •46 million plus

Samuel Eto'o as Inter went on to win the treble, including the Champions League, and the Swede admits he regrets not working under Mourinho for longer.

"I had a great experience with Jose," he told Telefoot.

"We worked together for one year at Inter. The feeling

was great between us and my only regret is that we were together for only one year."

Ibrahimovic faces off against Mourinho again on Wednesday in the Champions League last-16 second leg, with Paris SaintGermain and Chelsea having played out a 1-1 draw in the French capital.

I can sell Pogba to PSG, Man City - Raiola

P

•Ibrahimovic

AUL Pogba has agreed to stay at Juventus in the long term, according to his agent, despite insisting he could sell him to the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea 'in a heartbeat'.

The 21-year-old has once again been in inspired form for reigning Italian champions Juve and had been linked with a •100 million move away from Serie A this summer.

Pogba has a long-term contract with the defending Serie A champions, which does not expire until June 2019, and Raiola says he intends to stick it out.

"We made a pact with Juve: Paul doesn't have to leave," representative Mino Raiola told Tuttosport.

"I spoke to president Andrea Agnelli, directors Pavel Nedved, Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici, so they all agree.

The club doesn't need the money.

"He is wanted by seven clubs and that is certain, because they all told me so.

"The ones that can afford him are Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

"If I just whistled, I could sell Pogba tomorrow to PSG or City in a heartbeat. But Paul did not tell me to find him another club.

"What are his chances of staying? As of today it's 99 per cent.

"Juve agree with our approach, which is that they will only sell if Paul asks to leave and there's a suitable offer. Of course, it could become one per cent, it depends on the market."

Raiola also admitted that he negotiated with Madrid a year and a half ago.

"Real wanted him 18 months

ago, but I didn't like the attitude Madrid had with me.

"Juve asked for about •50 million and Real told me it was a ridiculous sum. Even Carlo Ancelotti told me that and he adores Pogba.

Mihajlovic: Eto'o can still make the difference in Italy

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HE Serbian has paid tribute to the Cameroonian, who had a massive trainingground dust-up with his boss shortly after arriving in Genoa in January Sampdoria boss Sinisa Mihajlovic heaped praise on Samuel Eto'o after the striker netted his first Serie A goal in four years during the 2-0 win over Cagliari.

The Cameroonian joined the Genoa-based side on a free transfer in January after being allowed to leave Everton but looked set to quit the Stadio Luigi Ferraris after a trainingground dust-up with Mihajlovic.

However, the pair resolved their differences and Samp are now reaping the benefits, with Eto'o's strike sealing three precious points with the crucial second goal in the victory on Saturday.

"I don't want to speak about individuals," Mihajlovic told Sky Sport Italia. "We played a great game against a well-

organised side.

"But I'm happy for Eto'o, just as I am his team-mates. He was a great champion and in Italy he can still make the difference.

"He had a little bit of a difficult start [at Sampdoria] and we had to understand it was because we have strong characters.

•Mihajlovic

Man City interested in Monaco star Kurzawa

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ANCHESTER City have stepped up their interest in Monaco left-back Layvin Kurzawa, who has been a target for a number of other Premier League clubs, according to the Daily Mirror.

"I don't have to sell him, though. I advised Paul to only leave Juve if he finds a club that desperately wants him.

Right now it's easier to remain in Turin than to leave. Juve are the side with the advantage."

•Kurzawa

Rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are also said to be keeping tabs on the Frenchman, who has over three years to run on his contract at Monaco, with whom he has spent his whole career so far, scoring five goals in 75 appearances in all competitions since making his debut in September 2010.

His form for Monaco has seen him earn a senior international cap, representing France for the first time in November. He had previously played for Les Bleus at all of the junior levels up to the U21 side.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini already has two left-backs at his disposal at the Premier League champions in the shape of Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov, although the latter has been linked with a move to Inter in order to reunite with former boss Roberto Mancini. Kurzawa will command a high transfer fee as Monaco will not want to lose him, but they have sold a number of key players in the last 12 months.

Di Francesco: “Not there to make up the numbers”

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•Pogba

HE Neroverdi boss outlines his determination to come away with a positive result tomorrow evening. “We’re not travelling to Turin for a day out” Sassuolo boss Eusebio Di Francesco insists his side will not be making up the numbers when they travel to Turin for Monday night’s Serie A clash with Juventus.

The league leaders are strong favourites to get back to winning ways when the Neroverdi come to town but Di Francesco warns his team will not lie down and be awed by their opponents.

Speaking to the media in Emilia-Romagna, the 45-yearold began: “Every game is faced with the maximum effort. We’ll need to stay particularly alert, I can definitely tell you that we

won’t be going to Turin for a day out. Each of my players must give 100 per cent, while I’ll try to pick the best starting line-up possible.”

Approaching the match on the back of three consecutive away defeats, Sassuolo will be attempting to stop the rot by claiming a positive result in Piedmont.

But Di Francesco acknowledges it will be no easy task against an outfit that can count on plenty of strength in depth.

“Juventus are a very strong side, a team blessed with quality across the park.

Pogba’s an example of the great individuals they have, but it’s not just him we’ll need to keep an eye out on. That’s why it’s important we give it everything we’ve got tomorrow.”

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

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NEWS APC is unfair, says Wike

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HE Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being unfair to the people.

He spoke yesterday at Wards 12 and 14 in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area.

Wike said: “Democracy is about service to the people.

It is the use of God-given opportunity to improve the living condition of the people.

“What we have in Rivers State is a dysfunctional administration which is premised on the oppression of the people and the illegal acquisition of the people’s resources.”

He said he would fund the renovation of the home of an Ikwerre icon, Obi Wali.

The Rivers State PDP governorship candidate said he would construct internal roads in Wards 12 and 14, build markets for the critical communities of the wards and develop basic amenities for the people.

He charged the people to vote President Jonathan and all other PDP candidates for the people to benefit from the tenets of transformation agenda.

The Rivers State PDP Governorship Candidate had meeting with traditional rulers of the wards visited, where he received traditional endorsements.

‘Why Jonathan should be re-elected’

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SOCIO-POLITICAL group, Niger Delta Youth Platform (NDYP), has said President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection will unite the country.

Speaking during a meeting of the group at Monty Suites, Calabar, Cross River State, at the weekend, its National President, Comrade Akan Etteudo, said the reelection of Jonathan was not a misnomer but a deserved move aimed at strengthening the country’s unity, peace and progress.

Etteudo said NDYP, which comprises youths and young professionals from the nine states of the Niger Delta, places premium on unity and stability of the country, which according to him, only President Jonathan can offer.

NDYP, while hailing the Transformation Agenda of the President, expressed appreciation for the appointment of Mr Bassey Dan-Abia as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), saying it has further engaged talented youth leaders, such as Akanimo Ibok, and many others in the region.

It urged Jonathan to be calm and focused, adding that youths would deliver electoral victory for him.

CNPP okays use of Card Reader

11 persons feared dead in T Port Harcourt attacks

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O fewer than 11 persons have been reportedly killed in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, in attacks by unknown gunmen and cultists.

Two persons were killed during a bullion van robbery in the state University premises last Friday.

Five persons were said to have been killed in a hotel in Oroworukwo community in D/Line axis of the state

•Police: no comment

From Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

capital. Four were killed at the Marine Base.

While the hotel killing was linked to cultism, the reason for yesterday’s is yet to be identified.

Police spokesman Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ahmad

Mohammad declined comments on the incidents. He said: “I am not going to comment on that.”

The Nation learnt that the suspected cultists stormed the hotel, shot dead the victims and escaped. Some other persons were injured.

The police, said a source, have deposited the bodies at the mortuary.

HE Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), has expressed its support for the use of Card Reader for accreditation of voters in the 2015 general elec-

tions.

In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Osita Okechukwu, in Abuja, CNPP noted that the mock test of the Card Reader conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had further emboldened and reinforced its resolve to adopt the device.

It urged INEC to take note of the ‘few lapses’ observed during the test and improve on the device to engender free, fair and transparent elections.

“We are making this declaration because in the absence of genuine reason, we adopt a device which has been used to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in many countries.’’

The statement said the CNPP concurred with valid evidence that the use of the Card Reader for accreditation of voters would minimise if not eradicate snatching of ballot box.

Nigeria is undergoing turbulence, says Peterside •APC candidate to church: support God-fearing leadership

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HE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has said the country is undergoing turbulence.

The APC candidate spoke at the 34th Diocesan Synod of the Methodist Church of Nigeria in Port Harcourt at the weekend. Speaking to ministers and the congregation, Peterside drew attention of the church to Proverbs 29:2, which says that when the righteous rule, the people rejoice and when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

He called on the Church and Christians to participate in politics so that people who do not mean well for society are not voted into office.

Peterside told the gathering that Christians must consciously seek elective positions and also be ready to exercise their franchise by voting on election days for only candidates who are God-fearing and visionary.

“Christians must be in politics. If we leave politics for only politicians, then those who do not mean well for society will take over our affairs.

Therefore as Christians, we must be diligent.

“Let nobody be deceived.

What happens on election day will determine what happens to our country, so the church must not shy away from politics. In choosing leaders, we must not be sentimental. It is not about our brother and a stranger, it is about our life and future.

It is a sin to support a leader who cannot protect the lives of his people, a corrupt leader or a leader who oppresses his people. Our choice must be guided by reason.

“Our country is undergoing turbulence, so when we

•Peterside (right) greeting Rev. Nwankpa From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

vote, it must not be about church, religion, ethnic group or region. We must vote to improve our condition. Everybody agrees that Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has done well for the people of Rivers State. Some people may not like his style but that does not diminish his great achievements. Is it fair, if at the end of Amaechi’s administration we bring somebody who says he will destroy all that he has done?

Amaechi has laid the foundation and we must build on that. We want a God-fearing man. Some people boast of their connection but as ministers of God, you know that darkness will not reign over our state. I have plans for our Rivers State, I am an agent of Christ and I am prepared to do His will.

“Archbishop, the onus is on you to encourage your congregation to vote according to their conscience because what matters is not the party but the individual. So let the church take a stand, let the church not be docile because decisions of government affect the church.

Most Reverend Chimezuo Nwankpa, Archbishop of Port Harcourt Diocese, Methodist Church of Nigeria urged Christians to take active part in politics.

“Methodist Church wants more Christians to join politics. Politics is good, only the players give politics a bad name. We should play politics well and bring the fear of God. Christians must join politics and make its name good.

“I have called on my members to get their PVCs and be ready to vote because I have my own PVC. I will continue to support Christians in

politics to do the right thing.

What is important to us is the betterment of Rivers State and Nigeria. If there is no peace, we cannot serve God or move freely. I thank you for coming and may God preserve you and see you through”.

The Archbishop and the ministers later prayed for Peterside and wished him well in his endeavours.

Also speaking at the 71st birthday thanksgiving service of the Presiding Bishop of Overcomers Ministries, Rt. Rev. Ombo Isokariari, Peterside lamented that Nigeria was facing a lot of challenges, which had led to social vices.

“We need the power of God’s presence to fight corruption and take the nation out of backwardness.

“When we have the presence of God in affairs of our state, no challenge will set us back or consume us.”

According to Peterside, Nigerians cannot continue to do things the same way and expect different result.

He advised Christians to have a new approach to doing things to enthrone a leadership whose character and actions would reflect the will of God. Also at the Hilltop Christian Centre, Peterside told the congregation that as an adult, he had never belonged to any secret cult.

“What matters most is as members of the body of Christ, we must stand up against evil and speak out in the face of frustration for what is right,” he said.

The Senior Pastor of the church, Pastor Chris Oarhe, said leadership was not a joke but a responsibility.

He urged Christians to pray for those in authority always.

Akpabio’s wife seeks more roles for women in governance

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HE wife of Akwa Ibom Governor, Mrs Unoma Akpabio, yesterday advocated for adequate involvement of women in the governance of the country at all levels.

Mrs Akpabio spoke at a thanksgiving held at the Apostolic Church, Uyo, as part of activities marking the 2015 International Women’s Day,

said that women should not be seen as house wives only.

The wife of the Governor said that the theme for this year which is “Empowering Women- Empowering Humanity: Picture it!” was apt, and needed to be implemented by everybody.

“Empowering womanhood will not only mean progress for women, but

also progress for humanity in general because when women are well positioned economically, socially and politically, the family and the community are also empowered,” she said.

She said that the women of the state had broken gender barriers to emerge as trusted partners with their male counterparts in the busi-

ness of governance in the state.

“Today, we have an unprecedented number of Akwa Ibom women in elective and appointive positions, a tribute to the gender-responsive disposition of the Akpabio administration.” She added.

The wife of the governor also said that the current administration had significant-

ly reduced maternal mortality through its free medical care programme for pregnant women.

She also noted that thousands of women had benefitted from empowerment programmes, such as the Women Agro-Entrepreneurship Development Programme (WAEDEP) and several loans and grants .

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THE NATION MONDAY MARCH 9, 2015

NEWS Suicide bomber dies in attempt to blow off bridge

Police lay ambush for abductors of 87-year-old American woman A

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HE Kogi State Police Command said it has spread its dragnet to ensure that the kidnappers of the American woman, Rev. Phyllis Sortor, are arrested.

The 87-year-old missionary, who was kidnapped two weeks ago from her school premises at Emiworo in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, was freed by her abductors last Friday.

From James Azania, Lokoja

She was released about 8:30pm and sighted at the Kogi State Police Command headquarters, Lokoja, about 11pm.

Police spokesman Sola Collins Adebayo told our correspondent that the command would arrest the kidnappers.

He said: “She has been handed over to the U.S. em-

bassy by the police.

She’s safe and healthy. We have cordoned off the area suspected to be the kidnappers’ hideout to ensure their arrest.”

A police source described the American’s kidnap as an embarrassment.

The source, who spoke in confidence, said the incident put the command under pressure.

According to him, “the

American’s kidnap was a big embarrassment. Imagine an 87-year-old woman, a missionary, being kidnapped.

Everybody was on our neck.

“We’re happy she has been released and in good health.

It was a joint effort, I must say. The suspects will be arrested.”

Police Commissioner Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi said no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

SUICIDE bomber targeting a military check point near a bridge in Benisheikh, headquarters of Kaga Local Government, at the weekend went off midway before his target, killing himself, eyewitnesses have said.

A security source, who does not want to be mentioned, said the bomber was apparently targeting the soldiers and the bridge so as to cut cut-off movement in and out of Maiduguri.

The Benishiekh bridge is one of the major bridges on the Kano/Jos/Damaturu Maiduguri Highway, the only safe route to Maiduguri from all axes, as other roads have been taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents.

An eyewitness in Benisheikh (Abdurahaman, not real name) said: “Yesterday after Zuhr prayers, a Volkswagen Golf car, dark ash, was seen driving towards the military and civilian JTF check points before the bridge after the GSS Benishiekh. Before it could reach the military check point, the vehicle exploded in the middle of the road, killing the driver who was alone in the car and suspected to be a suicide bomber,” he said.

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‘INEC distributes 1.7 million PVCs in Bauchi’

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it had distributed more than 1.7 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Bauchi State, representing 97 per cent of the over 1.8 million received from Abuja.

This was made known by the commission’s spokesman, Malam Aliyu Abubakar, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Bauchi yesterday.

He said the bulk of the cards that were yet to be collected, were mostly owned by people who had either died or relocated to other states.

Abubakar said few of the cards probably belonged to those who were waiting to collect at the last minute.

A NAN correspondent, who visited the PVC collection centre to monitor last minute rush by registered voters, reports that only few people were at the centre to collect their cards.

Suswam, lawmakers on collision course •Galadiman Bauchi/District Head of Liman Katagum, Ibrahim Jahun (third right) with the newly-turbaned five village heads at Liman Katagum District in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State...yesterday

Policeman ‘kills’ scrap seller POLICEMAN attached to the ‘C’ Division Lokoja, Kogi State Command, has allegedly killed a scrap seller (scavenger), Haruna Moh’d, at Ganaja, over his refusal to part with the N200 he demanded.

The incident caused a gridlock at Ganaja junction, as over 40 scavengers blocked the road and made bon fires to protest.

It was learnt that the deceased was allegedly shot twice after an argument with the policeman.

A

•Over N200 bribe

From James Azania, Lokoja

Policemen, according to a witness, were on a routine visit to the under Meme bridge site where the scavengers gathered used items for sale to interested buyers, but were disappointed when the usual gratification of N200 given to them could not be made available by the scavengers.

It was gathered that efforts by the victim to make the police understand fell on deaf ears, and a heated argument ensued, which allegedly led

to the killing of the scavenger, who was said to hail from the Northern.

One of his colleagues, who spoke to reporters, said the police met them at the dump demanding to know the identity of the owner of a caravan, but when they were told the person who brought it was not around, the police asked him (the deceased) to part with some money.

He added that when he refused to give them the

money, they attacked him and dragged him on the ground before one of them shot him in the head and he died immediately.

It, however, took the intervention of men of the SARS to disperse the protesting youths, who demanded justice.

Police spokesman Sola Collin Adebayo confirmed the incident. He said the officer had been arrested while investigation was ongoing.

Alleged N6b CAN scandal: There’s no smoke without fire, says Bishop

ISHOP of Anglican Communion, Kaduna Diocese, Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, has said the Christians clerics, who partook in the sharing of the N6 billion allegedly given to the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) by President Goodluck Jonathan, to canvass vote for him, should confess to God and the Christian community.

The cleric said this was because “there is no smoke without fire, and I thank God the allegation is not against the Anglican Church.”

Addressing reporters yesterday after the service of collation of archdeacons of the diocese, the Bishop said there was nothing wrong with an offender to confess after committing an offence to enable God forgive him or her.

He alleged that President Jonathan was surrounded by bad advisers, who were only

B

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

being hypocritical without telling the President the truth about the progress or retrogress of the country.

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi recently alleged that President Jonathan gave pastors across the country N6billion to vote against the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in the presidential election.

Amaechi’s allegation caused an uproar among the clerics, with the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Northern State Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) asking the governor to name the church leaders, who collected the N6billion.

Bishop Idowu-Fearon said: “If you accuse me of sleep-

ing with your wife, and it is true, I should be able to confess to God first before confessing to human beings. So those who collected the money should confess to God and the Christian community.

“But if it is not true, I should ask God to forgive you. It is

good to be humble and ask God for forgiveness whenever you go wrong.”

He urged the congregation to vote for the right candidate during the elections, saying: “If you vote for a wrong candidate, you have committed a sin.”

Group defends CAN on Ishaku’s endorsement From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

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HE Taraba Voters Watch (TVW) yesterday defended the Christian Association of Nigeria’s (CAN’s) endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer, Darius Dickson Ishaku, for the governorship election.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, David Sabo Kente, at a news conference condemned the endorsement of Ishaku by CAN, berating the religious body for playing partisan politics.

But the Taraba Voters Watch said: “CAN as an independent association did no wrong in endorsing the candidature of Ishaku, who is their choice.”

•Over financial records

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OVERNOR Gabriel Suswam and members of the Benue State House of Assembly are on a collision course, following an invitation extended to three key government officials to appear before plenary tomorrow for questioning on financial records.

The lawmakers first passed a resolution demanding financial records from the Special Adviser to the Governor of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Solomom Wombo, the Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Gabriel Asen and Commissioner for Finance, Omadachi Oklobia.

The House asked for revenue records and money accruing from the agencies from the federation account and internally-generated revenue from January last year to date to be forwarded to them, last Thursday.

However, on that day, the government officials failed to forward the documents requested by the Assembly, the legislators became annoyed and extended another invita-

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

tion and ordered that they should appear tomorrow unfailingly or risk arrest.

The Nation investigation showed that the government officials may not appear before plenary because the executive arm of the government has lost the Commissioner for Rural Development and Cooperatives, who died recently.

A commissioner, who pleaded anonymity, told The Nation that it was unreasonable on the part of the lawmakers to arm-twist the executive arm of government with a summon when they have lost a key government official.

The commissioner said the timing of the invitation was wrong because the executive arm was mourning, “so the lawmaker should put the invitation on hold till further notice.”

A governor’s aide told The Nation that Governor Suswam might have instructed the government officials not to honour the invitation.

MAN, company move to revitalise ailing industries From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

K

ANO Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) and Kano State chapter of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have agreed to ensure the revitalisation of ailing industries.

Leaders of the two organisations are hoping to achieve this feat through a five-year tariff path and a comprehensive technical investment framework towards service improvement.

The Managing Director of KEDCO, Dr. Jamil Gwamna, made this known when he addressed reporters during a visit to customers of the distribution company to discuss with them for better business relationship and quality service delivery.

Gwamna, who was accompanied by the management team of KEDCO, including heads of department and heads of units, visited the Sharada industrial layout as well as the Dakata and Bompai industrial areas where he engaged captains of industries and commerce in a bid to achieve customer intimacy.

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

NEWS Six die in soldiers, worshippers clash Continued from page 4

•Women and children working out during the 2015 International Women’s Day celebration in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

2015 polls beyond Jonathan, Buhari, says Presidency Continued from page 4

vilian politics was brought back for us to vote, the North sat down and met and decided that because of the injustice done to the Yoruba people, the Yoruba must present the next president at that time.”

“And they called this nation to accept and buy into a national consensus to patronise Yoruba people. And that had a sal-

utary effect on the political stability of this country. That is the role the North has always played in the politics of Nigeria.”

“The consideration and implication of the 2015 general elections for this country go beyond Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari. It is beyond both of them. It is about stability of this country.

And both the North and the South have always given concessionary consideration to each other. When we went for independence, the North was not ready; the South waited.”

“In 1958, the colonial masters had agreed to give Nigeria independence, but the North said they were not ready.

Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and other

southern leadership conceded.

They agreed and said they would wait for their brothers.

So, we did not start the concession for peace just now.”

“We have always tried to balance the polity and not create problems in this country. Now, Goodluck Jonathan comes from an area that, in perpetuity, has always been the strongest ally of the North.”

Polls: No going back on Card Readers, says INEC Continued from page 4

the device, so as to engender free, fair and transparent election.

The statement said: “The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP ) wishes to unequivocally state that we stand on the use of Magnetic Card Reader for accreditation of voters in the 2015 general elections.

“The mock test of the Magnetic Card Reader, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), even if the picture is the only identification matrix, has further emboldened and reinforced our resolve to adopt the device as the best device to avoid mangling and manipulating the electoral process.

“INEC should take note of the few lapses noted and improve on the device, so as to engender free, fair and transparent election. This will put paid to those who would want to repeat in Medical School after failing.

“We are making this declaration because in the absence of genuine reason, we adopt a device which has been used to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in many countries, like the US, UK, Brazil, Ghana, and the 2014 Indian general elections, an election where 600 million Indian voters voted seamlessly.

“It is regrettable that those

who a few years back, declared that telephone is not for the Nigerian poor are behind the call for the rejection of Magnetic Card Reader technology for accreditation of Nigerian voters.

“We had thought that the lesson today that both the groundnut seller and the rich are using telephone is enough lesson on adaptation of new technology to advance our electoral process, which in the past was marred by irregularities.

“CNPP concurs with the valid evidence that the use of Magnetic Card Reader for accreditation of voters will minimize, if not eradicate ballot- box snatching, thumb printing of ballot papers and snatching of result sheets.”

The CNPP faulted the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for its hysteria on Card Readers.

The statement added: “We are therefore at a loss why the largest party in Africa - Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) - a party that has ruled our dear country for the last 16 years - is jittery and enveloped with hysteria over the use of the Magnetic Card Reader to advance our electoral process.

“To worsen matters, the PDP is desperately recruiting other political parties in this ignoble, undemocratic and unpatriotic onslaught on the nerve of our fledgling democracy.

“Accordingly, we take exception to our membership political parties that are wittingly or unwittingly against the deployment of Magnetic Card Reader, hence threatening the survival of our fledgling democracy and, by extension, the corporate existence of our dear country.

“We have anxiously noted the nefarious, unethical and undemocratic agitations of some political parties in league with the PDP for either the removal of Professor Attahiru Jega or dumping of Magnetic Reader for no just cause.

“Penultimate week they canvassed with the PDP for postponement of the 14th February presidential elections and it was granted, yesterday they headed for court, asking that Magnetic Card Reader should be discarded and today they are not only canvassing for another postponement, but querying the technical competence of the Card Reader and Jega’s head.

“The mock test invalidates their weak argument. May we ask, if the PDP leadership is sure of victory, will they have called for postponement of the 14th February presidential election date and suspension of Jega or the rejection of Magnetic Card Reader?

“Or is it morbid election-phobia stimulated in recognition of

the core ingredient of election in liberal democracy, which is electoral referendum on the performance of the incumbent, which is making PDP jittery?

“In sum, the CNPP will eject membership political parties that engage in unethical and undemocratic agitation and embark on mass action, if either Jega is removed, Card Reader deleted or even the Temporary Voters Card added for accreditation.”

PVCs collection Continued from page 4

vestigating. Anybody found culpable in this will not be spared. We will defend the Hausa community in Lagos. We will stand for our people. No policeman can intimidate us.

“Collection of PVCs to release okada is a violation of their fundamental human right. We will not allow our people to be intimidated. They will perform their civic responsibility.”

Lagos Police Spokesman Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), denied the involvement of his men in the nefarious act.

“There is no iota of truth in such claim of our men’s involvement in that kind of act.

What is our business with PVC? What will the police do with the PVC?” he queried.

Nigerian banks are sound, says CBN Continued from page 4

mended the unification of rDAS and the interbank foreign exchange market rates, noting that greater exchange rate flexibility could help cushion external shocks.

The IMF statement further noted that Nigeria’s economic data are broadly adequate for surveillance, just as it agreed that tightening fiscal policy and allowing the exchange rate to depreciate while using some of the reserve buffer were appropriate

responses to the recent fall in global oil prices.

In another development a face off may be brewing between the CBN and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) over the Corporation’s amendment bill before the National Assembly.

The CBN said it held various meetings to review the proposals made by the NDIC following the decision of the NDIC to amend its 2006 Act to ensure consistency with the goals of financial

system stability.

The CBN said it drew the attention of the NDIC ”to several objectionable clauses in the proposed Act, which at the least sought to confer coordinate functions and powers on the NDIC.” Specifically, the CBN said it drew NDIC’s attention to the implications of the enactment of the Act as proposed as it would: Make the NDIC a parallel/coordinate regulator for banks as CBN; Confer conflicting supervisory functions and powers on NDIC over

banks; and Create overlapping regulatory responsibilities for the NDIC. The powers that the Corporation sought to assume and exercise the CBN believes include: Power to Licence Banks, Power to Supervise Banks without Reference to the CBN, Power to Determine the Licences of Banks and Power to appoint itself as Liquidator.

The apex bank is billed to appear before the senate today to state its case on the proposed NDIC Act.

over, but the soldier was dissatisfied with the explanation.

The soldier reportedly went back and mobilised his colleagues who came and started firing at the local guards.

“The gunshots ended the church service. Women and youths immediately reacted to the shooting by confronting the soldiers as a result of which one Soldier and three civilians were injured,” said Christopher.

The situation led to a clash between residents and soldiers.

Another eye witness said a block of flat at a staff quarters belonging to Kaduna State college of Education Gidan- Waya occupied by the military personnel, was burnt with two guns carted away.

According to a resident who identified himself as Bulbs Jatau: “Six people were killed, a flat occupied by some army personnel burnt while many people were injured.”

Similarly, a lecturer at the college who pleaded anonymity said a 200-level student was among the people killed by bullets.

“A soldier has a motorcycle he uses as a means of transportion.

The cadet boys manning the Church during Mass had told him that each time there is Church programme, he should not increase the acceleration of his motorcycle but he refused to abide by what the boys told him.

“Today, he was passing during church Mass and the road was closed. He started shouting at the boys asking why they blocked the road, as the argument was ongoing, he returned to a checkpoint and mobilised other army personnel and they came shooting.

“As they were shooting, a certain man coming back from another church was hit by the bullet and he died instantly. One of the cadet boys was shot but he died at a hospital,” said the lecture.

Another eyes witness said youth and women of the community were protesting naked, mobile policemen were mobilised from Kafanchan shot tear-gas to disperse the protesters.

“The incident also turned violent as four people also dropped dead when the protesters blocked all roads leading to Abuja, Jos and Kafanchan in protest of the killing. All the checkpoints in the area have been dismantled and the military men have been withdrawn to Kafanchan. The soldiers have told the traditional ruler that they will come back in the night to search for their guns,” another resident told our correspondent.

Spokesman of the 1 Mechanised Division, Kaduna, Col. Abdul Usman did not respond to calls and text message as at the time of filling this report.

Survivors of the clash are receiving medical attention at a State General Hospital.

Borno blast death toll now 62 Continued from page 4

munities are certified safe and habitable for occupation by displaced persons.”

Shettima urged the people to be calm, security conscious and report suspicious persons and movements to security agencies and youth volunteers.

Forces from Niger and Chad have launched a ground and air offensive against militant group Boko Haram in Borno State, officials said yesterday The troops intensified a regional offensive designed to defeat the Islamic group, military sources said.

It is the first incursion deep into Nigeria by troops from Niger, which has so far only fought Boko Haram in the border area. Chad has already sent troops many kilometres inside northeastern Nigeria and has won territory back from the Sunni jihadist group near the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

“We can confirm that Chadian and Nigerien forces launched an offensive this morning from Niger. The offensive is underway,” said Colonel Azem Bermandoa, spokesman for Chad’s army.

Niger military sources said troops were attacking militants from the Islamist group in Borno State, having entered via the country’s southeastern region near Diffa.

One of the sources said the Federal Government had given the green light for the operation.

It was not clear how many troops were participating in the offensive, which came as Nigerian officials dismissed Boko Haram’s pledge of allegiance to Islamic State as a reaction to the military pressure from Nigeria and its allies.

The pledge was posted online on Saturday in an audio message

by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau.

He called on Muslims everywhere to swear loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Boko Haram has been fighting an insurgency to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria since 2009, and in recent months the violence has increasingly spilled over into neighbouring states.

Chad, Cameroon and Niger have already been helping Nigeria in its battle against Boko

Haram. On Friday, the African Union endorsed the creation of a regional force of more than 8,000 troops to combat the group.

As the latest offensive began early yesterday, a resident and an aid worker told AFP news agency there had been heavy arms fire close to Niger’s border with Nigeria. A local radio station reported that a convoy of more than 200 vehicles was moving towards the area.

The Nigerian military and troops from neighbouring states have recently claimed some success in their campaign against Boko Haram, and Nigerian officials said the pledge of allegiance to IS was a sign of weakness.

Col. Kukasheka said the Boko Haram leader was like a “drowning man”.

“There is no surprise that he is craving for support from fellow terrorists across the world,” he told the BBC World Service.

“Basically, he’s just trying to create panic to create a plea for help that will not even come because very soon we will see to the end of the insurgency in Nigeria.”

The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), who is the coordinator of security spokespersons, Mr. Mike Omeri, said Boko Haram needed help “as a result of the heavy casualties and bombardment and degrading of their capacity”.

However, militants have continued to launch deadly attacks.

On Saturday, Boko Haram was blamed for a series of attacks in its former stronghold of Maiduguri, including suicide bombings that left more than 50 people dead.

Col. Kukasheka called on Nigerians “to be more security conscious because given the onslaught on Boko Haram, definitely they are bound to spring surprises”.

IS took control of large swathes of territory in eastern Syria and across northern and western Iraq last year.

It has forged links with other militant groups across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and in January, militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan pledged their allegiance.

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

56

NEWS Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio presenting a souvenir to Air Vice Marshall F. B. Nyokoko, Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command, Yenagoa when he visited the governor in Uyo

•National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (right) and Lagos State governorship candidate Akinwumi Ambode, at a one-million man-march for Presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his runningmate Prof Yemi Osinbajo in Lagos at the weekend.

•Youths at a Presidential Early Morning Walk/Jogging between the Presidential Villa and the Eagle Square, Abuja...at the weekend

•Senator Oluremi Tinubu(left) and Women Leader, Lagos APC at a march for Gen, Buhari and Prof Osinbajo in Lagos...at the weekend

C •Chairperson, Better Life for African Rural Women and founder, Aisha Babangida Youth Leadership Series, Hajia aAisha Babangida (left) addressing some residents of Abuja at the International Women’s Day in Abuja...yesterday

From left: Chairman of the occasion, Mr Anthony Chukwurah; royal Father of the Day, Okwedike 11, Orji-amoke, Udi, Igwe Innocent Chibuoke; Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. John Cardinal Onaiyekan and Grandmother of the Day and President, Market Women Association, Chief Felicia Sani, at the Madonna International Nursery and Primary School Cultural Day in Abuja...yesterday PHOTO : NAN

. The legendary traditional musician, Dr. Dan Maraya (left) greeting DirectorGeneral, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri at a concert at the Polo Ground, Jos, Plateau State ...at the weekend

•Deputy Chairman, Road Transport Empoyers’ Association (RTEAN), Lagos State chapter, Yeniyo Misis receiving the keys to a Toyota Hiace bus donated by Senator Ganiyu Solomon from his Special Adviser on Community Matters, Alhaji Yinka Kazeem in Lagos. With them are Solomon’s Special Assistant on Political Matters, Dr. Ahmed Afolabi and RTEAN’s Secretary Comrade Amusan

THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

57

NEWS

Parties should work for success of election, says Fayemi

F

ORMER Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has urged political parties to give their agents the necessary training for effective performance during the general elections.

He said the success of the elections should not be based on the outcome of the Smart Card Readers (SCRs) alone, noting that agents of the parties should be given adequate training, to complement the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

By Musa Odoshimokhe

His words: “Using technology should not take away human intelligence. All the parties are supposed to have agents from the unit level, to the state collation centers. I believe that internal vigilance is the price you pay for freedom and liberty.

“I do not think we should dump everything on the laps of a card reader. We have a duty as a political party to make sure that our agents are also trained to look out for the gap that might bedevil the

system.”

He dismissed allegations that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has link with INEC chair Prof. Attahiru Jega, noting that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which lured Jega, should be the party to be accused.

He said: “If there is any political party that has link with Prof. Jega, it is the PDP. He was appointed by the PDP government. Though his appointment was confirm and ratified by the Senate that

comprised members of our party, but we were not in the leadership of decision.

“And every single person that has been appointed as INEC official, either the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), INEC Commissioner in the past 15 years are brought there by party affiliation.”

Reacting to whether the INEC chairman should be trusted, Fayemi said: “I trust him personally. This is not my party position, But, given my own experience as

someone who had observed electoral commissions around the world, the appointment into such office should be publicly made.

“There should be independent body to scrutinise those who go into the office.

I believe Justice Mohammed Uwais made that clear. You get to INEC on account of whatever you have with the government of the day. My argument is that a body that is so crucially important once you earn that title independent must be not just

Court hears ex-manager’s suit against Ecobank today

T

HE Federal High Court in Benin will today hear a suit by a former Ecobank Plc Branch Manager Victor Amushie, who is seeking N500million

By Joseph Jibueze

damages over his alleged illegal arrest and detention.

He filed two suits, the other at the Enugu State High

Court, in which he is seeking N1billion from the bank for allegedly ruining his 16year banking career.

Amushie said he was ar-

rested August 11 last year at the bank’s Akpakpava Branch in Benin and detained for two days without being asked to make a statement or allowed access to his lawyer,

•President, Women Arise and Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin (left); Nollywood actress Mrs Joke Jacob and founder, Pathfinder’s Justice Initiative at an advocacy campaign organised by Pathfinders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State... at the weekend.

family and friends.

He said on August 13, the bank brought Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials who took him from the Esigie Police Division in Benin to the commission’s Lagos office, where he was told about the bank’s petition.

Ecobank accused Amushie of fraud, following which EFCC published on its website that he granted loan to himself using several names and accounts to the tune of N81million while at Ecobank.

The plaintiff said he was detained by the anti-graft agency for 19 days and was released after the commission had interviewed the customers the loans were granted to.

Ecobank alleged that Amushie was on his way out of the country when he was arrested.

But the plaintiff said the loans were actually approved by Ecobank’s Head Office and granted following due process, adding that he was arrested at work and was never on the run.

an appellation, but as a way of its functions, you need to have officials who are completely detached from partisan politics.”

He added said the APC is more interested in the credibility of the electoral process, stressing that it was not interested in who heads INEC, which “The most important thing is the process, we don’t have a fundamental issue with the personality that occupy the office by the process.”

He said the APC would resist any form unconstitutional method to remove the INEC leadership, adding that the partisan approach was brought to engineer the removal of chairman of INEC which was the issue the party kicked against.

“If his removal does not go in accordance with the constitution and the electoral act, we will object, just as we will object to any other who has been badly treated by the government in power. It is about the rule of law; it is about the process, we are not interested in Jega as an individual.”

Fayemi maintained the APC had always been prepared for the polls, noting that the money raised for the purpose of the election ought to be properly accounted for.

“We don’t have access to government, we don’t have access to illicit funds, the bulk of the fund that we are using on this election comes from the ordinary people through the fund raising committee.

And we are not going to fritter that money away. “ “We will spend our money in a manner that will produce results. The question whether we are broke or not is not the issue. This is an election which Nigerians have made up their minds that they are ready for change,” he said

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

FOREIGN NEWS

Obama praises Selma ‘heroes’ 50 years after march

U

S President Barack Obama has marked the 50th anniversary of the Selma civil rights march in Alabama by paying tribute to the “heroes” who took part.

He delivered a speech commemorating “Bloody Sunday” on 7 March 1965, when security forces attacked black demonstrators in the city.

Mr Obama said the marchers, who were campaigning for equal voting rights, had “given courage to millions”.

His wife Michelle and about 100 members of Congress also attended the event.

“Because of what they did, the doors of opportunity swung open not just for African-Americans, but for every American,” he said, standing in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge where the violence took place.

A crowd of some 40,000 people watched as Mr Obama and his family led a symbolic walk across part of the bridge, accompanied by those who had made the

march in 1965.

Police beat and used tear gas on demonstrators as they made their way over the crossing, on a day that became known as “Bloody Sunday”.

That event, and a followup march from Selma to Montgomery two weeks later, helped build momentum for approval of the Voting Rights Act by Congress later that year.

The legislation, pushed by President Lyndon Johnson, removed all barriers preventing AfricanAmericans from registering as voters.

Mr Obama reminded the American public that despite progress the fight against racism was not over.

He addressed the recent police killings of unarmed black men and teenagers, which had triggered protests in several US cities.

“This nation’s long racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. We know the march is not yet over, the race is not yet won,” he said.

•Some of the people accompanying the president had been beaten by police on the bridge in 1965

Baby found alive in car upside down in river

LENT Theme: Dividends of service Text: ”........ henceforth thou shalt catch

men (Luke 5:10)

F

EW years ago, the leadership of a University Students’ Union paid a courtesy visit on the Chief Executive of a company in Lagos. After the meeting, the President of the Students’ Union called the Chief Executive aside and told him that having visited the company the remaining Student Union leaders on campus were going to ask him for “Ki lo ba de” meaning, the dividends of the meeting in financial terms.

It is not only students that are desirous of “ki lo ba de” but at such a time in the political history of our country when politicians have been intruding our privacies to solicit for our votes through what they would do, it is therefore our inalienable right to hold them accountable by their words by requesting for our dividends of democracy, when eventually they are sworn into power.

Although Simon Peter had toiled all night and caught nothing, he obliged Jesus Christ the use of his boat when he made a demand for it. Jesus then decided to give him the dividend of service rendered and elevated him from the league of miserable and illiterate fishermen to the a greater level. Jesus Christ told him that the dividends that would accrue to him is that rather than being a fisherman, he would become a fisher of men. Suffice to say that He was going to make him great such that he would have the blessings of lots of people. True to that promise, Simon Peter was handed the post-earthly ministry mantle of Jesus Christ to lead the other disciples. Besides that, that same Peter despite not known to have built any structure now has millions of homes and churches scattered across the globe in his name.

Beloved, there is none that serves God without receiving due reward; that is, no one works for God selflessly without being transited from being a fisherman to a fisher of men.

No wonder, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 11:1 that, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”.

Jesus Christ said in Luke 6:38 that “ Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.

For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Hebrews 11:6b says that, “.... he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Moses explained the dividends of service very clearly in Exodus 23:25-26, that, it will make God to bless your bread, and your water. Not only that, God will take sickness away from your midst and nothing shall cast their young or be barren in your land. Lastly, God will fulfil the number of your days.

The first thing that God will do when you serve Him is to bless your bread. What this means is that God will enlarge your coast to the extent that you will not have room to contain it. When Jesus Christ lifted up the five loaves of bread and two fishes, the power of multiplicity fell on them such that after feeding five thousand men with it (not counting women and children), they had twelve baskets of fragments left (Luke 9:16-17). It was same experience with the widow of Zarephath when she surrendered her last meal to Elisha, “the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah (1Kings 17:16).

Secondly, the Almighty God will bless your water. When God blesses your water, He turns the water into wine (John

2:1-11). He replaces a tasteless life, marriage, work and ministry around for good, as He did at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. When He does this, He replaces shame with fame, He covers nakedness, He takes off garment of reproach and disgrace, and makes one honourable before all and sundry (Isaiah 60:15). Not only that, He takes away whatever is called bitterness as He did when the Israelites left Egypt and after many days of thirst saw water which was very bitter. The intervention of Moses made the water become drinkable (Exodus 15:23-25). The Almighty God surely has power to do the impossible (Zech. 4:6; Romans 9:16).

When your water is blessed, the curse of lack of productivity is removed and this cascades into realisation of life purpose as it happened in Jericho. The people of Jericho came to Elisha that “....the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren (2Kings 2:19). There was no correlation between what people are seeing and reality. With Elisha’s intervention, the story changed for Jericho. Then, the promises of God in Isaiah 65:19-24 became real for the people of Jericho.

Not only that, when you serve Him, He would take sicknesses away from you. What this means is that, you shall be untouchable by powers of darkness. God shall place you in His secret place and give you grace to abide under His shadow, and all the blessings of Psalm 91 shall be your portion all the days of your life. He would also ensure that there is no barrenness or sudden death within the precinct of your tabernacle. What is killing and bringing others down, shall see you and pass you over. Your “ .. wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table (Psalm 128:3). The fruits from your loins shall become a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation and a peculiar people to show forth God’s glory (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Lastly, you shall fulfil your days meaning that all that He has purposed for you since the beginning of the world shall become realities. May all these be your portion, in the name of Jesus.

Beloved, nothing free holds value. Jesus Christ in Revelation 22:12 said that, “... behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be”. This is the time to surrender your life to Jesus Christ to enable Him align you properly with His purpose. When that adulterous woman dropped her waterpot her story changed for the best (John 4:7-30). It was same with Matthew the son of Alphauses when he left all and followed him (Mark 2:14). Your testimony is the next.

During this time of lent, flee from the works of darkness and come to the marvellous light of our Lord Jesus Christ, serve God with all your heart, your soul and your spirit (Deut. 10:12). Don’t be deterred or discouraged by people’s negative comments concerning you. Remain focussed on Him and don’t look back like Lot’s wife who did and became a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26). May God give you grace to follow and serve Him without counting the cost, in Jesus’ name.

Prayers: Lord, give me grace to see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly day by day, in Jesus’ name.

A

N 18-month-old girl has been found alive after spending 13 hours inside a car that crashed into a river.

A fisherman found the car upside down on Saturday afternoon in Spanish Fork River, in Spanish Fork, Utah.

The girl’s mother, 25, was found dead inside the vehicle.

The baby was flown to a hospital around 50 miles away in Salt Lake City in an unknown condition.

Their names have not been released.

Police Lieutenant Matt Johnson said the woman left the city of Salem on Friday

evening to drive to her home in Springville.

A resident said he thought he heard an accident at around 11pm US time, but he could not find anything.

According to a press release from Spanish Fork Police Department cited by television station Fox 13 Salt Lake City, it is thought the car hit a cement barrier on the south end of a bridge and then went into the river.

The car was discovered at around 12.30pm on Saturday.

Some of the emergency responders who attended the crash had to be treated in hospital for hypothermia, but were later released.

Zambian president rushed to hospital after collapse

Z

AMBIA’s President Edgar Lungu collapsed on the podium while presiding over a Women’s Day celebration in Lusaka - less than two months after taking over from a leader who died in office.

Lungu was rushed to a military hospital on Sunday, but the president’s office later issued a statement saying he had been treated for malaria and there was no need for concern.

“I am feeling much better and have been told I have high levels of fatigue and should take some rest,” Lungu said in the statement.

“There is nothing to worry about.”

Lungu came to power in January after the death in office of President Michael Sata in October.

Rumours that Sata was ill had circulated widely before his death, but were always denied by the government.

Sata was Zambia’s second leader to die in office in six years, sparking

•Lungu

calls for presidential aspirants to undergo medical checks to guarantee they are fit.

Lungu, who fell after standing for some 20 minutes during the ceremony, is rumoured to have diabetes, the AFP news agency reported.

Presidential spokesman Amos Chanda said doctors at the military hospital had conducted comprehensive medical checks and said Lungu’s results were good.

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

FOREIGN NEWS

Flight MH370: Angry families reject report

F

AMILIES of those missing on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have rejected a report issued on the first anniversary of the plane's disappearance.

The interim report gives no new clues as to what happened to the plane. One relative described it as useless.

It does reveal that an underwater locator beacon battery had expired a year earlier, but it is unclear whether this affected the search.

The airliner was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished.

Malaysia and Australia say they remain committed to finding the missing plane.

As families of the 239 passengers and crew held remembrance ceremonies on Sunday, some expressed their frustration with the report.

It contains masses of technical information about the missing aircraft, its maintenance record, the background of the

crew, and the various air traffic control and military radar tracking records of the plane, says the BBC's Jonathan Head.

It notes the battery on the beacon of the flight data recorder had expired, which may suggest searchers had less chance of locating the aircraft, although the battery on the locator beacon of the cockpit voice recorder was working.

But the report offers no significant new information which might explain where the plane went, or what happened to it, adds our correspondent.

Sarah Bajc, whose partner Philip Wood was on board, ridiculed the fact that investigators had interviewed just 120 people.

"That's less than our tiny underfunded private investigation has done," she said, referring to a private inquiry launched by a group of nextof-kin.

Raymund Gagarin, whose cousin Anne Daisy was one of

the passengers, said he believed the government was hiding information from families.

"It's just taking a lot of people's emotion on a big merrygo-round. It's a bit cruel," he added.

Of all the many theories about what happened to MH370, the idea that it might have been diverted to a remote airfield and its passengers taken off, seems the least plausible. What motive could the mysterious hijacker have had? No demands have been made.

But it is a theory that Wen Wan Cheng is clinging to with defiant certainty. And who can blame him? The 64 year-old property developer from Shandong had his son, Wen Yong Sheng, on board the ill-fated flight. Until he sees some evidence of what happened to the plane, he believes his son must still be alive.

The Malaysian authorities still insist the best theory is that

the plane crashed into a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean, after being diverted and flying south for several hours.

But they lost the trust of the families early on due to their clumsy and confused response to the disappearance. The inexplicable absence of any wreckage, one year on, allows relatives to hold on to the nearimpossible hope that some of the 239 passengers and crew may have survived.

Another relative described the report as "useless".

"We don't accept the announcement from Malaysia on January 19 that said the event was an accident," said the woman in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, who did not give her name.

Tan Tuan Kee, the father of missing passenger Tan Chong Ling, told the BBC he believed his son was still alive.

"I'm concerned that our government will stop searching for the aircraft," he added.

Rocket attack hits Kidal UN base in northern Mali

A

ROCKET attack on a United Nations base in northern Mali has killed three people and wounded at least 12 others.

A peacekeeper died when about 30 rockets struck the base in the desert town of Kidal, said the UN mission.

Some rockets missed their target, killing two civilians. It is not clear who carried out the attack. Islamist militants are active in the area.

Meanwhile an al-Qaeda-linked group said it carried out an attack in the capital which killed five people on Saturday.

Al-Murabitoun, an Islamist group led by Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, said the attack on a bar in Bamako was a "revenge operation" against the "infidel West".

A gunman opened fire at La Terrasse bar, killing a French national, a Belgian security official working for the EU and three Malians.

The United Nations mission, Minusma, took over security duties from France in 2013. It regularly comes under attack from militants.

Yesterday, Minusma said the rocket attack on its base in Kidal occurred at about 06:00 GMT. Peacekeepers returned fire.

At least one shell fell on a nearby camp for Tuareg and Arab nomads, killing two people and injuring several children, a witness said.

Lawyer for father of 'Jihadi John' quits the case

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HE Kuwaiti lawyer representing the father of alleged Islamic State group executioner "Jihadi John" said Sunday after filing lawsuits for his client that he has now withdrawn from the case.

"I have decided to withdraw from the case for personal reasons," Salem al-Hashash told a news conference lasting just a few minutes.

He provided no further details and refused to answer questions.

Jassem Emwazi, the father of Mohammed Emwazi who is thought to be the knife-wielding IS executioner, hired Hashash last week to file cases against those allegedly spreading false rumours about his son and the family.

Reading from a written state-

ment, Hashash said that he filed several lawsuits on Sunday against unspecified parties for slander against his client.

In the statement, the lawyer said Jassem Emwazi is a "British national who has no relation with Kuwait" except that he visits the Gulf state to see his mother.

Hashash reiterated that "so far, Western security agencies have not provided any evidence to prove that Mohammed Emwazi is Jihadi John", who is accused of killing several Western hostages.

He said that the stories and rumours published about him are "untrue and baseless".

Hashash did not say what will happen to the lawsuits he has filed now that he has withdrawn from the case.

Brothers stopped at Sydney airport 'attempting to join IS' •Activists of the global civic movement Avaaz handed over 1.1m signatures to a petition to Sigmar Gabriel as he left Berlin for Riyadh...at the weekend.

Saudi Arabia rejects flogging critics

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AUDI Arabia has expressed "surprise and dismay" at international media reports criticising the flogging of a Saudi blogger for insulting Islam.

In its first official statement on the case the foreign ministry said it rejected any interference in its internal affairs.

Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail last year.

He received the first 50 lashes in January prompting strong criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

The foreign ministry said it

could not accept any impingement on the country's sovereignty, or on the impartiality of its judiciary system.

"The kingdom unequivocally rejects any aggression under the pretext of human rights," it added.

Mr Badawi's case has prompted international protests and was raised by several governments.

Germany's economic affairs minister and vice-chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, currently on a visit to Saudi Arabia, was urged by MPs and human rights organisations to take up

Mr Badawi's case while in Riyadh.

Before going into a meeting with King Salman, Mr Gabriel said "the harshness of this sentence, especially the corporal punishment, is something unimaginable for us and of course it weighs on our relations".

Mr Badawi's 1,000 lashes were scheduled to be administered over 20 weeks.

He received his first 50 lashes outside a mosque in Jeddah in January, but subsequent rounds have been postponed.

Mr Badawi established the

Liberal Saudi Network, a nowclosed online forum that sought to encourage debate on religious and political matters in 2008.

In 2012, he was arrested and charged with "insulting Islam through electronic channels".

In 2013 he was cleared of apostasy, which could have carried a death sentence.

Saudi Arabia enforces a strict version of Islamic law and does not tolerate political dissent. It has some of the highest social media usage rates in the region, and has cracked down on domestic online criticism.

T

WO Australian brothers intercepted at Sydney airport are suspected of attempting to join Islamic State (IS).

The boys, aged 16 and 17, raised suspicions as they attempted to pass through customs, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said yesterday.

The boys were radicalised online and headed for an unidentified "conflict zone", Mr Dutton told reporters.

Australia estimates that 90 of its citizens are fighting with IS in Syria and Iraq.

Mr Dutton said charges would be filed against the boys, who have not been named because of their age.

"These two young men aged 16 and 17 are kids, not killers, and they shouldn't be allowed to go to a foreign land to fight then come back to our land eventually more radicalised," Mr Dutton said.

The boys were later released into the custody of their parents to await a court appearance, Australian media reported.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the boys had "succumbed to the lure" of IS. "These were two misguided young Australians, Australian born and bred, who went to school here, grew up here, imbibed our values, and yet it seems they had succumbed to the lure of the death cult and they were on the verge of doing something terrible and dangerous,'' he said.

Nemtsov killing: Russia court charges two men with murder

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MOSCOW court has charged two men in connection with the murder of Russian opposition activist Boris Nemtsov.

It said one of the men, Zaur Dadayev, had admitted involvement in the shooting on a bridge near the Kremlin on 27 February.

He and the other accused, Anzor Gubashev, are of Chechen origin.

Three other suspects were remanded in custody. A sixth man is reported to have killed himself in a standoff with police in the Chechen capital Grozny.

The suspect threw one grenade at the arresting officers

and blew himself up with another, a security source told Interfax news agency.

Mr Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and veteran liberal politician, who was 55, was shot in the back four times as he was walking with his girlfriend within sight of the Kremlin. He was buried in Moscow on Tuesday.

Anzor Gubashev and Mr Dadayev, who are both accused of organising and carrying out the murder, were brought into court amid heavy security.

At the scene: Sarah Rainsford, BBC News, Moscow For a week after Boris Nemtsov's murder there was no word at all on the investi-

gation - no mugshots, no televised appeals, no names. Now five suspects from Russia's volatile North Caucasus have suddenly been presented to a Moscow court, bundled in by heavily armed, masked members of Russian special forces.

Four maintained their innocence and kept their faces covered with paper, under hoods, or with their hands. But investigators say one man, Zaur Dadayev, has admitted involvement. At one point he stopped pacing inside the metal courtroom cage to turn to the TV cameras and declare his love for the Prophet Muhammad.

It could be a red herring, or it could be a clue to the direction

this inquiry now takes. Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov has since claimed that Mr Dadayev was "shocked" by caricatures of the Prophet published by French magazine Charlie Hebdo and by those who supported the cartoonists - including Boris Nemtsov.

But tonight one of the politician's closest allies dismissed Islamic extremism as a motive for his murder. Ilya Yashin told the BBC that Boris Nemtsov had made few comments on the cartoons. He was far better known for his sharp criticism of the Kremlin.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said Mr Dedayev was a devout Muslim who was

shocked by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Russian investigators have previously said they were looking into the possibility that Mr Nemtsov was killed over his defence of the publication.

In a statement on his Instagram account, Mr Kadyrov also confirmed Mr Dadayev had been a member of the Chechen police who was decorated for his bravery.

The other suspects include Mr Gubashev's younger brother Shagid Gubashev and two men named as Ramzan Bakhayev and Tamerlan Eskerkhanov. Reports say all three have

denied any involvement in the murder.

Four of the men come from the northern Caucasus region and were detained in the republic of Ingushetia which borders Chechnya, Russian media say.

The Russian Investigations Committee is treating the case as a "contract killing", Interfax news agency reported.

According to the sections of the criminal code cited in court, investigators believe the murder was carried out by a group of people, that it was committed on contract for financial gains, and that it also involved extortion and banditry, Interfax says.

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

SPORT EXTRA GLOBACOM PREMIER LEAGUE 08111813079...GLOBACOM PREMIER LEAGUE 08111813079...GLOBACOM PREMIER LEAGUE

NPFL debuts delights Gata Kwara United forward, Adeshina Issa Gata, was delighted to make his NPFL debut in the 0-0 draw against Dolphins on Saturday at the Liberation Stadium.

The silky and skillful starlet tormented the defence line of the Pride of Rivers throughout the entire match duration and he was grateful to Almighty Allah for the chance given to him to showcase himself at the top level.

Gata has revealed his delight at making his first Premier League appearance but admits it would have been better had Kwara United managed to pick the three maximum points at stake.

Shortly after the match, he told SL10 reporter Ademetan Abayomi: "It is always nice to make your debut, but with it coming against a team like Dolphins that was

great. ''The team played a good game, but I thought we should have won. In all I give thanks to Almighty Allah for the one point we picked on the road.''

Meanwhile, central defender Isiaka Oladuntoye, another player who impressed at the Liberation Stadium was pleased that Kwara United managed to pick up a point on their return to the NPFL. "Our coaches told us to be calm and play our normal game. This draw will help us," he remarked.

"We still have to face Elkanemi Warriors in the match day two in Ilorin and we want to prove our critics wrong with good displays on the pitch."

The no nonsense defender then went on to praise the young Gata, who was one of the best players of the match.

"I am very happy for Gata.

The rest of the team are, too.

It's important to all of us that he plays at a high level. You can tell he feels good on the pitch and that helps us perform even better."

Ajani Ibrahim: I left Sunshine over pay dispute, not indiscipline From Tunde Liadi,Owerri

S

UNSHINE Stars' Ajani Ibrahim says he decided to call it quits with the Akure Gunners after the club couldn't match his personal terms.

He thus warned the management of the club to

Danladi excited to face former team,Sharks S

UNSHINE Stars of Akure captain, Isah Danladi has expressed joy to face his former club, Sharks FC. The NPFL started on Saturday with a double header in Port Hacourt, Sharks FC who played in the second match of the day at the Libration Stadium played against a familiar face, someone who helped the Blue Angels for two seasons maintain NPFL status. Isah Danladi left Sharks after two seasons to Sunshine Stars of Akure and it's amazing that his first

match was against his former team.

"Well I feel great coming to Port Hacourt to play against my former team,"Danladi told SL10.ng after the match.

The astonished captain of Sunshine Stars, Danladi said he never knew he would be saddled with such a responsibility in a new club.

"Well I was so surprised when I arrived at the camp in Ogun State when my technical adviser told me that I'll be the assistant captain of the team. At first I was shocked; a new player coming into the team and being given a captain band? That's huge responsibility," said Danladi The big goalkeeper, Danladi took out time to share a word with his Kano Pillars colleagues who ran into some armed robbers near Lokoja on their way to honour a league match in Owerri.

"That incident is a big blow on the Nigerian League but first, I really have sympathy with the club, and also to my colleagues that were shot. May the almighty God heal them," Danladi concluded in a low tone.

stop spreading falsehood about them in the media since he has never done anything to warrant that.

Ibrahim told SportingLife in a chat that he had a discussion with the chairman of the club, Akin Akinbobola last Wednesday but that both couldn't agree with offer on the table.

He said and that the club was adamant at paying him

A

Delegation of the Management and Players of the Solid Miners Club Nasarawa United FC of Lafia at the weekend paid a sympathy visit to the injured players of Kano pillars Football club in kano.

The Nigeria Champions were attacked by Armed bandits along Abaji- Lokoja high way on their way to Owerri to play Heartland fc in the Glo league opener which was later postponed as a result of the sad incident.

The Nasarawa United delegation led by the team manager of the North central club Mr Solomon Babanja alongside 35 players of the

club chairman, Akinbobola came to the team's base in Abeokuta last Wednesday, he couldn't do anything about it and only promised that something would be done later.

"I was not suspended

by Sunshine Stars management. I left the club because they were not willing to pay me the salary I told them I wanted and which had been earlier agreed with me.

"I have been with the club for six years now and no one has written anything about me for the wrong reasons in the media. I was surprised when I read in the newspapers and online what was credited to me that I have done.

"I don't think there is anything wrong in me demanding for my rights.

I told them I am not comfortable with they said they would be paying me and that they should increase it to a particular amount but they refused.

"When I got my January salary, I was surprised they still paid me what they had in mind that was contrary to my wish," Ibrahim told SportingLife.

He however gave the room for his return stating that he would be willing to forgo all that had been done to him if the club agree to pay him what he demanded.

Meanwhile,Wikki Tourists FC of Bauchi has sympathised with the Management , Technical crew and players of Kano Pillars over the recent. attack of the team by armed robbers along Abaji- Lokoja road on their way to Owerri to honour their first 2014/2015 away league match against Heartland FC. The media officer of Wikki, Usman Abbas Shehu,who spoke on behalf of club's Chairman Suleiman Chindo expressed deep concern over the tragedy and described it as unfortunate.

Abbas Shehu prayed to Almighty God to intervene

and give quick recovery to the affected players.

He called on club management, players and officials of all categories of the nations Football to engage in a very serious prayers and fasting to commit every journey in the hands of God to avoid further attacks by any armed robber and any other road misfortunes.

Wikki Tourists further seek God's protection and journey masses to all the clubs through out 2014/ 2015 NPFL and National leagues season.

Enyimba condemn Kano Pillars' attack • Wikki too E

From Tunde Liadi,Owerri

NYIMBA FC have called on federal government to beef up security on the highways so that the armed bandits will not continue to pose serious danger to motorists in the wake of the attack on Kano Pillars players and officials on Abaji-Lokoja road recently.

Five players of the Sai Masugida side were reportedly injured after armed robbers pounced on

Nasarawa Utd visit injured Pillars’ players • As Pillars Mgt thank Club Owners, others

salary that is far below his standards.

Ibrahim, a former U23 international, featured for Sharks last season during the first stanza but he returned to Sunshine Stars during the second stanza.

He said what motivated him into coming back was the words of assurances from the club's chairman, Akin Akinbobola that he would be paid his signing on fees for the second stanza of last season but that as at the time of granting this interview, nothing has been said about it by either the chairman or any of the management staff.

He alleged that Sunshine owed him over N5m of signing on fees debt for over three seasons adding that he never bothered about the debt because of his love for the club.

He further stated that some time ago, he was invited by some club officials to come for negotiation regarding the start of the new season and that at the end of the meeting they told him what he would be collecting.

Ibrahim said he immediately told them he won't be accepting it and that they should increase it if they do not want him to opt out.

He noted that though, the officials told him that they would explain everything to the chairman, nothing was said about it at all.

Ibrahim disclosed that when he was paid his January salary at the old amount he rejected, he knew it was time for him to take a walk from the club.

He also said that when the

team and other officials commiserated with kano pillars and wished the recuperating players quick recovery.

Meanwhile the Leadership of the Club Owners led by the Chairman Barr. Isaac Danladi alongside the chairman of Elkanemi Warriors Alh. Mala Zanna also visited the injured players and wished them quick recovery.

Barr. Danladi on behalf of the club owners expressed the concern of all the clubs towards the state and plight of the kano pillars players and the entire club.

The General manager of kano pillars Umar Mahmud thanked Club Owners and all football stakeholders for their prayers and concern for the injured players and the entire team.

them while some of their officials were also not spared in the attack which occurred on Thursday.

The People's Elephant in a condolence message to the Pillars' team, said that they received the sad news with heavy hearts and that they wish the injured quick recovery.

The Chairman of the Aba giants, Felix Anyansi Agwu told SportingLife that it was time the government improves the surveillance level on our highways especially spots noted as the hideouts of the notorious armed robbers so that they don't always danger to teams playing the road for their away games.

He said what happened to Pillars could have happened to anybody or any team and in that regard, government at state and federal level should strive to be more alive to their responsibilities so that highways won't turn to death trap to clubs in the country.

"It is with heavy heart that the Enyimba family receives the news of the unfortunate incident of armed robbery attack on Pillars. It was a gory tale while watching some of the scenes on television and newspapers.

"I want to wish the injured players and officials speedy recovery and I want to use this medium to task the federal government to be more alive to security challenges on the highways and should beef up security on notorious spots so that highways won't turn to death trap," Anyansi Agwu told SportingLife.

THE NATION

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THE NATION MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

SPORT EXTRA 2015 AFRICAN JUNIOR ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIP

Brume sets record • Nigeria emerges overall winner

By Stella Bamawo

C

OMMONWEALTH gold medallist, Ese Brume was the cynosure of all eyes at the just concluded 2015 Africa Junior Athletics held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as she broke the championship record after leaping 6.33m in the long jump event. Brume re-enacted previous record as she once held a personal best of 6.68 m (21 ft 103/4 in) in the championship. Brume remains the African Junior record holder in the event.

The 19-year old female athlete also won three gold medals in the triple jump event 4x100, while she settled for a bronze medal in 100m.

In the same vein, Divine Oduduru was also the most sensational athlete in the male category as he clinched three gold medals in 100m, 200m and 4x100m. Oduduru seems to be on the verge of breaking a jinx among Nigerian male athletes who have been relegated to the background in the senior category.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has been declared overall winners of the 12 edition of the championship after winning 12 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze medals.

They were closely followed by their arch rivals, South Africa who secured 9 gold, 7 silver and 7 bronze medals. The host country, Ethiopia took advantage of support of their home-based fans to clinch the third position. The East African country got 6 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals.

• Brume

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RESULTS England - FA Cup Liverpool 0 - 0 Blackburn England - Conference Welling 0 - 1 Altrincham Italy - Serie A Cesena 0 - 0 Palermo Chievo 0 - 0Roma Empoli 1 - 1 Genoa Parma 0 - 0 Atalanta Udinese 3 - 2 Torino Spain - Liga BBVA Barcelona 6 - 1 Rayo R.Sociedad 1 - 0 Espanyol Villarreal 4 - 1 Celta Vigo

T

HE build –up for this month’s international friendly between Nigeria and South Africa has continued to pan out nicely after NFF’s 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi assured that the Super Eagles will not treat the game with velvet gloves.

Akinwunmi, who was at the world press conference that announced the friendly in Johannesburg on Friday, stated clearly that Nigeria now wants to win every match.

“It is a friendly match, but Nigeria wants to win all games, whether friendly or competitive. The Bafana Bafana played a big role in the Eagles non-qualification to go to Equatorial Guinea to defend their African title, at the last Africa Cup of Nations, and I don’t think the Super Eagles have forgotten that.

“Anytime any of our teams team out wearing the national colours, they have to fight hard for every ball. That is the policy of the new NFF administration.”

Nigeria and South Africa clash at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit on Sun-

• Akinwunmi day, March 29 in what is seen as a big battle, with South African football suddenly gaining in confidence when playing Nigeria.

Nigeria held a noose over South Africa for decades, but recently, the Super Eagles failed to defeat South Africa in a Cup of Nations qualifying fixture (0-0 in Cape Town and 2-2 in Uyo), meaning failure to reach the finals, and South Africa’s U-17 boys, Amajimbos, pipped the Golden Eaglets to a place in the final at the African U17 Championship in Niger Republic last month.

Blackburn earns FA Cup quarterfinal replay with Liverpool

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National Assembly approves N6.6b for sports HE National Assembly on Friday allocated the sum of N6, 664, 642, 867 to sports in the country despite the sum of N10 billion jointly proposed by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to be able to cater well for the various programmes sports are facing this year.

The overall estimated Budget for sports in the country earlier submitted by the NSC, NFF and NIS was in the region of N10 billion but just 6 billion naira was allocated by the National Assembly with the breakdown as follows: The National Sports Commission got the largest share of N4, 942, 634, the Nigeria Football Federation got N1, 242, 523, 749 despite the fact that the NFF were expecting triple of that amount to be able to run its numerous national teams’ competitions including the Canada 2015 Women’s World Cup slated for June this year.

The NFF President Amaju

‘Eagles won’t be in Nelspruit for picnic’

• NSC gets N4, 942, 634b, NFF N1.2b, NIS 479m From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja Pinnick while reacting on the Budget allocation stated that his Federation has loaded assignment this year.

“2015 is fully packed with so many tournaments and qualifiers. Our Super Eagles will be taking part in both the Nations Cup and the World Cup qualifications just as the other national teams are expected to take part in other qualifying matches and competitions”, Pinnick lamented.

The Sports Minister Dr. Tammy Danagogo while defending his Federation’s reasons for seeking more funds which was earlier re-echoed

by the Director General of the National Sports Commission Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye in his address to the Assembly said that many Nigerian athletes were scheduled to begin preparations for next year’s Olympic Games as well as other local sporting activities lined up by over 40 sports federations under the NSC. There are many sporting activities as well as preparation for 2016 Olympic Games. A lot of successes were recorded in 2014 and we want to build on our previous achievements.

“When we talk about preparing athletes for sporting events, many things are involved. Equipment and prepa-

ration are two cardinal necessities. Take away any of them, it would be like not participating at all in any competition.

The NFF, NSC and NIS (Nigeria Institute of Sports) are expected back at the National Assembly on Monday after the Senate Committee and the House Committee on Sports have asked the three sports bodies to re-appear before them on Monday after the adjustments of their 2015 proposal to align with the total sports allocation already captured in the Budget allocation which was submitted earlier to the National Assembly this year.

EVEN-TIME FA Cup winners Liverpool have been held to a goalless draw by Championship side Blackburn Rovers in last night’s quarter-final at Anfield.

It was a confident, fastpaced start from in-form Liverpool team, but their early momentum was halted when centre-back Martin Skrtel was knocked out after an aerial challenge with Rudy Gestede.

It took seven minutes for Skrtel to be stretchered off the pitch.

Blackburn gained the initiative from the restart and it was strong-in-the-air Gestede who went close to the opener with a back-post header that drifted wide.

However, referee Andre Marriner waved away multiple handball appeals even though the ball clearly struck both Gestede and Raheem Sterling on the arm in either box.

The clearest sight of goal in the opening period fell to Blackburn when a neat passing move ended at the feet of Craig Conway, who sliced his first-time shot high

and wide.

Kolo Toure, the man to replace Skrtel in the opening 10 minutes, had the ball in the net at the other end, but it was ruled out for offside, while Daniel Sturridge tested Simon Eastwood in first-half injury time with a rasping drive.

Blackburn forced Simon Mignolet into his first meaningful save of the match minutes into the second half when Alex Baptiste powerfully met a corner and saw his header fingertipped away by the Belgian.

From then on, Liverpool saw plenty of the ball in Blackburn's half but they didn't do too much to worry Gary Bowyer's side.

The closest they came was just before the hour mark when Toure was only able to head against the back post from Coutinho's free kick.

With Steven Gerrard absent from the matchday squad, stand-in captain Jordan Henderson almost netted the winner in the final 10 minutes, but his low drive was kept out by the feet of Eastwood.

Bordeaux, Panthinaikos, Anderlecht chase Awoniyi

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L10.NG can confirm that scouts representing a number of top clubs in Europe will be in the stands on Sunday when the Nigeria Under 20 National Team take on their Senegalese counterparts at the African Youth Championship.

Bordeaux, Panthinaikos, RSC Anderlecht, AEK Athens and Red Bull Salzburg have posted scouts to monitor at close quarters Flying Eagles strikers Taiwo Awoniyi and Saleh Usman.

Other players in the squad that are on their radar include midfielders Akinjide Idowu,

Obinna Nwobodo and Abdullahi Alfa, while de-

• Abdullahi

fenders Mustapha Abdullahi and Bello Zaharadeen will also be scouted.

Despite signing a preliminary contract with Kalmar shortly after the 2013 Fifa Under 17s, the primary focus of the emissaries is on Taiwo Awoniyi, who is believed to be attracting attention from an unnamed Italian club as well.

Also, a top Norwegian agent, who has the ears of Molde, Sarpsborg 08 and Lillestrom, will run the rule over the Flying Eagles stars today in the game against Senegal.

• Blackburn defended stubbornly to stop Philippe Coutinho (centre) from having an impact for Liverpool

TODAY IN THE NATION

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL 10 NO 3148

‘What are our Forbes billionaires doing? Or perhaps more significantly, what are they thinking of doing? It cannot be enough to luxuriate in luxury, without a thought for the wretched of the country...’

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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HE President seems to have turned the Southwest into a sort of theatre.

Playwrights of comedy cannot outplay him. Soyinka, Clark, Osofisan, Rotimi would bow to the creative sparkle of Goodluck Jonathan. For piety, we saw his role as evangelist. In one church, he prayed.

In another he gave an “almost” sermon.

Never mind he lied that he was invited. In one of the churches, the head said he invited himself.

For vanity, he danced shoki with scantily clad girls, showing himself a hip leader in good standing with social gravity. He has a special talent for latest dance moves, like the azonto wiggle that made his legs too heavy to chase after the militants who ferreted away the Chibok girls.

For officialdom, he commissioned a power project and asked a PDP candidate, Jimi Agbaje, to cut the tape. So serious was the affair that it fell short of its mission: to boost power wattage. For politics sake, he shunned decency and chose a candidate instead of the governor to do it. After all, the seriousness was matched by Agbaje’s recent comment asking Nigerians to identify who was more handsome between Buhari and his master Jonathan. That is the quality of his bold quest for Lagos? Farce as governance.

President Jonathan’s drama moved to the level of burlesque, which refers to a self-inflicted illusion of making yourself bigger than you are. So he moved around the traditional rulers. He begged and blessed them simultaneously. He begged for support and blessed them with dollars. In any emphatic way, he has not denied, neither have the obas.

The accusation came from none other than the governor of example, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. A president bribing obas with dollars when the Naira is cascading ignominiously to about 230 to a dollar!

The President has not read much of Yoruba history, and if he had, he should have realised that Yoruba monarchs are only a tad more influential than the Igbo warrant rulers of today. By the way, the Igbo political elite and the so-called kings are like the warrant chiefs of the colonial era. Their powers over the people are minimal.

The Yoruba wars of the 19th century clipped the imperial grandeur of the Yoruba kings and princes. From having only monarchy they developed virtually every system in the modern era. The Ekiti had a confederacy, the Egba, a federalism, the Ibadan a republicanism and the Ijaye a military autocracy. All of that doused the power of the king before the British set in.

He made the matter worse last weekend when he humbled himself for prayers with some obas. Was he, the evangelist of a lifetime ago, saying a Christian amen to those prayers, most of which must have drooled with incantation? Or did they dilute it with English? What happened to all his bowing

RIPPLES

OKADA RIDER RAPES PREGNANT NYSC MEMBER–News

•••and as usual, he’ll blame it on the DEVEIL

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchnation@gmail.com 08054501081(sms only) Twitter: @samomatseye

•Winner, Informed Commentary (DAME)

The renegades

•Jonathan and Yoruba monarchs

before the pastors and mounting the pulpit as the anointed one?

But that was not all the drama. He played the divider, too. He was quoted as saying that the non-Yoruba in Lagos were not receiving PVCs, implying discrimination. That tells you what? That Jonathan’s heart is not with the Yoruba. He is trying to give back to the Yoruba what some politicians of the Western Region did to their foes in the wetie tumult.

They chanted, o rowo mi, o rokan mi, demo ni mowa (You see my hand, but you cannot see my heart. I am only pretending.) Jonathan is posing for votes. If he loved the Yoruba so much, why is he playing the non-indigenes against the Yoruba in their own region while splashing dollars and receiving their prayers?

But his real acolytes are the pariahs of the Yoruba nation. That is his drama by proxy.

His men are the buffoon governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, the whitlow of the West, the mimic Mimiko, and a raft of renegades like Agbaje, Olaniwun Ajayi, Olu Falae, Ebenezer Babatope, Adesiyan, et al. The new agenda: that they want Jonathan back in the saddle in order to implement the points of the national conference. What self-delusion!

O

NCE upon a time in a publicly quoted company, let’s call it Njinji Plc, matters had come to a head. In other words, the company faced a certain extinction unless drastic measures were taken urgently. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) had been schedule; far-reaching decision must be taken, indeed, it was poised to be the most explosive meeting in the annals of the company.

Actually, at the root of the roiling in Njinji Plc is its chairman, call him Chief Gedegede kponukpo. He is a confounding enigma in the sense that he had been a corporate mogul for over 25 years yet he seems not to know the difference between a balance sheet and profit and loss accounts. In fact, everything for him is income or profit or both. Since he was appointed chairman of Njinji the company’s fortunes went on the decline.

But the irony of it is that Chief kponukpo had no clue the firm was in dire straits. As far as he was concerned, so long as the cash register rang, the company made money. Njinji was the largest producer of edible oils in the land. How then could the MD and his management team convince Chairman that the company ailed? “Have vegetables and nuts

As Femi Falana has aptly explained, the national conference did not give the Yoruba what they craved. How could it when some Yoruba conferees were either naïve or tendentious enough – or both - to believe that the confab would amount to much. The Yoruba wanted regional autonomy, parliamentary system, state police, special status for Lagos, et al. the confab gave none of these. The conference ended before the political campaigns started. The President promised he would implement the recommendations through the National Assembly. He lied.

Once the affair was over, he set up a committee – like his many other impotent ones that has receded into silence with no evidence of work. Now that he needs the Yoruba vote, he has rallied the traitors of the region to concoct a tissue of lies about Jonathan’s newfound love for the Yoruba. Granted he has the powers to implement the confab report, that report does not contain what the Southwest has hankered after for decades. So what was their post-confab summit about then? About a nonexistent desire! They want to con their fellow tribesmen with a poison carrot.

If he loved the Yoruba why is he waiting six years after he mounted the saddle to show it? Why is he playing the ethnic card against them in their own backyard? Now he just nominated for minister Obanikoro who was implicated in rigging and blackmail scandal.

Jonathan should read the Yoruba history. If he does, he would realise some facts. One, the Yoruba at heart are the only ideological race in Nigeria. Two, they always did not see themselves as a people, except in language and some shared sensibility. The Ekiti was Ekiti and the Ijebu was Ijebu. Everyone was under individual ethnic tent. Hence they had

FEMI MACAULAY

the paradox of an empire where one group, the Oyo, lorded it over others. That order collapsed with the Yoruba wars, with fissures that gave birth to a new set of elites, and systems and even cities. At the cessation of hostilities, a war-weary people became Yoruba, but they searched for a common political identity. Meanwhile they excelled at the level of culture, especially education, on the African continent. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the greatest Yoruba man since Oduduwa, emerged after the reign of Herbert Macaulay. With him was born the ideological Yoruba, away from loyalties to ethnic ramparts.

Awo formed the Egbe Omo Oduduwa that foreshadowed the Action Group (AG). That was the birth of modern Yoruba political identity. According to historian Sklar and other chroniclers of the time, the majority of AG members adopted Awolowo’s idea of Fabian socialism. There were a few dissenters and stragglers, but they either cohabited with the NCNC or became opportunists within the party. The dangerous ones were not the Adelabus who pitched their tents elsewhere, but men like Akintola. They acted as though they loved, and grew like stalwarts until they unveiled their true hides.

But Awo’s prestige and stature grew over the years, and he became the reference point of progress not only in the West but all over the country. In our history, no Nigerian equals that Ikenne son in accomplishment, even in nobility. Everyone wants to be like Awo. So they want to associate with the platforms he might have endorsed. The Afenifere group today with shysters is one of them. We have other groups like the SDP, the Accord Party and even the UPN. They act like Awo insiders. Oscar Wilde said the coward shows betrayal with kisses, only the brave with the sword. These men are kissing Awo with slobber full of poison. Awo stood for free enterprise, integrated rural development, a sturdy education system that is free and infrastructure development. These men that hang around Jonathan cannot show proof that Jonathan espouses these ideals in the Southwest after six years. As Premier of the West, it did not take six years before Awo established his genius in the region, a thing that made a British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, to say if Awo were a British Prime Minister, he would have been one of the best.

The best of the Yoruba breed inhabited his soul: the warrior’s heart of Kurunmi, the republican vision of Oluyole, the cooperative elan of Ogedengbe. The raft of renegades of today’s Southwest only has Judas’ mousy eyes. They are mercantilist opportunists and desperate carpetbaggers who want to play Esau with the pride and patrimony of their people. They are Jonathan’s people. They are the Jonahs on the Yoruba ship of state. So they should be thrown overboard on Election Day.

•Hardball is not the opinion of HARDBALL the columnist featured above Our chairman has done it again – a fable finished in the land or have the people stopped making soup? Perhaps you people are tired of producing oil?” he would ask sarcastically each time he was shown the red figures.

“It is when I request for money that you people will tell me that the company is dying but when you people pay yourselves fat bonuses and allowances there is always money,” he was wont to say in his pedestrian elocution. And did he raid the firm for funds?

No week passed without one request or the other; always drawing beyond his statutory limits and putting the MD and his team on edge. He knew no control or restraint. The company’s position was made the more hopeless because he was a nominee of the major shareholders who knew not much more than him. In fact, he was their eyes and ears.

But the die was cast: he was either chucked out or Njinji died. This was the decision before the AGM in one week. Chief Kponukpo saw the danger signals, he may be on his way out as management has prepared a damning

report to convince the shareholders. He moved swiftly, filibuster the Board and got them to postpone the AGM insisting the company wasn’t ready.

Chief Kponukpo got his wish. He got a sixmonth postponement. Presently he set to work to get the MD discredited and sacked before the AGM. He tried every trick he knew but none cut ice because the MD was a man of integrity and untainted character. All accusations against him fell flat. Then one day, Chief Gedegede Kponukpo, Chairman of Njinji Plc did the incredible and outright irrational: he took full-page colour advert in all the national newspapers to discredit his MD, someone he headed the board that employed him.

When the MD, his management and staff saw the barrage of adverts signed by the chairman with his picture to boot they were shocked beyond words.

Ha, our Chairman has done it again! Some of them exclaimed.

Moral of the fable: a desperate man is a crazy man

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Editor Daily:08099365644, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790 WEBSITE: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net ISSN: 115-5302 Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO