THE NATION MARCH 14, 2013

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VOL. 8, NO. 2427 THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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POPE FRANCIS I

•Pope Francis I gives the benediction to the crowd on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica’s after being elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church...yesterday

Pope Francis: pray for me

PHOTO: AFP

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And now let us begin this journey, the Bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in •PAGES love, of mutual trust. Let us al2,3,4&5 ways pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood

Argentine Jesuit Jorge Bergoglio is 266th pontiff

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•OCEAN SURGE: LAGOS NEEDS N27B P5 •GUNMEN KILL WARDERS IN WARRI P61

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NEWS POPE FRANCIS I

After five ballots, The new Pope, who has chosen Francis as his papacy name, is Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentine who was born December 17, 1936.

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HE new Pope was born in Buenos Aires, one of the five children of an Italian railway worker and his wife. After studying at the seminary in Villa Devoto, he entered the Society of Jesus on March 11, 1958. Bergoglio obtained a licentiate in philosophy from the Colegio Máximo San José in San Miguel, and then taught literature and psychology at the Colegio de la Inmaculada in Santa Fe, and the Colegio del Salvador in Buenos Aires. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 13, 1969, by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano. He attended the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel, a seminary in San Miguel. Bergoglio attained the position of novice master there and became professor of theology.

Impressed with his leadership skills, the Society of Jesus promoted Bergoglio and he served as provincial for Argentina from 1973 to 1979. He was transferred in 1980 to become the rector of the seminray in San Miguel where had had studied. He served in that capacity until 1986. He completed his doctoral dissertation in Germany and returned to his homeland to serve as confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba.

Bergoglio succeeded Cardinal Quarracino on February 28, 1998.

He was concurrently named ordinary for Eastern Catholics in Argentina, who lacked their own prelate. Pope John Paul II summoned the newly named archbishop to the consistory of February 21, 2001 in Vatican City and elevated Bergoglio with the papal honors of a cardinal. He was named to the Cardinal-Priest of Saint Robert Bellarmino.

As cardinal, Bergoglio was appointed to several administrative positions in the Roman Curia. He served on the Congregation of Clergy, Congregation of Divine Worship and Sacraments, Congregation of Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Congregation of Societies of Apostolic Life. Bergoglio became a member of the Commission on Latin American and the Family Council.

As Cardinal, Bergoglio became known for personal humility, doctrinal conservatism and a commitment to social justice. A simple lifestyle has contributed to his reputation for humility. He lives in a small apartment, rather than in the palatial bishop’s residence. He gave up his chauffeured limousine in favor of public transportation, and he reportedly cooks his own meals.

Upon the death of Pope John Paul II, Bergoglio, considered papabile himself, participated in the 2005 papal conclave as a cardinal elector, the conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. A widespread theory says that he was in a tight fight with Ratzinger until he himself adviced crying not to be voted. Earlier, he had participated in the funeral of Pope John Paul II

13 key facts about the new pontiff • He likes to travel by bus.

• He has lived for more than 50 years with one functioning lung.

He had the other removed as a young man because of infection.

• He is the son of an Italian railway worker.

•He trained as a chemist.

•He is the first non-European pope in the modern era.

• He claims that adoption by homosexuals is a form of discrimination against children but believes that condoms “can be permissible” to prevent infection.

• In 2001 he washed and kissed the feet of Aids patients in a hospice.

• He speaks fluent Italian, as well as Spanish and German.

• Until now he has been living in a small flat, eschewing a formal bishop’s residence.

• He told Argentinians not to travel to Rome to celebrate if he was appointed but to give their money to the poor instead.

• He is believed to have been the runner-up in the last papal conclave in 2005.

• He has co-written a book, in Spanish, called Sobre el Cielo y la Tierra (On Heaven and Earth). You can buy it on Kindle.

• Though conservative on church doctrine, he has criticised priests who refuse to baptise babies born to single mothers. and acted as a regent alongside the College of Cardinals, governing the Holy See and the Roman Catholic Church during the interregnum sede vacante period. Cardinal Bergoglio remains eligible to participate in conclaves that begin before his 80th birthday on December 17, 2016.

During the 2005 Synod of Bishops, he was elected a member of the Post-Synodal council. Catholic journalist John L. Allen, Jr. reported that Bergoglio was a frontrunner in the 2005 Conclave. An unauthorized diary of uncertain authenticity released in September 2005 confirmed that Bergogolio was the runner-up and main challenger of Cardinal Ratzinger at that conclave.

The purported diary of the anonymous cardinal claimed Bergoglio received 40 votes in the third ballot, but fell back to 26 at the fourth and decisive ballot.

On November 8, 2005, Bergoglio was elected President of the Argentine Episcopal Conference for a three-year term (2005–2008) by a large majority of the Argentine bishops, which according to reports confirms his local leadership and the international prestige earned by his alleged performance in the conclave. He was reelected on November 11, 2008.

Liberation theology Bergoglio is an accomplished theologian who distanced himself from liberation theology early in his career. He is thought to be close to Comunione e Liberazione, a conservative lay movement.

•This massive crowd gathered to see the white smoke (right) billowing from a makeshift copper chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling that the 115 cardinals had chosen a new pope… yesterday.

PHOTOS: AFP

‘Let’s pray for the world’ •Below is the full text of the new pope’s speech: You all know that the duty of the Conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother Cardinals have come almost to the ends of the earth to get him… but here we are. I thank you for the welcome that has come from the diocesan community of Rome.

First of all I would say a prayer for our Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI. Let us all pray together for him, that the Lord bless him and Our Lady protect him.

Our Father… Hail Mary…

Glory to the Father…

And now let us begin this journey,

Homosexuality /Abortion and euthanasia He has affirmed church teaching on homosexuality, though he teaches the importance of respecting individuals who are gay. He strongly opposed legislation introduced in 2010 by the Argentine Government to allow same-sex marriage. In a letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires, he wrote: “Let’s not be naive, we’re not talking about a simple political battle;

the Bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood.

My hope is that this journey of the Church that we begin today, together with help of my Cardinal Vicar, be fruitful for the Evangelization of this beautiful city.

And now I would like to give the blessing, but first I want to ask you a favour. Before the bishop blesses the people I ask that you would pray to

the Lord to bless me – the prayer of the people for their Bishop. Let us say this prayer – your prayer for me – in silence.

I will now give my blessing to you and to the whole world, to all men and women of good will.

Brothers and sisters, I am leaving you. Thank you for your welcome.

Pray for me and I will be with you again soon.

We will see one another soon.

Tomorrow I want to go to pray the Madonna, that she may protect Rome.

Good night and sleep well

it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.” He has also insisted that adoption by gays and lesbians is a form of discrimination against children. This position received a rebuke from Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who said the church’s tone was reminiscent of “medieval times and the Inquisition”.

Cardinal Bergoglio has invited his clergy and laity to oppose both abortion and euthanasia.

Church and AIDS His doctrinal orthodoxy emphasizes Christ’s mandate to love: he is well remembered for his 2001 visit to a hospice, in which he washed and kissed the feet of twelve AIDS patients.

Social justice He consistently preaches a message of compassion towards the poor, but

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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NEWS POPE FRANCIS I

Pope Francis emerges

Task before Pope Francis

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Obama greets new Pope

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UNITED States President Barack Obama yesterday greeted the new Pope Francis.

Obama, in a statement last night, said: “On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I offer our warm wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis as he ascends to the Chair of Saint Peter and begins his papacy.

“As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years—that in each other we see the face of God. “As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day.

“Just as I appreciated our work with Pope Benedict XVI, I look forward to somewho? observers would like him to place a greater emphasis on issues of social justice. Rather than articulating positions on matters of political economy, Bergoglio prefers to emphasize spirituality and holiness, believing that this will naturally lead to greater concern for the suffering of the poor.

He has, however, voiced support for social programs, and publicly challenged free-market policies.

On April 15, 2005, a human rights lawyer filed a criminal complaint

•Obama

working with His Holiness to advance peace, security and dignity for our fellow human beings, regardless of their faith.

“We join with people around the world in offering our prayers for the Holy Father as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church in our modern world.” against Bergoglio, accusing him of conspiring with the junta in 1976 to kidnap two Jesuit priests, whom he, as superior of the Society of Jesus of Argentina in 1976, had asked to leave their pastoral work following conflict within the Society over how to respond to the new military dictatorship, with some priests advocating a violent overthrow.

Bergoglio’s spokesman has flatly denied the allegations. No evidence was presented linking the cardinal to this crime.

N the morning yesterday, black smoke billowed from a makeshift copper chimney atop the Sistine Chapel , signaling that the 115 cardinals of the Catholic Church eligible to vote for a new pope had again failed to muster majority support for a successor to Benedict XVI and that balloting would continue until they do.

By 7.30 pm yesterday, another round of balloting had produced the new pope.

The white smoke told the world’s one billion-plus Catholics that they have a new leader to take on the myriad challenges confronting their church. The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica pealed over the huge piazza of the same name to announce the election of Benedict’s successor.

But, it was not until about an hour later that the new pope emerged from the corridor of the conclave’s venue.

He is an Argentine, Jorge Bergoglio, who as chosen to be addresed as Francis, teh first time a Pope would be bearing the name.

Benedict resigned last month, citing failing powers and infirmity, the first pope to do so in six centuries.

A first vote ended inconclusively on Tuesday, and the inky black smoke yesterday morning indicated continuing divisions in two subsequent ballots on Wednesday among the cardinals over what kind of pope they want to confront the pressing, sometimes conflicting, demands for change after years of scandal.

“It’s more or less what we expected,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said of the first three ballots. In relatively recent times, he said only Pope Pius XII, whose papacy spanned World War II and lasted from 1939 to 1958, had been chosen on the third ballot.

The crowd soon thickened, with many people staring toward the chimney with its simple cover or looking at it on huge television screens. Some closed their eyes and clasped their hands around rosaries in prayer.

As the prelates weighed their options late Tuesday, news reports from California said the archdiocese, the Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, the former archbishop of Los Angeles himself and an ex-priest had reach a settlement of almost $10 million in four child sexual abuse cases, according to the victims’ lawyers.

The agreement offered eloquent testimony to the sexual, financial mismanagement and other crises facing the new pope.

Cardinal Mahony, who retired less than two years ago as the leader of the largest Roman Catholic archdiocese in the United States, was removed from all public duties by his successor, Archbishop José H. Gomez, last month as the church complied with a court order to release thousands of pages of internal documents that show how the cardinal shielded priests who sexually abused children.

His presence contrasted with the fate of Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who announced his resignation last month after being accused of “inappropriate acts” with priests and said he would not attend the conclave. The timing of his announcement — a day after news reports of alleged abuse appeared in Britain — suggested that the Vatican had encouraged the cardinal to stay away.

When asked about criticism of some cardinals by advocates for the victims of clerical sex abuse, Father Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the group SNAP — Survi-

vors Network of Those Abused by Priests — was taking advantage of the attention focused on the conclave to reap publicity.

Prelates including Cardinal Mahony “have given their answers, have given their explanations,” he said. “These cardinals are people we should esteem” and they have the “right to enter the conclave,” he said.

The new pope will take up a burden that Benedict declared in February was beyond his physical capabilities.

Apart from an extensive global child abuse scandal and the “Vatileaks” case, the Church has been shaken by rivalry from other churches, the advance of secularism, especially in its European heartland, and problems in the running of the Vatican bank.

The new pope inherits a church wrestling with an array of challenges that intensified during his predecessor, Benedict XVI - from a priest shortage and growing competition from evangelical churches in the Southern Hemisphere where most of the world's Catholics live, to a sexual abuse crisis that has undermined the church's moral authority in the West, to difficulties governing the Vatican itself.

The new pope will also inherit power struggles over the management of the Vatican bank, which must continue a process of meeting international transparency standards or risk being shut out of the mainstream international banking system. In one of his final acts as pope, Benedict appointed a German aristocrat, Ernst von Freyberg, as the bank's new president.

He will have to help make the Vatican bureaucracy - often seen as a hornet's nest of infighting Italians - work more efficiently for the good of the church. After years in which Benedict and John Paul helped consolidate more power at the top, many liberal Catholics also hope that the next pope will also give local bishops' conferences more decision-making power to help respond to the needs of the faithful.

The reform of the Roman Curia, which runs the Vatican, "is not conceptually hard, it's hard on a political front but it will take five minutes for someone who has the strength.

You get rid of the spoil system and that's it," said Alberto Melloni, the author of numerous books on the Vatican and the Second Vatican Council. The hard things are "if you want a permanent consultation of bishops' conferences," he added.

For Mr. Melloni, foreign policy and the church's vision of Asia would be crucial to the next pope. "If Roman Catholicism was capable of learning Greek while it was speaking Aramaic, of learning Celtic while it was speaking Latin, now it either has to learn Chinese or 'ciao,'" he said, using the Italian world for "goodbye."

Ahead of the election of a new pope, cardinals said they were looking for "a pope that understands the problems of the Church at present" and who is strong enough to tackle them, said Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the archbishop emeritus of Prague who participated in the general congregations but was not eligible to vote in a conclave. He said those problems included reforming the Roman Curia, handling the pedophilia crisis and cleaning up the Vatican bank.

"He needs to be capable of solving these issues," Cardinal Vlk said as he walked near the Vatican this week.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

NEWS

•ALL FOR THE CLIMA TE CHANGE SUMMIT CLIMATE SUMMIT:: Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (fourth left) and Commissioner for the Environment Mr. Tunji Bello (fifth left) at the 5th Climate Change Summit at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island...yesterday. With them (from right) are: Permanent Secretary (Drainage Service) Mr Muyideen Akinsanya; Permanent Secretary Mrs Adebola Afun; Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment Dr. Taofeek Folami; Deputy British High Commissioner Mr. Peter Cater and others.

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Pope Francis: pray for me

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RGENTINE Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope last night. He chose the papal name Francis, becoming first pontiff from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium.

A stunned-looking Bergoglio shyly waved to the crowd of tens of thousands of people who gathered in St. Peter’s Square, marvelling that the cardinals had had to look to “the end of the earth” to find a bishop of Rome.

He asked for prayers for himself, and for retired Pope Benedict XVI, whose stunning resignation paved the way for the tumultuous conclave that brought the first Jesuit to the papacy. The cardinal electors overcame deep divisions to select the 266th pontiff in a remarkably fast conclave.

Bergoglio had reportedly finished second in the 2005 conclave that produced Benedict — who last month became the first pope to resign in 600 years.

After announcing “Habemus Papum” — “We have a pope!”

— a cardinal standing on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica

revealed the identity of the new pontiff, using his Latin name.

The 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires has spent nearly his entire career at home in Argentina, overseeing churches and shoe-leather priests.

Francis, the name the new Pope has chosen, is that of an Italian Saint identified with peace, poverty and a simple lifestyle.

Tens of thousands of people who braved cold rain to watch the smokestack atop the Sistine Chapel jumped in joy when white smoke poured out a few minutes past 7 p.m., many shouting “Habemus Papam!” or “We have a pope!” — as the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica and churches across Rome pealed.

Chants of “Long live the pope!” arose from the throngs of faithful, many with tears in their eyes. Crowds went wild as the Vatican and Italian military bands marched through the square and up the steps of the basilica, followed by Swiss Guards in silver helmets and full regalia.

They played the introduction to the Vatican and Italian anthems and the crowd, which

PDP ignorant, says ACN

numbered at least 50,000, joined in, waving flags from countries around the world.

“I can’t explain how happy I am right down,” said Ben Canete, a 32-year-old Filipino, jumping up and down in excitement.

Elected on the fifth ballot, Francis was chosen in one of the fastest conclaves in years, remarkable given there was no clear front-runner going into the vote and that the church had been in turmoil following the upheaval unleashed by Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise resignation.

A winner must receive 77 votes, or two-thirds of the 115, to be named pope.

For comparison’s sake, Benedict was elected on the fourth ballot in 2005 — but he was the clear front-runner going into the vote. Pope John Paul II was elected on the eighth ballot in 1978 to become the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.

He was announced to the crowd waiting in St Peter’s Square from the vast balcony that runs across the front of St Peter’s basilica.

Earlier, white smoke had

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•Pope Francis I

flowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, signalling that one of the candidates for the pontificate had obtained the necessary two-thirds majority for election.

The fumata bianca– the white smoke signal that marks the successful conclusion of a papal conclave – arrived after five ballots on the second day of voting.

The smoke that poured out of the comignolo, the copper and steel chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, was greeted with cries of delight and apContinued on page 59

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of ignorance arising from its statement on the registration of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), also yesterday, accused the PDP of conspiring with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to destabilize the APC. In a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN said it is disturbing that the ruling party exhibited such ignorance or mischief, when the legal requirements for a merger are well spelt out in the Electoral Act. ‘’For the avoidance of doubt, the law does not make any provision for any group to reserve a name at INEC, and the legal requirements for a merger do not allow registration until all the stipulated conditions have been met. Applying for registration before the conditions have been met will be like putting the cart before the

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

horse, and would have been illegal and irregular. ‘’The only other way that the promoters of the APC could have registered the name before now is to short-circuit the system, like the PDP would have done. The ruling party’s modus operandi is lawlessness, underhand dealings and opaque transactions.

That is why the fortunes of Nigeria have deteriorated rapidly under their watch. ‘’But as law-abiding citizens, APC leaders are following the stipulated conditions to the letter, and will not allow themselves to be stampeded into committing an illegality. Not even the PDP’s shameless act of sponsoring a phony party to instigate an acronym war and give an increasingly partisan INEC a reason not to register the All Progressives’ Congress will stampede the APC promoters,’’ it said.

The ACN said in order to educate the ignorant and mischievous PDP, it had decided to quote the requirements: SecContinued on page 59

Proxy APC: ACN, ANPP, CPC take battle to Jega today

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EADERS of the three merging parties are expected to take their battle to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, today in Abuja.

Besides, INEC will investigate into the sponsors, offices and all claims of the “emergency” African Peoples Congress (APC).

A top official of the commission said it should not be taken for granted by the public that the proxy party had been registered.

As at press time, a search conducted on the roll of the Abuja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association showed that Barrister Nwokorie Samuel Chinedu, the man who wrote to INEC about the proxy APC, is not a member of the local chapter.

But anxious members of the opposition parties may approach the National Headquarters of the NBA to ascertain his records.

The national chairmen and secretaries of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change are expected to meet with Jega today.

But it was learnt that Jega,

Tinubu blasts INEC over APC

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HE plan to sabotage the All Progressives Congress (APC) is dead on arrival, the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said yesterday.

Tinubu criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for, according to him, making itself a tool in the hands of those who do not want the new party to be registered.

The former Lagos governor, who fingered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the plot, said there are fifth columnists in the electoral body conniving with the ruling party to sabotage the proposed party.

He said: “When we formulated the name of our new party, we agreed to stick to the rule of law and govern the affairs of the party democratically.

“But when the opposition saw the acceptance of APC by Nigerians, they went From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

who is away to South Africa , may be represented by the acting chairman, Dr. Abdulkadir Oniyangi.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The leaders of the three parties going into merger with other parties are going to meet with the INEC chairman and his team on the

By Wale Ajetunmobi

to the market square in Abuja to get a phoney name as African Peoples Congress. This is a fictitious name, which has never been heard anywhere before now. That baby is a stillborn and it will not survive.”

Advising the electoral body to drop the robe of “partiality”, Tinubu said if INEC must protect its integrity and show the world that it is not working in collaboration with the PDP to sabotage the efforts of opposition parties, the electoral umpire must drop its “biased” stance against the registration of the APC. Tinubu said: “The discovery of phantom African Peoples Congress in the INEC register is a ruse and an attempt to stifle our new party. All Progressives Congress members have been holding meetings before now and nobody has come out to say there is a party somewhere with the same acronym with our party.

“The only APC we have is All Progressives Congress. There is no way you can commit abortion after the baby is born. Without collabora-

so-called application for registration by the proxy APC. “These leaders will raise issues based on the evidence at their disposal and rub minds with INEC leadership.

“We will also seize the opportunity to tell INEC the truth.”

An INEC official confirmed the commission would look into all claims by the “proxy”

tion with the INEC officials, there is no way anybody could make bold to say one APC exists somewhere, apart from All Progressives Congress. Nobody can successfully say that without active connivance of the PDP. “Tell them that we are not worried because they will be put to shame. APC will be registered and it will be All Progressives Congress.”

Tinubu spoke at the inauguration of a new secretariat built by the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area in Ebute-Metta. The four-storey building is named after the former governor.

The gathering was excited when the ACN leader reacted to a comment credited to PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who described his party and leaders as Barcelona and Lionel Messi.

He said: “The national chairman of the PDP said they are Messi and Barcelona; let

APC. “Go and look at the law governing registration of parties, we are mandated to conduct due diligence before registration. Our team will go out to verify the minutest claim of the APC, which has submitted only a letter of intent so far.

“INEC does not act like a dummy and it is not conniving

•Jega

Continued on page 59

The identity of Chinedu, who submitted a letter of intent for the registration of the proxy APC, remained the subject of a big controversy yesterday.

A woman human rights lawyer, who conducted a search at

with any political party”, the official said, adding: “This new group has not been registered as a party at all. At the end of the day, there may be no basis for registering this APC that is causing political ripples in the country.

“We want to appeal to Nigerians to be patient with INEC. We will not compromise at all.”

ADVERT HOTLINES: 08023006969, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

Continued on page 59

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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NEWS

•Mrs Abator Davidson (from Sierra Leone) left; Prof Ogunlade Dawodu of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sierra Leone and Founder/Chairman, Resource Intergrated Development Foundation, Prof Adeniyi Osuntogun...yesterday.

•Mr. Okon N. Ekpenyong of Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) (left), Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ikeja branch, Mr Ade Agoye and Executive Secretary, Heda Resources Centre, Mr. Arigbabu Sulaimon...yesterday

Lagos requires N27b to tackle ocean surge, says Fashola

Senate passes Bill to summon President on state of nation address From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

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•Three-day Climate Change summit opens

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BOUT N27 billion will be needed to tame the challenge of perennial ocean surge along the coastal lines in Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola said yesterday.

The funds are required in the next three years, the governor told his audience at the opening of a three-day Climate Change Summit held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island. The summit is the fifth of such to be organised by the state through its environment ministry.

Fashola recalled the incidence surrounding the ocean surge at Kuramo Beach front last year, saying the surge came at a time there was no vote for it in the 2012 fiscal year.

He said: “In the implementation of last year’s budget, we did not conceive that the uncompleted part of the Eko Atlantic City would be overrun by the ocean. The Kuramo surge late last year came and took away walls of properties from the end of Ahmadu Bello Way right down to Alpha Beach.

“We didn’t budget for that. We didn’t see it coming, but what did we do? In the last quarter of the year, we called all the departments together that everybody must contribute some capital votes so that we can start an urgent protection of all of the properties on the road, right down to Alpha Beach.”

According to him, the combined effort of the government agencies has so far yielded

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By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

about N6 billion, which the state committed to the protection of the shoreline.

He said his administration has not received any form of assistance from other sources.

Fashola said: “But it gladdened my heart and I am sure I speak the minds of my colleagues when we went there last week and we saw that the shoreline that was already on the fence of those properties is now residing and giving residents a breather”.

The governor noted that the Eko Atlantic City project has also contributed immensely to the protection of properties on Victoria Island axis from being overtaken by the ocean.

“If that project had not been started, we would not have been here today. Many of the houses that were abandoned and real estate business have come back, jobs have returned to that coastline,” Fashola said.

He urged participants not to see the fifth Climate Change Summit as another talk shop, but to see it as a wake-up call on all to adapt to the threats of climate change, noting that natural disaster was fast killing more people than war.

He added that the focus has shifted from talking climate change to understanding the dangers and threats it poses.

Fashola noted that man’s quest for survival has distorted the course of nature and the

•Dr Celina Maduemezia (left); former Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Kemi Nelson and Mr David Okoli of the Nigeria Environmental Study/Action Team, Ibadan...yesterday PHOTOS OMOSEHIN MOSES

planet earth was gradually reaping the consequences.

His words: “We are in a constant battle and nature will continue to fight back, we need to slow down and change the way we do some things, that’s the heart of the adaptability and what this Summit addresses.

Once we agree to slow down on some things, nature will also pull back.”

Stressing that his administration has engineered policies on climate change mitigation and adaptation, he said over 1000 drainages across 24 council areas have been cleared to reduce flooding.

The governor also cautioned residents to desist from burying loved ones in their houses, saying that the decomposed bodies could come back to haunt residents in their quest to drill boreholes in search for portable water.

“When you dump diesel or engine oil on the ground carelessly, they go into the ground water. So, every time you drill a borehole in order to extract wa-

ter, you should be rest assured that you are taking in some chemicals into your body.”

In his welcome remarks, Environment Commissioner Mr Tunji Bello, said the previous summits have clearly shown the state’s commitment to the development and evolvement of a climate change-conscious society.

Bello said the measures were being taken to lay the necessary foundation to counter the prospective global threat.

He described as apt for the moment this year’s theme; “Vulnerability and Adaptability to Climate Change in Nigeria with particular focus on Transportation, Housing and Infrastructural Sectors of Lagos State.”

He said the objectives of the summit will seek to promote and sustain an infrastructural system that is environmentally friendly and geared towards reduction in carbon emission.

The British Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Peter Carter, praised the state’s efforts in mitigating impact of climate change.

Carter explained that climate

has impact on the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and could affect the viability of resources as well as security of Africa.

Appealing to the Federal Government to address all aspect of climate change, the envoy said Britain will work closely with government to ensure the implementation of adopted policies.

In his presentation, guest lecturer Prof Ogunlade Davison spoke of the need for sustainable development strategies that will help mitigate the impact of climate change.

Davison said climate change is a developmental issues more than environmental problem, stressing that everyone need to change from the way they are doing things in order to effectively address the challenges.

“Everyone has to reduce emission. We cannot continue with the way we are doing business anymore,” he said.

The lecturer said efforts should be made for Africans to convert the abundant natural resources to add value to human lives.

HE Senate yesterday passed the Bill on the “State of the Nation Address.” The Bill empowers the two chambers of the National Assembly to summon the President to brief it on the state of the nation.

The Bill, when assented to, would make it mandatory for the President to address the parliament or be compelled to do so through a summons, if he refuses to comply.

The Bill specifically provides that the President would address the nation on issues of security, economy and social justice on “the first legislative day of July every year.”

The Senate, while considering report presented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and InterGovernmental Affairs, Senator Dahiru Kuta, approved that without prejudice to the presentation of annual budgets by any sitting President, the President shall also present a State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of the National Assembly annually on the first legislative day of July each year.

According to the Bill, “The President shall address the joint sitting aforesaid on such issues including but not limited to national security, the economy foreign policy and social justice.

“The two houses of the National Assembly shall each debate the issues raised within 14 legislative days following the presentation of the state of the Nation Address.

Federal Govt eyes N25.7b in 30 years from FESTAC Phase II

ESSRS New FESTAC Property Development Company is leading four other firms to develop the second phase of FESTAC Town under a Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Also named as co-developers at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday are: PW Nigeria limited, LCC Nigeria Ltd, Enaco Nigeria Ltd and Funtaj, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple said.

Ms Pepple, who spoke in the company of her colleagues Labaran Maku (Information), Abba Moro (Interior), told reporters after the FEC meeting, said her ministry had earlier presented a memo to FEC, proposing the development of FESTAC Phase II on the remaining part of the land acquired for the housing scheme

•PW, LCC, three other firms to develop New City From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

in 1977.

According to her, the Federal Government will generate N25.7 billion. The developer will manage the facility for 30 years under a three-year moratorium period to enable the concessionaire begin and stabilise with the project. The government is also expected to earn a yearly income of N150 million as ground rent.

She said the government had in 1977 acquired 2,240 hectares to the develop a new city to host Africa and the Black Diaspora in the first-ever African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), pointing out that the present FESTAC was developed on a section of the expansive parcel of land.

The minister said: “We esti-

mate that when it is completely reclaimed and sand filled, because it is a swampy area that we will be able to create at least 7000 plots and then the new area FESTAC Phase II will be like a new city with houses, shopping malls, schools, police station, health centers among others.

“We also expect that a lot of money will accrue from it. It has been presented to Council before, but it was turned down because at the time Council believed that the amount that would have accrued to the government that was put at N10.6 billion, it was too small considering the size of the plot and the fact that it is Lagos. This was in 2006.”

But she explained that the new memo submitted to FEC has been reworked with a new cost and revenue which was

eventually approved.

The minister said: “We worked on it again and we looked at what it will cost the company to reclaim the land and the figure that we came up with was N25.7 billion. It is going to be concessioned over a 30 year period.

“And we also expect that in addition to the N25.7 billion that will accrue over the 30 year period, that we will also get in a year about N150 million in ground rent, but this is not a firm figure. This is just an estimate because it can go up and it can go down depending on the economic environment that we find ourselves.”

She also disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan has approved a plan for the ministry to begin some level of enforcement to sanitise the already developed section of

FESTAC through the provision of basic infrastructure.

Moro said the government has a plan to introduce an eprison concept to check regular jail breaks, which has been fuelled to be in collusion with corrupt prison officials.

“As at today, 38,000 persons are currently awaiting trials while the total number of prisoners in the Nigerian prisons is 54, 000,” he said.

Stressing that the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) was still operating on the basis of 1963 Prisons Act, which is out-dated, he said that a new bill has been sent to the National Assembly to update the law.

The bill, according to him, will address some of the teething problems the prison system is encountering in Nigeria and also go further to classify the nature of crimes and appropriate sanctions.

“One of the highlights is the

proper categorisation of crimes and punishments, including suspended sentence and community service,” he said.

Speaking on his ministry’s activities for last year, Moro said the government is set to introduce electronic surveillance at the borders and restrategise its new visa policy to remove bottlenecks in issuance.

He said the present PPP arrangement in the new policy for the production of passports has helped to reduce the long queues experienced in the past.

Moro warned unsuspecting applicants to ignore any website advertising employment on behalf of the ministry as there is no on-going recruitment.

According to him, some of the people involved in the employment racket have been arrested and prosecuted with one of them given seven years jail term.

ment area of waterworks ate social in-

e the discloseason with is that have

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 07059022999

Anger in Osun community over vacant stool

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OR ERIN-IJESA, an ancient Osun State community, these are trying times. Its peace is being tortured by its inability to fill its vacant. The stool became vacant 14 years ago, following the death of its monarch.

The community is renowned for its Olumirin waterfall. Now, tourists cannot access the waterfall because of the obaship crisis.

Tourists from far and near, including foreigners who had come to visit the waterfall were prevented from doing so when youths took their anger to the streets. They want a monarch installed to facilitate the town's development.

Markets were closed and all access roads were barricaded with logs of wood. Thick smoke billowed into the air from various junctions where bonfires were made with tyres.

Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were, however, on hand to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

President of Erin-Ijesa Youths Forum, Ajimotokin Olalere, told The Nation: "We are tired of not having a traditional ruler. Our king died over 14 years ago and till now, the state government and the kingmakers have been foot-dragging on the process of installing another king for us. This town is not moving forward owing to the absence of a king who should protect our interest.

"Smaller towns and villages around here are developing and enjoying amenities while Erin-Ijesa remains stagnant. Enough is enough. We need a king in this town and that is why we are protesting."

Another youth leader, Ayoade Olawoye, and the community's women leader, Mrs Funke Gbonjubola, accused the kingmakers of "turning the process into business,"

•Govt: we'll allow kingmakers do their work

‘Smaller towns and villages around here are developing and enjoying amenities while ErinIjesa remains stagnant. Enough is enough. We need a king in this town and that is why we are protesting’ Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

urging them to waste no further time in picking the right person from the ruling house that should produce a new king.

Under Section 4 (2) of the Chieftaincy Declaration of February 22, 1960, there are three Ruling Houses in the town Ogbagba-Lawo, Iyandereketa-Sehin, and Osefiri Agbojukori from where a king could emerge by rotation.

A kingmaker, Chief Samuel Adebolale, the Odofin of Erin-Ijesa, said when the throne became vacant after the death of Oba S. A. Adeosun in 1999, the Ogbagbalawo ruling house was expected to produce the next king since the late monarch hailed from Osefiri. He said Ogbagbalawo was once invited to present a candidate, but the Ruling House said it had not got a candidate then.

He said when Iyandereketa, the next

to Ogbagbalawo, was also asked to present a candidate, it too said it had no candidate yet, adding: "That was why we moved to Osefiri House with three branches - Ojuku, Obiti, and Ayeni. Each of them presented a candidate - Ayeni Adeyeba Isaac, Aremu Oriowo, and Stephen Oladeru.

"When the process of picking one of the three was already in top gear, another person, Toso Akinleye signified, claiming that his paternal grandmother was from Ojuku, but it was faulted.

"This led to a court case instituted at the Ilesa High Court by Osefiri Ruling House against the government which was later withdrawn after due intervention by the Reconciliatory Committee set up by the indigenes. It was at that point that the committee advised the kingmakers to start the process afresh. And the kingmakers agreed."

The kingmakers, it was learnt, returned to Ogbagbalawo House again, but it "failed" to fulfil the provisions of an existing Chieftaincy Declaration; hence, the candidate's rejection by the kingmakers.

It was learnt that the government intervened and the kingmakers, after due process, were about installing Ayeni Adeyeba when the other houses kicked, thus aborting the process.

The Head of Osefiri-Agbojukori, Hezekiah Adewusi, said he had nominated candidates from his Royal Family to occupy the throne and urged the kingmakers to pick one of them.

Also, head of the Iyandereketa Family, Alhaji Sulaimaon Kayode, said it was not the turn of the Osefiri Agbojukori Family and advised the house to step aside. He added: "The immediate past king was from Osefiri Agbojukori Family; that is why it can't

•The youth ... during the protest

•Olalere

•Obisesan

produce another king now. We all know that it is the turn of Ogbagbalawo."

The head of Ogbagbalawo, Albert

Adegoke Obisesan, said it is the turn of his House, adding that it had sent the names of some princes to the kingmakers.

Meanwhile, the agitated youths insist

•The suspects and one of the snatched cars tional driver because of his skills. bers of the church are free to park We all can drive well. Whenever we there for at least three days and that sighted our would-be victim, espe- is enough for us to get a buyer and cially a woman, I would order remove the car from there to avoid Haruna to move fast and hit the attracting attention".

Saying that they neither stripped woman's car at the back. This would make the woman stop and their female victims naked not opcome out to see the extent of the im- erate with guns, he said: "I am a pact while Haruna would also do Catholic. I can swear with my rosary that we did not operate with so on our car.

"We would wait for the woman guns but a bunch of keys. Women to walk towards our car. The mo- usually leave their car keys at the ment she came closer, I would or- ignition whenever you hit them and der John and Festus (still at large) we take advantage of it to run away to enter the woman's car and drive with such cars. It is too risky for us off. Haruna and I would follow to be carrying guns."

Mohammed said: "I did not know them with our car until we reached the compound of a Catholic Church that Chinedu had been arrested. I in Sangotedo, where we usually was arrested at a liquor joint where parked snatched cars without the I had gone to see him.

Happyday described himself as "a church parish priest knowing that the cars were stolen because mem- mere buyer," adding: "I was a tech-

nician with a company that does contract jobs for major oil companies in Nigeria. My salary per month ranged between N150,000 and N200,000, but I lost the job last December. Since then, I have been idle, but my wife, a graduate teacher told me that my company had got another contract with Agip. But for this arrest, I probably will start work again later this month."

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Lagos State, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), advised women motorists to be security-conscious and make use of side mirrors to know whether the driver that hit them from behind is alone or not.

He said they must be sure if there is traffic jam to know whether to stop or not. She also advised victims to make use of police ‘distress numbers’ approved by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko.

'How we snatched women's cars with ease'

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F you are behind the wheel and another car hits you from behind, what will you do? Apply the brake and storm out for an argument? If that is your habit, you may need to change. Reason: The offender may be an robber or car snatcher!

This is the startling confession of three members of five-man robbery gang that had been terrorising female car owners around Lagos Island, notably Epe, Ajah, Lekki Peninsula, Victoria Island, among others. They were recently apprehended by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command. The Nation had an encounter with them yesterday.

The suspects are Ndubuisi Chinedu aka Stephen, 23, from Onitsha Ugbo, Delta State; Haruna Mohammed, 44, from Gamboru Ngala, Borno State and Sylvanus Happyday, 35, from Ikot-Ekpene in Orukanam Local Government Area of Akwa-Ibom State.

Chinedu, who said frustration borne out of poverty pushed him into car snatching and robbery, said: "I had a shop where I sold rice, beans, garri, pepper, crayfish, Ogbono, palm oil and groundnut oil. I started the business with N200,000 and it was doing well. My trouble started when I got married and my wife started giving birth through caesarian operations. On the first operation, I paid N60,000. It came to a point I could not pay my rent let alone replenish my stock."

He said his accommodation problem was solved through someone’s help, feeding his family remained a problem.

"It was while brooding over it that

By Ebele Boniface

one of my friends, John, lured me into car snatching. We formed a fourman gang comprising Haruna, John, Festus and I," he said, adding: "Sylvanus is a mere receiver or buyer."

Confessing that he participated in four jobs, he said removing cars from the park with bunch of keys they bought from Ladipo market, and some mechanic workshops in Lagos, was his business.

Their first operation, he said, was in Ikoyi, where his gang snatched a Toyota Avensis car and later sold it for N300,000. The buyer, he said, paid N200,000 and each member got N50,000.

"Our second operation was on Victoria Island where we removed a black Toyota Corolla. We sold it for N350,000, but the buyer paid us with a bounced cheque.

According to him, their undoing was the snatching of a Toyota Corolla LE, marked AG816 SGD from a woman on shevron New Road in Ajah. "It led to our present problem," he said.

"My IPO arrested the soldier who wanted to sell the car for us in Abuja. The soldier came to me and told me that the money for the Honda City he took to Abuja was ready in a bank at Mayfair in Ajah area. It was when I got to the bank that I was picked by SARS operatives. Police used the woman victim's Black Berry phone to track me down," Chinedu said.

Stating thier mode of operation, he said, "We have an operational car, a Toyota Corolla. I am the leader. Haruna is our main opera-

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

7

CITYBEATS LINE: 07059022999

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NKNOWN gunmen last night invaded a bureau de change located inside a car park at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shooting sporadically.

It was gathered that two persons including a policeman and a member of the robbery gang were allegedly killed in the incident that occurred at about 8 .00pm. Many others also sustained various degrees of bullet wounds.

The incident occurred at the peak period of the arrival of most European airlines with hundreds of passengers from all parts of the world.

People who come there to drop their friends and family members travelling out of the country were trapped.

Sources disclosed that policemen and other security operatives at the airport allegedly took to their heels owing to the superior fire power of the bandits.

The robbers beat all the security details at the airport and held

C ITYBEATS Robbers storm MMIA, kill two

By Jude Isiguzo and Kelvin Osa Okunbor

passengers who were about to board their flights to different parts of the world hostage for several minutes.

According to sources, the gunmen suspected on arrival at the car park near the Ground Zero site, opposite the terminal building opened fire in the air, to scare passengers and ward off resistance as they made their way into the car park to raid the bureau de change.

It was not clear the bureau de change the gunmen attacked, but sources hinted that most of the operators scampered for safety, even as many lay on the ground to avoid stray bullets.

It was gathered that the armed man who carted away a whopping money in foreign exchange, shot their way out of the airport in a commando style.

On February 3, 2013 , gunmen

attacked the the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and carted away US$600,000 (N95, 969, 998.17 million) from a Bureau De Change operator .

A source at the airport hinted that the robbers stormed the car park which is usually in darkness and shot sporadically into the air, wounding a woman, before dispossessing their victim of the said amount about 8.30pm.

The incident, according to the operator who simply identified himself as Salisu took place without any intervention from the security agencies stationed at various locations at the airport.

Salisu said the robbers who arrived with sophisticated weapons traced a Dubai-bound passenger that came to change his money into American dollars, adding that the operator ran into the robbers and was disposessed of the foreign currencies.

Robbery kingpin, 15-year-old student armourer held

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•Adebolale

•Adewusi

that if a new king is not installed soon, they would continue to protest.

Yesterday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Akinrogun Sunday Akere, said the government would not get involved in the selection of a mon-

arch for the town, adding that it is the responsibility of the kingmakers.

The government, he said, would perform its responsibility of installing a king for the town as soon as the kingmakers choose and present a candidate for the stool.

Akpabio makes case for ex-militants

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HE federal government has been asked to intervene in ecological issues and proper engagement of ex-militants from Akwa Ibom State who had laid down their guns to embrace government's amnesty programme.

Governor Godswill Akpabio made the appeal when the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Management, Hon. Ifedayo Adekunle and the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Uzo Azubuike visited him in Uyo. Akpabio said: "We have not had the intervention of the federal government in ecological issues for six years now. So, I appeal for the intervention to assist flood victims in the state. But I believe this visit would speed up Federal government assistance to the state, bringing succour by changing the lives of all those affected by this disaster. I also believe that the National Assembly will work with the federal government and do more to make the country united.

"I also call on the federal government to intervene consider ex-militants who had dropped their guns to embrace amnesty and we should not wait until the youth carry arms again before empowering them. There must be talks with the youth not to carry guns to gain amnesty, but to embrace peace for the unity of the country."

The governor, who explained that amnesty is a federal government programme, recalled how over 500 youths from his state, claiming to be ex-militants once blocked the state Government House gate to lodge complaints of their neglect by the federal government while their counterparts from other states had been sent overseas for entrepreneurship and vocational training.

He emphasised the need for justice by empowering the ex-militants to give them

a sense of belonging, saying: ''Don't wait until the children carry guns to fight again. Let's give succour to those in the creeks and those who were not there but still carried their guns. I will be glad with any initiative involving discussions with the governors to solve the problem."

He thanked the National Assembly for being proactive on the exercise and being close to the people by moving from one state and local government area to another to intervene on the needs of the people.

The visitors congratulated Akpabio on his recent appointment as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors' Forum, saying that as a performing governor, who has transformed the state tremendously, he deserved the appointment.

Azubuike applauded Governor Akpabio on his contributions for the development of the country which led to his recent appointment as the pioneer Chairman of the PDP Governors' Forum.

•Akpabio

HE Police in Ogun State yesterday paraded 30 suspects including a notorious robbery kingpin, Mr Taiwo Musediq, who specialises in dispossessing his victims of choice cars before killing them.

Also paraded along with him were his alleged armourers, 15-year-old Tobi, an Senior Secondary School 3 student of Olumo High School, Sabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State and a nursing mother, Fausat, said to be wife of the fleeing accomplice of Musediq was also picked.

Musediq's targets were motorists plying Abeokuta, Papalanto and Igbora areas of the state and had snatched no fewer than 10 vehicles in recent times.

Three other persons who are believed to be routine receivers of stolen vehicles from Musediq were also paraded.

The Ogun State Police Commissioner, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye, told reporters in Eleweran, the Command's Headquarters, that Musediq and his accomplices were behind the robbery operations in Papalanto and Igbora areas of the state, adding Tobi and Fausat, were found to be the armourers of the gang.

However, Tobi denied knowledge of the gang's robbery activities, saying it was Fausat, his brother's wife, who asked him to hide the weapons for the gang, including a pump-action rifle,

Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

when policemen came searching for them.

However, the police displayed military rifle, four A K 47 rifles, magazines and N83,950K allegedly recovered from suspects who reportedly abandoned their vehicle and fled into a bush on sighting police patrol team after robbing Obi Supermarket in Ayetoro of N300,000.

Three arraigned for 'gang-raping' lady The Police in Plateau State yesterday arraigned three labourers before an Upper Area Court in Jos for allegedly gang-raping a lady after detaining her for three days. The accused persons are Rinnap John, Ndifreke Sunday and Julius Yakubu.

The accused persons, who reside in Saban-Garin Tudunwada area of Jos, appeared before Malam Mustapha Hassan on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, abduction, intimidation and rape.

According to the police First Information Report (FIR), the accused committed the offence on February 9, 2013 at about 2.00 pm, adding that the victim reported the matter to the 'A' Division Police Station on February 16, at about 7.30 p.m. when she was released by the accused persons.

It further stated that one Nanpon Dan, now at large, who is a neighbour

to the victim, lured her to Rinnap John's home where they locked her in a room.

"The accused tied the victim with a wire for three days in a room without food and water. They threatened to kill her with a spear and cutlass if she refused their love advances and they raped her in turns," the FIR said.

During police investigations the victim was said to have been taken to a hospital for medical examination where a report on the matter was obtained by the police.

"The accused also confessed to their crime during the interrogations, saying that it was her boy friend that asked them to look after her for him," the FIR said.

The FIR stated that the offence is contrary to Sections 97; 272; 397 and 283 of the Penal Code. They all pleaded not guilty and applied to the court for bail.

The Prosecuting Police Officer, Mr Ubi Isang, however, said that the police were still investigating the matter, but that a medical report from the hospital had been obtained.

He applied to the court for another date to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused persons.

The trial judge, denied their bail application and ordered them remanded in prison custody while the case was adjourned till March 20.

Prophetess, pastor in divorce row over 'adultery'

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51-YEAR-OLD woman on yesterday pleaded with an Agege Customary Court to dissolve her 22-year-old marriage to a pastor over alleged adultery and threat to life.

The petitioner, Mrs Titilayo Oluokun, a prophetess, who lives at 8, Aina Aladi Street, Agbado, Lagos, told the court that her husband, though a pastor, went after "everything in skirt."

"Four women had four children for my husband in the last three years and he also has numerous girl friends; I know some of them because they live on my street. I was in the church sometime in 2009 when a woman came with three children, claiming they belonged to

my husband, who she said, had neglected her. It was a thing of shame because I am the founder of the church and also a prophetess, while my husband is one of the pastors.

"I gave the woman N20, 000 and begged her not to come to the church to disturb me again and when I told my husband, he only thanked me," she told the court.

The mother of two children aged nine and 18, told the court that she once brought her husband before another customary court where the case was settled.

She added: "In the other customary court in 2011, he was asked to write an undertaking that he would not impregnate any other

woman again. To my surprise, he impregnated two women after that and I knew I had to call it quits with him.

"He beats me at every slight provocation and even threatens to kill me; he does not give the children money for feeding or pay their school fees. I got him arrested sometime last year because he wanted to stab me and at the police station, he was asked to move his things out of my house."

She urged the court to dissolve the marriage and give her custody of the children. Her husband, Adewale, did not appear in court and had been absent in the last two sittings.

The Court President, Mr Emmanuel Sokunle, adjourned the case till April, 3, for further hearing.

Why Aguiyi Ironsi Market is still shut, by council chair

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HAIRMAN, Mushin Local Government, Babatunde Adepitan, yesterday said the Aguiyi Ironsi International Market, a section of the popular Ladipo Spares Market, Mushin, was not opened alongside the others, owing to the continuous crises that had rocked the market.

The State government on Monday, reopened all units of the Ladipo Market it earlier closed except the Aguiyi Ironsi unit, which Adepitan described as very problematic.

Adepitan told The Nation that he was ready to challenge embattled leader of the market, Jonathan Okolie, to an open debate to know the truth over the issue.

He said: "Jonathan Okolie was long

By Precious Igbonwelundu

overdue as leader of the traders' union. My office had no business with their activities in the market until his actions started affecting our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Moreover, as the chairman, you did not expect me to fold my arms while my house was on fire. My people could no longer sleep peacefully as a result of the constant fight, terror and thuggery emanating from just that unit.

"Aguiyi Ironsi is just one out of the 36 units of Ladipo market. But it is the unit with all the problems, because one man refused to conduct elections and handover power. Instead of telling people the exact cause of the problem and how he wants to hijack

the market which is government property, he went about saying that I want to take their market from them because they are Igbos."

"With the situation on ground, we cannot open the market now to avoid tribal war. We are currently having meetings with Igbo elders in Lagos as well as representatives of the various interests in Aguiyi Ironsi to ensure that there is peace. That is the only grounds on which we can reopen that market, because for the last four years, I have written series of letters to all parties, but they failed to listen. I am positive that at the end of our deliberations, an understanding will be reached and signed so that traders and residents can go about their lawful businesses without fear of Bakassi Boys or thugs," Adepitan said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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NEWS Ogun PDP faults Ondo chairman

PIB: Tambuwal urges integrity

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•Committee takes debate to geo-political zones

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OUSE of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal has emphasised integrity and national interest as the lower chamber takes discussions on the Petrolieum Industry Bill (PIB) to the grassroots.

Inaugurating the 23-man ad hoc Committee yesterday, Tambuwal said: “I should also caution that with the demanding nature of the task before you and high stake interest and expectations lies the glittering but slippery line of integrity test.

“When you encounter it, do not take a second look, do not slow down, do not stop but rather flee because it is outside the scope of your mandate. May the Almighty God grant you the wisdom and strength to come out of this assignment with greater honour and integrity than you now possess.”

Saying that the assignment should not be person-

Alleged forgery: EFCC arrests ex-Bank PHB MD From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

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HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche.

According to a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the exbank chief was arrested for alleged forgery of board resolutions.

The statement said: “He was picked up on Wednesday March 13, 2013 in Lagos over a case of forgery and attempt to smuggle forged board resolutions into Keystone Bank, the successor to Bank PHB. “Two other suspects implicated in the scam are Nnosiri Joachim and Uguru Onyike.

Both are employees in the Central Sharing System Centre of Keystone Bank Limited.

“They will all be charged to court soon.”

Since 2009, Atuche has been facing trials before in the High Court Justice, Lagos State and the Federal High Court.

The ex-bank chief was arraigned before Justice Lateefat Okunnu for allegedly stealing N25.7 billion belonging to the bank, now Keystone Bank.

The EFCC charged Atuche along with his wife, Elizabeth, and a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu.

In January the Lagos High Court ordered the recall of two prosecution witnesses who had earlier testified in Atuche’s trial of Atuche.

Atuche has been facing a 45-count charge before a Federal High Court in Lagos .After a three-year legal battle, Atuche’s trial, alongside exBank PHB Director, Charles Ojo, started afresh in November last year before the Federal High Court.

Atuche and Ojo are charged with, among others, money laundering.

From: Vitor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

alised, the Speaker noted that the legislation the committee would be working on is not meant for a section of the Nigerian society.

He said: “Let me remind all the members of this Committee that the assignment before you is critical, sensitive and demanding. It will not be an overstatement to say that the biggest activities in the country’s oil sector now is the wait for the Petroleum Industry Act. “From the tempo of public discourse, it should be obvious to all and sundry that there is high level of interest as well as expectations on the Petroleum Industry Bill from various interest groups both within the country as well as the international community.

“I, therefore, need not emphasise on the need for

absolute circumspection, diligence, transparency and patriotism on the part of the Committee”.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, who is also the Chief Whip of the House, Ishaka Bawa, discussions would be held in the six geopolitical zones.

Besides, he said the intention of the Committee was to promote national interest above individual, sectional or primordial interests.

He said a retreat to be held between 18th and 20th of this month in Lagos would precede the zonal public hearings.

“The essence of the Zonal Public hearings is to bring the process to the doorsteps of the people at the grassroots, especially the oil producing communities, whose views will be a critical factor in packaging the kind of Petroleum Industry Law that will address not only elitist

concerns but also the other crucial issues concerning the environment as well as human development”.

According to him, the public sessions at the zonal level will avail Nigerians, particularly those from the oil communities, the opportunity to participate in evolving the oil industry law that would address the multifarious problems plaguing the sector.

He assured Nigerians that the members would be guided by patriotism. “We are under no illusion as to the enormity of the task ahead of us and, therefore, fully understand that it will require our maximum dedication, commitment, diligence and, above all, unflinching patriotism to accomplish,” he added.

Members of the special committee include the Minority Whip, Samson Osagie; Chairman; House Com-

•Tambuwal

mittee on Justice, Ali Ahmad; Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Dakuku Peterside; Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Ajibola Muriana; Chairman, Perroleum Resources (Gas resources), Baseey Ewah; Deputy Chairmen, Petroleum Resources (Upstream, Downstream and Gas Resources), Chairman Committee on Local Content, Asita Honourable and his Deputy; Chairman Committee on Environment, Uche Ekwenufe and Hassan Saleh, among others

ICAN to gain world recognition

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•Owolabi (left) and Ogunsola exchanging pleansantries PHOTO: NNEKA NWANERI ...yesterday.

Obasanjo advocates ban of Western polls monitors We must reflect ‘ on the role of nonAfrican observation mission or the so called international observers. It is an appellation that continues to trouble me

•Obasanjo

F

ORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has suggested that non-African election observer missions should be banned from monitoring polls in the continent.

Obasanjo spoke at the 7th annual symposium of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) on Wednesday in Johannesburg. He said Western observers were sometimes biased and that their position sometimes seems to undermine the sovereignty of African countries.

“We must reflect on the role of non-African observation mission or the so called international observers. It is an appellation that continues to trouble me.

“How much more international can an election observers mission to Ghana be, when you have a mission made up of nationals from ten African countries,’’ Obasanjo asked.

He said at the onset of election observation in Africa, non-African missions were critical of the idea.

“These missions provided a platform for sharing internationally accepted electoral best practices. However, the role of these non-African missions have not been without controversy especially in polarised elections.

“There have been times when they have been accused of taking sides or deploying

’

missions only in countries in which they have a stake,’’ Obasanjo said.

He said the value of having non-African observers had been questioned.

“In some instances, the conduct of these non-African observers have less than wholesome to the extent that they have in some instances been accused of undermining the sovereignty of the countries.

“Much as I do not want to throw the baby with the birth water, I believe that election observation in Africa has matured to a point and still continues to mature to an extent that it should be strictly and wholly an African affair,’’ Obasanjo said.

Obasanjo, however, commended the concluded general election in Kenya.

“Permit me to add my

SON chief to staff: be more proactive

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By Nneka Nwaneri

HE Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) will soon be globally recognised, said its president, Mr Adedoyin Owolabi.

Owolabi spoke yesterday in Lagos during a visit to Aba Ogunsola and Associates (AO and A), an accounting firm.

The ICAN National President said the institute’s certificates automatically qualify members to become members of international accounting bodies.

He said ICAN was working on getting the highest accounting body in the world to recognise the institute and its products.

Owolabi’s team was received by the Managing Partner of AO and A, Mr Segun Ogunsola, who said the tutoring of trainees and newly employed is key to sustaining continuity in the industry.

He said: “Training will enhance their capability as that is the only way to sustain ICAN. The equipping of the newly employed will strengthen the linkage between those in practice and the coming generation.”

Owolabi urged its members to keep being abreast of the industry. He urged job seekers to upload their resumes on ICAN’s employment bureau website for recommendation and placement.

HE Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the chairman of the party in Ondo State, Olu Alabi, for saying that the National Working Committee (NWC) will soon review its decision on the executive committee in the Southwest zone.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Publicity Secretary, Waliu Oladipupo, said Alabi’s comments were “misconceived and misleading”.

He said: “With his utterances, Alabi gave out himself as being oblivious of the history and facts of the events preceding the action of the national leadership of the party.”

Oladipupo said the NWC’s decision was taken after a careful consideration of the legal advice it got from senior lawyers on the various judgments against the party in Ogun State in particular and the Southwest in general.

warm congratulation to the great people of Kenya for the successful conduct of their general election.

“Indeed they have reassured the world that African countries are capable of strengthen their political and democratic institutions regardless of past ugly incidents if the people are willing to commit themselves to the idea of democracy,’’ Obasanjo said.

He said the contribution of EISA in area of election, democracy and governance in Africa could be ground breaking and highly commendable.

Ms. Pansy Tlakula, South African chairperson of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), agreed with Obasanjo by conceding that foreign observers were problematic.

“Some of them are donors who provide funds for the management of elections.

Thereafter they send observer missions to observe the election in that particular country.

“We need to have this conversation on whether Africa really needs non-African observer missions,” Tlakula said.

The symposium is to assess two decades of election observation in Africa.

HE Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, has urged the employees of the agency to be more proactive in the discharge of their duties.

He spoke at the 2013 SON Management Retreat with the theme: “Standards Organisation of Nigeria Growing its Relevance to Business and Society.”

Odumodu said: “ SON is poised to take Nigeria to the next level through the promotion and development of standards and quality assurance activities which will in turn boost the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises(SME’s) seen as agents of economic change.

“SON will do its best to ensure that businesses in Nigeria are promoted in such a manner that the society is not adversely affected. Programmes such as the Zero Tolerance to sub standard products, E – Product Registration, rejuvenation of SONCAP, sensitisation rallies, opening of market desks and son are part of the initiatives put in place to support the idea.”

Benin chief to present book

A

BENIN traditional ruler, Chief. Sam O . U Igbe, will on Mrach 21 present a book: ”The Nigeria of our dream” in Lagos.

Ugbe, who is the Iyase of Benin kingdom, said “the book promotes discussions on topical issues towards achieving the Nigeria of our dream.”

He said the book touches on the evolution of the Nigerian ethnic nationalities and chronicles the events of the 1914 Amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates.

The 279-page book also details issues on the country’s Independence, the military occupation, youth development and their role in nation building.

Ugbe said: “The book is highly informative, enticing and entertaining.”

9

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

NEWS Community head’s wife assaulted over land tussle

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HE Olokuta of Akureland, Chief Olatunbosun Miller, yesterday alleged that some people were after his life and family because of a land dispute.

He urged the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Patrick Dokumor, to come to his aid.

On Tuesday, Miller and his family were allegedly attacked by four men, led by a man simply identified as Dr. Oyewole, at their OkeAro home in Akure.

His wife, Mary, was injured with a machete and Miller was beaten up.

Miller said: “We were at home on Tuesday morning around 9:40am when someone knocked on my door.

My wife opened the door and one of them came into my sitting-room and said my attention was needed. I went to the door and saw Oyewole with three others.

“They accused me of making peace with Col. Benson Akinroluyo in a land issue in Olokuta. I told them that it was the Deji of Akure that met with the military man and settled the issue with him. I also told them that all land in Akure and about 38 communities are now in the custody of the Deji.

“I explained to them that the 1950 Supreme Court Judgment has given land in Olokuta, Owena, Atosin, Alade Aponmu and other

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

areas to Akure.

“They threatened to deal with me and one of them went into a Mercedes Benz marked AE 355AGN. He brought out a cutlass and attacked me. The cutlass hit my wife who was behind me and was holding our seven-month old baby.

“They scattered everywhere. They ran away when my neighbours came out. I rushed to the Oke-Aro Police Station with my wife before she was taken to the General Hospital.

“I found out that Oyewole had earlier gone to the police station to report the matter, but when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) saw my wife, he ordered that they should be detained. They were later granted bail.

“My life is not safe. There was a time one of the four men trailed me to my church. This prompted my first petition to the police commissioner early this year. I am urging the commissioner to probe this matter and protect me.”

Oyewole alleged that Miller used a tractor to level his Cocoa farm at Aponmu.

He said: “We have been looking for him since he attacked our cocoa farm.

Some chiefs are aware of his

Boko Haram must be stopped, says Fasheun

F

OUNDER and President of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) Dr. Frederick Fasheun yesterday warned that the Boko Haram insurgency must be curbed before the 2015 general election.

He decried the killing of seven foreigners and polio immunisation officers and urged political leaders in the North to address the menace before it is too late.

Fasheun, who spoke in Lagos, urged the Sultan of Sokoto to name Boko Haram members if he wants amnesty for them.

He urged Nigerian leaders to prove wrong the predictions of the United States that the country would disintegrate by 2015.

Fasheun said: “I warn that the 2015 poll portends danger because southerners may not be able to travel up North to campaign for votes. The South may also create an unhealthy atmosphere for

By Jeremiah Oke

northerners to campaign in their region.

“Let the Sultan of Sokoto, who seeks amnesty for Boko Haram members, give us a list of members of the sect.

When two nations go to war, they will later need to go to a roundtable to resolve their differences. So, northern politicians must lead the battle for peace in their region and put insurgents on the leash.

Otherwise, no one can predict the hostile reception awaiting them when they attempt to campaign in the South in 2015.”

On the “neglect” of the Yoruba by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, Fasheun urged House of Representatives’ Speaker Aminu Tambuwal to vacate his office, saying the seat does not belong to him.

He said the seat was zoned to the Southwest and must be filled by someone from the zone.

Uniosun council fixes March 18, 19 for VC’s interview

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HE Governing Council of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has gone ahead with process of selecting a ViceChancellor, despite the House of Assembly’s directive to stop the process.

It has fixed March 18 and 19 for the interview of the candidates.

The Assembly directed the authorities to stop the process, following petitions of alleged irregularities.

Six candidates have been shortlisted for the position.

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

They are Prof. Julius Oloke, Prof. Joshua Obaleye, Prof.

Ayodeji Agbonjinmi, Prof.

Olu Odeyemi, Prof. Oladiran Famurewa and Prof. Duro Ajeyalemi.

The council has upheld the petition by Prof. Adekunle Okesina challenging his exclusion from the list.

The petitions of two other candidates, Prof. Labode Popoola and Prof. Dayo Akinmoladun, were not considered.

‘He brought out a cutlass and attacked me. The cutlass hit my wife who was behind me and was holding our sevenmonth old baby’ atrocity. He attacked us with a cutlass and injured his wife to implicate us.”

Police spokesman Wole Ogodo said he had not been properly briefed on the matter.

Fire guts part of Amosun’s home A

PART of Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s home at Ibara Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Abeokuta, the state capital, was gutted by fire yesterday afternoon.

It was learnt that the fire was caused by a power surge in the bedroom of Amosun’s elder brother’s wife.

The room and valuables, including clothes, shoes and electrical appliances, were destroyed.

The prompt intervention of the State Fire Service prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building.

The fire fighters put the

•Reporters assaulted From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

blaze off within a few minutes.

Amosun’s elder brother, Abidoye, thanked the firemen for their prompt intervention.

He said: “Only a room was affected by the fire. Fire fighters arrived on time and put out the fire. We thank God that no life was lost.”

Security officers guarding the house assaulted three journalists, who took pictures of the house in flames.

Those assaulted are Miss Tomisin Erogbogbo of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); a cameraman with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Abeokuta and Mr. Razaq Ayinla of BusinessDay. The over-zealous aides destroyed the NTA man’s camera. They seized Miss Erogbogbo’s camera and Ayinla’s camera phone.

When they returned Miss Erogbogbo’s camera, pictures of the fire had been deleted.

THE NATION THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2013

10

NEWS

Why Alamieyeseigha’s, others’ pardon can’t be questioned, by Okupe

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HE Presidency has launched a big defence of the state pardon granted former Beyelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and seven others.

The Presidential aide, Dr. Doyin Okupe said though the decision might not be favoured by some Nigerians, there was no reason to whip up sentiments over a decision reached at the highest level of governance and in accordance with the Constitution.

Okupe, who spoke yesterday on a live programme, Sunrise Daily, on Channels Television, wondered why Nigerian took to the social media to criticise the listing of Alamieyeseigha as one of the beneficiaries of the presidential pardon.

He insisted that the convicted ex governor has suffered enough, having gone to jail and forfeited some of the stolen property to the state.

Okupe said: “The relationship between President Jonathan and Alamieyeseigha is not something that is hidden; neither is it something that is immoral. It was a pardon that was granted by the highest institution in the country. It is not every decision that a parent takes that is palatable to the children. But, later, you find out that you have taken the right decision as a parent.

“The Council is empowered to grant the pardon. And why is all this noise about Alamieyeseigha and the pardon? Is it because it is him? Is it because he is a Niger Deltan? Is it because of his closeness to Jonathan? Even in our laws - though I am not a lawyer, there are certain offences that you commit and after 10 years, you receive presidential pardon. There is a Yoruba saying that says: ‘You asked a thief to run, he ran. You asked him to drop what he has stolen, he did.

What else do you want of him?”

Okupe went on: “The National Council of State, comprising all former Heads of State, all retired Chief Justice

How Presidency beat Council of State members to plan

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RESH facts emerged yesterday on the Council of State meeting in which the President announced the pardon of some high profile ex-convicts.

Most members of the Council were not aware of the list of pardoned ex-convicts, especially the inclusion of former Bayelsa Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, until they got to the session.

The agenda was said to be scanty with a heading merely referring to prerogative of mercy.

It was also learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan met with the principal officers of the National Assembly and the leadership of the Judiciary on Monday, in a bid to stave off the likely backlash which a reprieve for Alamieyeseigha might generate.

At the session with National Assembly and Judiciary leaders, Jonathan merely restated his commitment to the anti-corruption war.

Most leaders at the meeting did not realise the import of the “renewed pledge” against corruption, until they got to the Council of State meeting.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “As a matter of fact, a deliberate strategy was adopted to keep the list of beneficiaries of the pardon under wrap till the last minute.

“Some strategists in the Presidency were of the opinion that a leakage of the list, especially that of Alamieyeseigha, could ignite a public protest which might force the government to backpedal.

“There were also fears that opposition parties might join issues with the government and prevail on their governors to shun the From Yomi Odunuga, Deputy Editor, Nation’s Capital

of Nigeria, all governors and including the leadership of the National Assembly and President Goodluck Jonathan himself met yesterday (Tuesday).

“They deliberated on several issues and, at that Council, approved pardon for many Nigerians, including some of them, posthumously. They include the late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, the late General Abdulkareem Adisa, Gen. Oladipo Diya, Major Fadipe, D. S. P. Alamieyeseigha and a couple of others. I think there are eight of them.

“Some others that were listed were stepped down for various reasons as given by

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

meeting.

“The list was also padded to give it a national colouration and earn the sympathy of members across the six geopolitical zones.

“These were the reasons why most council members could not fault the list because they had little time to debate it.”

Another source,who pleaded not to be named, also claimed that sensing likely resentment from the National Assembly and the Judiciary, the President had on Monday met with leaders of the two arms of government to “renew pledge” to the war against corruption.

The source, who was at the session, said: “Some of us did not understand the import of the renewed pledge until we got to know of the pardon at the Council of State meeting.

“What the Presidency did was to place National Assembly and Judiciary leaders on a stable psychological plane ahead of the unfolding of his plans at the meeting on Tuesday.

“So, the strategies were well-thought out and members of the Council of State were caught off-guard to buy into it.”

On why reporters were not briefed after the meeting, another source, who also pleaded not to be named, because he is not authorised to speak to the media, said: “No council member, including any of the governors, was willing to go and defend the pardon for Alamieyeseigha because of public reaction.

“Also, the Presidency was a bit careful about national and international outcry, which could rubbish the mileage gained so far in the antigraft war.”

‘The Council is empowered to grant the pardon.

And why is all this noise about Alamiyeseigha and the pardon’ the Council. It was not just that the approval was just granted like that. This is the highest decision-making council in the country. Eight Nigerians were granted pardon and I have listed about six of them, including the former governor of Bayelsa State.

“It is about time in this country that we began to respect constituted authority.

The Council of State is created

by the Constitution, made up of highly respected Nigerians, including the serving President. That is the structure and the highest echelon of governance in this country. If they take a decision, it may not be palatable to everybody. It may not be acceptable to everybody but that is the leadership of this country and that is what they have done.

“If there is any disagreement, it is a democracy. The people can air their views but the government remains the government. I have given you a rundown of the people in the Council, do you doubt the integrity of any of the members? The decision was not something that was foisted on anybody but something that debated and agreed upon.

Mixed reactions over pardon for ex-Bayelsa governor, others From Bisi Oladle, Ibadan, Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt and Jide Oritunsin, Minna

F

ORMER Minister of Petroleum Resources Prof. Tam DavidWest and some Niger Delta leaders, yesterday expressed mixed feelings of the Federal Government’s pardon for former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Gen. Oladipo Diya, the late Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua and others.

They spoke in separate interviews with our correspondent.

The family of the late Gen. Mamman Vatsa, executed for coup plotting during the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, also called for post-humous pardon for him.

David-West yesterday accused President Goodluck Jonathan of manipulating the process of granting pardon for convicted citizens for his political gains.

He said: “Much as I am not against reprieve for any person who has been confirmed guilty of offences against the state or persons, I am totally against any political manipulation for a purpose. That will completely derogate the sanctity of the reprieve.

“President Jonathan should be very careful in debasing our national institutions just as he has thoroughly debased the national award. If you grant reprieve to offenders by political manipulations, it is corruption, just as debasing national award is corruption.

“There are two steps in granting reprieve. The Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy is the first stage.

The committee has to look at the proposal and make recommendations. But he avoided the committee and went through the back door by going to the Council of State.

“The summary is that this reprieve is called to serious question based on procedure and political colouration. Jonathan has ulterior motive. All these are geared towards 2015 but Nigerians are not fools. The procedure is called to question. He is doing some good things in bad ways.”

“By this, he has taken the shine off the celebration of the reprieve because the process of the reprieve is questionable. We can’t bend all the rules in the country because Jonathan wants to contest the 2015 election. He has to be very careful because some of the manipulations can back-fire on him,” he said.

A former governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Imo State, Uche Onyeagucha, and a Bayelsa elder, Chief Douyi Douglas-Naingba, who is a leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Ebitimi Amgbare, expressed divergent items.

Onyeagucha, who is an ex-member of the House of Representatives, said: “The pardon granted Alamieyeseigha and others has political undertone. We are about going into election period. The pardon is for political reason.”

Douglas-Naingba, who hails from Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State as Alamieyeseigha, said the former Bayelsa governor and Yar’Adua did well for Nigeria and they deserved the pardon.

Douglas-Naingba, who is also a former National Vice-Chairman, Southsouth, of the ANPP, said: “The conviction of any human being is to learn lessons and not a death sentence. Chief Alamieyeseigha and others have learnt lessons.

“Convicting the pardoned persons might be right or wrong, but we are happy that they have been pardoned. It is a step in the right direction. They might have made mistakes, but they need to move forward and grow from there. If God can forgive us, why won’t we forgive?”

Amgbare, who contested for Bayelsa governor against Jonathan in 2007, said: “The pardon granted is well-deserved and timely.

Chief Alamieyeseigha and others pardoned have paid their dues.

Nobody is above mistake.

The family of Vatsa spoke in Minna yesterday. Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, a nephew to the late general said that the family salute the courage of the government in pardoning officers implicated in the 1995 and 1997 coups against General Sani Abacha but appealed that the gesture be extended to Gen. Vatsa and nine others convicted for the 1986 coup. ‘’We salute the courage of President Jonathan and the Council of State in granting pardon to officers implicated in military coups, we pray that Mr. President will extend this gesture to Major General Maman Vatsa and nine others who were unjustly implicated against public outcry and executed by the administration of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in 1986'’. ‘’Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was approached by the family, even my late uncle’s wife, Shefiat, made several efforts before she died two years ago but Obasanjo refused, arguing that he (OBJ) will not want to open old wound in the military,’’ Jonathan recalled.

Taraba ex-deputy governor arrested for alleged N1.3b fraud From: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

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•Mr Olawale Rasheed Olaniyi (right), one of the winners in The Nation Promo receiving his LCD consolation prize from Mr. Unite Dotie, a Media Officer with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission in Lagos…yesterday

HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested a former Taraba State Deputy Governor, Sani Abubakar Danladi, for alleged abuse of office and diversion of public funds.

Danladi, who was impeached by the House of Assembly in October last year, was being questioned in Abuja by the antigraft agency.

There were no signs that he was granted bail yesterday.

A source said: “We are investigating Danladi in respect of the alleged mismanagement of public funds of about N1.3billion.

“There were petitions on how he allegedly diverted public funds meant for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects to develop his private school, Yagai Academy.

“So far, he has been arrested and he is undergoing interrogation at the moment.

“These were the same reasons upon which the members of the Taraba House of Assembly based the removal of the former deputy governor.”

11

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

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

- Minister of Information, Labaran Maku

Reps to probe multiple bank charges

Passengers stranded as Aero Airlines’ staff go on strike

• Seek stoppage of ATM fees

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

H

UNDREDS of passen gers were yesterday stranded at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos as Aero Airlines’ workers embarked on strike.

The Nation learnt that some of the passengers are contemplating taking legal action against the airline for making them miss their flights.

They described the action by the airline as unpatriotic, saying that it airline only notified them that the flights were rescheduled.

As early as 5.00 am, some passengers that arrived the Murtala Mohammed Airport Two (MMA 2), Ikeja, Lagos were disappointed that the airline was not operating any flight and did not give any notice of the industrial action by its staff.

Some of the passengers that besieged the head office of the airline, said the carrier did not give a true picture of the development to passengers. As a result, they could not make alternate arrangement, forcing them to miss their appointments.

At the new domestic terminal, scores of passengers sat on the floor, lost in thought on how to get to their destinations. They expressed sadness over the failure by the airline to effect refund of their air fare to enable them fly other airlines.

One of the passengers who identified herself as Dr. Caro Iwuoha , said the passengers will institute a class action against the airline for the breach of passengers’ rights, which she said is unacceptable in other parts of the world.

Another passenger, Ibezito Ogbona, said the dislocation occasioned by the workers’ strike has altered his travel plans, forcing him to fly through Abuja, to get another flight to Sokoto.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$107/barrel Cocoa-$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,800/troy ounce Rubber -¢159.21pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N10.6 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -9% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending -22.42% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -2% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $48b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238 RIYAL -40.472

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

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• From left: Director, Premium Pension Limited Mr. Idris Saeed; Assistant General Manager, National Pension Commission, Mr. Peter Aghahowa and the Managing Director/CEO, Premium Pension Limited, Mr Wilson Ideva, at the company’s customer forum, held in Lagos...yesterday

Revolution in power sector underway, says Minister T HE Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo has predicted that Nigerians would experience unprecedented revolution in the power sector.

Consequently, he challenged the private sector to take advantage by investing and taking position in the on-going privatisation efforts of the government in the sector.

Nebo spoke in Abuja yesterday when he received a Trade delegation from the US led by Mimi Alemayehou, Vice President of Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). He assured the delegation of “incredible opportunities for investment in power as contained in the Transformation Agenda of the administration, stressing that appropriate enabling environment would be provided for all genuine investors.

The Deputy Director/

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

Head of Press, Timothy Oyedeji made this disclosure in a statement yesterday.

He said drawing from the growth experienced in the telecommunication sector, where telephone lines grew astronomically from less than one million Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) lines in 1999 to over 100 million lines presently, it is imperative for the private sector to consider investments not only in power generation but also in transmission, renewable energy and solar to reap from the emerging benefits in the energy sector.

He described as pathetic, the present situation we found ourselves. He said “as at today because of

lack of power, a number of small and medium scales businesses have closed shops as they cannot break even with high cost of running generators and procuring diesels.”

Nebo lamented lack of electricity in the rural areas. He therefore encouraged investors to tap into rural electrification, stressing the enormous potentials in. He said “without power, our children born in the rural areas would be marginalized for life, as they would not have access to electricity and other modern technologies.”

Citing the proposed electronic examination by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) by 2015, Nebo said the rural populace might be dis-enfranchised from taking the examination due to their inability to operate the computer. He added that more

power would also be required for the conduct of the mandatory examination for admissions to all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, said that 2013 is the target year set for the turn around of the power sector. She said that only 40 per cent of Nigerians have access to electricity, which is not even available for 24 hours/7 days.

‘We must deliver power to Nigerians, we must also be mindful of our growing population, so we must explore solar, hydro, wind and other renewable energy options. Investors are therefore encouraged to invest.” While urging investors to come and take advantage, she said the government would ensure all its programmes and projects, including Independent Power Projects (IPP) are on course.

S&P bullish on Nigerian banks’ growth

N

IGERIAN political stability and eco nomic growth after a loan clean-up by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) created to buy bad debt, will spur expansion in the country’s banking industry this year, according to Standard & Poor’s.

“Nigerian banks have good prospects in 2013, thanks to strong economic growth and currently broad political stability,” S&P analysts, led by Matthew Pirnie in Johannesburg, wrote in a report yesterday. “We believe the banks will enter an expan-

sionary phase in 2013, spurred by increasing competition and relatively clean balance sheets.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), implemented banking reforms following a debt crisis in 2008 and 2009, and fired eight chief executives of the country’s 24 banks and set up AMCON to buy lenders’ non-performing loans and stabilise the industry. The corporation spent N5.6 trillion ($35 billion) in 2011 to acquire the debt, Chief Executive Officer Mustafa Chike-Obi said in December.

Nigeria’s economy will

probably expand 6.8 per cent this year, compared with an estimated 6.6 per cent in 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics said last month.

For lenders, “such expansion carries risks, however, including a dilution of capital if loans are extended rapidly,” said S&P. “Credit risks may mount, too, exacerbating the risk of foreigncurrency lending, real-estate price bubbles, and corporate concentrations, although we don’t believe these risks are likely to materialise this year.”

The Bloomberg Nigerian

Stock Exchange Banking 10 Index (NGSEB10), which tracks the performance of the nation’s largest lenders by market value, has advanced 24 per cent this year and gained 1.1 per cent to 422.30.

“Corporate governance is a long-standing constraint on ratings, and low transparency would in our view raise risks,” according to S&P. “Nigeria’s narrow economic structure also exposes the economy, and the banking sector, to a fall in oil prices or production,” the rating agency, added.

HE House of Repre sentatives said it will investigate bank charges.

It also urged banks to halt the planned introduction of N100 monthly maintenance fee on Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.

To ensure compliance with the resolution, the House mandated its Committee on Banking and Currency to conduct a probe on the issues and report back to it.

The lawmakers also urged the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and other relevant authorities to look into the issue and act appropriately.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of the prayers of a motion brought before the House by Alliu Babatunde Kazeem.

He said the Bankers’ Committee in November, 2012, scrapped the N100 interbank charges on the use of ATM cards.

Kazeem, while presenting his argument, revealed that from March 2013, First Bank of Nigeria Limited was about to commence monthly deductions of maintenance fee on their cards.

The lawmaker said if an organisation such as the Bankers’ Committee had abolished the interbank transaction charges, then such charges were not justified as they were being foisted on customers illegally.

He said the CBN Governor had outlawed the N100 on withdrawals on ATM since December 17, 2012.

Customs collects N16.2b revenue

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HE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island, Lagos Port Command, said it collected N16.2 billion revenue in February.

The Commands’ Public Relations Officer, Chris Osunkwo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the amount collected was N3 billion lower than the corresponding month’s figure.

He attributed the decrease to the delay in signing the 2013 budget.

“Naturally, at the beginning, because of the delay in signing the budget, the international traders are wary or skeptical, not knowing which way the budget would go.

There was this feeling to wait and see what would happen before they can embark on imports in the New Year.

He said the actual imports for this year started in February. So, as a result, there is this natural drop in cargo throughput.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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NEWS PDP lacks internal democracy, says Atiku From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan.

•Atiku

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ORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday criticised the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), saying the party lacked internal democracy.

According to him, what the country needs is genuine electoral reform to guarantee internal democracy within political parties.

Atiku spoke at the 50th anniversary lecture of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan.

He spoke on the topic: “Thoughts on Internal Democ-

racy in Nigerian Political Parties: Challenges and Strategies”.

He lamented the lack of internal democracy in a party acclaimed to the largest in Africa, declaring the PDP a party badly managed.

According to him, only when a party is democratic can it protect the rights and privileges of its minority members, whose views at any point in time could not prevail.

While noting what he described as obvious deterioration in internal party democracy in the PDP and the rise of the dictatorship of the executive power-wielders and other godfathers, Atiku maintained that only genuine electoral reforms will save the nation’s democracy from imminent collapse.

The former Vice President listed the adoption of consensus candidate, imposition of

candidate in place of elections, structure of party ownership and funding of parties by godfathers as the banes of internal democracy.

Atiku called for electoral reforms where the appointment of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the commissioners will not be under the control of the President.

The former Vice-President said governors should be barred from using state resources for electioneering campaigns.

The PDP chieftain further advocated barring anyone whose electoral victory is being challenged from being sworn in until the case is settled in court.

He called for a strong and principled opposition advocating for a two-party system .

In his welcome address, Prof Osisioma Nwolise, who is Head Department, called for urgent political reforms in the parties.

ICPC to investigate asset declaration forms NDEPENDENT Corrupt of public officers Practices and Other Related Offences Commission

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(ICPC) Chair Ekpo Nta yesterday said the commission will work with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to unmask public officials who gave false information on their assets on oath for prosecution.

The commission also said it is set to investigate those who mismanaged resources allocated to educational development and denied the institutions the required operational capacity to impact knowledge on the students.

Head of Media Folu Olamiti said the chairman spoke in an interview on Africa Independent Television (AIT) in Abuja .

•‘Fraudsters ‘ll face the law’ From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

Nta said the move was “one of the major fallouts of ongoing collaboration with CCB and other agencies at synergising their capacities in the anti-graft war through collective approach.”

The statement added: “Nta, who described those providing false information about their property and others assets under oath as ignorant of the legal implications of such actions.

“He said the Commission would work on information availed it by the Bureau to determine the veracity or otherwise of such claims and prosecute any officer found to have made false declarations.

“The ICPC boss said the Commission is adopting a new approach in the fight against corruption by focusing on the root causes of antisocial behaviour among the people, using the education sector as the platform for driving the new initiatives highways.”

Don’t be distracted, Edo market women urge Oshiomhole over 5 Junction

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DO State Market Women Association has expressed anger over the ownership claim by the Federal Government to the building of the popular Benin City 5 Junction “Governor Adams Oshiomhole must remain focused and committed to the completion of several projects he has embarked upon, the women group said in Benin yesterday.

At its Oba Market Secretariat, the women expressed disappointment over the action of the Minister of Works, Mike Onolomenme, over 5 Junction.

Their Secretary, Mrs. Blaacky Omoregie said: “What

is the big deal about 5 Junction that the Federal Government is claiming?

“Where were they when Oshiomhole worked on Akpakpava Road, Sapele Road, Airport road, Ekenwan road and other federal highways in the state.

“We know who is working.

We must encourage Oshiomhole to do more because, we have seen ministers shedding crocodiles tears on Shagamu/ Benin/Ore Expressway without achieving nothing. But today, they are working there haphazardly and the same people are here claiming ownership of a project we all know Oshiomhole is doing.

Besides, if we must ask,

where were they when Oshiomhole, on a daily basis inspected the 5 Junction project?

“Edo people are no fools, the minister must be told. They should stop seeing us in Edo State as political tools. President Goodluck Jonathan should come to the state to compare the qualities of federal and state projects ; you cannot compare them.

“The quality of work done in 5 Junction is the signature of Edo State Government. They are like that within Benin City metropolis and the state at large. Edo people are the beneficiary and so, we want to encourage Oshiomhole to continue and never be discouraged by the antics of these known persons.”

Kidnapped gang kills prison warders in Warri

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INE gunmen suspected to belong to a kidnap gang, yesterday in Warri, Delta State, killed three prison warders.

They ambushed a Nigerian Prison service (NPS) Hilux van before shooting the warders.

They, thereafter, freed two kidnap suspects.

Vigilant youths of Okere community in Warri South Local Government re-arrested three of the inmates and handed them over to prisons officials.

The gunmen, according to

a source, waylaid a prisons’ van conveying criminal suspects to court at about 8.30 am, on Esisi Road, Warri and shot the warders.

The gunmen, operating in a Lexus Special Utility Vehicle, SUV and Toyota Camry, had left Okere area and were heading towards the “A” Police Division area, where the court is located when the gun men struck.”

“All the warders were shot, two died on the spot, while one died later.

Two of the inmates, be-

lieved to be notorious kidnappers escaped while youths in the area stopped three of them from escaping” Police Area Commander Hussani Rabiu, confirmed the incident.

He, however, said the police cordoned off the Effurun roundabout when they got wind of the attack, but the gunmen escaped through the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI/Uti road, Effurun.

He said the police were on the trail of fleeing inma

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INDUSTRY

Aganga: cocoa export fetched $900m in 2012

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BOUT $900 million was generated from the export of cocoa and cocoa products last year, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, has said.

Aganga, who spoke in Abuja through the Ministry’s Acting Permanent Secretary, Olakunle Sogboola, during the National Sensitisation Workshop on Sanitary PhytoSanitary Stardards Capacity Building in Africa, said cocoa, which is the second largest foreign exchange earner after crude oil, has generated over two million jobs.

He said: “The global market for cocoa is very huge, growing at an average of three per cent per annum.

Nigeria’s cocoa export has equally grown over the years by an average of 40 per cent annually and a cumulative of 280 per cent from $215 million in 2006 to $822.8 million from the export of cocoa and cocoa

Stories by Toba Agboola

products last year. “ Nigeria is the world’s fourth largest producer and exporter of cocoa. Paradoxically, over 90 per cent of the cocoa produced is exported.

Our domestic consumption of this strategic commodity is barely three per cent.

Given this scenario, not only is increased local consumption encouraged, the pursuance of value addition in our export drive has also become the ultimate goal of substantially reducing the export of raw cocoa and ensuring stable and improved income for our farmers.”

Aganga said the primary goal of the country is to secure a sustainable market for cocoa and cocoa products, as well as encourage effort to protect food safety and threats of pesticides and contaminants to human health, adding that the capacity building is in line with government’s commit-

ment to the continued growth and development of this vital industry through improved quality standards. “ It is expected that at the end of the implementation of this project in Nigeria, we would have trained adequate personnel capable of conducting in-depth analysis of cocoa and other food products, in addition to well-equipped and functional laboratories, which will conform to any SPS regulation anywhere in the world,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Mr Dauda Kigbu, said the essence of the workshop was to create awareness about Sanitary PhytoSanitary Standards Capacity building to mitigate the harmful effects of pesticides in cocoa in order to maintain market access. “ Nigeria as a responsible member of the international community is not only concerned about the

•From left: Sogboola, National President, Federation of Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr. Victor Iyama and Director, Commodities and Products Inspectorate, Mr Julius Apanisile, at the event.

negative health implications of toxins found in agriculture crops and food products like cocoa beans and cocoa products, but has taken measures to address this important issue which has now assumed international prominence. Kigbu said.

Executive Director, International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) , Dr. Jean Marc Anga,

said the cocoa and chocolate industry was faced with many challenges, as users of cocoa products are continuously coming up with more demands on issues, such as quality of the beans, traceability and integrity of the beans along the supply, food safety and social ethics.

He said ICCO will continue to support Nigeria to implement major compo-

BoI, Ogun embark on N100m projects for women

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HE Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Ogun State government, have set aside N100 million to build an agricultural packaging and processing plant to address local capacity utilisation.

The project, tagged ‘Tomato production and processing,’ is expected to empower over 1,000 women in Ogun State.

Managing Director of BoI, Ms. Evelyn Oputu, told wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, who visited the bank’s corporate office in Lagos, that the move is in line with the bank’s empowerment programme to address the “bottom pyramid of the society,” especially those relating to the feminine gender.

Ms. Oputu, while affirming the bank’s commitment to support Mrs Amosun in her ambition to build an agricultural packaging and processing plant, said women empowerment is vital to economic development. She said the bank in-

troduced the policy to ensure that 85 per cent of its fund is geared towards developing SMEs, adding that the SMEs’ desk was introduced to facilitate their access to loan in key areas where such loans are most needed.

Ms. Oputu, who noted that women have the tendency to get to higher levels when given the opportunity, stressed the need to make women empowerment prominent in the rural areas where majority of them still live in poverty.

Mrs. Amosun, who is the project convener and the founder of Uplift Development Foundation, said her mission was to uplift and empower women of the state, especially the widows and other cadres in the state.

She said her mission is in line with the vision of the state government to uplift agriculture and create jobs for the unemployed, especially the women and the youths.

NACCIMA to raise N250m for disaster victims

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HE Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) is set to raise N250 million for emergency relief programme for victims of disasters.

The fund raising programme, coming up in Lagos and Abuja, is expected to bring intervention in three areas, which are post-disaster medical services, psychological healing service and business advisory and soft loan for victims of disasters.

Chairman, NACCIMA

Emergency Relief Programme, Mr Goodie Ibru, in a statement, said NACCIMA decided to intervene in the three areas because most victims of disasters have psychological trauma as there is little or no immediate and long term psychological healing in terms of counselling.

President of the association, Dr. Herbert Ajayi, said multinational and indigenous corporations should also support the initiative to help poor and weak Nigerians through their social responsibility funds.

nent of the project that will create awareness among cocoa farmers along the cocoa supply chain, enhance the capacity of stakeholders to apply Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Warehousing Practices (CAP) as well as strengthening regional collaboration to enhance institutional capacity in each SPS standards in cocoa.

‘$620m spent on sugar importation’

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•From left: Mr Olalekan Sani, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Chief Samuel Bolarinde Chairman, Mr Joel Ajiga, Managing Director during Vitafoam annual general meeting.

Coca-Cola, IFC sign $100m MoU to empower women

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OCA-Cola Nigeria in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has signed a $100million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to finance women micro-distributors in the company’s value chain.

The agreement, signed in Atlanta, United States, provides for a three-year joint initiative to provide access to finance for women entrepreneurs in developing markets across Eurasia and Africa.

Nigeria has been allocated $22 million (about N3.5 billion) from this grant. In Nigeria, CocaCola and IFC are working with Access Bank to provide financing to women micro-distributors in collaboration with CocaCola’s bottling partner, the Nigerian Bottling Com-

pany (NBC).

The collaboration builds on the synergies between Coca-Cola’s five-by-20 Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative and IFC’s Banking on Women Programme to help address barriers women entrepreneurs commonly face in some of the world’s poorest countries.

IFC will work through its network of local and regional banking institutions to provide financing and business skills training to small and medium sised businesses that are owned or operated by women entrepreneurs across the Coca-Cola value chain.

Speaking on the empowerment initiative in Nigeria, Public Affairs and Communication Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Clem Ugorji, said: “Work related to this initiative is already beginning in Nigeria.

Coca-Cola and IFC are working with Access Bank to provide up to $22 million financing to women micro-distributors (MDCs) in the Coca-Cola value chain, in close collaboration with Coca-Cola’s bottling partner, Nigerian Bottling Company.”

President of Eurasia and Africa Group, the Coca-Cola Company, Nathan Kalumbu, said: “Women entrepreneurs make significant contributions to emerging and developing economies; yet have lower access to finance than their male counterparts. By providing greater access to capital, we are investing in our own success and the success of the communities we serve. We are excited about this opportunity to harness the collective power of our organisations to positively impact women in Eurasia and Africa.”

IGERIA spent $620million on the importation of raw sugar last year, the Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council, Dr. Latif Busari, has said.

Busari, who stated this at a forum in Abuja, regretted that those who imported the raw material did not pay levies on more than 99 per cent of the imports.

Noting that the country spent an average of $500 million on sugar importation yearly, he said the bill might go up going by the demand for the commodity.

He said: “Right now, we spend on the average, $500 million importing raw sugar. Last year, we spent about $620million importing raw sugar, and going forward, we believe it may go up a little bit.

“The demand for sugar, according to our projection, is going up a little bit; but then, as it is going up.We are putting in place measures to start local production. We believe that once we have all these investors in place and they start producing, the import bill should start gradually reducing.”

Busari expressed the hope that the country could save and use the money spent on sugar importation for economic development as soon as it started local production of the commodity on the level that could achieve selfsufficiency.

He said levies were not paid on over 99 per cent of the sugar imported into the country because of waivers granted to importers by government.

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INDUSTRY Flour Mills to set up food, UI centre

Artisan, others win prizes in Lipton promo

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LOUR Mills of Nigeria Plc is to establish a food research centre—Flour Mills Food Research Centre—at the University of Ibadan(UI).

The centre, the first of its kind in any university, is a partnership between Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and UI, the nation’s premier university.

In the partnership during the first phase, Flour Mills will provide an initial payment of N30 million, for the procurement of equipment and running of the centre during the first three years; the university will provide a building housing two laboratories for pilot plant studies and research in food product development.

At the flag-off of the project in UI, Flour Mills Group Managing Director, Chief Emmanuel Ukpabi, said the firm recently reviewed, redefined and articulated its Corporate Social Responsibility policy.

Following the review, the firm now has a strong focus on environmental sustainability, education, research and skills development, health and welfare, infrastructural development and security. This, he said, was in furtherance of Flour Mills’strong belief that business should be run in a profitable, but sustainable and socially responsible manner, creating great value for all stakeholders and giving back to the society.

The objectives of the Flour Mills Food Research Centre, according to Ukpabi, include contributing meaningfully to attaining national food security through research and development; strengthening the weak industry-academia linkages in Nigeria and promoting greater collaboration between the food industry and institutions that offer training in food science and technology in the country.

The centre to be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities will be available to researchers and students from all over Nigeria and other parts of the world.

Flour Mills’ Agro Allied Business Managing Director,Mr Paul Gbededo, said the firm aligned itself with the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, adding that the setting up of the centre was most appropriate.

He added that Flour Mills was pursuing an aggressive investment in agro-allied initiatives, growing palm for its edible oils and fats business, rice for its rice mills, cassava for its high quality cassava flour processing, starch and glucose business; and sugar cane for its mill and sugar refinery.

Gbededo expressed hope that the centre would be the hub of research activities in the university on value-added food processing and reduction in post-harvest food losses to promote food sufficiency in Nigeria and reduce food importation.

By Ajose Sehindemi

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•From left: Mr Folajomi; Brand Building Director, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Mr David Okeme; Category Manager, Tea and Spreads, Unilever, Mrs Oize Gyang; Vice President, Operations, Mr Anil Gopalan and Head, Regulation and Monitoring, National Lottery Board , Mr Jude Ughowujabo at the event.

Fed Govt, private sector plan 18 cassava processing firms

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HE Federal Government is to collaborate with the private sector to establish 18 cassava processing firms with machines that can process 240 tonnes of cassava per day.

President, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Olusegun Adewunmi, told The Nation that this was in line with the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The processing industries, he said, would create a market for cassava.

The objective of the agenda was to generate employment and transform the country into a leading player in the global food market to grow wealth for millions of farmers and make the agricultural sector a business project to promote private investment.

The partnership, he said, would also execute integrated projects through value chain processes, generate employment and transform Nigeria into a net exporter of agricultural commodities.

He said cassava growers would have to work hard to meet the requirement of the processing industries, especially as the country has started exporting cassava grits and chips to China. He commended the Federal Government for designing the agricultural transformation agenda.

The agenda, Adewunmi said, has made farmers to partner with banks, and not a master-servant relationship, like it used to be in the past.

“For the first time, a farmer can

Stories by Toba Agboola

sit down and make a programme of his own and it is acceptable to the bank and to the government.

In the past, it was the ministry that will make the programme, but we are glad it is no longer so. The agenda is working; it is giving us freedom,” he said.

Adewunmi, who observed that the membership of the association has increased to more than one million farmers, said the membership would be more than 10 million in the next six months, adding the issue of cassava glut was also being addressed by the Federal Government’s agricultural programme.

Kano-based plumber, Mr John Folajomi and Miss Ikemefuna Isioma, a worker of General Motors, in Lagos, who emerged winners of a brand new car prize each, in the just-concluded ‘Lipton switch on and win promo,’ have been presented with their prizes Five other customers, including an eight-year-old pupil of Ajelogo Nursery and Primary School, Ketu, Lagos, Ebonyegharun Osadumebi Zion, went home with N100,000 each, at the presentation held at Unilever’s head office in Lagos.

Other winners were Razak Adeyemi,Amih Njideka, Kehinde Agbomeji, and Florence Ojebseme, with George Friday, winning a return ticket to Dubai as 100 other consumers were also rewarded through the exercise.

Speaking at the presentation of prizes, the Vice President, Operations, Unilever Plc, Mr Anil Gopalon, said the promo was initiated late last year to reward consumers for their support for the brand.

He said: “One of the major reasons for the promo was to spur Nigerian consumers to develop interest in taking healthy drinks, instead of carbonated products that could be injurious to human system. Our major reason for conceptualising the promotion was, first to reward consumers, encourage them to drink tea and to add value to the lives of our teeming consumers.”

The vice president, who said the reward exercise always takes place at every first quarter of the year, also posit that consumers should expect more of such exercises in the future.

•From left: Former Minister for Commerce, Chief Olanike Akande, representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Abdullahi Muraina, and the President, Institute of Directors of Nigeria (IOD), Thomas Awagu at the breakfast briefing of the institute, in Lagos.

Non-oil sector can sustain economy, says Army chief

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HE Federal Government has been advised not to depend solely on oil export earnings, but to pay more attention to the non-oil sector to sustain the economy.

Speaking during the breakfast briefing of the Institute of Directors of Nigeria (IOD) in Lagos, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, represented by the Chief of Accounting and Budget, Maj.- Gen. Abdullahi Muraina, blamed the lingering economic stagnation, rising poverty level and the decline of public institutions on poor economic management Speaking on the theme: The role of the Armed Forces in economic development, Ihejirika said the fluc-

By Ambrose Nnaji

tuations in public expenditure has reflected both the over-reliance on oil earnings and weak fiscal discipline by previous governments, adding that unstable fiscal spending also tends to cause real exchange rate volatility.

He said the fiscal expansions financed by oil revenues often result in domestic currency appreciation, creating what he described as Dutch-disease concerns and reducing competitiveness of the non-oil economy The Army chief saidlack of infrastructural development has hindered public investments, adding that this has slowed down

private sector activities over the years.

He blamed the poor condition of the power sector on the country’s infrastructural shortfall.

Meanwhile, per capita power consumption in Nigeria has been estimated at 82 kilowatts (kw) compared with an average of 456kw in other sub-saharan African countries, and 3,793kw in South Africa.

Ihejirika said Nigeria’s economic performance prior to economic reforms was generally poor, adding that between 1992 and 2002, the yearly GDP growth averaged about 2.25 per cent with an estimated population growth of 2.80 per cent per

year.

This implied a reduction in per capita GDP over the years, which he noted, has worsened the living conditions of most Nigerians.

He said the inflation levels are high, averaging about 28.94 per cent per annum over the same period.

He said human development indicators in Nigeria compare favourably with those of other least developed countries, but regretted that widespread corruption has destablised the effectiveness of various public expenditure programmes, he, however, expressed confidence over the attainment of macroeconomic stability which, he said, had provided a platform for improved

growth performance in the recent time He observed that the growth rates have averaged about 7.1 per cent yearly for 2003 to 2006. This, he said, was a notable improvement on the performance over the decade before the reforms when yearly growth rate averaged about 2.3 per cent.

The President of the institute, Thomas Awagu, who reiterated his commitment to advancing the economic development of the nation, said the institute would continue to establish contact among business leaders at the highest levels and partner withthe government for the creation and entrenchment of favourable business friendly policies in the country.

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

FROM OTHER LANDS

Abridging Yerima’s right • Is that an omen about how the Jonathan administration will treat opposition come 2015?

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HE outrage over the arrest of Ahmed Yerima, last Saturday, following his interview on a Radio Kaduna programme is justified. Indeed, every democrat must stand to condemn such a bizarre attack on free speech, which is at the root of any sustainable democracy. Let us emphasise that the fundamental right to freedom of expression provided in section 39 of the 1999 constitution underlines all the other rights in the constitution. For, if a man’s ‘freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference’ is unlawfully abridged, then the right to life, human dignity, personal liberty and all other rights become meaningless.

To underscore this fundamental fact, can anyone in a democratic environment imagine a life without the right to use the natural gift of expression? What about the right to human dignity or personal liberty devoid of the right to freely hold opinion and impart same? Again, how can the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or peaceful assembly have any meaning when mum is forced on the holders of these rights? So, those who casually arrested Yerima, a former Governor of Zamfara State and a Senator of the Republic, must be made to realise the grave harm they have done to the fundamental law of our country. The fact that he was released later is immaterial.

May we ask whether this intimidation is a sign of what is coming? What man-

ner of democracy will allow an opposition figure to be arrested for threatening to exercise a democratic right to protest, if a democratic endeavour to freely register a political party is abridged? To underscore the fullness of the threat, the police allegedly initially claimed that the instructions to arrest the former governor came from Abuja. If it were so, it is important to compel the Kaduna State police commissioner to say who gave him the instructions; whether it was from the police headquarters or the presidency.

This finding is necessary to appreciate whether it was a partisan interference of the presidency abusing the powers of the police, or a buffoonery of the police authorities to please misjudged masters.

Either way, the police conduct belies the need for them to remain nonpartisan as they should for our democracy to nurture. The Kaduna State police commissioner who has been turned between reclaiming personal responsibility for the outrageous conduct and retaining the initial stand that he acted based on instructions from Abuja; sought to offer the jejune excuse that Yerima was merely invited for a chat, and was not arrested by the police. If this lie were allowed to stick, then on what basis was he invited by his command, and for what reason was the tape recording of his radio interview seized? If he is arrested for threatening to protest, what will happen if he protests?

And come to think of it, the right to protest or hold peaceful assembly

is as democratic as the right to hold public office. Both are benefits of a constitutional order. If one right can be indiscriminately abused, what is the safety valve that the other may not be threatened? That is the poser for police commissioner Olufemi Adenaike and those who sent him.

While claiming that Yerima was merely invited for a chat, the commissioner is reported to have surrounded the radio station, while the interview was on, with six vans full of policemen. If that type of invitation is not strange to Mr. Adenaike, it is to us; and should not be repeated in the interest of our common democracy.

‘If one right can be indiscriminately abused, what is the safety valve that the other may not be threatened? ...

While claiming that Yerima was merely invited for a chat, the commissioner is reported to have surrounded the radio station, while the interview was on, with six vans full of policemen. If that type of invitation is not strange to Mr. Adenaike, it is to us; and should not be repeated in the interest of our common democracy’

Adios, Hugo • The late Venezuelan president was a good politician, but a poor leader

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UGO Chavez, the late President of Venezuela was as much a centre of controversy as he was a bundle of contradictions. As the best-known of the leftist leaders from South America who attained international prominence around the turn of the century, his words and actions were aimed at demonstrating his professed love for the ordinary person and his hatred of oppression, injustice and inequity.

Coming to power at a time when his country was riding the crest of an oil boom, Chavez embarked on a system of reforms that was breathtaking in their scope and ambition. He instituted price controls, flooded the country with massive imports of food, set up health-care facilities offering free treatment, and virtually nationalised the oil industry. These measures won him the adoration of the poor, and resulted in repeated

‘Hugo Chavez epitomised the contradictions inherent in the South American tradition of the caudillo, the powerful, charismatic, authoritarian leader: he used his considerable abilities for the betterment of his people, but he did this at the expense of their long-term development. By weakening democratic institutions in his haste to deepen reform, he made the country overly dependent on him. Now that he is no more, Venezuela will struggle to rebuild a culture of accountability and competence independent of its late leader’

electoral victories.

His domestic politics were characterised by attempts to entrench his Bolivarian Revolution, and involved comprehensive political reforms such as the abolition of term limits for elected officials, radical political restructuring and squeezing out opposition groups. His main strategy was to leverage his enormous personal charm and almost-inexhaustible energy: he hosted talk shows which ran for several hours on a daily basis, and travelled all over the country to exhort, encourage and educate his compatriots.

He brought a similarly radical vigour to the practice of international relations.

Dispensing with diplomatese, he regularly subjected countries like the United States to verbal abuse, often using crude epithets to refer to those he disagreed with. He strongly identified with Cuba which supplied his administration with doctors, engineers and other trained personnel in return for oil. Chavez also sought to facilitate South American integration as a bulwark against the U.S. by establishing the Union of South American Nations, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, the Bank of the South, and the regional television network, TeleSur. There can be no doubt that Chavez was sincerely committed to improving the quality of life of the poorest Venezuelans.

His social policies were clearly designed to make the majority of citizens betterfed, healthier and well-educated. His Communal Councils and workers’ cooperatives were intended to spread decision-making to more people, and his nationalisation and land reform programmes were aimed at ensuring that more of the country’s wealth was kept within its borders for the benefits of its

people.

However, all this came at a heavy price. Chavez made the fundamental error of personalising national authority. Rather than build genuinely credible institutions, he concentrated too much power in his own hands, by-passing constitutional procedures when they did not suit him. Much of the revenues obtained from oil exports were spent without parliamentary oversight; media organisations hostile to him were hounded out of business; government resources were used to prosecute elections, thereby putting the opposition at a great disadvantage.

The clearest demonstration of the extent to which Chavez had personalised power can be seen in his illness. Even though he was gravely ill and had courageously publicised his medical condition, such was his unwillingness to leave office that several constitutional provisions were manipulated in order to give him time to recover. It was only after his death that the Vice-President was able to assume real authority.

Hugo Chavez epitomised the contradictions inherent in the South American tradition of the caudillo, the powerful, charismatic, authoritarian leader: he used his considerable abilities for the betterment of his people, but he did this at the expense of their long-term development. By weakening democratic institutions in his haste to deepen reform, he made the country overly dependent on him. Now that he is no more, Venezuela will struggle to rebuild a culture of accountability and competence independent of its late leader, no matter how well-intentioned and powerful he may have been.

Kenyan democracy in the dock The west, as much as Nairobi, faces a tricky path

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N Africa’s unfinished journey from autocracy to democratic rule, Kenya’s 2013 polls will go down among the more curious staging posts. Kenyans have great aspirations.

They are mostly frustrated with their politicians and sophisticated in their understanding of their shortcomings. Yet, according to the country’s electoral commission, they have chosen two men – Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate William Ruto – indicted for crimes against humanity to lead their nation. That could complicate their relations with the outside world for years to come.

There are strong reasons to doubt the integrity of the final results. In the most tech-savvy nation in the region, the electoral commission failed spectacularly to deploy mobile phones and laptops acquired at great cost to safeguard the integrity of the vote. Mr Kenyatta’s victory stands on a controversial manual count. Raila Odinga, the outgoing prime minister and losing candidate, has taken a challenge to the courts. Haunted by the violence that erupted following disputes over the results of the last vote in 2007, most Kenyans appear in no mood for a fight.

The country’s new leaders have other battles on their hands. Within months they are due to appear for trial at the International Criminal Court for their alleged role in organising 2008 election violence that claimed more than 1,100 lives. To date they have pledged to co-operate with the ICC. They face long periods in the dock – an unusual position from which to manage government business, promote reconciliation and assure foreign businesses that Kenya is a sound investment destination. Should they use their new positions to defy the ICC, it will be even more complicated for Kenya given the prospect of sanctions.

As much as Kenya, the ICC has lessons to learn. The principles of international justice were always likely to rub up against political realities. On the campaign trail Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto tapped into a rich seam of hostility towards western paternalism, turning the ICC indictments into an asset. They made the election a referendum on western intervention in Africa by portraying themselves as victims.

Now they are in the best possible position to mount a defence and can use it to mobilise Kenyans should they refuse to attend court hearings. If the ICC is going to indict powerful politicians in future it might think twice about releasing them on bail.

Kenya is at the centre of a regional and continental economic revival. Western companies are heavily invested in this. In the face of strong resistance, there has been real progress on judicial and political reforms. A fairer system of governance, enshrined in its 2010 constitution, is within reach. It would be a mistake to ostracise Kenya. But upholding a commitment to end impunity is also important. Provided Kenya’s courts are able to rule freely on the legitimacy of the elections and its new leaders co-operate fully with the ICC, western governments should take a pragmatic approach.

- Financial Times

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: President Jonathan’s visit to Maiduguri affords every keen observer of the present insurgency the rare opportunity to decipher the administration’s largely incoherent counterterrorism strategy. Ever since the beginning of the war on Boko Haram, we have been inundated with claims by the government and its (in) security agencies that the ongoing military campaign despite its deplorable excesses - is strategically well-grounded.

We once had the president prophesy that the Boko Haram will not last beyond June 2012. His police chief had earlier declared Boko Haram’s days numbered while a defense chief contended that the insurgency will only come to an end when and only when Boko Haram runs out of suicide bombers.

So far, months have passed, police chiefs sacked, and defense chiefs reshuffled even as Boko Haram campaign of terror runs amok.

Our current counter-terrorism strategy is counter-productive in that it incites further escalation by its constant targeting of defenseless civilians. This necessitates the need to re-examine the strategy with the aim of decreasing its support, diminishing its presence, limiting its ability to operate and squeezing it out of its safe havens. Such strategy should be specifically geared towards targeting the ideology rather than the individual terrorist, because every individual terrorist is redeemable, salvageable and worthy of dignity as a human. It is only through counter-ideological confrontations that we can effectively achieve these

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Jonathan’s visit to Borno, Yobe strategic goals of defeating terrorism in all its ideological hues.

It is misleading to posit Boko Haram as a strictly religious or political phenomenon.

No Nigerian Muslim would want his religion to be presented in such destructive, bloodletting and atavistic form. Such simplistic generalization and counter-factual condescension miss many important points: Are Boko Haram adherents having no other goals and dreams in life than suicide bombing and violence? What had they been doing all their lives that they were both Boko Haram and non-violent prior to the 2009 escalation?

We live in a country riddled with

numerous politically-induced demographic disparities where the assuaging fabrics of social welfarism are shredded to pieces by elite greed and political nepotism. Those socio-economic and cultural imbalances are more visible in northern Nigeria where the near absence of civil activism and a conformist cultural orientation have conspired to entrench a regime of impunity and elite insensitivity across the region with little resistance. Yusuf craftily tied his message around those elements of our socio-political discontent.

Military approach alone cannot defeat terrorism. After eleven years of stalemate in Afghanistan, the US is finally reaching to the Taliban with

the hope of striking a deal. I am not an advocate of incoherent strategy of containment. Boko Haram has been losing the publicity battle within its operational bases, and so does the military. It is this realization that is forcing a rethink among Boko Haram’s ranks that led to the recent offer of dialogue. Dialogue at this time presents the government with a double-edged opportunity to coopt the moderates among the insurgents, an action which has the potential to alienate the group’s extreme core or trigger factional strife that will see both factions expend or seriously weaken each other. This will also demonstrate the government’s willingness to assume responsibility and to dialogue without undermining its resolve to

Ogun Assembly needs prayers

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IR: The frequent uproar and skirmishes at Ogun State House of Assembly call for serious concern and concerted efforts before the worst happens.

During the last legislative period under the Daniel’s administration, the assembly was polarized into two groups and did not sit for months, yet jumbo allowances

were paid for work not done. Then, a group of the legislators made us to believe that it was fighting for the future of the state by opposing the executive request for bond (or bondage as it was called then) from the capital market.Some of the principal actors in the house then are in the present assembly. Yet, the same bond has been approved

unconditionally. Our Honourable legislators owe us an explanation.The Ogun legislators are not reputed to be championing good governance via innovative legislative Bills. They are not fighting the executive because of the interest of the masses. They do not bother to serve as check to the executive. Most of the laws in the

Nigeria not a secular state

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IR: To protect your privacy, remote images are blocked in this message. Display images I beg to disagree with President Goodluck Jonathan as reported in The Nation, page 60 of Tuesday March 12 describing Nigeria as a secular state.The dictionary defines ‘secular’ as ‘not connected with spiritual or religious matters’. Also wikipedia says, ‘a secular state is one that supports neither religion nor irreligion.The Nigerian state

use force to protect the citizenry when necessary.

Regrettably, any chance for peace has been pre-empted with the president’s renunciation of dialogue and the publication of the government kill list that places bounties on the group’s top command.

There seem to be only three types of victims of the FG/Boko Haram war: those who are innocently killed or maimed; those who are falsely accused or smeared; and the rest of us who are helpless, vulnerable, and terrified to speak out.

Jonathan’s visit to Maiduguri affirmed one important point: that the ghosts of terror have not only infiltrated his administration, but have also impaired his ability to think and act like a leader capable of trading-off short-term political exigencies for future stability and not vice versa. With that now clear, Jonathan’s visit to Borno cannot be condemned for waste of resources.

• Ahmed Musa Husaini Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

supports Christianity and Islam.The Nigerian state sponsors people on religious pilgrimages; in Nigeria,there are religious houses in state house/s); the Nigerian government declares public holidays to mark religious festivals; recently,the media reported that a top government official went to Rome to represent the country at a religious event.

Also recently, a Nigerin government in the south-south region donated state money to a

religious organisation. In fact,the President was reported to have made the remark referred to above at an occasion where some states were reported to him for not sponsoring Christians on pilgrimage. In the light of all these,,how can we say that Nigeria is a secular state? No doubt, secularity in state matters may be desirable. However, it is not possible inNigeria. Nigeria is a multi-religious state and we do not have to pretend otherwise or be

ashamed to say so. Nigeria is a muslim country. Nigeria is a christian country. Nigeria is a country of indigenous beliefs. Any government that thinks otherwise is deluding itself or just being hypocritical. I, for one, I am very proud of this religious pluralism which I believe is God’s gift to this country and should be guarded jealously from generation to generation.

• Adisa Aro Seidu,Ojodu-Berger,Lagos

state are copied from Lagos where the legislators are devoted to legislative business.

Our legislators are hereby challenged to name a Bill ever proposed and passed into law aimed to offer succour for the welfare of the people of the state.Coincidentally, most of the Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria today have their headquarters in Ogun State. The time has come for them to intervene and decree special deliverance to free the assembly from the forces and spirits of retardation, stagnation and upheaval.The latest crisis is alleged to be caused by the composition of House Tender Board. The question is, of what importance is the board to legislative business? Are our legislators elected to award contracts? A discerning mind would know that behind all these brouhaha is the sharing of our common wealth. It shall be well with Ogun State House of Assembly.Femi Ogunbanwo, EsqLagos

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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COMMENTS

Centenary of Ibadan Grammar School

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OON, Ibadan Grammar School will be celebrating its centenary. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since Ibadan Grammar School came into existence. The school started as a community effort predominantly by the Anglican Christian community. In this regard, the man who became the first Ibadan-born Bishop of the Anglican community Bishop Akinyele played a significant if not overwhelming role in the establishment of the Grammar School. Over time, Ibadan Grammar School became a solidly Anglican Grammar School and the first Anglican Grammar School in the entire Ibadan division. Sister schools such as St Anne’s partly Anglican and Methodist and Yejide Girls Grammar School. solely Anglican came after the establishment of Ibadan Grammar School.

The school was patterned after the older CMS Grammar School in Lagos which was founded in 1858 through the instrumentality of Mr. Macaulay a son-in-law of Bishop Ajayi Crowther.

Ibadan Grammar School was first domiciled at Oke Are before moving to its present location across the bridge on Kudeti River in an Anglican environment harboring St Luke’s Teachers College and Ibadan Grammar School itself. This was supposed to have been in a virgin forest where for many years farmlands surrounded the school. Today the city has caught up with Ibadan Grammar School and the school is now almost in the middle of the town in Molete. Unfortunately, the road linking the town with Molete has witnessed a lot of degradation and for some years the bridges over river Kudeti were swept off by the rampaging floods that afflicted Ibadan some years ago.

Ibadan Grammar School belongs to the “AOINIAN” schools. A confederation of schools of the Anglican Communion in some parts of the old western region including Egbado College Ilaro, Oduduwa College Ife, Abeokuta Grammar School, Ijebu Ode Grammar School, Ondo Boys High School, Imade College Owo and so on. These schools competed with each other in games and athletics every year and champions in these games were highly applauded. The school attracted people from near and far including students from

‘With the calibre of some of the old boys, it should be possible for them to use some of their tax deductible income to fix the school. Ibadan Grammar School shall rise again. A 100years old school, with a great tradition must not be allowed to die’

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HE 2015 presidential race has begun. Those interested in the election and their backers have launched a battle for the diadem. The presidency is a coveted job. As the highest office in the land, it requires those who believe in themselves to step forward for the plum job. It goes without saying, therefore, that only one person can occupy the office at a time. But in a society riven by religious and ethnic strife, whatever we do is always determined by where we come from and the faith that we profess. It is even worse in the matter of who becomes president.

The battle for the presidency is usually a do-or- die between the North and the South. For years, the North colonised the presidency. The region held the reins of power for years, leaving the South with what its people believed to be sinecure positions. The South complained for years about a power structure, which seemed to have turned its people to second class citizens in their own country, but its cry went unheard.

To keep the South perpetually away from presidential power, the North resorted to chicanery and if you like, bribery. During an election, rather than back its own, the South (or should I say some people from the region) is always ready to go with the North once the price is right.

And what is this price? It could be either juicy political posts; contracts or cash.

This is the trick the North has deployed for years to keep the South on the lower rungs of the political ladder. But since there is a time for everything, the tide turned in the South’s favour in 1993. Despite running on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, the late

Eastern Nigeria and the Mid-west which we know today as Edo and Delta. Because of this, the school usually had a formidable soccer team. The school was largely a boarding school but there were sprinklings of day students among the students population. The most famous of the headmaster of the school was the legendary Arch Deacon Emmanuel Alayande who was a son-in-law to the founding Principal of the school, Bishop Akinyele. Alayande was a prominent member of the National Union of Teachers and he used his influence with the Western Nigeria Government to secure the license to recruit the best of teachers including men and women from abroad. Because of this, the school was very popular in the old western region and outside it.

When I was a student in the school in 1961 and 1962, the only son of Sir Francis Ibiam who was the Governor of Eastern Nigeria was a student there. During my time, names of students read like names of who was who in the old Western Region and Lagos. Arch Deacon Alayande was not only a great teacher but he was also a great man. He treated every student as if they were his children and as a professional teacher, he did not spare the rod. He was a very influential man in Nigeria at that time and he carried the honorific title of chaplain to the Action Group, the party in power in western Nigeria. Arch Deacon Alayande was also on the board of West African Examination Council (WAEC) and was therefore in the position to determine the course and curriculum of secondary school education in Nigeria.

Of course Ibadan Grammar School was not a government college. It did not have the kind of facilities government colleges in Ibadan, Benin and Ugheli had; nevertheless its students never felt inferior to their counterparts in Government College, Ibadan except when the girls of the three famous girls schools, St Anne, Yejide and St Theresa favoured the boys from Government College over them as boyfriends!

The school was a training ground for leadership because of its cosmopolitan nature. Every student had to learn fast in order to survive in an atmosphere dominated by boys from Lagos who were exposed to the cut throat competition of Lagos life. It is therefore not surprising that some of the products of the school have done really well in the corporate life of Nigeria. People like Chief Bayo Akinnola an industrialist and Lisa of Ondo, the Ibru brothers – Alex and Goddy, Mike Adenuga and Patrick Dele Cole to mention a few.

Ibadan Grammar School has been a victim of vicissitude and tragedy that have afflicted education in the country.

During the administration of the UPN government of Chief Bola Ige who incidentally was an old boy and a senior prefect, all the schools in the old Western region were taken over in a leveling process by which all schools were opened

to all and sundry.

This affected standards and since school fees were abolished, the school went into a total decline. This ideologically driven programme of free education at all levels was a disaster in the whole western region.

Ibadan Grammar School is no longer what it used to be. The road

Jide Osuntokun

leading to the school has been washed away by rain and it remains practically un-tarred. Roofs of most of the building have been blown off by howling wind and it seems to me that the boarding houses are no longer in operation because most of the boarding houses appear to be totally deserted. The classrooms are in shambles. I used to be the school librarian while I was there but I am sure there is no library there at the moment. To put it biblically, God has departed from the house of Israel.

The story of decline in Ibadan Grammar School is also replicated in Government College Ibadan. The school I understand has been returned to the Anglican Communion but the level of its collapse is so great that it will require wholesale rehabilitation to put it right. This is where the government of Oyo state and the old boys and girls of the school would have to do something. With the calibre of some of the old boys, it should be possible for them to use some of their tax deductible income to fix the school.

Ibadan Grammar School shall rise again. A 100years old school, with a great tradition must not be allowed to die.

The tragedy of Ibadan Grammar School epitomizes in a glaring way the decline of everything that was good while I was growing up. Thank God for my alma mater Christ’s School Ado Ekiti which has somehow managed to survive the buffeting of time and political and policy somersault in educational planning and development in Nigeria. Christ’s School owes its survival to the engaging interest of its alumni and alumnae who over the years have paid unusual attention and interest in the affairs of the school. Without being immodest, the set of 1956-1960 to which I belong blazed the trail by donating a block of classrooms to the school several years ago. Others have since emulated us. Ibadan Grammar School should borrow a leaf from Christ’s School which is after all, a sister Anglican School.

Where is the Jonathan one-term pact? newspaper mogul Moshood Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election, but the Gen Ibrahim Babangida (read as the North) regime annulled the poll, throwing the country into turmoil for years.

Long after his exit from power in August of that same year, Nigeria remained in crisis until June 1998 when former Head of State Gen Sani Abacha died in his fortress in Aso Rock. Unfortunately, Abiola died the following month in detention.

Abiola fought to reclaim his mandate but the late Abacha got him arrested and kept him in solitary confinement for years.

Rather than back Abiola, his kinsman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who later benefited from the late business man’s travails, said the deceased was not the messiah that Nigeria needed. That is the South for you. Obasanjo never told us, but I believe he later saw himself as that messiah when he became president in 1999.

The current problem between the North and the South over the 2015 presidency can be located in the 1999 arrangement that brought Obasanjo to office.

The North, it was said, backed him then on the condition that he would serve one term; he did two and was even ready for a third term if the National Assembly had not scuttled his ambition with the rejection of his tenure elongation bid which wars disguised as a Constitution Amendment Bill. Today, President Goodluck Jonathan is

toeing that path by purportedly reneging on an agreement to do only one term. Did the president enter into such agreement?

Was it a verbal or written pact?

Those who should know say that it was written. If this is so, where is the agreement? Who are the signatories? Those who have the document will be doing us a world of good if they can release it for public consumption. The release of the document will lay to rest all this hue and cry over an issue which does not warrant the drawing out of our swords. nyway, why will someone like Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu say that there is such a pact if none exists?

Why will a senior citizen like Chief Edwin Clark deny the existence of such a pact if really there is one? Why can’t the presidency come clean with us on the matter by telling us if the president signed such a pact or not? The answer to the issue is not to dismiss it offhandedly by saying that the talk of a pact is to distract the president. What

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is distracting in that? The question needs a simple yes or no answer. Yes, I signed the pact; or no, I didn’t sign the pact.

Chikena Alleging that there is a pact in a radio interview, Aliyu said: “I recall that at the time he (Jonathan) was going to declare for the 2011 election, all the PDP governors were brought together to ensure that we were all in the same frame of mind.

And I recall that some of us said given the circumstances of the death of President Umaru Yar’ Adua and given the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zoning arrangement, it was expected that the North was to produce the president for a number of years. I recall at that discussion, it was agreed that Jonathan would serve only one term of four years and we all signed the agreement.

Even when Jonathan went to Kampala in Uganda, he also said he was going to serve a single term’’ In denying the existence of such a pact, Clark, who accused Aliyu of lying, said: ‘’It is unfortunate and disappointing

‘The answer to the issue is not to dismiss it offhandedly by saying that the talk of a pact is to distract the president.

What is distracting in that? The question needs a simple yes or no answer. Yes, I signed the pact; or no, I didn’t sign the pact. Chikena’

Lawal Ogienagbon lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net SMS ONLY: 08099400204

that you could engage in such bare-faced lies and false propaganda simply because of your inordinate ambition to seek election as president come 2015, and the only qualification you think you have over the incumbent is that you are a Northerner who must rule at all times. As a rebuttal to your statement, I wish to repeat that there was no agreement between the governors of the 19 Northern states and President Jonathan. You are a very well educated person, but it appears you do not understand the correct meaning of agreement” But a Northern leader, Dr Junaid Muhammed, insists that the pact exists. He claimed to have “sighted” a copy of the agreement with a friend. Can he do the nation a favour by getting us this copy from his friend so that we can end this drama of a pact or no pact? Many will be willing to part with millions of naira to get this ‘pact’ and many will also be willing to double that to ensure the ‘pact’ remains hidden.

Dr Muhammed seems to have the ace. Will he get the pact for us?

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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COMMENTS

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ECOURSE to memory will show it is not often you see Nigerian editors running a newspaper/magazine as a successful commercial enterprise. Newswatch and its editors therefore deserve some credit for running their newsmagazine as an ongoing successful business concern for an unbroken 28 years until they were finally outwitted by Jimoh Ibrahim, a veteran of Nigeria brand of crude capitalism.

This feat is unmatched in the history of newspaper and magazine publication in Nigeria, The trend has always been either the collapse of editor-managed publications because of incompetence as business managers or as often the case, being outwitted by their more business savvy and ruthless partners.

And when the end finally came on May 5, 2011 for Newswatch, started in 1984 by the late Dele Giwa and the trio of Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, and Yakubu Mohammed, it was as a victim of two factors: incompetence as business managers and the editors over-reliance on idealism as against pragmatism of their adversary whose sole objective as a ruthless capitalist is reducing the weak to servitude that the strong can continue to flourish.

Jimoh Ibrahim in fact claimed during the signing of memorandum of understanding that based on the reports submitted by members of his acquisition team, “the principal problem of the magazine was that of finance and therefore his new team would concentrate on the managerial aspect of the company”. Under the new arrangement, the backlog of seven months staff salary owed by the old out-going management will be

The ex-editors were given a bloody nose by a veteran operator in Nigeria economic jungle where there are no rules, where those who contributed to the collapse of government owned thriving business concerns such as airlines, hotels, banks’ turned-around, under government’s fraudulent privatization and commercialization programme.

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BOUT five years ago, many Nigerians saw lottery as an immoral adventure. They considered it a social taboo which should not be encouraged in any decent society. Like gamblers, those who played lottery were labelled as greedy and selfish people, looking for cheap ways of to make money. So when such people play lottery, they did so in street corners and other covert locations far from the preying eyes of naïve moralist who condemned them even though they knew little or nothing about lottery.

Today, the story is different. Nigerians are better informed and can now differentiate between lottery and gambling. Many of those who castigated lottery players and operators have come to realise that asides empowering people, lottery is a goldmine that can be used to foster national development if properly managed.

Without mincing words, the lottery business in Nigeria has experienced an unprecedented growth in the last four years.

Like a phoenix rising from ashes, the industry once dead has grown to become one of the wealthiest and best managed sectors in the country today. Those familiar with on-goings in the lottery world can attest that Nigeria’s lottery industry has grown in leaps and bounds and can favourably compete with those in America, United Kingdom, France and other countries where lottery is popular.

Not just that, they can also attest that the growth presently experienced in the industry was birthed and sustained by Peter Igho, the Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC).

Before Igho’s appointment in 2009, the NLRC was in complete disarray. Like many other government agencies, it existed without much impact. The commission’s headquarters was a three room apartment

Newswatch vs. Jimoh Ibrahim paid by the new management while all debts being owed by the old management will also be paid by the new owner.

But Ibrahim failed to pay salaries as promised. He also did not show interest in expansion such as building of a new headquarters as recently claimed by Mohammed during the last court proceeding. But Ibrahim dared the ex-editors and rested the news magazine insisting it was “due for corporate surgery”.

But the truth is as told by Jimoh Ibrahim who now has all the aces it is no more in dispute that he offered N1billion for the control of 52% of Newswatch. It is a fact the ex-Newswatch editors/directors resigned after collecting mouth watering severance packages. Ray Ekpu has at least admitted collecting N79m with an outstanding of N30m Jimoh Ibrahim still held on to.

The law also seems to side with Jimoh Ibrahim. As Justice Okon Abang who dismissed the case of the Newswatch minority share holders has argued, “since the defendants who had resigned as directors are still claiming to have the right to declare a trade dispute, this is likely to affect the right of majority shareholders, and that gives the majority shareholders locus standi to bring the suit”.

But besides Ibrahim’s moral and judicial victories, I think it is fruitless fighting against a man that is always ready to fight with might and means and sometimes in public when anything impinges on his rights.

The other day when Sanusi, the CBN governor lumped his name together with those he claimed contributed to the collapse of many banks as a result of their non-performing’ loans, it would be recalled, Jimoh Ibrahim spent several millions of naira, close

to the amount credited against his name on advertorial pages to tell the public that he was not indebted to Oceanic Bank or any bank for that matter.

When the senate made uncomplimentary remarks about airline operators after the crash of DANA Airline that killed 153, Ibrahim alone hit back at senators he claimed “know next to nothing about aviation but chose to pontificate”. “Just because we elected them”, he thundered, “does not mean they can just talk any how…Let them come to the industry and see if they can successfully manage one aircraft”.

I also expect my friend Ray Ekpu and his ex-editors to be wary of an adversary who admitted when he started secondary school, he was always the second last in his class.

“There used to be 24 pupils in a class. I always got the 23rd position”, he recently told a reporter. Ibrahim today describes himself as a “corporate surgeon specializing in buying sick corporations”. But the available records indicate Ibrahim instead of surgery has often performed autopsy.

Ray Ekpu also seems to have ignored Ibrahim’s subtle threat who upon being criticized for closing down the Newswatch said: “When God got angry with the Israelites, he unleashed fire on them. I should be praised not criticized. .... I’m not unleashing fire but simply suspending the magazine.” Surely there must be a more subtle way for Ray Ekpu to collect his outstanding N30m without inviting the wrath of Ibrahim.

I cannot imagine how Ray Ekpu and his colleagues who were dazed by Jimoh Ibrahim’s N1billion will now see themselves as a match to a man who said “I am bigger

Changing the face of lottery in Nigeria

By Vincent Nzemeke in Abuja with less than a dozen people on staff.

Many Nigerians lost faith in the lottery system because the agency constitutionally empowered to regulate the business was docile. Some operators as they are wont to do, took advantage of this docility to fleece Nigerians of their hard earned money. In those days, anyone could wake up in the morning and decide to start a lottery promo. They announce incredible prizes, lure innocent and unassuming members of the public to play only to hoodwink them at the end of the day.

And so when Igho came on board, his first task was to clean up the Aegean stable created by years of docility. He was faced with a daunting task of confronting shylock lottery operators who were used to making money without remitting a percentage of it to the government as stipulated by relevant laws. He also had to bear the burden of restoring integrity in order to make people believe that lottery can be used to promote worthy causes.

This huge task required crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country to ensure that lottery operators in Nigeria were duly licensed by the NLRC as required by law. It was also the responsibility of the commission to ensure that lottery promotions in the country are transparent and that winners got their prizes.

Looking back now, one can only commend Igho for the transformation he has

brought into the lottery business. From a small office in Abuja, the NLRC now has offices in various parts of Nigeria with over a thousand staff on its payroll. There is virtually no part of the country where a lottery promo is held today without representatives of the NLRC being on ground to witness it to ensure transparency.

What Igho has done with the NLRC is testimony of his knack as a seasoned administrator and patriotic Nigerian willing to sacrifice personal comfort for national development. Under his watch, the lottery commission has saved over three billion naira into the Trust Fund which will be used by the government to promote good causes as stipulated by the Lottery Act of 2005.

Igho deserves commendations for many reasons. The mind shift of many Nigerians towards lottery today is traceable to the enlightenment campaign he embarked on as soon as he was appointed as the head of lottery commission. It is to his credit that a once ignorant population now knows that lottery can indeed be a viable tool for poverty alleviation in Nigeria as it is done in other countries.

But for his enlightenment campaigns through various mediums, many Nigerians would never know that the Great Walls of China, the renowned Academy in France where Napoleon Bonaparte was schooled and the other great edifices around the world were built with lottery funds. A good number of lottery players would also not have known that the Lot-

than Richard Branson”, or who told the governor of his state after an encounter at the airport that “visiting a private aircraft without invitation, when he is not an airport official, is a security risk and amounts to conduct unbecoming of a governor.”

Above all, Ibrahim has little to lose in terms of reputation in spite scurrilous attack by his political, business and now media adversaries. For doing exactly what he knows how to do best – buy distressed companies that “are assets rich, which he then uses as collateral to borrow more money from banks”, he has been described as “the proverbial business pirate who destroys and kills any business he gets his hands on, while enriching h imself”.

He has been libelled by enemies who alleged he diverted N35b aviation fund meant to support his now dead airlines to NICON Investment Limited claimed to be jointly owned 100% with his wife.

Jimoh Ibrahim’s envious enemies are not done; they wickedly alleged he converted N10 billion paid by the Accountant-General of the Federation to NICON Insurance Plc for the payment of pensioners to buy himself a Bombardier Challenger 625 private jet.

Ray Ekpu must note that with all the assaults from different directions, Ibrahim has continued to wax stronger.

The Newswatch editors have nothing to be ashamed of. They have done well for themselves when one remembers that after being out-witted

by British and Nigerian business men that owned the Daily Times, Ernest Ikoli, the editor that gave the paper a character, died in a hotel room with no severance package or a roof over his head. We cannot say the same of Newswatch multi-millionaire former editors.

Uncle Sam Amuka Pemu aka ‘Sad Sam’ did not get much when he was outmanoeuvred out of The Punch by late business mogul- Aboderin after giving the paper a character. Dr Stanley Macebuh, my boss at The Guardian, gave the newspaper its character but got no severance package after late Alex Ibru, the paper’s financial backbone pushed him out accusing him of divided interest for allegedly selling sugar. Lade Bonuola, his successor did not fare any better; I’m aware he has no mansion in any of Lagos GRAs or anywhere in the country for that matter.

The ex-editors were given a bloody nose by a veteran operator in Nigeria economic jungle where there are no rules, where those who contributed to the collapse of government owned thriving business concerns such as airlines, hotels, banks’ turned-around, under government’s fraudulent privatization and commercialization programme. They took control with state money, and where, to quote Professor Bolaji Akinyemi my teacher, most Nigerian billionaires cannot account for the source of their wealth.

tery Act of 2005 mandates lottery companies to give out 50% of their takings to those who play, 20% to the government for good causes while the company keeps the remaining 30%.

Like a messiah, Igho came with a positive message about lottery. He showed us all that beyond the shenanigans of greedy operators who abused the system, there was something good about lottery if it is well regulated.

With him at the helms, it is a win-win situation for all. The government makes enough money to construct roads, build schools and hospitals, give out scholarships to students and promote other good causes. Winner smiles to bank and the lottery companies make enough to remain in business.

The most glaring evidence of Igho’s transformation of lottery in Nigeria is highlighted by the decision by the Federal government to set up a lottery promo for the centenary celebrations next year. The centenary lottery will not only empower many Nigerians and generate funds for the government; it will strengthen our unity as a nation. Indeed, Peter Igho has changed the face of lottery in Nigeria.

‘Many Nigerians lost faith in the lottery system because the agency constitutionally empowered to regulate the business was docile. Some operators as they are wont to do, took advantage of this docility to fleece Nigerians of their hard earned money’

NATIONSPORT THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

•Mike Idoko

•Shola Ameobi

•Sunday Mba

25

THE NATION

EDUCATION Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

email:- education@thenationonlineng.com

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), among others, are pushing for the autonomy of local governments under the ongoing Constitution review by the National Assembly. Teachers do not buy the idea because of their experience when the councils were responsible for the payment of their salaries. They said they went for months without salary, an experience which they don’t pray for again.

INSIDE

'Our mothers are heroes' THE eighth day of the third month of every year has been earmarked globally to celebrate women and this year was not an exception at Mind Builders School, Alausa, where the pupils treated their mothers to a special programme.

-Page 28

Nigeria two years behind EFA goal THE Global Monitoring Report (GMR) on Education for All (EFA) has revealed that the process of providing education is stagnating in Nigeria, while aid to education is slowing down. This is as the Federal Government admitted that country is more than two years away from attaining the target.

-Page 39

CAMPUS LIFE •An eight-page section on campus news, people etc

• Alogba-Olukoya

Councils’ autonomy?

No, say teachers M

Different strokes for different students FOR students who underwent industrial training last year, it is time to defend their reports.

While some are confident to stand before their lecturers to defend their acquired skills, many have developed cold feet.

These students are not happy over the challenges they faced during the training.

-Page 29

• A teacher in the classroom

RS Lizzy Oba sat in her spacious office at the Port Harcourt Primary School, Old GRA, where she is the head teacher, looking contented.

Her school was rehabilitated last October by the Governor Rotimi Amaechi administration and it has state-of-the-art facilities.

But it was not like that years ago when schools were neglected and touts converted the premises to sleeping quarters and often defeacated there. Then, salaries were not paid regularly by the local governments and teachers' morale was low.

For about five years now, the government has been paying primary school teachers’ salary, a local government function. In her 32 years in service, these are the best of times.

She is worried that all this would be lost if local governments are granted autonomy after the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly. If the councils become autonomous, payment of teachers’ salaries would come under their control again.

"Since the state government took over payment of primary school

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, Adegunle Olugbamila, Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke (Umuahia), Damisi Ojo (Abuja), Clarice Azuatalam (Port Harcourt), Kolade Adeyemi (Kano), Nicholas Kalu (Calabar), Yusuf Aminu Idegu (Jos)

teachers' salaries, we stopped suffering like when we were under the local government. The local governments have this attitude of neglecting teachers. They weren't paying our salaries and even when they paid, it was not on time; and not fully because promotions were not on time. Teachers started relaxing and the standard of education started falling greatly. The poor,

who couldn't afford to send their children to private schools suffered greatly as a result. When we think of what will come after the state government stops intervening, we get worried," she said.

Mrs Oba is not alone in her dread.

Many teachers nationwide prefer the present arrangement where teachers' salaries are removed from the local governments’ allocation and paid from a joint account of the states and the councils.

Comrade Michael AlogbaOlukoya, National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) is in the vanguard of those opposed to tampering with the status quo. He said primary school teachers should

‘I prefer the present arrangement whereby teachers' salaries are being paid promptly. I want to tell you that granting autonomy to local governments will be suicidal because most of the officials are not only corrupt but incompetent’

not be plunged into the dark ages again when councils owed them for months.

Apart from salaries, Olukoya said the councils also defaulted in remitting the 7.5 per cent contribution to the teachers' pension scheme.

Olukoya, who was a primary school teacher then, knew how it felt to be owed for months. The union, he said, would oppose a recurrence.

He said in an interview: "For the record, NUT does not have any grouse with local government autonomy; but as a labour union, I think we have a responsibility; the responsibility to take care of the welfare of our members. There are many things that are attached to this constitution amendment. You will recall that in the past, when local governments were saddled with the responsibility of paying primary school teachers, I was a victim. Some local governments were not paying teachers' salaries for upward of one year. That was what brought about the Joint Account Committee (JAC) in all the states, and I want to place on record that since the introduction of JAC that oversees the payment of teachers' salaries, it has been a success story. No industrial crisis in the primary school sector. Teachers are being paid as when due.

For local government autonomy to work, the NUT boss said the status quo, in which teachers' salaries are deducted from source before • Continued on page 26

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

26

EDUCATION

Councils’ autonomy?

No, say teachers •Continued from page 25

they get to the hands of the council, must remain.

"I want to re-emphasise that even though, local governments are to be granted autonomy, let the Joint Account Committee continue in the interest of peace, in the interest of public education, in the interest of the children of the poor. If local government autonomy is a must, then make the issue of payment of salaries to primary school teachers a first line charge from the Federation Account. We stand by this. We are saying this now because we don't want to rock the boat. Or transfer the payment of teachers' salary to the state government," he added.

The Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON) is also against the autonomy. In a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Awka, the Anambra State capital early this month, it supported NUT's stand that local governments don't have the capacity to handle primary education.

The communiqué jointly signed

by AOPSHON President Comrade Mahmud Lawal and Secretary, Oluwole Adeola, discussed the implication of local government autonomy on the payment of primary school teachers' salaries and adopted the resolutions of NUT. Other NUT leaders agree with Olukoya. Chairman of the Cross River wing of the union, Mr Njom Nyambi, a teacher at Holy Child Convent School, Ikom said: "Teachers want a messiah and the only messiah is that their salary is deducted at first charge. Primary school is the foundation of education and if the foundation is not solid, I don't think the building can be solid. The salary should be deducted before money is shared to the state and local governments.

Primary school teachers' salaries should be deducted at source. That is our prayer."

Chief Moses Adiela, the Rivers State NUT Chairman, said teachers would have continued to suffer but for the government's intervention.

He is advocating a deduction from source if council, are to be granted autonomy.

However, in some states where the JAC is not operating properly the teachers’ concern is regular salary payment irrespective of who is in charge.

Those supporting the NUT stand, complain that local governments

are corrupt and irresponsible in the discharge of their responsibilities to schools.

A teacher at St Michael’s Primary School, Ojo, Lagos, said he would prefer the status quo is maintained because history has shown local governments to be irresponsible.

“If you remember that this (teachers being owed salaries) happened when Jakande was in power. It happened again under the military before former President Olusegun Obasanjo took over in 1999. If not for Obasanjo that reversed it, we teachers would have suffered more than this," he said.

Also arguing for maintenance of the status quo, Alhaji Tijani Hassan, a teacher at Kuka Special Primary School in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State, said: "If autonomy is granted to local governments that means primary school teachers would be killed through poverty and starvation. I have been a teacher for over 15 years and if I tell you my experience in the hands of council authorities who were supposed to be paying some of my allowances you will marvel. For one thing, officers and officials are grossly corrupt and reckless in financial management.

"There is no doubt that our salaries are regularly paid by both local and state governments in the present arrangement; and this is so because the state government supervises what is going on. So, my brother, let the status quo remain."

Another teacher, Mr Otitoju Olorunsanmi, who teaches at the Local Authority Primary School, Oda in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, said apart from putting teachers through hell because of the anguish of unpaid salaries, schools were neglected under local government supervision.

His words: ''In fact, during that period, we found it difficult to even get teaching materials like chalk, duster, instructional materials, while on monthly basis, salaries extended to about two or three months before payment. I will never subscribe to such occurrence again,'' he said.

Claiming that corruption exists at the highest level in local councils, Malam Abdulkadir Abubakar who teaches in Kano, said teachers should not be made to pay for their incompetence.

He said: "I prefer the present arrangement whereby teachers' salaries are being paid promptly. I want to tell you that granting autonomy to local governments will be suicidal because most of the officials are not

• Odeneye

•Adiela

‘If autonomy is granted to local governments that means primary school teachers would be killed through poverty and starvation. I have been a teacher for over 15 years and if I tell you my experience in the hands of council authorities who were supposed to be paying some of my allowances you will marvel’ only corrupt but incompetent.

"Remember that it is in the local government arrangement that you have the highest level of corruption in governance ranging from favouritism, abscondment from office and the nagging issue of ghost workers. Things are not properly done there and Nigeria, for me, is not yet ripe to run an independent local government system without proper supervision. Please for the sake of primary school teachers and the Nigerian child, tell them to stop this idea of autonomy to local governments."

Mrs Victoria Adeyemo, who retired last December as Head teacher of a primary school in Okitipupa in Ondo State, said when local governments were in charge of primary schools, many teachers resigned because of poor working conditions.

She underscored the importance of teachers’ welfare to performance.

Beyond the welfare of teachers, Mrs Adeyemo argued that leaving the fate of primary school teachers local governments means killing the education system. They said given that the educational foundation of every child is formed at the primary school level, their future would be

• Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (second right) inaugurating a renovated block of classrooms at Ere Ijesha Community School, Ere Ijesha, Osun State last Thursday. She is flanked by (from left) Executive Secretary, Oriade Local Government, Hon Fatiregun Taiwo, the donor, Prof Oyewole Ajifolokun, and Regent of Ere Ijesha, Caroline Onifade Adekanye.

jeopardised if teachers do not teach well.

"Those proposing such thing are callous; primary school teachers were better off under the state or federal government. We need to be catered for; we can not impact knowledge on pupils with an empty stomach. Even the environment was not conducive for teaching and learning when primary schools were managed by local governments," she said.

For teachers in states like Abia and Plateau who are allegedly still suffering despite the JAC arrangement, transferring them to the councils makes no difference. They prefer the Federal Government taking over the payment of their salaries.

A teacher in Umuahia, Abia State, Chigozie Ibe told The Nation that salary payment is still irregular.

He said the state deducts teachers' salaries and forward same to the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) which in turn sends same to the local government education authority.

He claimed that the local government education authority was not used to paying teachers regularly.

He alleged that the money was fixed and it rose to about N1.3 billion at a time and they told teachers that the cheque had not cleared and so the money could not be withdrawn.

The aggrieved teacher said teachers in the state are worried as, "We are aware that the governor, Chief Theodore Orji is not aware of the rot taking place at the education sector and we will want him to ask questions why salaries are being delayed when the funds have been provided".

He said the discrepancies forced the ASUBEB to take over the payment directly to the teachers through what they call e-payment.

Ibe regretted that both ways, primary school teachers are suffering in the state. He said they were paid their December salary in March and called on the Federal Government to save them from hunger by taking over the payment of their salaries.

In Plateau State, payment of primary school teachers' salaries is still irregular despite the JAC arrangement.

With the agitation for local government autonomy, the teachers are singing different tunes. Some are in support, others not.

Serah Audu, a teacher said the two tiers of government have not improved teachers' welfare.

"In my 22 years as a teacher, I have experienced management under state and local government, it makes

no difference. I don't care how my salary is paid, provided we are paid promptly and adequately," she said.

Danjuma Dadu, another primary school teacher from Jos South Local Government Area accused NUT, NLC and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) of betraying the teachers.

He said: "Our problem as primary school teachers is the labour unions: NULGE, NUT and NLC. They are the ones that always collude with the state government to exploit us. They will conspire to inflate population of teachers, inflate wage bill so that they will have excess to share between labour union officials and government functionaries. They do this with the state government as well as with local government. So we are not even safe anywhere, unless there is a system that checks corruption at that level.”

Judith Pam, another teacher, thinks councils would be better managers.

"The state government is exploiting teachers a lot. I want us to be under the local government; so the local government should be autonomous" Danladi Bako, from a primary school in Jos North Local Government, wants the Federal Government to pay teachers directly.

"In my own personal opinion, I don't want us to be under the state or the local government, both tiers of government are so corrupt, I want the Federal Government that is providing the monthly allocation to set up another agency or commission for primary school teachers, such body should be given teachers salary every month and Federal Government should also set up ways to monitor fund given to such body, we need a new body, we are tired of the game the local and state governments are playing with our salaries."

Member of the House of Representatives, Hon Kehinde Odeneye also agrees that the federal government should take over the salaries of primary school teachers. However, Odeneye supports local government autonomy. He suggested that primary education be taken off their responsibilities.

“Education, particularly, should be the responsibility of the Federal Government.

The Federal Government should pay teachers’ salaries. If there are specific functions that need to be taken off local government after they are granted autonomy, they should,” he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

27

EDUCATION

Suswam’s wife tasks UNIJOS on female admission

W

•The outgoing Parent Teachers Association (PTA) Chairman National College Gbagada Michael Kolawole (fourth from right) handing over key of a new bus to Mr Alfred Aina the school Managing Proprietor (second right), while other executives of the association look on during the handing over of the bus to the management.

Rivers drafts education policy

T

O ensure that the success recorded by the Rotimi Amaechi administration in the education is sustained, the Rivers State Ministry of Education has drafted a policy to guide the sector.

The draft education policy was critiqued at a one-day stakeholders' forum held at the Primary/Technical and Vocational Education Centre, Old GRA, Port Harcourt on Monday.

Education Commissioner, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi said the policy, which is the first to be developed by any state government in Nigeria, would be launched during the Rivers State Education Summit coming up on the 25th and 26th in Port Harcourt.

She said the policy, which has been in the pipeline since 2009 was adopted from the National Policy on Education to suit the education needs of the state.

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

"This is the first of its kind by any state in this country. What we have done is to domesticate the national policy to meet our needs. The aim is to ensure that the milestones achieved by this administration are sustained," she said.

She added that the contribution of the various stakeholders including principals, teachers, NGOs, private school proprietors, university administrators among others in the policy, was necessary in ensuring that its implementation would fulfill the desired objectives.

She said: "We are, therefore, presenting to you this new policy for your careful perusal, consideration and meaningful input, so that at the end, what comes out of the grill as the Rivers State Education Policy will be a consensus document aimed at satisfying the educational aspirations

of both government and the public."

The draft policy contains nine chapters that cover guidelines for the establishment of new schools; special needs education; adult and nonformal education; science and technology education; women education; examination malpractice; tertiary education, ICT, and educational services.

The stakeholders made inputs and corrections which would be reflected in the final document.

After due corrections and comments, Chairman of the event, Prof Tekena Tamuno urged the state to set a time frame as well as determine the cost of implementing the policy.

Dignitaries at the event included the Secretary to the State Government, Mr George Feyii, Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Prof Joseph Ajaienka, and the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr Richard Ofuru.

OSCOTECH Ag. Rector releases 2013 blueprint

M

EMBERS of staff of the Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), EsaOke, will now attend regular re-training programmes to boost their capacity.

They will also benefit from medical test twice in a year. These welfare plans are contained in the 2013 blueprint of the institution's Acting Rector, Mr Augustus Oke. He disclosed this at the 2013 family meeting of the institution.

In a release signed by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Wale Oyekanmi, Mr Oke promised to encourage more in- house

By Medinat Kanabe

training and conferences.

"All staff will undergo medical tests at least twice a year and, security men and women will attend conferences and seminars to further improve them," he said.

Soliciting the cooperation of workers and students, Oke promised to operate an open-door policy.

He told them that part of the blueprint for 2013 includes, construction of a new administrative block, roads, offices, staff club, purchase of ambulances for the health centre, among others.

The Ag. Rector promised to inau-

gurate the forum of chief lecturers, because, according to him, they are potential rectors, and so must have a say in the running of the institution.

He said the fourth graduation and the 20th anniversary of the institution will take place in November.

He noted that under his administration, the college won an award for 2012 Exam Ethics marshals; an African Award for distinguished services to Polytechnic Education.

“OSCOTECH was the only institution in Nigeria selected for the award," he said.

IFE of the Benue State Governor, Mrs Dooshima Suswam has tasked the authorities of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) to give female candidates more opportunities to study in the university.

Mrs Suswam, who made the appeal as a guest lecturer to the university, said the success of Nigeria's objective to be among the top 20 world economies by the year 2020 rests to a large extent on its ability to harness the potential of its women for durable growth.

The guest lecturer while delivering her lecture titled: "Empowering Women for leadership through education" said more female admissions would bridge the gap between the number of educated men and women in the country.

According to her, Nigeria's future growth prospects are irrevocably tied to the status of its women and their ability to adequately leverage their considerable economic potentials.

She pointed out that United Nations resolution 34/180 declares that there should be no form of discrimination against women in terms of equal political participation.

The Benue State First Lady la-

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

mented that some countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Rwanda have moved beyond mere rhetorics to entrench affirmative action in their laws noting that Nigeria is yet to follow suit.

Mrs Suswam also said Rwanda emerged from one of the most destructive conflicts in modern history with a strong commitment to gender mainstreaming and increasing women political participation adding that Rwanda ranks first in the world in female representation in parliament.

She added that in traditional Nigeria society, women's position and role were defined by strong cultural values which today still seems to be struggling against the tide of global change saying this has unfortunately made the 30 percent affirmative action a mirage in country.

In his opening remark the ViceChancellor of the university, Prof Hayward Mafuyai said the institution was the first to develop a master plan on gender policy, which is in the process of implementation.

He added that UNIJOS has among it core values diligence, discipline, equity and gender sensitivity.

Union praises Ajimobi

T

HE Academic Staff Union of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo town, Oyo State, has praised the Abiola Ajimobi-led administration for its open-door policy and consistency.

It also appreciated the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Adetokunbo Fayokun, for handling the education sector.

A press release signed by the

From Bode Durojaiye Oyo,

union chairman, Dr Olugbenga Ayena, noted that "contrary to misrepresentations, and insinuations in some quarters, there is no reason for the union to disrespect the commissioner."

The statement added further that the union is gladly satisfied with the attitude of the commissioner to its demands.

AISEN holds conference

T

HE Association of International School Educators in Nigeria (AISEN) will hold a one-day conference tagged AISEN Conference 2013 next Thursday at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

Dr. Jeff Bradley of Partner Educators' Collaborative, San Francisco, will deliver the keynote address at the conference which has as theme: Succession Planning - 30 years.

Other topics to be treated will include: Inspired Governance, Legal and Financial Overview of Governance and Ownership and Identi-

fying Successors.

There will also be a review of case studies by a panel made up of Mr Segun Agbaje, Managing Director, GTBank, Mr Oye Odukale of Leadway Assurance, Mrs. FuntoIgun of Corona School and Mrs. Bukky George of Health Plus and will be moderated by Ms.Yetunde Allen, an entrepreneur.

Chairman of the conference, Dr. George Hickman said the programme will emphasise the importance of succession planning in schools.

School donates books to stimulate reading

R

IVERSIDE Montessori School has donated books to Local has Government Primary School Isheri-Olofin to mark this year’s World Book Day. The donation was carried out at IsheriOlofin Local Government Primary School, Ogun State.

Some of the books donated include: Nigeria Primary English pupils book 5; Social Norms 3 for ages 4-5; New Method Mathematics, the Elves and the Shoemaker; key words with Ladybird; Susie and Sam at the Hospital; The tale of Squirrel Nutkin; Read with Ladybird, Read with me; and Topsy + Tim go to Hospital, among others.

The books were donated by Dorena Books Acquisition Centre, Learn Africa PLC, Dayspring Books, as well as parents and management of Riverside Montessori Schools, Isheri.

In her opening speech, the Administrator of Riverside Montessori School Mrs Oladunni Adewuyi high-

By Adejo David

lighted the importance of World Book Day which includes giving information and knowledge; encouraging pupils to think and imagine; enlightenment and nourishing the mind.

"The aim of the World Book Day is to promote literacy which is basically reading and writing. As we know, literacy is the foundation of learning. If you cannot read or write, you cannot learn. You should understand that knowledge knows no bounds and your hunger for it is insatiable. It also helps get rid of worries and keeps us occupied," she said.

Mrs. Adewuyi said reading has helped her pupils excel and seek for knowledge.

"At Riverside Montessori School, we have a strong reading culture, which has helped to put our children's reading, speaking and

•From left: Mrs Olagoke, Mrs Adaghe and Mrs Adewuyi with pupils of both schools at the presentation of the books

writing schools on a high pedestal," she said.

She advised the pupils to always read the books donated to them and not keeping them in their library.

The event showcased songs, and a playlet. Mrs Bukola Adaghe, who spoke on behalf of the parents , presented the books to the representa-

tive of Local Government Primary School, Mrs. Mary Olagoke. She charged them to use the books and not keep them in the library.

28

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

EDUCATION Mind Builders School, Lagos held a party to celebrate mothers on the International Women's Day (IWD). PAUL OLUWAKOYA captures mothers' excitement at the event.

'Our mothers are heroes'

T

HE eighth day of the third month of every year has been earmarked globally to celebrate women and this year was not an exception at Mind Builders School, Alausa, where the pupils treated their mothers to a special programme.

There was a drama presentation on the importance of mothers in the family by the basic pupils; while the high school choir put up an exhilarating performance of Prince Nico Ubanga's 1976 classic, Sweet Mother which sent the mothers to the dance floor led by the school's Education Director Mrs Bola Falore. Two other Yoruba songs titled: Iya mi o o o wa pe l'aye and Iya niwura iye bi ye touched their hearts, despite the fact that not everybody understood the lyrics.

The pupils also wrote loving messages wrapped in gift items which they gave to their mothers.

"This is unbelievable", the mother of Timilehin Adeleke, a JSS1 pupil said after she received her gift.

Mrs. Yinusa Badmos, mother of a primary six pupil said of the

C

ROWN Polytechnic, Ilawe road, Ado-Ekiti has sent it's first set of Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates to the one year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The successful students, who were among the Batch 'A' corps members recently mobilised into NYSC orientation camps across the country last week, gathered at the school's main auditorium to collect their call up letters.

The event witnessed the attendance of the school's Registrar, David Olukowade; the Dean, of Student

• The Mind Builders High School choir performing at the event

progamme: "It is a day with a difference and I really enjoyed it."

In an interview, Mrs Falore said the mothers deserved being celebrated by their children.

She said: "Despite the high level of social discrimination the gender are often subject to in the society all the mothers in the house today

are happy because their children are appreciating them as indispensable women and virtuous mothers.

"Mothers thronged to the school for the get-together and to see what the kids have for them as the world marked this year's IWD being a global day to acknowledge the economic, political and social achieve-

ments of women in the society."

Mrs Falore added that the United Nation's theme: "The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum" for this year's IWD has relevance for Nigerian women.

"Over time and distance, the equal rights of women have progressed.

We celebrate the achievements of

women while remaining vigilant and tenacious for further sustainable change. There is global momentum for championing women's equality and it must be fully embraced in Nigeria," she said.

Moyosore Oluwa Ayoade, a nineyear-old Primary Four pupil, described mothers as 'Heroes' during a stage drama at the event, and his mother Mrs. Ayoade Mariam has this to say on the effort of the school to celebrate mothers: "It is one of the best days in my life. I loved the gesture. The school has really given the children the platform to express their love for their mothers. They praised their mothers, they shared gifts with them; so it is a nice gesture which simply means they are saying thank to their mothers," she said Mrs Ayoade, who is also the Vice Chairman of the school's Parents/ Teachers Association, also shared the techniques that help her balance her career and her home, something that is a challenge for many mothers in the society.

She said: "Good time management is the key; which is what most mothers' lack. The 40 minutes I use to drive my children to sschool is an opportunity for me to interact with them. Sleeping and praying time at home is another opportunity. Prudent use of my weekends avail me tangible opportunity to relate not only with the children but with every member of my family because it is important."

Crown Poly first set of graduates begins NYSC From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

Affairs, Pastor Afolabi Samuel; State NYSC Director, Mr Tunde BabaAhmed represented by Mrs. Fagbemi and the school bursar, Mrs. Omoniyi Funmi.

In his address, the Registrar recalled that the idea of the polytechnic, which was the first private institution in Ekiti State, was conceived by its executive proprietor, Clement

Olufemi Ajisola, a lawyer in 2001 while in 2005, necessary application was submitted to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

He said the move later prompted the NBTE’s visitation in 2006 on "an advisory and facility tour of the infrastructure" which, according to him, culminated in the granting the institution an operational licence in 2008.

Olukowade said: "Today, we are giving our first set of Higher National Diploma graduates, as corps

members, their call-up letters for participation in the NYSC. On behalf of the executive proprietor and management, I congratulate you all.

"Please conduct yourselves with decorum not only in the course of the orientation programme but even in your primary assignment. You must prove yourselves to be worthy ambassadors of the school", he said.

In his address, the DSA said further: "For the polytechnic to be qualified to mobilise her students for

NYSC programme is a great achievement on the part of the management, workers and even students of the school. This is because to pass through the rigours of NYSC to this stage is not an easy task.

He further warned pregnant corps members to wait until they get to camps before processing their return to locations where their husband work. According to her, it was automatic that pregnant wives be made to serve where their husbands live.

First Bank challenges undergraduates

A

S part of efforts to inspire the Nigerian youths to excel in life, First Bank Nigeria stormed the Universities of Lagos (UNILAG) and Ibadan with a youth empowerment programme tagged "First bank Youth Excel Series" penultimate week.

Undergraduates who attended the programmes that held at the university of which is the first edition of the programme at the main auditorium of UNILAG on Monday, and the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan participated in fun activities that centered managing their finances, dance, quizzes, with attractive prizes for the participants.

The icing on the cake was the talk by motivational speaker, Willie Jolley on the theme "Against all odds".

At UNILAG, there was no dull moment as the students were entertained by the antics of Jedi, a comedian and compere of the event.

They jostled to answer questions posed by the Bank's team on various financial products for their benefits.

In his speech, Mr Tunde Owolabi, Group Head, Retail Banking, Lagos Island, said the bank was expecting a rich return on investment for organising the programme which would manifest through the successful lives of the participants in the nearest future.

"The keynote speaker is a renowned global example of a come-

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie and Seun Olalude

back kid. I will trust that he will inspire you today to greatness as he shares his story. We believe that a short while down the journey, we will all be able to take stock and appreciate doing this programme," he said.

At UI, the atmosphere bubbled from the beginning to the end as Davido, a Nigerian musician trilled the students with music.

Questions were asked at the end of every presentation and the respondents carted away prizes like i-pod, monopoly among others.

Apart from UI students , there were others from The Polytechnic, Ibadan and the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education.

The physically challenged students were also treated nicely.

Speaking at the events, Jolley, an author of bestselling books, a onetime jingle singer and jazz singer from the United States (US), said a man's dream is the only a path way to success.

His words: “I had to wake up to my dreams to make it in life, and with a lot of hard work. I sang in clubs as a jazz singer and also as a jingle singer to sponsor my education. For one to be successful in life there is need to have a dream which is the drive to success. Those who are successful in life are those with a recipe for success. It is not about money but dreams. Money does not make one a success. What

• From left: First Bank, UNILAGs Branch Manager, Mr Jide Lafihan, Mr Jolley; Group Head, Retail Banking FirstBank Limited, Mr Tunde Owolabi and Head, Publications & Conferences FirstBank, Mr. Oze .K. Oze at the UNILAG version of the FirstBank Youth Excel Series.

makes success is what draws money to you and that is your dream. Dream big and read wide before money comes."

Jolley further counseled the youth to be wary of dream destroyers.

"Though dream is the key to success but there are still some chokers of this dream which are: the negative thoughts we think towards ourselves, the kind of negative friends we hang out with that tell us that we cannot achieve in life," he said.

He spoke on the three steps that

lead to dream actualisation.

"For one to be successful in life he needs to take right decisions, have a vision and take action. Leaders don't make decision for today but they make decisions for tomorrow."

He entertained the audience with one of his songs and presented his books includging: Set back is a set up for a comeback, and An attitude of excellence.

In his address, the General Manager First Bank, Mr Gangha Shobo, who was represented by Executive Director Retail Banking Serv-

ices, Ibadan, Mr Sunday Akinpelu, said the programme was organised to encourage the youth to aspire for greater height.

"This programme has been put together to encourage the youth to aspire for a greater height. I challenge you to learn from the life story of the guest speaker. Life is full of possibilities and everyday is a better day," he said.

Mr Zino Afiegbe introduced the participants to the First Bank Card Expressions, he said the expression allows the owner to design any image on their debit cards.

29

Mission for redemption Page 31

*CAMPUSES

United they stand

*NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS&

KNOCKS Last week, all hell was let loose at the Ekiti State University (EKSU) following the death of a final year student of Accounting, Teslim Adebola Ibrahim. OLATUNJI AWE reports. *GRANTS Page 34

THE NATION

CAMPUS LIFE 0805-450-3104 email: campusbeat@yahoo.com THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net

‘I sing to win souls for Christ’ Nnadozie Nweke is studying Optometry at Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri. He is also an upcoming gospel artiste with two songs to his credit.

After the production of Emmanuel, his debut song last year, Nnadozie collaborated with a hip-hop artiste, Mark T, to record Hallelujah. He told EKENE AHANEKU (200-Level Optometry) why he chose gospel music.

•Students waiting to defend their SIWES reports in FUTO recently

Different strokes for different students On campuses nationwide, students that participated in the Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) last year are defending their reports. But, many have no reports to defend because of their inability to get placement. FRANCIS EGWUATU (400-Level Mechanical Engineering) writes. tion- and industry-based supervi-

F

•Nnadozie •See page 30

OR students who underwent industrial training last year, it is time to defend their reports.

While some are confident to stand before their lecturers to defend their acquired skills, many have developed cold feet. These students are not happy over the challenges they faced during the training.

For science and engineering students in universities and polytechnics, the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is compulsory. The SIWES is a programme designed by the Federal Government for students to gain practical skills of what they are taught.

Part of the scheme’s goals is to provide adequate manpower to foster industrial and economic growth through learning and practice. To sustain the programme, the government established the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to promote and sustain the acquisition of industrial skills through financial motivation of participants.

Students always look forward to the scheme to which the second semester is devoted by 200-Level and 300-Level students. For final year students, SIWES is held for three months during the first semester, after which the graduating students defend their industrial

training skills with their final year project researches.

These days, instead of going for full training in industries, students undergo a minimum of one month and stay at home for the rest of the period. During holidays, students besiege companies in search for where they will undergo the training. The well-connected get places of their choice; many others are frustrated by rejection. Many who could not get placement lose hope and stop applying.

Students are required to write comprehensive reports on what they learnt during the training. The reports must be signed by institu-

sors. On returning to school, they are given a deadline for submission of their log books, which contain the reports. Students become agitated during this period, especially those that did not undergo the training. On various campuses, SIWES defence is seen as judgement day.

To escape the “Armageddon”, many students, who did not participate in the scheme, copy and manipulate reports done by others.

Such students often avoid the procedure because they feel they would not score an ‘A’ after the exercise. They manipulate SIWES report and log books by forging •Continued on page 30

•US varsity opens Nigerian campus- P32 •Drama as student wears wrapper to class-P33

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

30

CAMPUS LIFE

Is all well with Pushing Out the house of with NANS (1)?

Agbo Agbo

A

LL around the world, universities are established to push forward the frontiers of knowledge, transform people’s lives and contribute to the health and wealth of our nation through their deep involvement in result oriented researches which is expected to have impact in the wider society and the economy. It is within this premise that I’ll like to address an issue that has been on my mind for some time now, the issue of student unionism. I have been putting it off but it now calls for attention as I continue to receive correspondences from different individuals purporting to be “president” of NANS. From my last count - which may not be conclusive – there are at least three “presidents” of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). “Comrade” Yinka Gbadebo, “Comrade” Adelu Monehim James, and Prince Miaphen all claim they’re the duly elected president of the uniform student body; what this portends therefore is that there is a split.

Despite the controversy surrounding the December 2012 elections, Gbadebo was sworn in last month at an elaborate ceremony in Abuja that had in attendance Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Governor of Imo State and other dignitaries.

For those old enough to remember the military era, they will recollect the part student unions played in giving the military sleepless nights. How can one forget Olusegun Okeowo, late Chris Abashi and a host of others? Then student unionism was ideologically driven with detailed and intelligent analysis of the state of the nation, regular communique that are deep with insight and knowledge are released, not the shallow statements that we see from the stable of representatives of Nigerian students these days.

Student unionism in Nigeria has a cherished and glorious history that is worth reenacting here. The emergence of West African Student Union (WASU) pioneered by some Nigerian students in London in 1925 opened the floodgate of student unionism in the country. WASU

08052959489 (SMS only)

•aagboa@gmail.com fought the colonial masters for the rights of Africans. This was followed by the National Union of Nigerian Students, (NUNS) whose last leader was Olusegun Okeowo. The NUNS was proscribed by the regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. But with the advent of democratic rule, Nigerian students converged at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos to establish NANS. NANS inherited the same idealism from WASU and NUNS and the student union matched on as a platform of change and of informed activism. Has that same cherished tradition continued to date? We’ll find out.

At its 26th convention, student delegates from institutions of higher learning across Nigeria converged in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, and elected Yinka Gbadebo of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife as the president of NANS. However, one notable feature which has been the norm in past conventions since student unionism started was left out; the students did not discuss the state of the nation. I recollect reading a report then where one disappointed delegate described the failure to discuss current issues as “evidence of the level of degeneration in NANS.” He added that the organization used to be at the forefront of the struggle for the liberation of Nigeria’s downtrodden and oppressed classes. This, no doubt, is one informed delegate.

I can still recall vividly, just like I mentioned earlier that NANS served as an active resistance group during the era of military regimes in Nigeria. It was part of the movement that fought for a return to civil rule in the country. By 1990, NANS was at the peak of its glory, having played a significant role in rousing Nigerians to protest the Structural Adjustment Program imposed by the Ibrahim Babangida regime at the urging of the World Bank and the Interna-

tional Monetary Fund.

The same 1990 also marked the beginning of what would be a split within the organization five years later. NANS annual convention was fixed to hold on November 30, 1990 at Auchi Polytechnic. Eventually, after much intrigue and disagreements, the convention opened a day later and at a different venue: the University of Benin, (UNIBEN).

After the controversial and heated convention, NANS witnessed a split along ethno-religious lines when a former undergraduate from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUSOK), announced a “Northern NANS”. This almost tore the union apart, but the students eventually came together after finding a common ground of agreement.

However, that split fostered deeper ideological conflicts and schisms between different interest groups and weakened the broad platform of NANS; this unfortunately has continued to date. This compelled another delegate years to allege that: “Student unionism has been infiltrated by dirty money politics as well as brigandage by members of some confraternities and cult groups”.

But some activists of the past also strike more sympathetic notes. They see the new developments as not simply evidence of student leaders’ “degeneration,” but as a symptom of broader problems in the larger society like in 2005 when the then NANS president Orkuma Hembe used the platform to campaign for Obasanjo’s third term gambit and even went further to award him “Defender of Democracy”. Perhaps he was too young, or does not have a sense of history to recollect that it was this same defender of democracy that proscribed NUNS and under whose administration some NUNS fighters were rusticated from their various Universities.

To try to understand the present crisis in NANS is to also understand that the larger Nigerian malaise is also affecting the association.

If you think the principle of zoning of political office is a creation of the Federal Character Commission or the PDP, then you have another think coming. There is zoning provision in the constitution of NANS, and this does not permit anybody other than a Student of an institution of higher learning in the South-West to contest last year’s election, according to the Constitution and Charter of Demand of NANS. The student body is actually zoned into four zones.

‘I sing to win souls for Christ’

Different strokes for different students

•Continued from page 29

Y

•Continued from page 29

reports, signature and designing fake companies’ stamps.

Some frustrated students told CAMPUSLIFE that their inability to get placement on time shortened their SIWES period. “Before my application was considered to undergo my SIWES, I had already spent three months at home doing nothing,” said Timothy Asadu, who did his six-month industrial training in a soap company in Lagos.

Hurried resumption is included in the challenges students complained about. To recover the time lost to strike and other crises that may affect the academic calendar, some institutions hurriedly fixed resumption dates, thereby compelling students to abandon their training for school.

Industry supervision and orientation of participants are part of the responsibilities of the ITF to make the scheme successful. Some trainees have abandoned their training because of non-payment of their allowances by the ITF. “Many of us have been turned to labourers in companies where we undergo our training. Without giving us kobo, those companies see IT students as extra workforce and stress us beyond the limit. But since the ITF won’t make our allowances available to us during the training, many students stop the SIWES and stay at home,” an engineering student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) told our correspondent.

It appears the ITF is overwhelmed by the challenges facing the scheme. At the second annual seminar for Trade and Investment Correspondents and Business Editors organised by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment in Abuja last December, Prof Longmas Wapmuk, ITF boss, said government owed SIWES students N12 billion in allowance.

Given the huge debt, Wapmuk said the Fund would rather want the government to scrap the N2,500 stipend approved for students instead of accumulating huge debt.

Wapmuk said the scheme’s idea to marry practical with theory in order to prepare students for employment after graduation is being marred by poor funding.

“Left to us in the ITF, we prefer that we have a cashless SIWES, because students have been taking care of themselves already during the SIWES period and since the Federal Government is not in a position to give us the money required because of the demands from other sectors of the economy, we feel we should have a cashless SIWES so that ITF can pay more attention to supervising the students instead of accumulating debt.

There is no need to accumulate debt that we cannot pay because we are not meeting the demand of these students,” he said.

The objectives of SIWES may not be bad after all but the problem of funding may have affected its goals.

Immediately after the Uyo Convention which brought it Gbadebo as President, one of the aggrieved contestants, Adelu Monehin James petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan on what he termed the “illegal declaration of Yinka Gbadebo as NANS president”. James, in the petition, described the election as “a mere formality by some elements to endorse an individual who had been positioned to hijack the Association to achieve an end that contravenes the yearnings and aspirations of the over forty millions Nigerian students. Having taking (sic) my time to appraise the convention and what transpired, in the interest of national peace and security, I have decided to write His Excellency as the Chief Security Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the position that I am taking in the best interest of the nation so that I can jealously protect the interests of all Nigerian students’ home and abroad”.

He claimed that before the election, stakeholders meetings of the Association and all the presidential aspirants were held with the State Security Services (SSS). In these meetings, some of the vital issues raised and agreed upon in line with the constitution of the Association were: That all the contestants should submit their profile to the office of the SSS including their intent forms to be duly signed by their respective Head of Departments (HOD), “but unfortunately, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo’s form was not signed by any HOD because he is not a student of any known institution in Nigeria”.

The petitioner tasked the office of the SSS to liaise with various institutions claimed by the aspirants in the profile to authenticate their studentship because any aspirant who is not certified to be a student of any tertiary institution recognized by JAMB, NUC and other education regulatory bodies should be disqualified.

According to him, the SSS collected and collated information of all the aspirants particularly the presidential aspirants “but unfortunately nobody was disqualified despite the fact that, certain individuals were discovered not to be matriculated students of any institution as claimed Mr. Yinka Gbadebo inclusive. All these were agreed upon in order to ensure that genuine students who can be held accountable for their actions and in-actions are allowed to pilot the affairs of the organization”. At the Uyo convention, twelve people contested for the office of the president. They include; Yinka Gbadebo, Adelabu Adeola, Kazeem O. Kazeem, Prince Maiphem, Isaac Odiyan, Adelu Monehin James and Victor Magress.

•Obianuju

Some respondents, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, urged the government not to allow the scheme die, asking for more funding to motivate students towards acquiring adequate industrial skills.

Obianuju Asouzu, 500-Level Environmental Protection and Resource Management, University of Calabar (UNICAL), urged the government to find means to secure industry placement for prospective SIWES students to curb forgery of companies’ stamps.

Cyril Akpan, 400-Level Environmental Technology, FUTO, said SIWES was a good programme that helped graduates to get jobs easily.

“The practical knowledge acquired through the scheme helped some people to get employed after their graduation. If SIWES can be strengthened, I am of the opinion that the unemployment riddle will be solved,” he said.

OU are a medical student but you are also into music.

How do you reconcile that?

I believe there are two things a man needs to have. These are vocation and profession. Though, I am aspiring to be a doctor in future but I believe I can also excel in music. Even though one of them may be lucrative than the other, I believe both trades can fetch me more income. I also believe in career swap. My vocation today can turn out to be my profession tomorrow.

Why did you choose gospel music?

Actually, gospel music has the same message it passes across to everybody. This is to rededicate people to the glory of God. But I present my type of gospel in a very special way. I try my best to sing with the tempo that is so captivating, which will make people think about God and His mercy. If you listen to my tracks, you would think it is hip-hop but when the song starts, you will be spirit-filled and move away from all sins.

Why did you feature a hip-hop artiste, Mark T, in your song since both of you sing different genre of music?

Since my music sounds like hiphop, I thought I needed to feature someone, who sings the same way like me. As an upcoming artiste, I believe featuring a hip-hop artiste, who has been in the industry, was wise to improve my popularity.

The collaboration will help to spread the message I pass in my songs, which will increase my fan

base.

Who is your motivator?

It is the Holy Spirit that motivates me. Music is a talent which, God has endowed me with. So I believe whichever talent God gives to me must be utilised to the benefit of the people. It is only the Holy Spirit that can direct and inspire me.

How do you combine music and your studies?

My primary aim as a student of Optometry is to graduate as a Doctor of Optometry (OD). Now talking about managing my time to achieve my primary aim; I don’t stay in school all day. Rather, the free time I have at my leisure period is used to practise music.

Thus, I combine the time of studies and music in such a way that one does not affect the other.

Did you have the mindset to make money when you started gospel music?

It is not all about making money but to pass the gospel of God to the generality of people. I don’t have to go along with the mindset of making profit; the sole aim is to proclaim the gospel through music ministrations. Frank Edward, a fellow gospel artiste, touches souls through his gospel music. So, my type of gospel is not profit-oriented but to win souls for Christ.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

As an optometry student, I will be doing my internship by God’s grace. In the music industry, I see my popularity increasing more than the present. I believe many people would have bought into my kind of music.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

31

CAMPUS LIFE The Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS), Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA) chapter, has held its annual convention.

DAVID OSU (400-Level Urban and Regional Planning) and CHIZOBA ONYIKE (200-Level Chemical Engineering) report that the event was spiritually uplifting for participants.

Mission for redemption

F

OR four days, the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA), Niger State, hosted huge crowds of people. Members of the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS) thronged the campus for the Mission, its annual convention, which began penultimate Monday.

This year’s programme was tagged Doxa, a Greek word meaning “Glory”. Before the convention started, the campus was treated to a week of awareness and publicity by gaily dressed members of the fellowship.

The Sulayman Kumo Convocation Square in Gidan Kwano campus, where the convention was held on the first day, could not contain students; the congregation spread beyond the premises as Reverend Maikano Masha, a senior pastor of Redemption Armies Ministry, Kaduna, ministered.

The following day, the programme was moved to the soccer pitch on the Bosso campus. Rev Maikano admonished the faithful to be awake in the ambience of God and portray excellent and good lifestyles in their endeavours. During the prayer session, some students gave their lives to Christ; others rededicated their lives.

The congregation pray for people with terminal diseases.

On the third day, Apostle Joshua Selman, another guest pastor, ministered. The convention climaxed on the fourth day with a leadership summit held in Lecture Theatre 1

on the Gidan Kwano campus. It was anchored by Apostle Selman.

The lecture hall was filled to the brim, which prompted a live transmission to reach more audience.

Given the country’s high rate of unemployment, Apostle Selman urged the young to transform the society through revolutionary ideas. He told students to effect positive changes in their rural communities to advance the cause of humanity.

Sophia Ekhaisomi, 100-Level Water Resources, Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology, said she had a remarkable encounter with God after the event. She added that her heart was “now free from any sort of afflictions”. Rejoice Oboko, a graduate of the university, described the event as spiritual empowerment. She stated that the lesson she learned would not waste away.

Moses Banks, 200-Level Urban and Regional Planning, said: “I have experienced glory at Doxa 2013. I am coming out of my family house with the best and divine success and a solution.”

David Olufemi, 400-Level Mathematics and Statistic, said though it was his first time of attending the convention but “my life has been touched by the Holy Spirit.”

It was a glorious experience for Benjamin Zakka, 400-Level Mechanical Engineering. “Getting saved is the best miracle that can happen to anyone,” he said.

Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, the

•Cross section of respondents to the altar call

•The fellowship’s choristers singing at the event

president of the fellowship, Samuel Oluyori, 500-Level Electrical Engineering, expressed gratitude to God for the success of the convention. While explaining that the essence of the programme was to transform souls, he promised that

the next convention would offer more spiritual uplift for members.

Highlights of the convention were deliverance, healing of different kinds, songs ministration and multi-media displays. Staff, students and people from the host

community attended. Among the personalities that graced the convention were the FCS patron, Prof Emmanuel Udensi and Chaplain of Chapel of Grace, Dr Michael Onimole.

the lab when the incident happened, said: “Usually, each class has its own cadaver. When we went there, we saw another cadaver. It was smallish and we were seeing it for the first time. Some of our mates made certain statements about the cadaver. At the time though, I did not think they were disrespecting the cadaver. But when we came out and saw the ghost, I then reflected on what they did to it and realised the ghost was not happy and that is why it was protesting.

“I saw the ghost standing beside its body. It was covered in white cloth like Father Abraham-kind of clothes.

His whole body was wrapped but its hands were folded across the chest.

Peter was afraid that the authorities may not be happy because already, phones are not allowed in the gross lab, so he deleted the picture.”

When our correspondent spoke to Peter, whose picture sent the college into frenzy, he denied the ghost story, saying it was just a joke that went beyond his control. He explained that his phone had an application that enabled him to snap pictures and cause certain images to appear alongside the main image.

Asked why he deleted the picture, Peter said when the joke began to go beyond his control, he feared that it might get to the college’s authorities, who may take disciplinary action against him. “I came to class today and told everyone that it was all a joke. But they didn’t believe me,” he said jovially, adding: “I am surprised by the way even our senior colleagues were worried by the story. We are in the medical school, and do you believe a camera can capture a ghost?”

‘Ghost’s protest’ stuns students The appearance of a phantom protesting abuse and dismemberment in a picture taken by a medical student sent the Benue State University (BSU) College of Health Sciences into a tizz. Is it really true?

MSONTER ANZAA (200-Level Medicine) writes.

I

T sounds incredible, but those who witnessed it claim it is true.

It all happened in the Gross Anatony Laboratory of the Benue State University College of Health Services where 200-Level medical students were dissecting a cadaver. A cadaver is a body used for medical training.

All of a sudden, a student rushed out, screaming, “ghost!” “ghost!”. He said a ghost that was not happy with the way the body was being dissected had protested.

Another student, who claimed to be at the session, told CAMPUSLIFE: “We were in the lab this evening, having a dissection. There was a stiff cadaver on a slab, with students standing round it. They were playing with the cadaver and insulting it. I cannot verify this because I was at a different table where dissection was going on.

“Insects were coming out of the cadaver because it was decaying and I cautioned them that they could be infected if they were bitten. Peter was busy snapping the cadaver. When he was checking the pictures, everybody noticed he was shaking terribly. I didn’t understand what was going on and since some staff were around, we continued with the dissection.

“Later, a colleague called me that the picture Peter took had a ghost in it. I didn’t believe it at first. When I saw the picture, it was shocking and strange. You may feel you want to see it, but I tell you, it is not something you want to see.

“The ghost was wrapped in a white cloth and turban, and its face was black. Peter nearly passed out because of fear. At the time, one of our classmates, who had the courage to hold the phone, would not let people collect the picture through Bluetooth because they could upload it on Facebook. I agreed with him, but the way people are checking the picture, I believe they would delete the picture. I cannot even read now because whenever I sit down, it is just the ghost that I see.”

There was a debate over the veracity of the claim. Benjamin Kondom, 300-Level student, said he did not believe the image was a ghost, until he saw the picture. He said people could manipulate graphic images to look real, but argued that it was likely that the student saw the ghost. Patrick Etunke, 400-Level and immediate past president of the Christian Medical and Dental Association, (CMDA) told CAMPUSLIFE that he could not

•The medical college’s entrance

explain it.

“I was told the picture has been deleted and I felt very bad. I don’t know how to explain this. I went to Peter’s house but he was afraid that the authorities may punish him because students have been warned not to take photograph in the anatomy lab. This probably is the reason why he deleted the picture.”

He believed in the existence of ghosts, but wondered why a spectre could be captured in the picture. “Is it that the camera is sharper than the eye? What the eye could not see, the camera picked. This is my surprise,” Patrick said, adding: “It is spirits that should be afraid of us because they can’t operate in this realm. Otherwise, that ghost could have slapped the guy if it had the power.”

Another student, who also was in

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE

US varsity opens Nigerian campus

T

T

HE American Liberty University has established a campus in Nigeria in its quest to promote quality higher eduction.

The American University of Nigeria (ALUN) bears the name of its parent institution, American Liberty University (ALU), which was founded in 1999 by Dr Kelvin Soltani.

The institution has campuses in California and Alabama, United States.

The university’s foundation was laid at the maiden Annual General Meeting (AGM) of its Board of Trustees (BoT) held in the training hall of the Lagos Building Investment Company Limited.

The BoT comprises seasoned professionals and educators, including former Minister of Information Chief Alex Akinyele; Justice of Sharia Court of Appeal, Kaduna, Justice Shehu Ibrahim Ahmad; former Director-General of National Teachers’ Institute, Prof Patrick Onyekwere; Rector of Gateway Polytechnic, Ogun State, Prof Babasola Onalaja and Prof Oladipo Hunponu-Wosu, a Professor of Community Health and Primary Healthcare, Lagos State University College of Medicine.

Others are chairman of Integrated Marble Limited, Abuja, Mr Roland Bassey; president of Kingsland Group of Schools, Ikorodu, Prof Catherine Udenze; co-founder, Christian Pentecostal Mission, Reverend Mercy Ezekiel; Dr Olusola Dada and Dr

•Akinyele (fourth right) and Ogunsakin (left) with other members of the BoT after their meeting

By Wale Ajetunmobi

J.P.C. Anyadiegwu.

ALUN’s African Director, Dr Akin Ogunsakin, said the university was established because of the millions of naira paid by distance learning students to the parent institution.

He said he believes that if ALU campus was opened in Nigeria, the nation’s economy would thrive, adding that the university would be panNigerian.

Stating the mission and vision of the university, Ogunsakin listed the problems of the education sector to include poor funding and infrastructure, inadequate classrooms and teaching aid and polluted learning environment. He added that vices such as cultism, hooliganism and corrup-

tion were like a plague in public universities, which affected their values and academic progress.

“Admission and being in school today is merely the ability to pay what is demanded in monetary terms by school operators and not on what could be offered academically. This widens the scope of poverty prevalence as well as the gap between the rich and the poor, which education is designed to bridge,” Ogunsakin said.

While noting that higher education remains the vital tool for intellectual and cultural development, Ogunsakin said the responsibility of universities is not only to impart knowledge but also to forecast the future needs of economy.

He said: “The proposed university will emphasise critical thinking, small

classes, students’ participation, problem solving, a US-style general education programme. The university will exchange students with the parent institution in the US. This puts it in conformity with practice of other American universities outside of the United States such as the American University of Beirut and the American University of Paris.”

Bassey praised Ogunsakin for bringing the project to Nigeria, urging the BOT members to rally support for the smooth take off of the university. He donated N1 million towards the cause.

Dada said he was elated to be a member of the board, but expressed displeasure on the absence of Soltani at the meeting. Prof Udenze urged management of the proposed university to maintain American standard.

At the end of the session, Chief Akinyele was elected chairman of the BOT, a position which made him the president of the Nigerian campus of the university. Prof Hunponu-Wosu was elected the deputy chairman and vice president of the proposed university.

Akinyele described his appointment as another history, saying he had never failed any job given to him in his lifetime. He told members of the board to appreciate the privilege, while urging them to study Ogunsakin’s paper properly and come back with their observations.

“This appointment is far more important than being appointed as minister. I seek for cooperation and support of all board members and I promise to be more humble,” Akinyele said.

Students give testimony of varsity

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•Cross section of freshers at the event

Covenant Poly holds orientation

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HE Covenant Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State, has held orientation for new students.

The event was held to help the students know the institution’s code of conduct and regulations.

The Rector, Deaconess Bukky Nwoke, reminded the freshers that the polytechnic was a faith-based institution, which, she added, would not tolerate any form of immorality. She said the management had developed zero-tolerance for indecent dressing and misconduct.

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TUDENTS of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have appealed to the authorities to upgrade the results of two of the general courses that have just been released.

The courses are General Studies (GNS) 311 and Graduate SelfEmployment (GSE) 301. The two courses were done on computer during the first semester examination held four weeks ago.

The students made the appeal when CAMPUSLIFE sought their views. They lamented that if

From Chioma Nwoke COVENANT POLY

Nwoke said any student that faults the dress code would be arrested by the school’s security outfit. She listed some of the banned dressing styles to include show back, low waist, sagging and show armpit among others. She also noted that excessive application of cosmetics by female students remains banned.

Nwoke said the institution had

strict regulation against exam malpractice, saying the management had collaborated with the institution’s Students’ Representative Assembly (SRA) to battle the vice. She stressed that any student caught in the act would be sanctioned accordingly.

Ending her speech, Nwoke advised the students to be focused and take their studies seriously, adding that discipline was a virtue every student must work hard to acquire.

PPLAUSE rented the spacious, air-conditioned hall. Many guests were on their feet, completely mesmerised. But for their physical presence, they would have dismissed most of the transformation stories as too-good-to-be-true. But the tenacity of the students, the innocence on their faces and the first-hand experiences most of them have had were too convincing.

This was the atmosphere last week at the testimonial day of Salem University (SU), Lokoja, Kogi State, organised by Foundation Faith Church Worldwide on campus. One after the other, students mounted the podium to share how much transformational impact the institution has had on them since their admission.

During the testimonies, guests, parents and guardians were surprised over what their wards have become in a short time.

Eunice Adako, 300-Level Economics, described the university as a character refinery. She said her uncontrollable anger problem had waned through constant exposure to biblical teachings. “I had a quick and terrible anger that eventually made me lose all my friends before I came here,” she began. “But when I was trained, the anger was destroyed. I have made lots of friends that have

From Sunday Oguntola SALEM

enriched my life,” she said.

Eunice also experienced amazing academic transformation much to her surprise. “I surprised even myself. I was an average student throughout secondary school. But I have developed a deep reading habit that has improved my academic performance,” she boasted.

Yvonne Nnanna, 400-Level Peace and Social Science, said: “Before I came to Salem University, I used to be a person of very low self-esteem.

I never believed anything good could come out of me. I was always afraid of my future, especially when it had to do with my getting a job after school.”

Through exposure to entrepreneurial studies offered in the institution, Yvonne said she was no longer fascinated by the prospect of seeking paid employment. “I now know that I can achieve anything I want to achieve. I now know that I am a job creator and not a job seeker.

I want to work for myself and never for anybody,” she said.

Adah Ojonugwa, 200-Level Geology, said the university had helped him discover new opportunities in his life.

Mass failure: Students appeal to management From Hameed Opeyemi UNILORIN

nothing was done to upgrade the results, many students would have an extra year.

A 300-Level Zoology student, who did not want his name in print, said: “I am not happy. When I checked my results, it was F in both courses. I appeal to the management to upgrade the results

because I do not want an extra year.”

Another student, who simply gave her name as Blessing, said: “I really wish this was a dream because I still can’t believe I am having carryovers in both GNS and GSE. Having carryovers in both courses is a sure sign of extra year for me. I will be happy if the school can look into this and upgrade our results. The results are so bad.”

A Law student said: “I prepared very well for these exams and I never expected this kind of results. I had E grade in GSE and F in GNS. These results will surely have a strong effect on my CGPA. All I hope and pray for now is for the authorities to seat and deliberate on how they can help us.”

Meanwhile, the Students’ Union president, AbdulMalik Aremu, has called on all affected students to print out their grades and submit them at

the union office as evidence of mass failure to present before the ViceChancellor. He, however, stressed that doing so does not automatically mean that the school would upgrade the results, but he hoped the management would do so.

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that over 60 per cent of the students, who took the exams failed. GNS 311 is a two-Unit course, while GSE 301 is a threeUnit course.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE Maximise your potentials, VC tells freshers

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HE Cross River State University of Science and Technology (CRUTECH) has matriculated 3,000 freshers.

They took the oath at an exciting ceremony held on the campus.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof E. Eneobong, congratulated the freshers, saying it has always been his wish to contribute to the lives of the young people. He said he would not neglect his resolve to keep students of the institution on the right path.

Prof Eneobong advised the students to unleash their academic potentials, adding: “As students, you should endeavour to challenge yourselves.

You should look forward to those things that will add value to your lives not just because you see people doing them.”

Charging lecturers to be alive with their responsibility, the

•The student being led away by the security officials

Drama as student wears wrapper to class From Damilola Olayemi AWKA

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AS the dressing appropriate or not? No matter how it is classified, the student succeeded in drawing attention to himself. He was the cynosure of all eyes as he strolled into a classroom at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State.

Some students, hooted, others just burst into laughter as the male predegree student, clad in an Ankara wrapper and a shortsleeve shirt, entered the class.

The security did not find his dressing funny. His entry disrupted the class. Rather than pay attention

From Sam Ibok CRUTECH

VC said: “We should all put our hands together to mould the lives of the students. We should remain conscious of our expected responsibility in the institution.”

Eneobong praised Governor Liyel Imoke for creating an enabling environment for the institution to thrive. He said: “Big thanks go to the governor for remaining faithful to his promises. He has also implemented all the salary agreements with the staff of the school, which completes his cycle of responsibility.”

Aaron Awajimijian, 100 Level Education Biology, said his admission had presented him with an opportunity to be professional. Azu Lawson, 100-Level Achitecture, promised to be focused and hardworking.

to the lecture, his colleagues resorted to hailing him. The security wasted no time in restoring order. They flogged the student out of the class.

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the student had earlier had a bet with some friends that he could wear a wrapper to school. Some of his colleagues were said to have promised him N20,000 if he did. The student surprised his colleagues when he appeared in wrapper.

The security officials’ action almost sparked a riot as students deplored it. The security operatives hit the student with sticks.

Students argued that anybody could wear whatever catches his fancy to school, if such attires are not indecent.

•The student entering the classroom •Some of the freshers after their ceremony

Union greets Bayelsa governor

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TUDENTS of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State under the banner of the National Union of Ogbia Students (NUOS) have congratulated Governor Seriake Dickson on his administration’s one year anniversary.

The president of the union, Israel Osain, in a statement, noted that the Dickson-led administration has made significant impact in security, infrastructure, education, energy, transport and agriculture in the past one year, despite flood that occurred in the state last year.

The 300-Level student of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) outlined the re-establishment of the state’s College of Arts and Science (BYCAS), relocation of the

•Cross section of students at the programme

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HE Association of Mass Communication Students (AMCOMS), University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter, has freshers to be committed to their academic work.

Its Staff Adviser, Mr Taye Obateru, asked the students to be focused and dedicated to their studies. He told the freshmen justify their admission because many wrote the entrance test to be in the department.

He said: “You should count yourselves privileged for being among the few admitted into the department. You must, therefore, work hard to achieve excellence in your academic pursuit and also build and maintain positive relationship

From Isaac Mensah YENAGOA

College of Education from Okpoama to Sagbama for purposes of accessibility, establishment of Maritime Academy in Okpoama as well as the disbursement of N1 billion for postgraduate scholarship scheme as part of the administration’s efforts aimed at encouraging education in the state.

He urged the government to maintain the tempo of the work and consolidate on its achievement, which he said would take the state to the next level. He stressed the need for the government to always make funds available to pay the bursary of the Bayelsa State students in many tertiary institutions.

He wished Governor Dickson and his team more years of purposeful leadership.

Dept orientates freshers Varsity ends semester exam From Gift Nwachukwu and Meshach Owolabi UNIJOS

with your course mates and lecturers.”

Also speaking, Mr Francis Ogbe, a staff of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), encouraged the students to remain focused and make themselves creative communicators in future.

Hundung Gyang, an on-air personality with Peace FM, Jos, spoke on the need to have good communication skills as well as development of personal style,

especially when presenting programmes and casting news.

She noted that there were challenges that came with being journalists and advised the students to give their best despite challenges that may stand against their academic pursuit.

The AMCOMS president, Adams Ijah, said the programme served as a platform for all students to interact. The event, which took place at the ASUU secretariat, was attended by guests from Plateau Radio Television (PRTV), Jos, journalists, lecturers and students of the department.

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HE first semester examination of the Gregory University, which started penultimate week, is rounding off. The university, which is located in Uturu, Abia State, was recently established. Unlike many new institutions, exams were held in conducive halls; the problem of congestion did not arise.

Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Mr Elijah Efetobor, a lecturer in Mass Communication department, commended the authorities for the feat, describing the university as a world class institution that came to set the pace for excellence in the country and beyond.

“Gregory University is a world

From Okechukwu Chukwuma GREGORY

class university that has come to set the pace for university education in Nigeria and the world at large. You can see the orderly manner in which the examination is being conducted.

The students are comfortably seated and the examiners are all around to make sure everything is moving on effectively,” Efetobor.

Students who spoke to our correspondent asserted that the university had come to redefine university education in Nigeria. After the examination which is expected to end tomorrow, the institution would round off its first semester.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE The University of Calabar (UNICAL) chapter of the Yoruba Students Association (YOSA) held its Cultural Day last week. SAM IBOK (300-Level Curriculum and Teaching ) and BONITA HARRY write.

•Alhaji Mustapha (left) receiving award from Owolabi

•Some of the Yoruba students at the event

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T was all fun at University of Calabar (UNICAL) last week

when Yoruba students marked their Cultural Day. Clad in different attires, the students under the aegis of Yoruba Students Association (YOSA) thronged the Malabo Square venue of the programme.

The event, which was organised to showcase the cultural heritage of Yoruba, was graced by many members of the Yoruba community in Calabar, including Apostle Olatunde Adekunle, the spiritual father of the day.

pressed gratitude to God for making the day a reality. He said since his tenure started, he had built confidence of members. He said his strength and leadership ability would set the association on progressive pace after his tenure.

Prof Lawal emphasised the need for students to unite and promote their language and cultural heritage wherever they may be. According to him, Yoruba culture remains one of the richest, adding that the culture

had devised an easy way for transmission from parents to children.

He urged lecturers to always instill morals and good values of the students, saying such would discourage anti-social behaviour and make them to think about their future.

The cultural troupe of the association entertained guests and members with choreographed dance Bata steps. Also, some of the members

recited Ewi (Yoruba poem) to the surprise of the guest.

One of the students, Tosin Akeredolu, 400-Level Physiology, who came from Ekiti State, told CAMPUSLIFE that the messages of Ewi and Bata drums were to educate and prick the conscience of the people in medieval Yoruba society.

He added that Ewi remains relevant in today’s society to speak the truth to the power that be.

The highlight of the occasion included the presentation of awards to some of the guests, launching of the association’s Almanac and coronation of Oba of Malabor.

the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, presented a new dimension to usage of grammar and exposed the common errors made by writers and speakers of English.

The week-long conference was not all about lectures; participants visited recreation and tourist attractions in Delta State. In one of such outings, the students visited Umuaga, the source of River Ethiope where it is said that the water actually comes from a tree and not from the rock as widely believed. The participants also visited Marcarthy beach, a popular resort in the university community to socialise.

The highpoint was the election of new officers. Oluwadare Adejare, 400-Level student of the University of Ibadan (UI) was elected national president.

Joel Isioma, 300-Level student of

the University of Benin (UNIBEN) said he was thrilled by the lecture of Prof Iyayi, adding that he acquired new knowledge during the conference.

Angela Ugwu-Agbo, 300-Level student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said the conference was a departure from the last one held in UNIBEN where some of the guest speakers did not show up.

Mfon Akpabio, 300-Level, University of Uyo (UNIUYO) and Mac-Anthony Okpara, 300-Level Imo State University (IMSU), described the conference as thrilling.

In his address, the outgoing national president of the association, Akwarandu Akwarandu, 400Level student of IMSU, gave an account of his stewardship. He said his leadership brought more institutions to join the national body. He thanked members of the

host institution for the success of the conference.

He ended his speech with the words of Odia Ofeimun, who said: ‘If I had disappointed the crowd, I would have disappointed the whole nation.”

Oluwadare said his intention was to sustain the language and literary legacy and consolidate on the gains made by the outgoing executive.

Franklin Akporhe, Director of Information of the local organising committee, told CAMPUSLIFE that he was happy with the outcome of the event despite challenges encountered in the organisation. He praised DELSU management and appreciated the efforts of the head of English and Literary Studies department, DELSU, Dr Macaulay Mowarin, his IMSU counterpart and Dr Awhefeada.

Yoruba students hold Cultural Day Others were the chairman of the occasion, Prof Olu Lawal, former UNICAL librarian, Alhaji Mustapha Hassan, president of Yoruba community, Pastor J. O. Gureje, senior pastor of Shepherd Porch Church Pastor Tunde Oyeyipo, Prof Jane Omojuwa, Dr O. T. Owolabi, Engr Jide Adeoye, Mrs Bisola Oke, Chief Kayode Omoeye and Micheal Abolade, a teacher.

The president of the association, Owolabi Faleti, in his address, ex-

Students of English and Literary Studies from 26 tertiary institutions converged on Delta State University (DELSU) for their annual conference. PHILIP OKORODUDU (500Level Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, DELSU) reports.

United they stand

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HE auditorium of the Faculty of Social Science on the Abraka campus of the Delta State University (DELSU) was a beehive when English students held their annual programme. Under the banner of National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS), the students gathered for the weeklong International Conference of English and Literary Studies (ICOSELS).

It was the seventh in the series and it was tagged DELSU ICOSELS for national unity. The participants pledged to preach peace and unity to engender educational development.

The conference with the theme Language/Literature for sustainable national development drew partici-

•Some participants after the conference

pants from over 26 tertiary institutions. Over 500 students and guests attended the conference.

Some erudite scholars and literary icons were the guest speakers.

In a keynote address, the national staff adviser of the association and a lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies, DELSU, Dr Sunny Awhefeada, urged participants to work for the unity of all institutions of learning.

Various speakers took turns to educate the students on issues.

Among them was Odia Ofeimun, a renowned poet. Prof Festus Iyayi presented a paper entitled Literature and national development; Alex Roy-Omoni, another guest speaker, spoke on Nigerian culture and tradition: A call for decolonisation.

Prof Joy Eyisi, the patron of the association and a senior lecturer at

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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CAMPUS LIFE

AFCON’s officiating and Super Eagles’ feat

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HE recently-concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by South Africa has come and gone. But for quite a number of years, the memory will linger in Africa. The frill and thrill of the soccer fiesta will not be forgotten easily, especially in Nigeria, which carried the day.

The Super Eagles showed their best form in 19 years. The Nigerian side’s performance soared beyond the expectations of the majority of the citizens and, indeed, some notable Africans.

Former publisher of African Football Magazine, Emmanuel Maradas, totally dismissed the chances of the Super Eagles to win.

He described Stephen Keshi’s squad as a low-quality side who could not create threat to any team in the tournament. In his words, “your team is not solid and it has no star player, it is just an ordinary team.”

But against all odd, Super Eagles, after an uninspiring starting, won the trophy for the third time in the AFCON history, a feat that proved many bookmakers wrong that Nigerian senior football team cannot win any major tournament.

Of course, many would have put their bet on the Elephant of Cote d’Ivoire. But when eagles met the elephants, the latter fell flat after

conceding two goals from the rampaging eagles. After the loss, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire gave their support to the Nigerian side against the supposedly strong Black Stars of Ghana. But Ghana put up a worst performance and was mauled by Mali.

However, the officiating of the tournament leaves much to be desired. This poor outing of African referees may have reinforced the FIFA’s shocking opinion not to give chances to CAF referees to officiate major tournaments such as the World Cup and Confederation Cup. The AFCON saw the worst officiating in the history of the tournament as a lot of wrong decisions almost turned the excitement of the game into anti-climax. For instance, the referee in the Super Eagles opening match against Burkina Faso portrayed our boys as a team with lack of fair play. He, therefore, doled out yellow cards and a red card that sent Nigerian defender, Efe Ambrose, out of the game. Ambrose’s offence was also committed by the opponents but the referee looked away.

Then came the broad-daylight robbery in the eagles match against the defending champion, Zambia.

The Egyptian referee, Ghead Grisha, wasted no time in pointing to the penalty spot in a harm-

less tackle between two players on the edge of the box. Even if it were to be a foul, then it should have been a free kick but not a penalty kick.

Grisha was dismissed forthwith

by CAF after the match. In relieving the referee of his duty, CAF had noted that “his (Grisha’s) decisions did not tally with best practices of the refereeing profession and we would not allow anyone to start rewriting the rules of the game here”.

The last group game match in Group D between Tunisia and Togo also saw a very poor officiating. Former super eagles’ skipper, Sunday Oliseh, described the officiating as the worst prior to the semi final game between Ghana and Burkina Faso. Oliseh said: “Tunisia could not come to the party throughout the tournament; it was only the referee that was trying to push them into the quarter finals.

It is a shame, the worst officiating that we have heard in this fine tournament.”

But for God’s intervention, the semi final match between Ghana and Burkina Faso was already lost by the latter as far as the referee was concerned as he did everything within his powers to give Ghana the victory on a platter of gold. The Tunisian referee, Slim Jdidi, was also suspended and later sent packing by CAF.

Of course, these are clear examples of reasons African football has not developed. This is not to say that European leagues don’t witness such irregularities but for a continent, whose colour and geographical location are generally believed to be inconsequential, Africa must show direction in this respect.

Coming back to Nigeria, soccer pundits had argued that the Super Eagles may not have won the trophy had they won the match against Zambia, which would have seen them topping the group and avoiding the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire. There was the belief in some quarters that the eagles raised their performance when they were to face pre-tournament favourites and consequently maintained the tempo when it mattered most against the Mali team and the stallions of Burkina Faso in the final match.

There are a lot of positive end to draw from the tournament. Football is no mathematics and any team could get its rhythm at any point in the competition. A weak side can realise its strong points, work on its own weak points and utilise the opponents’ weak points to the fullest as was clearly visible in the Nigerian match against Mali.

Also, the success achieved in most human venture is mostly directly proportional to the efforts put in and the willingness and the desire to succeed

By Philip Okorodudu despite all odds. The key to eagles’ success in South Africa was the team spirit, which was highly maintained with the determination to succeed. It is my hope that the coaching crew will be giving all the needed resources to keep this team as one united family for subsequent competitions especially the FIFA’s Confederations Cup coming up in the summer. It is only then that the team can continue to grow from strength to strength.

Philip, 500-Level Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering, DELSU

Why Mikel Obi should have been MVP

By Segun Balogun

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FTER winning the trophy in a soccer tournament, the next coveted title for which every player bids is Most Valuable Player (MVP). The winner of this title goes home with a golden boot and perhaps, a monetary reward.

But contenders are selected from

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the two teams that made it to the final.

This was also the case in the justconcluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON). After his country’s team was mauled by the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the final match, Jonathan Pitroipa of Burkina Faso went home with MVP, a title that was, perhaps, seen as a consolation prize for the Rennes winger. The Stallions of Burkina Faso, admittedly, engaged the eagles strength to strength but then, the latter went home with the trophy.

However, soccer is not a game that recognises sentiment and nobody should try to propagate it. In my own opinion, Pitroipa did not deserve the MVP title that went him. If anything, the winner of the title should have been selected among the Super Eagles. I believe there were two or three Nigerian players that would have been names MVP before considering Pitroipa.

This is not to take anything away from the 26-year-old striker, whose heroic display in the quarter final

match against Togo helped ensure the Stallions moved forward to their first ever final in the tournament. Admittedly, Pitroipa was one of the best players in South Africa, but he, in no way, was the best.

Of course, I must quickly say that the MVP honour should have been the lot of Nigeria’s John Mikel Obi. He should have been given the official recognition to confirm what everyone expected.

Mikel’s importance to Nigeria became evident as soon as Stephen Keshi made public his squad for the competition. Keshi, in an act of gallantry, left out several established players from his 23-man squad that went to the Cup of Nations. Bigman players such as Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Peter Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins, Dickson Etuhu, Taiye Taiwo and Danny Shittu were not invited.

Instead, Keshi hunted coolheaded home-based and flexible foreign-based players with only two experienced members of eagles - Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and Captain Joseph Yobo – both of who

have with more than 50 caps to their names.

Mikel, at 25, has paid his dues as the elder statesman of the midfield.

And he vindicated Keshi’s belief in him by showing his best in the tournament. With Ogenyi Onazi and Sunday Mba alongside in the centre of the pitch, Mikel marshalled what proved to be the tightest, most organised midfield in South Africa—something that was never expected, given the disorderly nature of the past eagles’ matches.

He also led by example instead of letting his notoriously erratic behaviour get the better part of him, and if anything his supple approach made him a model for his younger teammates. So often he courts controversy in the Premier League, Mikel’s performance in the last AFCON was not the type he has ever played up in the past tournament.

Barely three months after he was handed a three-match suspension for bursting into referee Mark Clattenburg in the changing room with allegations of racial abuse that

were later proved unfounded, Mikel put up a surprised show in AFCON tournament with his brain operational and his maturity growing.

As a result, we saw a player we have only seen in patches during his time at Chelsea. Robust in a defensive role, Mikel has been the best midfielder on the park in every match he played. That Nigeria so fully deserved their quarter-final win over Ivory Coast was largely due to him; that eagles’ attackers had a platform from which to demolish Mali was largely due to him.

That the centre of the park was shut to Burkina Faso’s passing was largely down to him, and Nigeria won the tournament final match because of his performance. There was an array of stars at the 2013 AFCON and Pitroipa was certainly among them. But Mikel was a supernova. And when he shone, the stars disappeared. This is why he deserved the coveted MVP prize.

Segun, 200-Level Public Administration, LASU

Rededicating students for excellence

T may not be wrong to assert that Nigerian students are disadvantaged to be studying in the country’s unorganised education system.

The sincerity of this opinion is reinforced by a statistics that stated that over 71,000 Nigerians, who are studying in Ghana pay about N155 billion annually to benefit their host country’s economy.

This amount is more than Nigeria’s annual budgetary allocation to the education section. It is, therefore, clear that to attempt to make progress without a well-planned education policy for Nigerian institutions and students will always end up in futility.

Students are major stakeholders and, as tomorrow’s leaders, the inheritors of whatever institution, be it political or educational, to which any nation lays claim. Therefore, government must take steps to reform education system and draft new curricula to replace the old syllabi most of our higher institutions still use to teach students today.

Meanwhile, analysts have said the quality of education being received by

students in Nigeria cannot make them compete with their peers from other countries because of the advanced techniques being employed to teach in those countries.

According to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a world university ranking body, only University of Cape Town, ranked 156, is capable to effectively teach science and technology in Africa. Is this not a damning verdict against Nigeria’s education system?

Also, the Network of Migration Research on African (NOMRA), a research body, said over 10,090 Nigerians were granted visa into the United Kingdom (UK) in 2009 and they all paid N42 billion to their host country. The fact remains that Nigerian students do not enjoy to qualitative education.

This, perhaps, informs why Nigeria’s literacy level is low. A large percentage of the population do not have knowledge of what the nation’s Constitution say about education, let alone charging the government to deliver those ideals.

But this is government’s fault; what about students? The curricula of Nigerian schools do not focus much on morality, character-building, innovation and entrepreneurship. In most cases, schools’ syllabi are loaded with what is called “general studies”. Not subject or course for students to diversify to other area to be independent after school.

Large number of students are keen about making quick money, which has led most of them to commit crimes such as Internet fraud, cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and social media crime. They cruise around in exotic cars, visit clubs to drink with girls and deal in all sorts of hard drugs. All this, sadly, will not take students anywhere.

During the recent matriculation ceremony held for freshmen admitted into Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), the Rector, Dr Margret Ladipo, reiterated her administration’s stance on misconduct such as consumption of alcohol by students and its sale on campus. She assured the freshers that any students caught

in such act would be shown the way out.

For students to be rededicated to knowledge, the country must have to instill morals and characters. This may have the reason YABATECHA bans the sales of alcohol on campus.

There is no student that will concentrate on his study if alcohol is in his system.

Other institutions should emulate this example so that the needed change can be generalised. The ban on alcohol should also be applicable to teaching and non-teaching staff too. If anybody wants to take alcohol, let the person do that in his house and not on campus.

The government and private sector should assist in the campaign to reorientate students and make them do away with intoxicants. This will enhance a better life and make graduates of our higher institutions complete human being. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should also assist in this direction.

While urging the government to formulate a policy that will make

By Mark Orgu willing students to work during their studies, it is my candid opinion that effort to rededicate students towards excellence is a collective responsibility of parents, teachers and the society.

Mark, 300-Level School of Technical Education, YABATECH

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

36

CAMPUS LIFE Corps members preach entrepreneurship

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ARENTS and guardians have been advised to pay attention to the academic and vocational ability of their wards to prepare them for the future. Three Corps members serving in Anambra State – Olatunji Ojuola, Dina Ayodele and Idehen Frank made the charge during a skill acquisition programme organised for the pupils of Holy Ghost Academy Secondary School, Ring Road, Awka.

The pupils were trained on four vocations that could benefit them. They were taught how to make domestic products such as liquid soap, disinfectant, air freshener and

From Ayodeji Adesina NYSC ONITSHA

body perfume.

Olatunji, a graduate of Electrical Engineering from the University of Ibadan (UI) advised the pupils to see entrepreneurship as the alternative to white-collar jobs.

Another Corps member, Mary Oladosu, who facilitated a session during the seminar, counselled the pupils on challenges of unemployment, saying entrepreneurship remains the solution. She advised the pupils to develop their vocation skills now.

•Proprietress of Oyeleke Memorial College, Offa, Kwara State, Mrs Ayodele Oyeleke (middle) receiving a certificate of excellence from the chairman, Awards Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Luqman Salaudeen (third left) and other representatives of the association at the school.

•The Corps members with some of the pupils after the seminar

On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600

•Students at the programme

Students get entrepreneurship, ICT training

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FIRM, Wisdom Computer Technology, in collaboration with National Association of Information Technology Students (NAITS), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) chapter, has held an Information and Communication Technology summit and entrepreneurship workshop for students.

Tagged 21 computer secretes that give money in the 21st century, the seminar, held in USB Lecture Hall 3 in the School of Management Technology, was geared towards making students self-reliant and productive after graduation.

For students to achieve prosperity in the absence of white-collar jobs, Francis Uzor, a guest speaker, said the solution was to embrace entrepreneurship while in school.

Poly trains artisans

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HE management of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) has floated a workshop to train artisans in a skill acquisition programme to educate them on effectiveness and efficient service delivery. The Rector, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun, dropped the hint during the maiden lecture of Sunshine State Youth Movement (SSYM).

The programme was held last Thursday at Solton International Hotel, Akure. The Rector said the initiative was to provide functional education and make skill acquisition the focus of students.

Ajibefun said the institution’s focus on the practical programme was to provide skilled man-

From Mabel Opara FUTO

Uzor said information technology was widely acknowledged as jobs dispenser. He urged students to take advantage of abundant human and natural resources in Nigeria to enhance their living standard. He explained that the biggest economies in the world achieved growth through the utilisation and development of small-scale medium enterprises, adding that it was vital for Nigeria to embrace such a concept to enhance its own development in the Information technology (IT) world.

To address the problem of unemployment in Nigeria, Uzor urged the students to embrace Information Technology, which he said was capable to drive job creation to power the engine of the economy.

The programme was attended by members of the NAITS executive among who included Christian Esomofor, president and Uche Agomuo, Financial Secretary. The staff adviser of the association, Mr Cosmos Nwakanma also graced the seminar.

From Olumide Olugosi RUGIPO

power in special areas of societal needs. He said the polytechnic was moving towards the provision of skilled students, who would be independent after their graduation.

The first set of candidates admitted for the programme will commence their training in the first week of March, he stated.

According to the Rector, the full implementation of the vocational programme would make students of the polytechnic to acquire practical skills in, at least, one area before graduation. He noted the skill acquisition remained solution to youth unemployment ravaging the nation.

Ajibefun praised the Ondo State government for supporting the programme. He, however, stressed that the success of the programme would depend on availability of electricity.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

37

EDUCATION

ESUT expels 107 for certificate forgery

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NE hundred and seven students have been expelled from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) for certificate forgery.

The students, who were at various stages of their studies, were found to have forged the National Diploma (ND) certificates they presented for Direct Entry (DE) admission.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Cyprian Onyeji disclosed this at the 32nd matriculation of the university held at Agbani.

Onyeji hinted that the university senate approved the expulsion at its 238th regular meeting just ended.

While warning the fresh students to steer clear of any form of examination malpractice, the Vice-Chancellor disclosed that in the last one

From Chris Oji, Enugu

year, the university senate applied varied degrees of sanctions on up to 150 students for their involvement in the vice.

He said ESUT was capturing biometric data of all her students with a view to stemming the incidence of impersonation during examinations. Onyeji stressed that as from this academic session, every student would be required to undergo biometric identification in the examination halls.

To encourage hard work, the ViceChancellor said the university's scholarship awaits students who make cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.50.

4,200 fresh students matriculated at the event.

Kogi varsity starts medical HE Kogi State University, programme Anyigba has commenced its

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•From left: Real Estate guru, Dr Meckson Okoro, Miss Nkeiruka Ethel Okoro and Mrs Grathel Okoro during their daughter's graduation from the Creative Arts of the University of Lagos

Medicine programme with 32 pioneer students.

Speaking during the 14th matriculation of the university, the ViceChancellor, Prof Hassan Isah, said the state government has approved the upgrading of the Reference and Diagnostic Hospital, Anyigba to a teaching hospital.

He said the action was aimed at ensuring that the medical students do not stagnate after completing the preclinical courses in Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology.

Other new programmes in the university include Islamic Law, Fisheries and Acquaculture and Industrial Chemistry. Addressing the new students, Isah counseled them to be fo-

From Muhammad Bashir, Lokoja

cused on their studies and shun vices that could jeopardise their future.

Isah also warned that the screening and verification of the entry qualification was a continuous process, stressing there would be no hesitation to expel any student found to have been admitted with forged documents. He also revealed that 18, 332 candidates participated in the post-UTME screening out of which 4, 765 students were admitted.

He disclosed further that the school now has eight faculties and 46 academic programmes - with a student population of 19,984 - a far cry from the 750 students that were admitted at inception in 2000.

Naira rain on best graduate

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ARIAM Muritala got enough recognition, stepping out eight times during the second convocation of the Fountain University, Osogbo (FUO), to collect various prizes for being the overall best graduand.

The 23-year old, who made a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.88, got N80,000 and two undisclosed 'special prizes' endowed by the university, college of Natural and Applied Sciences, department and various individuals.

However, wives of the governors of Taraba, Gombe, Borno and Niger states who accompanied wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo, one of the three honorary doctorate degree recipients to the event, dazzled the Microbiology graduate even more with a N500,000 prize.

Another Vice President’s wife, Mrs Fareedah Dantata made the figure N600,000.

Mariam was soon surrounded by family, friends and well wishers, like bees attracted to a honeycomb.

She said she was overwhelmed by the goodwill her brilliant academic performance brought her. She had challenged herself to work hard enough to make a first class grade.

She did not know she was going to be the overall best.

"From the onset I knew that someone has to make a first class. I asked myself why I can't be the one. So I have been very prayerful and determined. I started this programme with the support of my uncle, Prof H.O.B. Oloyede. I thank him for encouraging me," she said.

Now that she has achieved beyond her expectation, Mariam said her prizes would go towards funding her postgraduate education.

Mariam was one of the 128 graduands that received their scrolls during the convocation and led the 12 who made first class grades.

• Maraim receiving one of her prizes from the Registrar, Muili Olarewaju at the event

UNILORIN FILE Diagnostic centre coming THE University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) is planning a wellequipped medical diagnostic centre that would end the trend of Nigerians going abroad for medical check-ups and diagnosis.

This was disclosed during a meeting between the university management and a US-based foundation, PROJECT C.U.R.E. facilitated by another American health solutions company, Delexis Healthcare Solutions whose CEO, Mr TundeAlaofin, is a Nigerian.

The meeting was attended by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof AbdulGaniyu Ambali, all the principal officers, deans and directors.

Speaking during the meeting, Ambali noted that the completion and commencement of full operations of the university dental centre was a testament that it is possible to have state-of-theart facilities in the country and avoid wasting money travelling abroad.

In his remarks, Alaofin explained that the objective of the project is to help health institutions in developing countries to be better equipped with welltrained personnel.

Distance Learning centre takes off THE UNILORIN Centre for Open and Distance Learning (CODL) has commenced academic activities with 13 students on the Post Doctoral Diploma in Education (PDDE) programme.

Director of the centre, Prof M.O. Yusuf who said the centre began fully last month, assured that the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programme of the university would be a test case for online learning in the country.

The professor of Educational Technology added that the students of the pilot programme comprise Ph.D. holders and professors, eleven of who are members of staff of the university.

Yusuf disclosed that the PDDE programme is fully online with the students accessing their materials online in their virtual classrooms. He added that the students interact with their lecturers via social media and may also test themselves and reach their classmates online.

34,000 jostle for LAUTECH admission

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

The graduands got lots of admonition from the array of dignitaries at the event. In his address, Chancellor of the university, Dr Sheikh Ahmed Lemu advised them to be ready to adapt should they face difficulties in the job market.

He said: "You must remember that having a university degree is not enough in itself. You have to decide what to do with your degree. You have to decide what to do with your degree. The pre-requisite for success easily, in the sense that they will be lucky in whatever they lay their hands on, while some of you will meet with more daunting challenges.

If you are the lucky type, be humble and show due gratitude to Almighty Allah. If you face adversity, never give up. It might be necessary to change direction once in a while, if you are not successful."

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Bashir Raji, urged the graduands to be honest in all their dealings.

"I have no doubt that you will effectively apply all the knowledge acquired in the past four years of your stay in the university. I advise you to face the future boldly and find something honourable to do for a living," he said.

In his speech, Governor Rauf

‘The graduate must be equipped with life surviving skills that will not make him or her a miserable applicant for non-existing jobs after the joy of graduation must have waned and hope turns to despair. Every graduate, with a little help, must be an employer in waiting’

Aregbesola, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, urged the university to ensure its students are trained to be resourceful in the labour market.

"The graduate must be equipped with life surviving skills that will not make him or her a miserable applicant for non-existing jobs after the joy of graduation must have waned and hope turns to despair. Every graduate, with a little help, must be an employer in waiting," he said.

Mrs Sambo added her own bit, urging the proprietor of the university, NASFAT, to establish a campus in the north, even as she appreciated its management for honouring her with a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) degree.

The university also conferred honorary doctorate degrees on Alhaji Abdulatef Olasupo, chair, Board of Trustees of NASFAT (Doctor of Banking, DBF) and Alhaji Suleiman Adegunwa, renowned philanthropist and an industrialist (Doctor of Business Administration.

ABOUT 34,000 applicants chose to study at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso during the 2012/2013 academic session admission exercise.

This was disclosed by the institution's Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Niyi Gbadegesin at the 2012/2013 matriculation ceremony held at the institution premises.

According to him, only 5,684 comprising 17 per cent of the figure scaled the admission hurdle.

Prof. Gbadegesin urged the students not to waste the opportunity. He enjoined them to adhere strictly to all rules and regulations on registration of students within stipulated period, attendance of lectures and good conduct during examination.

"Unlike what used to obtain in the past, the university will not for a single day extend the registration period as information on this has already been made available both with and outside the university, in electronic and print media and on the internet," he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

38

EDUCATION National Maths test holds Saturday

SCHOLARSHIPS APPROACHING DEADLINES

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HE first stage examination of the 2013 Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) will hold on Saturday in 200 centres nationwide.

Lagos State has the highest number of centres, 20, in the country, followed by Oyo (10), Delta and Ebonyi (seven each), Edo and Enugu (six), Cross River and Adamawa (five) and Abuja ,three.

In a statement, Mr. Kachi Onubogu, Commercial Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, sponsors of the competition, said the competition is open to pupils between ages 10 and 18 in JSS3 and SS2.

Onubogu said to participate the forms must be properly filled, stamped and signed by the school principal and presented at the examination centre on Saturday.

"The competition is open to all students between 10 and 18 years of age in JSS3 and SSS2 attending full-time secondary education in government approved schools in Nigeria and the best three students in both categories, i.e. junior and senior will be required to represent each school for this year's edition. Schools that intend to participate can obtain forms from our website, or our headquarters or via our website."

He explained that pupils with the highest scores in junior and secondary categories would make it to the second and final stage of the examination after which the national prize winners would emerge.

According to Onubogu, the best three students in each category at the state level will receive N25, 000, N20, 000 and N15, 000, aside other branded gift items like school bags, T-shirts, pens, notebooks and certificate of recognition.

Malaysian Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) for Commonwealth Countries, 2013/2014 The scholarship is awarded for up to 12 to 24 months for master courses depending upon the course and up to 3 years for PhD degree. The awards are only applicable for candidates pursuing fulltime degree programme in Malaysia. Deadline for application is March 31, 2013.

Study Subject(s): All fields of studies Course Level: The scholarship is available for pursuing postgraduate degree( Master and Phd) Scholarship Provider: Malaysian Government Scholarship can be taken at: Malaysia Eligibility: To be eligible for Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP), applicants must fit the following criteria:•Not be more than 45 years of age during application.

In addition, for post-doctoral programme, the selection will be evaluated based on the number of books produced, refereed/non refereed journals, portfolio and patent copyright. The PostDoctoral candidate must have excellent reputation in research and possesses knowledge related to the research to be carried out.

-Took one of the following English Language Proficiency Test not more than two years before the date of application. The list of tests and

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minimum scores required: IELTS Academic Test with a score of at least 6.5; or TOEFL paper-based test with a score of at least 580 or computer-based test with a score of at least 230 or internet-based test with a score at least 92.

•In excellent health condition and certified by a Certified Doctor/Medical Professional. The cost of medical examination is to be borne by the applicants •Wrote a proposal that is relevant to the needs and interests of Malaysia (research-based programme only) •Has applied for and gained admission to postgraduate and post-doctoral studies in Malaysia (conditional letters of offer will be accepted at the time of application or has a confirmation of acceptance or affiliation with the universities in Malaysia).

Scholarship Open for International Students: The students from the commonwealth countries can apply for this scholarship.

Scholarship Description: This is a Government to Government scheme without any bond imposed by Malaysia. The awards for Master's degree are between 12 to 24 months depending on the courses. Awards for pursuing PhD degree are for 3 years. The Awards are only applicable for candidates pursuing full-time degree programme in Malaysia.

Duration of award(s): The awards for Master's degree are between 12 to 24 months depending on the courses. Awards for pursuing PhD degree are for

3 years.

What does it cover? Each scholarship consists of:-Air tickets from recipient's capital city to Malaysia -An approved tuition fees -Monthly maintenance allowance -Annual grant for books and internal travel -Medical / Health Insurance -Installation and Termination grant -Thesis allowance -Visa The Government of Malaysia reserves the rights to review the value of awards at any time (and if such changes are made, the value of scholarship will be changed and the effective date will be informed to the successful candidates).

Selection Criteria: Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:-High-level academic achievement -The quality of the research proposal and its potential contribution towards advancement of technology and human well-being.

-Excellent communication, writing and reading skills in English Language.

Scholarship Application Deadline: Deadline for application is March 31, 2013.

Educationist decries delay of Contributory Pension Scheme Bill

SEASONED educationist, Chief Niyi Adesokan, has decried the delay by most states in the country to subscribe to the Contributory Pension Scheme as required by establishing law, nine years after its introduction.

Adesokan said this as a guest lecturer at the send forth programme in honour of retired principal of AnsarUd- Deen Junior Grammar School 2, Opapa, Oyo Town, Alhaji Adbul Rasheed Bamgboye.

He said given that the scheme was passed into law since 2004, one would expect that payment of pension by now would have been fine tuned.

He said: "To subscribe to the scheme, each state House of Assembly must

From Bode Durojaiye Oyo

first of all pass the Pension Reform Bill. It is, however, sad to learn that nine years after its introduction, not all the states of the federation have subscribed to the scheme.''

Adesokan, also a retired Permanent Secretary, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), in Oyo State, said to date, only seven states have started their contributions under the scheme.

"Fourteen states have commenced processes that will lead to the passage of the Bill, while 15 other states

are yet to take the initiative let alone complying.,'' he added.

Said he: "The effect of this delay is begging on the streets by pensioners across the country. Not only that, delay and non- payment of terminal benefit to retirees as and when due have resulted into loss of lives. Retirement is usually accompanied by menopausal fear because one is never sure when the entitlements would be paid. It is indeed worrisome and requires urgent intervention by the authorities concerned.''

While pointing out that the National Pension Commission has es-

tablished zonal offices in five out of the six geo-political zones in the country, Adesokan wondered why the commission is yet to establish same in the Southwest.

"For clearance, there are zonal offices at Calabar for Southsouth, Ilorin for Northcentral, Gombe for Northeast, Kano for Northwest, and AkwaIbom for Southeast. Little wonder the impact of the scheme is yet to be felt in the Southwest. This is no doubt another case of marginalisation of the Southwest to which the Federal Government must address.”

Extolling virtues of the retired Principal, Adesokan. said his zero tolerance for corruption and indiscipline was worthy of emulation.

Education commission holds workshop

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OR Itanah Augustine, participating at the maiden conference on capacity building

by Living Faith Worldwide (LFW) made him realise that being an educationist is not all it takes to run schools like the Kingdom Heritage School (KHS).

Though Augustine has been the head teacher of the Uromi, Edo State, arm of the school for over a year and three months now, the forum was an eye opener to LFW's underlining philosophy which rests on its core value of spirituality.

The four-day capacity building workshop with the theme: The Education Commission: Visionary Imperatives which ran between last Monday and Friday, was courtesy of the Education Commission, a unit under LFW that monitors all institutions run by the ministry namely: Kingdom Heritage (primary) and Faith Academy (secondary) as well as Covenant University, Ota, and Landmark University, Omu-aran.

"I joined this school as head teacher for about a year and three months now. But I can tell you I never knew much about the philosophy of the church. This forum has opened my eyes to how things should be properly done in line with the ministry’s principles.

"This is exactly what we need because without improving ourselves, we will stop progressing.

This experience will ginger us to be more proactive and from there, we can start impacting on our teachers who will in turn impact

•Pastor Oyedepo (fifth from right) flanked by Prof Obayan (left) and Pastor Daniel with other participants

By Adegunle Olugbamila

on the students."

Deaconess Stella Ndubuisi who heds Faith Academy, Kaduna, said the forum allowed heads of the various schools exchange notes on administration.

"For the first time, all of us from far and near are coming together to discuss our success stories and challenges, while we are also proffering solutions to them. This experience has also brought all of us as one big family and we are now exchanging contacts for networking after the workshop," she said.

Head Teacher of Kingdom Heritage School, Udu, in Warri, Mrs Osuzo Ijeoma, said the forum has enriched

the teachers to do greater things.

"It is a sign of a change for us; it is a sign that we are about to move up the next level. It is a moment of redefining our operations and consolidating on our success," she said Meanwhile Vice-President (Education), LFW Pastor Faith Oyedepo, said the workshop was to sharpen participants' skills and improve on their performances.

"The programme is for all the operators of all our primary and secondary schools nationwide. The aim is to improve on the capacity of all our operators so they can perform better and eventually be able to transfer same to all the schools they represent. With this, we can have the speed of accomplishment in our

schools, while our students and pupils develope and become generational leaders."

Former Registrar Covenant University, Pastor Daniel Rotimi said 348 delegates from about 100 nursery/primary and 16 secondary schools attended the workshop.

He said of the workshop: "We want to ensure that the foundation is solid which will determine the formidable of the structure. This is because if there is no sound structure, then there would be no future."

Meanwhile the Education Secretary, LFW, Prof Aize Obayan, urged all proprietors to key into the commission's mandate which thrives on innovation, revolution, and spirituality.

In her address tagged: Defining our operational base: Structural and regulatory practices, Obayan said henceforth, the commission will embark on more aggressive training of teachers in all its schools nationwide with emphasis on the core subjects.

"In line with our philosophy, our leadership responsibility must drive the future. Everyone must bear in mind that we are driving a revolution in the education sector with the spirituality factor as our guiding lights. So, since we are a faith-based school, efforts should not only be concentrated on the physical structures alone but on the spirituality which is our foundation and which must be engraved in everything that we do."

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

EDUCATION

Education For All report: Nigeria’s progress is slow •Nigeria more than two years away from goal, says minister

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HE Global Monitoring Report (GMR) on Education for All (EFA) has revealed that the process of providing education is stagnating in Nigeria, while aid to education is slowing down. This is as the Federal Government admitted the country is more than two years away from attaining the target.

According to the report, which was launched in Abuja on Tuesday by the Minister of Education, Prof.

Ruqayyatu Rufa'i, the slow progress has left a huge skills deficit among young people.

Besides, the report noted that poor urban and rural youth, especially women, urgently need support to acquire skills.

The Report, which is in two parts, gave attention to dwindling levels of educational funding for basic education.

The report also noted that $16 billion is needed to bridge the funding gap in the sector, while additional $8billion is needed to fund junior secondary schools.

The second part of the report talked about the huge gap in skills development and the urgent needs of the

From Vincent Ikuomola, Bukola Amusan and Nike Adebowale, Abuja

teeming population of youth across regions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, West and East Asian countries. It highlights the differing levels of political will and the challenges that must be addressed in 10 critical recommendations.

With particular reference to Nigeria, the report noted that Nigeria has some of the worst education indicators globally.

•Its population of out-of-school children is reported to be the largest in the world, put at 10.5 million-3.1 million more than in 1999; •80 per cent of children who start primary school survive until the last grade; out of every 100 children from the poorest disadvantaged families or households, only 30 per cent were expected to start school compared to 93 per cent of those from the richest households; •42 per cent of the poorest start school two years or more late as against 14 per cent from the richest households; •Gender inequality and inequity

is very pronounced in certain parts of the country for instance.

•Fifty-eight per cent of girls from poor and rural households have not had the chance to go to school; •Disparities by region shows that 84 per cent of the poorest girls aged 7-16 in the Northwest region have never been to school compared to only 18 per cent in the Southeast.

Education costs are generally prohibitive. On average, the report said primary education spending (direct & indirect costs) per child by the richest 20 per cent of households in Nigeria "is more than 10 times higher than by the poorest 20 per cent of households."

It also noted that a considerable number of children fail to learn the basics in a primary education system described as "not of sufficient quality."

The socio-economic imbalance also means that almost all the urban rich attain lower secondary, compared to less than half of the urban poor.

Among young men aged 15 to 29 years in 2008 who had left school after six years of schooling, 28 per cent were described as 'illiterate' and 39 per cent were 'semi-literate'; and for

young women of the same age bracket, the figures are even worse with 32 per cent illiterate and 52 semi-literate.

The report also noted that there is a huge skills deficit among young people in Nigeria now facing the world of work. Almost a quarter of young people in the country did not complete primary school and, as a result, do not have the basic skills they need for work. This is equivalent to over seven million 15-24 year olds; and almost double the number of young women.

As with school, the report stated that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are least likely to have skills for decent work.

It noted that young women are the worst affected - with over half of rural women having less than a secondary schooling compared to around a quarter of young women in urban areas.

In her remark, the Minister of Education, who noted that though the country is more than two years away from attaining EFA by 2015, with all hands on deck it could make appreciable progress.

"Finally, although discourse on a

•Prof Rufa’i

post 2015 Agenda has commenced globally, we are more than two years away from the target and some significant progress can still be made before 2015. In this regard, we need to adjust our actions for EFA. Nonstate actors must come on board more visibly than before, as government cannot do it alone. I, therefore, call on the private sector, civil society organisations, our international development partners, the media and other stakeholders to support government's efforts at ensuring quality education delivery for all. We must work together in the final push before 2015. Education for All is a responsibility for all," she said.

ICPC chair seeks Ethics as compulsory subject in schools •Donates library, books to alma mater

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HE Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr Ekpo Nta, has called on the government to make Ethics a compulsory subject equal to subjects such as English and Mathematics in primary and secondary schools.

He made the call during his visit to his alma mater, St Anthony's Catholic Nursery and Primary School, Molete in Ibadan.

He said the idea would further strengthen efforts to build a new generation of Nigerians that will manifest integrity, honesty and accountability in their day-to-day living.

The ICPC boss also pledged to build a library in the school and equip it with enough story books and other materials.

Nta, who was accompanied by some of the directors of the commission, said he passed out from the school in 1964 as the Head Boy. The ICPC boss said aside giving back to his alma mater which pro-

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

vided the foundation for all his education and achievements in life, the visit was part of the commission's outreach initiatives to preach honesty and integrity to the younger generation of Nigerians.

The ICPC boss also took time to explain the efforts of the commission to introduce the ideals such as honesty, integrity and accountability in younger Nigerians which is added, are already yielding fruits as ethics has been re-introduced as a subject in primary and secondary schools.

He added that the commission, which worked with the curriculum planning agency to revive the subject, was already pushing hard to make the subject rank among other compulsory ones such as English and Mathematics.

On why he preferred to donate a library and books, Nta recalled that as the Pupils' Librarian in his days, he read all the books in the library.

•Nta addressing some of the pupils

According to him, when the then Head of the Ibadan branch of the United States Information Servise (USIS) visited the school and the library, she doubted his claim of having read all the books but was eventually convinced after he had told her the content of every book the visitor brought off the shelves.

He encouraged the pupils to read books so they can be well informed and become great in life.

Nta expressed delight at the quality of learning taking place in the school as well as the commitment of teachers desspite shortage of infrastructure and other facilities.

He called on Nigerians to begin

to help their alma mater build infrastructure and other facilities to improve the quality of learning in schools. The idea, he emphasised, would complement government's efforts in the education sector. Nta said if every alumnus donates a book each, it will largely solve the paucity of books in schools.

Communities get ICT, adult literacy support

puter repairs, service and maintenance at no cost . All these are courtesy of the free regular training at an ICT Centre sponsored by Mrs Motunrayo Adijat AdeleyeOladapo, a lawmaker representing Ifo II at the Ogun State House of Assembly.

Also enjoying the largesse are adult members of the AlagboleAkute community who missed out of formal education in their youth but now have a second chance to be literate through the Adult Education programme offered at the centre.

The renovation of the school by the Ogun State government was facilitated by Mrs Adeleye-Oladapo, while centre and the Adult Education programme are her initiatives.

Before the lawmaker donated the classroom block, teachers and pupils of the school had to manage in a delapidated structure that was made worse by conjestion. The situation was particularly bad during the rains.

At the inauguration of the new building, the Chairman, Olambe Community Development Association, Chief Gabriel Adebanjo, lauded the lawmaker and the state

government for making the facility available for children of the community.

In her remarks, Mrs AdeleyeOladapo praised Governor Ibikunle Amosun's administration for the facility as well as for renovation of schools in her constituency. She added that more government assistance is needed because of the population surge in the area.

She said: "We have seen the renovation of schools in the area like every other part of the state. You identify the project I want that funding should be applied. Thanks Amosun, for jobs being done on renovation of schools. It is not enough but we will still ask for more given the population of pupils.

"We believe education is continuous. We have a lot of adults who are clamouring for literacy skills not for the purpose of seeking employment but to enable them transact their businesses in English, carry out simple calculations, documentation and banking service unassisted, read newspapers, Bible, Quran and to also profit from English programmes running on televisions or over the radio."

•The new block of classrooms

S

UCCOUR came the way of the Ote-Muyiwa community in Ifo II state constituency in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State as a block of three class-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

rooms with toilet facility was built for its school, Ote Muyiwa Community Primary School, Olambe.

Similarly, for the AlagboreAkute, a boundary community near Lagos, no fewer than 48 residents received Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training in desktop publishing and com-

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

40

EDUCATION EDUTALK

with

Re: FME, monitor Unity Schools

T

HE piece on the above topic last week generated a lot of interesting responses which I think are worth a closer look. The Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja may learn one or two things from some of the text messages reproduced below: Thanks for your expo on unity schools on 7/3/13. Can you imagine a school having close to six bank accounts and you are expected to pay into all of these

• From left: Mrs Koiki, Mr. Kim and Mr. Adeboye observing the pupils at work

Samsung transforms classrooms

N

O textbooks were in sight in Year 4 Ukaegbu at Greensprings School, Lekki, while the pupils took a class in Mathematics. There were no notebooks either, or pens, but the pupils were seriously engaged in learning about fractions - their eyes, not focused on the board but the Samsung tablets on their desks, which they accessed with their stylus pens.

Their teacher, Ms Ukaegbu, did not spend the whole period by the large 65-inch interactive board in front of the class but moved around with her own tablet, dishing instructions to the pupils to do sums, asking questions and monitoring what each child did.

She is also able to draw on an avalanche of information to teach her pupils because the Samsung Smart School provides educational materials, such as e-textbooks, timetables and learning applications for users as well as track attendance, compile grade history and keep record of prizes or demerits.

Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr Bravo Kim, said Greensprings Schools is the first to adopt its Samsung Smart Class-

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

rooms learning solutions in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking at the launch of the interactive classroom solutions, Kim praised the school for being courageous enough to embrace change, assuring its managers that the pupils would learn more.

"The deployment of Samsung's Smart School solution in Greensprings School represents an important part of our continued effort to deliver the classroom of the future today. This innovative solution frees educators from the confines of standing at a chalkboard or projector and allows them to move about the classroom, conducting interactive lessons and activities through their touch screen tablet or notebook computer. We're confident that the school will find it to be a powerful and effective platform for engaging students, elevating learning, and fostering a truly interactive classroom learning environment," he said.

Explaining the difference between e-learning and the new smart school solutions, Head, Samsung B2B West

Africa, Mr Ayo Adeboye said the latter provides greater opportunity for integrated learning. He urged the government to emulate those of countries like Turkey, Korea, and some in Europe that have deployed smart learning solutions in public schools.

On her part, Director of Greensprings School, Mrs Olayiwola Koiki, said Samsung's Smart School Solution provides pupils with learning tools of the 21st century so they are not left behind by the rest of the world.

"The students of today are digital natives, and to some extent, inhabit a world different from that in which their parents, who are digital immigrants, live in. The conventional styles of learning no longer match their everyday experiences. We are indeed very happy that we are the first school in Nigeria and indeed sub-Saharan Africa to adopt this smart learning solution. We are very excited about keying into the potential of the Samsung Smart School Solution to create a truly global and interactive learning environment," she said.

School partners UK College on A Levels

A

FTER over two decades of offering quality education at the basic and secondary levels, CEO of Supreme Education Foundation (SEF), Mrs Adenike Adamolekun, said the school is now bridging the gap between secondary and tertiary education through its A levels and foundation programmes.

To this end, she said the school has partnered with Abbey College, United Kingdom to offer programmes.

Speaking during a briefing at the school in Magodo, Lagos, Mrs Ademolekun said the new programmes would help parents who wish to send their wards abroad to take informed decision.

"We thank God we have been around for 22 years. Now we move all the way to advanced study; we want to make sure that we bridge the gap for the children that come out of secondary schools and want to go to the university and face some challenges. It will help dissolve challenges, especially parents who want

By Sampson Unamka

their children to go to the best universities and study abroad. This is the password to university education, especially to universities that produce doctors abroad," she said.

Mrs Chris Adegoke Imah, whose firm, KOT Educational services Ltd, represents Abbey College in Nigeria, said the college is partnering with SEF because the college has admitted a lot of Nigerian students over the years, particularly those wanting to study medicine.

She added that the college is satisfied that SEF has facilities and workers to deliver the A Level courses or post secondary programmes.

"In 2011, Abbey College came to inspect the facility of SEF and was very pleased with what they saw.

Abbey College is very happy to partner with SEF. This partnership came in last year and for them to deliver not just the abbey college programme which is recognised all over 25 universities in the UK but specifically the medical universities

Charles and Masaryk University.

Charles University is 20th in the top 100 medical schools in their lead while Masaryk is 27th in the top 100 universities in Europe," she said.

On the advantage of taking the programmes in Nigeria rather than abroad, Mrs Imah said it cuts cost and parents will have added advantage of monitoring their wards.

Mrs Imah also said students that do not scale through the medical programmes can be eligible for entry into any UK universities in any other field.

"Every student that undergoes the abbey college programme in Supreme is given an Abbey College certificate which allows them to access all the universities that recognise Abbey College," she said.

Mr Vincent Nkama, SEF Director of Studies, said the programme has commenced with 13 students.

"It is not only for medical students; its qualification is SSCE or O Level.

Once you pass you get admission," he said.

Chancellor worried over NDDC project

T

HE Chancellor of Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), Alhaji Najib Adamu, has expressed worry over the slow pace of work at the site of the Niger Delta Specialist Teaching Hospital being undertaken by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Alhaji Adamu frowned at the delay in the construction of the project

Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

while condemning the contractor's inability to change the building design to suit the topography of the area.

The Chancellor, who is the Emir of Kazaure, Jigawa State, challenged the NDDC to use its expertise diligently to erect a durable structure

and complete the work on schedule.

He observed that it is unusual for a chancellor to visit his university except during convocation, adding that his visit to AKSU is borne out of his love for the institution and his desire to ensure that the university is developed well enough to compete with its contemporaries world over.

Kofoworola

Belo-Osagie Kofosagie@yahoo.com 08054503077 (SMS only)

every term? Even some of the items you mentioned like toiletries and implements are collected every term. Textbooks are sold at retail price despite bulk purchase from publishers. Pupils hardly eat eggs and fruits throughout the term. Pit toilet is still very common. PTAs have become big-time business. Some principals are super rich. Gbenga, Ikorodu.

Madam, thanks for your observation about the going on in our so-called unity schools. But I know more frauds are being committed in any disguise by the executives of the PTA and the principal. Ogundele Samuel.

Thanks for your today's Edutalk. Why has the ministry not employed the PTA teachers as agreed with the Senate Committee on Education represented by Senator Uche Chukwumerije? From 08037092---.

Thank you immensely on your piece: "FME, monitor Unity Schools". The situation in our Unity Schools is the result of the lip service paid to education generally because politicians' ward all school abroad. Nigerians should protest to show disapproval. From 08084894---.

From the responses of the parents, it may do some good if the FME probes the activities of the Parents/Teachers Associations (PTA) of the various schools in connivance with the principals. It is supposed to be an association parents join voluntarily. However they are forced to pay huge levies, failing which their wards are not allowed to resume. In one case, a parent told me of someone forced to forfeit the admission when he could not pay the exorbitant PTA levy.

Parents are alleging that the PTA executives are embezzling the funds, growing fat on their sweat and awarding contracts to themselves. Perhaps most frustrating to them is that these executives seem to get away with their misconduct without any punishment.

They are also complaining about the way principals and teachers treat them - like they are inferior; like they have no right to ask questions about their operations. Despite paying so many levies, the parents are treated with disdain. Were the colleges to be private schools, teachers would get into trouble addressing parents the way they do.

NUT's grudge against local government autonomy

A

S the National Assembly deliberates on the 1999 constitution, it is important the two chambers consider the fears expressed by primary school teachers about being managed by the local government councils if they are granted autonomy.

While autonomy for the councils to be able to control their allocations from the Federal Government purse is not a bad idea, it is bad for teachers to be owed for months. It is bad not to know when to expect your salary because the uncertainty it creates. Such situation forces people into debt. They borrow to make ends meet and promise to repay when their salaries come, which is not certain. When they cannot continue to borrow, they seek other means of livelihood, many of which usually affect their commitment to their primary assignment as teachers. But who can blame them? After all, they are just trying to survive.

There was a time in this country that landlords refused to rent houses to teachers because they were afraid they would default on their rents.

There was a time we used to hear stories about teachers measuring tubers of yam with ruler in a bid to manage scarce resources. Many teachers have not forgotten those difficult times. Our lawmakers should not forget either. So, when reviewing the part of the constitution that deals with the local government autonomy, they should treat teachers' welfare like they are treated. Lawmakers are not owed; teachers too should not be owed.

‘There was a time in this country that landlords refused to rent houses to teachers because they were afraid they would default on their rents. Many teachers have not forgotten those difficult times.

Our lawmakers should not forget either’

From My Inbox Re: Curricula review for health workers (published Thursday January 24, 2013) I like your piece on Curricula review for health workers. But I want you to look more on the issue of lack of industrial peace at the expense of their patients in the health sector. Theophilus from Jos.

43

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

The bill for the establishment of an independent National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) has scaled the second reading in the House of Representatives. VICTOR OLUWASEGUN and DELE ANOFI examine the benefits of the bill to the country.

Can NABRO avert poor budget implementation?

S

INCE 2000, budget row has been a recurring decimal. The bickering over the passage of the budget between the executive and legislature has always enraged Nigerians. Apart from the delay in passing the annual appropriation, its poor implementation is worrisome.

For over a month, President Goodluck Jonathan held on to the 2013 budget and refused to sign it into law. According to him, there were contentious areas in the budget which should be resolved before appending his signature to the bill.

The President agreed to sign the budget, following threats by the House of Representatives to over turn the President’s assent.

However, the era of executive/legislative face-off over budgetary matters may be coming to an end. The House of Representatives is proposing establishement of the National Assembly Budget and Research Office. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Hon. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, said that when the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) bill eventually becomes law, the budget process would be reformed.

Presenting the NABRO bill on the floor of the House last week, Bamidele said the bill would provide the National Assembly with “the objective, timely and non-partisan analysis needed for economic and budget decisions and information and estimates required for use in the budget process”.

The legislator pointed out that the nonavailability of independent and detailed economic and budgetary analysis has continually limited the degree to which budget reviews and legislative oversight responsibilities could be carried out by the National Assembly.

The bill spelt out NABRO’s functions.

It will provide independent, unbiased and non-partisan analysis of the executive’s annual budget estimates The proposed office will also provide independent unbiased analysis of the budget of the National Assembly and assist all the committees of the National Assembly in developing their annual budgets.

NABRO will rovide independent and continuous review and monitoring of existing and proposed programme and budgets of the Federal Government.

It is also expected to provide assistance to all the committees in both Houses of the National Assembly with information, which will assist the committees in the discharge of their functions.

In addition, it will provide the analysis of the economic implications on the private sector, the budgetary and financial implication on states and local governmemts of any proposed legislation when so required by any committee of the National Assembly.

Another function of the NABRO, when it becomes law, is to prepare and present to the National Assembly periodic forecasts of economic trends and alternative fiscal policies with regards to the Federal Government’s money bills brought before the National Assembly.

According to Bamidele, the most important power and source of influence for any legislature is the ability to control public funds. He said the implication is that the legislature is the most influential organ of government, as far as decisions on the revenue and expen-

• Dr Jonathan

• Mark

‘The Appropriation Bill is one of the legislations that a parliament must, albeit, carry out. It is in the process of performing this important legislative function that the legislature requires accurate and timely data and information to be able to participate effectively in the appropriation process’ • Tambuwal

diture are concerned.

“The foregoing therefore, establishes that the appropriation bill is one of the legislations that a parliament must, albeit, carry out. It is in the process of performing this important legislative function that the legislature requires accurate and timely data and information to be able to participate effectively in the appropriation process”, he added.

Bamidele said that, when democracy was restored in 1999, the legislature inherited minimum infrastructure and non-professional and ill-equipped bureaucracy.

“Having been encumbered by lack of capacity arising from its infancy and dearth of expertise and experience, the required information for revenue forecasts and socio-economic predictions are not available to the parliament.

“ It is therefore, difficult for its mediators (Appropriation and Finance Committees) to canvass any stringent position on revenue assumptions and the effects of expenditure outlays on the economy”, he stressed.

The legislator said the establishment of the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) will provide the National Assembly with the required information to guide its budgetary and economic-oriented decision making processes.

But many are skeptical about the optimism expressed by the lawmaker that the era of bickering is over. In the first place, the Legislative Budget and Research Committee of the House was instrumental to the arrival of the House at a different benchmark of $80 per barrel, which was at variance with the executive’s target of $75 for the 2013

budget.

The decision, said the House, was arrived at through an “objective, timely and non-partisan analysis.” But the executive disagreed initially, saying that the amount it proposed was in order.

Irked by the National Assembly’s insistence, President Jonathan withheld his assent.

According to analysts, there will always be areas of agreement and disagreement between the executive and legislature over budget proposals.

In the past few years, the inclusion or non-inclusion of constituency projects . has always been a source of conflict between the executive and the legislature.

To the legislators, there are gaps in the budget, and to bridge them, there should be constituency projects. “These constituency projects are not meant for the legislators; they are meant for the grassroots people represented by them.

The lawmakers do not handle the funds for the projects”, said Hon. Lanre Odubote, a House of Representatives members from Epe. Bamidele’s committee, in its 2012 midyear report on budget implementation, lamented the yearly budget crisis. According to the committee, “budgeting in Nigeria had always been controversial since the advent of democracy and this had been the cause of rift between the executive and the legislature. The issue of implementation had been stories of woes as the executive often failed to implement the budget due to reasons known to it.

The committee further states that the implementation of the Appropriation Acts has always been fortuitous and bedeviled by confusion, accusations and abandonment of projects, which has left the country underdeveloped since 1999.

Many believe that the NABRO bill will be a remedy for the rifts and recriminations that has always trailed the ritual of annual budget preparation.

Bamidele said budget rows can be averted, if the right steps and decisions are taken. My passion as I assumed office as Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, was to do everything possible at the level of the committee and work with the leadership of the House to ensure that the National Assembly Budget and Research Office did not only commence work, but in the real sense of it, become relevant”.

He said the proposed office will become a resource centre for the members of the National Assembly.

A legislator, Hon. Morouf AkinderuFatai, who represents Oshodi/Isolo Constituency, said the Committee on Legislative Budget has been a kind of engine room for the House of Representatives, adding that it is instrumental to the paradigm shift in budget scrutiny.

But will the new bill avert the conditions that fuel the the frosty relationship between the two organs of government?

Will the NABRO bill resolve the issue of fundamental lapses observable in the implementation of annual budgets?

The committee, which reflected on the poor budget implementation, observed that the “late submission, revised bill submission, NASS intervention, alleged mutilation, funding of budget before implementation, and selective implementation of budget are the obstacles to proper implementation?.

Would all these be a thing of the past this year?

44

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

POLITICS

‘APC a better option’ From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

H

OUSE of Representatives member federal Hon. Solomon Adeola has said that the All Progressive Congress(APC) will salvage the economy and save the country from collapse.

Adeola, who represents Alimosho Constituency,said that the new party will dislodge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because it has better programmes for the masses.

The lawmaker spoke with reporters in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, shortly after delivering a lecture at a ceremony organised by the Country Club of Abeokuta.

A businesssman, Otunba Rotimi Daramola, emerged the pioneer President of the club at the ceremony chaired by the Osile of Oke- Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) legislator maintained that APC has a clear mission, urging the people to embrace it.

Adeola said: “We need change and the only thing Nigerians crave for now is change. The change is here; that is the All Progressive Congress(APC). All Nigerians have to is to embrace it. I strongly feel that, with theAPC and its its clear mission to salvage Nigeria, it is a better option.

“Nigerians are watching; they have seen a party in government at the centre for nearly 16 years and have equally seen the best it could offer. Nigerians deserve a change. The only change Nigerians are yearning for is the APC”.

Adeola, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, said the unfolding events have silenced pessimists who had thought the merger of opposition parties in the country was an impossible task.

Monarch urges politicians to shun thuggery

A

N Ekiti monarch, Oba Adesanya Aladejare, has urged politicians in his domain to shun thuggery and violence. He said politics with bitternes is old-fashioned and counter-productive.

The Alaaye of Efon Kingdom made the appeal in his palace, following the invassion of thugs into the premises of a private school owned by a politician, Mr. Smart Oyeyemi. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain had complained to the paramount ruler that the thugs were supporters of the Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters, Mr. Karunwi Oladapo.

He said the thugs were after him, following his pettion to the ACN chairman, Chief Jide Awe, against Karunwi on the composition of the Efon Local Government Caretaker Committee.

The thugs damaged the school vehicle, which was donated to Oyeyemi by the ACN chieftain, Mr. Dele Alake. The anxious pupils were dispersed. However, Karunwi said that he had no hand in the incident.

Oba Aladejare, who condemned the violent act, charged politicians to shun political vices and work together for the progress of the ancient town.

He explained that the community is greater than the ambition of any politician, urging them to embrace dialogue and peace.

Group flays Ladoja over attack on Ajimobi

By Jeremiah Oke

A

GROUP, ‘Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation (AGF)’ has advised former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja to desist from making uncomplimentary remarks about Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The group urged Senator Ladoja to acknowledge the achievements of the administration in the last two years, instead of peddling falsehood. The group recalled that Senator Ladoja could not perform to expectation when he was in the saddle.

AGF faulted the claim by the former governor that he is popular, stressing that a popular candidate would not have lost the governorship to the incumbent governor.

In a statement, the Oyo State Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Folawiyo Bello, said: “Senator Ladoja did not in any way contribute to the electoral success of Senator Ajimobi as some of his loyalists are saying. If not for the magnanimity of the present administration, he wouldn’t have extended a hand of fellowship to the Accord Party members.

“We wonder why Ladoja would have the moral standing to criticise a government he benefits from. We therefore, advise the Accord leader to drop the garb of arrogance and selfishness and allow the performing administration to render transformational services to the people of the state.

“We affirm the foundation’s belief in the Ajimobi Administration that he has been doing well in all areas of human development and infrastructure renewal in the state. We are satisfied with the state of infrastructure; road construction, renovation of schools, environmental sanitation, and crime reduction. That shows that Oyo State is on the threshold of history and reclaiming its lost glory.

Former Minister of Police Affairs Dr Ibrahim Lame is a member of the Central Working Committee of Northeast Forum for Unity and Development (NEFUD).

He was the senatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for Bauchi South District in the 2011 election. In this interview with Assistant Editor AUGUSTINE AVWODE, he speaks on national insecurity, the birth of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other issues.

‘Why insecurity persits in Nigeria’

H

OW is the North faring in the face of gross insecurity nd threat to its peace?

The socio-economic life here has been seriously affected by the instability and lack of peace.The areas affected are Maiduguri in Borno State and Damaturu in Yobe State. But in other parts of the Northeast, life is moving on gradually. In recent times, economic and social activities are coming up.

Are you saying that the tension is going down?

Yes, the tension is no longer as high.

People are living there; people still go about their normal businesses, but that is not to say that this is what we want for the economic and social life of the people.

NEFUD, in an advertorial, extolled the visit of the 10 governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Did the visit come to you as a surprise?

To me as a person, it did not come as a surprise because I know most of the governors. And I know their views about life and I know their commitment to justice and accountability. I know their thinking about what leadership should do and how leadership should behave. So, what they did has increased my confidence in them and the future of this country because their coming together is showing to Nigerians that there is still hope, that there are leaders who will address and show to the people that they care, that it is no longer going to be business as usual and that there is going to be a new approach to the way of doing things. That there is going to be people-oriented administration where there will be accountability. In other words, they are saying that a government that will respond to the material requirements and necessities of the people of Nigeria. So, it did not come to me as a surprise. People like us who are aware of why this group is coming up are not surprised. We are only happy that it came at the time it came.

The major problem in the zone is insecurity, which is fueled by the activities of Boko Haram. What do you think can be done to stem the crisis?

Leadership must identify itself with the issues at stake; leadership must not claim that it would not do

•From right: Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi presenting the “Friends of Ekiti State” plaque to former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Walter Carrington and his wife, Arese, during a reception in his honour in Boston, Massachusets, last weekend.

• Lame

anything, leadership must be able to sit down and understand what the problem is. And I believe dialogue is key. We have to dialogue with the people to know the remote and immediate causes of the issues that brought about the situation. For instance, the issue of inequality, the issue of youth unemployment, the issue of the economy and the issue of transparency in leadership must be addressed because what is happening is that people see their leaders living in affluence, abusing the privileges given to them without anything happening to them. This is a serious issue and people don’t seem to have anywhere to go to for justice. I think this is part of it.

You said people are living in affluence and abusing privileges and going free. Do you think we are doing enough to fight the scourge?

I believe the issues are there for everybody to see. And I am saying, unless we honestly tackle this issue, we won’t make any headway. Tackling corruption requires that you should be transparent. People must see that you are really fighting corruption. It is not enough to announce that we are fighting corruption. It must be seen to being fought. And when people see that corruption is being fought and development is taking place, everybody will be happy. There is enough to share in this country. The resources we have is enough to go round; to satisfy the yearnings of everybody. Monopolizing resources by few individuals is dangerous for any society. The modern world does not engage in corruption, the modern world engages in production and distribution of resources. We don’t hoard resources.

What we do in Nigeria is that the little we produce, we hoard it. We don’t put it into the system to generate other resources for the people. So, we must do what the world is doing; we must stop hoarding our resources.

Many people have kicked against amnesty for Boko Haram. As a leader from the North, where do you stand?

I support the idea of amnesty for Boko Haram. I think it is a good suggestion because, when you are losing over 3000 people in a single area, then, you must necessarily try to stop it and I think amnesty will help to stop it. I think we must stop the bloodshed now. Let us see those being killed as

not Muslims or Christians. They are first and foremost Nigerians and we all owe it a duty to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians. And, if amnesty to these people will help, I think we should encourage it.

As a chieftain of the ACN, how would you describe the visit of APC governors?

What the visit of the APC governors has shown is that a new vision of leadership is emerging in Nigeria; a new approach to governance is emerging. It is not going to be business as usual.

They demonstrated that they will be in government to respond to the yearnings and aspirations of people. To address the developmental issues of the people, and to find answers to the questions of widespread corruption, why there is no basic infrastructure, why there is unemployment, why can’t we diversify our economy so that agriculture, solid mineral and oil can co-exist and free Nigerians to use their Godgiven potentials? Why should we be fighting about oil and oil all the time? Why should we neglect the development of our human resources? But these are what the APC governors are now telling Nigerians that we have seen it all, we have been part of the process, but we believe we cannot continue like that; and that to develop, we must give it a different approach. What we have now is low quality leadership. We must seek to improve the quality of leadership in this country.

As a former Minister for Police Affairs, what is your opinion on state police?

I have always supported state police and I still believe we need to have state police. I believe that in a federal arrangement, operating under a federal constitution, if you want to succeed, you must give the states the opportunity to provide security for their own people. Fundamentally, I believe that the state police must be allowed to co-exist with the national police. You can’t have a single police in a country like Nigeria. There should be multisecurity outfits. And state police is fundamental to the survival of any federal arrangement. So, I support state police.

The opposition to the question of state police is coming from the northern governors. Do you find this funny?

I am a northerner and I believe there are many northerners who hold the same view as I hold. The opposition is not northern, get that right; the opposition is a reflection of the quality of leadership, the quality of thinking. That was what I said earlier. Leaders who see their functions from narrow perspectives will never get it right because they have reduced their responsibilities to mere award of contracts, building of political empire and thinking that is leadership. That is not leadership. Leadership is about doing the correct thing, what the constitution demands of you towards the society. In this case, a federal arrangement presupposes that the federating units should leverage on how to run their own societies, and how to run their own system. So, I believe that state police is what every right thinking Nigerian should encourage.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

THE NATION

NATURAL HEALTH E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

Seven food the brain needs Y

OUR brain controls every function in your body yet we rarely give it a second thought. And, few of us choose foods that protect or heal our brain.

Here are some of the best foods for thought (literally):

Spinach—more than just for Popeye A study of middle-aged rats fed diets with added spinach, strawberry extract, or vitamin E for nine months found that spinach proved most potent in protecting nerve cells against the effects of aging in two parts of the brain.

More research needs to be done but it looks like Popeye was building more than muscles when he ate spinach.

Benefits of blue for grey matter Blueberries contain a group of plant nutrients called p r o a n t h o c y a n i d i n s .

Proanthocyanidins have a unique capacity to protect both the watery and fatty parts of the brain against damage from some environmental toxins.

Proanthocyanidins decrease free radical activity within and between brain cells. Blueberry proanthocyanidins have greater antioxidant properties than vitamins C and E. Blueberries appear to have some of the highest concentrations of these powerful antioxidants. In other studies, researchers found that compounds in blueberries may reverse some age-related memory loss and motor skill decline.

Blueberries are excellent antiinflammatory agents. They

increase the amounts of compounds called heat-shock proteins that decrease as people age, thereby causing inflammation and damage, particularly in the brain. By eating blueberries regularly, research shows that these heat-shock proteins stop declining and inflammation lessens, not to mention that they just taste fabulous.

From the vine to your palate A plant nutrient found in grapes, grape juice and red wine appears to protect the brain against Alzheimer’s disease. It’s called resveratrol, and it is an antioxidant thought to be responsible for many of the purported benefits of red wine on brain cells. The researchers found that resveratrol protected brain cells by mopping up free radicals before they can cause brain damage. And while people may prefer to hear that red wine is the best source, the alcohol in wine is still damaging to brain cells. Red or purple grapes are the best option to load up on resveratrol.

Omega 3s to maintain a healthy brain (wild salmon, walnuts, flax or hemp seeds) The brain is 60 per cent fat and requires healthy fats to reduce inflammation (linked to most brain disorders) and maintain a healthy blood-brain barrier—a mechanism intended to protect the brain from harmful substances.

Omega 3 fatty acids like those found in salmon, walnuts, flax

• Food the brain needs.

seeds or flax seed oil, or hemp seeds, help to quell inflammation and support a strong blood-brain barrier, while boosting our memory. Be sure to choose only wild salmon since high levels of mercury and PCBs have been found in farmed salmon and both of these substances may have adverse effects on the brain. Also, be sure to choose raw walnuts, flax or hemp seeds or the oil made from them since the fats contained in these nuts and seeds can have damaging effects on brain health

when heated.

The memory-boosting power of tomatoes Tomatoes contain a powerful memory-boosting phytonutrient called “lycopene.” Research shows that those who consume lycopene in their daily diets had sharper memories than those who didn’t consume high amounts of lycopene. Tomatoes aren’t the only source. Another great source of lycopene is watermelon.

Tea for two hemispheres Researchers found that people who drank two or more cups of tea each day were less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Black and green tea (especially green tea) contains potent antioxidants with twenty times the power to protect against free radicals than vitamin E. Green tea also lowers the risk of blood clots and clumping linked to stroke.

• Source: www.care2.com

Practitioners seek better complementary, alternative practice

S

TAKEHOLDERS have called for reconstituted complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice.

This, according to the Secretary General, National Complementary and Alternative Medical Association (NACAMA) Nigeria, Dr. Peter Katchy, will advance the practice in the country.

Katchy spoke at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

Katchy urged unity for all Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioners, adding that this is not negotiable to reposition the practice.

He said NACAMA is an umbrella association for all registered and qualified practitioners of alternative medicine.

The association, he said, is registered by the Federal Government and it is also recognised by the Federal Ministry of Health. It is, therefore, a legal practice in Nigeria, he added.

The Secretary General called on all CAM practitioners to join hands to ensure that CAM takes its place in government.

NAMACA’s National President Dr. Olufemi Bankole said there is urgent need to create an Alternative Medicine Directorate or Department

By Olatunde Odebiyi

in the Federal Ministry of Health which should be headed by a Federal Director of Alternative Medicine.

He said if this is done, the regulation of Alternative Medicine practice in Nigeria would be accelerated.

Bankole called on the Federal and State ministries of health on the need

for the association to be effectively involved to participate in rapid response to health emergencies of the country. “Very effective nonsynthetic and non-petrochemical drugs without contradictions are available to alleviate and ameliorate health situations in Alternative Medicine,” he said.

High Chief of Eboyi State and Professor of Medicine Dr. Ukbodu Odeon said alternative medicine is not a second hand medicine and must be seen the same as the other medicine.

He said practitioners must see themselves as doctors and give all it takes to put alternative medicine in

its rightful place in the country.

Chairman of Port Harcourt chapter of NACAMA, Dr. Chibueze Nwaiwu, said the acceleration of the practice would be of great impact to health care in the country. “Government should provide all that the practise needs,” he added.

Exercise can reduce high blood pressure, obesity

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HYSICAL inactivity has been identified as the cause of high blood pressure (HBP) and obesity.

According to the associate professor of Exercise Physiology at the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, University of Lagos (UNILAG),, Dr. Adeyemi Awopetu, people who are inactive are more susceptible to hypertension and obesity.

He recommended regular exercise for everybody, especially top corporate executives and high profile civil servants, who hardly have time because of their busy schedule.

Awopetu said sedentary lifestyle or physical inactivity which comes with occupying high office has been confirmed to be the reason for several ailments such as high blood pressure and obesity, which constitute

By Mercy Michael

health hazard. He recommended what he called ‘Desk exercise’.

This, according to him, are exercises that could be done while sitting. “Desk exercise can be used for transportation purposes while at the sametime used to keep fit. Apart from that, the other form of exercise is stretching. Stretching is a natural exercise.”

He spoke at a Breakfast Wellbeing Interaction Programme at the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

Director, First Cardiology Consultant, Ikoyi, Dr Kofo Ogunyankin, who took the guests on wellbeing talk, said health is wealth.

He listed a few health hazards such as tobacco intake, physical inactivity; alcohol abuse, which he added poses danger to the genetic encoded life expectancy of 125 year as against

what is obtainable in the country.

Chief Executive Officer, Corporate/Leisure, Biodun Jaji appealed to the guests to take out time to recreate.

He said: “What Nigerians do when they travel abroad is not leisure. Going to stay in a sister’s house, brother’s house that’s not leisure. Corporate/leisure is the people who give leisure experience so you just need to work with us. Please take some time out to recreate. You can go on tour, cruising, safari”.

Ms Inge Cross, an international cruise consultant, CI Services Africa, representative of Royal Carribean and Celebrity Cruises for Africa, said a cruise is great way of holidaying.

She spoke on Cruising as a holiday.

She said: “It’s about relaxation and there is no better way to do this than cruising. It is ideal for family, cou-

ple, children and all ages. It’s full of great benefit. And you can cruise all year round. “ She identified misconceptions about cruising such as being stuck in one place for the duration, sea sickness, nothing to do, too expensive, dress code and too formal.

Mrs Cross gave a surprise cruising package to one of the lucky guests, Dr. Charles Akindayo.

At the event was the special guest of honour, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope Adefulire who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Femi Olugbile; Head of Civil Service, Lagos State, Mr. Segun Ogunlewe, permanent secretaries from Ministry of Women Affairs, and Youth and Development, Chairman, Lagos Pension Commission Tunde Dabiri among others.

THE NATION THURSDAY , MARCH 14, 2013

46

NATURAL HEALTH

Some causes of early morning heel pain A

FTER a good, restful night sleep, getting out of bed in the morning can be a nightmare for many people.

As soon as one foot or both touch the floor to bear their usual load, these people sink, grab the bed, and are reminded, all over, by a serious pain in their heel(s), that something bad is going on the foot. One woman told me last week that her husband literally crawls about in the bedroom after that first step, until the pain subsides. For many people, the pain actually disappears throughout that day after the first few steps,to return the next day. But for many others, it merely subsides, leaving a dull reminder now and then throughout the day. There are many possible causes of heel pain, as it is called, and it may require surgical correction if it is not promptly given adequate attention.

Hours after I was up from bed today (Sunday, March 9), I am still wondering what happened to my left foot heel this Sunday morning. I felt no pain in it. Tonight, I am going to do what I did last night which I suspect did the trick. Arriving home close to midnight as usual, I dropped my bag and files, and went straight to the kitchen to fix two tablespoonfuls of Bragg's unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar and two tablespoonfuls of liquid chlorophyll in one glass of water to wash down three antioxidant food supplements. I began this regimen just the night before this heel pain relief, having decided not to let my blood and system ever become deficient in antioxidants. There are many antioxidants in my food supplements cabinet. My choice this time were Zinc, Bilbery and Alpha Lipoic Acid combined with Acetyl L-Carnitine.

Zinc boosts immunity, alkalizes and heals, apart from being an antioxidant, a good aid in blood sugar management, fertility and a fine vision builder, among its many uses. Back in high school in the 1960s, I had learned in the Physiology & Hygience class ( later renamed Health Science) that, useful as Vitamin A may be for preventing blindness, it cannot be absorbed sufficiently and used by the eye if the body is Zinc deficient. Many people bear signs of Zinc deficiency in their systems. Some of these symptoms may be impaired senses of smell and taste, poor wound healing, night blindness, rough skin, poor genital development, low sperm count, menstrual irregularities e.t.c. Bilberry is best known for the health of the retina and the good vision but, it also supports healthy blood pressure and blood sugar management mechanisms. With all their boisterousness, World War II American pilots were poor reconnaissance pilots the day after a bombing because the glare affected their eyes, whereas their British counterpart were as agile as sparrows. Investigations showed that the British ate their breakfast with Bilbery jam but the Americans didn't. Bilbery is purple, the same colour as the light sensitive portion of the retina! Moreover, purple is Royal colour! Since this revelation, all eyes supplements worth with their names have not failed to incorporate Bilbery in their formulations. The anthocyanidins in Bilbery make it a powerful antioxidant. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) with Acetyl L-Carnitine is a fat and water soluble antioxidant active in the eyes in particular. Sometimes, I use ALA as an antioxidant protection against the possible excesses of N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), a powerful antioxidant which can become a double-edge sword for which it requires another antioxidant in place to clip its excesses as a free radical generator.

Acetyl L-Carnitine, the bioactive form of Carnitine, is the motor vehicle which transports fats from the liver to the muscles (Including the heart, a, muscular organ) which use them as fuel. Without enough Carnitine, fat will build up in the blood vessels, congest and damage them as cholesterol level rises and the muscles, deprived of fuel from fat, atrophies, that is waste away.

HERE is no limit in the choice of antioxidants one may take to bed in this sort of kitchen experiment. We have learned that free radicals are what cause more than 200 diseases, many of them degenerative, and make us age rapidly and prematurely. Antioxidant destroy them, keeping us young for as long as possible. So, today, I may bring into my night cap an antioxidant arsenal an "army" from the plant world named Sterols and Sterolins. I have used them on and off before, but I have just been re-awakened to them by Dr Don Colbert, M.D., who confirms in his book, STRESS LESS, that he uses them in his practice. Hear Dr Colbert, the doctor who has been warning that monosodium glutamate (MSG), which Nigerian woman now use rigorously to add flavor to their cooking, kills brain cells and induces diabetes. For men who have been made diabetic unknowingly by their wives or made to become mentally slack, this information should be enough to help them start a "Civil War" in the kitchen because most women appear deaf to health warnings unless they or their children, not their husbands, are personally hit.

Dr Colbert says: "Phytosterols or plant sterols were first described chemically in 1922. Phytosterols are simply plant derived compounds that are very similar in structure to cholesterol. Their purpose, however, is to inhibit cholesterol absorption from the diet. This was first described in 1983. Medical uses are not limited to the treatment of high cholesterol, however, phytosterols are also used to treat benign prostrate hypertrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, allergies and viruses.

Unrefined nuts and seeds also have significant high amounts of phytosterols.

"Recent studies are showing that a blend of phytosterols can help protect marathon runners and other athletes in intensive training from excessive inflammation and suppression of the immune system, both of which are common to those who train intensively.

"I have used sterols/sterolins mixture for years in my practice to help people with a variety of stress-related disorders with significant results. Two of the products that I recom-

T

Inflammation

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VERYWHERE in the body inflammation follows irritation and causes pain. If the fascia shifts for whatever reason, such as abnormal load bearing or deterioration of the fat tissue padding, it would drag the bones along, and this irritating and inflammatory tendency will result in pain.

Heel Spurs A spur is an overgrowth. In the foot, some bones do overgrow without causing pain. But bone spurs in the heel which grows into muscles or nerves may cause such trouble that may warrant surgery. Spurs generally indicate that something is wrong with calcium metabolism. Is there a deposition of free calcium in the wrong place such as sometimes happens to even soft tissue?

Why does free calcium occur? Is a nutritional deficiency causing this? Some researchers have suggested biochemical or cell salt disorders to be a cause. Would this suggest that correction of tissue salt imbalances can halt or even regress the condition?

Colon problems

mend are Moducare and Nature-Leaf. They are also used to treat benign prostrate hypertrophy as well as help lower cholesterol. " Well, stress is a malaise of our time, and it may be the body is warning us about it in heel pain. There are, indeed, many things to worry about ‌ marriage and family, the landlord, jobs, personal security, traffic ordeals, electricity failure and food spoiling in the refrigerator, sleep deficit and so on. I have been guilty in particular of sleep deficit for over 30 years. Work alters the biological clock of a sub editor, the starting point of my work career. Work didn't start in many cases until other people had finished theirs and were heading home. Thus, till today, I hardly get well started until after noon, and return home just before midnight. The adrenal glands, which remove stress from our bodies, are stressed up. Cortisol, an adrenal stress hormone, fills the bloodstream, flooding it with sugar. As the sugar level rises, vision becomes blurry, nerves wrack in pain, immune function depletes, thinking becomes foggy, insulin floods the blood, insulin resistance or rejection by the body ensues elevated insulin levels in the blood, like fertilizer, causes soft muscles of the blood vessels to grow rapidly, thus reducing the space for blood flow and causing hypertension which may become irreversible if the vessels become muscle bound. What doesn't elevated blood sugar level do? It causes the blood cholesterol level to rise. It damages protein and fat molecules. It damages nerves, the liver and the kidneys.

In fact, it is implicated in heel pain as one of the many possible causes. And this is why one of the first steps to take in combating heel pain is to check the blood sugar level.

The foot We all think we know the foot simply because we have two of it and land on them when we walk , run or jump. Yet many people appear to know little or nothing about it.

The Plantar Fascia

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HIS Is the bottom cover for the architecture of the foot.

Like the hand, the foot is an arrangement of bones, blood vessels muscle, tendons, nerves, and several layers of fat padding to protect these components parts from the pressure of the impact of walking, running and other activities in which the foot may be involved. If you feel your wrist, you would notice some small bones (Carpals) after which are arranged long ones (Metacarpals) which connect with the fingers (Phalanges). If you turn the palm up, you would notice, at the joint with the arm, a small depression. It is a gutter known as the Carpal Tunnel through which a nerve and a tendon run. If this gutter is blocked or inflamed, pain is set up in some of the fingers and the palm may swell.

In the foot, a similar architecture is in place, and the bones are named tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges. Just as problems in the carpal tunnel are called carpal tunnel syndrome, this its counterpart in the foot is the farsal tunnel syndrome.

From beneath the fat padding of the heel, a special tissue, the fascia, projects to the toes offering protection to the arch of the foot. Being creatures, we may never be able to grasp, fully, the intention of the Creator in the design of the foot.

But it seems correct to say the heels bear the load of the body transferred downwards by the head, neck, and abdomen to the pelvic girdle and, by these, to the knee joints, through the thigh bones and, from these joints, to the heels, which earth the pressure. From simple science, if the weight or load is too much for the heels to bear, they would buckle or they may throw some back to the ankle and knee joints (causing cartilage and bone wearing ‌.arthritis) or, if these joints return part of the load to the "sender" hip problems may ensue. There is symmetry in the design of the body. And this symmetry is upheld in adherence to The Law of Balance. If one set of muscles are overworking, they may pull the counterpart set of muscles out of gear, such that one set is almost permanently contracted and the other almost permanently relaxed.

Most pains experienced throughout the body are caused by this postural incongocience for which the right sitting or walking postures are often advised. We shall see, soon, how, in heel pain, the Law of Balance is also at play.

e-mail: femi.kusa@yahoo.com or olufemikusa@yahoo.com

For many people, it isn't just unbelievable but unthinkable that constipation of the colon can have a hand in heel pain. Yet reflex zone therapists say both events are connected. I believe them. For every time I had heel pain and I cleared the colon and followed up with colon cleanser and probiotics, the heel pain disappeared. In reflex zone therapy, it is said that the mere fact that two cells (egg and spermatozoa) become one (zygote) and this single cell became 100 trillion cells or so in the average adult body signals interconnectedness of every cell. They say if you stand the foot up, toes up, heel down, the head of the big toe represents your head, its joint with your foot the neck, the arch of the foot your spine and the heel, your colon. After attending demonstrations in Lagos at training sessions of Mrs. Hanne Marquadt co-sponsored by The Guardian Newspapers and Duro Soleye Hospitals at the Sheraton Hotel in the 1980s, I became a convert. So should be some people I have passed this idea to whose heel pains cleared upon clearance of their colon.

Infections Many of us are careless with the health of the foot. The heels of many people are dehydrated, fungi-infected and cracked by these organisms

Nerve injuries All sorts of events may cause nerve injury. One of the commonest is peripheral nerve damage by diabetes. The peripheral nerves are branch nerves from the Central Nervous System (CNS).These branch nerves pervade the upper and lower limbs. In the case in reference, damage or injury to the peripheral sciatic nerve may cause heel pain.

Nutritional problems

A

PART from experiencing heel pain after I overeat, I did a check weeks ago which suggested high protein intake may affect me. It is possible I generate excess purines which convert to uric acid in the absence of uricase, an enzyme, to dissolve it for excretion. Accumulations of uric acid in the heel would irritate tissue and cause inflammation and pain. When I stopped adding crayfish to the diet; I experienced reduction and disappearance of the pain. I am mindful of suggestions by some researchers that increase level of uric acid may signify antioxidant deficiency and the body's attempt to fill the gap with uric acid, an antioxidant in its own right. By this hypothesis, uric acid levels drop naturally as the level of other antioxidant rise. Could this be why I experienced significant easing of the pain this Sunday morning?

There will yet be time to talk about conditions in which the chemical benzene leached from plastic packaging into hot food causes benzene poisoning which may encourage flat worm infiltration of tissue, a possible cause of tumors, or cancers which sometimes afflict the heel and foot tissue.

Other problems We cannot rule out arthritis, bone degeneration, joint (uric acid - induced) and the collapse of the collagen matrix caused by free radicals, insufficiency of Vitamin C and collagen - maintenance materials. Fractures may occur as with any bone in the body. The fat pad may wear due to too much strain and free radical degradation on it. Women who wear high -heeled shoes for many years are more prone to wear and tear or atrophy.

Bursitis (inflammation of the bursa) does occur. The bursa are small fluid - filled sacks found in the joints and between bones and tendon. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is another possibility. From the inside of the ankle joint, a nerve passes through the tarsal tunnel to the sole of the foot. If a cyst forms in the tunnel the nerve can become compressed, and this sets up pain in the foot.

To ease inflammation and pain in the foot natural antiinflammatorles such as fish oil (Shark, Salmon or Cod) help. So do the proprietary Curaimin v2000 X, OsteoCalm, Comfrey root powder poultice, the biochemic cell or tissue salts, Moducare Sterols and Sterolins among others. Antioxidant protection for the foot tissue is important as well. So is a good foot massage at the saloon. I fought off shyness of being an only male in a saloon to regularly care for my foot.

Let us not forget that our Lord Jesus appreciated the care of the foot. After long walks, in journeys done today in motor cars or aeroplanes, Mary and Martha would massage his feet and adorn them with oil!

Tel: 08034004247, 07025077303

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

47

THE NATION

e-Business 08111813065 e-mail: lukajanaku02@yahoo.com

Despite measures by the Nigeria Copyrights Commission (NCC) and some multinational corporations to tackle intellectual property theft, the end appears not to be in sight, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.

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HEN he spoke, he betrayed his emotion. Emmanuel Onyeje, Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, lamented that Nigeria loses more than $300 million yearly to intellectual property theft.

“Piracy (level) in Nigeria—movies, compact discs (CDs), digital movies, software, everything is well above 80 per cent. Losses are everywhere. I am not talking about counterfeit, am talking about (unauthorised) downloads of books, music, movies, software. So, for the whole industry, it is well above $300 million yearly in Nigeria,” he told The Nation at an event in Lagos.

Pay television firm, Mutlichoice, also has a sad tale to tell. Seyi Owolabi, who represented Gozie Onumonu, the Head of Piracy, Multichoice, said: “Pirates are in every industry and this can constitute a clog in the wheel of an organisation. In 2004, Multichoice had over 5,000 subscribers on its platform in Onitsha, but now, it is less than 500 and this can be attributed to the activities of pirates.”

According to him, the onslaught of pirates is also prominent in Warri, Delta State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Actor/musician Gabriel Afolayan laments that piracy thrives because there is a lacuna.

According to him, some marketers also collaborate with the pirates to unleash harm on the industry.

Onyeje said it is not only software that is pirated, films, music and other things suffer the same fate and sold at ridiculous prices in the country.

Analysts have identified piracy as the major problem inhibiting the growth of the software and entertainment industries in Nigeria. It is estimated that nine out of every 10 CDs, VHS and DVDs are pirated. Piracy impacts negatively on the growth of the creative industry and on the national economy.

A visit to the Computer Village in Ikeja and Alaba International Market in Lagos speaks volumes of how the illicit trade is carried out with impunity.

Prof Uche Ewelukwa-Ofodile of the University of Arkansas School of Law, United States, said piracy muzzles creativity, discourages foreign investment and deprives the government of revenue while creation of capital and economic growth are also impeded. Nigeria is estimated to have the highest rate of piracy in sub-Saharan Africa. A study showed that commercial value of unlicensed software installed on Personal Computers (PCs) hit $251 million mark in 2011.

Eighty-two per cent of software deployed on PCs during the year was also pirated.

Despite the efforts of the NCC and other organisations, such as Microsoft, the rate may not have abated. Business Software Alliance (BSA) report showed that the figure has remained so since 2010 and almost doubled the global piracy rate for PC software, which is 42 per cent.

Havocscope’s Global Index of Illicit Market puts the market value of counterfeit and pirated copies of three products (books, soft-

•Pirated software on display at Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos.

Endless fight against piracy ware and music) in Nigeria at $160 million.

Software alone accounts for $100 million, followed by music ($52 million) and books ($8 million).

The entertainment industry is not the only industry threatened by piracy. Intellectual property protection is also vital to other sectors of the economy, including, the textile and clothing sector, the manufacturing sector, the electronics sector, and the pharmaceutical sector.

But enforcement, awareness, accessibility and availability of products may be factors encouraging the illicit trade of piracy to flourish. International Data Corporation (IDC) and BSA also say the economic recession that swept across the world years back may have pushed up software piracy levels in the country and other developing nations.

Chief Research Officer, IDC, John Gantz, observed that consumers with reduced spending power may hold on to computers longer, which would tend to increase piracy because they are more likely to load unlicensed software on older computers. Onyeje agrees no less.

The General Secretary, Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), John Oboro, said the production of software that is not tailored to the local economy may thwart efforts to fight piracy.

According to him, CAPDAN suggested on how to stop software piracy, lamenting that these have largely been ignored by the people and the authority.

“If you are not producing software that are tailored to the kind of economy we have, then you are not helping matters. If you want to reduce the piracy menace, you should be able to address the financial positions of

those who are buying your products. Usually, the cost of the software is higher than the cost of the PC. It is not reasonable,” Oboro said.

According to him, affordability and accessibility were two different factors from cost.

Said he: “If, for instance, there is software that you need to use to drive a system and that software goes for N10,000 and the system it is going to drive goes for N12,000, not many will go for it. This is because most of the systems people use are fairly used and they don’t cost as much as some of the software that will be used to drive them. If I am going to buy a small system that I will use in a small school for N12,000, and the original software is N10,000 and there is an alternative that will cost only N200 and do almost the same thing, will I not go for it?”

Onyeje, however, said Microsoft is addressing the challenges identified. According to him,distribution network is being strenghtened to address availability and access while there is free online download for the software for those who cannot afford the cots of original software.

Weak enforcement, ignorance of what constitute intellecual property theft by judicial officers, mindset and the Nigeria factor (corruption and god fatherism) were also challenges impeding the fight against piracy in the country.

“Enforcement is very weak and procedures very slow while the judiciary system is another challenge, as most of them are not aware of what piracy is all about,” Owolabi lamented.

Onyeje wants the Federal Government to do more in empowering the regulator to carry out its mandates. “If economic devel-

‘Piracy muzzles creativity, discourages foreign investment and deprives the government of revenue while creation of capital and economic growth are also impeded. Nigeria is estimated to have the highest rate of piracy in sub-Saharan Africa. A study showed that the commercial value of unlicensed software installed on Personal Computers (PCs) hit $251 million mark in 2011’

opment is the goal of the Federal Government, then it must do something about piracy. It must give the NCC the teeth to bite.

This is important,” he said.

In Nigeria, formal sector PC sales are put at about 250,000 yearly while it is estimated that for every PC sold in the informal market, 15 are sold in the informal market. This puts yearly informal market PC sector sales estimates at 3.75 million and the total yearly figures for formal and informal market PC sales in the country at four million units.

Virtually, PCs and laptops in the informal market are run on pirated software. A unit of licensed operating systems cost about N50,000, while the pirated version cost about N300 or less. There have also been cases where resellers have been found to be in possession of high quality counterfeit software that is packaged like genuine software.

Consequently, many consumers believe they are purchasing software from a reliable source, unknowingly becoming victims to software piracy.

Microsoft and the local arm of the BSA in Nigeria have repeatedly advised Nigerians to use only licensed software to avoid litigation and to help grow the local industry and generate taxes for the country. “Reduced buying power is only one of many factors affecting software piracy,” Gantz noted in the report.

Among other factors affecting PC software piracy is the global spread of internet. IDC projects 460 million new internet users coming online in emerging markets in the next five years. Growth in the number of consumers and small businesses will also bring more high-piracy users into the fold.

But schemes, such as the student computer ownership being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology in partnership with some local banks, that of a handful of banks and other firms (where new PCs and laptops are sold and payment made on instalment), and others by indigenous original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) would reduce the menace as the PCs would come with legal software. The schemes, if pursued with sincerity, would also help to deepen internet penetration in the country.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

e-Business

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Microsoft, others move to boost access to ICT

OUNTRY Manager, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Emmanuel Onyeje, has spoken of deepening devices penetration to allow youths have access to them.

Onyeje, who spoke in an interview with The Nation in Lagos, said to achieve this, the technology firm is partnering with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Huawei, Nokia, HTC, Samsung, Dell and HP. “We want to provide tens of millions of devices to the hands of African youth so that they can be connected, access information, they can learn; there is tele-medicine, there is tele-education.

“There is so much they can do when they have access to smart devices. It could be a phone; it could be a personal computer. We want to increase the quantities by

Stories by Lucas Ajanaku

tens of millions across the continent. We are doing that with our partners: Nokia, Huawei, Samsung, HTC Dell, HP to help deepen device penetration into Africa,” he said.

According to him, the technology firm has software, citing Windows phone 8 and 665 as examples. “It is not about our software, it is about local software.

So what we are trying to do is to explore how Africans can create solutions for Africans. It is really important because that is what creates the jobs. If you give people a business opportunity and they are paid, life goes on and the

ecosystem starts to grow,” he said.

He said the world is waiting on the sideline for the potentials of the continent to be realised, adding that a lot has to be done to make this happen. He said while a lot of firms are doing corporate social responsibility work, there is need to bridge the digital divide.

“We need to help those who might be slightly handicapped in any fashion and finance and or access is important. We do that but Africa cannot reah its aspirations by donations alone. We need more than corporate social responsibility to make Africa competitive on the world stage.

We need to allow the immense amount of African talent, architecture so that we can compete globally,” Emmanuel said.

Deloitte is leader in information security

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KINTOLA Williams Deloitte, a company which provides services in audit,consulting, financial advisory, risk management, IFRS and tax services, has once again been named leader in “Information security consulting services, for Q1 ‘13" by the Forester Wave web analytics firm.

A statement from Forester stated that a comprehensive web analytical report which carried out a survey on industry leading companies, noted: “Deloitte continues to be a Leader with exceptional client feedback.”

This is an update to their 2010 Security and Risk Wave publication.

“In compiling its ratings, the analyst firm, said it cited Deloitte’s “exceptional client feedback com-

prising a comprehensive, sophisticated, and mature service offerings.”

“The Forrester report also considered Deloitte as demonstrating deep technical expertise and global reach. Our Firm was the topranked security and risk consulting provider in the current offering category.”

The statement from the company further explained that, in a highly competitive digital environment, it is vital for marketers to measure performance, optimise marketing efforts, and improve customer experiences.

Marketers at industry-leading companies understand that choosing the right analytics solution is essential to building a best-in-class digital marketing programme.

Why growth may elude Nigeria, by expert

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•Globacom Business Director, (Lagos 2), Mr. Kunle Akanmu (middle) and General Manager, Glo Customer Care, Mr. Issac Thomas (right), receiving the Best Telecoms Company of the Year Award on behalf of Globacom, from Chairman of Brilla FM Sports Radio, Mr. Larry Izemoje at the Excellence Recognition Award organised by Global Excellence Magazine in Lagos.

Zinox chief seeks subsidy for student computer ownership T HE Federal Government should support indigent students to own computers so that the nation could join the information communication technology super-highway, Chairman, Zinox Computers,Leo Stan Eke, has said.

Eke who spoke in Lagos, said people that are hungry for education are the children of the poor who do not have the wherewithal to finance their education.

He said subsidising computer ownership for indigent/rural students, is a better way of taking “democracy dividends to the people”.

If the nation is serious about moving in line with other developed countries, the government must come in and assist the students who

are the leaders of tomorrow, he said.

He said, Nigeria’s development should be anchored on local content development, stressing that “it should be the major driver of the national economy.”

One way the Federal Government can promote local content he said, is through mandatory patronage of products produced locally.

He said that the plant would begin production before the end of March, blaming power supply for the delays.

He said that to ensure the sustainability of the digital assembly plant, the government should immediately commence the subsidy

of computer ownership for all students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Ekeh argued that empowering the young ones today with IT equipment is a surer way of ensuring a future Nigeria that can provide for its people, sustain the unity and stability of Nigeria, and lead the rest of Africa. Until this is done democracy dividends cannot be said to have been delivered, he added.

Th Zinox boss said the firm’s range of innovative products will be produced for the market after passing through the blue litmus test of comprehensive certification process which it is undergoing.

Accenture wants ICT in education curriculum

G

LOBAL management consulting, technology services and outsourcing firm, Accenture, has called for the integration of information communication technology (ICT) into school curriculum in the country. The firm said it was totally committed to providing support for students with creative minds.

According to a statement, the Country Managing Director of Accenture Nigeria represented by Taiwo Olatunji, said effective integration of ICT into educational sys-

tem and schools will improve the quality of lives of the people and successfully drive and sustain economic development, productivity and per-capita income.

“In the last decade, countries have advanced through an aggressive development of technology capacity. This is evident from the rapid economic development of India and South Asian countries due to their deliberate policy and actions on technology capacity building,” he said.

He encouraged the students to go

global, get familiar with new technology and make positive use modern technology that are available all over the world adding that students should also take advantage of new media to improve their reading and writing habits.

“The institution has prepared you for the labour market, so go out there and use this knowledge to enrich lives and create wealth, Accenture will continue to give support in areas that will improve students capacity in all higher institution in Nigeria,”Taiwo added.

HE growth being predicted by economists for the economy may remain a mere wishful thinking if the Federal Government fails to invest in information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and enact the legislations that will drive online transaction, information storage, protection of privacy, others.

The Group Executive, Business Development Director, BCX, John Jenkins, made this known in an email to The Nation. He said if the country is willing to take the lead in the West African sub-region, she will need to develop world class network engineers, systems integrators and application developers.

He said: “Cloud services remove the barriers to entry for companies to compete globally. The positive impact on the larger economy is immense. Without cloud computing, the economy would find it difficult to meet the predicted double digit growth percentages generally expected by econo-

mists. The government has a significant influence on the widespread adoption of cloud computing. Legislation needed to support the adoption includes governing of online transaction and payment, storage of information, protection of privacy, free market principles and cross border trading,” he said.

Acording to Jenkins, jobs can also be created through ICT the new initiative. “Cloud computing is built on IT Infrastructure, virtualisation tools and automation applications and, of course, the Internet. So, if Nigeria is willing to get behind cloud computing in a way that they take the lead in West Africa and further, it will develop world class network engineers, systems integrators and application developers. I cannot see why Nigeria cannot compete globally when it has the right location, lots of entrepreneurship, submarine cable bandwidth, competitive labour rates and a supportive government and la-

NCS inaugurates LOC for confab

N

NIGERIA Computer Society (NCS), Conferences Committee Chairman, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, has inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the NCS International Conference holding in Osun State from July 24 to 26.

The theme is: “e-Government and national security”.

The committee is plan the event.

The inauguration took place at the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Osun State University main campus, Osogbo.

According to a statement by Jide Awe, chairman, Publicity, Events and Trade Services Committee, members of the LOC include Dr. James Oladiipo Folorunso; Director

of ICT for Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, who is also Chairman of the NCS Osun State Chapter and Alhaja Peju Adigun of the Osun State University, Vice Chairman, NCS Osun State Chapter.

Since State of Osun Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola accepted to host the conference during the 2012 National Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA), enthusiasm has been high in the state.

At the ceremony, he confirmed the state’s readiness to host the conference adding: “The government and wonderful people of Osun State looks forward to hosting NCS members and other delegates/resource persons to the NCS International Conference and AGM in Osogbo.”

Airtel eases subscribers’ Facebook access

C

USTOMERS of leading telecoms services provider, Airtel Nigeria can access popular social networking platform, Facebook via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Code.

With this innovation, Airtel customers will be able to launch Facebook on their mobile devices by dialing *688#.

According to Airtel, Facebook via USSD service aims to deliver Facebook to customers who have no access to the Internet. This new service will empower customers to connect with their family and friends anytime, anywhere on Facebook without using the internet or activating GPRS capabilities on their mobile devices.

Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Olu Akanmu, said Airtel is committed to enabling youths connect to their friends and have all the fun they desire on-line through the most compelling innovative services in the Nigeria market.

“At Airtel, the quest for total satisfaction of our customers drives us to continuously respond with customised offerings and services that will delight and engage telecom consumers. We will always occupy the front row in innovation that will enable Nigerians to build great bonds of friendships and fulfill their life aspirations. Airtel is committed to making the immense benefits of Facebook available to the widest number of Nigerians,” he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

50

NEWS

•Former President of Ghana, Mr Jerry Rawlings (second left), Anambra State Governor Peter Obi (second right), his wife, Margaret (left) and Senator Ben Obi, when Rawlings visited Anambra... last weekend.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (left) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an Australian-based firm, Maldon Minerals and Engineering Consortium for the provision of agro-allied services and mineral exploration, at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office... last weekend.

With him are the Chief Executive Officer of the Consortium, Dr. Dapsy Olatona (right) and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adebayo Ojo.

•Julius Berger’s Head of Corporate Communications, Angela Shmidt, presenting a plaque to Menyere Etim of West Itam Secondary School, who came second in the Short Stories Competition in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

• Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido (left) with the Emir of Ringim, Alhaji Mahmoud Sayyadi, at the inauguration of a mosque built by Senator Danladi Sankara, in Sankara village...last weekend.

•Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda (middle) receiving an award from the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu (right) at a Leadership Award in Bauchi... last weekend.

With them is the Assembly Speaker, Mr Yahya Miya

•Ekiti State Governor’s wife, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi (right); Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi; Secretary to the State Government’s wife, Mrs. Modupe Owolabi and Head of Service’s wife, Mrs. Kehinde Famosaya, at the International Women’s Day celebration in Ado-Ekiti... last weekend.

•L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Theta Alpha Consults, Mrs. Titilayo Akisanya; Director, UACN, Mrs. Awuneba Ajumogobia and Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, at the International Women’s Day celebration organized

by Accenture in Lagos.

•L-R: Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Lagos State, Chief Dele Ajomale and Vice Chairman, Alhaji Shakiru Akanni Seriki, at the women empowerment programme for Lagos East senatorial district organised by Ashafa in Epe last PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN weekend.

•L-R: General Secretary, Personnel Practitioners Consultative Association(PPCA), Ikeja Zone, Mr. Joseph Ogunnade, Chairman, Mr. Henry Awodele, Jide Ologun, a lawyer and Vice Chairman, Mrs. Ifeoma Chinyere at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Guinness office, Ikeja, Lagos

PHOTO: ADEOLA SOLOMON

•Former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose (left)with a chieftain of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Buruji Kashamu, at the coronation ceremony and 80th birthday of Kashamu’s mother, Alhaja Wulemotu Kashamu in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State...last weekend.

With them is erstwhile Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Mr. Israel Ajao (middle).

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

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52

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

53

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

NEWS Ajimobi re-registers with ACN

Ondo tribunal chair urges media to be accurate T HE Chairman of the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Andovar Kaka’n, yesterday urged journalists to report the tribunal’s proceedings accurately.

He debunked reports that he was engaged in a heated argument with the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

Justice Kaka’n said the reason he reads out his records is to cross check, if he recorded the witnesses or counsel accurately.

He said he does that to ensure that all parties get fair hearing.

Justice Kaka’n described

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

Akeredolu as a respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), adding that they could not have engaged in an heated arguement.

He urged journalists to uphold the ethics of their profession and warned them against heating up the polity.

Only a few of Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s witnesses testified yesterday, as his counsel asked for adjournment at regular intervals.

The tribunal resumed at

9am and was expected to go on break by 1pm, but Mimiko’s counsel requested an adjournment until 11am to “put his house in order”.

The tribunal resumed at 11am and after presenting two witnesses, Mimiko’s counsel applied to close the case for the day at 3:17pm.

One of the witnesses, Mr. Oyerinde Kikiola from IsuaAkoko, while identifying exhibit P20J1 for his unit, confirmed that number three on the voters register was ticked twice without finger impres-

sion.

Numbers 26, 60, 16, 79, 84,90, 123, 127, 161, 203, 204, 217, 219, 237, 244, 247, 265, 306, 322 and 337 were also pointed out.

Fagbuyiro Temidayo from Iju, Akure North Local Government, said the Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machine had problems during the registration of voters and most people had to visit the registration centre twice.

She said she was an agent and voted peacefully at her unit.

Mimiko’s counsel’s bid to tender an evidence failed.

ACN’s counsel objected to it and Mimiko’s counsel withdrew it.

•Ajimobi

O

YO STATE Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday participated in the ongoing re-registration of members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state.

He registered at Ward 12,

Odo-Ona, Ibadan South-West Local Government Area, amid cheers by party.

Addressing party members after the exercise, Ajimobi urged them to remain united and appealed to feuding parties to resolve their differences amicably.

The governor assured members of even distribution of projects.

He said the first phase of his administration was devoted to projects, adding that the second phase would focus on political restructuring, during which aggrieved members would be reconciled and the party repositioned for future elections.

Research workers protest in Ibadan

M

EMBERS of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) in research institutes in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday protested issues responsible for the ongoing nationwide strike of research institute workers.

The NASU chairmen in the institutes gathered at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ojoo, and said they would not return to work until the Federal Government implements its agreement with the unions in December, 2010.

The workers have been on an indefinite strike since February 4.

Addressing reporters and members of the union yesterday, Oyo NISER Chairman, Comrade Iyabo Kolapo, said the unions exploited all options before going on strike.

The workers are demanding the payment of 12 months salary arrears, implementation of the 65 years retirement age, improved funding of research institutes, establishment of NARICOM and approval of earned allowances, among others.

The union accused the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ak-

•The protesters...yesterday.

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

inwumi Adesina, who coordinated the 2010 Agreement, of failing to ensure its full implementation.

Mrs. Kolapo said: “The payment of the salary arrears ought to have begun from July 1, 2009, but the government decided to begin it

PHOTO: FEMI ILESANMI

from July 1, 2010, as against what applies to workers in the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

“The most annoying thing is that colleges of agriculture, which are training arms of research institutes and whose activities are supervised by executive directors or directors-general of re-

search institutes, had their arrears paid from July, 2009, whereas the core workers of the research institutes, whose staff are constantly transferred to these colleges, were paid from July, 2010.

“On improved funding of research institutes, the Federal Government should take a cue from universities,

Police parade ‘robbery kingpin’, ‘armourer’

T

HE Police in Ogun State yesterday paraded 30 suspects, including a notorious robbery suspect, Taiwo Musediq, who allegedly specialises in snatching cars and killing his victims.

Also paraded were Musediq’s alleged amourers - 15-year-old Tobi, an SSS3 student of Olumo High School, Sabo, Abeokuta and a nursing mother, Fausat, said to be the wife of Musediq’s fleeing accomplice.

It was learnt that Musediq allegedly targets motorists plying Abeokuta, Papalanto and Igbora. He has allegedly snatched over 10 vehicles in recent times.

Three others, who are be-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

lieved to be the receivers of the stolen vehicles, were also paraded.

Police Commissioner Ikemefuna Okoye told reporters in Eleweran, the Command Headquarters, that Musediq and his accomplices were behind the highway

robberies in Papalanto and Igbora.

Okoye said Tobi and Fausat were the armourers of the gang.

Tobi told reporters that he had no knowledge of the gang’s activities.

He said Fausat, his brother’s wife, told him to hide the weapons when the police came calling.

The weapons included a Pump Action gun.

The police displayed one military rifle, four AK 47 rifles, magazines and N83,950 that were recovered from robbery suspects, who abandoned their vehicle and ran into the bush when they sighted a police patrol team after robbing Obi Supermarket in Ayetoro of N300,000.

Three EKSU students arraigned for ‘rape’

T

HREE students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, were yesterday arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping a female student of the same institution.

Omoteye Olalekan (23), Babalola Dotun (24) and Bamigboye Abiola (24) allegedly

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

committed the offence on March 6 at Egunlusi Liberty Estate, Iworoko-Ekiti.

Defence counsel Chris Omokafe urged the court to grant the suspects bail.

Police prosecutor Samson

Oshobu did not oppose the bail application.

Magistrate C.O. Adegoke granted the accused N100,000 bail and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must own property within Ado judicial district.

The case was adjourned till April 18.

polytechnics and colleges of education, where special intervention funds and the Education Trust Fund (ETF) have greatly helped to improve these Institutions.

“This funds should be extended to the Research and Development Institutions (RDIs) to improve their infrastructure, which have de-

cayed over the years due to total neglect.

“The current experience of workers in research and development institutions is frustrating, compared to other education workers.

“We urge Mr. President to approve our demands, as the agreement would soon be due for review.”

2,250 Ekiti families to get MDGs’ cash

A

BOUT 2,250 indigent families in five local government areas of Ekiti State are to benefit from the proposed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Conditional Cash Transfer Programme (CCTP).

Under the scheme, each of the families would receive a monthly stipend of N5,000.

Special Adviser to the Governor on MDGs, Mrs. Bunmi Dipo-Salami made this known during an advocacy visit to the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo.

She said only households, where children were registered in public schools and expectant mothers access health care in government approved medical facilities would be eligible for the programme.

Mrs. Dipo-Salami said the

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

programme, which is like the ongoing Social Security Scheme, is meant to take care of young but indigent families that are headed by women.

Urging the Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation to publicise the programme, she said the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration’s plan to make the state an MDG model is on course.

Mrs. Dipo-Salami said the MDGs have, in the last two years, improved the living standard of the people at the grassroots through poverty eradication, universal primary education and gender empowerment programmes, which are in line with Fayemi’s 8– point agenda.

Ekundayo pledged his ministry’s support for the programme.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

54

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

Equities in tight trades

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 13-3-13

•Four firms join market making

N

IGERIAN equities tottered on the brink of a reversal but stumbled through to a marginal gain as investors balanced expectations for good dividend yields with profit-taking on stocks that had gathered substantial gains in recent period.

Average market position, in terms of value, inched up by 0.02 per cent but turnover dropped remarkably on the back of widespread profit-taking transactions on recent headlining gainers. Turnover volume and value dropped by 35.3 per cent and 31.5 per cent respectively just as number of deals declined by 10.6 per cent.

Guinness Nigeria and Nigerian Breweries, which had rallied the market two days ago, were weighed down by profittakers with drops of N8.70 and N3.50 to close at N281.20 and N169 respectively.

Total Nigeria, Cadbury Nigeria and Unilever Nigeria counterbalanced the negative impact of the losers and helped the market to a positive closing point. Total Nigeria led the advancers with a gain of N2 to close at N161. Cadbury Nigeria trailed with a gain of N1.66 to close at N34.86 while Unilever Nigeria rose by N1.36 to close at N53.50.

By Taofik Salako

Investors engaged in delicate balancing act between cashing in on recent capital gains and positioning for imminent dividends recommendations and expected rallies.

The overall balance added N2 billion to aggregate market capitalisation of all equities, which inched up to N10.674 trillion as against its opening value of N10.672 trillion.

The main value-based index at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the All Share Index (ASI), increased marginally from 33,351.70 points to 33,357.16 points. This nudged the average year-to-date return to 18.80 per cent.

Other top gainers included Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN), which rose

by N1.08 to close at N11.96; United Bank for Africa, which added 80 kobo to close at N9; Forte Oil rose by 68 kobo to N14.33; Skye Bank gained 27 kobo to close at N6.57; Dangote Sugar Refinery added 20 kobo to close at N8.40; Nigerian Aviation Handling Company gathered 19 kobo to close at N8.19 while Stanbic IBTC Holdings added 14 kobo to close at N13.14 per share.

On the other hand, Oando

dropped by N1.30 to N18.50; halting a sustained price rally that had seen capital gains of some 53 per cent in some 15 days. PZ Cussons Nigeria also dropped by 34 kobo to close at N40.06. Eterna declined by 19 kobo to N3.79. Access Bank lost 15 kobo to close at N11.35. RT Briscoe slipped by 15 kobo to N2.12 while Dangote Flour Mills dropped by 12 kobo to close at N9.23 per share.

Total turnover dropped to 306.31 billion in 5,799 deals.

Banks dominated the activity chart with UBA leading the volume with 37.30 million shares valued at N329.98 million in 449 deals. Access Bank followed with a turnover of 29.1 million shares worth N327.67 million in 317 deals while Fidelity Bank recorded a turnover of 22.2 million shares worth N70.55 million in 215 deals.

Meanwhile, four stocks including Portland Paints & Products Nigeria Plc; ABC Transport Plc; Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc and Stanbic IBTC Holdings would today be added to the basket of stocks in the market making programme. These bring the number of stocks under the initiative to 52.

The NSE stated that the addition of the new stocks was in line with the planned phased approach for introducing stocks to the programme.

Stocks designated for market making are allowed to move within daily price change band of 10 per cent as against 5.0 per cent band for the entire market.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 13-3-13

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

55

MONEY LINK Accounting firm rebrands

FirstBank to grow organically, says CEO

F

IRST Bank of Nigeria Limited would neither acquire nor merge with any financial institution in Nigeria. The lender would rather pursue its expansion drive organically.

The bank’s Managing Director, Bisi Onasanya disclosed this during a media briefing in Lagos. Besides, he said FirstBank does not intend to raise tier 1 capital or any debt instrument at least in the next two years.

However, he said, that such plan does not affect the lender’s current and future lending.

He said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is likely to cut Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 25 to 30 basis points during the Monetary Policy

Stories by Collins Nweze

Committee (MPC) meeting slated for next week.

The Bank’s Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Bayo Adelabu said the lender has advanced a total of N1.5 trillion loans to its customers, which constitute about 10 per cent of the total industry loan portfolio. The lender’s non per forming loans (NPLs) also dropped from 8.6 per cent to 3.4 per cent. Adelabu said the bank is taking steps to reduce its cost of operation through automation among other measures.

FirstBank has demonstrated

visible growth in revenue, profits, capital and assets. The bank posted profits of N43 billion in 2010 increasing its year on year profit by 230 per cent.

As Nigeria’s banking industry slowly rebounded after the last financial crisis, FirstBank grew competitively in all financial indices and consolidated on its position as the leading financial powerhouse in the country.

Deposit liabilities of the bank increased from N1.346 trillion in 2009 to N1.45 trillion in 2010 while loans and advances also grew by six per cent despite the contraction of credit within the banking sector in 2010.

FirstBank’s Capital Adequacy Ratio rose from 15.8 per cent in 2009 to 20.35 per cent in 2010, while its returns to shareholders increased from 1.57 per cent in 2009 to 9.81 per cent in 2010.

The bank has a new Service Management Department to monitor excellent service delivery across all touch points and an improved Electronic Business Department with unique and diverse products.

N

RenCap said that Nigeria’s trade surplus surged 75 per cent to $105.9 billion, which is 39 per cent of GDP, based on data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) trade data. This, it said, largely explains the increase in the current account surplus to 7.5 per cent of GDP in September 2012 as against 3.6 per cent in 2011.

It also added $11.8 billion to foreign exchange reserves to $44.5 billion adding that the improvement in Nigeria’s 2012 trade surplus was mainly due to a decline in the import bill.

“We expect revisions to the import numbers. We find it odd that while imports de-

T

that basing 2013 budget on benchmark oil price of $79 per barrel, is not realistic in the face on development in the international oil market.

Instead, the institute said the benchmark price of $75 per barrel would have been more appropriate to enable the nation build up its reserve.

Delivering an addressing at a one day budget workshop in Lagos, its President ,Mr. Adedoyin Owolabi, said a number of players and dynamics of the global natural resource market are changing rapidly particularly with the recent discoveries of oil and gas deposits in many African countries, shale oil and gas in the USA, etc.

He said there is also the drive towards the use of renewable energy by many developed countries led by the USA.

clined across all categories, unspecified imports swelled 600 times to $12 billion in 2012. Unspecified imports surged from less than one per cent of total imports in preceding years to 31 per cent in 2012.

“We are likely to see a significant revision of imports by categories as seen in the downward revision of the errors and omissions’ negative balance in the 2010 balance of payments.

While the eventual revised total import bill will still show a decline, in our view, the extent of the year on year decreases are likely to narrow as a larger share of the unspecified items are identified postrevisions,” it said.

FGN BONDS Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

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

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

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

350m

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

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

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 13-3-13

SYMBOL CCNN UBA ROYALEX CADBURY FO AFRIPRUD UNITYBNK CUTIX WAPIC IPWA

O/PRICE 10.88 8.20 0.76 33.20 13.65 1.83 0.83 1.71 1.36 0.93

C/PRICE 11.96 9.00 0.82 34.86 14.33 1.92 0.87 1.79 1.42 0.97

CHANGE 1.08 0.80 0.06 1.66 0.68 0.09 0.04 0.08 0.06 0.04

PRESTIGE RTBRISCOE OANDO AIICO AGLEVENT ETERNA NPFMCRFBK NEIMETH UTC CORNERST

O/PRICE 0.91 2.27 19.80 0.96 1.81 3.98 1.14 0.99 0.78 0.50

C/PRICE 0.84 2.12 18.50 0.90 1.72 3.79 1.09 0.95 0.75 0.52

Current Before

2-7-12 27-6-12

113m

155.7

22-6-12

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

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

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

Parallel Market

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

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

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 11.8%

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

NSE CAP Index

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

Date

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

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

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

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

CHANGE 0.07 0.15 1.30 0.06 0.09 0.19 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.02

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

LOSERS AS AT 13-3-13

SYMBOL

113m

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

OBB Rate Call Rate

By Daniel Essiet

Without doubts, Owolabi said these developments have severe implications for oildependent nations such as Nigeria whose budgets are not insulated from the vagaries in the global oil market.

He called for strict implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act to ensure that the Centre as well as the States do not thwart the realisation of the 2013 budget expectations.

He said the nation has enjoyed, in the last three to four years, favourable price in the international market for its Brent crude oil resulting in impressive growth of the gross domestic product at seven percent on the average. This he insisted however, has not translated into economic development.

N indigenous accounting firm, Balogun Badejo and Co, BBC, yesterday announced that it had changed its name to BBC Professionals as parts of effort to reposition the firm.

Managing Partner of the firm, Joseph Asaolu, told journalists in Lagos that the name change was meant to reposition the firm towards world-class technical and quality performance. It will also assist it in rendering excellent services to its clients. He said the new name also reflects the firm’s partnership with the third largest association of accounting firms in the world, PrimeGlobal.

He said the transformation is a reflection of the firm’s status as the third largest association of accounting firms in the world.

He maintained that the new PrimeGlobal provides BBC Professionals with significant expertise and resources to meet growing clients’ needs, both locally and internationally.

Also speaking, Kevin Mead, Chief Executive Officer, PrimeGlobal, said, “The new PrimeGlobal name, logo, and website set us apart in the same way that the expertise, relationships, and global connectivity of firms like BBC Professionals set us apart from many other associations in our market space.

“Underlying the new look and feel are all the core values our association stands for: international reach, strong personal connections, technical depth and experience, and elite quality and service,” he said.

DATA BANK

Tenor

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

• Onasanya

ICAN: $79 bench mark HE Institute of Charnot realistic tered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) said

‘Import bill down 43% to $35.4b’ IGERIA’S import bill declined 43 per cent to $35.4 billion in the last one year, Renaissance Capital (RenCap), an investment and finance firm has said.

In a report obtained by The Nation, the firm said the import bill is equivalent to 13 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012.

It said the decrease in imports was across all categories as machinery and transport equipment, Nigeria’s biggest import segment, declined 63 per cent, following modest growth of two per cent in 2011.

This, it said, showed a slowdown in fixed investment and growth.

A

•Increases loan portfolio to N1.5tr

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH 9.17 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE 137.90 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 146.54 LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.80 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.14 BGL NUBIAN FUND 1.11 FBN MONEY MARKET FUND 100.00 FBN FIXED INCOME FUND 1,000.00 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,780.91 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 14.66 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 10,695.04 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

9.08 1.00 137.47 146.06 0.78 1.14 1.09 100.00 1,000.00 1,777.05 13.95 1.33 1.80 10,397.87

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000 8.0833

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

56

FOREIGN NEWS

Tunisian dies after torching self

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JOBLESS man who set fire to himself in the Tunisian capital died in hospital on Wednesday, a development which could provoke renewed anger against the Islamist-led government.

Reuters reports that Adel Kedhri, 27, set himself on fire in the center of Tunis on Tuesday.

The act recalled the selfimmolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, whose death in December 2010 led to a revolt in Tunisia that spread across the Arab world.

The economic and social problems that fuelled Tunisia’s uprising have yet to be solved in a country now deeply polarized between Islamists and their opponents and still awaiting a new constitution to advance a transition from autocracy.

Kedhri’s death occurred while Prime Minister-designate Ali Larayedh sought a confidence vote for his new Islamist-led government

from the National Constituent Assembly.

“This incident shows the desperation,” parliamentary speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar said during an assembly session.

Kedhri set himself ablaze outside the municipal theatre in the capital’s Habib Bourguiba Avenue, the focus for protests that toppled President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali two years ago.

Several Tunisians have immolated themselves in the past two years in protests emulating that of Bouazizi, a street vendor who torched

himself in the town of Sidi Bouzid after a policewoman confiscated his fruit cart.

Bouazizi’s death led to protests that ended with Ben Ali’s overthrow and inspired rebellions elsewhere in the Middle East Ali Larayedh said on Tuesday that unemployment, rising prices and providing security for all Tunisians will be the new government’s priorities.

Tunisia’s unemployment rate stands at about 17 percent, with graduates forming a large proportion of the jobless total.

EU man killed in Syria rocket attack A European Union staff member has been killed in a rocket attack near Damascus, the Syrian capital, the EU announced yesterday.

Ahmad Shihadeh, a policy officer with the EU delegation in Syria, was killed Tuesday in the Damascus suburb of Daraya, where he lived, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Wednesday. A spokesman for Ashton said Shihadeh was Syrian, 32 years old, and had worked for the EU for five years. It was the first death in the Syrian civil war of an EU employee.

Pakistani soldier stoned to death

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EUTERS A Pakistani soldier was publicly stoned to death on

the order of a tribal court in the country’s northwestern Kurram region for having an affair with a local woman, government officials and tribesmen said on Wednesday.

Such tribal justice is a stark reminder of the difficulty in establishing a credible civilian administration in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous region bordering Af-

ghanistan, despite a series of military operations in the area and Western nations pouring in millions of dollars to help build infrastructure.

Punjab native Anwar Din, 27, was posted last year to the Parachinar area of Kurram agency where he met Intizar Bibi, 19, while manning a checkpost near her home.

The two embarked on a romantic relationship, tribal sources said, and he tried to elope with her

when he was later posted to the disputed Kashmir region. It was not immediately clear what evidence there was, if any, of a romance.

“The girl left her home on Monday and met Anwar Din when villagers saw them,” said Munir Hussain, the head of the local jirga, or tribal court, that sentenced Din to death. “We took the girl into custody and took the boy to the local graveyard where he was stoned to death and buried.”

Saudi executes seven for armed robbery

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AUDI Arabia on Wednesday executed seven men for armed robbery, the Interior Ministry said, despite an appeal for clemency by United Nations human rights investigators.

The seven were sentenced to death in 2009 for crimes committed in 2005 and 2006 when human rights groups said some were younger than 18.

The conservative Islamic

kingdom, which applies a strict interpretation of sharia, has faced criticism by Western countries for its frequent use of capital punishment and trials that human rights groups say do not meet international standards.

The men, from Asir Province in the south of Saudi Arabia, had been due to die last week but were granted a stay of execution while authorities reviewed their case.

They were convicted of theft, including armed robbery, the Interior Ministry said. Human rights group Amnesty International and the mens’ families have said the robberies included one at a jewellery store.

Relatives of the men told Reuters last week they had been forced to confess to unsolved crimes in the district, in addition to the armed robbery they had carried out.

LENTEN TALK Rev. Henry O. Adelegan

From failure to success

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Text: Luke 5:1-11

UCCESS in life and business is predicated on compliance with essential managerial ingredients. It is for this purpose that individuals go to school for knowledge acquisition and organizations send staff for trainings to acquire more occupational knowledge. Jesus Christ however said that, inasmuch as those things are good, they are of no essence without Him (John 15:5).

That position was further buttressed by Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians that, if Paul plants and Appolos watereth, it is God that gives the increase ( 1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Not only that, in his epistle to the Romans, Paul said, it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, it is of the Lord that shows mercy ( Romans 9:16).

From our text, Simon Peter toiled all nights because he depended solely on arm of flesh (1Samuel 2:9). He used the 3 vital Ts of managerial success ( Right time, right team and right tools) to his business but he didn’t catch anything - he was a colossal failure!

When the one who mattered most to life and corporate success intervened however, He requested to use Simon’s boat for evangelism and he obliged Him. Instantly, his story changed. His name was eventually changed from Simon to Peter, his profession changed from being a fisherman to a fisher of men and he was catapulted from failure to success.

Brethren, it doesn’t matter what you may be passing through. Have you gone to school or done everything in the books that ought to lead to success with nothing to show for it, it is surely not over. If you can invite Jesus into your boat today during this Lenten season, allow Him use your boat for evangelism and obey whatever He asks you to do, your story will change in the name of Jesus.

Prayers: Eternal Rock of ages, I realize that by arm of flesh shall no man prevail. I invite you into my life and business today, enter into my boat Oh Lord and turn all my failures to successes in the name of Jesus.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

57

NEWS NEMA to improve search and rescue operations

Gunmen kill two PDP chiefs in Borno

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UNMEN in separate attacks on Tuesday, killed two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southern Borno Senatorial District and Shehuri Ward in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, about 8pm.

The PDP chieftains were Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Gula, the PDP zonal vice-chairman

Lawyers fault Wada on reconciliation From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

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AWYERS, under the auspices of the Kogi League of Democratic Lawyer, yesterday described as “offensive and provocative”, the alleged call by Kogi State Governor Idris Wada that all aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the state should withdraw their cases from the court.

The President of the association, James Ebune, in a statement in Abuja said the call amounts to a “mockery of the judiciary”, adding that the move is capable of depriving responsible citizens of using the judiciary as their last hope for justice.

He noted that reconciliation should be utilised as a pre-court effort to settle disputes and not as a tool to deny aggrieved parties of their right to seek justice.

Ebune said: “We express dismay at the recent remarks attributed to Governor Wada as published in a section of the media relating to his appeal that all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state should “over-look when cheated, be patient when denied and forgive when offended because in politics there is no victory or defeat that is permanent.”

in Southern Borno Senatorial District and Hajiya Gambo, the PDP Woman Leader in Shehuri Ward in the Maiduguri metropolis.

A top official of the party, who preferred anonymity, said Alhaji Gula and Hajiya Gambo were trailed to their homes by the gunmen before they were killed in the presence of their spouses.

Said he: “They were killed near the Maiduguri International Hotel (MAIH) and Shehuri Ward. The Joint Task

the Boko Haram insurgency and withdrawal of JTF from Borno State.

“These killings are a clear case of cold-blood murder and are condemnable. Security agents must unravel the circumstances that led to the killings of these PDP politicians in their homes in Umarari and Shehuri wards.”

Borno State Police Commissioner Alhaji Yuguda Abdullahi confirmed the incidents in a telephone chat.

ACF to back Kwankwaso on youth matters

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HE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has pledged to support the Kwankwaso administration to address youth problems.

The National Chairman of its youth wing, Comrade Babangida Lawwali, who spoke in Kano yesterday when he led the executive of the forum on a visit to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said the forum is following with interest, the development in the state since the inception of the Kwankwaso administration two years ago.

Lawwali hailed Kwankwaso’s leadership approach in tackling youths’ problems and his efforts in

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

sponsoring youths, adding that this is worthy of emulation by governors in the North.

He also lauded the government for introducing youth empowerment programmes aimed at making them to be self-reliant.

Lawwali decried the attitude of some youths, who engaged in drug and other substance abuses, saying the forum would partner government to address the trend.

Responding on behalf of the governor, the SSG, Dr. Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi, thanked the forum for the visit and enjoined its leaders

to support the government towards mobilising and encouraging youths to be productive.

He assured that the government would not relent in its efforts to ensure that youths were carried along in productive ventures by mobilising them to participate in the empowerment programmes of the state to become useful to themselves and the society.

The SSG urged the forum to mobilise youths to participate in the current arrangement to promote afforestation and tree planting campaign to enhance economic and social well-being of the people.

Remodelled Kano Airport Terminal for inauguration tomorrow

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HE remodelled terminal of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano will be inaugurated tomorrow.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the Kano airport is the fourth remodelled terminal to be inaugurated in the last five months.

He said it has a full complement of modern facilities, in-

Robbers attack Makurdi residents

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

cluding a walkway on the airside, a new cooling system, conveyor belt, check-in counters and modern VIP lounge.

Dati said the remodelling involved the extension of the departure lounge, to increase its seating capacity and refurbish upper floor.

Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano, is one of the 11 airports earmarked for re-

modelling in the first phase of the Airport Remodelling Project of the Federal Government, designed to modernise airports in the country, in line with existing international standards and practices.

Those already inaugurated are Domestic Terminal I, MMA, on October 22, 2012; General Aviation Terminal, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, January 4, and Benin Airport Terminal on March 8.

INEC creates more polling booths for FCT poll

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

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ESIDENTS of the Catholic Youth Centre on Chief Abu King Shuluwa Road in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, have raised the alarm over incessant attacks on them by armed robbers.

They appealed to the Benue State Police Command to come to their rescue.

The residents told our correspondent that the Catholic Youth Centre Community has been under siege as Indian hemp smokers, mobile telephone snatchers and drug addicts terrorise the area.

Narrating their ordeal to The Nation, a victim and correspondent of the Peoples Times in Abuja, Mr. Cephas Iorhemen; a worker with the House of Assembly, Mr. Francis Adole; and a former Deputy Chairman of Kwande Local Government, Victor Shaakaa, expressed shock over the constant attacks on residents and appealed to the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to comb the community and arrest culprits.

Force (JTF) and police barricaded the areas for over an hour to prevent further attacks and killings. The politicians have been buried according to Islamic rites at the Gwange cemetery.”

Speaking on the motive for the assassination, he said: “Prior to their killings by the gunmen, Gula and Gambo participated in the Town Hall meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan last Friday at the Government House Multipurpose Hall on

From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

•Jega

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said more polling booths have been created to reduce congestion during the forthcoming election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Prof. Jega, who was represented by Mrs. Thelma Iremire, said this in Abuja yesterday during a stakeholders’ forum by INEC. He said: “To ease congestion at the polling units, voting points have been created.

Under this arrangement, the voters’ register has been divided into units of between 300 to 450 persons per voting

point.

“These are not new polling units, but voting points within the same polling units. So, if you come across more than one accreditation point at a polling unit, do not be alarmed as we have not created new polling units but polling points for your convenience.”

The INEC chairman urged party agents to desist from violence or untoward practices during the poll.

He said: “Security arrangement has been put in place to ensure a conducive and safe environment for those who will come out to vote.

We will not condone violence or indiscipline. We will not shy away from invoking the provisions of the Electoral Act if the need arises and we will not hesitate to cancel any result where we suspect there has been a foul play.

“The voting procedure as approved by INEC is for accreditation to begin at 8am and end at 12 noon. Those on the queue before 12 noon will be accredited.

“Voting will start at 12:30pm and end as soon as

the last person on the queue has voted. Accredited voters are expected to queue at 12:30pm and headcount will be taken. Only those on the queue at 12:30pm and have been counted will be allowed to vote.”

Speaking on the movement of people in-and-out of Abuja, the FCT Police Commissioner, Femi Ogunbayo, said there would be restriction of human and vehicular movements between 12am and 5pm on election day.

The 13 political parties contesting the area council election are: Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Congress of Nigeria, All Progressive Grand Alliance, All Nigeria Peoples Party, Congress for Progressive Change, Citizen Popular Party, Labour Party, National Conscience Party, Progressive Peoples Alliance, United Progressive Party, Social Democratic Mega Party and Peoples Democratic Party.

The stakeholders urged INEC to take care of the welfare of the ad hoc workers and security personnel to avoid bribery, lateness to polling units and violence.

By Precious Igbonwelundu

T •Abdulkadir

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HE Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdulkadir, has assured youth corps members of safety and comfort in the North.

The minister, who visited Gombe, Bauchi and Plateau states, told the corps members participating in the 2013 Batch A of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) that the country was looking up to them as future leaders to contribute to promoting peace and good neighbourliness in the communities where they

Joint patrol team kills four in Sokoto

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OUR gunmen, including a woman, were killed yesterday in Sokoto after a raid at their hideouts by a joint military and police team.

Briefing reporters, the Commander, 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Tasi’u, said arrests were also made.

He said the security operatives raided the hideouts of the suspects on Line ‘A”, Alu Estate in Bado, Sokoto.

According to him, arms and ammunition, cash, 10 mobile phones, a laptop and two vehicles were recovered.

Tasi’u, who declined to answer questions from reporters, said the house had been demolished.

It was learnt that the gunmen had engaged the security operatives in a gun battle from about 12 midnight till 9am.

The Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Shua’ibu Gambo, confirmed the incident, saying the raid followed a tip-off.

HE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that to enhance the nation’s search and rescue (SAR) operations, as well as safe lives within hours of an accident, agencies using satellite aided SAR devices must ensure effective communication.

The Director-General, NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Sidi, said this at a consultative meeting on satellite aided SAR services in Lagos.

He said about 90 per cent of accident alert received by a technology, COSPAS-SARSAT, at the Mission Control Centre (MCC) were false.

Represented by the agency’s director of SAR, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, the DG said the detection and location of an aircraft crash or maritime distress is of paramount importance to the SAR teams, as well as the potential survivors, adding that accurate location of the distress will reduce SAR cost and the exposure of rescue forces to hazardous conditions.

He said although NEMA had the satellite technology to detect distress areas, even in the most remote parts of the country, it could not function in isolation if agencies, such as Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) did not provide it with the accurate data base.

Sidi said NIMASA and NCAA, which are responsible for registering beacons on the country’s 406MHz radio for ships and aircraft, have not complied with the directive that a summary of all beacon transmitters be compiled on a six months basis.

LAND FOR SALE Over 2400 Sq M with C of O and full infrastructure LAND FOR SALE at GUZAMPE ABUJA. Call- 081-16008682 PUBLIC NOTICE ETETE I formerly known and addressed as MISS. EBIWENI ANGELA ETETE now wishes to be known as MRS. UWHA ANGELA EBIWENI. All former documents remain valid.

General public please take note.

THE NATION THURSDAY MARCH 14, 2013

58

NEWS Five policemen win cars

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IVE police officers on Tuesday won Kia Picanto cars at the raffle draw marking the end of the 10th biennial Nigeria Police Games in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The winners are: Insp. Felix Nwabuko (Ekiti Command); Cpl. Isaac Asazobor (Edo Command); Cpl. Ibitara Foluke (Rivers Command); Constables Rita Egbubula and Ikechukwu Onwukeze (Ebonyi Command).

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, who presented the car keys to the winners, gave an assurance that the raffle draw would not end with the maiden edition.

Represented by Mrs Abimbola Macaulay, the Commissioner of Police in Jigawa and Chairman, Force Sports Planning Committee, Abubakar described the games as “a new dawn’’.

Rivers credit rating now BB

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LOBAL financial analysis and rating agency, Fitch Rating, yesterday upgraded the credit rating of Rivers State Government to BB – from B +.

Commissioner for Finance Chamberlain Peterside told reporters in Port Harcourt that the Fitch Rating had changed the stability and outlook of the state.

The commissioner said the

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agency also announced the national long term rating at AA –.

Peterside said the upgrade was a reflection of the government’s commitment to the development of other sectors outside the oil and gas sector.

“Fitch appreciated the growth of the state Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) as well as the Implementation of Automated Tax Management System..”

Oshiomhole swears in two DO State Governor commissioners Adams Oshiomhole has

sworn in two commissioners.

They are Ms Anena Jemitola, who returns to the Ministry of Arts and Culture and Dr Aihanuwa Eregie, who takes charge in the Ministry of Health.

Speaking after administering the oaths of office on the women commissioners in

Benin City, yesterday, Oshiomhole said government is committed to ensuring that the people feel government’s impact.

“I appreciate your decision to join the team and I am confident that with you in the system we have a boost and we will be able to deliver more quality services to our people.”

Court insists Fed Govt must pay Odi judgment sum A

FEDERAL High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has insisted that the N37.6 billion compensation must be paid to Odi people by the Federal Government for the November 20, 1999 massacre.

Justice Lambo Akambi described the Federal Government’s application for stay of execution as frivolous and lacking merit.

The judge stated that the Federal Government’s application was not in good faith, since it had the resources and assets, which exceeded the N37.6billion the court awarded as compensation to Odi people.

The Federal Government’s counsel, Michael Nomeh, who stood in for Ade Okeaya-Inneh (SAN), urged the judge to grant the application, pending the determination of the ap-

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Warri

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From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

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HE Federal Government has been urged to implement the judgment ordering the payment of N36.7billion to the victims of the military invasion of Odi community in Bayelsa State.

A statement by the President of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Ide Owodiong-Idemeko, said the judgment was a test of Jonathan’s compliance to the rule of law.

“NAS urges the Federal Government to implement all the terms of the judgment within the time stipulated.

“We hail the judiciary for living up to their expectation as the last bastion of hope for the common man.

“We hope this momentous decision will be a beacon light for all those that are oppressed in our dear country.”

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

peal.

Nomeh said the Federal Government feared that if the N37.6 billion was re-

leased to Odi community, it would be difficult to recover the fund, if the appeal was successful.

No more foreign training for ex-militants HE Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godswill Orubebe, yesterday said the Federal Government would stop sponsoring exmilitants on foreign training.

The minister spoke during a facility tour of the Industrial Training Fund, Skills Acquisition Centre in Abuja.

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From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

He said facilities outside the country would be provided in the Niger Delta very soon.

“This will reduce the number of Nigerians sent out on training. | The centre will be run by

private people. The Federal Government will not interfere, the only thing government will do is to set the standard.

“Private consultancy firms will determine the trend, the government will insist on moderation on school fees.

“Every Nigerian should be

given the opportunity to excel.

“Presently, the skill centre we are building in the Niger Delta should be the best in the world.

“Each of the centres will provide boarding facilities that will accommodate not less than 500,” he stated.

Pensioners protest in Port Harcourt

Ex-militants threaten showdown OME ex-militants yesterday threatened to set ablaze oil/ gas flow stations in the Niger Delta, following their nondocumentation in the third phase of the amnesty programme.

The group, Niger Delta Ex-Freedom Fighters, threatened to blow up all pipelines carrying oil and gas to Escravos, Bonny, Kaduna and Lagos this week.

A statement by its Chairman, Chuku Ceey Gbegbedemie, said the Federal Government Presidential Inter-Agency Task Force handling the induction of the third phase of the programme refused to document the executive members and other members who are of Urhobo extraction.

Implement judgment, say seadogs

The counsel to Odi people, Lawal Rabana (SAN), in company of Lucius Nwosu (SAN) and Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), pleaded with Justice Akambi to disregard the Federal Government’s application.

Rabana said the Odi people were entitled to the compensation, since the Federal Government would not be able to bring back to life all the innocent persons killed.

The counsel added: “The Federal Government cannot go bankrupt or collapse, if the money is released to Odi community.

“If the appeal succeeds, the Federal Government can get the money back.

“Odi people are not foreigners, who will abscond.

Odi will continue to remain an integral part of Nigeria forever.”

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EMBERS of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Rivers State yesterday in Port Harcourt protested the non-payment of their entitlements.

The retirees walked from their office on Aba Road to the Government House main gate, a distance of about two kilometers.

In a letter addressed to Gov-

From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

ernor Rotimi Amaechi, the pensioners said the payment of their “pensions and gratuities is a right and not a privilege.”

In a letter by Edward Festus Abibo and Joseph Agbo, the pensioners made a four-point demand: payment of six percent and 15 percent increases on pen-

sion rates; payment of retired primary school teachers (federal share) of monthly pension allowance and accrued arrears; payment of federal share of those who retired with effect from July 1, 2007 to March 31, 2011 and provision of land for the building of pension house.

Receiving the retirees at the Government House gate, the Head of Service Samuel

LongJohn and the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Fortune Oguru, appealed to the pensioners to be patient.

LongJohn said: “The government is working out modalities on how to pay you your entitlements but the governor has not been steady because of some national issues he has to attend to.”

Your Sexual Health & You: Novelty Tips, Questions & Answers

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ello everybody. New sexual health products have arrived for the month of March and beyond. We will discuss the key ones today and you can see the rest at www.zeevirtualmedia.com under ‘new products’.

The first of these products is the On for Him Testosterone Cream. It is a revolutionary product that increases male sex drive naturally without drugs. It is in cream form and is applied on specific areas of the body just like body cream. Middle aged and older men with diminished sexual desire will benefit from On for Him Testosterone Cream.

It is doctor approved with a 98.8 percent success rate.

Another highly anticipated product for men that is finally available is the Exploding Thunder male performance supplement. Exploding Thunder is a classic all natural erection enhancer that strengthens weak erections, revitalises failed erections and enables multiple sexual performances and staying power. It is so strong that one capsule lasts between 48 to 72 hours and works on stimulation to enable men get an erection whenever and wherever.

Still on the subject of libido boosters, we also have the Max for Men Arousal Oil. It is suitable for men with mild erectile dysfunction who don’t like taking tablets. When applied on the penis, Max for Men Arousal Oil signals the smooth muscles surrounding the blood vessels in the penis to relax, thus allowing dilation of the blood vessels to increase blood flow and assist with increased blood engorgement of the penis, stronger libido and exciting sexual sensations. It is hard to find a reliable arousal cream and this one promises to be a cut above the rest.

If you lack sexual stamina and you are in need of a novelty that just gives performance energy, then the Wonderland Love Potion is perfect. The Wonderland Love Potion is a sexual energy drink that infuses the user with sexual stamina for hours of sexual performance. It also aids sexual arousal but is mainly for performance energy.

And for women, we have two new realistic vibrators, two high quality strap ons, two aphrodisiacs and a warming

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Whereas the Spanish Fly Mints work from within the body to excite and arouse, this next product for women stimulates from the outside. It is the O’My Clitoral Arousal Gel. O my Clitoral Arousal Gel is a very popular stimulating gel for women and assists with the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in women often linked to long term medical diseases, minor ailments, medications and psychosocial difficulties; factors that impact a woman’s ability to achieve orgasm.

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For enquiries email us at custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

THE NATION THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

59

NEWS

Fayemi: Nigeria must be rescued from bad governance E KITI State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi has urged Nigerians to utilise the ongoing broadbased coalitions and platforms to rescue the country from bad governance witnessed at the federal level.

According to him, the coalitions and platforms are beyond parties and personalities, but all-embracing enough to those who subscribe to the core values of integrity, honesty and dedication to the transformation of Nigeria.

Fayemi expressed dismay that Nigeria is still afflicted by bad governance, illiteracy, injustice, inequity, incompetence, want and misery despite earning over 400 billion dollars from oil sale in the last five decades.

He spoke in a paper he delivered as the visiting lecturer for the monthly ‘Nigeria in the World Series’ at the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachussettes, United States on Tuesday night.

The lecture, entitled: ‘From the Barricades of Resistance to the Verandah of Power: Personal Reflections on Democracy, Governance and State Reconstruction in Nigeria,’ had in attendance distinguished Nigerian academics, students, diplomats, including former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Walter Carrington, political

scientists and policy makers.

Governor Fayemi said he is joining hands with politicians of like minds with the determination of building a strong opposition platform, which can wrest power from the ruling party at the centre.

He canvassed a strong resistance to the reactionary elements reminiscent of the long and tortuous struggle in Ekiti State, which led to the restoration of the people’s mandate that brought a new lease of life to the Land of Honour on October 15, 2010.

“If free and competitive elections can be pressed to-

wards the service of the consolidation of a small elite, even an autocracy, such as in Tanzania, it is easy to imagine what then happens when elections are not even free, fair or competitive. In such contexts, we will be in the zone, which some African scholars have described as one of the “abrogation of the electorate,” the governor said.

He stressed that the chronic nature of poverty in Nigeria has a link to the historical and continuing mismanagement of resources, persistent and institutional uncertainty, weak rule of law, decrepit and absent infrastructure, weak institutions of state and monumental corruption.

Reps, NUC push for database for Nigerians abroad

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HE National Universities Commission (NUC) yesterday accepted to partner the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora to set up a database on Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly those in the academia.

NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, who said this when the committee, led

by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa visited in Abuja, added that he would work with the committee to achieve the desired goal.

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

Okojie said Nigerians in the diaspora could benefit from the Experts and Academics in Diaspora (LEAD) programme of the NUC, which is meant to build human resource and capacity for national development.

Dabiri-Erewa said there are many Nigerian professors and academics in foreign universities and tertiary institutions abroad, who should be encouraged to re-

turn to Nigeria and contribute to national development.

She said her committee would support the NUC programme, adding that a diaspora dialogue programme is necessary to tap into the resources Nigerians abroad had to offer.

The House of Representatives member said it is sad that the nation does not know the number of its citizens abroad, noting that her committee was proposing a

diaspora commission to cater for Nigerians abroad.

Dabiri-Erewa thanked Okojie for nominating three vice-chancellors from the diaspora members.

She said: “There is no Ivy League school where Nigerian students are not excelling and it’s a shame that there is no database on them. My committee is proposing a Nigerian Diaspora Commission and we will partner NUC to set up a database on Nigerians in the diaspora.”

PDP ignorant, says ACN Continued from page 2

tion 84.(1): Any two or more registered political parties may merge on approval by the Commission following a formal request presented to the Commission by the political parties for that purpose.

(2) Political parties intending to merge shall each give to the Commission 90 days notice of their intention to do so before a general election.

(3) The written request for merger shall be sent to the Chairman of the Commission and shall be signed jointly by the National Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer for the time being of the different political parties proposing the merger and shall be accompanied by: (a) A special resolution passed by the national convention of each of the political parties proposing to merger approving the merger. (b) The proposed full name and acronym, constitution, manifesto, symbol or logo of the party together with the addresses of the national office of the party resulting from the merger; and (c) Evidence of payment of administrative costs of N100,000 or as may be fixed

from time to time by an act of the National Assembly.

(4) On receipt of the request for merger of political parties, the Commission shall consider the request and, if the parties have fulfilled the requirements of the Constitution and this Act, approve the proposed merger and communicate its decision to the parties concerned before the expiration of the 30 days from the date of the receipt of the formal request. Provided that if the Commission fails to communicate its decision within 30 days, the merger shall be deemed to be effective.

(5) Where the request for the proposed merger is approved, the Commission shall withdraw and cancel the certificates of registration of all the political parties opting for the merger and substitute a single certificate of registration in the name of the party resulting from the merger. ‘’It is clear from the foregoing that the PDP, in its usual characteristics, was only playing to the gallery by wrongfully castigating the leaders of APC. Though the full name, acronym, constitution, manifesto and logo of the new par-

ty are ready, the component parties have yet to hold their individual conventions to ratify the merger, hence could not have presented a formal request for registration to INEC. ‘’We are happy that Nigerians are discerning people, and that the PDP has given them one more reason to kick the ruling party’s butt in 2015,’’ ACN said.

The ANPP in a statement in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Emma Eneukwu said the Chairman of INEC Prof. Attahiru Jega is trying to please the PDP. “Talk about an efficient INEC! Our great party is worried because Prof. Jega, in trying to please the ruling PDP, is heading towards bringing ridicule to his renowned intellectual pedigree, and in so doing bring our dear country to ridicule in the comity of nations.

“The ANPP calls on INEC to make recourse to reason, and good taste. INEC is not a political association, neither a private venture; it is a body that is supposed to stand for the interest of the people at all times.

Our dear country, in these present precarious times, needs its organs of governance to be

Continued from page 2

ment as the artery of development of any state, Tinubu said without local governments, there can never be connection between the state and the grassroots. He said he was proud of the achievement, of Governor Babatunde Fashola and the ACN in the state.

Tinubu said: “To the glory of God, I am proud that the local councils I created did well when I was in office. They are not doing badly under the leadership

of Fashola. Those that objected to the creation of 57 local councils have been put to shame with the developmental projects the council chairmen have delivered to the people of Lagos State.

At the event were the top government functionaries, including the Secretary to the Lagos State government, Mrs Idiat Adebule, who represented Fashola, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Ademorin Kuye and Speaker, Lagos

A

CTION Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Europe chapter yesterday cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against playing “hanky-panky” with the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement by its coordinator, Mr. Tunde Oyekule Oyeleke, it cautioned INEC against jettisoning the registration of the popular All Progressives Congress (APC) to register a phantom APC being promoted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The ACN in Europe hereby warns the INEC to halt this dangerous move,

which will not augur well for democracy.”

It further warned that INEC must be seen to be independent and not a biased umpire.

“If the PDP was overwhelmed by the historic merger of the parties headed by the people they described as strange bed-fellows, why is the self- acclaimed Africa’s largest party seeing the APC as a threat? They must appreciate Nigerians for tolerating their atrocities since 1999 in the interest of peace. But there is a limit to human endurance.”

The statement urged INEC to provide an enabling ground for APC’s registration.

Fed Govt develops 30-year national master plan

T

HE Federal Government is developing a plan that will govern infrastructural development for the next 30 years.

The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, an architect, said this when the United States Corporate Council on Africa Infrastructural Trade delegation visited him in Abuja.

He said infrastructure was important to the development of any nation.

Said he: “The delegation has come at a time Nigeria is developing a national integrated infrastructure master plan.

Transportation is headed by the Minister of Works, ICT is

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

headed by the Minister of Communications and Technology, Energy is headed by the Minister of Petroleum, Lands, Housing and Regional Development is headed by the Minister of Housing and Water is headed by the Minister of Agriculture.

“The private sector is expected to play a leading role in the development of key infrastructure based on the master plan in the next three decades.

“It is my hope that you will use this opportunity to interface and network with the relevant stakeholders to identify and explore the opportunities.

Pope Francis: pray for me patriotic, sensible and fair. As a nation, we cannot afford to have emotions whipped up arbitrarily while making our polity more volatile than it is at present. All over the world, a general climate of discontent is a catalyst for revolution, and INEC is currently fanning this embers.”

The statement added: “The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) notes the ongoing ploy by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] to deflate the concerted efforts by the major opposition parties in Nigeria to come together under one umbrella. The current scheme to register a phantom party, the so-called African Peoples Congress [APC], in order to have a clash of acronyms with the All Progressives Congress [APC] is redolent of unpatriotic craftiness, an ill wind that blows nobody any good. With every passing hour, it becomes more glaringly obvious that the words of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in a recent assertion that the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] has merged with INEC, is actually an inconvenient truth.

Tinubu blasts INEC over APC me tell them that now, C. Ronaldo of the Real Madrid has defeated Messi and his club.”

Tinubu urged Nigerians to support APC in its efforts to rescue Nigeria from poverty and insecurity, describing the party as Armoured Personnel Carrier, the crime-fighting all-weather, all-steel militancy vehicle commonly used by the police. .

Describing the local govern-

ACN Europe cautions INEC

House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

Also at the event were party leaders, led by the chairman of Lagos State ACN, Chief Henry Ajomale, Lagos Central ACN leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, former Minister of Defence, Ademola Seriki and Chief Mutiu Are. Mr. Oladele Adekanye, the mainland local government chairman was the host.

Continued from page 2 dication of the reluctance with

plause from the crowd below.

Soon afterwards, the bells of St Peter’s rang out, confirming that the 266th pope had taken over the spiritual leadership of the world’s 1.2 billion baptised Catholics.

Inside the Sistine Chapel, after the final vote was cast, the most junior of the cardinals, James Harvey, a former prefect of the papal household, called in the secretary of the college of cardinals, Monsignor Lorenzo Baldisseri, and the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, to witness the new pope’s acceptance of one of the most daunting jobs on earth. The most senior of the electors, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, approached the pope-to-be and – in accordance with time-honoured tradition – asked him, in Latin: “Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?”

Having obtained his consent, he will have asked him: “By what name do you wish to be called?” The master of ceremonies, acting as a notary, will then have summoned two of his staff to act as witnesses, and prepared the document that certifies the new pope’s acceptance.

Newly elected popes are taken to be robed in the so-called Room of Tears, its name an in-

which most approach the task for which they have been chosen.

The last holder of the office, Benedict XVI, introduced a change into the ritual that allows for the new pope to pray before he is announced to the world.

Benedict abdicated on 28 February, saying that he was no longer able to cope with the burden of his office. He was the first pontiff to resign voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.

The world’s Catholics will be looking to his successor to provide not only spiritual inspiration but also firm leadership. The new pope was chosen against a background of turbulence and strife unprecedented in modern times. He takes on the leadership of a church whose faithful have been shocked by a proliferation of clerical sex abuse scandals throughout the rich world and dismayed by events in and around the Vatican.

The day for the 115 cardinalelectors began at about 6.30am local time in the Casa Santa Marta, their simple but comfortable – and highly protected – residence in the walled city state.

After breakfast, they made their way to the Apostolic Palace, the home of the popes, for morning mass in the Pauline Chapel. By about 9.30am, they had settled themselves into the Sistine Chapel for prayers and the resumption of voting.

ACN, ANPP, CPC take battle to INEC Continued from page 2

the local branch of NBA, said: “We have checked the Bar records in Abuja; he is not one of our members. Maybe, he belongs to another branch.

“What some of us have chosen to do is to get in touch with

the national headquarters of NBA for clarification on his status. We are keeping vigil for democracy; we do not want to return to the era of Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), which scuttled the transition programme in 1993.”

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www.thenationonlineng.net

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

TODAY IN THE NATION

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

DAPO FAFOWORA

FROM THE SUMMIT dapo.fafowora@thenationonlineng.net

Aftermath of the 1914 Amalgamation

•Dr. Jonathan

Protectorate. Under the decentralising influence of his successors in the North, the British Residents had become autocratic within their semi-autonomous Emirates. There had grown in Whitehall a mistaken feeling that the classical pattern of native administration in Africa had been discovered; a sort of magic formula outlining an organic relationship between indirect rule and semi-feudal African political institutions. But the circumstances associated with the foundation of the Southern Protectorate and its problems were far different from those of the North. The South had been penetrated gradually, not by conquest as in the North, but by treaties, most of which were actually obtained under duress and false promises. With its proximity to the coast, the South had for long been subjected to Western influences. Even before the acquisition of Lagos in 1861, there were already educated natives there. Christian missionary schools had been established in the South for well over fifty years before amalgamation.

Southern Moslems had free access to these missionary schools. The CMS Grammar School, Nigeria’s oldest secondary grammar school, had been founded in 1859 by the Anglican missionaries. The products of this missionary education disliked the extension of indirect rule to the South. There was no unifying religion in the South, such as Islam, which could transcend tribal loyalties. The

powers of the Chiefs and Obas in the South differed profoundly from those of their Northern counterparts. In certain cases, particularly in the Southeast, society was lacking in a strong, highly centralised political organisation. As Lugard saw it, in this respect, ‘the first step is to find a man of influence as Chief, and then group under him as many villages or districts as possible”. This is the origin of the ‘warrant chiefs’ in the Southeast. It was to prove an administrative disaster, the consequences of which are still with us today.

Lugard considered the Yoruba Obas as overlords of centrally organised Kingdoms like the Northern Emirates, ideally suitable for his indirect rule system. Furthermore, since indirect rule had developed in the North among the despotic Emirs, he concluded that a powerful chief was indispensable to the system. There was thus a tendency to create chiefs when they could not be found, or to exalt them where they did not seem sufficiently powerful. In effect Lugard and some of his successors as Governors General committed the folly of seeking to make, as it were, a crown or a king at the top and then try to find something underneath on which it might appropriately be placed. This was a monumental error as it was to lead to semi-autocratic rule and lack of accountability by post-colonial governments in Nigeria. For instance, Abeokuta had in 1893 established a semi-independent state by treaty with the British. Lugard was opposed to this. Determined to remove this anomaly, Lugard took advantage of disturbances in 1914 over direct taxation in Egbaland to abrogate the 1893 treaty with the Alake who had requested for British colonial troops. In the East, the introduction of direct taxation under the system of indirect rule led to a rebellion which Lugard put down brutally with the death of some 500 protesters.

Before British colonialism in Nigeria, neither the Obas nor the Emirs enjoyed such autocratic powers as they did later under British colonial rule. There were checks and balances in both before colonial rule, after which they were elevated to the status of semi-gods. Of

HARDBALL

P

RESIDENTIAL spokesman, Doyin Okupe, yesterday confirmed that presidential pardon had been granted former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and seven others. But the other seven, including the late Shehu Yar’Adua and Abdulkarim Adisa, and Oladipo Diya, et al, have not generated as much controversy as Alamieyeseigha has done. President Goodluck Jonathan was at a time Alamieyeseigha’s deputy. While the pardon came unexpectedly, it is, however, not too surprising that Alamieyeseigha is a beneficiary. First is the fact that the president is actually still close to the former governor, and both have sustained a good relationship.

Second is the fact that since reelection politics began to build up late last year, all sorts of calculations have suddenly cropped up, and Jonathan is not unmindful of emerging trends, in spite of announcing last year that 2015 was still far away. And third is the fact that the president perhaps feels that he must from now on begin to gather those who would help him wage the stiff political battles ahead. This is why he manoeuvred Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

LAWAL OGIENAGBON

VOL.8, NO.2,428

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

L

ORD Lugard arrived in Lagos in 1912 as the first Governor General of the British colony of Nigeria. He introduced the socalled amalgamation of the colonial territory in 1914, and left the country finally in 1918. In effect, he had only four years to give effect to the amalgamation and introduce a central administration which was claimed to be the central objective of the amalgamation. He failed dismally in this respect. He had limited time for the task. But he also had some preconceived and erroneous ideas about how the ethnically diverse people of the territory were to be ruled.

This undermined the basic objective of his administration.

First, he did very little to bring the territory under a single central administration. The territory continued to be governed separately as the colony of Lagos, and the Northern and Southern Protectorates. There was no serious attempt to bring the huge territory under a single central administration. Lugard did not have the financial and human resources he needed for this purpose. In addition, the First World War that started in 1914 diverted attention from British colonies in Africa. And then in 1939, another world war broke out. It was not until after the Second World War that Britain began to turn its attention to its African colonies, particularly Nigeria, the largest. From amalgamation in 1914 until 1946, there was no political or administrative interaction among the various peoples of Nigeria. The three colonial territories continued to be governed separately as if they were three countries. It was only in 1946, under the Richards’ Constitution, that a feeble attempt was made to bring representatives of the various administrative units together at an assembly in Lagos.

But then the new Constitution also created regional councils for the three provinces in colonial Nigeria. Richards justified his regionalism on the ground that the North wanted little or nothing to do with the South. So no Northern members were elected to sit in the Legislative Council in Lagos. This moved Margery Perham, the Oxford don and friend of Lord Lugard, to complain that ‘British colonial officials had become more northern than the northerners, fostering the local sense of difference, even of superiority towards the South’.

The Lagos meeting was a disaster and broke up with all sides protesting British administrative style in Nigeria. It was at this meeting that the Northern leader, Ahmadu Bello, protested that ‘the mistake of 1914 has come to light”. His sentiments regarding the amalgamation were shared by his Southern colleagues, including the Lagos educated elite, once dismissed contemptuously by Lugard as ‘the trousered natives’. In those 32 years after amalgamation the various territories had diverged a lot making any form of political unity more difficult.

Secondly, Lugard had extended to the entire territory his obnoxious system of indirect rule, which was strongly opposed in the Southern Protectorate. The situation he met in the North was considerably different from that which he had left in 1906 as Governor of the Northern

‘Why can’t the presidency come clean with us on the matter by telling us if the president signed such a pact or not?’

course, colonial rule was itself autocratic. It was not based on checks and balances. The essence of indirect rule, through the Emirs and Obas, was that loyalty to a tribal chief must be given unhindered and be free from outside interference. This practice led to the creation of feudal monarchies that actually had no place in precolonial Nigeria. This was what our current political leaders inherited, and it explains their lack of commitment to the rule of law and public accountability. In effect, the 1914 amalgamation in Nigeria destroyed an indigenous political and administrative system that was far more democratic and accountable, and replaced it with a colonial system of government that was wholly undemocratic and lacked any kind of accountability. It laid the foundation for autocratic government in Nigeria, virtually without any checks and balances in the system.

While in traditional society there were means of checking and curbing abuses by the Emirs and Obas, indirect rule tended to encourage illiterate, conservative, and often autocratic Emirs and Obas. One critic of the system observed that ‘the Emirs today are maintained by British bayonets, so that there are men holding these positions who would not last one week once these bayonets were to cease’ Dr. Miller, the noted Christian missionary in Zaria, condemned British colonial rule in Nigeria for its failure to use the system of indirect rule as an instrument of progress in the North. Lord Lugard’s administration was hostile to the Christian missions and schools in the North for fear that their ‘revolutionary’ ideas might create a body of opinion to challenge British colonial rule and the authority of the Emirs.

This is the source of the existing wide gap in education between the North and the South in Nigeria with profound political and economic implications for the country. Boko Haram is a direct consequence of this lapse.

In the long run, the question we should ask is where amalgamation and the consequent system of indirect rule were supposed to lead. Lord Lugard and British colonial rule in Nigeria gave little or no thought to this question. As a means of leading the people of Nigeria to self-rule, the system was a total failure. Feudal chieftaincies created by the system were not compatible with a modern progressive state.

In her study of British colonial rule in Nigeria, titled ‘The Colonial Reckoning”, Dame Margery Perham, the distinguished colonial historian and Oxford don, came to the conclusion that British colonial rule did some good in Nigeria, but that it did some harm too, not least of which was its failure to adequately prepare Nigeria for future development as a united, democratic and progressive modern state. This is why I think we should mark the 1914 amalgamation and not spend a whole year celebrating it. It was, at best, a partial success. The indirect rule system that followed amalgamation remains the major source of ethnic and tribal politics in Nigeria today.

• For comments, send SMS to 08054503031

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Presidential pardon: Between lawfulness and expediency through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mill to emerge as chairman, forced Chief Tony Anenih down the throat of the party’s Board of Trustees, and apparently needs Alameiyeseigha to take care of political business back home where revulsion against the former governor is hardly perceptible.

The president followed the law in granting the pardon. It was done through the National Council of States, a rubber stamp body that finds it difficult to oppose the president of the day. Even though many commentators and civil society groups have expressed outrage, arguing that Alamieyeseigha’s pardon in particular subverted the fight against corruption, the fact is that the president has the right to do what he did, irrespective of the severity of the crime, and no matter how much the pardon affronts the country’s values. In fact the more severe the crime, the more important and meaningful the pardon.

There is nothing that says the president

should look for less severe crime to pardon.

More importantly, Alamieyeseigha has served time and forfeited properties, and if the president felt the former governor deserves pardon, he has not overreached himself.

It must be emphasised that Jonathan has not broken any law in granting the pardon that seems to offend so many, and it would be presumptuous of anybody to determine for him what kind of crime or severity of crime he can pardon. The problem, however, is that while it is lawful to pardon Alamieyeseigha, it is unfortunately not expedient. It is on the grounds of expediency that Jonathan’s pardon grates on the senses. The president has been accused of being unserious in his fight against corruption; he ought to have been mindful of taking any step that would reinforce that impression. He has been accused of showing poor judgement and poor timing in too many things; alas, he did not inspire long-suffering Nigeri-

ans with the timing of this pardon. He has been accused of refusing to consider the affairs of the country holistically; with this pardon, he has shown limited vision, preferring to see only in part, and blinded by private interest, insufferable opportunism and shortsighted goals. Indeed, this is a delicate gambit that is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the 2015 polls.

Many activists may be tempted to compare Nigeria with China, wishing that corruption could attract capital punishment. But Nigeria is not China, and will probably never be, nor does the death penalty deter crime on the scale many angry people romanticise it, nor yet have the cathartic effect many imbue the drastic remedy with. The problem with the Alamieyeseigha pardon is the poor timing and poor judgement, both of which sadly indicate, far in excess of the inexpediency of the pardon itself, that Jonathan seems ill-suited for the lofty office he occupies.

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