The Nation March 17, 2015

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•Court bars AIT from running documentary on Tinubu •ICC threatens trial of politicians promoting violence •Jonathan’s wife continues anti-Buhari comments MORE ON •Buhari’s wife’s convoy attacked in Ilorin •AND PAGES 4,5,6&7

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Pro-Jonathan OPC on the rampage through Lagos Residents recount bad experience Adams has betrayed Yoruba, says Council

By Okwy Iroegbu- Chikezie, Wale Ajetunmobi and Precious Igbonwelundu

L

AGOS, Nigeria’s business and financial engine-room, was yesterday groaning under a crippling protest by the militia group, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC).

Security agents looked the other way as the group’s members troubled the city, calling for the removal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The protesters were members of a faction of the OPC, led by Chief Gani Adams, one of those who have just won the controversial N9billion pipelines protection contracts.

They were supported by an amorphos group – the Committee of Concerned Nigerians (CCN). Some Niger-Delta militants reportedly joined the protest.

The protesters got traffic stuck for hours, smashed cars, harassed motorists and disrupted business in many parts of the city.

They destroyed banners and camapign billboards of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates. The streets were strewn with the pamphlets they gave out to terrified residents and satchets of water they consumed.

“Had supportters of the APC reacted, the story would have been different,” an APC chief who watched the march said.

The protesters smashed their way through the major streets— from Berger at the entrance into the city from Ibadan through Ojota to Maryland where they converged before marching through Ikorodu Road to the National Stadium.

The protesters followed in the footsteps of their fellow ethnic militia group in the Southeast - the Movement for the Sovereign Continued on page 4

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

•OPC members destroying an APC billboard...yesterday

•An OPC member bearing live ammunition ...yesterday

APC accuses PDP of plot to sabotage Card Readers

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ROM the streets and the court rooms, the battle against the Card Reader is set to move into another realm – technology.

The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) insists the Card Reader will make the March 28 and April 11 elections credible as it will, among others, fasten and

•It’s false, says ruling party From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

smoothen accreditation.

But the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejects the machine, saying little is known about its workings.

Amid the arguments, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which supports the use of the

Card Reader, is accusing the President Goodluck Jonathan administration and the PDP of planning to jam the machine on voting day.

For the job, said the APC, an Israeli has been hired.

He, according to the party, has developed three prototype Card

Reader jammers (25 metres, 50 metres and 100 metres range) to be carried in the pockets of trusted PDP chiefs on election day to disable Card Readers.

It is all to justify the PDP’s fears about the Card Reader, the APC said. ‘’We can authoritatively inform Nigerians that the morbid Continued on page 4

Jega: it’ll be a disservice for me to resign before elections INEC chief insists on conducting credible polls

•SEE PAGE 4

•SPORTS P23 •POLITICS P45 •ENERGY P51 •PROPERTY P50 •MONEY LINK P55

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

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NEWS Countdown to March 28... 11 days to go

Buhari’ll win

•Executive Director, Service Management & Technology, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Mr. Nath Ude (right), Director, Banking & Payment System Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Dipo Fatokun and Divisional Head, Group Internal Audit, FCMB, Mrs. Bukola Smith at the Nigerian Electronic Fraud Forum (NEFF)...at the weekend.

After a review of an opinion poll on the chances of the two leading presidential candidates – incumbent Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) --- Eurasia Group – the world’s largest political risk consultancy firm – has rated the challenger above the incumbent, giving Gen Buhari 60 per cent and Dr Jonathan below 40 per cent. In the analysis below, Eurasia’s Philippe de Pontet, who is in Nigeria on a research, gives graphic details on how the group arrived at its verdict.

W Winner,

•From left: The Iyaoge of Lagos, Mrs Opral Benson; Judge, Etisalat Prize for Literature, Jamal Mahjoub; Chair of judges, Etisalat Prize for Literature, Sarah Ladipo Manyika; 2014 Etisalat Prize for Literature Winner, Songeziwe Mahlangu and Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher at the presentation of the 2014 Etisalat pan-African Prize for Literature at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island.

E change our election forecast from a narrow win for incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a victory for opposition leader Gen. Muhamadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) (60 per cent probability).

The electoral map is tilting towards Gen Buhari of the APC in the swing regions of the Southwest and MiddleBelt, while high turnout in his core northern base will offset President Jonathan’s advantage in the Niger Delta.

While a Gen Buhari administration’s reliance on technocratic, business-oriented senior officials will lead to constructive policy initiatives, we keep our long-term trajectory at neutral given the downside risks to oil production and policy implementation challenges.

Buhari edges ahead

• From left: Director, Corporate Communications & Community Social Responsibility (CSR), Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah, celebrator, Dr Wole Adamolekun and his wife, Bisi with Vice Chancellor, Elizade University, Prof Valentine Aletor at the colloquium tagged: “Africa trending: Contemporary challenges, opportunities in reputation and crisis management” at the Elizade University, Ilaramokin, Ondo State.

•Operations Support Manager, EMEA Servair, Mr. Gael Lokossou (left); Executive Director, Servair Nigeria, Mrs. Leye Akingbe and Vice President, African Operations, Servair, Mr. Laurent Hermet, after the company was named the 2014 Bronze Winner for Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA) region at the Quality & Safety Alliance Inflight Services Programme (QSAI) Award of Excellence in Catering Quality in Santiago, Chile.

We had long viewed Goodluck Jonathan as a favorite to win reelection, but a number of factors now lead us to believe the edge has swung in Gen Buhari’s favour. The election will still be difficult to call, but our expectation of a narrow President Jonathan win was predicated on several factors that are losing some saliency late in the campaign.

Chief among them is the incumbency and financial advantages of the ruling party. While this still helps incumbent Jonathan, its impact is blunted by the intensity of support for Gen Buhari, lackluster grassroots campaigning by the PDP, and new antirigging measures by the electoral commission. New Permanent Voting Cards (PVCs) and Smart Card Readers (SCRs) will sharply reduce the level of rigging seen in 2011, when Jonathan beat Gen Buhari in a landslide. Equally important are the enthusiasm gap between the candidates and widespread desire for change.

Tepid support for President Jonathan, even within his own party, means there is no guarantee that patronage will translate into votes. This is especially the case in the North where influential PDP governors and other leaders are taking the money but barely campaigning for Jonathan because of Gen Buhari’s overwhelming popularity in the region.

While we expected the electoral map to favour Jonathan, current trends suggest that the swing regions may side with Gen Buhari, including the Christian-majority and heavily populated Southwest around Lagos.

That could be the decisive demographic factor in the election. Dr. Jonathan won the Southwest and Middle Belt handily in 2011, but faces an uphill task now. Gen Buhari has reached out to the Southwestern

Yoruba community and brought them into the upper ranks of his campaign and potential administration, in a political alliance of the country’s two largest ethnic groups (the Hausa and Yoruba). In contrast, Jonathan has struggled to make inroads with either group.

The spotty polling data which is available is also trending in favor of Gen Buhari.

A recent poll by a credible local think tank, the Center for Public Policy Alternatives, showed a heavy 5832 per cent lead for Gen Buhari in Lagos State — a state in which Jonathan handily defeated Buhari last election. While a national poll by Afrobarometer in January showed a statistical dead heat at 42 per cent for each candidate, economic conditions with the weakening naira continue to deteriorate, along with the security environment. According to an IPSOS/Eurasia Group model for predicting elections, incumbents have a hard time winning reelection when their approval ratings are below 40 per cent. We do not have polling data to confirm where President Jonathan is now, but given he was at around 50 per cent at the end of last year, our best guess is that he is below 40 per cent now.

In addition, the APC has suffered few defections during the campaign despite plenty of PDP inducements, suggesting a relatively united coalition whose members have confidence in the prospects of victory. In contrast, the PDP has been weakened by internal power struggles, including the dramatic departure from the party by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Another obstacle for the PDP is the downturn in the economy, especially the naira devaluations that have hit pocketbooks hard in the import-dependent country. That has played into the APC’s rallying call for change at an inopportune time for the ruling party.

Despite some important military gains against Boko Haram in the Northeast and a partial exoneration of its oil revenue management in a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the PDP is starting to look desperate.

Examples include: forcing the election delay; seeking (unofficially) the resignation of respected Independent Nigerian Electoral Commission (INEC) head Prof Attahiru Jega; questioning Gen Buhari’s health status; playing sectarian politics and casting doubts about the PVCs. This raises the possibility of another election delay, but we think that is relatively unlikely, in part because it would probably backfire politically and would certainly do so internationally. While

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

3

Countdown to March 28... 11 days to go

n presidential election, says Eurasia Group

•Dr. Jonathan

•Gen. Buhari

‘

In contrast, the PDP has been weakened by internal power struggles, including the dramatic departure from the party by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Another obstacle for the PDP is the downturn in the economy, especially the naira devaluations that have hit pocketbooks hard in the import-dependent country

‘

•Prof. Jega

Polls’ statistics Pollster Center for Public Policy Alternatives Afrobarometer IPSOS/Eurasia Group some of his aides and military leaders may feel otherwise, President Jonathan himself is unlikely to support such a maneuver.

Expect a contested election outcome The above does suggest, however, that the administration will contest the election if it loses, especially if it is close. Whether that contestation is violent and protracted, or limited to

Candidate Jonathan Buhari Jonathan Buhari Jonathan Buhari

Party PDP APC PDP APC PDP APC

Rating in % 58 32 42 42 60 40

a court challenge (which would likely uphold INEC’s election verdict) remains to be seen; it will likely be somewhere in-between the two.

Worst-case scenarios like a military seizure of Abuja or a self-declaration of victory by the PDP and the de-facto partition (like Cote d’Ivoire in 2011) cannot be discounted entirely but are unlikely. That is in part due to the enthusiasm gap for President Jonathan and also because of his own tem-

Survey area Lagos National National

perament. The concern, though, is if his administration is hijacked by hardliners in the PDP, who will do whatever it takes to stay in power and forestall a dreaded Gen. Buhari presidency that they fear will prosecute them for corruption.

A look ahead at a possible Buhari presidency Gen Buhari is a radically different politician and leader than President

Jonathan, and his approach to security and corruption will be a sharp departure from the status quo, most likely for the better. When it comes to policies, however, there may be less divergence than meets the eye, especially in the economic realm. Many of President Jonathan’s priorities — power and agriculture reform, local content regulations, and selective liberalisation of the economy — will also be priorities under a Buhari administration, with differences of emphasis.

Gen Buhari may additionally look to liberalise the rail, refinery and gas pipeline industries, none of which will be easy.

Even though a Gen Buhari win may be the better outcome for investors over time, we are keeping our shortterm trajectory (six months) at negative and long-term political outlook (two years) at neutral. In the near term, the post-election climate will be tense and likely contested regardless of who wins. But in contrast to President Jonathan, a Buhari administration has a different mix of assets and liabilities. On the plus side, a Buhari administration would be stronger in tackling corruption, more reformist in the oil sector, and less likely to allow politics to swamp the business climate.

The reason we are not upgrading Nigeria’s outlook to positive, however, rests in the potential for an oil disruption and the likely pushback to Buhari’s policy agenda in a highly polarised political climate. His victory is likely to unleash a resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta (Jonathan’s home region) that targets the oil sector. Former Niger Delta militants have threatened to blow up oil pipelines, platforms, and personnel as in the past when they routinely took up to 500,000 barrels per day offline. There is likely some bluster in their threats. The former Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) barely exists, but it could be reconstituted. It is likely in the aftermath of a Buhari win that pro-Jonathan ex-militants disrupt oil production, potentially on a marketmoving scale. The risk may not be sustained for long, as most of the former militants are more interested in collecting their amnesty payments, enriching themselves from oil bunkering, and tending to business interests in oil and security. Opportunists may see a chance, though, to gain leverage for future amnesty deals, especially as the current amnesty program rewards militants roughly in proportion to their rank and ruthlessness.

Second, even though fiscal management is likely to be constructive, there are still some uncertainties about the broad direction of his economic team. The austere 2015 Budget proposal that now includes a low $52 oil benchmark (in the Senate version in consultation with the Ministry of Finance) is likely to be broadly compatible with Buhari’s own vision for fiscal policy in the near term. Despite some expansive welfare and public works pledges in his campaign manifesto, the oil price climate, together with Buhari’s top economic advisors, will dictate austerity at least this year. That’s also consistent with his track record when he was in office in the 1980s.

It is not clear, though, that Gen Buhari has a strong economic policy orientation. This uncertainty is a chief risk for investors. Two different camps from inside his campaign will likely vie for control of economic (and other) policy. In short-hand, one camp is dominated by Southwestern (Lagos and surrounding states) technocrats and businesspeople while the other is an old guard of Northern aides and politicians with longstanding ties to Gen Buhari. The policy gap

between the two is vast, with the first group pro-business and pro-liberalisation and the latter group more statist and nationalist in orientation.

The signal from the campaign is that the Southwestern group is ascendant when it comes to the economy while the Northern group will get important posts outside of the economic realm, including national security. Such a division of labor would be positive for the investment climate, particularly since Gen Buhari is known as a delegator outside of his core issues of national security and to a lesser extent, petroleum.

Gen Buhari’s likely approach to tax policy and tax enforcement is instructive. His emphasis, at least at the outset, will not be on raising or lowering taxes but rather enforcing the current tax regime, which is widely ignored by companies and individuals alike.

Using successful tax enforcement models from Lagos and elsewhere in the Southwest, the administration would look to combine a zero tolerance approach (stiff penalties) with greater transparency in the collection effort to “plug leakages.” Plugging leakages is a recurring mantra among Buhari’s economic advisors, who are convinced that tax/customs enforcement, revenue transparency, and tough anti-corruption measures will bring billions of dollars into the treasury without raising taxes or even including oil revenues in the equation.

That may be a hopeful assessment in the current oil price climate, but there is conviction behind it from the economic team.

Having been the Petroleum Minister previously, Gen Buhari is likely to take a more hands-on approach to the sector. He will push for reforms on multiple tracks — reform of the NNPC, reform of oil revenue transmission to the state (plugging leakages), and reform of the fiscal/ regulatory climate for oil companies, perhaps in that order. Buhari’s platform calls for restructuring of the NNPC so that it is leaner and has less regulatory authority (and conflicts of interest) in the sector.

This could allow for the commercialisation of its upstream operations, allowing it to borrow on international markets to make its joint venture cash calls.

The process is likely to be slow, with some pushback from vested interests. That will be countered by the president’s discretion to appoint the Petroleum Minister, the head and board of the NNPC, and many others in decision-making positions.

While corruption will not magically disappear, there will be fewer sweat-heart deals for favored local companies or opaque oil swaps, and high-profile prosecutions will set a tone of accountability that has been absent under the Jonathan administration.

A Buhari administration would funnel oil revenues to the Central Bank through the Single Treasury Account (STA) rather than through dozens of banks as is currently the norm. The Petroleum Investment Bill (PIB) will again be reformulated and probably streamlined into a far less expansive reform package; fiscal terms will improve of necessity for International Oil Companies (IOCs). This will open up a window of opportunity for passage of a far narrower PIB, especially if the opposition APC gains a parliamentary majority. Failing that, a Buhari government will focus on unblocking the many oil and gas disputes with the IOCs (blocked by vested interests) that are forestalling additional exploration and development.

Philippe de Pontet is Practice Head, Africa, Eurasia Group.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

NEWS Buhari’s wife’s convoy attacked in Ilorin

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•From left: Head, Events & Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Modupe Thani; Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; and Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher at the award ceremony of the 2014 Etisalat pan African Prize for Literature at Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island…at the weekend.

APC accuses PDP of plot to sabotage Card Readers Continued from page 1

fear of card readers by the Jonathan Administration and the PDP has now been translated into concrete action: They have hired an Israeli to do the dirty job of jamming the card readers,’’ the party said in a statement issued yesterday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. ‘’To those who might accuse us of crying wolf, they should realise that every alarm we have raised in the past has been true, including that the Jonathan Administration was pushing for the postponement of

the elections and that they are mortally afraid of the use of PVCs and card readers.”

APC said besides disabling the card readers, the jammers will also disable all telephones, iPads, etc within the states radius of those carrying them on their persons.

It said an order had been placed for 75,000 pieces of the jammers at $ 200 per piece, bringing the total cost to $15 million. The jammers will be air freighted to Nigeria next week, said the APC. ‘’The plan is to deploy the card jammers to the areas deemed to be the strongholds of the APC, such as the

North-west, Northeast, North-central and the Southwest. ‘’It is the planned procurement of the jammers that has given the confidence to the Administration and party officials to continuously boast that Buhari will never rule Nigeria, and also the reason why a chieftain of the PDP boasted last week that the card readers won’t work, thus advising INEC to make alternative arrangements,’’ the APC said.

The party said the Israeli, who has agreed to do the dirty job for a desperate Jonathan Administration and

the PDP, is an enemy of Nigeria and Nigerians, who does not mind if the nation burns, as long as he has collected his pay.

It said because the opposition party has become a movement which is being propelled by the people themselves, it is difficult, if not impossible, for the Jonathan sdministration and the PDP to succeed in their devilish intentions of rigging, sabotaging or scuttling the elections. ‘’We have consistently said power resides in the people, irrespective of what the govContinued on page 59

Lagos APC warns against brigandage on streets

T

HE Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress yesterday condemned what it called the syndicated demonstration being sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country.

It accused the ruling party of plotting to disrupt the general elections because it has become obvious to it that the polls can-

not be manipulated.

In a statement by its spokesman Joe Igbokwe, the party described the wave of protests by out-lawed militia groups – the Movement for the Actualisation of Soverign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) – as desperate efforts to scuttle the electoral process.

The statement reads: “The

syndicated protests by MASSOB and OPC are desperate efforts by a dying government to create confusion and trouble so as to sabotage the election when it had become obvious to the PDP that it had lost the support of Nigerians in the coming election and warns that more of such purchased mercenary protests are in the offing as we inch close to the

critical 2015 election.

“It is instructive that the purchased campaigners are destroying campaign posters and bill boards of the APC in their mercenary traits and said this tells so much of the mission they are sponsored to do.

“We in the APC say that Nigerians must see in what is happening today the consumContinued on page 59

OODLUMS suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday attacked the convoy of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate’s wife Hajia Aishat Buhari.

The attack took place around Emir Road in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Mrs. Buhari, with her husband’s running mate’s wife, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo and other were in Ilorin to sensitise women on the general elections.

First Lady Patience Jonathan was in Ado-Ekiti yesterday to campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ten vehicles in the convoy were said to have been destroyed by the hoodlums.

But Commissioner of Police Salihu Garba, who confirmed the incident, said “only one vehicle was vandalised”.

State APC Chairman Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani said: “It will be recalled that the APC repeatedly reported to the po-

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

lice and other security agencies about the plan by the PDP to cause violence and mayhem before, during and after the general elections.

“A worrisome incident took place during the visit of Hajia Aishat Buhari, wife of the APC presidential candidate. Her convoy was attacked around a film house along Emir Road, Ilorin. About 10 vehicles were vandalised.

“It was reliably gathered that this plan was hatched and executed by a chieftain of the PDP. “We also have it on good authority that two of the PDP thugs have been apprehended by the police.

“We are using this medium again to call the police and other security agencies to be alert and call the PDP to order.”

But the PDP governorship running mate Mr. Yinka Aluko described the linking of his party to the attack as “cheap blackmail”.

Jega: I won’t quit now

•Prof. Jega From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

I

NDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega will not be going on terminal leave before the expiration of his tenure in June.

The idea will be tantamount to a dis-service to the country, especially now with the elections so close, Jega said yesterday.

The Presidential and National Assembly elections have

been fixed for March 28. The governorship and states Assembly elections will come up on April 11.

Jega, who spoke in Abuja at a town hall meeting, said he had spurned calls and demonstrations against his continuous stay in office, stressing that he would remain focused on the job at hand.

He said: “I have a job to do and I remain focused to do it.

It will be a dis-service for me to resign now. No serious minded person in my position will proceed on leave when there is a very serious job to be done.”

Besides, Jega said he was not under any pressure from any quarter to embark on terminal leave.

He said a High Court verdict asking the Commission to include the Young Democratic Party (YDP) on the list of Continued on page 59

Pro-Jonathan OPC on the rampage through Lagos Continued from page 1

State of Biafra (MASSOB) – whose members protested against Jega in Enugu, Owerri and Abakaliki last weekend.

The groups are believed to be sponsored by the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Commuters on the Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway, the old toll gate and Ojota were stuck for hours.

More than 5, 000 people with over 50 buses under the aegis of “ Coalition of Concerned Nigerians” blocked a section of the road, distributing pamphlets and causing a traffic snarl that lasted for hours.

Lagos residents took to social media to vent their anger over the disruption of their lives by the protesting OPC members.

One Diced Pineapples queried the police for "protecting that kind of unjust rally, causing stupid traffic for ordinary people."

Another citizen, Nike Fakorede, said: "It is the height of insanity. Ours is really a banana republic. Real shame."

Adebayo Bukola twitted: "To

C

Adams has betrayed Yoruba people, say OPC chiefs

HIEFTAINS of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) yesterday dissociated themselves from the Gani Adams-led anti-Jega protest.

A communiqué by Comrade Shina Akinpelu, after a meeting of the National Coordinating Council of the OPC attended by pioneer members, including Monsuru Akande, Sunday Adebayo, Kilanko Oladipupo, Kehinde Ogunyale and Gbenga Eegunlusi, said: “We, the members of the National Coordinating Council of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, the highest ruling body of the organisation, wish to disassociate ourselves from the shameful, destructive, violent and reactionary activities of the Gani Adams-led team which occurred in Lagos today.

“What was witnessed today in Lagos was the highest level of political violence

the OPC niggas protesting in Lagos, continue! We'll soon have the video of how the protesters don't know why they are there."

To one Mimi, the protesters were just trying hard to stop a free and fair election, while Tinuola Akinola described the protest as "nothing but madness and solidarity with President Goodluck Jonathan to

sponsored and funded by certain elements in the Jonathan government.

“Gani Adams is on his own and does not enjoy the support of a large size of our membership spread across the country. He is working for the sponsors of violence against our people who want the March 28 elections not to hold.

“Unleashing terror on innocent citizens and killing them is not the way of democracy. It is not our idea of a people-oriented advocacy.

“Gani Adams is on dubious project. He is using the pipleline contract from the Jonathan government as a ploy or excuse to recruit people to work for Jonathan and PDP in the South West. Gani Adams is acting against Yoruba interest.

“The compromises he has made amounts to selling the Yoruba to the present government for a piece of pipe-

give them contract."

Busari Folarori said the protest was “an animalistic behaviour as a result of joblessness, stupidity and lack of ambition.”

To Daddy Zee, it was simply lawlessness as guaranteed by the federal government in a desperate bid to retain power.

The two pamphlets distrib-

line contract to line his pockets. OPC is not about pipleline contracts or any other contracts for that matter. The Yoruba interest is beyond contracts. We seek justice and fairness from the current government.

“We, members of the National Coordinating Council of the Odua People’s Congress, OPC, call all true Yoruba leaders, sons and daughters to stand with us in totally condemning Gani and his antidemocratic tendencies. We must renounce him and remind him he cannot sell the Yoruba race to Jonathan and PDP on the cheap. He also has no authority to speak on behalf of the Yoruba people.

“We pity those who rely on him to win votes. They will be sorely disappointed.

Their investment is a bad one already. We reject today and always any attempt to use

uted by the protesters had “7 reasons Why President Goodluck Jonathan must continue in office and 7 reasons why Prof Attahiru Jega, the INEC boss, must go on terminal leave and be replaced with a credible administrator before the elections”.

Some of the reasons given were that “President Jonathan is a humble leader, peace lov-

Continued on page 59

ing and tolerant, allowed Freedom of Information Bill (FBI) with no record of state or politically motivated killing during his first term and encouraged robust opposition, a tenet of democratic practice, which he stands for.”

Other reasons include that Jonathan is the only Nigerian leader that accepted the challenge of the call for national

conference, set up a process which they claim APC leaders rejected and boycotted and also promoted gender representation and empowered more women to be actively involved in nation building and in the political process.

On why Jega must go, the publication reads: “Over 5 million people are yet to obtain their PVC in Southwest, over 2.5 million in Southsouth and 2 million in Southeast while Jega claims to have recorded 90 per cent distribution in the North, despite the high level of insecurity in the Northeast.

It also accused the INEC boss of illegal registration of under-age people in the North, registration of foreign nationals from Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon, positioning northerners in the most sensitive INEC positions, creation of over 30,000 polling units, awarding the contract of sensitive INEC Continued on page 59

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

NEWS Kwankwaso: world concerned about Nigeria’s polls

Court restrains AIT from running hate documentary on Tinubu

A

LAGOS High Court sitting in Ikeja has granted an interim order restraining the Africa Independent Television (AIT) from broadcasting a documentary, titled: Lion of Bourdillion, about former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Justice Olamide Akinkugbe of the high court granted the restraining order yesterday while ruling on an ex parte motion filed by the former governor through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).

The court order will subsist pending the hearing and determination of the interlocutory application filed by the applicant.

Asiwaju Tinubu, who is also the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had, through his lawyer, insti-

By Adebisi Onanuga

tuted a N150 billion suit against AIT for airing the documentary.

The applicant alleged that the documentary was libellous and aimed at tarnishing his image.

The APC national leader sought an order of interim injunction restraining AIT, whether by itself, agents, privies and or other persons from producing or continuing to broadcast, airing, or continuing to reproduce the documentary.

The applicant also sought to restrain the television station from continuing to broadcast the documentary, which it started airing on March 1, 2015, and had been repeating same daily, pending the hearing and determination of the motion

on notice.

The motion noted that damages would not adequately compensate the applicant/ claimant if the ex-parte order was not granted and prayed that the rest of the suit may be extinguished if the ex-parte order was not granted.

It stated that there was real, imminent and urgent threat and danger of continuing to decimate the person and integrity of Tinubu by AIT by continuing to air the “offensive” broadcast if the ex-parte motion was not granted.

When Olanipekun sought to move the interlocutory application, counsel to AIT Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) objected.

Ozekhome told the court that he needed time to respond to the application.

He told the court that his ear-

lier reply was to the suit initially filed by Dr. Tunji Abayomi on behalf of Asiwaju Tinubu.

Consequent upon this development, Olanipekun made an oral application in which he prayed the court to grant an interim order restraining AIT from further airing the contentious documentary.

Although Ozekhome objected, Justice Akinkugbe upheld the application.

The judge said: “The defendant is hereby restrained from further airing, publishing or disseminating and broadcasting the documentary, Lion of Bourdilion, pending the determination of the interlocutory application.”

She adjourned the matter to March 20, 2015, for argument on the interlocutory application.

From left: Director-General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture Mr. Joe Wenegieme; Technical Consultant and Logistics Mr. Hanke Kay and Training Manager, ITF Model Skills Training Centre, Alhaji Isiaku Shehu, at a dual vocational education training in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

•Kwankwaso

K

ANO State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso said yesterday that the interest shown by the international community in Nigeria’s rescheduled elections should make the federal authorities to ensure free and fair polls.

The governor, who spoke when members of the Council of the Wise visited him at the Kano Government House yesterday, noted that the nation’s peace and stability was not only the peace of West Africa or Africa, but has far-reaching international repercussion.

Because of the strategic position of Nigeria as an emerging economic power, Kwankwaso said, whatever affects the country would affect the world.

The governor added that Nigeria’s foreign friends were doing everything possible to ensure that the March and April polls were credible, peaceful and acceptable.

He observed that the usage of foul language during campaigns, undue postponement of election as well as rigging were some of the factors that could cause election violence, adding that usage of ethnicity, religion and regionalism to canvass for votes would also negatively affect the elections.

The governor urged politicians to campaign on issues, their projects and programmes to persuade the electorate to

vote for them, pointing out that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is determined and ready for peaceful and credible elections.

“Kano as the most populous state in the federation and with the level of awareness of the people, we are ready for free and fair elections,” Kwankwaso added.

He assured that Kano State government would support the Council of the Wise to achieve its goals, adding that because of their objectives, all rightthinking Nigerians most support them.

The spokesperson of the delegation, former Chief Justice Muhammadu Uwais, who was represented by Archbishop Fearon-Idowu Josiah, told the governor that the council’s main objective was promotion of peaceful, credible, free and fair elections, adding that to achieve this, the forum decided to consult with community leaders to appeal to their people on the importance of credible polls that would be internationally acceptable.

Justice Uwais said: “Apart from meeting with you as the state governor, we are going to have a seminar with 80 religious leaders to urge them to call their followers not to engage in violence before, during and after the elections.”

He said the council had met with INEC, security agencies, civil societies and some presidential candidates, noting that they were waiting to meet President Goodluck Jonathan and discuss on the election and related issues.

N18,000 minimum wage no longer realistic, says NLC president

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HE President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Dr. Ayuba Wabba, has emphasised that the N18,000 minimum wage is no longer realistic, considering the nation’s economic situation.

Wabba, who spoke at his maiden news conference in Abuja yesterday, noted that the negative impact of the falling global price of crude oil at the international market on the country’s economy made it imperative to review the minimum wage.

He said with the devaluation of the Naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the purchasing power of the average worker had reduced.

Wabba added that in the face of dwindling economic fortunes, the labour movement would dialogue with the Federal Government and other employers of labour to protect the workers’ interest.

He assured Nigerians that despite the challenges associated with the conduct of the elections, the union would remain one indivisible family.

His leadership, he said, would use direct and indirect means to resolve the disagreement arising from the the election, stressing that the congress was bigger than any individual or group.

Dismissing the special delegates’ conference called by some aggrieved members, the NLC president said the only organ of the congress constitutionally empowered

Oshiomhole greets NLC president

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ORMER President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has congratulated the President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, on his election.

He urged him to provide a focused and dynamic leadership for the labour movement.

Oshiomhole also appealed to those who feel aggrieved by the outcome of the Congress to resist the temptation of convening a factional congress either on Friday or at any other date.

The governor asked them to sheathe their swords and extend a hand of fellowship to the new president to help reposition the congress.

Oshiomhole, in a congratulatory letter addressed to the NLC President, said his election was “a befitting recognition of your leadership capabilities, sound trade union antecedents, loyalty and commitment to the Nigerian labour movement.

“It must be obvious to you by now, Comrade President, that the Nigerian Labour Movement, and in particular, the congress has lost a significant amount of prestige and influence in the eyes of the Nigerian workFrom Tony Akowe, Abuja

to call for a delegates’ conference is the National Executive Council, adding: “That body duly called for a delegates’ conference, which had just elected a new leadership for the congress”.

His words: “We are going to use both direct and indirect approach to approach the aggrieved parties to reconcile. What I mean is that the present leadership will try and meet them individu-

•Appeals to Ajaero, others ing people and the Nigerian public at large.

“The Nigerian people no longer see the congress as the ‘voice of voiceless’ and a bulwark against socio-economic and political oppression and injustices in the polity.

“It is against this background that your leadership must see its historic role beyond the “bread and butter” issues, to re-assert its independence, reconnect with grassroots workers, including the forgotten rural majority and position itself as a major player in shaping Nigeria’s polity, economy and society consistent with the true traditions of the congress and the interests of the Nigerian working families”.

He also urged the NLC leadership to reposition and unite the congress, face the challenge as well as expectations of the affiliates of the congress and Nigerians.

To the losers in the election, the governor said: “Let me seize this opportunity to appeal to my comrades, in particular, Comrades Joe Ajaero, Issa Aremu and Igwe Achese to resist the temptation of convening a factional congress either on Friday or at any other date.

“Having fought the good fight, there is honour in conceding to defeat even in the face of imperfections.”

ally and collectively to see reasons beyond personal interest and to look at the organisation as the ultimate.

“We have had such situations in the past and we have been able to resolve them. I think we must give peace a chance. That is why I said we have already extended a hand of fellowship to everybody and, therefore, we are looking ahead to see how we can resolve the issues.

“Before the elections

were to proceed, the veterans intervened and we sat down in this hall to look at preliminary issues that contestants raised and the issues were addressed.

“A decision was also made that whatever the outcome, everybody is going to abide by it.

“We made those commitments before the veterans in this hall on the day of the election and so, I am certain that they will play a significant role. Those are the two

areas I think will be important for us to use in reaching out to them. We also have time-tested procedures in resolving conflicts and disputes. We will approach the issues with an open mind so that we can move forward.

“As far as I am concerned, the only organ that can convene a delegate conference in accordance with the constitution is the National Executive Council. That organ has convened a conference, a National Returning Officer was appointed and the results were declared in public. Everything about the election is on record and so, we must also accept the outcome.

“I think that the most important thing is to continue to extend our hand of fellowship to them and we stand on the constitutional provision.

The first President of NLC was the person that administered the oath of office, which is an indication that they believed in the process because they were there throughout the night, watching the proceeding.

“We don’t believe there will be two leadership because our believe is that we should be able to unite and look at the issues that affect the workers and not personal interest.

“Although there has been a lot of challenges, it has been a credible process that all of us can attest to. But for me, the most important thing is how we can address the mounting challenges

facing the workers because the interest of workers should be paramount and that should guide our engagements. And from what we have heard from all over the country, our members are also satisfied.”

Wabba assured subscribers of the NLC housing projects that his leadership would do everything possible to refund their money, adding that the congress was aware that they subscribed to the project because of the involvement of the NLC. He added: “You are aware that there are two signatories to the account and one of the signatories is at large.

The process of refund has been completed, but he has refused to come and sign.

Already, he has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

“What we want the court to do, having been declared wanted, is to make an order empowering the NLC to refund everybody through the process of e-payment since it was mutually agreed between us and the subscribers. We want the court to issue that order.

“So, the assurance I want to give is that this is a continuous process and NLC is an institution and once decisions are made, every leader that emerges is obliged to carry out those decisions and instructions. So, we will go ahead and make sure that every worker is refunded.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

6

NEWS

•Participants at the simulation exercise on election violence, at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji in Kaduna...yesterday.

South African writer wins Etisalat’s prize

By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Arts)

S

OUTH African writer Songeziwe Mahlangu has emerged winner of this year’s Etisalat Prize for Literature and a cash prize of 15,000 pounds.

His book, PenUmbra, beat two others, Happiness, Like Water, by Nigerian writer Chinelo Okparanta and An Imperfect Blessing, by South African author Nadia Davids The award ceremony was held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Elated Mahlungu said he was honoured by the award, thanking his publishers; God and his mother for allowing him to pursue his dream.

Besides the cash award, the winner will be presented with a high-end device, in addition to a book tour to three African cities.

Mahlangu will also embark on the Etisalat Fellowship at the University of East Anglia, where he will be mentored by Prof.

Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland. This fellowship will afford him opportunities to network with other writers and publishers and provide him with the resources to work on his second book.

The two runners up will also win a book tour and Etisalat will purchase 1,000 copies of all the three books for distribution across the continent.

In addition, Mahlangu also got an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen.

Mahlangu was born in 1985. He has a business science degree at the University of Cape Town. He returned to university to do a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at Rhodes, Grahamstown, in 2011. Penumbra is the end result of that degree and his first novel.

Songeziwe lives in East London and works at a large accountancy firm.

In the Flash Fiction category, Neema Konga won the first prize of 1000 pounds while Chinma Ezenwa Ohaeto and Justin Irabor Ikhide got the runners-up prize of 500 pounds each.

Chief Executive Officer Etisalat Mr. Matthew Willsher said: “We are here to celebrate literature, books and stories. Our expertise is not to tell stories, but to serve over 14 African countries and

Security experts plan seminars

By Nneka Nwaneri

S

ECURITY experts, under the aegis of Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), in collaboration with Real Strikers Security Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will hold national security awareness seminars on political violence prevention and security measures in three geopolitical zones of Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja from March 17 to 24.

Managing Director of Real Strikers, a private outfit Chief Joseph Ameh, gave the theme for the seminar as: “There is life after election. It is your life, save it for another election”.

He said the theme was borne out of many of the issues that came up from election-violence.

T

PHOTO: NAN

ICC threatens to try politicians promoting violence

HE International Criminal Court (ICC) has restated its resolve to prosecute any Nigerian politician who engages in or incites his/ her followers to violence.

ICC’s Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, in a statement yesterday, warned that politicians risk being prosecuted either by the court or the Nigerian courts, should they persist in the campaign pattern dominated by hate speech and violence-inducing languages.

The warning by the ICC came barely a week after the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it will report President

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience, to the court for making inciting statements.

The ICC had issued a similar statement in February, in which it urged the nation’s major political actors to strive to prevent violence among their supporters.

“Following my statement of the February 2, 2015, and my Office’s subsequent visit to Nigeria from the February 3 to 5, I reiterate my previous message.

“At a time when abhorrent levels of violence already

plague parts of the country, I recall that the ICC has jurisdiction over Rome Statute crimes committed on the territory of Nigeria.

“Any person who incites or engages in acts of violence in the context of the upcoming elections or otherwise – including by ordering, inciting, encouraging or contributing to the commission of crimes that fall within ICC’s jurisdiction – is liable to prosecution; either by Nigerian courts or by the ICC. “No one should doubt my office’s resolve to prosecute

individuals responsible for the commission of ICC crimes, whenever necessary.

“Violence is not a solution.

The conduct and outcome of elections in Nigeria, free from violence, will not only prevent further instability in the country, but will also send a clear message that electoral competition does not have to result in violence and crimes that shock the conscience of humanity,” ICC said.

The Office of the ICC’s Prosecutor has the powers to conduct independent and impartial investigations and prosecution of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Falana asks military to vary sentences of convicted soldiers Forces Act (Cap 20), Laws of the

By Adebisi Onanuga

•Falana

L

AGOS-based lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has asked the chief of Army staff, as the confirming authority, to vary or confirm the conviction and sentences passed on the soldiers by the courts-martial.

Falana, who made the plea in a statement in Lagos yesterday, said owing to the delay in the confirmation or variation of the conviction and sentences, the soldiers involved have not been able to file their appeal at the Court of Appeal in line with Section 183 of the Armed

Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Section 183 of the Armed Forces Act stipulates that :”Subject to the provisions of this part, an appeal shall lie from decisions of a court-martial to the Court of Appeal with the leave of the Court of Appeal: Provided that an appeal as aforesaid shall lie as of right without the leave of the Court of Appeal from any decision of a court-martial involving sentence of death.”

Falana also urged the military authorities to discontinue the trial of officers and soldiers and set free the 70 soldiers convicted and sentenced to death for mutiny by two courts-martial, which sat in Abuja last year.

He argued that since the alleged offence of mutiny arose from the legitimate demand of the convicted soldiers for weapons to fight the Boko Haram sect, the basis of their conviction and sentence could

no longer be justified.

Falana said in the alternative, the army authorities should conclude the case of the convicted soldiers without any further delay.

He argued that this has become necessary “in view of the disclosure by the Federal Government that it has just acquired adequate equipment for the armed forces and invited foreign instructors to train the soldiers on the use of the equipment”. He added that with government’s disclosure, “the officers and soldiers who had consistently demanded for weapons to fight the war have been vindicated”.

The erudite lawyer noted that 12 of the soldiers were convicted in September while the 58 others were convicted in December last year.

He said: “Since then, the army authorities have neither allowed the convicts any access to their family members and

lawyers nor compiled and transmitted the record of proceedings of the courts-martial to the Chief of Army Staff for the purpose of confirming or varying the conviction and death sentences imposed on the soldiers.

“This has delayed the promulgation of the findings and denied the convicts the opportunity to challenge the verdicts of the courts-martial at the Court of Appeal.

“As if that is not enough, the army authorities have detained the convicts incommunicado in underground cells in a military guardroom in Apapa, Lagos State, instead of committing them to prison as required by the Armed Forces Act.” Falana noted that the nation’s troops have carried out successful operations against Boko Haram sect in the last couple of weeks with the support of the multinational force drawn from neighbouring countries.

Fani-Kayode is an epistle of deceit, says Tinubu’s media aide

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HE Special Adviser to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Media, Mr. Sunday Dare, has described former Aviation minister Mr Femi FanKayode as an epistle of deceit.

He said the director of Media and Publicity, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign, is trying to deflect attention away from the PDP’s “dirty tricks and tactics to intimidate the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders”.

In a statement yesterday in Lagos, Dare said Fani-Kayode has tried to deflect attention away from the PDP-led Federal Government’s plan to oppress and intimidate key APC figures before the March 28 election.

By Musa Odoshimokhe

His words: “He claims the government is not misusing the vehicles of state power to oppress the opposition. He then quotes Biblical verses to further claim that APC leaders are wicked. FFK should proceed carefully with the use to which he puts his tongue.

“Not every word a person speaks is a lark that evaporates the moment after its expression. FFK ropes his tongue in danger when he, of all people, uses the Bible to ridicule others. He must be careful for he does not mock man. He mocks a Higher Power and should be wary of his excesses in this regard.”

The APC national leader’s

media aide added that the role played by Fani-Kayode to shield the truth about the misdeed of the PDP-led government could not be rivaled in the country.

“Perhaps FFK can delude himself because his memory is short while his ambition is long. His hope is that our memories are even shorter.

Here, he is wrong again.

“Those of us in the APC know him for what he is. It was roughly a year ago that FFK tried to join the APC. In attempting to ingratiate himself, he spewed endless venom against his current boss. Because we knew him, we held him at arm’s length.

“The man is willing to say anything for a taste of power

and to wiggle his way into some office or another. When he saw the door closed to him, he predictably bolted. His exit remains our gain. History will mark it as a key point in the development of the APC. “If you doubt what I say, review carefully FFK’s statements why he returned to the PDP. It is an epistle of deceit.

Examine its allegations. He lists several purported statements made by APC figures that allegedly soured him on the party.

“His allegations against the party members are inaccurate.

Here, the dates of the alleged statements are more than the purported content that are important. By his own admission, every alleged statement

he attributed to an APC figure took place before FFK tried to join the party,” he said.

Dare maintained that FaniKayode left the APC when the party refused to allow him to mislead it with falsehood.

His words: “A consummate media hound, he must have been aware of the so-called offensive statements prior to seeking space under the APC banner. The statements did not deter him from joining.

They also were not the reason he departed. He left because, although a fledging party, we were wise enough not to give him a position of importance.

“He did not leave because he feared the APC would lead him astray. He left because we did

not give him the chance to lead us astray.

“The things that FFK said to us about Jonathan in private will remain private. But Jonathan would be wise to watch his back whenever he is dealing with this bugle for hire.

“The man has changed position so many times that he must feel like a tired chameleon on a spinning wheel of many colours. He is confused what colour he should be. The only thing he knows is that he will soon change hue again.

“Soon enough, Fani-Kayode will discover that in the new Nigeria and in the responsible government to come, his tawdry skills will not be required.

He can then go home and look in the mirror to see what he has made of himself,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

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NEWS

LASU workers assault VC, entourage

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HE coconut breaking ritual, which usually marks the beginning of convocation ceremonies in the Lagos State University (LASU), was disrupted yesterday as workers held the Vice-Chancellor, Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa, hostage.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), NonAcademic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) disrupted the ceremony, which usually holds at the university’s main gate.

As top members of the university, led by Obafunwa made for the venue, the unions’ members suddenly appeared, shouting ole (thief).

They started pelting Obafunwa and his entou-

•University in crisis two days to convocation fought the former manage•Coconut breaking goes awry ment on the same issues we

By Adegunle Olugbamila

rage, comprising the two DVCs- Professors Sena Bakre (Academics) and Fidelis Njokama (Management)- Director, External System (DES) Prof Tajudeen Abaninkanda; Dean, Student Affairs, Prof Kabir Akinyemi and Akinwunmi Lewis, the registrar, with sachet water.

The unions locked the two main gates of the university, preventing vehicles from entering or leaving the campus.

Members then proceeded to the offices, chasing away workers.

But for his security aides, Obafunwa would have been attacked.

He was, however, forced to trek from the main gate to the second gate.

The 20th convocation, which is scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday, may not hold, as workers insist they will not allow Obafunwa on campus.

The university’s internal security team could not overpower the protesters.

A police team from Iba Division arrived at the scene on invitation by the university. But the policemen were prevented from entering the campus.

The protesters later led Obafunwa out of campus through the second gate, where waiting policemen escorted him to his official vehicle.

SSANU and NASU, led by Saheed Oseni and Agusu Albert, said: “Our DSA and Director External Studies once

are agitating for now. When the new management came in and made them professors with plum appointments, they turned their backs on workers and they are now the ones management is using to fight us.

“So, we feel the best thing is to also fight them. We thought we would find them in their offices. We wanted to strip them and parade them all over campus.”

Oseni and Agosu said workers were tired of management’s high handedness, disregard for due process in handling workers’ matters, victimisation, casualisation and unpaid arrears, among others.

“As I’m talking to you, the 2013/2014 promotion examination has not yet been con-

ducted. The management is stunting our members’ career progression and we have done all we can to correct the situation to no avail.

“Obafunwa is also accusing us of being corrupt; we challenge him to identify any of our workers who has stolen anything since he came on board.”

The duo said the unions had written to the management, giving it a 31-day ultimatum, which expired yesterday, adding that the management neither acknowledged nor acted on the letter.

ASUU-LASU Chairman Dr Adekunle Idris said the union was still peeved with Obafunwa for indicting one of their own, Prof O Fatunde for an insignificant issue, withdrawing of some members’ PhD certificates and for saying some workers were parading spurious credentials.

Lagos to inaugurate renal centre

By Oyeyemi GbengaMustapha

APC rally in Agege

By Nneka Nwaneri

A

GEGE, a Lagos suburb, was agog at the weekend as a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) held a rally at the Agege Stadium.

The mini rally, which was organised by the Strike Team, led by a party chieftain, Bolaji Ajimotokan, was to mobilise residents to vote for APC candidates.

Ajimototan said: “We believe the change we seek is here. That is why it is important we hold this mini-rally to “sell” our candidates and to tell residents that only the APC can bring the desired change the community seeks.

“We urge residents to protect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Please keep them and don’t sell them.

Don’t mortgage your future.”

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

M

EMBERS of the Independent Petroleum Marketing Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Ore Depot, Ondo State, are divided on alleged plans to impose interim executive.

They dissociated themselves from the crises at the zonal and national levels, stressing that they remain indivisible.

Their decision was contained in a communique signed by over 100 members, including the Chairman, Chief Bode Olayinka and the Acting Secretary, Dare Boboye, members of the association decided that the branch should not allow the crises at the national level affect its affairs.

“We marketers do hereby resolve and agree to dissociate ourselves from the crises rocking IPMAN at the zone and national level. We have decided to remain as one indivisible body.

“It was also agreed that in Ore Depot, there should be no interim arrangement since there is no crisis at Ore Depot”, the communiqué stated.

‘Resist PDP’s pressure’

L

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola is to inaugurate a renal and cardiac centre tomorrow.

Commissioner for Health Jide Idris said the 67-bed facility within the Gbagada General Hospital is part of the government’s efforts to address cardiac and renal diseases.

He said: “The scope of service will include heart diagnostic services, admission for all cardiac conditions, cardiac catheterisation for insertion of stents, non invasive cardiology, open heart surgery, heart transplant and rehabilitation services.

“We will also have kidney care, diagnostic services such as ultrasound; laboratory services; investigation for complications of hypertension, diabetes and renal conditions; haemo-dialysis for acute and chronic kidney diseases and renal surgery, such as kidney transplant among others.”

The concessionaire of the centre, Dr. Ladi Awosika, said: “After six months of operation, we will be doing open-heart surgeries three to four times in a week; 60 dialysis and about four renal transplants in a week.

“This concession is unique.

It is the concessionaire that is paying the government and not the other way round.”

Crisis in Ondo IPMAN

From Jeremiah Oke, Ibadan

S

•The aggrieved workers...yesterday.

PHOTO: ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA

My husband deserves another term, says First Lady

F

IRST Lady Dame Patience Jonathan has said her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, deserves another term on the strength of his performance in the last four years.

Mrs. Jonathan continued her attacks and hate campaign on the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

She took the campaign for her husband’s re-election to Ekiti State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Presidential Campaign Rally.

The rally, which took place on the premises of the Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, was not without controversy as Mrs. Jonathan treated the crowd to hate message and songs targeted at the APC. Mrs. Jonathan, who spoke for about 45 minutes, mixing English with Pidgin, warned Ekiti people against voting for APC. The President’s wife described APC as an old drug that used to be in existence when her parents were born, saying “anybody who drinks APC will die”.

She said: “If you drink APC, you will die. It was when my father and my mother were born that’s

•Jonathan’s wife continues hate campaign in Ekiti From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

when we used to hear APC. They don’t have another name again, it is only performance that will help you if you like change am, change am many times.”

Later in the rally, Mrs. Jonathan sang a song, which suggested that voting for APC will earn Nigerians jail terms.

She sang: “If you vote APC, na prison, if you vote Buhari, na prison, if you vote Jonathan, e go better, if you vote PDP e go better.”

Mrs. Jonathan, who was her comical self, made a signal by crossing her arms to suggest that Nigerians would be in chains, if the APC comes to power.

She said: “If you vote Goodluck, e go better. How can you (referring to Buhari) jail somebody for three years?

“Vote PDP o, don’t vote for analogue, vote for digital.

Our children are going digital, they want to take us back to analogue, they want to take us back to typewriter era.”

The First Lady also added a comical dimension to her speech when she suggested

that Governor Ayo Fayose’s mother, Mrs. Victoria Olufunke Oluwayose, should be ready to run for President after her husband would have completed his second term.

She said: “Fayose don be governor before, which is why he don come to complete am, let am complete eight years.

“Wetin dem wan do for Aso Rock what dem suppose give children. If Jonathan finish eight years, let Mama Fayose at 75 go pick form o.”

Earlier, Mrs. Jonathan said those who were opposed to her husband failed Nigerians when they had opportunity to govern.

She said women were relegated before her husband came to power, noting that of the 42 ministers in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), 16 are women.

Mrs. Jonathan said her husband “took women from the ground” and elevated them to key positions in government, including making a woman the coordinating minister for the Economy.

The First Lady said the President used Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P)

to empower women and youths.

She said SURE-P assisted in building and equipping more hospitals in the country while the Conditional Cash Transfer under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) empowered women.

Mrs. Jonathan also said her husband’s administration granted scholarships to more students while Ekiti is a beneficiary of one of the new federal universities.

Fayose predicted overwhelming victory for PDP in the presidential poll, reiterating his claim that Gen. Buhari is too old to be president.

The governor said Jonathan demonstrated his physical fitness for the nation’s top job by participating in an exercise in Abuja last week.

Others who spoke at the rally include wife of the Senate president Helen Mark, PDP National Women Leader Mrs. Kema Chikwe, Fayose’s wife Feyisetan, Director of PDP Women Campaign Organisation Mrs. Becky Igwe, among others.

PECIAL adviser to Oyo State Governor on Political Matters Gbade Ojo and a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ibadan North, Abiodun Awoleye, have advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resist any pressure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the use of the Card Reader.

The duo said the Card Reader would help the commission know the number of accredited voters, adding that it is mischievous to hear that some parties are working against the Card Reader.

Ojo said: “INEC is working to ensure that the elections are not rigged. PDP is trying to stop the use of the Card Reader so that it can inflate the result of the elections in its strongholds.

Awoleye said: “I wonder why they are trying to create tension when there is no reason for it. They are aware before that Prof Jega was going to use the Card Reader for the elections. They did not condemn it then.

‘I’ve no plans to dump PDP’ From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE running mate to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2012 election in Ondo State, Saka Lawal, has denied rumours that he has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Lawal described the rumour as unfounded and capable of misleading the public.

Lawal said he had never contemplated leaving the PDP, a platform he described as a bastion of freedom and democratic values.

“I have never contemplated leaving a party that has accommodated me and my structure in 2012. Being the PDP deputy governorship candidate in 2012 is a testimony to the ambience of freedom and unhindered freewill obtainable in an ideal democratic setting which PDP system offers its members.’’

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

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‘We couldn’t save anything’ •Mile 12 traders count losses to fire

“

I LIVE close to the market and to see my shop burn in my presence was a great shock.

I couldn’t save anything. I have been in this market for over 10 years. I have not been doing anything since the incident. We have been asked to write down our names and I pray something will be done because I am helpless and I don’t know what to do.”

These were the words of a trader, Uzor Benjamin, as he counted his loss yesterday in the fire that gutted Mile 12 Market in Lagos last Friday.

Benjamin, who deals in vegetable oil, and his fellow traders were seen around their burnt shops yesterday, with nowhere to go.

Another trader, Hajia Romoke Hassan, who sells yam flour, said she and others suffered a huge loss.

She said she stocked her shop a day before the incident and was yet to make sales, adding: “I arranged with my supplier to pay later because I had weekend customers who bought Elubo (yam flour) in bulk. I had two shops and it was well stocked on Thursday.

I was dumbfounded when I

•Hajia Hassan

•The traders under a makeshift canopy... yesterday

By Tonia ‘Diyan and Basirat Braimah

received a call that my shop was burning. My supplier, who is aware of the incident, has been calling my mobile line but I am yet to respond because I don’t have money. Promises have been made by the government and top personalities and I pray they assist us. They shouldn’t abandon us.”

A transporter, Abdullah Sanni, who is the Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Mile 12 Branch, said over 30 shops got burnt.

“This place is my life. I have spent over 20 years here and this incident hasn’t affected us before.

We were observing our prayers that morning when

‘

I arranged with my supplier to pay later because I had weekend customers who bought Elubo in bulk. I had two shops and it was well stocked on Thursday. I was dumbfounded when I received a call that my shop was burning. My supplier, who is aware of the incident, has been calling my mobile line but I am yet to respond because I don’t have money

the fire began. It gutted everywhere almost immediately. I lost N350, 000 to the fire and some documents.

It was an awful experience.

We really don’t know the number of men who died because none of them was buried with a complete body. Their bodies were scattered. They were errand boys who sleep in the offices. They were asleep

Movement restriction on sanitation day illegal, says court

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HE restriction of movement during the monthly environmental sanitation is illegal, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos held yesterday.

Delivering judgment on a suit by activist lawyer Ebunolu Adegboruwa challenging the movement restriction during the exercise, Justice Mohammed Idris said it grossly violates Nigerians’ right to freedom of movement as guaranteed in the Constitution.

The lawyer sought a declaration that the restriction on the last Saturday of every month, constitutes a breach of residents’ rights because no law in Lagos State approves their compulsory detention at home for three hours (7am – 10am) for the purpose of observing a mandatory sanitation.

Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, Attorney-General Mr Ade Ipaye; Commissioner for the Environment and his ministry were the respondents.

Justice Idris held that the policy of keeping citizens indoors, in the name of sanitation, has no basis on law.

According to him, it is nowhere stated in Section 39 of the Environmental Sanitation Law that the commissioner can make regulation barring people from mov-

By Joseph Jibueze

ing about during sanitation exercise.

“There is no law in Lagos barring or restricting the movement of people during environmental sanitation and no such law has been shown to the court,” the judge said.

He said the restriction is “unjustifiable and a gross infringement on the applicant’s personal liberty.”

Justice Idris said: “I have no doubt that the restriction imposed on the movement of persons and sanctions meted out to those who breach them are clearly unsupportable in law and unjustified.

“I must state loud and clear that the environmental sanitation exercise is not in itself unlawful, but what is unlawful and unconstitutional is the restriction imposed by the respondents during the exercise.

“The restriction will only be lawful and constitutional when they are made by law duly enacted within the limits imposed by the Constitution itself.

“In view of all I have stated above and in the light of the provisions of the various judicial and statutory authorities, I hold that the rights of the applicant guaranteed under Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution have been in-

fringed upon by the respondents.

“The applicant is entitled to all of the reliefs sought and they are granted as prayed.”

Speaking after the verdict, Adegboruwa hailed the judge for his forthrightness, courage and boldness.

The verdict, he said, has settled beyond doubt that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man.

He said: “It is a signal to all those in power, across the land, local, state and federal, that the rule of arbitrariness, of impunity and of wanton disregard for peoples’ rights and freedoms is gradually coming to an end.

“When we dare to struggle, then we dare to win. I, therefore, urge all Nigerians to troop to the courts, to challenge the unchallengeable, to kick against the arbitrary PHCN impositions, all illegal charges and tax imposition and all obnoxious policies wickedly devised by all our rulers. Together we shall win.”

Lagos State argued that Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution permits it to make laws that affect the right to freedom of movement.

The law, it said, vests the Commissioner for the Environment with powers to make regulations for ensuring a clean environment and public safety.

’

when the incident happened. They were burnt to ashes.

“We have been asked to collate our names but we are yet to know their plans.

Politicians, government officials have been here and have promised to help us.

They should please not make only promises; we need action. We are jobless.

I don’t know where to go from here because we don’t know if we will be allowed to erect any building again.

We need urgent assistance,” Sanni said.

Usman Ahmed claimed he lost N6million saying: “I don’t feel any less having

lost N6million. I believe that what has happened to me is from God and I take it as God’s will that was meant to happen. I will continue to be courageous and move on with my life as if nothing has happened.”

He showed his burnt shop to The Nation where he said he was selling diesel and petrol to fuel his truck which he uses to transport his produce to other parts of the state.

Alhaji Isah Umaru, chairman of truck drivers at the market, said his people were the most affected.

“We need urgent help financially, materially and otherwise. We have lost over 30 shops and more than seven lives. After the fire fighters left, we discovered more dead bodies.”

Blaming the cause of the fire on the high voltage, Umaru said it was compounded by gallons of vegetable oil and palm oil kept in the shops.

Millions of naira, he said, were lost as some of his men keep money in

•Benjamin

their shops for easy access instead of taking it to the bank.

Lagos East senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mrs Olabisi Salis, who was on a sympathy visit, urged the traders to give their details to members of her campaign team for a relief package.

Mrs Salis said: “If traders didn’t bring fuel and diesel to sell in the market and if they weren’t smoking marijuana inside their trucks parked in the market, maybe there wouldn’t have been a fire.”

“We cannot hear a thing like this and fold our hands, we are here to say sorry to the displaced traders and to go back and see what we can do to help the people who are displaced. PDP is solidly behind you,” she said.

•Afariogun (second left); Rahmon (middle); Mrs Aremu and others at the hospital

Triplets’ family gets help

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GOOD Samaritan has settled the bill of a woman detained in hospital after giving birth to triplets.

Rotimi Rahmon secured the woman and her babies’ release from Sure Mercy Hospital in Ota, Ogun State, through the African Foundation for Environment and Development (AFED), a non-governmental or-

By Olalekan Ayeni

ganisation led by Sola Afariogun Mrs Bolanle Aremu gave birth to the triplets on February 20, through caesarean section. She had four children before their birth and this informed her attempt to abort the pregnancy. The father, Olagoke Aremu, a carpenter, said he could not afford the medical

bills, hence the refusal of the management of the hospital to discharge the babies.

This informed the intervention of AFED, and subsequent payment of bills by Rahmon.

The family thanked AFED and Rahmon for the gesture, calling for more assistance from members of the public for the upkeep of the babies.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

9

CITYBEATS I sold 100 AK-47 rifles, says suspected robber A

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

SUSPECTED robber yesterday denied the police claim of selling over 200 AK-47 rifles to militants and robbers, putting the figure at 100.

Andrew Moukwe and three others were paraded yesterday at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja

by Lagos State Police Commissioner Kayode Aderanti.

Aderanti told reporters that Moukwe confessed to have sold over 200 AK-47 rifles smuggled from Mali to robbers and militants in Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, Enugu and Lagos States.

Others are Christopher Edwin, 42, Peter Onyeale, 37 and Okpara Reginald, 30.

Four others, Edet Ekuno, 32, Sunday Samiga, 24, Hope Edet Okon, 27 and Unagbon Isaiah, 31, were paraded for alleged kidnapping and possessing two locally made pistols and 18 live cartridges.

Briefing reporters before the suspects were paraded, the Commissioner of Police Aderanti said the suspected kidnappers were nabbed on March 7, at a hotel at Ojodu Berger, while they were planning to abduct a Lagos businessman.

Aderanti said Moukwe led Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives back to Onitsha in Anambra State where one Christopher Edwin was arrested and three AK47 rifles with serial numbers AB256591, VL420219 and AXA 17 recovered.

The police chief added: “He further led SARS team to Rivers State were Peter Onyeale and Okpara Reginald were arrested and four English pistols, two Baretta pistols with serial numbers 148847 and 682404 as well as two Brownie pistols with serial numbers 42649 and 1137366 were all recovered.

“Detectives have embarked on intensive combing in Bayelsa,

•The suspected gun-runners

By Precious Igbonwelundu and Ebele Boniface

Enugu and Abia states to fish out the remaining gang members who have gone underground after hearing of the arrest of Moukwe. Meanwhile efforts to arrest the remaining buyers and recover the arms continue,” the Commissioner said.

But, Moukwe told reporters that he did not sell up to 200 AK-47, saying: “It is not true that I have sold up to 209 AK47. I have sold about 100 AK47 rifles and I do not sell to armed robbers or militants. I sell to people I know who also know that I sell weapons.

“I usually buy from Ibadan. The people who supply it to me bring them to Onitsha when I call them on phone. I have a shop in the main market but there is nothing in the shop. When they come to buy, I usually ask them what they want to do with it. Some of them say they use it for inter - communal conflicts like

•The suspected kidnappers

those from Aguleri, others say they have oil and want to protect their oil.

“I buy the weapons at N350, 000 and sell for N400, 000 each. I used the money to train my children and to buy two cars. I did not know it was illegal to trade in arms without license until recently.

“When I knew, I went to confession and the priest told me to do penance and stop the illegal business. It was in the course of the penance that I was arrested and so, I took the police to the people I sold the weapons to.”

“Samiga, one of the suspected kidnappers, said he was caught because the charm given to him by a herbalist in Cotonou, Benin Republic, failed.

His fellow suspect, Ekuno (32), who could not stand without assistance, said he started kidnapping in 2010 in Akwa Ibom, where he made about N800, 000.

The suspect, who claimed to be an engineering student of the

Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, said he was lured into kidnapping because he needed money to invest in his late father’s poultry business.

In a related development, a rearrested robbery suspect, Collins Ebong, yesterday promised to transform the economy if he survives his predicament.

Ebong, who was arrested barely 24 hours after he was released from Ikoyi Prison where he had awaited trial for 10 months, was nabbed by the Police in the Ajah for allegedly robbing bank customers with a toy gun.

Ebong, 26, was said to have ambushed customers at Zenith Bank, Ajah, last week with his conspirator identified as Wale (a.k.a. Walata) currently at large.

While being paraded by Aderanti, the suspect asked reporters if he would be killed.

“Will police kill me? See how CP is parading us. If I am released, I will not rob again. If I survive I will transform Nigeria’s bad econ-

•Ebong

omy. I will tell youths to abhor crime because it does not pay,”

Lekki robbery: gunmen were professionals, says police chief AGOS Police Chief Kayode Aderanti yesterday described as professionals the gunmen who raided a First City Monument Bank (FCMB) branch in Lekki last week, killing six persons, including three of his men.

Police sources told The Nation that the hoodlums may have had military training.

Parading some suspected kidnappers and robbers at the Command Headquater in Ikeja, Aderanti, responding to questions, said the gunmen displayed professional traits.

He said that the police were working to get the suspects, promising that such incident would not repeat itself in Lagos.

Aderanti said: “In as much as I do not want to comment much on

L

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the weapons are not just what you get off the shelf easily. Those are high weapons and so, we know where to channel our investigations to. I can tell you that the police will fish them out before Easter. They cannot go unpunished for the lives they have wasted, I swear

By Precious Igbonwelundu

the Lekki issue to avoid jeopardising our investigation, I agree with you that the perpetrators were fully prepared for that operation.

“The types of arms that they displayed and the proficiency in terms of expertise, require that we do a thorough job to get to the root of the matter and ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

’

From the video footage of the incident, the police, The Nation learnt, believe that the gunmen must have military background.

The source said: “The gun handling experience exhibited by those men was beyond just any armed robber. They were fully prepared for that exercise and were very generous with their bullets.

The marksmanship they exhibited was even beyond the police. It

•From left: Chairman, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) Justice AbdulFatai Adeyinka; Osun State Residential Electoral Commissioner Dr Adekunle Ogunmola and a National Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof Akinola Salau during a fied test of Smart Card Readers conducted by INEC at Onigbongbo Registration Area in Ikeja Local Government, Lagos

takes people with higher experience to have acted that way.

“Then, the weapons are not just what you get off the shelf easily.

Those are high weapons and so, we know where to channel our investigations to. I can tell you that the police will fish them out before Easter. They cannot go unpunished for the lives they have wasted, I swear,” he said.

A senior police officer, in a separate chat, said he was sure the gunmen have military experience.

“I can stake my life on it. Those hoodlums have military experience. They have had something to do with the armed forces. If you see their coordination and their gun handling proficiency, even me as a senior officer I cannot match them.

“Did you see their complete ar-

•Aderanti

mour, they even had bullet proof vests, how many policemen have that? It would have even been better for them to just steal and go but the fact that they were so heartless as to open fire on harmless citizens, is evidence that their cup is full,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

10

NEWS Lagos doctors’ strike enters day two ‘Doctors making unlawful demands’

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HERE were skeletal services yesterday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Gbagada General Hospital and Igando General Hospital, Igando, among others as striking doctors under the aegis of Medical Guild continued their indefinite strike.

The association said the strike will end when the Lagos State government accedes to its demand and pay April and May 2012 salaries as well as August and September, last year.

Its chairman, Dr Biyi Kufo, said doctors should be paid because they must obey the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which declared the strike for which they are being owed.

The government, he said, is playing lip service to the health of the people.

He said doctors will remain resolute, until the salaries are paid.

“What the government is doing is double standard and we will resist it,” Kufo said.

But the government said the doctors are making unlawful demands.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Lateef Ibirogba, said: “It has come to the attention of the government that some doctors under the aegis of Medical Guild have commenced yet another strike action.

“It is pertinent to stress for

By Wale Adepoju

public information that the said strike is an illegal action.

On the previous occasion, the doctors went on what they called a “sympathy strike” at the request of the NMA, which then had a dispute with the Federal Government.

“They had no trade dispute with the state government (their employer).

“It is also instructive to note that doctors in private employment, who are also members of the NMA, did not join the so-called “sympathy strike”.

“It is a fact that those health workers who did not work during the period were not paid.

“This “no work no pay rule” is not just a policy of the government as alleged.

“It is in line with international employment practices and the Trade Disputes Act, a federal legislation, which is binding on all authorities and persons in Nigeria.

“Also, the allegation that the governor or his representatives refused to meet with the doctors over this dispute is false.

“Governor Babatunde Fashola met with their leadership and that had been followed by several meetings with the commissioners for health, special duties and other state officials.”

19 bag First Class at EKSU

N

INETEEN students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) will graduate with First Class degree as the institution’s convocation on Friday.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Oladipo Aina, said this yesterday at a briefing to herald the week-long activities to mark the 20th convocation.

Aina named Tawose Olamide Tunde of the Mathematic Sciences Department as the Best Graduating Student with Cumulative Grade Points Average of 4.87.

Aina said 991 graduating students obtained Second Class Upper Division; 4451 got Second Class Lower Division; 1081 went home with Third Class and 58 Pass.

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

The VC said the convocation would cover 2012/2013 academic session, adding that due to the national strike by lecturers, the school lost the 2013/2014 session.

According to him, the convocation lecture will be delivered by eminent geologist and former National Merit Award Winner, Prof.

Oluwafeyisola Adegoke.

He said the National Universities Commission (NUC) has given full accreditation to the EKSU College of Medicine, adding that the institution is also expecting accreditation of the college by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (second right), Head of Service, Mrs. Folashade Jaji (right), Surveyor- General Joseph Olorunjuwon Agbenla (left) and his wife, Adeshola during Agbenla’s swearing-in at the Executive Council Chambers, Lagos House, keja...yesterday.

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Ambode promises to fix 5,000 roads

HE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has promised to build 5,000 roads in four years, if elected.

He said all inner roads in the local governments will be reactivated.

Ambode, who spoke at a Town Hall meeting at Eagle Club, Surulere, said his government will complement efforts of the local governments by ensuring that a minimum of 20 roads with street lights are built by each local government every year.

He said: “In four years, 5,000 roads would have been built.

I want to light up Lagos to

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HERE is tension in Ilase and Ibokun in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State as thugs suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attacked the campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

An eyewitness account said Aregbesola and his entourage had gone to pay homage to the Onilase of Ilase-Ijesa, when the crisis started.

Several APC members were injured in the attack.

It was gathered that posters of contestants, APC flags and the podium on which

T

for business to thrive.

“We will ensure markets are clean; there will be no indiscriminate closure of markets. We will open line of communication with market leaders on issues affecting them.”

In his welcome address, the chairman planning committee, Yomi Odunlami, noted that Ambode is the right choice for Lagos.

According to him, Ambode’s experience will help in moving Lagos forward.

The hall was filled with APC supporters and Eagle Club members.

The Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and Chairman, Eagle Club, Yomi Pearse, were present.

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

the governor was to address the gathering were destroyed.

However, the PDP said it was not true.

In a telephone interview, the state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Gani Ola-Oluwa, said the APC has always been attacking PDP members.

Ola-Oluwa urged the people to disregard the claim saying the APC is only seeking attention.

A statement by the governor through his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, said an APC woman member’s ear was slashed with a matchet.

Aregbesola condemned

the attack, which he described as barbaric.

The statement said the hoodlums shot into the air sporadically to scare the waiting APC crowd before freely destroying tflags, posters and the campaign podium.

“In the melee, people fled to safety as the PDP thugs had a field day unleashing mayhem on innocent people.

“When the governor returned to the campaign ground, he was shocked by what he saw, describing it as callous and condemnable.

“We, as a party, are responsible and peace-loving.

We are loved by the people.

“It is those who do not have electoral value who will attack the same people they ought to patronise for votes.

“We are popular and we are on ground. These people resort to violence because they know that they don’t have the support of the people.

“We, however, remain undaunted. We will not be cowed by anybody in the state.

“In the last four years, my government has restored peace to the state.

“We call on security agencies to be proactive and deal with anyone whose sole agenda is to cause violence in the state.”

Mbu absent in suit seeking his removal

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

The rally, which will start tomorrow, is expected to end on March 26 visiting the five local government areas namely; Ekiti West, Efon, Ijero, Irepodun/Ifelodun and Ado local governments.

The statement added that the senatorial candidate, Gbenga Olofin and the two House of Representatives candidates- Oyetunde Ojo and Dr Eniola Ajayi -and the eight House of Assembly candidates are expected to mobilise supporters to the venues of the rallies.

The campaign committee urged all members to be peaceful.

The party said: "We are not unaware of the plan of our main rival party to cause mayhem in order to pick our leaders up before the election."

ensure security of life and property. When every street is lit, people can move from one end to the other with ease.

“APC will make Lagos safer, cleaner and more prosperous. Our mission is that nobody in Lagos is discriminated against, irrespective of tribe or religion.

“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu laid a solid foundation for the development of Lagos.

“Governor Babatunde Fashola came to actualise the dream. I am ready to propel Lagos to another level.

“I am prepared to do that with the support of members of our great party.”

He reiterated his promise to ease traffic on Lagos roads

when he said “with Gen Muhammadu Buhari at the centre, the problem of petroleum tankers on Apapa road will end”.

The APC candidate said the Federal Government owes Lagos N51 billion spent on the maintenance of federal roads.

He said his administration will continue with the policies of Fashola by repairing federal roads.

“We will not wait for the Federal Government to repair its bad roads because it is the people of Lagos who ply such roads.”

He promised to commit N25 billion towards providing loans for traders and provide conducive environment

Tension in Ilase, Ibokun over PDP attack on APC

APC resumes rallies in Ekiti HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti Central senatorial district will resume final campaign rallies ahead of the March 28 National Assembly election and April 11 House of Assembly polls.

The party is back on the campaign trail after a sixweek lull occasioned by the postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The rallies start tomorrow in Aramoko where the party will present its candidates.

A statement yesterday by the APC Media Committee Chairman, Tai Oguntayo and the Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman, Oladapo Karonwi, revealed that the rally will be taken to Ipole Iloro, Ikogosi, Erijiyan, Erio and Aramoko.

By Leke Salaudeen

By Joseph Jibueze

•Mbu

A

N Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Mbu Joseph Mbu, yesterday failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Lagos in a suit seeking his removal.

He was also not represented by any lawyer, despite being served with the suit.

The plaintiff, Tope Alabi, a lawyer, is praying the

court to strip Mbu of his rank and declare his office vacant for allegedly abusing his powers.

Yesterday, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Oladare Falana, who stood in for Femi Falana, (SAN) said the defendants had been served.

He said he was surprised that the defendants were not in court or represented by any lawyer.

“We have served all parties to the case with the processes.

“We have a motion on notice supported by a 27-paragraph affidavit and a written address.

“I seek to adopt the written address along with the motion on notice,” Falana said.

Justice Ibrahim Buba said there was no doubt that the

defendants had been put on notice as he had the proof of service.

In the substantive suit, the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that the first defendant (Mbu) “is unfit to be a police officer in Nigeria”.

It followed Mbu’s alleged threat to kill 20 innocent civilians for any policeman killed during the general elections.

The plaintiff is praying the court to direct InspectorGeneral of Police Suleiman Abba, the Police Service Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) (who are the second to fourth defendants) to declare Mbu’s office vacant and replace him without further delay.

Alabi said Mbu, as a senior police officer, swore to uphold to the rule of law and

abide by the constitution, but has allegedly been behaving as if he is above the law.

The latest of Mbu’s action, the lawyer said, is his directive to policemen under his Zone 2 Command covering Lagos and Ogun states. “If one of my men is killed, I shall kill 20 of them but don’t shoot first,” Mbu was quoted as saying.

Alabi is praying the court to determine whether Mbu is fit and proper to remain in office, considering his controversial utterances and “his public misconduct,” and whether the lives of Nigerians are not in danger as long as Mbu remains in office.

Justice Buba adjourned till March 20 for hearing on the plaintiff’s interlocutory injunction.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

NSITF gets ISO27001 certification From Tony Akowe, Abuja

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HE Nigeria Social In surance Trust Fund (NSITF) has been awarded ISO27001 certificate by the British Standard Institute (BSI), making it one of the leading social security institutions in Africa.

Speaking at the presentation of the certification in Abuja, its board chair, Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme said with the certification, the agency has strategically endowed itself with values that repose stakeholders’s confidence on the quality of what they get from the funds when they do business, adding that “we now have in place, a system that can detect the minutest risk factors in our operations thereby reducing loss to its barest minimum.”

She added that in an environment where an average individual is suspicious of relying on information from public institutions for planning purposes, “we are glad to say that with the ISO27001, NSITF has overcome that suspicion. Our commitment to the confidentiality, availability and integrity of out information assets can only get better.

“NSITF is proud to be among a very elite group of public institutions whose security practice and drive for excellence in its operations meet the rigorous ISO27001 standard. Achieving this milestone makes the fund a leading social security institution in Africa. It is critical to to the NSITF transformation roadmap.

“NSITF is happy to be a global best practice government institution embracing the highest echelon of standards that ensure efficiency and dependency of its operations as a result of its development of global standard information security mechanism”.

Its Acting Managing Director, Godson Dinneya said the fund was committed to actively raising the quality of life for every worker, saying “we want all employees regardless of sector, industry or status to be rest assured that” the management has provided the necessary social insurance benefits in tandem with global best practices.

What does corporate governance do? It ensures that you have set up a structure and a culture within the institution that can drive the business in line with given rules. That’s what corporate governance does.

-Seplat Petroleum Managing Director Mr Austin Avuru

Senate revisits Oceanic Bank’s liquidation T HE Senate yesterday opened an investiga tion into the alleged shady deals in the management of the assets of liquidated Oceanic Bank Plc. The probe by the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption followed a petition, which alleged unwholesome dealings in the management of forfeited assets of the lender.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Victor Lar, shielded the identities of the petitioners from the press apparently for security reasons.

The petitioners alleged that the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) sold some of the forfeited properties of Oceanic Bank without due process.

The petitioners specifically claimed that some of the forfeited properties were sold

by AMCON without advertising them.

They also claimed that some of the forfeited properties cannot be traced while an aircraft and United Kingdom properties allegedly owned by Mrs. Cecilia Ibru were not listed.

The petitioners claimed that Mrs. Ibru had converted some of the forfeited properties back to her own through the back door.

The petitioners claimed

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Asst.

Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

that while Mrs. Ibru was successfully prosecuted and plea bargain was reached to forfeit some assets, the handling of the plea bargain was full of anomalies.

They claimed that the handover of assets and shares by Mrs. Ibru to AMCON and transfer of the shareholders to ECO bank never took place.

The petitioners claimed that due to poor administration of recovery and implementation of the plea bargain note, Mrs. Ibru still controls most of the assets and shares recovered under the plea bargain.

They claimed that Mrs. Ibru converted Oceanic Bank details with assets and cash of over 15 million pounds for her personal use.

They also claimed that the former chief executive officer of the lender changed the name Oceanic Bank in UK to Premier European Capital transferring all Oceanic Bank’s assets and cash to the new company without the knowledge of the previous shareholders and directors of Oceanic Bank.

Other allegations included

that Mrs. Ibru opened a Trust Fund and converted properties recovered from Cecilia Ibru to the Trust Fund.

They listed the number of properties owned by the liquidated bank to includeUnited States (US) properties numbering about 11, Nigeria 51, Dubai-four, South Africa, one property.

Mr. Ibrahim Audu of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who was the first to speak at the hearing, noted that Mrs. Ibru’s investigation was conclusively done and that there was a plea bargain between the Federal Government and Mrs. Ibru.

He said there was a court order which directed AMCON to manage all the confiscated properties, adding that all properties recovered from Mrs. Ibru had been handed over to AMCON according to the court order.

Acting Managing Director, AMCON, Mrs. Foluke Dosunmu, in her testimony said that EFCC did not recover any property from Mrs. Ibru.

She said all the properties were forfeited which made their ownership to be transferred to AMCON. Dosunmu said: “The assets of Cecilia Ibru were forfeited to AMCON; the interest in

those assets were vested and ownership were passed to AMCON. “N150billion was the first set of funds in respect to nonperforming loans paid back to Oceanic Bank with consideration to the underlying collateral.

“Second set of payment to Oceanic Bank was N336billion of depositors’ funds that had been eroded.

“The primary motive of AMCON was that no depositor will lose funds.”

The AMCON boss recalled that on September 5, 2010 Mrs. Ibru entered into a plea bargain with the Attorney-General of the Federation for the value of certain specified properties and funds illegally acquired.

She said an order forfeiting the properties of Mrs.Ibru was made by an FCT High Court.

She said AMCON was no party to the plea bargain between Mrs. Ibru and the Attorney- General of the Federation.

She said AMCON paid Oceanic Bank N83 billion for assets listed in schedule four.

Dosunmu noted that only N67 billion was received from Oceanic Bank in assets by AMCON wile N15.7 billion was lost.

She said after parting with all the funds, AMCON assumed full ownership of the properties and does not owe Oceanic Bank anything.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil $58/barrel Cocoa $2,686.35/metric ton Coffee ¢132.70/pound Cotton ¢95.17pound Gold $1,396.9/troy Sugar $163/lb RATES Inflation

8%

Treasury Bills -10.58%(91d) Maximum lending 30% Prime lending

15.87%

Savings rate

3%

91-day NTB

15%

Time Deposit

5.49%

MPR

13%

Foreign Reserve

$34.5b

•From left: Winner of brand new Toyota Corolla in the FirstBank Savings Bonanza, Mrs. Ebisan Onyema, flanked by her husband (left), Mr. Kenneth Onyema; GMD/CEO, FirstBank, Mr. Bisi Onasanya( 2nd right), and Executive Director, South, FirstBank, Mr. U. K. Eke, ( 1st right), at the presentation of the car to Mrs Onyema at FirstBank Marina Branch.

‘Ensure uninterrupted fuel supply’

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

T

HE Western Zone of the Independent Pe troleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged its members to dispense petroleum products across the nooks and crannies of the country during and after the general elections.

Its Chairman, Alhaji Debo Ahmed spoke while inaugurating the Caretaker Committee that will steer the affairs of the Ore Depot, pending the conduct of election. The Caretaker Committee is expected to run the affairs of the depot for the next three months. This follows a shift in the Depot’s election earlier been fixed for March 24, but had to be moved sequel to the rescheduling of the country’s general election to March 28 and April 11.

Ahmed said the sensitivity of product supply at election period cannot be over emphasised, hence, the need for the committee to ensure that there is no lapse in product supply.

He reiterated that going by IPMAN’s constitution, the setting up of a caretaker committee is constitutionally allowed, adding that the depot’s administration could not be left in a vacuum.

Ahmed admonished the committee members to be aware that the country is just coming out of a fuel scarcity situation. He warned that IPMAN will not allow further interruption in the product supply chain.

“Your committee is hereby mandated to ensure that we have free flow of petroleum products at all times. Kindly accept my congratulations,” he said.

Caretaker Committee chairman, Akinbiola Nicholas, thanked IPMAN leadership for the trust reposed on him and his members. “Before now, Ore Depot has been in shambles. We the new officers are ready to bring peace in the depot,” he assured.

Other members of the committee include Olatobosan Johnson, Vice Chairman; Adeeso Ebenezer, Secretary; Otunba Awe Olabisi, Treasurer; Erelu Modupe Johnson, Financial Secretary; Akinjare Jacob, Auditor; and Adebola Abejide, Assistant Secretary. Others are Falade Oluwasiji, P.R.O; Eruaga Jonathan, Legal Officer; Prince Akin Omoyele, Organising Secretary; Ogunsola Afolayan, Chief Whip; and Yinka Iwakun, Welfare.

NASENI urges NERC’s local content law implementation

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HE Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Ex ecutive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr Mohammed Sani Haruna, has urged the full implementation of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) local content regulation.

He commended the commission for issuing new regulations on local content development for the power sector.

In a statement in Abuja,

From John Ofikhenua , Abuja

Engr. Haruna said the local content law would encourage organisations such as NASENI to become major players in the power sector.

NASENI, he said, had the technology and production capacities for solar energy in Nigeria, regretting, however, that low patronage by government ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and Nigerians in general had led to a glut.

He said: “Available data shows that 60 per cent of Ni-

gerians living in rural communities do not have access to the National grid, but with full patronage of NASENI 7.5megawatt solar panel which has local content, epileptic power generation in the country will become a thing of the past.

“NASENI Solar Energy Limited, Karshi, the only manufacturers of solar panels in West Africa, since 2011 has produced about 4000 pieces of solar panels. Nigerians can enjoy constant power generation since the country receives

5.535 Kwh per m2 per day of solar energy and an average of 6-9 hours sunshine per day.”

In view of the abundance of sunshine all year round and the location of the country within the tropical region and the characteristic isolated pattern of human settlement, he noted that solar technology was particularly well suited for use in Nigeria and charged NERC to ensure full implementation of local contentm in the power sector.

The NASENI Chief said the

section of the new law on contracts/procurement gave a lot of hope to local producers.

Making reference to the Regulation, he quoted: “All licenses shall give first consideration for goods made in Nigeria and services provided by Nigerian firms in award of contracts. All operators and project promoters shall consider Nigerian content when evaluating any bid at commercial stage and the bid containing the highest level of Nigerian content shall be selected.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

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TUESDAY, MACRCH 17, 2015

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THE NATION

BUSINESS TRANSPORTATION

E-mail: ynotaderibigbe@gmail.com

Waterways not developed, says NIWA

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ESPITE its huge potential, sea transport remains the least developed mode of transportation, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Managing Director Hajiya Inna Maryam Ciroma has said.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of SeaCoach Ferries Ltd., at EbuteIga in Ikorodu, in Lagos State, Hajiya Ciroma said NIWA in spite of the challenges, would continue to make the Inland Waterways transportation (IWT) attractive to local and international investors.

If fully utilised, over six million passengers can use water transportation monthly, she said.

Describing the nation’s waterways as a goldmine, Hajiya Ciroma said NIWA has found an investor to help deepen the sector, adding that roughly 60 percent of the nation’s 8,600 km of waterways remained unused.

She said water hyacinth is a major challenge facing operators and called on the investor to help in ridding the waterways of the menace. NIWA, she said, has been deploying its machines in fighting the menace off the waterways, adding that the actions are, however, proving inadequate.

The NIWA Chief represented by NIWA’s Head of Monitoring and Compliance, Mr Muazu Jaji, hailed the quality of boats being deployed

by Sea Coach Ferries, adding that with the coming of operator, passengers are in for a good travel experience.

She said: “When this operator approached NIWA for a licence to operate on our waters, it was not too difficult to see that this operator knows what he is into and it is a credence to the quality of his proposal that his licence to operate from

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

Ikorodu to CMS was approved within three days.”

She said the operator, who was coming from Sierra-Leone have deployed nine boats for take-off while another five would arrive by June, as six more would be added to the fleet by December to make a total of 20 modern coaches on the state’s waters.

NIWA, she said, had no problem approving the Ikorodu to CMS and Victoria Island routes for the operator, adding that the Ikorodu to Leventis/Ebute-Ero route would soon begin. She added that the agency allowed the operator to use two of its jetties for its operations.

Hajiya Ciroma said water transportation is a better option for the people of Ikorodu to beating the heavy Lagos traffic which could make passengers spend more than five hours on the road between Ikorodu and CMS. The same distance could be covered in 35 minutes by the ferry, she said.

She lauded the operator’s plan to commence soon, the local building of boats in the state, adding that when this comes on stream, it would create jobs for Nigerians.

“We want to assure the Seacoach of NIWA’s cooperation in ensuring that this investment becomes a win-win for all its stakeholders,” Hajiya Ciroma said.

The Managing Director of Seacoach Ferries Mr Olusegun Jaji said the company is coming into the country as a major player having been a leading player in Sierra-Leone, where it has operated for the past six years.

He said in the next two years, the company intends to deploy over 40 modern sea coaches to cover not only

• A ferry. Inset (Jaji, cutting the tape to open the jetty. Behind him in suit is Olusegun Jaji, and CP Marine, Aderemi Aderounmu).

Ikorodu to CMS and Ikorodu to Victoria Island, but to expand to as many areas as possible.

Jaji said: “Part of our medium term plan is to inject about 50 boats over the next two years; we are starting with nine and would increase our fleet to 20 by December and another 20 by the following year. ‘’We are bringing coaches with comfortable seats and adequate leg room and television. Each boat comes with twin 2500cc engine in line with global practices and the guarantee is that even if one of the engine packed up, the second can take you safely to your destination.

This is complemented with big panoramic windows that ensure a good view of the lagoon.”

Jaji said each voyage is accompanied by three crew led by the captain and two sea men. While one seaman stands in front to have a good view of any floating object and guide the captain against it, the other stands at the rear to monitor the engines.

He said though water transportation is capital intensive, the company has what it takes to extend its services nationwide.

“We intend to operate water transportation services across the country. We can service any route because the terrain in Nigeria is calmer than Sierra-Leone where we had to contend with navigating the ocean,” Jaji said.

The Lead Consultant IHB Consult-

ing, Chief Qudus Folami, described Seacoach Ferries as an ambitious project.

Folami, who was the lead consultant to NIWA on the project, said the company is bringing to Nigeria global competencies that would help deepen waterways transportation.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional chiefs, the Regent of Ikorodu and Lissa of Ikorodu Kingdom, Chief Zacheaus Oludele Odusoga, praised the operators for bringing the project to the area. He, however, called on the firm to consider youths of the area in their job drive.

Guests had a feel of the ferry on a return trip on the Ikorodu to CMS route, describing their experience as awesome.

Why accidents are many during rains, by FRSC

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HE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has advised motorists to ensure their vehicles are in order during the rainy season. Reason: poor vehicle maintenance is responsible for the rise in breakdown and accidents during the season.

At an enlightenment campaign organised by the Mowe Unit Command in conjunction with the Trinity International College, for motorists and commercial motorcyclists in Ofada, in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, the Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, said motorists should pay more attention to their vehicles during the rainy sea-

By Olalekan Ayeni

son.

Ogunjobi, represented by the Head of Operations, Mr Azeez Omotosho, said over 70 percent of accidents are caused by speed limit violation and poor maintenance of vehicles.

He listed some of the faults noticeable especially during this period to include; brake failure, loss of control due to poor visibility, tyre burst, somersaulting and dangerous overtaking.

He reiterated FRSC’s commitment to safer road use during the wet period and after, warning that motor-

ists should comply with all traffic regulations and maintain their vehicles.

According to him, it is a must for motorists to fix their vehicles’ wiper blades, head and tail lights, brakes, horns and to avoid the use of wornout tyres.

The commander expressed concern over poor driving habits, lamenting especially motorists’ attitude towards tyre care and general vehicle maintenance.

Most drivers, he said, have poor maintenance culture and are less concerned about the state of their tyres forgetting that their care should not

be compromised because they are the part of the vehicle that have direct contact with the road.

The FRSC boss urged individuals, corporate organisations and fleet owners, especially cement factories operating within Ogun State to ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles and monitor their drivers.

Cement truck drivers, Ogunjobi said, contribute to the high rate of accidents because of their reckless driving, nonchalant attitude, overloading, breach of traffic regulations, and drink driving.

Ogunjobi urged cyclists to avoid over speeding, over loading or

•Omotosho (centre), Mrs. Aderinoye (fifth left), Trinity College Principal Mr. Jacob Apata, Route Commander Aina Balogun (second right), the school’s Resources Manager Mr. Smith Mukoro and other guests at the event.

wrong overtaking, adding that they should always make use of their safety helmets and sun glasses which are part of their safety devices.

He advised tipper drivers to always ensure that their sands and gravels are properly covered to avoid harming other motorists behind them.

“Uncover your goods when you are stationary but cover it up when you are on the road.”

He said many motorists including okada riders have been blinded by sand flying out of unprotected trucks, while stones from such unprotected trucks have shattered wind screens.

The school’s Director of Education, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aderinoye, said the programme was organised because of the reckless and nonchalant attitude of most drivers and cyclists within the community, which resulted in the death of several road users.

She appealed to motorcyclists to stop reckless driving because it is dangerous. She urged transport union leaders to enlighten their members and increase their monitoring and enforcement.

Mrs Aderinoye urged motorists to take precautions while driving in order to ensure their safety.

The AMORAN, ACCOMORAN and Ajowa Tippers Association union leaders’ pledged their support for the FRSC’s efforts in checking road lawlessness.

They, however, called on the state government to rehabilitate the community’s road.

The drivers were tested for high blood pressure and sugar level.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

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THE NATION

BUSINESS AVIATION

Developing airports into regional hubs Worried by last November’s survey by a group, The Guide to Sleeping in Airports, which rated three of the nation’s airports among the worst in Africa, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has begun facility and infrastructure upgrade at airports, to transform some terminals into hubs for West and Central Africa, writes Aviation Correspondent KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR

A

SURVEY conducted by a group, The Guide to Sleeping in Airports, has rated Nigerian airports as among the worst in Africa.

The survey cited inadequate facilities that could deny the airports their push to become hubs for the West African sub region.

Worried by the parlous rating, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has rolled out series of programmes, including facility and infrastructure upgrade, to close the gaps.

Part of the reasons for doing this is to use the airports as a catalyst for economic development.

If some Nigerian airports are developed into a hub, aviation would contribute significantly to the gross domestic product.

Experts say Nigeria is blessed by geographical location as a hub in Africa, if airport facilities are put in place to drive the process.

Transforming airports to a hub for West and Central African regions has remained the main objective of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma, has said.

But, such ambition, he said, might not come cheap until requisite airport facilities and infrastructure have attained global standards.

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the global industry regulator, prescribes conditions for achieving a hub status for any airport.

Part of the criteria include state-ofthe-art airport and air navigation facilities, adequate fire cover, airport safety and security, perimeter fencing, airport certification, transit facilities as well as accelerated passenger facilitation.

Airports are yet to meet all ICAO requirements for hub status. Towards this end, an aggressive programme targeted at improving safety and security procedures at airports, as well as massive facility and infrastructure upgrade is on-going.

When completed, Nigeria would boast of having two airports designated as hubs for West and Central Africa.

The drive is part of efforts by the government to consolidate the untapped potential offered by Nigeria’s several air agreements it signed with other countries.

Dunoma said the authority would continue to rework its strategy to ensure that all requirements set for the pursuit of positioning the airports as hubs in the West Coast and Central African region are met.

He spoke against the backdrop of his one year anniversary in office, affirming that since he assumed duties as the helmsman of FAAN, the authority has lined up programmes to overhaul the airports in Nigeria.

Dunoma, who was appointed Managing Director of FAAN in March, last year, said there are lots of untapped opportunities for the aviation sector, especially as it affects the Lagos International Airport which he said would be positioned as a hub of aviation in West Africa.

He said about 15 million passengers are expected to travel through Nigerian airports this year. The growing passenger traffic, he said has made it incumbent for FAAN to improve on airport facilities.

Statistics of passenger service portal

quest to prevent hazardous items and substances from getting on board aircraft is another important concern in airport security.

We are working hard to tackle these challenges.

We have acquired new security screening equipment, which are very functional and effective. The security agencies are using them.

It is not just for aviation security personnel that are finding them useful, but other security agencies at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport as well. We are also training our staff so they can be acaquianted with the new software that came with the equipment.”

Provision of fire cover •Dunoma

•Chidoka

by FAAN showed that about 12 million passengers used the airports last year.

Experts said that Nigeria is positioned by geography as a hub in Africa, if only the government would put the necessary airport infrastructure in place to attract passenger traffic.

Part of the airport infrastructure requirement for a hub status, experts said, is a state-of-the-art passenger terminals, a transit lounge, modern air navigation facilities, quick turnaround time at the airports, as well as safety and security facilities.

Necessary airport infrastructure would attract more than the 27 international airlines flying into Nigeria, with the attendant increase in economic activities that would contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

service, thereby stimulating air traffic and increasing profit.

“Certification of airports brings about achievement and maintenance of a higher standard level of safety, promotes standardisation and consistency of procedures and operations. Another requirement is airport facilitation, which requires the minimum time for passengers to complete all airport formalities for transit travels in line with global practices,” he said.

Dunoma pointed out that the authority is pursuing the certification of at least two international airports in line with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), before the end of the year.

He listed the airports to include Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

According to experts, before an airport could get ICAO certification, it must have full fire cover with adequate fire fighting trucks and other equipment to handle emergencies. Such an airport is also expected to have a comprehensive airport security manual and programme tailored to fit into the standards and recommended practices of ICAO. In addition, the airport must have airport perimeter and security fencing.

To ensure that there is tight security at our airports, the Federal Government has deployed advanced technology security systems in airports across the country, and has also put in place a joint military security operation to further secure facilities at the various airports.

The government has also put in place a 24-hour surveillance patrol at the five international airports - Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano and Enugu International Airport (EIA).

Also, the security of airports has been enhanced, with the introduction of biometric-based access controls at the airports and passenger screening at the five international airports.

The FAAN boss said: “Thus, to enhance airport security further, various biometric devices and smart cards, are options being considered or implemented across the world.

Apart from passenger profiling, the

Safety and security requirements If the airport authority must achieve its ambition of delivering airports as hubs for West Africa, experts said FAAN must rework its architecture to improve on safety and security. Part of the efforts they said, must be channeled towards immediate certification of some of its international airport terminals.

Without airport certification, the experts argued, the pursuit of hub status will remain a mere dream.

Dunoma said the country would meet the 2015 deadline as set by the International Civil Aviaton Organisation (ICAO), adding that the agency had in 2006 signed an undertaking with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to certify the country’s international airports.

He explained that based on the agreement, the country was able to scale through the ICAO Universal Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), saying that recently, FAAN set up a certification team, which visited some International airports to appraise the requirements for certification.

He said: “Certification of aerodrome is a means of demonstrating that an organisation has implemented its quality management system appropriately, this includes a third party audit. Quality management at airports ensures safety, security, efficiency, and

Dunoma said in the last one year, the authority has made efforts to address gaps in the airports’ fire fighting requirement with the deployment of more fire tenders to major airports to back up the existing facilities.

Apart from the deployment of fire trucks, the authority is currently recruiting aviation security and fire fighting personnel to address the manpower gap in such areas. ”We have purchased fire tenders and distributed them to all airports across the country in order to beef up our fire fighting capacity. We have also entered into a maintenance agreement with the manufacturers of the fire tenders, so as to ensure that we optimise the life span and usage of these equipment. We have also trained our staff on the use of these new fire fighting equipment to ensure they perform at optimal levels in the nearest future,” he said.

Terminal security To achieve the hub status, the airport authority has rolled out new security measures at major airport to checkmate unauthorised movement of persons around the terminal building.

Ths is in addition to the deployment of close circuit television cameras at operational and non operational areas around major terminals .

Dunoma said the airport authority has designed a detailed plan for the review of security architecture for airports nationwide.

The new security plan, includes the procurement of sophisticated counter terrorism gadgets and effective collaboration among security agencies.

Chidoka said the presence of such people is giving the nation a bad reputation, even as they remain big security risks around the airport.

Passenger facilitation Passenger facilitation experts say is key to attaining hub status for any airport.

‘To achieve the hub status, the airport authority has rolled out new security measures at major airport to checkmate unauthorised movement of persons around the terminal building’

One of the ways of achieving this is through replacement of operational facilities including ultra modern high speed carousels .

FAAN industry experts say must ensure it addresses challenges associated with erratic performance of its conveyor at the Lagos International Airport to improve turn around time.

Dunoma said: “For over 30 years, no serious addition of infrastructure was made at the Lagos International Airport until a few years ago.

There were lots of complaints from users , passengers and airlines because of malfunctioning airport facilities.

But, in the last few years, because we want to make the airport a hub for West Africa , government has expanded the D and E wings to increase capacity for passenger facilitation. The check in counters were quadrupled both for arrival and departure formalities . The arrival carousels have been installed and they are larger , faster and better than wahab we had initially.

We have met the standards for NCAA and ICAO , which requires that any arriving passenger processing time must not exceed 45 minutes.

Our plan is to proved facilities so that as passenger traffic continues to grow we could proved facilities to cater for this growth in traffic.

At the end of the day, processing and facilitation at the airports would be better and smoother.

What you are observing at the airport is a new terminal which would have departure and processing facilities for international passengers we also intend to provide transit locations whereby passengers that are coming into Lagos and need to transit to other parts of the country would have a place they would be processed and then moved to their next aircraft.”

Hotel complex Like is the practice in some airports across the globe hotels are built inside airports to enhance their hub status.

The rationale for this according to aviation experts is to support passengers who are willing to spend longer time at the airport while on transit flights.

Dunoma said the airport authority is building a 20 room transit hotel at the international wing of the Lagos Airport to achieve this objective .

Dunoma said: ”Airports all over the world have hotel facilities.

We are working hard to provide such facilities at the Lagos Airport.

It is for passengers that need to wait at the airport for longer time.

The ultimate goal is that we ate positioning Lagos Airport as a hub .

When it becomes a hub there is the tendency that passengers will wait for may be 16 hours around the airport and would need a hotel facility where they can go in and rest while waiting for their next available flight.

The hotel is under construction, when completed, it will bring relief to such passengers. We have started with 20 rooms and if the need arises, we would construct more rooms.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

SHOWBIZ

AGN crises: Court nullifies Ibinabo-led exco •‘She remains our national leader,’ say cronies

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palpable undulation has hit the seeming calm in the leadership of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), when a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Monday, nullified the election which declared Ibinabo Fiberesima president of the association in 2012.

Justice James Tsoho said the election that ushered the actress into office was conducted against a standing court order, in a suit filed

by St. Maradona Mikevine,who was National Treasurer in the factional exco led by another actor, Emeka Ike. Mikevine, through his lawyer, Malcom Omirhobo, prayed the court to stay action on the election that brought Ibinabo into office, claiming it was conducted in the face of a subsisting court order, restraining the conduct of AGN election.

But the Segun Arinze-led faction, which produced Fiberisima, went ahead with the election.

Justice Tsoho ruled that the Incorporated Trustees of AGN acted with utter impunity in disobeying the court’s order.

“It is not in doubt that the parties in this suit are entertainers but the business of court is a serious one and it cannot be turned into a legal play and for this reason, the election is hereby declared null and void,” the judge held.

Justice Tsoho further ordered Ibinabo to henceforth stop parading herself as the AGN president.

Besides, Justice Tsoho ordered Ibinabo and all the national officers of her executive to render full accounts of monies generated by the AGN under her, including details of income and expenditure.

The judge specifically ordered that a comprehensive audit of AGN’s accounts be conducted within 90 days.

Although Ibinabo had said the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to file the suit, as he did not contest against her, Ike and a few

By Ovwe Medeme and Joseph Jibueze

others had also sued against the leadership of the AGN in separate cases.

Ike had challenged the formation of an illegal government known as “National Unity”, to run AGN’s affairs.

The actor had sought an order of court reviewing the guild’s 2007 Constitution as it relates to the tenure of members of board of trustees.

He averred that the board, comprising: Mr Segun Arinze, Prince Ifeanyi Dike, Mr Emmanuel Oguguah, Mr Murphy Stephen, Mr Sunny McDon and Mr Okey McAnthony, had remained in office since July 13, 1999 when the guild was incorporated.

He had therefore, sought for an order setting aside the appointment of Arinze as President of the guild, as well as an order reviewing the provisions of the guild’s constitution.

Arinze, who was appointed as President of the National Unity of AGN, handed over to Ibinabo after the conduct of the disputed election.

In a telephone chat with The Nation, Ike noted that the judgement is an “indication that the judicial system in Nigeria is the last line of defence for the common man.”

He said the judicial system is the best way to seek redress on issues, especially in this era of politicking.

“In the coming days, we will be addressing a conference of state chairmen and the youths. It will be massive. I am called the people’s president and I intend to take governance to the people. We don’t get to see our leaders until they want to visit political office holders - all that is about to change.

The grassroots should form the basis of good governance and that is what we are all about,” he said.

Reacting to the judgement, the National Executive Council of AGN released a state-

• Emeka Ike

• Ibinabo

ment, in which it expressed solidarity to Ibinabo, insisting she remains their national leader.

“While we shall abide by the judgement of the High Court, we shall be guided by the Constitution of the Guild which stipulates that there shall be no vacuum in the leadership of the Guild.

“In view of this, Ibinabo Fiberesima remains the National leader of the AGN as the court did not declare Emeka Ike President of the guild,” adding that “the Regis-

tered Board of Trustees has gone to the Appeal Court to challenge the judgement.”

The statement portends that the “…judgement has not in any ways affected the resolve of Chief Ibinabo to take the Guild to the next level,” while conveying Ibinabo’s wish that members, supporters and fans should remain calm and peaceful as AGN remains one family.

Ibinabo was returned for a second term in office in October, last year.

Jonathan pledges more funds for entertainment industry if re-elected

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EQUEL to the initial N3bn Project ACT-Nollywood grant given movie practitioners by the Federal Government, the sector can expect further boom, should President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration be voted back into power.

That was the situation when in what was largely a campaign move, the president held an interactive session with stakeholders in the showbiz sector on Sunday, at the Eko Hotel, Lagos.

Hosted by Richard Mofe-Damijo, the event tagged ‘The Showbiz Interactive’ had President Jonathan dialogue with entertainment stakeholders on the way forward.

Fielding a question on whether the Federal Government intends to add more fund to the N3bn sovereign fund to the entertainment industry, Jonathan responded: “Definitely, if we must make the industry big, and of course, I’ve seen the potential in it. We’re talking about contributing 1.45 per cent to the GDP. Before, it was zero.

So, we know there are potentials in the industry. The first three billion (Naira) was experimental. Now, we feel that it is quite successful. But, surely, we’ll do better.”

During the session, the issue of piracy and how the government could curb it came up. And a vocal voice amongst those who preferred that rather than dole out money to practitioners, government should put in a place, structure where artistes could benefit from their works, was foremost comedian, Ali Baba.

“I think a lot of our artistes believe that it is sovereign fund that is the only thing that is holding us back,” said Ali Baba. “It is not sovereign fund. What is holding us back is the dynamics and the machineries that will help us to create money for ourselves.”

According to the comedian, while piracy is a big issue, the absence of a proper distribution channel was a greater problem.

“What we need is a proper structure that can make us earn money from the films we put in the market,” he told the President. “The question I want to ask you now, I’m asking on behalf of Amaka Igwe. And

she has asked this question in this forum before when you talked with us the last time. We asked this same question here: How are we going to deal with pirates so that we can put our products in the market and make money from it? Because if you give us five billion dollars to put a product out in the market, as soon as it is in the market and the pirates get one, it is over.”

However, a flustered Jonathan could not

promise a potent formula to combatting piracy.

Responding, Jonathan, who views the entertainment industry as ‘a unifying factor’ just like sports, said: “In terms of combating the piracy which is just like armed robbery… armed robbers are being shot but people are still committing robbery.

Advocating the “continuance of security efforts,” the president said, “it will be difficult to say we have a magic wand to wave to wipe out piracy but we can continue to suppress it and make other avenues of showing the films.

“We need the private sector to get involved,” Jonathan said. “This time around, luckily, with your support, I’m going to

• President Jonathan

• Ali Baba

•‘We don’t need the money but structure,’ says comedian Ali Baba

By Joe Agbro Jr.

win election and immediately we get back… we’ll set a small technical committee to strengthen the department of government and we’ll continue to fight it (piracy) until we reduce it to the barest minimal. At the same time, we’re exploiting other opportunities that could enhance the earnings of creative artistes.”

Other people who asked questions at the parley include actor Adeniyi Johnson and former president of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), T-Mac Omatsola.

Johnson had asked the possibility of moving the entertainment industry from the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation to which Jonathan replied in the affirmative, saying, if it was the wishes of “this family”, referring to the entertainment industry.

Despite romancing players in the entertainment industry, all has not been well with the sector which has been bedevilled by piracy and absence of proper distribution framework.

“In the last thirty years, record companies and labels have gone under, what plans do you have to save the music industry because of piracy?” asked T-Mac. Accepting this situation poses a problem to the artiste, society and the government, Jonathan could, however, only offer a feeble way out.

“If people must be in the industry and be creative, then, definitely, they should benefit,” Jonathan said.

“While we have the copyright commission and other institutions that is supposed to control it, I think the criminals are always trying to beat us. We would work together. I promised the industry before this time that we would strengthen our laws in the first place… First of all, we have to review the laws to make sure that the sanctions are commensurate to their offences. The punishments are quite light and we must take it very seriously.”

Nigerian entertainment industry has seen tumultuous times, especially with the activities of pirates. However, not much success has been realised in tackling the menace.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

19

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Out of Namibia

•Pohamba wins Mo Ibrahim African Leadership Prize

O

NE of the most innovative and farreaching initiatives to promote credible leadership and good governance in Africa was the institution of the Mo Ibrahim African Leadership Prize.

Set up by the Sudanese business tycoon after whom it is named, the prize attracts a cash prize of $500, 000 for 10 years and, thereafter $200,000 a year for life. The winner of this year’s African Leadership Prize is the outgoing President of Namibia, Hikefunkeye Pohamba. Aged 79, President Pohamba assumed office in 2005 and is expected to step down this month. Elections held under his watch have been widely regarded as free, fair and credible.

The announcers of the award paid tribute to Pohamba’s commitment to the rule of law, respect for the constitution and promotion of gender equity. This is something good for Africa out of Namibia.

However, we consider it curious that since the establishment of the award, only three presidents have won it before Pohamba. These are the former presidents of Cape Verde, Pedro de Verona RogriguesPires, Mozambique’s Joachim Chissano and Festus Mogae of Botswana.

In other years no leader on the continent was considered worthy of the honour. The criteria for the award are quite straightforward. To win, a recipient must have been democratically elected, displayed exceptional leadership, served only their constitutional term and must have left office in the three previous years.

There is no doubt that these criteria have been deliberately crafted to enhance the quality of governance in the continent,

promote democracy and respect for the people as well as discourage the sit-inoffice forever syndrome that has been the bane of politics and development in Arica. Why then is it that only four leaders have so far won the award? The simple answer is that, despite the growing culture of competitive elections in Africa, the quality of governance is still poor, elections are still plagued by fraud and many African leaders still want to continue in office even after the expiration of their constitutional tenures.

It is not impossible that many corrupt and sit-tight African leaders do not think very highly of the award and the otherwise impressive financial benefits that go with it. After all, if such leaders stay put in office by all means, they will most likely make more from pilfering the public till than the Mo Leadership Prize can offer them. Such a cynical world view, if it exists, is exceedingly shameful, unpatriotic and disgraceful to Africa.

Another curiosity is the concentration of winners of the award in the South African region. Is there anything in these countries’ history of armed struggle that predisposes them to better governance after independence? This should not necessarily be so. After all, both President Pohamba and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe participated actively in armed struggles that freed their respective countries from colonial bondage. However, one sits tight in office at close to 90 years of age and the other is graciously and honourably quitting office to the applause of the world.

We commend Mr Mo Ibrahim for his selflessness in investing his wealth in trying to promote the cause of good government and democracy in Africa. We also call on other like-minded Africans and non–Africans of means to contribute their quota to this cause. Bad and unaccountable governments anywhere in the world breed poverty, hunger, disease or terrorism that constitutes a threat to humanity everywhere.

We also urge African leaders to strengthen the peer-review mechanisms offered by the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa to hold each other to account and enhance the quality of governance in the continent. It is also crucial that the Mo Ibrahim Foundation does not lower its standards just so that there can be more recipients. Rather, it is African leaders who must raise their own governance standards to merit the award.

‘It is not impossible that many corrupt and sit-tight African leaders do not think very highly of the award and the otherwise impressive financial benefits that go with it. After all, if such leaders stay put in office by all means, they will most likely make more from pilfering the public till than the Mo Leadership Prize can offer them’

Bank Verification Number

•Banks and their customers must take the initiative seriously to curb frauds

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ORRIED by the increasing incidence of bank frauds due to the emergence of revolutionised payments system in the country, which also opened new windows for fraudulent manipulations, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiated the Bank Verification Number (BVN) scheme last year.

It is a system whereby individual banks collect their customers’ biometric data that is then collated to serve as a centralised biometric identification system for the entire industry.

Unfortunately, many bank customers are yet to key into the scheme, barely three months to the deadline given to all bank account holders to collect the new number. Obviously, many people do not understand its essence because, only a few years back, bank customers were asked to migrate to the 10-digit Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Number (NUBAN), as part of efforts to improve services in the financial sector. So, ask-

‘Bank customers must take advantage of the initiative before the restrictions on customers without the BVN take off on July 1 ...

But the CBN and the deposit banks too must sustain the tempo of enlightenment until everyone that should be included has joined the scheme’

ing them to go for yet another scheme that seems to them to serve the same purpose as the NUBAN is unnecessary.

But this is where such bank customers are mistaken. Trust is a critical element in banking. Where this is eroded, people become wary of keeping their money in the banks. And in Nigeria, as in many other parts of the world where bank frauds are on the increase, it becomes imperative for the bankers and regulatory agencies to move miles ahead of fraudsters who are never tired of inventing new tricks to beat whatever security arrangements that are put in place, to checkmate their activities.

We also have people who take advantage of the lack of the centralised platform that the BVN offers to operate multiple accounts and take loans that they never intended to repay. The activities of such people who constitute serious risks to the banking sector would be drastically curtailed, if not eliminated, when every bank customer gets the BVN. Part of the beauty of the scheme is that the individual bank customer’s biometric information that is generated from the registration is a once-and-forall requirement. So, even if a customer has many bank accounts, all he or she needs do is register for the BVN in any of the banks and the information would automatically be linked to all his or her bank accounts as well as be integrated in the banking system, generally.

Because it is not easy to manipulate biometric information, BVN protects customer bank accounts from unauthorised access, thus strengthening the financial system; it also makes detection of fraudulent/duplicate bank accounts as

well as blacklisted customers easier.

When fully integrated, BVN is expected to provide a synchronised efficiency to banking since all banking operations will be verified using the same method, reducing cases of human error or inconsistency.

With BVN, transaction authentication would be done essentially using only biometric and a PIN; eliminating the use of cards. So, illiterate bank customers therefore do not have to worry much about the difficulties posed by the use of cards because transactions can still be done even if one forgot one’s PIN. In order to make registration for the BVN customer-friendly, enrolling for the scheme has been simplified. All a bank customer is supposed to do is walk into his or her bank branch, fill and submit the BVN enrolment form; the customer’s biometric information such as fingerprints and facial imagery, signature, etc. are then recorded and an acknowledgment slip with transaction ID is issued to him or her. A BVN is then created and customer is alerted to arrange to pick it up. To guarantee the integrity of the process, registration can only be done by the individual customer in the bank, not online or by proxy.

Bank customers must take advantage of the initiative before the restrictions on customers without the BVN take off on July 1. With effect from that date, such customers would be deemed to have inadequate know-your-customers and their transactions may be declined. But the CBN and the deposit banks too must sustain the tempo of enlightenment until everyone that should be included has joined the scheme.

Memo to Minister of Education

S

IR: It is a great honour to write you on this day. I understand the pressure of your work and kindly accept my commendation on the good work you have done so far to liberate the educational system from total collapse.

I am writing you this to correct an impression or to put certain facts straight with regards to your declaration on the 7th of February, 2015 before the postponement of the general election. You reportedly said that there will be no election break for students, as the Ebola crisis has eaten into the academic calendar of the Nigeria institution.

One could recall that during this period, educational institutions in the country were still in session and one of them closed down due to the crisis. It is however bewildering what informed your current position and one wants to ask why you have decided to use that as a yardstick to stop students from going home to exercise their franchise.

It is on that note that most people have decided to put it straight to you that it was an attempt to disenfranchise the youths especially those in the higher institution from voting. Findings have shown that about two third of the Nigerian youths are in one higher institution or the other and most of them travel far from their place of origin to another place to acquire this knowledge. Without giving them election break, it means you are trying to stop them from exercising one of their civic rights or responsibilities to their fatherland. In other words, denying them the right to vote for the leader of their choice.

The honourable minister, one hopes you understand that it is your duty to allow every Nigerian youth vote, without tempering with his or her franchise. It has remained a fact that the youths in any society are the major participants in voting for a leader that will positively affect their lives. With a heavy heart, this writer is calling on you to have a rethink and possibly allow for the students to go home and participate in the general elections now that there is still time for you to do that as the elections’ dates come closer.

We pray that God will continue to uplift you in your line of duty and give you the ability to make the right decisions at all time. God bless you; God bless the Ministry of Education, and God bless Nigeria.

•Cathrine Tazamu Danladi Mass Communication, IBBUL

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: The embattled leading political party in Nigeria, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should wake up from its deep slumber and face reality; it is high time PDP leaders and loyalists stop accusing the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) of promoting religious differences and disunity in the country.

It is interesting to note that through several comments made

by PDP leaders and their loyalists’ one can easily deduce that this party is highly religious and sentimental. It is clear to all Nigerians that PDP is desperate to win the coming general elections, and this is evident through the lack of issue focus in their political rallies. It is disheartening to hear the vice president of the country, Namadi Sambo stressing that PDP is a Muslim party, and that the party accommodates Muslims. He made this statement during a recent campaign rally in Minna, Niger State capital.

Many may think that the Christians community in Nigeria is against the APC candidature of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), but our northern Christian Brethren spoke otherwise.

Upon his declaration as the winner of the APC primaries election on Thursday, December 11, 2014 in Lagos, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), while reading his acceptance speech, said it was time for Nigerians of all gender, ethnicity and religion to unite for the common good of the country.

But since Buhari made this clarion call, all hell seemed to have been let loose on him. In many quarters, Buhari, a Muslim, is seen as a cruel religious extremist. This is because of his no-nonsense stance on corruption. On several occasions, Buhari has tried to disabuse the minds of the people on his religious position. This is one of the reasons why he has been choosing Christians as his running mate since

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APC as a party for all his entry into partisan politics.

In 2003, he picked the late Dr Chuba Okaddigbo, a south eastern Christian as his running mate in that year’s presidential election.

Another Christian, the late Ume Ezeoke, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, also from the south east, emerged as his running mate in 2007. After the two unsuccessful attempts, Buhari changed style by picking Pastor Tunde Bakare, a fiery preacher from southwest, as his running mate in 2011. But he also failed in that presidential election. Now, he has gone for a Lagos pastor, also from the southwest, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, as his running mate in the coming 2015 presiden-

tial election.

This false, divisive narrative that if Buhari wins the forthcoming presidential election, he will Islamize Nigeria was adopted by the ruling government and PDP as their strategy to prevent the inevitable change that our country and people desire and require. And they have succeeded in making some of us victims of the tales which they invent, propagate and sell as gospel truth to gullible listeners, even though it is all nothing but a tissue of lies.

Fellow Nigerians, the issue of religion should always, be a matter of personal conviction, and should not be given room to dictate our political ideology or be of

any consequence when it comes to election. Government has no business preferring one religion to the other. The role of government is to protect lives and property of citizens and to also respect and protect their constitutional rights.

Our constitution, which in many respects is similar to the American constitution, does not permit a state religion. The Sharia identified in the constitution is almost synonymous with customary law. It is only applicable in matters of personal status such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. So therefore, Sharia cannot be the law of Nigeria.

Apparently, it has regrettably appeared that religion and ethnicity, rather than proficiency and sa-

gacity, amongst other leadership qualities, have consistently played a role in the political leadership of Nigerian.

All that Nigerians need are competent leaders who will significantly abate corruption and reduce unemployment to near zero level.

Nigerians should know that this is the moment to define our destinies come March 28 presidential election. We should vote based on track records of aspirants and their present manifestoes. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be carried away by religious or ethnic affiliation, rather we should perform our civic right objectively.

Poverty does not know religion, it doesn’t know Muslim, it doesn’t know Christians, it doesn’t know Hausa, and it doesn’t know Yoruba or Fulani. Poverty is poverty. The truth remains that APC does not have any religious agenda whatsoever and looks more like the party to take the country to the next level.

• Judith Felix, LAPAI, Niger state.

Statesman, not dictator

S

IR: A statesman is a friend to truth. He has a soul that is sincere in action and faithful with untainted honour. A statesman broke no promise, served no private end and gained no title…and lost no friend- apologies to Alexandra Pope. This great man reminds me of one of my research works on the role of a statesman in a given society. A statesman could be seen as a politician; a diplomat or other notable public figures but should not under any condition be seen as a tyrant.

How do we link up the role of an ideal statesman to what is happening in our political environment?

I have also come to understand in the course of this piece that a states-

man is a noble fellow full of bedrock of principles; a moral compass; and a visionary to the core.

He is one that build bridges and consensus with no intention for mischief.

But do we have statesmen in Nigeria? If the answer is in affirmative, then, where are they and to whose interests do they represent?

Of course, we have several elder statesmen across the six geo- political zones in the country but for the purpose of this piece that is centered on the recent political happenings, permit me to narrow it down to one elder statesman in Ota, Ogun state, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo.

In the last few months, the coun-

try had watched enough of Nollywood drama and political tornados emanating from comments and actions of this elder statesman. It is no longer news that we have one powerful ex- Generalturned ex-civilian president who sees himself as a god that must always be worshiped and adored. To him, Nigeria is still under his control. One cannot but be disturbed when a past president behaves as if he is still a sitting president. That is abusing his statesmanship status. However, there is nothing wrong if a former leader and statesman choose to identify with the popular tide on issues but such should be done with altruistic motive. Is this the case in the current

outbursts of the retired former president? Will he not disappoint on this current adventure?

For God’s sake, Obasanjo, being a former president like any other past heads of state, do not need any formal introduction, anywhere, before being noticed. Unfortunately, this is not so in this country. One can only hope that Obasanjo will still remain a true CHANGE crusader after the general elections. A true statesman shouldn’t arrogate power to himself. This is the greatest lesson for any genuine statesman.

• Sunday Alifia, a Political Analyst lives in Ibadan, Oyo state.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

21

COMMENTS

A

TTAHIRU Jega, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, and Nigeria’s 11th chief electoral umpire, is the latest demon on the political horizon.

But he is a demon with a difference — at least from the colourful prism of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Not long ago, he was Goodluck Jonathan’s proud mascot of clean elections. Under Jega’s watch, PDP had lost elections: in Edo, Ondo, lordbeek1@gmail.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) Anambra and Osun. Only in Ekiti did it “win” — and Nigeria’s ruling party loves to flaunt that “democratic” record!

So, what has changed — with Prof. Jega porting from the mascot of electoral rectitude to the demon of electoral turpitude?

Not much. But again, a lot.

2013 Anambra gubernatorial election should still leave a bitter taste.

Not much, because the chief electoral job, right from the pioneering The senator had genuine cause that a good number of his supporters headache of the late Eyo Esua (who chaired the first Electoral were disenfranchised.

Commission, 1960-1966), always came with demonising. Since the But All Progressives Grand Alliance’s Willie Obiano, the winner, electoral chief was always perceived to lean toward the ruling party, got away with it; since the courts had since okayed Mr. Obiano’s he was fated to being savaged by the opposition. election. But INEC got the full lash of Senator Ngige’s tongue.

But not without cause. Everybody knew — the ruling party, by its Yet, even with opposition scalding, Prof. Jega had managed, body language; the opposition, by its iron conviction; and even the somewhat, to keep his personal integrity — which makes very people, by their fatalistic acquiescence — that the chief electoral surprising, all the muck and darts and poisonous arrows that the PDP referee is the sitting government’s 12th player: if you would permit now throws his way. a football metaphor.

From his premium throne as presidential godfather, Pa Edwin Any electoral chief too thick-skulled to get that ended with Clark has roared: sack Jega! In his auspicious company, of base but unimaginable ignominy. Witness: Humphrey Nwosu. He gamely baseless partisan manoeuvring, are a medley of otherwise respected delivered June 12, the cleanest election in Nigerian history. But on elder citizens, turned unfazed fronts for a suspect campaign: Senator his way to declaring the wrong winner in MKO Abiola (God bless his Femi Okunrounmu and Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, aborted 3rd kind soul!), the Ibrahim Babangida junta socked Prof. Nwosu so Republic Anambra governor; and seasoned rabble rousers like Gani hard!

Adams (who weighed in with some bit of carpentry logic: Jonathan For starters, they annulled Nwosu’s rude call. Then, there were must sack Jega, if he wants to win!) and Ralph Uwazurike, leader of reports of alleged slaps, fearsome threats and allied personal the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra humiliation.

(MASSOB), whose cadres even staged anti-Jega road shows on South Is Jega treading Nwosu’s dreaded path? It would seem so!

East streets, just as OPC did its equivalent violent orgies on Lagos If indeed that were so, then it would appear a lot has changed. Still, streets!

Jega’s demonization is strange, coming from the sitting government.

This strange ensemble threatened that should Jega not be sacked, It used to be the exclusive preserve of the howling opposition! they would mobilise Southern Nigeria to boycott the election. Some But even that is very nuanced — for the opposition itself had bluff! damned Jega to the lowest pit of hell, when it had cause to.

But from fronts, the PDP itself, given the combined gratings from Good old Comrade-Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, then the Femi Fani-Kayode, Ayodele Fayose and Oliver Metuh, has tarred Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, berated INEC, after Jega and his electoral household, with everything in its partisan noticing some early polling zone shambolic display, early on resinews: Jega is a fraud; PVC is a racket; smart card reader (for pre-vote election day, in 2012. But as the Edo governor later coasted to accreditation and authentication) is a crime! victory, the morning jeers segued into evening cheers. The fulfilled What has Jega done to earn all these? Simple: he has been too thickEdo electorate exploded in sheer ecstasy! skulled to read the body language of the president, zestfully backed In the mouth of Chris Ngige, candidate of the defunct ACN, the by his power party — any result, that doesn’t return Goodluck Jonathan as re-elected president, cannot be free and fair!

That might sound asinine to those who indulge in reason. But for ‘The Jega “credibility” that, “free and those locked in the language of power? It is de-rigueur of thinking! fair”, made Jonathan president in 2011 Indeed, in Jega, Jonathan would appear the grand victim of his is about to, “free and fair”, make own cunning. In 2011, he showed off the INEC chair as the epitome of electoral fairness. After all, Jega’s much vaunted credibility, in lieu Jonathan ex-president in 2015!’ of the Lawal Uwais’s Electoral Reforms Panel’s recommended

R

epublican ipples

Olakunle Abimbola

Jega: making of a new demon

A

COLLINS’ dictionary defines legacy, among others, as “a gift by will, especially of money or personal property; something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor.” While much has been said about the unprecedented physical infrastructure—and more would still be said before his constitutionally allowed tenure ends in May—that the Fashola administration bequeathed Lagosians, not much may have been said about the man and his essence as the real legacy upon which these infrastructural legacies rests. The dictionary’s definition of legacy “as something handed down or received from an ancestor or predecessor” fits perfectly with the fact that Babatunde Raji Fashola most likely would not have happened on the governance scene of Lagos State if Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had not materialised. Asiwaju, who is himself a legacy whose administration created the template and the strong policy thrust and direction for a new Lagos, but has since moved on to create other compelling legacies, much of which have altered the nation’s political landscape forever. Therefore, since Asiwaju is himself a legacy, it goes without saying that he must beget another ‘son’ just like him. Hence Fashola became that legacy that was “handed down” by Tinubu, his predecessor.

Governor Fashola has fundamentally changed governance not only in Lagos but Nigeria in general. He has changed the way people think about government in a democratic dispensation in this clime probably more than he himself is yet to realise. He has brought what may be termed a different pedagogy into how a society should be governed and plugged into modernity. He’s a reference point by both the Nigerian people and his governor colleagues even across the political divide. He has become the “poster child” in everything noble and worth emulating in the art of governance that he is, for the most part, the reason why Nigerians both at home and the Diaspora are upset with their state governors for lackluster performance. Some of his colleagues had publicly stated that they would like to be like Fashola, an unusual admission of the man’s many accomplishments in a society where ego and ‘bigmannism’ rules.

Perhaps another way to interrogate the Fashola phenomenon in the governance architecture of Lagos state is to situate him within the context of dialectical materialism, that economic, political and philosophical system of the German Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Fashola encapsulates the dialectical on one hand, of these two philosophers in his spiritual awareness as the fundamental driving force of his totality from which his values and worldview are derived, which crystalizes into his political and philosophical beliefs as to how his society should be. The materialism, on the other hand, can be said to represent the unprecedented (economic) physical infrastructures that dots the length and breadth of the Centre of Excellence. Thus, Fashola can be said to be the personification of Marx and Engel’s dialectical materialism.

Although the governor had said on several occasions that

Of a visioner and his legacies

By Femi Odere much of what he did had their root in his predecessor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu before he left office, which he handed over to him to build upon. While this is true, what a discerning mind cannot fail to recognize is that Governor Fashola has in the recess of his mind some core values that he not only lives by but has defined his administration. Having a foundation on which to build may be good, but the willingness to act on conviction in accordance with your values is quite another. He may have been askance of politics at the outset, but the indisputable is that Fashola, the man, possesses a rare, but clear vision of how a society aspiring to modernity should be.

The seed to do great exploit had been divinely implanted in his soul. It just took a ‘seeing’ mortal in the person of Asiwaju to recognize that Fashola possesses an acorn in him that needs to be given expression to grow into a mighty oak tree. I can say without any fear of contradiction that much of the phenomenal transformation in Lagos today are the things that had agitated Fashola’s mind for a long time when the possibility of his becoming a state governor was as good as being elected say, the Mayor of the City of Chicago in the US or the Secretary of the African Union (AU).

As a Chicago-based media consultant to the Tinubu administration, it was my professional responsibility to follow Tinubu and his team around whenever they’re in the United States for official engagements, most especially in the Midwest region. This day was particularly very hectic. Our itineraries had started at Chicago’s City Hall where then governor Tinubu was hosted by then mayor of the City of Chicago, Richard M. Daley. From there we moved to Richard J. Daley College where the governor and his team were shown around the college campus with particular emphasis on the school’s computer lab. Leaving the school, we proceeded to Chicago State University. From the university, we were back to Akainyah Art Gallery outside the Chicago loop where Dr. Akainyah, the Ghanaian owner of the gallery had a small reception for Tinubu and his entourage. Babatunde Fashola, then Chief of Staff, paid for a particular work of art that the governor liked. We finally retired to the Chicago south side home of late Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo in the evening to kick back, relax and unwind.

At Dr. Olowopopo’s house the entourage and Tinubu’s enthusiasts in Chicago formed themselves into small clusters, some with their plates of food on one hand and their choice drinks on the other, discussing anything they deemed important. At about 11pm, Dele Alake announced to the house,

rigorous strictures to make INEC truly independent, delivered Jonathan the presidency in a “free and fair election”.

In the intervening years, the same “credibility” ensured PDP lost every election (in Edo, Ondo, Anambra and Osun) but one (in Ekiti) — never mind the Ekiti rigging tapes, which the president has dismissed as a “fabrication”, though he didn’t listen to it; and the fingered dramatis personae have owned up, even if they plead a different motive.

Still, the PDP election losses would appear a devious scam: Edo, to set the template of

Jonathan’s dummy.

Anambra (won by APGA) and Ondo (won by Labour): a cynical president sacrificing mere pawns for the big one. Proof? Both winners, Mr. Obi, ex-APGA and Dr. Mimiko, ex-Labour, are now ecstatic PDP barons — in grateful quid-pro-quo to the president for “allowing” them to win, back then?

Ekiti: in retrospect with the rigging tape, a brazen test-running of scientific rigging (though aided and abetted by former Governor Kayode Fayemi’s spectacular blunders, epitomised by his “civil war” with Opeyemi Bamidele), to be fully unleashed on Osun three months later — which, however, got aborted.

So, the Jega “credibility” that, “free and fair”, made Jonathan president in 2011 is about to, “free and fair”, make Jonathan expresident in 2015! That prospect is scary — and you could tell by a panic-gripped president running from pillar to post; and a ruling party, bitterly orchestrating hate campaigns, all over the place!

But that is even on the surface. Viewed deeper, in the context of Jonathan Vs Muhammadu Buhari, Jega is trapped in the tempest of the Nigerian ruling class, at a terrible crossroads. To these wayward children of Lord Lugard, with their cherished ethos of power without responsibility, these are indeed trying times!

Jonathan epitomises a decayed agency, at its most vulnerable.

Still, Jonathan pitches his class to, through him, at least for four more years, play in the wide and merry way, the big bazaars from the wild festivals of rent, which however might end in sure perdition and class death.

In Buhari, however, the choice is no less stark: take some galling home cure. Though that cure could gore a few, it might just save the whole clan!

Either way, Jega is fated to midwife!

That seems to explain all the Interim National Government conspiracy theories, and alleged cloak-and-dagger manoeuvres allegedly involving Jonathan and some former military rulers, with the fond hope of shutting out Buhari. Well, their problems, not the people’s!

Let the people look out for themselves in this election.

Let Jega too, do his duty as a patriot; no matter the high-octane distractions.

If the people vote right and Jega holds true, Jonathan will be put out of his misery — and Nigeria, with Nigerians, handed a new lease of life.

particularly to the Nigerian entourage that there was going to be another stop at the home of another prominent Nigerian that same night. Probably realising how this piece of information was hardly music to the ears of some of the governor’s aides, Alake quickly added that anyone not interested in going with the governor should feel free to return to the hotel as the bus was still waiting outside. For me, going with Asiwaju and others at that time of night was a non-starter as I needed enough sleep for the next day’s agenda. So, I would go with the bus to the hotel to pick up my car and go home, I told myself.

Fashola, Ayobolu, then the CPS; Fadahunsi, a photographer from LTV and a few aides, probably must have also reasoned that whatever was going to be discussed at this Nigerian’s house could not be important enough to warrant their presence.

Also with Mary Swope, owner of Chicago’s Mahogany Foundation, we were on our way. We engaged in another round of conversation in the bus about the day’s events, which dovetailed into, yet again, the Nigerian condition. Some of us chipped in. But one after the other, people started to fall off the conversation while some guys had started snoring. The discourse soon became a monologue as Fashola kept talking to no one in particular as he passionately expressed his displeasure about the filth that had become synonymous with Lagos. Fashola harped mostly on the city’s infrastructural deficit and environmental/sanitation issues that I wished quietly that he kept quiet to allow me to also take a quick nap. He indeed mentioned the eyesore that was Oshodi then as one of the degrading environmental problems that blighted the city. This recollection is to underscore the fact that Fashola had a clear idea about what ought to be and how a people should live in society at a time he could not have imagined being a governor.

Governor Fashola may not have sired Akinwunmi Ambode, but there’s no doubt that their loincloths are cut from the same fabric sewed by their political progenitor. Therefore, the APC governorship candidate is another legacy waiting in the wings.

• Odere is a media practitioner. He can be reached at femiodere@gmail.com

‘This recollection is to underscore the fact that Fashola had a clear idea about what ought to be and how a people should live in society at a time he could not have imagined being a governor. Governor Fashola may not have sired Akinwunmi Ambode, but there’s no doubt that their loincloths are cut from the same fabric sewed by their political progenitor.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

22

COMMENTS

A

S part of his whistle stop campaign visits to Yoruba monarchs to drum up support for his second (third?) term ambition, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been to many palaces across Yoruba land than ordinarily he would have loved to, no thanks to the massive shift of Yoruba support in favour of his main challenger in the March 28, presidential election, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) of the All Progressives Congress.

Jonathan has been sweating for quite some time now over how to retain the votes from the south west that ensured he secured the presidency in 2011. Four years ago, Yoruba in a near overwhelming support, gave their votes to Jonathan to consign Buhari, then of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), now merged with other opposition parties to from APC, to yet another defeat in his quest to rule Nigeria again, as a democratically elected president.

Four year on, the Yoruba have changed their minds preferring instead to pitch their tent with Buhari, a decision, if fully implemented on March 28, that will most certainly end Jonathan’s tenancy in the presidential villa in Abuja.

Expectedly, the president is worried and has been running from pillar to post to convince the people of the south west not to abandon him. Various hate programmes have been aired on Jonathan/PDP friendly radio and television stations to demonise Buhari before Yoruba, while some publishers have equally lent their pages to publishing smear advert campaigns to bring down the former Head of State and APC presidential flag bearer before the right thinking people of Yoruba land.

To achieve his aim, the president has en-

Wise words from the palace listed the support of some renegade Yoruba sons and daughters to paint Buhari black and deceive their people to vote him for a second term. Since out of every 12 there must be a Judas as the saying goes, Yoruba are not worried about such renegades as they will get their punishment at the appropriate time. In Yoruba land, if all sins can and are indeed forgivable, nobody forgives treachery. Traitors are traitors, and are punished even down to their 4th generation. Let us leave that for now.

If the Yoruba are not worried about these ‘ordinary’ sons and daughters now attempting to sell their people to Jonathan, they are certainly worried that some of their traditional rulers, their revered Obas (Kabiyesi, Alase, ekeji Orisa) are being enlisted into this Jonathan for second term campaign. Obas are not ordinary mortals in Yoruba land.

They are treated as next to the gods who must be obeyed. As fathers to all their subjects, most of whom hold diverse religious and political views, they are not supposed to be partisan or biased against any religious or political interest. But when Obas now begin

‘It would be better for the president to heed the advice of the Awujale of Ijebu land to take his campaign to the people and not the palace of their traditional rulers. Obas don’t vote and their views/directives would only be followed by their people provided they tally with the interest of their people’

I

N the last six months or so, Udeme Ufot’s name has been a recurring decimal on the national stage. If it is not about a national honour, it is about a national appointment, both coming in quick succession. The question on the lips of many who know the ebullient advertising guru is not whether another recognition might be in the offing, but – what, next? Where, indeed, is he going?

When the list of nominees for the 2014 edition of national honourees was published in September last year, the surprise inclusion was the name of Udeme Ufot. The surprise was not because of his ineligibility for the award, but because, coming to the advertising industry for the first time, the award eluded those that could be considered his seniors in the industry – the veterans.

His fellow honouree, Sir Steve Omojafor, is a veteran, all right, not belonging to Ufot’s generation of advertising practitioners.

Never in the history of the awards has the advertising industry been considered. If Ufot thought the national honour was all that would come his way from Abuja, he was wrong. The federal government proved this recently when it appointed him chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) – an appointment that is seen as a correction of the anomaly that was done last year when, contrary to conventional practice and against any known precedence, somebody from outside the industry was appointed into the position, more to satisfy political interests than for anything else. The new council was inaugurated March 5, by the supervising Minister of Information, Edem Duke.

The common thread that runs through Ufot’s success story is that he has never fought or, in the Nigerian parlance, lobbied for any position that he has held. He has had success dropped on his laps by providence. He achieves on a platter of gold what others get through application of human and material resources.

The signs that success would dog Ufot’s path showed early when he graduated top of his class with a second class upper honours degree, winning the Joe Adeka prize for best Design student at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981. A two-year stint as assistant manager with Desmark Advertising in Calabar, between 1982 and 1984, was all that he needed to be equipped to play in the centre of action – Lagos, where he joined Insight

to dabble into the political arena, their actions and utterances will definitely divide their people and that is dangerous for that society.

Those who advised President Jonathan to be jumping from one Yoruba palace to another are trying to cause trouble in Yoruba land. Just as the president’s numerous visits to different churches in recent times to promote himself as a candidate of the Christians is divisive and could further strain the delicate Christians/Muslims relationship in certain parts of the country, so also is his provocative visits to Yoruba Obas to seek their support for his re-election bid.

One or two of these Kabiyesis have taken positions against the interest of the Yoruba people in the past which led to serious crisis in the land. Inducing them with money and using state resources to force them into joining the Jonathan for second term bandwagon is pushing them into a loggerhead with their people, and this could have serious repercussion. Yoruba support for their Obas and leaders is total, but provided the Oba/leader does not go against their interest. It is total but reciprocal.

I don’t have anything against the president selling himself to the people and canvassing for their support for another term. That is the way it is done in a democracy. But going to the symbol of the people, like the traditional rulers to seek their partisan support is dangerous and divisive. It could lead to a serious crisis and erode people’s confidence in the traditional institution.

New leadership beckons at APCON

By Wale Adesina Communications as senior visualiser, rising to the position of deputy creative director over the next five years.

His first attempt at part-ownership of an advertising agency was not a particularly successful one. With a former colleague at Insight, he teamed up at Complete Advertising Services (Casers) in 1988 where he served as creative director. The partnership collapsed after less than one year. Not being one to be discouraged by setbacks, Udeme moved on. And with two other colleagues, he set up SO&U (the initials of the last names of the founders of the top-rate advertising agency) in 1990.

Twenty-five years down the road, the list of the nation’s top five advertising agencies cannot be complete without SO&U. A list of the top 10 advertising practitioners in the country cannot have the name, Udeme Ufot, missing.

In the giant strides that he has recorded in his chosen profession, Ufot has, at every stage, represented the generational shift that has been noticeable in the advertising industry over the years. In all the positions he has held in his professional association – the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN) – he has either been drafted or returned unopposed, that is, if there was an election.

He was elected into the executive council of the association in 1993, and the following year, elected unopposed as honorary secretary and chief executive officer of the association’s secretariat. Four years later, in 1997, he was invited to stand for election as vice president, and was returned unopposed. In 1999, at the age of 41, he became the youngest president of AAPN, having again been invited to stand for election in which he was returned unopposed.

During his tenure as president of AAPN, Udeme recorded various achievements that include stabilisation of operations at the association’s secretariat; massive fund raising for

the construction of the association’s secretariat and considerable progress in the construction of the secretariat; building of understanding among stakeholder groups in the advertising industry and diffusing of tension that had been on the rise between the AAPN and the emerging Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN). His deft handling of the crisis led to the acceptance of the new association by AAPN and effective collaboration between the two associations for the good of the industry.

Ufot also succeeded in building understanding and strengthening relationship between advertising agencies and media owners. As president of AAPN, he chaired various committees of APCON and served for three terms on its council. Today, he has returned as chairman of APCON, a position many in the industry believe is a befitting reward for somebody that has contributed immeasurably to the growth of the advertising industry in Nigeria.

Is it just a coincidence that a few months after being one of the first in the industry to be recognized for a national honour, he has been saddled with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the regulatory body for advertising practice in the country? Many don’t think so.

Success in the advertising industry in which Udeme bestrides like a colossus thrust him on the national stage as far back as 2000. That year, he served on the media sub-committee of the Celebration Planning Committee for Nigeria’s 40th Independence Anniversary, and was tasked with managing publicity for the programme.

His successful handling of the independence anniversary task caught the attention of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), which invited him to serve as chairman of its media sub-committee for three summits. And for the 12th edition of the summit in 2009, he was made co-chair of the organizing committee.

Ufot’s interests are not limited to advertising and corporate Nigeria. He mentors also

This was aptly stated at the palace of the paramount ruler of the Ijebu, the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba II, last week in Ijebu Ode when Jonathan visited. The highly revered Yoruba monarch told the president not to expect any Oba in Ijebu or any part of Yoruba land to campaign for him. Any monarch that does that in Yoruba land, Oba Adetona told him is looking for trouble. And that is the truth.

If any of the Obas had promised Jonathan the votes of his people, he is just deceiving the president. As the situation stands in Yoruba land today regarding the March 28, 2015 presidential election, the Yoruba have made up their mind on the person they are supporting and one thousand and one Kabiyesis cannot change that.

It would be better for the president to heed the advice of the Awujale of Ijebu land to take his campaign to the people and not the palace of their traditional rulers. Obas don’t vote and their views/directives would only be followed by their people provided they tally with the interest of their people.

Whether the Yoruba are sufficiently satisfied with Jonathan’s performance as to give him another term on March 28, is not for their Obas to decide or direct.

As I’ve stated repeatedly on this page, Jonathan cannot claim to have done anything exclusively for the Yoruba to warrant their queuing behind on March 28. When the people did four years ago, he didn’t go to their Oba, and their monarch did not force or direct them to do so. He made some promises which have not been fulfilled. Going to the palace to beg is not just a waste of time but a demeaning of the presidency.

The British would be having their election this year and I am sure none of the party leaders would go to the Queen to seek her support. If we say we are practicing democracy, let us do it the way it is done in enlightened societies. If it were to be in the good old days of absolute monarchy in Yoruba land, the Kabiyesis would have dismissed Jonathan’s government for incompetence instead him seeking their support.

This is what I expect those Obas to have told the president and we must salute the Awujale for being bold and courageous to tell Jonathan the truth. KAAAABIYESI O. on entrepreneurship. As a facilitator in training programmes organized by the FATE Foundation, he teaches aspiring entrepreneurs marketing and communication skills that are borne out of his own experience.

Ufot’s organizational ability is evident in the manner he has coordinated The Concerned Akwa Ibom Professionals in Lagos, the group that produced the man who could become the next governor of Akwa Ibom State – Udom Emmanuel.

It is worthy to note that Udeme has not embarked on his journey to success alone. His wife and soul mate of over 32 years, Dorothy Udeme Ufot, is the first female lawyer of Akwa Ibom origin to be honoured as Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Described by those who know him as highly skilled, a consensus builder and motivator, Ufot is highly respected in corporate Nigeria.

With his success at the helm of affairs of the SO&U Group that incorporates four other agencies, namely, Publicis Consultants Soulcomm, Quest Advertising, Lucid Adio Visual and MaxiMedia Global, many see him as representing the new generation of leaders Nigeria needs.

The snag, however, is that Ufot is not a politician. He has never had to fight for any position he has held – whether within or outside the advertising industry. Those close to him say his gentle disposition is not suited for the turbulence of Nigerian politics. Nor does he know how to describe a colour by another name, which is a major prerequisite for participation in politics. Perhaps the same Providence that has made him succeed where he has no godfather will continue to work in his favour. Who knows?

‘It is worthy to note that Udeme has not embarked on his journey to success alone.

His wife and soul mate of over 32 years, Dorothy Udeme Ufot, is the first female lawyer of Akwa Ibom origin to be honoured as Senior Advocate of Nigeria’

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

25

No one is in doubt that a nation can do little if the judiciary is not functioning. ’Our legal system has not been reformed at the national and state levels, but more importantly at the national level ’ See page 28

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

The Senate has confirmed Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as a minister, despite protests by senators from his state and others, who insisted that things must be done right. Lawyers argue that it was morally wrong for the David Mark-led Senate to have cleared Obanikoro without insisting that he should clear himself of allegations against him, especially his role in the alleged rigging of the last June 21 Ekiti State governorship election. Moreover, the matter is in court and it is the Senate’s tradition not to touch issues that are sub judice. Lawyers say the Senate did not play by its rules in confirming Obanikoro, reports ERIC IKHILAE.

• National Assembly members.

Obanikoro: Senate didn’t play by the rules, say lawyers I

INSIDE:

N SPITE OF huge protests last Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as minister. Arguably for the first time in the Senate’s history, opposition senators staged a walk-out to show their objection.

The three senators representing the nominee’s state rejected him. They are Senators Ganiyu Solomon, Gbenga Ashafa and Oluremi Tinubu .

A record of eight points of order were raised by members in opposition to Obanikoro’s confirmation.

Despite the strident opposition, Senate Presi-

dent David Mark moved the Red Chamber to confirm Obanikoro regardless of the issues raised concerning his credentials, allegations of abuse of office during his last tour of duty, the pendency of court cases challenging his suitability for public office and the need to consider the implication of his confirmation on the conscience of the society.

Ordinarily, Obanikoro comes with a rich profile. He was a one-time chairman of Lagos Island Local Government (remember the fire at City Hall that time), former commissioner for Home Affairs in Lagos State (remember the incident at Hajj when he was Lagos State Amirul Hajj), a

Legal and ethical issues in election reporting -Page 27

former distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic, former High Commissioner to Ghana and, until recently, the Minister of State for Defence.

Despite his political background, however, Obanikoro’s personality has over the years attracted negative attributes. He has, of recent, been mostly associated with conduct antithetical to his profile.

Leaders of his home chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), such as Chief Olabode George and Adeseye Ogunlewe, have, in most instances, described him in uncharitable terms.

His party also portrayed him in a similar light

Farewell to an upright Judge

-Page 37

•Obanikoro

when reacting to a suit he filed against it after losing the governorship primary last December.

Obanikoro, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/994/ 2014, accused the party and its leaders of manipulating the primary against him. He accused George and Jimi Agbaje (who won the primary) of engaging in criminal conduct.

But, in its response, the party accused

Election creates next forbes billionaires -Page 39

•Continued on page 26

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

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LAW COVER CONT’D

Senate didn’t play by the rules, say lawyers •Continued from page 25

Obanikoro of working against its interest and plotting to frustrate it from fielding a candidate for the governorship election in Lagos. The party said Obanikoro stormed the venue of the primary in Lagos “in a black jeep with other security vehicles and 30 heavily armed mobile policemen”.

Before his party accused him of working against its interest, the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, was at a point forced to note Obanikoro’s seeming predilection for misapplying state powers, accusing him of bringing soldiers to physically stop ongoing public housing projects. This was during his first coming as the Minister of State for Defence.

In Ilaje Ese-Odo, Ondo State, he was also accused of bringing soldiers to intimidate opponents of his party during a by-election to fill a vacant House of Assembly seat. His alleged love for abuse of powers got to a ridiculous height with what has now been known as Ekitigate, in which a military personnel recorded voices of Obanikoro, Minister of Police Affiars, Jelli Adesiyan, a PDP governorship aspirant in Osun State, Iyiola Omisore and Ayo Fayose (who was PDP’s candidate), at a meeting where they allegedly plotted to use the military to rig the last Ekiti State governorship election While Adesiyan, Omisore and Fayose had reportedly admitted attending the meeting, but denied that they plotted to rig the election, Obanikoro has continued to deny that he was at the meeting where the recording took place.

Aside the various allegations of his involvement in election manipulation, some cases are currently pending against him in some courts, challenging his eligibility to hold public office or stand for election in view of the many questions and contradictions about his person.

One of such suits pending before a Lagos High Court, Ikeja was filed by three PDP members.

The plaintiffs - Michael Babatunde Ogun, Suleiman Olayinka Saheed and Wasiu Adeniyi Odusan accused Obanikoro of falsifying his age.

They also accused him of voluntarily acquiring the citizenship of the United States (US) without renouncing his allegiance to Nigeria, the country of his birth.

Ogun, in a supporting affidavit said: “Obanikoro deliberately declared falsely in his answer to Question 9 Part B of the aforementioned affidavit when asked whether he had changed his nationality in the past and if so, what the nationality was, by answering ‘that is not applicable,’ when he knew that he had in actual fact acquired the citizenship of the U S as contained in his American Passport No.025317195 issued on June 16, 1995.

“Also, Obanikoro deliberately falsified his date of birth and age as the 28th of July 1954 and 52 years respectively notwithstanding the fact that Obanikoro knew that his official Nigerian passport and his diplomatic passport No.F0004473 and D0002471 respectively showed contrarily that his actual date of birth is the 28th of July 1960.

“His American passport and application for admission to the Texas Southern University, Houston Texas including extracts from Obanikoro’s marriage records to Jewel M. Weller in the Harris County 1982 Marriage Records support the assertion that Obanikoro’s actual date of birth is 28th July 1960 as opposed to false declaration of 28th July 1954,” Ogun said.

There is also the question about his actual surname, whether it is Obanikoro or Onikoro. The suit being prosecuted for the plaintiffs a Lagosbased lawyer, Wahab Shittu, has been fixed for tomorrow for judgment by Justice Kazeem Alogba.

•Magaji (SAN)

•Dr Owuru

•Shittu

•Keyamo

Obanikoro bears the heavy baggage of unresolved allegations of abuse of powers and pending cases, which query his eligibility to stand for election or be appointed to public office. These formed the basis of the objection by opposition senators, but the Upper Chamber confirmed him without caring about how the people felt.

Many argued that the Senate’s confirmation of Obanikoro and the role played by the Senate President, again, called to question his leadership credentials, bearing in mind his antecedents.

They queried the double standard played by Mark in the whole episode, wondering why the Senate President, who once told Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North), to drop a motion seeking the Senate to look into the role Obanikoro

played in the Ekiti election on the ground that the matter was in court, chose to close his ears to the information that issues concerning Obanikoro’s suitability for appointment into public office formed the subject of a pending suit in court.

Observers wonder whether the Senate President was not aware that court processes were legitimately served through media publications, when he argued to the effect that the Senate would not rely on media reports about the pendency of the suit before the Lagos High Court in deciding whether or not to confirm Obanikoro.

They faulted the Senate leadership’s reliance on its funny practice that a former member of the legislative chamber must not be subjected to ques-

tioning before confirmation. They queried President Jonathan’s motive in insisting that Obanikoro, despite the allegations and court cases against him, must be made a minister.

They also wonder whether his nomination and clearance by the Senate were intended to enable him re-enact what has now become the Ekitigate or meant as a compensation for him to back down on his alleged plot to scuttle the party’s chances in Lagos and, possibly, the Southwest.

Lawyers, including Mahmud Magaji (SAN), Dr Ambrose Owuru, Wahab Shittu and Festus Keyamo argued that the confirmation of Obanikoro by the Senate was not only a denigration of whatever the country stands for, it also offended the dignity of the people. They queried the haste in the Senate’s decision when the many queries about his conduct during his first coming were yet to be resolved.

Magaji noted that it is the requirement under the Constitution that people to be appointed as ministers should be those with unimpeachable character. “And that at the verge of confirmation, the Senate President will pronounce that you have indeed, been found to be fit and proper to be appointed as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“If that is the position, it means the conduct of the Senate, in clearing Obaikoro, has completely eroded the trust of Nigerians on the Senate to protect the provisions of the Constitution. And, of what benefit will it be if the international community sees us as a bunch of people led by people with questionable character.

“This is the impression we create when we appoint people with questionable character as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I think this will not only affect us at home, it is capable of eroding the trust and confidence that other nations have for us. It is sad,” Magaji said.

Owuru contended that the Senate did not act well. He noted that since its members represent Nigeria, they ought to consider their action on the image of the country.

Owuru, who is also the presidential candidate of Hope Democratic Party, argued that a responsible senate would have deferred the matter and seek to protect the nation’s image because Nigerians are already perceived as “people of anything goes; a corrupt people.

“So, when a man is under some measure of investigation, and wants to be a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and is accused of having abused his position in previous outing, there is the need to be cautious. I do not see the need to hurry to confirm such a ministerial nomination at this time. And we are close to elections, unless they have ulterior motive. If not, it is not something that is proper to do.

“This is sending a wrong signal out there, because they represent Nigeria and don’t forget that the world is following developments here.

What if, during the next election, this fellow is found involved in any unwholesome practice, would it not attract negative reaction? This is why we must be careful. It should not all be about winning election. It should be about how we run the country for the good of all,” Owuru said.

Shittu said although it will be wrong for him to comment on the issue, being the plaintiffs’ lawyer in the case before the Lagos High Court, the Senate ought to have waited for the outcome of the case before confirming Obanikoro. He said the case has been adjourned till tomorrow for judgment.

Keyamo contended that “for anything at all, they (members of the Senate) should have waited for the allegations against Obanikoro to be fully investigated before considering his nomination.

That they confirmed him is a shame.”

Eastern Bar adopts constitution

• Ogbonna (middle) with other executives and members

T

HE Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has adopted its amended Constitution.

By John Austin Unachukwu

The amendment is to make it more vibrant following calls for the forum’s abolition.

Its chairman Mr. Igwenyi O. Ogbonna explained why EBF did not adopt any candidate during the last NBA election, adding that zoning

has come to stay.

“All the five candidates that contested in the last election came from the defunct Western Region . None came from another region.

“Because it was the turn of the West to present to us one of their own as preferred candidate, EBF waited and refused to endorse any of the contestants for the office of President. We had candidates of our choice for most of the elective offices but for the presidency, we did not.

“Our reason for not adopting any of them stemmed from the fact that we had no mandate to choose for them who to endorse for the office.

“Besides, as they say, it would amount to taking Panadol for another person’s headache. When they failed to endorse any of them, we from EBF decided that we shall vote according to our conscience for the office of president.

“Don’t forget that we had our ears to

the ground when it became open contest for the presidential hopefuls. All the candidates campaigned vigorously in all the branches of the EBF before the election hence we were able to note their relative strength and weakness. “ Austine Alegeh (SAN), had the day because he came from the West and had a section of that region, Mid West, solidly behind him. Even though we did not formally adopt Alegeh, we knew that he had edge over his opponents. He is unassuming, intelligent, unpretentious and open to suggestions to move the Bar forward.

“The best candidate won, Zonal arrangement in electing NBA president cannot be compromised in any election. Zoning has been canonized, any day it is brought to the floor of NEC for reaffirmation, you can only hear muffled dessent but the result will be landslide” Igwenyi said.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

LAW & SOCIETY ECOWAS court adopts ICT

Being the paper presented by Femi Falana (SAN) at the First Annual Public Lecture Series of the Mass Communication Department, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu.

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

T

Legal and ethical issues in election reporting

A

MEDIA report may be defined as a means of communication reaching a large number of people through means such as television, newspapers and radio. Media reporting would therefore mean, all forms of communication including the social media to connect with, and keep the general public informed. Apart from reports and adverts in the newspapers, television and radio the social media has been inundated with information and misinformation on the 2015 General Election.

According to the timetable published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last year, the 2015 General Elections are scheduled to hold next month. In order to conduct fair and free elections the Constitution and the Electoral Act have charged the mass media with the responsibility of mobilising and sensitising the electorate. In ensuring that the onerous responsibility is discharged by the media without running foul of the law the Mass communication department of the Lagos State Polytechnic has decided to examine “The Legal and Ethical Issues in Media Reporting in Nigeria vis-a-vis the 2015 General Election. “

Possible postponement of general election In recent time, there have been calls for the setting up of a transition government or interim national government under the pretext that a war on terror is being prosecuted by the federal government. Since elections are conducted in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and other war zones the suggestion that elections be cancelled on account of the war against insurgency is of no moment. More so, that the people of the north east zone including over a million internally displaced persons have asked the INEC to respect their legitimate right to participate in the election.

Sometime last year, the Senate President, Senator David Mark declared that “there is no question of election. It is not even on the table now. We are in a state of war.” At a public lecture in London last week, the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) asked for the postponement of the election by at least three months to allow time for the distribution of the permanent voters’ cards by the INEC. Since both General Mark and Col Dasuki were part of the Ibrahim Babangida junta which annulled the results of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election their calls for the postponement of the election should be taken seriously by Nigerians.

In dismissing the calls for the cancellation or postponement of the election the INEC has continued to assure the nation that every voter would be furnished with a PVC ahead of the election. However, amidst rising fears that the election dates might be shifted the United States’ Government has read the Riot Act to the political class in Nigeria. While meeting President Goodluck Jonathan and his main challenger, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) in Lagos on Sunday the U.S Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry insisted that the Obama Administration would not accept a postponement of the election. He also announced a visa ban on members of the political class who might be involved in electoral violence.

Media Law, Ethics and political reporting Media ethics is the code of conduct for protecting media professionals and for regulating the profession.

The ethics of the media profession have been drawn up by the various bodies in the media, including the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Guild of Editors and the Nigerian Proprietors Association of Nigeria. The media council is charged with the duty of maintaining standards in the profession. No doubt, there are differences in the various codes. But they share common elements such as objectivity, impartiality, accuracy and truthfulness.

These principles are however shaped by the interests of publisher or the class interests of media organisations. While the public owned media is biased in favour of the government the private media protects the interests of the proprietors, most of whom are politicians with vested interests. Hence media reporting on the 2015 general election has been influenced by the political interests of the proprietors which are for the sustenance of the status quo. The social media has however successfully challenged the control and manipulation of information by the bourgeois media.

Duty of the media to promote public accountability The Constitution has imposed a duty on the press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media “to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in Chapter of the Constitution and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.” (section 22) In discharging the constitutional duty the press is required to place public interests over and above commercial considerations.

To facilitate access to information from public institutions the Freedom of Information Act has imposed a duty on all public officers to make information available upon demand. Instead of publishing stories that are based on rumours and speculations the media should take advantage of the law by demanding information from public institutions including political parties and candidates.

On account of the significance of the fundamental objectives section 224 of the Constitution states that the programme as well as the aims and objectives of a political party shall conform with the provisions of Chapter II of the Constitution. In reporting the electioneering campaigns the media should extract undertaking from political parties to implement the fundamental objectives. In Amaechi v. INEC (2007) 1 MSCJ 1 at 207 the Supreme Court held that elections are won by political parties and not by candidates.

At this juncture it is pertinent to examine the relevant provisions of the fundamental objectives. Since

‘In discharging the constitutional duty the press is required to place public interests over and above commercial considerations’

•Falana

the republic is said to be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. (Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution). To promote the welfare of the people the State is obligated to secure full residence rights for every citizen in all parts of the country, ensure the control of the national economy in such manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen and the distribution of the material resources of the nation to serve the common good.

In furtherance of the social order the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring employment opportunities for all citizens, adequate medical and health facilities for all persons, equal pay for equal work, protection of children, young persons and the aged, public assistance in deserving cases, provisions of adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and provisions, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled. To eradicate illiteracy and enhance national development there shall be free education at all levels including free adult literacy programme.

It is indisputable that the aforesaid objectives cannot be achieved by political parties whose manifestoes and programmes are based on market fundamentalism. On that ground, every political party or candidate should be made to disclose to the electorate, through the media, how they intend to achieve the fundamental objectives. To promote public accountability the media should ensure that the assets and liabilities of all elected leaders are declared and made available to the electorate.

All those who are contesting elections to the National Assembly should disclose the total emolument of federal legislators since they are said to be the highest paid in the world.

Since the commencement of campaigns for the 2015 general election, politicians have been seeking the support of the electorate in the media, by way of paid adverts or sponsored programmes.

But in selling their programmes some of the political parties have engaged in mudslinging and libellous publications. Politicians who are campaigning for votes should be made to proffer solutions to the crisis of underdevelopment plaguing the country. The media should not allow reactionary politicians to divert attention from the hydra headed problems of comatose economy, unemployment, insecurity, infrastructural decay, looting of the treasury, armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism etc.

•To be continued next week

HE President of the Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Community Court), Justice Maria de Céu Silva Monteiro has inaugurated an information communication technology (ICT) based tool- Ecolink -aimed at enhancing the court’s operations.

Justice Silva Monteiro said Ecolink is a new ICT-based administrative tool for the court, intended to serve as a platform to strengthen inter-institutional relations and cohesion while ensuring greater transparency in the pursuit of the objectives of the ECOWAS community.

The court’s president, who spoke wile inaugurating Ecolink at the court’s headquarters in Abuja, assured that the full implementation of the system will enable officials in the ECOWAS Commission, community institutions and agencies have access to the same level of information.

This, she added, will help to promote better management of the resources of the community and contribute to the realisation of the 2020 vision of the region for a citizen driven community.

The Ecolink project is intended to help streamline business processes, improve control over documents, reduce manual processes and the use of paper, ensure faster information access, improve tracking of documents and provide a standardised platform for managing data across the ECOWAS Commission, institutions of the community and agencies.

The court’s president said the project was in line with the provisions of the Community’s 1993 Revised Treaty, which encourages cooperation through science and technology for the socio-economic transformation required to increase the quality of life the citizens. She said by adopting this IT based platform, the Community was following a global trend, which favours the deployment of IT to improve efficiency.

Earlier, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Khadi Saccoh hailed Justice Silva Monteiro for the success achieved so far in the implementation of the project following the inaugural launch at the Commission on February 23 this year and the launch in the court two weeks later.

She said with the successful inauguration of Ekolink, the court has entered a “new era of transformation of its management system that will impact on its judicial and non-judicial functions for the benefit of ECOWAS citizens.”

“By improving the quality of support functions, namely financial, accounting and procurement processes, Ecolink will provide our Community’s judiciary with the required support for enhanced performance.”

The project was launched last year by the new management of the Commission with the objective to transform the management systems in all institutions and agencies of the Community. It is being implemented in two phases with both phases to be completed by the end of this year.

• Justice Monteiro

Egina FPSO: Contempt proceeding on March 27

A

FEDERAL High Court in Lagos has adjourned till March 27 hearing in the contempt proceedings against Samsung Heavy Industry Nigeria Lim ited and Total Upstream Nigeria Ltd, over their alleged disobedience of a court order that parties should maintain status-quo in the controversial Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit in Egina Field within OML 130 contract.

The Attorney-General of the Federation; National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NPIMS); Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (CDMB); Samsung Heavy Industry and Total Upstream are the defendants.

The plaintiff, Mr. John Owubokiri, is asking the court to declare that the award of the contract to Samsung Heavy Industry Nigeria for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the Egina FPSO is unlawful, tainted by irregularities in that NPIMS, CDMB and Total Upstream Nigeria ignored all extant laws, regulations, directives, and guidelines guiding such awards.

Justice Okon Abang last year ordered the defendants to “maintain status quo ante bellum as per the plaintiff’s claims before the court pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 19/11/2014.”

But the plaintiff had complained that work was still on-going on the contract, despite the court orders.

The judge said he would hear the defendants’preliminary objection after trial because it was not filed within the time allowed by the court’s rules.

Friends held for ‘theft’

By Peace Iyere

T

WO friends, Adedara Adeyemi ( 42) and and Yusuf Yakubu (36) have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State for allegedly stealing N 4,550,000 from an oil marketer Mr Dayo Abanikanda.

The men were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Y.O. Aye-Afunwa on a four-count charge bothering on conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Samson Ekikere said the complainant, Mohammed Idris, had wanted to buy diesel and approached the defendants who introduced him to a petroleum dealer, Dayo Abanikanda.

According to him, the defendants on completion of the transaction did not pay the petroleum dealer but asked him to return for his money on a particular date.

It was later discovered that the defendants, after collecting the money from Idris, did not pay Abanikanda whom they bought the product from.

The prosecutor said the offence was committed last July at about 4:00pm at Lekki, Lagos.

Ekikere told the court that the offence is punishable under Section 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

Mrs Aye-Afunwa granted them bail for N500,000, with one surety each, and adjourned till April 27 for trial.

28

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

LAW & SOCIETY A book, For the love of their nation-Lawyers as agents of change in Nigeria, was presented in Lagos last week.

It profiles some eminent lawyers and their contributions to national development, reports ADEBISI ONANUGA.

Osinbajo blames judiciary for corruption L AWYERS filed out last week to honour a judicial correspondent, Mustapha Ogunsakin, at the presentation of his book, ‘For The Love of Their Nation: Lawyers as agent of Change”, which held last Friday at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja.

The book features collection of interviews on prominent judges such as the late Justices Kayode Eso, and Chukwudifu Oputa; and retired Justices of the Supreme Court such as Justice Odemwingie Uwaifo, and Justice Adesola Oguntade. Other judges such as Judge Bola Ajibola (SAN), Justice Yahya Jinadu, Justice Nkem Izuako, and Justice Samuel Ilori were also featured among others.

Speaking at the occasion, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice Presidential Candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo said the nation’s judiciary system should be held responsible for the high rate of corruption in the country. He, therefore, urged lawyers to take the lead in stamping out the menace.

Osinbajo, a former AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State said the administartion of justice in the country needs to be reformed to successfully prosecute corrupt individuals and move the country forward.

According to him, the country has suffered a lot of set back as a result of corruption. “The judical system as presently administered has failed to curb this bad trend, especially at the national level.

“There is a lot of impunity in the country. Many people are losing faith in the ability of administration of justice system and indeed, the government to observe the tenet of the rule of law. We must return to observance of the rule of law and to holding government and its officials accountable for what they do. That can only come from exemplary leadership. “ No one is in doubt that a nation can do little if the judiciary is not functioning. Our legal system has not been reformed at the national and state levels, but more importantly at the national level.

The frustration to reform came from the Federal Government and when you fail to reform the system, corruption increases,” he noted.

Osinbajo also decried the delay in the administration of justice system.

“The masses have lost interest in the judiciary because delays in administering justice are on the increase making people to lose faith in the system. We must deal with law reforms and with a new government like All Progressives Congress(APC), at the centre, there will be change.”

He also blamed the elite, and religious leaders for failing to take responsibility in ensuring that corruption is wiped out in the country. He urged lawyers to take the lead in stamping out corruption. “ Lawyers must regard themselves as agent of change. The Nigerian elite must hold themselves accountable for the present state of the nation. There is no privilege that does not come with responsibilities.

We must hold ourselves accountable for the direction the country is going. If leaders of both Christians and Muslims show responsibilities in their various communities, we won’t have the level of corruption we have in the country today.

“The way of leadership can only be taken seriously by challenging what is going on in the country. Our country is going sour and without solving the issue of corruption, we cannot move forward,” he said.

• From left: Former Attorney General Bayelsa State George Ikoli (SAN), Prof. Osinbajo and Ogunsakin.

LEGAL DIARY Lagos AttorneyGeneral presents book on taxation tomorrow

L

AGOS State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), will be the Special Guest of Honour at the public presentation of a book on Taxation in Nigeria.

The Public Presentation is scheduled to hold tomorrow, at the Agip Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos by 2.pm under the Chairmanship of the Presiding Justice of Court of Appeal, Lagos, Justice Amina Augie.

The book, authored by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, gives insight into the legal and practical aspects of taxation and revenue administration in Nigeria.

It is entitled: Nigerian Tax Law and Administration – A Critical Review.

The publication attempts a review of the major tax laws in Nigeria as well as the administrative structures and processes by which they are implemented. It covers the essential background details, contextual definitions of terms, the basic rules of tax assessment, dispute resolution and enforcement It is a product of his combined experience as a teacher of Revenue Law and Tax Administration at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos and as the pioneer Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Taxation and Revenue. .

• From left: Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Eyitayo Jegede, Adesina (SAN) and Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution Mrs Idowu Alakija.

Osinbajo said his nomination as Vice Presidential Candidate to General Muhammadu Buhari for the Presidential race was part of God’s plan to salvage the country.

Professor Osinbajo commended the author for writing the book, which he said came at the appropriate time.

He continued: “For instance, our external reserves has been depleted and this is caused by corruption and has resulted in the fall of our currency. Impunity is evident in governance, which is caused by the elites who have abandoned their responsibilities. We must all work together to stop corruption.”

Mr Dele Adesina (SAN), who reviewed the book, said lawyers are supposed to be the vanguard for the fight against corruption and other vices militating against the country.

“Lawyers are expected to wage unrelenting war against arbitrariness, high handedness, wickedness of man to man, corruption, injustice, migovernance and social vices, which have become the order of the day.

“They have a role to bring about the Change from tradition to modernity, from authoritarianism to democracy, from slavery and lawlessness to law and order and due process, thereby moving the society forward,” he said.

He noted that the country has produced many lawyers, both dead and alive, who have fought for the survival of the country such as the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), the late G.O.K Ajayi (SAN), the late AlaoAka-Bashorun (SAN), the late Chief Rotimi Williams (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun, Professor Yemi Osinbajo(SAN),Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), and many others.

Adesina described the book as a “literary work of great

• Ipaye

Anambra CJ honours Obiano, Orji, others

T • Ogunye (left) and Ayo Olesin.

significance”. He pointed out that the author’s knowledge of justice system made him an authority even though he is not a lawyer. The duo of Hassan Fajimite, who represented Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and a Lagos lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, who represented Femi Falana (SAN) at the book presentation noted that the author,

PHOTOS: DAYO ADEWUNMI

Mustapha Ogunsakin, has used his profession to assist the law profession with the publication of the book. They said the author deserved accolades for his views of judges, erudite lawyers and other legal icons mentioned in the book.

Ogunsakin described the book presentation as a day of fulfillment and gave glory and adoration to God for the day.

HE Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi will on Friday at Finotel Hotel, Awka, Anambra State honour Governor Willie Obiano and others.

The occasion is the fourth Annual Chief Judges’ Dinner and maiden Award Night.

Others to be honoured are Abia State Governor Theodore Orji; Pioneer Chief Judge of new Anambra State, Justice Anthony I. Iguh (JSC) rtd; the Pioneer President, Anambra State Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Chinwe Amechi; Chief Ladi Williams (SAN) and nine other exemplary workers of the Anambra State Judiciary.

Obiano will be the guest of honour while Chief Williams will be the guest speaker.

He will speak on the theme: Enhancement of the legal profession: the role of the Bench and the Bar. Time is 6pm.

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON NORTHERN STATES

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

PAGE 29

INSIDE Lokoja: City of two rivers, home of exorbitant rent

PAGE 26

Eight-year-old Jemila needs N5 to live

•Another car in the making

•One of the cars

Made-in-Zaria cars coming Cars manufactured locally by engineering students of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria will soon be exhibited at a competition in the Netherlands. Beyond the show, however, home-made vehicles may be on the way, reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

B

EFORE the varnish and the final touches, they certainly look as uninviting as wrecked cars. One unfinished one looks little more than a strange gadget held together by four tyres. But indeed those are products of genius and the hope of the nation. They are the precursors of the Nigerian cars, a feat that already stands the young manufacturers out even before they set out for the Netherlands where the cars will be parked side by side with others in a competition.

They are the Engineering students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria who dazzled guests and residents of the ancient Zaria city at the institution’s 37th convocation ceremony. It was on that occasion that they rolled out the firstever made in Zaria cars for test-running.

The locally fabricated vehicles looked light and were unfinished when The Nation came, but certainly they are nothing but a breakthrough for the university and Nigeria in technological develop-

The locally fabricated vehicles looked light and were unfinished when The Nation came, but certainly they are nothing but a breakthrough for the university and Nigeria in technological development

PAGE 28

New life for child-care centre

•A third car

ment.

The Nation gathered at the university that the cars would be displayed for a Shell-sponsored competition at Rotterdam in the Netherlands in May. ABU, University of Lagos and University of Benin will represent Nigeria in the competition against 125 other car-making countries.

The project, which is an urban concept, has a maximum 200kg and is specifically designed to ply any road and move a very long distance with minimum of gasoline consumption.

When The Nation visited the institution, a team of 500-Level Engineering students were working on the body of the second vehicle under the close watch of their lecturers. The students expressed enthusiasm that once they are back from the Netherlands, they should be able to easily manufacture tricycles in marketable quantity.

Their Head of Department, Dr. Muhammad Dauda who led The Nation’s crew to the workshop also disclosed that the competition which propelled the fabrication of the vehicles was targeted at getting vehicles that will go the longest

distance with minimum of fuel.

He said even as they were yet to test-run the second vehicle, they had already passed two out of the three stages of the competition, which are: expression of interest in the competition, which includes the explanation of the type of vehicle, the fuel grade and its overall dimension and the second stage being about sending the detailed design of the car.

He said, “The competition is all about evolutionary process of development. That is why Shell, the sponsors of the competition, is not after the development, but the process as a whole”.

The Nation gathered that Shell which has been sponsoring the competition for well over 30 years, always wants students to understand that development ýis not a revelation but a process, hence, the HOD said the competition is an eye opener to the students and entire university community that, they can do more.

According to Dr. Dauda, the Shell-sponsored competition was borne out of the desire to identify brilliant engineering students all •Continued on page 30

PAGE 29

Group urges Jonathan on Disability Bill

PAGE 30

30

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

THE NORTH REPORT A former administrative capital of Nigeria and the city where the country’s two major rivers meet, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has a suffocating accommodation profile, writes JAMES AZANIA.

Lokoja: City of two rivers, home of exorbitant rent

I

T has enough to wow anyone.

Colonial masters once ran the country from there. Rivers Niger and Benue, two biggest waterways in the country, also meet in the city. And being just about two hours away from Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lokoja is not that far away from the airs of affluence and power. But does that explain why accommodation in the Kogi State capital is so prohibitive?

To rent an apartment there is such an expensive affair that many wonder why the city is not listed as one of the most expensive places to live. Its weather is suffocating, its accommodation even more so.

From Kabawa to Ganaja, Felele to Lokongoma, Adankolo to Phase 1 or 200 Unit, Old Poly Quarters, to areas around the Federal University Lokoja, the story is the same.

In the Adankolo area, a modest two-room apartment goes for between N100, 000 and N250, 000 per annum, and comes with the standard 10 per cent agency fee in the first year. In comparable areas like Meiran in Agbado/Ado Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, for example, a two-bedroom apartment with a sitting room is available for between N100, 000 and N150, 000.

Meiran probably has better road network and more government presence than Gadumo.

Further survey of rent in Lokoja is more revealing. A room with a kitchen and toilet goes for between N70, 000 and N120, 000 anywhere in the capital. One bedroom apartment is available at between N100, 000 and N250, 000 in any location except Felele and Ganaja. Ganaja extends into Ajaokuta local government.

In Lokoja, a two-bedroom apartment, depending on the standard, is available for between N150, 000 and N400, 000 per annum, in any part of the capital apart from Felele and Ganaja, where it could

• A part of Lokoja

•Another part of Lokoja

•The confluence in Lokoja

be slightly lower. When an agent tells you an apartment you are prospecting is standard, it simply means that such an apartment is tiled. Three-bedroom apartment is between N170, 000 and N600, 000 per annum in any location. A oneroom accommodation in what Nigerians call ‘face-me-I-face-you’ apartment is between N30, 000 and N50, 000 per annum.

Interestingly, a survey of the price of building materials shows a slight reduction from what obtains in other capitals around the country. A standard bag of Dangote cement in Lokoja for example

In Lokoja, a two-bedroom apartment, depending on the standard, is available for between N150, 000 and N400, 000 per annum, in any part of the capital apart from Felele and Ganaja, where it could be slightly lower is readily available for between N1, 500 and N1, 600, while a nine-inch block which is used for laying foun-

‘Cattle eat up our crops’ From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

F

OR the President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda in agriculture to succeed, the menace posed by cattle must be solved, Kwara State chairman, Nigerian Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) Gabriel Fasanu has said.

Fasanu, an engineer, said this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the distribution of fertilisers and herbicides, under the federal government agricultural programme, to cassava growers in the state.

He said the famers in the state have been battling with the menace of cattle rustlers in the state for ages.

His words: “Many of our people here are taking loans from the banks.

After putting in all your efforts and you have a good yield; that all things will be well with you to repay your loan, then suddenly you wake up one day to find out the whole farm has been destroyed by cows.

“We have been battling with this menace for a very long time. The state government has not been able to address the issue and it is a very serious concern to the farmers and it is making most of us incur debts. That is also why the banks are a little bit unwilling to give loan to farmers.

“If you will agree with me no nation can develop or get to its economic heights without agriculture. By the destroying the farms the cattle rearers are making the farmers to incur huge debt as well as bringing down the economy of the whole nation. So it is a food for thought actually for our

dation hovers around N110. 6 inches sells for around N85. Standard tipper load of sharp sand in cattle rearers.”

NCGA chair said the association is to “ensure the implementation

policy whereby cassava flour is included in bread made in Nigeria. It may interest you to know that two tonnes of raw cassava tubers produced only one tonne of high quality cassava flour. This is why we should endeavour to plant high yielding cassava varieties recommended by the federal government.

“You will agree with me that the major stakeholders in the cassava value-chain (flour mills, bakers etc) have a very big challenge. The millions of tonnes that are needed annually call for major cassava planting and for many harvests all hands must be on deck.”

He urged the Nigerian youths to take to farming “instead of the youth roaming the streets in search of job I urge them and the cassava farmers in Nigeria to come and register with us. Packages have made available to various stakeholders in the high quality cassava flour programme, it is only left for them to come forward and join us.

For NCGA the high quality cassava flour programme (HQCFP) is N81,000 per hectare.

“It comprises of cash, fertilizer and herbicide. Actually, a farmer under this programme is entitled to two hectares. The farmer is to pay back only about half of the loan value while the balance is a grant for the farmer.

“On this note I sincerely express our gratitude to the federal government for this magnanimity. The handing over of the fertilizer and herbicides to the beneficiaries is what we are here to do today.”

Lokoja is about N12, 000, while that for plastering sand, full tipper is N15, 000.

In response to what he thinks might be responsible for the high cost of accommodation in the state capital, an agent, Idi Abu (not real name) lays it squarely on the greed of the house owners.

He said, “Greed is a major why accommodation is on the high side in this small town known to be a civil servant state and most landlords are trying to copy Abuja style. They are not being fair to the tenants. Landlords in Lokoja are very greedy. I come to understand that tenants are becoming so tired of rent and making provision for their own house, so that is to say in the next two to three years people will no longer rent houses in Lokoja any more”.

Whether this will play out in the near future or not, time alone will tell.

He called for state intervention in order to check the excesses of the landlords, saying, “Government need to look into this matter and provide solution before it is too late to handle, and majority of the landlords are civil servants that are stealing in the government.

The government has been doing nothing. The solution is government intervention to build housing estates and allocate to individuals in Lokoja”.

In other major towns like Kabba, Okene or Idah, it is akin to ‘a walk in the park for the tenants, as what they have to pay as house rent is quite a relief, when compared to what obtains in Lokoja.

•Continued on page 31

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

31

THE NORTH REPORT

Made-in-Zaria cars coming

•An engineering student of ABU

•Continued from page 29 over the world to enhance technological breakthrough.

He said all the departments in the Faculty of Engineering were involved in the process ýof making what has been dubbed the Shell Marathon Vehicle or SMV, adding that the engineers who produced the car have ensured

•One of the lecturers

that they strictly adhered to the recommended size.

“We signified interest to participate in the competition last year, and that made us one of the three universities from Nigeria to be selected for the contest after passing the first and second stages of the competition.

“As you can see, we have pro-

duced two cars with most of the materials sourced locally and on the average, we can say the project is at 75% ýcompletion level. Therefore, our contingents are expected to leave Nigeria for Rotterdam in Netherlands on May 15 for the competition.

“We are confident that Ahmadu Bello University will win the com-

We are confident that Ahmadu Bello University will win the competition because all work done is strictly according to specification prescribed by the rules and regulations governing the competition petition because all work done are strictly according to specification prescribed by the rules and regulations governing the competition,” he said.

The Head of Department ýsaid the Engineering Faculty has been humbled by the feat already achieved and their next plan is to construct another urban concept prototype car using gasoline and a battery electric vehicle with the involvement of Chemical Engineering Department.

He expressed satisfaction that, in the ongoing project, Mechanical Engineering Department has been the harrow-head, noting that, the oil company solely financed the making of the cars by providing the seeds money to the tune of N10 million. ”The Vice Chancellor of ABU, Professor Abdullahi Mustapha who was overwhelmed by the gesture also doled out N2 million to fur-

ther encourage our team of Engineers. And as it is today, we have sufficient funds being judiciously utilised for the project,” he said.

He also disclosed that the university will after the programme go into partnership with automobile companies to share their expertise with the institution for the benefit of students, researchers and lecturers. This he said will set the ground for the university to start automotive engineering.

However, to the students directly involved in the project’s manufacturing, the Shell competition is an eye opener that, with grant, they can develop made in Nigeria vehicles.

The lead students, Sadiq Yusuf, Folorunsho Taiwo and Azeezat ý Salman were in high spirit to take their invention to Netherlands, bring home glory to Nigeria and face new challenge afterwards.

City of two rivers, home of exorbitant rent •Continued from page 30 In Idah, home to a federal polytechnic, one can rent a three-bedroom flat for between N80, 000 and N90, 000 per annum, a two-bedroom apartment for between N50, 000 and N60, 000 per annum and about N45, 000 per annum for a single room accommodation around where the polytechnic is located. Elsewhere, N30, 000 is enough to secure a room accommodation in Idah. In addition, water rate is lower, electricity bill not as outrageous as obtains in Lokoja, commission on rent and other sundry charges are also lower outside of Lokoja.

In Kabba, a three-bedroom apartment is between N120, 000 and N140, 000 per annum and twobedroom is between N70, 0000 and N80, 000 a year. A room apartment goes for around N700 per month.

In Okene, a three-bedroom apartment cost between N120, 000 and N150, 000 per annum and a one room self-contain apartment between N45, 000 and N50, 000 per annum.

Mr. Abel Ameh, publisher of Kogi Echo magazine, expressed regret over his inability to cash in on what himself described as disproportionate boom in the accommodation business in Kogi State. This, he attributed to the “mistake” of building his house in Idah. Idah is about 120 kilometres away from Lokoja or the equivalent of between N600 and N700 in transportation fare.

He said, “If I had known I would have built my 10-room apartment in Lokoja, which would have given me over N1m per annum. But I thank God for giving me the financial muscle to build a house. Why I thank Him is because I slept in a pool (betting) house for seven years because of joblessness, but to the glory of God the story is different now”.

Findings shows that there is no ministry or government agency is charged with the duty of regu-

lating landlord/tenant relationship or activities in the sub-sector, though the Governor Idris Wada administration has inaugurated a number of government housing estates, including the Bond Housing Estate, to cater to the needs of both federal and state civil servants domiciled in Lokoja.

Alhassan Abraham submits that it is not only the cost of accommodation that is high in Lokoja, but practically the cost of everything, including water.

His words: “Not only the cost of accommodation, the cost of living is highly expensive in Lokoja compared to other parts of the state.

House rent is unbearable, then commodities in the market. A plate of food which cost say N350, N400 in Lokoja, you can get for N200 elsewhere.

It’s not even as if such food contain anything outstanding, yet they are so exorbitant. Even bottled water, 75 80cl, it is standard N100, sachet pure water in Lokoja is N10.

Go to Lagos, go to Benin, and go to Ibadan; bigger and more established places, you get them for less”.

A building expert and Head of Department of Building Technology, School of Environmental Technology at the Kogi State University, Samuel Dada Madamori, gave insights into why accommodation cost is on the high side in Lokoja.

He attributed the high cost of accommodation to several factors, including, the centrality of Lokoja, its closeness to the nation’s capital, Abuja, topography and above all else, the law of demand and supply.

He faulted the view that the Kogi State capital is lacking in uniqueness to command the high demand for accommodation by those seeking to live in it.

He began, “I want to correct the impression that there is nothing spectacular about Lokoja. It’s a confluence town and is close to Abuja. Don’t forget again that during the creation of the state, people moved from Benue and others from

•A part of Lokoja

If I had known I would have built my 10-room apartment in Lokoja, which would have given me over N1m per annum. But I thank God for giving me the financial muscle to build a house. Why I thank Him is because I slept in a pool betting house for seven years because of joblessness, but to the glory of God the story is different now Kwara. So, there has always been the need. Those who came first, some were sleeping under trees.

“And you know Lokoja was an administrative town, and added to the weather, there was not much accommodation, so the scramble continues because there are not enough buildings. I’ll tell you why accommodation is high; we have external factors; like during the Kano riot, Kafanchan riot or Kaduna riot, a lot of people moved here.

And, if you are in Ilorin, you will know the rapid growth too.

People from the North tend to be drawn to these two places.

“The establishment of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Federal University Lokoja and others like that that need to accommodate a large number of people many of who have to seek accommodation outside

•A house in Lokoja

the campus for various reasons. So, houses that rent for N40, 000, N30, 000 have now gone up to N70, 000 or more. Then, the effect of Obajana Cement Factory, and Lokoja as residential area for many of the workers.

Others include the National Inland Waterways (NIWA), the Naval base and hence the effect of demand and supply”.

The don said the situation is not healthy, but he added that the government was trying its best with new housing programmes. He added that the cost of acquiring land for building is high in Lokoja and labour even higher than in other local governments in the state.

He continued, “Even because of the hills, River Niger and River Benue, the terrain generally, there is limited room for expansion.

People don’t want to move out; they

want to stay within already developed areas because of nearness to their place of work. Water, for example, has not extended to other areas, but those little things are surmountable.

“If investors can come it’s a good opportunity for them. If they approach the government, and we the professionals are on ground. On a serious note, we don’t have investors. We have the professionals, so we plan to partner with the government on their mass housing, low housing or whatever they call it, if the government comes. Even the Police, Road Safety (Federal Road Safety Corps), they are saying that they want staff housing. So, provided developers come early and come and take advantage, they will solve that problem.

Before you finish a building, people are ready to buy.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

32

THE NORTH REPORT

Youths fete Ahmed’s wife From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

T

HIS year’s International Women’s Day would have ended just like any other day in Kwara State. It didn’t. National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) chose the day to bestow an award on the state governor’s wife, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed for her contributions to the well-being of the less privileged.

National Assistant Secretary of the council, Nasiru Yusuf presented the award dubbed ‘Silent Achiever’ to the founder of LEAH Charity Organisation in Ilorin, the state capital.

The state chairman of the NYCN, Kazeem Adekanye said Mrs. Ahmed unwavering passion for youth and women development was legendary.

Mr. Adekanye said the governor’s wife’s achievements include social welfare package for widows, reading camp for pupils of secondary schools, women empowerment through the provision of basic tools and cash support, health awareness among the women folk, donation to the less privilege, free cancer screening and treatment.

He said: “LEAH Charity Foun-

•Mrs. Ahmed receiving the award from Mr. Yusuf

dation has proven to be a reference point in the league of pet projects of wives of presidents and governors; that you have been able to successfully run the foundation independent of your office is a sign that the foundation has come to stay even beyond you as the first lady of the state.

“Today’s mentoring programme cum interactive session is aimed at providing the teeming youth (girls) unrestricted access to

learn firsthand from our mother who shall admonish the youth with a view to making them better citizens while even as we celebrate the International Women’s Day.” Guest lecturer of the day, Nasir AbdulQuadri said the gathering was to celebrate the noble contributions of the women in the informal sector, to the economic viability of the state.

AbdulQuadri, an ex-banker also

hailed Mrs. Ahmed for her support to the women folk through her foundation in the screening and treatment of breast and cervical cancer.

He encouraged your ladies to stop chasing after white collar jobs that might not be available but to be entrepreneurially inclined.

In a remark, Mrs. Ahmed urged young ladies to eschew promiscuity as that could lead to cervical cancer.

Eight-year-old Jemila needs N5m to live

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IGHT-year-old Jemila Mohammed Umar, a Primary Four pupil in Kaduna State, is a sickler and needs help urgently.

She nurses an ambition of becoming a medical doctor, a career she chose to enable her give care to sickle cell patients, an ailment she suffers from. The fear of her parents, however, is that her career may be not even take off owing to her health condition.

Jemila, according to her father, Alhaji Umar Mohammed has been going through the pain of sickle cell anaemia for the past sevenand a-half years. Even though she was born with the ailment, her parents only got to know six months after.

Alhaji Mohammed said: “There are eight children in the family, but she is the only sickle cell carrier among them. She suffers severe body pains and organs disorder whenever the crisis starts and has to be admitted in the hospital frequently.

“She experiences a couple of crisis a year during which she complains of hand-foot syndrome characterised by swollen hands and feet. My fear is that, the signs and symptoms of the disease manifest between May and June each year. Therefore, we take measures to manage episodes that are uncomplicated at home but in most cases, we take her to a nearby clinic for medication where she would stay for at least a week.

“Application of ‘cola nut’ balm to relieve the pains in the hands and feet is another medication we have adopted in managing the crisis at home,” he said.

He further explained that Jemila’s case has left the family financially and emotionally devastated, adding that, “the condition is characterised by excruciating pains which distinguish neither day nor night.

Whenever the crisis starts, the

She added however, that cancer is neither contagious nor a death sentence, saying that “the only rejection a woman can put to cancer is regular medical checkup every year. It becomes incurable when it has degenerated.

“Currently, LEAH Charity Foundation has 29 screening centres across the state. this is to enable our women have access to cancer screening and treatment.”

Firm donates drugs to police, community

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

whole family does not sleep as we exchange roles to pacify and comfort her, but all in vain because the pains are stubborn and determined until when God Almighty sends His relief. And, at last, when sleep sneaks in on her, we don’t wake her up.

“Doctors at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Benin-City said for Jemila to get cured, she has to undergo stem cell transplant. The procedure requires the injection of healthy cells into her body to replace the damaged ones. ”A hematologist and stem cell transplant expert at UBTH, Dr. Nosa Bazauye said it will take between two and three months for her condition to stabilise after the operation. The transplant will use cells donated by her family members. The cell samples of her siblings will be taken to a hospital in Switzerland for verification before choosing the right donor.” he stated.

For the surgery to take place, Alhaji Mohammed said the sum of N5 million was needed; an amount of money too difficult for the family to get. He is therefore pleading for help from the government, individuals and organisations to save the life of his daughter.

He pleaded to individuals, organisations and government willing to assist to send donations for his daughter’s recovery to First Bank, with account name: Mohammed Umar and account number 3075634882 (Current) or UBA with account name – Mohammed Umar and account number 1014957735.

While praying that God will replenish whoever assists his daughter in multiple folds, Alhaji Mohammed said he doesn’t mind if any individual, organisation or government will prefer to foot the bill directly, through UBTH.

DRUGS worth N2 million have been donated to the 7 Squadron, Police Mobile Force, Sokoto and the Wajakke community in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State by the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN).

The donation comprised assorted drugs which were presented to the respective beneficiaries by the Managing Director, Mr Alf Karlsen who was represented by the company’s Head of Human Resources, Alhaji Abubakar Bala.

Making the presentation, Karlsen said the gesture was part of the corporate social responsibilities of the firm.

The drugs included antibiotics, anti- malarial, analgesic; anti-fungal and four prostate leg supporters.

The Managing Director said: “This is part of our goals to complement the efforts of the government in providing the health care needs of the people.

He further explained that the gesture to the beneficiaries was in appreciation of the existing cordial relationship between the firm and the host communities.

Receiving the donation, the Commander of the Mobile Police Squadron, Mr Yusuf Danlami, represented by Mr Isah Kabiru recalled the long standing cordial relationship between the Squadron and the organisation, even as he also commended the firm for its sense of commitment to fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities by extending the gesture to them.

He also promised to utilise the drugs judiciously, pledging to continue to work round the clock to ensure the security of lives and property of the people of the state.

•Jemila

Doctors at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Benin-City said for Jemila to get cured, she has to undergo stem cell transplant. The procedure requires the injection of healthy cells into her body to replace the damaged ones...It will take between two and three months for her condition to stabilise after the operation. The transplant will use cells donated by her family members. The cell samples of her siblings will be taken to a hospital in Switzerland for verification before choosing the right donor

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com

Page 33

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HEN parents needed a place to take their children with disability, the Child Care Trust (CCT) easily came to mind.

The Child Care Trust consists of critical facilities such as classrooms, health care centre, large playgrounds as well as vocational training centres. These facilities aim at providing best form of care and upbringing of special children. Its operations are more of a boarding school.

The facility is a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), established by former First Lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo to cater for under-privileged children in the country. However, the once best rated school for the less-privileged in Africa is in dire need of revival.

Some of the facilities that made it so exceptional are almost moribund. The health centre, which was a point of attraction for children suffering from one health issue or another, is no longer active. Prior to this time, there were concerns over survival of the school after the death of Mr. Obasanjo. It was gathered that the school had to suspend operations due to funding challenges until three years ago. So, basically the supports are meant for up-keep of the pupils, including the hard at hearing and different categories of mentally challenged kids.

Situated in Bwari Local Council Area at the outskirts of Abuja, the school is tucked in a quiet environment, highly fortified with strong concrete fence. The fence is painted in white with a big tree right at the entrance of the premises. Aside from the presence of both uniformed security men and those on mufti, the entire premises were very tidy.

During a visit to the school, Abuja Review met the pupils during their lunch time. The first pupil who met our correspondent was Chisom Obi, a Primary four student. He was careful in his pace because he could hardly get his steps right, as he walked in a meandering manner.

After much effort, he managed to move some inches. On his face was an expression of someone who has been fed. He smiled out of the cafeteria as he approached our correspondent.

On his experience at the school, Chisom said: “I like this place. They take care of us very well and we eat three times a day…” Shortly after, the other pupils left the cafeteria for the alley. They were about 40 in number and of different ages, both male and female.

Some have hearing impaired while others could hardly see. Yet, they were so excited to welcome visitors. The youngest among them was little Success who is about six years old. She is fair in complexion and looks so innocent. She solely depends on crouches before she could walk.

Supports In a chat with one of the senior members of staff of the school, it was gathered that the school depends on volunteers and supports from individuals and big schools in the territory.

Students of Durben Polytechnic, a higher institution in Bwari Local Council Area often celebrate their birthdays with the kids.

“This place is not an orphanage.

All these children have parents. So, during the holiday, they go home and come back to school after the holiday. So, it’s not an orphanage home per se,” the Coordinator, Mr. Thomas Ojo said.

Continuing, she said: “We depend on volunteers in meeting our needs because the school is an NGO. So, with little supports from outside, we meet some of their needs.”

When the school was inaugurated in May, 2000 by the late philanthropist, she did not know the

New life for child-care centre •The children

•The children at play From Olugbenga Adanikin and Samuel Orumade

edifice will become derelict decades after. It was her dream that the school would make greater exploit and create lasting impression in the minds of millions of children with challenges.

Abuja Review further gathered that the son of the late Stella Obasanjo, Mr. Muyiwa Obasanjo, who is also the Chairman of the school, supported it immensely, the last time he visited from the United States. Prior to the visit, a Kubwa-based NGO, Solid Rock Foundation had visited the pupils.

Mr. Ojo acknowledged it has become an annual event for the foundation to visit the school. As for him, the foundation was always

•A part of the facility

offering many relief materials, including foods, to support the children. Ironically, there was silent murmur when our correspondent inquired when last the former President visited the school. “Former President…?” One of the members of staff asked. “He has not visited this place since he left office. I think when the woman passed on was the end of his visit to this place.”

It was gathered that no tangible help comes from the family. “Nothing is coming from the family. The only support we got is from the Chairman of the school, who is the son of late Stella Obasanjo who doesn’t live in Nigeria but in US,” our source said.

Extra-curricular activities Apart from regular normal school activities, the pupils were also

engaged in vocational activities such as bead making. Others include salon and hairdressing and tailoring, among others.

The school authorities appealed to public-spirited individuals to help in training some of the students.

Alaba is the most popular student in the school. He is considered as one of the talented students who love drama and dancing. The 18-year-old boy, despite his situation, was willing to showcase his creative talent.

Deliberate efforts are, however, being made to ensure their needs are met.

There are plans to also visit corporate organisations and other related institutions to solicit supports for the school.

On staff motivation, the coordinator said the organisation is

I like this place. They take care of us very well and we eat three times a day…”

Shortly after, the other pupils left the cafeteria for the alley. They were about 40 in number and of different ages, both male and female...Some have hearing impaired while others could hardly see.

Yet, they were so excited to welcome visitors. The youngest among them was little Success who is about six years old. She is fair in complexion and looks so innocent. She solely depends on crouches before she could walk trying its best. “When they are sick, we take them to the general hospital to see a doctor. We are actually short of funds and that’s why we cannot employ medical personnel,” Ojo, who suggested that actors and artistes could promote the centre through their activities and songs, said.

“Empress once came to take pictures with them some time ago and during December, 2014, the artiste invited them to a party to celebrate with her, he said.”

Expectations are, however, high that the Federal Ministries of Education and Youth Development would consider addressing some of the needs of the school as private individuals could unite to reposition the Child Care Trust.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

34

ABUJA REVIEW Group urges Jonathan to ok Disability Bill

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has not assented to the Disability Bill passed by the National Assembly 30 days ago, it has been learnt.

Executive Director of Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC), Irene Patrick-Ogbogu who briefed reporters on the development, said: “It is also pertinent to note that it is approximately 14 years since the struggle for a legal framework to protect the rights of people with disabilities (PWDs) began in Nigeria. This is also the second time this bill is coming to President Goodluck Jonathan’s table and the third time persons with disabilities are pleading with him to sign it.

“We hereby call on President Goodluck Jonathan to give his assent to the Bill recently passed by the National Assembly without delay so as to reduce the pain and exclusion suffered by Nigerians living with disabilities. We believe that President Jonathan, under whose watch the Health Bill and the Freedom of Information Bill became law will further cement his legacy as a humanitarian President if he makes the Disability Act a reality.

“This is because the sad condition of the more than 19 million Nigerians who are living with different forms of disability is a blot on the collective conscience of the nation.

“Over 60 per cent of Nigerians living with disabilities are 18 years and above with more than 80 per cent of them living in the rural areas with minimal access to social infrastructures. More than 50 per cent of Nigerians with disabilities are women with no access to health care, resulting in increases in maternal and child mortality in the community.

“This bill provides for prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities, right to access to public premises, accessibility provisions in public buildings, provision for situation of risk and humanitarian emergencies, service at queues, prohibition of use of persons with disabilities in attendant penalties, freedom and movement, access to comprehensive health care, right to inclusive education, free education, special education, personnel, participation in politics, and establishment of a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, among others.

“If assented to, the bill will lead to marked improvements in the quality of life of PWDs and a departure from stereotypical and harmful ways of approaching disability issues, putting forms of institutional, attitudinal

•Irene Patrick-Ogbogu with some of the children with disability

We hereby call on President Goodluck Jonathan to give his assent to the Bill recently passed by the National Assembly without delay so as to reduce the pain and exclusion suffered by Nigerians living with disabilities. We believe that President Jonathan, under whose watch the Health Bill and the Freedom of Information Bill became law, will further cement his legacy as a humanitarian President if he makes the Disability Act a reality •Director, Drac, Irene Patrick-Ogbogu From Gbenga Omokhunu

environmental barriers experienced by citizens with disabilities to rest.

“Examples of anticipated improvements include: it will become illegal to erect buildings and structures that deny access to PWDs, those responsible for approving building codes will begin to ensure that a standard building plan is one that provides accessibility considerations, such as ramps, lifts, audio-visual signage and accessible restrooms, among other; thus enhancing access to buildings and the physical

•Another disabled woman

improvements in access to health care for PWDs generally; but especially for women with disabilities; a situation where disability needs will reflect in the planning of our health policies and programmes will be the order of the day. Service delivery will improve through the training and deployment of auxiliary personnel in health facilities.

“Accessible equipment will also be provided.

Sexual and reproductive health needs of young persons with disabilities will also be mainstreamed into programmes for adolescent. It will become a crime

to use PWDs to solicit for alms and for sexual and other forms of exploitation, making it an offense that attracts a stiff penalty. “This will lead to a marked reduction in crimes against PWDs and an increase in rehabilitation facilities to absorb the teeming population, inclusive and accessible education will guarantee children with disabilities to develop intellectually and socially at the same pace/level with their non-disabled counterparts, thus ensuring their effective integration into mainstream society and improving their social interactions and opportunities, including those for the job market.

More districts, communities to get water

T

HE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Water Board has expressed its readiness to enhance service provision through increased and uninterrupted water supply to districts and communities of the FCT yet to access water supply.

Rising from the its meeting of the year which was also the 10th since the inauguration of the members of the Board, Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Alhassan Sule Gwagwa, expatiated that aside from conforming to President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda, the service expansion will also translate to improved revenue

The Board of Directors has concluded arrangements to make a presentation to the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed on the need for a speedy completion of tanks one and six and the associated mains in order to ensure that the adequate volume of water currently being produced is also equitably distributed From Gbenga Omokhunu

generation.

Towards achieving this objective therefore, Gwagwa confirmed that the Board of Directors has concluded arrangements to make a presentation to the Minister of the

FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed on the need for a speedy completion of tanks one and six and the associated mains in order to ensure that the adequate volume of water currently being produced is also equitably distributed.

Contributing, Board member in

charge of personnel matters, Alhaji Nasir Galadima, told reporters that issues of staff welfare, including incentives and allowances, provision of protective gears and uniforms and the need for good office accommodation, especially in area offices, were also resolved.

The current security situation in the country, according to Alhaji Galadima, also informed the decision of the Board of Directors to ensure that the perimeter of Lower Usuma Dam is intact and secure at all times, while all other complementary measures that will protect the entire facility against any form of hostility are also put in place.

“It will become illegal for employers and would-be employers to discriminate against anyone on the basis of disability with regard to hiring, firing, pay and promotion, among others. It will also ensure that employers provide reasonable accommodation (workplace accessibility) for workers with disabilities.

“Many more are some of the intrinsic benefits that will accrue to persons with disabilities, their caregivers and society as a whole when this Bill becomes law.

DRAC is a non-governmental, non-profit making organisation that works to promote the human rights of persons with disabilities.

It also facilitates development agenda and increase awareness about the situation of women with disabilities in Nigeria.

“DRAC is borne out of the personal experience of the founder who lives with a disability as well as from an in-depth analysis of PWDs where environment, poverty, pervasive exclusion and social injustice pervade.

“Our vision is a just world devoid of poverty and intolerant of all forms of injustice.

DRAC is currently enjoying support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for advocacy and civic engagement for social inclusion of persons with disabilities and access to health for women with disabilities in Nigeria,” she said.

35

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

ABUJA REVIEW

Land owners sue minister

M

EMBERS of Zandan Pazeri Property Owners’ Association has taken the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed to court over plans by the Department of Development Control to commence demolition exercise in the area.

Chairman of the land owners association, Elder Friday Ugoala, told Abuja Review that they observed encroachment by some estate developers into Zauda Layout more than a year ago and they wrote series of letters to the FCT Director of Urban and Regional Planning, which they followed up with reminder letters, detailing their observations over the encroachment into the layout.

Ugoala further explained that in the director’s reply, it was stated that Dei-dei districts, particularly Zauda, Filindabo and other layouts have been superimposed to Phase IV of the Federal Capital City (FCC).

According to him, their investigation confirmed that Zauda, Saburi, Filindabo, Block Industry, Building Material and Timber Market done by taskforce, are not part of the Federal Capital City Phase IV, as the director wanted them to believe.

“We have authority to that and the authority that equally gave approval to do it, and they confirmed that their work was professionally done, without encroaching to any structure in existence. Our files are in AGIS, these plots were allocated to us in 1998 and files were opened.

“During el-Rufai administration, he called for regularisation and our members started afresh and paid the money for regularisation and new files were opened. All our allocation papers have two references; reference for old files and new files.

During el-Rufai administration, he called for regularisation and our members started afresh and paid the money for regularisation and new files were opened. All our allocation papers have two references; reference for old files and new files. Now, from what we have gathered from the authority, it implies that they are about to alter the master plan From Gbenga Omokhunu

Now, from what we have gathered from the authority, it implies that they are about to alter the master plan,” Ugoala said.

Most communities in the FCT have instituted cases against Senator Mohammed, because since assumption of office as the FCT Minister, almost all the communities in the capital city have dragged his administration to court as a result of what they described as anti-people land policy, which has led to so many FCT natives and residents displaced unwillingly from communities in which they have spent the entire parts of their lives.

Some of the communities that have dragged the minister to court for either demolition of their houses or threat of forceful displacement from their ancestral lands are Kpaduma, Mpape, Gosa, Dutse, Gbebudna and Jidna communities, among others.

The case which is currently under the Justice Banjoko of Court 11, Gudu District in Abuja, saw Barrister Victor Umah, Counsel to Zaudan Pazeri Property Association being urged by the Presiding Judge to ensure that all necessary documentations are put in place with the evidences, so as to avoid delay in the case, when it fully commences.

Ugoala further said they are

praying the court to stop the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) from carrying out the planned demolition as well as return their properties to them, stressing that the plots in question were allocated to the members of the association by the FCDA between 1988 and 1989, saying that all documents and money paid in respect of the property were well receipted.

“Since the time of el-Rufai, the file for regularisation has been with the heads in the FCDA. So, government cannot claim not to be aware of the fact that the place is not an empty place. Unfortunately, the minister decided to take over the place, whereas, our members have paid all the necessary levies to the government during the el-Rufai administration and we have equally paid for the regularisation and new files were opened for us,” he said.

Ugoala also pleaded that the court which adjourned the case to March 30, for hearing, should order the authority of FCDA to accelerate the processing of their files, which he said has been dumped over the years by subsequent administrations.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Victor Umah, who faulted the moves by the FCTA to forcibly displace the original owners of the

concerned plots of land, also told newsmen that if truly the land belonged to the Federal Government, there are laid down procedures which they must follow before taking over such property which the people have occupied over a very long period of time.

His words: “The case was slated for motion, but originally would have proceeded for hearing like the Judge rightfully hinted. But there were some very sensitive issues why the FCTA raised, because we are standing on the ground that there were no revocations of the property owned by the plaintiffs, which are the land owners. But suddenly, they discovered outright development by unknown persons, who must be agents of the FCDA. “That is why we are saying that they cannot come into a land and start altering it. If truly the land belongs to the Federal Government and they want to take over them, there are laid down procedures that must be followed, before they can take over the land. Not just coming into the land by virtue of their being an authority. We are saying ‘no’ to it. That is why we are in court for a declaration to prevent them from what could be described as injustice.

“The plaintiffs regularised their papers as at when due. They have evidences to show that the regularisations were done at the appropriate time they were asked to do it. Documents were offered to them as proof to the fact that the necessary things were done and all the evidences are genuine.”

According to findings, other communities which are still under the demolition list from the Bala Mohammed-led administration are Idu-Karmo, Dape, Tasha, Gwagwa, Saburi, Zauda, Jahi, Gishiri, Mabushi, Kuchigoro, Chika, Aleita, Piwoyi, Lugbe, Pyakassa, Tudun Wada, Dei-Dei and Guzap.

Minister defends anti-terror campaign

M

INISTER of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammad has said that President Goodluck Jonathan inherited the insecurity problem in the North-eastern part of the country.

Mohammed said this during a PDP stakeholders’ meeting which included the leadership of the six geo-political zones resident in the FCT. He reiterated that Jonathan’s administration has been working assiduously to tackle it head on.

According to him, the problem is not restricted to Nigeria but has global dimension.

According to the statement

From Gbenga Omokhunu

issued by the Assistant Director/ Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Sule, the minister assured that the government has the will power to defeat and stamp out insurgency from the country.

He called for continued support of the people for the government, particularly the military.

He said: “The Transformation Agenda of the President has been able to put smiles on the faces of the residents of the Federal Capital Territory. The expansion and rehabilitation of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (Airport Road) as well as the Murtala Muhammad (Kubwa Raod) Expressways are some of the

achievements the President has recorded.”

The minister further said the Jonathan-led administration has been able to complete the Gurara Water Transfer Scheme as well as the 3rd and 4th Phases of the Lower Usuma Dam for the benefit of all.

Senator Mohammed also assured that the FCT Administration is to deploy a substantial part of its projected N300 to N400 billion earnings from internally-generated revenue (IGR) to the funding of rural and neighbourhood infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges.

His words: “With the passage of the FCT Board of Internal Revenue Act by the National Assembly, the

•Some women and children praising troops who provided security for journalists who visited the community during a tour of recaptured territories.

internally-generated revenue profile of the FCT is expected to rise significantly with positive multiplier effects on the residents.”

The minister emphasised that the FCTA hopes to generate about N300 billion to N400 billion annually; adding that the anticipated revenue would be used to fund infrastructure and accelerate development of the entire 8,000 square kilometres of the territory as well as pay the outstanding debt owed contractors.

He revealed that the FCT Administration would soon launch another batch of 300 taxis that would be owned directly by the drivers to alleviate poverty and stamp out rickety commercial vehicles.

Firm donates drugs to police, community From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

D

RUGS worth N2 million were donated to the 7 Squadron, Police Mobile Force, Sokoto and the Wajakke community in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State by the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN).

The donation comprised assorted drugs which were presented to the respective beneficiaries by the Managing Director, Mr Alf Karlsen who was represented by the company’s Head of Human Resources, Alhaji Abubakar Bala.

Making the presentation, Karlsen said the gesture was part of the corporate social responsibilities of the firm.

The drugs included antibiotics, anti- malarial, analgesic; anti-fungal and four prostate leg supporters.

The Managing Director said: “This is part of our goals to complement the efforts of the government in providing the health care needs of the people.

He further explained that the gesture to the beneficiaries was in appreciation of the existing cordial relationship between the firm and the host communities.

Receiving the donation, the Commander of the Mobile Police Squadron, Mr Yusuf Danlami, represented by Mr Isah Kabiru recalled the long standing cordial relationship between the Squadron and the organisation, even as he also commended the firm for its sense of commitment to fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities by extending the gesture to them.

He also promised to utilise the drugs judiciously, pledging to continue to work round the clock to ensure the security of lives and property of the people of the state.

In the same manner, Chairman of Wamakko Local Government Area, Alhaji Ahmed Kalambaina who spoke through the Director of Health, Alhaji Garba Aliyu commended CCNN for the gesture, promising the judicious use of the drugs.

This is part of our goals to complement the efforts of the government in providing the health care needs of the people. The gesture was in appreciation of the existing cordial relationship between the firm and the host communities

•Nigerian troops crossing the Kafin-Hausa Bridge constructed by military engineers to facilitate the pursuit of fleeing terrorists.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

36

ABUJA REVIEW

T

HE Presidential Villa and the head of government, the President ought to be close to the masses as obtains in many western nations, whose style of government Nigeria has adopted.

But this is far from the case in Nigeria as the gap appears to be getting wider by the day.

To bring Americans close to the government and give them the feelings of belonging, citizens in the United States, for instance, always have opportunity to visit the White House.

Even as one of the worst terrorists-hit nations, park land and gardens by the White House has offered access to Americans and visitors alike.

Such visitors to the White House also have opportunity to participate in numerous activities and special events in the park.

The Park also offers students and educators a number of opportunities to explore the political and cultural history of the United States of America.

As a home, an office, and a showplace for American craftsmanship, the White House mirrors and magnifies broad social trends.

The White House is also a popular location for individuals and groups to petition the government, which is a hallmark of the American democratic experiment.

Although no entrance fees is charged any individual or group to access the President’s Park or the White House Visitor Centre, their request for access must be submitted through the visitor’s Member of Congress (as a citizen) or embassy (if a foreigner) between three weeks and six months in advance of the desired tour date.

Each member of congress already has established procedures by which to accept tour reservation requests.

Besides, all citizen visitors who are 18 years and above will are also required to present valid, government-issued photo identification before gaining entrance, while all foreign nationals must present their passports.

In my write-up entitled “Whither Nigeria’s Presidential Park” over a year ago, I harped on the need for such Presidential park at the seat of power in Abuja to provide Nigerians, who have been properly screened, the opportunity to visit the seat of government.

This has not been done to date.

Rather, steps are being taken to build more walls between the occupier of the seat of power and the masses.

New and high-tech electroniccontrolled barriers have been springing up at various security points in the State House.

Many visitors to the Presiden-

F

OLLOWING the fire incident that gutted residents of Fulani herdsmen at Jijingba, a community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the chairman Hon. Shaban Tete has donated some relief materials worth millions of naira to the affected victims.

Presenting the relief materials to the Fulani herdsmen, the council chief said the gesture aimed at cushioning the suffering the victims were going through, saying it is the responsibility of his administration to provide a healthy atmosphere conducive to the well-being of members of the community.

He further said his administration is an all-inclusive one, as such, will continue to ensure that it carries along every member of the community in the interest of development of the area.

Farther from the masses tial Villa, if their opinions have been sought, would have thought that the measures in place before were adequate enough, especially with the successes being recorded against the terrorists, Boko Haram in the Northeast.

More so, President Gooduck Jonathan has severally reiterated that the sect will soon be defeated.

There is definitely a disconnect between the reasons behind the installation of the new gadgets and the President’s seeming desire to mix up with the masses just like he did on Saturday, March 7 during walking and jogging exercise at the Eagles Square.

At the Eagles Square, the President did not only want to shake hands with all the youth scrambling and falling over one another to touch him, but if given the chance, he would have hugged everyone at the rally.

The gentleman, who spoke on behalf of the people with special abilities at the physical training exercise at the Eagles Square, was full of gratitude to President Jonathan for being the first President that brought disabled Nigerians in large numbers to the seat of government.

The President should go beyond this and do everything to make the

From the Villa

By Augustine Ehikioya Presidential Villa accessible to more Nigerians. To eliminate the gap, a good starting point will be the creation of a Presidential Park accessible to pre-screened Nigerians.

Last lap With 11 days to the commencement of the March 28 Presidential and April 11 Governorship and other elections, President Goodluck Jonathan has started the final round of campaigns towards the polls.

Campaigns by political parties and their candidates, to a large extent, slowed down following the shifting of the elections from February 14 and 28 to the new dates by the Independent National Electoral

Commission (INEC), which cited inability of the military to guarantee security for the elections.

Before the postponement of the elections, President Jonathan has taken his campaign tours to almost all the states in the federation except Yobe State and the Federal Capital Territory, where the final campaign was scheduled to hold.

As he has consistently maintained that May 29 handover date is sacrosanct, it is hoped that no reason would be played up again to necessitate any further shift in the election dates. Many individuals and groups have already warned of dire consequences of any further

postponement.

The political parties and their candidates did not completely lie low following the announcement postponement of the elections.

President Jonathan has used the period to personally meet with some stakeholders he believed can sway more votes for him in some geo-political zones.

He visited Lagos State and some other states in the Southwest where he met with traditional rulers and royal fathers.

With 11 days to the elections, the President is also concentrating on some states in the north, including Kaduna and Adamawa, where he was billed to meet Emirs and other traditional rulers to shore up support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has also hit the roads to seek support of the women for her husband and the PDP. It is hoped that the polity will not be over-heated again as the dates of the elections come close as witnessed before the shift in dates.

The President must ensure that the May 29 handover date is really sacrosanct as Nigerians are anxiously waiting to put the elections behind them.

Council chief donates relief materials to herdsmen From Gbenga Omokhunu

Hon. Tete reiterated the determination of the council to continue to give priority attention to the welfare of the people, in order to improve the living standard of the people, pointing out that the items donated were to help in alleviating the conditions and improve the lives of the Fulani herdsmen whose houses were gutted by fire.

Recall that the Village Head, Chief Yahaya Musa, who was trying to tidy his farmland, had set fire on his farm when the fire spread and burnt down all the Fulani huts rendering them homeless.

Musa, who said the act was not deliberate, expressed gratitude to the council chief for coming to their aid

The council is determined to continue to prioritise the welfare of the people in order to improve their welfare.

The items donated were to help in alleviating the conditions of the Fulani herdsmen whose houses were gutted by fire

during their trying period, advising the Fulani community to continue to live in peace with other communities as one family.

Speaking on behalf of the Fulani,

the Chief of Fulani in Kuje, Umar Ishiaka thanked the council chief for extending the gesture to his people.

He pledged his readiness to support the council in its development strides.

Some of the items donated to the affected Fulani herdsmen included bags of rice, clothes, bags of salt, bags of maize, cartons of maggi and mattresses.

Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Yinka Sanni (middle) with students of Government Secondary School, Apo Resettlement. With them are (from top left),Programme Officer, Junior Achievement of Nigeria, Mr. John Ede, Senior Mistress, Administration, GSS, Apo, Mrs Ngozi Okoye and Principal, GSS, Apo, Mrs. Fatima Muhammad during PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE the commemoration of World Financial Literacy Day in Abuja.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

37

LAW & SOCIETY The remains of a former Chief Judge of the defunct Bendel State, Justice Josiah Ajasa Poutinkumo Oki have been buried. A valedictory court session was held in his honour, reports JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU.

Farewell to an upright Judge L

AST Friday would remain memorable in the annals of the country’s legal history. It was when lawyers, professional colleagues, relatives, friends and well wishers from Edo and Delta States, and beyond, converged on the premises of Court 1 of Edo State High Court to pay their last respect to one of the greatest legal minds in Nigeria, the late Justice Josiah Ajasa Poutinkumo Oki. It was at a valedictory Court Session.

The late Oki was a former Chief Judge of the defunct Bendel State.

It was, indeed, a rain of eulogies and encomiums as speaker after speaker extolled the sterling qualities of the late jurist and legal icon, who died on March 13.

He was 89.

Edo State Chief Judge, Justice C.O.Idahosa, in her tribute said: “Today, Edo State and Delta State Judiciary mourn the exit of the former Chief Judge of Bendel State, His Lordship, Justice J.A.P. Oki, a quintessential jurist, who expanded the frontiers of liberty and justice.

“Even as we mourn, we celebrate the fulfilled life, which His Lordship lived, being favoured by God to have attained the age of 89 years and the privilege of being the father of six loving children and grand father of 14 beautiful grand children. A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”

She continued: “For the great legal icon in whose honour we are here gathered, he imbibed and exhibited the principles of truth and truthfulness, justness and justice, firmness and fairness. Indeed, His Lordship’s contributions to the development of law and the sustenance of a viable judiciary in the defunct Bendel State in particular, is so immense, the finality of death cannot draw a curtain on his contributions.”

In a chat with The Nation, son of the deceased, Mr. Paul Oki said: “He lived a life that is worthy of emulation. He set many examples, set very high standards for his children, fellow Judges, legal practitioners and indeed, everybody that had one thing or the other to do with him when he was alive.

He had one simple philosophy, which was honesty, integrity, focus, hard work and diligence those timeless values were his values.

“He inculcated them in each of his children, in all the lawyers that appeared before him and everybody, who came in contact with him in all his 89 years on earth.

He was somebody this country was really proud of. He was indeed, a rare gem, not because he was my father, but because of the values he represented.”

Speaking on why he and his two other sibblings embraced the legal profession, Oki said: “Well, we are six children and three of us are lawyers, myself and my two sisters, naturally you cannot grow up in our house and not love the law.

Right from my childhood, I loved the profession, its all about simple things the way my father spoke, his eloquence, the way he read, his patience in listening to people, his carriage and his skill at resolving disputes even within the house, everything about him just inspired us to just be like him and it is the same principle that is driving many of us in life today.

Those values have really propelled

many of us and if ask any us they will tell you the same thing.”

Afriend of the fmily, Mr. Isreal Aye, said: “I got to know Pa Oki through his son, Paul, who is my friend and partner at Sterling Partnerships. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the trees, certainly one thing I can say about him is the truth that he bore. I can see that in Paul and his sisters, who are lawyers. They are indeed, excellent human beings and everyone of them says that it is the result of the upbringing that they had. So, you can see that apart from service to God and humanity, the man also succeeded as a family man. He was an excellent husband and a focused father.”

A senior lawyer, Mr. K. S.OkeayaInneh ( SAN), in his tribute said: “I appeared before Justice Oki several times, he was really a model Judge.”

Talking about the qualities of the late Justice Oki he said he would recommend modern Judges to emulate the late judge. He said: “They should learn how to be painstaking and quick at getting at the points in issue in arriving at justice.”

The late Oki after his training in Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), between 1960-1964, Josiah Oki engaged in private legal practice until his appointment as AgentGeneral of the former Midwestern Region in the UK. During his tenure, he acted in the best interest of the Midwest Region, which was then a young region, having been carved out of the defunct Western Region in 1963.

In 1967, at 42, he was appointed into the Midwestern Regional Executive Council as Commissioner for Works and Transport. In 1968, at he was appointed Chief Registrar of the High Court of Midwestern State. In 1971, he was appointed a High Court Judge.

While serving as a High Court Judge, the late Justice Oki was called upon to serve the Midwest Region now Midwest State, as Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice. It is on record that the late judge was the only Judge to have served the state in that capacity.

In 1985, at age 60, he attained the peak of his career when he was appointed the substantive Chief Judge of Bendel State, a position he occupied until he retired in 1990, having attained the statutory retirement age of 65 .

According to Okeaya-Inneh, during the late Oki’s stint as Chief Judge of the defunct Midwest, he showed dexterity and sense of confidence.

“Yours sincerely appeared before him for the adjudication of both contentious and non-contentious matters. He was a man, who I can simply refer to as ‘a colossus of judicial excellence’, at this time; in that he administered justice according to the law and the justice of any case before him.

“I can confidently describe him also, as a conservative and liberal Judge. This account is apt in that, he decided cases faithfully by following judicial precedence or decisions of superior Courts in similar cases,” Okeaya-Inneh said.

The late judge was an author of a book that discussed Christian faith, spiritual rebirth and life experiences as a Christian, entitled: The Reality of the New Birth.

From left: Mrs. Edith A. Oki, Peretin Oki and Constance Green

From left: Paul Oki, Gerald Oki and Erebi Adeghoye

From left: Secretary NBA Warri, Othadua Okpakpor, Vice-Chairman NBA Warri, Oghenero Okoro and Israel Aye.

• From left: Ima Debalo (SAN), Sir Alfred Eghobiamen (SAN) and K. S. Okeaya-Inneh (SAN)

From left: Mr. O. A Okungbowa representing Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Charles Aajuyah; Chairman NBA Warri Branch, John Aikpokpo-Martins and Chairman NBA Benin Branch, Princess P. I. Iyomon.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

38

LAW & SOCIETY Text of a paper presented by a former Assistant Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Jos branch, now All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong at an interactive session with stakeholders in the justice sector, which held in Jos.

• Lalong (Middle) with some members after the stakeholders’ meeting

‘We’ll create an enabling environment for judges’ Preamble EACE is not the absence of conflict, war or disagreement. It is much more than that.

Peace connotes that in the midst of conflict, or disagreement the established method of resolution is followed.

There can never be peace without justice. Justice sector is key to the actualisation of peace. The recognition that where there is a wrong it can be redressed without discrimination is the beginning of peace. This redress is achievable only through the justice sector.

This is where the judiciary is relevant for the actualisation of this vision. Every one occupies a position to make this vision a possibility. As judicial officials, legal practitioners and Judiciary Staff (JUSUN) we have a fundamental role to play in this regard.

We recognize that the judiciary cannot function to achieve the goals or vision of our party except an enabling environment is created. Such enabling environment cannot be created when the security of life and property of judicial officers and judicial workers cannot be guaranteed. Such enabling environment cannot exist when the conditions of service are not conducive.

P

WHERE WE ARE? Failure of Government to adhere to rule of law.

- The Constitution recognizes that there are three arms of government Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.

Each arm of government is meant to exercise check and balances over the other.

The Executive arm of Government in Plateau State has failed to accord the two other arms of government, its independence or obey the Rule of Law. It has been a total breakdown of the principle and spirit of separation of powers.

For the first time in Plateau State, the Executive acting through the son of the Governor instituted an action against the House of Assembly seeking to prevent the House from carrying out its oversight functions on the SURE-P funds meant for the State. As the suit is still in court and in order not to amount to sub-judice we refrain from making further comment, but that shows the degrading state of Plateau. Where governance has been reduced to family tea party.

Other Examples abound : a) Failure to comply with judgments of the courts: b) Judgment of courts are treated with contempt. c) Monetary judgments are not paid d) Declaratory and injunctive orders are not complied with.

-By Executive fiat, the Government of Gov. Jang repealed Districts and Chiefdoms created by Law. Not even the judgments of the courts challenging the verbal abrogation of the Chiefdoms and Districts have made government reversed its position on the issue.

There are three tiers of government- Federal, State and Local Government. The Plateau State Government at each election year since 2007 has severally passed laws to regulate the conduct of

the elections. The law made provision for parties to file election petitions. The laws also provided for the judgments of the appeal Tribunal to be final.

For the first time in our history as a people, even after the judgments of the appeal Tribunal, the government of Governor Jang had never swore in persons returned as elected by the decisions of the Tribunal voluntarily. Examples areWase, Langtang North and Mikang Local Government Councils which were only inaugurated few months to the end of their tenures.

Embarrassingly, Judges and members of Tribunals and Appeal Tribunals have been sued for performing their judicial acts. Judges were sued by way of originating summons or certiorari only because they ruled against the interst of the government.

Right now, in Langtang North, even after the judgment of the Appeal Tribunal, judges of the Appeal Tribunal have been sued and an Appeal lodged against a decision striking out the suit against them for want of jurisdiction. The Government of Governor Jang has not swore in the Chairman of the Local Government as ordered by the Appeal Tribunal.

More worrisome is the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate removed from office is still functioning as the Chairman, superintending over the funds and affairs of the Council despite the orders of the Appeal Tribunal.

We are worried and the rescue mission of Lalong and Tyoden will ensure that the rule of law is complied with. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has had its own bitter experience. As a professional body we have a duty to ensure that illegality is addressed. Am aware that when the Ministry of Lands and Survey issued a policy for the registration of Lawyers before they can undertake any practice, and when contrary to law the Government by Executive fiat provided a new method of payment of filing fees which had the effect of reducing the time limit for filing as the banks close to customers at 2pm when judicial closing time for filing is 4pm, the members of this profession took steps to address this perceived illegality.

The High court of this State courageously declared the policy of registration of lawyers by the Ministry of Lands and Survey and the policy of filing fees as illegal. An appeal by the State Ministry of Justice has been struck out, yet none of these decisions have been implemented. Lawyers are still being forced to pay and register at the Ministry of Lands and Survey or else you can’t carry out any business there. Lawyers are out through stress to make payments for the filing of their processes before close of work by the banks.

We are also aware that even the judgment of the High Court in 2010 which had declared the tenure of Local Government councils under the Local Government Law to be three years was also disobeyed as the government dissolved the councils before the time of expiration even with the order that government cannot dissolve the councils to set up caretaker committees.

The instances are numerous. Other cases abound

of - lack of infrastructure -dilapidated buildings, court rooms. -Non functional Chambers for judges. -Judges on the Plateau deserve better chambers.

Magistrate and Area Courts are a sorry sight!

What manner of justice can be delivered in such environment?

Human resources Plateau State is understaffed both on the Superior court- High Court, Customary Court of Appeal and Sharia Court of Appeal and the lower courts.

-Judicial officers are overworked.

Ministry of Justice: -Understaffed; -Non-functional Area offices -Underfunded Area offices -Absence of adequate logistics -Training *Judiciary Staff: -Judiciary staff is different from mainstream civil service, the conditions of service and working environment must be different.

-No training for staff for effective service delivery -Lack of conducive working environment -Sheriff/Bailiffs-harassed in the performance of their duty.

Our plans 1 will ensure due regard for the rule of law: Judgments of the courts will be complied with.

Once we exhaust the procedures provided by law, government will comply with the orders of the courts. a) in collaboration with the leadership of the Judiciary make the Judiciary independent subject only to the Constitutional provisions checks and balances b) ensure financial autonomy for the judiciary as prescribed by the Constitution (c) ensure that with financial autonomy the judicial officers operate within a conducive environment byi ) provision of efficient vehicles befitting of the status of judicial officers commensurate with Judicial officers in other jurisdictions; ii ) our judges should not go for meetings or conferences and are hiding their cars iii ) provision of legal or research assistants iv ) make provision for ICT in judicial proceedings. Judges don’t have to take minutes in long hand. This is part of the reason for delay in the administration of justice. No matter how hard working a Judge is, there is a limit to the number of witnesses he can take daily. ICT will be of immense benefit.

The condition of the courtroom in and outside Jos will be upgraded. v) Judicial officers should be able to access proper medicals when necessary. vi ) Magistrates and Area Court Judges will be given proper attention. vii ) allowances- wardrobe and other benefits will be improved vii ) enhance the powers, duties and functions of the Sheriff and Bailiff. viii ) Sheriffs and Bailiffs must be properly kitted and equipped to discharge their duties.

Our action.

Our Government will provide ; (a) Functional and effective office of the Attorney General who should be free to advise government appropriately. (b) Synergy with the Judiciary such that judgments of the Court are brought on first line basis for government attention. (c) adequate renumeration for staff. Law officers on special assignment, such as representation for PLASIEC in election petitions will be duly renumerated as provided by law. The PLASEIC Law recognizes the fact that legal representation should be made for the Commission and provide the payment of honorarium. Am aware that the law officers who participated in the defense of the Commission in the 2009 Local Government Election Petitions were not renumerated even though they had to work beyond normal working hours because of the special proceedings. Our government on rescue mission will ensure that all will be treated justly and with equity.

We shall undertake the issue of appointments in the justice sector with dispatch and promptly.

We shall take advantage of every available opportunity to get our quota or placement. As at today, there is no single Judge from this jurisdiction on the bench of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, or the National Industrial Court, and only one in the Federal High Court. It is not that we don’t have qualified personnel, but internal wrangling have been our bane.

We shall pursue the creation of legal units in the local government councils in the State. The legal units will be manned by legal practitioners. Apart from creating jobs for at least 17 legal Practitioners who will head these units, other legal practitioners will be employed as legal assistant to build the personnel of the units. The units will be responsible for liaison with the State Ministry of Justice, and respective counsel for matters affecting the local councils. This will build capacity for the councils in legal matters.

We shall also provide the legal and institutional framework for Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism in Plateau State. Apart from fast tracking the resolution of disputes, the ADR will afford the Plateau people the opportunity to amicably resolve their disputes. This will also result in the creation of job opportunities in the sector.

We shall ensure that the State Prerogative of Mercy which is a Constitutional responsibility is made effective in addressing the plight of Prisoners.

On this RESCUE MISSION, we shall ensure that the Law as an instrument of social engineering is made a basis for development of the State.

Am not unmindful of the fact that the task is enormous. But as a team we realize that this mission is possible. We must rescue our State from this decay and contempt.

I urge you beyond partisan consideration to join hands with us to make Plateau great again.

We shall not only run, we shall pursue and overtake. Change is possible and the journey to change begins with you. Make that choice. Choose and vote wisely. We stand to be the agents for the actualisation of the change we dream and hope to see. Join us in this journey.

VOTE LALONG and Tyoden, and let’s work together to make this vision a reality.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

39

LEGAL OPINION

Fresh suit on card reader filed

T

HE battle to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from using the electronic card readers during the general elections has shifted to the Federal High Court in Lagos.

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief, Waliu Taiwo, in suit numbered FHC/C/CS/296/15, is seeking an order restraining the commission from using the card readers during the polls.

The plaintiff, who is PDP’s candidate for the Ogun West Senatorial District, claimed that INEC’s guidelines, which stipulate the use of card readers is unconstitutional and should be nullified.

He faulted Section 12 (c) of the guidelines, which states that “in the event that the PVC fails to be read by the Card Reader, the APO (assistant presiding officer)...shall file a report of the incident; inform the voter of the problem and that he/she cannot be accredited; and politely request the voter to leave the polling zone.”

The plaintiff said this is “the first time anywhere in the world where a device such as the Card Reader as proposed to be used by INEC would be used to the effect that it supercedes the content of the register of voters properly compiled by the electoral body.”

He joined the Attorney-General of the Federation Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) as the second defendant.

In a motion on notice filed through his lawyer, Mr Ajibola Oluyede, the plaintiff is seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC or its agents from going on with its proposed plan to use the card readers for the purpose of determining those who can vote.

He also wants an order directing the

By Joseph Jibueze

commission to comply with the Electoral Act 2010 and the 1999 Constitution by relying only on the voters’ register and identifying voters with their voter cards.

Taiwo also wants the court to nullify Sections 7 (a/b), 8, 10, 12 and 13 of the INEC guidelines, which stipulate the use of card readers to determine those eligible to vote.

The plaintiff wants the orders, when made, to subsist pending the hearing and determination of his originating summons.

Among the prayers in the originating summons is “a declaration that (in the light of a community reading of Sections 77 (2), 117 (2), 132 (5) and 178 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, along with Sections 9 (1), 46 (1)(b), 49, 52 (2) of the Electoral Act, 2011), the INEC guidelines, which stipulate the use of electronic card readers for the purpose of determining the entitlement of persons (with voter’s cards whose names are on the register of voters) to exercise their right to vote in the 2015 general elections, are unconstitutional, ultra vires, null, void and a recipe for creating confusion and political instability during or in the aftermath of the general elections.”

In a supporting affidavit, the plaintiff said he believes that for an electronic equipment that has not been tried in “less important elections”, it was a big risk to try it during the general elections as it could “cause disintegration of the country if badly handled...”

The PDP chief said INEC’s recent mock verification exercise “failed in more than 40 per cent of the areas cap-

tured for the exercise.”

“The result of the exercise as reported by many observers showed that the machines are fraught with many challenges and errors ranging from short lifespan of the batteries and inability of the reader to recognise fingerprints of many registered voters even when the machine manages to confirm the voter’s card to be genuine.

“I know that most parts of Nigeria are hinterland with very difficult terrain such that it will be impracticable to find any solution to faulty card readers on election day to enable eligible voters, who reside in such places exercise their franchise,” the plaintiff said.

According to him, disenfranchising eligible voters could result in post-election violence as many would see it as a deliberate ploy to prevent them from voting.

“I know that the powers entrusted on INEC to make regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections are not without limitations and are made subject to the Constitution and the enabling law, which is the Electoral Act. “I know that the provision of the Electoral Law, which prohibits the use of electronic voting machine, is still extant.

“I verily believe that if INEC is not restrained from using the card reader machines to authenticate the voter’s card of persons, who have been validly registered and have their names in the register of voters, many eligible Nigerians will be denied the right to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general elections,” Taiwo said.

The suit was yet to be assigned to a judge as at the time of filing this report.

From left: Mrs. Roli Craig, Olajuwon Mobalaji and Mena Ajakpovi at a valedictory court session in honour of a former Chief Judge of the defunct Bendel State, the late Justice Josiah Ajasa Poutinkumo Oki in Edo State.

Bill to merge Criminal, Penal Codes coming

T

HE Senate is expected to conclude works on the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ) Bill which seeks to unify the procedure for administration of criminal justice and replace the present criminal procedure codes applicable in the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

The Criminal Code currently operates in the Southern party of the country, while the Penal Code is applied to criminal prosecution in the North.

The ACJ Bill is one of the most important justice sector reform Bills pending before the National Assembly.

The Senate, it was learnt commenced clause by clause consideration of the committee report on the Bill last Tuesday. The House of Representatives passed the Bill since 2013 after which the Senate Introduced additional innovative provisions aimed at improving the administration of criminal justice in the country.

The Bill, an initiative of the Panel on Implementation of Justice Reform (PIJR), contains guidelines for sen-

•CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

tencing, bail, arrest protocols, prison decongestion, alternatives to imprisonment and plea bargaining. It also provides for electronic recording of court proceedings as well as establish-

ment of central criminal justice database, witness protection and restorative justice techniques.

PIJR, in a statement yesterday, commended the Senate “for bringing up the ACJ Bill for urgent consideration despite the extremely tight schedule.”

A member of the PIJR, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), who endorsed the statement, said stakeholders of the Criminal Justice Administration including Ministries of Justice, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), development partners, police and other agencies of criminal justice participated in the development of the Bill.

“All are looking forward to its passage by the Senate. The AttorneyGeneral of the Federation has assured on several occasions that he will recommend the Bill for Presidential Assent as soon as it is passed by the National Assembly. All eyes are therefore on the Senate to complete the good work it has already started,” Akinseye-George said.

LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com For comments: 08033054939 (sms only)

Election creates next forbes billionaires

T

HE 2015 general elections is creating new billionaires, particularly in the south-west, if the story that the presidency had shared ‘hard curren cies’, to the Obas and political elites, for the nearly three weeks that it relocated to the zone, is accurate. Hard currencies, because, while some may accept American dollars, others may insist on obtaining British pounds. These are the hard currencies, not the market-buffeted, Naira. But the story is most likely true, considering that Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state, allegedly confirmed this allegation. So in time to come, some of the current beneficiaries, may become the next generation of NigerianForbes billionaires.

I guess Nigerians from other zones, particularly traditional rulers, whose compatriots in the south-west were alleged to be the highest group of beneficiaries from the largesse, would be green with envy. But that is the story of the political economy of Nigeria. Success here is never dependent on mere hard work. In this contest, the south-west obviously has not been the hardest working supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party that produced the presidency, at least in this dispensation; yet they are the greatest beneficiaries of the alleged on-going monetary inducement for votes.

Interestingly, there are no signs that those whose pockets have been stuffed with these ‘hard currencies’, will reciprocate the gesture, with their votes. In fact many commentators have urged the beneficiaries to obtain the money, and go ahead to vote for the party on the surge to win the presidency, the All Progressive Congress (APC). Considering what is commonly referred to as the sophistication of the voters in the zone, there is believe that many would take the money, and go ahead tovote the APC. But try as much as the envious can, to make the presidency take his salesmanshipelsewhere, the state house at the Marina Lagos, brims with political activities, and most likely, foreign currencies.

The other zones, particularly the south-east that has been accused of accepting inducement to support President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, must be wondering why in Nigeria,‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’. Well, maybe that is their lot. Indeed, the Igbos call it, akalaka.So, when accounts are taken, of the political economic-history of Nigeria, the Igbos who have been denigrated, on the basis that they are on the take, for political favours, may have difficulty balancing their account, despite all the accusations.Well, maybe, it is a case of an old wife being taken for granted, in favour of a new love.

In another effort to scurry political favour from the south-west, there is the other story that two eminent sons of the zone, Otunba Ganiyu Adams and Fredrick Fasheun have had their companies added, to the list of those settled to protect the petroleum products pipelines. In the past, these leaders of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) were considered outlaws, just like their Ijaw compatriots, AsariMujahedeen Dokubo, Government Ekpomopolo and the others, nowthe alleged beneficiaries of the pipeline-guards for political-support, contracts. Indeed, many of these ‘former outlaws’, have become so wealthy that sooner than later, they would turn-up as leading NigerianForbes billionaires.

Such is life, particularly the Nigerian. Many have questioned, what would happen to Nigeria, after the on-going Jonathan bazaar. The chances are that the country would be so broke, that they may have to approach the newly created billionaires to bail out the country. This would be the case, regardless of who wins. For if truly Gen. Mohammadu Buhari of the APC has promised not to look back, at who unlawfully got what, between 1999 to 2015; perhaps to tamper the fears of those mortally afraid of the General’s past recovery records; then the beneficiaries are primed to become the famous business men of tomorrow.

Interestingly, the Forbes list does not bother so much about the sources of wealth; well, perhaps except for what it regards as inherited wealth, and those from flagrantpolitical malfeasance. In the Nigerian case, considering that President Jonathan would not dare open his own yash, by way of an indictment for the election-period billionaires, if per chance he gets reelected; and that GMB has allayed any such fears if he wins, those smiling to the bank in the votes-for-cash fever, should be dusting up business proposals,to become the next generation of the wealthy NigerianJet owners.

The Nigerian Jetowners; that enviable group, to gauge the economic performance of Nigerians, according to President Jonathan. On this score, there is some contradictions. While Ndi-anambra, from the south-east, are reputed to own more than 50% of the private jets in the country, none of them is on the Forbes list of billionaires. With Forbes record, it is obvious that their wealth is more like tangerines, compared to the oranges. According to somebody who should know, it is because the south-easterners are secondary beneficiaries of the politically-privileged economies, that creates the Nigerian billionaires. They buy the contract papers, from those entitled to get the contracts directly.

In a nation skewed on entitlements, President Jonathan, a minority from a minorityzone, is surely in dire straits, in his attempt, to gain traction in his re-election bid. That perhaps explains why he is falling back on the national treasury, as alleged. After all, one short comedian, is reputed to have boasted to his detractors, that if he stands on his money, he would be taller than them. So, President Jonathan may be adding the national treasury to his minority status, to gain majority status, in our severely divided nation. Whether that will be enough to bail him out from the invading Buhari Armada,on March 28, when the presidential election is rescheduled, will be seen in a few days, from now.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

LAW REPORT IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OWERRI JUDICIAL DIVISION HOLDEN AT OWERRI ON THURSDAY THE 5TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2015 BEFORE THEIR LORDSHIPS RAPHAEL CHIKWE AGBO, J.C.A. PETER OLABISI IGE, J.C.A. FREDERICK O. OHO, J.C.A. CA/OW/146/2010 (2015) LPELR-24408(CA) BETWEEN: 1. JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC. 2.

GODWIN OBADO

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DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS/ CROSS-RESPONDENTS

AND MRS. PHILOMENA UGO

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LEAD JUDGMENT DELIVERED BY FREDERICK O. OHO, J.C.A.

I

N this Appeal and Cross Appeal, action was commenced at the High Court of Imo State Sitting at Owerri by writ of summons issued at the instance of the Claimant, (who in this Appeal is the Respondent/Cross-Appellant) against the Defendants (who in this Appeal are the Appellants/Cross-Respondents). The Claimant claimed against the Defendants as follows: 1. A Declaration that the 2nd defendant’s negligent driving of the 1st defendant truck with Registration No. XA 493 BWR and fleet No. B 4690 on the 8th December, 2006 which collided with the Plaintiff’s car was unlawful, malicious, reckless and negligent.

2. A Declaration that the 1st defendant is vicariously liable for the reckless, malicious and negligent driving of the aforesaid truck by one Godwin Obado, its employee, servant and/or agent.

3. The sum of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three-Billion) Naira being special, exemplary, and aggravated damages against the 1st defendant.

The case of the Claimant/Respondent for which she testified and called ten (10) witnesses, while the 2nd Defendant/Appellant also testified, and called a witness, is that on the 8-12-2006, along the Okigwe-Owerri Highway at a spot somewhere within Onuimo-Okwelle Road section, a vehicular accident occurred between the Claimant/Respondent’s Nissan Primera Car with Registration no. BJ 810 ENU and the Defendants/Appellants’ articulated truck with Registration no. XA 493 BWR, driven by the Defendant/Appellant’s employee and driver, the 2nd Defendant/Appellant herein. In the meantime, the 2nd Defendant/Appellant who had earlier on been arrested and charged was convicted at the Magistrate Court, Onuimo, Imo State on a two count charge of driving without a driver’s license and for negligent/reckless driving in Charge No. MCO/64C/2007. At some point in time, the Defendants were said to have commenced a 3rd Party-Proceedings against Equity Assurance Plc, their Insurers but that they discontinued the action abruptly, without any reasons disclosed. It is the Claimant/ Respondent’s position that the vehicular crash was as a result of the negligent/reckless driving of the 2nd Defendant/Appellant, employee and driver of the 1st Defendant/Appellant. The Defendants/Appellants on the other hand denied this claim, and insisted that the crash was the fault of the Claimant/Respondent. In a considered judgment the learned trial Judge held

CLAIMANT/RESPONDENT/ CROSS-APPELLANT the Defendants/Appellants liable to the Claimant/Respondent in Negligence, and the sum of N28,516,680.00 (Twenty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Sixteen Thousand and Six Hundred and Eighty) Naira only as special damages for Nigerian treatment and the sum of 108,00.000 Lakh for her Overseas medical treatment. Dissatisfied with the Judgment, the Defendants/Appellants appealed to the Court of Appeal. The Claimant/Respondent on the other hand, dissatisfied with the issue of award of damages only also Cross-Appealed against the decision of the High Court.

Main appeal

Parties filed and exchanged their briefs of argument. In the Defendants/Appellants’ brief of argument the following five (5) issues were distilled for determination, to wit: 1. Whether hearsay evidence can prevail in the face of the existence of clear and direct oral evidence?

2. Whether the trial Judge was right in refusing to uphold or make a finding on the 2nd Appellant’s/Defendant clear and distinctive evidence which successfully dislodged the Respondent’s/Claimant’s plea and reliance on the doctrine of Res Ipsa Loquitor.

3. Whether the trial court was right in relying on un-pleaded and legally inadmissible documents and placing excessive weight on these documents?

4. Whether the trial court was right in placing reliance on Exhibits PP-PP3 and QQ-QQ3 having rejected the medical reference report of the Respondent.

5. Whether the trial court was right in awarding 108,00.00 Lakh to the Respondent when there was no claim for such and any proof of same.

In arguing issue 1, Learned Defendants/ Appellants’ Counsel, contended that the only eyewitness to the accident was the 2nd Defendant/Appellant who gave a vivid account of what led to the accident. Learned Defendants/Appellants’ Counsel expressed shock and disbelief at the fact that the High Court did not prefer the direct positive evidence of the 2nd Defendant/Appellant to that of a third party, one Police Constable Akaninyene Okon who testified as the PW1. PW1 was the Police Officer who investigated the cause of accident after the collision. In determining this issue, the Court held that the evidence of the PW1, as an Investigating Police Officer about what he personally saw or discovered in the course of his investigation into the cause of

•President, Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa accident is not hearsay evidence and is admissible. The Court noted that at the trial before the lower Court, PW1 gave evidence of the positioning of the Vehicles shortly after the crash and every step he took thereafter which included the production of a sketch map which was freely signed by all the parties and all these are relevant to the case of the Claimant/ Respondent. See the case of BRAWAL SHIPPING NIG. LTD. v. OMETRACO INTERNATIONAL LTD (2011) LPELR- 9258.

On issue 2, Learned Defendants/Appellants Counsel drew the Court’s attention to the fact that the Claimant/Respondent pleaded and relied on the doctrine of Res Ipsa loquitor and as a result of which Exhibits ‘C’ and ‘D’ were tendered in evidence at the lower Court. Learned Counsel posited that where there is direct evidence as to the cause of an accident, as distinctly shown by 2nd Defendant/Appellant in his version of the story, the doctrine of Res Ipsa loquitor will no longer apply. For this Counsel referred the Court to the case of JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. v.

NWAGWU (2006) 12 N.W.L.R (PT.995) 527; (2006) LPELR-8223(CA). The Claimant/ Respondent, in its response, did not deny its plea of the doctrine of Res Ipsa loquitor but was quick to say in reply that although pleaded, the doctrine was never relied upon in establishing its case before the lower Court. On this issue, the Court held having carefully gone through the entire pages of the records of Appeal, it was unable to find anywhere in which the doctrine was either submitted for adjudication or made part of the decision of the lower Court between the parties.

The Defendants/Appellants’ disagreements as borne out by issues 4 and 5 are that the lower court had no reasons to have gone ahead to award the sum of 108,00.00Lakh to the Claimant/Respondent on the strength of Exhibits PP-PP3 and QQ-QQ3. Counsel told court

that these Exhibits are purported receipts presented from one Grant Medical Foundation and Rubys Hall Clinic, Pune, India. Counsel submitted that the Medical Reference Report, which represented the substratum upon which medical evidence were sought to be tendered before the lower Court, were rejected and marked rejected by the lower Court. It was in contention by Counsel in this regard that if the Medical Reference Reports, were admitted and not rejected, they would have provided the necessary background for the reception of any medical evidence provided by the Claimant.

But that by their rejection, the lower Court had no basis for any subsequent award of damages on medical grounds when there was nothing to anchor the Exhibits PP-PP3 and QQ-QQ3, which were not even certified receipts. Learned Counsel referred Court to the case of JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. vs. NWAGWU (Supra) in support of his contention that the lower Court had made an award of the sum of 108,00.000 Lakhs when the purported treatment of the Claimant/Respondent at the Hospital was not supported by any medical certificates. On this the Court held that in cases of personal injuries, Medical Evidence and indeed Medical certificates are never a sine qua non to prove or establish damages even though their presence would serve to enhance the consideration of an award like any other concrete piece of evidence.

The Court further held that what the law recognizes are circumstances when a person put under pain by another can recover damages.

Even in such serious cases as in where death had occurred, the acceptable principle of law is that where the cause of death is obvious Medical Certificate or Medical Evidence as to cause of death ceases to be of any practical necessity. See ENEWOH vs. STATE (1989) 5 N.W.L.R (PT.119) 98; (1990) LPELR-1141(SC). See also the case of AIGUOREGHIAN & ANOR. vs. STATE (2004) LPELR -270 (SC). The Court held that the issue of the possession of, or the production of a Medical Certificate does not come into the picture and it has been held, in the case of C. & C. CONSTRUCTION LTD. vs. OKHAI (2003) 18 N.W.L.R (PT. 851) 79; (2003) LPELR-821(SC), that no Medical evidence can demonstrate pain and suffering beyond seeing a contorted face thereby holding that pain and suffering does not require any medical proof beyond what is obvious in the instance of a person with crushed limb that was amputated.

On the whole, the Court held that the appeal fails and it was accordingly dismissed.

Cross appeal

The Claimant/Respondent, as disclosed in the preceding sections of this Judgment was also dissatisfied with the issue of award of Damages only and for this reason also she Cross-appealed against the decision of the lower Court. In the Claimant/Respondent/Cross-Appellant’s brief of argument nine (9) issues were d istilled for determination, to wit; 1. Whether there is evidence upon which the trial Judge could have made an award on Exhibits RR-RR3.

2. Whether having awarded special damages, the learned trial Judge could in law have proceeded to award general damages for pain, suffering, loss of amenities, loss of expectations and enjoyment of life.

3. Whether there was evidence before the trial Court to warrant an award for future, on-going inevitable medical expenses.

4. Whether Exhibits MM-MM19 having been admitted in evidence without objection the learned trial Judge could rightly reject same in her judgment.

•To be continued next week

APC candidate wants judgment ousting him from state assembly election set aside

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MEMBER of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Lagos Island Constituency 1, Hon. Hakeem Masha has filed a Notice of Appeal against the judgment of Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which declared Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun as the All Progressive Congress(APC) candidate for Lagos Island Constituency 1 in the April 11, House of Assembly elections.

Justice Buba had also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to recognise and substitute Hon. Masha’s name with that of Sanni-Eshinlokun’s for the April 11, House of Assembly elections.

Hon. Mash is urging the court to set aside its judgment delivered last week by Justice Ibrahim Buba, which declared his opponent in the All Progressive Congress (APC), Wasiu Sanni-Eshinlokun the lawful candidate of the party, representing the Lagos Island Constituency 1 for the April 11 election into the Lagos State House of Assembly.

In the notice of appeal filed by his lawyer, Mr. Bonojo Badejo (SAN), Hon. Masha based his appeal on five grounds.

By Adetutu Audu

The appellant is seeking for a stay of execution of the judgment delivered by Justice Buba pending determination of his appeal.

He stated that Justice Ibrahim Buba erred by declaring Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun as the lawful candidate.

He claimed that the judge also ignored all fundamental issues raised by Hon. Hakeem Masha while adjudicating on the matter.

Other ground of his appeal was that the judge erred in law when he assumed jurisdiction to hear originating summons when the first respondent failed to explore or exhaust the internal dispute remedy enshrined in the APC constitution before proceeding to court.

The appellant also faulted the judge on the issue of waiver as the APC National Working Committee or its National Executive Committee had at no time, granted waiver to Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun to participate in the primaries.

He said Sanni-Eshilokun, who was declared

winner by the court did not resign from his position within the stipulated time by the party’s constitution.

It said the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) had, in a response to the petition filed by Hon. Masha, ruled that Sanni-Eshilokun did not resign within the mandatory 30 –day period as required by the party’s Constitution and was not qualified to contest in the primaries elections.

The NWC of the party, it further stated, had then upheld the prayers of the petitioner, Hon. Masha and forwarded his name as the Party’s candidate for Lagos Island Constituency 1 to INEC., •The application for stay of execution of judgment was served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at its National Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, March 6, •The effect of the application was to ensure that INEC does not carry out the order of the court until the application/appeal has been determined by the court., During trial at the court, the plaintiff, through

his lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, sought a declaration of the court that the substitution of his name in the list forwarded to INEC with that of Masha, ran contrary of the provisions of Sections 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the Electoral Act, 2010.

In a 37-paragraph affidavit deposed to in support of the originating suit, Sanni-Eshinlokun had averred that he has not, at any time withdrew his candidacy in the race for the Lagos House of Assembly on the platform of the APC. He insisted that he remains the substantive and the lawfully nominated candidate of the APC. “I state that I am alive, fully fit and in good condition of health.”

But the APC and Masha, through their own lawyers, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr. Bonojo Badejo (SAN), had raised objection to the plaintiff’s prayers.

Falana and Badejo described the suit as “frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of court processes” and urged the court to dismiss same for want of jurisdiction.

They had also contended that the suit was “not initiated by the due process of law.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

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wish to alert the people of Southern Nigeria not to be de‘ We ceived by the PDP and their presidential candidate. The people should not be deceived into voting for the president for a second term because his five years in office has been a failure‘

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11 D AYS TO GO ...11 DA

Oyo SDP candidate to bring govt closer to grassroots

‘Don’t vote by sentiment’ T

HE Southern Nigeria Peoples Mandate has called on Southern Nigerians not to be deceived by sentiment to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the presidential election on March 28.

The President of the group, a socio-political organization, made up of Concerned Southsouth Movement (CSSM), Southwest Business League (SWBL), Southeast Peoples Agenda (SEPA) and Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), Mr Augustine Chibudum, said President Goodluck Jonathan has failed in the past five years, adding that there was no reason for him to be reelected.

Speaking in Calabar, he said, “We wish to alert the people of Southern Nigeria not to be deceived by the PDP and their presidential candidate. The people should not be deceived into voting for the president for a second term because his five years in office has been a failure. Someone that has led a country for five years and failed, there is no guarantee that he will alleviate our problems if given the mandate again. This is a government that under his watch N30 trillion was mismanaged as alleged by former Central Bank governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and the presidency instead of dealing with it and recovering the money and put it back into the Nigerian

We hereby call on our people to reject this government come March 28, 2015. The government is full of fraud. Money is being stolen in trillions, not even billions From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

economy to alleviate the suffering of the masses of this country, he went and defended the government by telling the world that the government for the past years is not up to that amount.

Chibudum added: “Such answer is baseless. This is a leader that says that corruption is not stealing. So what kind of leader is that? What does he have to offer the nation?

Under this administration, we have had the worst political crime, whereby billions of naira is looted in the name of subsidy. As I speak to you today, Nigeria is supposed to have a minimum of eight refineries in this country. We don’t need to import fuel into this country.

“They are stealing our money under the guise of subsidy. In the 2015 budget, from what I heard, about N900 billion was budgeted for subsidy. What are they subsidising while the money can be used to build standard refineries that can refine up six to seven hundred

thousand barrels of crude oil daily?

And this will surpass the amount of PMS and kerosene that is needed for consumption in this country.

“We hereby call on our people to reject this government come March 28, 2015. The government is full of fraud. Money is being stolen in trillions, not even billions.

“Nigerians should also ignore all the falsehood being peddled against the APC presidential candidate in the name of Geneeral Muhamadu Buhari. A personality like that should not be attacked. We want to call on the PDP, more importantly, the PDP presidential spokesman, Fani Kayode, to stop the character assassination and all the falsehood peddled against APC and its candidates. If Nigeria people want change, it is left for the masses.

The group’s leader also objected to the call for the resignation of Prof. Attahiru Jega as the umpire.

He stressed: “On the issue of the INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, I want to call on the people making

T

•Dr. Jonathan

noise about him to stop it with immediate effect. Because Jega has not done anything wrong. The man wants to conduct election, a fair, free and credible election that should be acceptable to international standard. We are issuing this warning that they should stop demanding for his sack. If anything happens to that man we will not let them go free. They should stop the threats. Nigeria does not want war again. We want to live in peace and harmony in this county. We are united and indivisible. So these separatist leaders should stop making this noise.”

Ondo REC: Card Readers won’t disappoint

T

HE Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) yesterday assured Nigerians that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) Card Readers will not disappoint Nigerians at the presidential elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, disclosed this at a stakeholders forum organised by the commission in the Central Senatorial District.

At the event, the Card Readers were successfully test-run in the presence of the stakeholders in attendance.

The REC said there is no going back in using three different colours coding of ballot boxes and papers for the March 28 elections.

Agbaje explained that the three colours have been selected carefully to differentiate the ballot boxes to be used for the presidential, sena-

torial and House of Representatives polls.

He added that the red colour is for the presidential ballot box, black for the Senate, while green colour is for the House of Representatives box.

He noted that wrongful placement of the ballox papers in any of the boxes would be voided adding that voters must be extra-ordinary careful while placing the ballot papers.

“After you might have been accredited to vote, ensure you placed the right ballot paper in the proper box. If you fail to do this, the ballot paper would be counted as void,” he added.

He also disclosed that the commission had distributed over 1.18 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), in Ondo State to registered voters in the state.

Agbaje noted that the figure rep-

The Smart Card Readers that would be deployed for the elections have been tested and I can assured you that there would not be any hancky-pancky during the polls resented 74.8 % of the 1.49 million received from the commission headquarters for the registered voters in the state.

“1, 118, 479 Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, have been distributed

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan HE governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has promised to bring government closer to the grassroots, if elected on Aprill 11.

He made the pledge while addressing residents of various communities in Ido Local Government.

The communities include Apete, Awotan, Akufo, Erin-koja-obe, Ido and Omi-Adio.

Makinde also pledged to organize local government election within six months of his administration as a step towards achieving his plan.

The residents, who trooped out in large number to welcome the governorship hopeful, expressed their support for his ambition.

Some of the community leaders and market women said Makinde has demonstrated his love, kindness and human feeling to them, pointing out that he is fit to lead the state.

A market woman, Alhaja Ajoke Ibirogba, said: “We are only sure that, with him as the next occupier of Agodi Government House, a new lease of life will be our portion. For somebody to be so caring, using his personal money to address the welfare needs of the people the way he has been doing, his government will be very soothing.”

Makinde also assured the people that the land resource with which the council is endowed would become a great asset because of the agriculture programme of his administration.

“You can all be rest assured of life in abundance by the grace of God, “ he said.

The SDP governorship candidate urged the residents to use opportunity if the remaining days to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to enable them choose the right leaders at the polls.

as at Friday last week which represented 74.8 per cent out of 1, 494,169? cards sent to the state.

“At least, about 375,690 PVC were yet to be collected at the commission’s office across the 18 local government areas of the state”, he said.

Agbaje reiterated that the smartcard reader machines, SRM, device would be deployed for the general elections adding that the device have been test run and would work efficiently to even detect any invalid card.

“The Smart Card Readers that would be deployed for the elections have been tested and I can assured you that there would not be any hancky-pancky during the polls.

We shall be free and fair to all”.

The REC, maintained that there is no going back in the use of the PVCs, for the general elections, stressing that it would promote free, fair and credible elections.

•Makinde

‘Buhari ‘ll not support same sex marriage’

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GROUP, the Buhari Volunteer Network, yesterday denied insinuation by the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) that the All Progressive Party presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, will collaborating with western nations to support same sex marriage if elected as President.

The group said General Buhari will not support same sex marriage.

Its National Co-ordinator, Comrade Olayemi Success, who spoke with reporters in Abuja said General Buhari will not revert the existing law on same sex marriage.

The Director, Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaign

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja Organisation, Chief Femi FaniKayode, has alleged that Buhari was considering repealing the antigay laws designed to get the support and endorsement of western governments.

Success said: “General Buhari is a candidate of millions of Nigerian citizens and suffering masses who are demanding for change in the way and manner the country- Nigeria is currently being governed. “ There is no relationship between General Buhari and any western nation concerning gay marriage and such pervasive orientations that are not in conformity with our cultures and values.

•INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega speaking during the special town hall meeting in Abuja. With him is the Director of Voters Registry, Mr Emmanuel Akem…yesterday.

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THE NATION TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2015

President approved the plan to mobilise street ‘The protests against Tinubu on tomorrow in Lagos. The

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protest will be the focus of the social media platforms ...

11 D AYS TO GO ...11 DA

Police ready for elections, says ACP T HE Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Olumide Kayode, has said that the Police are ready for the coming March 28 and April 11 elections.

He urged Nigerians to perform their civic responsibility of voting, assuring that the elections will be free fair and violence free.

Kayode, who represented the Inspector General of Police, spoke at a workshop in Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. It was organised by the Police Asistance Committee (PAC) and Association of Tradesmen/women and Artisans (ATA) of Nigeria.

He urged Lagosians to cooperate with the police in ensuring that the state is secured.

“You can call the police, send message or text them when you have information that will be of use to them. The issue of security in Nigeria is a joint effort of all and security will be possible if we all collaborate and be the eyes of the police,” he said.

The Secretary to the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Falade Lawson, called on the government and security agents to deploy more financial and human capital resources to the management of security.

He said failure of good governance, issue of neglect, poverty and high rate of unemployment are some of the factors responsible for insecurity in our country.

By Olatunde Odebiyi

He said government can also curtail militancy by engaging the service of security experts, especially retired military, police and para-military officers, who live in the communities.

“These ex officers who have various security expertise and experience arising from their previous trainings and exposures while in service are in better positions to educate and re orientate members of their communities on negative impact of terrorism and insurgency,” he said.

NDLEA Comander, Apapa, Mrs Titus-Awogbuyi Joyce who represented the Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, spoke on how taking hard drugs increases crime in Nigeria.

She said, if a drug is taken out of the country, we will have taken care of about 80percent of crime in Nigeria and the police will have fewer jobs to do.

“If drug is taken out of Nigeria, we will have fewer problems in our society because taking drugs increases the chances of the drug addict to cause harm.

She urged people to report such cases to the police. He urged drug

addicts to deviate from such addiction, saying it is dangerous to the health among other dangers attached to it.

Dr John Martins, Director-General, PAC and ATA, said the seminar was organised to share knowledge on how to assist security agencies in the task of ensuring that the coming elections are conducted under free and fair atmosphere with utmost credibility.

He admonished politicians to play the games by the rules during and after elections. He also urged them to cooperate with INEC and the security agencies to ensure that elections are conducted peacefully.

Martins appealed to the electorate to exercise their civil rights by casting their vote for candidates of their choices with peace and less acrimony and also behave themselves within the ambit of the law during the exercise.

He also appealed to security agencies to be above board by not allowing themselves to be unduly used to compromise their integrity as law enforcement agencies.

He advised the electoral commission not compromise its integrity and position by ensuring that free and credible elections are conducted while also ensuring independent election monitors are allowed under a free and conducive atmosphere to monitor the elections.

Jonathan releases N100m naira to social media to fight Tinubu •Sponsored street protests to start tomorrow

•Asiwaju Tinubu

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SIWAJU Bola Tinubu’s media office yesterday raised an alarm that President Goodluck Jonathan met with a select group of social media practitioners and unemployed youths to finalise plans on how to attack the former governor of Lagos State and All Progressives Congress (APC) National leader.

The President approved the plan to mobilise street protests against Tinubu on tomorrow in Lagos. The protest will be the focus of the social media platforms, the office said.

He summarily approved the sum of N100 million naira for the project. “A visibly angry Jonathan complained about the bashing he continues to receive from the social media, blaming the APC social media machine for his negative image.

For the first time, the president is funding directly his social media plan but this one directed at fighting an individual, Tinubu, not to address national issues.

We reliable gathered that Jonathan wanted street protests against Tinubu which can be fed into the social media in a desperate effort to tarnish Tinubu;s image.

Anambra politicians campaign in Churches, Mosques

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•Southwest Coordinator, Buhari/Osinbajo Presidential Campaign, Governor Rauf Aregbesola addressing supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the campaign for presidential/National and House of Assemblies, at IlaseIjesa, Obokun Local Government Area.

HEAD of the March 28 and April 11 general elections, politicians have taken their campaigns to churches and mosques in Anambra State.

Those mostly affected by the latest development are members or candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

At the St. Faith Pro-Cathedral church in Awka last Sunday, one of the PDP candidates who donated 50,000 naira to support the church, campaigned openly at the church.

It had become a ritual every Sunday in some of the churches and mosques.

On why the campaigns had taken such dimension in the state, one of the candidates, who pleaded for anonymity, told the Nation yesterday, said it was to seek God’s intervention.

Fear has gripped contestants because of the quality of opposition.

•Governor Willie Obiano From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

Majority of the seats are being contested by candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressive Congress (APC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

‘Why Jega should not be removed’ A commentator, Ahmed Salami, points out the danger of sacking the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, before the polls.

T

HE most frightening and disturbing controversy since the build-up to the 2015 elections is the agitation for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, before the March 28 presidential poll.

The rumour was like a thunderbolt to stakeholders and international community, who had apprehension that Nigerians may end up in flame, if the polls are not handled in the most cautious way.

The politicians, particularly those from the All Progressives Congress and other concerned citizens, who saw Jega as the best Chief Electoral Officer ever, raged on the top of their voices that such step would spell doom for the country’s electoral process and create constitutional crisis in the polity.

Though, Nigerians took the news

with disdain when it filtered into town. It was taken like one of those fiery tales that could be gotten anywhere during electioneering process in Nigeria.

It is no gainsaying the fact that politicians have turned the country into a huge rumour mill, where all sort of lies were being fabricated.

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi buttressed this position while at the helms of affairs.

But, apprehension began to grow like a cancerous cell, when some notable members of the Peoples Democratic Party began to argue in favour of the sinister intention.

Some was of the opinion that the body languages from these PDP handlers and opinion moulders could be what they discussed in the dark. People began to condemn the plot, even if it was not going to be true in the end.

The reason cited was the constitutional requirement surrounding Jega’s appointment. Some of the proponents of the removal like governor Ayodele Fayose and former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife argued that no one is indispensable in a country like Nigeria, including Jega.

They said his removal makes no news. Fayose even took a step further in his characteristic manner, saying ’’Heaven Will Not Fall If Jega is Removed”.

As much as I agree with the assertion that no one can claim absolutism of knowledge or perceived to be sole dependent upon by a country full of abundant human resources like Nigeria, but it is expedient for us to understand that some are better in certain positions than the others. Just like the coming of the Jesus Christ and Prophet

Mohammed (Saw) Some vacancies could still be hard to fill.

Going by antecedents of the country in terms of woeful conducts of elections, Jega’s vacancy would be difficult to fill. We had had in the past when some Electoral Chiefs were behaving like card –carrying members of a political party. The rapport of the late FEDECO’s head, Chief Ovie Whiskey had with the National Party of Nigeria during the second Republic and the one between the PDP and Prof Maurice Iwu, were few examples in this regard.

Again, Jega could be taken as being indispensable as far as the conduct of the 2015 elections is concerned. We should not allow political expediency to becloud our reasoning to a certain fact that this man started the whole process four years ago. He has introduced smart card readers , Permanent Voter

•Prof. Jega

Cards and other laudable initiatives into electoral system.

Jega leant about these noble and fraud-proof initiatives from other democratically advanced nations and wanted to practice in Nigeria. If the man or the learner is not allowed to carry out the test, who then

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

47

HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

Many women who suffer from endometriosis do not like to talk about it. A fertility expert, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, says such women have nothing to be ashamed of, reports OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA.

Saving women from endometriosis I

T is a condition suffered by women, yet much is not known about endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a painful disorder in which the tissue lining a woman’s uterus (the endometrium) grows outside it (endometrial) implants. It involves the ovaries, bowel or the tissues lining the pelvics. Endometriosis has no cure, for now, and it can lead to infertility in women. This is why Medical Director of the Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, is seeking editors’ help on educating the society about endometriosis.

At a one-day forum with the Guild of Editors at the Eko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island, Lagos, Ajayi said though endometriosis has no cure yet, early diagnosis and management are essential. The media can help create awareness on the condition such that all will understand it like other non-communicable diseases, such as malaria.

He said: “Editors can help spread the message on endometriosis, as one of the most common gynaecological problems. Its diagnosis can be delayed or missed, leaving the problem unrecognised, misdiagnosed. As of today, the prevalence of endometriosis in general population is unknown, and it is mainly found in women of reproductive age and it shrinks at menopause. It is estimated that five to 15 percent of women have some degree of the disease.

“That girl or woman who constantly cries or rolls while menstruating or about to menstruate, given some form of treatment, but with no respite could actually be suffering from endometriosis. We have attended to quite some women with the condition, here in Nigeria.

None was going to be ‘the Face of Endometriosis’, until Chief Nike Osinowo was treated of the condition. Her submission to share her story, the adequate publicity given to the human interest story has really helped to lay bare that the condition exists in the country. It was you, gentlemen of the Press, that took the story to the populace, and now, more women have been attended to, and they are getting on better with their lives.”

Ajayi said the condition could lead to infertility and deny women of children; “for about eight percent of women in assisted reproductive art (ART) programmes have the primary diagnosis of endometriosis and it constitutes the third commonest findings, 15.7 percent at laparascopy. The data is from Review of laparoscopic procedures at Nordica Fertility Centre done by Strathy et all (1982).”

According to him, the predisposing factors are age (25 to 35 years); hereditary, or genetic predisposition (if there is a mother or sister with endometriosis in the family); starting menses early, i.e., less than 12 years; frequent periods less than 28 days or longer, lasting menstrual flows of more than seven days; never had children; slim women and a closed hymen.

But, what is the cause of the deisease? Ajayi said: “The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown.

But other possible causes are retrograde menstruation; metaplasia, i.e., cells of the abdomen change to endometrial cells; surgical trans-

•From left: Tunji and Kehinde and Clinic Manager, Nordica Fertility Centre, Mrs Tola Ajayi at the event.

•From left: Head, Reproductive Health Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Oyeniyi; Dr Ajayi and President, Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Nigeria (SOGON), Dr Brian Adimma.

•Ngozi Eze of Selfaid Integrated Services with Editor, Vanguard Allure, Remi Diagbare.

•Chief Operating Officer (COO), NATAFOD Consultant Hospital, Dr Fola Daniya with wife, Natalia.

plantation can lead to endometriosis; e.g., surgical scar endometriosis, such as cesarean section, episiotomy or even surgeon’s gloves.

Blood streal or lymphatics- brain, lungs or immune failure.’’

When asked how the symptoms of the disease could be identified, Dr Ajayi said: “Endometriosis is largely asymptomatic; the classic triad pain is the commonest complaint, i.e. painful period, lower abdominal pains outside the periods or pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia); pain during defecation (dyschezia) infertility and postmenstrual spotting in about 20 percent.”

He continued: “The simplest way to understand the mechanism of the condition is that bleeding causes inflammation, leading to scar tissues which may block Fallopian tubes; this can interfere with ovulation and fertilisation. Endometriomas (ovarian cysts) also interfere with ovulation and quality of egg; toxins/chemicals are also released by the endometriotic deposits which are toxic to the eggs and embryos, the toxins also affect the lining of the womb and disturb implantation.”

He added: “The good news is that diagnosis and treatment are available. Diagnosis is done through taking of history above; pelvic examination and pelvic ultrasound (transvaginal ultrasound). Laparascopy is the gold standard of diagnosis. It can be used to detect, take biopsy sample and treat.

“Treatment considerations are related to age; severity of symptoms; stage of disease and infertility or fertility desire. No cure yet

endometriosis; IVF appropariate especially when tubal function is compromised, if there is male factor infertility and/or other treatments have failed among other treatments available.

He urged the editors to shed more light on the condition so that women suffering from it could be understood and treatment sought, ‘’just as you did with other diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and Ebola. ‘’We have a support group called Endometriosis Support Group, a Nordica Fertility Clinic initiative. Sufferers must know they are not alone, they can encourage other another and share ideas

•From left: Secretary, Association of General and Private Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Dr Kay Adesola;Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Oyes magazine, Azuh Arinze, and Head, Consultant, MetroMedia Communications Ltd, Mike Nzeagwu at the event.

PHOTOS: OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA.

for the condition but it can be managed; symptoms can be relieved; best chance of cure is removing uterus, tubes and ovaries, a recurrence after this is but possible.

Complications are infertility; chronic pelvic pain that interferes with work and social life; endometriomas/largecysts can rupture and intestinal obstruction from adhesions can take place.

“Our engaging you today on this condition is to ignite hope in women with the condition. That they can get pregnant, some after laparascopic; treatment with intrauterine insemination (IUI) that improves fertility in minimal to mild

on how to cope,” said Dr Ajayi.

Mr Bolaji Tunji, director, Sun Newspapers, who represented the President of Guild of Editors, Mr Femi Adesina, said journalists have always been vibrant in reporting issues, especially that: “which are germane to health and livelihood of citizens. We will continue in that light”.

The Publisher, City People, Mr Seye Kehinde said he, through the “medium at my disposal have carved a niche to reach the high and mighty, low and lonely and we will continue to ensure the condition-Endometriosis remains in the front burner”.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

48

HEALTH

Genetically Modified Organism: Reps okay five years jail for offenders T HE House of Representatives has recomended a five-year jail term or N2.5million fine for those indicted of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) offences.

This is contained in the report establishing the National Bio-safety Management Agency (NBSA), adopted by the lawmakers.

If enacted into law, the agency would be empowered to provide a regulatory framework, an institutional and administrative mechanism for safety measures in the application of modern biotechnology in Nigeria to prevent any adverse effect on human health, animals, plants and environment.

The proposed agency is empowered to prosecute individuals, in-

•Bill

passes Third Reading

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

stitutions or bodies that import, export, transit or otherwise carry out the activity of contained use or commercial release of any GMO without prior approval.

Indicted corporate organisations are expected to pay a fine of N5million; a director of such organisation shall be liable to N2.5million fine or five years’ imprisonment or both.

Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (Peoples Democratic Party (PDP, Abia),

who presented the report for consideration, said the agency could propel the country into the next level in Gmo, considering its peculiarities.

According to the provisions of the bill, the agency shall be responsible for the effective management of all components of the nation’s bio-safe; establish and strengthen the institutional arrangement on Biosafety matters in Nigeria as well as safeguard human health and the environment from any potential, adverse effect of genetically modified organism,

including food safety.

Besides, ensuring safety in the use of modern biotechnology would be a primary duty of the agency, in addition to providing an approach to the regulation of modified organisms.

It will also provide measures for the case by case assessment of genetically modified organisms and management of risk in order to ensure safety in the use of genetically modified organisms to human health and the environment.

Also, the agency shall provide measures for the effective public participation, awareness and access to information in the use and

application of modern biotechnology and GMO. This is in addition to ensuring that the use of the genetically modified organisms does not have adverse impact on socioeconomic and cultural interest either at the community or national level.

The bill also provides that the agency shall propose, for the approval of the board, the overall policy guidance on issues of biosafety in Nigeria and implement the provisions of the conventions and the protocols on matters relating to genetically modified organisms.

The Bill has passed third reading in the House.

Last week, the Senate adopted its report for the establishment of the agency.

Assist nurses in private practice, govt urged

T

•This is the statue of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba. Does the condition of the statue signify the state of the 53-year-old hospital once known for its excellence?

PHOTO: OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA.

Firm to eliminate tooth decay by 2026

C

OLGATE Palmolive has said it will eradicate tooth decay in Nigeria by 2026.

According to its Marketing Director, Hannah Oyebanjo, the firm will ensure that children born before then are free from the disease.

She spoke at the inauguration of Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection (MCP) plus sugar acid neutraliser (SAN) in Lagos.

Tooth decay she said, affects more than 90 per cent of the population in Nigeria, and as such demands attention.

Besides, it is the biggest pandemic affecting five billion people across the world.

Her company, she said, has been collaborating with some international organisations, such as the Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF), to promote oral health.

“We have also collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) and some universities on oral hygiene,” she said.

She said the product is a neutraliser of acids, which can weakened the disease before it harms the teeth.

“It also strengthens enamel with fluoride and calcium to prevent cavities from forming. The product decreases early decay by half and reduces new cavity formation by 20 per cent,” she said.

Oyebanjo said it was specifically formulated to offer a new standard of care in preventing cavities, adding: “Sugar acid neutraliser technology actually works biologically by targeting the primary cause of caries, the plaque bio-film, to reduce the effects of acids produced from sugars before they can harm the teeth. Specifically, it promotes the beneficial activity of

By Wale Adepoju

arginolytic bacteria that converts arginine into ammonia to directly neutralise the “sugar acids” in plaque, creating a healthier environment for the teeth.”

Its Professional Manager, East and West Africa (EWA), Cheslin Twigg, said sugar acids in plaques are the main cause of cavities because sugar is found in almost everything that people eat and drink.

“The teeth face sugar challenge daily,” he said.

Twigg said arginine technology is four times better than fluoride toothpaste. “It helps to repair the weakness in the tooth and puts the pH at a normal level,” he said.

According to him, bacteria plus food produce acid, and as such, the products work on both because they produce tooth decay.

He said the product is a result of years of research and technological breakthrough, adding that it was formulated to reduce and prevent cavities by strengthening teeth and decreasing de-mineralisation by acids.

The technology, he said, works to create a healthy environment for the teeth by increasing the plaque pH and further preventing demineralisation and promoting remineralisation of the teeth.

Twigg said the product was designed to help arrest and reverse the caries process by decreasing demineralisation and increasing remineralisation much more effectively than fluoride alone and it results in less cavitation than fluoride alone.

He said: “It tackles the cause of caries by targeting acid produced from sugars by bacteria in plaque, in addition to providing the con-

ventional benefits of fluoride.” In contrast, traditional cavity treatments based upon fluoride alone focus solely on treating the symptoms of caries by strengthening the teeth.”

“The toothpaste is a breakthrough in the treatment and prevention of cavities. With regular twice daily use, the formula works to neutralise harmful acids that are formed by bacteria from sugar, to reduce early caries while also strengthening and restoring enamel to help prevent cavity formation.

HE Federal and state governments have been urged to offer interest-free loans to nurses in private practice.

This, according the Chairman, Association of General Private Nursing Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPNPN), Lagos State branch, Mr Olusola Oyebode, will promote the profession and strengthen the sector.

Over 60 per cent of nursing care, he said, is provided by nurses in the private sector, adding that government assistance to the sector in getting more equipment will discourage people from medical tourism.

Oyebode said the shortage of nurses was due to the high cost of training, stressing: “It is like training other medical personnel. To establish a school of nursing, people need to have basic tools for training them.”

The AGPNPN Lagos chair said nurses could shift some of their tasks to other less-qualified health workers to concentrate on core nursing care.

Besides, task shifting is a common occurrence in advanced countries because of high demand for nurses.

He said there were many areas in nursing, which could only be handled by professionals. She listed pre and post operative care, such as medical, surgical and maternal care as well as neonatal and paediatrics care as some of them.

He said task shifting is a necessity because of inadequate workforce, stressing that the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards is that one nurse should take care of four patients.

By Wale Adepoju

“Nurses can shift some of their tasks when they have other jobs, which can prevent them from having time to do core nursing care.

So, they assign the tasks, which need no technicalities to less qualified health workers.

“For example, nurses cannot delegate post-operative cases. But can instruct other health workers to remove or clean catheter, which is simpler and needs no technicalities.

Then they can focus on the core patients’ management,” Oyebode said.

He said there was the challenge of quackery due to involvement of non-professionals moving into core nursing care.

He berated some professionals, who are trying to dictate the pace of nursing, describing this as ‘unacceptable’. “This is wrong as every profession has its limitations,” he said.

The solution, he said, is for people to start doing the right thing.

Moreover, there should respect for other professionals because everybody cannot be doctors or nurses.

He said the patient, which is the end user, will benefit more if there is harmony.

The level of private nursing care, Oyebode said, is satisfying because it knows its limitation, adding: “There is a standards and monitoring committee in place. So, they all know when and where to refer patients to.

“They all have to operate within the confines of the law. This has brought private nursing to the standard that is respected.”

Nigerian pathologist elected president of AMAGE

A

NIGERIAN pathologist, Professor Olusegun Ojo, has been elected President of the Africa-Middle East Association of Gastroenterology (AMAGE) at the association’s seventh Congress, which took place in Cairo.

AMAGE is one of the four regional bodies that constitute the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO), the global body of researchers-doctors who specialise in the investigation and treatment of diseases of the digestive tract and the liver. AMAGE is a conglomerate of National Associations of Gastroenterologists in Africa and the Middle East.

Ojo teaches at the Obafemi Awolowo University and Consultant Pathologist at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, both at Ile-Ife. Until last year, Ojo was the president of the Society of Gasroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN).

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

The sixth AMAGE International Conference/Congress was hosted by SOGHIN in Tinapa, Calabar in November 2012. In his new role, Ojo will oversee the

activities of the regional body and work in conjunction with the WGO in elevating the standards of gastroenterology practice as well as see to the training of more experts in the field in Africa and the Middle East.

•From left: Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Elijah Mohammed; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alfa Pharmacy Ltd, Ikeja, Ike Onyechi and Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Prof Olukemi Odukoya during the induction/oath taking by the 2013/2014 set held at the Main Auditorium, Akoka, Lagos.

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

49

THE NATION

BUSINESS MARITIME

e-mail: maritime@thenationonlineng.net

Importers abandon N1b containers, vehicles at port O VER 120 containers and 96 vehicles worth over N1 billion have been abandoned at Tin-Can Island Port and other bonded terminals in Lagos, following the importers’ inability to clear them, it emerged last weekend.

Source said the importers are finding it difficult to get loans to fund their business.

The devaluation of the naira is also said to be affecting their operations.

A source said the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) is not making things easy for the importers by not getting terminal operators and shipping firms to reduce their charges.

The Vice Chairman, Association,

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda MaritimeCorrespondent

Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tin Can Chapter, Mrs Ada Akpunonu, said importers abandoned their goods for two main reasons: • the ports are the most expensive in West Africa; and • the unstable exchange rate.

Banks, she said, have stopped lending to importers because of the fall of the naira and the increase in the prices of goods.

“There is no doubt that activities at the ports have reduced because of the exchange rate.. The terminal operators and the shipping companies are also not helping matters. Our port is the most expensive in the sub-region. Most im-

porters are not making profit and that is why they have decided to abandon their goods at the ports. ‘’At the Tin-Can port where I am the Vice Chairman, congestion has started to build-up. The Shippers’ Council has to something ditto the Federal Government. Many goods are trapped at the port; there is bound to be congestion, most of the importers borrowed money from the banks; before they collect their Bill of Lading, they must make the payment, but what is happening now is that, with the exchange rate, they are finding it difficult to get the balance and pay back to collect the papers and clear their cargoes.

“Many importers with Bill of Lading are also finding it difficult to

pay Customs duties because of the value of the naira and that is why goods worth billion of naira are trapped at the ports.

“As it is now, there is no cargo that does not go into demurrage in Nigeria because the shipping companies start collecting money immediately the cargo arrives at the port.” she said.

She said importers pay N199 as official rate to a dollar for Customs’ transactions.

A Customs officer, who pleaded anonymity, said many goods were trapped at the ports because of the new exchange rate and the fast-approaching general election.

He said: “We are aware that many importers are finding it difficult to pay their duties, but there is nothing we can do because that is the revenue we are asked to collect by the government. Once an importer brings an item into our port, he must pay the necessary duty unless he or she was given waiver before the importation commences.

“Except he pays the amount required by law, the only alternative opened to him is to abandon the goods. And that is why we are having so many containers, trucks and vehicles in the ports that have not been cleared by the importers. But my advice to them is to look for money, pay the duty and move their

vehicles out of the ports before they become over-time cargo and confiscated by the government.

“Some of the importers abandoned their goods because they believe that after the election the value of the naira will go up, but they have forgotten that the price of oil has gone down at the international market, which is affecting the value of the naira and prices of goods imported into the country,” the officer said.

An importer, who pleaded for anonymity, said he took a loan to import some of the items that are trapped at the port.

“The majority of us in the importation business take loans from the banks to remain in the trade. Once there is a delay in bringing the goods out of the port, our investment would suffer and we would not be able to pay staff salary talk less of employing new ones.

“Don’t forget that before we can move the goods out of the port now or later, we pay a lot of money to the shipping company, the terminal operators and the truck drivers.

“The delay we are facing was caused by the government policy to devalue the naira and not calling the terminal operators and shipping companies to order,” he said.

Pay more attention to maritime, agents urge govt

T

•Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi (right), assisted by DCG Musa Tahir, decorating a newly promoted officer Musa Yusuf with the service gold medal for his gallantry in Abuja.

Terminal operators face hard times after naira devaluation

S

EAPORT Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) members are facing hard times, following the devaluation of the naira.

Their Chairman, Princess Vicky Haastrup, said at these is a lull in business because of the high exchange rate of the dollar to the naira. The exchange rate, she said, has shot Terminal Handling Charges (THC) up by 58 per cent, urging the government to address the problem.

She said businesses have been affected by reduction in cargo volume at the port since the beginning of the year, adding that some policies of government on importation have contributed to the low volume of cargo handled at the port.

“Most of our commitments are in dollars whereas, we charge in naira but due to the devaluation of the naira, you’ll see that what we charge today is effectively 42 per cent of its value in 2006 when you convert same to a dollar. This is necessary for us because we, as terminal operators, now need more naira to fulfill our dollar commitments.

“It might be recalled that in 2006, $1 exchanged for about N130, but today it is more than N220 to a dollar, which implies a significant decline of about 65 per cent in the value of the national currency since port concession,” she said.

“Vessel call dropped by half in the first month of this year. Volume

also dropped significantly by an average of 27 per cent across the various terminals. Some terminals suffered more drop in volume than that rate,” she said.

The STOAN chair said that only 29 vessels were declared for the Lagos Pilotage District (LPD) between the last week of February and the first week of this month.

“This number includes tankers, container vessels, general cargo vessels and all. It is very unusual.

Ordinarily, about 60 vessels would be declared within the same period,” she said.

“For instance, due to the autopolicy, the number of cars/vans discharged in Lagos dropped from 27,000 units in January, last year, to 8,000 units in January, this year.

“It must be noted though that in the first half of 2014, the volume of vehicles imported was extremely high in anticipation of the introduction of the new duty regime on vehicles. Average number of cars/ vans for previous years was in the range of 20,000 units per month.

We are talking of more than 60 per cent drop in volume here.

“For trucks, the volume dropped from 2,700 units in January 2014 to 1,700 units in 2015. The number of trucks discharged in 2014 was in line with the figures of previous years.

“But in Cotonou port, the total number of cars/vans discharged in January 2015 was 30,000 units

against 20,000 units discharged in January 2014. This represents a 50 per cent growth. Similar trends have been registered also for trucks.

“This means Cotonou is gaining from Nigeria’s loss due to the auto policy as more importers are discharging there to avoid paying the 70 per cent duty and levy in Nigeria.

These vehicles will eventually find their way into the Nigerian market,” she said.

Haastrup said the same fate had befallen general cargo terminal operators, especially those handling rice and fish.

“Terminal operators generally are facing a tough time here. This certainly is not the best of time for our operations.

“Notwithstanding these challenges though, our members remain committed to deepening reforms at the ports. We have achieved tremendous success in the ports and at our various terminals with well over USD1billion invested collectively by terminal operators and this has resulted in a more efficient port operation. We will continue with the success story.

“The congestion and vessel queue which we successfully eliminated upon takeover in 2006; upgrading of port facilities and the continuous transformation of our ports in line with the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan are major milestones in the history of the seaports,” she said.

HE Federal Government has been urged to pay more at tention to the maritime sector to boost the economy.

The President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, said the government should ensure that more facilities were put in place at the ports to improve revenue generation.

He said the access roads to Onne Port should be rehabilitated because it is a major revenue earner.

“There is the need to enhance the welfare of the goose that lays the golden eggs. There should be efforts to do intervention in the maritime sector like in the aviation,’’ he said.

The ANLCA chief said the Cabotage Fund would have been used to improve inland water transportation if it had been disbursed by Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). He said the fund would have enabled indigenous shipping firms to key into shipping business while waiting for products to be able to buy ocean going vessels.

Shittu appealed to the government to carry stakeholders along while formulating policies that affect them.

“The government’s policy on used vehicles will have adverse effects on the economy if not properly handled.

“We need to let the government know how many of our members will lose their jobs and how smuggling will increase if nothing is done on the policy,’’ he said.

Shittu said 90 per cent of the imports of the terminals built for Roll- on-Roll-Out (RORO) were for used vehicles.

He said since the price of imported vehicles had risen by 100 per cent, people would have no choice than to smuggle in vehicles.

This, he said, would affect revenue generation by the ports, especially the Tin Can Port, Lagos where touts and ‘port rats’ are disturbing people.

Shittu said many unwanted persons enter the port daily despite the recent efforts by Customs.

He said the call became necessary because the sector was seen as the second largest source of revenue for the country after the oil and gas industry.

Besides, he said multinationals and others pay taxes or duties and import charges to the government.

He said poor facilities, sea piracy and insecurity could scare away investors and hamper ports operations, adding that importers and clearing agents also suffer the same fate.

According to Shittu, huge traffic on ports road and insecurity are some of the major problems the government must address if it intends to sustain investment growth in the sector.

“The high level of insecurity in the nation’s seaports has become so widespread that every importer must have at one time or the other experienced losses arising from theft within or on the roads that lead to the ports. As a Nigerian, I think it is not too much to ask the government to secure our ports,” he added.

In another development, maritime lawyers have urged the government to adopt policies to promote the sector.

Speaking with reporters in Lagos, the lawyers said the dearth of human and material capacities in the sector is worrisome.

They called on government agencies at the ports to complement stakeholders’efforts in capacitybuilding, noting that businesses blink first in the event of any government’s policy breakdown.

A maritime lawyer and consultant, Mr. Frank Simpson, said the dream of the youth, who seek employment, could only be realised through job creation via the sector and human capacity building.

He said the country could be the number one maritime nation in Africa, if human capacity building was taken seriously.

50

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

THE NATION

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

BUSINESS PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

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

property@thenationonlineng.net muyiwalucas2002@yahoo.com

• CHOIS Garden Estate in Abijo, Lagos.

Lagos kicks off lease-to-own housing estate T

HE affordable home ownership partnership between the Lagos State Government and the First World Communities - a firm of real estate and new town developers - has taken off.

Last week, Governor Babatunde Fashola unveiled the first phase of the initiative that will deliver 10, 000 housing units in the three senatorial districts of the state. The initiative is targetted at partly addressing the housing gap in the state.

The deal, which comes under the aegis of the Lagos Cooperative Home Ownership Incentive Scheme Limited Partnership (Lagos CHOIS LP), is for low and medium income earners. It is to be built in safe and attractive communities.

The CHOIS Garden Estate is sited in a gated community within the Abijo Government Reserved Area on the Ajah/ Epe axis. It represents an emerging model of a sub-urban community developed as a ‘site and services scheme’ through the state’s New Towns Development Authority.

The estate comprises 324 housing units of two- and three-bedroom apartments on two and three floors, three-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, four-bedroom semi-detached duplexes and three-

•Firm delivers 324 units in Abijo Phase 1 Stories by Muyiwa Lucas

bedroom private access masionettes of four in a block.

The Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje, said the initiative , which took off in 2010, became necessary because of the realisation that most middle and low income households in the state find accessing mortgages to buy or build their homes difficult due to some factors.

Under CHOIS, householders that are unable to afford mortgages can have access to a home on Leaseto-own basis. This allows subscribers to occupy the property on a lease, with the option to purchase it in small incremental steps as their socio-economic status improve.

“With this, we encourage private investors to partner with us. The government cannot build; we are only regulators,” Jeje said.

According to the President, First World Communities Limited, Brig. Gen. Tunde Reis (rtd), only the first and second phases of the

project have been completed, adding that the motivation for the initiative is to make housing delivery systemic, rather than the traditional way that Nigerians have been used to building.

“Lagos has approximately five million housing deficits and there is need to look for an industrialised and systematic way of delivering the houses,” Reis noted.

He listed the previous challenge in housing delivery and ownership as the affordability gap- that is, the difference between the cost of a house and what an intending buyer could afford to pay.

Reis further explained that with the CHOIS initiative, the state government had addressed affordability to a lease-to-own scheme.

The retired Army General said that the scheme is key because rather than a prospective home owner paying in full or depositing 30 per cent of the total cost for a property as done under a traditional mortgage, only 15 per cent deposit is required under the CHOIS scheme, whose prices ranges from N7 to N23 million.

“Then, you pay a monthly lease payment to Lagos CHOIS Limited partnership and on your own you make payment annually when you have additional money to offset the balance and increase your balance towards purchasing it over a period of one to 10 years to complete the payment,” Reis said. For those on the National Housing Fund (NHF), there is also an opportunity to benefit from CHOIS. Fashola, praising the promoters of the scheme, said the partnership had created jobs for some youths, adding that there was a need to replicate more of such partnerships with the private sector.

“We provided land; our private sector partner had the initiative while First City Monument Bank lend money to fund the project because they believed in the model and idea. If you really want to solve the problem of corruption, provide housing and mortgages for people to buy

houses,” he said.

Reis explained that partnership was limited without equity contributions, unlike in limited liability firms where parties have equity contributions in percentages. He was optimistic that the initiative would grow such that at a point rather than seek government funding, the project would be funding government through remittances on property tax; it will also become self-driven, he added.

This is because the initiative was hinged on three important pillars of security, landscaping and affordability.

“We need to create space to make sure the intended people actually benefit from this scheme,” he said.

In all, there are about 25 hectares of land for the project; with about 15 hectares already developed in the first two phases.

“What we are inaugurating is actually two phases of a three-phased development. We have been able to build so far in phases one and two 324 units with an additional 90 units still under construction. In the third phase, we will be developing 400 housing units,” Reis added.

Minister: I‘ve signed over 2,000 Cs of O

N

O fewer than 2, 000 certifi cates of occupancy (Cs of O) have been signed since the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, came on board.

This figure represents a fraction of unsigned Cs of O since 2004, which she inherited.

Mrs. Eyakenyi made this known while inspecting the Abuja Property Development Corporation (APDC) project in Kubwa.

She commended Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria(FMBN) for funding the project which is almost completed, and other projects all over the nation. She thanked the property developer, an arm of the Abuja investment company of FCDA, for a good work done so far.

The 650 units at the site were of one,

two- and three-bedroom apartments, and three-bedroom duplexes, whose prices range from N6 million to N27 million.

Accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of APDC, Bashir Haiba, and the Managing Director of FMBN, Gimba Yau Kumo, the minister urged the bank to support the APDC in introducing social housing in Abuja.

She said the ministry was supporting developers with policies and financing, and that the ministry would ensure that all certificates of occupancy would be signed to enable developers access funds from lenders.

The project has received over N1 billion from FMBN as loan and is expected to be completed soon.

•From left: Mrs Eyakenyi; Chairman, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Elder Bisi Ogunjobi; YauKumo; President, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Rev.Ugochukwu Chime, and CEO, Jedo Investment, Alhaji Aliyu Wammakko, at the inauguration of Jedo Estate, Abuja.

51

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS ENERGY

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

NIPP plants buy gas at subsidised rate, says DPR

T

HE Federal Government sells gas to the 10 power plants built under the National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Nigeria (NDPHC) at the subsidised rate of $1.8 per 1000 standard cubic feet (scf) as against the fixed price of $2.5, it has been learnt.

The Deputy Director, Gas Monitoring and Regulation, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Antigha Ekaluo, told The Nation that the government mandated gas suppliers to sell to NIPP plants at that rate.

Antigha, who spoke on the sideline of a stakeholders’conference, with the theme: “Implementation of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code (NGTNC)”, in Lagos, said the plants were buying gas

By Akinola Ajibade

from the international oil companies (IOCs) and the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC).

The plants have the capacity to provide a combined 5,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid. The plants include: Geregu, Calabar,Egbema, Ihovbor and Gbarain.

Others are Sapele, Omoku, Alaoji, Omotosho and Olorunsogo.

Antigha said the plants were built and put in the charge of the NDPHC. According to him, the decision by gas suppliers to sell the product to the power firms at that rate was influenced by the forces of demand and supply.

He said: “The Federal Government pegged the price of natural gas at $2.5 per 1,000 cubic feet per day for power firms, but the price of gas

Abuja power station, refinery delayed by funds, others

L

ACK of support from banks, bureaucratic bottlenecks, infrastructural deficit in the host communities, among others, are responsible for the slow pace of work at the proposed power station and modular refineries in Abaji, the Federal Capital Territory, the Managing Director, Jehata Nigeria Limited (owners of Abuja Power Station in Abaji), Jameel Jammal, has said.

He told The Nation that the resolve of the company to build the power station and the refineries was borne out of the desire to improve the energy needs of Nigerians, adding that funds have hindered the project.

He said local banks have refused to show interest in the project by not lending to the company. “One of the problems facing the project is funds.

Banks are not ready to make funds available for the project. Besides, they are not ready to assist by way of standing for the company as guarantor. When you are bringing foreign investments into the country, you need a local bank to stand for you to guarantee the foreign loans you are going to use for the project.

But, this was not forthcoming,” he said.

He said the company is awaiting the government to approve the land for the project. “We have been waiting for approval of the land by the management of the Federal Capital Territory. We want the Minister of

By Akinola Ajibade

Federal Capital Territory to intervene to get the land. We are not asking for the land for free. The communities in which the land is located are cooperating with us. They have welcomed us. But getting approval is a problem. Besides, there are no basic amenities in the area. Anytime there is a rain, the inhabitants of the area cannot come out because of environmental damages from flood.

They are happy that we are coming to build a new town for them. A town that would boast of electricity, water, and gas, among others.”

Jammel said the modular refineries will refine 25,000 barrels of crude oil per day, adding that the refineries will have five different lines of production. “There would be kerosene, Premium Motor Spirit premium motor spirit (PMS), AGO (diesel), jet fuel, and gas section. It will be a big project covering expanse of land. The stage we are is getting the land. We are just buying time on this issue. We believe that there would be a change in the FCT administration; we believe that the new administration when it comes would help us. We have gone to the Presidential Task Force on Power to lay our complaints. Till now, no positive response, the whole project is being frustrated,” he added.

We’re committed to building capacity in oil, gas, says bank

A

CCESS Bank Plc is suporting the Oil and Gas Conference in Abuja, which will end on Thursday.

Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking Division, Access Bank, Elias Igbinakenzua, said the bank was delighted to be a part of the conference, adding that its involvement in the sector was in line with the commitment to contribute to the economic growth of the country.

“Our support for the oil and gas industry remains strong.

This further demonstrates our commitment to increase the capability of corporate customers as we continue to put them first in the heart of our business,” he said.

Igbinakenzua said that Access Bank has been a major sponsor of the conference, noting that the bank’s participa-

tion at the event reflects its focus on being a strategic partner to key stakeholders across the industry value chain.

He promised the bank’s continued partnership with and assistance to the oil and gas companies by supporting initiatives that will create business opportunities and investments in Nigeria and the African continent.

He said: “Access Bank has played, and will continue to play a significant role in supporting the growth of the industry by arranging appropriate financing for operators to enable them execute their projects.”

As part of its continued growth strategy, Access Bank is focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations.

The bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible and socially relevant, he added.

to Methanol, fertiliser and other companies is $3 per 1,000 cubic feet.

We have it on good note that many of the NIPPs get gas at $1.8 for production. This marks a cut in the gas price by $.7. The decision to sell gas at a price lower than $2.5 was not from the government.The gas suppliers in their own wisdom decided to sell it at $1.8. This is market forces at play.”

“For methanol, fertiliser and other gas-based industries, they are expected to buy gas at $3 per 1000 cubic feet. The price in actual sense may turn out to be different. This has happened before the introduction of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network Code. We want the same thing to happen as the government begins the implementation of the code. What we are saying is that the forces of demand and supply should be ruling the gas market.

He said the government was providing incentives to gas users, especially those that have lean purses.

Also, the General Manager, Gas, Nigerian National Petroleum Cor-

poration (NNPC), Sam Ndukwe, said the corporation was leading the transformation in the gas sector, especially in marketing and use of gas for domestic purposes.

He said the government was planning more infrastructure to help grow the sector. “Development of investments in gas vis-a-vis, making it readily available for users across the value chain, happens to be my key portfolio. We are trying to have additional infrastructure in the next five years. We are building new pipelines. The Trans Nigeria Gas Pipelines is one of such pipelines,” he said.

He said the issues on use and sale of gas are contained in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), adding that there would be changes to be effected in the sector when the bill is passed into law by the National Assembly.

Ndukwe said: “PIB anticipates growth in the gas sector. With the bill, stakeholders are expecting great transformation in the oil and gas sector. The issue of gas infrastructure and the impact on various aspects of the economy are in the bill.”

Minister of Power Prof Chinedu Nebo

The spokesman of NDPHC, Yakubu Lawal, said gas is the major problem in the industry, adding that the company had completed the building of the power plants.

He said it was not true that the company was delaying the privatisation of the plants by not completing the project. He stressed that the firm had done its own part of the job.

“Everybody knows that gas is the problem in the industry. Gas is a feedstock which the power plants need to produce optimally. The goal of our firm is to build the plant, and not to provide the gas,” he added.

•A Power Plant

Marginal fields operators urged to develop gas offshore in Lagos

M

ARGINAL Fields operators have been advised to develop gas fields offshore in

Lagos.

The Managing Director, Frontier Oil Limited, owner of the Uquo Marginal Field in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13 onshore, in Akwa Ibom State, Thomas Dada, who gave this advice, said gas revolution had started.

He said though it is slow, it would begin to gather momentum soon, noting that there is abundant gas offshore in Lagos.

Quoting statistics, he said about 60 per cent of power generated in the country is consumed in the Lagos, adding that there is the need for the development of gas resources to serve the needs of the people living in the state.

Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, Dada said in the next 10 to 15 years, there would be a major improvement in the way gas is harnessed and used in the country. This, he said, would not only ensure the speedy growth of the country’s economy but would also improve the quality of life of Nigerians

By Ambrose Nnaji

Dada said: “It means that people have to focus on sound business case to develop those gas resources. And in Lagos a consumer can pay higher price than in other places. They should find a way of linking those who have gas to those who want to generate power and be a facilitator of the process.

“If you turn gas into power it means that the factories can produce goods, it means that people can be employed locally to generate wealth and that can only be well for the Nigerian nation. It means a major improvement in the quality of life of every individual in the country. It will have economic benefits as well as better the quality of life.”

He reiterated the urgent need for the government to stop or curb pipeline vandalism in the country.

He noted that Lagos gets its gas from Escravos in Delta State for Egbin Power Station and that there had been increasing capacity, urging the government to look for a way to overcome pipeline vandalism.

“If pipelines were not constantly attacked, gas will be coming from the Delta region to Egbin Power Station, which is the biggest power station in the country, but it is not firing enough turbines because of inadequate gas.

We need to solve the important problem of pipeline vandalism, because it is sabotage and there is no economic sense in attacking a gas pipeline, you cannot do anything with it. So it is pure economic sabotage and the government should take it in that manner and deal with it squarely.”

Dada charged the operators to increase their efforts to bring the fields into production. He said the marginal fields have the potential to contribute to the development of oil and gas industry in the country. “We want more success stories because if the success story goes into the wider world it can only be good for Nigeria as a nation,” he added.

He said Frontier Oil Limited was working towards becoming one of the leading indigenous exploration and production (E&P) firms in the country and a mid-size regional player.

52

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

53

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

54

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 16-03-15

Transcorp Hotels’ profit drops by 26%

T

RANSCORP Hotels Plc yesterday announced its first audited report as a publicly quoted public limited liability company with the hotel and tourism company showing declines in all key performance indices.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that pre-tax profit dropped by 25.8 per cent from N6.12 billion in 2013 to N4.54 billion. Profit after tax also declined from N4.41 billion to N3.22 billion. Turnover had dropped from N15.35 billion in 2013 to N15.11 billion in 2014.

With earnings per share dropping from 81 kobo to 59 kobo, the board of directors of the hotel and tourism company has declared a dividend per share of 37 kobo. This represents a dividend yield of 3.7 per cent against the company’s listing price of N10.

Transcorp Hotels had in January listed a total of 7.6 bil-

•NSE places Union Homes on full suspension

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

lion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N10 per share.

Transcorp Hotels is the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc. It owns and operates Transcorp Hilton Abuja, and also holds 100 per cent interest in Transcorp Hotels Calabar Limited, which owns and operates the Transcorp Hotel in Calabar.

The listing followed the successful completion of Transcorp Hotels’s initial public offering (IPO). It had floated an IPO of 800 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N10 per share. The offer recorded a subscription level of 52.3 per cent. It thus raised N4.2 billion from the October 2014 IPO. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has placed Union Homes Savings

and Loans Plc on full suspension. The full suspension, which started yesterday, will run till Friday, 20 March 2015.

This implies that there would be no trading and movement of share price during the period.

The NSE stated that the full suspension was due to the scheme of reorganisation of capital between Union Homes Savings and Loans and its shareholders.

According to the NSE, the full suspension was in furtherance of a March 10, 2015 directive of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Aso Savings and Loans Plc had in March last year notified the NSE of its intention to acquire Union Homes Savings & Loans Plc. This followed the decision of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc to divest its holdings in the company in line with the Central Bank Nigeria’s new regulatory regime.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 16-03-15

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

55

MONEYLINK

Bonds’ yields to rise on election worries

T

HE yields on Nigerian bonds are expected to rise this week on uncertainty over delayed presidential elections. The bonds yields will rise as the country prepares to hold presidential elections on March 28, while a planned Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting to set rates on March 24 would also unnerve investors, traders added.

The continent’s largest oil producer is facing a faltering economy after global oil prices plunged, weakening the naira.

Nigeria raised N91 billion ($455 million) in bonds last week, with maturities ranging between five-year and 20-year at higher returns across the board. “Trading is expected to be mixed next week but the market would likely stay above the 16 percent resistance level,” one dealer said.

Yields on the 2016 debt closed flat at 16.15 per cent compared with 16.16

Access Bank trains SMEs on financial management

A

Stories by Collins Nweze

per cent last week, while the 2022 debt note dropped to 16.03 per cent from 16.07 per cent previously. The benchmark 2024 debt note however rose sharply to 16.63 percent from 16.13 per cent last week.

The yields on Kenyan Treasury bills are expected to continue edging lower next week on the back of increased shilling liquidity, traders said.

The central bank will auction 91day, 182-day and 364-day Treasury bills worth a total 8 billion shillings ($87 million). “The general trend downwards should persist but not as aggressively,” Mathangani Kariuki, a bond trader at Kestrel Capital, said.

Kariuki said Treasury yields had slipped in recent weeks amid high liquidity as a result of increased government spending and debt which had matured in February and March.

•DMO-DG Abraham Nwankwo Government’s salary payments and allocations to regional authorities had led to increased liquidity in the market, traders said.

At last week’s sale, the weighted yield on the 91-day Treasury bills edged down to 8.453 per cent from 8.463 per cent last week, while the yield on 182-day T-bills also dropped to 10.356 percent from 10.375 per cent.

The yields on the 364-day paper slipped to 10.636 percent from 10.768 per cent.

Heritage, Enterprise integration enters final stage

H

ERITAGE Bank has an nounced the commencement of the final round of activities for the integration of Enterprise Bank Limited into the mainstream of its processes and operations.

The latest round of activities, according to the lender, is coming on the heels of the completion of all preliminary internal checks and audit of processes at Enterprise Bank which began shortly after the Board Divestment Closure ceremony organised by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to signal final disengagement of the corporation from acquired the lender.

To achieve this objective, the management of Heritage Banking Com-

pany Limited announced the appointment of the Bank’s Executive Director, Retail Banking, Mrs. Mary Akpobome, as the Acting Managing Director for Enterprise Bank during the transition period.

Mrs. Akpobome, it said in a statement, will manage the internal transition processes within Enterprise Bank as well as ensuring seamless integration of the bank into the Heritage Bank operating system and culture in a way that protects all stakeholder interests.

The exercise which spans people, process, systems and value integration is estimated to a last a couple of months.

The new acting director with over

20 years experience joined Heritage Bank in 2012 as the Executive Director, Ivory Banking.

Speaking at the AMCON Board Divestment Closure ceremony in Lagos, the Managing Director, Heritage Banking Company Ltd (Heritage Bank), Mr. Ifie Sekibo, observed that the handing over gave Heritage Bank added impetus to roll out a more robust plan that would affirm its commitment to the promise of creating and preserving wealth across generations through highly personalized banking service.

“We promise to make the bank more successful. We will create more value and improve on what has been done at Enterprise Bank.

CCESS Bank Plc has trained Small and Medium Scale En terprises (SMEs) operators on the methods of business and financial management.

The training, the bank said, is aimed at positioning players in the SMEs to access finance as well as continuity.

The capacity development initiative is aimed at providing strategic solutions to enhance operational efficiency, featured over 150 SME operators in Lagos.

Speaking at a power breakfast meeting for SME operators and general contractors, its Executive Director, Business Banking Division, Mrs. Titi Osuntoki, said apart from access to finance, the major reason most banks refuse to lend to SMEs is their informal management structure. This according to her informed the bank’s decision to engage organisations such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and individual consultants to educate operators on key managerial skills that would not only help small businesses access

funds, but also ensure their continuity.

“We have engaged organisations to train SMEs in areas such as inventory management, supply chain management, book keeping and leadership, just to get them properly positioned for easy access to finance. The bank aims to be a Tier 1 SME bank and seeks to achieve this through integrated partnership and provision of proactive business banking solutions which makes our contractors winners on all fronts.”

Osuntoki stated.

These banking solutions, she said, had been designed to redefine contractors-banking relationship experiences, which are aimed at growing their businesses and increase their capacity to handle big projects without financial difficulties. These solutions include: MPower Salary Account, Working Capital Finance, Payroll Management, loans and advances and financial support through asset acquisition, among others.

Skye Bank takes financial literacy to Osun

S

KYE Bank Plc has taken its students mentoring in financial literacy as endorsed by the Bankers’ Committee to Osun State to underscore the imperatives of the savings culture among students.

The bank’s officials were at Phobestar Royalty School, Osogbo, to teach the students the fundamentals of financial planning, investment instruments and the need for imbibing savings culture at early stage.

The bank’s Area Controller in Osun State, Mr Awoyemi Dairo, who took the students through the various teaching sessions, explained the various account types that they could open such as savings, current and deposit accounts, in addition to other financial investments such as bonds, insurance, treasury bills ,mutual funds, among others. and the benefit of each of them.

Although he said as kids below 18 years old, they could not operate the accounts on their own but through their parents in line with law of the country. After the lecture session, questions were entertained from the kids on the lecture delivered after which the successful ones were given various gift items which included a children’s book,”kente The Wise Money, Wise Ant” authored by Nneka Osili on Skye Rainbow Savings account.

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FIDELITY NIG FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

126.04 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,744.73 1,104.77 112.34 121.16 1.67 1.1978 1.3117 0.7319 1.1349

125.82 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,744.73 1,104.00 111.75 120.30 1.62 1.1912 0.7203 0.7203 1.1349

O/PRICE

GLAXOSMITH

40.00

C/PRICE 42.00

CHANGE

0.61

0.64

0.03

AIICO

0.87

0.91

0.04

NPFMCRFBK

0.98

1.00

0.02

VITAFOAM

3.64

3.70

0.06

WEMABANK

0.93

0.94

0.01

4.96

5.00

0.04

7UP

154.00

155.00

1.00

MOBIL

150.20

151.00

0.80

LOSERS AS AT 16-03-15

SYMBOL ZENITHBANK SEPLAT CHAMPION NB OKOMUOIL TRANSCORP AIRSERVICE PORTPAINT ETI DANGSUGAR WAPCO

O/PRICE 20.60 430.00 5.00 139.00 30.00 3.00 1.81 3.63 18.99 6.30 84.55

C/PRICE 18.80 408.50 4.75 132.05 28.50 2.85 1.72 3.45 18.05 5.99 80.40

8%

Monetary Policy Rate

CHANGE -1.80 -21.50 -0.25 -6.95 -1.50 -0.15 -0.09 -0.18 -0.94 -0.31 -4.15

Interbank ($/N)

199.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

$33.2b

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR) Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$60.91 N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

2.00

COSTAIN

NAHCO

FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) February 23, 2015

Inflation: December

Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 16-03-15

SYMBOL

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

16.5%

Tenor 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months

19 Feb

20 Feb

Rate)%

Rate (%)

0.1735 0.2147 0.2615 0.3841 0.6709

0.1715 0.2108 0.2626 0.3857 0.6744

Nigerian Stock Market Indices NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

12-02-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 13-02-15

Overnight (O/N)

14.683

76.583

1M

15.033

15.977

3M

15.809

17.177

6M

16.493

17.908

Transaction Dates

Statistics All Share Index Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) Deals Volume (mn) Value (NGN’mn)

19 Feb 29,282.04 9,770.36 3,385 564,28 6,087.80

20 Feb 29,383.93 9,804.36 3,714 377,75 6,568.66

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Feb. 13, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

12.44

T-bills - 182

13.85

Amount

Amount

T-bills - 364

13.92

Bond - 3yrs

15.92

Offered in ($)

Sold in ($)

03/02/2015

500m

499.93m

3/12/2014

400m

399.97m

Bond - 5yrs

17.22

1/12/2014

350m

349.96m

Bond - 7yrs

16.59

THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

56

NEWS Polls: Jonathan, Sambo, Muazu, Mark, others meet today

A

HEAD of March 28 and April 11 general elections, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu will today chair an emergency meeting of the ruling party.

The meeting, to be held under the aegis of the National Campaign Council (NCC), which has Muazu as its chair, will take place at the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of the PDP, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.

Expected at the meeting are: President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark and Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih; Director- General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, (PDPPCO) and former National Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Ali; former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, PDP Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) Chairman and Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio; Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Brig-Gen James Arogbofa (rtd) will also attend.

Umana ‘welcomed in Akpabio’s LGA’ From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

G

OVERNORSHIP candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, Umana Okon Umana, was yesterday received by a huge crowd in Essien Udim Local Government Area.

Governor Godswill Akpabio’s hails from Essien Udim.

Umana, who led some party chieftains to campaign in Obot Akara and Essien Udim, called on the people to vote APC. Overwhelmed by the large crowd, Umana said he was convinced he would win Essien Udim.

He said despite his relationship with the governor, he would ensure that the Essien Udim people did not miss out.

Umana promised to create 5,000 jobs to support the APC government’s intention of creating 20,000 jobs.

“We will create wealth to enable our people live well; we will revive our ailing industries and create employment for jobless youths.”

He reiterated his commitment to increase students’ bursary; provide scholarship for students, and empower women.

Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (middle) with the participants at the 2015 first quarter Chief of Army Staff conference in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

APC members are killed, harassed daily, says Amaechi R IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are killed and harrased daily in the state.

Amaechi spoke at a news conference in Port Harcourt, the state capital yesterday.

He accused the police of taking sides with the peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor listed the names of seven APC members who have been killed as: Thomas Wogu, Weli Okabie, Ngizin Omordu, Chima Ovunwo, Nnamdi Peter and Maduba Sampson.

He said the seven APC chieftains were killed in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) on March 10 APC during governorship rally in the area.

He also alleged that 16 of the party members have been arrested over unsubstantial charges, adding that 307 top members have been

•Seven persons killed, 16 arrested, 307 marked for detention From Bisi Olaniyi, Clarice Azuatalama and Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt listed for arrest and detention

before the elections to weaken the party.

The governor said: “The most ridiculous is that the Police whom we are supposed to run to for protection have commenced the withdrawal of Police security for top APC members, including that of the gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside. Where then we may ask lies our hope and the hope of the common man and all seekers of justice and protection if the police in Rivers State can so blatantly and unashamedly take sides in the Politics of the State?

Has the Police stooped so low to become the enforcement wing of the PDP in Rivers State?

“We wish to again point out that whilst the recent rash unlawful arrests, harassments and illegal detention of APC members in the State using SARS and Zone 6 officers of the Police Force is taking place daily, nothing seems to be happening in respect of our various petitions and except the Almighty God, we are left with no protection from the law enforcement agencies and PDP is being encouraged to run amok and take the laws into their hands. This has invariably caused the generality of our

members in the State to lose confidence in the ability of the Nigeria Police in Rivers State to protect all the citizens alike.

“It is sad that because of the clear partisanship and deliberate attempt Rivers people could not be living at a worse season of insecurity now than ever, pitiably, under an Inspector General of Police, who co-incidentally had been a Commissioner of Police in the state. The IG cannot claim ignorance of the huge security gap that the administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has filled in Rivers State over the years.

“We are thus left to conclude that Mr. Suleiman is obviously sympathetic to the PDP and would rather protect the interest of the party rather than that of the generality of Nigerians.

“We therefore challenge IGP Suleiman Abba to prove to Nigerians that he is still an officer and a gentleman”.

Boy killed for alleged N42,000 theft in Edo

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MIDDLE-AGED woman, Christiana Edeh, has appealed to the Edo State government and inspector-general of Police to unravel the cause of her son’s death in police custody.

Edeh’s son, Chibuike, was arrested last Friday after the management of Protea Hotel, where he worked, accused him of stealing N42,000 belonging to a customer.

Chibuike’s body was later found on Sapele road by a Samaritan, who took him to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where he was confirmed dead.

The deceased’s mother spoke to reporters when she led a protest to the premises of the hotel, demanding explanation for her son’s

•He was hit by a car, say police From Osagie Otabor, Benin

death.

Christiana told reporters that she saw her son hale and healthy at the Police Area Command, where he was detained, and that the police asked the family to pay the N42,000.

She said when the family took the money to the police about noon, they were told to return at 3 pm because the policemen were on outside duty at the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

Edeh said: “I saw my son last at the police station; there were no injuries on his body.

We were told the IPO was not around. My other children went back and they were told Chibuike had been taken

to Protea Hotel. I earlier saw my son’s name on the notice board but his name was not there by 3 pm.

“We were called at 10 pm that his body was at the hospital. He told me he didn’t collect any money.

The hotel management has not told us anything now.”

Aggrieved relations shut down operations of the hotel and sat at the gate weeping.

Security was tightened at the hotel but the protesters forced their way in; they did not destroy any property.

The deceased’s younger brother, Ikechukwu, said somebody informed the family that Chibuike’s body was at the hospital.

He said he saw his brother with a broken neck, burns on

his back and several cuts on his body.

“We were told that a car knocked him down and that the car dragged my brother for several meters. The driver, they said, ran away”.

A worker in the hotel, who pleaded for anonymity, said the management reported an incident that happened at the hotel and was yet to get report.

He said a customer complained about his missing item and refused to speak further.

Police spokesman Joseph Edogiawerie said the deceased confessed to stealing the money and was knocked down by a Toyota Camry.

Joseph said the driver of the vehicle had been arrested but refused to give details.

Ex-chairmen sue council for N200m unpaid arrears

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HREE former chairmen of Sapele Local Government Area in Delta State have sued the council for refusing to pay their allowances, running into over N200 million.

In two separate suits filed before a at the Sapele High Court, Monday Igbuya, Egbedi Julius, and Godwin Atose asked the court to compel the council’s authority to pay their furniture arrears,

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

transport allowance and salaries, totalling N200 million.

Igbuya, Egbedi, and 13 others said the court should order Sapele local government to pay the debt.

A similar suit was filed

by Atose and 19 others.

Justice G.E. Gbemre ordered the garnishees to appear before the court on April 2, to explain why the

garnishee order should not be granted.

“The court hereby orders as follows: The garnishees are to show cause why this order shall not be made absolute. Return date is 2/4/ 15.” Gbemre said.

A source explained that the council would be unable to pay salaries for nine months if the garnishee order was granted.

“Where will the council raise funds to pay these

claims? How much does the council generate from internal sources and federal allocation. This is sheer wickedness.

“As workers, we have been receiving half salaries for some time because there is no money. If this order is granted, we will not earn salaries. It means our children can’t go to school. We will have no money to pay fees,” some workers lamented.

Gunmen abduct LP candidate From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

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ABOUR Party’s (LP’s) candidate for the Calabar South/Akpabuyo/ Bakassi Federal Constituency, Mr Dominic Edem, has been abducted by gunmen in his Calabar home.

It was gathered yesterday that seven abductors waited outside his home on Essien Street. On his return, about 10 pm they bundled him into a vehicle and sped off.

Sources said: “It was Sunday and ordinarily, he gave his escort some time off and was not with any security detail. That was why the gunmen could strike without resistance.”

Edem, a former member representing Cross River State in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), was a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until he defected to Labour Party to vie for a seat in the House of Representatives.

It was learnt the hoodlums were yet to contact the family.

Police spokesman Hogan Bassey confirmed the incident.

“We are right on that matter. That is all I can say for now,” Bassey said.

Aspirant disowns campaign director

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HE campaign organisation of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Abia State, Dr Sampson Ogah, Abia Rejoice, has disassociated itself from its former campaign director, Chief Empire Kanu.

Ogah is challenging the outcome of the December 2014 PDP primary, which produced Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu at an Abuja High Court.

In a statement yesterday, the organisation said Kanu was free to relate with any group and also free to express himself or make any statement, but such statement was his personal opinion and did not represent Ogah’s campaign organisation. ”As a Nigerian, Chief Empire Kanu has freedom of expression, but whatever he says is his opinion and not that of Abia Rejoice or Dr. Ogah. We have hence forth put a disclaimer to such pronouncement nets as he longer has the authority to speak on behalf of the organisation or Ogha,” the statement said.

THE NATION TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2015

57

NEWS

N9b oil pipeline contracts: Tension in Delta, Bayelsa

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HE multi-billion naira Federal Government pipeline protection contracts are causing confusion in Delta and Bayelsa states.

Oil-bearing communities in Urhoboland yesterday gave a week ultimatum to the government to review the contracts, to include the interest of Urhobo in Delta Central.

Giving the ultimatum in Warri during a chat with The Nation, the Urhobo Host Communities, the umbrella body for oil and gas host communities, said failure to take the ultimatum seriously would prove disastrous for oil facilities on their land.

The coordinator of the body, Maurice Idiowha, said the leaders and youths in the eight Urhobo-speaking council areas of Delta State were aggrieved that they were excluded from the contracts.

Idiowha said Urhobo land has major oil facilities, wondering how the Federal Government could expect an Ijaw or an Itsekiri to secure the pipelines in their area.

He said: “If the Federal Government does not call us within the next one week, the assets and facilities in Urhobo land will no longer be secured. The communities and their leadership, the youths, the ex-militants phase three, every presidentgeneral, every youth leader, we will all remove our hands from the leadership and authorise and allow the communities to do as they please.

“We have been standing in the gap for the Federal Government and the communities all these while, but it seems our letters, our requests and our pleas have been falling on deaf ears. So, in a week from now, if the Federal Government does not call us to sit and review this process. All facilities in Urhobo land will no longer be secured.

“If the Urhobo nation in Delta Central is not included in the pipelines surveillance contract, we will not be able to guarantee the safety of the assets of the facilities in Urhobo land.

Come to think of it, Urhobo is a majority. We have lots of the facilities that sustain the economy of Nigeria; in terms of the WRPC, we have it in abundance, the Otor-Orogun Gas plant that powers Aso Rock, you have it in Urhobo land. The Ughelli Quality Control Centre is in Urhobo land; the Eriemu manifold, one of the largest in West Africa, is in Urhobo land.

What is the surveillance if all these assets are not protected? These are what drive the nation’s economy, you don’t expect an Ijaw or an Itsekiri man to come and protect assets in Urhobo land.

“So, we are saying Federal Government should immediately respond and call Urhobo to be includ-

Dickson: we won't surrender surveillance contract to ex-militants

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AYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson said yesterday his administration would not surrender the state' share of the pipeline surveillance contract to ex-militants and their leaders.

The governor insisted that the decision mandating the state-owned Izon-Ibe Security Company to execute the job was taken in the best interest of the state.

A statement by Dickson's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson said the governor spoke at the 26th meeting of the State Security Council in Yenagoa.

He debunked claims made by some ex-militants that, the government hijacked the project, which was meant for them to execute.

Ex-militants on Friday engaged in violent protest in Yenagoa accusing the governor of cornering contracts meant for them through Izon Ibe. But Dickson who denied the allegation said rather than allow few persons to benefit at the expense of the generality of youths in the state, the security outfit would drive a community-based recruitment process to engage willing and able young people to secure pipelines and other oil facilities.

According to the Governor, the security company would soon call for applications from interested youths at the grassroots, particularly oil producing communities.

He said the company would give shortlisted persons the requisite training that would enable them to discharge their duties effectively.

He, therefore, called on the youths to be wary of disgruntled elements, who just want to use them as cannon fodders to achieve their selfish interests and From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri and Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

ed in the surveillance contract, otherwise all facilities in Urhobo land can no longer be guaranteed safety because the youths, the presidentgenerals, the host communities that are hosting these facilities are very aggrieved right now and the threats are coming to us the leaders of the host communities.

“We have been holding these people back; we’ve written letters, we’ve written petitions, we’ve given ultimatums, which have all fallen on deaf ears. We are calling that Urhobo be included in the contracts; otherwise, the Federal Government and the companies will face the wrath of the communities.”

Ex-militants, the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) and Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson are also fighting over the pipeline surveillance contracts.

Hundreds of ex-militants last Friday held anti-Governor Seriake Dickson protests, saying hate songs against their governor.

The Bayelsa State share of the contracts was the reason why the ex-militants led by a former Commander of the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Mr. Eris Paul, popularly known as ‘General Ogun-

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

create crisis in the state.

His words: "Let me say that this government is of the view that the state-owned Izon-Ibe security company was set up to make it possible for young people in all the communities and particularly the youths and community leaders of communities that are producing oil resources, including those that harbour other facilities to be carried along.

"We don't believe that only few people can render that surveillance service in all the local government areas of our state.

"And, so we've taken that decision in good faith, and I like to use this opportunity to again call on the youths of our state, not to be misguided by certain desperate elements, who want to create crisis and unnecessary division and trouble in our State."

He added: "The company will reach out to them (youths) in no distant time, so that those who are interested will apply to be gainfully engaged after training and it is going to be community-driven, because we want to know those, who are protecting our facilities".

Also the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Paul Okafor asked aggrieved individuals or groups to explore legitimate means to express their grievances rather than threaten to cause breakdown of law and order.

The police commissioner warned the people of the state, particularly the youths to shun violence and other vices.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the security agencies to maintaining the exist peace and tranquility in Bayelsa State.

boss, took over the road and disrupted public peace.

Dickson and the IYC believe it is unfair for the contract to be awarded to only Bajero, a company formed with the initials of ex-militant leaders who hail from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. The ex-militant leaders, who combined their initials to form Bajero are Victor Ebikabowei (Boyloaf), Africa Ukpariasa (General Africa), Joshua Macaiver, Eris Paul (Ogunboss), Pastor Reuben and Osei Clever.

Youths of from Bayelsa State yesterday protested attempts by ex-militant leaders from the state to corner the multi-billion naira pipeline surveillance contract approved by the Federal Government for the state.

The youths who marched the streets of Yenagoa, the state capital, voiced their support for the Izon-Ibe Security Company Nigeria Limited, a security company established by the state government to execute the job.

Hundreds of the youths under the aegis of Yenagoa Youth Forum (YYF), took their protest to the Government House Gate, Yenagoa.

They created heavy traffic gridlock me frustrated motorists and travelers along the popular Mbiama-Yenagoa Road.

They were received by the Commissioner for Youth, Collins Cocodia, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Ebizi NdiomuBrown.

The President of YYF, Olomu Norris, said the youths of the area would resist any move by the ex-militant leaders to hijack the pipeline protection contract.

He said the state-owned security company was in a better position to handle the job as it represents the general interest of the people of the state,including stakeholder groups like youths,women, and traditional rulers.

"Yenagoa Local Government youths say it is enough. Enough is a enough.We are solidly behind IzonIbe Security Company.

"The Federal Government should give the pipeline surveillance contract to Izon-Ibe Security Company because the way the government has made it, youths in the state will be part of it. The company will enhance the living standard of the youths", he said.

Norris warned the former Niger Delta militant leaders and their followers to desist from blocking the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road over the NNPC pipeline job.

The National Chairman, 6166 Presidential Amnesty Phase II, ‘General’

Mbaka: Jonathan, his wife after me

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IERY Enugu-based Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has accused President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, of being after his life.

Mbaka, in a new video on Youtube viewed by The Nation yesterday, said his offence was his opposition to the President re-election. In the 21-minute sermon given during one of his preachings, Fr. Mbaka said the plot was recently revealed to him.

The popular Adoration Ministries preacher said his support for Jonathan in the last six years did not attract death threats or condemnation from opposition politicians. He denied allegations that he received money from Mrs. Joanthan last during her visit to his church. Fr. Mbaka

By Precious Igbonwelundu

disclosed that Mr. Jonathan dropped money for him but he rejected the money.

He said: “Do they think that killing father Mbaka will make Jonathan and his wife win the election? Is Mbaka their problem? And the other priest asked a question that touched me. All these while that Fr. Mbaka has been supporting Jonathan and his wife, did Buhari and his party make any statement that threatened him?

For over six years, afterwards, I sent a letter to somewhere but I want to send this message to the atmosphere, let it now be known to the whole world that President Goodluck Jonathan and Patience are planning to assassinate Fr. Mbaka.

“It is a known secret.

However they are planning it, I do not know. Whomever they want to use, I do not know. They will not do it by themselves. They will use the unemployed people. The same people I am speaking for.

“Just like in the days of Chimaroke, I came here one day announcing this type of thing. That they are planning to attack the ministry.

People said it cannot happen.

One night, 7th March, they struck.

“I don’t why people are no longer afraid of God. And the other Priest said maybe it’s because they believe that the Bishops of the country joined them to threaten Fr. Mbaka onto sanction because he spoke against the ills of the government. Why should Jonathan’s name be mentioned?

“Why Moses was asked by God to go and tell Pharaoh to ‘let my people go”, did Moses not do the work?

Am just trying to warn any Pharaoh that ýis threatening to kill any Moses to remember what happened in Exodus 12. After the Passover the family of Pharaoh cried and the remnant of the tears got a conclusion in Exodus 14:27 in the middle of the Red Sea. ”Let them leave Mbaka alone. The so-called money they are boasting that they gave to Fr. Mbaka, I have severally here on this altar put my hands to tell the whole world that it is true if it is true.

“Because Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President came with one little bag containing some money and the money was rejected.”

•Dickson

Aso Tambo, said Dickson had concluded plans with the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, to hijack the contracts.

“Other states like Delta, Edo, Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom are also involved because they have exmilitants like us. The governors of these states did not encroach into these contracts,” he said.

Eradiri on Sunday raised the alarm over alleged threats to his life. He said ex-militants leaders were threatening him over his insistence that Bajero must not be the sole beneficiary of the contract to protect pipelines in Bayelsa.

Eradiri said the ex-militant leaders had exposed themselves as selfish individuals who have no interests of the poverty-stricken Ijaw communities at heart.

He faulted the implementation of the pipeline surveillance contracts, saying they were designed to benefit the oil-bearing communities.

He said: “I was coincidentally Secretary-General of the IYC when the Niger Delta was on fire and that leadership led by Dr. Chris Ekiyor swung into action to resolve the crisis in the region.

“We were negotiating with the Federal Government. Many past leaders came together and eventually an amnesty was proclaimed. Now this amnesty was proclaimed for about 30,000 youths that were directly involved in the agitation.

“When we were designing the programme, we said that if you have 30,000 young people that have been involved in this agitation taken away from the creeks to be trained and reintegrated into the society, you need also to do something to engage the communities, the people.

“This is because the number of youths who are vulnerable to being used for criminal activities are basically in the communities. I was part of those who wrote that programme for a security surveillance for oil installations in the communities.”

NUJ urges Nigerians to obtain PVCs

By Tokunbo Ogunsami

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HE Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Information chapel, Adeola Qudrat Lawal, has urged Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to avoid being disenfranchised.

She spoke yesterday at the Conference Room, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa-Ikeja at the opening of this year’s Press Week.

Lawal said: “The essence of the Press Week is to rejuvenate professionalism among members through interactive forum and discourse on issues of practice in our challenging social, political and economic environment.”

The programme began with a news conference, after which NUJ members went for medical screening.

Today, there will be a lecture on the theme: “Development Communication: Lagos PATH in perspective”.

Guest speaker is the Editorial Board Chairman of The Nation, Mr. Sam Omatseye. To discuss his presentation are Prof. Lai Oso of the School of Communication, Lagos State University (LASU); Dr. Abigail Ogwezi Ndizika, Head of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Mr. Jide Johnson of the NUJ and Mr. Segun Ogundeji.

The NUJ chair said there would be programmes tomorrow, Thursday, and on Friday there would be a special jumat/ prayer at the Lagos State Secretariat Mosque, Alausa at 1pm, to be followed by a Gala/Award night.

At the event, a book written on Governor Babatunde Fashola, titled: BRF: TPA and PATH in Perspective, will be presented.

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THE NATION TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2015

NEWS

Troops reclaim Bama from Boko Haram

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FTER a six-month occupation, troops yesterday regained the control of Bama from Boko Haram insurgents.

The insurgents on September 2 last year seized the town, including a military barracks.

They hoisted their flags and imposed their rule on the indigenes.

The battle forced the Brigade Commander of Mohammed Kur Barracks, Police Area Commander, DPO, Commandant of MOPOL 53 and more than 500 troops in Bama to relocate to Maiduguri to restrategise.

But the troops, backed by powerful air strikes, yesterday reclaimed Bama from Boko Haram.

A tweet by the Defence Headquarters said: “Nigerian troops this afternoon routed terrorists from Bama. Mopping up operation is ongoing.”

A defence headquarters source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Nigerian troops have taken over Bama. Official statement later today.

“This is one of the strongest bases of Boko Haram in the Northeast. It is a significant achievement for our troops. The insurgents had attempted to use Bama and Konduga to launch attacks on Maiduguri.”

Another source said: “For about three days, troops were locked in battle against Boko Haram insurgents until Monday afternoon when the military reclaimed the town, which is located in the SouthEast of Maiduguri.

“Most of the warlords of Boko Haram were born and bred in Bama.

The regaining of the town has re-

Hundreds flee as troops take Bama

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UNDREDS of people fled their homes after Boko Haram insurgents set buildings ablaze as troops advanced to regain control of Bama.

Witnesses told AFP that the insurgents warned residents to leave before torching the town. Dozens fled towards Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

“They came into the town about noon, warning that anyone who wanted to leave should leave the town and soon after they began torching homes,” a resident, Umar Kaka, said. “Not all residents could leave because some are too ill or old to leave and we are afraid they From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

stored the pride of the Nigerian Army.

“For about six months, these ragtag insurgents held sway in Bama, but we have routed them out.”

In September 2014, United States, through its Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said it was troubled by the capture of Bama and some towns in Borno and Yobe states by Boko Haram.

But the DHQ said there was no cause for alarm because the military was on top of the situation.

The statement said: “In the light of the present challenges in the counter-terrorism efforts in the Northeast, which has elicited a sense of apprehension among citizens and even foreign allies, the DHQ wishes to reiterate the pledge and commitment it made while briefing the Joint Committee on Defence of the National Assembly to the effect that everything will be done to reverse the situation and defeat the terrorists.

“While welcoming the concerns

were burnt in the homes.”

The attack in Bama was carried out after troops managed to push the insurgents out of the nearby Boboshe and Yale villages.

“We learnt soldiers were coming. They advanced on Bama on two fronts and met some resistance at Boboshe and Yale, but succeeded in crushing the Boko Haram militias,” said Bama resident Ibrahim Kyari.

“They asked residents to leave, which came to us as a surprise because they kept us captives all these seven months and would not allow us to leave.”

•After six-month siege shown by Nigerians and a section of the international community, following the increased menace and activities of terrorists, it is necessary to reassure all that the Nigerian Armed Forces is determined and committed to the defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria, regardless of any odd.

“It is not only the pride and reputation of the military that is at stake but that of the nation.

“We, therefore, urge our citizens not to lose hope or be disenchanted, but to remain steadfast and supportive of the military, as steps are being taken to ensure the success of the counter-insurgency operations, especially at this crucial time when our sovereignty is being challenged.

“With this in mind, it is important to reiterate that the military is conscious of its obligations to the Nigerian state and remains willing and ready to perform its duties with utmost diligence.”

The Defence Headquarters said last night that troops survived many landmines to reclaim Bama from Boko Haram.

It said the mission was accomplished with “heavy casualty inflicted on the terrorists.”

The DHQ said Goniri, the last major stronghold of the terrorists operating in Yobe State, was on Monday morning taken over completely by troops after days of manoeuvre The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, in a statement on how Bama was liberated from Boko Haram, said: “Troops this afternoon finally succeeded in routing terrorists from Bama in Borno State.

“The mission, which was accomplished with massive casualty inflicted on the terrorists before the remnants finally fled the town, lasted days of careful manoeuvre and efforts to scale a series of obstacles and land mines planted by terrorists, who have occupied the

Foiled suicide attack: Borno tightens security at camps B

ORNO State government has concluded plans to procure more metal scanners for IDP camps in the Maiduguri metropolis.

This followed a failed suicide attack by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the camps.

Besides the metal scanners, it was learnt that security arrangements across the camps were being reviewed to forestall attack.

From Duku Joel, Maiduguri

The Chairman of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Grema Terab, who addressed reporters in Maiduguri, said he was surprised that some people could offer their bodies and souls to the devil to kill people and cause sorrow.

He said: “These are people, who have lost almost everything they have and are depending on the government for the basics of life. What could they have done that after the losses, someone is still interested in killing them?

“The state government, in its usual responsiveness, has moved to buy more metal

scanners, which will be distributed to the IDP camps to forestall attacks.

“The purchase has been done and the delivery will be made later in the week.

“I assure people that there is no cause for panic, as security at the camps has been tightened.

“We have at the camps, security details. The Saturday foiled attack has made us to tighten security.”

Benue killings: Bloodshed can’t solve problems, says Buhari

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HE APC Presidential C a m p a i g n Organisation (APCPCO) has deplored the frequent resort to violence to deal with perceived grievances by the people.

Reacting to the incident at Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, where dozens, mainly women and children, were killed by suspected herdsmen, the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that the resort to violence in whatever form was not acceptable and justifiable, no

matter the grievances.

The Director of Media and Publicity of APCPCO, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted Gen. Buhari as saying he was deeply saddened that the cordial relationships that existed between and among the people have been replaced by intolerance and hate.

According to the statement, leadership is the key to dealing with frequent communal clashes between the Fulani and Benue communities over disputes about farmlands and grazing lands.

Shehu said political leaders should build trust among the

people as the basis for dialogue, adding that “if the people can no longer listen to their leaders, such crises may persist and make life more miserable for the people.”

Condoling with the families of the victims, APCPCO urged politicians, regardless of partisan divide, to unite and speak with one voice “over these embarrassing incidents.”

According to Shehu, the interested parties should recognise the rights of one another and make compromises for peace.

He advised Nigerians to

•Buhari

stop killing one another when they face the challenges of insecurity, unemployment, hunger, disease and poor governance caused by corruption and other manifestations of bad leadership.

Na’Abba lacks influence, says PDP group

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GROUP, Kano State PDP Frontiers, has described the resignation of former House of Representatives Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba as a non-issue.

It said the politician “was of no value besides the relics of him serving in an office.”

In a statement yesterday in Kano by the group’s Coordi-

From Kolade Adeyemi Kano

nator, Ahmed Sani Kabara, he said the party would not miss the former Speaker as “his presence is of no impact, so would his absence be.”

The body said: “Na’Abba’s purported resignation from our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is

nothing short of a publicity stunt and an attempt to relaunch himself, having lost public reckoning.

“As far as we are concerned, and this is open secret for anyone to verify, Ghali Na’Abba has never been of any use to PDP. Rather, it is the party that has done everything for him; lifting him

from a nonentity to national fame. It, therefore, amounts to betrayal and biting the hand that fed him for him to dump the party.

“The former Speaker is known in the local chapter of the party and at the national level to exhibit traits that are self-centred and unhealthy for a democratic setting.’’

town for months.

“The Chadian partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force have been mandated to undertake a pursuit of the terrorists, who are believed to be heading for the borders after being dislodged from Bama.

“Nigerian troops are continuing with cordon and search of the town and surroundings. Arms and ammunition are being recovered as troops conduct an aggressive patrol of the entire vicinity on the looking out for any terrorists, who may be stranded or trying to operate elsewhere in the area.”

The statement added: “In a related development, Goniri, the last major stronghold of the terrorists operating in Yobe State, was this morning taken over by troops after days of manoeuvre.

“Cordon and search is continuing in and around Goniri town, which is in the same local government with Buni Yadi where a bomb making facility was discovered in the course of cordon and search recently.

“This completes the clearing of Gujba Local Government Area, one of the two local governments occupied by the terrorists in Yobe State.

The other local government, Gulani, was finally cleared earlier in the month. This makes Yobe the second to be successfully cleared among the three states slated for the mission to dislodge terrorists’ bases.

“The comprehensive offensive aimed at clearing the terrorists from all parts of the mission area is continuing with coordinated air strikes on identified terrorists hideouts and enclaves along with ground assaults.”

10,000 get free eye treatment in Zaria From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

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EN thousand visually- impaired persons have received free eye treatment, including the provision of free eye glasses and surgery, at the Emir of Zazzau’s palace in Zaria.

The free eye treatment, sponsored by the Ramatu Ibironke Babalakin Foundation (RIBF), was conducted in honour of the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, on his 40th anniversary on the throne.

The exercise, which attracted old people with visual challenges, is also in celebration of the 11th memorial anniversary of Alhaja Ramatu Ibironke Babalakin, in whose name the foundation is instituted, to aid the visually-impaired and reduce blindness and other eye-related problems.

Launching the 10 days event, the Emir said when Dr. Wale Babalakin met him to do something in commemoration of his 40th year on the throne, he felt nothing could be better to celebrate his reign than anything that would have positive impact on the people of the emirate, especially the masses.

“That was why I suggested that since Dr. Babalakin is a philanthropist, he should help my people, who are visuallyimpaired,” he said.

Asking his subjects to pray for the founder of the Babalakin Foundation and the repose of his mother’s soul, the Emir told them to take advantage of Babalakin’s magnanimity to address their visual challenges and other related diseases Dr. Babalakin, represented by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said the exercise had been ongoing in the South for sometime, but he felt he had done nothing if the people of Zaria, where he was born and raised, had not benefited.

According to him, “Zaria, formerly known as Zazzau, has been turning out a galaxy of stars and it’s the home of the renowned Barewa College that had produced five Nigerian heads of state, namely Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, not to mention the Premier of the defunct Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

“Among the personalities bred in Zaria is the late Alhaja Babalakin, who was born on October 6, 1930 in the ancient town where she also met her husband, a retired Supreme Court Judge, Mr. Justice Bolarinwa Oyegoke Babalakin (CON). She died on March 7, 2004.

“Before today’s event in Zaria, RIBF had recorded successes, treating over 1000 eye patients in Gbongan, Osun State, the hometown of Justice Babalakin, where many surgeries were carried out. Many eye glasses were distributed to the needy.

“The foundation replicated this in Owo Local Government, where more than 4,000 patients were treated. But we felt we would not be fulfilled if we fail to come to Zaria to extend this treatment to the people of the Emirate.”

At the launch, optometrists attended to patients with refractive errors and low vision. Other eye care professionals handed out thousands of spectacles after conducting free vision screening.

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NEWS Pro-Jonathan OPC on the rampage through Lagos Continued from page 4 ed voters’ registration and we

•One of the scenes of chaos at the old toll gate where a motorist was scared off the road by the OPC men...yesterday.

APC accuses PDP of plot to sabotage Card Readers Jamming of Card Reader possible, say experts

Continued from page 4

ernment of the day might think. When the people are determined to vote out any government, no amount of money, evil plots and shenanigans can save that government, as the Jonathan Administration will find out in two weeks,’’ APC said.

The PDP denied it all as “false alarms aimed at throwing the polity into chaos and wreck the electoral process”.

A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh also accused the opposition of engaging in a “dangerous mind game”.

The PDP accused APC of “using wild allegations in a bid to cause panic, balkanise the nation and create the way for a reign of anarchy in the country”.

The statement went on: “For the APC, it has become a matter of ‘if we can’t have it, then let’s destroy it’. In the last couple of weeks, this opposition party and its leaders have engaged in dishing out dangerous false alarms in a bid to discredit the electoral process, heighten tension, create fear in the minds of the people and push the polity to the brinks.

The PDP described as false alarm the reported plot to kill the leader of the opposition, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential standard bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari.

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HE free online knowledge platform, Wikipedia, defines a card reader as “a data input device that reads data from a card-shaped storage medium. The first were punched card readers, which read the paper or cardboard punched cards that were used during the first several decades of the computer industry to store information and programmes for computer systems. Modern card readers are electronic devices that can read plastic cards embedded with either a barcode, magnetic strip, computer chip or another storage medium.”

Technology experts say in science and technology, there is nothing that is impossible and that could not be sabotaged.

President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Lanre Ajayi said the idea of jamming any communication equipment takes place especially when such equipment has to communicate through the wireless platform.

He said the possibility of the card readers being jammed could be heightened if the information stored on the card would relate with a central data base, adding that this may not be so if the card reader will only store data of the electorate without necessarily interfacing with a central data base or server stored elsewhere.

The President of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the umbrella body of information technology (IT) professionals, Prof. David Adewumi added that the threat of jamming and consequent gaining of electoral advantage could not be ruled out because any equipment transfer data from one point to the other could be jammed. He said since it is information sharing, the process, it could be jammed.

President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Engr. Bayo Banjo, said anything that is computerized could be sabotaged, adding that the identity of the saboteur would remain shrouded in mystery as the computer would not disclose it. He warned that this election will be “the best-rigged election in the history of electioneering in Nigeria.”

“Also, on the same March 15, the APC, in a yet another statement, falsely claimed that the Federal Government paid N9 billion to ethnic mi-

litias to foment trouble, before, during and after the general elections. This was immediately followed by a release on Monday, March

16, in which the opposition, in their unrelenting effort to further discredit the process, alleged that the Federal Government has hired an Israeli expert, Gyora Berger, to sabotage card readers on election day.

“In the same vein, on March 4, 2015, the APC released a false alarm, claiming that there were plots by the Federal Government to frame its leaders and … sensitive INEC officials and manipulate the electoral process. This is in addition to another statement on March 9 in which it alleged plots to harass its financiers and cripple its operations ahead of elections.

“We are aware that the APC has lined up many of such false allegations and nuisance alarms, which would be methodologically released to the public to swell the tension as the elections draw nearer.”

The PDP charged its members to remain focused on the campaigns and not to allow themselves to be distracted, saying the party enjoys the support and confidence of majority of Nigerians.

The party said it was committed to issue driven campaigns, adding that it would leverage on the “enviable records” of achievements of the standard bearer, President Goodluck Jonathan, “for which Nigerians are determined to give him a deserving second chance”.

Lagos APC warns against brigandage on streets Continued from page 4

ing desperation of Jonathan and PDP to pull down the Nigerian house when it has become obvious that they have lost the support of the people.

“No one should be surprised at what is happening today because it reflects the last acts of a dying junta desperate to use every means to remain in power.

“It is obvious that Jonathan and PDP have given up hence the open and bizarre sponsorship, bribery and inducement to militia groups through generous dollar-bribes and contract bazaars, for the purpose of creating enormous crisis and confusion in a bid to scuttle the coming elections.

“We see the present actions of OPC as spurred by the multi-billion naira contracts that was recently given to their leaders by a desperate

Jonathan as bribery to secure such hatchet jobs they are doing at present.

“Nigerians note that the action of the hired mercenaries like OPC on the streets of Lagos, where they are visiting destruction on APC campaign materials, is an act of war, as the intended purpose is to provoke monumental crisis that will stop the election through widespread violence that may lead to war.

“The PDP is desperate to plunge the country into such war that will make both Rwanda and Burundi a child’s play considering the mix of the country’s population. We see the desperation of the PDP to remain in power when it is obvious that Nigerians don’t want it, as a clear and present danger and we alert the world to hold the PDP responsible for any breach of security in Ni-

geria today.

“We note that in their frustration and desperation, the PDP has resorted to the use of the word - ‘MUST’ in their public statements, as in the needless refrain that “Jonathan Must Continue In Office”, a statement that betrays the fear and hopelessness that has hit PDP and its clients such as OPC and MASSOB. “That tells of a party that has no hope that its corrupt license would be renewed. We see the present disoriented and rootless campaigns the PDP and its purchased allies like MASSOB and OPC are now mounting against the Prof Attahiru Jega – led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Smart Card Readers (SCRs) and the PVCs are the deliberate antics of veteran electoral criminals to remain in power and nothing more.”

Igbokwe hailed Nigerians for not falling for the traps being set by the anti-democratic forces.

He said: “We are happy that Nigerians are not buying their spurious antics.

“Lagos APC is worried that the police and other security agencies are turning blind eyes to the sponsored brigandage which the PDP is unleashing on the country’s space and are not doing anything about it.

“We are worried that the syndicated brigandage of the PDP a few days to a critical election is not eliciting actions from the security agencies and while we urge our members and supporters to remain calm so as to ensure we do not play into the hands of these desperate desperados that want to scuttle an election just because they have seen they are about being thrown into the dustbin of history by Nigerians.”

materials, such as PVC and ballot papers to foreign countries traced to opposition parties and plotting to create chaos and national unrest in the country by insisting to hold elections on February 14, when he is aware that 34 per cent of Nigerians, mostly from Southwest, are yet to obtain their PVCs. Adams said he would mobilise members of the body to resist the move by Jega to stay beyond March 24 in office, adding that the INEC boss had lost credibility to conduct the polls. But, he did not give details of the planned resistance.

He said the OPC had lost confidence in the leadership of the commission to organise a free and fair elections.

Speaking to our reporter on the telephone after the march, Adams said: “We are protesting to let Nigerians know that INEC under the leadership of Prof Jega has lost its credibility. We have been monitoring INEC’s activities since it start-

come to the conclusion that the exercise is a failure.

“This is evident in the shoddy voters’ registration exercise during which Prof Jega allowed underage in the North to register. The distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) is also not encouraging and we have seen that the whole exercise is a failure. INEC cannot deny these facts.”

The protesters, who gathered at Berger, moved in a motorcade to the National Stadium in Surulere.

They rode in several commercial buses, singing anti-INEC songs.

Some of the protesters became lawless at Ojuelegba, destroying some campaign banners of APC candidates.

At stadium, the protesters did not touch any campaign banner, but swarmed the neighbourhood, sharing pro-Goodluck Jonathan handbills to motorists. All the routes leading to the stadium were blocked.

Some of the OPC men openly displayed charms and amulets to scare motorists.

‘Adams has betrayed Yoruba people’ Continued from page 4

our organisation and its members for narrow and selfish partisan purporses.

“We must remind them that the Yoruba people cannot be hoodwinked by sweeteners.

No one should expect them to kow tow to an individual who is a Lilliputian in the political development and history of the Yoruba nation.

“The Yoruba are a politically sophisticated people and

will simply ignore political opportunists like Gani Adams. We renounce him and his activities which are against the larger Yoruba interest. We renounce all other Yoruba sons and daughters who are playing roles inimical to the welfare and interesting the larger Yoruba nation.

“We call on our people to be vigilant politically at this time.

Nigeria needs a new leadership, a new direction and a country that works.”

Jega: I won’t quit now Continued from page 4

political parties would not affect the elections, adding that the commission has directed its lawyers to challenge the judgment.

Jega also reassured Nigerians ý that the elections will hold as scheduled as the security situation has drastically improved in the last few weeks.

He also assured Nigerians on the use of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), despite calls that the commission should use Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) for the elections.

Jega promised that the outstanding 700,000 PVCs would be available latest by Saturday – one week to the Presidential election.

Jega said the commission

would not be happy to see any registered voter denied the right to vote as a result of the commission’s failure to produce the PVCs. He described the calls for the dropping of the card readers as diversionary, stressing that the use of PVCs and card readers would add value to the process.

INEC boss said the commission was prepared for the elections, before the postponement – contrary to the belief in some quarters.

Jega argued that if the commission was allowed to go ahead with the February date, it would have done a better job compared to the 2011 elections.

The extension has afforded the commission the opportunity to improve on its plans.

Insurgency battle, polls: Jonathan, security chiefs meet

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ECURITY chiefs are to brief President Goodluck Jonathan on the success so far recorded in routing insurgents in the troubled northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe today, it was learnt last night.

Expectedly, they will tell the President whether or not the security situation is now conducive for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go ahead with the forthcoming general elections as rescheduled.

The meeting will be chaired by the President and it will be attended by his deputy, Namadi Sambo; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd); Minister

of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Adoke (SAN); Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Defence Minister, Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd).

Also billed for the meeting are service chiefs Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (Chief of Defence Staff); Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (Chief of Army Staff); Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin (Chief of Naval Staff); Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (Chief of Air Staff); and Mr. Suleiman Abba (InspectorGeneral of Police).

Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan and his counterpart in the Interior Ministry Aba Moro will also be at the meeting.

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FOREIGN NEWS Cyclone Pam: UN confirms 24 dead, 3,300 displaced in Vanuatu

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HE UN in Vanuatu says 24 people have died and 3,300 are displaced after Cyclone Pam hit the Pacific archipelago early on Saturday.

The UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team in the capital, Port Vila, said 37 evacuation centres had been set up, but communication with outer islands was still down.

President Baldwin Lonsdale said the storm had "wiped out" all development of recent years.

He called again for international aid.

Of those who died, 11 were from Tafea island, eight from the main island, Efate, and five from Tanna.

The evacuation centres were catering for the many people who had lost their homes, the UN said, adding that the re-

sponse effort was for now focusing on the capital and Efate.

After aerial assessments of the damage caused by the storm, Shefa remained the only province declared an emergency, the UN said.

Aid began arriving in the storm-hit nation - one of the world's poorest - after flights to Port Vila resumed.

Tropical Cyclone Pam is slowly weakening as it travels towards New Zealand and poses no further threat to Vanuatu or the South Pacific, a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says.

The sense of devastation is absolutely immense and when you land it doesn't take long for that sense of devastation to increase.

Many family homes have been stripped of their roofs or flattened by very powerful winds and torrential rain.

The air here is very thick with smoke because the cleanup has already begun - the debris is being chopped down, collected and burned. There is a sense here that people will rebuild but it only takes a brief moment in the capital to realise that this rebuilding effort will take many months if not years.

This is a vast archipelago, the population is spread over more than 60 islands and communications are down. It's very difficult for the authorities to have a true picture of the devastation but it's clear the number of dead will increase when communications are made with those outlying areas.

LENT Theme: Men will fail you, look up!

Text: “....when they could not come nigh unto him..... they uncovered the roof where he was: and... let down the bed....” (Mark 2:4)

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HERE are times in life when roads become blocked and forward movement or progress becomes impossible. At such times in life, friends turn into enemies, the people to lean on lacerate their hands with thorns and friends that are supposed to assist in blowing off dirts from the eyes have pepper in their mouths. This untoward life happenstance makes life look worthless and the future appears bleak. The most logical thing to do under this circumstance is to either remain in same position or turn back to where one was coming from.

That was the situation the man sick with palsy faced at Capernaum. He heard that Jesus Christ, the miracle worker, was in town, hence he sought for the assistance of four men to take him where He was. He was confident that if only he could set his eyes on Jesus Christ, his problems of longstanding years would be over. He was full of excitement and joy that seeing Jesus Christ would terminate his woes and make him return home healthy.

Unfortunately for him, on getting where He was, the entire compound was filled to capacity and there was no space for even one more person. They looked straight and it was a cul-de-sac but the sick man said, “if there is no way forward, let us look up for the way” (Psalm 121:1-2). While others were pressing against one another and obviously getting dejected that there was no way forward to the place, the sick man found his way to Jesus, not through the conventional access route but laboriously through the unscientific path - the roof!

When Jesus Christ saw his faith, He forgave his sins and that man of faith was singled out for miracle of long standing years.

Religion makes one look straight, and many times at men, structures, institutions and tradition but faith makes one look up at the unseen and provokes the extraordinary (2 Corinthians 4:18). Jesus Christ had promised that, whenever anyone looks up to Him in faith, such will get whatever is asked (Matthew 21:22).

Christianity, is more than a religion, it is an expression of Godliness, a demonstration of righteousness, an exemplification of contentment and an absolute trust in the Word, as against logic, sense or what is seen.

Faith according to Dictionary definition means trust, hope or putting confidence in somebody or thing.

Hebrew 11:1-2 defined it further as, “..... the substance (support, confidence, reality, essence) of things hoped for (all that the heart desires and expecting), the evidence (Greek word is elenchos meaning proof) of things not seen (things that are not available). For by it, the elders obtained a good report (testimonies).

Faith is the reality of expectations and not a shadow; it is the bridge that connects children of God with what they are asking, trusting God for or hoping to have. Prayers and/or fasting without faith is empty!

Faith is the hallmark of Christianity “...... for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23); it is the lifeblood of the just. No wonder Hebrews 10:38 says that, “.... the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”.

The miraculous power of God can only be activated in an atmosphere of faith. The wall of Jericho did not fall because the people shouted, Hebrews 11:30 recorded that “..by faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days” (Joshua 6:1-20).

The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ operated maximally in an environment of faith. His miraculous

power could not be fully put into action where He was born because, “....... of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

The first miracle that Jesus Christ did at the wedding in Cana of Galilee wouldn’t have happened if not that they had faith that the water they brought forth to the Governor of the feast was wine, as Jesus Christ had requested them, and in obedience to His mother, who had earlier instructed them that “whatever He asked you to do, do it” (John 2:1-11) In sundry places, the Bible exhorted us not to put trust in man because of natural limitations. The woman with the issue of blood trusted in physicians for twelve years to the extent that she “.....suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse”, but when she turned to Jesus Christ with the word ‘if only I can touch His garment, I shall be made whole’, Her faith did the wonders and she was healed. (Mark 5:25-34).

Beloved in Christ, Jesus Christ has made a way of escape for us through the ills and challenges of this world that “.... these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”. (Mark 16:17-18).

Besides that, fasting and prayers without faith is powerless before any mountain; such a fast is at best for weight reduction, detoxification of human system or at worse an hunger strike (Mark 11:23; Matthew 17:20-21).

God is looking for people of faith to change this beleagured world; He wants a people that will swear to their own hurt and refuse to turn back (Psalm 15:4); a people that will have their hands on the plough and refuse to turn back (Luke 9:62); men and women that will trust Him absolutely, a people that will take whatever comes their way as the will of God and not bemoan their circumstances but forge on knowing that “better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof” (Eccl. 7:8). It is worthy of note that God is not looking at how great you can dance or pray, what He desires is for you to do all things in faith, as whatever is done out of faith is sin.

Beloved in Christ, are you passing through rough or tough times, kindly note that the fourth man will not appear until He has seen you say that, “the God that I serve is able to deliver me from the fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:16-27); are people gathered against you threatening to see your end? The mouth of the lion set to devour you will not be shut, until He has seen your faith (Daniel 6:10-22). Whatever you are passing through now is a storm in a teacup if only you can have faith in Him and not entertain fear. You shall, like Apostle Peter walk on water, and never sink, in Jesus’ name.

To provoke His supernatural work during this season of lent, look up to Him, put your trust in Him alone (Jer. 17:5-8), don’t trust friends, family members or colleagues because it is in human nature to fail and disappoint (Micah 7:5-6). Men will fail you but God will never fail you as “....there is no other name under heaven given among men which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Trust in Him and you shall laugh last, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Almighty God, let my faith in you grow daily and cast away fear from my life, in Jesus’ name.

SPACE FOR

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SPORT EXTRA

George Boyd: 'Burnley deserved win'

•Boyd

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EORGE Boyd has insisted that Burnley were deserving of their narrow win over Manchester City at Turf Moor in the Premier League yesterday evening.

The Scottish international scored the only goal in the Clarets' 1-0 win over the defending champions, leaving them just one point from safety.

The winger told the club's website: "What a feeling! To take four points off the champions this season is a massive effort.

It's a huge win and just a massive three points.

"It doesn't surprise us in the dressing room though. We fully deserved the point when we went there and I'd say we deserved the win today. We haven't feared anyone all season and we've got a massive belief that starts from the gaffer and the staff.

"We go into every game thinking we're going to win and as it proved today we can beat anyone on our day. We just play our own game and this is why we worked so hard to get here and enjoy these occasions and we'll now go to Southampton full of confidence."

The win was just the fifth of the season for Sean Dyche's side.

Perez interested in Man City - Carver ANCHESTER City are interested in signing Newcastle United's Spanish striker Ayoze Perez, Newcastle United head coach John Carver has suggested.

The former Tenerife striker has enjoyed a strong debut season in English football, scoring five goals despite the bulk of his 30 appearances coming off the bench.

And although he has recently played second fiddle to Papiss Cisse, Perez's potential appears to have caught the eye of Premier League champions City.

"I'm not surprised [by the interest in Perez]. He's a young lad and an exciting talent," Carver told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

"I know for a fact there is interest. You go in coaches' rooms after games and have a chat. A few people have spoken very highly of him, which is good.

"I had a good chat with Brian Kidd at Man City about him."

Carver also explained his reasoning for resting Perez - who previously claimed to have been the subject of interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid.

"He's got five goals - just behind Papiss. I took him out of the firing line and I was right to do so," he added.

"It has helped him having a bit of a break. There was an awful lot of pressure on this young lad coming from Tenerife and being thrown into our cauldron, as we all know it is.

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Terry defends Mourinho over PSG row J

OHN Terry has insisted Jose Mourinho has never told his Chelsea squad to put pressure on referees.

The Premier League leaders came in for criticism when a number of players surrounded Bjorn Kuipers before Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off in last week's Champions League last-16 second-leg exit to PSG. The striker described the Chelsea players as "babies", while Jose Mourinho angrily reacted to criticism from Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness regarding his team's conduct.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini spoke of his dislike of players surrounding match officials, but Terry has defended his head coach and says it is his job as captain to protect his teammates.

"Has he told us to surround referees? No never. Not in his previous time here and certainly not in this time either. It's the complete opposite. Never has the manager or any other manager I've worked under insisted on that," he told Sky Sports.

•Terry "When the captains sit down with the refs and the PFA and the Premier League at the start of each season, it's brought up and it's spoken

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ers away and quickly move on with the incident. The refs know that they needsomeonetospeaktoonthefield and the captain's the right person."

Wenger hails -improved Arsenal H

AVING seen his side extend their winning run in the Premier League to five matches, Arsene Wenger says Arsenal are a completely different prospect compared to the start of the season.

Wenger's men saw off West Ham 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, to put pressure on Manchester City above them and warm up positively for their European clash with Monaco on Tuesday.

If Arsenal, who are into the semi-finals of the FA Cup, can overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit, they would remain in the running for the UEFA Champions League.

While the Premier League title appears a step too far, with Chelsea six points clear and holding two games in hand, Wenger is growing increasingly confident in his side's ability.

"We are stronger today than at the start of the season," he said after the win over West Ham. "We dropped off in this league because we won one of [eight] at the start of the season but today we are a different team.

"We suffered a lot post-World Cup when some players came back and were not ready to play."

Wenger made a number of changes from Monday's cup win over Manchester United,

with Danny Welbeck and Santi Cazorla rested, and saw Olivier Giroud steal the show.

Giroud opened the scoring and played a part in Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini's late goals, but Wenger remains undecided on his front line for

Tuesday's trip to Monaco.

"I haven't decided yet, you have to take that with a little bit of perspective because the game was a bit more open and they [Welbeck and Cazorla] were a bit more fresh when they came on," he added.

•Sturridge

Sturridge: Hodgson relationship top class

•Perez

Jason Akiotu poised to sign new Crystal Palace deal RYSTAL Palace are set to offer a professional contract to highlyrated starlet Jason Akiotu in the summer.

The midfielder, who clocked 17 years this month, has been on the books of the Selhurst Park outfit for the past six years, Jason Akiotu has been one of the standout players for the Under 18 squad of Crystal Palace this season so much so that he has been invited to train with the Under 21s several times.

The Anglo-Nigerian is not short of admirers, with no

about and it is our duty as captain to make that run up the field.

"That'snottogotheretogetpeople sentofforbooked,it'stopullmyplay-

less than three clubs in the English Premier League showing interest in him ahead of the reopening of the transfer window.

Crystal Palace are aware that a lot of teams are circling for the player, and have moved quickly to open talks with his camp on a new deal.

As far as Jason Akiotu is concerned, his number one priority is to remain with The Eagles come next season.

He is eligible to represent the national teams of England and Nigeria, and would have trained with the Golden Eaglets in December if not for club commitments.

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•Wenger

IVERPOOL striker Daniel Sturridge said past controversies have not soured his love of representing England.

In a candid interview with the Daily Mail, the 16-capped international said he had no qualms with national boss Roy Hodgson despite a change to Sturridge's workload resulting in injury in September.

At Anfield, manager Brendan Rodgers insists his quicker players take two days of rest following a match, while Hodgson wants his chargers to be training on the second day.

Sturridge injured his thigh training within 48 hours of representing England against Nor-

way in September, but the 25year-old said the incident which saw Rodgers lash out at the Football Association's handling of the former Chelsea and Bolton front man.

"Regardless of what happened in the past, I love playing for England," Sturridge said.

"That situation occurred and it's in the past. I don't want to dwell on it.

"People pick injuries up and they are unfortunate. It just so happened I got injured that day. It's life. People get injured sometimes. It is what it is.

"My relationship with the England manager is top class.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

AAG Qualifiers: Handball coaches sure of tickets

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OACHES Ferdinand Emeana and Mike Tanghaher have all give assurances that the Nigerian men and women’s handball team will pick their All Africa Games’ ticket at the qualifiers that would begin on April 1 in Niamey in Niger.

The teams are currently camped and training at the Nigeria Civil Defence Training School in Sauka, Abuja. Camping began with 30 players, but 20 players are in camp battling for 16 slots in both teams.

Emeana, who is in charge of the female team, told NationSport that his players are working hard in camp and expressed belief that the good camping programme would aid the team’s performance in Niger.

“This is the best camping programme we have had in recent time and I am excited that the players are responding to training. Their performance gives me hope that we will not only qualify for AAG, but we will emerge champions at the end of

By Adeyinka Adedipe the qualifiers in Niger. We have been in camp for about two months and the players are in high spirits. The accommodation, feeding and the training facilities are top notch,” he added.

Coach of the female team, Tanghaher, who spoke in the same vein, stated that he had the best of Nigerian players in camp and assured that only the best would be picked for the crucial qualifier. He noted that being in camp for over a month had given them the opportunity to prepare well for the AAG play offs in Niger.

“I am optimistic that we will make it to Congo Brazzaville because of the quality of players we have in camp. I am training with the best players who have the right attitude and mentality to win the championship in Niger.”

Ikpeba, Akanni, others in campaign against kidney disease

F

ORMER Eagles’ players have joined the campaign against kidney disease as they link with the Bowtie Club to kick against the deadly disease in a football match that would take place on Saturday at the Campos mini Stadium.

Victor Ikpeba, Waidi Akanni, Taribo West and Peter Rufai have all joined other former internationals in a charity game to create awareness to a disease that has over N20 million sufferers, while is insurance giant, AIICO, has also pledged support against battling the deadly disease.

The football legends would square

up against the best of Nollywood led by Fred Amata and comedian, AY Makun.

According to the organizers, the event promises to be a very exciting outing with teams from UBA, Sahara Group and the Galacticus joining in the game.

According to the organizers, the need to create more awareness and force Nigerians to have a rethink of their habits has led to this initiative, which promises to throw more light and force public discourse on the need to pay closer attention to this 'silent killer' in a bid to curb its spread.

63

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.10

NO. 3156

TODAY IN THE NATION ‘It would be better for the president to heed the advice of the Awujale of Ijebu land to take his campaign to the people and not the palace of their traditional rulers. Obas don’t vote and their views/directives would only be followed by their people provided they tally with the interest of their people’ WAHEED ODUSILE

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

G

OING into the presidential election scheduled tentatively for March 28 – tentatively because he and his proxies, sensing defeat, are doing everything conceivable and even inconceivable to scuttle or sabotage it — Dr Goodluck Jonathan has rested his case for a renewed mandate on the claim that he has transformed or is transforming Nigeria in spectacular ways.

Public outrage and scorn have forced them to stop peddling the transparent falsehood that Jonathan has accomplished for Nigeria the wonders Lee Kuan Yew wrought in Singapore, the miracle that Nelson Mandela worked in South Africa, the transcendental change that Dr Martin Luther King’s leadership of the civil rights movement effected in the United States, and the inspiration that has redounded to black humanity from Barak Obama’a ascendancy.

Yet, Transformation continues to be the theme, the centrepiece of Dr Jonathan’s campaign–transformation of every aspect of the national experience.

The opposition APC has continued to espouse “Change” as its campaign theme, despite Dr Jonathan’s wife’s incendiary appeal to the crowds at her campaign stops to stone anyone disrespectful enough to shout “change” to her hearing.

With her habitual resort to coarse abuse, vulgar name-calling, ethnic baiting, and her crass insensitivity to the sociology and complexity of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan has taken first-ladyism to a level of degradation beyond belief. Let that stand as her legacy, and her husband’s.

Now, change is the opposite of continuity. If Jonathan and his campaign are so sure that the path he has pursued for the past six years is the right one, that Nigerians are better off today than they were six years ago and that staying the course will finally lead Nigeria to the greatness for which it is so richly endowed, why don’t they pivot their case on Continuity?

That term rarely figures in their propaganda of hate and incitement because they know that it will give the game away.

Only a masochist will vote for continuity when the past six years have loosed little more than acute deprivation, popular misery and insecurity on the land; when another term of four years under the management that has wrought this devastation presages nothing but the same.

So, pivot the campaign on Transformation. Reel out an endless assemblage of “achievements” as proof, should the usual naysayers still require any, that the Jonathan Transformation is not an illusion conjured up by the “Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria.”

But when you wade through the assem-

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

The Tinker as Transformer

•Dr. Jonathan

blage, what you see is tinkering – tinkering around the edges, patching, mending, refurbishing, and repairing. There is no fundamental change in the condition, the inner nature or the function of things and institutions, the essence of transformation.

On this basis, Dr Jonathan would have to be regarded as a tinker rather than a transformative figure. That, at any rate, is the contention of this column.

The evidence is plain.

Just the other day, I was going through the first installment of an editorial advertisement in which a grateful contractor or desperate supplicant or a high priest of the Transformation Brotherhood was threatening to inflict on the public a treatise detailing 500 reasons why Dr Jonathan should be re-elected.

The full-page advertisement was a desultory litany of roads in conveniently far-flung regions of Nigeria that Dr Jonathan had allegedly rehabilitated, repaired, or reconstructed. Even if it were possible to verify the claims and vouch for the quality of the work done, if work was indeed done, to call it transformation would still be an instance

RIPPLES

MY HUSBAND MUST SERVE TWO TERMS–Patience Jonathan insists

•••even as DOLLAR now sells for N220?

of unnecessary dignification.

More substantively, one of the planks on which Dr Jonathan’s claim to being a transformer is an excellent example of patching and mending. I have in mind the 1,200 km Lagos-Kano railway track that was supposed to be transformed into a standard-gauge structure for high-speed rail travel.

It is nothing of the sort. The trains run essentially on the tracks laid by Lord Lugard, with some patching here and there. They take two full days to travel the distance. The rolling stock goes back seven decades; passengers are for the most part herded into illventilated coaches, without the slightest regard to hygiene. Neither Dr Jonathan nor any senior official has deigned to take a ride on these trains.

To be fair, you cannot accuse Dr Jonathan of lack of ambition. He has talked of building a West-East railway route, and even threatened to link all state capitals by rail.

But talk is not even tinkering, much less transformation.

Lately, they have also been crediting him with the construction of the Abuja-Kaduna fast train, the contract for which was finalised in December 2010, barely seven months after Jonathan was conferred with the full powers of the Presidency following the death of the incumbent, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Jonathan had not quite found his feet then, and could not have been the originator of the project.

But he deserves praise for seeing it though to completion.

Yet another plank on which Dr Jonathan’s alleged transformative genius has been erected is the Constitutional Conference that many are citing as reason for backing his reelection. But it was at bottom another job of patching. It was a disingenuous evasion of a Sovereign National Conference, the proper form for the restructuring, without which the Nigerian state will wither away eventually.

The Conference could not have turned out differently, when the Conference was packed with people selected for the most part by the

HARDBALL

H

ARDBALL is not the only one puzzled about the latest road show in town, in this highly charged season of electoral distemper.

The last time Hardball checked, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) crusade was stark: Nigeria was hell on earth, it must be scorned; and Biafra is utopia, haven and heaven combined; so every MASSOB patriot, led by the brave Ralph Uwazurike, must venerate it.

Why, even in Dakar, Senegal, where the current African Youth Championship (AYC) is on, and Nigeria had just qualified for the semi-final, courtesy of a 2-2 draw with Cote d’Ivoire, live TV coverage of that match showed some braves lustily cheering the Nigerian boys but zealously waving the Biafra flag! Were these MASSOB cadres? Only God knows!

So, MASSOB’s business is Biafra. If Nigeria is ever mentioned, it is because it stubbornly stands between it and its Utopia.

Therefore, why must Biafra be concerned about elections into Babylonia — beg your pardon, Nigeria?

That was the surprising spectacle in some South Eastern streets, late last week. MASSOB embarked on a road show, howling and growling: Attahiru Jega, the chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission

MASSOB Quixote (INEC), must be sacked. Ralph Nwazurike had proclaimed the fatwa (not unlike the Ayatollah in an Islamic theocratic state): Jega must go! So, from the MASSOB hoi polloi: the master’s fatwa must stand!

But what is MASSOB’s stake in all of these, beyond the Nwazurike fatwa, which, by the way, is based on nothing but partisan passion fired by mere political old wives’ tales ? Well, some manage to confess: they were pressing themselves into service for President Goodluck Jonathan, whose body language, if not his party’s and fronts’ loud grumbling, want Jega out, at all cost. So, since Jonathan helped give their late leader, Dim Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, a grand burial, they are inclined to help him get rid of Jega.

Jega’s offence? No one really knows, except wild charges that he had allegedly compromised with the opposition. Further proofs? First, the late delivery of permanent voter cards (PVCs) — already being addressed with the six-week election postponement. Crusade to junk PVCs for temporary voter cards (TVC) — which makes no economic sense, since scarce resources had al-

convening authority, operating under rules and conditions designed by the same authority, and beholden to yet again the same authority for its implementation.

By now, the epileptic power supply should have become a distant memory, going by one of Dr Jonathan’s solemn promises. The supply would be so sure and steady, he said, that owners of power generating sets would literally be begging people on the streets to come cart them away for free. But each year, the national output keeps shrinking.

Lacking faith in his own prediction, Dr Jonathan runs his sprawling offices and living quarters in Aso Rock on generators. He has not even thought of building an independent power supply for Aso Rock, let alone tapping into solar energy.

He has built 12 new universities, some of them in areas that can hardly absorb them.

But he has made no investments in raising even one of more than 100 older universities to world class. Nor has he equipped a single medical facility in Nigeria to world class, not even the one that is meant to serve the Presidency.

It is necessary to add that hopping from one traditional ruler’s domain to another and handing out bags stuffed with dollar bills in an effort to buy the election, now that Attahiru Jega has blocked the usual methods of stealing the people’s voices and votes, is no transformation.

Rather, it harks back to the colonial-era policy of Indirect Rule. Empower traditional rulers, and they will corral their subjects to do your bidding.

Nor does awarding contracts for rebuilding the school from which the Chibok 219 were plucked by Boko Haram count as a transformative act, especially when as the girls remain unaccounted for more than a year later. Rather, the tawdry election-eve stunt calls to mind George Santayana’s quip about those who double the effort long after they have forgotten the aim.

To say all this is not to say that Dr Jonathan has achieved nothing. It is merely to make the case that his accomplishments belong in the realm of tinkering, not transformation.

Oops:

I

N “This thing called corruption,” (col umn, March 9), I erroneously credited Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, with drawing a seminal distinction between “misappropriation” and “misallocation” of public funds. The distinction he drew was between misappropriation of public funds, of which he took a dim view, and mere “misapplication” of public funds, which he saw as unexceptionable.

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above ready been committed to it.

Then the PDP furore over smart card readers to authenticate PVC, being an electronic pre-voting device to make voting more transparent. But who would oppose that except a probable rigger of elections? Those are Jega’s “crimes” — and those are the bases of the MASSOB anti-Jega road shows!

So, even if MASSOB gets its Utopia of Biafra, would it push dubious causes over there as it is pushing in this anti-Jega crusade, of aiding and abetting putative election rigging?

But if it is any consolation, MASSOB needs not be distressed. Across the Niger, Fredrick Fasehun’s and Gani Adams’s Odu’a People’s Congress (OPC) are onto to a similar racket. For a piece of oil pipeline protection contract, they would do the merry bidding of the extant powers-that-be, even if that means wilfully subverting the democratic order!

MASSOB, OPC and their likes as presidential lobbies just shows the low company the president of the Federal Republic keeps — show me your friends, the saying goes, and I will tell you the sort of person you are!

Hardball thinks presidential lobbies should be made of more stellar stuff — and MASSOB had better get serious, and quit playing the Don Quixote of useless causes!

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