The Nation May 06, 2015

Jonathan sacks PEF boss

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NEWS Page 4

•New appointments

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•Reps shoot down motion to end fuel subsidy •Agbaje gets tribunal’s nod to inspect materials •14 lawmakers demanded money from me, says Chime •Benin school pupils find fresh grave in classroom

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VOL. 10, NO. 3206 WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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Cash crisis: APC governors urge Buhari to rescue states Fed Govt borrows N473b to pay salaries, says Okonjo-Iweala

•Gen. Buhari (third right), Prof. Osinbajo (fifth left) with them (from left) are: Al-Makura, Ahmed, Ganduje, Odigie-Oyegun, Okorocha, Tambuwal in Abuja…yesterday. On the back row (from left) are: Shettima, Bindow, El-Rufai, Aregbesola, Abubakar, Lalong and former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi

T

HE gloomy state of the economy was laid bare yesterday.

States are broke. Many of them are finding it difficult to pay salaries. Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala finally agreed yesterday that the economy is troubled. She said the Federal Government has borrowed N473 billion to meet up with recurrent expenditure, including salaries and overheads.

The budgetary provision for borrowing is N883billion.

All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and governors-elect urged President-

?

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

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to bail out states.

They told Gen. Buhari that the economy was in a very bad shape, requiring urgent attention.

The President-elect said Nigerians should give his administration a chance to reposition the economy and restore confidence in the system.

The governors, after a meeting on Monday night at the Imo Governor’s Lodge, met with Gen. Buhari at the Defence House in Abuja for over

THE FIGURES

N883b

•Budgetary provision for borrowing

N145.2b

•Economy under threat as debts hit N11tr —Analysis P2&3 one hour, urging him to do everything humanly possible to bail out the states so that

•Fuel subsidy in 2015 budget

N473b

•Cash borrowed to fund recurrent expenditure between January andApril

N45.52b

they can pay workers.

Chairman of the APC Governors Forum and Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha told reporters at the end of the meeting that they came to inform the President-elect about the challenges ahead of

•Kerosine subsidy in 2015 budget

him when he is sworn in on May 29 – 23 days away.

Some of the states are owing between one month and six months salary arrears. Osun state is in arrears of four months. Benue and Plateau have five months to pay.

Oyo State is owing three months. Rivers and Imo are yet to pay workers for two months. Bauchi and Ekiti are owing one month.

He said: “We came to pay a courtesy call on the President-elect who will be sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief on the 29th of May, 2015 and also to familialise ourselves with the governors-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“One of the issue of concern to all of us is the state of the Nigeria economy, which is really in a bad shape and Continued on page 4

PDP governors shun election review panel’s inauguration Mu’azu absent Fayose insists NWC members should resign

STORY ON PAGE 4

•SPORTS P14 •LIFE P15 •MONEY P26 •INVESTORS P28 •POLITICS P45 •FOREIGN P59

THE NATION WEDNEDSDAY, MAY 6, 2015

2

NEWS

Nigeria's The growing profile of Nigeria's debt has become a source of concern, given the Federal Government's penchant to add to its stock. The latest addition of N473 billion, has once again opened the floodgate of the spiral rise, with its attendant consequences, reports SIMEON EBULU, Group Business Editor

•Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi flanked by Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Jibril Aku (left) and Zonal Business Head, Public Sector, Northwest, Sani Shuaibu Adamu when the bank’s management team visited the Emir in Kano.

•Vice President-elect Prof. yemi Osinbajo (second left); Pastor Segun Babatope (left); Secretary, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor Jerry Asemota (second right) and Pastor Philip Oluwi at a reception in honour of Osinbajo.

•From left: Managing Director, NATCOM, Mr. Kamar Abass; Chairman, Dr. Tunde Ayeni; Managing Director, Hong Kong Telecom/PCCW, Mr. Marc Halbfinger and Head,Africa, PCCW, Mr. Yossi Barkhan after a dinner to mark the NATCOM Technical Partners/PCCW’s visit to Nigeria at Sky Restaurant, Eko Hotel, Lagos...on Monday.

•From left: Human Resource Director, Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc., Mr. Victor Famuyibo; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde; Sales Director, Mr. Hubert Eze and Corporate Affairs Adviser, Kufre Ekanem, after a news conference on the company’s Pre-Annual General Meeting at the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos...yesterday.

PHOTO: MUYIWA HASSAN

F

EAR may well be the word to describe the state of Nigeria’s debt profile, hovering at N11.24 trillion as at December 31, 2014 and still rising.

The level which the nation’s debt overhang has attained is like a deathknell. Yet it keeps climbing.

The revelation by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoNweala, that the Federal Government has borrowed N473 billion in the first quarter of this year to execute the 2015 National Budget, is another clear case of one-more borrowing too many, so to speak.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said yesterday that of the N882 billon budgetary provision for borrowing, the Federal Government had already accessed N473 billion to fund Recurrent Expenditure, such as salaries and other overheads. The obvious reason for this development, she stressed, is the 50 per cent decline in the spot market of crude prices .which has inadvertently resulted in a cash crunch for the country.

To remain focused on keeping the economy stable and the government running, the government has embarked on “front-loaded borrowing programme to manage the cash crunch in the economy,” she said.

Nigeria’s borrowing profile from independence, is a study in itself. Going by the data available to The Nation, there appears to be more questions than answers when it comes to x-raying how the nation arrived at this point in time, where nothing gets done unless it is powered by external revenue sources, rather than internally generated funds, or revenues earned from known government sources, such as taxes, oil and nonoil exports.

The hint that Nigeria would go a borrowing again, was given by Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala in far- away America in April during the last International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group Spring meetings in Washington DC, United States (U.S.).

On prospects of further borrowing, she said: “Government is considering and in fact taking steps to actualise this with the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank (AfDB).” The other option of tapping the capital markets would be left for the incoming government. She said the government decided to look outside the nation’s shores for the next round of borrowing because it has reached, and almost exceeded taking the ceiling for local debts.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said: “Our borrowing strategy is very prudent, and what we will do is that we have a lot of domestic borrowing than we want, so we are trying to switch and have a little more of external borrowing, but by drawing heavily on the multilateral institutions. So we will be going to the World Bank and the AfDB, and we will also look into the markets. But for the multilaterals, we’ve already embarked on discussions.”

Her disclosure that N473 billion has been borrowed is a confirmation that the proposal has eventually been actualised.

In its 2014 Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA), the nation also adopted a subsisting debt management strategy as captured in the approved Nigeria’s Medium-Term Debt

Management Strategy (MTDS), for 2012-2015, which seeks to achieve an optimal mix in the debt portfolio of 60:40 for domestic and external debts respectively as against the current mix of 83:17 through a gradual substitution of relatively more expensive domestic borrowing with cheaper external financing. Thus, the 2014 DSA has already incorporated government’s policy objective of reducing the overall cost of government borrowing at an acceptable level of risks.

This may have informed the minister’s statement of government’s preference for approaching multilateral agencies.

The objective of the 2014 DSA is to assess the country’s capacity to finance its projects/programmes and service its debt obligations, without undue large adjustments that may compromise its macroeconomic stability, overall growth and development.

The government’s avowed confidence that it can continue to borrow on the argument that it falls within a safe threshold, is punctured when examined under an uncertain economic regime, as being faced by Nigeria.

Even the government admitted this by its own record. It underlined the risks inherent on its path.

“The pessimistic scenario ( where Nigeria is presently), assumes a reduction in the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), increase in the rate of inflation, decline in revenue accruing to the Federal Government as a result of a fall in crude oil prices, deterioration in fiscal deficit and current balance, amongst others.

Unlike in the previous years, which made pessimistic scenario revenuespecific, this years DSA considered deterioration in a broad range of macroeconomic indicators and variables that could impact negatively on the debt portfolio,” the sustainability analysis annual report said.

Although the results indicate that the country will still remain at a low risk of debt distress under the pessimistic scenario, it also shows a rising trend for all the debt indicators throughout the projection period.

This means that a prolonged deterioration in one or two of the variables could increase the risk of debt sustainability.

The growing concern over the country’s debt overhang has been on the front burner for years, but often times, government officials have always argued that the nation’s debt level has not gone out of a safe trajectory. However, the lid over this confidence margin, appears to be weakening and increasingly contested.

A lecturer at the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Dr. Austin Nweze, pointed out a grave danger in accumulating excessive foreign debts as such would place undue burden on future generations, especially if the loans are not channeled into capital projects.

He said that the danger lies ahead for the economy, should the existing level of borrowing from big nations continue, which could make the country to depend on lending nations.

Nweze, however, said that there is nothing wrong in borrowing provided the funds are well utilised or invested in the provision of infrastructure.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

3

economy under threat as debts hit N11tr

‘‘

Look at the severance allowances... unless you cut these down, there is no way out. You look at the state bureaucrat today; the havoc they have caused to the economy is huge.

Look at the monetisation policy of Obasanjo, they have abandoned it completely.

•Nwankwo

According to him, the fall in oil prices has reduced revenue receipts, forcing the government to look for money to run the economy.

He urged the government not to leave behind a heavy foreign debt burden for the present and unborn generations. He cautioned that Nigeria, already under a heavy burden of foreign debts could be in great danger.

He urged the ruling class and the older generations to set good example and educate the coming generations for a better and secured future.

According to him, such example should be set by not accumulating debt for future generations to inherit.

He urged the government to invest borrowed money in projects that will benefit the economy, instead of consuming the money.

Dr. Isaac Nwaogwugwu, a lecturer at Department of Economics, University of Lagos, said there is no way we are going to finance capital budget without borrowing.

He said: “That is why the allocation to capital account or expenditure is very small unless the government says it not ready to invest or provide for the future then it’s going to borrow.

“If government is committed to developmental issues there is no way it can run away from that? So, the volume of borrowed amount, or our debt stock wouldn’t matter so much. They can always try to cut down what they have borrowing and not that they can’t borrow.”

Leakages Nwaogwugwu went on: “The danger on borrowing lies on fiscal leakages. If government can block leakages, that will be fine and that is

•Dr. Okonjo-Iweala

‘

•Dr. Nweze

“It was after that we borrowed money, they called it capital receipt and we used that money to pay salaries and wages; we used that money for recurrent expenditure. We borrowed money and we don’t tie it to capital projects. That is one of the biggest issue and where the dangers lie. Such loans must be tied to the budget and if we don’t, we’ll be mortgaging the future of Nigerians.

The way out

•The tables above are from the 2014 Annual Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) of the Debt Management Office (DMO) the task for the new government, though the president-elect will find his hands tight on many issues.

“We can’t run away from borrowing but all we have to do is to ensure that we block all leakages. All we have to do is that we become bold enough to address some fiscal issues involved in recurrent spending.

Many things we spend on recurrent expenditures are simply used to maintain some people who run gov-

ernment.

Funds not tied to specific projects “That issue started under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. If you look at the letter which Soludo (the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor) wrote when he was talking about the Jonathan administration and how he mismanaged the economy, he raised the issue of us-

ing the budget to finance consumption expenditure.

“Basically, Soludo called the budget under President Jonathan a consumption appropraition. In as much as I agree with Soludo totally, I also hold him accountable for some of the mistakes. It was when Obasanjo was in the office that Soludo was the CBN Governor, before Sanusi Lamido, took over with this minister of state for finance, who replaced Okonjo-Iweala .

Nwaogwugwu said: “We have to be fiscally discipline. We saw the Senate pass the bill; we saw the House of Representatives pass the bill and what did we see? The budget has increased. It has gone up to N4.5 trillion. But, what we discovered that National Assembly increased spending and mark up expenditure on things that might not be necessary. That has always been the problem. If the National Assembly can look at the budget critically and say, ‘we don’t need this; we don’t need that; let us start with their own remuneration; begin to cut them down, look at how much they are collecting’.

“Look at the severance allowances... unless you cut these down, there is no way out. You look at the state bureaucrat today; the havoc they have caused to the economy is huge. Look at the monetisation policy of Obasanjo, they have abandoned it completely. Unless we have a National Assembly that is bold enough to say, ‘lets block this and that’, then we will move forward. The way out is that those we have elected should block all leakages. If the politicians do the right thing we won’t have any problem.

Nigeria and South Africa: Need for constructive, sagacious diplomacy

X

ENOPHOBIC attacks on Nigerians and other African citizens have led to the straining of relations between Nigeria and South Africa. The long-standing cordial relations between the two countries which often have had some challenges were recently tested once more by the recent xenophobic onslaught on Nigerians and other African nationals. The consequence of which led to an unfortunate diplomatic row and anger by Nigerian citizens and lawmakers, who perceived South Africa as an ingrate that was taking Nigeria for granted despite the latter’s sacrifice to rid South Africa and Namibia of apartheid and liberating Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola from the clutches of colonialism.

The situation was aggravated by the recall home of the Nigerian Charge d’ affairs in Pretoria and of the Consul–General from Johannesburg. The recall angered the South African government who felt that Nigeria was overkilling the issue. President Goodluck Jonathan felt embarrassed as it was disclosed that he

By Jaiyeola .J. Lewu

was not consulted nor did he give approval to the recall of Nigerian envoys from South Africa by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fall out of the whole saga was the suspension of the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry by the President and his replacement “with immediate effect”, which was rather rash and unfortunate.

Except in this current era of impunity in this country, the permanent secretary, whose traditional practices I know very well, could not have singularly and unilaterally recalled both the acting High Commissioner and the Consul–General at the same time without the express approval of his supervisors. In fact, he has three bosses – the Foreign Affairs Minister and two (2) other Ministers of State, the buck stops at the table of the Foreign Minister, who should take full responsibility. Passing the buck to the permanent secretary is not the traditional practice in a civilised society.

The permanent secretary, like most civil serv-

ants, is an obedient servant, who is usually “directed” by superior authorities. His public suspension and immediate replacement is an unfortunate misjudgment of the Presidency. The foreign service has a more dignifying way of handling such issues; not by public disgrace.

Mr. President may wish to revisit the case so that justice and fair play may be dispensed and confidence of the high echelon of the civil service in good governance, accountability and rule of law may continue to be reposed.

Need for connectivity between Presidency, Foreign Affairs Ministry Since the untimely replacement of the late Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru - a career diplomat per excellence, there appears to be a lacuna in the relations between the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For instance, the issue of denials regarding telephone discussion between President Jonathan and the King of Morocco; Nigeria’s abstention from voting in the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the Palestinian issue, an issue on which Nigeria

had never compromised and had always been consistent over the years in voting in favour of the inalienable rights of the Palestinians for self–determination; and also, of course, in favour of the Israeli’s right of existence; the recent controversy over recall of the two Nigerian envoys from South Africa over the Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans, are cases in point, where the right hand does not seem to know what the left hand is doing.

The Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should not be acting at cross – purposes.

There should be constant and continuous coordination and collaboration between the two sides of the same coin so that they should speak always from the same page or sing the same song from the same hymn book without any contradiction. It is very shameful and disheartening to see the Presidential spokesman on the television constantly contradicting and indicting the actions or statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on issues which should be quietly and confidentially resolved.

•Continued on page 63

4

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

NEWS

•President Goodluck Jonathan (fourth right), Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Aminu Wali (third right), Chairman, Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations (PACIR), Chief Emeka Anyaoku(fourth left), Amb. Jide Osuntokun (second left) and other members of the council, after a valedictory meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja …yesterday PHOTO: NAN

PDP: Governors shun post-poll review panel inauguration Fayose insists Mu’azu, others must go •Mu’azu KITI State Governor Ayo Fayose yesterabsent day launched a blistering attack on PeoBut Fayose fired back in a statement yester-

T

HE plan to probe President Goodluck Jonathan’s crushing defeat in last month’s presidential election by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ran into a bad patch yesterday – an indication that the bad blood generated by the outcome of the election has not dissipated.

Yesterday’s inauguration of the Ike Ekweremadu-led 15man panel to investigate the loss and recommend the way forward was shunned by the three governors named on the team.

Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Theodore Orji (Abia) and Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe) did not attend the ceremony. PDP Board of Trustees Secretary Walid Jibril, the committee’s secretary, also did not turn up. They also did not give reasons for their absence. Also absent was National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu, who has been fending of attacks over the party’s loss.

National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh said Mu’azu was out of the country on a family

E

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

ples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu and members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

He insisted that they must quit because of the party’s failure in the elections.

Denying any role in the failure of the party, the NWC, through its spokesman Olisa Metuh on Monday said the blame should be put squarely at the doorsteps of the Presidential Campaign Council. It vowed to remain in office until the expiration of its tenure in March, next year.

The NWC slammed Fayose for calling for its resignation, saying he was supported to get into office in spite of protests from some leaders of the party and that he got N250 million for his campaign.

From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

commitment. He said the governors were said to be indisposed.

The party leadership on Sunday announced the committee, to review the poor performance of the PDP in the elections and make recommendations for its repositioning.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who chairs the committee, rued the party’s poor outing at the polls and

day by his Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka.

The governor accused Mu’azu of selling out to the opposition during the general elections.

Fayose wondered why PDP heavyweights, such as Mu’azu, Federal Capital Territory Minister Bala Mohammed and Governor Isa Yuguda, failed to deliver their home state of Bauchi to the party despite the enormous resources at their disposal.

Fayose argued that Mu’azu must quit his position as the National Chairman on account of the crushing defeat suffered by the party at the general elections. He likened the party Continued on page 57

appealed to members to halt the blame game.

Ekweremadu said: “Our pains and disappointments are well-founded, especially given the enormous hopes and prospects the party holds as a panNigerian movement for social, economic and political transformations.

“Thus, it is not a loss for the PDP only, but a loss to the great people of this country that the party lost the steering Continued on page 58

•Mu’azu

Jonathan sacks PEF boss •President makes new appointments

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday continued his last-minute sacking of public officials working in his outgoing government with the removal of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) Mrs Sharon Adefunke Kasali.

He replaced her immediately with the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed.

Mrs. Kasali has been the Executive Secretary of PEF since 2007.

According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the new PEF Executive Secretary hails from Niger State and holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, respectively.

“She is expected to put her years of experience in public service to good use in re-engineering, repositioning and re-invigorating PEF for present and future challenges.”

From Our Reporters

President Jonathan also approved the appointment of Mr. Denzil Amagbe Kentebe as Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Management Development Board (NCDMB).

“Mr. Kentebe, an architect with years of experience in strategic planning and policy management, takes over from Engineer Ernest Nwapa who has been Executive Secretary of the NCDMB since April 2010.”

Also yesterday, Former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel and former Osun State deputy governor and onetime Minister of State for Defence Mrs.Olusola Obada, were among those inaugurated as chairman of the governing councils of the 12 new universities.

The Councils were inaugurated in Abuja by Minister of Education Ibrahim Shekarau.

The Pro-chancellor of University of Ibadan and governing councils of four new polytechnics and the board of the Continued on page 58

Cash crisis: APC governors urge Buhari to rescue states Continued from page 1

we have come to notify the incoming President of the challenges ahead of him.

“As it stands today, most states of the federation have not been able to pay salaries and even the Federal Government has not paid April salaries. That is very worrisome and by May and June, that will be cumulative of about three months and we wondered that with the huge expectations from Nigerians and people who voted us into power, we are hoping that the Presidentelect will do all the things that are humanly possible to bring about a bailout, not only on the part of the states, but also the Federal Government so that people can get their salaries and turn around the economy.

“We have seen the reasons to work together and support Mr. President and we have also called on all our brothers in the other political parties to come along with us to build this Nigeria of our dream.

“In a nutshell, we have come to congratulate Mr. Presidentelect on a well deserved victory, knowing that with this victory, the change we have all

Fed Govt borrows N473b to pay salaries, overheads in four months

N

IGERIA is facing “a difficult cash crunch”, which has forced a N473 borrowing to finance recurrent expenditure.

In this year’s budget ,N882 billon is for borrowing.

Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters yesterday that the situation was caused by the 50 per cent decline in oil revenues.

For the Federal Government to remain focused on keeping the economy stable and the government running it, “front-loaded the borrowing programme to manage the cash crunch in the economy”.

As a consequence of the revenue challenges, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala stated that “there has been no capital budget release so far this year”. Traditionally, the first part of the year witnesses low revenue because tax receipts come in from the middle of the year. This has compounded the challenges caused by the steep drop in revenues due

been waiting for must be dedicated to the ordinary citizens of Nigeria who stomped out and voted accordingly.

“What we have done so far is to inform him about the state of the economy and make suggestions. But I know that he will know how to solve this ugly situation.”

Okorocha spoke on “ap-

From Nduka Chiejina and Chioma Onyia, Abuja

to the oil price fall.”

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala noted that “it is a challenging time that requires daily, weekly and monthly management to keep the country going and that’s what we have been doing”.

Nigeria, she said, has the advantage of being an asset rich country and in times of financial difficulties, the country could leverage on its assets by either selling some off or using them to borrow money to manage the economy, which “is a definite strength”.

However that, she said, has been left for the incoming government to decide. Adjustments will probably have to be made to accommodate the amount of subsidy that needs to be paid also, she said.

In spite of this challenge, the government, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala added, “has

pointments and power sharing”, saying “it is too early in the day but as a party, we shall all work together to make sure that there is equitable distribution of positions and infrastructure in Nigerian and this will be done as soon as possible”.

Gen. Buhari, who praised the governors for the visit, told

managed to keep the economy stable to the point that the Nigerian economy, which is projected to grow by 4.8 per cent this year is, according to respected analysts, doing much better than many other oil producing countries.”

On the 2015 budget parametres, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said the National Assembly passed the budget with an expenditure outlay of N4.493 trillion (up from the N4.425 trillion proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan) representing an increase of N67.43 billion.

For 2015, the National Assembly passed a benchmark oil price of US$53 per barrel $1 higher than the budget proposal, generating an extra revenue of N54.25 billion for the Federal Government.

This budget has not been signed into law

by President Goodluck Jonathan - the finance minister said this might be done in a couple of days time.

them that he was aware of the high expectations from Nigerians. “I have started nervously to explain to people that Rome was not built in a day.”

He urged Nigerians to give the incoming government a chance to reposition the economy and be in a position to pay salaries.

He said: “For this to be cor-

Continued on page 58

rected, please give the incoming government a chance.

Here, I will like to recall what happened during the Abacha regime which led to the emergence of PTF. “The Abacha regime was a military regime and it thought that the only way was to increase the prices of petroleum products, but they were taking

Nigerians for a ride.

“They would have said that if Nigerians decide to riot, they have the guns and so they can have their way. They decided to tel Nigerians that they were going to increase prices of petroleum products and the money we get, we will put aside for development. That was how PTF came.

“So, this time around, under this system, to bounce back with the issue especially with the backlog of salaries which are of immediate concern to individuals and states,I think we should look for a better way to address the issue and think of how to persuade people to give us a chance to organise the economy immediately and get something to pay salaries.”

The President-elect said while security remains first on his agenda because if there is no security, there is no development, when he assumes office, he will urge the people to “give us a chance to stabilise Continued on page 58

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

5

NEWS Power outage: Ministers, workers abandon offices

Buhari hails APC media campaign team

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

•President-elect

meets Tunde Thompson

S

P

RESIDENT-ELECT Muhammadu Buhari has lauded members of his campaign media team led by Malam Shehu Garba for running a very “decent media campaign” despite the vigorous hate campaigns mounted against him by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Buhari, who received members of his Media Team and Social Media Influencers at the Defence House, Abuja yesterday, was full of praises for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Media & Publicity members.

He said the members have reason to thank God and celebrate the success of the entire campaign.

“I want to commend you, especially for two things.

First, it was decent media campaign you conducted. Despite the PDP’s dirty tactics, you stayed focused on issues and avoided the temptation to sling mud.”

The President-elect hailed Shehu for providing leadership that led to the success of his team.

“I thank you for your uncommon motivation to do the work. Despite the shoestring budget on which we ran our APC campaign, you did not allow the lack of adequate remuneration to stall the work at any point in time.

You continued to give your best.”

The high-point of the meeting was when the President-elect cracked jokes with Mr. Tunde Thompson, a member of the Media Team and one of the journalists jailed by the Decree 4 in 1984.

He praised Thompson for rising above his jail experience to forgive and support him, adding that what happened under his military regime was one of the challenges of that period.

The President-elect praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for deploying technology as part of the process of the last election with the use of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and Card Readers.

“We must commend Nigerians, who believe in our message of change and INEC for introducing Card Readers and PVC. All elected leaders will now know that the voter is the king. Nigerians now have more faith in our elections because their votes will count. If not for PVCs and Card Readers, the PDP as usual would have written the results and asked losers to go to court. How can people, who are struggling to survive go to court and get money to pay the SANs of this world. We must thank God for the success of this election,” he said.

•Garba Shehu

•Minister of Information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki (left), listening to the Director-General of Nigerian Television Authority PHOTO: NAN (NTA), Mr Sola Omole, during her official visit to NTA Headquarters in Abuja...yesterday.

N36b rice scam: I didn’t grant waiver, Adesina tells Reps’ panel T

HE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, has denied granting illegal waivers to rice importers under a Federal Government policy on rice.

The government has also suspended allocation quota for participants under the 2014 to 2017 Fiscal Measures on Rice.

The minister said enough consultation with all stakeholders has not been made on the allocation and consequently, the 2015 allocation quota would be put on hold.

Adesina appeared before House of Representatives ad hoc committee on rice import quota and duty payments yesterday, where he denied giving approval for waivers to rice importers under the rice policy.

The policy was to encourage self-sufficiency and development of local capacity in rice production.

The minister told the Leo-Ogor-led committee that he blew the whistle on importers that owed the Federal Government

•Okonjo-Iweala shuns committee again

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

through non-payment of duty amounting to N36 billion.

“I did not grant waiver to any company. I have always been for whoever owes the government must pay the government, and there should not be an exemption.

I raised the issue because the money belonged to the government,” he said.

Adesina faulted reasons given by some of the companies under the policy that they imported rice in excess of their anticipated official allocation quota because the approval came late.

He said such reason was not tenable, adding: ”It is wrong to import before allocation. The importers that is rice millers and investors under the policy said they reached gentleman agreement with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS)

that they will pay for the excess rice imported.”

He implored the NCS to be more proactive in the implementation of the service end of the policy by collecting required duty and levy from importers to the letter as and when due.

He said the nation would be self-sufficient in rice production and would be able to export, if the policy is not manipulated.

The NCS said it has detained two vessels belonging to Popular Foods, one of the beneficiaries of the policy that imported almost 600,000 metric tons of rice, instead of its official allocation of 85,000.

It said the detention was over issues concerning corporate indemnity and bank guarantee.

Reacting to Popular Foods’ complain of being allocated “paltry” 85,000 metric tons of rice under the scheme, Chairman of the Committee, Leo Ogor, said

the House would not fold its arms and allow foreign companies to undermine the country’s industrial and economic growth.

“Things you cannot do outside this country or in your country won’t be allowed to happen here. If you want to work here, you must meet up with all our obligations. It is our duty to protect our people. The committee is in agreement that further approval for allocation quota is suspended, but 2014 allocations can continue,” he added.

The Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Trade and Investment Minister Olusegun Aganga as well as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, failed to turn up for the hearing.

The Finance Ministry, however, submitted a written presentation to the committee.

Lawmakers oppose removal of fuel subsidy

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MOTION seeking the removal of the fuel subsidy regime by the incoming administration was rejected on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday.

The motion, which was sponsored by a member, Sunday Karimi (Kogi/PDP) and was titled: “The recurring crisis of fuel subsidy” was rejected by his colleagues.

According to the lawmaker, the only solution to the lingering nationwide fuel scarcity would be for the incoming administration of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to muster the necessary political will to end the fuel subsidy regime.

He said: “As we speak, PMS (Petroleum Motor Spirit) sells in most places at the rate of 120 and 150 naira depending on where it is available which is against the official pump price of N87.”

The 2015 budget, which

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

the House passed on April 23, 2015, had N145 billion subsidy in it. It include N100 billion was for subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol, N45 billion for kerosene.

The Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor (Delta/PDP), while supporting Karimi’s motion argued that the subsidy regime was draining the economy, adding that the huge funds being used for the fuel subsidy could be used for other important projects.

“How long will we continue to spend money we don’t have? How long will we allow oil marketers hold us to ransom? When will our refineries work?

The money that we spend on fuel subsidy can be channelled to other crucial areas,” he said.

However, Hon. Osai Nicolas Osai (Delta/PDP) opposed the motion on the

grounds that its timing was wrong and belated as the outstanding subsidy payment responsible for the fuel scarcity had been paid.

He said: “I disagree with this motion, because it is coming very late and standing on a very weak premise. The issue involved has to do with subsidy payment.

“The Minister of Finance and marketers were in a meeting, which ended yesterday (Monday) and that matter has been resolved.

So, the House would be wasting resources and energy in trying to dabble into this matter.”

The motion was defeated when put to a vote by the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who presided.

Reacting over the failed motion, Karimi expressed disappointment that other members deliberately refused to see its reasonability.

“My colleagues misunderstood the intention of

the motion. The intention is that we should not say because this current administration is winding down, we should abandon our responsibility to the Nigerian people who are suffering now.

“The motion was thrown out because they felt that I am trying to shift the blame of this crisis on to the next administration, which was not the intention of the motion.

“My take was that there’s need to uncover the scam in the subsidy claims because this is something that we have been paying for years; yet we have all seen how this is turning out.

“On the sustainability of fuel subsidy, I will advise the incoming government to show courage and abolish it because it has failed to achieve whatever purpose it was meant for.

“Meanwhile, this government should not abandon Nigerians to their fate on this crisis by resolving the crisis as soon as possible.”

OME ministers, whose offices were located in the Federal Secretariat by the Eagle Square, Abuja abandoned their offices yesterday due to power outage.

While some of them did not show up, other ministers in the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s (SGF’s) wing of the secretariat, who turned up for work, hurriedly left owing to darkness.

Some workers at the secretarial also abandoned their offices.

Some of the workers were seen leaving around 12:45pm with their handbags.

Computers, air conditioners and other electronic appliances could not be powered because of the outage.

Most of the windows in the offices were opened.

But some workers, who stayed behind in extremely dark areas without windows, make use of rechargeable lamps and flashlight from their telephone sets.

A worker on her way out of the office, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, said: “What do you think we can do in this circumstance? I don’t blame workers going home because we are just wasting our time here.”

“There is no electricity light and no generating set to power electricity. I cannot type my work on the computer. So, is it not better to go home and do something useful?” she queried.

Senate wades into suspension of perm sec From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

T

HE Senate yesterday waded into the suspension of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni.

President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the suspension of Ambassador Sheni for his alleged role in the recall of Nigerian envoy to South Africa.

The Federal Government claimed that the ambassador recalled the envoy without clearance from President Jonathan.

The envoy, Martin Cobham, was recalled over the controversy trailing the xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa.

Deputy Senate Leader Senator Abdul Ningi brought the suspension to the attention of the Senate yesterday.

Ningi (Bauchi Central Senatorial District) pleaded passionately for the Senate to prevail on the Federal Government to recall the permanent secretary.

“I, therefore, want this Senate not to look the other way, but to urge the President, Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces to tamper justice with mercy,” he said.

The Senate did not debate the issue, but Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said the issue would be conveyed to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ekweremadu added that “the issue of the recall (of an ambassador) is a very sensitive matter.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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NEWS Anyaoku: Nigerians owe Jonathan gratitude over polls From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

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ORMER Commonwealth Secretary-General and Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations Chief Emeka Anyaoku has maintained that the citizenry owed President Goodluck Jonathan a debt of gratitude for the successful conclusion of the general elections.

He spoke yesterday with State House correspondents after a breakfast meeting with the President.

According to him, the gesture of Jonathan in picking up the telephone and congratulating the Presidentelect, Muhmammadu Buhari, even before the final results of the elections were announced was commendable.

That singular gesture, he said, earned the country a great deal of admiration and respect abroad.

Stressing that the meeting would be the last Jonathan would hold with members of the council, he said: “We had an excellent valedictory meeting. It is the last for our council; it is the last we are meeting with the outgoing president.”

Ex-Mint boss asks Appeal Court to quash extradition order

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ORMER Managing Director of Nigeria Security Minting and Printing Company (NSMPC) Emmanuel Ehidiamhem Okoyomon has asked the Court of Appeal, Abuja to set aside the decision of a Federal High Court authorising the Federal Government to extradite him to the United Kingdom for trial.

Okoyomon’s request is contained in a notice of appeal filed for him on Monday by his lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN). He raised four grounds on which he hinged his prayer.

He contended in ground one that “the learned trial judge erred in law when he ordered the extradition of the appellant to Great Britain to stand criminal trial.”

Okoyomon cited three particulars of error to support ground one, which includes the following:

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

• there is no subsisting Act of the National Assembly or treaty between Nigeria and Great Britain upon, which the decision of the court was premised; • there was also no order made by the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria applying the provisions of the Extradition Act. Cap E25, LFN 2004 to Great Britain as envisaged by Section 1(6) of the Extradition Act, Cap E25, LFN 2004; and • the order for the extradition of the appellant is not supported by any legislation.

He argued in ground two that “the learned trial court erred in law when he held that the Extradition Treaty between Great Britain and the United States of America signed in London on November 22, 1931, is applicable to Nigeria and ordered the ex-

tradition of the appellant to Great Britain to stand trial, relying on the said treaty between Great Britain and the United States of America”.

In support of ground two, he cited seven particulars of error, where he stated that “the said treaty between the Great Britain and United States of America is not applicable to Nigeria.”

He has also filed a motion for stay of execution of the judgment delivered by Justice Evoh Chukwu, in a move intended to prevent his extradition before the determination of his appeal.

The UK government, through its High Commission in Nigeria had, in July 2014 requested the Nigerian government to help extradite Okoyomon to the country for trial over his alleged complicity in the bribery allegation involving officials of the Central Bank of Ni-

geria, the NSMPC and the Securency International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008.

The offences were said to have violated the provisions of the Corruption Prevention Act of the United Kingdom.

Based on the request by the UK, the Federal Government applied to the court for an extradition order, an application which Okoyomon, through his lawyer, opposed via a notice of objection.

But, Justice Chukwu, in his judgment, dismissed Okoyomon’s objection and held that the 1931 London Treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain, made applicable in Nigeria by legal instruments on June 24, 1935, is an existing law by virtue of the provision of Section 315(4) of the Constitution and is applicable in Nigeria.

“Having said the 1931 London Treaty between the

‘Speed limiter is solution to road carnage’

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

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Commuters stranded at Lagos Airport over new rules

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

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UNDREDS of passengers were yesterday stranded along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) road over new rules rolled out for airport cabs and limousine operators by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

According to sources, only 34 out of the 500 cab and limousine operators have complied with the new rules set by FAAN, which requires them to acquire relatively newer vehicles painted in new colours before plying the airport road.

From the Medical Road axis of Ikeja, where the operators have a park, only a few had complied with the newer car regulation, which mandates them to get vehicles of year 2,000 models and above.

The newer vehicles are to be registered with FAAN commercial department and painted in dark blue colours.

As a result of the limited number of vehicles on the road, fares were increased to N100 for some routes, where the operators charge N50.

From the Medical Road axis, many commuters trekked about two kilometres to get to both the old, new and international terminals .

Speaking on the issue, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, attributed the development to scarcity of fuel.

He said many cab operators were complying with the new regulation to bring about sanity in transport operations around the airports.

But, domestic airlines were still yesterday grappling with the scarcity of aviation fuel forcing them to adjust flights on account of unavailability of Jet A - One. Jet A - One is the industry parlance for aviation fuel.

U.S. and the United Kingdom is applicable in Nigeria and is an existing law, it does not require to pass the crucibles of both 1979 and 1999 Constitution, which must be subjected to the provision of Section 12 of the same Constitution,” the judge said.

The judge held that the applicant provided sufficient evidence to warrant the grant of the application. He granted the application and ordered that Okoyomon be remanded in prison until he is extradited to the UK within 30 days.

Justice Chukwu, who noted that Okoyomon is a British citizen, said he would never recklessly surrender a Nigerian citizen, and a non-Nigerian alike, unless the court is satisfied beyond measure that such a person deserved to be extradited.

•Oyeyemi (second left), Lagos State Commissioner for Transport Kayode Opeifa (third left), President, Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) Ademola Isaac Olorunfemi (right) and Head of Sport (FRSC), Bisi Kazeem, at the meeting on Speed Limiting Device...yesterday.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

Alleged contempt: MultiChoice queries court’s jurisdiction to issue committal

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ULTICHOICE has questioned the jurisdiction of a Federal High Court in Lagos to issue a contempt order against it for increasing DSTV subscription.

Justice C.J. Aneke had on April 2, issued an interim order restraining MultiChoice from implementing the 20 per cent increment in subscription rate on DStv pending the determination of a suit filed by two lawyers, Osasuyi Adebayo and Oluyinka Oyeniji, for themselves and other DStv subscribers.

But, MultiChoice proceeded with its planned increment, prompting the plaintiffs to file a contempt charge against the firm’s Managing Director, John Ugbe, and spokesman Caroline Oghuma.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, lawyer to the firm Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) said MultiChoice was already challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit or give the interim order.

He was responding to the call by the counsel to the plaintiffs, Yemi Salma, that the court should hear the application for committal pending before it.

By Precious Igbonwelundu

Although the matter was adjourned for the hearing of MultiChoice’s application objecting to the suit, Salma prayed the court to take the contempt charge first before any other application on the matter.

“My lord, the application for contempt must be taken first. This position has been severally adopted by the court, even by the Court of Appeal,” said Salma.

Responding, Onigbanjo said the jurisdiction of the court had been challenged and that has to be settled first before the court can even make any order.

He reminded the court that the case was adjourned specifically to hear the defendant’s application, adding that the court lacks power to overrule itself.

“My lord, a court without jurisdiction that goes on to act, does whatever it does in futility. If a court does not have jurisdiction, where does the power for committal come from?”queried Onigbanjo.

After listening to the parties, Justice Aneke agreed with

Onigbanjo and heard MultiChoice’s objection to the suit.

Canvassing for the disregard of the suit, Onigbanjo said the plaintiffs had no cause of action.

He argued that the court cannot regulate prices of goods and services a firm offers its customers in a free market economy as operated in Nigeria.

He described the suit as being grossly unmeritorious, adding that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has no power to regulate the prices of services of satellite television operators.

According to him, Clauses 40 and 41 of the firm’s terms of agreement provides that MultiChoice Nigeria may from time to time, change the fees payable for its services by way of general amendment.

“My lord, Nigeria operates a free market economy; neither the government nor the court can regulate prices.

How do you now say, for instance, that one bread is more expensive than the other and then ask the court to order the baker of the more expensive bread to go out of the mar-

ket?”

“The NBC Act does not say that any satellite television operator in the country cannot increase their prices.

“I, therefore, humbly ask that the plaintiffs’ suit be struck out for being grossly unmeritorious. We will not be asking for cost because they are our subscribers,” Onigbanjo said.

The plaintiffs approached the court to seek an order restraining MultiChoice from implementing the 20 per cent increment on DStv subscription rate, which began on April 1.

They prayed for an order compelling the NBC to regulate the activities of MultiChoice so as to prevent “arbitrary increment in subscription rates”.

The lawyers requested that the company be made to implement the pay-per-view scheme operational in other parts of the world in Nigeria, rather than the current practice where subscribers are made to pay for stations they don’t view.

The matter has been adjourned to May 21, 2015, for ruling on the preliminary objection of MultiChoice.

PEED limiter remains the only solution to road carnage arising from excessive speeding, Federal Road Safety Corps Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi has said.

Speaking at a sensitisation exercise for stakeholders on the benefits of the device in Lagos yesterday, Oyeyemi said over-speeding was becoming a major factor for road fatalities, following improvement of the nation’s road network.

He said the agency, through the United Nations (UN), has acquired a number of speed gun and these would be deployed by its men to test vehicles for compliance.

He, however, ruled out any punitive measure at the initial stage against any defaulter, adding that the objective of the agency was to save lives and not to punish defaulters.

The FRSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who lauded the stakeholders, particularly members of the union of transport employees and owners, said the enforcement would begin on June 1, with commercial vehicles.

Oyeyemi said the speed governor remains the only initiative to help the nation in its quest to implement the various instruments such as the African Declaration, held at Accra, Ghanaian capital, as well as the United Nations Decade on Road Safety and the Vision 20:2020 - all of which, he said, were committed to reducing crashes and fatalities on the roads.

He noted that though the statistics for crashes and fatalities for the first quarter of 2015, is lower than the corresponding period for last year and 2013, the speed limiter initiative would further help drive a reduction.

He listed the benefit of the limiter to including safety of lives, cleaner environment with a cut down on carbon emission, longevity of vehicle’s lifespan and more efficient use of the roads.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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NEWS Ondo varsity students protest

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TUDENTS of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) in Okitipupa Local Government yesterday protested the “poor conditions’’ in the institution.

Over 700 aggrieved students prevented workers from entering the institution on Monday.

There was a gridlock on the Okitipupa/Igbokoda Road, following the protest.

A 200-Level student, Omotola Benson, said their school fees was too high and that they were charged ICT fees without Internet facilities.

He decried the government’s neglect of the university and unpaid salary.

Benson said: “Indigenes pay

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

N125,000 and non-indigenes N175,000. We pay N20,000 without access to Internet and workers are owed three months’ salary.”

The National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campus Committee (NANS JCC) in Ondo State, led by Odunayo Kowe, last week wrote to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, shortly after visiting the institution.

The students’ body urged the government to focus more on the institution by responding to students’ demands.

Commissioner for Education Jide Adejuyigbe could not be reached for comments.

Vandals destroy NNPC pipelines

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ANDALS destroyed yesterday the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline in Ogbere, Ogun State.

An early morning downpour appeared to have eliminated the risk of likely explosion.

Operatives of NNPC and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) moved to the site with firefighting vehicles.

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

Chisels, cutlasses and jerry cans abandoned by the vandals littered the scene.

NSCDC spokesman Kareem Olanrewaju said he moved to the scene as soon as he got information about the incident.

“We advised the NNPC to shut down the flow station serving the area to prevent further loss of the product.”

‘Leave Ojudu alone’

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HE Action Group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has condemned the attempt to kidnap the senator representing Ekiti Central, Babafemi Ojudu.

It was reported that a look-alike of Senator Ojudu was allegedly kidnapped last week and asked by the kidnappers why he wanted to impeach Governor Ayodele Fayose, only to be released after ensuring that he was not Ojudu In a statement by its spokesperson, Segun Dipe, the Action Group said it was sheer madness that anyone would want to kidnap Senator Ojudu for political gain.

The group called on the police and other security agencies to investigate the matter.

“Ojudu has consistently been the voice of the voiceless, which cannot be gagged by any agent of retrogression. He cannot be denied his fundamental human right of speaking his mind on contentious issues in his state, Ekiti, and his country. He is the spokesperson for the APC Senators and has fought many battles in ensuring that democracy is well rooted in the country.”

‘Don’t sell National Theatre’

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ETERAN comedian Ali Baba has urged the Federal Government not to privatise the National Theatre, Iganmu in Lagos.

The ace comedian, who made the call on social media, spoke against the backdrop of rumours that the national edifice had been sold to private individuals.

The humour merchant said instead of putting up the structure for sale, the National Theatre should be repositioned to play its role as an entertainment hub.

Ali Baba stressed that it should not be used as a trade

centre, saying the National Theatre is the only iconic structure still defining the country’s history.

The comedian decried the idea of holding a concert on the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, when the National Theatre should have hosted such an epochal event.

“It is a shame that a musical icon like ‘Fela’ has to be celebrated at the Eko Hotel and Suites. Such a gig should be the birth-right of the National Theatre,” he said.

Cassava growers beg govt for land

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HE Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) in Ondo State has urged the government to provide the union with 6,000 hectares to fast-track the World Bank’s N4.5 billion ethanol project.

Speaking at the High Quality Cassava flour launch/distribution of fertiliser and herbicides in Akure, NCGA Chairman Fela Olorunmodimu said with the land, the project would accommodate 500 graduate farmers.

Olorunmodimu noted that the loan was facilitated by e-debit international financing organisation, a subsidiary of World Bank.

He added the World Bank was financing the project to

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

the tune of N1.6 billion for land clearing and N900 million for planting.

“It is going to be sited in Bolorunduro-Ogbese in Akure North, where we have 12 hectares freehold land but this project can only be achievable and remain in Ondo State if the government can provide us with 6,000 hectares for cultivation of cassava to feed the ethanol plant.

“The farmland has to be within a 20 kilometre radius to the factory site. This is the only condition for the factory to be sited in the state but we believe our caring heart government will not allow us lose this opportunity.”

•The International Centre for Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) built by the Lagos State Government and inaugurated by Governor Babatunde Fashola at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos…yesterday. INSET: Fashola cutting the ribbon. With him are: Commissioner for Works & Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat (right), his Waterfront Infrastructure Development counterpart, Prince Segun Oniru (left), representative of Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Toyin Oyejan Abdullahi (second left) and others.

I didn’t demolish house in Afao , says Fayose

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KITI State Governor Ayo Fayose has said he did not order the demolition of an old building in his hometown of Afao-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said it was wrong for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretary in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area in Lagos State, David Omotoso, to assume that he (Fayose) ordered the demolition.

He said: “The attention of Governor Fayose has been drawn to allegations by David Oluwafemi Omotoso that the governor was responsible for the demolition of his family home at Afao-Ekiti.

“It is true that Governor

•Community absolves governor of blame From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

Fayose built the Alafao Palace some years ago on the land provided by the Afao Development Council.

“However, the demolition of the building is an internal affair of the Afao Community and has nothing to do with Governor Fayose.

“It is wrong for Mr Omotoso to assume that the governor ordered the demolition of his family home.

“It is the Alafao-in-Council and the Afao Development Council which felt that the 100-year-old dilapidated roofless structure of the Omotoso family was posing danger to the pupils of near-

by primary schools.

“The community also claimed that the building has become a haven to criminals, who often hide there to perpetrate crime.

“What has that got to do with Fayose? Is it because Fayose is from Afao or because he built the palace?

The Afao-Ekiti community also corroborated the governor’s claim. Acting under the aegis of Afao Development Council (ADC), they advised Omotoso not to politicise the demolition, maintaining that Fayose has no hand in it as official application was made to appropriate government agencies before the action was carried out.

The ADC, led by its President, Chief Alex Akintunde and Secretary Bisi Agunbiade, condemned Omotoso for politicising a community development effort.

Addressing a briefing at the Alafao’s Palace, ADC’s Public Relations Officer Tope Anjorin said the community had no intention to take away the land as the family was free to erect any structure on the land.

Anjorin said it was uncharitable for Omotoso to claim that the building was demolished because of his political beliefs, adding that the patriarch had other children, who were members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“We want to make it clear that Fayose has nothing to do with this demolition.”

‘Ekiti has no excuse not to pay workers’

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has sympathised with civil servants for their unpaid April salary.

APC insisted that Governor Ayo Fayose had no reason not to pay workers, saying “all excuses for the delay are stunts of an insincere administration out to fleece workers”.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, the APC said Ekiti workers were experiencing a “systematic defrauding of the state”.

The party asked workers to reflect on their experiences during ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi’s tenure and then ask how the former

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

governor was able to pay them regularly while servicing debt and implementing capital projects.

The APC said: “Governor Fayose has not paid one kobo of Ekiti debt since he assumed office. He sought a moratorium of six months within which there would be no deduction in Ekiti federal allocation.

“That means Fayose saves N500 million that Fayemi was paying in debt when he was the governor. Therefore, the tale that Fayemi left a huge debt is boring and unconvincing.

“The Federal Government refunded the N22 billion

Fayemi spent on federal projects. Another N2 billion Ecological Fund was paid.

Fayose denied payment of the Ecological Fund until we obtained the FOI Law to expose his lie.

“He owned up and two weeks later announced that he had awarded contracts on ecological disasters across the state where the N2 billion was spent.

“We are asking Ekiti people to point to any ecological project in their communities to prove the governor right.

“The governor has cancelled so many of his predecessor’s social schemes in a bid to save money.

“He stopped funding security agencies but increased

his personal security vote to N200 million monthly. He started running streetlights from 7pm to 10:30 pm daily, which Fayemi did from 6:30 pm to 6:30 am.

“He reduced ministries from 19 to 14. He sacked 180 workers in the House of Assembly and nine permanent secretaries.

“We now wonder why a governor has a three-man cabinet? After these cancellations and non-existent capital projects, we want to ask him what he is doing with the money saved.”

The APC regretted that workers had cut their nose to spite their face in their rebellion against the former administration that made their welfare its watchword.

Supreme Court hears Omisore’s appeal tomorrow

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HE Supreme Court has fixed tomorrow to hear an appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the Osun State governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

The apex court, in an April 30 notice to all parties, said the hearing begins at 9 am.

The Supreme Court notice added that adoption of briefs of arguments filed by parties would be heard.

The PDP and Omisore filed 14 grounds of appeal and nine issues for

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

determination.

The first and second respondents, Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the All Progressives Congress (APC), raised preliminary objections to the Notice of Appeal filed against the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

They also filed their response and a Cross-Appeal against the aspect of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which admitted in evidence a document not tendered by the

plaintiffs.

Omisore appealed the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, which affirmed Aregbesola’s victory.

The Court of Appeal dismissed Omisore’s petition for lacking in merit, saying the petition was also abandoned in gross violation of Paragraph 18 (1) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended.

Osun State Election Petition Tribunal earlier dismissed the petition on February 6, 2015, for lacking in merit.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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NEWS

‘LASU unions, students to blame for closure’

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HE Special Adviser to the Lagos State gover-

nor on Education, Fatai Olukoga, has said workers’ and students’ unions are to blame for the continued closure of the Lagos State University (LASU).

The university, which was shut on March 25 is yet to be reopened for academic activities.

Speaking at the ministerial briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, in Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday, Olukoga attributed the crisis in the institution to the insistence of unions on dictating to their employers.

He said the lecturers, students and management all

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie and Miriam Ekene-Okoro

need to be cautioned, saying unless they mature in their reasoning, the situation would continue.

Olukoga said: “LASU was established by law, which gave the management, the governing council powerto run the university.

“When there is a problem that they cannot resolve, that is when it is brought to the governor.

“We don’t just dabble into LASU crisis because we have a statutory governing council that is competent and capable of handling matters.

“The crisis in LASU is that

you cannot dictate to your employer to sack anybody.

“When the unions said they do not want the vice chancellor, we said it was not theirprerogative to ‘sack’ the VC. “Imagine if you run a company and your employee says you should sack the MD, is that not absurd? Can an employee command the CEO? “They are just fond of formulating crisis. The VC’s tenure will end in October.

They said they don’t want the VC and he must not run for a second term.

“The law says that at the end of his first tenure, he can apply with others, and if he

satisfies the conditions , he will be reappointed.

“I think LASU’s main problem is the domineering and overbearing atttitude of the unions.

“So the delay in opening the school is the fault of the unions. When they mature in their thinking and reasoning, then the school will be reopened.”

On the PhD controversy, the Special Adviser said 17 of the 19 affected candidates have been screened and cleared.

He said one of the two remaining candidates refused to show up for screening.

Olukoga said: “ As I speak to you, 17 have been cleared,

one has refused to come for clearance, saying his certificate is with a lawyer.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, emphasised the success of improved qualitative education in the state.

She reeled out statistics to support the improved performance of secondary school students in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

“In 2013, the state had 41 per cent; in 2014 45 per cent.

The result for 2015 is pending because the exam is still ongoing.”

APC chieftain dies at 61

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has announced the death of its Ekiti North Senatorial Chairman, Abiodun Bamiteko, on May 1. He was 61.

The late Bamiteko attended the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, where he graduated with LLB Hons in 1983 and called to the bar in 1984.

He ventured into politics and was the PDP senatorial candidate in the 2001 rerun election for Ekiti North.

He served as commissioner for Local Government under the administration of Segun Oni between 2007and 2010.Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family.

O

USTED Ondo State Deputy Governor Alli Olanusi may return to the state this week.

Olanusi travelled out of the country for his annual medical check up, few days before his impeachment.

The former deputy governor, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), was served an impeachment notice in absentia.

The notice was pasted at the entrance of his house.

Olanusi will be hosted by the APC leadership upon his arrival.

It was gathered that the party will organise a reception in his honour at the party’s state secretariat on Oba Adesida Road, Akure.

Party leaders from the 18 local governments are expected at the event.

T

By Adebisi Onanuga

T

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

47,000 resell waste in Lagos

Lagos CJ advises lawyers HE Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, has advised lawyers to continuously update their knowledge of the law.

She said this becomes necessary if they are to keep abreast of developments in the legal circle.

Justice Atilade gave the advice at the opening of a two-day seminar with the theme, “Sustaining the Tempo of Cutting Edge Professionalism” organised by the Continuous Legal Education Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch.

“There is no limit to education. We must try at all times to meet all standards in international and domestic law practice.

“This is the only way we can ensure that we are current and up-to-date as members of the legal profession,” she said.

Justice Atilade commended the quality of papers delivered by Nigerian lawyers, who were speakers at the Glasgow Commonwealth Law Conference.

Praising the NBA for the seminar, she called for more re-training programmes for members.

The chairman of the branch, Yinka Farounbi, said the programme was to refresh and update lawyers on new knowledge and modern day practices.

Olanusi to return this week

•From left: Olukoga; Mrs Oladunjoye and Commissioner for Information and Strategy Lateef Ibirogba…yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Tribunal allows Agbaje to inspect election materials

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HE Governorship Election Tribunal in Lagos State has allowed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Jimi Agbaje, to inspect polling documents and devices used for the April 11 election.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Muhammad Sirajo, granted the prayer while ruling on an application filed by Agbaje’s counsel Clement Onwuenmonor.

Justice Sirajo also ordered the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide certified true copies of all polling documents, including

•Lawyers warned against delay tactics

By Adebisi Onanuga

printed data from card reader machines in each polling units.

The orders were among the five prayers filed by the petitioner before the tribunal.

The tribunal had earlier taken the submissions of Onwuenmunor and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Ademola Sadiq.

The petitioner urged the tribunal to order INEC to provide certified true copies of all polling

documents, including printed data from card reader machines in each polling units.

The Chairman, National and House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Sylvanus Oriji, has warned lawyers against delaying the hearing and determination of petitions.

Justice Sirajo said the tribunal would not tolerate strategies aimed at delaying the expeditious hearing and determination of petitions by lawyers.

The tribunal chairman

issued the warning during the inaugural sitting of the tribunal, which has Justices K. Dabo and Kadi Yusuf as members.

The judge noted that election petitions were delicate and sensitive to handle because they must be heard and determined within 180 days as specified by Section 285 (6) of the 1999 Constitution.

He said it has now been established that any judgment delivered by an Election Tribunal in an election petition after 180 days from the date of filing is a nullity.

Buhari should prioritise state police, says Abiara

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HE General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Worldwide, Prophet S.K. Abiara, has urged the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to consider the introduction of the state police.

Abiara told reporters at his Oke-Odo, Agbala Itura Church, Lagos, that introducing state police would reduce insecurity and tackle unemployment among youths.

He said: “Nigerians are confronted with insecurity and poor electricity supply.

“All these problems are parts of the issues that Buhari promised to tackle during his campaign, but it will be

reasonable if he adds the introduction of the state police to his agenda.

“If each of the 36 states recruit 5,000 youths as state police personnel, I am convinced that this will take many jobless youths off the street.”

Abiara added. “Conceding defeat before the final result was announced even brought greater honour to President Goodluck Jonathan than winning the presidential election.

“The President’s action also showed that he realised that power comes from God.” He, however, urged the Presidentelect to fear God in his dealings with the people.

“Like Jonathan, Buhari will be surrounded by sycophants, but he should be careful in appointing his ministers and heads of agencies to avoid being misled,” Abiara said.

He also called on the Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr. Akin Ambode, to always seek advice from Governor Babatunde Fashola and other former governors for him to succeed.

“Ambode will need the advice from those who have governed Lagos before for him to succeed because they contributed to his emergence as the governor-elect.”

HE Managing Director of SMEFunds, Femi Oye, yesterday said more than 47,000 Lagosians earn a living from picking and reselling plastic water bottles.

He spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to him, some companies, dealing in renewable energy, buy these bottles for reuse.

They also recycle market and agricultural wastes for conversion into biogas.

SMEFunds is generating energy from waste, solar and also buys and recycle waste materials.

“Climate change is good business for those into renewable energy business.

“Some unemployed people have embraced picking and selling of used bottles as a business.

“This is because they make big money from the business and provide needed services to companies that reuse or recycle them.

“At SMEFunds, we use the plastics to bottle our gel fuel, produced from sawdust for use in cooking stoves,’’ Oye said.

He said he also picks bottles occasionally from parties and hotels and sell them.

According to him, used bottles are easy to pick and they are free as it is generally seen as helping to clean up the environment.

Oye said by removing the plastic bottles off the streets, the pickers are also helping to reduce drainage block.

He said SMEFunds has been able to reduce overdependence on fossil fuel and boost the use of biogas, which is green and environmental friendly.

The managing director said the business was open to everyone.

He urged unemployed youths, who wanted to keep busy and earn good money, to embrace the business.

•

9

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

NEWS Escapee inmate arrested in Benin From Osagie Otabor, Benin

A PRISONER, Ossai Prospar, who escaped on Monday from a warder working with the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) in Edo State, has been found.

NPS state Controller Affiong Etowa addressed reporters yesterday in Benin, the state capital, on the development.

The controller said the escapee was found late afternoon near Mission Road by officers of the prison service.

He said the inmate was due for discharge in August and was working on a government farm when he ran away from the warder supervising him.

Etowa said: “But my men searched for him and located him in a market near Mission Road.

The controller noted that part of his punishment was the forfeiture of the remission of his sentence.

He added that the inmate would be taken back to court to be sentenced for the attempted escape.

Gunmen kill 71-year-old cleric in Edo

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UNMEN, suspected to be assassins, have killed a 71year-old cleric, Rev. David Memeh, at his Government Reservation Area (GRA) home in Benin, the Edo State capital.

The late Rev. Memeh, of the Foursquare Gospel Church, was shot twice when the suspected assassins forced their way into

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

his home.

It was learnt that the gunmen did not take anything from the building except the cell phones of the victim and his wife.

Wife of the victim, Deaconess Alice, said her husband begged for his life before he was shot.

She said the killers broke

into their apartment through the window in her husband’s room, adding that her husband fled to her room.

Alice, who spoke amid tears, said the two killers slapped her husband many times before they killed him.

She said: “I ran out after I heard gunshot for them to kill me but the killers have

left. We were only three at home and they overpowered us.”

“My husband is dead. I will appreciate if government arrests the killers.”

Police spokesman Stephen Onwochei, a deputy superintendent of Police (DSP), said the command received a report on the killing.

He said the police had begun investigation.

Edo tribunal gets 10 petitions From Osagie Otabor, Benin

THE Edo State Elections Petitions Tribunal said it received 10 petitions before the expiration of the deadline.

The tribunal said it had begun serving respondents in the petitions.

The tribunal’s Secretary Muktar Bello said it stopped receiving petitions, following the expiration of the deadline.

The secretary said the tribunal would soon be inaugurated to begin sittings.

Among the top petitioners are candidates of the APC for Edo South and Edo Central, Samson Osagie and Francis Inegbeneki.

On the House of Representatives election, two candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode and Akoko-Edo, Larry Ogieva and Bankole Balogun, have filed their petitions.

Six petitions were filed on the House of Assembly election.

Osagie petitions tribunal From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

THE Edo South Senatorial District’s candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and House of Representatives Minority Whip Samson Osagie has asked the National Assembly Elections Tribunal sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, to declare him winner of the senatorial election.

The lawmaker, who lost to Matthew Urhoghide of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is also asking the tribunal to order a fresh election throughout the senatorial district in accordance with the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

•The grave...yesterday

Pupils find fresh grave in classroom

P

UPILS of Iguodala Primary School in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Monday, found a fresh grave in one of their classrooms.

The discovery caused apprehension in the school.

Parents rushed to pick their children from school after news filtered into town that somebody had been killed and buried in the school.

The Headteacher, Mrs. Georginia Ilongwo, said the grave was discovered at 7:30 am.

It was learnt there were bloodstains on the suspected grave and the clothes belonging to the supposed victim.

Pupils were prevented

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

from continuing classes at the block where the grave was found.

Mrs Ilongwo said she called the relevant authorities before policemen from the Esigie Police Division were invited.

The headteacher said many parents prevented their children and wards from attending school the following day (Tuesday) because of fear of infection.

She said: “When I visited the scene, all the teachers were shouting and the people around trooped into the school compound. We called the attention of inspectors from the Health Ministry, the National Un-

ion of Teachers (NUT) chairman, the ParentTeacher Association (PTA) chairman and the Odionwere (chief) of the community, who told us to call the police.

“When policemen came, they said they would assess the scene today (Tuesday).

We were surprised because since I started teaching here, I had not experienced such a thing.”

She said policemen kept vigil at the school till yesterday when the grave was dug to determine what was buried inside.

But nothing was found in the grave when it was dug three feet at 11:40 am.

A Deputy Director in the Health and Environment

Department of Oredo Local Government Area, Mr. Sylvester Usoboh, said the digging was discontinued because there was no sign of anything buried in the classroom.

He said: “We have removed the earth that was dug and got to the stronger part, an indication that no further digging was done and nothing was found.

“So, at this point, maybe the police may further investigate. But at our end, we didn’t find anything there.”

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Akeke Eni, a chief superintendent of Police (CSP), said it was an empty site and that nobody was buried in the grave.

Itsekiri urge Buhari to reorganise Amnesty programme

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EADERS of two Itsekiri organisations in Delta State, the Itsekiri National Development Initiative (INDI) and Itsekiri Amnesty Beneficiaries (IAB), have written President-elect Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President-elect Yemi Osinbajo, on the need to review some ’’unfair policies’’ of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The groups called for the review of the Federal Government Amnesty programme, which they said was skewed in favour of the President’s Ijaw kinsmen.

INDI, in the letter by Comrade Dennis Mene and Tsaye Edeyibo, its chairman and secretary, congratulated Buhari and Osinbajo “on their victory” on March 28.

The group noted that Buhari and Osinbajo are the epitome of integrity and con-

From Shola O’Neil, Port Harcourt

sistency.

INDI said Nigerians need such virtuous leaders at this critical period of the nation.

It said: “We are confident that under your leadership, Nigeria will once again enthrone equity, justice and fairness to make room for peaceful co-existence. We pray that God would grant Buhari and his team the wisdom and understanding to elevate Nigeria to enviable heights.”

INDI condemned the perceived selective implementation of the Amnesty programme by the administration, particularly its slant towards the President’s kinsmen, to the detriment of other ethnic groups, including the Itsekiri.

It said: “We frown at the selective implementation of

the Presidential Amnesty Programme, especially as it concerns the Itsekiri. The Itsekiri were given just 500 slots and less than 100 have been sent for their studies.

“We have over 100 Itsekiri students with admissions to study in the United Kingdom (UK) for their Master’s and PhD as well as 300 skilled and vocational. Till date, they have not been sponsored. It is on record that the Ijaw are regularly being sent for their studies/ training overseas.

“Among the beneficiaries, 73 are yet to receive their monthly stipends - from January to December 2013.

Although this has been brought to the attention of the Amnesty Office, they have remained mute about it.”

INDI urged “the incoming Buhari-led administration

to investigate, review and restructure the Presidential Amnesty Programme, with a view to ensuring fair play, equity and justice for beneficiaries so that the maximum dividends will rebound to the advantage of the Nigerian society”.

It added: “We have no doubt that the incoming administration will entrust the programme into the hands of credible managers and persons of enviable integrity and moral rectitude. We do hope the remaining Itsekiri beneficiaries, educational and vocational, who have not been trained, will be trained in your administration.”

Also, the group kicked against the purported expulsion of their kinsmen, Dr Alex Ideh, Temi Harriman and Sunny Mene from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State.

Calabar residents decy incessant killings From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

R

ESIDENTS of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, now live in fear, following the incessant killings in the last few days.

At least five persons hve been killed in the past week by a group of boys suspected to be cultists.

An eyewitness, who saw one of such killings at Ekondo Street, said: “They (killers) just entered the house and shot him (their victim) in the chest and cut him severally with a machete. They confirmed him dead before they left.”

Also on Jebs Road in Calabar South, another person was killed last Sunday.

An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, said: “They shot their victim in the chest and in the head. Then, they cut him with their machete.

After they made sure he was dead, they left.

“What is even painful is that the boy they killed just recovered from an illness and just gave testimony in the church that morning of how God helped him to recover. But he was killed by those hoodlums in the evening of that same Sunday. It is really sad and the police should do more about security.

“Calabar is really becoming a dangerous place.”

Quash Okowa’s victory, says APC, Emerhor From Bolaji Ogundeler, Warri

D

ELTA State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the April 11 election, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has urged the Elections Petition Tribunal to nullify the result of the poll and order a rerun.

Emerhor is praying the tribunal to annul the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

The APC candidate filed the petition through his lead counsel, Chief Thompson Okpoko (SAN).

He is contesting the election results on the grounds that the electoral laws and Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) guidelines on the exclusive use of Card Readers were flouted.

Emerhor said this resulted in the declaration of manipulated and inflated results.

The APC candidate, who is challenging the result with his party, noted that besides the alleged deliberate flouting of electoral laws and INEC’s guidelines, there were other violent and fraudulent infringements during the April 11 election.

He alleged that accredited voters captured by Card Readers at various centres were fewer than the huge figures the INEC declared on the election.

According to him, violence and ballot box-snatching marred the elections in several polling units.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

10

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

•The wreckage Pathfinder... yesterday

•The accident scene...yesterday

Four injured in accident

F

OUR persons were injured yesterday on Oshodi/Apapa Expressway in an accident involving a black Honda Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with number-plate FD 322 ABC and a black Pathfinder SUV marked FST 568 CL. Passersby rushed to the aid of the injured.

They stopped cars on the highway to move the injured to the hospital.

Two persons inside the pathfinder, a man at a newsstand and a cobbler were said to have been injured.

The Honda is likely to belong to a Naval officer. Naval men were seen close to it.

An eyewitness attributed the accident to the failure of the Pathfinder's brake.

"I was here looking at the Pathfinder and discovered that its brake has failed and the next thing was that it hit the Honda from behind. It kept

By Toyin Olaseinde and Ibrahim Adam

pushing the Pathfinder from behind but the airbag did not allow the driver of the Honda to see his front and as he turns the steering wheel, he tumbled into the car park here.

"The Pathfinder hit the pole here and it was that pole that hit the shoe maker on his head. The man standing here reading newspapers was injured while the other two casualties were in the Pathfinder jeep."

Another eyewitness said: "I never believed they will survive it because the way the SUVs tumbled was bad and we thank God no life was lost. It will be a lesson to people who stand by the road side doing nothing like the case of the man who was reading newspapers here."

A Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official, on the

10 charged with assault of EN persons were yesterday ‘Ejigbo three’ arraigned before an Ikeja

T

High Court in Lagos for alleged torture and attempted murder of the three women in Ejigbo, Lagos, two years ago.

The women Nike Salami, Juliana Agomo and Joke Agomo were sexually abused at Oba Morufu International Market in Ejigbo on February 11, 2013 for “stealing peppers”.

It was claimed that pepper was poured into their private parts.

Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mrs Idowu Alakija preferred charges against them before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.

They were arraigned on a 19count charge of conspiracy, attempted murder, sexual assault, maliciously administering poison, obtaining money by false pretences and deprivation of liberty.

They are the market leader, Isiaka Waidi; Buhari Yusuf, Abdullahi Haruna, Saheed Adisa, Lateef Tijani, Ahmed Adisa, Azeez Akinosun, Jimoh Busari, Adekunle Adenuga and Oloruntoyin Dauda.

Mrs Alakija said the defendants tortured their victims for allegedly stealing pepper.

The women, she said, were beaten up and stripped naked, adding that pepper was rubbed over their bodies by the suspects who are members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).

The defendants were also alleged to have inserted sticks and obnoxious substances into the women’s private parts; the inci-

By Adebisi Onanuga

dent was recorded with a mobile phone.

They were further alleged to have obtained N50,000 from one Fima Agomo, said to be a relative of two of the victims. They claimed that the money would be used to repay the traders whose pepper were stolen.

According to her, the offence contravened Sections 44, 127 (1) 171,228 (2), 241,243, 259, 270, 312, 408 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

The judge ordered them to be remanded in prison pending the determination of their bail applications on May 21.

scene said rescuers should have waited for the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) officials to take the injured to the hospital.

"They have done well but they should have waited for the LASAMBUS to move the injured to the hospital. Now they have been taken away and we don't know where they are and they might be abandoned there but if it were to be the LASAMBUS, they will be well taken care of."

A Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) official, Lukman Salami, said no life was lost.

Salami said: "It was a brake failure from the Pathfinder and no life was lost. Other causalities were fair compared to the man reading newspapers because he was hit badly by the Pathfinder and the shoe maker too who was hit by the pole that stopped the Pathfinder. We thank God no soul

•The damaged Honda...yesterday

was lost but they all need to be checked."

Relatives of the man reading newspapers got to the scene few hours after the accident. They said he had just called them to meet him at the accident spot.

"I can't give my name but one of the victims is ours. I called him to meet us here and we waited for him.

We kept calling his phone but was only ringing and we heard an accident happened there; we rushed down to this place and we were able to recognise him through his diary, his blue shirt and his phone was on the floor. We don't even know where

to find him because we were told they have been taken to the hospital by a rescue team," he said.

Another LASTMA official said the accident could have been avoided if the Pathfinder driver had allowed others to go.

He said: "We could not carry the injured with ordinary hands because of the high rate of bleeding; we had to appeal to vehicles on the highway to help with the rescue before LASTMA rescue vehicles came around and the onlookers were not helpful; they were harassing our officials," he said.

Man seeks dissolution of 12-year-old marriage

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40-YEAR-OLD businessman, Omotayo Ogunbola, yesterday begged an Igando Customary Court in Lagos, to dissolve his 12-year-old marriage over alleged threat to life by his wife.

He told the court at the resumed hearing that his wife, Alaba, always threaten to terminate his life with dangerous weapons.

“My wife wanted to kill me, she always stab me with sharp objects and always tell me that she will be satisfied if I die than to remain on the surface of the earth,” Ogunbola said.

The petitioner described his wife as a troublesome fellow and a fighter.

“My wife always fight me in the house and she also come to my office to fight me, on two occasions, she has written a letter to my com-

‘My wife always fight me in the house and she also come to my office to fight me, on two occasions, she has written a letter to my company to sack me that I am an irresponsible man’ pany to sack me that I am an irresponsible man,’’ he said.

According to him, he married Alaba because his first wife was unable to give birth to children and that after Alaba gave birth to two

children, she started misbehaving.

He said: “After Alaba gave birth to two sons, she always leaves the house I rented for her and come to my house to fight with my first wife to leave the house for her.

“She calls my first wife a barren tree that cannot produce fruits, telling her to park out that she wanted to park into the house as the rightful owner of the husband, since she was the one that have children for me.”

He begged the court to dissolve the marriage, saying he was no longer in love and that he does not want to die young.

The respondent, Alaba, refused to honour court summon.

The president of the court, Mr Hakeem Oyekan, asked the court to serve the respondent another summon and he adjourned the case till May 11.

Student, boy ‘dupe’ American of $4500

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HIGHER National Diploma (HND) Electrical and Electronics student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Owolabi Ahmed, 24 and a 17-yearold boy were yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja High Court in Lagos for allegedly defrauding an American, Adam Demborsky, of $4,500.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) field charges against them before Justice Atinuke Ipaye.

The boy from Alowonle, Adedigba, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, is facing a two-count charge of “possession of a document containing false pretences and forgery.”

The charges read, “that you, .... on or about May 8, 2014 in Lagos had in your possession a document in which you represented your-

By Adebisi Onanuga

self to be a single lady called Candice from Trenton, New Jersey, United States, who helps the needy to organise charity concerts and also help the homeless to get funds for Motherless Babies Home, which representations you knew to be false.”

The prosecutor, E.A. Jackson, said the defendant confessed to receiving the $2,000 from said Denborsky, who lives in the United States, through Western Union money transfer, after meeting the victim on Facebook.

He alleged that the defendant posed as 30year-old Marty Jason from Pennsylvania, USA on a facebook account which he used for fraud.

He was also alleged to have confessed to using the money to buy phone and clothes.

Ahmed, a.k.a Candice Skye was arraigned on a three-count charge.

The charge reads: “That you Owolabi Ahmed presented yourself to be a single girl called Candice Skye from the USA who lost her parents in a car accident, currently engaged in gemstone business and need the sum of 2500 dollars to enable you obtain an authorisation letter required by the Customs and Excise to clear your goods, which representations you knew to be false”.

According to Jackson, the offence is ‘contrary to Sections 6,8(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

Justice Ipaye ordered that they be remanded in prison and adjourned till May 21.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

11

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

30-year-old man docked for alleged visa scam

Gang snatches N6.8m cash from filling station manager

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30-YEAR-OLD man, Charles Desire, was yesterday arraigned before an Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly collecting N300, 000 from Mrs Foluke Sunday under the ploy to procure a Belgium visa for her.

Desire is charged with fraud, theft, breach of peace and threat to life.

Prosecuting police Corporal Oluwafemi Adeleye said that Desire in October 2014, in Ikotun, Lagos fraudulently obtained N300, 000 from Mrs Sunday on the pretext of procuring a Belgium visa for her.

The prosecutor said Desire also stole N385, 000 from Mrs Sunday, adding that the accused also conducted himself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace.

“The accused, a member of Synagogue Church fraudulently collected N5,000 from Sunday under ploy of helping her to procure anointing water but later converted the money to self-use,’’ he said.

He added that the accused on April 25 at Ikotun Police Station threatened to violently deal with the complainant.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate Peter Nwaka granted the accused N200, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum. The case was adjourned to May 27.

T

WO of the eight-man gang that snatched N6.8million from the manager of a Lagos filling station have been arrested.

They are Ayodele Ogunbiyi aka Sese (30) and Olalekan Oladipupo aka Abago (28).

The manager was going to deposit the money in bank about 11.30am on February 3 at Morobo area along Badagry Expressway.

According to the police, the gang operated with ‘insider’ information. The gang was said to have intercepted one Adewale, the manager of the filling station in his Toyota Camry car on his way to the bank, opened fire on him and collected the cash.

The police said the gang converged on Agbara Motor Park where they picked up arms and ammunition before going for the operation.

They parked their motorcycles beside the filling station where commercial motorcycles riders popularly called okada always gather.

The moment the manager came out of the filling station, they rushed him and escaped with the money through Lusada Road.

The suspects were arrested at Iyana-Iba, Lagos, on April 7

‘Robbers’ attack depositors

By Ebele Boniface

by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operators.

The gang, the police said, is also notorious for robbing traders on the Cotonou route.

Oladipupo said: “We are an eight-man gang; it was Webo that called Sese and said we should meet at Agbara Motor Park where we shared the guns.

Webo and the guy that brought the information were in the filling station. When the manager came out, I used my bike to block him but he knocked me down. FC shot him; I shot at the windscreen. Everybody shot him and Sese went and brought the money and his two blackberry phones. Webo took us to Igando and gave me N410,000, Sese was given N430,000. At Sese’s baby naming, I sprayed

N220,000. Others also sprayed money. I knew Sese in Secondary school. When we were doing pick-pocket work, if I get phone or wallet from a passenger, I pass it to Sese likewise if he gets one, he passed it over to me and I will get down at the nearest bus stop or both of us will alight together.”

Ogunbiyi said he knew Webo at Badagry where he went to look for work.

He said: “I was the one who went and carried the bag after he knocked down my motorcycle. I gave the bag to Webo and he gave me N430,000. My wife gave birth on February 20.

I was arrested on April 7. I am a Catholic. The need for money to do naming made me go and rob. Police arrested Lekan (Oladipupo) and used him to get me at Ajangbadi bus stop where

Train passengers held for hanging

S

OME erring passengers were yesterday arrested at Ikeja by security operatives for hanging on a Lagos-bound train.

Their arrest followed a report that they were blocking the driver’s view.

The train was delayed beyond its scheduled departure time at Agbado Station following a complaint by the driver of poor visibility because of “overcrowding.”

Following the report, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) management stationed some armed security personnel at its Ikeja station to arrest the passengers.

Those arrested were hanging on the locomotive; others

on the coaches, the roof and the tail of the train were spared.

Among those arrested was an elderly man who claimed that he was trying to avoid the excessive heat in the overcrowded coaches.

One of the security personnel told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the order for the arrest was from “above’’.

An official of the NRC at Ikeja Station who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that those arrested would be charged to court, but did not say when and their number.

He said the erring passengers are liable to three months imprisonment or N25,000 fine or both, if found guilty.

The official, however, denied NAN reports that overcrowding on the train was caused by reduction in the number of coaches from 13 to 11.

According to him, the overcrowding was due to the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.

“More people are coming to join the train since Monday because of reduction in the number of commercial vehicles on the roads due to fuel scarcity.

“Also, the few commercial buses on the roads had increased their fares but we have not and this makes our coaches to be jam-packed with passengers,’’ the official said.

‘My husband has denied me sex for eight years’

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•Oladipupo (left) and ogunbiyi... yesterday

HOUSEWIFE, Mrs Adeolu Adelani, yesterday told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her marriage because her husband stopped sleeping with her eight years ago.

Adeolu, 39, told the court she was married to Olajide about 14 years ago and had a 12 years old son.

“My husband refused to make love to me since eight years now and I want to have another baby because our son is 12 years old.

“I am not satisfied with only one child,’’ she told the court’s President, Mr Hakeen Oyekan.

The petitioner accused her husband of abandoning her and their child for an unknown destination since 2013.

She said her husband has refused to disclose where he lives and works, but sends his son’s school fees and house rent through her bank account.

Adeolu said her husband told her pastor that he had married another woman and had children.

He said “I should find myself another husband.”

She said she was sad anytime her neighbours called her “rejected and abandoned property’’.

Mrs Adelani begged the court to dissolve the marriage because she wanted to move on with her life.

Olajide, 45, a businessman, did not deny the allegation, saying he refused to make love to his wife because he did not want her to have another child through Caesarean section.

“I don’t want to risk her life; that is why I have distanced myself from her because I want her to take care of our child.

“Besides, I did not abandon my wife but I decided to move closer to my work place due to the distance from my house.

“I did not abandon her, I always squat with my friends and I come home once in a while,’’ he said.

He denied having another wife or children elsewhere.

Olajide, however, conceded to the dissolution of the marriage because he was also fed up with the union.

He appealed to the court to grant him the custody of his son.

Oyekan adjourned the case to May 13.

he asked me to meet him.

“As a pick pocket expert I can pick anything of value with my fingers. Where it is difficult, I use razor blade to tear the trouser. No magic in pick-pocket job. When we sit with passengers in a bus or Keke tricycle, at a point we ask the passenger to shift touching his body with one side of my body to distract him and my hand will go for his pocket at the same time. Once I get something, I pass it to my partner or I keep it on the seat so that, if by chance the owner starts looking for it, he will see it on the seat. Where there is hot argument by the owner, passengers among whom my partners will intervene and pacify the owner.”

WO men were yesterday brought before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly mugging a woman at knifepoint and stabbing a man at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) point.

The duo - John Luka, 21, and Bulus Amos, 23 – are facing a threecount charge of conspiracy and assault occasioning harm.

Prosecuting Police Inspector Livinus Okeke told the court that the accused committed the offences on May 2 at the ATM of a bank in Lekki, Lagos.

Okeke said the accused tried to steal money from one Miss Pauline Ogebe, a customer, who had just used the machine.

“The accused who came in a motorcycle accosted Ogebe after she had just finished using the ATM. “They threatened her by putting a knife to her ribs and ordered her to give them the N5, 000 cash she had just withdrawn from the ATM,” he said.

Okeke said one Mr Unity Osayuwame a customer of the bank, witnessed the mugging.

“Osayuwame immediately rushed to the scene of the incident to help Ogebe ward off the attack.

“While Osayuwame fought the accused, they stabbed him on the right side of his face with a knife.”

Okeke added that Osayuwame and Ogebe raised an alarm which alerted passersby, who apprehended the accused.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate L.A. Owolabi granted the accused N40, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum. He adjourned the case to May 25.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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NEWS

14 legislators demanded money from me, says Chime

MASSOB disowns new leader

•No impeachment notice tendered as governor-elect wades into crisis

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

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OVERNOR of Enugu State Sullivan Chime has dismissed the impeachment threat against him. He said the attempt was futile and described the legislators involved as frustrated.

Chime said the legislators behind the plot asked him for money.

Briefing reporters yesterday, Chime said the Constitution requires two-thirds to impeach him, adding that of 23 members of the House, only 14, including the Speaker, were plotting against him.

The governor said the Speaker should get 16 members to investigate the allegations levelled against him.

He said the lawmakers only succeeded in making themselves a laughing stock by embarking on an impossible journey.

“As of now, nobody has served me with any notice of impeachment.

“I know, and they know that what they are doing will not see the light of day but I want my defence to see the light of day.

“They felt the administration was coming to an end and it is time for them to make money. They came shamelessly and demanded money.

“They thought I asked for the N11 billion loan as a parting gift. This nonsense started when they could not get me to give them money outside their allowances.

“I won’t give them any money because I can’t account for it. It is public money. And I have no regrets for what I am doing.”

Dismissing allegations of forging N12 billion supplementary budget in 2012, Chime said since he assumed office in 2007, government accounts has been audited and published annually till 2014, with the audited accounts and budgets given to the House and the public.

Obiano backs Maduagwu for speaker From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

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HE battle for the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly may have ended, with Governor Willie Obiano’s support for Rita Maduagwu, from Nnewi South.

The candidate of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, seems to have lost out in the race.

Umeh had presented his relation, Ikem Uzoezie, a ranking member from Aguata, to succeed Nwaebili.

Before now, some of the elected and old members were routing for Chugbo Enwezor (Onitsha South), who lost to Nwaebili in 2011.

A source said: “The issue of who becomes Speaker has been settled by Obiano in his choice of Maduagwu.

“Our governor is out of town; when he returns a meeting will be summoned to ratify the thing”.

Residents march for Enugu governor

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HOUSANDS of Enugu residents took to the streets yesterday to protest the reported attempt by some lawmakers to impeach Governor Sullivan Chime.

The protesters assembled at the Okpara Square, Enugu, before marching to the Government House, where they were received by Deputy Governor Revd.

Ifeanyi Nwoye.

Their spokesman, Albert Eze, said the people would resist attempts by any group to truncate the peace entrenched in the state.

From Chris Oji, Enugu

The governor said the allegation was a shock as he only re-allocated funds through virement.

He explained that the House authorised the government to obtain the N11 billion in November 2014, through its resolution, which was communicated to him.

“No such thing as forging a supplementary budget. We have records of the so-called forged supplementary budget and we did not add a

He said the people owed nothing but gratitude to the governor for his achievements, adding that any ‘attack on Governor Chime is an attack on the people of Enugu’.

Nwoye told the crowd that Governor Chime was leaving behind him a list of legacies that portend progress.

He urged the people not to allow the ‘enemies of the state destroy the infrastructure provided by Chime’s administration through instigation of violence’.

kobo in it.

“Their resolution of November 13, 2014, authorised the state government to obtain loans of N1 billion and N10 billion from United Bank for Africa (UBA) to refinance facilities at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) and for infrastructural projects in the state,” he said.

On concession of the Water Corporation, the governor said the government only engaged a company, AG Gold, to help in water infrastructure after previous attempts

by three companies failed.

“I am not sure they are investigating because before the process is completed, I must have left for my village in Udi. Or will they impeach me when I have retired to my village? We have less than three weeks to leave office.

“What the frustrated legislators want is to create the impression that I have been milking this state dry,” Chime said.

Attempts by 14 of the 23 legislators to commence the impeachment of the governor

on Monday backfired, as the Speaker, Eugene Odoh, lost his position.

He was suspended and impeached by pro-Chime legislators, who now control the House, under a new Speaker, Chinedu Nwamba.

The Enugu State Governor-elect, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has called on the two factions of to sheathe their swords and return to the status quo for an amicable resolution of the contending issues.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that yesterday’s meeting was attended by members of the two groups as well as a former Senate president.

The full details of the meeting was yet to be made public but a reliable source said when the anti-Chime group was asked to present its impeachment notice, it had none to tender.

Reacting to the development, Odoh confirmed that the meeting was fruitful.

“We were asked to sheathe our swords and return to the status quo. We are making peace,” he said.

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HE Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has disowned Ndubusis Igwekani as its new leader.

In a statement by its National Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, the group said its new leader would be presented to Ndigbo when he emerges.

MASSOB said it was consulting with other progressive Biafran groups in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.

It said the position was vacant but no name had been shortlisted.

“MASSOB does not want to commercialise its leader.

“You can’t wake up in the morning and issue statements in MASSOB’s name without any consultation with the executive,” the statement said.

The group said the claim by the man was embarrassing and an insult to Ndigbo and MASSOB. The group warned him to stop parading himself or elevating himself to such position.

Mark urges support for military research From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

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•The crowd protesting the alleged impeachment proceedings against Chime...yesterday

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HE Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU) yesterday eulogised the late Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije.

Chukwumerije died on April 19 “after a long but gallant battle with lung cancer,” according to a family source.

ASUU President Dr. Nasir Fagge, in a tribute in Abuja, described Chukwumerije as “one comrade whom the trappings of power could not shackle his critical and cou-

ASUU eulogises Chukwumerije From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

rageous will.”

Fagge stressed that the late senator, whose burial has been fixed for May 22 in his country in Abia North, “brought to bear the spirit of zealous patriotism, and vision of undiluted nationalism” during his stint in the National Assembly.

The ASUU chief said: “At crucial moments in the history of

this nation, he played vital roles for the survival and development of the country.

“As Director of Information during the Nigerian Civil War, he distinguished himself at the age of 25 years as an outstanding strategist and astute communicator.

“And when the war ended on the ‘No Victor No Vanquished’ policy, Chukwumerije committed himself with the characteristic zest to the building

of a united Nigeria, where the rights of the citizens would be the fundamental concern of government.

“It is not surprising therefore, that Chukwumerije was subsequently invited by the country at other critical times as Minister and Secretary of Information to create platforms for vibrant communication and dialogue between government and the people of Nigeria.

“Serving variously on the Sen-

Igbo leader endorses Onu for SGF

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PROMINENT Igbo leader, Dr. Ifeanyi Ekenasi, has endorsed a chieftain of the All Progressives Party (APC), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, for the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

He described Onu as the most qualified and experienced Igbo to occupy the position.

Ekenasi said the appointment of Onu ‘will certainly make the Igbo happy and give them a sense of belonging’.

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

He added that the former Abia State governor had the experience, maturity and temperament to handle the position, stressing that his appointment would be consistent with justice, equity and fair play.

“Onu sacrificed much in forming the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was the national chairman of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and he surrendered

the party’s certificate in order to form the APC. “When the APC became consummated, he indicated interest in the national chairman but he gave up the ambition in the interest of the Southeast.

“After that, Onu was seen as a good material for the vice presidential slot but again, that position was zoned to the Southwest. Despite these disappointments, Onu remained steadfast, believed in the APC and

worked to build the party into one of the greatest in Africa.

“Now, he has indicated interest in the SGF and justice and fairness demand that this great Igbo son be given the opportunity”.

Ekenasi, who is famous for his radio programme, The truth of the matter, urged the leadership of the APC and the President-elect to give Onu the opportunity to contribute his quota in rebuilding the nation.

ENATE President David Mark yesterday insisted that the military needed to be encouraged to carry out more research.

Mark spoke while opening a public hearing on the bill to establish the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies (NAITES).

He underscored the importance of technology and environmental studies, saying it was needed to engender development.

Mark advocated that the institute and other military establishments needed to be encouraged to improve research and development.

The Senate President said: “The National Assembly will give legal backing to the institute.

We must endeavour to pass the bill before the end of the 7th Assembly to enable the institute achieve its mandate.”

Church marks 19 years

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HE Livingstone Church of Zion, Sabo, Sagamu, Ogun State, will mark its 19th anniversary on May 10. The theme is: Worthy is the Lamb, halleluyah.

It will be a weeklong programme featuring revival services, seminar, counselling and a N25 million fund raising.

Pastor Benson Malato Ikuesan assures the public of blessing, salvation, and prophetic impartation.

Guest ministers include Pastor Elliot Akins from the United Kingdom, and other anointed ministers of God.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

15

Life

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Text only: 08023058761

Many battles of a nonagenarian – PAGE 17

Finima Nature Park: Conserving nature, biodiversity – PAGE 18

•Mrs Jaiyesimi

Ikwuemesi presents The Village Square

‘Stage is a powerful platform for societal reorientation’ – SEE STORY ON PAGE 16

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Mrs Ayodele Jaiyesimi is a theatre amazon to watch out for. The founder of the Thespian Family Theatre (TFT) Productions has brought her over 30 years experience in banking and human resources consultancy to bear on her passion – theatre. She seeks to mentor youths and stir up conversations and new thinking about theatre and its practitioners. She hopes to, through her organisation, put theatre on Nigeria’s economic map. In this conversation with EVELYN OSAGIE, she speaks on issues in the industry.

‘Stage is powerful platform for societal reorientation’ My 32 years in banking and finance

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PENDING about 32 years, working across various sectors of the banking industry, have been quite exciting. I started out as a chartered accountant. I have been in the public service, worked with an accounting firm. I’ve been a human resource practitioner, worked as a banker and have just retired to pursue my passion – theatre. I think I can say I am a theatre practitioner now. I intend to use my HR background to improve and develop human capacity in the performance art sector.

Bank executive, human resources consultant and theatre aficionado Whether it is banking business, human resources or theatre, it is all about people.

The theatre is an industry about people; a way of communicating with people through a dramatic form. As a human resource practitioner, you find out that if you are trying to mould people into an organisational structure, you’d have to work on them and ensure that there is an alignment with what the organisation wants to do and its people. You’d also develop them through coaching and mentoring. In the performance art industry, especially the theatre, you have a lot of fantastic potentials.

So, when we are looking at Nigeria’s economy, this is where, in some years to come, the goldmine is. And, therefore, we do feel in Thespian Family Theatre that we should help these young and upcoming talented Nigerians to find jobs and develop themselves so that they can have the skills to cope with their careers and make the best of their potentials.

•A scene from a TFT play

•Mrs Jaiyesimi

‘We have a thriving theatre industry. I have watched a lot of exciting plays and we have done some ourselves...Theatre is an area that private investors should consider putting their money in. It holds the economic value to attract private investors’

Growing up When I was young, I was always good at fine art. I was into dance and acting. But when I wanted to do fine art, my parents said: “you are very good at the arts that you do, why don’t you find a professional course to study and then you can always pursue your passion as artist”. And that was what I did. I did my professional course, but still practised my arts. Then, theatre artistes or anyone in the arts industry are seen as the dreg of society – happy to have around when there is any form of entertainment, but you can’t bank on them having a stable income or means of livelihood. Then they didn’t know that they make any money.

Voyage into stage production I have been doing stage productions since 2003, but not on a large form. We started off in 2003 under the name, Thespian Family Theatre (TFT) Productions and because we believe there is potential in the industry, we started restructuring in 2013. Our board chairman is the co-founder of I-REP, Femi Odugbemi. Then, it started as a mentoring platform. It was firstly about our love for the arts and how we can touch lives of the people in the Theatre industry. So, we started with the students in the University of Lagos (UNILAG). We have those, who started off from our troupe that are now on some TV series and programmes, like the guy who came second at the AMBO, Kachi Nochiri.

My 12-year theatre experience I must say it has been exciting. We have a thriving theatre industry. I have watched a lot of exciting plays and we have done some ourselves. Stage production is particularly expensive. Initially, when we started, there were very few theatre organisations, now the number has increased and with it, the stage productions hold. When I conceived it there were fears. But as it is unfolding, I am seeing it work.

It is tough though, because there are lots of gaps in the industry. We lack basic

•A scene from another TFT play

BIODATA

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RS Ayodele Jaiyesimi is an avid lover of Contemporary and Theatre Arts. She has through the Thespian Family Theatre (TFT) Productions, showcased her unique creativity and expressed her love for the arts through the plays she has written and produced.

The Crystal Slipper, as with Ayo’s other plays such as The Mad King of Ijudiya, The Five Maids of Fadaka, and Siddon de Look, is an extremely thought-provoking and entertaining theatre piece overtly mixed with a potpourri of dance, suspense, drama, comedy, music, traditional language and adulations.

Two of her plays have been directed by Tunji Sotimirin (lecturer at the Department of Creative Arts, University of Lagos) and Abiola Segun Williams (Popular TV Soap Opera ‘Tinsel’ actor). Besides writing and stage production, she is passionate about youth mentoring, change, supporting the lessprivileged and community groups.

She is on the Board of Trustees of the Societal Positive Impact Initiative (SPIIN). She is a human resource practitioner and chartered accountant with about 32 years experience in public service, consulting and financial services industry.

INTERVIEW infrastructure. It is too expensive to manage.

We don’t have theatres even the best that we have here are not necessarily standard theatre spaces. So, what you then find is that even when you are trying to express and have productions that are world-class, you have to cut down on how adventurous you want to be or spend a whole lot to make it

work. You’ve got to get a sound engineer and sound systems and the lightings…it is cumbersome. That is why whenever I think of what is happening with the national theatre where we had everything, something in me cries. They had the future of theatre when that was built. And because it is too expensive it makes it very difficult for those who are practising.

And also sometimes you try to change the

mindset on how we want to operate, not to be a straight jacket theatre group. But we have been relatively lucky. We have quite a few partners. We have First Bank Plc, Leadway Assurance as partners. But it is not just about luck, we have been able to build a sustainable partnership model where there is mutual benefit for us and the organisation that sponsors us.

Theatre’s economic potential I’d start with human capital base. In terms of potentials, this country has a lot of it. Our young people are simply fantastic. They are very creative and are coming out with new models, such as the merging of theatre and multimedia. As a country we haven’t recognised the economic potential that the industry holds. Take for instance, the brand Disneyland brings its country millions yearly. I was there sometimes and it was so much fun. People want to relax, be entertained and educated. You could actually use performance to douse tension, as education and employment. I do hope that the government would do more to support us in the industry.

I think theatre is an area that private investors should consider putting their money in. It holds the economic value to attract private investors. For instance, apart from giving some visibility to Nigeria, staging a play like The Gods Are Not to Blame in the United Kingdom (UK), is also financially viable. We are just saying that they should encourage us more and do a bit more.

•Continued on Page 17

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

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IR Olaniwun Ajayi refuses to retire and sit under the mango tree to do battle with mosquitoes and flies, drinking palmwine to while away his time. Rather, entering his 90s, he stays in his library and does battle with the politics of ethnicities, national identity, regional domination, and federalism, the themes that run through his book.

His age allows for the accumulation of ideas from various locations and sources, combined with his own multi-dimensional practical experiences, and the ever-burning desire for political change and progress.

He is intellectually stubborn, if a younger person like me can be so bold in describing someone who could be his father. But my assessment is not intended as rudeness, but to note the constancy and consistency of his adopted tropes. This stubbornness is driven by a troika mentality: that his country. Nigeria, which he sees as fading, is a victim of colonial injustice, ethnic imbalance, and faulty federalism.

In Sir Olaniwun’s troika, there is a triumvirate of evil at work, shaping a chaotic historical process. In spelling out the three evils, he seems guided by the injunction in Matthew 7:3-5: “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck: out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye?

“You hypocrite. first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye”.

In taking the log out of his own eye to remove the speck out of the eyes of Nigerians, he intends to expose the origins and consequences of the axes of evil. He criticizes other ethnicities, and surely they will criticize his own as well, but this is part of removing the logs from all our eyes. He is qualified by age to speak his mind, to engage in the battle of the mind and intellect as if nothing else matters. He sees collaboration between the British and the Hausa-Fulani ruling elites as the fundamental source of Nigeria’s problems.

Portraying both as warriors in the quest to control Nigeria, he offers an angelic antidote to a cosmic battle.

There is a battle here for identity, one for his own people, the Yoruba, whose race, he warns, must not fall; and second for Nigeria, one that Sir Olaniwun thinks must run strictly on a federal principle. An elder cannot be begrudged for fighting for his identity, as this is a legitimate battle, a cleansing spirit. In his sometimes aggressive tone, he sees identity as worth defending. He refuses to stay neutral in the ethnic battles. Passivity, he reckons, will not quench the desire of the enemy to fight hard and dirty. He directs his anger at the injustice perpetrated by the British, and what he sees as its extension by the North. I may disagree with him to the clusters of his identified “enemies” since, in reality, it takes two to fight, but I admire his patriotism and wild-eyed fury as well as his determination to construct an alternative pathway to a glorious future.

• Sir Ajayi

Many battles of a nonagenarian Sir Olaniwun Ajayi is a nonagenarian dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, writes TOYIN FALOLA TRIBUTE He also sees Nigeria as worth fighting for.

He wants to engage in a war before he loses the battle. As a warrior, there seems to be a set of principles that emanate from his book: • He fights for integrity, in this case, defined as the integrity of his name and analysis, whether one believes it or not; • He fights for the restoration of the shame

inflicted on his people, as he is angry with the slave trade and its consequences (portrayed in chapter one); • He fights against the shame imposed by colonialism. See chapter two where Nigeria was ground to powder; where the weight of imposition crushed the people; where the boulders of exploitation created grief in people’s minds; • There is the Frankenstein’s monster of how ethnicities constitute themselves

(chapters 3,4, and 5) and became misapplied producing wreckages, not in a forgotten memory, as his chapter 6 reminds us, but as a nightmare; • He deals with the wounds of colonial barbarism and “tribalism” in Chapter 7, of foreign imposed atrocities in Chapter 8, and of the rejection of hope in Chapter 9;and • As a champion and leader of the Nigerian project, he travels to other lands in chapter 10, like Amos Tutuola wandering in the forest of ghosts, to bring back ideas on how to restore the broken chords of federalism. His political sorrows become transcendental and transformational, unencumbered by pride to reject ideas that do not work. The hardship of the Nigerian past becomes converted into an intellectual masculinity to reflect on possible political stability, in spite of a series of miscarriages and the self:’ inflicted pain of atrocious political self-immolation. Perhaps the collective suffering, the sage seems to be offering in his prophetic voice, can become a source of strength. The loss of the past exposes the weaknesses of the present, but also the cure for the ills of the future. To what use will this book be put? Well, to cite the book of Matthew (7:6), I can only hope that the following will not be true: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will {rumple them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces”.

But suppose the Nigerian leaders and managers become swine, then there is a message for them as well in Matthew 8:12: “But the subjects of the kingdom’ will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

May there be no “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in the land invented by Lord Lugard. Sir Olaniwun Ajayi has provided words to discover a collective strength. His words, even when we disagree with them, unleash the discovery of our weaknesses, so that we can walk with others to seek answers to our problems.

Let us walk with Sir Olaniwun Ajayi “The Elijah hunted by the slave traders, the colonisers, and the dominators”; “A survivor, who wants to spark a revival”…Let us march with Sir Olaniwun, “Daniel thrown into the den of tribal lions”, “Delivered by the net of analysis”…Let us commune with Sir Ajayi, “The persecuted Paul, writer of much of our New Testament”, “Who gives us the verses to survive the strongholds of our enemies’…”Feel empowered by Sir Olaniwun’s words”; “Forget the hurts” in Chapters 1 and 2; “The pain and agony” in Chapter 8; “Gather the strength” in Chapter 9; “Become the warrior to implement the changes recommended” in Chapter 10; “Embrace the truth with the elderly man’; “Mobilise the youth to tight shame and waste”; “Become wired to battle for a true identity” and “Tore-Iabel Nigeria From Paradise Lost To Paradise Regained”.

•Prof Falola is of The University of Texas at Austin, US.

‘Stage is a powerful platform for societal reorientation’ •Continued from Page 16

My notion of theatre I have met fantastic people in the industry.

Sometimes, I do ponder how one can replicate a Joke Sylva, a Genevieve Nnaji, Olu Jacobs and a Bimbo Manuel. We want more of them–theatre practitioners, who know how to produce plays, have a good outing and understand the business of the industry. Also, we should bear in mind what our value proposition to the nation is such that we begin to have a voice and start to shape this nation. That is how we can change such mindsets and stay relevant.

When we started off at TFT, we were aware of the power the industry weighed; the stage is a very powerful platform to champion the cause of societal reorientation. We, therefore, felt that our team must understand the power they have and need to be empowered. Artists should serve as good role model that many, especially the young, should be able to emulate. But many lack knowledge in financial and personal management.

Hence, when we started with those students, subtly, in the middle of rehearsals and performances, we would chip in a little word here and there to help mould them.

The leader theatre sectors needs now Nigeria, in terms of natural and human resources, is blessed. It is so painful to

see such a blessed country living in poverty with so much corruption around us. A lot of people are not even expecting; they are just living everyday as it comes.

We hope to see leaders, who understand what leadership is all about, emerging.

People, who are purpose-driven, selfless and have a burning passion in their hearts to take Nigeria to where we ought to be as a nation, such that our educational system and industries can work again, and unemployment be reduced.

TFT selling point What makes us stand out is that we are an organisation that is purpose-driven.

We’ve had great productions and reviews. I believe that we are quite known in the market for our professionalism. It is one organisation, probably the foremost in the industry in Nigeria that has tried to set up a structure.

Also we are grooming a troupe of young people, who eventually would stand on their own and in two/three years become stage/movie icons with a difference. I am proud to say that we showcased Nigeria in the United Kingdom last month. We staged Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not to Blame in Londonbecause we have a lot of Nigerians in the Diaspora and people, who love our culture. It was done in collaboration with UK-based Heavywind Media and Lukman Sanusi,

the director. Most of the young do not know so much about home, we want to take Nigeria abroad and trigger nostalgia in them; and show to people of the United Kingdom that Nigerians are a set of warm people.

My advice to aspiring theatre managers and producers When going into the industry, they should have a sustainable model in mind because most times theatre practitioners are carried away by the production. In addition to that, they should work on how to make enough to be plowed back into the organisation and translate it into a livelihood. They also have to consider funding; raising the initial funds might be a little bit difficult.

They can reach out to quite a lot of organisations that might be willing or people, who are art-lovers who could see that you have a sustainable business and be willing to partner with you. Then, on those who would work with you, depending on what you are trying to do, you may hold workshops for, counsel and give them opportunity to showcase their talents, which would help build their confidence. And get involved in the lives and progress so as to inspire them.

•Mrs Jaiyesimi

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Finima Nature Park: Conserving nature, biodiversity

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S part of its corporate social responsibilities to its host communities, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLG) Limited has established Finima Nature Park on Bonny Island, Rivers State to conserve nature and biodiversity. According to the company’s latest Facts and Figures, the park was established to preserve the natural environment of its host communities. The site of the nature park is the natural habitat of salt water Hippopotamus, now rare in Nigeria, and other interesting flora and fauna prevalent on Bonny Island.

The park was established in recognition of the importance of the flora and fauna, the sacrifices of Bonny people, and their aspiration and commitment to keeping a permanent record of their natural heritage and culture. It is also part of NLNG’s contribution to the national and global conservation objective, in line with Rio Agenda 21, Ramsar convention and convention on Biological Diversity.

Named Finima Nature Park and measuring approximately 1000 hectares, is for conservation, recreation, and research on the fanua, flora and cultural heritage of Bonny Kingdom. At present, the nature reserve is managed by an NGO, the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF). However, in the future, it will be managed by a Board of Trustees drawn from the host community, thereby encouraging community buy-in and sustainability of the initiative.

The reserve area covers the rain forest and mangrove swamps, as well as an ecologically important area of sandy soil with fresh water ponds and tall timber between the swamps and the beach. This diversity is a good representation of the Niger Delta ecology, which affords a unique opportu-

HERITAGE nity for research and educational activities. Already, the reserve is home to some wildlife species of high conservation value, a variety of mammals, bird species and reptiles, such as the Mona monkeys, crocodiles, snakes and alligators.

In addition, Finima Nature Park is home to a number of species classified by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) such as the African Grey Parrot-Psittacus erithacus. A number of studies including ornithological surveys are also regularly carried out at the park.

There is steady growth in the population of indigenous species in the park as a result of measures put in place. The NLNG discourages hunting in the park and encourages the preservation of natural habitat.

In pursuing its environment objective, the company considers public consultation and enlighten fundamentals to fostering good relationships with its neighbours. Hence, it has initiated forest protection and biodiversity conservation enlightenment campaigns in accordance with recommended EIA mitigation meas-

F

ures.

Finima Nature Park is policed by park rangers, who prevent encroachment, monitor movement of animals, rescue animals and provide guide tours within the park and adjoining areas.

The rangers during their routine park

‘There is steady growth in the population of indigenous species in the park as a result of measures put in place. The NLNG discourages hunting in the park and encourages the preservation of natural habitat..Hence, it has initiated forest protection and biodiversity conservation enlightenment campaigns in accordance with recommended EIA mitigation measures’

walks in October 2014 discovered and retrieved whale bones that were washed ashore along the coastal boundary of the park. A total of 69 pieces of the whale skeletal parts were collected and assembled and are currently being preserved at Finima Nature Park.

The company has partnered with community-based organisation such as the Bonny Environmental Consultants’ Committee (BECC) and such non-governmental organisations as Niger Delta Wetlands Centre and Nigerian Conservation Foundation in outreach programmes to schools, organisations and settlements within Bonny Kingdom with the objective of establishing conservation clubs in primary and post primary schools and entrenching the culture of conservation early in the youth.

POEM

Ikwuemesi presents The Village Square OR painter and art critic, Chuu Krydz Ikwuemesi, art is a tool for reenacting experience and renegotiating reality.

He said: “There is so much motion.

Globalisation takes its toll. The world changes.

But, we have not changed much. We are meaning-seeking animals trapped in a world where meaning has remained meaningless and ever elusive. The world, the expansive, but small village square we now all share, continues to challenge us; we are ever surrounded by the same worries and forces that shaped the consciousness of those who have gone before us.”

Ikwuemesi is also a ethno-aesthetician and cultural entrepreneur. In 1987, he was admitted into University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to study art. He graduated in First Class in 1992. In 1991, he founded the Pan-African Circle of Artists (PACA) and is the Emeritus President

•The park

From Ifii Mojekwu

VISUAL ART of The Art Republic (also known as Centre for Arts and Cultural Democracy), Enugu.

He will be holding his solo art exhibition, The Village Square,at the International Institute for Creative Development (IIDC), Maitama, Abuja.

The exhibition, which is conceived as a composite installation that alludes to the compactness of the present world shaped by the forces of the cyber revolution, will open tomorrow by 6pm and feature his recent works.

Director of the IIDC, Mr Ndubuisi Ahanonu said the exhibition is one of their biggest for the year and he is hopeful that it will attract many important visitors. Based on the Igbo uli technique, Ikwuemesi’s art explores the connection between ‘our time and eras gone

by and thus can be a datum for mediating memory and desire.’

Ikwuemesi said: “In this exhibition, I am looking at the compactness of the wide world in this age of the cyber magic...

The new world is a village, after all; it is the old village that has always been. We have been here before and will ever be. We go forward, no doubt.

But we will return, now and again, like Sankofa, to seek new crumbs along footbeaten, old tracks; to seek new meanings in old visions.”

In view of its recourse to uli, The Village Square exploits a pattern established by the Nsukka artists in the last 40 years. It re-engages the uli idiom in a refreshing way and also reflects Ikwuemesi’s interest in Ainu art and ethno-aesthetics. As Emeritus Professor Simon Ottenberg of the University of Washington has said, “Prof Ikwuemesi has for many years been both an artist and a student of uli. It is, therefore, most reasonable that he combines these two interests in this exhibit… He believes strongly that this wonderful design system should not perish, but should be transferred into the modern world, blending ancient design and modern art skills.”

Among guests expected at the exhibition’s opening include His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha; leading art collector, Prince Yemisi Shyllon; US Ambassador, His Excellency James F. Entwistle; Mr Hideki Sakamoto First Secretary and Head of Information and Culture, Embassy of Japan, Abuja, and Dr Abdulahi Muku, Director General of the National Gallery of Art. The exhibition will run till May 27.

A change Nigeria

By Bello Opeyemi Jamiu

Nigeria shriek in anguish and Calvary Like a newborn baby condemned to an untimely death Alas! She was kidnapped by a beast in hell Almost drenched in everlasting hell She struggle for freedom amidst the ocean of adversity Almost engulf by unprecedented calamities None hear her sorrowful voice Even at the greatest echo Left to whine and dine in her ugly fate Yet hope is her innermost strength The messiah appear in a charismatic spectrum Like gigantic stars overwhelming the earth The beast shivers with immeasurable fear A rock stricken by thunderstorm Alas! The judgment day arrived too jiffy And the powerful become powerless Nothing last for eternity in alacrity Even the eggs hatches to offspring in right times Change is a constant solar system And life is similitude of the earth’s revolve round the sun Never be intoxicated with the present enthusiasm Arise our hope for a change Nigeria Hurrah! The change awaited a long ago After sixteen years bondage in hell Sixteen years of bondage and bokoharam Arise our strength for a change Nigeria

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Open letter to General Buhari (Rtd)

Sold for sex •Nigeria continues to grapple with modern-day slavery

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S ever-increasing numbers of Nigerians leave the country to illegally migrate to other nations, the country must begin to seriously investigate the rise in the horrifying phenomenon of sex slavery that has now become rampant.

A particularly disturbing manifestation of the trend can be seen in the story of Precious Ugochi Okoro, a 15-year-old secondary school student who was trafficked to Libya to engage in coerced prostitution. She claims that she was kidnapped by a cousin of her mother and handed over to traffickers who took her to Libya. She was then forced to work as a prostitute and eventually sold to a woman who helped her to secure her freedom.

Her distraught family did not know of her disappearance until her school contacted them three weeks after she was

‘Nigeria’s economic difficulties have been most apparent in the high proportion of youth unemployment that has left millions of young citizens jobless, destitute and desperate. Given the apparent hopelessness that seems to surround them at home, the ostensible attractions of other nations take on added significance’

supposed to have resumed. The traffickers even had the temerity to demand ransom from the family for a victim who had already been taken out of the country.

Fortunately for Miss Okoro, the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police was able to track down the kidnappers and effect her repatriation from Libya.

This sorry tale has all the elements that have combined to make sex trafficking the social cancer that it has become: persistent economic depression, youth unemployment, parental indifference, crass materialism and criminal impunity.

Nigeria’s economic difficulties have been most apparent in the high proportion of youth unemployment that has left millions of young citizens jobless, destitute and desperate. Given the apparent hopelessness that seems to surround them at home, the ostensible attractions of other nations take on added significance. Thus, Nigerian youths continue to risk their lives to reach other countries, in spite of the well-documented tragedies that assail illegal migrants.

The main culprit in the sex-slave saga is Miss Okoro’s cousin who agreed to sell her to the traffickers for just N10,000. No matter how difficult his economic circumstances may have been, it is incredible that he could be so heartless as to betray a close relation for such a relatively small amount of money. When such greed is combined with the ubiquity of criminal gangs specialising in sex trafficking, it can be understood how a young girl can disappear from her own country so easily.

Not least is the seeming lack of parental concern which characterised the re-

sponse of Miss Okoro’s parents to her disappearance. It is very strange that they permitted a 15-year-old girl to embark on an interstate journey alone, did not bother to check to see if she had arrived at her school safely, only becoming aware of their daughter’s plight when the school contacted them three weeks later. Such lax monitoring only facilitates the nefarious activities of sex-traffickers by providing them with an extended window of opportunity.

Nigeria must begin to properly address the sex-trafficking epidemic that is confronting it. All strategies to this end must aim at making it less easy for citizens to be abducted and transported across state and national borders. The long-delayed national identification system must be made functional without delay. Security procedures should be overhauled to accommodate particularly vulnerable groups like school children, migrant workers and the homeless. Known smuggling routes must be properly policed, and corruption and incompetence within the immigration service should be harshly dealt with.

The country must also embark on a comprehensive effort to repatriate its citizens who are living illegally in other countries. Instead of simply waiting for host countries to expel Nigerians, the Federal Government must work with them to ensure that they are sent home with as little fuss as possible. The greatest anti-trafficking strategy, however, remains the creation of an economically-vibrant nation whose benefits are freely available to all of its citizens.

NOUN’s illegality The Open University should not pursue its unaccredited law programme

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HE advertisement by the Council of Legal Education that the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is running a law programme despite a clear warning against that is disturbing. This is because the council is statutorily empowered to regulate legal education in the country. Indeed, without an approval from it, any law programme that any institution offers in the country, amounts to a waste of human and material resources. This is evidently so, as such “law graduates” would not be allowed access to the Nigeria Law School. So, if NOUN fails to stop the law programme immediately, the law enforcement agencies should stop it, and prosecute those responsible.

We are curious that NOUN would engage in what is clearly a rip-off of those who engage in their law programmes across their various study centres. From some media reports, it is obvious that many of their students are not aware of this limitation to the “law degree” obtained from the university. We recall the excitement shown by some of their “law graduates” expressing gratitude to God for the opportunity granted them to study law at their advanced ages. One of such persons from NOUN, Akure centre, a 69year-old woman, was full of thanksgiving, and expressed hope that she would use her new talent to help widows and other less privileged persons in her community.

Her seminal boast, envisaged an access to the Nigeria Law School, which would

enable her practise as a barrister. Another, a 60-year-old woman who graduated from the Benin Study Centre, was excited that she had been able to join her other family members in the legal profession, and again was hopeful that after attending the law school, she would devote her skills to help the less privileged in the society.

Considering that she and her other colleagues would not be admitted to the Nigeria Law School, her hopes will remain a mirage, unless the Council of Legal Education retroactively approves their training at NOUN. This infraction by NOUN is a common experience across the country. Not long ago, the federal authorities were up in arms against criminal elements who offered non-existent university programmes to Nigerian youths. Those dubious elements even ran programmes in decrepit environments, and all the while, were fleecing their victims and their sponsors of several thousands of Naira in the name of fees. As was the case of the NOUN victims, many of them thought they were in approved institutions, and had wasted a number of years in the so- called faculties of higher learning.

These shady characters sometimes appear to have the latent support of regulatory organs of government, as they parade provisional approval of programmes to start the fraud. Whatever may be the enablers, we urge that it is bad enough that opportunities for higher education are abysmally limited; but it would be

disheartening and scandalous that valuable years and resources are wasted pursuing a non-existent programme in a higher institution. It becomes totally unacceptable and an institutional crime, when otherwise accredited institutions also run un-accredited courses side by side the approved ones.

While calling on NOUN to stop the law programme, we urge students to also help themselves. As part of the pursuit of academic glory, a potential student owes it a duty to himself/herself to be sure, that the programmes they want to apply for, are among those approved. It is embarrassing that a budding graduate would have failed a basic enquiry, concerning the programme or the institution he/she intends to apply to. We urge all concerned to stop NOUN’s law programme and similar frauds, to save Nigerians a national embarrassment.

‘It becomes totally unacceptable and an institutional crime, when otherwise accredited institutions also run un-accredited courses side by side the approved ones ...

We urge all concerned to stop NOUN’s law programme and similar frauds, to save Nigerians a national embarrassment’

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IR: I was still very young when you led this country as a military Head of State. So, I cannot claim to know much about you apart from the fact that your administration ousted Alhaji Shehu Shagari through a military coup. But during the 2015 presidential campaigns, a lot was said about your uprightness, a quality that everybody, including your opponents could not gainsay. I would not want you to derail since you have finally found yourself amidst Nigerian politicians, hence this piece of advice.

One, you should not play the politics of witchhunt. This is an advice from an admirer. Over these past inglorious years of the misrule of the PDP, some politicians have tried to play politics of bitterness, a game of once you are not in my party, you are an enemy that should be discarded.

Few examples will suffice. Ex-Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State was a Mr. Right when he was in PDP. But immediately he defected to the then opposition APC, all his sins were exhumed. And before you could say Jack Robinson, he was given the boot. The same unholy act just repeated itself in Ondo State where a deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi was impeached and replaced with Laisisi Oluboyo all because he joined another political party. Is politics a game of vendetta? If the answer to this question is yes, then gentle and religious men like you and your deputy would have no business with such terrain. And if no, how would one explain this political rascality and outright impunity?

The typical politicians may want to convert you to this kind of politicking. Please sir, consent thou not. Remember that every Governor, Senator, Representative, whether state or national, were all elected by the people. So it becomes subversive for opposition lawmakers to now seek to remove such elected office holders without recourse to the people. It amounts to political fraud. Even, sir, if by the Nigerian constitution this is permissible, I dare to say it is morally unjustifiable. You may not have the constitutional powers to stop such unholy move, but your body language could mean a lot. When you finally get to the office by May 29, kindly remain the man of peace you have always been.

Second, political appointment should not be on compensational basis. Sir, you must kindly ensure that appointments are based on competence. Look out for men who have proven and tested integrity.

The reason I’m saying this is because a number of your party men have different reasons for being in politics. If not so, how do you explain why people should defect from their parties to join the APC now that it has won election at the centre? Or did you ever contemplate that when you lost to the PDP candidates three times?

Sir, while seeking competent hands for your government, kindly look beyond party affiliations.

Third, and finally sir, in pursuit of justice, please be fair. Remember that the symbol of justice is a blindfolded woman with a two-edged sword. This means that justice knows no party members; it is fair to all. It is better and fairer to forgive 10 people who have stolen than to prosecute nine and let one go. What some of your predecessors called war against corruption in the past were simply personal vendetta and political witch-hunt, and victimizations. Avoid these moral flaws, and you shall do well. I wish you well.

• Ohimai Daniel, Lagos.

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

• Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

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• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •General Manager (Abuja Press) Kehinde Olowu •AGM (PH Press) Tunde Olasogba

•IT Manager Bolarinwa Meekness •Deputy Editor (Nation’s Capital) •Press Manager Yomi Odunuga Udensi Chikaodi •Group Political Editor Emmanuel Oladesu •Legal Counsel John Unachukwu •Group Business Editor Simeon Ebulu • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye •Group Sports Editor Ade Ojeikere •Acting Manager (sales) •Editorial Page Editor Olaribigbe Bello Sanya Oni

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: As Ndigbo, we shouldn’t pretend that all is well with us. Our house has fallen and the earlier we tell ourselves the bitter truth that we are the architects of our own problems the better for us all. We have reduced ourselves to object of ridicule by other regions because we have again shot ourselves in the foot.

Ndigbo are avid travellers who migrate to many nook and crannies of Nigeria and beyond.. Ndigbo pride themselves with being republican, industrious, having great knowledge, generally smart, wise, adaptable and above all extremely hard working with impeccable success rates in many ventures or interest.

With all these qualities postulated above, we are yet to put on our thinking caps and come up with a good solution to our problems.

Most times we don’t even do our calculations before we take a decision and after such decisions we end up becoming victims of our own

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

Ndigbo; architects of own problems actions.

Since the demise of the late Ikemba Ojukwu, the Igbos are yet to find a charismatic leader that will steer their affairs in Nigeria. The reason is not far-fetched; nobody is willing to sacrifice his life for the Igbo nation like the late Ikemba.

Majority of our present Igbo leaders are port folio leaders, too selfcentred and are more interested in what they will gain rather than sacrifice.

There’s no doubt about the saying that we are proud achievers worldwide, the Jews of Africa that have conquered territories. But

when are we going to get it right in national politics? We accuse other ethnic groups of ethnic bigotry but yet in those regions we are accommodated and taken as one of them.

They make their environments business friendly for our businesses to thrive, we are also given political appointments and recently we have started winning elective posts in their states but here in the Southeast all those things are near impossible for outsiders.

We have our own states but we want to control and determine who become governors in other states we are resident in, even when some

The M. D Yusufu I knew IR: It could not have been truer when news filtered in that something tragic had happened on that fateful April 1, afternoon when I got the news about the passing of a great man and foremost law enforcement agent, Alhaji Mohammed Dikko Yusufu popularly known as MD Yusufu. Being an “April Fool’s day, I had thought that someone wanted to play a fast one on me knowing my relationship with “daddy” as we called him. But as the day wore on, what I thought was a crude joke, began to unravel.

To my chagrin, what I believed was not true did not only turn to be sadly true, the reality of his passing after that night hit me like a thunderbolt.

It took me quite a while to come to terms with the reality that indeed I was not going to sit and share ideas and recall fond memories gone by.

Alhaji Yusuf was a man everyone will want to have as a father or grandfather. Although, he was not my biological dad, there is no other way a dad can function better than how he took me and my siblings in spite of the fact that we only shared the same country otherwise, I am neither from Katsina nor am I a Muslim. His friendship with Dr. John Sodipo, my dad was what brought us all together. My dad who had worked as the personal physician to Nigeria’s

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first Prime Minister, Sir Tafawa Balewa, had cause to have met quite a lot of government workers at the time. One of them was Alhaji Yusufu.

His humility betrayed the aristocratic royalty that was his pedigree. You could not tell from mere acquaintance or even deep friendship what background moulded this great man.

His greatness was not measured by the circumstances of his birth or the career choices he made, rather it was more about the grace and brilliance which he exuded. He was a quintessential gentleman who preached and practiced “live and let live”. He also used his work as a police officer to settle disputes where necessary and did not shy away (at the same) from prosecuting those whose malfeasances were beyond appeasement.

Although he was Inspector General of Police during a military regime 1975-1979, yet he was able to discharge his duties to the dictates of the laws setting up the Nigeria Police Force.

MD Yusufu was a man of courage.

In the 1990s when the country was ravaged by never-seen-before brand of dictatorship, he was among the few men that stood up to General Sani Abacha. While others either kept quiet in the face of despotism or fled the land into exile, Yusufu was among those who threw their weight

into the ring. While other political parties were “five fingers of a leprous hand” (apologies to Chief Bola Ige) because of the parties’ determination to foist Abacha on the nation as a sole presidential candidate, daddy spearheaded a party that made him stand as a presidential candidate.

He had guts. Some commentators then thought he was fronting for the head of state, little did they know that the man was made of sterner qualities. His party, Grassroots Democratic Movement, GDM was well known and loved among Nigerians.

What was more, his grasp of political, social and economic realities of our country! He was practical as he was idealistic. He foretold events that later happened which in some circles should elevate him to a veritable philosopher. His determination to excel in the political circle and the type of solutions he proffered made Nigerians to see policemen from a different light. He was fresh in spite of his age. He was versatile even with his aristocratic upbringing. He was sure footed, but at all times exuded humility.

I will miss him. I pray God to continue to protect his loved ones. May He grant him Al-jannat Firdaus.

• Dr. Bisola Sodipo-Clark, National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna.

of our states are still struggling and can’t even compete with some of those states we want to determine who becomes their governor.

After all the insults against President-elect General Buhari by majority Ndigbo while the campaigns lasted, we have without remorse started hobnobbing with the president-elect. Some Igbo groups have started listing demands and giving the president-elect conditions. The most hypocritical of them is a Southeast governor who barely a month to the presidential election averred that only a bastard from the Southeast will vote for General Buhari is still the same governor that has gone to meet Buhari to beg that Ndigbo should not be left out in political appointments!

Our major problem is that we are still neck deep in politics of bitterness because we have decided not to let go of the past. We still hold grudges against some geo-political zones over the civil war that ended decades ago. Hence the reason why we saw change coming from a particular region and failed to embrace it.

Can someone tell me the region that is an ally of Ndigbo? Certainly not our Ijaw brothers.

We are impervious to lessons of history, we can’t continue to do same things the same way and still expect different results. After many years in the opposition South-west have proven their political sagacity once again, through alliances they were able to strategize and form formidable opposition which has produced a president. Democracy without opposition is autocracy but can Ndigbo survive the murky waters of opposition politics? Ndigbo should loosen up from political inflexibility by being open and inclusive.

• Joe Onwukeme, Enugu.

Letter to Police Affairs Minister

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IR: On April 24, a popular on-line news medium exclusively reported that 10 counter-terrorism police officers attached to the Nigeria army peacekeeping Forward Operation Base(FOB) in Abuja were detained at a military barrack in Gwagwalada, Abuja for refusing to wear military fatigues for an operation they feared could be illegal.

According to the medium, they were detained on the instruction of one Colonel Kalejaye, head of the army forward operation base, because they refused his directive to “impersonate” soldiers by wearing their uniforms for training in Jaji, Kaduna State.

The Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People (CDRP) consider the detainees first as citizens before they enlisted as policemen in the service of their fatherland. We condemn the detention which we deem as unlawful, unwarranted and totally unacceptable.

When we contacted the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu on the matter, he questioned our audacity to dabble into security matters even when we raised our concerns over the administrative lacunae their deployment without proper clearance may cause for the Nigeria Police. He later promised to investigate after our persistence.

However, the request for your intervention is necessary as all our efforts to free the detainees have not been fruitful and our independent investigations have since revealed that the detained officers are still in an army cell somewhere in Gwagwalada under conditions that we consider as inhuman and filty.

It is easy to secure the popular minority elite, but if our nation’s security establishment must operate according to international best practices, we must strive to protect, defend and patriotically respect the rights of our rank and file sworn to defend the green, white and green flag of our country against any internal uprising.

We therefore demand your intervention to ensure immediate and unconditional release of the detained officers; security synergy among military and paramilitary agency for effective security, and, an inquiry into the controversial deployment Finally, we equally hope unnecessary institutional rivalry among security agencies will be properly addressed and necessary reform for implementation done for the good of our national security.

• Comrade Waheed Saka Ag. National Coordinator, CDRP, Nigeria.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

21

COMMENTS

Our Girls; Fuel: Govt. Inaction; Fulani Herdsmen/Farmers War kills soldiers, civilians; 1460days for dev –run!

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UR Girls are still missing since April 15, 2014 with 300+ others freed by the military. Six soldiers and then 20-?200+ Plateau civilians murdered in retaliation in the Tony ‘Other War’-the Fulani Marinho herdsmen/Farmers War. Will President Buhari end this justly?

Nigeria was paralysed by an avoidable traumatic fuel scarcity- Irresponsible parting ‘Government Inaction’ gift, as billions go on 2015 politicians severance pay-a politicians’ ‘dividend of democracy’. If only government had competence to pay two weeks ago!

Four years is a very short time, 1460 days. Government must fast-track recovery and distinguish the citizens’ ‘right to decent life’ from non-existent citizens’ ‘dividends of democracy’. If Buhari wants to build 100 bridges nationwide he must start now. In addition: Use ‘Mr President’, ‘Senator’, ‘Representative’ and ‘Assembly Member’ .

READ THE NEWSPAPERS. Press Aides can file: Good, Bad, Ugly Press. In politics Euphoria becomes Paranoia. Comments become Criticism within three months.

Use the Presidential Address to recruit Nigerians - Day 1 or Day Zero of the ‘No Corruption Campaign’ .

‘Wife of the President’ is Grand Patroness/fundraiser for volunteer female causes nationwide. She must be exemplary. The Boko Haram Internally Displaced Persons, Victims of the Fulani Herdsmen/Farmers War, the female victims of oil spills and erosion need her presence, prayers and OUR donations made ‘on behalf of Nigerians’ and not herself. We pray for ‘50% Women In Politics And Board Rooms’.

Ministerial & Agency List: Buhari must trawl the NIGERIAN DIASPORA for YOUNG DYNAMIC WOMEN and MEN. States lists must contain 50% women.

In the Civil Service: International MEASURABLE standards, Goals, Targets, efficiency, competence, Monitoring & Evaluation, CLOSE SUPERVISION, ‘Monthly Progress Reporting On All File Movements’- MPR - AF, Verdicts and Consequences for failure.

Action on the Constitutional Review Report The Nigerian Diaspora: Ideas, exchanges, homecoming and

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HE 2015 general elections may have come and gone, but the ripple effect of the keenly contested elections is still smouldering and reverberating all over the place. Last Thursday, outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan met with members of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, ostensibly to receive the report of the 2015 elections campaign and also to thank the members of the committee. It is a different matter when it comes to why it was necessary to thank the members. Is it for an assignment properly executed or an assignment that was poorly executed, leading to the magnificent defeat and disgrace the party suffered at the polls? At any rate, I think it was all done out of courtesy and civility not that the members really deserved a pat on the back.

At that ceremony, President Jonathan’s address drew a thunderous standing ovation from the audience. But one man refused to join his colleagues in the ecstasy, a development that aroused the curiosity of those present including the ubiquitous members of the Press.

This occurred when Ifeanyi Ubah, a prominent member of the campaign team and the founder and chief executive officer of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, (TAN), the body that was at the vanguard of the president’s re-election campaign, caused a stir as he started weeping like a baby right in the full glare of all those present at the ceremony. Reports had it that Ubah, who was sweating profusely, wept uncontrollably to such an extent that at a point, he had to excuse himself

rewards for remitting foreign exchange. Initiate NIGERIAN DIASPORA ELECTRONIC VOTING by 2019. Let the BUHARI GRILLING INTERVIEW be a hallmark AND A REPEAT INTERVIEW 6 MONTHLY. No rubber stamp appointments.

No Second Term For Ministries Agencies And Departments: There are many wonderful Nigerians. Use them.

Corruption Prevention Systems introduced FROM TOP DOWN to get ‘FOUR YEARS OF MODEST HONESTY’. EFCC, ICPC MUST PREMPT in every Ministry and Department with SUPERVISION. Forensic audit of Police, CID, EFCC and ICPC. THE UNIFORM IN NIGERIA is a weapon of corruption.

Curbing Waste: STOP inflated contracts.

Recouping The Cost Of The 2015 Campaign: Tell Nigeria how it will recoup election expenses.

SPREAD THE ‘IDEAS ARE GOOD’ NET WORLDWIDE: Dawn is the time of good ideas using the internet to detect TED, New MIT, UN, WHO, FAO, Energy and other technologies. A BRAINIAC ROOM with 100 high tech people should explore the internet. Nigerians with ideas must tell government. Projects need starting early. The Second Niger Bridge should include a Third Niger Bridge Plan. Europeans are executing a SAHARA SOLAR FARM REVOLUTION. SOLARISE NIGERIA with a CBN single digit $2-5billion Solar Loan Scheme to capture the sun.

EMERGENCY POWER’ : When the Fujiyama Nuclear Reactor in Japan was destroyed the Government in three months delivered replacement ‘EMERGENCY POWER’. Nigeria’s Government can introduce an ‘EMERGENCY COMPONENT’ to supply 20-40,000MW in three months. The internet has 25 Emergency Power companies.

Stop the ANIMOSITY BETWEEN STATES AND FEDERAL. WORK TOGETHER, GROW TOGETHER. TRUE FEDERLISM is a long overdue dream. Federal needs to shrink so states can grow.

Education: The 20% public school pass can be tripled by coaching current SS2 students in July to Sept and December 2015 holiday coaching with Extra Classes. Come September, give 15 TEXT BOOKS/STUDENT. School Posters are as good for students as political posters were for politicians who printed 50-100m. 10 POSTERS PER CLASS x 1.5million classrooms needed. A BOX LIBRARY of 100-200 books/school. The Education Funds must buy Books. ’BOOKS BUILD BRAINS ’. Medicine: Use the media for a Massive Health Education plan. Put cancer therapy in every state capital.

SECURITY MUST BE PROVIDED FOR ALL: Redeploy po-

lice around politicians to community security.

NASS RETURNEES: New NASS must be wary of Old NASS ‘returnees’ used to ‘NASTY NASS’ envelopes to facilitate oversight approvals.

NASS Changes: Nigeria expects cuts in Salaries And Perks, SAPing Nigeria dry, remove Constitutional Projects, move towards a ‘SITTING ALLOWANCE’ NASS and a ‘PART TIME’ NASS AND STATE ASSEMBLY. Fulani Herdmen -Farmers war: Lasting solution before the citizens boycott meat in a ‘Blood Meat Boycott’ Economics: Nigeria expects an appreciation of the naira at maybe N1/month.

FINANCIAL STIMULUS: Recognise citizen’s entrepreneurship and work with CBN/ private sector to cancel the MPR of 13% and get single digit interest rate for all.

Sports-MASSIVE MULTISPORTS DEVELOPMENT: Football-just one of 100 neglected sports. Budgetary line items for each sport. Reintroduce ‘PE’ PHYSICAL EXERCISE. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT: THE WARD IS THE SMALLEST POLITICAL UNIT. Each of the 16,400 wards needs a YOUTH INSPIRATION CENTRE. BUDGETARY COMPARISONS: Compare Budget Line Items with UK, USA, SA to expand job, opportunity and accountability.

The Housing Deficit of 14-17million AFFORDABLE Housing is a growth opportunity. This is 14 million/48 months or 290,000 homes nationwide/month or 8,000 homes/state/month or 96,000/year/state.

Politicians vs Professionals: Many political programmes are gimmicks where professionals are ‘Yes Sir’ people. This must stop.

The new government must Run, Run, Run or Nigeria will become one huge third-world refugee camp heading abroad!

‘Education: The 20% public school pass can be tripled by coaching current SS2 students in July to Sept and December 2015 holiday coaching with Extra Classes. Come September, give 15 TEXT BOOKS/STUDENT. School Posters are as good for students as political posters were for politicians who printed 50-100m’

And Ubah wept! from the hall. This was after some party chieftains had taken turns to console him to no avail.

I think Ubah has every reason to weep. The only amusing and embarrassing aspect of it is his choice of venue and time to weep out his immoral idiosyncrasies. As leader of TAN, Ubah participated in the multidimensional campaign heist which saw his group staging fake rallies all over the country in the build-up to the 2015 elections in order to bamboozle President Jonathan into the presidential race when they knew in the innermost recesses of their hearts that it was going to be a difficult road for Jonathan to tread. It was a perfect, well co-ordinated ploy to make money off the president and the PDP by deceiving President Jonathan that the whole country was solidly behind him. In a country where cooking or falsifying figures has become a rampant political gimmick to lure politicians, Ubah and his clique claimed they had collected 12 million signatures of Nigerians who wanted Jonathan to continue in office, after travelling all over the 36 states of the federation.

Judging from the final results of the presidential election held on March 28, well, Ubah and his organisation may have been right after all. At least in that election, President Jonathan scored 12,853,163 while his closest rival General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, scored 15,424,921 to emerge as win-

‘I think Ubah has every reason to weep. The only amusing and embarrassing aspect of it, is his choice of venue and time to weep out his immoral idiosyncrasies’

ner of the election. With this result, it means that Jonathan surpassed the pre-election prediction of Ubah and Co. by about 853,163 votes though this was not enough to see him through to a second term in office as he trailed miserably behind Buhari, by 2,571,758. This woeful result could have been a source of irritation to Ubah, a situation he could no longer control and he eventually ended up crying like a toddler.

Quite recently too, Ubah had contested election as governor of his home state, Anambra, and lost woefully after expending a deep war chest on the elections. As if money was everything in life, he actually started his campaign by going to the United States of America, USA, where he opened several campaign offices in many cities in God’s Own Country, perhaps, to intimidate his co-contestants and cow them to submission. Back home, it was a media fiesta as he bought overwhelming spaces on television stations and newspapers to campaign vigorously for his candidacy. At the end of the day, all these paled into insignificance as the electorate proved they were wiser by rejecting him totally at the polls. Ubah beat a hasty retreat, went underground and disappeared from public view for some time. Probably to lick his wounds and count the heavy losses he incurred in the ill-fated election.

Recall that Ubah, who also doubles as the chief executive officer of Capital Oil, has been in the news for some time for the wrong reasons. A while ago, he and his firm, Capital Oil, were at the centre of a messy deal with a fellow townsman, Cosmas Maduka, the President of Coscharis Group, who accused him of playing a fast one on him over a N21bn facility granted him for an oil-lifting transaction by a bank in

which Maduka stood surety. The whole deal was so messy that the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police on Milverton Road, Ikoyi, had to step in. That was during the tenure of a current Assistant Inspector-General of Police, who was then the Commissioner of Police in charge of the SFU. The story of the arrest of Ubah by the SFU in Ikoyi, was very interesting. On the day he was arrested, he had gone to the station casually to answer an invitation. It was at the tail-end of the week. One thing led to another, and Ubah was eventually detained. Few days after, he came face to face with the officer in charge, the CP. In his characteristic arrogance, as soon as he was ushered into the presence of the CP, he (Ubah) fired the first salvo: “Is the Villa aware that I am here?” Since the question was not directed to anybody in particular, he did not get any response. There he was standing confused and lonely. He was then asked to sit down. Apparently because he was hungry, he had opted to join the CP who was by then eating rice at midday in his office. I don’t believe that Ubah was genuinely hungry at that time but only wanted to have an in-road into the heart of the CP who had become a difficult nut to crack for him.

All the same, the CP needed to be civil as he ordered his boys to get Ubah a plate and some cutleries to enable him partake in the meal.

That done, Ubah confidently opened up discussions with the CP as a way of finding a soft landing out of the legal cobweb he had become entangled. He made some tempting monetary inducements, which he said his boys could package in hard currencies and bring to the CP immediately if he would agree to play ball. But the CP turned it down. Ubah then increased the

Dele Agekameh bait but the CP, sensing danger and the possibility of a clandestine set up avoided getting involved in such a mouth-watering offer that could spell doom for him. Thus, Ubah became more confused and desperate for freedom. Many times the CP slipped away from office leaving Ubah wondering whether the end had come.

After staying in the gulag for an upward of about nine days, during which time he tried profusely, albeit unsuccessfully, to get across to the lioness of the villa, who was at that time recuperating in a German Hospital after a near fatal surgery, respite finally came for Ubah. In the morning of the ninth day, the CP got an international phone call. The caller on the other end was the lioness and the message was simple and direct: “Na me o. I learnt that my boy…. is with you there. Please allow him to go. He no go do that again, you hear. Make you allow him go, I go talk to am.” Of course, that ended the whole detention saga and probably closed the case sine die. Now tell me, why will Ubah not weep blood in place of tears at a time like this!

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

COMMENTS ‘The Biblical Israelites moved from slavery and anguish into the wilderness en-route the Promised Land. Ifeanyi Ubah and his likes who have hitherto enjoyed the good life at the expense of the flesh and blood of ordinary Nigerians are just about to enter into their own wilderness,on their way to a life of pain and anguish. The pains of millions had been their source of joy and comfort; now, the table has turned. It is time for them to know what it feels like to be on the other end of the lash. He who destroys another to climb will find death waiting for him at the top, says the Holy writ. From Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso’ •Uche Chukwumerije For Segun Gbadegesin I read your article on the back page of The Nation of Friday, May1, 2015 which you titled: The mission and the call to action.

I am impressed with your passion to advise and contribute your quota without insulting anybody. Please keep it up, always say the hard truth but in a manner that it would be useful. God bless our country and people like you. Anonymous Re: “The mission and the call to action.”

You have said it all. “Whatsoever thou resolves to do, do it quickly. Defer not till the evening what the morning may accomplish.” This is a very good axiom for all of us. It is apt to say that the voters who voted for GMB during the last general election actually knew that he is going to perform and that is why they have given him their mandate. The foregoing axiom will definitely spur him to action in the areas of economy and infrastructural development knowing full well that the PDP for the past 16 years, never did anything tangible to warrant their being retained in power and thank God, the people have kicked them out. We need to advise the President-elect not to renege on his campaign promises as these are what made the electorate voted for change. We all know what happens when promises are not kept. Nobody will be happy to see the APC fail at the centre.

Governance should be felt the most in the areas of creation of employment, security, power generation, roads, education and health-care delivery. The President-elect must not fail. From Prince Adewumi Oyeromade Agunloye Re-The mission and the call to action.

You really drew the attention of the arms of government to the ingredients of good governance. However, General Buhari (rtd) may have good intentions on laudable programmes, our fears have always been ‘which type of legislature/legislators’ are we going to witness? The cash mongering legislators or the open-minded ones? Whichever it is, we keep watching but I do know that the APC would have learnt a big lesson from the precipitous fall of the PDP. From Lanre Oseni.

As Buhari pleaded with National Assembly members when he addressed them in their retreat for cordial relationship in goverance, let the lawmakers cooperate with Buhari leadership for development of Nigeria, afteral, Nigeria belongs to us. If Nigeria is better today, it is for everybody.

From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

I really enjoyed your column on ‘’The mission and the call to action”, in The Nation. From Simon, Makurdi, Benue state.

If Gen. Buhari proposes better plans for Nigerians and Senate kicks against it, we the electorate will protest against the Senators. Gen Buhari should go on with his good agenda and discipline we know him for. Thank you. From Odigie Cletus.

For Olatunji Dare President Goodluck Jonathan neglected Yoruba people despite their overwhelming support for him in 2011, do they expect Yoruba people to fold their arms? Politics is a game of who gets what, when and how. Is it a sin to now be in genuine mainstream when Yoruba people have always been labelled as opposition people? From

Ademola A,Akure.

Dr.Dokun Bojuwade is not dead. He’s alive and kicking. I have just left his residence now. From Tunde Adeniji, Old Ife Road, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Mr Tunji Dare , thanks for reminding Nigerians about the role late Uche Chukumerije played during and after the annulment of June 12 election. I am so glad you boldly did. God bless you. From Fakunle Olukayode Sir, I am Dr. Dokun Bojuwade, I just finished reading Olatunji Dare’s column paying tribute to Chukumerije, where he made reference to me as Special Assistant (since deceased ) This is to let you know that I Dr Dokun Bojuwade is hale and hearty and alive in consideration of the divine economy of boundless eternity. I have only been watching events with detached soberness. From Dr Dokun Bojuwade, Red Brick House, Old Ife Road, Ibadan.

You said “But that dark era does not and cannot define Uche Chukwumerije”. It is because you discountenance the attitude of an Ibo man when the issue concerns the ascendancy of a Yoruba person. Chinua Achebe showed their true mindset on his comments about Awo in the twilight of his life. Uche Chukwumerije or any Ibo man will play the same role because Abiola or any other Yoruba is likely to benefit. That is the home truth. Anonymous Dare your write up today on Chukwumerije is irking. May his soul rest in peace for killing June 12, 1993. He closed down Igbo radio and television station as Information Minister and many more evils he did then, so he was not a nationalist and fighter for the downtrodden in your write up. Anonymous Thanks for your piece today on Comrade Chukwumerije. He was the only Senator that wrote to us in support of our revolution in Nigeria. May the Almighty God grant him peaceful rest. From Okenwa Enyeribe.

The southeast governments should join hands and immortalise Comrade Uche Chukwumerije for his contribution to oneness of Southeast region during and after civil war.He also contributed his quota to Nigeria’s unity. He was a leader worthy of emulation by all and sundry who believe in Nigerians. Federal Government should also immortalise Uche Chukwumerije for his outspokenness in National Assembly.

May his soul rest in perfect peace, amen.

From Gordon Chika Nnorom Sir, praising the dead is part of the culture, but have you forgotten how many lives that were lost due to his scary propaganda during the June 12 saga? He was a brave and intelligent man, no doubt, but his 12 years at the upper chamber were unseen in Ngodo, not to talk of our senatorial zone. Wise one Yes! First rate legislator No! From Prince Kelechi Ulu Torti.

Hello and well done for your piece on ‘Remembering Uche Chukwumerije.’ Was this to hail him or expose his weak side? I fear your pen. From A. O. Solomon, Ikorodu.

Dear Prof. Dare, you’re a force to be reckoned with in Nigerian journalism as an ethical practitioner, scholar and columnist.

However, you pandered to the unethical in your April 28 column in The Nation: “Remembering Uche Chukwumerije”, quoting thus: “....We rarely met thereafter, but kept in touch through his special assistant, Dr. Dokun Bojuwade, since deceased....”

Please, be informed that Dr. Bojuwade is in Ibadan hale and hearty. You may call his no. : 08032630616 to be certain. Warm regards. From: M. Angel Folorunso (then PA to Dr. Bojuwade).

Thank you for your in-depth revelation about the man Uche Chukwumerije. Even though I don’t know much about his activities during the civil war but with the role he played during Babangida era, I can conclude that he was good for nothing. I am sorry if I appear rude, but that was exactly how I saw him. All the same, may his soul rest in peace. From Abiodun Ayedun For Gbenga Omotoso Sir, if I were to be Orubebe; I would have gone on hunger strike for my actions or began to trek from Abuja to Delta State or look for the available flight and hang on the tyres to any country of my choice. Farewell Orubebe. From Sunny Igiri. P/H. Mr Omotoso,it’s quite commendable to reminiscence on the flashpoints of our recent election but please let the media not by so doing continue to whip up sentiment. Let us just see what happens as divined. From Emma Mbah, Alausa Police Barracks,Ikeja Lagos Good day sir. How I wish and crave to meet with you at your convenience. I will be eternally grateful. Anonymous.

Mr Gbenga Omotoso, yours of April 30 in The Nation is quite incisive. There is nothing statesmanly about Jonathan conceding defeat. What would he have done other than that? The man never wanted Gbagbo style to be his portion. Nothing heroic about that. From Jev Amos, Makurdi When Boko Haram abducted the girls, our gallant Army had the power to bring them back, but because our Commanderin-Chief doubted it because he was advised by Asari Dokubo that it was just politics. Our president refused to visit the girls’ parents till he was advised by a 17year-old Malala to see the girl’s parents.

Only the miracle of God will bring those girls back. From Odaliko ‘Reminiscences’ was a nice piece but chuckled when even you continued to refer to shameless Orubebe as ‘ELDER’! Elder indeed!! From Ohimai, Port-Harcourt For Tunji Adegboyega “Ifeanyi Ubah: weeping for his sins”! I am in support of your write-up in the May 3 edition of The Nation. Ubah will also lose landed property in Lagos and Ogun states controlled by the APC after May 29 when the new government must have come in.

Thanks. From Ayodeji.

Your article on Ifeanyi Ubah was as funny as it was ludicrous! After reading it, I felt light inside me; an indication of relief from boredom of staying indoors for many days as a result of the artificial fuel scarcity created by Ubah’s Capital Oil and fellow oil cabal members. From Sunday, Ogunlolu, Uyo. The Biblical Israelites moved from slavery and anguish into the wilderness enroute the Promised Land. Ifeanyi Ubah and his likes who have hitherto enjoyed the good life at the expense of the flesh and blood of ordinary Nigerians are just about to enter into their own wilderness,on their way to a life of pain and anguish. The pains of millions had been their source of joy and comfort; now,

•Orubebe the table has turned. It is time for them to know what it feels like to be on the other end of the lash. He who destroys another to climb will find death waiting for him at the top, says the Holy writ. From Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso.

Tunji, thank you for your article on this man from Nnewi called Ifeanyi Ubah.

Please, also run commentary on escorts in Anambra, it is just too rampant. And that is what they use in rigging elections in the whole of the southern Nigeria. Remove it and let them patronise private security firms and create employment. Please tell Buhari that these escorts are too many in the state.

When the Ubahs, the Offors, Oduahs are moving about, you think it is a governor that is moving. From Innocent, Nnewi.

Your write-up on Ifeanyi Ubah is thoughtprovoking. Men like you are needed in the pen profession to expose these wealth guzzlers in the country. From Ikedi.

Thank you for your write-up on Mr Ubah weeping for his sins. I will love that we don’t allow the issue that made him cry (fear of prosecution) to be taken by all of us until they are made to face justice for robbing Nigerians. From Shittu Hussain.

Adegboyega, you really told Ubah the naked truth; let him go and hug a live electric cable because the likes of him don’t deserve to live after creating poverty for Nigerians; he’s weeping because he won’t have access to the (?) wealth again. He hasn’t seen anything yet. From Simon, Jos. I really commend your frank and bold commentary on Ifeanyi Ubah; you’ve made my day. May God continue to guide and direct you always. From Asmau Hassan, Jos. Ifeanyi Ubah crying like a baby in public was not because President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election but because of his target of having oil bloc which has now been stalled. The crocodile tears were more about the resource spent on the president’s failed re-election. Those who formed and worked for TAN had their hidden agenda of milking the country dry if GEJ won, but God had a better plan for the country, hence the president’s loss in the election. From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

Thank you for your write-up on Ifeanyi Ubah. You’ve made my day. Those of them who kept collecting subsidy on kerosene must be prepared to return it.. Anonymous.

Tunji Adegboyega, you are not sound enough to write those things about Ifeanyi Ubah. Anonymous.

You were malicious in your write-up on Ifeanyi Ubah. Try to practise balanced journalism. Dr Amadi.

A good one from you on a weeping oil cabal; he is one of the (?) we have in our country. I know he will surely weep. Reasons best known to him. Anonymous.

Tunji, I just read your beautiful piece “The war that never was”. But we actually had a war to enthrone change; only it was an unusual war. From Rev. Koye Kolade.

Your article titled “An unrepentant PDP” was a masterpiece. God bless your handiwork and continue to give you the wisdom to say the truth all the time. Unfortunately, you were talking to people who are too greedy to listen. God has used this and other atrocities to sweep them (PDP) out of Nigeria. Anonymous.

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BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

NIBSS plans N3.5m prize for EnnovateNaija winners Stories by Collins Nweze

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HE Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems Plc (NIBSS) has introduced cash-less banking online crowd sourcing contest tagged: EnnovateNaija, with 10 winners to win N350,000 each, bringing the total cash prize to N3.5 million.

Its Head, Corporate communication, Mrs Lilian Phido, said the execution of the contest is in collaboration with Samsung and IBM and that participants are required to log on to the EnnovateNaija website and forward their ideas bordering on the topic ‘How do I make cashless policy more effective in my community.’

“A cash reward of N350, 000 and some Samsung devices will be awarded to the top 10 ideas. The competition is open to everyone irrespective of nationality, age, tribe or gender. Entry closes 12 Noon Sunday 10th May 2015. The competition which is aimed at driving the cashless scheme is an initiative of NIBSS. It is co-sponsored by NIBSS, IBM and Samsung West Africa.

“This initiative is open to the general public and it is aimed at gathering innovative ideas from the consumers perspective on fresh and implementable solution based initiatives to further drive and ultimately to overcome the present challenges and further deepen electronic payment in Nigeria,” she said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had introduced cashless policy on cash-based transactions which stipulates a cash handling charge on daily cash withdrawals. The policy is aimed at reducing the amount of physical cash circulating, encouraging more electronic-based transactions (payments for goods, services, transfers, etc.) and driving financial inclusion by providing more efficient transaction options and greater reach. It is also aimed at developing and modernizing the Nigerian Payment System.

She noted that the criteria for selecting the best idea would be as follows: Innovation and originality, Importance and relevance of the problem addressed, Presentation quality of the submission and Feasibility.

To ensure credibility and transparency, she said that the members of the Jury who were carefully selected from both Public and Private sectors of the economy are made of distinguished and well respected contributors to the Nigeria Financial System.

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Commercial banks are not manufacturing-friendly as their interest rates are usually very high; therefore, commercial banks remain a major challenge to the sector. Even the Bank of Industry’s (BoI) framework, which pegs interest rate at nine per cent, only finances machinery acquisition; it does not cater for working capital.

-MAN President, Dr Frank Jacobs

NSE to sanction 40 firms over delayed results

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) may sanction at least 40 companies over their failure to meet the extended deadline for the submission of their audited reports and accounts for the immediate past business year. The 30-day extension of the deadline for the submission of the audited annual report for companies with Gregorian calendar year expired on April 30.

Following an exclusive report by The Nation that more than two-thirds of quoted companies have not submitted their audited reports at the expiration of the initial regular deadline of March 31, the NSE had extended the March 31 deadline by one month. With these companies that operate the Gregorian calendar year as their business year had up till April 30 to submit their full-year audited reports and accounts.

The Nation's check yesterday indicated that some 40 companies have not submitted their earnings reports and now are liable for sanctions by the Exchange.

The NSE usually applies both the "naming and shaming" and monetary sanctions on earnings defaulters.

A report on sanctions and fines for similar defaults in 2013 showed that the Exchange slammed about N105.9 million on 48 companies that delayed their results. The fines ranged between N200, 000 and N6.8 million. The NSE had slammed some N60.2 million as fines on 34 companies for failure to meet deadlines for 2011 audited reports. With a range of N3.8 million and N100, 000, average fine for the year was N1.77 million.

While compliance within deadline is generally regarded as a measure of good corporate governance, NSE tags and applies fines on companies that fail to meet earnings reports' deadline.

Under the corporate governance and rules compliance assessment report known as X-Compliance Report, NSE identified four different kinds of tags or symbols to alert investors about the status of each quoted company. These include below listings standard (BLS), the first degree alert level indicating a company that has not complied with post listing rules such as late submission of financial statements, unauthorized publication, management failures among others.

Also, financial services companies such as bank and insurance companies awaiting regulatory approval will carry the

By Taofik Salako

appropriate symbol of awaiting regulatory approval (ARA). Companies that are undergoing a capital reconstruction exercise including supplementary issue, share buyback, split, share reconstruction among others will be tagged with capital reconstruction exercise (CRE) while companies that have indicated that they will be delisting or companies that are being delisted at the instance of the regulator would be flagged with delisting in process (DIP) symbol.

Some of the companies that may be sanctioned for the 2014 earnings reports included Daar Communications Plc, Juli Plc, Fortis Microfinance Bank, UTC Nigeria, Ellah Lakes, RT Briscoe (Nigeria), Lennards, Beco Petroleum FTN Cocoa Processors, Japaul Oil and Maritimes

Services and Multiverse Nigeria Plc. Others included Nigerian Ropes, Omatek, Aso Savings and Loans, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank, Austin Laz and Company, Oando, Conoil, Premier Paints, IPWA and Africa Paints Plc. Post-listing rules at the NSE require quoted companies to submit their earnings reports, not later than three months after the expiration of the period. Most quoted companies including all banks, major manufacturers, oil and gas companies, breweries and cement companies use the 12-month Gregorian calendar year as their business year. The business year thus terminates on December 31.

NSE's regulatory filing calendar had indicated that the deadline for submission of annual report for companies with Gregorian calendar business year was

Tuesday March 31. They were also expected to submit their first quarter report on or before June 30,. These deadlines were, however, extended to April 30 and July 30, respectively.

The NSE had stated that the extension was due to some challenges created by shift in the date of national elections from February 14 to March 28 and the layers of regulations for some audited reports.

According to the NSE, the change in the election calendar also disrupted the meeting calendar and auditing process of some listed companies while some were not able to obtain the prior approval of their primary regulators.

"While we believe that the timely disclosure of financial information is critical to stakeholders in the capital market, particularly the investing public, the challenges which the listed entities are facing are germane," NSE stated in a statement signed by Josephine Igbinosun, head of listings regulation department.

•From right: Managing Director, Sifax Group Coy Ltd, Mr. Markus F. Brinkmann, Executive Director, Human Resources/Admin. Dr. Phil Nonyeh Ofulue and General Manager, Trinity Inland Container Depot, Sifax Group, Mr. Oliver Omojuwa at press conference announcing the appointment of Sifax Group as the Agent of Morocco Nigeria Mauritanian in Lagos.

MfBs grow assets to over N300b

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HE total assets of microfinance banks (MFBs) increased to N300.73 billion at end-December 2014, from N280.76 billion at end-June 2014, reflecting an increase of 7.11 per cent, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Financial Sector Stability, Dr. O.J. Nnanna has said.

In a report posted on CBN website, Dr. Nnanna said the paidup capital and shareholders’ funds of MFBs increased by 13.48 and 7.37 per cent to N82.44 billion and N91.01 billion at end-December 2014, from N72.65 billion and N84.76 billion, at end-June last year, respectively.

The increase in capital, he said,

How banks can stop money launderers, by CBN - P 26

was due largely to the recapitalisation of MfBs that upgraded from unit to state MFBs and state to national MFBs. He said total deposit liabilities and net loans/advances also increased by 0.99 and 25.80 per cent to N145.83 billion and N162.91 billion, compared with N144.4 billion and N129.5 billion, at end-June 2014, respectively.

“The relative improvement in the operations of MFBS was attributed to the impact of the CBN initiated Microfinance Certification Programme (MCP) for the boards and management of MFBs and the growing acceptance of the microfinance banking model.

Reserves,

however, decreased by N3.5 billion to N8.6 billion at endDecember 2014, from N12.1 billion at end-June 2014, owing to increased loan provisioning,” he said.

The bank chief said the apex bank collaborated with development partners and other stakeholders to establish a unified application (Core Banking System) for the MFB sub-sector.

The proposed unified platform, together with the Rural Financial Institutions (RUFIN) project for online rendition of electronic returns by MFBs, he added, is expected to facilitate accurate and prompt rendition of statutory returns.

How I will spend my retirement, Osunkeye - P28

He said in the review period, 289 candidates completed the Microfinance Certification Programme (MCP), bringing the total certified operators to 2,882 at end-December 2014. The certified operators were spread over 632 microfinance banks, representing 71.5 per cent of the sub-sector.

The number of primary mortgage banks (PMBs) in operation increased to 42 at endDecember 2014, from 40 at endJune 2014, as two dormant PMBs were reactivated following their recapitalisation. “National PMBs remained at 10 at end of December 2014, while State PMBs increased to 32 from 30 at end-June 2014,” he said.

‘Big ideas rule the world’ - P40

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BUSINESS MONEY

e-mail: money@thenationonlineng.net

How banks can stop money launderers, by CBN B ANKS can stop money launderers’ “nefarious acts” by having strong internal control measures, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.

At an anti-money laundering workshop organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Abuja last weekend, CBN Deputy Director, Udofia Obot said money laundering limits nations’ and institutions’ economic growth.

Failure or non-compliance with anti-money laundering laws will attract N5 million penalty for a bank and N1 million for other financial institution.

“A bank shall disclose in its published accounts details of penalties paid as a result of contravention of legal and or regulatory provisions.

Such contraventions shall be re-

Stories by Collins Nweze

flected in the auditor’s report,” he said.

Obot said regulatory expectations and external factors lead banks to establish internal controls to improve anti-money laundering compliance and frustrate the criminals adding that strong internal control systems help in reducing the risk of money laundering.

He described internal control as a set of procedures and processes put in place by banks’ board and management to ensure efficient and effective operation of the institution’s activities in order to meet its set objectives.

“Regulation 33(1)-(3) of CBN AntiMoney Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Regulations, 2013 requires financial institutions to establish and main-

tain internal procedures, policies and controls to prevent money laundering and financing of terrorism and to communicate these to their employees. The procedures and processes must incorporate checks and balances (dual control) and should be instituted by the board of directors and implemented by management and all levels of personnel,” he said.

Internal control, he said, allowed banks to achieve their objectives, operational effectiveness and efficiency, reliable financial reporting, and compliance with laws, regulations and policies.

Obot described money laundering as a process whereby dirty cash; other assets or property obtained, sourced or derived from illegal, unlawful or criminal activities is converted or transformed to wear seemingly

clean appearance. It is a process used by criminals or money launderers to conceal the illegal origin of proceeds derived from criminal activities.

Money laundering, he said, takes place in three stages namely: placement, which is where the illegitimate funds are deposited in a financial institution; layering, occurs where the proceeds of crimes are separated from their illegal sources through complex layers of transactions; and integration, which occurs when the illegal proceeds are fully mixed with other lawfully earned funds in order to disguise their criminal sources.

He said effective internal controls would deter criminals from using financial institutions as conduit for money laundering and to promptly detect and report money laundering activities within the institutions.

It will also ensure that employees are not tempted to breach or be used to perpetrate criminal activities and also guarantee compliance with statutory provisions and regulatory requirements, while meeting international best practice on anti-money laundering.

“Board must be made to have oversight function and top management must ensure that there is control culture even as risk must be recognised and assessed. Also, duties must be segregated and assigned to specific officers and there must be dual control of functions as well as information, communication and feed-back mechanism,” he said.

Obot advised banks to adopt riskbased approach in identification and

implementation of their money laundering and financing of terrorism risks; assess and classify the risks posed by the operations, customers, products and locations. Banks, he insisted, must design risk scoring mechanism for high risk categories and formulate policies for mitigating such risks as well as consider risk classification practice in approving business expansion in new branches, subsidiaries and products.

He said customers must be prohibited from doing business with the organization on the basis of high money laundering risks identified while changes in money laundering risk levels must be monitored.

The CBN chief called for an independent monitoring of compliance with laws, regulations, policies on AML, using specific AML audit plan/ programme. Also, the independent audit must review and test your AML policies and procedures for effectiveness while the Board or its committee and management are mandated to receive reports of the auditors’ review of the AML system. He advised that adequate resources be allocated to the audit functions for effective operation. Also, suspension of any licence issued to the financial institution or Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions while a financial institution, its officers or employees shall not benefit from any violation of extant AML/CFT laws and regulations. He advised that criminal cases involving officers and the financial institution shall be referred to relevant law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

Union Bank to fund Egboama gas plant with N4b •Dr.Emmanuel Adaelu cutting the tape to declare open the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Centre, Aba. With him are ICAN President Mr Chidi Ajaegbu and other members of the Institute.

Consumer credit hits N848.77b

T

HE volume of banks’ consumer credit rose to N848.77 billion last December, compared with N809.8 billion at the end of June, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Financial Stability Report has said.

The report said the figure reflected an increase of 4.81 per cent, compared with 3.49 per cent at the end of the first half of 2014.

It said as a ratio of total credit to the core private sector, consumer credit constituted 4.88 per cent, compared with 4.49 per cent during the period, adding that the development could be attributed, largely to the impact of the recent decision not to remunerate standing deposits facility (SDF) in excess of N7.5 billion.

He said the rising consumer credit could enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission.

At N18.1 trillion, credit to the private sector (including states, local governments and nonfinancial public enterprises) increased by 12.08 per cent, compared with the growth of 4.88 per cent recorded at the end of June last year. The growth in private sector credit reflected, largely, the 13.00 per cent rise in claims on the core private sector.

“The impressive growth in credit to the private sector (especially the core private sector) reflected the impact of various policies of the Bank to enhance the lending capacity of banks and encourage increased lending to the productive sector vis-à-vis the government sector. The upward trend in the amount of credit extended to the

private sector continued during the second half of 2014. Available data indicated that total credit to the various sectors of the economy grew significantly by 16.62 per cent to N12.6 trillion, compared with 7.86 and 13.88 per cent growth recorded in the preceding half year and the corresponding period of 2013, respectively,” the report said.

It said oil and gas continued to attract the highest share of total credit as it accounted for 25.70 per cent, compared with 24.33 per cent in the first half of 2014; the manufacturing sector accounted for 13.15 per cent of the total credit, the same level as in the preceding half year. Agriculture, forestry and fishing category accounted for 3.96 per cent of the total credit, indicating a 0.12 percentage point increase over the 3.84 per cent recorded in the preceding half year.

Despite the slight improvement in the proportion of credits with medium- and long-term maturities during the second half of 2014, the dominance of short-term maturities in deposits of banks continued to be a major constraint to their capacity to grant long-term credit.

There is also the challenge that this development might result in liquidity and re-pricing risks, the report said.

However, continuous implementation of the various policies by the bank to de-risk and encourage lending to the real sector, as well as the curtailment of inflationary pressures to ensure sustained general price stability is expected to further

improve medium to long-term lending.

The structure of bank credits in the second half of 2014 indicated the continued dominance of loans and advances of short-term maturities, although with a slight improvement over the position in the preceding half year.

Credits maturing within one year accounted for 49.59 per cent, compared with 56.6 per cent at the end of the first half of 2014.

U

NION Bank of Nigeria Plc has signed a N4 billion agreement to finance Egboama Gas Plant owned by PNG Gas Limited.

In a statement, the bank said the facility will provide the required funding for the refurbishment and upgrade of gas plant located in Delta State.

The Executive Director, Corporate Banking at Union Bank, Mr. Emeka Okonkwo said: “Union Bank is pleased to be supporting PNG with the financing of Egboama plant which is expected to produce about 101 tons of liquefied petroleum gas per day. This project will no doubt enhance ef-

forts towards increasing domestic utilisation of gas in the country and reducing dependence of oil.”

In addition to producing 101 tons of liquefied petroleum gas per day, the Egboama gas plant is also expected to produce 38 tons of propane gas per day, 750 barrels of natural gas liquids as well as 25 million standard cubic feet of lean gas per day. The lean gas would be piped into the national gas grid to support power generation.

Union Bank is a key player in oil and gas financing and is resolute in promoting and developing industries in the sector as part of its transformation programme.

• President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) Mr. Anthony Nzom (middle) being decorated with the insignia of office by the immediate past President, Dr. Sakirudeen Labode (right) and past President & Chairman, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Hajia Maryam Ladi Ibrahim, at the 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

27

MONEY Wema Bank Plc has improved its profit and customer growth despite intense competition in the industry. The regional lender, which marked its 70th anniversary on May 2, intends to reapply for a national banking licence to enable it serve its customers better. Its Group Managing Director/CEO, Segun Oloketuyi unfolded the bank’s plans at the anniversary grand ball held in Lagos last weekend, COLLINS NWEZE reports.

F

OR Wema Bank Plc, 70 years is a milestone worth celebrating.

So, the bank saw the landmark as an opportunity to assure customers, shareholders and regulators that it is moving to greater heights.

It’s Group Managing Director/ CEO, Segun Oloketuyi said he is humbled that the mantle fell on him to steer the bank to its 70th anniversary. The bank chief also told stakeholders that the bank is taking giant steps that will move it from a regional lender to national bank.

Oloketuyi unveiled a new logo and look of Wema Bank, which he described as “a contemporary symbol that is youthful”. He said just as the bank was committed to offering quality services to its customers in 1945 when it first started business, so it is doing today, and will continue to do. He said the new logo depicts the bank as modern, bold, good business partner and forward looking.

Oloketuyi said the lender needs a national banking licence to enable it meet the increasing financial needs of its customers, adding that it has already secured the needed regulatory capital that will aid its comeback as a national bank.

“We will come back as a national bank. We now have the required capital to achieve the feat,” he told guests at the grand ball anniversary.

The bank chief reiterated that as a regional bank, the bank has been able to boost its e-payment infrastructure, and now has over 200 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) that make banking easier for its customers. He said the bank is also always willing and committed to offering its customers the best quality of services through its e-payment channels and face to face transactions.

Oloketuyi said the bank has survived the worst of times, and attributed the feat to the great support it enjoyed from customers, shareholders and regulators. “Seventy years in the life of a man, if he looks back, he will see ups and downs. Same thing applies in the life of a bank. There have been ups and downs but we have reasons to come out and celebrate. We have gone through circles, but we are here celebrating,” he said.

He said the bank’s first priority remains providing superior returns to its shareholders, adding that in the last few years, it has been carrying out some internal restructuring on its processes, people and technology.

He said that Wema Bank continues to record year on year, improvement in its financial performance adding that it has improved significantly on its profitability and customer growth despite shrinking margins and intense competition.

The bank’s Chairman, Adeyinka Asekun, praises the customers for their loyalty and commitment to the success of the lender. “It has been seventy years of building business relationships with customers, shareholders and other stakeholders. We delight in giving every customer a memorable service experience. Experience can accomplish a lot but true professionalism and exceptional service delivery will bolster customer satisfaction. At Wema Bank, we breed professionals who strive valiantly to deliver a delightful and memorable service experience,” he said.

Former Managing Director/CEO of the bank, Tunde Lemo, who represented past CEOs attributed the survival of Wema Bank to divine mercy. He said the bank is cel-

Wema Bank’s leap of faith

• Asekun

• Oloketuyi

• Lemo

ebrating the faithfulness of God, who has preserved it in the midst of storms. He praised the bank’s management for its visionary leadership and commitment to customers’ needs.

Lemo, who was Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Operations, said the future of the bank remains bright, adding that the lender has a good brand that is widely accepted. “Wema Bank is a giant in the making. It has a bright future,” he said.

A representative of the bank’s Founding Family, Alaba Okupe, said his family has by founding Wema Bank, contributed to the development of the Nigerian economy. He thanked the management of the bank for recognising the family at this milestone, even when it is not bound to.

“When people talk about a bank, they never related it to who the founder is. God enlightened the founder of Wema Bank. The family has contributed to the development of Nigeria’s economy by founding the bank. Thank you for recognising us because you are not bound to,” he said.

United Bank for Africa Plc.Under the national banking category are banks, which include Citibank Nigeria Limited, Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Stanbic IBTC Plc, Standard Chartered Limited, Sterling Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc. Wema Bank Plc and the defunct Equitorial Trust Bank applied for a regional banking licence. The latter has since merged with Sterling Bank Plc. Other banks that were being speculated for regional licence were Societe Generale Bank Limited and Savannah Bank.

The two institutions were said to be at the verge of returning back to business although nothing concrete has happened in that direction so far.

its profitability and customer growth despite shrinking margins and intense competition. This progress recorded is a result of the continued execution of our threeyear growth strategy – Project LEAP. “The “New Wema Bank” that has now emerged is a stronger, more efficient, resilient and customerfocused organisation with a robust risk management and corporate governance structure. The bank has realigned its business focus to concentrate on its key area of strength – Retail Banking. We have used technology to our advantage, deploying in-branch solutions, mobile and internet banking applications and other social media tools to drive customer patronage and reduce our cost to serve. We have continued to contain our operating expenses despite the increased inflationary environment while at the same time improving on our fee-based income lines,” the bank chief said.

Speaking further, he said: “In this year that we turn 70 as the premier indigenous financial institution in Nigeria, we are glad to unveil a “New” Wema Bank that responds faster and better to customers’ needs whilst adapting more quickly to the ever-changing dynamics of the industry. We remain firmly committed to being the financial institution of choice in Nigeria whilst ensuring that we consistently deliver superior returns to all stakeholders”.

Banks’ groupings Although it obtained a regional banking licence in the wake of the regime of classification of banks by the CBN, the management of Wema Bank Plc has lined up processes to go for a national licence.

In Nigeria, international banks require minimum capital of N100 billion under the new regulatory regime. National banks require minimum capital of N50 billion while regional banks, which can operate in only six to 12 states are required to have about N25 billion.

Banks that got international banking licence include Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, and First Bank of Nigeria Plc, First City Monument Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and

Financial highlights Wema Bank Plc announced its full year audited results for the 12 month ended December 31, 2014 during which it declared a 58.8 per cent growth in profit before tax from N1.95 billion in 2013 to N3.09 billion in 2014.

The bank recorded a 19 per cent growth in customer deposit volumes largely from the commercial and retail space despite the tightening government regulation on cash-reserve. Its loans and advances to customers increased by 51 per cent, as the bank was able to lend more to productive sectors of the economy. In addition, it has continued to ensure strong risk management, and this is evidenced by the level of non-performing loans ratio at 2.5 per cent.

The bank’s total assets up 16 per cent to N382.6 billion compared to N330.9 the previous year while gross loans and advances to customers up 51 per cent to N149.3 billion against N98.6 billion previous year.

Speaking from the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, Oloketuyi said: “It gives me great pleasure to report that Wema Bank continues to record year on year improvement in its financial performance. The bank has improved significantly on

Int’l trade, structured finance Wema Bank Plc has also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting international trade. Oloketuyi disclosed this during a forum the lender organised on trade and structured finance for stakeholders in Lagos.

The forum, tagged: “Supporting Businesses through renewed Trade Focus” brought together regulators, various stakeholders and

‘The “New Wema Bank” that has now emerged is a stronger, more efficient, resilient and customer-focused organisation with a robust risk management and corporate governance structure’

regulators in the international trade business in Nigeria.

He said the trade forum was part of efforts at sensitizing stakeholders on developments within the sector as well as brings various parties – stakeholders and regulators together to discuss issues, challenges and chart a way forward for future development and policy formulation.

Oloketuyi said as part of the ongoing positive transformation, Wema Bank s well poised to support businesses in the areas of trade and structured finance, adding that in recent times, Wema Bank has attracted over $100 million line of credit dedicated to foreign trade and another $50 million in structured finance line from various institutions.

The Deputy Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Services, Aber T Benjamin spoke on the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) scheme, which was introduced by the Nigerian Customs Service in 2013 to fast-track the clearance of cargo and reduce costs at the nation’s ports. He also introduced the new web-based trade portal of the Nigeria Customs Services to handle a customer’s end-to-end trade needs.

Deputy Director, Trade & Exchange Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Onyinye Ahuchogu, commended Wema Bank for the strides it has made in recent years. She also spoke of the CBN’s partnership with other relevant institutions in making the international trade process simple and effective in Nigeria. One of the initiatives that came into being as a result of this partnership is the electronic form ‘M’.

Recent transactions Wema Bank Plc recently secured a $10 million development finance loan to support the real estate sector for Shelter Afrique, a Pan-African development finance institution focused on financing affordable housing in Africa.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lagos, Oloketuyi, said the facility underscores the confidence of local and international partners in the lender’s capacity to handle such transactions.

He said Wema Bank is deeply committed to supporting the growth of real estate and affordable housing financing in the country, by providing access to loans as well as other value-added services, including financial advisory from its expert team of corporate banking professionals.

Oloketuyi said Wema Bank remains a premier financial institution and Nigeria’s longest surviving lender with branches spread across 125 locations, adding that the bank provides a host of corporate banking, retail banking, electronic banking, treasury and trade services to its customers.

The Managing Director, Shelter Afrique, James Mugerma, said his organisation remained committed to providing affordable housing in Africa, stating that the partnership with the bank through the grant of this facility, is another step in the right direction.

He said strong mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that the viable projects get access to this fund. He also praised the unique nature of this transaction which not only provides project funding but also includes mortgage financing.

Other stakeholders insist that Wema Bank has all it takes to make significant progress in the coming years.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

BUSINESS EXTRA

A

How I will spend my retirement, Osunkeye

FTER nearly four decades on the board of several companies, what will Nigeria’s boardroom icon, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, be doing as he quits his last major corporate engagement this month? He will open a new chapter in service to humanity and God. Osunkeye told The Nation that he will devote his time henceforth to mentoring and helping to discover, nurture and encourage new crop of Nigerian corporate leaders.

Osunkeye retires as chairman of Lafarge Africa Plc on May 23, 2015. He had earlier in 2014 retired as chairman of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria (GSK) Plc, where he held the largest shareholdings among the directors. Osunkeye had kick-started his gradual disengagement from active corporate management with his celebrated retirement as chairman of board of Nestle Nigeria Plc. In a chat with The Nation, Osunkeye said he will devote his retirement period to mentoring, social and community work and church activities.

According to him, he will draw on his experience to help to nurture corporate executives and entrepreneurs and will be available for any activity that will lead to socio-economic development of the communities.

Osunkeye, who had earlier retired from Nestle Nigeria as he winds down long industrious

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

boardroom career, opted for voluntary retirement from the board of Lafarge Africa after leading the cement group through a complex consolidation of its operations.

Osunkeye’s retirement takes effect on May 23, 2015, the same day that Mobolaji Balogun, son of the founder of FCMB Group, Chief Subomi Balogun, steps into the board chairmanship. Balogun has been a non-executive director on the board of Lafarge Africa.

Osunkeye is widely revered by the minority shareholders for his inclusive approach and the sterling performance of the companies he presided over. He received a standing ovation from the minority shareholders at his last annual general meeting at Nestle Nigeria.

Osunkeye guided Lafarge through a complex consolidation of its businesses in Nigeria and South Africa under a single entity subsequently renamed Lafarge Africa Plc. Lafarge had on July 9, 2014 received shareholders’ approval to consolidate its cement businesses in Nigeria and combine these with South African operations to create a leading sub-Saharan building materials giant to be known as Lafarge Africa Plc. The consolidation was done by transferring Lafarge’s assets in South Africa and Nigeria to Lafarge Cement Wapco Nigeria Plc. Under the transaction, Lafarge Group transferred its direct and in-

direct shareholdings in Lafarge South Africa Holding Limited of 72.4 per cent and its equity stakes in three other cement companies in Nigeria-United Cement Company of Nigeria (Unicem) Limited, 35 per cent, Ashaka Cement Plc, 58.61 per cent and Atlas Cement Company Limited, 100 per cent to Lafarge Wapco for a cash consideration of $200 million and the issuance of some 1.4 billion Lafarge Africa shares to the Lafarge Group.

Nigerian Cement Holdings B.V.(NCH), an affiliate of Large Africa Plc, two weeks ago completed the acquisition of the first 15 per cent tranche equity stake in Unicem NCH, which is owned 50 per cent by Lafarge Africa, had 70 per cent equity stake in Unicem and with the acquisition, it has now increased its stake to 85 per cent.

NCH had in November 2014 entered into an agreement with FMN Cement Industries Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc to acquire its 30 per cent investment in Unicem.

The completion of the acquisition of the first tranche of 15 per cent paves the way for the acquisition of the second tranche of 15 per cent, which is scheduled for on or before February 2016.

Lafarge Africa also recently successfully concluded a mandatory tender offer (MTO) for acquisition of minority shares in Ashaka Cement Plc, thus increasing its majority equity stake in Ashaka Cement to 82.46 per cent.

The MTO was triggered by the transfer of 58.61 per cent majority equity stake in Ashaka Cement previously held by Lafarge Nigeria (UK) Limited. Section 131 of the Investment and Securities Act (ISA) and Rule 445 of SEC make it mandatory for any institution or person that acquires at least 30 per cent of a company to make an MTO to other minority shareholders.

According to the report, 3,641 shareholders of Ashakacem tendered 534.14 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each, which represented 23.85 per cent of the total minority stake of 41.39 per cent sought to be acquired by Lafarge Africa.

The board of Lafarge Africa confirmed that it has allotted about 150.73 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each of Lafarge Africa and paid about N1.07 billion as shares and cash considerations to the shareholders of Ashakacem that accepted the MTO. With this, Lafarge Africa now has 82.46 per cent majority equity stake in Ashakacem. The completion of the MTO followed receipt of the requisite regulatory approvals by Lafarge Africa.

Following the consolidation of Lafarge’s businesses in Nigeria and South Africa into Lafarge Africa, Lafarge Africa had acquired 58.61 per cent majority equity stake in Ashaka Cement. The majority equity stake was previously held by Lafarge Nigeria (UK) Limited. The acquisition was done through a block trade at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Lafarge Africa then in late December 2014 launched an MTO to acquire the remaining 41.39 per cent equity stake held by other shareholders in Ashakacem in furtherance of the consolidation of Lafarge’s businesses. The MTO, scheduled to close in January 23, 2015, was extended for another five working days.

Under the MTO, Lafarge Africa offered 57 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in exchange for 202 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each of Ashakacem. In addition, Lafarge Africa offered to pay N2 for every acquired Ashakacem’s share.

Minority shareholders had held 927.009 million ordinary shares of 50 kobo each in Ashakacem, representing 41.39 per cent of the cement company’s total outstanding shares.

With this, Lafarge was expected to issue 261.58 million ordinary shares and pay additional cash consideration of N1.85 billion as equity and cash consideration for the full takeover of the 41.39 per cent equity stake held by minority shareholders in Ashakacem.

Osunkeye described the completion of the MTO as a major step in the consolidation of the Lafarge’s businesses.

“This is a significant step in the conclusion of the consolidation process of Lafarge Africa Plc. I would like to express my appreciation to the AshakaCem shareholders whose participation in the transaction through the tender of their shares has made this a very successful process,’’ Osunkeye said.

Nigerian equities gain N1tr on N103.5b turnover in April

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IGERIAN equities recorded average gain of more than 9.3 per cent in April as turnover as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) swelled up to N103.5 billion within the period.

Month-on-month market analysis showed that the stock market built on the positive momentum that trailed the successful conduct of the presidential and national assembly elections on March 28 and gubernatorial and state assemblies’ elections on April 11 to regain its upbeat.

Aggregate market value of all quoted equities, which opened April at N10.718 trillion, closed the month at N11.787 trillion, representing a gain of N1.07 trillion, about 9.97 per cent. The benchmark index for the Nigerian stock market, the All Share Index (ASI), also indicated a month-on-month average gain of 9.3 per cent during the period, rising from the month’s opening index of 31, 744.82 points to close at 34,708.11 points. The ASI, a value-based index, tracks the prices of all quoted companies and it is thus directly related to market sentiments.

Aggregate market turnover during the period stood at 10.72 billion shares valued at N103.54 billion in 107,932 deals. The market remained mainly equities market.

Quoted equities accounted for 10.718 billion shares valued at N103.429 billion in 107,787 deals.

Exchange Traded Funds, which has four securities, contributed 3.39 million units valued at N81.5 million in 127 deals. The retail bond market also recorded modest turnover of 26,290 units valued at N28.57 million in 18 deals.

Financial services sector also remained the main driver of activities at the stock market. Financial stocks accounted for a turnover of 8.55 billion shares worth N63.55 billion in 61,640 deals. This represented about 80 per cent and 61 per cent of aggregate turnover volume and value respectively.

Standard Alliance Insurance was

From Left: Saxophonist, Mr. Yemi Sax; Jazz Ambassadors, Mr. Bobby Ricketts; Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, NSE, Mr. Ade Bajomo; Co-Chairman, Satchmo's Jazz Festival Committee, Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi; Satchmo's Jazz Festival Director, Mr. Dolapo Ajayi and Head, Corporate Services Division, NSE, Mr. Bola Adeeko at the Closing Gong Ceremony in commemoration of International Jazz Day at the NSE in Lagos.. the most active stock, in terms of volume, with a turnover of 1.15 billion shares worth N573.08 million in 59 deals. Diamond Bank Plc trailed with a turnover of 1.13 billion shares worth N4.96 billion in 1,355 deals. United Bank for Africa (UBA) placed third on the monthly activity chart with 983.43 million shares worth N4.92 billion in 7,484 deals. Transnational Corporation of Nigeria recorded a turnover of 901.56 million shares worth N2.93 billion in 5,014 deals. FBN Holdings ranked fifth on the activity chart with a turnover of 855.33 mil-

lion shares worth N8.25 billion in 13,852 deals. Zenith Bank followed with a turnover of 638.59 million shares worth N14.88 billion in 6,453 deals while FCMB Group recorded a turnover of 622.06 million shares valued at N2.04 billion in 3,129 deals to place seventh on the activity chart.

The bullish rally in April helped the market to a positive, though modest, year-to-date four-month gain of 0.15 per cent. During the last trading week of the month, Nigerian equities recorded mod-

est average gain of 0.64 per cent last week, equivalent to about N75.2 billion.

Last week’s positive market position was largely due to gains by some highly capitalised companies.

With 31 advancers to 41 decliners and declines recorded by key indices in the banking and oil and gas sectors, the market was buoyed by gains in the large-cap industrial domestic and fast moving consumer goods sectors.

The NSE Banking Index, Nigeria’s most active sector, declined by 1.69 per cent while the NSE Insurance

Index dropped by 2.34 per cent.

With the re-emergence of queue at petrol stations, the NSE Oil and Gas Index saw a steep decline of 6.87 per cent. However, these losses were counterbalanced by gains recorded by the large-cap stocks. The NSE 30 Index, which tracks the 30 largest stocks, inched up by 0.16 per cent. The NSE Consumer Goods Index rose by 0.65 per cent while the NSE Industrial Goods Index, which included Dangote Cement, Nigeria’s most capitalised stock, trended upward by 2.79 per cent.

Emerging markets seek to increase resilience

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LOBAL emerging capital market regulators have restated their commitment to improving market resilience while focusing on efforts to accelerate the sustainable growth and development of emerging capital markets.

At its three-day Annual Meeting and Conference, the Growth and Emerging Markets (GEM) Committee of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)held a roundtable dialogue with leading global industry players and international

organisations. Nigeria is a member of the GEM. Participants discussed current risks and vulnerabilities in global capital markets, and how capital market regulators should address these challenges.

The GEM Committee also discussed the priority areas of emerging market regulators and the committee’s future work programme following a review conducted across the membership.

According to the body, the review will involve the development of deeper markets and enhancement of

regulatory capacity to reinforce market resilience.

Other important subjects discussed were corporate governance, crisis management for capital market regulators, cross-border capital market integration initiatives, and digital disruption and cyber-crime.

Chairman, GEM Committee, Mr. Ranjit Ajit Singh noted that volatility should be expected in today’s challenging environment adding that it is critical for emerging markets to continue to focus on building resilient

capital markets to withstand global market stresses.

“At the same time, emerging markets should reaffirm their commitment to facilitating the development of strong regulatory frameworks to foster sustainable and long-term growth,” Singh said.

The GEM Committee also approved in principle the policy report on SME Financing through Capital Markets. Emerging capital markets have a major role to play in bridging the financing gap for SMEs.

Newspaper of the Year

AN EIGHT-PAGE PULLOUT ON THE SOUTHWEST STATES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

PAGE 29

How college’s closure tore Oyo community apart

In 2014, the National Universities Commission (NUC) published the names of over 50 degree awarding institutions it claimed were being run illegally. It also shut down some of the illegal schools, including the Borough College London, Igboho Study Campus. SEUN AKIOYE visited Igboho and writes about how the closure has polarised the sleepy community.

T

INSIDE

HE day prophetess Foluke Jacob received her letter of admission to Borough College London (BCL), Igboho Study Centre to study Public Administration was the happiest day of her life. The letter indicated that she would undergo a one-year foundational course. But this meant little to her, her admission into the college was enough satisfaction.

There were other interesting

How Citizen Eniola died,

by NURTW chief Oluomo PAGE 36

details about the admission. At the completion of her study at the BCL, she would be able to travel to the United Kingdom for her graduation ceremony and she would also be awarded a British certificate.

“I was glad when the school came, I am a prophetess and a Bible school graduate, but I always wanted to further my education. So, this was the opportunity to do so,” Jacob said.

Jacob was not the only enthusiastic student in Igboho who received

the life changing letters of admission. About 600 others also joined in the rally held in August 2014 to signify the commencement of academic studies that would catapult the sleepy and poor community into a university town. Businesses also opened up in the town. Restaurants, hostels and transport business boomed.

As the news of the new college spread, students came from other cities, such as Ibadan, Lagos, Rivers and Abuja. They all found a common fulfillment in Continued on pages 30 and 31

Ex-Warrant Officer sues Army, COAS for unpaid benefits PAGES 34 & 35

Babalakin: Caring in the face of ‘persecution’ PAGE 36

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

30

SOUTHWEST REPORT

How College’s closure tore Igboho community apart want to be named said the JAMB boss never wanted the school in Igboho.

“We understand Prof. Ojerinde wanted to bring his own university to Igboho and was determined to run down the BCL. We know he was the one who brought the people from Abuja to seal the school, the police who came confirmed it,’ the sources said.

The closure of BCL seemed to have divided the town of Igboho more than ever, while there are those who believed that the presence of the college has brought development to the community, others believe the school if it cannot fulfill the requirements of the NUC should remain closed.

“A lot of things were wrong with the college,” Kabir, an indigene, told The Nation. As an unemployed graduate, he had watched with great concern the publicity for the school and how many of the indigenes fell for it.

Personally, he tried to convince many of the students to jettison the idea.

“We checked with the NUC and we did not see the name of the school, . It is not even in JAMB brochure, that was when we started telling people that it is a fake school. To operate a university, there is a certain amount of money you must have and this school has none of it. Also, we looked at the admission requirements and discovered people who didn’t have the required credits are also admitted as long as they can pay the school fees. If you ask my opinion, the school is fake and the closure has polarised this community” he said.

The school fights back On April 29 about 50 students of the college gathered in front of the school to register their protest against the continued closure of the institution by the NUC. Led by the governors of each department, the students demanded from the NUC and the school management, the immediate reopening of the college.

The Dean of the school, Dr. Ayodele Ayeni, and the administrator, Solomon Durojaiye, appealed to the students to show understanding with the school. Ayeni said the management has gone to the ICPC in Abuja and shown all the accreditation and approvals from relevant bodies.

“We have gone to Abuja and they have seen all our approvals, what they requested are that the paramount ruler and the community leadership should write to them before they can reopen the school and we have done all this,” Ayeni said. However, his assurances did little to assuage the students who seemed determined to resume academic activities as soon as possible. Samuel Ezekiel, who said he was a Biology student said: “We have come here today in the belief that the school will be open, we cannot be expressing joy when we are in grief.”

Olawo Solomon, another student said, “ What is our hope and what is the future, when exactly do we open?”

But that was a question too difficult for anyone to answer. The school solicitor, Ade Asudemade, pleaded for time for the ICPC to open the school.

“We have done all that they required of us and we want them to come and reopen it. If you forcefully reopen the school they will come and lock it up for a longer time, so the best is for us to be patient and wait for the ICPC to reopen it,” he said. He also declared that the NUC erred in tagging the school “illegal” and closing

•Students of the institution during a visit to the monarch

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in the town and with the closure of the institution, life seemed to have dealt him a fatal blow.

“We saw there is no development in this town. Our people are poor and there is no higher institution that can serve our people. We have a son who lives abroad; Otunba Abdulsalami Mustafa and we told him of the need to have a school here. He was the one who introduced us to Prof. James Ogunleye in April 2014 who told us of a school in London called the Borough College,” Olatunde told The Nation.

The story of the setting up of Borough College could be likened to an idea whose time had come.

Prof. Ogunleye came to Igboho for the initial discussions and discovered a goldmine of educational opportunities. He was taken to the Alepata of Igboho and all the prominent chiefs in the town and his idea of establishing a “study center” of Borough College was accepted.

It was not clear if the people of Igboho understood the exact nature of the study centre but a promise that a degree certificate issued from a foreign university at the end of the course was enough to sway the indigenes.

Ogunleye reportedly told the people that his school would be running a Higher National Diploma programme, but the people wanted a degree-awarding institution. The deal was struck and the school began with an entrance examination in Irepo Grammar School, Akitipa.

Jacobs remembered that day. “I was told about the school in May 2014 and obtained the application form for N5,000. On September 18 of the same year, we had the entrance examination; there were about 600 students who sat for that exam.”

Almost all of them were successful and in October, the Borough College London began operation in Igboho. The opening was celebrated with much funfair and a rally around the town. The school began operation in a refurbished compound formerly housing a nursery and primary school-the Shining Light Schools.

“We found a land for the school and they started operation. In the few months that the school was here, we saw a lot of development in this town because students came from as far as Lagos and Ibadan,” Olatunde said.

But trouble began almost immediately for the school as a team from the DSS soon visited and demanded to examine the books of the school. After a thorough scrutiny, they seemed impressed and left the college to continue operations.

But a terrible story was already going around that the school was unaccredited. The source of this story was traced to an illustrious son of the town and Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde. At a town hall meeting in Oke Ogun, he was said to have told the people that BCL had no accreditation to run the courses and was therefore illegal.

Four indigenes interviewed by The Nation, who claimed to have been at the meeting, confirmed this story. The indigenes who do not

We checked with the NUC and we did not see the name of the school, . It is not even in JAMB brochure, that was when we started telling people that it is a fake school.

To operate a university, there is a certain amount of money you must have and this school has none of it.

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it down in a commando style without proper verification of its accreditations.

The accreditation the management spoke about include: A Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), certificate of incorporation given on February 24, 2015, Oyo State Ministry of Education Provisional Approval to Study/Continuing Education Center, with Ref number EDU/A/41/22/23/130 given on January 30, 2015, approval for Borough College London to offer BTEC Qualifications by edexcel and approval as a branch campus by the Universidad Azteca.

But the arguments of BCL management did not impress the NUC. According to the Head of Legal Department and the Secretary of the NUC Committee on schools closure, Moses Awe, the NUC has the rights to regulate and approve BCL. Awe told The Nation: “We saw

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•Continued from page 29

their desire for a university degree which had been so unexpectedly fulfilled by the BCL. Then, in March 2015, after just a semester into the one-year foundation course, things fell apart.

That day the Chairman, National Universities Commission (NUC), committee on closure of illegal universities, Prof. Adebisi Balogun told the media in Ibadan that BCL Igboho had been closed down. The closure was done by members of the (NUC) committee, officers of the Department of State Security (DSS), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC. Balogun said the school which had been running since October 2014 did not have NUC approval having only written to the body for permission. But the founder, Prof.

James Ogunleye, who resides in London, has been telling the students a different story. He also said the school has permission from the Oyo State government to operate as a “continuous education centre”.

The news of the closure of BCL hit the Igboho community like a thunderbolt; it threw the plans of Jacobs and hundreds of other students into jeopardy. The indigenes, who had viewed the school as the propeller for development; were left disappointed. But more worrisome is the allegation that BCL was an illegal institution, running unapproved courses which would lead the students nowhere.

“We were shown the certificate for the approval of the school, we were told the school has also been approved by the Federal Government and Oyo State government.

They showed us all the papers. I do not think from all we saw that the school could be illegal. Borough College is not an illegal school,” Jacob said, her eyes expressing strong disapproval.

A quest for education Igboho, a town of about 150,000 inhabitants, has a rich history and a pride of place in Oyo traditional history. It is the home and the resting place of the original Alaafin of Oyo. There is a historic site called the Igbo Oba where at least four of the ancient Oyo kings were buried.

The town is also the food basket of Oyo State. It is known for its agricultural produce, especially yam, but for all its traditional and agricultural achievements, it is also a town crippled by unemployment and poverty.

The people found a way out in education and this would have helped but for the location of the town which is far away from the centre of business and commerce in Ibadan. This has also affected the location of higher institutions in the area. Many of the indigenes desirous of a higher degree would have to go far up in the northern parts of Nigeria, such as Sokoto and Abuja.

In the whole of Oke Ogun, (comprising about 10 local governments) there is only one affiliate of the Polytechnic Ibadan.

“That was our dilemma,” Jaiyeola Olatunde, chairman of Ifelodun Association of Igboho indigenes worldwide, said. He has been one of the forces behind the establishment of Borough College

We have done all that they required of us and we want them to come and reopen it.

If you forcefully reopen the school they will come and lock it up for a longer time, so the best is for us to be patient and wait for the ICPC to reopen it,”

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all of these documents. We have a whole department DDE at the NUC with a Director which is responsible for Open/Distant Learning. Under this arrangement, there are three models of running open distant learning. If you look at the Educational Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, it clearly spelt it out the conditions that applies to Open Universities domiciled in Nigeria. Now, that is to tell you that we have the authority to regulate not just conventional universities but Open and Distant Learning.”

Awe listed the three models of Distant Learning as Branch System, Twinning and Open/Distant Learning which BCL falls under. He said as long as the school is training Nigerians and developing manpower for Nigerians in Nigeria, it must be regulated by the NUC. “Can the University of Ibadan as popular as it is just go and open a

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distant learning centre in London without submitting itself to the authorities in that country, with due respect some of these professors are just parading illiteracy, Awe said.

The NUC also said mere registration with the CAC is not enough to run a study centre unless it is backed up with an approval from the NIUC. “ We have standards for all these, if you check the Educational Act, we have set minimum standards and BCL must follow that procedure. Let me tell you how bad it is, you can operate with NUC license without the CAC but you cannot use CAC to operate without the NUC license,” Awe said.

This is more bad news for the longsuffering management of the BCL and the continued closure of the college is one of the issues that gives the paramount ruler, the Alepata of IgbohoDr. Johnson Olaide Oyeyiola, much cause for worry.

“I do not want the government to lock the college, after secondary school, there is no higher institution here, we have just one polytechnic in Oke Ogun, so if a branch of a university is here, it is good,” the Alepata told The Nation. He said he has written to the ICPC to plead for the reopening of the school.

He urged the management to also do the needful. “If need be, Prof. Ogunleye should come and rectify all that is wrong, we need the school here because students come from all over Oke Ogun and they have spent money which is non refundable. So the best thing is for the school to do the needful and government should let the academic exercise continue,” he concluded.

The Nation was able to contact Prof. Ogunleye in London who said in a telephone interview that he never claimed Borough College was a university but a study centre.

“There is nothing like a degree course, what we are running is foundation course. The idea of a degree was something that was fronted by a particular man at Igboho, I am sure you would have heard about the man, he is the one saying we are running degree there, it is a foundation course.”

Ogunleye said the students were admitted for a foundation course after which they will be eligible to proceed for the full university course. He claimed that Borough College in London is affiliate with a Universidad Azteca in Mexico which awards the degree for the programme of the college.

According to him, students of the study center in Igboho who passed the foundation course will be enrolled at the Universidad Azteca.

“Borough College does not award degree, the students we have there are foundational students and at the end of their course we register them on our own degree programme from the University that is accredited to do that and the degree is recognized all over the world including Nigeria,” he said.

The Nation did a search on Universidad Azteca. According to its Wikipedia page, “Universidad Azteca is a private university with recognition of the Official Validity of Studies awarded by the Federal Secretary of Education, RVOE, accredited by the Federal Ministry of Education of the Republic and recognized by the Federal Government] to provide higher education and award graduate and postgraduate university degrees.

According to the Mexican Higher Education laws Universidad Azteca is authorized to offer study programmes and award degrees with RVOE and offer autonomous programmes and award academic degrees of the university” Also, The Nation found out that the university has international accreditation to run courses in Europe. “-Universidad Azteca in 2013 is the first Mexican University to ever achieve institutional accreditation by ASIC the Accreditation Service for International Colleges, a leading UK accreditation agency, recognised by the Home Office, UK Border Agency, and listed by CHEA as a recognised accreditation body in the UK and internationally. ASIC is a national UK Affiliate of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education”. But while the Universidad Azteca has credible accreditation to run courses for European students like those of BCL, does it mean that its accreditation also extends to Nigeria without proper and due accreditation with the relevant authorities?

While the NUC does not think so, the Ayeni said the NUC has no rights to close down an institution with British accreditations. “The NUC has no rights over a British accredited programme.

They say Borough College students don’t do Jamb, they cannot because it is a British programme and all the papers have been sent to the Ministry of Education, Corporate Affairs Commission and other education sectors in Oyo state and Abuja, that is the truth,” Ayeni said.

He also accused the JAMB registrar of being behind the travails of the institution.

“If Nigerians in Diaspora can bring projects to Nigeria to support the country in any sector, I don’t see any problem in that, that is what professor James Ogunleye did by bringing the study centre from London to Nigeria. Any lie they tell you don’t listen to them; the truth of the matter is that since we started the school, there is one big man in this town who has been victimizing the school. Anybody has rights in this country to bring any project to any part of this country so far as you are Nigerian.”

Ayeni insisted the school must be reopened. “The school must be reopened for the sakes of the students, this man has been victimizing the school since it started ,we tried to get him to see reason but he has been

insisting that we cannot stay here, what is the meaning of that?”

For about two weeks, The Nation made several attempts to contact Prof. Ojerinde but was unsuccessful. Many telephone calls and text messages to his mobile number went unanswered as well. But sources close to him in Igboho denied that the registrar had anything to do with the travails of the college. “ I have spoken to the Professor and he said he has nothing to do with the closure of the college, he denied any involvement in the closure of the school,” Alepata said.

A search of Borough College London indicates it is situated at Victoria Lodge, Chartwell Business Park, 61-65, Paulet road, Camberwell, SE5 9HW London. It also indicated it offered varying courses including English, Computing and IT, Accountancy and Management.

There was nothing about affiliation with Universidad Azteca and no announcement of the opening of a study centre in Nigeria. A statement on the page of the school website reads: “Borough College London is a relatively new and modern institution.”

The Nation wrote to the school asking for clarifications about its relationship with the study center in Nigeria. On April 21, 2015 , a reply came saying the request will be looked into and a detailed response supplied; it was signed by Prof. James Ogunleye as the Director of BCL. Another email from BCL arrived from the college on April 30, 2015 and signed by Prof. Ogunleye but this time as the Proprietor of BCL. Jacob and other students still hold out hope for the continuation of their studies. Bridget Amoni, a student of Mass Communications and Mercy Tamunobarasin, a BioChemistry student, both came from Rivers State. After years of battling with JAMB examination, the BCL offered attractive incentives for them.

“We are disappointed this is happening because we have so much hope for the school, we hope that it will be open this week so we can continue our studies,” they said.

Some other students who spoke to The Nation expressed similar sentiments. “Academically the BCL is okay, I have gained a lot by being here. But I am not satisfied until the school is reopened and if it is not done soon, I will have to go on a rally around the town, “ Adeoti Grace from Niger State said.

For Busayo Ayoade, a former student of Federal Polytechnic Offa,, the desire for a university degree and the affordable fees drew her to BCL. “All we want is for the school to stay, we just want the school reopened because the academic classes are really superior to what you find in many schools,” she said.

Jacob was one of the leaders of the rally as she constantly interfaced between students and management.

A few months after her enrolment, she was honored with the award of “Mother of Borough” because of her passion and unequal contributions to the school.

In a neat pouch, she had kept all the documents relating to her study at BCL waiting for the day she will resume her studies. Her course registration form indicated her student number as BCL/14/105/001. Already, she had paid the N70,000 school fees and other levies, so she has a lot to lose if the school does not reopen.

“If there is anything the school can do to rectify whatever is wrong, the government should allow the management to do it, so we can reopen our school and continue with our studies,” she said in a subdued voice. On her television, her award plaque from the school occupied a prominent position, it was a reminder of the time she attempted to get a university education.

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Mrs. Gbadebo being congratulated by Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Yinusa Adekoya, during the University of Lagos 2014 Convocation ceremony... at the weekend.

Another feather to ex-Sketch MD Gbadebo’s cap former Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of the Sketch Newspaper, Mrs Dupe Ajayi Gbadebo, has added another feather to her cap. Mrs Ajayi bagged a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Lagos at the school’s convocation.

The degree was awarded her last June. It is her third Master’s degree.

Mrs Ajayi, a communications strategist and legal consultant, is a journalist with about 30 years experience. She was Special Assistant on Communications to a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Mrs Gbadebo holds three master’s degrees and a Post graduate Diploma: Master of Communication Arts (MCA), University of Ibadan (U.I), March, 1984; Master of Business Administration (MBA), University of Ibadan (U.I), June, 2007; Master of Law, LLM, Univer-

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sity of Lagos (Unilag), June 2014 and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Development from the Institute of Social Studies, (ISI), at The Hague, Netherlands, April, 1998. She was called to the Nigerian Bar Sept, 1999.

A Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, a Cambridge University Nuffiled Press Fellow, she is also an Associate Member, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Associate Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIAarb) Nigeria Branch, 1993 Ambassador of Goodwill for the State of Arkansas, United States and was a Council Member of the Washington-based International Women Media Federation, (IWMF), among others.

Currently a member of the Osun State Schools Infrastructure Development Committee (O-Schools), and a former Board member of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), she has varied work experience, start-

ing in 1979 as a reporter at the Punch Newspapers, becoming Editor of the defunct Happy Home magazine, Political Correspondent attached to the then Senate in Lagos. She joined The Guardian Newspapers at inception in 1983 as Political Correspondent, became Diplomatic Editor and later the Political Editor.

She moved to the Daily Times Newspaper Group in 1989 as Political Editor, Sunday Times, became Deputy Editor of the same paper which she later edited in acting capacity; appointed the founding Editor of Weekend Times, and left the Daily Times Newspaper Group as the Group Political Editor.

During her working career, she attended various courses including the studies of the Functions of The Capitol Hill, Washington, 1991; Nuffield Press Fellowship Programme, Wolfson College, Cambridge University, 1994; East-West German Relations, West Berlin, 1988; Carole Simpson Leadership Course (for Women Jour-

nalists), Johannesburg, June, 2000; the Global Senior Executive Programme Series: ‘High Performance Leadership’, at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public policy, Singapore, 2008 and in June 2014, the Master of Law Course, University of Lagos.

A Charter President of Soroptimist International, a member of Ikoyi Club, Lagos, she was also a student activist during her school days as she served as Magazine Editor, Fleet Street College of Journalism, London; Institute’s Representative (the highest students’ organ), ISI at the Hague, Netherlands and President of Master of Business Administration Students Association (MBASSA), University of Ibadan.

A Yoruba development practitioner, she was Executive Secretary of the Yoruba Education Trust Fund (YETFUND) and remains a Council member of the Fund as well as being a member of Trustee of the Yoruba Women Initiative (YWI).

Prolonged depression major cause of suicide, says psychologist

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Clinical Psychologist with the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Mr Ajiboye Adedotun,has advised families of those living with depression to encourage them to always go for test.

Adedotun, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said depression, if not properly managed, could lead to suicide.

He said that depression test was a tool that could help to determine symptoms, as well as when to help anyone suffering it.

According to him, depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.

Adedotun said depressive disorder affected feeling, thinking and behaviour of a person and could lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

“When you are depressed, you may have feelings of extreme sadness that are severe enough to interfere with your daily life for weeks or months, rather than days.

“Depression affects people in many ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms.

“There is no single cause, though common triggers include traumatic or stressful life events, such as bereavement, illness or redundancy,’’ Adedotun said.

He said that only a professional doctor could determine whether a patient had “major depression, mild, chronic depression, seasonal affective disorder, bipolar disorder or some other type of clinical depression’’.

Adedotun said depression might require long-term treatment, adding that most people with depression feel better with medication, psychological counselling or both.

According to him, if one takes poisonous substances or tries to take his

or her life in the presence of people, such a person is seeking for attention and not to commit suicide.

“The risk factors for suicide vary by age, gender and ethnic group, and risk factors often occur in combinations.

“Suicide does not just happen as a result of a sudden issue but it must have been accumulated and thought of which could probably lead to depression,’’ Adedotun said.

He said mental disorder could also be a primary factor that could lead to suicide.

Adedotun also said alcohol was a depressant, so it could make depression worse.

“Drug use alone or in combination with alcohol use for someone suffering with depression can be lethal.

“Too often people attempt to alleviate the symptoms of depression by drinking or using drugs, which can increase the risk of suicide by impairing judgment and increasing impul-

sivity,’’ he said.

Adedotun said most depressed people could not see the symptoms but people around them could be of help by giving words of comfort.

He said that being friendly to a depressed person could reduce suicidal tendencies, adding failing to treat or mistreatment depression could put a person at increased risk of suicide.

“In some cases, well-supported psychotherapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy or interpersonal therapy can considerably alleviate the symptoms of depression.

“However, a medical doctor, should supervise any course of treatment,’’ Adedotun said.

He said other therapies had the goals of changing negative ways of thinking, or overcoming isolation by developing interpersonal skills.

Adedotun said that group therapy had been shown to be effective in helping those who had difficulty forming relationships.

ENOWNED African author, Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o, recently urged African countries to promote their indigenous languages for meaningful social and economic development.

He spoke in Lagos at the second edition of the “Read Africa’’ initiative of the United Bank for Africa Foundation to promote reading culture among pupils.

The Kenyan writer and author of “Weep Not Child’’, expressed concern about the rate at which African nations abandoned their languages for foreign languages.

According to him, people are enslaved if they are proficient in other languages but are not interested in understanding their indigenous languages very well.

“I stopped writing in English language 10 years ago because Africa is our base and we must not lose our base and our indigenous languages.

“Since then, I have been writing in Nkiyu language and I later do translation myself or I look for somebody to do it for me,’’ he said.

Wa Thiong’o, nonetheless, argued that people who acquired other languages had additional advantages, insisting that such people would be able to appreciate the values of their indigenous languages better.

Observers, therefore note that such advocacy from a reputable African author, perhaps, inspires most societies to protect and give priority to the teaching of their indigenous languages in schools.

They cite the development in Osun, where the state House of Assembly passed a bill to an act to enforce compulsory teaching of Yoruba language as a subject in public and private schools in the state.

The house, having examined the importance of the bill entitled: “Osun State Education Amendment bill 2014’’, passed the bill to an act on September 15.

Mr Afolabi Atolagbe, the Deputy Leader of the House, representing Ifedayo Constituency, moved a motion for its passage while a member of the house, Mr Abiodun Awolola, representing Egbedore Constituency, seconded it.

Highlighting the importance of compulsory teaching of Yoruba language as a subject in schools, Atolagbe said the law would prevent the language from extinction and preserve the cultural values and tradition of the Yoruba.

Mr Najeem Salaam, the Speaker of the House, said the house would also set aside a day in a week to conduct its proceedings in Yoruba Language.

Salaam said a section of the act stated that: “Any person, being the proprietor of a public or private school, who contravenes any provision of the bill, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to a fine of not less than N10,000, if convicted.’’

Irrespective of the provisions of the act, residents of the state have commended the lawmakers in the state for their courage to pass the bill.

In his view, Mr Femi Adegboye, a civil servant in the state, commended the lawmakers, urging the appropriate authorities to ensure that schools enforce the provisions of the act.

According to him, authorities should make pragmatic efforts at ensuring the teaching of Yoruba language as a subject in schools to prevent it from extinction.

“Policy makers in education should take urgent steps to revive and improve the language by teaching it among the schools across the states, especially where it is spoken’’ he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Oluwasegun Ayanda, a historian, said the compulsory teaching of the language would go a long way in enriching the vocabulary of the lan-

Promoting compulsory teaching of indigenous language in Osun schools

•Aregbesola

•Osun pupils having a meal

•Osun pupils in class

•New look of Osun schools

By Victor Adeoti

guage.

He decried the rate at which Nigerians switched from their indigenous languages to other languages, especially English language, warning that such practice would alienate them from their immediate environment.

Ayanda commended the lawmakers for passing the bill, noting that such step would stimulate pupils and students to use the language in public activities.

He recalled that the People’s Republic of China was able to achieve the present level of development because the people used their mother tongue for education and other trans-

actions.

He, therefore, urged the state government to ensure that all schools in the state teach Yoruba language as a subject.

“Those who have the mastery of other people’s languages at the expense of their own indigenous languages have subjected themselves to second slavery.

“We should promote our languages and we should encourage our children to speak our own language,’’ Ayanda said.

Commending the state assembly members, Mr Oluwaseun Adeniran, a secondary school teacher in the state, said the law would correct the im-

We should promote our languages and we should encourage our children to speak our own language pression that English language was superior to Yoruba language.

He observed that some school authorities had relegated Yoruba lan-

guage to the background, observing that with the passage of the bill, the situation would change.

Observers, nonetheless, urge the relevant stakeholders to ensure that necessary mechanism is put in place to enforce the provision of the law.

Mr Ibidapo Ojekunle, an educationist, observed that some members of the society had considered their languages as inferior to English language and preferred to use the latter in most interactions even with their family members.

He commended the state lawmakers for the passage of the bill, noting that it would change the views of the young about the language and expose them to its vocabulary.

Skeptics, nonetheless, express concern that although the courage of the lawmakers in passing the bill is laudable, the law may not be effective as most observers hope.

They insist that except the state government and stakeholders in education take appropriate steps to enforce the law, it may not be different from previous ineffective laws.

According to them, the state government must convince the public that it has plans to ensure that the schools in the state adhere to the provisions of the act.

Adeoti is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

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Firm opens Lagos office H

AVING sustained its leadership in digital printing in the South-south and Southeast for almost two decades, KEL Technologies has made a foray into the Lagos market. It aims to raise the bar of quality printing and set pace for a competition among digital printing professionals.

Last weekend, businessmen and professional printers from different parts of the country gathered for the opening of KEL Technologies’ Lagos office located on Kodesho Street in Ikeja.

In the three-hour event, the management of the firm conducted reporters round the facility to showcase some of its newly-acquired machinery installed to raise the bar of quality in digital printing.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the firm, Mr Solomon Martins, said the company’s investment in Lagos would offer a unique and international quality printing service to clients at affordable rates. He said KEL Technologies had acquired Direct Imaging Press, a latest digital print-

By Wale Ajetunmobi

er, whose quality of output could be compared to best printing anywhere in the world.

With the installation of the machine, Martins said there was no need for Nigerians to go abroad for quality printing, saying the firm could adequately satisfy the expectations of clients in any form of printing.

He said: “With our experience in Port Harcourt, Yenagoa and Onitsha markets in terms of international printing perspective, we are opening the Lagos branch to offer Lagosians advanced quality printing such as 3D Varnish, thereby discouraging Nigerians to travel abroad for quality printing service that is now readily available in Lagos.”

Assuring that the firm’s machinery would offer seamless printing solutions to Lagos clients, Martins said the investment would add values and contribute to the economic development of the state.

Jolly Amiolemen, the firm’s Lagos Office Commissioning Committee’s chairman, said KEL Tech-

nologies plunged into Lagos’ printing market out of passion to satisfy the demand for world-class printing needs of the people.

He said: “We are aware that some printing works are still being taken to countries like China and United States in a bid to get the best.

This poses its own challenges, given the time and resources committed to such undertaking. With the opening of our Lagos office, we are sending a message to people that, what they travelling abroad to do can now be done in Lagos.”

Amiolemen praised the firm’s CEO for his vision and entrepreneurial wisdom to open the office, saying the firm would continue to maintain its quality and leadership in the printing industry.

Some of the guests at the event made sweet testimonies about the quality of services offered by KEL Technologies, saying the firm’s Lagos investment indicated its resolve to deliver excellent services to its clients.

The highpoint of the event was the formal opening of the four-storey building acquired by the firm in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital.

Why I’m inviting diabetes, epilepsy, fibroid patients for free treatment, by trado-medical specialist Mr. Adeyinka Adebayo is a trado-medical practitioner. In this interview with SIKIRU AKINOLA, he speaks on his 17-year research into natural healing of some ailments, including diabetes, fibroid and epilepsy for which he invites patients for free treatment

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ELL us about your foray into traditional medicine I discovered that most patients die because they cannot I started this trado-medical practice 17 years meet the financial obligation to treat themselves when they ago. I’m a specialist in treatment of diabetes, get to hospitals. So, I think it will be a sin for me to have hypertension, female infertility, fibroid, this great privilege and not use it to help humanity. epilepsy, Hepatitis B, liver problem and At times, some people will just die in hospital other diseases that affect human beings.I because they cannot afford small amount of inherited the practice from my late money. It is disheartening. Our health sector grandfather who was a trado-medical should be one that permits free treatment doctor. for patients without money.

What led you into traditional But it is widely believed that epilepsy medicine? has no cure. Is this not true?

I just discovered that people are See, it is not everybody that has the dying because of ailments which I knowledge to treat people in the traditional believe I can cure but people don’t way. God blessed some people with know how to get somebody who can knowledge about healing. While some treat the ailments. I inherited this from people will accept to treat it without my grandfather and seeing people die collecting a kobo, others can’t do that. They •Adebayo needless circumstances makes me feel will demand for money. But as for me, I believe guilty. I cannot just watch while people die epilepsy is natural though some people hold and I have the cure. And that was why I vowed contrary views. I am very confident that I have the that I was going to use whatever I have for cure for leprosy. The epilepsy patient will be completely humanity to cure people’s ailments. healed. ý I can also cure cancer and liver problem.

Many people are in this business purposely to make Apart from Ibadan, where else can patients reach you? money. Why do you want to treat people free-of-charge?

I am in Oyo, Iperu-Remo, Lagos and Port-Harcourt.

Ex-Warrant Officer sues Army, COAS for unpaid benefits

H

E was a Master Warrant Officer of the Nigerian Army.

Mr Stephen Aigbe detained for ten years for alleged mutiny.

Aigbe has been estranged from his family since 1996 when he was detained and thought dead.

Aigbe was accused of attempting to kill the former late Head of State, Gen Sanni Abacha. The offence was ‘slammed’ against him in 1996 by the authorities of the 2 Division of the Nigeria Army. He was subsequently arraigned before a camp commandant panel. Though he was not found guilty, he was denied a court martial and access to get a lawyer.

Aigbe said: “Following a conspiracy, I was accused of writing an anonymous letter against a certain Col. H. A David after which a board of

•From left: The Chairman, Dejofas Nigeria Limited, Chief Olufemi Ajeniya, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and the Royal Ambassador to Alaafin, Aare Ayandotun Ayanlakin, when Ajeniya paid Alaafin a royal visit... at the weekend.

From Tayo Johnson and Bisola Oloyede, Ibadan

Inquiry was set up to investigate the matter.

“I was in confinement on mutiny trial for ten years having written several unreplied redress letters to relevant authorities that are verifiable and I kept wondering about the way the military system has been used to work extreme injustice and hardship on me and family. I have served the Nigeria Army for 36 years and I deserve the best.

“Lawyers also contributed largely to my plight. I have had experiences with different lawyers. It is painful. I had one Barrister Toyin Okebukola, who having received professional fees refused to show up in court and refused to make available to me judgment proceedings.I wrote to the Nigeria Bar Association, Oyo State as her conduct is a breach of contract.

Recounting his experience in detention for ten years he said, “ It is only by the grace of God that I still exist. During that period, I could not see my wife and six children because they had told them that because of the offence I had committed they should not expect me back. I was alienated from my whole family. To eat was a problem, only people who felt sympathetic gave me something with which I was feeding.

“During the time I was in detention, they went to my apartment at Odogbo Barracks, they burgled and shared everything I had. When I was released, I had nothing to start another life. I have not been able to see my family since. I am indigene of Edo State, I cannot even go home. “ I was framed up during Abacha’s regime; they said I wanted to kill Abacha. I was charged with a mutiny case, and within ten years, the mutiny case dragged on and I was in detention from 1996 to 2006. When they discovered my date of discharge had lapsed, I

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

35

SOUTHWEST REPORT

We may seek legal action against NUC, says BCL founder

By Seun Akioye

Y

I was framed up during Abacha’s regime; they said I wanted to kill Abacha. I was charged with a mutiny case, and within ten years, the mutiny case dragged on and I was in detention from 1996 to 2006. When they discovered my date of discharge had lapsed, I was taken to Oshodi. It was there I discovered the army had erased my record was taken to Oshodi. It was there I discovered the army had erased my record.”

He said after the Oshodi experience, he was taken back to Ibadan, but he was threatened that he would be locked up by a Lieutenant Colonel.

This prompted him to seek legal redress.

“I took the case to the Federal High Court, Ibadan but it was not given prompt attention. After five years of stalling the case, which I view as a conspiracy, it was transferred to the National Industrial Court.

From 2009 to 2013, there were only adjournments as the defendants

lawyer failed to show up in court. “ I want justice, I thought the Industrial Court will give justice to a man who has worked for 36 years in the army. I want justice to get my entitlements, I have not been given my gratuity, I am not even on pension, I have been ejected from the one room apartment I had in the barracks. I was not allowed to take any of my property out of barracks, without any redress.”

Although his case with the National Industrial Court has been withdrawn, Aigbe said he has filed another case at the Federal High Court on his forceful ejection from his apartment despite the fact that he was not paid his gratuity nor pension.

•Aigbe

,

•Pastor Gbemi Malomo (left) joined by Martins (right), his wife and others to cut the ribbon to inaugurate the office.

OUR school, Borough College, in Igboho has been shut down by the NUC because it is an illegal institution. What do you have to say and why were you operating an illegal university?

It is just an allegation made by a particular Igboho man who didn’t want that institution in that place and we never pretended to be running a university and Borough College did not apply to the NUC as any university. We have these students who are doing what we call a Foundation Course that will allow them to apply to the university if they finish the foundation course, that is what is happening at Igboho.

I can confirm that acting on the invitation of the traditional ruler and the community of Igboho, that I have established Borough College London Ltd (RC1244411) registered by Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria, to operate as a Study Centre of Borough College London. Prior to registration in Nigeria, the College obtained a ‘no objection’ approval from Federal Ministry of Education; as part of our application for approval by the Accreditation and Evaluation Division of the Ministry.

But I saw a couple of Letters of Admission which indicated that the students have been admitted for either a Law or Public Administration degree If you look at the letters you will never see it is a degree…

I saw one that indicated a degree course No there is nothing like a degree course, it is foundation course. The idea of a degree was something that was fronted by a particular man at Igboho, I am sure you would have heard about the man, he is the one saying we are running Degree there, it is a foundation course.

I wish to stress that the approved articles and memorandum of assoThe National Uniciation of the Study Centre never deversities Commission scribed it as a degree awarding ‘university’; as such, the Study Centre acted in concert with never applied to NUC for any apICPC to shut down proval or operating license. It is not true (as some may suggest, that the the Study Centre Study Centre picked up a form from without due NUC, and abandoned processing the form for NUC approval or license. process. The NUC, reIt is, indeed, not true that the Colgrettably, never made lege is an ‘illegal university’ operating without approval or license as any effort to write, some may wish to suggest.

How long is the foundation email or telephone course? to invited or transmit It is a year.

So if it is a Foundation course, any message or how are the students supposed to to give any notice to proceed after that?

Those who succeed will register the College, but chose on a degree course. These students to express their conare international students and they are at the study centre of Borough cerns by a punitive acCollege based in Nigeria, the Bortion ough College is registered in Nigeria by the Corporate Affairs Commission, it is also approved by the Oyo state government. Our students who finished the foundation course will be qualified to register as Degree students; we have our courses validated by the University called Universidad Azteca.

Where is this university?

It is in Mexico, that is the university that validated Borough College London. Those who finished the foundation course will register on their degree programme.

Will they do the programme in Igboho too?

Yes, because they study at our study centre. The degree programme we do at Borough College London is accredited by the university that is all I can say to you.

Don’t you think you should also register with the NUC because if your students get a degree from this university, will they be qualified to do the mandatory National Youth Service?

That is the question that is common, the Federal Ministry of Education will evaluate each person’s degree and their degree is accepted anywhere in the world. The university is on the list of UNESCO accredited list of universities.

The National Universities Commission acted in concert with ICPC to shut down the Study Centre without due process. The NUC, regrettably, never made any effort to write, email or telephone to invited or transmit any message or to give any notice to the College, but chose to express their concerns by a punitive action; followed by speaking to the press without checking their facts. Had they checked with us, they would have discovered that the College is pursuing a non-NUC Federal Ministry of Education (Accreditation and Evaluation Division) under the Nigerian education law. We chose this track because it is the appropriate channel to secure a Government approval for the Study Centre without the need for applying to become a university with approval from the NUC. We take the view that we already work with an international university with degree awarding powers.

You made allusions to Prof. Dibu Ojerinde as being the one behind the travails of your college, do you have any proof?

,

•Ogunleye He has done it before.

Really, tell me exactly what he did?

I just don’t want to get involved in the local [politics there, but he is the one who tried to shut it since September last year. He organized the second attack on the college. I think it has to do with their local politics and not on the legality of the college, we are registered in Nigeria. It is a government approved school although it is not a university, we don’t pretend to operate a university, that is why we called it a study centre because the students could not come to London to run this study. As a matter of fact, it was the town that invited me to come and establish that study centre.

I was invited by their town union and I came to Nigeria, they invited me and they told me that had tried to get this man to do something but he wouldn’t and that is why they pushed for this. It was one indigene of Igboho that came to London to come and organize this programme.

The school is big and registered by the Nigerian government as a corporate entity, we didn’t just start, we got approval from Oyo state government and the international programmes we are running there will lead to certificates from the Universidad Azteca.

Before the shutdown of the school, how many student were there?

The proper person to answer that is Dr. Ayeni or Mr. Solomon.

What is the next step for you and the students?

What we intend to do, the local management there will decide what to do. As far as we are concerned; the school is not an illegal school. International programmes are not illegal. You rightly mentioned Prof Dibu Ojerinde, he is the one who did not want the school, initially he went to the State Security Services (SSS), they came and tried to do the same thing but when they saw the paperwork, they encouraged the school to continue. He wasn’t happy with that and that is why he has done this second.

What we are doing is perfectly legal, Borough College does not award degree. The students we have there are foundational students and at the end of their course we register them on our own degree programme from the University that is accredited to do that and the degree is recognised all over the world including Nigeria.

Unfortunately, the NUC has brought about a situation whereby the supremacy of two Nigerian laws and the two organs of government; thereby instigating a possible court case that is already being considered by the Study Centre’s barristers who are authorised to take it up with the appropriate Nigerian Authorities.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

36

SOUTHWEST REPORT Lions Club urges Nigerians to help needy

How Citizen Eniola died,

by NURTW chief Oluomo

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HE Oshodi zonal Chairman and State Treasurer of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a. Mc Oluomo) has explained how the late Olayemi Eniola (a.k.a Easy Oluwo), died on April 9.

Oluomo said Eniola died after the campaign train was disrupted by some hoodlums suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) towards the end of Oshodi road.

He added that the hoodlums accosted members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while conducting a peaceful rally at Mafoluku, Lagos State and shot sporadically.

He said in the ensuing melee, many cars and other valuables were damaged by the thugs, while several people sustained injuries.

It took the intervention of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), who were at the campaign ground to restore peace.

“The man “Essy Oluwo”, who

The man “Easy Oluwo”, who was a core supporter to the PDP, was mistakenly shot dead by his members. They were the people shooting and breaking bottles was a core supporter to the PDP, was mistakenly shot dead by his members. They were the people shooting and breaking bottles, I was surprised by the allegation that I am the mastermind of his death”, Oluomo said.

The Secretary to Oshodi 1 arm of the union, Comrade Taiwo Bankole, said the man was killed by the PDP thugs.

He said Oluomo instructed the campaign team to remain calm on that day, urging them to hide in a particular spot as the police were chasing the thugs away, even with a considerable distance between where the ral-

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

ly temporarily stop for the police to take their full responsibility of dispersing the hoodlums that were shooting to stop the rally, he added.

Comrade Bankole, urged people to stop alleging Oluomo, is innocent of the death of the the late Eniola. He said henceforth, the union will not hesitate to take a legal action against any individual, organisation or media house publishing any falsehood against Oluomo.

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•Akinsanya

NAFDAC, police to check hawking of unauthorised herbal medicine

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HE National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it will collaborate with the police to check hawking of unauthorised herbal medicine.

The Coordinator of the agency in Anambra, Dr Christiana Esenwah, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha, Anambra, on Monday.

She said that the activities of the hawkers constituted noise pollution to the residents of the state and embarrassment to the agency.

Esenwah said that the hawkers had remained undaunted even after many of them were arrested, sanctioned and fined by the

You see them in their buses and all that; as if to say: ok the masters have gone in, lets us come and have our field’s day. agency.

She also said that the recent upward review of the administrative charges and tariffs for operating herbal medicine outlets had not deterred them.

“We have observed that most of their activities have been reduced to after-hours (after office hours), that is after 4 o’clock (p.m.), that is when you see them really on the move.

“They know that between the hours 8 and 4, we are active; so by the time we are closing at about 5 or

6, you see them coming out in (their) numbers.

“Even in my home, when you come out; unfortunately I can’t work when I have closed; when I am resting in my home that is when you hear the loudest noise.

“You see them in their buses and all that; as if to say: ok the masters have gone in, lets us come and have our field’s day.

“It is so annoying; and we feel we need to get security agents; we need to go a step further, there are people who operate shifts; I mean

the security agents who operate shifts.

“I think we can work in collaboration with them; since these people have seen that once we close from work, it is time for them to operate; we too should go a step further to see that we can get these people.’’

Esenwah stated that the agency would increase its monitoring of the state, by expanding the scope of NAFDAC Consumer Safety Clubs (NCSC) in secondary schools from 42 to 52 before the end of the year.

According to her, the establishment of the clubs in schools is to create awareness and to educate the students on the dangers of using counterfeit drugs at an early age.

Babalakin: Caring in the face of ‘persecution’

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HEN I heard that Dr B. O. Babalakin, fondly referred to by his colleagues in the office and friends as BOB, sponsored an eye treatment programme in Zaria, Kaduna State, on the platform of the Ramotu Ibironke Foundation (a foundation named after his late mother) to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the reign of the Emir of Zaria, Alhaji Dr Shehu Idris, I was touched and a lot of things came to my mind. First I was compelled to go down memory lane. I met BOB fortuitously. I was undertaking my youth corps service at a hotel in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He came to Uyo frequently then. What I found most attractive about him was his humility. He spoke very kindly to us at the reception. That was a marked contrast to other prominent visitors to the hotel. He never checked out of the hotel without asking how we were doing, with emphasis on what our plans were for the future. His conduct surprised me. How could a man who was clearly very busy have time to think about the plight of the lowly staff of the hotel?

After my youth service, I lost touch with him, but a friend of mine kept in touch with him. The last time I saw my friend, who incidentally is Wale by name, he told me about certain events in his life, which sounded like a fairy tale. He told me that after our youth service, Dr Babalakin sponsored him to the University of Leeds in England for a postgraduate programme in Business Administration.

On completing the programme, he offered him employment in Bi-

By Adesola Adeyeye

Courtney Aviation Services Limited.

Interestingly he did not insist that Wale had to work for him.

What Dr Babalakin did for Wale was a tip of the iceberg, as I later found out that BOB was, at a stage, sponsoring 47 students in schools abroad and only about seven of them were wellknown to him. The remaining40 were simply fortunate like my friend, Wale.

Dr Babalakin was also sponsoring over 200 students in various Nigerian universities.

Dr Babalakin has done similar eye programmes in his hometown of Gbongan in Osun State and Owo in Ondo State, where his maternal grandparents were born before they migrated to Zaria. BOB’s mother was born in Zaria. She met and married his father there.

In recent times, Dr Babalakin has made significant contributions to the education sector. BOB built an 80-bed hostel at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in honour of his father, Justice B.O.Babalakin, a retired Supreme Court judge. He also built a 500capacity auditorium at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, in the memory of his mother.

Dr Babalakin’s days as the pro-chancellor of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and the chairman of the Committee of Pro-chancellors remain indelible. His exceptional contributions to education during his four-year tenure are quite numerous. There is no doubt in my mind that he changed the perception that the appointment of pro-chancellors is purely political

and is meant to massage the ego of prominent citizens. Dr Babalakin showed that a pro-chancellor must have vision and genuine commitment to the development of education.

During his tenure, over 50 major projects were inaugurated at UNIMAID. Dr Babalakin’s ingenuity providedelectricity to UNIMAID and ensured an average of 20 hours supply daily without recourse to generator. UNIMAID is the first university in the country to enjoy this. To BOB’s credit, the university’s library was upgraded. He provided counterpart funding for the project. Dr Babalakin also contributed to the development of the university’s College of Medicine.

Other projects actualised during his tenure include the building of new faculties of Pharmacy, Clinical Sciences, Fine Arts and Dentistry; two 500-seater auditoriums, 1,000-capacity auditorium, the development of an e-library, a new campus radio station, the dualisation of the university’s entry gate and the provision of solar-powered street lights.

To boost UNIMAID’s IGR, a 53-bed hotel was built in Abuja on land that was allocated to the university in 1978.

The university had had over 15 prochancellors before him, but it took the vision and determination of BOB to implement the project.

He built more structures in the university during his tenure than was achieved since the establishment of the institution.Dr Babalakin did all these without collecting a dime of the allowances due to him. For him, Nigerians need to make sacrifices to reposi-

•Dr. Babalakin

tion the education sector. And that was exactly what he did.

It is worthy of note that during his four-year tenure as the chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors and that of the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) of the 2009 Agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ASUU never went on strike. That was the first time in the history of the Nigerian education system that the universities were free of strike. Dr Babalakin maintained an open communications channel and put his negotiating skills to good use.

His love for expanding the country’s knowledge base can be better understood if juxtaposed with his personal story: At 26, the chairman of BiCourtney Limited already had a doctorate degree in law from the University of Cambridge. For his sacrifices, the university community and the citizens of Borno State hold him in high esteem.

For a man who has done this much to better the society, I am at a loss as to why he was the target of so much

HE chairman of the Council of Governors, Lions Club International, Mr Samuel Ekpuk, has urged Nigerians to help the needy. He spoke at a news conference to herald the 31st convention of the Lions Clubs International, in Ibadan. He said that the club has helped the less privileged in the society.

“The Lions Club, understanding its roles in the society, has sent helping hands to the people of Nepal whose country experienced earthquake recently. There are always our members to help people. Our members in Nigeria have started raising funds as the first helped. In Nigeria, we have helped of flood disasters and internally displaced persons,” he said.

He listed the largest motherless home in Nigeria which was built by the club in Lekki, the Lions Accident Clinic on the BeninOre Interchange and the diabetes centre in Calabar as part of the club’s successes, adding that “we have a pilot programmes for children where they are taught about the effect of drug abuse and other social vices”.

Ekpuk hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for the peaceful poll which, he said, have put the nation on a higher pedestal, expressing optimism that the country is on its way to achieving firsts in all areas of governance.

He assured President-elect Muhammadu Buhari of the club’s support. He observed that “we are not partisan but we would work for the betterment of the society. We would fashion programmes that will be in line with the aspirations of the incoming administration”.

Ekpuk said the club would continue to collaborate with the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) by providing relief materials for victims of the insurgency.

persecution.Also, I find it intriguing that while he was undergoing personal and financial crises, he still found it in his heart to assist others.

The fact that he was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations that have been proved to be baseless did not deter him from the path he is convinced is the right one. He was declared wanted by EFCC 30 minutes after speaking with the commission’s agents. This could only have been designed to embarrass him and was certainly an abuse of state power.

In addition to the blows from the EFCC, the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) also waged a callous war against him under the guise that his companies were indebted to some banks. In a desperate move, AMCON tried to take over his assets in a manner that the courts have described as an abuse of the judicial process. As it turns out, it is AMCON that is indebted to Dr Babalakin and his companies, not vice-versa.

I salute Dr Babalakin’s rare courage, brilliance, conviction and charity. Most men in his shoes would be cowed by these events and won’t contemplate assisting the less-privileged. But not Babalakin. Instead the fire of compassion in him rages on.

For people like me who he has made a tremendous impression on, we will forever pray for him and wish him well. He is the sort of man our country needs. If more rich people toe his path, we will all be better for it.

What more can I say? More power to your elbow!

Adeyeye, an I.T. engineer, sent this piece from Port Harcourt.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

37

THE NATION INVESTORS

Low subscription aborts Haldane McCall’s N13 T Reit IPO

HE much-awaited listing of the third real estate investment trust on the Nigerian stock market might have been aborted by low subscription to the initial public offering (IPO) of the Haldane McCall Real Estate Investment Trust (HMK Reit).

Regulatory sources indicated that the N13 billion IPO by the HMK Reit recorded less than a third subscription by the close of the extended offer period. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that a public offer must record at least 50 per cent subscription to be deemed successful.

The sources said a move by the promoters of the HMK Reit to secure further extension from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was rebuffed by the apex capital market regulator. SEC had extended the acceptance period for the offer by two weeks. The application period, which was earlier scheduled to close by Wednesday January 14, 2015, was extended till Wednesday January 28, 2015. SEC had extended the offer period to make up for the

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

public holidays during the offer period.

HMK Reit had offered 2.6 billion units at N5.15 per unit. Minimum subscription was fixed at 10,000 units and multiples of 2,000 thereafter.

Optimistic, the HMK Reit made provision to take up additional 15 per cent of excess monies in the event of over-subscription. This increased the offer size to N15.4 billion.

Sources said the IPO was adversely impacted by the bearishness at the stock market during the period. Nigerian equities lost about N1.63 trillion in January, indicating average month-on-month loss of 14.70 per cent.

Aggregate market value of all quoted equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed January 2015 at N9.847 trillion as against its opening value of N11.478 trillion for the month. This represented a loss of N1.63 trillion.

The benchmark index at the stock market, the All Share Index (ASI)-a

value-based common index that tracks prices of all shares on the NSE, closed the month at 29,562.07 points, indicating a year-to-date return of 14.70 per cent. It had opened the year at 34,657.15 points The performance in the first month had raised the spectre of the previous year. Nigerian equities ranked among the worst-performing stocks globally in 2014 with average fullyear decline of 16.14 per cent. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities closed 2014 at N11.478 trillion as against its opening value of N13.226 trillion for the year, indicating a loss of N1.75 trillion during the year.

Parties to the HMK Reit IPO had made application to the council of the NSE for the admission of the 2.6 billion units being offered for subscription to the daily official list of the NSE. Units of the Reit were thus expected to be tradable on the floor of the NSE. There are already two Reits

on the NSE including the Union Homes Real Estate Investment Trust and UPDC Real Estate Investment Trust.

Besides, parties to the IPO had also made application to the Exchange to appoint a market maker to ensure that units of the Reit are available for trading as at when required. The HMK Reit qualified as securities in which Pension Fund Assets can be invested under the Pension Reform Act, 2004 and securities in which Trustees may invest under the Trustees Investments Act, Cap T22, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

According to the details of the offer, the sponsor of the Reit, Suru Worldwide Ventures Nigeria Limited, shall hold five per cent of the Reit while 95 per cent will be held by the investing public.

The net proceeds of the IPO will be used as consideration for the purchase of the initial assets of the Reit thus the sponsor will receive a combination of units equivalent to five per cent and cash payment.

HMK Reit planned to distribute a minimum of 90 per cent of the income earned in any financial

year to unit holders at the end of every financial year.

Parties to the IPO included FSDH Asset Management, the fund manager; Suru Worldwide Ventures Limited, the sponsor and Goldbanc Management Associates, the lead issuing house. FSDH Asset Management is also the fund manager to the UACN Property Development Company Reit (UPDC Reit).

According to the prospectus, the HMK Reit, which is constituted under a Trust Deed as a close- ended real estate investment, aims to provide unit holders with regular and stable income, and sustainable long-term growth in dividend payment and net asset value per unit.

The Reit was expected to invest in a portfolio of high-quality residential and commercial real estate properties that are already generating income, other potential high yield real estate assets, real estate related assets and money market instruments.

The Fund Manager indicated that the HML Reit will focus investment activities on, and use the proceeds of this offering principally for the acquisition of a diverse portfolio of residential and commercial properties located in the metropolitan area of Lagos State, Nige-

Global OTC derivatives drop to $630tr

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HE over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets contracted in the second half of 2014 by some nine per cent.

OTC derivatives statistics for the second half ended December 2014 released by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) showed that the notional amount of outstanding contracts fell by nine per cent from $692 trillion to $630 trillion between the end of June 2014 and the end of December 2014.

According to the report, while exchange rate movements exaggerated the contraction of positions denominated in currencies other than the US dollar, notional amounts were still down by about three per cent after adjusting for exchange rate movements.

The gross market value of outstanding derivatives contracts ,

•From Left: Ebola Survivor, Dr. Ada Igonoh of the First Consultants Hospital; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu; and Chief Medical Director, First Consultant Hospital, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, at the World Economic Forum and World Bank Roundtable on Ebola Crisis held in Lagos on Monday.

NSE delists N37b IHS Nigeria as telco firm opts for private restructuring

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HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has delisted IHS Nigeria Plc from its daily official list, closing the door on the public trading of the shares and securities of the telecommunication infrastructure company on a regular stock exchange.

The NSE delisted both the ordinary and preference shares of IHS Nigeria valued at about N37.02 billion. The delisted shares included 4.40 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each valued at N16.72 billion, IHS preference shares series 1 of 2.79 billion shares valued at N8.6 billion and IHS preference shares series 2 of 5.2 billion shares worth N11.7 billion.

The delisting followed application

by IHS Nigeria for voluntary delisting, barely five years after it listed its shares for public trading. The telecommunication infrastructure company has struggled in recent years with declining incomes and profitability.

The board of the company then decided to opt for voluntary delisting, which takes the company away from public trading and regulatory surveillance of the NSE. However, IHS Nigeria will automatically transit to the NASD Plc, the over-the-counter (OTC) market for unquoted public limited li-

ability companies.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently barred any trading on securities of unquoted public limited liabilities companies except on the regulated OTC market. NASD is licensed and regulated by SEC. The NSE last week released new draft of rules aimed at tightening the delisting process. Under the rules, delisting will become tougher and follow the same rules and procedures like mergers and acquisitions, which require court-ordered meeting and sanction as well as minimum of 75 per cent votes to scale through.

IHS had struggled since listing on the NSE and its recent reports have shown worrisome decline, in spite of substantial capital raising in recent period.

Reliable market sources said IHS’s decision on voluntary was premised on efforts to restructure the operations of the company. Many other companies had cited similar rationale of tough operating situation to revert into privacy.

IHS had been one of the companies tagged by the NSE for poor compliance with listing rules, especially timely submission of periodic operat-

ing reports and accounts.

Incorporated as a private limited liability company on April 10, 2001, IHS converted to a public limited liability company on July 10, 2008 and was subsequently listed on the NSE on January 27, 2009.

IHS Nigeria’s fundamental outlook had worsened in 2013 as significant declines in profitability and balance sheet position raised concerns about the mounting losses over the past three years.

While it grew the top-line commendably by 18.6 per cent, high operating costs and roof-top financial leverage substantially undermined the bottomline and wiped off considerable equity capital.

With net loss per share of N1.50 in 2013 as against 86 kobo in 2012 and decline in net assets per share from N1.69 in 2012 to 14 kobo in 2013, the last audited report indicated a new low for investors.

Audited report and accounts of IHS Nigeria for the year ended April 30, 2013 showed a generally negative performance outlook, which was highlighted by declining liquidity and productive efficiency, lower margins and returns and precarious

T

which provide a more meaningful measure of amounts at risk than notional amounts, rose sharply in the second half of 2014.

Market values increased from $17 trillion to $21 trillion between June 2014 and December 2014, to their highest level since 2012. The increase was likely driven by pronounced moves in long-term interest rates and exchange rates during the period.

Central clearing, a key element in global regulators’ agenda for reforming OTC derivatives markets to reduce systemic risks, made further inroads.

In credit default swap markets, the share of outstanding contracts cleared through central counterparties rose from 27 per cent to 29 per cent in the second half of 2014. In interest rate derivatives markets too, central clearing is becoming increasingly important. The OTC derivatives statistics for the first half of 2015 are expected to be released on or before November 15, 2015.

Cowry Asset’s chief lauds SEC’s appointments, demutualisation

HE recent appointments at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the ongoing efforts on demutualisation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) will engender a more inclusive and globally competitive Nigerian capital market.

Managing Director, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, said the recent confirmation of Mr. Munir Gwarzo as the substantive director general of SEC would lead to consolidation of the improvements witnessed under him as the acting director general.

According to him, the confirmation of Gwarzo was much expected by market operators as he had earned the confidence of the stakeholders in the capital market.

He noted that capital market operators had earlier recommended the confirmation of Gwarzo to President Goodluck Jonathan based on Gwarzo’s pedigree and performance since he assumed office in acting capacity.

“We have seen timely response to issues, prompt feedback and approvals since Mr. Gwarzo assumed office. We are also witnessing an improvement in the work environment in SEC and a more open relationship with market operators and other organisations under SEC supervision such as Nigerian Stock Exchange,” Chukwu said.

He added that the appointment of Mr. Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State, former chairman of Fidelity Bank and member of President’s Economic Management Team would clearly provide a fillip to the ongoing efforts to transform the Nigerian capital market to global standard through the capital market roadmap.

According to him, Obi’s experience in the private sector and his sterling records will avail the board of SEC with uncommon direction required for the next level of market development.

Chukwu also commended the ongoing efforts on the demutualisation of the NSE noting that this will bring the ownership and governance structure of the Exchange in tandem with global stock exchanges.

“A demutualised Nigerian Stock Exchange would make investing on instruments listed on the Exchange more attractive to both local and foreign investors as the Exchange will then adopt the best global practices and certainly become more transparent. It is one of the key market development initiatives required to internationalise the Nigerian capital market,” Chukwu said.

He expressed support for the rule by the SEC limiting trade groups’ equity interest in the demutualised Exchange to 20 per cent and individuals’ interest to five per cent, pointing out that this is necessary to allow for broad ownership structure and avoid situations where a dominant trade group or individual would have controlling interest in such a key capital market institution.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

McDonald’s announces shake-up plans

Itua Pack secures German Flux Pump contract

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CDONALD’S has said it will restructure its busi ness and increase its number of franchised restaurants globally.

The fast-food chain reported poor results for the first quarter of 2015.

Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook said he wanted to move away from its “cumbersome” structure and increase “digital engagement”.

“The numbers don’t lie,” he said.

“I will not shy away from the urgent need to reset this business... and how we galvanise competitive threats.”

Easterbrook said the turnaround plan was aimed at creating a leaner management structure with more “hard-edged accountability” that was less built around geography and more on “commercial logic”.

“In the last five years, the world has moved faster outside the business than inside,” he added. “We’re not on our game.

“We’d like less simple talk of millennials (people born between 1980 and the mid-2000s) as though they are one simple group with

• From left: Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe; Nollywood Actress, Patience Ozokwor; Regional Director AfricaMagic, West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu and Comedian,Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth), during the launch of AfricaMagic Igbo in New Haven, Enugu.

shared attitudes.”

The company also announced it would be focusing more on regions that earned McDonald’s the most - namely the US, which brings in 40 per cent of operating income.

Easterbrook also said its top international markets, such as Australia, Canada, France and the UK, would become a priority.

The firm also identified highgrowth markets in countries such as China and Poland, where new

stores will be opened to boost its share in the market of “IEO” - Informal Eating Out. Easterbrook added: “We can no longer afford to carry legacy commitments, legacy structure or legacy attitudes.”

ASUS unveils ZenFone 2 smartphone

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LOBAL top-three laptop and tablet brand from Taiwan, ASUS, has unveiled ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML). The flagship smartphone is an addition in the new-generation ZenFone family.

With a gorgeous all-new ergonomic design, a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, 13MP/5MP PixelMaster cameras, a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom processor with 4GB RAM and 4G/ LTE connectivity, ZenFone 2 delivers powerful all-round performance.

ASUS is the number one global brand in Taiwan and are building on the resounding worldwide success of ASUS ZenFone, which sold 1.5milion units monthly in the fourth quarter of last year and gar-

nered enthusiastic reviews from journalists and users alike, the much-anticipated ASUS ZenFone 2 premieres many evolved features including a new version of ASUS ZenUI — which has the world’s first fully-customisable interface — and Trend Micro security software for safe web browsing.

ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih, said: “The passion behind the design of ZenFone 2 is our never-ending desire to empower luxury for everyone,” he also mentioned that “We have drawn on our considerable engineering expertise and experience with our popular ZenFone to create a smartphone that embodies this ambition. That device is the incredible new ZenFone 2 — luxury

BHP’s shareholders to approve spin-off in mining industry

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HP Billiton’s shareholders are expected to approve the big gest ever spin-off in the mining industry soon, seeking to wring more value out of a string of long-neglected aluminium, manganese, silver and nickel assets.

But the new company, South32, risks a tough May 18 debut on the Australian bourse, with investors nervous about weak commodity prices, short mine life spans and declining ore grades.

Reflecting this uncertainty, analyst valuations vary widely, with Morgan Stanley predicting it may start with a market worth of A$8.5 billion ($6.7 billion) and Investec around $12 billion.

“I think a focused management team will be able to extract the best value for those assets over time.

But if commodity prices are weak, it’s going to be a bit more problematic,” said Paul Xiradis, chief executive of Ausbil Investment Management, a BHP Billiton Ltd shareholder.

Named after the 32nd parallel south line of latitude that links its main business centres in Perth and Johannesburg, South32 will produce alumina, aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel, silver, lead and zinc from mines and smelters in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, South Africa and Mozambique.

Those assets generated underlying earnings of $446 million on

revenue of $8.3 billion last year.

“A lot of people who own BHP own it for the yield and for some exposure to the sector, and will not want to hold South32,” said Nik Stanjevic, an analyst at British wealth manager Brewin Dolphin.

South32 will be most sensitive to aluminium and alumina prices, with all-in aluminium prices, which include London Metal Exchange prices plus a premium for delivery, having slumped this year due to a near 50 percent plunge in premiums.

Selling pressure is also likely from UK investors who cannot hold the stock because it will not be included in the FTSE 100 index. However, that is likely to be offset by passive funds in Australia buying South32 shares as they will be included in the major S&P/ASX indexes.

Once the dust settles after the launch, South32 could look for acquisitions or equally be at risk of becoming a takeover target for those betting on a recovery in base metals.

“In that sense it is something we are excited about,” said Hanre Rossouw, head of resources at Investec Asset Management in Cape Town.

Investors expect South32 to take advantage of its low debt to invest in exploration and perhaps to chase acquisitions, including a potential swoop on Australia’s Whitehaven Coal, according to Credit Suisse.

that everyone can enjoy.”

ASUS ZenFone 2 has a stunning, all-new design employing iconic ASUS design elements that echo the spirit of Zen, with a luxurious brushed-metal finish and distinctive concentric-circle detailing.

ZenFone 2 has aesthetic refinements, including a graceful curved case that tapers to an incredibly thin 3.9mm at the edges to lend ZenFone 2 a bold yet elegant look.

This curvature provides exceptional comfort and a secure grip, and intuitive control and convenience is further enhanced by the rearmounted volume control key — ideally-positioned for the user’s index finger.

ZenFone 2 has a sharp and vivid 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display with a 403ppi pixel density and a wide 178degree viewing angle, ensuring lifelike photos and videos and greatlooking apps.

ASUS TruVivid technology enhances display performance even more with bright, brilliant colors.

The display has an ultra-narrow

3.3mm bezel, giving ZenFone 2 a remarkable 72 per cent screen-tobody ratio for a maximised viewing experience, and is covered with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 for superior resistance to damage and fingerprints.

An anti-fingerprint coating reduces friction by 30%, giving a luxuriously-smooth feel to touch gestures.

ZenFone 2 is available in five unique colors that, together with the beauty and customisability of ASUS ZenUI, result in a smartphone that is truly personal, both inside and out. The ZenFone 2 color portfolio includes Osmium Black, Sheer Gold, Glacier Gray, Glamor Red and Ceramic White. Special Transfusion and Illusion covers are available that give users even more choices to match their own unique style.

According to a concluded research by the IDC, ASUS is Top 3 in consumer notebook brand in the market and is fast selling in markets and stores around Nigeria.

• Managing Director, British American Tobacco (BAT), Mr. Chris McAllister, (left) and President, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), Prince Adeyemi Adefulu, during a courtesy visit of the Chamber to BAT's office in Lagos.

ERMAN Flux Pump Tech nology has made inroad into the Nigeria market with its different products supplied locally by a Nigerian firm, Itua Pack Limited.

Service Engineer, Itua Pack Limited, Akinyemi Awodele, said the company has been servicing machinery and technical devices to companies for nearly four decades. He said the firm is also a pioneer of product processing and packaging technology industry in the country and specialises in providing processing and packaging infrastructure to its esteemed customers.

According to Awodele, the products, which include Mixers, Flow Meters, Vertical Centrifugal Immersion Pumps, Air-operated Diaphragm, Barrel and Container Pumps, Drum Emptying System, Sanitary Pumps, Eccentric WormDrive Pumps among others, have their specific functions.

He explained that Mixers offers a complete range of mixers for agitating, mixing, dissolving, stirring and diluting low to medium viscosity liquids. The complete range of mixers is based on a modular design, allowing the user to select the individual component part to meet its specific requirement.

He said Flow Meters has maximum measurement accuracy, ensure absolute safety, control and reliability in liquid handling be it manual, automatic or computerized dispensing operation of different liquids.

Also, Vertical Centrifugal Immersion Pumps, which have high delivery rates centrifugal immersion pumps, combine maximum efficiency with a robust and reliable construction, resulting in a pump that provides the ultimate in process security, especially for transferring corrosive or abrasive fluids. Main fields of application are the chemical industry, chemical engineering, electro-plating, PCB manufacturing fresh and waste water treatment.

The Air-operated Diaphragm, he said, has the right solution for safe and reliable transfer of low to high viscosity products even with solids in suspension, as well as abrasive, high flammability or accreted liquids while the Barrel and Container Pumps has perfection in pumping is the specialist for liquid transfer out of barrel and container suitable for thin, neutral, corrosive or high flammability liquids. This is the most successfully used pump in almost any industry all over the world.

“Eccentric Worm-Drive Pumps is the expert in transferring low to high viscosity, pasty, but still free flowing products suitable for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical products as well as petroleum products, while Sanitary Pumps are advanced pumps design, ideal for use in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industry. Each sanitary pump can be stripped down in no time for cleaning and / or sterilisation,” he said.

He added that Pump Kits are typical drum pump/motor combination, forming a matched pump unit for specific application while Drum Emptying System is for fast, conveying of highly viscous, pasty and non-free flowing.

“Apart from selling Pumps, Itua Pack has standard back-up after sales support and accessories which makes the flux solution perfect equipment. The company also has technical assistance from the manufacturer for the after sales service,” he said.

He said Flux Pump remains a brand name associated with pump technology, allowing users to use the name freely when making requests, adding that the word, Flux is always engraved on the pump.

39

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

BUSINESS AFRICA Bi–Courtney to open e-gates at MMA2

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I-COURTNEY Aviation Ser vices Limited will tomorrow launch its latest innovations in terminal facilities.

According to a statement signed by the spokesman of the firm , Mr Remi Ladigbolu, the outgoing minister of aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, will unveil the facilities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two ( MMA2).

Part of the facilities to be launched include self service check in kiosks, electronic boarding gates with automated access gates to departure lounge and other secure areas as well as the baggage reconciliation system.

Representatives of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airport Council International (ACI) and other interna-

tional bodies and stakeholders in the aviation sector will grace the event.

Since last year the firm has spent millions of naira in fixing facilities at the terminal as the first privately run airport terminal in Nigeria.

Ladigbolu said: “Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited recognises the importance and unique responsibilities that come with being the developer and operator of the first and only privately funded and operated airport terminal in Africa.

“This is why we continue to seek opportunities to invest in new technologies that constantly improve the experience of airport users and continuously raise the standard in the industry.”

South Africa to restore energy ties with Iran S OUTH Africa hopes to restore energy ties with Iran, its en ergy minister said, according to Iran’s Shana news agency, three years after international sanctions halted oil trade between the two countries.

“South Africa is aiming for a framework of cooperation with Iran regarding crude oil, LNG, LPG, gas and petrochemicals,” Tina Joemat-Pettersson was quoted as saying by Shana during a visit to Tehran.

“South Africa’s private sector can invest in various parts of Iran’s oil industry,” she added.

Director, international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Mohsen Ghamsari, said on South Africa was hoping to import crude oil and other energy products from Iran, state news agency IRNA reported.

South Africa bought about 68,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude from

Iran in May 2012. Last September, Africa’s second-largest crude consumer expressed interest in resuming imports.

Iran’s exports of crude have fallen to around 1.1 million bpd, from a high of 2.5 million bpd in 2012, as Western sanctions have made it difficult to find buyers.

Iran is negotiating with world powers to lift sanctions in exchange for more stringent controls on its disputed nuclear programme.

Cleaning products coming

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UNITED Kingdom-based firm: Dayspring Cleaning Products Limited, is set to unveil a cleaning product in the market.

The product will serve as cleaning chemicals for hygiene materials, baby items, clothing, cleaning aids, detergents, disinfectants, rubbish bins, mop bucket and a myriad of other cleaning products.

According to its Managing Director, Mr Olalekan Osundina, the product is an evidence of coordinated teamwork and the company’s commitment to deliver personalised services.

He said the product will be useful to individuals, organisations such as companies and hotels, catering outfits and all those involved in health services and industrial cleaning.

He said the firm also provides business-minded individuals with great business opportunity to get over the financial challenges by marketing the product across the globe .

Osundina said: “We took a pro-active approach and created a great opportunity for business minded individuals to create their own clean-

ing supply store with inspired commission incentives.

“Anyone can become a supplier of our cleaning products with our friendly financing options. Our commitment to helping our customers grow is number one on our business agenda.

“Dayspring Cleaning Products Limited’s strength lies in its approach to buying and selling bulk products as a strategic partner with international ties.”

Osundina said: “We source all our products from quality reputable suppliers, who are able to provide the guarantee that all products are suitable for purpose and come with the appropriate health and safety data sheets.”

In 2007, the company included freight forwarding services to its business.

“Other than possessing the strength to buy and sell a large variety of cleaning products, we are also experts at logistics involved with both land and ocean shipments.

We will arrange the movement of your products so you can focus entirely on your business,” said the company vice president.

Delta unveils uniforms

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N 2018, Delta Air Lines employ ees will be branded with uni forms created by a New Yorkbased designer, Zac Posen, to bring high fashion and function to a different kind of runway as part of Delta’s new uniform programme.

Delta is creating a programme for nearly all of its uniformed employees. Through the partnership, Zac Posen will design a uniform collection for Delta’s flight attendants and airport customer service agents while advising on the uniform project for Delta’s ramp and ground support agents, Delta Cargo agents and Delta TechOps employees.

“Through challenges and triumphs, the Delta uniform has been a source of great pride for generations of Delta people and continues to serve as a symbol of our values and the world class service for which we’re known,” said Tim Mapes, Delta’s Senior Vice President, Marketing.

“With Zac’s talent and expertise, and in partnership with Delta

people worldwide, we look forward to creating a timeless, fashionable and functional new collection that will continue to be a point of pride and symbol of our brand for the 170 million customers who fly with us each year.”

Known for his fresh and innovative designs, Posen’s brand of modern American glamour pairs well with Delta’s brand attributes, and he will be personally engaged throughout the multi-year project.

His designs are favored from the White House to the red carpet in Hollywood.

“I’m thrilled to partner with this classic American brand and look forward to collaborating with Delta employees to understand their wants and needs for the new collection,” said Zac. “Together, we will bring everyday elegance and style innovation to the ground and air alike, while making employees look and feel their best.”

Over the next few months, Posen will work with Delta employees to better understand the specialised needs of Delta’s active workforce.

Etihad acquires A380

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TIHAD Airways has taken de livery of its second Airbus A380 in its striking new ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery, and has introduced the aircraft on the popular Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow route since May 1, 2015.

Etihad Airways’ newest aircraft, registered A6-APB, was delivered to the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub on 25 April and will operate the EY19 / EY20 rotation. Two of the airline’s three daily flights to London will now be operated by the A380. Etihad Airways has a further eight A380s on order.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Add-

ing our second A380 on the Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow will give our guests more opportunities to experience Etihad Airways’ revolutionary new cabins, including The Residence

by Etihad and First Apartments.’’

By August of 2015, all three daily flights on this flagship route will be operated by the A380, offering our guests unparalleled luxury and superior in-flight technology.

“In June, the third A380 will be introduced on one of our two daily services from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, offering a seamless, one-stop connection via Abu Dhabi to and from London on this innovative aircraft type.”

• From left: Regional Retail Co-ordinator, Lagos and Southwest, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, Ms. Funmilola Paseda presenting a gift to Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Kenneth Minimah during the inauguration of 81 Division Officers' Mess in Lagos. With them is General Officer Commanding 81 Division of Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Tamunomieibi Dibi.

Institute urges CBN, others on liquidity

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HE International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Bayero University (BUK) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Securities Exchange Commission(SEC) and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to ease the liquidity issues.

It made this known in a communique at the end of its Second International Conference in Kano.

The conference urged the government to hasten to take the opportunities in the Islamic seg-

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

ment of the capital market to address the acute infrastructural deficit in the country.

The conference noted that to grow Islamic finance, there was the need for more institutions to be involved in training, calling for the establishment of more Islamic banks and financial institutions as well as improving aggressive marketing.

The conference also stressed the need for more muslim states to boost the institutionalisation of the

of the collection, administration and establish an effective mechanism for the distribution of Zakkat and administration of waaf.

The conference observed that with sustained growth over the last decade, Islamic finance has become one of the key players in the global financial Industry.

The conference also recommended that the institute should explore more avenues for publicising and promoting its activities and introducing short training courses to cater for the rising demands for experts in Islamic finance.

NCAA’s manual for airlines makes debut

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HE Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched a air navigation procedural manual called Performance Based Navigation (PBN) for airlines.

According to the regulatory body, the manaul contains all requirements and procedures airlines must abide by in the implementation of the new air navigation procedure, which is expected to save flight time and save fuel consumption for airlines.

The NCAA’s Director General, Dr Usman Muthar, who made this known said the manual was being launched to raise the level of awareness for the users of the concept and all the stakeholders in the industry.

He said the manual would provide guidance to airline opera-

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

tors on how to comply with the requirements for the PBN operations.

The NCAA chief said the authority would work hard to ensure its full implementation before the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Audit by next month.

Muthar said it would continue to work with stakeholders to ensure it realised the benefits of the PBN. He said the implementation was not without challenges, adding that the facility provided by PBN has not been fully utilised in the country.

“The industry must work together to ensure that Nigeria realises the full benefits of PBN.” He said the PBN would provide operators with greater operators

return, reduce aircraft congestion in the airspace, conserve aircraft fuel, protect the environment for the aircrft and improve operational efficiency of aircraft control.

“Others are increasing the airspace capacity; it will reduce the ground navigational base and it will reduce aircraft noise,” he said.

The NCAA boss said the authority would collaborate with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to provide an adequate survelliance for safe airspace.

“In compliance with the PBN, the NAMA and NCAA will train more Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), we will provide procedures for granting of operational approval. “ We will provide procedure for granting Airworthiness approval,” he said.

Emirates grow cabin crew

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MIRATES Airlines will this month celebrate a milestone in its employee history, with its cabin crew team hitting 20,000 staff.

Instantly recognisable all around the world, Emirates cabin crew is a vibrant group that comprises over 135 nationalities that speak over 55 languages.

Reflective of the cosmopolitan DNA of Dubai, the multi-cultural mix is also core to the personality

of Emirates and its crew.

The growth of the cabin crew team has been steadily increasing in line with the arrival of new aircraft, and new routes being added to the network. This year, Emirates expects to hire over 5,000 new cabin crew.

“Our cabin crew are our greatest brand ambassadors. They interact daily with our customers at 35,000 feet in the air, and also at major exhibitions and events around the world where Emirates has a pres-

ence. From the safety and security of our customers onboard, to looking after their well-being and delivering a memorable flight and brand experience, our cabin crew truly embodies what we stand for at Emirates. Now at 20,000 cabin crew, we have come a long way in a short span of time, and we are proud to celebrate this milestone with our talented and passionate team,” said Terry Daly, Divisional Senior Vice President – Service Delivery, Emirates.

40

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Essiet_daniel@yahoo.com 08180714151

A handful of entrepreneurs are stepping up their game to show that they have the appetite, skills and vision to scale hurdles on their ways to success, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

‘Big ideas rule the world’

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T is a known fact that a lot of people go into ventures without having formal training, nay, hands on experience. Yet, majority of those in this category have turned out to be very successful in such endeavours. One of such is Gus Ogunlowo, Founder and CEO of Ba2you, a human resources development firm.

He saw himself as becoming a defining figure in business venture. He spoke on the sideline at an event tagged: “Turning passion to profit”, a day event put together by Business Impact Limited in collaboration with the University of Lagos to propel youths in discovering their innate abilities and maximising them resourcefully for financial independence and humanity cause. The event featured speakers from various professions.

It was declared opened by the founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), Prof Pat Utomi, who urged youths to develop a change-driven passion and zeal in all that they do.

Ogunlowo, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Work Experience Network, United Kingdom (UK), was a guest speaker.

He talked about his humble beginning, which he described as one of the few stories of inspiration. His journey into stardom, he noted, expatiated the virtue of hard work and dedication to substantiate success.

He recalled those times in his life when he lived in a suburb of Lagos, where fulfillment only ‘lives and dies in the mind’.

His swift ability to discern between the class and the classless in the society, with Lagos as a peculiar template, gave him the drive to strive to succeed at all legitimate cost.

When he relocated to the U K, he had no degree. It was a major obstacle for him when he began to look for job. He was not given much chance. But he didn’t allow it to affect him. He narrated how his vision, passion and drive for success got him to the prestigious stage he has achieved. But it took him some years of obstinate determination and diligence to carve a niche for himself with nothing but his strength, smartness and ethics. After one or two rejections, he decided that the strategy was to identify the challenges his prospective organisations were facing and present to them his cocktail of solutions. Somehow, he managed to convince some organisations and they engaged him. Along the line, he developed strong interest in information technology and began part-time courses in the area.

The fees were high, but he paid them as long as it would help him accomplish his goals. Subsequently, a serious career was on the horizon. He started applying for jobs, lower executive positions while still pursuing his education.

He would attend lectures after leaving work. To say that he worked hard for his examinations was an understatement, he determined to not just scrape through,he actually did his best to acquire BSc Applied Computing and Information Systems degree from Thames Valley University. He also did some courses as a certified scrum master, business analysis, business readiness and product management. Having worked in a well-paid role, Ogunlowo saved some money, knowing that he wouldn’t be doing

•Utomi

that forever and would be in need of the money for future plans.

Starting his dream was to establish an organisation that will grow to a size where he will service high yield clients and make money from it too.

He has since seen the business grow and made more links to business organisations and individuals and become a leading consultant.

Today, he has a well-established IT consultancy in the UK, running his firm, Ba2you, successfully for the last three years.

It was founded from his passion for authenticity and disdain for theoretical training programmes, which equip candidates with the right tools to pass their examinations, but definitely would not get them a job. He is leading the way in innovative, interactive and intuitive training programmes within I.T. As a Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) with the Scrum Alliance, he has engineered and contributed to the success of many projects that are used on a daily basis i.e Formula 1, Euro 2012, Wimbledon, Olympics 2012, BBC iplayer, Smart TV (Sony, Samsung, Panasonic), Card payments, PCI Compliance, iOS iPad, iPhone app development; Android app development with Media device implementations.

Whether a company needs iPhone or Android apps, complete e-Commerce solutions, or even long term partnership for IT projects, his company can deliver quality, cost-efficient services with minimal turn around time.

His sharp eye for identifying and capitalising on growing industry trends has helped his company afloat during this age of ever evolving technological capabilities.

He is not blinded just by passion alone, he keeps an eye on the reality of the business.

Always be in the self-learning mode, and think global as well as local.

He noted that the success of any man is not determined by his grammatical eloquence or a library full of certificates, but a heart full of questions and a choice to learn.

•Sanni

•Ogunlowo

•Bamgbose

•Olatunde

In his words: “It is important that youth in this contemporary society ‘learn to learn’. It is important you identify that if you don’t know you can influence anything, people can’t follow you. Therefore, learn to build a habit of learning and a sense of service.

Every follower makes a good leader and the reward for leadership is immortality.”

There were also emotionally touching success stories of start ups, who were moderated by the MD/CEO SMILE, Bimpe Bamgbose. She invited four youngsters to the stage to share their life experiences; the weaknesses, the strengths and the drives that kept them pushing harder.

Bimpe stated the material needs for youths to protect their hard earned integrity and the need to be able see opportunities to solve problem in every challenge.

The Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC, Mr Yinka Sanni, who was one of the chief speakers identified the need to be diligent in one’s passion and ambition to succeed as an entrepreneur.

He advised that every youth should strive to be the change he wants to see in the country.

The convener, Samson Olatunde spiced the event with his success story as an ordinary computer trainer with one computer system. He told the story of how he became one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Africa.

Olatunde recalled that: “It’s not the first time BIL will be treading this path. He said: “On May 29, 2014, the main auditorium of the prestigious University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, was filled to capacity as students and young professionals from different walks of life attended “2014 Edition of Youth Connect Summit.” The programme also had some of Nigeria’s finest young entrepreneurs and remarkable career figures.”

He explained that the tool of strategic personal development and discovery of purpose was hammered upon at the epochmaking event.

Olatunde said: “Youth Connect” is envisioned to raise astute leaders, indomitable entrepreneurs and trail blazers with respect to career. The summit is foreseen to spread to other states within Nigeria with time,” added.

Skye Bank partners IFC to make loans accessible to SMEs

S

KYE Bank Plc, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has developed a lending framework for medium enterprises and SMEs. The new lending framework would ensure that loans are made available for SME’s and deemphasise collateral, but put more focus on business viability.

Going by the planned modalities for the scheme, each business in need of the loan would be subjected to a viability test and screening and upon scaling through the test successfully, the bank may then consider non-traditional collateral options to reduce the difficulty bank loan access has become to business owners.

According to a statement by the bank through its Head, Retail Banking Group, Nkolika Okoli, the bank has concluded plans to stop charging commission on turnover

(COT) on all retail current accounts, well ahead of the deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The bank’s new retail strategy has necessitated a shift from its previous product led to a more customer eccentric approach. The business focus would henceforth concentrate more on customers and less on products using unique value propositions built around the needs of each customer segment. This is Skye Bank’s effort to recognise unique needs of each customer based on their economic worth and provide solutions to meet these needs,”the statement read.

Okoli said in addition to its in-house SME loans for small and medium business owners, Skye Bank is also one of the SMEfriendly banks appointed by both the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bank of Industry to disburse the federal government’s

MSME support funds. And with the recent acquisition of Mainstreet Bank and the latest modern banking application software by Skye, the bank has more reach, presence and is better able to serve its Retail customers efficiently.

As a way of supporting small business owners and making the loan available in the hands of every interested customer, Skye Bank has begun a training programme for SME owners in the six geo-political zones of the country. And to enable it overcome business challenges, operators in the SME sector are trained on how to access the government Medium, Small-Medium Entreprise MSME intervention funds.

They are also taught the use of technology to drive business and operational efficiency, cashflow management and the importance of networking for success.

W.TEC hosts workshop for women W.TEC, a non-governmental organisation advancing the economic and social empowerment of girls and women, using information and communication technologies (ICTs), is holding a Technology & Entrepreneurship class for women this month.The forum is free.

The organisation said the programme will hold on Fridays and Saturdays.

The programme is aimed at equipping them with useful technological and ICT skills that will improve their business, employability and productivity in the work and business place.

The organisation said the course, an eyeopener towards exploring career opportunities and options, will help women to acquire income generating skills.

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WEDNESDAY MAY 6, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Recriminations are flying around among party faithful who are mourning the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) fall from grace during the general elections. The party leadership and the governors on the one hand and the President’s close associates on the other are trading blames. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI examines the controversy threatening to tear the party apart.

Fresh crisis threatens PDP T

HIS is not the best of times for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party has been hit by fresh crises, following its recent defeat at the polls. There had been signs that all was not well with the party, but party chieftains carried on as usual. After coming faceto-face with the reality of March 28 and April 11, the expectation of all and sundry was that members of the party would close ranks and brace themselves for their new roles as members of the leading opposition party.

But, rather than remain to rebuild the party, a good number of them have jumped boat, by defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This started from the moment they saw the handwriting on the wall prior to the general elections. Others even waited till after the decisive March 28 presidential elections before taking the plunge.

There have been a lot of recriminations in recent weeks about what went wrong. Stakeholders are trading blames and calling for each other’s head. For instance, after a meeting of 19 PDP governors in Abuja recently, the resolution was that the national officers should resign, to pave the way for a new leadership. The governors got together to do a post mortem on the election. The National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, and some members of the NWC were said to be part of the closed-door meeting. But, Mu’azu and his team were later asked to excuse the governors.

As a way of fighting back, members of the NWC are poised for a show down with the governors as they have vowed not to resign. They are calling for a public hearing into who caused the collapse of PDP between the governors and NWC. The leadership of the party is insisting that at the public hearing, members, stakeholders and leaders of the party would listen to views from everyone to ascertain who created problems that led to the poor performance of the party.

Observers say the PDP has a lot of soul-searching to do. Aside from losing the Presidency, which it has held for 16 years, the party lost its majority in the National Assembly and will be the leading opposition when the eighth National Assembly is inaugurated after the May 29 handover. The PDP won 46 senatorial seats out of 109, while the APC cornered 60. The situation in the House of Representatives does not differ. From a height of 21 state governors, the party has only 13 slots now. It lost in its traditional strongholds of Adamawa, Plateau, Niger, Kaduna, Benue, Bauchi and Jigawa.

Aside from the governors, the President Goodluck Jonathan’s aides and close associates have come up documents suggesting that members of the NWC stole funds belonging to the party’s treasury shortly after President Jonathan lost the presidential election. Two of the associates noted that the President was dismayed by greed of the NWC members, who stole over N250 million from the party’s war chest prior to the April 11 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

A Presidency source noted that the conduct of members of the NWC contributed largely to the defeat of President Jonathan. He said they more interested in pursuing their private material interests than the party’s corporate interest. “They were too busy helping themselves to party funds as President Jonathan’s campaign suffered,” he added.

In a fierce rebuttal, several of the NWC members said President Jonathan was the architect of his own failure.

“He was the person running the country, not members of the NWC. If Nigerians turned against him, it’s not because of anything the NWC did or didn’t do,” one member said. Another NWC member accused the President and his closest associates of prosecuting the multi-billion dollar campaign using structures outside the party.

Some members of NWC have even accused President Jonathan of planning to hijack the party in order to place his loyalists in place in anticipation of running for office again in 2019. Specifically, they accused Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State of leading the plot to remove the Muazu-led NWC, to position himself for the 2019 election. “We are determined to ensure that no-

• Jonathan

• Muazu

•Ndoma-Egba

•Dickson

“The NWC is aware that these ‘same individuals who mismanaged the presidential campaigns are now desperately seeking to cause crisis in the PDP with a view not only to divert attention from their misdeeds but also to ensure that they remained politically relevant by hijacking the party structure for their selfish purposes.”

’

body can just pocket a party that many eminent Nigerians contributed to establish,” one of them noted.

Nevertheless, a defiant Mu’azu has vowed to stay on till the expiration of his tenure. Far from accepting blame for the party’s defeat, Mu’azu asserted that the governors contributed to the abysmal outing of the party during the last general elections. Recently, the NWC has issued a strong warning to those it described as ambitious aides and associates of the President, “trying to use their closeness to him to cause crisis in the party and pave way for more defection to other parties.” In an unusually strongly-worded statement, the party leadership said it would expose such individuals and make them face the full weight of the party disciplinary measures if they fail to immediately retrace their steps.

The statement signed by National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said it is “aware of the clandestine activities of such aides and associates of the President, including their unholy alliance with some elements in other parties to undermine and weaken the PDP by attacking

its leadership.

“The NWC is aware that these same individuals who mismanaged the presidential campaigns are now desperately seeking to cause crisis in the PDP with a view not only to divert attention from their misdeeds but also to ensure that they remained politically relevant by hijacking the party structure for their selfish purposes.”

Jonathan lost the March 28 presidential election to his main challenger, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Despite the President’s concession of defeat, some of his party leaders have for weeks subtly blamed each other for the loss.

Ahead of the elections, Mu’azu faced stringent criticisms for his contribution to the campaign efforts of Mr. President. Many party members accused him of refusing to campaign for the President openly, especially in the northern states.

To douse the call for the resignation of its members, the NWC has constituted a post-election assessment committee to review and evaluate the performance of the PDP in the general elections and make recommendations for the repositioning of the party.

According to the party leadership whose tenure ends next year, the best option is to allow a smooth transition, cautioning the governors that resignation as an option would not work. According to members of the NWC, apart from Delta and Ebonyi states, all the PDP governors got the candidates they wanted as they pushed unpopular candidates.

The party leadership can only be set aside at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. The leadership, whose tenure is expected to end in March 2016, may not call for an NEC meeting until after the May 29 handover date, when the tenure of many of the governors as members of NEC would expire. The constitution of the PDP saddles the NWC, which is responsible only to the NEC, with the responsibility of running the party. The NWC members are now tactically waiting for May 29 before deciding on when to hold a NEC meeting. It is the belief of the NWC members that the President and the governors who are also members of the NEC could influence the outcome of the meeting. While the President will remain a member of NEC even after the end of his tenure, the governors cease from being members afterwards.

Those spearheading the calls for the resignation of members of the NWC include: Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and a former Deputy National Chairman, Olabode George.

Governor Dickson has openly blamed the PDP’s loss at the federal level on what he described as indiscipline and disloyalty of some party members. Speaking recently in Yenagoa at the inauguration of a special committee, Dickson warned that dire consequences await any member of the PDP who engages in anti-party activities.

Observers have however argued that the main reasons why the PDP lost at the federal level on March 28 were as a result of imposition of unpopular candidate on the mass.

After the primaries, there were disgruntled PDP members calling on the party managers to refund the monies they spent in buying intent and nominations forms.

Besides, President Jonathan, the observers insist, lost popularity among the masses because he lost focus. Secondly, his overzealous wife, First Lady Dame Patience, did not help matters. She intruded in the running of many state chapters of the party.

A party chieftain Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba appears to have thrown his weight behind members of the NWC. In an interview, the Senate Leader and the Cross River State member of the upper legislative chamber since 2003, explained that the road to the defeat of the PDP in the March 28 and April 11 elections was paved from the December 2014 primaries of the party when the governors deliberately shut out “unwanted candidates” and imposed their own on the party.

He said: “The resultant effect was exodus from the PDP without any corresponding influx.” According to the Senate Leader, “In the case of the PDP recently, politicians left because they felt that they did not fit within the governors’ calculations. In my view, since every politics is local, each case should be treated on its merit. Unbridled defection has the capacity of not only overheating the polity and upsetting the entire political configuration, but destabilizing the polity.”

Ndoma-Egba advised that the best antidote against the PDP defeat in 2019 was to stem further defections by ensuring “internal party democracy” as a party can only give the nation what it has. He added: “A party that does not have internal party democracy can only falsely promise the nation democracy.”

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It may suffice to add another menacing problem, un‘fair and unconscionable. As an unwholesome perception of Africans by the Whites, the Africans have always been regarded as inferior and intellectually weak

Nigeria: Political power imbalance: The bane and chain down of Nigeria’s progress and development •Excerpts from a 261- paged book by Sir Olaniwun Ajayi

G

ENERALLY, the regard which the White race has for the Black race is more or less like the regard which a master has for his servant. The genesis of this is not difficult to find, bearing in mind that at the moment of contact with the White race, the Black race was about two thousand years behind in the struggle of life. After this, was a period of about four hundred years of gross humiliation and retrogression in every way. During this period, the Black race was, in all respects and without any question, under grinding savagery and brutality which had no parallel in extent and scale in the history of man. The economy of the Black race was devastated, the African villages were sacked and destroyed; their family and community life were broken.

There was no question of hygiene ___ personal or environmental. In all the circumstances, the Black man became morally low, mentally weak, timid, docile, lacking in confidence and unable to face the challenges of life. In consequence, there was no African nation-state as such.

These had been the state of affairs of the Black race before and during the slavery, slave trade and slave raid with which we shall deal briefly in due course.

Among the White race, the first to blaze the trail into Africa to import slaves and gold dust in 1444 were the Portuguese.

Other things they imported were pepper and ivory for which they exchanged spirits, arms, cowries, iron bars, European cloths and beads. Within ten years of this venture, the Portuguese had shipped more than Seven hundred slaves from West Africa.

In this nefarious but lucrative business, the British merchant adventurers did not want to be left behind. Their plan in this regard was stalled by two events. First, in 1481, John II of Portugal prevailed on Edward IV of England to restrain two of his people, namely, John Tinlam and William Fabian, from undertaking their planned voyage to Guinea. The second event was the Papa Bull of 1493 by Pope Alexander VI which granted monopoly of business in Africa completely to Portugal. Although his grant of monopoly had no time limit, but it came to an end about sixty years later. During this period, Portuguese business in slave trade had flourished very significantly.

But, not too soon however, the monopoly of Portugal was broken. Two important events led to this. The first event was the reformation which liberalised Denmark, England, Holland and Prussia from the strict control of the Pope. Secondly, a quarrel arose between Henry VIII of England and the Pope which led Henry VIII to rebel against the Pope. Consequently, the Papa Bull of 1493 was violated by the English which made it easy for the English merchants to enter into keen competition against Portugal in the slave trade in Africa. It would appear that now that all the impediments had been removed from the way of the English, they, the English, appeared to supersede the Portuguese. Thus, in 1562, John Hawkins succeeded in bringing to England three hundred able-bodied African slaves from West Africa. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I, was so pleased that she happily knighted John Hawkins. Spain also joined in the trade. But Spain contented herself with obtaining her supplies of slaves from the Portuguese and the English.

With the passage of time, the business in slaves was expanding as the demand for slaves was rising, due to the needs of the Spanish for their silver mines in Mexico and Peru and also for the plantation of the British and the Spanish in the Americas and West Indies.

To meet and satisfy the rising demand for slaves, the whole of Black Africa became involved, but in real terms, the heavier impact was on West Africa and the British took a leading part in the traffic. Thus, in 1771, sixty-three British ships took 23,301 slaves from the Bight of Benin alone. At that time, the total number of slaves was 74,000 slaves a year. Of this number, the British took 38,000; the French took 20,000; the Portuguese 10,000; the Dutch 4,000 and the Danish 2,000. Of the total slaves, 14,500 slaves came from the Bonny and New Calabar River.

To say that Nigeria played a major role in the nefarious business of slavery, slave trade and slave raid would be an understatement. There were thirteen major slave trading parts in West Africa. About seven or eight of the thirteen parts were located in Nigeria. These seven parts were Badagry, Old Calabar, New Calabar, Benin, Bonny, Brass and Lagos. Between 1651 and 1865, 482 slaves were shipped from Badagry, Benin and Lagos.

The pernicious effect of slavery and slave trade will remain with many for quite some time to come. It is certainly difficult, as Sir Alan Burns observed, to conceive the amount of misery caused by the trade in slaves during the period that it flourished in Black Africa, especially in West Africa, particularly bearing in mind the degrading effect it had both on the Black race and the civilised White race who enriched themselves at the expense of their fellowmen.

It is apposite, at this juncture, to refer to the statement made by a great historian and, indeed, a former governor (noted in

•Sir Olaniwun

say that Nigeria played a ma‘jorTorole in the nefarious business of slavery, slave trade and slave raid would be an understatement.

There were thirteen major slave trading parts in West Africa.

About seven or eight of the thirteen parts were located in Nigeria

’

1942) when he wrote thus: “It must be borne in mind that, although the European nations were entirely responsible for the oversea slave — traffic and encouraged the evils of slave raiding, they did not introduce slavery to the innocent African...”

The learned author would appear to have played down the fact that ‘innocent Africans,’ for nearly four hundred years (389 years to be exact), were in colossal humiliation, retrogression on all fronts, and subjected to wholesale savagery and brutality unsurpassed in magnitude and scale in the annals of man.

To underline the iniquities in the nefarious business called ‘slavery,’ Norman Leys, in his book titled Kenya, referred to slavery thus: “And slavery was defined as meaning the ownership by one person of the body of another.”

The same writer remarked further, saying: “These men created an even- widening circle of cruelty and destruction that at length, wrecked African civilisation nearly everywhere.”

It is intriguing to observe the comments made in this regard by Sir Fredrick Lugard in his book ___ ‘The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa,’ published in 1922, to the effect that: “To the slave, the effect is hardly less demoralising.

He is deprived of the dignity of manhood. He is without responsibility and without incentive to work other than the fear of punishment. His status approximates to that of his master’s cattle.”

To cap this piece, it will be appropriate to make a short reference to what may be described as lamentation of David Livingstone which he expressed when he reached Arcadia in East Africa where he had found the heart of darkness, a new outburst of the slave trade. He called it the “Open sore of the world.”

One might be moved to tears reading David Livingstone’s last words, emblazoned in brass on his tomb in Westminster Abbey in London wherein he was quoted to have said about 11pm on 30 April, 1873: “All I can add in my solitude, is, may heaven’s rich blessing come down on every one - American, English or Turk, who will help to heal this open sore of the

’

world.”

On the occasion of the knighthood of John Hawkins in 1562, Queen Elizabeth called the slave trade a detestable trade which would call down the vengeance of heaven upon the undertakers.

If one calls to mind the pernicious and painfully enduring effect of the illicit traffic in slaves, one could visualise the true and right description of the iniquitous trade as stated by David Livingstone.

By the period of contact of the White race and the African race, there were two classes in Africa. The first class were very few and in the minority, but they were the dominant group.

The other class were many and in the majority. These were dominated by the minority. With the passage of time, the dominant class had become stronger but, at the same time, those in the majority, the dominated group had become weaker and docile through a long period of persistent exploitation and enslavement. Comparing the two classes, one would find that the minority group had become alert, enlightened, resourceful and ambitious.

Around 500 AD, the minority dominant class had succeeded in getting contact with the White race and exchanging business with them. The business then consisted of exchange of salt, European cloths and cowries from the White and to the White they sold ivory, gold and slaves who were members of the majority- dominated class. As time went by, the dominant group were growing in power and position just as they were increasing in wealth and affluence. The majority dominated class were groaning in grinding poverty, oppression and exploitation.

It is appropriate to note here however, that the Europeans had been ahead of the Black Africans for some two thousand years. For over that period, the Europeans had had access to all the civilisations there were thitherto. At this long period, there had been Arab, Asian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman (Italian) civilisations. These people had been able to read and write and had advanced in various fields of learning.

It was at this stage of life and living that the first contact of the Black Africans and the Europeans took place, with the Portuguese blazing the trail.

In this regard, it will be sufficient to mention some of the multifaceted problems associated with and the highly injurious effect of slavery, slave trade and slave raid.

In the process of catching African men, women and children, through the efforts of the dominant Africans, their fellow weak and poor Black Africans were dehumanised and brutalised in such a manner beyond human imagination, not only in the hands of the dominant class but also in the hands of European slavers who, at any rate never went to the interior.

Another problem arose from the fact that with the expansion of the trade, the dominant group of Africans had become interested in what the European slavers were offering, namely __ beads, cowries and iron bars which were easier and better to store and keep than salt and ivory. And so, they intensified the raid of their fellow Africans as slaves for the White people.

In our submission earlier, we stated that the White race had been ahead of the Black race for over two thousand years, not only in reading and writing, but also in science and technology. Consequently, there arose inevitably between the White and the Black, clear inferiority complex.

This state of affairs grew and became more deep-rooted with the passage of years. That situation remains till today between the two races.

Flowing from the foregoing, if one observed, in perspective, the subjective phase of the African’s mind, one would note that it was darkened, depressed and underdeveloped, as opposed to that of the Whites, which was bright, alert and exuding confidence.

Another horrible effect of the terrible business was the capturing by all means foul, of African man, woman and children. The raiding necessarily led to depopulations of many African hamlets, towns and villages. Unavoidably, families were disrupted and communities were ravaged and devastated.

It may suffice to add another menacing problem, unfair and unconscionable. As an unwholesome perception of Africans by the Whites, the Africans have always been regarded as inferior and intellectually weak. Therefore, the conditions of trade between the two have always been unfair to the Africans. Thus, in exchange for slaves, the Africans were offered spirits and firearms with which they were killing one another.

Furthermore, in all transactions between the Whites and the Africans, the White would decide or dictate the terms and conditions of the exchange.

For all the years, (nearly 400 years), that slavery, slave-raids and slave trade lasted and, even after the period, the Black Africans could not help themselves out of the serious problems confronting them. Even the dominant group of Africans could care no less about the grinding poverty and the depravity in which the Africans generally were.

However, when the horrible business in slaves was booming and the African Race was regarded as chattel, something of grace and dignity happened that came to bring respect, honour and dignity to the African Race. The first was by the academic performance of Anthony William Amo, a Ghanaian, who earned a doctorate degree in philosophy and jurisprudence in 1734 in the University of Halle in Germany.

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• To be continued...

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

‘Who on earth is Toyin Akinosho?’

Publisher TOYIN AKINOSHO writes on his lucky escape from being assassinated

‘I

TOLD them that I don’t know who Toyin Akinosho is; that I have never heard that name in my life before’ This is not a screenplay.

Perhaps the key character in the narrative would have wished it was one - for a Nollywood flick with the title: Your Oga or Your Life or The Lucky Escape or the like.

Mumuni (not real name) is the driver of the Publisher of Africa Oil and Gas Report, Toyin Akinosho.

On the morning of 20 March, before boarding a flight to Abuja, Akinosho gave Mumuni N5,000 to buy fuel for the generator at his residence on the outskirts of Lagos. That was what took Mumuni out of the house at about 7 O’clock that evening.

He had not even got to the neighbourhood filling station when the drama started.

Mumuni takes over from here: “As I came out from our street to enter the main road, I saw a white Hilux (mini truck) following me. I wanted to branch into another road, but because they were still following me, I decided to go straight. But they still followed me. At 41 Road, there is a junction that you can branch from, to Ikoyi or to the (exit) gate. It was at that spot that they blocked me with their car and stopped me. They came down and were asking me ‘Where is Toyin Akinosho?’ and I told them that I don’t know who Toyin Akinosho is; that I have never heard that name in my life before.

I also told them that (the) publisher’s car is my personal car and that the name Toyin Akinosho does not ring a bell. It was at that point that they returned into their vehicle and drove off.”

Mumuni recalled that the suspected assassins were five.

He continued the narration: “They entered their car and I kept moving because I thought it would be unwise for me to go back home right away. As they moved, they were moving slowly and then later turned to the roundabout that leads to Ikoyi, but I went straight to gate. But as I looked into my side mirror, I saw that they were still following me and I thought to myself that if I went home, they might still trace me to the house to know where we were staying. So, I went straight and bent towards Four Points (By Sheraton Lagos hotel) area. The car has an e-tag (pre-paid toll identification) so I just passed the toll gate, but it was like they paid and were delayed a bit. But the traffic light

• The car

ENCOUNTER stopped me; it wasn’t up to one minute that I was at the traffic light that I saw that they were coming but then, the light passed me so I drove off. I passed in front of Four Points and followed Ajose Adeogun Street. On that street, there is a club that Oga goes to. It was there that they caught up with me and rammed my car by the side and I ran into a culvert and the bumper was damaged.”

What happened next? “Then, one of them came out of the car and slapped me on my face and said, ‘We are asking you for the last time, where is Toyin Akinosho?’ I told him that I don’t know the person who bears that name.

On hearing that, another one said to me: ‘I can waste you o’ but I told him that if he wanted to kill me, he should do so, but I insisted I neither knew Akinosho nor ever heard of his name.

Then they left me there and entered their vehicle and left. People that were around there started coming out to assist me drag the car off the culvert.”

But the saga didn’t end there. Mumuni decided to sleep in the car where the incident hap-

pened on Ajose Adeogun because the impact on the steering affected its controlling mechanism. He chose the option of sleeping in the car because “we had recently bought two new tyres and I didn’t want them to loosen the tyres at night because that place is usually lonely and quiet at night before day-break.” Apart from the tyres, Mumuni thought that the battery could also be stolen. “Whatever happened would still be on my head,” he said, not giving a thought to the danger he exposed himself to.

“I know that it is not worth my life, but I just can’t leave the car there,” he reasoned.

Something happened during the small hours.

The men were back. There’s this line in Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger: “Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago. ‘Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.”

Yes, this time, it was “enemy action” or an action that suggested that the suspects were not friends.

“As I was sleeping in the car, around 2am,” Mumuni continues, “they came to meet me and used the edge (barrel) of a gun to wake me up.

They then collected my phone and the N7,000 that I had on me and left saying that since I did

not want to say the truth, they’d go with those.”

Mumuni has a theory: “It was like they went to check the (Contacts on my phone) whether they would see Oga’s name on my phone but I saved Oga’s number with the name ‘MAE’” What is MAE? “Nothing,” said Mumini, who is from ….., explaining, “I just saved it as such because to spell his name, Toyin Akinosho Alfred, is difficult for me.”

His theory could be right. “Around 5 a.m, they came back and dropped the phone on my body.

I was even asleep then, but I felt something drop on my chest as they threw the phone at me.”

After he was threatened with the gun, Mumuni, somehow strangely, decided to sleep atop the booth instead of inside the car where he had first slept. “That was where they came to give me back the phone and told me that I was lucky,” he stated.

Soon after he was rammed into the culvert, Mumuni had called Akinosho to narrate the incident. The latter advised him to “be careful.”

He has been grounded since then. Now, who were The Five working for? Lingering question.

UNICEF, partners unveil U-Report in style

U

NITED Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have formally unveiled an SMS-based platform, tagged: U-Report, at Eko Hotels in Lagos.

The event was graced by dignitaries from all walks of life in attendance. Performances by acts, such as Banky W, Sheyi Shey and Kaffy the spectacular dancer, added colour to the event.

U-Report is an innovative SMS-based platform that empowers Nigerians by enabling them to participate and engage in policymaking and governance and access real time information on key social issues. The platform targets one million u-reporters in 2015.

UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough said: ”Today more than ever before community journalism through communication technology can help engender good governance, accountability, social change and improve health standards. U-Report platform provides a thrilling opportunity to contribute to positive social change in the Nigeria,” According to her, U-Report enables those who voluntarily register – known as U-reporters - to speak-out on what is happening in their communities, provides a forum to amplify their voices through local and national media, sends alerts to key stakeholders about the issues their constituents are facing, and feeds back useful infor-

By Evelyn Osagie

LAUNCH mation to the U-Reporters, so they are empowered to work for positive change and improvements in their localities. “The platform also provides decision makers a forum to listen to millions of voices through simple messaging.

In the last one year with support from Airtel, MTN, GLO an with support from Airtel, MTN, GLO and Etisalat the number of U-reporters has rapidly grown to about 200,000 with thousands joining every month from all parts of the country. It is expected to top a million by the end of 2015. It has also attracted strategic partnerships with civil society organisations, UN agencies and Government Ministries, who contribute by selecting poll questions and promoting the platform to Nigerian citizens, as a tool for civic engagement and community empowerment.

About 15 million text messages were sent out through the U-Report platform while the Country battled Ebola. The awareness messages and real time responses via sms and on the U-report Social media platforms sent out during the Ebola outbreak were able to address mythical cures like bathing with hot water and salt , taking bitter kola to cure the disease . U-Reporters were informed on how

• Kaffy on stage to identify the disease, and how to keep safe.

U-Report Nigeria has sent out more than 50 polls and 26 million messages over the past one year on Prevention of HIV/AIDS, unemployment, maternal and child health, safety and security in schools; child protection and security in general, electricity, water and sanitation hygiene, among others.

UNICEF Nigeria is working closely with its partners; the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), National Orientation Agency (NOA) the Scouts Association of Nigeria, Boys Brigade and Girl Guides, Religious and Traditional leaders, the Media and Telecommunication service providers to scale up registration and increase impact.

UNICEF strongly believes that through U-

report communities can constructively contribute to the betterment of their standard of living and significantly contribute to transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, which is key to development.

The support provided by AIRTEL, MTN, GLO, and Etisalat this past one year made ureport to grow to what it is today and we look forward to a continued collaboration with these companies as we strive to achieve our target of million u-reporters by the end of this year.

Also in attendance were National Youths Service Corp members and Management, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Federal Ministry of Information.

48

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Creating new worlds with Candoco

By Evelyn Osagie

FESTIVAL

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•Supporters of TIF at the walk

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A walk for limbless kids

SOCIETY is not built out of material opulence but out of higher matters of love and care.

It was in realisation of the fulcrum of this statement that supporters of The Irede Foundation, a non-governmental organisation defied the fuel scarcity to participate in a walk aimed at creating awareness and raising funds for 24 children living without limbs.

Tagged “Out on a Limb”, the May 1 walk started from the YMCA building to the Falomo bridge in Ikoyi, Lagos. People came out in their hundreds wearing branded shirts with the inscription “Out on a limb”. Prominent among the ‘walkers’ were Alleluya Akporobomerere aka Ali Baba and other top players of firms, corporate organisations, associations and Christian bodies also joined in the walk to raise support for the foundation.

After the walk, supporters converged to lis-

By Hannah Ojo

CHARITY WALK ten to testimonies of adults amputees who shared their life experiences stating the difference a prosthetic fitting has made for them while also urging support for children currently living without limbs saying that they should not be made to live life with limitations.

The Founder of The Irede Foundation, Mrs Crystal Chigbu, herself the mother of a child amputee revealed to the gathering that two indigent children would be able to get prosthetic fittings thanks to the supporters of donors who sponsored branded T-shirts for the walk. “We are focused on providing 24 prosthetic limbs for indigent children this year.

This is to ensure that amputees are empowered and can live life to the fullest. Our mission is to help them and their families live a

life of fulfilment and help the children rise to the challenge with an attitude and behaviour that says ‘I can’.

The chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation, Mr Kunle Akinkugbe who gave the votes of thanks appreciated the crowd for ensuring that the walk went well despite the challenge of the fuel scarcity. He stated that The Irede foundation is special because it operates in an area that is not ordinarily in people’s consciousness. Recognising the effort of those who publicised the event on social media, he added that the organisation has grown through the commitment and support of the main drivers, members of the board of trustees, staff and donors. “I personally believe there is a lot of money in Nigeria looking for good causes to support and if we do not go out, we would not be able to exceed our expectation for this year”, he added.

British Council announces Shakespeare Lives

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HE BRITISH Council has announced Shakespeare Lives, a major global celebration of celebrating the late literary icon, Williams Shakespeare. The programme aims at reaching over half a billion people around the world.

Shakespeare Lives, according to the British Council, is “an invitation to the world to join in the celebrations by participating in a unique online collaboration and experiencing the work of Shakespeare directly on stage, through film, exhibitions and in schools”.

The global programme of events and activities celebrating Shakespeare’s life on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death is billed for 2016.

British Council Chief Executive, Ciarán Devane, said: “Power struggles, brutal politics, murder, love, passion, bitter feuds, human weakness and plain farce are universal themes as relevant now as they were when Shakespeare was writing. Shakespeare Lives will engage audiences overseas and in the United Kingdom (UK) with both the work of the Bard and with the best of contemporary Britain and will open up opportunities for UK institutions, businesses and organisations to work around the world, and for organisations around the world in the UK.” According to a statement, the British Council and the Great Britain campaign are working with host of British theatres, museums, educators and artists on brand new productions of Shakespeare’s plays, film adaptations, public readings and educational resources for schools and English language learners of all ages in the UK and around the world. Research carried out for the British Council in five overseas countries in 2014 showed Shakespeare’s enduring status as the UK’s greatest cultural icon in the eyes of the world. “When young adults were asked to name a person they

By Evelyn Osagie

CELEBRATION are interested in and associate with contemporary UK Arts and culture, William Shakespeare was by far the most popular response,” it said.

“Engaging over half a billion people launching this autumn, Shakespeare Lives will run throughout 2016, exploring Shakespeare as a living writer who still speaks for all people and nations. Activities across English, education and the arts will explore the story of how a playwright from England came to be shared all over the globe.

A major highlight will be All The World’s A Stage, a mass participation project that will invite people from all over the world to upload and share clips of themselves performing lines from Shakespeare plays. It will culminate in a record breaking, crowd-sourced performance and a new digital version of Shakespeare works”.

Other highlights of Shakespeare Lives include: “A MOOC (massive open online course) aimed at intermediate level English language learners exploring the key themes and characters in Shakespeare’s plays and his continuing resonance around the world.

Other teaching resources include Shakespeare-themed lesson plans for all levels, a series of webinars for English language teachers and animated Shakespeare stories

for children.

“The British Council is offering ten research and development grants for artists and companies to develop new collaborative project ideas, one of which would be for a project in Nigeria; global short filmmaking competition in partnership with straighteight called Bitesize Bard that invites budding filmmakers from around the world to reinterpret one of eight iconic Shakespeare scenes in a single take. The twelve best films would be selected by a renowned panel taken from the world of theatre and film with prizes awarded.

“A new education pack developed with the RSC, exploring some of the broad themes that run across his writing – themes that still have a resonance to people all over the world today. The pack would be distributed to all 25,000 schools in the UK and would be promoted around the world through the British Council’s school network. Inspiring global celebrations of Shakespeare Day a downloadable toolkit would be developed in partnership with Shakespeare Birthplace Trust that would include a Shakespeare speech available in many world languages and fun resources such as a Shakespeare quiz, Elizabethan recipes and playlists; and a touring programme of the best British Shakespeare films available to screen internationally in partnership with the BFI. This will include everything from early silent films to new productions.

‘Engaging over half a billion people launching this autumn, Shakespeare Lives will run throughout 2016, exploring Shakespeare as a living writer who still speaks for all people and nations. Activities across English, education and the arts will explore the story of how a playwright from England came to be shared all over the globe’

HE British Council is set to build new audiences for Nigerian and UK arts and culture. It is planning the biggest arts festival since FESTAC ’77 that aims to connect over forty million young Nigerians to the UK. It is bringing Candoco Dance Company, a leading dance company of disabled and nondisabled performers founded in 1991, to Lagos.

This, British Council said, is part of its UK/ Nigeria 2015/2016 season of collaboration, within which it will also be running workshops at the famous Corporate Dance World with Nigerian dance professionals. on its first ever visit In preparation for a collaborative showcase performance in October 2015, Artistic Co-Director Pedro Machado and Senior Dancer/ Candoco Artist Mirjam Gurtner, alongside other cast members will meet with seasoned dance performers in Lagos. Gurtner will lead the teaching classes and support local choreographers in developing a joint movement language that fuses traditional African Dance and contemporary dance.

British Council Nigeria, Director Arts, Ojoma Ochai said: “We are really excited to introduce disabled young people to dance and performance work that allows disabled and non-disabled young people to experience dance together in the community.”

Pedro Machado, Artistic Co-Director Candoco, who with his group is visiting the country for the first time, said they are excited about their visit. Candoco Dance Company has toured to over 50 countries worldwide performing to critical acclaim to audiences at venues from Sadler’s Wells in London to the Centre for Performing Arts, Bejing.

“We are excited to bring this project to Lagos which challenges the accepted perceptions of aesthetics for dance and illustrates true diversity of movement, bodies and abilities. We are thrilled to be working with British Council Nigeria and local artists to find creative and inclusive ways of bringing the dance community closer. We can’t wait to visit the country and to work with local artists to delve deeper in this culture, exchanging practices and meeting new people,” he said.

Workers hail NTDC DG

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HE newly promoted workers of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) have praised the seamless efforts of the Director General of the Corporation, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo and the governing board of the corporation for the approval of their promotions.

The 53 senior staff and three junior staff, who benefited from the newly approved promotion in the corporation described the Sally Mbanefoled administration as the one with a clear-cut goal to practically develop and promote Nigeria’s domestic tourism, while not undermining staff welfare.

Reacting to the development, the NTDC boss said staff welfare is pivotal to her tourism promotion and development, explaining that “NTDC staff are the core stakeholders in the Nigeria’s tourism industry, hence I cannot afford to neglect the staff and their welfare, which included their promotion as at when due”.

“As a result, capacity building and staff welfare are the priority on my agenda in repositioning the Nigeria’s tourism industry and promoting domestic tourism in the country. And this, I will execute to the letter”.

“I believe that for any tourism master plan to work NTDC staff must be well-treated, wellequipped, with good attention to their welfare, and they must be practically made ambassadors of the Nigeria’s tourism, because they are going to drive the project, direct the strategic imperative of the organization. We must feed the goose that lays the golden egg.”

One of the newly promoted staff, who pleaded anonymity said, “I now believe without any shadow of doubt that the Sally Mbanefo-led administration is keenly interested in the welfare of NTDC staff. The DG assured us at the press conference she held sometime in February this year that her team and the board were working on resolving the issues on the staff promotions and conversion. Now their effort has indeed worked out for our good. I am so happy to be among the newly promoted staff of NTDC. It assured me of a better future in the service to my fatherland.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

49

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Celebrating a history of resistance

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ONTEMPORARY Nigerian literature is fraught with themes of resistance and mass uprising against hegemonic structures owing to the excruciating circumstances that daily confronts the poor and the powerless in the Nigerian nation-state. History and literature share a remarkable relationship, in the sense that, through the writer’s interrogation with historical dialectics, truth and fiction is merged to create an aestheticism in which the reader is purged from age-long ignorance and share in the ever-inspiring world of the artist. The profundity of the vatic image of the artist in this regard is thus a recreation of historical artefacts in a manner that through the exposure of societal failings, literature can produce change.

Nigerian dramatic literature has over the years engage in the reclamation of the people’s battered personality that was made parlous by the European incursion into the African landscape and its perpetuation by internal compradors.

There is no doubt that the Niger Delta more than any other region in what is today known as Nigeria has produced more resistance literature in the past four decades. The reason may not be unconnected with her early encounter with the European imperial politics of dispossession and the constant draconian suppression of the people’s will by the Nigerian political structure in collaboration with foreign oil multinationals.

The volumes of historical plays churn out by writers during these periods are a testimony to this assertion. In 1974 Ola Rotimi published OvÍnramwen NÍgbaisi, a play that interrogates the British expedition of the Benin Empire in 1897.

Oba OvÍnramwen for his gallantness against European invaders was painted as a tyrant by the imperialists as an excuse to deport him to Calabar while they sit back to loot and plunder his kingdom. Moreover, while the British massacre against Oba OvÍnramwen and his people in Benin was raging, the Nembe people of present day Rivers State are counting their loses after waging an economic war against the British imperialist in 1895 in what is generally known in colonial history as the Akassa Raidî. In 2001, Ola

BOOK From Uzor REVIEW Maxim Uzoatu Title: Author: Reviewer:

Iredi War Sam Ukala Peter E. Omoko

Rotimi recreates this incident into a dramatic piece, Akassa You Mi: An Historical Drama in which he artistically projects king Frederick William Koko, the king of Nembe Kingdom as well as his chiefs as models of responsive leadership that is lacking in today’s society.

Furthermore, the heroic story of King Jaja of Opobo who resisted the British attempt to control the sales of palm oil by fixing obnoxious prices in the sales of palm oil in old Bonny rivers have also engage creative writers from the Niger Delta. Miesoinuwa Minima¼s King Jaja: Or the Tragedy of a Nationalist (1997) and Odum Egege: A Tragedy in 3 Act (1997) in which he adumbrates the resilient spirit of King Jaja against injustice and oppression, underscores the eternal struggle for freedom that characterise the life-spring of the people of the Niger Delta. The Anti-Tax revolt of the people of Old Warri Province in 1927 and the Aba Women Riot of 1928 are also strands of resistance that have engage creative

Exploring human intents

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HE dynamics of the human frame and phases of maturity may not have received attention until now, as we see these integrals of the human persona play out before our eyes and our minds follow suit in this very delightful creative candour by IfeomaNdioloEnaholo.

“Hidden Treasures of the Heart” is a journey within the familiar experiences of family life, going on to the peculiarities of sibling rivalries, to the upheavals which come at certain stages of life; not to forget the essence of being positive and the need to move forward, while having on one’s mind that life holds the desirable cards alongside the discountenanced, leaving its human recipients with the decision making process.

The entire narration was achieved in the first person technique, while also employing other narrative forms at sundry junctures to present conversations, responses, disagreements and expressions which gladden the heart. The book is one of hope even in the midst of challenges, coursing through events that the reader finds herself repeatedly at home with and even responding to as the pages flip.

Ifeoma brings afore what many families grapple with. This is what parents are either aware of and tackle head on, or believe that it will fizzle out as their children become mature.

In this work, the author intones what

BOOK REVIEW From Uzor Maxim Uzoatu Title: Hidden Treasures of the heart Author: Ifeoma Ndiolo-Enaholo Reviewer: Adeniyi Kunnu could be a lifelong battle with flurry of emotions, which if not checked may be the Achilles heels of the persona in question, resulting in inferno which can also engulf the entire family.

Adaku ( first daughter of wealth) is the third child in a family, but for the greater part of her growing up years sees her elder sister Adaoha (everybody’s first daughter or first daughter of the community)as the rival who must be conquered. From childhood, Adaku cannot fathom why her elder sister seems to get all the affection while she is- as per-

writers in recent years.

One of such dramatic literatures that recreates imperial aggression on the people of Northern Nigeria is Ahmed Yerima¼s Attahiru (1999). A play that examines the fecundity of Lord Lugard in his craze to capture and subjugates Northern Nigeria to his imperial command through a punitive expedition against Sultan Muhammadu Attahiru of Sokoto. The Sultan and his soldiers valiantly confronts Lugard in a fierce battle from which he died in the battlefield with over ninetynine of his soldiers after bravely defending his religion and the honour of the Sokoto Caliphate at Burmi in 1903.

Dramatic literatures such as these are presented to project the spirit of patriotism and nationalism among the people in the face of external and internal aggression on the one hand, and on the other hand, place history on its balance footings.

History to committed African writers has always been a bias representation of the people’s past, distorted to soothe the egos of the producers.

Hence it must be retold from the people’s own perspective. This is what Achebe suggests when he contends that until the lions produce their own historian, the story of the hunt will glorify only the hunterî. Sam Ukala¼s Iredi War, winner, The Nigeria Prize for Literature, 2014 is therefore a fitting tribute to this cause. A play in which he foregrounds the spirit of patriotism among the people in the face of severe threat to their existence. He recreates the conflict between the forces of exploitation, oppression and dispossession represented by the British colonial government and those of resistance struggles typified by King Igboba of Owa kingdom and his people. He utilises various dramatic resources such as folkism and condensed plotting in the evocation of these thematic indices. The play which is a dramatization of the colonial invasion of Owa kingdom in 1906 is set in the ancient kingdom of Owa with historical fervours.

From the beginning of the play, it is clear that the people of Owa Kingdom have already lost their sovereignty to the British colonial government. Crewe-Read, Assistant District Commissioner (ADC) of Agbor sub-district, a young arrogant and insensitive character refuses to accept any of the people’s customs and traditions yet he wants them to contribute more men and food to his service. He also refuses to recognise king Igboba and his chiefs as the leaders of their people. This thus sets the stage for a series of avoidable conflicts on which the play’s thematics rest. Firstly, Crewe-Read embarks on an insensitive destruction of the people’s shrine as a mark of his European superiority over the people. This

ceived- left in the lurch. This is however not true, as Adaoha spreads her wings of love over all her younger siblings. On page 5, paragraph 5, Adaku speaks: “I turned my face away as a little tear formed in my eyes ….There was an inexplicable bond between them.

Adaoha was indeed her Ada and there was no doubt about it”.

Adaku desires to be the center of attraction, but the place of Adaoha is engraved in platinum on the heart of her mother, who had her as a love child before marrying Adaku’s father, giving birth to five more children of which Adaku is third among six.

The known misunderstanding between Mr. and Mrs. Ude is occasioned by Adaku just for her to get her father’s attention. She had lied to her father that her elder sister has been taken to where she is to get an abortion by her mother. Her father who until that moment appeared calm in every situation lost his tempers by raining raging words on his wife and his daughter. This first juncture definitely serves as the introspection to other aspects of the fictive delicacy.

Ifeoma through Adaku presents us with the different character traits of her siblings from Obioha to Nnanna; mentioning the impact and aftermath of the Nigeria Civil War in the late 60s; describing the catholic tenets by using marriage as an ensample to drive home her point; taking readers through interesting aspects of Igbo culture and tradition, referencing the Igwanshi Festival in Enugu State; not forgetting her experience with the Yoruba people on her visit to Ibadan. Truly, Ifeoma has created a material that weaves many important bits to arrive at a delightful whole.

The author is also conscious of her cultural values, demonstrating this

is followed by an order of arrest issued against king Igboba as a warning to the affront he suffered when the people failed to turn out to honour his meeting with them at the village square.

However, the fight that ensued at the palace left one of the chiefs of Owa kingdom dead and this angered the warriors who take up arms against Crewe-Read and his men. In this battle, CreweRead and many of his men are killed as a mark to restore the pride of the kingdom. The British forces could only quell the resistance by tricking king Igboba and his chiefs through an invitation for a meeting with him at Agbor, the district head quarters where they were arrested.

What Ukala has done in this play is to idealise the people’s quest for freedom. He shows in the play that as long as the oppressed people of Africa refuse to surrender to the exploitative and oppressive tendencies of their oppressors, they can never be defeated. He preaches unity and faithfulness to the African ideals as the only criteria for success. The Ekukumeku cult that confronts Rudkin and his men for more than two weeks in the forest of Umunede is foregrounded to tell the people that they can be heroes against the forces of oppression and exploitation in the land.

However, in the playwright’s efforts to foreground the patriotism of the oppressed people of Owa, he mixes historical facts with what Ahmed Yerima calls ‘the fiction of the mind’ thereby creating fantasies out of history. The British punitive expedition on the palace of king Igboba is presented in so light a manner that one wonders if historical records are artistically altered to create fantasy instead of realism. For instance when Rudkin and his men get to Igboba¼s palace after successfully dispersing the warriors of Owa, they are prevented from arresting king Igboba by a mere scene created by the Queen. Even when one of Rudkin¼s men lies dead on the ground by the sword of a 99 years old king, Rudkin feebly withdraws his men with a promise to come back.

Another incident in the play is the appearance of the telegrams from nowhere after being destroyed by AFOPELE. It resurfaces through the services of the twin brother of Crewe-Read, a character that only come into the picture as a result of the telegrams by a mere mention.

In all, Ukala has demonstrated his commitment to the services of humanity. He is a firm believer of the notion that literature must serve the hapless and oppressed peoples of the world who daily feel the brunt of insensitivity that has become the hall mark of modern day politics. His play comes at a time when our country, Nigeria is at a crossroad – when the masses have become

in the various Igbo expressions which help to spice up the language; she also demonstrates immense knowledge of her settings by taking readers from Enugu to Owerri and later Ibadan to Lagos, describing places, happenings and people in very fascinating manner.

The use of proverbs is an ingredient in this finely crafted prose fiction. It was Chinua Achebe who said proverbs are palm oil with which yam is eaten and she stayed true to these words when Adaku’s father’s reacted to a reckless driver’s death on page 129, lines 6-7 thus: “Unuahuwoya!Ukpanaukpokogbulu, nti chili ya! Okwaagwalu m yia”. By interpretation he meant: “Have you seen it? A grasshopper that a train kills must have been deaf. I warned him” This is one of the several instances where Ifeoma made use of the Igbo dialect to address salient issues.

Besides all that has been stated, the author demonstrates impressive knowledge of the dynamics of sibling rivalry. Ifeoma draws attention on the need for wisdom by parents to show similar bias towards all their children, ensuring equal corrective measure when wrong deeds are done; while also showing love, care and attention to them.

She emphasizes the need for parents to show understanding and respect, especially when their children desire things other than what are best the rigid practices that they have preference for. Allusion in this regard is the marriage of Chinwe to his Yoruba Fiancé, with whom she went to school in England – the matter made worse by his non-Catholic affiliation. On this account, Hidden Treasures of the Heart drives home the point of love and tolerance for other tribes and their religious inclinations.

Religious faith and preferences by

parents will no doubt remain common place in different homes, particularly in determining lifelong choices within the marriage circles; compromise is however a recommendation that helps keep the family unit void of chasm, as advised in this piece through the actions and inactions of the characters.

This interesting material also condemns assault and battery on one’s wife. The pressures of family life, intrusion by the other woman, reaction by the cheated and many other incidences play out to give meaning in every ideal way possible.

The creative work is without gainsaying an impressive work of fiction.

The narration is in parts, making the reader travel along in understandable convenience through its titled eighteen narrative segments. Her use of language is simple yet lofty, as she addresses the several thematic concerns of an ideal family unit, indicating that although we are not perfect, our lives could turn out brilliantly after all. The implication of this literary piece is evangelistic on the moral plane, spreading didactic messages that stay true and relevant in impact.

She ensures the full bloom of her characters, particularly Adaku, through whose senses the prose-fiction comes alive. This is evidenced on page 218, lines 23-24 when she eventually sees the gems in her family, having been wielding the fans of bitterness and pains for the greater part of her life.

“I had Beautiful Treasure in my Family but they were so hidden that I could not see them” Human lives are replete with numerous happenings leading to various experiences, but the virtue of honesty and truth couple the value of hardwork and exemplary lifestyle; to arrive at bountiful rewards.

Ifeoma hits the bull’s eyes with this work.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

50

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

2015 LAGOS INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

•From

•Jahman

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•Irawo

left: Mr Babalola and Mr Fisher

Lombard.

PHOTOS: EVELYN OSAGIE

•From left: Ibrahim Sama, Edaoto, Mr Ott, Mr Soyinka and Durodola

Anikulapo (left), Mr and Mrs Aimankhu

HE Lagos International Jazz festival is a major music feast that draws participants from within and outside the country. The organisers say they are determined to make the festival a major tourism and arts event on the international jazz tourism calendar.

This year’s Lagos International Jazz Festival opened with a lot of expectations.

Music spoke with diverse tongues at the festival.

And the organisers chose the opening night to host the industry key-players to an evening of music and cocktails at Freedom Park, Lagos.

The event, the festival director, Mr Ayoola Sadare, said was special in three ways. It held on the same day the world was commemorating the International Jazz Day and the last day in the Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). It was also held in honour of Jazz icon and founder of Cape Town International Jazz Festival (Suth Africa), Mr Rashid Lombard.

Sadare said: “This is the 10 th year after I met my mentor, Mr Rashid Lombard. From the first time I met him at Cape Town till date, he has always had a listening ear for me. This cocktail is in honour of the founder of Cape Town International Festival. Our dream has been to make the Lagos International Jazz Festival into not just another entertainment event but one that adds value to both the Lagos Megacity as a tourist destination, contributes to its GDP and presents an international platform for our indigenous musicians. I am happy to say it is on course.

“This year the festival is going a step by incorporating both the Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and International Jazz Day to its programme. The month of April yearly is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM)

•Mr

Cocktails for Jazz lovers

By Evelyn Osagie

and a number of activities to promote Jazz worldwide.”

Mr Lombard urged Nigerians to tap into the immense potentials of Jazz music, saying the genre holds huge economic gains if harnessed.

At the cocktail were Mr Lekan Babalola of the African All Stars; former Director, French Cultural Centre, Pascal Ott; General Manager I Groove Radio, Bola Brown; Mr Peter Fisher; Mr Austin and Mrs Rosemary Aimankhu; Makin Soyinka; Ayo Durodola and Edaoto.

The three-day event, which ran from Thursday, April 30 to May 2, featured concerts, lectures, workshops, exhibitions and 100 Nigerian and international acts playing all sorts of the genre on five different stages. The acts included Wole Sentimenta, D-Brass Dayo,Jasparrazz, Aduke, D-Tone Emperor and Irawo.

Mr Sadare blamed the hitches experienced at this year’s festival to the lack sponsorship, saying: “We have no microphones because we no see sponsors o”.

WORLD BOOK CAPITAL

•From left: Mr Benjamin Sokari, Mr Tony Epelle, Dr. George Nweke (Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor), Mr Yoo Jeong-bok (Mayor of Incheon), with Mrs Koko Kalango and other PHWBC team members at the Incheon World Book Capital opening ceremony.

52

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

53

BUSINESS EXTRA

Govt’s N365.35b budget deficit below projection, says CBN

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HE Central Bank of Ni geria (CBN) has denied reports that the Federal Government overspent the 2014 budget by N365.35 billion during the second half of the year.

A statement endorsed by CBN’s Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Ibrahim Mu’azu, said the Financial Stability Report from which this misleading conclusion was drawn clearly states that the fiscal operations of the Federal Government resulted in an overall deficit of N365.35 billion or 0.8 per cent of gross domes-

From Nduka Chiejina (Asst. Editor)

tic product (GDP), as against the proportionate budget deficit of N482.10 billion for the second half of last year.

The deficit was financed mostly from privatisation proceeds.

This he said meant that “the Federal Government had initially projected to run a budget deficit of N482.10 billion during the second half of 2014. However, the actual outcome turned out to be much less than projected at N365.35 billion.”

The difference of over N116 billion he said “indicates some prudence, rather than profligacy, in fiscal management.”

Mu’azu noted that deficit financing of budgets, is contained in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and is a widely accepted fiscal practice.

Earlier, the apex bank had said it had disbursed N60billion from the N220billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund.

Addressingreporters after the flag-off of the disbursement of the fund to the physi-

cally challenged in Abuja yesterday, Special Adviser to the CBN Governor on Development Finance, Mr Paul Eluhaiwe said the apex bank had been making the funds available to entrepreneurs that met the laid down criteria.

Eluhaiwe admitted that the criteria demanded from potential beneficiaries were because the CBN was being careful to ensure that those who got the fund has the ability to repay.

Eluhaiwe said:“There are conditions for Micro Finance Bank to meet before they can

assess the fund, and entrepreneurs also have to meet the condition before the fund can be disbursed to them.

“So it takes a lot of rigor to put on the table resources for entrepreneurs to use. We dont want to make mistake; we want to disburse the fund and make sure people pay back for others to assess the fund.

The CBN will do whatever it takes to disburse funds because we are dealing with banking and we want to make the fund sustainable.”

States that have benefited from this fund include Osun, Delta and Benue states which

Eluhaiwe said “gave a lot of resources to people with special disabilities. The N220 billion fund is for MSMEs and as we move from state to state, we will continue to work with them.”

The Emir of the disabled colony in Abuja, Alh Mohammed Suleiman promised that his people will not “put the CBN to shame, we will use the fund effectively to prove to the world that there is ability in disability. If the CBN had started this long time ago, the rate of poverty in the country would have been reduced drastically.”

Australia, Norway to partner NIMASA

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• From left: Head, Protocol Unit, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ms Kehinde Bolaji, Director, Shipping Development, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Tierney, Akpobolokemi, Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba and Assistant Director, Maritime Labour Services, Mr. Chiroma Ibrahim when the Australian Deputy High Commissioner paid a courtesy visit to NIMASA.

Why power supply dropped, by NNPC chief

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HE loss of 400 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) of gas and reduction in water level at the hydro plants are responsible for the significant drop in power supply across the country especially in the western axis, Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr David Ige, has said.

Ige who represented its Group Managing Director, Dr Joseph Dahwa at the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, United States, said it is a short term challenge that would be addressed shortly.

Ige who spoke after inspecting the Nigerian pavilion, said some major pipelines are out of operation because they were vandalised while generation at

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

Shiroro hydro power plant dropped by about 300 megawatts (Mw) because of insufficient water level.

He said: “At the moment, gas supply to power stations is about one billion cubic feet a day (bscf/d). Before the end of this year we expect to see a significant increase as well. Cumulatively in the country, we are producing about two billion cubic feet of gas per day.

Some of the gas we produce are available but is probably stranded because some of the power plants are not ready. For example, we have got gas at Gbaran-Ubie power plant, which hopefully should be commissioned shortly. We have gas at Omoku, which is awaiting the power plant. We have gas at Egbema power plant. When you bring all these

gas volumes together, we have close to 2 billion cubic feet per day.

“But not all of it is in active generation today, either because the power is not ready, or the gas evacuation is not ready. On the Western side of Nigeria where the power plants are ready, we have a shortage of 400 mscf/d of gas, which we expect that before the end of this year, we would have reduced that significantly as some of our projects come on stream. So, over the next 12-18 months we expect leveling up on our supply to the power sector. Lagos Escravos pipeline is almost completed, we expect within the next three months, the project will be done. We have completed and commissioned Lagos to Oben. We have completed Emure, all the way to Itoki in Lagos. The beat that is left now, is from the Benin

end all the way to Emure. That is progressing very well. The expectation is that before the end of August this year, the pipeline would have been completed and would have doubled the capacity to 2 billion cubic feet per day, which should be the biggest pipeline in Africa.”

He also noted that the government is havin a lot of issues in the power sector. For the past three months, the Escravos – Lagos pipeline between Escravos, Ogidi and Warri axis has been down due to vandalism, he said. “It has taken us this long to repair that pipeline because of the elections as the Joint Task Force (JTF) could not provide adequate security for our people to go in there and access it. It was only after the elections that people could access the place.

Govt downgrades Asaba airport over safety

T

HE Federal Govern ment has downgraded Asaba airport following the failure of the owners to comply with safety measures.

With the downgrade, flight operations will be limited to certain categories of aircraft.

The Ministry of Aviation noted that the government, through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had raised several safety concerns over the ditches on the airport’s runway, lack of the required strip, perimeter fencing, drainage, as well as lack of adequately trained technical personnel.

From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka said the downgrading is in the interest of the public.

Chidoka said: “The downgrading has been carried out in the public interest because the Federal Government places very high premium on the safety and security of aviation passengers and would never compromise set standards for whatever reason.”

In a statement in Abuja yesterday by the Assistant Director, Press & Public Affairs, James Odaudu of the Avia-

tion Ministry raed in part: “With the downgrading which takes immediate effect, the airport would now be allowed to accommodate the operation of only Dash 8-Q 400 aircraft or its equivalent until all the safety issues are addressed.

“It has therefore become a matter of serious concern that despite a series of meetings with, and assurances given by the operators of the airport, the Delta State government, no concrete steps have been taken to address the issues which are capable of compromising the safety of flight operations and, of

course, the passengers.

“The Federal Government has also drawn the attention of the owners of the airport to the fact that it has, through its inability to address the issues, violated the Compliance with Safety Standards as stipulated in the Nig. CARs Part 12.6.2 and 12.6.3 in respect of the airport runway and its associated facilities as well as adequately trained personnel.”

Chidoka however assured that the airport would return to its previous status as soon as all the safety concerns are adequately and satisfactorily addressed.

HE Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Angela Tierney has stated her country’s desire to partner with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in the provision of technical support and human capacity development.

The envoy, who was on a visit to NIMASA headquarters in Lagos, commended the human capacity building drive of the Agency and conveyed the willingness of her country to work with NIMASA in building the requisite capacity for the industry.

Earlier, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Rolf Ree, had visited the Agency and also stated his country’s readiness for the provision of technical support to NIMASA towards realising the full potentials of the Nigerian maritime industry.

Receiving the Australian High Commissioner and the Norwegian Ambassador separately, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi said that the Agency would appreciate

partnership with major maritime nations such as Australia and Norway particularly in the area of capacity building.

“Australia is a nation that enjoys high respect among the comity of maritime nations and partnership with your country will surely help us realise the potentials of building a competent workforce that is poised to take the Nigerian maritime sector to greater heights,” Akpobolokemi said.

While meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador, the DG noted with delight “the support so far given the Agency by your country has been of immense benefit to the maritime sector locally”. He urged them not to relent in their support, as such will continue to help growing maritime nations like Nigeria.

The DG assured the Envoys of an improvement in monitoring Nigeria’s maritime domain in real time using a satellite surveillance system that covers the whole of Nigeria’s coast and the Gulf of Guinea. This progress, he said, should attract more commercial activity from around the world.

‘Consolidation has enhanced NBL’s market leadership’

T

HE merger of Nigeria Breweries Plc (NBL) with Consolidated Brewery Plc and others have led to an enhanced combined portfolio of 19 brands in all sectors of the beer, malt, and stout market, NBL’s Managing Director/CEO, Mr.Nicolaas Vervelde.

Speaking yesterday as the firm’s pre-annual general meeting (AGM) media chat in Lagos, he said NBL’s investment in Ama Breweries in Enugu State and Aba remains the largest investment outside the Netherlands and Africa.

He said the company is targetting a 60 per cent local raw material sourcing in 2018 ahead of its parent company’s target of 2020.

He however said the firm has achieved 100 per cent local content in its packaging materials.

Vervelde said its operations were however slightly affected by the operating environment such as the falling oil prices, naira devaluation, low, disposable income, insecurity in the North, fears occasioned by the elections.

He regretted that though the nation’s gross

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

domestic product (GDP) became the largest in Africa, the infrastructure provision is still parlous.

He also underscored the effect of high interest rate rate which he said was very challenging to business operations.

On how the firm has remained in business in the face of the challenging environment, he said the incorporation of local content in terms raw materials, removal of duplicated functions, reduction of logistics costs and innovation in terms of line extension in products and services were some of the measures employed.

He added that the firm is supporting the cultivation of Sorghum to the tune of N8.8billion and adding value worth N292 billion to the economy with local purchase suporting over 85,000 jobs.

On sustainability agenda, he said the firm has reduced its consumption of water by 11.42 per cent and commissioned a waste water treatment plant in Aba, Abia State commercial capital.

54

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 05-05-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 05-05-15

Wema Bank optimistic as share price rallies W EMA Bank’s share price rose by 4.21 per cent as investors responded to management’s projections on the future outlook of the stock.

Against the negative overall market situation at the stock market, Wema Bank’s share price rose fr om 95 kobo to 99 kobo, representing an increase of 4.21 per cent.

The stock market continued to reel under the selling pressure of profit-taking transactions. The All Share Index (ASI), the main index that tracks all quoted equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), dipped yesterday to 34,600.42 points as against its opening index points of 34,649.38 points. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities also dropped from N11.767 trillion to N11.750 trillion.

Top management of Wema Bank had visited the NSE on Monday as part of activities marking the 70th anniversary of the bank. Managing director of Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi was giving the honour of beating the traditional gong for the closing of the stock market.

“We are out of the wood, we can now look up for better days to come and for shareholders who had stayed with us through thick and thin, the best is yet to come,” Oloketuyi said as he

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

symbolically beat the closing gong at the NSE in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Nigeria’s oldest surviving indigenous bank.

A visibly elated Oloketuyi said the bank has weathered the storm and now ready to sustain its positive growth trajectory.

Wema Bank had ended 2012 with a loss of N4.9 billion due to additional impairment charges on bad loans among others.

However, the bank returned to profitability by the first half ended June 30, 2013 and has since continued to grow its profit quarterly.

Audited report and accounts of Wema Bank for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that gross earnings increased by 19.90 per cent. Profit before tax grew by 58.88 per cent to N3.1 billion in 2014 as against N1.9 billion in 2013. Customers’ deposits rose by 17 per cent with deposits from retail and commercial segment dominating total deposit during the year under review. The bank further diversified its loan portfolio as the total loans as at 2014 was N149 billion, while nonperforming loans was N3.79 billion as a result of aggressive loan

recovery.

Wema Bank was established in 1945. Wema Bank’s share price however dropped by 3.06 per cent from 98 kobo to 95 kobo yesterday.

“We are on course with our projection, given the political environment that 2015 will be, this was a major consideration in coming up with our numbers. We did over N615 million in profit before tax which was in line with our target. For the rest of the year we expect business to go up and we will take advantage of that to meet our expectation for the year, “ Oloketuyi said on the bank’s first quarter 2015 performance.

According to him, the bank had gone through a turbulent period in its history and was was able to weather it.

He said the bank is set to complete a $100 million Tier II capital raising exercise during the second quarter of this year to grow its capital base.

He noted that in the past four years the bank had embarked on two fund raising offers and it has came out of its trying time well-equipped to move forward and compete in the industry.

He commended the management of the NSE, shareholders and other stakeholders for their supports for the bank.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 05 -05-15

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

55

MONEYLINK

W

How BVN’ll check forex abuse, by bank ED T HE Bank Verification Number (BVN) initiative, when fully implemented, will help to curb arbitrage in the foreign exchange market, an Executive Director at Sterling Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, has said.

Suleiman, who disclosed this at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, explained that with the BVN, each bank customer will have a unique identification, which will make it easy to prevent people from flouting the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recent policy on the use of naira denominated debit cards for transactions abroad.

The policy reduced the spending limit on the usage of the naira denominated debit cards for transactions abroad from $150, 000 to $50, 000 per person annually. The daily cash withdrawal limit on the card was also fixed at $300 per person.

According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Union

Stories by Collins Nweze

Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Emeka Emuwa, the decision was taken Emuwa, the decision was taken because of some cases of card abuse abroad which was impacting exchange rate stability.

The Union Bank boss had explained: “We did find that in a number of cases people were using the cards in a manner that they were not expected to use them and there has been cases of arbitrage.

So in order to sustain stability, what was agreed by the committee was that the limit for the use of the naira debit cards would be reduced.”

However, industry watchers argued that bank customers could attempt to circumvent this policy by

opening several bank accounts and using the naira debit cards they will be given to make withdrawals above the limit.

But according to Mr. Suleiman, this will not be feasible when the BVN initiative is fully implemented, as each bank customer will have a BVN that will give him/her a unique identity that will be known to every player in the financial sector. Thus, when such a customer has reached the limit of his naira debit card spending abroad, he will not be able to use another card as the system will immediately recognise him.

The BVN, an initiative of the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee, was launched on February 14, 2014.

It is a unique identifier for each bank customer across the financial industry, making it possible to build and track customer financial history and activity.

StanChart is Issuing Agent on $10b commercial paper

S

TANDARD Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited and Standard Chartered Securities Nigeria Limited acted as both issuing, calculation and paying agent and as joint lead arranger respectively on N10 billion Domestic Commercial Paper Issuance Programme for Guinness Nigeria. This was announced at a formal signing ceremony in Lagos recently.

Attendees at the signing ceremony included representatives of the FMDQ OTC, a Securities and Exchange Commission licensed over-the-counter market operator for fixed income securities.

The N10 billion Commercial Paper (CP) Programme represents the

first CP Programme to be established by a (non-financial institution) corporate issuer following the new guidelines on commercial paper from the Central Bank of Nigeria, published in 2009. In that regard, Guinness clearly demonstrates its innovative approach towards executing the company’s financing strategy in an increasingly dynamic market environment.

Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Bola Adesola added: “Standard Chartered is proud to have played a leading role in supporting this ground breaking Commercial Paper programme for

Guinness Nigeria Plc. This first of its kind transaction, following the new CBN guidelines, creates a template for other similar transactions.

We believe this is the beginning of many more opportunities to support institutional growth for our clients and the continuous development of the economy at large.

This is clearly in line with our commitment to be “here for good”.

Stanbic-IBTC Capital Limited served as joint arrangers, Aluko & Oyebode acted as legal counsel while KPMG acted as auditors to the issuers. Guinness Nigeria is a part of Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, with an outstanding collection of brands across beer, spirits and wine categories.

ESTERN Union Co said it expects pricing for its money transfer services to be at the company’s “historical low single digit range” as it grapples with rising competition.

The world’s largest money-transfer company said that it was cutting prices in parts of the United States where it was experiencing the maximum competitive pressures.

“Over all pricing for the year will be in our historical low single-digit range cross-border pricing environment is stable”, Chief Financial Officer Raj Agrawal told Reuters.

Rival firm, MoneyGram International Inc slashed prices last year after Wal-Mart Stores Inc launched its money transfer service. Western Union is facing competitive pressure in U.S. domestic money transfer in the higher principal band, or transfers above $200, Agrawal said.

The company, which gets about 80 percent of its business from lowincome migrant workers sending money home, said revenue from consumer remittances fell four percent in the first quarter.

Chief Executive, Hikmet Ersek said the company expected the

Western Union expects pricing at single-digit range money transfer market to be challenging in 2015, mainly due to weakness in Europe and Russia and the negative impact of the strengthening U.S. dollar. The company said its foreign-exchange hedging programs were helping to sustain its bottom line.

Western Union said revenue from its digital business, including westernunion.com and mobile money transfer, rose 17 percent in the quarter ended March 31. The company is investing heavily in its online and mobile businesses to better compete with fast-growing rivals such as Xoom Corp and privately owned Boom Financial Inc. Western Union said it expects compliance-related expenses this year to remain at 2014 levels, at about 3.5 to four per cent of revenue. “I believe we are in stable place with respect to spending on compliance,” Agrawal said.

DMO to sell N60b in bonds next week

D

EBT Management Office (DMO) says it plans to sell N60 billion ($300 million) of five, 10 and 20-year sovereign bonds on May 13- making it the apex bank’s fifth debt auction of the year.

The DMO said it would sell N20 billion each of the papers, due to mature in 2020, 2024 and 2034 respectively. The papers are re-open- •DMO D-G Abraham Nwankwo ings of previous issues and the results of the auction will be pub- bonds monthly to support the local bond market, create a benchlished the following day.

Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa’s big- mark for corporate issuance and gest economy, issues sovereign fund its budget deficit.

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

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

CHANGE

CAVERTON VITAFOAM REDSTAREX CONTINSURE CONOIL ETI UPL TOTAL WEMABANK CUSTODYINS

3.00 5.32 4.15 0.94 36.21 21.22 5.07 150.33 0.95 4.21

3.30 5.85 4.56 1.02 38.02 22.28 5.32 157.40 0.99 4.38

0.30 0.53 0.41 0.08 1.81 1.08 0.25 7.07 0.04 0.17

LOSERS AS AT 05-04-15

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) April 1, 2015

Inflation: Febraury

8.4%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

$28.2b

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$67.91

CHANGE

Interbank ($/N)

199.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR)

Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 05-04-15

SYMBOL

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

16.5%

Tenor 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months

April 31

May 6

Rate)%

Rate (%)

0.1735 0.2147 0.2615 0.3841 0.6709

0.1715 0.2108 0.2626 0.3857 0.6744

Nigerian Stock Market Indices NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

12-02-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 13-02-15

Overnight (O/N)

14.683

76.583

1M

15.033

15.977

3M

15.809

17.177

6M

16.493

17.908

Statistics y All Share Index Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) Deals Volume (mn) Value (NGN’mn)

34,649.3 11.8 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

UNITYBNK

3.52

3.19

-0.33

ROYALEX

0.53

0.50

-0.03

11.58

11.00

-0.58

T-bills - 91

12.44

ACADEMY

1.06

1.01

-0.05

T-bills - 182

13.85

CUTIX

1.74

1.66

-0.05

AIRSERVICE

2.20

2.10

-0.08

Dates

STERLNBANK

2.18

2.09

-0.10

03/02/2015

FBNH

9.50

9.12

-0.09

19.95

19.50

-0.38

CCNN

ASHAKACEM

Tenor

Feb. 13, 2015

Rates

Amount

Amount

T-bills - 364

13.92

Offered in ($)

Sold in ($)

Bond - 3yrs

15.92

500m

499.93m

3/12/2014

400m

399.97m

Bond - 5yrs

17.22

1/12/2014

350m

349.96m

Bond - 7yrs

16.59

Transaction

56

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

NEWS

Labour seals off Plateau schools, council secretariats

L

ABOUR leaders in Plateau State yesterday sealed off schools and local government secretariats as they started a strike over non-payment of salaries by the state government.

They are being owed about five months’ salaries and arrears.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in

Pankshin, Mangu, Kanke local government areas, secretariats and public primary and secondary schools were under lock and key.

As early as 7a.m., Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) leaders were at the schools and local govern-

ment secretariats.

They demanded from the security men the keys to the offices and subsequently locked the gates.

Some students, who were not aware of the development, went to schools but were sent back home; boarding students were seen packing their luggage and heading home.

Principal officers at the local government areas, including the chairmen, secretaries and directors, were not allowed into the secretariats by the union leaders.

Mr Pankyes Benwuk, Pankshin NULGE Chairman, told NAN that the strike was “indefinite” and would only be called off, if the state government met their demands.

He said: “This government seems not to have the interest of its workers at heart, judging by the way it is treating us. It seems the government is only interested in using us for politics, and nothing else. If not, for over four or six months, some workers have been working without receiving their sala-

ries.”

Benwuk said the non-implementation of the minimum wage at the local government, “unending” biometric for workers and nonpayment of salaries were the main crux of the strike.

He urged his co-workers to remain calm as they participated the strike.

UCH doctors: no going back on demands From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

R

ESIDENT doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, have said they will not drop their demands for improved welfare for their members.

Members of the UCH branch of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) have been on strike since May 1.

They insisted that they would not end the strike unless the government and the hospital’s management met to their demands.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Ibadan, ARD’s President Lukman Ogunjimi alleged that the hospital’s management was reluctant to implement the association’s request, which was sent to it over seven months ago.

He said the association had been negotiating with the management since then. Ogunjimi listed some grievances of the association.

•Some members-elect of Bauchi State House of Assembly displaying their Certificates of Return presented to them by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Hamman Tukur, in Bauchi...yesterday.

Taraba tribunal begins sittings

Niger Assembly sealed to block governor’s impeachment

HE Election Petitions Tribunal in Taraba State yesterday began sitting on national and state Assembly elections petitions.

It warned individuals and groups intending to bribe the panel to bend justice to steer clear because such action could land them in trouble.

The tribunal will listen to 22 cases filed by aggrieved candidates who lost various elections in the state.

Tribunal Chairman Justice Aflojulu Raymond Ozoemena urged the prosecution and defence lawyers to take their cases seriously to avoid being left behind.

“We are here for a serious business,” Justice Ozoemena said yesterday at the inaugural sitting of the tribunal in Jalingo, the state capital.

S

ECURITY agents yesterday sealed up the Niger State House of Assembly in Minna to forestall the lawmakers’ attempt to impeach Governor Babangida Aliyu.

The lawmakers were said to have concluded plans to sack the governor and the Speaker for alleged offences bordering on non-implementation of the Assembly’s resolutions, workers’ and Assembly members’ welfare and non-release of the statutory allocation to the Assembly for some months.

But the Speaker was later impeached yesterday.

Armed policemen, agents of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) took over the Assembly’s complex as early as 7am.

They blocked all accesses to the complex.

The seal-up caused a traffic gridlock on the ever busy Minna-Suleja Expressway.

A stretch of the road was cordoned off, leading to a heavy traffic jam, which affected the traffic from the Eastern bye-pass, the Western bye-pass and Paiko Road.

The armed men barricaded the Assembly’s members and workers from entering the complex.

The Clerk of the House, Mohammed Kagara, who arrived his office at 7:30am, was blocked.

In a telephone chat with our reporter, Kagara said he

I’m still the Speaker, says Usman From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

IMPEACHED Niger State House of Assembly Speaker Adamu Usman has said his ouster is null and void and of no effect.

The embattled Speaker addressed reporters yesterday at the IBB Pen House, a stone thrown from the Assembly complex in Minna, the state capital, after he and three other lawmakers were removed.

But Usman insisted that he remained the Speaker.

He said: “I am happy they did not accuse any of us of financial mismanagement.

“Since January (2015), we have not received overhead cost because of the economic meltdown from the Federation Account. Everybody is aware. I do not control the finances; as it (allocation) comes, I disburse. So, the impeachment beats my imagination.

“Whatever you saw today is illegal because the Mace is under my custody. So, whatever decision they took today (yesterday) is illegal.

“Myself, the Speaker, my deputy, the Majority Leader and Chief Whip are still in charge. There are grudges that the government had not done anything for them, as expected. We are making efforts to see what we can do about it. But we heard they carried out an impeachment without any offence.”

Usman alerted Governor Babangida Aliyu to prepare for his impeachment.

He said: “With what is happening now, Governor Aliyu should get prepared because I advised him before hand on this matter. So, anything that comes out of it, he should get prepared.”

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

was shocked at the development.

He said: “The way you are seeing the presence of the police in the Assembly is the same way I have seen it. I was not allowed entry to the complex.”

Police Commissioner Emmanuel Amore said the com-

mand was on ground to forestall a likely breakdown of law and order.

At 9:45 am, a group of lawmakers, led by Yusuf Kure and 12 others, had a mild drama with policemen. But they were prevented from entering the complex.

One of the top police officers at the Assembly, Aaron Sunday, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), po-

litely told the lawmakers that he was directed to provide security for the Assembly.

The police officer said he could not recognise the lawmakers, adding that it was the reason the gate was shut.

But the lawmakers insisted that they needed to enter the complex to carry out their constitutional duties.

Sunday caved in to the demand of the lawmakers, following an altercation that lasted over five minutes.

Also, armed policemen yesterday molested reporters covering the Assembly’s activities.

The reporters were locked out to prevent their entry into the complex.

The policemen formed a human barricade at the gate.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Assembly, Thomas Louis, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), allegedly hit the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reporter, Suleiman Kodogi and Samson Alfa of The Standard.

John Ogiji, of The Guardian, got his phone smashed after the pictures he snapped were deleted by a police officer.

The Punch Correspondent, Enyioha Opara, also lost his wristwatch during the scuffle.

Even when the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its State Secretary Abu Nmodu intervened, the reporters were still locked out on the instruction of the ACP (Operations).

Saraki donates N3m to Ilorin fracas victims

F

ORMER Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, yesterday do-

nated N3 million to victims of the recent Ilorin fracas.

Beneficiaries of the largesse were five families whose buildings were torched when the fracas broke out in Agbarere and Ita-Ajia areas of Ilorin, the state capital.

At Agbarere Quarters, the heads of the five affected families got N500,000 each.

The head of the family that

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

was affected in Ita-Ajia area also got N500,000.

Saraki, the senator representing Kwara Central, also donated N250,000 to the Magaji-Are of Ilorin, Alhaji Aremu Subair, whose vehicle was vandalised by the hoodlums during the fracas.

Saraki, who was represented by a team from the Mandate Campaign Office, led by Alhaji Oba Olabintan, attributed the cause of the crisis to un-

resolved acrimony.

The Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) leader said he was touched by the civil disturbance, adding that it caused serious hardship to the victims.

He assured that the government would continue to prioritise the well-being of the people.

Saraki urged the perpetrators to prepare for justice.

The APC leader said his modest donation to the victims was to further reassure the

•Dr. Saraki

people of his commitment to their welfare.

He added that the committee set up by the government to look into the attack would also do justice to the assignment.

From Fanen Ihyongo, Jalingo

T

Buhari: Double amputee to trek from Kaduna to Abuja From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

A

double amputee, Musa Ibrahim, has begun a solidarity trek from Kaduna to Abuja, to celebrate the victory of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.

He is expected to meet the President-elect in Abuja.

Ibrahim, 30, a father of two, told reporters before he started his journey, that his decision was to deliver a message to Buhari on the need to consider the physically challenged in his government.

According to him, there is need for All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to examine the plight of disabled persons, particularly on employment and political appointments.

He said: “I don’t think past administrations were fair to the disabled in this country. They talked about our plight yet did less to help us.”

‘Don’t alter Senate presidency’s arrangement’ From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

K

WARA State All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the national leadership of the party not to alter the zoning arrangement of the Senate presidency to the North-

central.

This formed part of the resolutions of the state’s APC Central Working Committee (CWC) at the end of its meeting yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital.

The party also organised a special prayer for the actualisation of the aspiration of Senator Bukola Saraki to become the next Senate President.

It insisted that the position should remain in the Northcentral to ensure fairness, justice and equity.

The special prayer took place at the party’s secretariat in Ilorin and was led by Ustaz Usman Basambo Jabata, who prayed Allah to make it possible for Saraki to get the exalted office because of his devotion to the development of Kwara State and kindness to the masses.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting of its central working committee, the APC noted that the party recorded 100 per cent victory in the March 28 and April 11 general elections.

APC said the zone deserved to get the Senate president, which the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had allotted to it.

The communiqué was signed by APC State Chairman Ishola Balogun-Fulani.

The CWC expressed its gratitude to members of the NWC for zoning the position to the Northcentral.

It added: “The NWC members, we believe, took this wise and popular decision in recognition of our zone’s enormous contribution to the development of our great party in all the states that make up the Northcentral.

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NEWS Fed Govt borrows N473b to pay salaries, overheads in four months Continued from page 4

Other key parameters driving the oil revenue side of the budget the finance minister said were retained: with oil production volume retained at 2.2782mbpd and exchange rate of N190/$, “this is because the inter Bank rate now is at about 197/$ and this is what the Central Bank have asked us to use because of their feeling about the way that the exchange rate will move for the rest of the year.”

Denying earlier reports, the minister said the National Assembly “approved the N100 billion and N45.52 billion provisioned for fuel and kerosene subsidy proposed by the Executive.” While other components of non-oil revenue were also retained as proposed.

The Federal Government Independent Revenue was raised by the National Assembly by N39.294 billion, from N450 billion to N489.294 billion.

Based on this figures, gross Federally Collectible Revenue

was increased by N169.845 billion, from N9.61 trillion to N9.78 trillion, as a direct result of raising the benchmark price.

The FGN Budget Revenue was also increased to N3.452 trillion, up from N3.358 trillion On the expenditure side, the aggregate expenditure passed by the National Assembly was N4.493 trillion, N67.43 billion higher than the proposed aggregated expenditure of N4.425 trillion, but debt servicing remained unchanged at N943.62 billion.

Statutory transfers was increased by N9.34 billion, from N366.28 billion to N375.62 billion, budgetary allocation to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) increased from N45.78 billion to N46.72 billion (an increase of N940 million), while Universal Basic Education (UBE) got an increased budgetary allocation from N67.30 billion to N68.38 billion (an increase of N1.08 billion).

All these the finance minis-

ter said “are strictly based on formula driven by the increase benchmark oil price.”

The National Assembly (NASS) allocation was also raised by N5 billion, from N115 billion to N120 billion, that of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) was raised by N2 billion, from N2 billion to N4 billion same as well as that of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) which was raised

by N316 million, from N1.2 billion to N1.516 billion.

Aggregate capital expenditure (inclusive of transfers and SURE-P) was increased to N722.20 billion, from N663.67 billion (an increase of about N58.57 billion). This comprises an increase of N37.77 billion in Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs’) capital and N20.80 billion for MDGs under capital supplementation. IPPIS capital (N5 billion) was completely removed from the Appropriation Bill, while Capital development of National Institute for Legislative Studies was increased by N4 billion (from

N2 billion to N6 billion), and N1 billion was provisioned for a new project, National Assembly Clinic. In 2015, the provision of N20.78 billion for SURE-P capital spending was retained.

The third component of the budget, the fiscal balance was reduced by the National Assembly from N1,067.12 billion to N1,041.01 billion (a decrease of about N26.11 billion). As a result, the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP decreased from 1.11 per cent to 1.09 percent.

The minister noted that “the highlights of the analysis of the 2015 Appropriation Bill passed by the NASS show that the increase in expenditure outlay by N67.43 billion over the proposed budget was financed by the extra revenue from the $1 per barrel increase in the benchmark price (about N54.25 billion) and from the increase in Federal Government Independent Revenue by N39.294 billion. The balance of the increase (i.e. N26.11 billion) was used to reduce the deficit”.

Fayose insists Mu’azu, others must go Continued from page 4

chair to a war commander who lost a battle and must give way to another commander.

Demanding evidence of the funds, the national leadership of the party claimed he collected, Fayose said he received N30 million for the general elections, which, according to him, he delivered to the party. But the statement was silent on the N250 million he was said to have received for his election last year.

Fayose maintained that his demand for the resignation of

Mu’azu and all NEC members was done in good faith and in the overall interest of the party. “I have no apology on my position on the NWC because their responsibility as a party does not take away their failure in the last general elections,” he said.

He reiterated his commitment to the PDP, saying: “If it remains only me, I will continue to defend the course of this party because some people are born to stand up at difficult times, and I believe I am one of such people born to stand up for the PDP at this difficult time.

“In saner climes, when a war commander leads his troops to an embarrassing defeat, such commander does not need anyone to tell him that he needs to leave the war front for another commander to take over.” ”I am even more particular about the National Chairman because he sold the party to the opposition. I have cogent evidence of his unholy alliance with the opposition before the elections and if they go any further, I will expose all his underhand deals.

“I want to say it again that I have no apology for calling

PDP: Governors shun post-poll review panel inauguration Continued from page 4

at the time it had laid a solid foundation through the transformation agenda of the present administration.

“However, we must appreciate the fact that change is the only constant thing in life.

Much as we are pained by the sad turn of events, we must come to terms with the fact that anger, recriminations, self-pity, and blame trading will not take us even an inch away from the harsh outcomes of the 2015 general elections.

“Let me emphasise that the worst tragedy that could befall the PDP is not to have lost the 2015 presidential election or our majority status at the National Assembly or some PDP controlled states to the opposition.

“All through human history, even the greatest and strongest empires have suffered one setback or the other at certain points of their existence. Instead, the greatest tragedy would be our failure to draw from the lessons embedded in the outcome of the elections.”

According to him, the party’s dwindling fortune present an opportunity to reassess and reinvent the PDP to retake its rightful place in the Nigerian polity for a much longer time.

“But we must first understand our immediate past to be able to chart our future. I believe this underscores the essence of this committee, which we have been called to serve on.

“Indeed, unless a man knows where the rain started beating him, he would never

know where it stopped,” he quipped.

He pledged that the committee would be fair and just in the discharge of its assignment, without fear or favour and appealed to members to stop bickering.

“Such tendencies are not only capable of further deepening the challenges we currently face, but also wrongly portraying us as confused, frustrated, stranded and bad losers.

“We must be careful lest we play into the hands of our opponents. We also urge all our members to remain with the PDP and rest assured that we will bounce back very soon.

“I agree with the position of our national leader President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that those who dump the PDP will return home with empty stomach. I therefore enjoin all of us to remain in our house and rebuild it instead of running to already-made shelters,” Ekweremadu admonished.

National Secretary Prof.

Wale Oladipo who stood in for Mu’azu, said the party transformed the country from a near pariah state to the “largest economy” in Africa.

According to him, the PDP expanded the frontiers of freedom in the 16 years the party governed the country at the centre, adding that the party was proud of its achievements.

The committee was given three weeks to submit its report.

Oladipo said the President had taken exception to the ongoing name calling and media war among the party leaders, saying the attacks and counter attacks must cease forthwith.

Among the other committee members at the inauguration are: Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha; Rivers State Governor-elect, Nyesom Wike; Interior Minister Abba Moro; former Ekiti chapter chairman Makanjuola Ogundipe, Alhaji Adamu Waziri and Chief Pegba Otemolu.

APC governors urge Buhari to rescue states Continued from page 4

the security”.

He lamented what he called the destruction of social infrastructure, especially in education, but assured that he will do everything within his power to ensure every part of the country is safe.

At the meeting were Vice President-elect Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, House of Representatives Speaker and Sokoto State Governor-elect Aminu Waziri Tam-

buwal, Kwara State Governor Ahmed Abdulfatah, Nasarawa State Governor Tanko AlMakura, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima.

Others include Governorselect of Kaduna State Nasir El Rufai, Adamawa, Senator Jubilla Bindow, Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu, Bauchi, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar, Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, Plateau State, Simon Lalong and the deputy governor elect of Niger State.

for the resignation of the NWC members, especially the National Chairman. After all, someone resigned his position as the National Chairman for Alhaji Mu’azu to assume office.

“Let me say it categorically that they can only attempt to destroy this party for the moment, not forever. Sooner or later, they will all fade away and PDP will rise again.”

Jonathan sacks PEF boss Continued from page 4

National Library of Nigeria were also inaugurated by the minister.

The universities and polytechnics are; Federal University Lokoja, Federal University, Lafia, Federal University, Kashere, Federal University, Wukari, Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Federal University, Dutse, Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Federal University, Otuoke, Federal University, Birinin-Kebbi, Federal University, Gusau, Federal University, Gashua, Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny, Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, Federal Polytechnic, Ukana and National Instiitute of Construction Technology, Uromi.

Obada is chair of the governing council of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State while Daniel will chair that of the Federal University, Kashere.

Also yesterday, the president wrote the Senate to confirm the appointment of his nominee for the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Mr. Munir Gwarzo.

Others nominees to be confirmed for appointment by the Senate according to Jonathan’s letter read by Senate President David Mark include the Chairman and members of the National Hajj Commission.

The nominees are: Abdullahi Lugga Mohammed (Chairman), and Yusuf Adebayo Abdullah Madibbo Saleh, Ibrahim E., Adeyemi Ademola, Adamu Mohammed, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed and Danjuma Salihu Usman as national commissioners.

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FOREIGN NEWS Thailand’s 87-year-old king makes rare public appearance

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HAILAND’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej made a rare public appearance yesterday to mark the 65th anniversary of his coronation.

All television stations carried the event live, as the 87-year-old monarch emerged in a wheelchair from a Bangkok hospital, where he has taken up residence, and was driven through the capital’s historic district to the Grand Palace.Buddhist monks led prayers as the king watched, before an audience of government and royal officials.

Thais lined the roads along the route, chanting “Long Live the King!”

The palace had not announced if Bhumibol (pooMEE-pohn) would appear for the ceremony, but crowds had gathered in anticipation of seeing the monarch.

Tuesday was a national holiday.

Yemen rebels shell Saudi town

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HE Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched fresh offensive in the Saudi border town of Najrans randomly “hitting hospitals, schools and civilian homes.”

The attack was confirmed by the coalition that has been carrying out air strikes against the Huthi Shiite rebels and their allies in Yemen since March 26.

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Assiri told Al-Ekhbariya that the rebels had “randomly” shelled Najran In a statement on Twitter, Saudi Airlines announced that “all our flights from and to Najran were suspended today until further notice.”

Al-Ekhbariya reported that schools had been closed in the city.

“Air and ground forces will respond in the right way to these hazardous acts and will not allow them to be repeated,” Assiri said.

Syria : Aleppo civilians suffer ‘unthinkable atrocities’, says Amnesty Int’l IVILIANS in Syria’s second city of Aleppo are suffering unthinkable atrocities, Amnesty International says.

A new report alleges that government forces and many rebel groups are committing war crimes on a daily basis.

The government has reportedly stepped up its bombardment of Aleppo in recent weeks in response to a rebel offensive.

President Bashar al-Assad categorically denied that barrel bombs had ever been used by his forces in February.

At least 10 people, including four children and teacher, were killed on Sunday when a barrel bomb hit a nursery school in the Saif al-Dawla district.

Amnesty’s report says that from January 2014 to March 2015, government aircraft launched continual attacks using barrel bombs - oil barrels, fuel tanks or gas cylinders packed with explosives, fuel, and metal fragments -

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•Much of Aleppo, Syria’s industrial and financial centre, has been devastated PHOTO:AFP

on rebel-held areas of Aleppo.

Their targets included at least 14 public markets, 12 transportation hubs, 23 mosques, 17 hospitals and medical centres, and three schools.

The vast majority of fatalities from the eight attacks Amnesty investigated were civilians. According to the

Violations Documentation Center, an activist-run monitoring group, barrel bombings killed at least 3,124 civilians and 35 rebel fighters in Aleppo province over the same period.

Amnesty said evidence suggested the air campaign in Aleppo had “deliberately targeted civilians and civilian objects”, and noted that

it was a war crime to intentionally make those not directly participating in hostilities the target of attacks.

“Such a systematic attack on the civilian population, when carried out as part of government policy as appears to have been the case in Aleppo, would also constitute a crime against humanity,” it added.

Armed opposition groups in Aleppo were also accused of committing war crimes by using imprecise weapons such as mortars and improvised rockets fitted with gas canisters called “hell cannons” in attacks that killed at least 600 civilians in 2014.

The report also documented widespread torture, arbitrary detention and abduction of civilians by both government security personnel and rebels in Aleppo.

Amnesty said the widespread atrocities had made life for civilians in Aleppo “increasingly unbearable”, with many forced to eke out an existence underground.

ISIS claims responsibility for Texas shooting

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SIS has claimed responsibility for the attack outside a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in Texas — and warned of more attacks to come.

In a broadcast on its official radio channel yesterday, the group said two Al Khilafa soldiers opened fire outside the event in Garland, a suburb of Dallas. Al Khilafa

is how ISIS refers to its soldiers.

The gunmen, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, wounded a security guard before police shot and killed them.

The ISIS radio announcer also referred to Simpson and Soofi as the terror group’s “brothers.” The announcement ended with this warn-

ing: “We say to the defenders of the cross, the U.S., that future attacks are going to be harsher and worse. The Islamic State soldiers will inflict harm on you with the grace of God. The future is just around the corner.”

While ISIS claimed responsibility two days after the attack, there was no imme-

diate indication that the terror group in Iraq and Syria actually had contact with Simpson or Soofi, who both lived in Phoenix.

U.S. authorities have said they are investigating whether Sunday’s shooting had any link to international terrorism. But there are clues that one of the gunmen was an ISIS sympathizer.

Hawkins gives Kudos to Nigeria’s press over 2015 elections

HE United States Consul General in Nigeria Jeffrey Hawkins has commended the Nigeria media over the coverage of the 2015 elections.

Hawkins condemned violence against journalists, especially during the elections, observing that “free press is essential to a healthy democracy”.

He said: “Journalists were attacked and intimidated to prevent them from performENEGAL is to send ing their work. The courage 2,100 troops to support they demonstrated was rethe Saudi-led campaign markable. There is no place in Yemen, its foreign minis- for violence in a democracy. ter says.

All of us need to stand toMankeur Ndiaye said gether to condemn such atSenegal was responding to a tacks and intimidation Saudi request to help secure against journalists.” the kingdom’s border with He made the submission Yemen. yesterday in his welcome Meanwhile, the Saudia address to participants at the foreign minister said his World Press Freedom Day country was considering programme held at the Contemporary truces to allow sulate in Lagos. The event for aid to be delivered in focused on the Assessment of specific areas. the News Media’s Performance A Saudi-led coalition has Covering the 2015 Election. It been carrying out air strikes had in attendance media adagainst Yemen’s Houthi ministrators, executives of rebels, who seized the the Nigerian Guild of Edicapital, Sanaa. tors (NGE) and the Nigerian President Abdrabbuh Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mansour Hadi fled and the lecturers, reporters and Mass declared aim of the Saudi-led Communication/ Journalcampaign is to restore him. ism students.

Foreign Minister Ndiaye Panellists at the event intold Senegal’s parliament that clude: President, Nigerian the coalition was “aiming to Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr protect and secure the holy Femi Adesina; Founding sites of Islam, Medina and Dean, School of Media and Mecca”, Reuters reported.

Communication,

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Senegal to support Yemen campaign

Dozens die as migrant boat sinks in Mediterranean DOZENS of migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean after a boat sank south of Sicily, the Save the Children aid group says.

It says survivors reported that many people fell into the sea as a rescue vessel was approaching.

The survivors arrived in the city of Catania on Tuesday.

At least 1,750 people have died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean, a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014.

Giovanna di Benedetto, Save the Children’s representative in Catania, said the latest sinking is thought to have happened on Sunday, but the exact toll was not known.

“They [survivors] said there were 137 people aboard an inflatable boat that deflated or exploded - it wasn’t clear - and that some of them fell overboard,” Ms di Benedetto told AFP news agency.

“Some said ‘very many’ died, others said ‘around 40’,” she added.

Media caption The majority of the migrants rescued by the Greek coastguard come from African countries and Syria.

Burundi Court backs president third-term bid BURUNDI’s President Pierre Nkurunziza can run for a third term, according to the country’s constitutional court.

Under the constitution, presidents can only be elected to two terms in office but it was argued that his first term does not count as he was appointed by parliament.

The announcement has led to renewed protests in the capital.

The constitutional court’s vice-president had earlier reportedly fled the country citing “death threats”.

At least 12 people have died in what is seen as the most serious unrest since the end of a civil war in 2005.

John Kerry visits Mogadishu

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•Participants at the World Press Day programme in Lagos...yesterday

By Evelyn Osagie

Pan-Atlantic University Prof Emevwo Biakolo; Head, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Dr Abigail OgwezzyIdisika; and Online Editor/ Head, Digital Strategy, Premium Times, Emmanuel Ogala and Producer and Host, Channels Television, Chamberlain Usoh.

He said: “The media can effectively fulfil the roles of watchdog, gatekeeper and agenda-setter. It can be a powerful force for change. It can improve governance by raising citizen awareness of social issues, enabling citizens to hold their governments to account, curbing corruption, and creating a civic forum for debate. I chal-

lenge you to continue to play an effective role in amplifying important issues that affect citizens.

“By providing to the Nigerian electorate timely, factual, analytical, and objective information to help them understand the issues and where the candidates stand, the news media lived-up to a universal professional standard and contributed immensely to a healthy and functioning democracy in Nigeria. You and your peers deserve kudos for a job well done.”

According to the Consul General, the US Mission has supported more than 28 election outreach events initiated by the Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate here in Lagos

in the last 18 months.

President Nigerian Guild of Editor (NGE) Mr Femi Adesina said as far as press freedom is concerned, ownership would always matter.

According to him, the polarisation of the media is largely because of ownership.

In his contribution, Prof Biakolo called for better welfare for journalists, saying it would greatly impact on the productivity of the press in ensuring objectivity and fairness.

Dr Ogwezzy-Idisika urged media to guard against provocative speeches and adverts. Prof Ralph Akinfeleye called for sanctions on defaulters of media codes of ethics.

THE US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on an unannounced visit.

He is the first American Secretary of State to visit the city.

In a meeting with Somalia’s president under tight security at the airport, he said: “Next time I come, we have to be able to just walk downtown”.

The US backs the Somali government in its fight against Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which still controls many rural parts of southern Somalia.

The meeting with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and civil leaders was held at Mogadishu airport, as Mr Kerry isn’t leaving its heavily fortified perimeters.

Mr Kerry said: “I visited Somalia today because your country is turning around”.

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SHOWBIZ

• The demolished section of Danjuma Cinema ... yesterday

PHOTOS: SOLOMON ADEOLA

Nostalgia as Danjuma Cinema goes down

F

OR over four decades, it stood as a major entertainment beacon around the Agege suburb in Lagos State. But, facing the demolition hammer, Danjuma Cinema played out its final scenes, as it is being pulled down by labourers.

On Tuesday, when The Nation visited what remained of the once solid and elegant blue-tiled structure, it was a perpendicular ‘skeletal’ concrete frame. On the two remaining walls, gaping holes were seen high above, remnants of window frames and spaces of the cooling system.

The site looked deserted and rubble were heaped at what was formerly the entrance to the building. An old sign, painted in black reads, ‘beware, this property is not for sale.’

However, a man, Dayo, who claimed to be manning the desolate site said the property was sold to an Igbo man who lives abroad.

He also said the demolition started from the interior, three weeks ago.

Built by Alhaji Danjuma Haruna

•Alhaji Mukhtari Morcass

By Joe Agbro Jr

between 1973 and 1974, the cinema, located at the junction of Oseni Street and Marikaz Street, at inception, was a Mecca of sorts for many families, friends and movie lovers.

The weekend matinees were a delight which ensured the cinema quickly established itself as a standard movie hub. It offered western, Indian and Chinese films to moviegoers. And through the eighties and early nineties, it was a bubbly avenue for film lovers within the Agege axis.

And, as the landmark building comes down, some people’s sense of nostalgia is being pricked.

“This cinema (Danjuma) was one of the best at that time,” said Alhaji Mukhtari Morcass who lives nearby and witnessed the construction of the cinema. “They imported the tiles for the building.”

He said he used to go there as a child to watch movies, being sneaked in during intermission by

I

hooked up, she’s from an average family. It is strange that happened to her. We would have expected it would have happened to people who are not exposed so that means that everybody is in danger.”

Speaking about his zeal to expose human trafficking, Mr Darlington Agha, the Executive Producer of St Mary says that in Nigeria, human trafficking is a big problem especially for the less-privileged.

“So I decided to sponsor that movie for the world to know the truth, it was very challenging although I had a very good crew. The Producer, Director and Associ-

lar. Even someone who is outside Nigeria and is coming from Ghana, UK or any part of the world, if they come to Agege here, if they are looking for this street, it is not going to be hard for them because we have the Danjuma Cinema and everyone in Lagos knows Danjuma Cinema.”

Another resident who identified herself as Tayo Adejumo said that though the place had become decrepit, she felt a fading sense of nostalgia each time the hammer clonked on the concrete.

“The whole space just looks different,” she said. “When we say we are living around Danjuma (Cinema) now, not everybody would know where we are talking about.”

Though Alhaji Danjuma Haruna died in 1995, that his Danjuma Cinema bequeathed popularity to the area is not contestable.

As Danjuma Cinema is pulled down, it is going down history lane, joining the likes of Pen Cinema Agege and Metro Cinema as defunct cinemas of an era past.

Steph Nora Okere goes on ‘media sabbatical’

All set for St Mary premiere N a quest to throw more light on the menace of trafficking in persons, a new movie, St Mary, which exposes the existence child of trafficking within and outside the country, will premiere May 22.

According to Nollywood actor Keppy Bassey Ekpenyong, Associate Producer of the flick, St Mary addresses the issue of human trafficking from the local perspective because human trafficking currently operates within and outside the country.

Explaining the message of the movie, he said; “We are extracting this from true life experiences. I’m sure you heard about the Facebook story of the girl that was killed in a hotel somewhere in Festac. That also inspired us. This girl got

the guards.

Though, there were no workers on site, it was evident that the building was being brought down manually, with sledge hammers.

While this may be cost-saving to the new owners, Morcass confessed that the slow pace of the manual demolition only brings more pain.

“For people like me, anytime we come from work and we see the demolition is taking place, we are not very happy.

“This thing (demolition) is making us remember when they built it and they used to show films there.

It lets us think of the past. We are not very happy. One time, we just heard that some people bought it and they started demolishing it like that. They’re demolishing it in a local way. The way they are demolishing it is very slow. And when we look at it now, we are not very happy because it is one of the places that let our street develop. Because of this cinema, our street is popu-

By Adewoyin Adeniyi

By Dupe Ayinla- Olasunkanmi

ate Director are very good and very experienced. It took about four months to shoot,” he said.

St Mary is written by Damijo Efe Young and directed by Mattias Obahiagbon. It stars veteran actors Zack Orji, Keppy Bassey Ekpenyong, Joseph Benjamin, Benita Nzeribe, Scott Roberts, Paul Obazele, Toyin Alausa and AGN President, Ibinabo Fiberesima among others.

The movie had earlier premiered last August in the UK and will also premiere in six American states later this year. It will finally premiere nationwide from May 22 at the Silverbird Cinemas.

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• Steph Nora Okere

OLLYWOOD actress, Steph Nora Okere has stated that she is presently not speaking to the press, on the grounds that, she has been misquoted in most of her interviews.

In a recent chat with The Nation, the actress speaks about her talk show which she has been planning, but is yet to debut on TV. She said; “I am presently not talking to the press on any issue for now. Because you people have a way of misquoting the things I say.

“I have a manager who presently manages all my affairs. So he is the right person to take up any question concerning me. But when I am ready to talk, I will definitely call everyone,” she added.

The actress who has also reduced the numbers of films she featured in and more of soap operas, in an interview also revealed that, it has not been easy remaining single after her failed marriage.

Steph-Nora Okere, is a trained theatre art graduate from the famous University of Ife, the Owerri-born actress garnered fame and fortune at the nascent stages of Nollywood.

Osogbo alive for Goldberg Fuji T’o Bam audition

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• Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey

T was a day of celebration for Fuji enthusiasts at the sleepy town of Osogbo, the Osun State capital when up and coming artistes thronged the White Plain Hotel for the audition of Fuji music talent hunt, Goldberg Fuji T’o Bam. The occasion was the battle for the Wura 1 crown of Fuji, which also comes with a cash award.

Fuji lovers were not disappointed as they were treated to the best of the music from budding talents.

The audition had past contestants like Ejire Performer, who made it to the Top 5 in the last edition of the show, but could not

win the coveted prize, as well as other talented Fuji artistes who were on hand to give moral support to the contestants.

At the end of the thrilling and intense competition, 13 contestants made it to the selection stage of the contest.

Speaking after the audition, one of the judges, Sikiru Agboola, aka SK Sensation, described the audition as a keenly contested outing among budding Fuji artistes with exceptional talent who slugged it out before the panel of judges to win their votes.

One of the contestants, Prince Adeyemo Jelili, who started his

Fuji music career while he was in JSS 1 class, described his experience and feeling at the end of the audition as the best in his career “This show has given me the platform to showcase my Fuji talent. This is a music genre that is very dear to my heart and I thank Goldberg for providing it. I promised to get better at every stage of the contest as it progresses and hopefully, win the coveted prize and crown,” Jelili said.

Fuji T’o Bam is an indigenous music activation platform of Goldberg which has in the last two editions led to the discovery of budding Fuji talents.

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SPORT EXTRA FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP

JUVENTUS 2-1REAL MADRID

Tevez hands Juve first-leg advantage

Brazil: Nigeria will J give us problems F

IVE-TIME U20 World Cup champions Brazil have admitted they expect African champions Nigeria to cause them some problems at the tournament in New Zealand.

Brazil open its U-20 World Cup campaign on June 1 against the Flying Eagles in New Plymouth.

“Nigeria always cause us problems,” Gallo said. “They’re a strong team, technically good with good players,” remarked

Brazil coach Alexandre Gallo.

The two teams last clashed at this tournament in 2005, when the group game ended in a draw. Gallo also commented on his team’s other first round opponents, Hungary and North Korea.

“Hungary has a typically European style – direct football, tall players. North Korea don’t have very technical players, but they close you down a lot, they have speed and counter-attack intensely,” he said.

Martins named MLS Player of the Week

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IGERIA international, Obafemi Martins, has been voted Major League Soccer (MLS) week nine player of the week.

The Seattle Sounders FC forward, Obafemi Martins got the votes of North America Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week nine MLS player of the week in 2015 season. The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a group of journalists from NASR which consists members in the Print,Radio, TV and Online Media.

Martins, stellar performance in a week nine MLS match on Sunday, May 3,2015 at the Yankee Stadium where he got a brace in Sounders 1-3 win over New York City FC. The brace repre-

sents his 31st goal in Sounders shirt.

ObaGoal who now tops the goal scorers chart with six goals, opened his goal account in the match on the 23rd minute when he met a through pass from Marco Pappa which he shot at the back of the net. He was also involved in Sounders second when he set up Clint Dempsey on the hour mark who gave the visitors the lead. The pacy Martins finished off the match with a second goal when he ran through the backline of NYCFC to secure a 1-3 win.

Obafemi Martins who was with the Nigerian team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa will hope to increase his goal account in 2015 MLS when Sounders face Columbus Crew SC.

Brazil placed fourth at the South American qualifiers and will begin training camp on May 16 when they fly out to Australia. Manchester United playmaker Andreas Pereira and Real Madrid forward Jean Carlos have been named on a 26player provisional squad.

However, there was no space for 17-year-old Fluminense midfielder Gerson, Corinthians boy wonder Malcom and Santos striker Gabriel, 18, as Gallo opted for more experience following a forgettable campaign in the South American qualifiers.

Other interesting names in the squad are Marseille prospect Alef, Atletico Paranaense’s prolific attacking midfielder Marcos Guilherme and Fluminense trick machine Kenedy.

“We called up committed players who have experience representing their country and have their [careers] shaped,” explained Gallo. “We need players who are fully focused on our targets.”

RESULTS UEFA Champions League Juventus 2 - 1 Real Madrid Germany - Regionalliga Siegen 1 - 3 Viktoria Portugal - Segunda Liga FC Porto B 2 - 3 Braga B Scotland - Premiership Inverness 2 - 1 Dundee Utd

UVENTUS moved to within 90 minutes of a first Champions League final since

2003 courtesy of a 2-1 victory in the first leg of their last-four clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday night.

The Italian champions remain on course for the treble this season going into the second leg at the Bernabeu next week, while Madrid need to win that second leg to stand any chance of defending of their crown.

The hosts came flying out of the blocks in Turin, putting Madrid under heavy early pressure with Arturo Vidal, Stefano Sturaro and Alvaro Morata all threatening Iker Casillas's goal in the opening exchanges.

They made their early dominance count too, taking the lead through Morata in the eighth minute as the Spaniard tapped home unmarked at the back post after Casillas could only tip a powerful low Carlos Tevez effort into the striker's path.

Morata refused to celebrate against his former club, but his current employers showed little mercy as they continued their fast start to the tie.

Gianluigi Buffon needed to get down smartly to tip a Toni Kroos drive past the post, but the visitors were soon on the back foot once again as Sergio Ramos gave the ball away cheaply, only to have his blushes spared by an offside flag raised against a prone Sturaro.

Cristiano Ronaldo's first real sight of goal did not come until the 24th minute when he dragged an effort wide of the far post having beaten the offside

• Juventus' forward from Spain Alvaro Morata scores during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football match Juventus vs Real Madrid on May 5, 2015 trap, while moments later down the other end Stephan Lichtsteiner sliced his shot past the near post when well placed.

That miss would prove to be costly as Madrid levelled things up against the run of play just a couple of minutes later. James Rodriguez looped a cross over a helpless Buffon, leaving Ronaldo with the simplest of finishes to nod home a record 76th Champions League goal, nine of which have come in semi-finals.

The equaliser turned the match in Madrid's favour and they should have gone into the break ahead after James somehow sent a diving header crashing against the crossbar from point-blank range with the whole goal to aim at.

Juve attempted to make a similarly fast start to the second half as they did in the first, with

Tevez drawing a routine stop from Casillas in the opening minutes.

It was the Argentine who created and scored Juve's second goal, with the Italian champions hitting Madrid on the break to regain their advantage. Tevez burst forward on the counterattack and, despite Morata being felled off the ball by Marcelo, continued his run and eventually drew the foul from Dani Carvajal inside the box.

The hosts' calls for a red card went unheeded by referee Martin Atkinson, but Tevez ensured that there would be further punishment by firing straight down the middle from the penalty spot for his seventh Champions League goal of the season - more than he had managed in his previous five campaigns combined.

Nigeria and South Africa: Need for constructive, sagacious diplomacy •Continued from page 3

The President is his own Foreign Affairs Minister, as much as he is his own MDA’s. However, he has to be properly advised by professionals and he has to give a listening ear so as to make consistent, unambiguous and non – embarrassing pronouncements on issues of vital interest to our nation.

Whoever the Nigerian President may be, he/ she must not act in his own personal/ self – interest at the expense of national interest; and must not fall victim of lobbies, both internal and external, but must be guided by and act in the national interest of Nigeria.

Nigeria must not be perceived to quiver on its long established and consistent policy of support for justice, human rights, peace and security anywhere in the world.

President Zuma and Xenophobia As regards the South Africa Xenophobia, the action taken so far by their government in quelling attacks on Nigerians and others through the use of police and the army is welcome.

However, confidence in the sincerity of the South African government has been eroded by the statement of its President, Dr. Zuma, who was reported to have remarked that he did not know why Africans cannot stay in their countries. Such pronouncement and attitude towards fellow Africans do not augur well for the welcome and safety of Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.

President Zuma cannot play the ignorance that there are many South Africans in other countries in Africa and in the rest of the world. He should not forget the sacrifice made by Nigeria and other African countries in liberating South Africa from the clutches of apartheid and colonialism in Southern Africa in general. He must not forget that his fellow citizens, especially of the ANC, were given safe haven in Nigeria to live in peace and tranquility and were educated free of charge in Nigerian universities during the era of struggle to eradicate apartheid in his country without which he would

not be President of South Africa today.

He must not pretend to be ignorant of the multimillion dollar investments of Nigerians in South Africa which provide jobs, income for his people and revenue from taxes to his government.

He must not brush aside, the investment opportunities which Nigeria has given to South African entrepreneurs in Nigeria particularly MTN, DSTV, SHOPRITE, to mention but a few.

Xenophobic actions against Nigerians or other Africans in South Africa should, therefore, be condemned unequivocally by President Zuma and his likes. He should take more aggressive action to sensitize his people via the radio, television and other social media to welcome and love Nigerians and other Africans in their midst so as to create harmonious relationship for peaceful co existence.

Nigerians are no burden on South Africa; most of them are assets rather than liabilities to South Africa. South African government, the political parties, NGOs, religious institutions e. t. c., should give credible assurance about safety of Nigerians and other African citizens who are legitimately living and doing business in South Africa, in the same way, Nigeria gives security to all. The xenophobic action against Nigerians and other Africans should not be allowed to drag the cordial relations between Nigeria and South Africa into the mud.

Towards a lasting solution There is an urgent need for constructive and sagacious diplomacy, showing best judgment, cordial and mutual understanding and respect for each other and their citizenry.

The action taken by South Africa of deploying its police and military to quell the attacks on Nigerians and other Africans is an appropriate one.

However, President Zuma should be made to retract his statement that Africans should stay in their countries, so that confidence and trust in him and his government can be reposed by Nigeria and other African countries.

He should sensitize his people to welcome their fellow Africans.

The South African government should take full responsibility in its failure to invest in human capital development of its teaming youths and failure in creating employment opportunities for them. This is an area that President Zuma should focus his attention very urgently and very seriously rather than his blame game against other non- South African blacks who live in South Africa.

Nigeria should send back its envoys, if it has not done so, to continue monitoring the situation and ensuring that the South African government do the needful to protect our citizens and allow them to go about their legitimate business. Our envoys should persist in advising Nigerians in South Africa to be law abiding and should show the spirit of brotherhood to fellow South Africans.

The Foreign Ministers of both countries should urgently hold official meeting with a view to re- affirming the cordial relations existing between their countries in spite the hic- cups.

Nigeria and South Africa Bi – National Commission should hold an emergency meeting with a view to ironing out the xenophobia matter and to finding a Permanent solution to attacks on Nigerian and their properties.

This requires subtle civilized and constructive deliberations.

Nigeria should demand appropriate compensation from South Africa for damages done to Nigerians and their properties during attacks of 2008, 2011 and 2015.

During the Technical Aid Corps (TAC)/ Seminar in 2008 held in Makurdi, Benue State, for newly recruited TAC members, in my paper presented at the seminar when the first xenophobia attacks on Nigerians took place, I recommended as follows: “Nigeria should demand from African countries which it has assisted to attain independence, particularly Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe; to eliminate apartheid, in South Africa and Namibia; and from those other countries for whom Nigeria has sacrificed its gallant men and women in peace – keeping, that Nigeria’s invalu-

able sacrifice and assistance, to those countries should be taught in schools, colleges and universities; and should be inscribed in their history books, and other records. By so doing, current and future generations in those countries would appreciate the leadership roles which Nigeria played during their liberation struggles. If this demand had been made in the past and it was duly met, the attacks on Nigerians currently going on in South Africa might have been averted”.

What I advocated in 2008 is still relevant today and I hope the Nigerian authorities will consider the matter very seriously and get it accepted by the countries concerned as promptly as possible, through the mechanism of constructive and sagacious diplomatic engagement.

Nigerian and South African governments should promote the formation of Nigeria/South Africa Friendship Association which will include the older and younger generations who would appreciate the assistance rendered by Nigeria in the past and reciprocal assistance that will continue to exist between the two countries and their people for the mutual benefits of both nations.

Cultural exchanges, especially, exchange of students, teachers, professors, sports, professionals, particularly in the medical fields, cultural troupes, tourism and learning of each other’s languages should occupy a major agenda in the Bi–National Commission between both countries.

Both the Friendship Association and the cultural exchanges, will usher in closer appreciation of each other’s tradition and customs and create affinity between the people of both nations. If formal collaboration between the organized business sectors of both countries does not exist at the moment, the governments of Nigeria and South Africa should encourage and promote the formation of Nigeria/South Africa Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture so as to promote greater trade and investments between both countries.

Nigeria should commence negotia-

tions with countries in Southern Africa, particularly South Africa with a view to erecting memorial statues for Nigeria in those countries as permanent reminders of Nigeria’s contributions to the liberation of their countries from colonialism and apartheid. Such memorial statues will be perpetual historic monuments in those countries in honour of Nigeria for appreciation by their citizens and generations yet unborn.

Nigeria assisted South Africa from the clutches of apartheid in the past, it is time for Nigeria to assist in eliminating xenophobia from that country so as to win their hearts and minds for mutual co- existence among the South Africans and the rest of the black communities living in their midst.

The Nigerian government should therefore allocate special funds to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to constitute a committee to organise seminars, conferences and workshops on the diplomatic history of Nigeria’s assistance to African countries and the Diaspora, which would be published and forwarded to Nigerian Missions abroad for onward dissemination to host authorities, their institutions and citizenry. We have to get the world to know how benevolent and selfless we have been to fellow African countries, particularly, in Southern Africa for which Nigerians had to forgo their meals, comfort, a good part of their salaries and incomes, their sweat and blood for the freedom of the people of Sothern Africa. Thus, the xenophobic actions against Nigerians particularly and other Africans in South Africa is uncalled for and totally objectionable; it cannot be tolerated and should never be allowed to happen again. The fraternal and cordial relations which have been built over the years between Nigeria and South Africa should not be allowed to falter or be dragged into the mud by spoilers and the ill–informed. Nigeria and South Africa should, therefore, wake up to their responsibilities and make Africa and the black race proud!

•Jaiyeola .J. Lewu, Ph. D; Fellow (Harvard); mni. is Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Brazil.

TODAY IN THE NATION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.10 NO.3206

‘Education: The 20% public school pass can be tripled by coaching current SS2 students in July to Sept and December 2015 holiday coaching with Extra Classes.

Come September, give 15 TEXT BOOKS/STUDENT.’

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

P

ENULTIMATE Monday, all hell broke loose, following news of a ban on AIT from the coverage of the activities of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB). Coming on the very day which was this year’s World Press Freedom Day, the widespread consternation at the decision was understandable. Certainly it couldn’t have been more ill-timed - and wrong-headed - even if, as the president-elect’s spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said, it was a gross misrepresentation of presidency-elect’s decision.

AIT, Shehu said, was never really banned. The station, he said, was only asked to “step aside”, pending the resolution of some “security and ethical issues”. He did not spell out what those security and ethical issues were. He probably could not spell out the former, security not being under his purview, but he did not need to spell out the latter for anyone to know that there can be no love lost between the station and the president-elect, given the station’s media campaign against him, which is probably the most scurrilous in Nigeria’s history.

Still it was wrong for anyone to have asked AIT to even “step aside,” never mind being banned. First, it was not AIT alone that maligned or was shamelessly one-sided against the president-elect. The Federal Government owned NTA, which claims a larger audience than the AIT, was no better. In a sense it was worse; as a publicly funded broadcaster it was not its prerogative to be partisan in any way. But as the Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, Dr. Bakili Maluzi, said in a statement on March 30, “the flagship nightly television news on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) channel was completely dominated by reports of the incumbent party’s campaign rallies.”

NTA apart, the News Agency of Nigeria, was also highly partisan. During the campaigns its managing director, Ima Niboro, issued instructions against running any positive stories about the general and his party, the All Progressives Congress. And when its editor-inchief, Isaac Ighure, defied his boss and insisted on doing his job professionally, he was simply shunted sideways into the marketing department, where he is still languishing. Not surprisingly he has since been replaced by Lawal Ado Daura. Clearly, Daura got the job not simply because he was qualified, which he was; he got it more because he comes from the same town as the president-elect. Talk of shameless toadying-up to the new powers that be!

The other two Federal Government owned media, FRCN (Radio Nigeria) and the Voice of Nigeria, behaved much better than NTA and NAN. But this was no thanks to the Federal authorities who put a lot of pressure on their managements to be just as partisan and malicious. By law VON does not carry adverts but the management of Radio Nigeria which does was able to reject the notorious hate documentary against the general carried by AIT and NTA and which came to define much of this year’s media election campaign.

The independent press may have fared better than the broadcast media, but the conduct of the newspapers too was far from ideal, especially when it came to carrying adverts that were potentially, and in some cases, actually, defamatory. Again, to quote the chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, “Many newspapers published ‘wrap advertisements’

RIPPLES HATE CAMPAIGN CAUSED JONATHAN’S DEFEAT–PDP

Na lie!...PDP lost because it runs a VISIONLESS, CLUELESS, INEPT and CORRUPT GOVT. where STEALING IS NOT CORRUPTION

People and Politics By

MOHAMMED H ARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

GMB’s ‘ban’ on AIT

•Gen Buhari which looked like normal front pages, but were in fact paid-for advertising masquerading as news.”

Given the generally poor showing of the media in the coverage of this year’s election, asking AIT alone to “step aside,” no matter how briefly and for whatever reason, was clearly selective.

However, there is an even more important reason than this selectivity for why the decision was wrong. And this is the need to respect our Constitution and our laws.

As a veteran journalist, I have no doubt in my mind that AIT behaved in a most irresponsible and unprofessional manner in running its campaigns against General Buhari and I suspect most reasonable people will agree with my view.

Certainly the general is highly unlikely to disagree.

But in a democracy such as we aspire to, only the courts have the power to punish such irresponsible and unprofessional conduct as AIT’s, to the extent that the courts agree that the misconduct is defamatory.

Not surprisingly, Raymond Dokpesi, the proprietor of the station, has said he does not see anything wrong with how his station has behaved.

“Daar Communications,” he said in reaction to the purported ban of his station, “is a commercial entity and therefore, reserves the right to run anything it considers worthy of being televised...What is obviously clear is the fact that AIT believes that the historical information about the President-elect that was run was factually correct. Nothing was done to defame him or impinge on his character or integrity.”

I believe most people who have watched AIT’s coverage of the elections, in particular its hatefilled documentary on the general which the station played again and again, would be shocked at the brazenness of Dokpesi’s defence of a documentary that was so riddled with halftruths and barefaced lies about the general’s

person, his religious belief, his past, his late wife and daughter.

Dokpesi is entitled to believe what he wants.

But he should know that Daar being a commercial entity does not entitle him to defame anyone. And the only lawful way to teach him that lesson is not to bar him from doing his business anywhere but to take him to court.

Happily, the president-elect has shown that he has put his old dictatorial ways well behind him; he said he was not aware of the ban and once he got to know about it, he instructed that AIT’s accreditation be restored immediately.

The president-elect has clearly passed his first test as a born-again democrat. It is now up to him to decide whether or not to go to court to teach AIT the lesson that a democracy is no licence for defaming anyone.

Re: Jega’s forbearance and Awo’s curse Sir, In as much I enjoyed the summary of Nigeria’s electoral history by you (April 22), you were not factual by claiming that people regarded the March 28 and April 11 elections as the most credible in Nigeria what with massive riggings in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta and written results!

People just allowed ‘the sleeping dogs to lie.’

While we keep improving, the 1993 elections remain the most fair, free and CREDIBLE before the CABAL struck.

Lanre Oseni, +2347064181043.

Sir, The 2015 presidential elections were truly not free and fair. The votes turned out in Southsouth and Southeast were all bloated in favour of PDP. Without this electoral heist, APC’s margin of victory could have been about 10 million.

Barr. Ngozi Ogbomor, +2348033397362.

Sir, Your article on Jega’s forbearance and Awo’s curse refers. Please be informed that Awo did not place a curse on Nigeria. He only said that if Nigerians should continue to pervert democracy this generation might not know true democracy.

That is a conditional statement not a curse.

While I wish Nigeria well in her effort to consolidate democracy, it is no yet Eureka, for democracy is a journey not a destination.

Dr. Ade Adebisi, Akure. +2348034703653.

Re: Tamuno: the passing of a great historian

HARDBALL

F

ROM the look of things, only God knows how many women, girls and children are still caged by Boko Haram terrorists. The number of such vulnerable captives recently rescued by Nigerian troops from Sambisa Forest in Borno State suggested that those kidnapped by the Islamist group may have been extremely underestimated.

On April 28, news spread that the military had rescued 293 captives, comprising 200 girls and 93 women. The following day, another 60 women and 100 children were reported saved. Then on April 30 yet another rescue operation yielded a new set of women and children. The Director, Defence Information, Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade, said of the third batch: “Another set of 234 women and children were rescued through the Kawuri and Konduga end of Sambisa Forest on Thursday. They have been evacuated to join others at the place of ongoing screening.”

What about the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls seized more than one year ago by the terrorists?

This question remains unanswered, despite the large number of girls recued in the three operations. More disturbing, Olukolade’s words of-

Eleventh-hour liberators fered no guarantee that the missing schoolgirls would be found or rescued. He said: “The assault on the forest is continuing from various fronts and efforts are concentrated on rescuing hostages and destroying all terrorists’ camps and facilities in the forest.”

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt- Gen. Kenneth Minimah, painted a picture that perhaps offered less hope. At the opening ceremony of the reconstructed 81 Division Officers’ Mess at Marina, Lagos, he said: “We will continue to push in major operations in the fight against insurgency…It is our wish that we find them (the Chibok girls)…I am sure that as we edge further into the forest, we will begin to capture more camps.”

Minimah’s expressed confidence sounded shaky when he added, “We pray that we rescue more people. Every Nigerian looks forward to this.” If the army chief is relying on prayers to achieve

TONY MARINHO

Sir, Someone should say well done to you for your piece on Tamuno last week. For reasons I can’t quite understand, I haven’t enjoyed an article like this one in a very long time.

Hector Collins Decker, +2348037172869.

Sir, Professor Abdullahi Smith’s initial name was Henry Frederick Charles Smith not Robert as stated in your piece. +2348035067192.

Sir, Your Wednesday’s column refers. It was not Joseph Smith who became Abdullahi Smith but H. F. C. Smith. +2348093468672.

Sir, That was a wonderful piece on an extraordinary man. But late Professor Tamuno was from Okrika not Ijaw. +2348129146188.

Sir, I thought Tamuno was a Kalabari name and not Ijaw. Please confirm. +2348035007010.

You are right. He was Kalabari, not Ijaw.

However, the two, along with Okrika, are kith and kin.

MH. Sir, Your piece, “Tamuno: the passing of a great historian,” was not only a tribute to the demised historian, but a concise account on development of historiography and the roles of selected historians in the evolution of African historiography. Factually, Tamuno deserves all the praises you showered on him for his service to humanity.

However, my reservation was on the mix-up on the roles of the duo of Dike and Biobaku in the evolution of African historiography. As a matter of fact, I think there is a ploy to downplay the role of Biobaku. You refereed to Biobaku as one of the foot soldiers of Dike in Ibadan. This is far from the truth. Dike and Biobaku were contemporaries. Like Dike, he studied abroad and not at the University College, Ibadan, as you stated. Biobaku studied at University of Exeter, England (1944-45), Trinity College, University of Cambridge (1945-47), and Institute of Historical Research, London (195152).

As a matter of fact, Dike’s pioneering work on African historiography, Trade and Politics in Niger Delta was published a year ahead of Biobaku’s Egba and their Neighbours published in 1957. All others you mentioned built on the foundation laid by both Dike and Biobaku.

I think Biobaku was a member of the Ibadan school not because he studied or lectured at UI, but because he aligned with the tradition of the school in his works. I think the only time he worked in UI was as a director of the Institute of African Studies. He was vice chancellor at O AU and Unilag at different times.

Adewuyi Adegbite, +2347013065440.

•For comments, send SMS to 08059100107

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above success in this matter, it is a signal that divine intervention may prove to be more crucial than military operations.

It is worth reflecting on the timing of the activities that resulted in the three-stage liberation of these 687 children, girls and women. With the May 29 transition date fast approaching and the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan presidency haunted by the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, it is understandable that the administration may be desperate to finish strong by ensuring that the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls are located and liberated. The question is: Why did the Presidency and the military leave the intensification of rescue operations till now?

The dramatic show of state capacity looks like the result of an eleventh-hour decision to act decisively. If the administration and the military authorities expect that the last-minute moves to free Boko Haram captives would bring public applause, then they need a rethink. The problem with the eleventh-hour liberators is that their push may just be too late, apart from being suggestive of inexcusable and condemnable lethargy.

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