The Nation May 16, 2012

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

NJC gets notice of Salami’s recall

Nigeria, France seal 200m euro power deal

NEWS

Page 11

NEWS

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•Pro-PCA protest in Ekiti

•French grant to boost electricity

www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 7, NO. 2125 WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

•Former Interim Government Head Chief Ernest Shonekan (third right) at the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Plant in Bonny yesterday. With him (from right) are Babs Omotowa, MD, NLNG, Chima Isilebo, GM Production; Dr Osobonye LongJohn, Chairman, Board of Directors; Basheer Koko, Deputy MD, Temi Okesanjo, GM Shipping and Siene Allwell-Brown, GM External Relations. See story on page 10

Presidency strikes back as Buhari remains adamant F

ORMER Military Head of State Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari came under attack yesterday for his views on the 2015 general elections and Boko Haram.

Buhari, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate in the 2011 election, reportedly warned that 2015 will be bloody if what happened in 2011 general elections re-

Buhari never bothered to campaign in the South and consistently played up the North-South divide...

–Presidency

The truth is always very bitter for the PDP and it should be known that the party is evil and should go and make amends –CPC

Ex-Head of State ‘a sectional leader’ CPC: PDP is evil From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

peats itself. He also accused the Federal Government of being “the biggest Boko Haram”.

Infuriated, the Presidency yesterday noted that it is very sad that an elder statesman who once presided over Nigeria could reduce himself to a regional leader who speaks

for only a part of the country.

But Buhari stood his ground - courtesy of CPC Chairman Tony Momoh saying the Peoples Demo-

cratic Party (PDP) “is evil”.

According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, with Buhari’s outburst,

the Presidency has come to understand the import of the submission of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Nasir el-Rufai on the former military leader in a public letter in 2010.

The Presidency described Gen Buhari’s statement that 2015 will be bloody should the PDP rig the general election, as “unfortunate”.

Continued on page 4

I’ve proof of my claims, says Okah A BOUT a fortnight after the Presidency denied any deal with him, detained Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) leader Henry Okah yesterday said he has text messages and letters to back his allegations.

Besides, Okah said he is not on trial, but that the South African government and its justice system are being tested.

The MEND chief has been detained in a South African prison since October 2, 2010.

He is on an 18-month trial at the South Gauteng High Court under the

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Terrorist Act’s Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Act, Act 33 of 2004.

Okah, who has been denied bail, is expected to face full trial on October 1.

While he is struggling for bail, an affidavit containing his defence against alleged terrorism leaked. The document indicted some Federal Government officials.

Although the Federal Government denied all the allegations, Okah reContinued on page 4

•Sterling Bank Plc Chairman, Alhaji Suleman Adegunwa, speaking at the 50th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Bank at The Lagoon Restaurant, Lagos… yesterday. With him are MD/CEO Yemi Adeola (left) and Company Secretary Justina Lewa.

•CITYBEATSP8 •SPORTS P23 •POLITICS P45 •EQUITIESP50 •MONEY LINKP51

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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NEWS

THE

Drama as Presidency T

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (left); Director, Social Events, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Lagos State, Percival Oqiya; Chairman, Taiwo Taiwo and Chairman, Law Week Planning Events, Hannibal Uwaifo, during a visit of the association to Aregbesola at the Government House, Osogbo...yesterday

•Vice President Namadi Sambo launching a book entitled: "The Servant Leader 2" written on former President, the late Umaru Yar A’dua in Abuja...yesterday With him is former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd)

HERE was a fresh drama yesterday following the sudden service of the Federal Government with a notice of the reinstatement of the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The submission of the resolution of the NJC to the government however coincided with the filing of a fresh suit by a litigant to stop Salami’s reinstatement.

It was learnt that the notice of the NJC decision, ‘purportedly forwarded’ to the Presidency since last Friday, was not received until yesterday.

What was communicated to the government was a verbal notice.

A reliable source said: “We suspected that some officers sat on the notice in the last four days for God knows what. They might have been influenced by forces that do not want Salami back.

“I think these forces spent the last four days to go back to the drawing board to strategise on how to frustrate the recall of Salami.

“For instance, it was not a mere coincidence that the letter was sent to the government at about the same time a suit was being filed at a Federal High Court by a lawyer, Noah Ajare.

“The same Ajare had gone to court early this year to stop the NJC from recalling Salami. The case which ought to come up in March has not been heard. But without prejudice to the matter, the NJC went ahead to do the needful.

“Without allowing the court to hear his initial application, the same person has filed a new matter to restrain the President and the

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Attorney-General of the Federation from recalling Salami. This is a gross abuse of the court process.”

Another source, who spoke in confidence, said: “I think there is a grand plan to take advantage of the court process to delay the reinstatement of Salami. They will say the matter is subjudice.

“The plot is to drag the reinstatement matter till Salami is due for retirement in October 2013.

But this may lead to more chaos in the judiciary.”

As at press time yesterday, the government was yet to make his position known on the reinstatement of Salami.

“We have not received the resolution of the NJC but I think in the next few days, we will make our position known,” a top government official said: The President is empowered to determine Salami’s fate in line with the process outlined by the Part I, Paragraph I, Section 21(b) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 292(1)( a)(i) Part I, Paragraph I, Section 21(b) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, the said Third Schedule, Part I, Paragraph I, Section 21(b) of the Constitution provides that “the NJC shall have power to recommend to the President the removal from office of (the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Justices of the Supreme Court, the President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, and the Chief Judge and Judges of the Federal High Court) and to exercise disciplinary control over such officers”

Jonathan sued over Salami’s return

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•Abia State Governor Theodore Orji, watches with keen interest as Mr Hanna Ndaya of Charbel Ltd. takes him round the New International Conference Centre under construction in Umuahia during an inspection tour...yesterday

•Former External Affairs Minister Chief Tom Ikimi (left), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, former Director-General of the Nigeian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. George Obiozor and the institute’s Director-General Prof.

Bola Akinterinwa at a brainstorming session on Nigeria’s contributions to International Development, Pence and PHOTO: RAHMAN SANUSI Security 1960 to 2012 at the institute in Lagos.... ysterday

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

N Abuja-based lawyer, Noah Ajare, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from reinstating Justice Ayo Salami as the President of the Court of Appeal.

Rising from its meeting in Abuja last Thursday, the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommended to President Jonathan to approve the reinstatement.

In an originating summons, Ajare is asking the court to declare that all the meetings,discussions and recommendations for the reinstatement of Salami, by the President, on the recommendations of the NJC must be put on hold.

According to him, the action is illegal,unconstitutional,null and void, as it is subjudice.

The President and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) are first and second respondents respectively.

The plaintiff argued the suit filed by Salami is still pending and that taking any step on the matter will further undermine the rule of law.

He is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents or privies from implementing, discussing and or rectifying the recommendations of the NJC in respect of Justice Salami, pending the hearing and determination of pending court actions so as not to create a wrong precedent.

In a 22-paragraph affidavit, Omolara Adeogun of the Victory chambers said the plaintiff was not against the reinstatement of Salami but wants due process to be followed.

She averred that the matter is no longer personal for the original parties involved as it has assumed a national dimension with global attention and as such, caution must be observed.

She added that if there is no extant order of the court, the 1st defendant may pre-empt the due process of the court.

Adeogun also averred that the face-off between former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and Justice Salami shook the judiciary to its very foundation and that it climaxed when the latter instituted a court action against the former.

This, she said, has created a grave concern among Nigerians, particularly at the Bar about the integrity if the judiciary.

Describing the judiciary as the most sacred arm of the three arms of government and the last hope of the common man, the deponent averred that the face-off raised several issues like conflicting decisions, corruption, the 2007 Sokoto gubernatorial election matters and so many others that actually threatened the judiciary.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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NEWS THE BATTLE FOR SALAMI’S REINSTATEMENT

ncy gets NJC’S recommendation on PCA recall

•Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi listens with rapt attention to pro-Justice Ayo Salami’s reinstatement protesters at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti...yesterday

Section 292(1)( a)(i) says: “A judicial officer shall not be removed from his office or appointment before his age of retirement, except in the following circumstances (a)

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in the case of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal

Capital Territory, Abuja, Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and President, Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal

Capital Territory, Abuja, by the President (of Nigeria), acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate, praying that he be so removed for his inability

to discharge the functions of his office or appointment (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body) or for misconduct or contravention of the Code of Conduct.”

Protesters demand immediate action

PEACEFUL protest was staged in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday in support of the recall of the suspended President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) Justice Isa Ayo Salami.

The protesters, a coalition of political, civil society and trade union groups, came together as early as 8 am, marching through the streets and chanting songs in condemnation of the perceived tardiness in the process of reinstating Salami.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) last Thursday recommended the recall of Justice Salami after a two-day meeting in Abuja. But the Presidency claims it had not received the letter recommending the PCA’s recall. Besides, the presidential ratification of the recommendation is believed to have been delayed by the absence of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke, whose advice the President needed before taking action.

Yesterday’s protesters carried placards with inscriptions which included: “Salami: Justice delayed is justice denied”; “Ekiti Youths want Salami reinstated”; “Jonathan, reinstate Salami now”; “Salami is a man of justice, reinstate him” and “Salami: at last justice has prevailed”, among others.

The protesters comprising members of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP); National Automobile Technicians’ Association (NATA); Okada Riders Association; Youth Groups; National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW); Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Market Women, believed to be about 5,000, took turns

Lawmaker urges reinstatement without delay

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EPUTY Whip of the Lagos State House of Assembly Rotimi Abiru has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to approve the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommendation and reinstate the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Ayo Salami without delay.

Abiru reacted at the weekend to the reinstatement of the former President of the Appeal Court According to him, the only solution to the incessant political unrest in the country is true observance of the principle of separation of powers as it would enable the executive, legislative and the judiciary function well.

He noted that any undue intervention of one arm in the activities of the other will jeopadise the basic function of such arm.

Abiru described the judiciary as the last hope of the common man “because of the recklessness of the executive and sometimes, the legislature.

He said: “The recommendation of Salami’s reinstatement by the NJC is a welcome development From Sulaiman Salawudeen, AdoEkiti

to address the crowd.

They berated President Jonathan for what they described as “playing politics with the truth.”

They demanded to know why why Salami was not immediately reinstated as the PCA by the President on the recommendation of the NJC, given the speed with which the recommendation of the same body suspending him was implemented.

At about noon, they converged on the Governor’s Office, where they urged Governor Kayode Fayemi to convey their message to the President.

Fayemi lauded the protesters for voicing their support for the truth, rather than for Salami He said: “The President who is

By Oziegbe Okoeki and I want to give kudos to the judicial arm of government for upholding the basic tenet of the rule of law because judiciary is the last hope of the common man due to the recklessness of the executive and sometimes the legislative. If the judiciary fails to do the right thing as regards justice, then there will be a great chaos in the country. “ He urged governments at all levels to desist from politicising the issue of Salami’s reinstatement, adding that the aggrieved parties should seek judicial redress rather than resort to violence.

Abiru said: “Though, the aggrieved people may not be happy about the development, it is another triumph for justice. The NJC is the highest body of judiciary in the country and whatever decision it takes on any matter must be honoured.

“So, I am urging Mr. President, Goodluck Jonathan, to approve the NJC’s recommendation without any delay.”

now saddled with the responsibility of affirming what the NJC has recommended would not play politics with the future of our great country.”

He expressed hope that the President would not be partisan in making quick decision regarding the reinstatement of Salami.

The governor said Justice Salami became a subject of opprobium of the powers not because he gave judgments to uphold justice in Ekiti, Osun and Sokoto states, but for being consistent in standing by and displaying justice in his judgments in a country “ruled by forces attuned more with darkness rather than light.

“Truth in whatever colouration remains the truth. You can dissemble, disorganise, pretend and manipulate; truth remains constant.

“It is not because he gave a judgment. Salami has given several judgments. You should ask yourselves the number of cases that went before election petitions tribunal in 2007. It ran into thousands. Majority of them ruled in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The handful that turned the other way still did not go down well with the dark powers that today call themselves rulers.

“The truth of the matter as was demonstrated almost a year now in April 2011 is that Ekiti people know what they want.

“It was not Justice Salami now who spoke in the Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections which we won in Ekiti State last year.

“It was the people who spoke and

who spoke resoundingly well; they spoke unequivocally; they spoke affirming that they do not have anything to do with darkness and that henceforth, light is what they want to be associated with.

“And all over the state today, people can see the changes that have overtaken the rot that PDP inflicted and left with the people.”

Fayemi said plans were afoot to set the records straight and stop Mr. Segun Oni from parading himself as “a former governor of Ekiti State.”

He said Oni should “stop parading himself as former governor of the state despite judicial pronouncement that he was never elected as a governor.

“The judgment of the Appeal Court was very clear and unequivocal that Oni was not validly elected in 2007 and was never a governor in the face of law because no law, either at the state or federal level recognises him as a former governor.”

The CNPP state chair, Prince Tunji Ogunlola, commended the NJC for “standing by the truth despite the threats”, adding that “the judiciary has once again succeeded in reinventing itself and delivering the third arm of government from the grips of election riggers.”

He said it was a disappointment that a “clearly upright Justice could be considered deserving of such a scale of unjust treatment as has been meted upon Justice Salami.”

According to him, the CNPP appreciates the “Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), civil society groups, the media and Nigerians for their support for the cause of justice and in ensuring that Justice Salami was not rubbished by anti-democratic elements in the country.”

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

NEWS ‘I’ve proof of my claims’ Continued from page 1 messages, letters etc, quite un-

•President Goodluck Jonathan listening to Chief Executive Officer Avsatel Communication Ltd, Mr. George Eder, during the touring of exhibition stands at the Nigeria Air Force event in Kaduna…yesterday. With them are Military chiefs and Defence Minister Haliru Bello Mohammed

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You are blood thirsty, PDP tells Buhari

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 elections, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as a blood thirsty politician who relishes in bloodshed.

The PDP was reacting to a prediction by Buhari that there would be a bloody revolution if the ruling party attempts to rig the 2005 general election like it did in 2011. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, at a news conference yesterday in Abuja, accused Buhari of incitement.

He said Buhari was “inciting Nigerians to slaughter fellow Nigerians as he did sequel to the 2011 general elections”.

Metuh said while the PDP cherishes freedom of speech, assembly and association, such freedom, he noted, goes with immense responsibilities.

“We condemn in no uncertain terms this shameful call

From Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

for the spill of blood of innocent Nigerians to acquire political power.

“We need to remind ourselves that on April 21, 2012, Buhari was reported in the media as predicting a bloody revolution in 2015. The reports in the national dailies today (yesterday) quoting the same retired General as repeating that blood will flow in 2015 is another build-up to Buhari’s relish of funeral train.

“It is unfortunate that at this time of grave security challenge while Nigerians are burying their dead and counting their losses, Gen. Buhari, who wants to rule them, is further inflaming the orgy of violence. What a blood thirsty leader in Buhari” The ruling party said what Nigeria needs right now is ‘evolution’ in the true spirit of democracy, stressing that Buhari’s utterances were undem-

ocratic, unpatriotic and unstatesmanlike.

“It is on record that Nigeria is yet to recover from the huge losses it suffered due to such reckless and provocative remarks by Buhari before the 2011 general elections which led to a spate of bloody post-election violence across six states of the federation.

“Why is the blood of innocent Nigerians the only thing sufficient to quench his thirst for power,?” the PDP asked.

Metuh said the 22-man panel of enquiry led by Sheikh Ahmed Lemu confirmed that Buhari’s provocative remarks played a significant role in the post-election 2011 bloody violence that led to the death of at least 200 people with about 40,000 displaced while thousands were injured.

“The panel categorically stated that Buhari’s pre-election utterances were misconstrued by his supporters to engage in the condemnable mayhem that

greeted the aftermath of the presidential elections.

“Buhari never apologised to the nation or to the families of the victims. Today, Buhari is again engaged in another build-up of massive bloodletting and destruction.

“Nigerians should be worried over Buhari’s quest for power by all means as he begins chanting his old war song once again. We have no doubt that Buhari is suffering from combat withdrawal syndrome.

“We, therefore, urge the Federal Government to allow him to lead the ECOWAS military contingent to Mali or Guinea Bissau to enable him an opportunity to exorcise the bloodletting demons apparently haunting him.”

On the allegation of corruption levelled against the PDP

by Buhari, the party challenged him to prove to Nigerians that only PDP members were corrupt.

mained adamant yesterday.

In an e-mail to The Nation, he said he will not wait till October 1 before making his evidence available to the public through the court.

The MEND leader, who denied any link with any terror group, said the evidence will be presented to the South African court for his bail application He wrote: “Please note that I am not in a tell-all mode and my affidavit was a response to absurd claims made by the Nigerian government which, amongst others, attempted to link me with Islamic terror groups.

“Regarding MEND or its activities, I am unfortunately not in a position to offer any insights not already available in the public domain. I never negotiated nor accepted any financial payments or gifts from President Goodluck Jonathan directly or through his agents.

I’m not a thug and have therefore, never offered such services to the President.

“I’ m a soldier for justice, not just to the people of the Niger Delta, but to all oppressed persons wherever I may be able to help.

“I have also never sought nor executed any contracts in Nigeria . I live a simple life devoid of all intrigues speculated in the Nigerian media.”

Asked why he levelled some allegations against some Federal Government officials, Okah insisted that his points have basis.

The MEND leader added: “Regarding my affidavit, anyone who knows me will confirm that I do not say things I cannot prove. Everything in my affidavit is supported by physical evidence, such as text

like the bogus claims of the Nigerian and South African governments.

“Most evidence in my possession will be presented at my upcoming bail application so the Nigerian government does not have to wait till October 1 to meet me in court.”

“The lame response of the Nigerian government speaks volumes to the discerning mind.”

On his trial, Okah said: “The South African justice system is slow and, no matter how hard it tries, will be unable to cover up the fraud perpetrated by the South African government in my arrest and persecution.

“I perceive a number of people in South Africa to have been bribed by the Nigerian government which has influenced the decision to persist in this madness. Unlike the magistrate’s courts here which have little credibility, the High Court will not tolerate this nonsense. This explains the evasive tactics being employed by the South African government to delay my bail application and trial.”

Okah went on: “I’m not on trial here. The South African government and its justice system are on trial for allowing the hijack and abuse by a few corrupt South Africans and a lawless Nigerian government.”

In an affidavit filed in a South African court, Okah claimed that early April 2010, after Jonathan became Acting President a ministerial aspirant called him over 20 times for help to become the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

He alleged that the then aspirant urged him to speak to the President and “put a good word for her”, furnishing him with up-to-date information on the President’s availability via calls and text messages”.

Presidency strikes back as Buhari remains adamant Continued from page 1

It said: “The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to unfortunate statements in the media made by former Head of State and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in which he allegedly predicted bloodshed in 2015 and labelled the Federal Government, led by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, as “the biggest Boko Haram”.

“But, perhaps the most unfortunate part of the statement was the portion in which Buhari said that, ‘Since the leaders now don’t listen to anybody but do whatever they wish, there is nothing the North can do.’

“We find it very sad that an elder statesman who once presided over the entirety of Nigeria can reduce himself to a regional leader who speaks for only a part of Nigeria. “ We now understand what his protégé and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, meant when he wrote in a public letter in October of 2010, telling Nigerians that Buhari remains “perpetually unelectable” and that Buhari’s “insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity and his parochial focus are already well-known”. Who can know Buhari better than his own political associate? Come to think of it, as the CPC presi-

PDP responsible for evil in the land, says CPC

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HE National Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Prince Tony Momoh, yesterday supported Buhari’s comment and condemned the Federal Government, saying: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is responsible for the evil in the land.”

Reacting to the statement issued by the PDP, Momoh, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Abuja, said many leaders had made the same statement as Buhari and nobody reacted to it: “The truth is always very bitter for the PDP and it should be dential candidate in the 2011 election, how many states in the Federation did he visit to campaign for votes?

“Buhari never bothered to campaign in the southern part of the country and consistently played up the North-South divide to the chagrin of patriotic and wellmeaning Nigerians. “ As the results revealed, Nigerians will never vote for anyone who wants to divide the country. Is Buhari going to continue to be a sectional leader?

“The Federal Government led by President Jonathan is not Boko Haram. Boko Haram means Western education is sin. That being the case, one wonders how a government that devoted the largest sectoral allocation in the 2012 budget to education could be said to be Boko

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

known that the party is evil and should go and make amends,” he said.

Momoh who expressed disappointment with the statement issued by the party he described as “evil” said: “There is freedom of expression and everybody has the right to express whatever he or she feels and their opinion. This is democracy and it should be practised without bitterness.

“So, PDP should not be seen to be doing the wrong thing and nobody is saying anything. We must say things

Haram. Between 1983, when Buhari forcefully seized power from the democratically elected administration of President Shehu Usman Shagari, and 2012, no other administration has committed the same quantum of resources as the Jonathan administration to education in the part of Nigeria that has witnessed the most Boko Haram-related insecurity.

“Only on April 10, 2012, President Jonathan commissioned the first of 400 Federal Government Model Almajiri Schools, equipped with modern facilities, such as a Language Laboratory, Qur’an Recitation Hall, classrooms and dormitories as well as a clinic, vocational workshop, dining hall and quarters for the Mallams.

“As Nigerians read this, more of such schools have

to correct the wrong. Nobody should intimidate the other. PDP is responsible for the evil in the land. So, why are they crying and reacting as if they are not responsible for the sad development.

“Many leaders have made the same statement Buhari made, Why is it that PDP is crying and shouting over this very statement which everyone knows that it is the truth?

“PDP must do the right thing if Nigeria is to witness positive development. We must not run away from the truth. And the truth shall set Nigeria free.”

been completed. We now challenge Major General Buhari (rtd) to tell Nigerians what he has done, whether in his capacity as the head of a military junta or in his private capacity, to bring education to vulnerable children. “ If he cannot live up to this challenge, perhaps he has to reassess who really is Boko Haram.

“Buhari claims that the Federal Government, does not listen. Such an accusation ought not to emanate from a man overthrown by his own hand- picked colleagues in the military for refusing to listen to advice and behaving as if he had a monopoly of knowledge.

“It is on record that the Federal Government led by President Jonathan, is a listening administration, hence its decision to pursue all means of

resolving the Boko Haram insurgency, including through dialogue. When Buhari says that ‘if what happens in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, ‘the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood,’ we hereby state that it is Buhari himself who does not listen.

“He has obviously refused to listen to the Nigerian People, the European Union, the Commonwealth Monitoring Group, the African Union and a multitude of independent electoral monitors who testified that the 2011 elections were free and fair and “the best elections since Nigeria returned to civil rule.

“Indeed, such a reaction from Buhari is not totally unexpected since he has become a serial election loser who has never taken his past election defeats graciously even when

such elections were generally acknowledged to be free and fair.

“Still on the issue of Boko Haram, we wonder what locus a man whose party’s Secretary General, Buba Galadima, told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in December, 2010, that the Federal Government is underestimating the support base of Boko Haram, has to accuse a government that has been threatened on camera by the leaders of Boko Haram of itself being Boko Haram? Major General Buhari (rtd) also boasts of his knowledge of the petroleum industry because of his time as Federal Commissioner for Petroleum.

“We wonder why he did not boast of the infamous scandal that occurred in that ministry where under his watch billions of Naira (in the 1970s) were reported stolen, a matter which led to the setting up of the Justice Ayo Irikefe panel.

“Finally, we wish to make it known to Buhari that given his reference to ‘dogs and baboons’, perhaps his best course of action would be to travel to the zoo of his imagination because President Goodluck Jonathan was elected by human beings to preside over human beings and it is human beings who will determine what happens in Nigeria at any material time not “dogs and baboons”.

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THE NATION WESDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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NEWS

. Kano’s Chieft Imam Prof Sani Zahraddeen (left). With him areHisba Commandant Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa and Sheikh Aminuddeen at the wedding...yesterday

•A cross-section some of the brides at Hisba office after their wedding...yesterday

‘I have struggled all my life but can’t make ends meet’

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It has always been our desire in Hisbah to ensure a decent society. I believe that if we can eliminate violence in our homes, the society will be better

Dauda Yakassai, 27, is one of the beneficiaries of a mass wedding organised yesterday for widows and divorces in Kano. He says the ‘second chance’ has reshaped his life and 99 others, reports KOLADE ADEYEMI

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OR some100 spouses – mainly widows and divorces - the wedding bell tolled again in the ancient city of Kano yesterday.

Their mass wedding, held at the Kano Central Mosque, located near the Emir’s Palace, shook the ancient city to its foundation.

The couples were honoured with the presence of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and Secretary to State Government (SSG), Dr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi.

The marriages, arranged by the Hisbah Board, were sheld at the instance of the state government.

Thousands of residents trooped into the Central Mosque, venue of the ‘unusual marriages’ to catch a glimpse of the event.

It was a colourful ceremony. The brides and grooms, all dressed in their “Sunday best’, beamed with smiles.

Interestingly, most of the couples never planned of settling down because they lacked the wherewithal to raise a family.

But in its magnanimity, the Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso-led government took it upon itself, not only to sponsor the marriages, but also to provide the necessary financial and moral support, strong enough for couples to start life anew.

The State Executive Council approved N15 million for the multiple weddings three weeks ago. The funds were meant to be shared to the couples to furnish their apartments and establish cottage industries.

Businessman Sheikh Ishyaku Rabiu also donated N1 million to cover the dowry of the 100 brides.

The joys of family members, friends and relations knew no bound as they fete well-wishers at the reception immediately after the ceremony that lasted barely 20 minutes.

They were in high spirit, jubilat-

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WO anti-corruption chiefs Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Mr. Ekpo Ntae of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission - yesterday expressed concern over the craze for land acquision in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Lamorde described the scramble

ing and praising the state government for the kind gesture.

Praise singers lively up the reception, mesmerizing the audience with talking drums and chanting the praises of Kwankwaso and Bayero for putting smiles on the faces of widows and divorces.

All the beneficiaries, who spoke to The Nation expressed happiness over the ceremony. They thanked God for making it possible.

Suleiman Alarama, 55, who took a wife out of the 100 widows and divorces, gave thanks and praise to God for making it possible for him to have another wife.

He said: “Today, I have taken a second wife after the death of my wife two years ago; and my new wife is a woman I love so much. She is so dear to my heart and I have promised Allah to take good care of her.

“I will forever, remember Kwankwaso and the Emir of Kano, including the management of the Hisbah Board who made this occasion possible.”

According to Suleiman, for one and half years since the death of his wife, he has been struggling to get money to take a new wife.

“But this has not been possible because of the harsh economic situation. But today, I have taken a wife.

I am a family man again and this is due to the goodness of the Kwankwaso government. I am a happy man,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Magajiya Yau Ismaila, 40, was all smiles when he spoke to The Nation.

Her words: “I am back to life again. My marriage crashed six years ago and it has not been easy living as a single parent. I have no job or means of livelihood. But today, Governor Kwankwaso, through the Hisbah Board has wiped away my tears. I am now happily married and I feel so great.”

•Sufi...yesterday

Baba Bala, 50, who hails from Kura Local Government Area of the state, said he has found the bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh.

“God has finally joined me with the one I love. I must tell you that the woman I have married to today have been a woman of my dream; and I got her on a platter of gold. I must honestly appreciate the governor for making this happen,” he said.

To 27-year-old Dauda Yakassai, yesterday was a big and the happiest day in his life.

He said: “Today (yesterday) is a very big day for me. I was sleeping in a shop and never had the means to get married.

“I have struggled all my life but had not been able to make ends meet. But through the kind gesture of governor Kwankwaso, the Emir of Kano and Sheikh Rabiu, I am now a responsible family man.”

Aminu Sherif Mohammed, 24, was also in high spirit. He expressed happiness for getting a woman he could call his wife.

“I am also happy to be part of this historic event that will never be erased from the slate of history.

It is a pride for me and I will always love and cherish my wife. I will continue to pray that God will continue to bless governor Kwankwaso and the Emir of Kano for making me and others responsible family people,” he said.

The Emir urged the couples to make love and trust the bedrock of their marriages. He also urged them to make judicious use of the funds provided by the government to start a new life.

‘ Also speaking, the SSG urged the couples to show tolerance, understanding and perseverance in their relationship.

The Director-General of Hisbah Board, Alhaji Abbah Sa’id Sufi described the event as another milestone in curbing the menace of divorce and widowhood in Kano.

His words: “It has always been our desire in Hisbah to ensure a decent society. I believe that if we can eliminate violence in our homes, the society will be better. We slated this occasion for today being the World Family Day to encourage even family men to look at issues that will promote peace in their marriage rather than those factors that can bring about separation and violence.

“The Hisbah authority and the state government are so happy that this is happening; and we are sincerely grateful to Kwankwaso who gave us the full support and other individuals who saw the wisdom in this project. To Allah be the glory!”

Special Adviser to the governor on Religious Affairs, Ali Baba, said the state government decided to bankroll the marriages to reduce the rate of divorce, fight poverty and ensure high moral standard in the society.

He called on other Northern governors to emulate Kwankwaso footsteps.

High ranking government officials, special advisers and commissioners witnessed the event.

They included members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representatives of the Emirate Council and royal fathers from all the 44 local government areas.

EFCC, ICPC chiefs flay scramble for land in Abuja From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

for property as the biggest scam.

Ntae warned the high propensity for corrupt practices in land administration could trigger a civil strife.

The duo spoke at the public presentation of a report on “Systems

Study and Review of Lands Administration in the Federal Capital Territory”, which was conducted by ICPC and sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The occasion was also used to present a documentary on

“Grassroots Involvement with Budget Process.”

Lamorde did an appraisal of the scam going on in the nation’s capital.

He said: “For some of us in the law enforcement agencies in this country, if there are areas that have

PDP’s boast to capture Lagos laughable, says ACN

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HROUGH its spokesman Joe Igbokwe, the Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday described as laughable and wishful the plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to terminate the ACN’s hold on the Centre of Excellence by 2015.

Igbokwe said his party was not surprised by the PDP’s boost to capture Lagos, saying such boasts are synonymous with serial failures.

He advised the PDP to perish the idea of capturing a state where the electorate had rejected it at the polls in three general elections and several local elections.

Rather than live with the illusion of unseating the ACN government, Igbokwe berated the PDP for “turning a rich and well-endowed country into a cringing hell hole where life totters on the brinks after 13 years of unmitigated plunder.”

Igbokwe, who issued a statement, said: “The vow to capture Lagos has become such a dull rehash that advertises the abject lack of ideas and creativity for such a party as the PDP that knows nothing but pillaging public treasury and capturing every election with the vilest means in the book.

“The PDP is on a predictable downward spiral given its maladministration and plunder of Nigeria , which has reached its bestial height at present when trillions are stolen with impunity, leaving Nigerians poor and wretched.

“It is not surprising that the PDP is sounding like a cracked gramophone on its elusive desire to capture Lagos , a futile desire that is as old as the life of the tenuous democracy we are burdened with.

“It is not surprising that each fresh resolve to capture Lagos has been met with more resounding electoral defeat because the PDP thinks that it does not need to work for the hearts of Lagosians but wants to capture them through its vile means of stealing every election in sight.”

According to Igbokwe, the PDP continued to issue its threat to capture Lagos because it lacked understanding of the feelings of residents.

become interesting to visit and where fraud is being perpetuated, it is land administration in the FCT. “It is the biggest scam now going around in the FCT. It is in the FCT that people brandish supposed originals of Certificate of Occupancy of plots of land and other people still come and contest it with the original document.”

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

NEWS Reps to amend Constitution on election litigation From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

M

EMBERS of the House of Representatives have described as injustice the loophole in the Constitution (as amended) which disallows an extension for the period of election litigation at the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

The lawmakers said they would alter Section 285, which gives 180 days and 60 days to the tribunal and the Appeal Court to conclude all election litigations.

The lawmakers noted that circumstances could warrant the two courts not to sit for the stipulated period due to circumstances beyond their control.

They spoke yesterday on the floor of the House as the bill passed the second reading.

The sponsor of the bill, Friday Itulah (PDP, Delta), noted that though the affected section was earlier amended by the Sixth Assembly to address the prevailing problems at the time.

He said: “The amendment has, however, created another set of problems.”

Itulah cited Sub-Sections 5, 6, 7 and 8, which were added to Section 258 when it was amended by the Sixth Assembly, were meant to address cases of endless litigation lawyers exploit to unduly prolong cases to the detriment of litigants.

Maitama Sule, Fashola, others for coalition’s national security parley

No help for 16 Nigerians on death row in Indonesia, says Senate

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HE Senate yesterday foreclosed further intervention in the case of over 300 Nigerians in Indonesia prisons.

About 16 of them are said to be on the death row for drugrelated offences.

Senate President David Mark gave an indication of the lawmakers’ helplessness to help the prisoners at plenary yesterday.

He noted that Nigerians who smear the name of the country should be left to their fate whenever they are caught.

The Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Matthew Nwagwu, had drawn the attention of the Senate to the plight of over 300 Nigerians in Indonesian prisons.

Nwagwu, who spoke under

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

matters of urgent national importance, noted that there was “disturbing and shocking news of over 300 Nigerians held in Indonesian prisons”.

The lawmaker specifically told the Senate that about 16 of them are on the death row and could be killed any moment.

He said there has been public outcry about the situation.

Nwagwu said: “I have already called the Minister of Foreign Affairs and he assured me that he would get in touch with our mission in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. Though he was of the opinion that most of the issues relate to drugs and drug related offences. So, Mr. President, I suggest we invite

the Minister of Foreign Affairs to come and address the Senate on the issue. Let us know what is happening and what could be done to, if possible, review some of the cases.”

The Senate, Mark said, had sent a delegation to Indonesia after adopting a motion by Senator Uche Chukwumerije on the matter.

“Mark said: “We sent a delegation to Indonesia, Singapore and China. The delegation brought back a report, saying all of them on death row were people involved in drug trafficking. We were told that all those on death row had exhausted all legal options available to them and it was only our intervention that stopped them from being killed.

“If they are still alive, then

A

FORMER Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Alhaji Maitama Sule, is expected to chair a two-day national security conference in Lagos.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is the chief host.

The conference, which is being organised by a coalition of several youth and non-governmental organisations, the Coalition for Better Nigeria, will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, on May 21 and 22 by noon.

The theme of the conference is: Security Situation in Nigeria: Causes, Effects and Timely Solutions.

A statement by the Organising Committee Chairman of the coalition, Mr Awa Bamiji, said other personalities expected at the conference include former governor of the old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, and a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd).

“We are concerned about the security situation, irregularities in our electoral process, the level of corruption, alarming unemployment, infrastructural decay and bad governance in our dear nation,” the statement said.

The coalition said it was because of its concern for these challenges that it is organising the conference.

The key discussants at the conference are: leaders of the major political parties; Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Abdul Waheed Omar; President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Peter Esele; President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar.

Corps members to be paid this week, says minister

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HE Minister of Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, yesterday said members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) would be paid this week.

He said a transition to better accounting system caused the delay in the payment of their allowance.

In a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Mr Julius Ogunro, the minister said he was aware of the speculations and controversy in the media on the delay in the payment of the corps members’ allowance.

According to him, the delay is not peculiar to corps members because it also affects some civil servants on Federal Government payroll.

“It is not deliberate, but as a result of the transition to the new and better secured Integrated Payroll Payment System, as part of Ggovernment’s commitment to transparency and accountability,” Abdullahi said.

The minister said he has the assurance of the NYSC that by this weekend, all administrative issues on the allowance of corps members would be sorted out “and they could look forward to receiving their April and May allowances”.

He regretted any inconvenience the delay has caused.

Abdullahi urged the corps members to continue render selfless service to Nigeria.

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services gets image maker

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I-COURTNEY Aviation Services Limited, the operators of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) Terminal Two, Ikeja, Lagos, has appointed Mr Steve OmolaleAjulo as its new Public Relations Officer (PRO)/Head of Communications.

Omolale-Ajulo, a 1989 graduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), is joining the company with over two decades of experience in media practice.

He started journalism at The Republic in 1990 and spent three months in the federal civil service in 1994.

Omolale-Ajulo returned to journalism in 1994. He worked with The Guardian in Lagos and the Ibadan Bureau as the Head; production Editor of Daily Independent; Assistant Editor (Features) at The Nation; and Deputy Editor (Daily) and once acted as the Weekend Editor of The Nigerian Compass.

He is married and has children.

they should thank their God.” The Senate President said Nigerians “who go and break laws in other countries should not expect us to protect them”.

He added: “We will not allow any Nigerian to be maltreated outside this country.

We can even go to war for one Nigerian, if he is unfairly treated. But Nigerians who go out and carry drugs should know the risk they are taking.

So, we will not protect them.

“I think there is a clear line between a honest, genuine Nigerian, who is out there doing his honest job in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country, and those who go there to smear the name of Nigeria. That we will not take...”

‘Pfizer working with Kano on Trust Fund’

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•Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi (left) and his Jigawa State counterpart Alhaji Sule Lamido when Amaechi visited Jigawa...on Monday

FIZER Pharmaceuticals yesterday said it was working with the Kano State Government on the progress being made on the Meningitis Trust Fund in the state.

In a statement from its New York, United States office, the company said: “Pfizer continues to discuss with the Kano State Government the progress of the independent Healthcare/Meningitis Trust Fund, which is responsible for providing compensation to persons who can prove they were participants in the 1996 Trovan clinical study.

“The trust fund has already paid compensation to a number of persons who demonstrated through DNA testing that they were study participants.”

EFCC’s witnesses can’t prove allegation against ITNESSES called by used to support the candidacy ex-NIMASA chief the Economic and of a Nigerian, Mrs. Mbanefo, Financial Crimes who was contesting for the Secfice.

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Commission (EFCC) in the trial of former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Raymond Omatseye, yesterday failed to provide evidence to support the commission's allegation of criminal conduct against him.

The witnesses, Ibrahim Ahmed, an operative of the EFCC; and Bulama Jarma, the Director of the Shipping Development of NIMASA, testified at the Federal High Court, Lagos, before Justice Fatimat Nyako.

Omatseye is accused of contract splitting and money laundering.

Ahmed said investigations could not indicate that the accused reaped financial benefits from the contracts he allegedly

By Eric Ikhilae

split, Jarma insisted that due process of procurement was observed in the award of the contracts.

Ahmed, who said he participated in investigating the allegation against Omasteye, told the court during cross-examination that though investigators established the award of contracts under Omatseye's leadership, they could not link the accused with any of the benefiting companies.

He averred that though the tender for the contracts were advertised in-house, none of the tenders originated from the former director-general personally as the requests for the items for which the contracts were awarded were not from his of-

The EFCC operative admitted that the contracts were well executed because all the items requested were supplied.

Though Ahmed insisted that the accused allegedly engaged in contract splitting to avoid exceeding his approval limit, he could not distinguish the computers specifications from those supplied.

According to him, "desktop computers are desktop computers".

Led in evidence by the prosecution lawyer, Godwin Obla, a Director, Finance under Omatseye, Mr Jarma, said 300,000 pounds were moved from two NIMASA accounts in Backley's banks in London.

He said the movement was approved by Omatseye to be

retary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Jarma said though the request to support Mrs. Mbanefo came from the former Nigerian Representative at IMO, Williams Azu, there was no evidence that Omatseye benefited personally from the money.

He denied the prosecution's suggestion that the movement of funds required ministerial approval, adding that he was aware that only 26,000 pounds were spent from the amount.

Under cross-examination by the defence lawyer, Olusina Sofola, said the claim by the prosecution that there was contract splitting could not be true because all the items supplied by the contractors were not the same.

Adoke recommends ADR, others, for dispute resolution

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HE Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke, has recommended simultaneous developments of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and the conventional legal systems for the resolution of disputes in Nigeria.

The minister said proper use of ADR would enhance speedy delivery of justice in Nigeria.

Adoke spoke yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the 7th Justice James Adesiyun Memorial Public Lecture.

The minister said the ADR is not alien to African judicial system.

According to him, the system is less expensive and quicker in contrast to the conventional litigation style.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN), represented the minister.

He distinguished between disputes that could be resolved via the ADR and those that could only be resolved by the conven-

From Adekunle Jimoh and Samson Adeola, Ilorin

tional practice.

The minister noted that instances in which the ADR could not be used include: where definitive interpretation of the law is required; where constitutional interpretation is needed for purposes of public policy; where interests of non-parties to the dispute must be protected; and where government entities must be held accountable.

He added: “Cases involving gross disparity in bargaining power, such as cases involving spouse or child abuse, are also not appropriate for ADR. “Arbitration is commonly classified as a kind of ADR process.

Just like court proceedings, the decision made in arbitral proceedings are binding. However, arbitral proceedings are not open to the public, making it particularly suited for commercial disputes, especially where confidentiality is important to the parties involved.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

7

NEWS

Boko Haram kills 308 in 118 attacks on six Northern states, says minister

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N 118 attacks, members of the Boko Haram sect killed 308 residents in six northern states, Police Affairs Minister Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd), said yesterday.

Olubolade spoke in Abuja when he appraised the activities of his ministry in the past one year.

The minister, who listed the affected states as Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, Yobe and Plateau, said 33 suspected sect members were arrested.

Olubolade praised Nigerians for showign concern on personal safety and security.

He said the government has taken steps to ensure peace and stability in the country.

Assuring that the police have been sharpening their skills, training and acquiring tools to combat the new security challenges, the minister noted that criminal gangs have taken advantage of technology to perpetuate evil acts.

He said: “It is important to note that achievements of the police in stemming crimes and terrorism are not

Boko Haram a product of injustice, says Tukur

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HE National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has described the Boko Haram sect as a project of injustice in the North.

Tukur spoke yesterday in Abuja when he received Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwabo and his entourage at the party’s national secretariat.

According to him, the only lasting solution to the security threat posed by the sect is to address the various imbalances in the society.

“Boko Haram is another name for injustice and where there is justice, there will be peace, harmony and development. The youths are hungry and until we address their hunger, we will all continue to live in fear. We ourselves cannot rest because they will not allow us to rest.

“I can tell you, with harmony and peace, there will be security.

When there is security, there will be development, because there will be investment. Invest in education, agriculture, among others. so publicised. But I can assure that the police are making progress.

“The police reform programme was put in place by the Federal Government to improve capacity build-

ing, training, welfare and community policing.”

Olubolade attributed the lapses in the performance of the police to faulty policies, saying such policies were being reviewed to ensure op-

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja We should look after our young men and young women. They are hungry. But I tell you, unless we make sure we remove the hunger, we will not be able to rest.

“At the moment, Nigerians are living in fear as a result of the activities of Boko Haram. People are watching their backs whenever they travel. But those who are saying there will be no peace should know that they too will not have peace.

“I can assure you that reconciliation, reformation and rebuilding will bring about peace to the PDP and by extension, Nigeria.”]

Dankwabo said his administration has been building infrastructure, creating jobs and reducing poverty in Gombe.

According to him, the state is prioritising the development of education, adding that quality remains the watch word in the development programmes of his government. timal performance.

Information Minister Labaran Maku said the police were responding more effectively to criminal activities.

He noted that such activi-

ties have become the pastime of some elements in the society.

Maku called for a change of attitude among Nigerians toward the police to appreciate their good work.

Ogun hits N1.8b monthly IGR •Inherited liabilities N87b, says commissioner From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

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HE Ogun State Government yesterday said that its monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) now stands at N1.8billion. This represents an increase of 143 per cent.

In April, the state’s IGR, excluding land sales, exceeded N2billion, for the first time in the history of the Gateway State.

But before May, last year, during the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, the state’s monthly IGR stood at N742million.

The Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, addressed reporters in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Mrs Adeosun attributed the success recorded by the Ibikunle Amosun administration to “full automation of the revenue process..., blockage of revenue leakages and improved coordination of revenue being generated by government agencies”.

F

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

OSUN State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Temitope Ilori, has said Governor Rauf Aregbesola, by dredging of waterways in the state, has reduced the prevalence of malaria from about 500,000 cases recorded in 2009 to 250,000 last year.

The commissioner spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, when she opened a lecture organised by the Family Medicine Department of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife. She noted that massive dredging of water channels in parts of the state by the Aregbesola administration has reduced mosquito breeding sites.

Mrs Ilori said the government has begun indoor residual spraying in some local government areas as a pilot study to rid the state of malaria.

According to her, the ministry will embark on frequent health awareness and sensitisation campaigns to educate the residents on how to prevent malaria.

She urged the residents to visit any state-owned hospital for treatment whenever they notice symptoms of malaria.

The commissioner, who said hospital treatment is free, assured that the government would distribute insecticidetreated nets to the residents.

Decision to contest in 2015 personal to Jonathan, says Mark From Onyedi Ojiabor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja •Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwanbo (left); National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Bamanga Tukur; the party’s National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and others during the Gombe State PDP’s solidarity visit to the party’s national PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE secretariat in Abuja... yesterday.

Flood: Oyo orders closure of Secretariat-Bodija road OLLOWING the flood in parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Sunday night, which washed away the temporary bridge on the Bodija-Secretariat road, the government has ordered the closure of the road.

Deputy Governor Moses Alake Adeyemo ordered the closure on Monday during an assessment tour of the site.

He said this became necessary to ensure speedy completion of the road.

According to him, the flood washed away the temporary bridge, which was being reconstructed to allow free movement of light vehicles.

The flood was said to have washed away two vehicles, including that of the Commissioner for Education. But he added that nobody died in the

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

come up with an action plan.

The public will soon be briefed accordingly.”

The House Ad-Hoc Committee, headed by Mallam Farouk Lawan, had recommended that 121 oil marketers should be investigated by antigraft agencies.

They are as follows: •17 marketers that did not obtain FOREX but claimed to have imported petroleum products.

•15 marketers who obtained FOREX but did not import petroleum products.

•71 oil marketers to face probe and refund N230.1billion •18 oil marketers The report of the committee also faulted the management of the subsidy regime between 2009 and 2011 by the PPPRA Board, which was led by Senator Ahmadu Ali (GCON, fss) The committee also recommended sanctions for some staff of the PPPRA. • Ex-PPPRA Executive Secretaries, Mr. A. Ibikunle (August 2009 to February 2011) and Mr.

F

flood.

The deputy governor mobilised top government officials as well as security agents, including Commissioner of Police, the Director of the State Security Service (SSS), the Director of State Fire Service and the Director of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to the site and other flood-prone areas.

Addressing reporters yester-

day, Adeyemo said: “We thank God that there were no casualties. Immediately the flood was brought to our notice, we mobilised everyone here, including the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly and security agencies. We were here till 2am on Tuesday and did not leave until we had ensured that the flood did no damage to human beings and property.”

Oil subsidy report: EFCC, ICPC, CCB chairmen hold talks OLLOWING the buck pass to them by the House of Representatives, the chairmen of three anti-graft agencies in the country yesterday met behind closed doors on how to handle investigations into oil subsidy scandal.

Those who attended the secret meeting are the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde; his Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) counterpart, Mr Ekpo Nta; and that of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Dr. Sam Saba.

The leaders of the anti-graft agencies held the session at the conference room at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “These leaders came together to strategize on how to handle the resolutions of the House of Representatives on fuel subsidy probe.

“If you look at the position of the House, it directed anticorruption agencies to investi-

‘Aregbesola has reduced malaria prevalence’

gate some specific issues, especially the role of 121 marketers.

“Since the House did not specifically refer to any anti-corruption agency, it became necessary for these leaders to come together and fashion out ways to go about their duties. They do not want overlapping roles or a situation whereby all of them will be investigating the same matters.

“And after the streamlining, it will be clearer what each of the agencies will tackle. For instance, the ICPC and CCB can handle infractions committed by chairmen of boards and civil servants.

“On its part, the EFCC may deal with financial crimes by the oil marketers and other bigwigs in the fraud.”

None of those at the meeting was willing to speak with THE NATION officially.

But a source, who spoke in confidence, said: “You just give these leaders a week; they will

Goddy Egbuji(February to August 2011) for further probe and trial by the EFCC, ICPC •PPPRA’s GM Field Services, ACDO/Supervisor-Ullage Team 1 and ACDO/SupervisorUllage Team 2 •All staff in Procurement Unit of PPPRA between 2009 and 2011.

On the NNPC, the report said the accounts of the Corporation be audited to determine its accounts profits and solvency.

Apart from the strategy session, there were indications yesterday that the anti-corruption agencies may engage in a joint training of their prosecuting officers.

The plan was unfolded at separate meeting with the Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies by Justice for All initiative, a programme supported by the Department for International Development (DFID).

It was learnt that the joint training plan is meant to ensure that all the anti-graft agencies comply with best practices

of resource sharing; the development of a witness care or witness liaison unit; institution of a process of early involvement of prosecutors at the investigation stage and building the in-house prosecution capacity to save significant cost.

At the meeting, the Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, who spoke on behalf of the agencies, recommended that prosecutors should “bring out cases that have failed in court so that they could be xrayed to find out where the problems emanated from.

He called for good funding for witnesses in order to speed up cases in court.

He added: “Transportation, feeding and accommodation costs of witnesses, who have to come from different cities to bear witness in court should be borne as part of the prosecution cost so that such witnesses who may have to travel over distances will not be discouraged to appear in court because of the cost of logistics they have to bear.”

THE controversy on whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan will contest the 2015 election reverberated in the Senate yesterday.

But Senate President David Mark tactically cut short what could have perhaps thrown more light on the matter.

The “debate” happened during the confirmation of Mr. Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, a ministerial nominee from Sokoto State.

After answering a barrage of questions from the lawmakers, Senator Abubakar Sadiq Yar’Adua (Katsina Central) took the floor to ask the nominee what was considered a touchy question by some Senators.

The controversial question came after Yar’Adua had asked the nominee to assure the Senate that his days as a top official of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) would not becloud his sense of national duty as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Yar’Adua asked: “...If you are in a position of AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Justice of the Federation and you are confronted with the issue of advising Mr. President on the matter, what will you tell him?”

The Senate President said Yar’Adua’s first question was in order. But he overruled the question on 2015 presidential election.

He said: “Yar’Adua, your first question is okay, but your second question is not in the purview of the nominee.”

He noted that the issue of contesting election is a personal decision of an individual.

Mark said: “It is a personal decision of an individual...”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

8

CITYBEATS Fed Govt commends Lagos on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway

By Oluwakemi Dauda

THE Federal Government team on port monitoring and evaluation, has commended the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, for his efforts to restore sanity to the Apapa area. It said the move would enhance the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government.

Head of the team and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala said yesterday at the governor’s office. She was happy with the steps so far taken by the Governor to clear the road that lead to Apapa ports to boost revenue generation by facilitating quick movement of cargoes in and out of the Lagos ports.

The Finance Minister said the Federal Governments team was also happy with the job done so far by the joint Task Force put in place by the Federal and the Lagos State governments.

Governor Fashola in his response thanked the team for finding time to visit him.

Fashola assured the team of his unflinching commitment to bringing sanity to the Apapa area of the state and urged the Federal Government to collaborate with him.

He told members of the team that they have no excuse not to govern well and assured them that he was ready to apply any reasonable formula that would restore Apapa’s old glory.

Fashola orders removal of structures on Ikorodu road

By Miriam Ndikanwu

LAGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday ordered the removal of all structures erected on the setbacks of the just-awarded sixlane Ikorodu road.

Fashola said all those occupying the illegal structures must leave forthwith to avoid government’s wrath.

He said: “I noticed that a lot of illegal structures have been erected on government land along Ikorodu road, people are building illegally on the road setbacks but we are not going to allow that.”

The government, he said, has an open door policy, urging residents to apply through the right process to acquire land for the development of their properties.

According to him, residents who want to apply for land either for farming or development can approach the Ministries of Lands or Agriculture and their applications would be considered once they complied with the necessary procedures.

Fashola said the expansion of the road would further open up the area to development, noting that the housing schemes, rice factory, fish farm and poultry farm estates in Ikorodu will attract investment opportunities within the area.

“Ikorodu is an ancient town which is fast opening up to the development drive of the state.

People have moved into this area in their numbers and are taking advantage of the economic opportunities that abound.

08033054340, 08034699757 E-mail:- ynotcitybeats@gmail.com

Govt bans Sunday market on Lagos Island

Man breaks woman’s teeth for refusing advances

By Miriam Ndikanwu

S

•Mother of nine seeks justice

A

MIDDLE-aged man, Monday Ekpo, is in police net for allegedly assaulting a widow, who refused her love advances.

Ekpo and his accomplices living in Iponri, Surulere, Lagos,Mainland, reportedly beat up Mrs Ebere Ogbonna, breaking three of her teeth.

The incident, which happened penultimate Saturday, was not the first incident between the victim and the suspect.

It was gathered that the matter was reported at Iponri Police Station, prompting the suspect’s arrest. But earlier his friends reportedly stormed the station, forcing the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) to release the suspect.

However, members of the Community Development Association (CDA), led by their chairman, Agbodimu Musbau, petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Umaru Manko, who ordered that the suspect be rearrested and the IPO detained.

The suspect was re-arrested last weekend by policemen attached to the X-Squad. The IPO is also being held.

Mrs. Ogbonna alleged that Ekpo beat her up following her refusal to date him.

Mrs. Ogbonna, a mother of nine boys, told the police that Ekpo had threatened to kill her on many occasions but all her efforts to get him arrested failed.

She alleged that Ekpo is a warlord at Ilaje-Otumara, Lagos Mainland, where they live in the same house. She said Ekpo is feared by all, including policemen.

Mrs. Ogbonna said: “I lost my husband some years back and I have been struggling to fend for my family. I had twins three times and since their father died, I have been catering for them.

“Sometime last year, Ekpo asked me to date him, but I refused and on more than three

•Mrs. Ogbonna

By Jude Isiguzo

occasions, he attempted to rape me in my one-room apartment.

We are neighbours. He was bent on sleeping with me, but I refused. This angered him and he threatened that I will live to regret it.

“On April 5, I attended a friend’s child naming, which Ekpo also attended. That was where he saw and attacked me saying that he was the chairman of the event and that I should leave the place. He shoved me out of the room and as I resisted him, he slapped me on the face. I went and reported him to the elders in the community and they berated him for assaulting me. But Ekpo became more furious; he descended on me and beat me to a coma. When I recovered, I learnt it was sympathisers who took me to the hospital. That was where I realised that he had broken three of my teeth.”

Mrs. Ogbonna said she is still in pains following the beating.

“I still feel pains and whenever I talk, blood comes out from my mouth and my chest

PHOTO: JUDE ISIGUZO

hurts badly. I have been to hospitals, but I am yet to recover. I want to live long to take care of my nine boys, but the pain I feel is terrible and I want justice. Since this incident happened, I have not been able to return home as Ekpo and his gang have threatened to kill me,” she said.

Agbodimu said: “Mrs. Ogbonna is a widow and also a member of the vigilante group in the area. When the matter was reported we took it up and arrested Ekpo and handed him over to the police at the Iponri Police Station, but we were shocked when Ekpo was released the same day as his gang went to the police station to threaten the officers to release him or face their wrath. Ekpo started bragging that no policeman in the area can arrest him.

That was why we brought the matter before the Commissioner of Police so that we can get justice and we are happy that the CP Umar Manko, acted promptly and Ekpo and the IPO have been detained over the assault of the helpless widow.”

UNDAY trading will soon become illegal on Lagos Island, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts (CBD), Mrs Derin Disu, said yesterday.

Speaking at the ongoing press briefing to commemorate the first anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s second term, Mrs Derin said her agency had begun to enlighten the public on the development before the law comes into effect in the next few weeks.

Among the markets to be affected are Idumota, Balogun, Mandilas and Berlin.

She said: “The law allows the agency a day during the week to clear waste, assess infrastructure and prepare the area for the following week’s business activities thereby achieving the government’s mission of infrastructure renewal and development.”

Mrs Disu said other renewal efforts such as beautification and landscaping of major streets and highways on the Island would eventually lead to reduction in crime and area boys’ clashes.

“Area boys are unemployed youths who need to be engaged. The more we beautify, the more businesses grow and the more we engage the youths, thereby having less clashes and crime. Also, any place that is clean and beautiful, area boys don’t stay there,” Mrs Disu said.

She said government would woo more investors to the CBD, adding that it would soon start the development of multilevel car parks, intermodal loading station, theme parks and food courts to make the district comparable with business districts in major cities of the world.

Mrs Disu said her agency had also been retraining its staff to cope with challenges of work, adding that workers who were found wanting had been dismissed.

She said: “Their actions undermined the objectives of the agency and compromised the image of government. The dismissal was also meant to serve as a deterrent to others.”

N69b properties saved from fire, says commissioner

P

ROPERTIES and goods worth about N69 billion were saved from fire last year, Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture Oyinlomo Danmole said yesterday.

Speaking at a press briefing marking the first anniversary of the second term of Governor Babatunde Fashola, he said the Lagos State Fire Service attended to 1,826 rescue calls.

He said of the 2,056 calls received, 1,826 were on fire, 88, rescue inter-

By Miriam Ndikanwu

vention, 16, flood-related, 27, collapsed buildings, during the period, while the remaining were false calls.

He said: “All these calls were promptly responded to. The fire service rescued about 112 people from these emergencies, while about N69 billion worth of goods and properties were saved.”

Danmole said government planned to procure new fire fighting trucks and equipment worth

N2.2 billion ($14 million), adding that it had signed an agreement with an American manufacturer, Messrs W.S. Darley of Itaca, Illinois, US, for a full package purchase of fire fighting trucks, maintenance of all equipment and training of firemen.

The equipment, he said, would be financed by First City Monument Bank, FCMB. Danmole said the government’s contribution is $2.6 million, the bank would provide the balance, and repayment would be spread

LAGOS EMERGENCY LINES STATE AGENCIES 1. Fire and Safety Services Control Room Phone Nos: 01-7944929; 080-33235892; 4. KAI Brigade Phone Nos: 080-33235890; 080-23321770; 080-56374036.

080-23036632; 0805-5284914 Head office Phone Nos: 3. LASTMA Emergency Numbers: 2. Federal Road Safety Corps 01-4703325; 01-7743026 080-75005411; 080-60152462 (FRSC) 5.

Rapid Response Squad (RRS) 080-23111742; 080-29728371 Lagos Zonal Command Phone Phone Nos: 070-55350249; 080-23909364; 080-77551000 No:080-33706639; 01-7742771 070-35068242 01-7904983 Sector Commander Phone No: 080-79279349; 080-63299264 080-34346168; 01-2881304

070-55462708; 080-65154338 767 or email: rapidresponsesquad@yahoo.com •

6. Health Services – LASAMBUS Ambulance Services Phone Nos: 01-4979844; 01-4979866; 01-4979899; 01-4979888; 01-2637853-4; 080-33057916; 080-33051918-9; 080-29000003-5.

over a period.

He said 32 modern fire trucks, comprising 15 Dragon Pumper, 15 Snow Dragon and two Aerial Ladder with modern fittings, called compressed air foam system had been approved for purchase by the State Executive Council.

On training and capacity building, the commissioner said, the firm also agreed to onshore and offshore training of firemen.

“The training part of the deal is worth $1million. The training experts have visited all the fire stations for the on-the-spot assessment of the training needs of staff with a view to returning with a full training package for the relevant officers. ”The future goal of the state is to establish a standard fire training academy. A training school will soon be established and equipped with modern facilities to institutionalise training and manpower development for fire service personnel,” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

CITYBEATS

08033054340, 08034699757 E-mail:- ynotcitybeats@gmail.com

9

W

ITH the inauguration of a 20,000 metric tonnes capacity rice factory, the Lagos State Government yesterday took a bold step towards food security.

The factory in Imota in Ikorodu Local Government Area of the state is built on 23 hectares of land and it is the first of such project to be established south of the Sahara. It has 10,000-ton storage facility for rice paddy and 45,000-ton capacity storage for finished rice.

The government opened a poultry estate in Erikorodo also in the Ikorodu axis.

Governor Babatunde Fashola described the factory establishment as a wake-up call on hoodlums, popularly referred to as area boys to vacate the street and take to farming.

Fashola said: “Time to accommodate the excesses of miscreants in the state is over. The time for wealth without work is over; we have provided the frame work for you to get your hands busy, get off the streets and go to the farm, we will give you farm land and I will give you the support and if you put your mind to it there is prosperity. Our land is too green for us to be hungry; our youths must be ready to work in the farms that we are creating.”

The governor reiterated his commitment to reinvigorating agriculture, saying, it is only through such step that the nation can surmount its economic challenges.

“We are beginning to see a clear path towards establishing sustainable agriculture,” Fashola said, adding that there was need for government at all levels to consider investment through development of infrastructure, input, budgetary allocation and funding for farmers.

Fashola said the establishment of the rice mill started four years ago, adding that plans are afoot to push the state’s rice production to 600 hectares per annum.

He urged the Federal Government to release land in the Ogun/ Osun River Basin, to enable the state increase its production and

•Governor Fashola (2nd right), Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bakar Tijani, (3rd left), cutting the tape to open the rice factory. With them from left are; Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Oba of Imota, Oba Ajibade Bakare and Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal...yesterday PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Lagos begins rice production to promote food security

By Miriam Ndikanwu

meet the facility’s processing capacity.

The governor urged the Ministries of Works and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce and Industry, to develop good road networks, constant power supply and improve infrastructure within the industrial estate.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Bukar Tijani, praised the state for the investment, which he described as its response to meeting the people’s aspirations.

Governance, he said, is about responding to those who elected you, adding that the rice factory

tallies with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda of ensuring food security.

He said: “We have to start to produce more rice, we cannot continue to depend on importation from countries such as Thailand and India, but we have to start now to produce what we can eat.”

Lagos, he said, is among the few states championing this course, pledging the support of the Federal Government’s to improve commercial agriculture.

“We will do more in Lagos

when it comes to commercial activity to make food sufficient and improve our agricultural value chain.”

Earlier, Commissioner for Agriculture Mr. Gbolahan Lawal said the factory can process rice capable of matching the best quality rice from any part of the world.

The facility, he said, if operated optimally can produce between 350,000 and 400,000 bags of rice per year.

He said the target of the state is to increase local rice production

Law to regulate cyclists underway, says Attorney-General

T

AKING a cue from the court’s verdict upholding the right of commercial motorcycle operators, the Lagos State Government has sent a bill to regulate their activities to the House of Assembly.

The bill when passed into law will specify areas where the motorcyclists (aka) okada can operate.

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr Ade Ipaye made this known yesterday at a one-day workshop for Judicial Correspondents, held at the Ministry of Justice, Alausa, Ikeja.

Ipaye said the bill was being fine-tuned by the state Executive Council when Justice Stephen Adah of the Federal High Court ruled on the cyclists’ suit.

By Adebisi Onanuga and Joseph Jibueze

“The bill has now been completed and is now before the Assembly for consideration,” he said.

Ipaye said there were misrepresentations in the reports of the ruling.

He said: “The court did not say that Lagos cannot ban or regulate the activities of the okada riders.

“What the judgment said was that there must be a law in place before this can be done.”

The commissioner said the demand for the release of about 8,000 motorcycles allegedly seized by the government by the okada riders “amount to playing to the gallery.”

According to him, Lagos cannot be held responsible for motorcycles seized by security agencies like the police for traffic offences.

He said the same traffic rules that apply to motorists also apply to okadas as they are all vehicles.

Ipaye said okada riders must obey traffic rules like other road users, adding: “If an okada rider drives across the red light, it is an offence.

It is an offence if they ride against traffic or on the sidewalk, among others.”

He said the state would not appeal the judgment as “there is really nothing to appeal against.”

Ipaye urged motorists who have any complaints against officers of the State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to file official

G.O.K. Ajayi, Fashanu others mediate in govt, doctors face-off

L

EGAL luminaries, Chief G.O.K. Ajayi(SAN) and Mr. Ban Fashanu (SAN) are among a nine-man committee set up by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos State, to mediate in the face-off between the Lagos State government and doctors.

The committee was mandated to meet with the state government to resolve the issues that led to the doctors’ sack, a statement from the association said.

Other members of the nineman committee include: Pa Tunji Gomez; a former chairman of the branch, Mr. Akin Akinbote; Mr. W. A. Gbadebo; NBA National Treasurer, Mrs. Funmi Oluyede;

By Adebisi Onanuga

Miss Toyin Bashorun and the branch Chairman, Mr. Taiwo O. Taiwo.

The statement said the association at its meeting on Monday decided to mediate in the rift between the government and the medical doctors.

The committee, it was gathered, has already written a letter to both parties for an emergency meeting to address the issues.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), has called on the National Assembly to intervene in the impasse and prevent needless loss of lives of innocent Nigerians.

According to the group, the re-

cent mass sack of doctors by the state government was unwarranted, unexpected of a democratic administration and smacked of executive recklessness.

“What else can explain the mass sack of highly skilled professionals in one fell swoop? Worse still is the employment of doctors as casuals, which is against the labour laws of Nigeria,” it said.

NARD said striking doctors began their agitation, adjudged legal by the National Industrial Court, in August 2010 and by November of the same year the Lagos State Government signed the agreement to implement the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) from January 2011.

reports, assuring that they would be treated.

On financial autonomy for Houses of Assembly being considered in the ongoing Constitution amendment, Ipaye said the state already has a law on it which is being implemented.

The Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), reiterated the demand for state police, saying that is one sure way of tackling insecurity.

On whether journalists can record with electronic devices during court proceedings, Pedro said he did not see anything wrong with that.

“I think the ban arises from the conservative nature of the profession. It’s archaic.

“The court of law is regarded as a public place, so why can’t someone record the proceedings?

“However, since there may be distractions where you have many cameramen in court, it can be regulated,” he said.

He also warned journalists to be wary of reporting comments lawyers make in court, as not all are recorded by the judge.

“By law, the only authentic record is that signed by the judge.

He is not bound to write all rubbish.

“So, if a lawyer makes a statement that is potentially libellous, you must be careful in reporting it.

“Do your own investigation into what is said. Don’t just publish because it was said. Doing so will amount to irresponsible journalism.”

to enhance food security, adding that the country presently depends largely on Thailand and Pakistan for rice which according to him, increases the food security risk level.

Lawal said: “Not only are these nations in a relative position of strength, we have become very vulnerable to otherwise adverse weather conditions in the exporting countries, their macro-economic policies and regulatory policies and procedures. In other words, flooding in Thailand should not determine the price of rice in Lagos.”

Assembly gets Constitution Amendment panel

By Oziegbe Okoeki

THE Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday raised Constitution Amendment Memoranda Drafting Committee (CAMDC).

The committee will collate all memoranda from the state and facilitate their submission to the National Committee.

Members of the committee are leader of the House, Ajibayo Adeyeye, (Chairman); Adefunmilayo Tejuoso, (Mushin I); Kabir Lawal (Surulere I); Abdulbaq Balogun (Ajeromi-Ifelodun II); Segun Olulade (Epe II); Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu I); Chief Whip, Rasaq Balogun (Surulere II) and Deputy Leader, Lola Akande (Ikeja II).

The committee was constituted following a Notice of Motion brought by Adeyeye, who referred his colleagues to an advertisement by the Senate, calling for memoranda on the planned the amendment of the 1999 Constitution. Adeyeye said the advertisement stated that memoranda should be submitted within 50 days to the Constitution Review Committee.

He stated the need for Lagos State and Lagosians to state unequivocally, “our position on the proposed Constitution amendment, highlighting clearly, some areas in the Constitution that require urgent amendment as dictated by our interactions with the Executive, the Judiciary and Lagosians at large.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

10

NEWS

Why Jonathan must okay NLNG Train 7,

by Shonekan

Senate orders IGP to produce CP, others

By Olukorede Yishau

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

T

HE Senate has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar to produce a Commissioner, Nasiru Disu Oki of the Inspector General’s Office and three other officers over what it called abduction and illegal detention of one Mr. Anayo Nnaji.

Nnaji is said to have been in police custody for over four weeks without bail.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Paulinus Nwagu spoke after a meeting in Abuja with the family of the victim who petitioned the Senate over the alleged ordeal of their son.

Should the police chief fail to produce the officers next Monday at 10 am, Nwogu warned that the Senate would be left with no option but to invoke its powers under Section 88 of the Constitution by issuing a bench warrant for the arrest of the affected officers.

The lawmaker said the Senate would not take violation of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians lightly no matter how highly placed the violators are.

He said: “Let the Clerk of this Committee write the Inspector General of Police ordering him to produce the affected police officers by Monday.

“A copy of the letter should be made available to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission’’.

•Chief Shonekan

F

ORMER Head of State Chief Ernest Shonekan yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to approve the Train 7 of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas project.

Shonekan spoke when he visited the NLNG Plant in Finima, Bonny Island , Rivers State .

The former Head of Interim National Government (ING) said the country is losing its leadership position in the LNG market to countries such as Australia and the United States.

He said: “This is why I call on the President to immediately order the acceleration of these gas projects in the interest of this country. Train 7 is a low hanging fruit. I urge the government to immediately pursue that. “From the stand point of investment: it will cost Nigeria nothing; it will be built with third party loans. Nigeria LNG Limited has solid credit ratings and can raise funds with relative ease. “From the stand point of economics: Train 7,

like its predecessors, is viable; it is all plus and no minus for Nigeria . It will bring in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) estimated at over USD$8 billion and contribute significantly to reduction of flared gas, while further monetising Nigeria’s gas resources and improving the country’s revenue profile.

“From the stand point of employment generation: Train 7 will provide about 10,000 jobs for Nigerians, and particularly the youths in the Niger Delta. Since it opened shop in Bonny, Nigeria LNG Limited has provided more than 2,000 jobs each construction year and 18,000 jobs at the peak of construction.

The sequential nature of the project ensures that labour force is retained over the years.

“Nigeria no longer has the luxury of deferring major decisions or of picking and choosing developmental projects to do and in what order. The LNG market is tightening. Other nations are not staying idle, as the following shows: “The United States , formerly a major LNG export destination, will become a net LNG exporter by 2016, starting at 1.1 billion cubic feet per day and rising to 2.2 bcf/d in 2019. “ Australia has 10 fully sanctioned LNG projects with a total of 20 trains, 81 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of capacity and USD$215 billion worth of final investment decision. “ China and US will soon become major exporters of gas.

Chinese reserves are estimated

•Capable of generating 10,000 jobs •Flays gas flaring at 1,275 trillion cubic metres. “ Mozambique will next year take a final investment decision to build a two-train facility for its recent gas finds offshore Mozambique.”

Australia has only 60 per cent of Nigeria ’s gas reserves.

Yet, the country is building LNG plants with capacity for 80 million metric tonnes. And what is more? Australia generates 265,000 mega watts of electricity. Certainly, we can do more; we should do more and we must do more.”

Chief Shonekan added: “I am glad that Brass LNG is about to take Final Investment Decision for 20 million metric tonnes and OK LNG is in consideration for 2014. These efforts are however grossly inadequate. With more gas reserves than Australia, we can’t constrain ourselves to less than half of their output. Also, it is almost a shame that with more gas reserves, we produce less than 5,000 mega watts of power compared to Australia’s 265,000 mega watts.

“I find it unacceptable, the argument that gas export should wait for gas to power projects. With a gas reserve of 187 tcf, there is more than enough gas for every project in Nigeria . It must also be noted that domestic gas and export gas are not in competition. We must also prove to the world that we are a country that is

capable of doing more than one project at a time. We are competent adults capable of taking right decisions and making the right investments for our future. He went on: “ For Nigeria , the case for having a Liquefied Natural Gas project had a daunting number of challenges despite the country’s enormous gas reserves estimated at more than 160 trillion cubic feet.

Among the challenges at the commencement of the project were lack of political will, reputation as corrupt in the comity of nations and lack of qualified and experienced people to cater for the industry’s operations professionally, and so on.

“Indeed, what has surprised keen observers of the industry has been the exponential rate at which this company has grown.

The success which greeted the Nigeria LNG Limited’s project had accelerated the execution of plans, now at an advanced stage, for the building of the seventh train.

Two other LNG projects – Brass LNG and OK LNG – are also being contemplated. From Nigeria LNG Limited, the government which still has oil as its major foreign exchange earner has reaped over USD $9 billion as dividends. “With the success of Nigeria LNG Limited on Bonny Island , doubts about

Nigeria ’s capability to successfully see a project from construction to operation have now paled into insignificance.

Also, doubts about Nigeria LNG Limited’s ability to grow and expand have been similarly wiped out by its glowing records of achievements of prompt delivery and of meeting its contractual obligations to its numerous customers around the world.

“The question now is will it be able to reach its full potentials and also remain a beacon to the rest of Africa ?

“Starting out with a Base Project of only two trains which had a capacity for about six metric tonnes of LNG per annum, the Nigeria LNG project grew in less than a decade of production to a six-train operating plant producing 22 million tonnes of Liquefied Natural Gas per annum with progressive plans for a seventh train intended to raise production to about 30 million tonnes of LNG. “The LNG market has also undergone some diversification. NLNG opened up by initially concentrating most of its exports to Europe with buyers in France, Portugal , Spain , Italy and Turkey . Later, it broadened its scope to deliver long-term sales to North America , which in the past was primarily a destination for only your spot cargoes.

“The LNG market has radically changed so much so that it is now ridiculous to talk about Atlantic and Pacific markets – the old divisions on which this industry was founded’’.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Nigeria inflation rises, driven by non-food

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IGERIA'S inflation rate rose to 12.9 percent in April, driven by non-food items and a very price stable comparative month in April last year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed yesterday.

Nigeria, Africa's top energy producer and second biggest economy, is closely watched by emerging market investors and Africa-focused funds.

Though its economy is one of the fastest growing in the world and bond yields are attractive, poor fiscal management has had a tendency to build inflationary pressures.

The figure compared with a 12.1 percent increase in March, year on year.

Food inflation, the largest component of the index, fell slightly to 11.2 per cent, compared with 11.8 per cent in March.

The change in the index was largely because inflation in April 2011 had been so subdued.

"The higher year-on-year change could be partly attributable to base effects as the index was relatively more stable in April of 2011 ... lower price levels in April 2011 will reflect higher yearon-year percentage changes in April of 2012," the statistics bureau said.

Inflation was worse in urban areas last month, registering a 13.4 per cent rise, compared with 12.4 per cent in rural areas.

Core inflation, stripping out volatile agricultural produce, rose by much more than the headline rate, by 14.7 per cent yearly, the statistics bureau said.

The inevitability of taxation as a tool for economic transformation cannot be over emphasised, most especially when resources needed to carry out development projects are scarce and inadequate to cover all the areas requires attention.

- President Goodluck Jonatahn

Nigeria, France seal 200m euro power deal T HE Ministry of Power and two French companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to construct a high voltage transmission line and substations worth 200million euro.

In a statement yesterday the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power, Ogbuagu Anikwe, said the ceremony was another significant milestone in the quest to upgrade the country’s power infrastructure adding that with the MoU, the two companies backed by their government, would undertake feasibility studies and, thereafter, select and construct a high voltage transmission line and substations valued at 200million euro.

He said the Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company

By Emeka Ugwuanyi and John Ofikhenua, Abuja

of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Sola Akinniranye, executed the MoU with the executives of the French companies, Mr Jean Paul Mairesse of the Electricite de France (EDF) and Mr Jean Philippe Trin of the Enterprise de Transporte et Distribution D’electricity (ETDE), yesterday at the Ministry’s Conference Room.

Anikwe also noted that the MoU has been in the works since 2008, when both countries executed a protocol for the development of electrification networks in Nigeria, followed by some meetings to determine areas of need for the expansion of Nigeria’s transmission grid infrastruc-

ture.

The countries, he added, concluded talks on the project on November 28, last year and agreed to execute a partnership agreement for the development of specific power projects in Nigeria.

EDF and ETDF will source the funds from their home governments to execute specific feasibility studies as well as select a specific project that will help expand the transmission grid, he added.

The Minister of Power said the two parties to the deal, shall jointly identify and agree on a specific transmission project within the range of 100 million euro to 200 million euro, evaluate the feasibility for the project and, thereafter, select a project for

implementation.

“Funds for execution of the projects - the construction of high voltage transmission line and substations that would be undertaken by the contractors - is to come from the French government in the form of a grant,” Nnaji added.

The French concerns are partners to a Nigerian company, Transnational Energy and Power Systems Limited (TEPS). The Chief Executive, Transnational Energy and Power Systems Limited, Prince Albert Awofisayo, praised the commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan administration to transforming the power sector.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Power, Darius Ishaku, also yesterday inaugurated the over billion naira Ibedu/Ibiako rural electrification projects in Akwa Ibom.

AfDB pledges $750m for projects From Ugochukwwu Eke, Umuahia

T

HE Resident Representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr Ousmane Dore has said the bank is concerned with the sustainability of projects in the sub-sahara Africa.

He explained that this has made the bank to set aside $750 million for the intervention of such projects in Nigeria.

Speaking in Umuahia when he called on the state Governor Theodore Orji, Dr. Dore explained that agriculture remains a major area that requires assistance to create employment opportunities for the people.

He said rural roads, water and rural electrification will also get the attention of the bank if the states that require their assistance meet the requirements that would enable the bank to come in and help them in the provision of such infrastructure.

He said the visit is a followup to that of Governor Theodore Orji to their office earlier in the year, stressing that the bank is committed to partnering with Abia State to fast-track development in the state.

The AfDB boss explained that the state has good plans that are consistent with the vision of the bank, “which has made the bank and its management team to willingly partner with the state government to move the state forward in every area they are interested in developing.”

‘Why Air Nigeria ordered four Boeing 787s’

DATA STREAM

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$123.6/barrel Cocoa-$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,800/troy ounce Rubber -¢159.21pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE -N6.503 trillion JSE -Z5.112trillion NYSE -$10.84 trillion LSE -£61.67 trillion

HE Chairman Air Nigeria Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim has said the airline opted to purchase four Boeing 787 aircraft - the dreamlinerbecause the wide body aircraft are the best equipment to service long haul passenger operations into China, United Kingdom, as well as the United States of America.

Speaking with reporters on the arrival of its A330-200 aircraft from Cairo, Egypt for the commencement of its LagosLondon route, Ibrahim said the aircraft would be dedicated to its long haul routes.

He said the aircraft would start to arrive the country as from the third quarter of 2014, maintaining that this would make the airline fortify itself on the international route, adding that the aircraft would be deployed to China, Dubai, United Kingdom, the United States of America, South Africa and 12 other routes.

He said: “The orders will start arriving from the third quarter of 2014. We are using the A330-200 aircraft to prepare the routes and make our self fortified and be able to face the challenges.

RATES Inflation -12.6% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending22.42% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -2% 91-day NTB -14.18% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $34.6b FOREX CFA 0.2958 EUR 206.9 £ 245 $ 156.4 ¥ 1.9179 SDR 241 RIYAL 40.472

•From left: Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru; Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Sada, during a workshop on Enhancing the Productivity of Nigeria’s Industries, organised by the ministry in Lagos ... yesterday.

Reps direct AGF to monitor govt’s accounts with banks T HE House of Representatives has directed the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to monitor the nation’s stabilisation and government’s accounts with the banks.

The directive was given yesterday by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance when they visited the OAGF as part of their oversight function.

Chairman of the committee, Mumin Jubrin and his deputy lamented that banks were committing “financial rascality” with government’s accounts in their possession and directed the AGF Mr Jonah Otunla to monitor what the banks were doing with g o v e r n m e n t ’ s accounts,particularly the stabilisation accounts, the

From Nduka Chiejina Assistant Editor

movement of cash by the banks, government’s current accounts balances and the amount the government pays as Cost on Transaction (COT) to the banks.

The legislators insisted that monitoring the activities was not auditing, but accounting function to be carried out by the AGF. The legisaltors also told the Accountant-General to be prepared to receive them regularly as part of the “quarterly budget review process” so that both the executive and legislature will work in tandem towards preparing next year’s budget on schedule.

The committee reminded the AGF that the revelations from the recent fuel subsidy probe are of great concern to the public, particularly the activities of the OAGF. Members of the committee, however, assured the AGF and his management that the House will not shy away from providing the assistance and support he needs to do its work, stressing that they were at the OAGF to conduct an oversight function and not an investigation.

Responding, Mr Otunla reiterated that the OAGF should not be split into two as being argued by some state governments.

According to him, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation

and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has representatives from all states and they scrutinise the revenue generation of all tiers of government as well as how funds are mobilised, as such there was no need for splitting it.

Otunla maintained that having two offices for OAGF and the federation would be unwieldy, arguing: “It is only when issues of allocation are not resolved that the call for split of the office of the AGF arises.”

He added that at the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meetings, “state accountants-general scrutinise the accruals and accounts into and of the Federation Account before sharing the next day”, thus making the creation of another office of Accountant-general unnecessary.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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BUSINESS NEWS Flight Schedule MONDAY - FRIDAY LAGOS – ABUJA Departure Arrival 1. Aero 06.50 08.10 2. Associated 07.00 09.30 3. Air Nigeria 07.00 08.20 4. IRS 07.00 08.20 5. Dana 07.02 08.22 6. Arik 07.15 08.15 7. Chanchangi 07.15 8. Air Nigeria 08.15 09.35 9. Dana 08.10 09.20 10. Aero 08.45 10.05 11. Arik 09.15 10.15 12. Chanchangi 10.00 11.00 13. IRS 11.15 12.35 14. Dana 12.06 12.26 15. Aero 12.20 13.30 16. Air Nigeria 13.25 14.45 17. Chanchangi 13.30 14.30 18. Arik 13.45 14.45 19. IRS 14.00 15.20 20. Aero 14.10 15.30 21. Air Nigeria 14.50 16.10 22. Dana 15.30 16.50 23. Chanchangi 15.30 16.30 24. Arik 15.50 16.50 25. Aero 16.00 17.20 26. IRS 16.30 17.50 27. Arik 16.50 17.50 28. Dana 17.10 18.30 29. Chanchangi 17.30 18.30 30. Air Nigeria 17.35 18.55 31. Air Nigeria (T/TH) 18.30 19.50 32. Arik 18.45 19.45 33. Aero 19.20 20.40 1.

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8.

LAGOS – BENIN Arik 07.30 Associated 08.30 Aero 10.50 Arik 11.45 Associated 13.00 Aero 14.25 Arik 15.30 Associated 16.00

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Arik Aero Arik Aero

1. Arik 2. Aero 1.

2.

3.

4.

LAGOS – CALABAR 07.30 11.20 12.50 16.00 LAGOS – JOS 10.55 11.15

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40 08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20 12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

LAGOS – PORT HARCOURT (CIVIL) 1. Aero 07.15 08.35 2. Arik 07.15 08.35 3. Arik 09.00 10.20 4. Dana 09.27 10.40 5. Aero 10.50 12.30 6. Arik 11.40 13.00 7. Air Nigeria 12.00 13.10 8. IRS 13.30 15.00 9. Arik 14.00 15.20 10. Dana 15.03 16.20 11. Air Nigeria 16.00 17.10 12. Arik 16.10 17.30 13. Aero 16.15 17.30 14. Arik 17.10 18.30 1.

2.

3.

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5.

LAGOS – OWERRI Aero 07.30 Arik 07.30 Air Nigeria 13.40 Arik 14.00 Arik 16.30

08.40 08.40 14.55 15.10 17.40

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LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

09.1 12.50 12.55 15.55

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6.

LAGOS – KANO Air Nigeria 07.10 IRS 08.00 Dana 08.10 Arik 12.20 IRS 14.00 IRS 18.15

08.50 09.45 09.40 14.00 15.45 19.55

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

LAGOS – UYO 10.35

11.35

1. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik 1. Dana

LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 1. IRS 11.15 13.15 2. Arik 15.50 18.00 LAGOS – ILORIN 1. Overland 07.15 2. Arik (M/T/TH/F) 17.30

08.00 18.00

LAGOS – ABUJA SAT/SUN Arik 7.15; 10.20; 2.20; 5.20pm – 7.30; 9.15; 10.20; 2.20; 4.50; 6.45 Aero 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 – 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 Air Nigeria 08.15; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30 – 08.15; 13.30; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30

•From left: Executive Director, South South/Retail Banking, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs Ibiye Ekong; Executive Director, Commercial Banking/Public Sector, Mr Gbenga Ademulegun; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti; and Executive Director,Corporate/Investment Banking, Mr Timothy Oguntayo, at the bank’s pre-Annual General Meeting briefing in Lagos … on Tuesday.

Ecobank MDAs to buy made-in-Nigeria Ekiti, partner on devt products, says Minister E

A

S part of the industrial revolution embarked upon by the Federal Government, states, ministries, departments and agencies will now buy made-in-Nigeria products for government’s consumption, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, has said.

He said the measure is aimed at increasing the productive capacity of local industries for job creation, wealth generation as well as economic growth and development.

Aganga, who spoke at the ongoing workshop on Enhancing the productivity of industries, in Lagos, yesterday, said the ministry is working with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to ensure that local manufacturers also get higher share in the supply of goods to be procured by the government.

He said: “We are looking at the

By Toba Agboola

list of things that are procured by the Federal Government.We are looking at the items that are procured locally and working with the industries to find out which of these items are locally available so that our local manufacturers are patronised.

“We are also looking at reviewing our local procurement procedures to differentiate between locally manufactured products and the ones that are imported. Where there is a differential of about 15 per cent, we are reviewing that to see if 15 per cent is the right number, or whether some sectors should be less or more. We are working with MAN to come up with the right number in this regard.”

He said the Federal Government is considering a new paradigm shift that would boost the devel-

opment of the steel industry, adding that he would partner with the Ministry of Solid Minerals and Steel Development to implement a backward integration policy that to enable the country to explore and process the abundant iron ore deposits across the country to support industrial growth and development.

He said: “We are embarking on an Industrial Revolution, which is anchored on areas where we have comparative and competitive advantage such as agri-business, solid minerals and petrochemicals.

“Also, we are concentrating on growing the industries that are labour-intensive so that we will be able to create jobs for our teeming population. For example, in the mining-related industry, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Mines and Steel to develop the chain in the steel sector.”

Senate seeks arrest of IGI’s MD, others

T

HE Senate yesterday issued warrant of arrests on the Managing Director of Industrial and General Insurance Company (IGI) and the management over alleged pension fraud.

Chairman of the Joint Senate Committee probing the management of pensions, Senator Aloysius Etok, who gave the directive in Abuja asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, to bring the affected persons in handcuffs on Tuesday next week.

Etok, who signed the arrest warrant, said: “The Senate hereby issue warrant of arrest on the Managing Director and the management of IGI to appear before us on Tuesday next week at 3pm.

From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

“The Inspector-General of Police must bring them in handcuff because they have caused a lot of problem to the people.”

He noted that the IGI is an underwriter insurance company dealing with many government agencies but has allegedly failed to pay the agencies.

This development followed the non-payment of between one and six years of pensions to retirees of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST).

The representative of the retirees, Prince Adeniyi Adeleke, had told the Committee that over 100 retirees had died while waiting for their pensions.

Adeleke also informed the Committee that although N4.6 billion was earmarked for the payment of pension arrears to NIPOST retirees in the 2009 Appropriation Bill, but the Office of AccountantGeneral allegedly failed to release the money.

He said: “The pensioners are dying. We are dying! The money is not being released. Any system that does not bring out money appropriated should be discarded.”

He said further if he failed to exert commitment from the Committee on when the money would be paid, “my life will be in danger because my members will think I have compromised”, adding: “payment to underwriters should be stopped.”

Wogu denies plan to split NLC

T

HE Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, yesterday denied the allegation that the Federal Government has perfected plans to split the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

In a statement made available to reporters, the Assistant Director of Press, Mr Samuel Oloowokere, described it as a mere speculation reports that the Federal Government was bent on polarising the organised labour union through the registration of another parallel Central Labour Union to cause distraction in the labour movement.

Wogu debunked this claim, stating that there is no such move or application from the Federal Government, its agencies or any labour union.

“Well, the allegation in the media is that Federal Government is bent

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

on registering a union as a parallel trade union centre. I have not received such application from Federal Government and it is not within the purview of the Federal Government to apply for registration of any trade union.

“I debunk that. There is no such application from any Federal Government agencies before me.

I equally debunk that there is no such application from any interested union. Having said so, the position is that there is no application before the Minister of Labour and Productivity or cannot be located anywhere in the Ministry,” the minister said.

The Minister added that the registrations of trade unions are not

hinged on sentiments, but are guided by extant labour laws, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, among others.

“The point is that extant labour law has given the Minister of Labour and Productivity authority to accept application for registration of trade union. There is a department responsible for registration of trade union which is domicile in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, and once such application are received by the Ministry there are procedures to be followed and these procedures are not done behind the scene. They are straight forward, equally we are guided by the ILO convention; that states how trade unions are to be registered. These are procedures that have to be followed,” he said.

KITI State Government and Ecobank are poised to consolidate their relationship to ensure infrastructural development in the state.

The Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, spoke during a visit by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jibril Aku and some executives of the bank to the governor in Ado Ekiti.

He said the state would continue the relationship with the bank to actualise its ambition.

Dr. Fayemi said the state has become a huge construction site since it got the N20 Billion Bond from the capital market, adding that the fund is being judiciously expended on projects, which include road construction and rehabilitation, Ikogosi Warm Springs and Resort as well as other initiatives.

The Governor disclosed that the state had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a South African investor that would manage the Ikogosi Warm Spring for the government.

He added that his administration is very passionate about infrastructure development and urged the bank to assist with finance as well as Public-Private Partnership on capacity building for workers of the state Ministry of finance.

The Governor said his administration wanted support for its agriculture initiative as the government was set to generate at least 50 per cent of its Internally Generated Revenue from the sector.

Fed Govt to implement local content in IT

By Adline Atili

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HE Federal Government is set to develop new guidelines that would make it an offence for its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as public institutions in the country, to procure and use ‘foreign’ Information Technology (IT) products where certified local brands exist.

The guidelines, to be implemented by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), will ensure public funds are only expended on locally-manufactured products for the development of the IT industry.

At an IT Hardware Standards Development retreat yesterday in Lagos, Director-General, NITDA, Prof. Cleopas Angaye, said the guidelines will make it mandatory for multinational IT firms to set up production or assembly plants in the country; as well as penalise display and use of non-made-in-Nigeria computers in government offices and for government business and schools at all levels.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY BADAGRY EXPRESSWAY, OJO Website: www.lasu.edu.ng Email: vc@lasu.edu.ng, admissions@lasu.edu.ng Tel: 018547330, 018547139

FIRST 2012/2013 POST UTME SCREENING (100 LEVEL) FIRST AND SECOND CHOICE CANDIDATES 1. APPLICATION Applications are invited from qualified candidates for the Lagos State University 2012/2013 Post UTME Screening Tests, for candidates seeking admission via UTME (100 level). These screening tests are mandatory requirement for entry into Lagos State University.

S/N

FACULTY

DEPARTMENT

BANK

5.

SCHOOL OF -Mass COMMUNICATION Communication

SKYE BANK PLC

ADEOLA HOPEWELL V/I, EPE, IKEJA, BBA, ASPAMDA T/FAIR, ALABA, ADENIRAN OGUNSANYA, SURULERE,YABA, LAGOS MAIN BRANCH (LMB), IKORODU, MARINA, FESTAC, ISOLO, DOPEMU, MONTGOMERRY ROAD YABA, KETU

1770563637

6.

SCIENCES AND MEDICINE

-Biochemistry -Botany -Chemistry -Fisheries & Aquatic Biology -Mathematics -Microbiology -Physics -Zoology -Computer Science -Medicine -Physiology

UNITED BANK LASU OJO CAMPUS, FOR AFRICA AGBARA, ALABA (ALL PLC BRANCHES IN ALABA INT. MARKET), BBA, ASPAMDA T/FAIR COMPLEX, FESTAC – 21 ROAD & 23 ROAD, IKOTUN, OBA AKRAN I & 11, KETU, OGBA, OJODU 1 & 11, 53 MARINA, 55 MARINA, AKOWONJO, AKIN ADESOLA, OKOKOMAIKO, BODE THOMAS, BABS ANIMASHAUN, OYINGBO, LASU, BADAGRY

1004108767

7.

SOCIAL SCIENCES

-Geography & Planning -Psychology

STERLING BANK PLC

SCHOOL OF TRANSPORT

-School of Transport

ZENITH BANK LASU, BBA TRADE PLC FAIR COMPLEX

1011830220

LAW

-Islamic Law

ACCESS BANK LASU, ALABA III, BBA TRADE COMPLEX, MAZAMAZA, ORILE COKER, BODE THOMAS, OGUNLANA DRIVE, FALOMO, FESTAC, TOYIN STR., ALLEN AVENUE, EGBEDA, BROAD STR (KINGSWAY BUILDING), IDEJO STR., DOPEMU, ADEOLA HOPEWELL STR.

0051116176

ENGINEERING

-Mechanical Engineering -Electronics & Computer Engineering

SKYE BANK PLC

ADEOLA HOPEWELL V/I, EPE, IKEJA, BBA, ASPAMDA TRADE FAIR, ALABA, ADENIRAN OGUNSANYA, SURULERE, LAGOS MAIN BRANCH (LMB), IKORODU, MARINA, FESTAC, ISOLO, DOPEMU, MONTGOMERRY ROAD, YABA, KETU

1770585398

(ii) Candidates who did not choose LASU are eligible to participate in the Second Round of the Post UTME Screening Tests. (iii) ALL Direct Entry candidates who wish to be considered for admission into Lagos State University for the 2012/2013 academic session and must have obtained Direct Entry Form from JAMB are also eligible and must apply for the screening test. However, these categories of applicants are EXEMPTED from Post-UTME Screening. Online registration is compulsory for them. (iv) Candidates of Lagos State origin, for 100 & 200 levels will be required if admitted to prove their claims before the Independent Indigeneship Verification Committee (IIVC) set up by the Lagos State University. (v) Candidates should note that ONLY the accredited courses listed below are available for the 2012/2013 session. Therefore, only candidates that have chosen any of the underlisted courses as either FIRST or SECOND CHOICE should apply.

3. METHOD OF APPLICATION Applicants are required to pay into LASU Account Number(s), a non-refundable fee of N1000.00 (One Thousand Naira) ONLY to SELECTED branches of the following banks:

S/N 1.

2.

FACULTY ARTS

EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT - Yoruba & Communication Arts - English - Arabic - French - Christian Religious Studies - Islamic Religious Studies - History & International Studies - Philosophy - Music - Theatre Arts - Portuguese

BANK

BRANCH

ACCOUNT NUMBER

1000009763 FIRST BANK AGBARA, FESTAC, IKOTUN, NAVY TOWN, PLC LASU, ALABA INTERNATIONAL, APAPA MAIN, AGEGE MAIN, IKEJA INDUSTRIAL AREA, IKORODU

- Arabic Education SKYE BANK - CRS Education PLC - English Education - French Education - History & International Studies Education - Yoruba Education - Biology Education - Chemistry Education - Mathematics Education - Physics Education - Physical & Health Education - Health Education - Computer Science Education - Educational Technology - Business Education - Accounting Education - Educational Management - Geography Education - Economics Education - Political Science Education

ADEOLA HOPEWELL V/ 1770326328 I, EPE, IKEJA, ASPAMDA T/FAIR COMPLEX, BBA TRADE FAIR, ALABA, ADENIRAN OGUNSANYA SURULERE, IKORODU, MARINA, FESTAC, ISOLO, DOPEMU, MONTGOMERRY ROAD YABA, KETU (LSDPC BUILDING, LASU OJO CAMPUS)

18/20, COMMERCIAL 1000271162 ROAD, APAPA, 127 BROAD STREET, ASPAMDA & ATIKU ABUBAKAR HALL TRADE FAIR, FESTAC, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO WAY IKEJA, AWOLOWO ROAD IKOYI, ILUPEJU, ISOLO, BARRACKS OJO, MARYLAND, ADEOLA ODEKU, IKOTUN, BODE THOMAS, OBA AKRAN IKEJA

8.

3.

MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

-Public Administration

KEYSTONE BANK LTD

4.

MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

-Industrial Relations and Personnel Management -Insurance

GUARANTY LASU OJO CAMPUS, 0005179654 TRUST BANK ASPAMDA TRADE FAIR PLC COMPLEX, MOBOLAJI BANK ANTHONY IKEJA, OPEBI, AIRPORT ROAD, ANTHONY VILLAGE, ALLEN, BODE THOMAS, FESTAC TOWN, ADEOLA ODEKU, CATHOLIC MISSION, LAGOS

ACCOUNT NUMBER

ISLAND, ONIPANU BRANCH, ILUPEJU, AWOLOWO ROAD IKOYI, MARINA BROAD STREET LAGOS, OKOTA, YABA, AGBARA, ALABA

There shall be two rounds of Post-UTME Screening Tests.

2. ELIGIBILITY: (i) Candidates who have chosen Lagos State University as their First or Second Choice of institution, in the March 2012 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), and have scored a minimum of 200 marks are eligible to participate in the First Round of the Post-UTME Screening Tests. Priority will be given to candidates who have chosen LASU as first choice. In addition, candidates must be at least 16 years of age.

BRANCH

9.

10.

0001453734 LASU, 20, MARINA, 41/43 MARTINS STREET, 228A, AWOLOWO ROAD IKOYI, 235, IKORODU ROAD ILUPEJU, MATORI, IJU ROAD IFAKO, ADEOLA ODEKU, IDIMU, IYANA IPAJA, EBUTEMETTA, IPONRI, OJUWOYE MARKET, ASPAMDA, BBA TRADE FAIR, ADEBOLA HOUSE OPEBI, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO WAY, OBA AKRAN, AROMIRE IKEJA, RAILWAY TERMINUS IDDO, IKOTA, SHASHA ROAD, DOPEMU, DALEKO MARKET, ORILE COKER, 50/52 BROAD STREET, 13/15 WHARF ROAD, 26 CREEK ROAD, 17 COMMERCIAL ROAD, APAPA, 250 KIRIKIRI ROAD, OLODI APAPA, IKORODU, ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA 1&11, ADEOLA HOPEWELL, KUDAISI STR, COCONUT ROAD, APAPA

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY BADAGRY EXPRESSWAY, OJO

Website: www.lasu.edu.ng Email: vc@lasu.edu.ng, admissions@lasu.edu.ng Tel: 018547330, 018547139 Applicants should note that they are to collect a LASU Post UTME Scratch Card from the designated banks on payment of their screening fees. Note also, that the LASU Post-UTME Scratch Card has a special design on it with the inscription 2012/2013 LASU POST UTME VOUCHER.

SCREENING TIME-TABLE DATE OF EXAMINATION: MONDAY 4TH JUNE, 2012 TO THURSDAY 7TH JUNE, 2012 VENUE: LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY, MAIN CAMPUS, BADAGRY EXPRESSWAY OJO.

Registration for the payment of application fee for the Post UTME Screening starts from Tuesday 15th May, 2012 and registration closes Wednesday, 30th May, 2012.

DATE, TIME AND VENUE APPLY TO UTME CANDIDATES

4. REGISTRATION FOR TESTS Procedure Candidates are expected to register for the screening online (Internet). The form is available on the following LASU website: ‘www.lasu.edu.ng’. Access to the registration portal is through LASU Post UTME/DE Scratch Card.

Candidates are ADVISED TO CAREFULLY STUDY THE O’ LEVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSES THEY INTEND TO APPLY FOR AND THE APPROPRIATE SUBJECT COMBINATIONS AS CONTAINED IN THE JAMB BROCHURE FOR 2012/2013, BEFORE REGISTERING. Credit in English Language is a mandatory requirement for ALL courses being offered in the University.

DATE

MORNING: 9 AM – 12 NOON

AFTERNOON 1 PM – 4 PM

Monday, 4th June, 2012

English Theatre Arts Mass Communication Music Philosophy Portuguese English Education French French Education

Arabic Christian Religions Studies Islamic Religions Studies Yoruba & Communication Arts History & International Studies Arabic Education CRS Education Yoruba Education History Education

Tuesday, 5th June, 2012

Chem0istry Health Education Biochemistry Microbiology Biology Education Chemistry Education Physical & Health Education Botany Zoology Fisheries & Aquatic Biology

Mathematics Physics Computer Science Mathematics Education Physics Education Computer Science Education Educational Technology Medicine Physiology

All applicants are requested to visit the LASU website to confirm the subject combinations for the courses they intended to apply for.

False information provided by any candidate shall be detected by the special LASU software application designed for such purpose. Such defaulting candidates shall likewise be disqualified by this same software application, as the computer will NOT accept their applications.

5. HOW TO REGISTER ONLINE: a . Visit LASU website: www.lasu.edu.ng b. Point to ‘Registration tab’; then ‘Prospective Students’, then click on ‘Post UTME Screening’. c. Click on the appropriate link “Direct Entry Screening Registration” or “Regular Post UTME Screening Registration” on the left column to register. d. Candidates will be required to upload a scanned copy of their passport size photograph (File Size: Not more than 20KB; File format: JPEG [i.e. ‘.jpg’]). Application for change of passport photograph by the candidates given provisional admission shall not be allowed. This same passport photograph, uploaded by such candidates, will be used on their degree certificates . e . ONLY ONE CHOICE OF COURSE OF STUDY IS ALLOWED. f. Carefully study the agreement form. If you agree to the stated terms, click on ‘I agree’ check box. Enter your ACCESS CODE and SERIAL NUMBER from the LASU Post UTME Scratch Card, and then click on ‘submit’.

Note: If you do not agree to the stated terms you will not be permitted to go beyond this point.

Please read and understand the terms before registering.

Fill in all required details contained in steps 1, 2 & 3 of the online registration form. Confirm THAT DETAILS ARE ACCURATE then click FINISH. To make CHANGES to a STEP before you click finish, you may click on the button for that step. g. Candidates must possess five (5) O’ Level credits in relevant subjects to their desired course of study at one or two sittings. h. Candidates awaiting the result of NABTEB, WAEC (May/June) and NECO (June/July) 2012, are eligible to apply. Note that any examination taken after July 2012 shall not be accepted.

6. HOW TO PRINT CANDIDATE’S REGISTRATION SLIP The candidate must have completed the online registration exercise before proceeding to print the registration slip.

STEP BY STEP APPROACH: • Visit LASU website: www.lasu.edu.ng • Point to ‘Registration tab’; then ‘Prospective Students’, and then click on ‘Post UTME Screening’.

• At the left panel of the displayed page, enter your UTME Registration Number, Access Code and Serial Number; then click on ‘login’ button.

• Click on ‘Print Registration’ form and you will obtain a pre filled copy of LASU Post UTME/DE Identification Slip with your photograph, name, O’ Level result, and other details (see specimen below).

Wednesday, 6th June, 2012 Public Administration Industrial & Personnel Management Insurance

Mechanical Engineering Electronic & Computer Engineering Transport

Thursday, 7th June, 2012

Geography Education Economics Education Political Science Education Geography & Planning Psychology

Business Education Accounting Education Educational Management Islamic Law

REQUIRED DATA TO REGISTER FOR POST U.T.M.E. (100 LEVEL) SCREENING 1.

Scratch Card: a. Access Code b. Serial Number 2.

Bio Data: a. First Name b. Middle Name c. Surname (Last name) d. Sex e. Date of Birth f. Passport Sized Photograph (File Size: 20KB max, File format: JPEG [i.e. ‘.jpg’]).

Please note that, application for the change of passport photograph by the candidates given provisional admission shall not be allowed. This same passport photograph, uploaded by such candidates, will be used on their degree certificates.

3.

Academic Data: a. UTME Registration Number b. Course of choice c. JAMB Score (Note: Minimum Score is 200) d. Detailed O’ Level Results (ALL SUBJECTS at one or two sittings).

4. Personal Data: a. Email b. Phone Number c. State of Origin d. Local Govt. Area e. Nationality: (Nigerian/Non Nigerian) • REQUIRED DATA TO REGISTER FOR DIRECT ENTRY (200 LEVEL) ADMISSION 1.

Scratch Card: a. Access Code b. Serial Number 2.

Bio Data: a. First Name b. Middle Name c. Surname (Last name) d. Sex e. Date of Birth f. Passport Sized Photograph (File Size: 20KB max, File format: JPEG [i.e. ‘.jpg’]).

Please note that, application for the change of passport photograph by the candidates given provisional admission shall not be allowed. This same passport photograph, uploaded by such candidates, will be used on their degree certificates.

3.

4.

Academic Data: a. DE Registration Number b. Course of choice c. Highest qualification obtained d. Class of qualification c. Detailed O’ Level Results (ALL SUBJECTS at one or two sittings).

Personal Data: a. Email b. Phone Number c. State of Origin d. Local Govt. Area e. Nationality: (Nigerian/Non Nigerian)

All candidates (U.T.M.E. and D.E) should note that application for correction of biodata, academic and personal details, after satisfactory submission of such details via the online registration, SHALL NOT be accepted.

SCREENING TEST DETAILS Applicants are advised to come with their registration print outs (Identification Slip) from the online registration as well as their HB pencil, eraser, and pencil sharpener. The use of calculators is allowed.

However, cell phones (GSM, CDMA, etc.) and other electronic devices, are NOT ALLOWED in the examination hall. Candidates without Identification Slips will not be allowed to write the LASU Post UTME screening tests.

Enquiries should be directed to vc@lasu.edu.ng , admissions@lasu.edu.ng or call 01 8547 330, 01 8547 139.

The detailed results of the screening tests shall be published on the LASU website: www.lasu.edu.ng on or before Monday, 11th June, 2012.

SIGNED LATEEF O. ANIMASHAUN, Esq. REGISTRAR

18

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

End of the Affair?

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Playing dirty • In the interest of democracy, government has to arrest the violence in Edo State

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HERE is an urgent need to bring to an end the culture of violence that has gripped Edo State in recent times, well ahead of the governorship election billed to hold in the state later in the year. The latest of these gory incidents was the assassination of Olaitan Oyerinde, the Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Oyerinde, 44, was killed in his residence on Second Ugbor Road, GRA, in the early hours of May 4 by four gunmen who scaled his fence and stormed his apartment at about 1.30 a.m., after tying his security man, Ali Alhadi with his wife’s scarf and covering his (security man’s) face with another cloth.

They proceeded to shot Oyerinde in the head, on the chest, and in the belly. There

‘President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to the Inspector-General of Police to fish out those who killed Oyerinde as well as reopen the cases of other assassination victims in the country is welcome, except that it is a directive Nigerians are familiar with whenever such killings occur. We must say that the list of unresolved murders in the country in the last 13 years alone has been growing at an embarrassing rate. Yet, there can only be an end to such barbaric and senseless killings only if the culprits are brought to book’.

was no doubt they did not intend he should live to tell the story.

Why the killers went for Oyerinde is baffling. He was not a politician in the real sense of the word; he was not even a high-ranking government official. So, why kill him? What could have been going on in Oyerinde’s mind as he was being shot could be better imagined, especially when it is remembered that he was on leave of absence from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to serve as Oshiomhole’s principal private secretary. If he ever had inkling that some assailants would come after him for taking the appointment, perhaps he would have declined. But who in his right senses could ever have imagined that politics could become as messy as it has in recent times in Edo State or any part of the country for that matter?

Edo is particularly becoming a dark spot in the country as a result of the unsavoury developments in the state.

Before Oyerinde’s murder, Governor Oshiomhole’s convoy was involved in an accident along Auchi-Afuze Road. Three journalists died and several other persons were injured in the accident.

Governor Oshiomhole said he suspected foul play and this compelled him to give a 14-day ultimatum to the police to find Mr. Oyerinde’s killers, and those of the three journalists who died in the convoy crash.

Really, the incidents give cause for suspicion considering that within the same period, the state commissioner for information, Louis Odion, also survived an attempt on his life.

We urge the police to investigate these incidents thoroughly with a view to getting those behind them and arresting them for prosecution, no matter how highly placed. It is even the more frightening that the governor had written the police commissioner in the state and alerted him to the plans by some elements to disrupt the peace in order to intimidate him as well as scare voters by giving a false sense of insecurity in the state. That the incidents are following the pattern allegedly decided at a secret meeting in the state should give more cause for concern.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to the Inspector-General of Police to fish out those who killed Oyerinde as well as reopen the cases of other assassination victims in the country is welcome, except that it is a directive Nigerians are familiar with whenever such killings occur. We must say that the list of unresolved murders in the country in the last 13 years alone has been growing at an embarrassing rate. Yet, there can only be an end to such barbaric and senseless killings only if the culprits are brought to book.

Politics is about ideas and issues. It is bad enough that politicians in the state have descended to the level of the mundane with the sex scandals on the internet allegedly involving some prominent citizens of the state; but it is worse when they resort to political killings as it is being feared is currently happening in Edo State. Democracy can only be imperilled, not deepened, with such killings.

Government as matchmaker • Kano State’s laudable moves to salvage a multitude of widows

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T is christened the Zawarawa Marriage Scheme; the Hisbah Board is the religious authority in charge.

Their mission is to find husbands for about 1,000 widows and divorcees. And as a proof of government’s seriousness, the state’s executive council has approved N15 million for the Hisbah Board to run the first phase of the pilot scheme that will marry off 100 widows.

This in a nutshell, is the crux of a novel scheme that is currently attracting worldwide attention to Kano State, the highly populated and predominantly Muslim Northwest State of Nigeria. We consider this a positive development and a laudable social intervention being undertaken by the state government.

Kano, by virtue of its large urban population and in part, a religious inclination (Sharia) which allows a man leeway to divorce his wife rather too easily, there is a high prevalence of widows in the state which has risen to the level of a social malaise.

The number of widows, divorcees and senior spinsters is said to be growing astronomically and because of the social stigma attached to their status, it is difficult for them to get a second chance at matrimony. Kano, like most other parts of Nigeria and indeed the Black world, is still largely a male-dominated world. A widower would pick another wife even before he is out of mourning of a demised spouse. And he could dredge up reasons, no matter how trivial, to dump one wife for another should he so desire. Men in the Black world also have unrestrained

access to female friends, mistresses and concubines to the point that a legally married wife is really at the mercy of the man. This is unlike what obtains in the Western world where women are enjoying increasing rights and liberties in the matrimonial contract.

The gains of a stable family homestead comprising father, mother and the children are enormous. Quality families are the bedrock of a stable society. Good, stable family regenerates, fortifies and ultimately sustains humanity. A society will simply become a Hobbesian jungle where families are more in disarray and distress. More children will be bereft of the requisite parental guidance and direction and our tomorrow will become bleak.

We commend the Kano State government and its novel Zawarawa marriage scheme. It will help to give many women a second go at life; women who would hitherto have been condemned to a life of begging, prostitution and misery. By the same token, many children who would have been brought up under unsavoury conditions of single parenthood would enjoy the uplifting opportunity of a proper home. With token bride price to be paid, the weddings are billed to be inexpensive and convenient to the couple. Most important, however, is the fact that the Hisbah Board would provide some protection to the marriage in a manner that ensures that future divorces would be less on trivial grounds.

While the Kano State government is

working hard at this novel form of social welfare, we urge it to look at the root causes of the seeming rampant cases of divorce in its environment. Sharia laws could be reviewed to give the woman folk a little more protection by ensuring that a woman is not thrown out of her matrimonial home on mere trivialities.

She should also be availed some recourse in the courts when unjustly divorced and ensured a sober hearing.

Because of the importance of marriage and stable family to the society, the state should pay more attention to its marriage laws and conventions to discourage people from making a mockery of this sacred institution.

‘We commend the Kano State government and its novel Zawarawa marriage scheme.

It will help to give many women a second go at life; women who would hitherto have been condemned to a life of begging, prostitution and misery. By the same token, many children who would have been brought up under unsavoury conditions of single parenthood would enjoy the uplifting opportunity of a proper home’

NVESTORS are shunning the stock market, and who can blame them? As serial bubbles have burst, faith in the market has been rewarded with shattered retirements. At the same time, trust has been destroyed by scandals and — as demonstrated by the reckless trading at JPMorgan Chase — the slow, uncertain pace of financial reform.

There has been less buying and selling of stock, and there have been huge outflows of investor dollars from domestic stock mutual funds, as detailed recently by The Times’s Nathaniel Popper. If the trend continues, the result could be a less robust market, with fewer companies opting to raise money by issuing shares and fewer investors willing to put their retirement savings into stocks.

Policy makers should pay attention. Evidence suggests that investors are not merely reacting to tough conditions, but rather are staying away because they do not trust the market. Restoring trust is crucial to restoring the market.

American stocks have doubled in price since the market hit bottom three years ago. But trading in the United States stock market has not only failed to recover since the 2008 financial crash, it has continued to fall. In April, average daily trades stood at 6.5 billion, about half their peak four years ago. By comparison, after the market busts of 1987 and 2001, trading recovered within two years. In fact, going back to 1960, trading had never declined for three consecutive years, let alone four and counting.

Investors haven’t just hunkered down, they have headed for the exits. Since the start of 2008, domestic stock mutual funds, a common way for individuals to invest, were drained of more than $400 billion, compared with an inflow of $52 billion in the four years before that.

These investors have increasingly opted for bonds over stocks, with reason. From the peak of the dot-com era in March 2000, stocks have risen about 10 percent, a paltry gain once fees, taxes and risks are factored in. Stocks are still down about 5 percent from the peak in October 2007, even with prices doubling since mid-2009.

There is also the feeling that the market has become increasingly unfair to investors. For example, Mr. Popper also reported recently on rebates to brokers from stock exchanges. In general, brokers are required to find the best prices for clients who pay them to buy and sell shares. But with the nation’s 13 exchanges now paying brokers for sending them business, brokers may have an incentive to search for the biggest rebate rather than the best price. A new study has estimated that rebates could be costing mutual funds, pension funds and individual investors as much as $5 billion a year.

Also known as “maker-taker” pricing, the rebates have caught the attention of market researchers and investor advocates, including two former economists for the Securities and Exchange Commission who issued a report in 2010 saying that “in other contexts, these payments would be recognized as illegal kickbacks.”

So add rebates to to the S.E.C.’s long list of market issues to be investigated. In the meantime, they are a reminder that brokers often do not have an obligation to act in a client’s best interest — and that efforts to change the law to put a client’s interest first have been repeatedly defeated in the face of industry pressure.

– NewYork Times

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Kunle Fagbemi •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

•Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina •Group Political Editor Bolade Omonijo •Group Business Editor Ayodele Aminu •Abuja Bureau Chief Yomi Odunuga •Sport Editor Ade Ojeikere •Editorial Page Editor Sanya Oni

• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •Chief Internal Auditor Toke Folorunsho •Senior Manager (sales) Akeem Shoge

•IT Manager Bolarinwa Meekness •Press Manager Udensi Chikaodi •Manager, Corporate Marketing Hameed Odejayi • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

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IR: On Wednesday, May 9, President Barack Obama affirmed his support for gay marriage becoming the first sitting American President to do so and finally putting paid to what White House publicists initially said was an evolving opinion.

In the United States and beyond, Obama’s landmark decision did irritate moral sensitivities and provoked condemnations on grounds of support for sexual perversion. In fact, it appears black Uncle Sam may have gauged the barometer incorrectly and inadvertently initiated his own political demise especially as 30 of the 50 American states are constitutionally anti-gay marriage. Indeed, Obama’s move is a smart political maneouver in an election year when, all circumstances and risks considered, personal inclinations can be sacrificed or modified for the sake of election victory not just for the individual but for party as well.

In a politically conscious country like the United States (US), disregard for any marginal change in trend may be the albatross of either the Republican or Democrat political party during elections. Consequently, President Obama, his strategists and Democrat Party as a whole, must have considered prevailing situations in their country and reasoned that they are not in the least marginal hence the extreme and calculated risk decisions

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 1000 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.com

Obama, gay marriage and Nigerian youths like support for gay marriage.

Obama’s support for gay marriage, therefore, should be seen strictly as a political necessity not necessarily an expression of the President’s personal beliefs.

The fact that more states in the US are constitutionally anti-gay marriage notwithstanding, recent polls indicate a close distribution of opinion between pro and anti-gay sen-

timent in the country. Politically, this evolving psyche can either make or break Obama and his Democrat party’s stay in the White House and the only tactical card to play is to ride on the crest of national ideology- freedom.

The gospel Americans are known for is freedom of individuals to live as they desire without undue criticisms; it will, then, be tantamount

to political suicide if President Obama declares against gay marriage especially as the electorate is almost evenly split on the controversial subject. For Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, it is safe to resolutely express his anti-gay sentiments as he as unequivocally done because, without any derisive intent to Romney’s achievements and potential, he does

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• Ogunsanya Akintayo Adesoji Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State

The alleged Yoruba Boko Haram member IR: An Ogbomoso man, based in Kano, was said to have been arrested recently by security agencies as the operational commander of Boko Haram, the dreaded Islamic sect known to be responsible for most of the mindless killings of people and destruction of property in the North. He was said to have been arrested with his wife.

Reports alleged that he hailed from Osun State even though some equally reported that he is from

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Ogbomoso. To set the records straight, Ogbomoso is in Oyo State and not in Osun as reported.

Ever since the news of his arrest hit the web and other news media, some ethnic jingoists hiding under the freedom of citizen journalism have gone to town bashing and berating the Yoruba race for being behind the insurgency in the North so that they can achieve their aim of regionalism.

The Ogbomosos are the most nomadic of the tribes in Yoruba

land..They are found everywhere including some African countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo e.t.c A lot of them are Muslims. So ,they find it easy to settle well in the North while pursuing their aspirations. In fact,majority of them are settlers in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Funtua, Sokoto, Mubi in Adamawa and some other remote corners of the North. They are so adapted to the life, predominant religion and culture of the North

God bless Nigeria with good leaders IR: The current leadership is a total departure from what we had from leaders of old. I refer here to the persons of Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the West, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of the East, and Sir Ahmadu Bello of the North.

During their time as premiers in their respective regions, corruption and insecurity of lives and property were at the lowest ebb if existed at all.

Without oil revenue, they turned their regions to viable economic empires and their people, enjoyed dividends of good leadership. In fact, most of the current so-called leaders were beneficiaries of the

not have much to lose but Obama must thread with tactical caution because he is the black President caught in the eye of the re-election storm.

As a black President, Obama has not had it easy against the white establishment. It is in the context of these matters surrounding the November presidential elections in the US and tactics for securing votes that Obama’s seeming wayward decision is founded. It is only hoped that his position does not lead to the popularization of gay relationship in Africa because of the huge following he has here particularly among youths.

good governance of the triumvirate.

We never heard that the leaders stashed the people’s money abroad for personal use like for example James Ibori, neither did we identify with them, choice property or expensive cars either within or outside the shore of our beloved nation.

But today, vices have replaced values bequeathed by these leaders.

Avaricious leaders of this new era are busy in financial skimming, raking with impunity both local and foreign currencies into their baskets of greed, putting up palatial structures that their descendants will not be able to maintain after their

demise.

Really, our current leaders need to take lessons from the lives of the old trio and be baptised with the kind of managerial baptism they had in order to be able to build a country devoid of scam, sects insurrection, poverty and the likes.

Till today, only few states have been able to pay the N18,000 minimum wage a year after its introduction. Labour leaders who are not ready for adulterated tables face victimisation from our new leaders. Strikes which ought to be the last tool for actualising demands have become first line instrument to press home demands.

Our members of parliament, be it in the state or national levels, enjoy allowances upon allowances without resulting to strike but when it comes to the proletariats, all we hear is that there is no money. But we hear of probe this and that where revelation of how billions and trillions of naira are being shared by the insignificant number of the nation’s population.

May God bless us again with good leaders like of old, like Awo, like Zik and like the Bellos who were not after riches but after good names.

• Odewale Taiwo.

OAU, Ile-Ife.

that they hardly return home to Ogbomoso.

Remember the late scholar and pan-Africanist, Dr Abdul-Rahama.

His parents were settlers in Funtua but were originally from Ogbomoso. Perhaps, for reasons best known to him or his parents, he preferred to be a Katsina person such that when he died, he was buried in Funtua.

This, perhaps, explains the case of the Ogbomoso man described as the operational commander of Boko Haram. He or his parents must have gone there in search of commerce before he transmuted into a merchant of death, killing in the name of Islam, a religion of peace as handed down by Allah Himself.

Whichever way, the man deserves to be punished for his deeds or misdeeds as the law deems fit.

Crime knows no race nor tribe. The most fundamental thing to do now is to help get to the root of the insurgency in the North with a view to finding some lasting solutions to it and not promoting some ethnic disharmony, one of the very reasons why our country is retrogressing spirally.

• Akinboyo Temidayo, Igbotako,Ondo State.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

EDITORIAL/OPINION

PHCN and 135,000Mw; PHCN guestimates and meter fees; Channels/ AIT’s Breaking News Bar

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T last, government has adjusted its power needs calculation and agrees that Nigeria needs not 10,000 or 15,000Mw of power but Tony the 100,000Mw that this Marinho column has been calling for during the last over 10 years. In fact, the new government figure is 135,000Mw. So we now know the depth of the neglect by past governments to marshal itself and the private sector to provide anywhere near that amount. Adjusting the tariff for the inadequate 2,000Mw available is not the solution.

The Presidency may not know that millions of Nigerians are still on grossly fraudulently calculated ‘PHCN guestimate bill’, an estimated bill forced on clients without meters or with faulty meters and calculated heavily in favour of PHCN. Have you noticed how frequently the new prepaid metres develop faults like being burnt and how fast they run?

Nigerians appeal to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to test randomly 1000 of these metres to see if PHCN has doctored them to deliver less power for more metre reading.

Nigerians need protection from PHCN. A metre installation cost the metre fee of N55,000 for single phase or N75,000 for three phase meter + Processing Fee N20,000 + Inspection Fee of N10,000 + Installation fee of N10,000 + cable fee.

So far too many Nigerians already pay PHCN huge amounts of money for services not rendered and very few get any satisfaction. The unwelcome new tariff effective June will be an additional opportunity for PHCN to revise upwards such fees and especially the PHCN guestimate bill whether power is delivered or not.

Nigerians are happy that the fraudulent ‘metre maintenance charge’ has been withdrawn but no one has mentioned compensation, or free power or reduced rates for the years of extortion. Will NISER and social studies departments of universities please calculate the exact figure of billions

extorted under this scheme – a criminal extortion racket?

Can we have our money back? There is no reason why the initiators of the scheme should not be tried and jailed for ‘activities against the people’. The records of PHCN meetings should be investigated. Those in high places must pay for their actions when they punish Nigerians by illegality.

Nigerians can no longer suffer at the hands of greedy civil servants at all levels constantly inventing new ways to strip them of their little assets. Public servants must be made aware that they cannot just invent and execute criminal extortion rackets and go unpunished. Nigerians want their money back from PHCN. How about one year free power?

Amazingly the Ibadan-Lagos road, no longer an expressway was blocked at kilometre 40 for several kilometres on three of the four lanes on Saturday forcing many, including myself, to abort their trips. Apparently there was a trailer accident. It was not the intractable Ogere debacle which disgraces all uniformed services as totally incompetent and incapable of doing the job for which they are paid. FRSC should by now have a radio link with the media for a FRSC Road Report Update at zonal level covering the main road arteries. FRSC should also have a simple easily implementable strategy for crash management with 100, 200, 300, 400 metre variable radius of control.

This week’s announcement of Dangote Cement’s profits of N77.5billion is not a surprise considering the high price which is actually suppressing the growth of the building industry in Nigeria. The huge profits contrast sharply with Dangote’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Nigerians have groaned under the exorbitant cement price which President Jonathan also tried to bring down by reining in the marketers. Dangote Cement would do better to have lower profits and provide cement at lower prices that the common man can afford. Then many more citizens will be able to afford houses, many more houses will be built and many more bags of cement will be used and Dangote Cement will make even more profits and the billionaire will have more billions from the common man. Rich businessmen must

realise they can make far more money if they bring prices to the level of the millions of ‘common man’.

Have you studied the Breaking News and News Bar under the picture of your News Channel? In terms of the easiest to read, the speed of message change and conciseness of the message, Channels, CNN and EuroNews are the best because they use a Popup Bar’ which can be read in 2-3 seconds and you can continue to view the story on the screen. CNN is the best because it changes message every five seconds while Channels is slower changing every 10 seconds and even keeps messages for two or more days. All the other local media monitored use a runner, right to left, at various speeds taking at least 10-20 seconds for each message to be read slowly as each word shows up. AIT and BCOS are by far the best of the runners as they are quicker than all others. The runners that are definitely too slow and should be speeded up include Channels, MiTV, NTA, Silverbird, Sky and Aljazzera.

The News Bar runner is a neglected weapon for development ripe for new applications as the next frontier in ‘Information transfer’ to the viewer especially as any message can be put under all and any programme for the benefit of the audience.

It can even be used to teach children how to read during cartoon watching and music video watching.

‘FRSC should by now have a radio link with the media for a FRSC Road Report Update at zonal level covering the main road arteries.

FRSC should also have a simple easily implementable strategy for crash management with 100, 200, 300, 400 metre variable radius of control’

‘We lost him!’

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AST Saturday, I had gone to the residence of retired General Shoyemi Sofoluwe, former directorgeneral, National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, to keep an appointment. The general is the elder brother to Professor Tokunbo Sofoluwe, the vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, who suddenly died in the early hours of last Saturday in Lagos.

I drove into the Sofoluwe’s house in Ikeja that day a few minutes past 11 am, oblivious of the fact that I was walking into a crowd of mourners. Dr. (Mrs.) Kehinde Sofoluwe, the general’s wife and Rector, Federal School of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, who had just seen off some visitors, was about to enter the main building when my car pulled up. She stopped to see who had come in. As I exchanged greetings with her, she threw the sitting room door opened, while she stepped aside to allow me walk past her into the sitting room before she came in tow. I sat down and she took her seat too. The next thing was: “we lost Prof early this morning”.

From then on, a pall of sober mood descended on the sitting room.

By the time I managed to murmur something, what came out was: “How did it happen?”

She said her husband had called her very early in the morning, which, to her, was very unusual.

When she answered the call, she said, her husband just told her that the late Professor (too heavy

in my heart to refer to a person who was so full of life as late) was taken into the theatre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, after which he was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit late in the evening of the previous night. Apparently, her husband had told her to quickly go to LUTH to see things for herself. She was about starting the journey when her phone rang again. This time, the message was terse and short: “We lost him!”

From that moment, the Sofoluwe’s household was turned into mourning as people started streaming in one after the other wearing long faces. Some of the callers said their children who are abroad had called to confirm the terrible development when they saw read it on Facebook. Those who came later said they saw it on “Breaking News” or news scroll in one of the many television stations. Though there was no loud wailing, you could see tears running down the faces of most of the visitors, made up of family members, friends, acquaintances and others.

General Sofoluwe, who was earlier billed to travel back to Lagos from Abuja on yesterday had to cut his trip short and made it back on Saturday. Even at that, his return journey was not that smooth. When he got to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, he secured an IRS Airline ticket for a 12 noon flight to Lagos. We had estimated that all things being equal (though we all know that in Nigeria, all things are never equal), the

“Professor (Tokunbo) Sofoluwe’s exemplary leadership will ever remain a benchmark for university administration, not only at the University of Lagos, but also in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria”

general should be at home in Lagos by 2pm or thereafter.

Unfortunately, the flight did not take off until 2.30pm.

Like I said earlier, Nigeria is one big jungle where everything seems to be working anticlockwise; where no plan works and where two plus two can never be four. It could even be two in a rudderless country like Nigeria - I don’t want to add Godforsaken country because man, not God, has forsaken the country in the form of those who have always been at the helm of affairs.

When the general finally ‘marched’ in a few minutes to 5pm that day, he met all the available space in the sitting room taken over by an army of sympathizers.

He walked straight into one of the sofas, sank into the chair and covered his face briefly with his two hands for some fleeting seconds. After what looked like a brief meditation during which he fought back tears, the general suddenly removed his hands from his face and sprang up on his feet. He was the one now appealing to those around to cry no more as “God giveth and taketh and it is God that said Tokunbo will die that way”. With that, he started hugging those around one after the other, calling them either by their first names or nicknames.

From the authentic story I was later able to piece together, the late VC, an amiable, bubbling, very jovial and team player, had been at the University Staff Club late in the evening of last Friday a few hours before tragedy struck. He was said to have later ‘sneaked’ out and went into his old office at the Computer Department of the university which he still maintained after becoming VC. It was there that he ordered for “pepper soup.” He had just started eating the stuff when he erupted into a ceaseless cough.

The next thing was that he called his doctor on phone and complained to him. The doctor quickly swung into action to get to him by racing down to the Senate building, then the club, the faculty of science, until he finally met him at his old office in the Computer Department. However, by the time the doctor got there, he was lying on the floor.

He was rushed in an ambulance to LUTH where a team of specialists had been mobilized for the emergency case that was at hand. The chief medical director, Professor Akin Osibogun, was also said to have quickly raced to the scene. Serious attempts were made to revive him, including the deployment of a cardiac machine the hospital had just acquired, but all was to no avail. He was finally pronounced dead a little before 6am on Saturday, May 12.

Those who are close to the Sofoluwe clan very well know that they are a warm, happy, vivacious lot who love people around them, and are easily loved in return. They are simple, modest and moderate in whatever they do. As VC, Professor Sofoluwe demystified the office of vice chancellor by mixing freely with staff and students. He never discriminated on whatever grounds. He was loved by all and whenever he moved about, there were always people around him.

He talked with them, joked with them, and ate with them, even if it meant eating inside the same bowl. He was so free that ‘officialdom’ never existed in his lexicon. He would not lock his office whether he was on campus or out of the country. He was such a workaholic, who hardly found time to eat; a free-thinker whose mind and heart were as white as snow. He harboured no hatred, malice or prejudice against anyone. Little wonder he gave his

Dele Agekameh all to serve, brought a lot of innovations and transformations into the ivory tower, and died on active service.

Above all, Professor Sofoluwe lived a modest life. He was neither extravagant nor ostentatious. Apart from his academics, which he held so dearly, he only owned a modest building at Magodo, on the outskirts of Lagos, and a fallow plot of land at Abeokuta. He did not own any property elsewhere.

He was such a rare gem.

There is no doubt that the entire University of Lagos community will miss him. His family members will miss him. His friends, I mean, true friends, will surely miss him. So also will those, who, at one time or another, came across one of the brightest stars Nigeria ever produced, will live to always remember him.

Professor Sofoluwe’s exemplary leadership will ever remain a benchmark for university administration, not only at the University of Lagos, but also in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Adieu Prof, truly, a man of the people is gone!

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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EDITORIAL/OPINION ‘The NSA was trying to get the Niger Deltans to prepare to start clamouring for an end to the PDP zoning formula in favour of the president’s constitutional right to be voted for, so the issue does not come to haunt them again in the 2015 elections.

Anonymous.

Politics in Nigeria is about the most lucrative business in the world to venture into. This is why every geo-political zone in the country is clamouring to put their own on the number one seat of ‘Aso Roock Plc’. Making all the political offices unattractive/ less profitable is the solution as all parties, e.g. the PDP will be disbanded as their members will seek better businesses outside politics. Anonymous’ From Emmanuel Egwu, Enugu •Jonathan

For Olatunji Dare Looking everywhere; it is very obvious Nigeria has failed as a nation. A little influx of al-Qaeda trait in the north to the south might be the last straw to break the camel’s back. I pray God forbid. From Akinsete Adeyemi Prof., I am not a seer but please remember the consequences of the events of 1983, 1993, and 2003. I think something more significant than any of those events may occur in 2013.

Anonymous I never knew the US government was such a great hypocrite. Jonathan assures them the largest share of the N900billion defence budget and the fight against corruption has not ‘fallen off,’ rather Jonathan’s efforts at fighting corruption are unprecedented according to time magazine. Anonymous The US was further economically empowered by their actions. Thats why last week US congressmen showed glee with our defence budget. Anonymous Sir, if ‘A time like this demands imaginative, inspiring, and focused leadership’, I beg to add that the system in existence is incapable of supporting any leader with such qualities. Are we all not aware that this country is a place where virtue has all but perished, and what little is left exists to suffer? Only a deliberate change of heart on the part of our ‘leaders’, can rescue the country from going ‘round and round continually in ever shrinking circles’. From Adegoke O.O, Ikhin, Edo State Our problems, my brother, are created by ourselves. Nigeria is full of insincere people: truth is not in our dictionary. Or how do you explain the comment of Musa, an ex-governor. of Kaduna State that President Jonathan is partly responsible for Boko Haram because he contested. That Mr. Musa could speak publicly this way is very disappointing. Where was the Boko Haram when Nigerian rulers like Shagari, Buhari, Babaginda, Abacha - all from the north - were in power? Why was Mr. Musa not talking of zoning at that time becuase according to him, it had been there since independence? Just one question: is the constitution of Nigeria anything to go by? We must regard ourselves as equal stakeholders for any meaningful nation-building to exist. Failure to admit the truth can plunge Nigeria into civil wars because nobody is a fool as far as ethnic groups are concerned .Nigeria belongs to all. Anonymous Ever since the creation of Nigeria, concessions were made to blend the country together: Quota sytem/Federal Character. But like water and oil, the blend cannot hold.

JIHAD remains permanent hold of the other party. What else? Anonymous Sometime I wonder what kind of a country we find ourselves. We talk selfishly, we think selfishly, we behave selfishly, we do almost everything selfishly. Selfishness has overwhelmed us. If we can enjoy mineral resources without thinking of where it is coming from, then why is it we are thinking of where the President is coming from? If the constitution does not meet our yearnings, why do we not go for national conference?

Not only annoying but provocating that a region which has enjoyed a monopoly of

leadership at the centre is now complaining of injustice. Haba! For our NSA, I disagree.

PDP constitution is not Nigeria’s constitution. Any trouble maker will always look for an excuse. Before the emergence of Jonathan as President, there had been something that would make Moslems extremists to descend on Southerns living among them.

Why is it that we cannot call a spade a spade in this country? Anonymous I agree that the country is at sixes and sevens. The problem is that the ruling party cannot fix it. Why? Because of the intra-party struggle for power and wealth. From Amos Ejimonye, Kaduna Re: A time like this. All the write-ups then, still match all that operate in terms of degenerability of all spheres in the country today. One wonders what those advisers are doing. How are the ministers and state commissioners running our affairs? Imagine I have not had PHCN electricity in my House in Tinubu, Lagos Island since April 25th not a blink. Yet, I would get the usual bill of N4,500 for a room and a parlour! Is this a country at all? No, not one to die for. A time like this, we should be hopeful on God and not in these Federal Govt., States and Local Govt. From Lanre Oseni, Lagos Thanks Dare for the piece, but the same T. Y. Danjuma set the stage for the corruption and Islamisation or Somalianisation Nigeria is witnessing now with his July 1966 coup.

Then he dreamt more of theNorth and the benefited 0il blocks. Now his minority group are suffering it. What goes around comes around. From Ufuoma Akise PortHarcourt It pains my heart that the PDP after 13 years has only beqauthed an inheritance of massive corruption, poverty, sky-rocket unemployment on our dear country. It is really pathetic. From Abayomi Peters, Ajegunle Sir, Niger Delta ex-militants leaders are being empowered to re-arm, this is done by criminaly paying ex-militants salaries into the accounts of the ex-militant commanders

by Kingsley Kuku. Anonymous Boko Haram sect’s nefarious act is a product of failed democracy by selfish leadership, insincere citizenry, money bag political electioneering, ethno-regional ego and religious bigotry. The hullabaloo surrounding the NSA affirmation is but a diversionary outrage borne out of a conscience and instinctively aroused truth. From A. J. Erinfolami, Lokoja Things are not really on the level ground in our country today, no doubt. And this all of us should know and continue to pray for the way forward. I do not think we need Danjuma to remind us. Those who presided over the ruin of the nation, converted the country’s economy to their private property and became richer than the nation should not turn round to be the same people blowing face-saving alarm over the impending doom on the nation. That simply amounts to a mockery of our collective intelligence. The rots successive governments have been battling unsuccesfully to correct were created by Danjuma and his cohorts. It will serve the nation better for the like of Danjuma to release the nation’s wealth they have amassed to help avert the doom he propheses than just sounding alarm more or less aimed at drawing wool over our eyes. That, to my mind, is the only way he can secure the relevance he has been looking for in disguise.

For Segun Gbadegesin The most critical factors to insecurity in Nigeria are injustice, inequality, coruption and poor leadership on the part of government, which breeds unemployment, poverty, etc. If government can address these issues, then there should be no any agitation. From David Ponnan, Jos I read with disbelief of ex-president Obasanjo that the way out of the insecurity problem is dialogue. During his tenure, why didn’t he apply same to the Niger Delta crises that had a genuine agitation? From Dan (ABA) Thank you Segun for the article, the President should profer solution to the problem of insecurity than assurances and reassurances. From Ogwuegbu Augustine, Owerri A good analysis of the insecurity in the country but taking a deeper look at poor education as being a factor, these bombs are not made by these so-called illitrates. Another factor therefore suffices which is a perceived political imbalance which the sponsors intend to achieve at all cost(bloodletting).

Anonymous The truth is that it is impossible to create jobs in a social system where there are thieves in high places and the law is impotent to punish them. What is needed is a just social order and all the militant groups will go to sleep for good. From Amos Ejimonye, Kaduna Travelling or just going out, they will fish the perpetrators out. Since all the Northern eminent persons go out freely, they do not know the impact of destructions being caused to other peoples’ families by the Boko Haram.

From Lanre Oseni, Lagos Segun. Your well thought out piece is interesting. You may not have missed the mark.

However, note that educational attainment for emplorment is like the long term government’s strategy before maturity. Are you not summarising the same thing? I thought your short term means a solution rather than the governent’s. From Osia Justus, Omoku Yes, I agree with you that sound education can be of a great solution to the nation’s current security challenges. But, to my own mind, the major factors which I think that are responsible for all of these are injustice, lack of parental care, imbalance reportage of crisis on the part of the media among others. If all of these are checked, there will be solution.

From Dr. M. J. The challenge of security we have now is not because of poverty, but selfish interest of Norther leaders. Is there no poverty in other regions? Please tell Jonathan that if he gives them ministry, the other regions also need it. Anonymous Re: Electricity tariff review. It is disturbing that this wicked and insensitive government can add more woes to the toilling masses of this country by proposing to increase electricity tariff. It is diversionary so that people will shift attention from the report on Oil subsidy. The organised labour should not be cajoled. This is time for revolution. This government should be brought to book for its numerous inhuman treatment. From Pastor Odunmbaku For Tunji Adegboyega President Jonathan’s ministers are not performing to expectation. We expect cabinet

• Obasanjo

reshuffle come May 29, to move the nation forward. Let non-performers not lobby to safe their jobs. From Gordon Morom, Umukabia, Abia State.

I agree with you that Jonathan should not bother to change his cabinet because it will not alter the platitudinous song and dance.

The truth is that only the oppressed can change the oppressive social order, not the oppressors. From Amos Ejimonye, Kaduna.

Tunji, Jonathan’s name in the list of 100 most influential persons in the world by TIME Magazine must have been a mistake. If performance is the yardstick, he has not impacted on the lives of majority of Nigerians. President Jonathan does not deserve such an award.

From Alhaji Adeboye Lawal, Ibadan.

If going back to colonial rule for the second time because of corruption is going to help us as a nation; I will encourage the president to bring the World Bank officials to oversee our contracts because the EFCC, ICPC and others are mere political set-up. Thanks. From Paul, Gusau, Zamfara State.

The solution to Nigeria’s hydra-headed problems is ‘National Conference’ or return to regional form of government or even splitting of the country. I have sent messages to this paper on the way forward. I am not rich or intellectually grounded as I should, but I will put whatever I have to support any programme that will bring back the glory of the ‘Yoruba Nation. I sincerely wish Gen Alani Akinrinade and the others long life and good health to pursue this lofty ambition to a logical conclusion. Let’s all remember Chief Hubert Ogunde’s ‘Yoruba Ronu’. Let all Yoruba unite now more than ever before.

Let’s bury our differences. The Yoruba were far ahead under the visionary leadership of the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was once described as ‘the best president Nigeria never had’! Sad, isn’t it? Anonymous.

The NSA was trying to get the Niger Deltans to prepare to start clamouring for an end to the PDP zoning formula in favour of the president’s constitutional right to be voted for, so the issue does not come to haunt them again in the 2015 elections. Anonymous.

Politics in Nigeria is about the most lucrative business in the world to venture into.

This is why every geo-political zone in the country is clamouring to put their own on the number one seat of ‘Aso Roock Plc’. Making all the political offices unattractive/ less profitable is the solution as all parties, e.g. the PDP will be disbanded as their members will seek better businesses outside politics.

Anonymous.

Don’t you think Nigerians are to blame for all our problems, Boko Haram, corrupt politicians and all? How do you explain a people who continue to vote for the same party, the PDP that has not improved their lot for 12 years with the excuse that they have not yet tried the other parties. Every time we complain that even if we don’t vote for them, they will rig election and force themselves on us. Then we accept the result just like that.

The north had monopoly of power for 35 years, yet, the significant development was production of almajiris who have now graduated to Boko Haram. Be prepared, there are more yet to come. Surely, Nigeria has failed as a nation but must we kill ourselves before we balkanise? Let’s take the Czech option before it is too late. Anonymous.

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VER 2,500 housing units are part of Sokoto State government’s measures to improve the quality of life for its workers and residents. The houses are provided with water, electricity as well as security posts.

There is more. Civil servants are getting car loans. Their offices are rehabilitated and upgraded with ICT tools. Salaries and allowances are now paid promptly. Pensioners are no longer neglected; loan schemes are in place.

“We are intensifying efforts at ensuring that workers are well housed and given welfare as well as citizens of the state,” said Governor Aliyu Wamakko.

It is a new deal for the state’s 18,000 workers and also other residents. For instance, beneficiaries of the housing scheme are not just employees of the government; personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces are also included, as are private citizens.

Speaking at the inauguration of the two- and one-bedrooms, Wamakko described shelter as second only to food in human needs.

The governor said his administration is determined to keep enhancing the wellbeing of the people and to inspire the state workers to give their best.

The governor said some of the houses were allocated to staff of Sokoto North and South local government councils as well as personnel of the Nigerian Air Force. Wamakko also said that another 1,000 ArkillaKalambaina housing units will be inaugurated soon.

“Happily, civil servants have been allocated some houses built at Bado and similar ones will be built between the state university site and Kasarawa village on Birnin Kebbi road,” he added. “It is a basic responsibility of every good government to furnish the needs of its civil servants.

“We are determined to provide shelter for our teeming

•Government officials inspecting the houses

New deal for Sokoto workers Wamakko builds houses for residents With the input of the state Head Civil servants get cars of Service, Abdullahi Wali, staff are From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

work force and electorate in the best way we can.”

The state Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr Nasiru Dantsoho explained that the houses consist of 400 units of two bedrooms and 100 of three bed-

rooms. He appealed to the beneficiaries to maintain the houses and plant trees around them to beautify and protect the environment.

The governor appealed to the civil servants to put in more effort in the service of the state as a way of reciprocating the gesture of his administration.

trained and retrained to widen their scope and efficiency towards attaining global standards in the working environment.

In addition, ministries, departments and agencies have been given a facelift with some rehabilitation, renovation and expansion works and equipped with ICT fa-

cilities to provide a convenient working atmosphere for civil servants.

There were also various kinds of facilities such as car and furniture loans as well as other incentives were unveiled. Offices were rehabilitated to provide comfort for civil servants in the state.

The state government has provided a N1.6 billion car and mo•Continued on Page 26

FCTA to recycle abandoned vehicles

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•Muhammed

HE Federal Capital Territory Administration has finalised plans to recycle impounded rickety and abandoned vehicles in the nation’s capital.

But the reason is to create jobs and wealth for the residents, said the FCT Minister Bala Mohammed.

The administration is partnering the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) in the recycling project.

Senator Mohammed made this

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

disclosure while receiving the UNIDO’s Nigeria Regional Director Dr. Patrick Kormawa in Abuja.

The Minister said the collaboration will also help to clean up the environment, a project which remains on the front burner of his administration.

Mohammed said that all impounded rickety and abandoned vehicles as well as commercial motorcycles deposited at the

Abuja Auto Pound will be a veritable source of the needed raw material for kick-starting the collaboration.

“This lofty joint venture partnership is an added impetus to the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,” he said, adding that “it will be scaled up to touch on other areas that will become a basis of succour to the less-privileged in the Federal Capital Territory”.

Senator Mohammed remarked

that the collaboration will be fashioned on an already existing institutional framework and directed the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Anthony Ozodinobi to immediately fine-tune the grey areas.

The Minister also directed that the Abuja Technology Village, Transportation Secretariat, Abuja Investment Company Limited, Land and Economic Planning, Research & Statistics Departments respec•Continued on Page 26

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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New deal for Sokoto workers •Continued from Page 25

torcycle loan scheme for the workers of various cadres to ease transportation challenges.

The houses are located at Bado, Mana, Arkilla-Kalambaina as well as Kasarawa. This has put a smile on the faces of civil servants. Six hundred vehicles of assorted brands were distributed to beneficiaries at a colourful ceremony presided over by Governor Wamakko.

However, 850 workers from grade levels 07 to 10 received various sums of money, ranging from N150,000 to N800,000; the second category of 500 staff on grade levels 07 to 08 got N500,000 each and 350 on grade levels 08 to 09 received N800,000 under the package.

Speaking at the ceremony, Alhaji Wali said, “This event has shown that the state government has not rescinded its decision on the loans scheme.”

He said the beneficiaries were drawn from 102 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state government, saying, “each of them got between one to 20 vehicles.”

Alhaji Wali explained further that the state government had subsidised the loans scheme by twenty per cent apart from defraying the insurance cost of the vehicles.

But he stressed that “workers are expected to pay the loans in seven years through deductions to be made by the state finance ministry.

He said the gesture was part of the state government’s efforts to further alleviate the suffering of the workers in the area of transportation.

“The workers should reciprocate the gesture by being more hard working and dedicated in the service of the people of the state,” the state Head of Service urged.

Two of the state’s civil servants

and beneficiaries of the scheme Alhaji Aliyu Dogon-Daji of Rima Radio and Alhaji Chika Ahmed who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries commended the state government for the gesture. .“The workers should reciprocate by being more productive while none of us should sell off the vehicles,” they added.

The state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress acknowledged the enormous improvement in capacity building and welfare of civil servants in the state by the Wamakko administration.

During the 2012 May Day celebration, the state Labour leader, Comrade Bello Danyar Tambawal emphasised the need for the state government to continue with the multi-billion naira car loans scheme for more workers to benefit.

Now, the comrade should applaud.

•Governor Wamakko presenting a cheque to one of the car loan beneficiaries

The workers should reciprocate the gesture by being more hard working and dedicated in the service of the people of the state •Cars purchased by the state government for the civil servant

FCTA to recycle abandoned vehicles •Continued from Page 25

tively key into the entire project to provide all the needed facilities for its smooth take-off.

He also called on the Japanese government to support the FCT Administration in rehabilitating the commercial sex workers taken off the streets of Abuja to enable them contribute more meaningfully to the society at large.

Dr. Kormawa said that Kaiho Sangyo Project is part of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) support to the FCT.

•Cars like this will be recycled in Abuja

He stated that UNIDO usually follows the needs of the populace to assist in reducing poverty, restating that the recycling project will also create the needed material for the construction companies scattered around the Federal Capital Territory.

The Chief Representative of Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), Mr. Sumi Yoshitaka assured that the project will drastically reduce certain challenges.

The FCT Chief of Staff, Alhaji Musa Umar Yashi and other senior officers of the Administration attended the event.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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Subsidy probe committee member urges action on report

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IGERIANS have been urged to prevail on the presidency and other relevant agencies to act on the report of the House of Representatives committee probing the oil subsidy scam.

The Vice Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Alhaji Mashood Mustapha made the plea in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Mustapha, who represents Ilorin West/Ilorin South Federal Constituency, told reporters that the house had resolved to send copies of the recommendations of the probe panel to the relevant agencies for necessary action.

His words: “We have made another resolution to send copies of the recommendations to anti-graft agencies, Senate and the executive to take decision. We want the senate to look at it and take a cue from the lower chamber. We cannot

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

prosecute; we know the limit of our responsibility. The public will know at the end of the day that we have done our best.

“The House gave the ad-hoc committee two weeks to hear the side of the companies that alleged that the committee was one-sided in the investigations.

“However, the ball is in the court of Nigerians to make all the relevant agencies and the presidency to take action.

“There are rules that guide every action we take. If the presidency does not take the necessary action it behooves the people to shout. In the next two three weeks we expect the relevant agencies, the presidency to take the necessary step.

“The indictment will go a long

We have made another resolution to send copies of the recommendations to anti-graft agencies, Senate and the executive to take decision. We want the Senate to look at it and take a cue from the lower chamber

way in scaring away would-be perpetrators of heinous financial crimes. People who did not want the result to see the light of day flew the kite of impeachment. But that can never happen as the House is solidly behind the Speaker.”

The legislator added that: “We did something historical by bringing the entire investigations of the oil sector into the public domain.

The entire house leadership is resolved not to compromise the investigations. It gladdens one’s heart that the adhoc committee came up with a recommendation that N1.3trillion should be returned to Nigeria’s coffers.

“It shows that we still have honourable and credible people in this country. The NASS has done Nigeria proud. There are still people who believe that Nigeria must be great.

“It is expected that the price on imported fuel will drop and it will

have direct bearing on the pump prices.”

On the likelihood of compromise by the senate, Alhaji Mustapha said: “I don’t think the distinguished senators will compromise their stand if the report gets to them for consideration.

“There is no way this type of report can be swept under the carpet. If members of the house who are less experienced than the senators will not compromise their integrity, the essence is to get result.”

He subscribed to the splitting of the petroleum ministry into two, saying that “sincerely speaking, I am in support of the splitting into two of the petroleum industry for efficiency.”

He condemned “the recent bombings of some media houses in the country. But sincerely speaking there is the need for dialogue. War does not solve problem; dialogue does.”

Canada donates $18m for research C ANADA has donated $18.45m (N2.86 billion) to boost research in health, the environment and agriculture.

This was disclosed at a press conference in Abuja by the President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Mr. David Malone.

According to him, the researchers are aimed at improving the health of mothers and babies in Nigeria, to provide information on Nigeria climate change and to reduce the risk of flooding in the country.

He said: “Here in Nigeria, we have a partnership with Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in the area of health researches and we are active I two states, doing quite deep into maternal care and so on. We have also been supporting four think tank institutions in Nigeria.”

“Health is very complicated and very expensive. You could waste money in the sector and so to get the maxima benefit in the sector is very critical.” He added To improve the health of mothers and babies in Nigeria, for which $17.40 million was approved for its research, he said: “Nigeria has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world. In a

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

pilot project aimed at improving health outcomes for mothers and babies, researches in Bauchi and Cross River States are designing and implementing a system of ‘demographic surveillance.

“Data from this system will make it possible to measure the impact of primary health programs in the two states.” He stated Other areas of focus, he said include research funding of $299,600 for flood control, $384,400 for climate change and $373,000 to boost the respect of the Nigerian women rights.

Also speaking on the issues yesterday, the Canadian High Commissioner, Chris Cooter said that Nigeria will be the better for it if her policies are based on accurate statistics.

He said: “It is really crucial that you gather that kind of information for the people to know what is happening. You need to have statistics in order to determine the correct policies and make sure the result is going in the right direction.”

•Yam market

Ejigbo to prosecute tax defaulters

By Duro Babayemi

•Bamigbetan

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ISING from its first quarterly budget review retreat, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area resolved to activate its customary court where tax defaulters would be prosecuted.

This resolution was one of the 13point communiqué issued by par-

ticipants at the end of the one-day budget retreat which was organised by the council.

The participants who included the council’s chairman, Kehinde Bamigbetan; his Vice, Alhaji Monsurudeen Bello Obe; members of the executive, council, all elected councilors, top management staff and key revenue officers agreed that prosecution of tax defaulters in the council area had become necessary, following the discovery of revenue shortfall in the first quarter of the year (January - March 2012).

Mr. Bamigbetan, while explaining that one of the reasons for organising the retreat was to find out if the council is meeting its revenue target and spending according to approved expenditure in the budget, added that the customary court will begin operation as soon as the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State gives the approval. He further noted that the council has com-

pleted all procedures required for its approval.

The participants also agreed that in the second quarter, the council will open constituent offices in the six wards of the council for elected councilors, to serve as a meeting point between them and their constituents. Here, complaints and issues relating to revenue and other matters will be collated and forwarded to the executive council for necessary action.

It was part of the communiqué that as from the current quarter, priority would be given to capital projects, salaries, overhead costs and staff welfare. This was the aftermath of the submission in the first quarter report that 35 per cent of the council’s capital projects for the year has been executed.

The participants also agreed that the existing stringent expenditure control system introduced by the chairman should be sustained.

This, they noted, allows the council to save more fund for capital projects.

They also agreed that concerted

efforts must be made by all departments and units in ensuring that the existing internal audit control system was improved upon, to avoid unnecessary external audit queries.

Still on prosecution of tax defaulters, the participants agreed that revenue officers should make use of mobile courts, pending the activation of the customary court.

The communiqué also included the decision that councilors, as well as supervisors and special advisers

should support the revenue drive of the council.

The establishment of cash points in the six wards of the council is to facilitate revenue collection, the introduction of price intelligence control unit, the revocation of license of non-performing franchise revenue collectors and the establishments of internally-generated revenue committee that will constantly monitor the council’s revenue performance were also part of the communiqué.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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Kebbi to sink 2,000 boreholes

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HE Kebbi State government has voted N100 million for the drilling of 2, 000 additional boreholes to improve water supply in the state’s rural areas and schools, an official has said.

The Commissioner for Water

Kano residents clear drains

R • Director- General,National Agency for Food ,Drug Administration and Control, Dr Paul Orphil inaugurating NAFDAC Enforcement Directorate Office on Mobil Road Apapa, Lagos.With him are Mr Garba McDonald and Mr Bunmi Olaopa.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

Aregbesola lauded on community development T HE Executive Secretary of Ilesa East Local Government, Hon. Olanrewaju Balogun, has praised the initiative of the state governor, Engr Rauf Aregbesola to upgrade structures in six royal palaces in Osun State. The communities involved are Ikire, Iwo, Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo and Ikirun.

The governor’s intention to facilitate the programme was disclosed by Commissioner for Urban Development, Architect Muyiwa Ige at Iwo, last week.

Hon. Balogun stated that the the initiative would further enhance the community and peoples’ development in Osun State.

Hon. Balogun, an erudite politician, stated further that democracy and governance are about peoples’ state that the governor would not renege on his six-point integral action plan that

focuses on people-oriented governance in the state.

The Executive Secretary also noted that when the upgrading of six palaces were completed, it would be the pride of the communities and the monarchs who benefited from the programme.

While urging for the traditional rulers and the entire citizenry to join hands with the government in the transformation agenda, Hon.Balogun stated that other developmental projects would come the way of all communities that are yet to enjoy government’s touch in the state.

To complement the state governor’s gesture on the six-point action plan, Balogun said his local government council has embarked on programmes to alleviate poverty at the grassroots.

ESIDENTS of Kano spent the past weekend cleaning drains in expectation of heavy rains that could cause flooding during the 2012 rainy season.

Checks around many wards in the metropolis revealed that groups and individual residents in the ancient city were involved in cleaning their environment during the exercise.

Some of them who spoke with reporters explained that they feared what happened in some areas in the state where they witnessed heavy rains last week.

Malam Habibu Mu’azu of Gwale area said the exercise was for the benefit of all residents and it had become necessary to conduct it to ensure a free flow of water in the drains.

Kebbi

Resources,Alhaji Magaji Bunza said disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Birnin Kebbi.

Bunza said that two motorised boreholes would be provided in each of the 45 Senior Secondary Schools in the state.

In addition,50 villages would be provided with two boreholes each, as part of efforts to ensure the provision and consumption of clean water, he said.

The commissioner further said that many boreholes would be drilled in hospitals and dispensaries to reduce the hardship faced by patients and health officials. He did not specify the number.

According to him, the government has provided funds for the projects to ensure adequate water supply in rural areas.

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Youths urged to shun violence HE Nigerian Youth Organisation (NYO), has advised Nigerian youths to shun any act capable of erupting violence and disrupting the peace of the country.

The newly elected Chairman of the organisation, Imo State Chapter, Comrade Ubah Onyewuchi gave the advise in Abuja in an interview with newsmen on the forthcoming inauguration of its leadership.

“Nigerian youths are now being seen as a tool in the hands of politicians to achieve their evil mandate which is retarding the development of the country.

“The youths, which are supposed to be used to revive the country’s economy are now being used by some miscreants to cause trouble.

“We are not happy with how our leaders are rubbishing the real meaning of youth in this country. The present situation of Nigerian youths is something that is giving the youth body headache everyday,’’ he said.

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He said that the NYO was now ready to take action on how the dividend of democracy would get to the grassroots, especially to the youth in Imo. Onyewuchi said that the Imo chapter of the organisation would work as an intermediary with the government to ensure that all its policies were geared toward the development of the youth in the state.

“Nigerian youths should expect that after the inauguration in Imo, the youth in that area will have one voice; we will start from the village, the wards and to the local government of the state.

“Our youths will not been seen as dormant and irrelevant any more.

“We are going to create a vibrant youth; make it strong where you cannot go against the will of the youths in the state.

“We want to make the youths have one voice to speak for the good of the Imo indigenes.

•From left: Proprietress, Hallmark Nursery and Primary School, Mrs Meg Nwobia; Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) Lagos State, Engr Toriola-Gbolahan, Initiator, Safety Club to the School, Miss Mariam Daniju; Senior Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Transport Education, Dr Mariam Masha and Director Transport Operations, Engr Maroof Matanmi at the launch of Road Traffic Safety Club in Hallmark School.

PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

•From left: Officer-in- Charge, Customs Investigative Unit ,Chief Superintendent of Customs Barka A.A ; Comptroller Makus Filibus,Customs Area Commander, Nigeria Customs Service; Officer- in-Charge, Operations,Sabo D and command’s Public Relations Officer,Chado Zakari destroying some sunggled items seized by men of the Western Marine Command, of the Nigeria Customs Service.

N45m spent on Islamiyya schools

T

HE Chairman of Wurno Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Alhaji Shehu Chacho, said that it spent N45 million on the construction of 45 modern Islamiyya schools.

Chacho announced this during an inspection tour by members of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the area.

He said the council embarked on the project to modernise the Almajiri schools in the area.

Chacho said the council employed 45 Islamic teachers and set up a committee to monitor the programme.

He said the council empowered teachers in the area to sensitive parents on the need to send their children to schools to acquire western education.

The chairman said the move would ensure massive enrolment of pupils, especially the girl child in the rural areas.

Chacho added that the council would continue to partner with Islamic scholars and traditional rulers in the area for peace, progress and political growth of the state.

“We need them to ensure smooth implementation of our rural transformation efforts.”

The chairman conducted the journalists round some of the key projects including boreholes, culverts, feeder roads, classrooms and health care facilities.

Earlier, Labaran Lumu, Chairman of the NUJ, called on the local administration to draw a development plan for potable

•Governor Dakingari

Kaduna spends N27b on water

HE Kaduna State government said it has sunk about N27 billion into the supply of potable drinking water to the residents of the state while the multi billion naira Zaria water supply scheme has been reviewed from N15 billion to N24 billion.

The state Commissioner for Water Resources, Barrister Sunday Marshall Katung who disclosed

Sokoto water supply.

Lumu also called for the training of youths in the area in various trades to enable them to become self reliant.

He said that poverty would be reduced in the society if youths were trained to contribute towards the economic development of the area.

T

HE Kwara State government says it has rehabilitated and upgraded 15 primary health centres with the assistance of the World Bank Assisted Programme.

The Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Kayode Issa, announced this at the beginning of Family Week in the state in Ilorin.

According to him, the 15 hospitals are only awaiting equipment and staff through the Health System Development Project II (HSDPII).

The commissioner said government had embarked on the rehabilitation of primary health care centres in all the local government areas.

He urged the three tiers of government to pay more attention to family planning as one of the pillars of reducing maternal mortality.

Issa said: “the goal of preventing the death of women during child birth needs urgent attention, which has made most countries to be committed to reducing maternal

Kwara upgrades 15 health centres Kwara mortality by 75 per cent by 2015”.

The commissioner said that family planning was key to the achievement of MDGs 4, 5 and 6, on the reduction of high mortality rate of women and children.

According to him, family planning improves maternal health and combats HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

Issa said the collaboration between the Kwara government and Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) had helped the state to improve its health systems.

He stressed that the collaboration assisted in providing quality and affordable health care services for people in the state.

Issa explained that a budget line had been introduced for family planning activities adding

this while briefing newsmen on the activities of his ministry in the last one year, disclosed that research has shown that the state tops the list of the state that serves more percentage of its populace with potable drinking water.

Katung said: “We are presently the leading state in potable water supply to our populace.

There has never been a time in the history of Kaduna State where so much has been sank into urban, semi –urban and rural water supply with the results so visible. By the end of this administration, the next one would spend less on that, because most of the job would have been done”.

According to him, the biggest project in the sector being undertaken by the state government is the 150 million litre per day (ml/ d) Zaria Regional Water Scheme which is expected to cost N24.69 billion when completed

by December, 2013.

“The construction of the 150ml/d Zaria New Water Treatment plant was awarded to Mssr Mothercat Nig Limited at the cost of N15.711 billion. The contract has now been reviewed to N24. 697 billion as a result of changes in original scope of work and additional components.

“The Project is intended to serve about N2.2 million people by 2025 residing in 23 communities in eight local government areas of the state. The new treatment plant is put at 72per cent completion. The sum of N2.574 billion was paid within the period under review. However, the total amount paid to date is N13.601 billion.

“However, the full capacity utilisation of the 150ml/d Zaria water treatment plant will solely depend on the completion of the multipurpose 186.1 cubic metre Galma Dam that was awarded by the Federal Government to Gilmor Nig. Limited in 2006 at the cost of N4.5 billion.

This was later reviewed to N11.8 billion.

Construction work at the site is on-going with progress put at 72per cent”.

He noted that with the resolve of the current government to provide clean and safe drinking water to its people, parts of Kaduna metropolis, Zaria and Kafanchan that had potable drinking water for the past 17 years, have now been reconnected with water flowing 24 hours daily.

that it would be improved upon in subsequent budgeting.

Firm unveils new product

•From left: Ronke Olufowape, MDG facilitator for NYSC; Okon Godwin, Education Secretary, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, Comrade Balogun Taiwo, Guest Speaker, Ololade HectorFowobaje and NYSC in the council, Mrs Fayinto Beatrice at a day programme for primary school pupils in Ifako-Ijaiye, organised by Millenium Development Goals.

PHOTO: BOLA OMILABU

‘Nsukka Dam project not abandoned’

R

OUDO Nigeria Limited has denied that it abandoned the Adada Dam project in Nsukka, Enugu State.

In a response to some allegations, the resident engineer in charge of the project Engr. Nnanna Enwere said that: “it is a grotesque abuse of our constitutional and natural right in fair hearing and the civic need for meticulous precaution before going public in a sensitive issue such as this for these leaders to demonise us without having a conversation with us or the Ministry to verify the coorect state of affairs of the project.”

It described as false a claim that it collected N289million as mobilisation fees for the contract about a year ago, abandoned the job and left the communities to their fate saying: “To say that we have paid N289m mobilisation fees for the past one year is very preposterous and raises deep ethical questions that border on the real intentions and integrity of those who issued the press release Enwere said that at the flag-off of the project by the Ministry of Water Resources last year,

it deployed high calibre equipment to the site and started preliminary clearing.

“The community representatives asked us to stop work and took the matter to court.

“They insisted that there must be an agreed numeration of their cash crops and other economic and cultural items for adequate compensation by the government before they would allow us to continue work.

DUFIL Prima Foods PLC, the makers of Indomie Instant Noodles has just unveiled a new product, “Power Pasta spaghetti” under the company’s subsidiary, Pure Flour Mills Limited.

The product is made from high quality American wheat which will therefore ‘boost the energy’ of every consumer that consumes the product.

Speaking with journalists at the product launch, the Managing Director, Dufil Prima Foods PLC, Mr. Deepak Singhal said that the product was manufactured and introduced by Pure Flour Mills Limited, a subsidiary of Dufil Prima Foods and it was launched for all their consumers who remained loyal to their noodles product, Indomie.

“Power Pasta’s carbohydrate level is just as normal as other energy giving foods but we produced the product to boost your energy more and more.

“Every brand has its own brand personality and we don’t want to associate any brand to Indomie except noodles and this boils down to the reason why Power Pasta is manufactured under our company’s subsidiary to give the product its own brand personality in the minds of consumers and in the market shelf”, said Singhal.

Council chief empowers youths

A

As part of efforts to reduce poverty and create employment, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Hon Idris Lapade, has trained over 200 youths in skill acquisition in the council The vocational training centre has various departments including Computer Studies, Fashion Designing/ Embroidery, Hair Dressing, Leather Works, Barbing, Catering and Electrical works.

Presenting certificates and working gadgets to the new graduants of the centre, the council chief

From: Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

palaces across 12 communities at several millions of naira. ‘’ We have been able to execute between two to three projects across these villages and communities’’ He maintained that over 5 health clinics have been upgraded to ensure health care delivery services were accessible by people across communities in the area.

The Council Boss further said his administration was chatting a new course towards improving its IGR by constructing more markets across villages and communities, adding that through same in addition to other sources, revenue accruing to the council would increase rapidly ‘’ We are interested in what we are generating internally. That is why we are trying to explore avenues thaat will help boost our revenue base. ‘’ Our monthly IGR base is currently between N400,000 and over N700,000'’, he added.

•Governor Ahmed

Briefly

Kaduna

Local govt executes N699m projects HE Chairman, Silame Local Government Council in Sikoto State, Alhaji Mani Maishainku Katami, said projects worth over N699 million executed by the council were carried out in line with LEADS strategic development plan.

Katami, who spoke in Silame headquarters of the council while bieifing reporters on the activities of the council since he assumed office 10 months ago, said his administration received a total of N773.9 million federal allocation with N6.27 million accruals from IGR. According to him, projects were executed accross 187 villages and communities in line with their respective communities demands, adding that ‘’ we are runinng a full fledged participatory government where we create avenue for our people to guide us on what they want as their priority needs’’ He explained that so far, the council has constructed roads, mosques, construction and overhauled solar powered boreholes as well as renovation and expansion of Village Heads

37

•Hon. Lapade presenting equipment to one of the graduating students

By Jeremiah Oke

urged them to make good use of the opportunity at their disposal by making judicious use of their gadgets. He said they should become employers of labour not job seekers.

Hon Lapade also praised the state governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi for his initiative to reduce poverty and unemployment in the state by employing 20,000 youths, organising computer training for youths at the office of the wife of the state governor, regular empowerment of women and support of widows and the aged in the state.

He, therefore, called on the unemployed youths in the area to decide on what they can do to contribute to their immediate environment rather than becoming liability to their parents and the community.

Idris Lapade also used the opportunity to call on the state government and the state House of Assembly to make law that will make the centre a diploma awarding institution because of its contribution to the need of the people .

In his remarks, the member of the House of Representatives from the council, (Ibadan North), Hon. Abiodun Awoleye while presenting equipments to outstanding students, urged other youths to be more focused and determined so as to achieve their aims in life.

The Commisionaer for Establishment in the state, Mr Lowo Obisesan, said the chairman of the council had taught them how to fish and not to beg for fish from others. He urged tem to put more effort in doing what their masters hadtaught them and never neglect their job.

Obisesan also call on other youths who are looking at the centre as a place of joke to shun such habit and come to enrol claiming that it is for free.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Life

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The Midweek Magazine

• Bata dancer

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Text only: 08023058761

• Ingore Ngari dancers

A marriage across cultural borders SEE PAGE 29

‘Leadership not a tea party‘ – Page 30

Return of the patriotic artist – Page 33

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

30

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

•Ewu’s heritage house

‘Leadership not a tea party‘ Ten years ago, Oba Adesina Kuti ascended the throne as the Elewu of Ewu in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State. The 10th anniversary was celebrated with pomp and ceremony. SEYI ODEWALE reports.

H

IS huge frame reflects royalty. He is like the Biblical King Saul in words and action. Running in his veins is the spirit that thinks first about his people.

Born in the late 50s, Oba Kuti was the first child of his parents, the late Chief Abudu Ashimi Kuti and Alhaja Tawakalitu Kuti. His father is from the Erufa ruling house; his mother is from the Ogundipe ruling house. A graduate of the School of Agriculture, Moore Plantation, Ibadan, Oyo State, he began his civil service career that spanned 15 years before he became the Oba in 2002.

‘Ewu’ is a Yoruba word for cloth. The town prides itself of its rich historical heritage which dates back to 300 years.

Oba Kuti is proud of his community’s historical heritage.

And he promises to stop at nothing to defend its cause and cultural heritage. The monarch’s 10th anniversary was also a celebration of the town’s rich historic and cultural heritage.

Although linked to the Awori’s, the town traces its forebears to Ile-Ife, commonly referred to as the cradle of Yoruba.

Three men, according to the monarch, came from Ile-Ife to settle in the ancestral land of the Ewu people.

“Ewu is an Awori word for cloth. Anybody who does not have a cloth on is usually looked at as a mad fellow. The Ewu is symbolic. It is the apparel our forefathers usually wear whenever they were going to war. This Ewu had spiritual powers as it would make its wearer to transform into a multitude, that is, a single person turning to several persons to face the enemy. In other words, your enemy would not be able to fight with you as you would have transformed into many people. As such we were later identified by that garment.

“Long ago, about 300 years back, Ajamogun, Onikotun and Oniku came from the ancient kingdom of Ile-Ife to settle at Ewu with their crown. Ajamogun settled at Ipodo, a section of Ewu land, Onikotun defined his boundary on the same land and settled on a small hill known as Igoke, while Oniku took his share at the Oke Iluku still within the vast Ewu land,” the monarch narrated.

He said these personalities were the pioneer settlers who expanded on the land for a long time before the arrival of Ojisu, who was accommodated and asked to settle where there were lots of overgrown palm trees, which in their dialect is referred to as Ipeti. This, according to Oba Kuti, provided the name Onipeti for Ojisu.

“Later on, Ola-fe arrived with his son, Akinlowo, and was asked to settle near a river called Idobalo. Ojisu and Akinlowo told them of their ordeals about the slave war that was raging then in Yoruba land. The war known as Oluwoyi, according to them, drove them from their original abode to seek refuge with Ajamogun and Onikotun in Ewu land. They did this because they knew both men were great warriors.”

However, one evening, according to Oba Kuti, there was an invasion of Ewu land by the Oluwoyi warriors (the slave

HERITAGE raiders) who crowed like a cock to deceive the people and before they could notice them, the whole land was seized and sacked.

“Onikotun, who noticed them, whistled to Ajamogun who made efforts to rally his army, but before he could do that the land was subdued and the crown captured. Ojisu, however, retrieved the crown from these marauders by his act of bravery. This re-energised Ajamogun who ran after the invaders and conquered them. The last Oluwoyi warrior killed was beheaded and his head was buried at a junction leading to Ajamogun and Onikotun’s residence. An Akoko tree was planted on the spot and it was called Oju Ale. And that is why it is forbidden for a cock to crow at night in Ewu land,” the Oba said.

To appreciate Ojisu’s bravery, he was honoured with the title of a king maker in Ewu land. The Oba also said that Ajamogun Onikotun had a vast land bound in the North by Otapo family of Agege; in the South by Elemo family of Isolo; in the East by Onigbongbo and in the West by the Mewon family of Ejigbo.

The community, Oba Kuti said, shares boundaries with Mafoluku, Oshodi and others. “We share boundaries with Mafoluku, while Shogunle is part of us up till Cement Bus/ Stop along Abeokuta Expressway. The gully between Valley Estate and Onilekere is another boundary. Areas like Onipetesi, Idi Mangoro also belong to us. Nobody does anything in these areas without my consent. For example in Sogunle, I am the consenting authority before they can install their Baale. I sign the approval. Of course, they know they are our tenants. Anybody in all these areas who does anything without my consent does so at his or her own risk.

“I never thought I would be an Oba. But because my father had played a big role in the community, that worked for me. He was very influential and he knew the history of the town so well and with all these qualities I knew I would be

‘It is easier to control animals than controlling human beings.

It is very challenging leading people. Since I have been on the throne, I have learnt not to criticise any leader because I know that to be a leader is not a tea party’

•Oba Kuti recognised by the community. Although, I did not dream of becoming a king, but I knew that my father’s contributions would not go unnoticed,” Oba Kuti said.

The throne, he said, has not been rosy. Not because his people are not co-operative, but because of the demands of the throne. As a king given to socialising, he has to cut down on this. Also, the monarch said, controlling human beings is very challenging. “It is easier to control animals than controlling human beings. It is very challenging leading people. Since I have been on the throne, I have learnt not to criticise any leader because I know that to be a leader is not a tea party,” he said.

Oba Kuti is always quick to relate his community’s agitation, saying they are seeking compensation for their land acquired in 1973 by the Federal Government to build the local and international airports in Lagos. According to him, long before he became the monarch, issues of his community have always engaged his attention. And he has always tackled them frontally. In the monarch’s words, the attendant displacement the acquisition caused them almost erased their identity. And 10 years on the throne, the Elewu, believes his people’s agitation for recognition and compensation will soon pay off.

“We are asking the government to at least, release the unused part of the land they took and gave to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to us. Not only this, the compensation which we are due for should be paid to us.

I am very happy that God has put me on this throne to fight for my people. I remember the day we held a meeting with FAAN, I said to myself, ‘I love this: fighting for my people and championing their cause.’ I will, forever, be grateful to God for giving me the chance to lead my community and demand what is rightfully ours,” he said with infectious enthusiasm.

Asked whether compensation was paid when the land was acquired, the monarch said: “They (Federal Government) paid part of it, but it still remains much to be paid. We have missed a lot in terms of social amenities; in terms of FAAN’s responsibilities; job opportunities; royalties and other benefits.”

He is, however, optimistic that his community’s prayer will soon be answered, while the government may release the remaining portion of the acquired land so that Ewu can flourish the more.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

A marriage across cultural borders It was a funfilled night of entertainment, cultural display as bigwigs from Rwanda and Nigeria gathered in Lagos to seek areas of mutual cooperation. EVELYN OSAGIE was there.

I

T was not the first time Rwandans were meeting with Nigerians to chart a new course for Africa. But, it was the first time bigwigs from both nations will gather to an evening of discovery, business, networking, pleasure, entertainment and more.

The evening tagged: EMBARK, organised by Limitless Mind Africa (LMA), climaxed the Nigeria/ Rwanda Economic Forum meant to connect great minds from both nations. Guests included captains of industry, top government officials and professionals. They are Trade and Investment Minister, Olusegun Aganga; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rwanda Development Board (RDB) John Gara; business mogul Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas; Chief Kola Jamodu and wife, Funmi; Atedo Peterside; Director-General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group Frank Nweke (Jr); former Executive Vice Chairman, National Communications Commission (NCC) Dr Ernest Ndukwe.

Over 40 companies also attended.

Nigerian and Rwandan cultural and economic potentials came alive as they networked. Each country tried to outdo the other in promoting its potentials.

Guests were treated to the electrifying steps of Rwanda’s Cultural Troupe, the Inganzo Ngari dancers, Lagos State Cultural Troupe, and scintillating songs by Tuface Idibia and more.

Holding the event in Lagos was deliberate, the organisers said. “As a rising Mega City, Lagos is Nigeria’s economic capital of Nigeria, contributing 31.98 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Lagos is the second fastest growing city in Africa. Since 1994, the people of Rwanda have devoted their hearts and minds to develop their country after the ravages of genocide. Today the world perceives Rwanda as a voice confirming that the best resources a country can have are people with great minds. The World Bank reported Rwanda as one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world,” the organisers said.

Through Nigeria, according to Mr Gara, Rwanda is seeking access into West African markets. “For Nigeria, Rwanda acts as gateway to explore opportunities in the East African Community. Through interaction with the business community gathered here today, East meets West and a journey towards limitless possibilities begins,” he said.

For the Rwanda High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Joseph Habineza, it was a trip back home. “I am a Nigerian back home. I spent six lovely years here and went back home and now I am back home again. Last year, Rwanda and Nigeria signed a bilateral agreement. Things are getting better between Rwanda and Nigeria. Tonight, you are going to see Rwandan culture and business prospect. We also have friends who are here to discover Nigeria,” he said.

Both nations, Habineza said, have a lot to learn from each other. “A summit as this is a forum where each can use to exchange perceptions, positively. There are lots of opportunities for Nigerians in Rwanda and vice versa. In Rwanda, there are opportunities in real estate, gas, oil, mining, tea and coffee, horticulture, hospitality industry and other sectors. It is among the top performers in economics and business,” he said.

To the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, culture opens doors for commerce. “On the continent of Africa, Nigerian girls are the most beautiful; but I must pay tribute to the wonderful ambassadors of Rwanda. I am impressed with their rich cultural heritage expressed warmly through their dance. Our cultures are the first letters of recommendations and soft spot that open doors into countries. Only last month, the Rwandan president, represented by the High Commission, was guest at the Southsouth Summit. Today, he is here to promote his country’s potential. Nigeria is a great partner in Rwandan development agenda. The opportunities that abound in Rwanda will be an advantage to the dynamic Nigerian entrepreneurs. And Nigeria is the biggest market in Africa with very enterprising upward people. The coming together of these two great nations holds immense opportunities for both.

“This administration’s transformation agenda is about looking for opportunities for commerce where goods produced in the country would move into other African markets. Also, some of our specialists, tech-

• Ingore Ngari dancers

•From left: Habineza, Aganga, Mrs Murekatete and Chief Duke

•Mr Akabueze and Chief Okoya-Thomas.

SUMMIT nocrats and manpower can be exported to other parts of Africa and the rest of the world. And I think this is the opportunity to actualise that vision. Oftentimes we think that the better option for us is to go outside Africa. This is the time for the African renaissance.

These two hearts of Africa must beat as one and see

PHOTOS: DAVID ADEJO.

to the realisation of our common vision. Rwanda is charting a right direction by coming to Nigeria,” the minister said.

He praised Rwanda’s efforts in reinventing itself after the genocide. “Nigeria should borrow the advantage that Rwanda has established for itself: it has come out of the misfortunes of the war of attrition •Continued on page 36

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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The Midweek Magazine

•Oketta

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•Olofinlua

Time out with Ebedi residents They came seeking time to write and found solace in the ancient town of Iseyin in Oyo State. Its serene milieu inspired the pen of Temitayo Olofinlua and Barbara Oketta, a Ugandan. Both writers were residents at the Ebedi Writers Residency, Iseyin. EVELYN OSAGIE spoke with them.

I

N recent times, the Ebedi Writers Residency in Iseyin, Oyo State, has become a haven for many writers.

It has also become popular among writers within and outside Nigeria, particularly those from Uganda.

Early in the year, it hosted award-winning Ugandan writer, Doreen Baingana who was there with Dr Dul Johnson, another award-winner. It has also hosted another Ugandan, Barbara Oketta, who was there with her Nigerian counterpart, Temitayo Olofinlua.

Oketta is a freelance editor for Fountain Publications in Kiswahili with eight published works to her credit. She is married with two children. She was born in Mombasa, Kenya where she lived for 18 years before relocating to Uganda. She studied in schools such as the Aga khan high school (Mombasa, Kenya), Bishop’s senior school Mukono (Uganda), and Kyambogo University (Uganda). She is a volunteer at FEMRITE (Uganda women writers’ association) where she has been involved in projects such as interviewing, recording, and writing stories of marginalised women in Northern Uganda; Poetry Poster Project which involved travelling throughout Uganda promoting Ugandan poetry. She teaches English language and Literature in English in secondary level.

On her part, Olofinlua is the publicist of the Jalaa Writers’ Series. If you ask her what she does for a living, she’d tell you, “she writes.” She is a freelance writer, involved in journalism and writing articles and contents for websites, ghost-writing, etc. Her short stories are online and some have been published in anthologies.

Coming from a background laced with busy schedules, the residency offered both writers the freedom to write to their hearts delight. And that they did. They shared their experience in this chat. Excerpts.

Coming to Iseyin:

Oketta: Actually I was supposed to have come before Doreen.

I had planned coming last September, but I couldn’t make it then. I got to know about the residency through Writers Afrika.

I was just going through their site and I saw the residency in Nigeria, and I felt it would really be interesting to apply. I applied and was selected, but because of some problems I had then, I couldn’t make it down to Nigeria last September, so I requested for a shift in my programme.

With what I have been able to achieve here, I would not have attained if I had not come for the residency. Back home in Uganda, there are everyday issues that I would have to deal with, which would not give me the opportunity to face my writing squarely.

RESIDENCY At home, I take care of my kids, my husband; I am also a teacher.

These things take my time. However, having a whole day to myself in Iseyin has really benefited me greatly.

Olofinlua: As a freelance writer, I do a bit of journalism work and writing contents for websites, ghost-writing, etc, you find out that you never really have enough time to do your writing, and to do any form of creative writing is a kind of big challenge, because you really have to devote enough time for writing. I have enough on my hands and this residency programme came up, and that was how I found myself here.

Life in Iseyin:

Oketta: I achieved what I set out to do and more. I did not finish my manuscript majorly because while I was at Ebedi, I realised that my story had the potential for a novel and I decided to go for it. (Initially it was supposed to be a novella). I’ve worked on several things. When I first came here, I worked on a pocket book on drugs. I was also able to work on a serialised children fiction and other stories. The major one is Leaving Home, a novel. I got the inspiration for this story during the mentoring programme which PhD Literature students of Lancaster University conducted for Ugandan writers. That birthed the story idea.

I made a friend at the residency. On some days, my house mate and I shared a lot deep into the night. I learnt a lot about Nigeria through her and hopefully I was able to give her an insight of Uganda. As writers, we tried to build each other with genuine criticism.

The people are very accommodating. The only area where I had problem was the food. For example, what you call porridge here is custard in Uganda. There are so many other differences, and it is really not easy to just adjust to a new lifestyle in six weeks. However, I coped well.

Olofinlua: Before Ebedi, my dream was to get at least six short stories out of my system. It all went really well. The environment has been great. You hardly hear honking cars and generator sounds. Electricity has been pretty stable as well.

We hardly use generator, and the environment is really conducive for writing. I gave myself a kind of deadline that is, getting a short story done every week. So far, I have been able to pen four short stories, and I am on the fifth one. I am comfortable with short stories, and I have written many. A couple

‘I made a friend at the residency.

On some days, my house mate and I shared a lot deep into the night. I learnt a lot about Nigeria through her and hopefully I was able to give her an insight of Uganda...’

I enjoyed the relationship I was able to build with Barbara. Aside the stories that I’ve written, the moment I shared interacting with her, the students and the community was really wonderful...’

- Oketta

- Olofinlua

of my short stories are online; some have been published in anthologies.

I enjoyed the relationship I was able to build with Barbara.

Aside the stories that I’ve written, the moment I shared interacting with her, the students and the community was really wonderful. When people here know you are a stranger, they do everything to make a person feel comfortable.

Time with the students:

Oketta: I was impressed when I discovered the students have a natural flair for literature. Those who showed interest are really giving their best to see that they learn so much from the residents. However, I think they still need more motivation, especially for those who are not showing much interest in literature.

Olofinlua: It wasn’t really easy getting the students. We had different experiences with different sets of students. When we were telling them about creative writing, you can easily decode that the minds of some of the students were far away from what we were teaching them. The same thing played out with the second set, until we were able to get the committed ones.

However, I also got to know that the students have a problem communicating in English. I could remember I once told them to give me examples of similes, and they were all looking at me, but when I gave them the example in Yoruba, they gave me so many examples that I got lost myself. That is why I feel we can adjust our educational system to accommodate teaching in the local languages. There are countries who teach in their local languages, and they are doing very well. The students are trying, and they have their variousstyles, and if they can put in more efforts, I think they will get somewhere in writing.

Improving the residency

Oketta: Actually, the founder of the residency, Dr Wale

Okediran, is doing a good job with this project. However, I hope he can get facilitators or literary experts who can come around to review the writings that residents are doing. With this, residents will know they are making progress in the real sense of it in their writings.

Olofinlua: I want to see a situation whereby students who are around can feel free to come to meet the residents at any point in time to discuss with them, unlike the experience we had when we had to start looking for students up and down, although at that time, the students were on strike, and maybe that was why, but the students should be made to realise that there are people here who can help them in their academics, especially in English and literature. I also feel those who live around the residency can allow their children who are interested in literature to come and interact with the residents.

Life in Nigeria

Oketta: This is my first time of coming to Nigeria, and I must say that I am really impressed by everything I have seen so far. I think people are the same. There is always a cut-across, that is, the average Ugandan can be likened to the average Nigerian. So, coming to Nigeria has showed me that people are the same, although we may have different tongues or cultures. For my experience, Nigerians are really welcoming, especially when they know one is a foreigner. I was at the University of Lagos, and I love the place so much. And I hope I can come there for my Masters.

Ekwe awards: Seeking to preserve Igbo culture

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REPARATIONS for the first edition of the All Igbo Music Awards, tagged Ekwe Awards have reached advanced stage.

The initiator of the awards, Ugo Stevenson, has hosted a media-cum-artistic parley in Owerri, Imo State, to unveil his plan.

“Ekwe is a percussive instrument used in all Igbo music styles. That is why we have chosen to brand the All Igbo Music Awards as Ekwe Awards.” The main focus of the honours ceremony, he also said, is to celebrate those who have preserved Igbo language and culture “through the most effective medium of mass communication known to man, which is music.”

According to Ugo Stevenson, AMEN best highlife artiste, 2007 and NMA best highlife artiste 2008, each Igbo speaking state in the federation has a unique brand of music that is peculiar to it. “Anambra State is home of Ekpili music while Enugu boasts of the Ogene sound. Bongo and Abigbo are peculiar to Imo, Odumodu is of Abia. Ebonyi has Nkwawite while our Ikwerre brothers in Rivers State have Ori Obo and the Igbos of Delta are masters of Oyorima.”

These unique music styles have found strong expression in Highlife, which may rightly be described as Igbo contemporary music. ‘These music styles are performed by more than 2,000 practitioners across the globe, with high record of success,” Ugo Stevenson said.

His audience included journalists, broadcasters and art enthusiasts from around the South east zone of the federation including Delta and Rivers states.

A former national director, research and documentation of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Artistes and Practitioners (NANTAP) Stevenson, was honoured with the chieftaincy title of Ogene Emebiam in his home town, Emeabiam in Imo State. He studied theatre arts at the University of Port Harcourt and worked at the Imo State Council of Arts and Culture as a performing artiste. He is the founder/ director of the Ogbakoro Theatre Group, a professional theatre arts company in Owerri.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

33

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Return of the patriotic artist

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FTER many years abroad, Billy Omabegho, a United States-based Nigerian artist is returning home to share his vision and exciting new collection’s with the dynamic and vigorously creative Nigerian art community. A solo exhibition of recent sculptures at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, will herald the homecoming of Omabegho, whose Zuma sculpture at the Nigerian House in New York, generated controversies in 2005 following its proposed relocation.

The exhibition will open on Sunday and run till May 28, is featuring a new body of aluminium, stainless steel and bronze forms, after many years of working in his New York studio.

In a chat with The Nation, Omabegho said he has always been fascinated by the traditional symbols of natural phenomena skilfully carved into the wooden stools of Bida and the Ifa trays of the Yoruba. These symbols, he said, will appear in his works, symbolising forces of nature, water, sun, life, death, rebirth and creation. ”I am a product of modern times and traditional Africa and so utilise technological development in my art work while at the same time I am influenced by my background,” he said of his career growth.

The Hussey College, Warri old boy is venturing into the realm of colour powerfully juxtaposed against black. According to him, the new works have a startling visual impact and unusual power, influenced by the first known depiction of what may be sunrise and sunset in graphic form.

On the concept behind his work, he said: “The importance of art goes beyond artists, collectors and investors. It is the impact on the society of all creativity and glorifies the emergence of the creative mind of mankind from earliest times.”

He recalled that his art teacher (Dorothy) at Hussey introduced art to him where he used to paint market women using purple colour. He did naturalistic art while in Nigeria before entering Cornel University, US and later to New York University.

His best known Nigerian sculptures were created during Nigeria’s FESTAC years in the 70s, when the government’s vibrant commitment to art in public spaces led to important commissions such as his Convergence monument at the Lagos State House on the Marina (1976), the Memorial to Mohammed installed in Benin City (1977), the Manila symbol monument at the Lagos International Trade Fair (1978), and the Communication sculpture at the NET Building Marina (1979).

His 30 foot high, zig zag formed, welded aluminum

•Billy sitting by his works

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

ARTS and stainless steel Zuma sculpture, is one his most important works, representing the vital forces of nature which he translated into abstract forms representing birth and renewal. The sculpture was commissioned as an installation for the plaza in front of Nigeria House in Manhattan, New York. Zuma became one of the prized monuments of New York, showcasing leading Nigerian contemporary art in the heart of the city.

He is a quintessential renaissance African, combining his deep rooted Itsekiri origins with a lively and broad based approach to African influences on global art and civilization. His writing and research on the origins of African art, is reflected in the ancient and pure forms of his bronze, aluminum, polished stainless steel and metal sculptures, which are made up of ultra-modern abstract forms, geometric shapes and strong diagonal influences.

His new works include the Homage series, in which

he presents multilayered metal discs and triangular shapes to show mans’ interconnectedness with the universe. The series also has minimalist triangular shapes in the form of the ancient Ka symbol, revealing the human form in devotional stance with outstretched arms, embracing the very essence of life. His signature sculpture called An Exploring Mind, beautifully represents Billy’s deep connection with exploring science and nature, and the need for our minds to reach out and seek knowledge. Omabegho is a master at combining highly technological influences and art processes on metal which represent pure ancient African symbols. His beautifully crafted, simple forms are truly unique representations of contemporary sculpture at its best.

The Pillar of Dreams sculpture, created out of wood and bronze, is a work with ascending and descending steplike patterns, “representing the troughs and heights of our existence’” explains the artist, whose work has been exhibited in Brazil, London, and Washington DC, and were recently featured in the Global Africa Project Exhibition at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York in 2011. ”My forms have their roots in prehistoric African rock paintings and Pharaonic symbols,” he said.

Fed Govt to establish film fund From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

FILM

T

•Joke Sylva

HE Federal Government is to set up a film fund to enable small scale artistes and producers to do their business.

Speaking at the opening of the 2012 edition of the Zuma Film Festival (ZFF), tagged: The Human story… connecting people, in Abuja, Information of Minister Labaran Maku said President Goodluck Jonathan has the desire to grow and expand the film industry.

He said the proposal to set up the fund is receiving the attention of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

According to the Minister, the “conditions for a specific film fund would be easier than taking money directly from commercial banks which is a bit more expensive and the conditions often not easy for small scale producers in this sector.”

Maku said: “President Goodluck Jonathan has put everything possible on ground to develop and expand possibilities of our film industry to the rest of the world.

“Presently, he has put on ground about $200million which is now with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to support the film industry.

“We have been trying to get our film makers and artistes to access this fund.

“We have forwarded to the Federal Executive Council five different policy proposals to develop this industry and further support it.

“One of the policy measures we have taken which we are awaiting the FEC’s deliberation and approval is the establishment of a film fund which will make it easier for our artistes, producers and other entrepreneurs in this industry to access funding.

“The conditions for a specific film fund would be easier than taking money directly from commercial banks which is a bit more expensive and the conditions often not easy for small scale producers in this sector.

“We will drive that process and we hope that when that fund is finally established, a number of people who are really participating in this film industry would have the funding they require to continue to invest and indeed bring their dreams to reality.”

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Film Corporation, Afolabi Adesanya, said though the film industry has advanced tremendously, but there are still challenges to be met.

Adesanya said: “As a proud Nigerian I will say yes, that we have arrived but we have challenges and that is, can we rub shoulders with Nollywood movies, not only in the box office here in Nigeria but globally?

“Our movies are doing very well locally but we need to do very well internationally. We will get there.

“When Americans tried in the eighties to introduce video production in Southeast Asia, they failed.

“Hollywood did not introduce video into Nigeria but we realised that we want to continue to tell our story, though we don’t have money to shoot on celluloid, we discovered video on own and today it has established Nigeria as the second highest content provider globally in terms of video.

“But when you look at the broad spectrum of the film industry we are second.

“So, we are really advancing and it would continue to grow. Now a lot of countries including Hollywood in America now produce on video.

“The success of Nollywood has rubbed off globally. If you can’t afford to shoot on celluloid you can afford to fall back on video and tell your story. So, that is an important legacy we have given the world.”

High point of the official opening of the ZFF 2012 saw to the presentation of life time achievement awards to three distinguished personalities whose works have impacted impressively on the advancement of the Nigeria film sector.

The awardees include The Olu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Sanya Dosunmu, who was recognised as the producer and director of the popular television soap opera, The Village Headmaster.

34

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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

Nigeria, the photogenic nation

POETRY

I am driftwood!

By Seye Aluko

I am driftwood!

M

OYO Okediji: I just finished the painting entitled Just Before Dawn. I painted it with natural pigments on canvas. It is 104 inches long and 87 wide.

Olúségun Jídé Ajíbóyè: This work is certainly more than just an expression of skill or exploration of material. It is the empowerment of a commonly ignored medium with the ability to depict the innermost feelings of a nation that is soaked in her own tears, painted red by the blood of the innocent and shamefully cowed by the wanton corruption of her children. We shed tears in Nigeria everyday. It is normal.

Moyo Okediji: Between an oil pipe and a smoking pipe is a visual pun within the picture. The oil pipe inserted between the lips transmogrifies into a human shape that bellows smoke from its temple.

Kay Hutchinson: And from that temple flows the tears, a river intermingling with the ethereal smoke that carries on the ancient tribal memories, sometimes saddened at times by a modern world that does not remember its roots.

Moyo Okediji: The darkest hour comes just before dawn, goes an English adage. It seems like Nigeria’s darkest hour is here, in these days of Boko Haram, poverty, and armed robbery. Recently, a gang of robbers not only pillaged some banks in Ondo State, they also burnt down one of the banks, and murdered innocent people who happened to be around.

In 1948, Alan Paton published his fiction, Cry, Thy Beloved Country. In 1988, Kole Omotoso published his “faction,” Just Before Dawn. We are still waiting for the aurora of this glorious dawn, while the beloved country continues to wail.

Michael Olusegun Fajuyigbe: One may also read the work as an allegorical x-ray and a visual reminder of the last days of British colonialists and colonialism in Nigeria. Were the colonialists shedding tears for what they would miss? Oil had just been discovered at Olobiri, when they were asked to leave.

Just before the dawn of Nigerian independence, a nocturnal last-minute socio-political intrigue was perpetrated by the outgoing colonial powers: quietly a systematic plan to favour a section of the new African state, to divide and rule effortlessly, was set in motion. That was the beginning of the political, social and economic decimation of Nigeria by the West.

A critical look at this piece shows the skillful manipulation of Nigeria’s map to designate the head of a colonialist with his typical headdress (stretching from the north-western end to its north-eastern summit). The tip of the cap flows downward to the south (from the nose, jaw, and lips) jaw outlining the eastern view of the face. The northwestern and southwestern end, which forms the back of the head, shows anthropomorphic images of Nigerians during the colonial era. The faces are skillfully patterned with a variety of motifs that reflect the diverse cultures and peoples of Nigeria.

The patterns and motifs are creative adaptations from Nigeria’s indigenous designs and decorative elements, including patterns usually found on calabash and wood carvings of the northern and western Nigeria respectively.

The random streaks of black, superimposed on brown hues of the painting’s background suggest mother earth, her abundant minerals and natural treasures. The map of Nigeria is captured in contrasting colours of black and creamy white. The overall contrast is accentuated by the outline of creamy white, thereby creating an illusion of a ‘window’ into the world of Nigerians and their efforts at nation building from inception till date. The tempered appearance of the painting is perhaps due to the natural soil pigments employed by the artist. The pigments convey a visual idea of serene beauty, unlike the lustrous effect of oil base colours. This work is highly ‘Onaistic’ -, a decorative interplay of motifs, patterns and textures aimed at stimulating the viewers’ aesthetic sensibility.

Oluwafunmilayo Inyang: The history of a people cannot be overlooked or summed up in a paragraph like this. I maintain my stance on using contemporary art to redirect the thought process of this generation. Fifty years

The bark of an unspecified tree, bobbing endlessly on the restless tide, and washed ashore on a foreign beach.

I am driftwood! Nameless, rootless…

Forgotten! The unknown fragment of an un-figured bark. Ending somewhere, floating from nowhere!

I, driftwood, am sun-scorched , weather-beaten and bleached! Aeons of time are imprinted on my shrivelled side. Iam none the wiser from my perambulations.

Than the inert sands that dot the desolate shore!

I am driftwood. All movement, and no motion! Traversing the boundless main, I remember nothing! Unstable. Aimless.

I, driftwood, have a tale to relate! Of the lands I traversed. But of these lands, I make no recall!

By Moyo Okediji

DIALOGUE of crawling and fumbling in the dark is nothing more than a colossal failure.

There is need for our professionals to “stand their ground “ and assume responsibility. Art is a powerful medium that has been used to effectively support life-changing courses through generations. Now is the time to wake up from slumber and garner strength to forge forward The kleptocrats presently in power do not acknowledge the political antecedence of this nation. The colonialists have long returned home. There are no longer colonies except those of the ants. The kleptocrats and democrats will do well to learn from the ants. An ant is feeble by itself, a colony of ants become a threat to even an elephant.

Moyo Okediji: The map of Nigeria is incredibly photogenic—just as the map of Africa. I drew the map of Nigeria as closely as possible.

The Nigerian map has an aquiline Caucasian nose that is really extraordinarily comely.

Not all national maps are photogenic. Just view the map of Africa. Some nations have figures that only a mother could love—and we will not name names. But Nigeria? She is shapely. I know no country in the world that is better good-looking. Will Boko Haram succeed in mutilating Nigeria? I am filled with trepidation.

In the late 70s, I had a battered Volkswagon Beetle with which I toured Nigeria several times. I would start from Ile Ife, drive to Port Harcourt, and then head for Maiduguri, cross over to Sokoto, cruise back to Warri, and return to Ile-Ife. I sometimes travelled with a friend, or alone, if nobody felt like going with me. But the beauty of the trip was the freedom to just keep going—there was no fear of armed robbers, police harassment, or hostile locals. I had no money for hotels—just enough to buy gas, change tires when they wore out, and service

the engine of the car before it broke down. I slept by riverbeds, washed in the rivers, ate wild fruits, and whatever local food I could afford—fried bean cakes (akara) and bread, washed down with Coca-Cola being my staple. It was easy to love my country. I was in my early 20s, and felt unstoppable.

I remember one occasion in 1998, when I slept by a river just outside Owerri. I had just toured the city, but decided not to proceed to Umuahia until the following day. I drove to the outskirt of the city, and left the highway, following a narrow path that was not tarred, and was hardly wide enough to drive my car through. In a matter of minutes, I was by the side of a river, and decided to pitch my tent there.

Not too far from the spot was the makeshift lodge of a man with long, thickly matted hair, who apparently was a lunatic. From the way he was settled in, he considered the riverside his territory. I hesitated when I saw him watching me as I packed my car. But I summoned some courage, and approached him. I extended a banana to him, and he took it with a smile.

He had a little fire going, in which were small pieces of yam. He retrieved one of the pieces of yam, and extended it to me. I took it with a smile, and sat down next to him. We did not say a word to one another.

The night sky was lit with a brilliant moon, and pinhead sized stars glistened with the intensity of precious stones. I spread a sheet of cotton under a tree next to my friend, and placed a pillow under my head for a measure of luxury. I closed my eyes to recall the event of the day. When next I opened my eyes, in what seemed like a couple of minutes, dawn had arrived, and the rising sun was admiring its reflection in the flowing body of water just a few yards away from my feet. I had slept for seven solid hours. I looked around, but my lunatic friend was nowhere to be found. Apparently he was an early morning person, and had gone about his daily business.

Nowadays it is not possible for anybody to try this escapade in Nigeria. The country is no longer safe. The people are angry. Religious fanatics of all persuasions have hijacked Nigeria. Heartless politicians have raped the land, and sown seeds of discord among the populace. I look back in time and shake my head in disbelief. Is this the meaning and fruit of democracy?

•Okediji is of the University of Texas in Austin, USA

CORRECTION The caption of a picture on Page 31 of our May 9, 2012 edition should have been palace gate of Emir of Kano and not that of Emir of Zaria. The error is regretted.

– EDITOR

I am driftwood!

Exposed to venture, and adventure!

Widely travelled, but still ignorant!

Widely exposed, but with nothing to show!

Hollow!Prattle!Sham! Tinkling! Cymbal!

Man, how have you become driftwood?

Dull, dim-witted, and disoriented?

Mediocre, circuitous, a mass amongst the masses?

Man. You , created “in the image of God!” commended (and recommended) by the angelic host!

How have you now become driftwood?

Aimless, rudderless? Insecure?

An indictment? A reproach?

A caricature?

Man, where is your “Paradise on earth?”

The talents the “landowner asked to increase?”

Man, where is the humanity in your inhumanity?

Man. You light. You lantern. You globe.

Man. You orb. You luminary.

You moon waxing and waning in opalescent splendour.

How have you now become an eclipse?

How has you lustre faded! How, like a meteor, have you shattered into a thousand pieces?

I am driftwood! the bark of an un-classified tree. Floating across an un-specified ocean, and prostrate on a unknown beach…

Launko Blues for presentation

L

AUNKO Blues, a collection of poems published in honour of Femi Osofisan will be publicly presented next Tuesday.

The event is scheduled to hold at the Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State by 10am.

Early in the year, Ebiks Theatre Salon, Ibadan, organised a remarkable poetry retreat to honour one of Africa’s foremost playwrights and a great contributor to the development of both literary and theatre arts in the continent.

Launko Blues is the collection that emanated from the retreat.The collection is edited by Ebika Anthony. Dignitaries expected at the ceremony include Prof.

Isaac Adebayo Adeyemi, Hon. Depo Oyedokun, Dr. Wale Okediran, Prof.

Remi Raji, Prof. Duro Oni Prof. Francis Egbokhare and Prince Isaac Preboye, among friends of Osofisan.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

35

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

Hidden mysteries of life

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HIS 17-chapter book spanning 484 pages lives very much to its title. It is full of mysteries. The approach is didactically persuasive. The main mission seems to be simple key of training for acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge is the key to unlock the complex universe population by a multitude of holy and evil forces (Spirits).

The author says he has been in contact with God through the angel (Spirit) to whom he asked many questions and obtained clear answers of the 50 question he asked , quite a few can jolt conventional Christians , such as the founder of the cherubim and seraphim sect . Many will doubt the kind of answer the angel gave the author here just as in the case of presence of cell phones in the church.

This sound like the old legalism which Mosaic Law was based on. Of equal controversy is the response by the angel to the question of forgiveness of sin which the angel claims God has a book of record of our sin .One wonderers how God can be so………. By asking us to forgive yet he keeps record of our sin.

The chapter on health and healing is very educative. Am sure those who disagree with the author in many areas of the books will congratulate him on this.

As regard exorcism of evil spirits, one would needs an experiment on this though by faith, we would not normally worry about witches and demons. If the author claims that it is fixing our though on death and illness that brings death and sickness to us, it equally means that fixing our thought on witches etc ensures us to them. It sounds contradictory.

Many will accept that heaven; hell, paradise etc. do exist physically in fixed location as the author claims. But some who believe that God is sprit are bound to disagree too.

They are likely to reason God is sprit , then it is not why his throne, residence etc, are physical .The other mystery includes the arrangement of seats , the position of angels ,human visitation to physical heaven , habitation of hell by satan etc . The doctrine of

BOOK REVIEW Titles:

The Mystery of Life

Author:

Peter Afangideh

Reviewer:

Okonette Ekanem

Publisher:

Xulon Press, USA

Pagination:

484

Year of Publication: 2012 trinity which has its roots in apostate religion is used freely as if it is sound teaching.

A mystery too.

The area of life after death in the realm of soul and sprit punctuates the work , This linked up to paradise which the author says exist physical but some will argue that when Jesus says ‘I tell you today , you will be with

me in Paradise. The problem is with the punctuation comma which the Italian translation was said to have left out when the bible was translated.

Except as a part of universe of mystery which the books is all about , readers will like to know how the author knows that the great angels lives in Mercury while the devils lives in Pluto. On the other than, he has made one great point that we are also sprits.

Of equal worth is the points death is temporary or transient. The book is designed to make those who follow certain ethos to live longer as a part of the mystery that if we follow certain principles w can live much longer than we do now. This is positive.

One sure area of interest in the book is reference to angels. On one page (a woman was said to have been assisted by angels in Nigeria. But they do not exist or operate as independently as the book want us to believe nor do our prayers go through them to God or else Christian would cease to be our mediator. In this wise, it is either the book is too advanced for most of us or it has some factual and interpretational flaws, Another area of interest is where is where the author tells us that the devil exploits the weakness I.e. areas of moral weakness in us . This is a fact just as the point that that our mind is theatre of spiritual warfare between contention force of good and evil. However, the author would need to revise the work in some areas in connection with the influence or the effect of devils’ activities in man. For instance, the impression we have is that, we are responsible for our weakness through ignorance but in other argument the problem is attributed to the devil.

In all the book is designed to empower, strengthen, encourage and push the element of faith to its Zenith. It is definitely a book, of mysteries experiment on the principles contained there in and perhaps to consult the author when perplexed. It is a significant addition to the so many things we have known and even on what we are yet to know.

•Ekanem is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Calabar.

What is the name of that bird in your land?

B

IRDS are all around us. And they come in various looks, colours and sizes. From the forest, savannah, near water, towns, and village or near you, everywhere you look, is bird’s species of diverse kinds. So, how well do you know the names of the birds in our land? Are they more than the number of your fingernails? Or are they up to 20? And if you are conversant with that number of bird names in English, how many do you know in your dialect?

If the answer is on the negative side in any of the questions, then, Prof. Virginia Dike’s book, Birds of Our Land, is your best bet, especially if you are from the Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa speaking areas. For instance, the author states the ‘Kite’ is called Egbe in Igbo and Asa in Yoruba languages. Anyone seeking to know what it is called in Hausa can find it on page 26 of the book. Also, the ‘Pigmy Kingfisher’ is called Cinawuya and Nkene in Hausa and Igbo languages respectively. Want to know what it is called in Yoruba language, you can find that in page 14 of Prof. Dike’s book.

Her book will lay to rest any fear or confusion in that subject. “People find that they can get more enjoyment out of seeing birds when they can identify the species they are looking at. At first it can be confusing, but don’t worry.

All you need to get started are these basic guidelines on how to look at birds,” writes Prof. Dike.

And so, she goes all out in her book to taking the reader through the basic guidelines of identifying a bird – from its appearance, size, colour, shape and more.

It may come as a surprise to many that the 39page book, which gives the names of birds found across Africa in English and three Nigerian languages, is written by an American.

However, you would appreciate this magnum opus by this professor, who is also the Librarian of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)’s, more after reading it. One can expect no less from one, like Prof. Dike, who grew up watching and enjoying birds in America and subsequently in Nigeria. The book, she says, is

BOOK REVIEW Titles:

Birds of Our Land

Author:

Prof. Viginia Dike

Ilustrator:

Robin Gowen

Reviewer:

Evelyn Osagie

Publisher:

Cassava Republic Press

Pagination:

39

Year of Publication: 2011

her way of sharing those joyful moments with children. Hence, readers would find that the book shows is borne out of years of research.

It gives simple but elaborate details on birds, along with beautiful illustrations by Robin Gowen to drive her point home. So, as you read about each bird, you are shown an illustrated picture of the bird as well.

By its simplicity of language and detailed graphic illustrations, children would find it exciting experience perusing the book. Aside children, parents seeking vastness in such area would find the book handy in that it would give them an elementary but profound knowledge in the area.

Also, it would awaken in many that childlike adventurous feeling of one discovering exciting new subject, although the subject is not exactly new.

The author begins by introducing the reader

birds, saying: “Scientist believe that birds evolved long ago from small flying dinosaurs…”

Next, from pages 5 to 8, she gives some useful tips on identifying birds with illustration body maps and more. This section of the book prepares the reader for what is ahead. It gives readers tips on what to look out for while trying to identify a bird around.

“Birds are different from each other in the way they look…act… and places they stay… These things will help you tell one bird from another,” the author writes.

After getting the gist of how to identify a bird, pages 9 to 33 holds a comprehensive list of birds in the four languages. It examines over 20 birds.

Also, this section contains a detailed explanation on each bird of study. It states its species, structural makeup, behavioral patterns and where the bird is found and more.

She writes of the Garden Bulbul called Ochiri or Okiri in Igbo, Opera (Yoruba) and Koji or Jan Gaba (Hausa), “It sings all day long and attracts attention by its noise.”

The rest pages give tips on bird watching: how to attract birds to your compound, their mating seasons; bird observation checklist; guide for parents and educators.

The book is exciting, educative and beautifully structured to capture the attention of children. It is recommended for children of all ages, parents, science teachers, and educationist and so on.

ADVOCACY

Obi of Onitsha seeks establishment of arts structures

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

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IS Royal Highness Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha (Agbogidi), has said the emergence of private art organisations such as Visual Arts Society of Nigeria (VASON), the Omooba Yemisi Shyllon Arts Foundation (OYASAF) and the arts auction houses represents a clarion call for the institutionalisation of enduring structures that must sustain the development of the arts in the country. He stated that these organisations are doing excellent work in promoting visual arts.

The monarch, who spoke in Lagos at the public presentation of a book, Contemporary Nigerian Art in Lagos Private Collections –New Trees In An Old Forest, urged Nigerians not to relent in the campaign to persuade the government and art institutions to rise above their current levels and provide the necessary strong leadership for the development and sustenance of visual arts in Nigeria.

The new book was sponsored by Sammy Olagbaju and edited by Jess Castelotte.

He warned that the current dominance of Lagos in arts activities should seriously concern all as other parts of the country outside Lagos may fast be receding towards becoming a vast cultural and artistic desert. “Lagos has become central to Nigeria’s economic, social and cultural life. It is also a counter force to Abuja in the realm of politics. In the same pattern, it is also real that the great majority of players in the contemporary arts scene – artists, galleries, dealers and, collectors, etc – are based in Lagos,” he added.

He, however, recalled that this was not always the situation in the past considering that the old regional capitals of Ibadan, Kaduna, Enugu and Benin were cultural and artistic centers in their own rights before decadence set in.

According to him, these cities remain homes for some of the most famous art schools. He, therefore, prayed that a revised and re-focused national policy on arts must give due attention to restoring the status of these regional centers as well as other old and emerging centers, such as Abuja, Port Harcourt, Osogbo and Onitsha as centers for arts development and appreciation.

“In this vein also, institutions such as the Harmattan Workshop at AgbaraOtor, Asele Institute at Nimo, and the Yussuf Grillo Pavilion at Ikorodu should be equally encouraged and supported.

Thus, arts will progressively become accessible, and contribute, to making the whole country more human and humane.

This prayer is, of course, without detriment to the pre-eminence and dominance of Lagos as Nigeria’s capital for visual arts in the same matter as London, Paris and New York City,” he added.

He described the book as unique for the difference it brings forth, saying it is a publication on Nigerian contemporary arts that reflects deep knowledge and genuine passion about its subject. The collaborators, he added, have successfully revealed the beauty and diversity of contemporary arts in Nigeria, but also the prevailing constraints and its potentials and possibilities. “Avowedly, this is an opening salvo for deeper studies that should be carried out to bring our arts squarely within the international context whilst maintaining its distinct Nigerian and African characteristics.

“The book uniquely mentions a large number of private collectors who were willing to show samples of their collections to the public for the first time, I believe. More importantly, it tells us that, unlike our traditional and ancient artworks, much of the best of which now resides outside our shores, Nigerian private collectors today are up to the challenge of ensuring that the best of our contemporary arts is in our own hands in our own country,” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

36

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

A marriage across cultural borders •Continued from 31

and attracted a lot of attention. They have committed resources to promoting that attention and converting it constructively into tourist attractions and jobs are being created for women and youths.”

Nweke said both countries are driven by vision.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ben Akabueze, said Rwanda shares affinity with Lagos in its press for good governance and commited leadership. “We look forward to future collaboration between Rwanda and our city, a sub-national, for the betterment of our people. Lagos is the sixth largest economy in the world.”

The event was the dream of two young ladies, Mrs. Clementine Vervelde Murekatete and Sandra Idossou, who met on board a five-hour flight from Nigeria via Rwanda. They dreamt of a greater Africa together. And that result was the LMA and the event.

According to Mrs Murekatete, LMA seeks to provide a conducive environment for Rwanda and Nigeria. She said: “LMA provides Nigeria with a platform to export its entrepreneurs and explore the opportunities in East Africa through Rwanda: the platform to interchange investments, business opportunities and other possibilities. Indeed Rwanda and Nigeria, champions of East and West Africa has a lot in common besides sharing the same continent. One distinct feature that sets both apart is their sense of entrepreneurship that inspires Africa and the whole world to reach greater heights. In search of a greater partner with whom to bring this vision, Rwanda has chosen the Centre for Excellence, the commercial nerve centre of Africa. Lagos is truly Rwanda’s partner in progress.”

She recounted the Rwanda genocide’s experience, noting that the country has become stronger from the experience. “80,000 died in the genocide. 80 per cent of my family was among those that died. Gone are the days when the word ‘poverty’ evoked images of poor black kids with flies in their faces, destroyed homes, barefooted women carrying heavy loads on their heads. It is now is the dawn of a new era. Tonight is a stepping stone into a brighter tomorrow. This event will not only stress what both countries can benefit from each other but, also the limitless opportunities that they can and can’t think of.

In our country, we promote gender and urge Nigerians to do so.”

Rwandan cultural troupe performance was highly rhythmical and spectacular. Their electrifying steps and costumes depicted their culture and vocation. The ladies were colourfully dressed and the men wore Intore (warriors) dancers’ costumes of long-hair grass wigs a spear and small shield. Each dance, according to Mrs Murekatete, has a story. “It’s about family and war. Symbolically, it is about culture not war.”

Lagos State Cultural Troupe also gave the visitors the Nigerian flavour. They performed Yoruba and Southsouth dances. The Yoruba dancers actually took guests by surprise as their steps flowed with tradition genre of music into the Contemporary (oldies and current ones).

MTN Nigeria held a raffle draw to give out two I-Pads to guests. Eva Gara (Rwanda) and Veronica Munro, Standard Chartered Bank, won the I-Pads.

•Southsouth dancers

•Intore dancers.

AAF holds auction for charity

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•Osodi’s work entitled: NEPA

CHARITY auction show has been held at the Limtless Mind Africa’s event. It was organised by African Arts Foundation (AAF). Four out of the 12 works by Nigerian and Rwandan artists on display were put up for a charity auction.

They included Tolu Aliki’s Couple, Kelechi Amadi-Obi’s Lagos Night, and two of George Osodi’s works entitled: Argungun and NEPA. N540, 000 was raised from the auction. Osodi’s work sold the highest and lowest at N150, 000 and N100,000. Others on display included Bushayija (Rwanda), Sangotoye Olayinka, Ike Francis and Temitayo Ogunbiyi, among others.

According to AAF Director, Azu Nwagbogu, AAF was partnering LMA to raise money for charities working with children in Nigeria and Rwanda. “We hope we would be able to generate enough that would go a long way assist the chosen charities,” he said.

The auction was conducted by the Executive Director, Mainstreet Bank, Roger Woodbrige, who came decked in Scottish attire. With him was the elegant Zainab Ashadu.

PHOTOS: DAVID ADEJO

ANA Review: Board calls for papers

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HE editorial board of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in-house journal, ANA Review, has called for contributions from writers within and outside the country for this year’s edition.

It will feature original works in critical essays, short stories, poems, interviews, conference reports, book reviews, author/ critic profiles, reports from beneficiaries of fellowships and grants, including evaluation of poetry and dramatic performances.

All writings, according to the board, must not more than 15 pages. Entries should be in MS Word 2003/2007. Contributors are advised to send along with their entries brief biodata to the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Amanze Akpuda at amanzeakpuda@yahoo.com.

The deadline is June 30.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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T

HE Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, Kogi State has praised the developmental efforts of their representative at the National Assembly, Honourable Tajudeen Ayo Yusuf.

Yusuf, who is Deputy Chairman, Committee on Information and Communication Technology of the House of Representatives, has executed many developmental projects which have impressed his constituents.

Thus, his people turned up in large numbers at a forum where the lawmaker presented his scorecard. Market women, youths, traditional rulers and political stakeholders stormed the Multipurpose Hall of St. Augustine College, Kabba venue of the event.

There, they commended his effort in education, skills acquisition, roads and other empowerment activities to ensure socio-economic transformation of his people.

The list of dignitaries at the event included Senator Smart Adeyemi, former Deputy Chief of Staff to exVice President Atiku Abubakar, Chief Olushola Akomode, Hon. Alfred Bello, Honourable Jide Johnson Abejirin, Royal fathers, HRH, Oba Micheal Olobayo, the Obaro of Kabba, and the Olubunu of Bunuland, HRH, Oba Emmanuel Ikusemoro.

Chief Akomode said: “What we are witnessing today is a new chapter of quality and responsive representative that Honourable

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HE Chairman of Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Hon. Tajudeen Ajide, has urged residents to keep their environment clean.

Ajide, who spoke on the programmes his administration has implemented since assuming power, said before the end of his tenure, Surulere Local Government would become a model in Lagos State.

He said: “We are planning to set up a task force, which will be in charge of sanitation. Members of the task force will arrest anybody found dumping refuse on the streets in this local government.

“My administration has embarked on beautifying public places. For instance, we have built a park near the National Stadium and Teslim Balogun Stadium, which we named

Constituency hails lawmaker From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

Tee-Jay has been able to provide as our eyes and ears in the House of Representatives that is completely different from the past ones.

We commend him for that and encourage him to do more.”

The Obaro of Kabba, His Royal Highness Michael Olobayo urged him to continue with the responsive leadership to the electorate.

The royal father also urged the people of the constituency to support his efforts aimed at improving the wellbeing of the communities within the constituency.

Senator Smart Adeyemi told of Yusuf’s immediate impact at the National Assembly.

His words: “There is a limit to what a House member can do at

the National Assembly because everything is tied to a seniority arrangement but as a new member in the House, his contributions on the floor are worth commendation. I feel people should give him an extensional term so that all his efforts can be achieved.”

Amid cheers from the crowd, Yusuf thanked the people of the constituency for their support during the election gave him in a landmark victory. He said such solidarity will inspire him to embark on projects that will accelerate rapid development in the constituency.

He recalled facilitating the rehabilitation of Kabba township roads by the state government, pointing out that the project was as a result of the drive to improve the wellbeing of the people.

What we are witnessing today is a new chapter of quality and responsive representative that Honourable Tee-Jay has been able to provide as our eyes and ears in the House of Representatives that is completely different from the past ones

“We thank Almighty God today that the contract for the [impassable] township road has been awarded by the state government,” he said. “I took it upon myself to facilitate the road project after proper consultations. I then wrote letters in that regard and today the road has been approved by our dear governor.”

Yusuf disclosed that he drew attention to the dilapidated KabbaObajana Road which has been listed for reconstruction by the business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

The lawmaker disclosed plans to sink 60 boreholes across the wards in the constituency, adding, “This was borne out of the promises I made during my campaign period that I will always do my possible best to uplift the people’s wellbeing.”

Yusuf assured his people of plans to provide jobs. “I am working in conjunction with other people within the constituency to embark on a sustainable skills acquisition programme to create jobs for the unemployed youths,” he said.

He said a periodic exercise was ongoing to ascertain and collate statistical data of the number of unemployed youths across the constituency, adding he has collated over 360 data base of unem-

This was borne out of the promises I made during my campaign period that I will always do my possible best to uplift the people’s wellbeing ployed youths and is working with people within the constituency to see how they can create employment for the youths.

Yusuf said it was his duty as a House of Representatives member to always fight for and bring developmental projects to his constituency.

The lawmaker said he was instrumental to the emergence of motions, one of which helped to avert a planned strike plan by the PHCN workers’ union, adding that a motion of urgent public importance which he also brought resulted in the cancellation of a planned retrenchment of about 3,000 Nigerian staff billed for retrenchment at Airtel GSM service provider.

Council chief challenges residents on clean environment

By Tokunbo Ogunsami

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Park.

“We intend to beautify Ojuelegba under the bridge and other public places in this local government.”

According to him, since taking over the mantle of leadership on November 3 last year, his administration has combated flood.

He said residents of the council area should not be worried that the rains are here because the drainages of the areas that are always flooded have been cleared. He listed the areas as James Roberston Street, Akerele Street, among others.

“This administration gives pri-

ority to good roads. From next month, we shall tar nine roads.

Our target is to fix 51 roads before the end of our tenure.

“In the area of education, we are not lagging behind. We have

sewed uniforms for 30,000 pupils and given them Cortina sandals. We want corporate establishments in this local government such as the Nigerian Breweries Plc to complement our ef-

I want my performance to speak for me. Power belongs to the people. If after my tenure, the people of this local government feel I should go for a second term, they will decide this through election

•Members of the Neighbourhood Watch at the closing ceremony of their training programme at NYSC camp, Ipaja in the outskirts of Lagos

forts by embarking on laudable projects, since they make their millions in this local government,” the council boss further said.

Hon. Ajide noted that his administration was bent on ridding Surulere Local Government of touts and hoodlums popularly called area boys.

He said before he was elected as the chairman, he has served as a vice-chairman, adding that the electorate would decide if he would go for a second term.

His words: “I want my performance to speak for me. Power belongs to the people. If after my tenure, the people of this local government feel I should go for a second term, they will decide this through election.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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Okorocha hailed on development

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S critics slam the leadership style of Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Nze Emmanuel Onukwugha Ejimonyeabala, the Nze Epum of Amaimo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state, has described such criticisms as mere distractions. Nze Ejimonyeabala, who is a member of Imo State Elders’ Council, stated this in a chat with Newsextra in Owerri recently.

The London-trained economist and financial consultant disclosed that critics of the policies and programmes of the governor were ignorant of the impressive achievements recorded by the APGA administration in the state in just 10 months.

“Within 10 months in office, Governor Okorocha has effected laudable, dramatic, and exhilarating changes at all levels of government, in all strata of the state and in every nook and cranny of society. The Rochas’ fame for good governance is applauded by an anonymous many even beyond his state. He has, in a positive manner, touched the lives of the common man to the chagrin of his opponents,” he said.

The Vice-Chairman of Imo State Elders’ Council in the UK and also Cultural Adviser to Igbo Union also in the UK said that Rochas is the man the people wanted, adding that he is fulfilling his campaign promises to the people.

Nze Ejimonyeabala said: “Governor Okorocha is up and doing and a listening governor. What makes a good leader is no matter how many

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HE Paramount Ruler of Uyo, His Royal Majesty, Edidem Edem Akpan has confered a chieftaincy title on a Chinese national doing business in the community.

Uyo Local Government Area of the state wore a festive look as the Managing Director of the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Nigeria Limited, Mr. Cao Bao Gang, an engineer, was honoured with the title of “Eti Ufan Uyo,” meaning a good

By Chinaka Okoro

years you have been in politics, you should be able to listen to the advice and yearnings of the people, take the right ideas, study them and put them together for implementation. That’s what governance is all about.

“He is a man who wants to better the welfare of the downtrodden.

Every technocrat in Imo State had maintained that free and compulsory education is not possible but he proved them wrong.”

On infrastructural development, he maintained that Okorocha has performed wonderfully well. “Look at the number of roads being opened in just 10 months. It’s incredible and unheard of in any state in Nigeria.

People are asking where the money is coming from. Imo State has enough money to do whatever it wants to do. The unfortunate thing is that previous administrations had been siphoning the money meant for development and taking care of the welfare of the so-called godfathers who take enormous share of the

state’s fund every month. The money they collected was enough to do several roads in the state. “Rochas has no godfathers except the Almighty God. He is really God-sent because he is doing things the way the people want them done,” he said.

On the effort of the state government to mentally empower the people through free and compulsory education, Nze Ejimonyeabala stated that “the free education introduced by the government of Rochas Okorocha is one of the best peopleoriented policies aimed at human capital development,” even as he added: “We want people to be educated. The more education and knowledgeable the people are, the better for the development of the society. Illiteracy is a disease. Gone are the days when we say education is expensive even though no one had tried illiteracy.”

He encouraged the young ones to seize the opportunity provided by the free education policy and get mentally developed. “It pains to see the youth idling away when there

If all the 27 local governments in the state construct 15 kilometre roads, it will ensure rapid development. For instance the Nkwo Amaimo-Ihitte-Umuozu Road will bring rural development in all these towns and villages which the road criss-crosses

are several ways through which they can better themselves which will ensure that they are not involved in all kinds of vices.

On how to make the youth be upand-doing for future leadership responsibilities, he said that parents have to work harder in giving them sense of purpose and direction, even as he enjoined the youth to “brace up for the challenges ahead. They should stop the tendency of looking for quick wealth and transitory glory. They should know that the tomorrow of this country is in their hands. Yesterday shaped today while tomorrow is determined by how well we managed today.”

Nze Ejimonyeabala disclosed that the fourth tier government which is ingenious of Governor Okorocha is wonderful and exciting. The policy initiative, he said, will really bring about the much-needed development at the grassroots. That will ensure that money meant for development of the local governments is used appropriately and those carrying out the development projects should be able to report back to government on how the fund was utilised.

On the mandate for every local government to construct 15 kilometre roads, he said: “If all the 27 local governments in the state construct 15 kilometre roads, it will ensure rapid development. For instance the Nkwo Amaimo-Ihitte-Umuozu Road will bring rural development in all these towns and villages which the road criss-crosses.

“Unfortunately, we don’t know who the contractor is. He just came

•Nze Ejimonyeabala and worsened the condition of the already-bad road. When the rains come in earnest, nobody is going to pass through there anymore. That road is in a worse situation than it was.

“We implore on the Transition Committee Chairman of Ikeduru Local Government Area and the task force on infrastructural development to look into that with a view of reawarding the road to a competent contractor before heavy rains come.

If they don’t, the consequences would be so grave. “ Commenting on the situation in Ikeduru Local Government Area, Nze Ejimonyeabala said not much development has been witnessed, even as he said that all hopes are not lost as there are still opportunities to bring development to the area if those at the helm of affairs would listen to the yearnings of the people.

Community honours Chinese expatriate From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

friend of Uyo. HRM Edidem Edem Akpan, alongside other titled chiefs, decorated Gang with the chieftaincy title.

Akpan said Gang was honoured

in recognition of the company’s performance in realising the developmental dreams of Governor Godswill Akpabio.

He said Uyo, which is the ancestral home of the Ibibios, metamorphosed from a district to colonial administration, to province in the eastern region era, division under the former Southeastern state and

later Cross River state, and today into a state capital and administrative headquarters of Akwa Ibom State.

He said: “A number of friends of Uyo who have contributed in one way or the other to the growth of the society and the betterment of humanity have been identified and conferred with chieftaincy titles.

•Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Dandume Local Government Area, Katsina State Alhaji Abdulkadir Muhammad (left), giving out a set of PHOTO: NAN microphones and loudspeakers to communities.

Such recognition will bestow on them additional responsibilities as leaders of men. It is therefore my conviction that they will use their new status and enhanced position to inspire their followers to aspire to greater heights with attendant positive multiplier effects on the wider society.”

The chairman of the occasion, Obong Simeon Umoette said the event was unusual and spectacular.

He said the purpose of conferring the title on the expatriate is a way of showing appreciation as well as celebrating excellence.

His words: “Receiving contractors and conferring titles on them are very unusual, this is a way of telling the contractors that we appreciate good works, it is a way of saying thank you. Today, the Nung Udoe road is high class in terms of quality and size.”

Gang in his response expressed excitement for the honour bestowed on him by the people of Uyo, saying it is an act of generosity.

He thanked the state governor for the confidence reposed in CCECC Nigeria Ltd by awarding the dualization project of Aka Nung Udoe road to the company in spite of the initial widespread public opinion to the contrary.

His words: “This singular courageous decision of his Excellency, the governor has given us in CCECC Nigeria Limited the rare opportunity to prove our mettle in technical competence, excellent quality and timely service delivery.”

Gang said the successful execution of the project was recorded as a result of effective cooperation and harmonious collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in the project and not just the singular effort of the CCECC Nigeria Limited alone.

Owolabi Salis, a lawyer and human rights activist, was also honoured with the Chieftaincy title of “Adaha Uyo”, Pillar of Uyo. Salis is the founder of the Niger Delta Peoples’ Development.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

The instant prizes include N1m and N100,000 cash which have been paid into a Maltina branded ATM card and other brand memorabilia which include wrist watches, millions of free drinks and others

Pupil wins house in promo N 18-year-old secondary school pupil, Adeyinka Adeola, of Government Secondary School, Okarki, Rivers State, has won a three-bedroom home in Lagos in the ongoing Maltina “sharing happiness promo.” The newly-built apartment is situated at a serene and breezy location in the heart of the Lekki axis of Lagos State.

Painted in the appealing Maltina brand colours, each block of apartment consists of a tastefully designed kitchen, three fully equipped bathrooms with bath tubs and four toilets. The flooring of the compound was done with interlocking stones.

The impressive interior of the exquisitely furnished living room consists of a beautifully designed sofa settee, a brand new 50-inch plasma screen TV accompanied with a fully loaded home theatre system, and an already installed DSTV satellite dish and split unit air-conditioners. The beautifully finished dining room consists of a four-seater dining set.

The new home was presented to Adeyinka by Mr Walter Drenth, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc in line with the brand’s promise of “sharing happiness.”

With the presentation, Maltina has delivered on the promise it made on March 22, 2012 during a press briefing to reward five lucky Nigerians with new homes in Lagos.

After presenting the apartment’s keys to the winner, Drenth said Maltina, through the gesture, had made a bold statement that its consumers were special, hence the need to provide a brand new home where they could continue to share happy moments as unified families.

He enjoined the new occupants to make good use of the facility as it is theirs for eternity.

“You can even pass it on to your

A

By Wale Ajetunmobi

children as inheritance when you start having children,” Drenth said.

Adeyinka, who is currently writing his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), could not hide his excitement after receiving the key to the home. He poured encomiums on the brand for causing a radical turnaround in his fortunes.

Adeyinka, who said he lives in a one-room apartment with his parents and four siblings, thanked Maltina for providing them a new home that is truly a home.

Recall that the Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Yusuf Ageni, had given the reason for the promo as the dominant effect of the huge success of the 2011 re-launch of Maltina with a new packaging upgrade, new communication and revised positioning which had a positive impact on the brand’s volume, market share and overall equity which also rubbed off on the consumers who shared in the good fortune, smiling home with fantastic prizes.

The success of that year and the yearnings of consumers, according to Ageni, was what prompted the promo.

The promo, which started on April 2 and expected to end on May 25, 2012, is crown cork-based with two categories of winning crown corks – “instant winning crown corks” and “alphabet code crown corks.”

For the “instant winning crown corks,” whatever is seen under the crown cork is what the consumer gets instantly. The prizes are shown under the crown corks and prizes can be redeemed at any of the 1,200 redemption centres located across Nigeria.

“The instant prizes include N1m and N100,000 cash which have been paid into a Maltina branded ATM

•Marketing Director, NB Plc, Mr. Walter Drenth (2nd left); Adeyinka Adeola, a winner with his parents Mr. and Mrs. Taiwo Adeola, during the presentation of the Maltina House in Lagos card and other brand memorabilia which include wrist watches, millions of free drinks and others.

The second category, Ageni outlined, is the alphabet code combination crown corks which would win the grand prize of a luxury home. It consists of the following letters: S–M–I–L-E. “In order to win the grand prize,” Ageni said, “a consumer is expected to collect a combination of crown corks that spell the word S-M-I-L-E. Maltina shall be giving out a total of five houses. Under the letter ‘M’ crown corks; there will be special differentiated alphanumeric codes.

These codes qualify consumers for weekly raffle draws. The five

houses will be given out in three weekly raffle draws.

According to Mrs. Ngozi Nkwoji, Senior Brand Manager, Maltina, holders of the raffle draw crown corks can enter the raffle draws by either sending their code, name, sex, age and address to number 30380 or going to any of the 1,200 redemption centres to register their names and contact details. “Holders of the S-M-I-LE crown corks will be expected to keep them as the ultimate proof of ownership. The SMS will work with all major telecoms operators,” Nkwoji said.

The Maltina brand is noted for exploring creative avenues to consistently engage and reward its con-

sumers. One of these creative consumer engagement platforms is the popular and highly rated Maltina Dance All (MDA) TV Reality Show, a platform created to promote family values and bonding.

Since it hit the Nigerian market in 1976, Maltina has consistently satisfied its consumers with high quality natural malt drink, fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. It is the first and only malt drink officially endorsed by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria. This provides Nigerians the vitality and advanced nourishment necessary for their daily activities - including those special fun moments shared with friends and loved ones.

Uduaghan seeks NIPSS report for development

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ELTA State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has advised that recommendations made on study tours by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) be made available to the state government for im-

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

proved developmental policies.

Dr. Uduaghan who gave the advice in Asaba, Delta State capital, said such recommendations would assist the

government in designing better developmental strategies.

He stated that the tour exposed participants to information and knowledge about the state, adding that this would guide them in making recommendations on how best to improve

on policies and strategies to ensure adequate security and massive development of the country.

His words: “I will like to see the recommendations you make each time you come to the state on study tour, this will enable us as a state to gain more knowledge on how to formulate policies and strategies which will help us improve on our developmental strides.”

Uduaghan said that the institute has assisted in developing human resources in various fields in the country and advocated that short executive programmes be designed for the political class to prepare them for the arduous task of governance.

“This Institute has been a place in Nigeria that has helped to develop human resources. I will not be surprised to see President Goodluck Jonathan here on a programme. Such programmes will help the political class a lot.”

Prof. A. Mobiye, a participant, said Uduaghan has a strategic mind which has steered him towards the development of the state.

•Uduaghan “I think you have a strategic mind; this shows your commitment to building projects geared towards the development of the state.”

He continued, saying, “We have every cause to appreciate you for this good work you are doing in Delta State. We have gone round and seen things for ourselves; we will leave the state with sweet memories.”

Souvenirs were presented to the participants by the state government.

This Institute has been a place in Nigeria that has helped to develop human resources. I will not be surprised to see President Goodluck Jonathan here on a programme. Such programmes will help the political class a lot •Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Mr Tha’anda Rubainu immunising a child during the launch of Maternal PHOTO: NAN Newborn Child Health Week in Dadin-Kowa, Gombe State.

OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola SAN recently gave account of his stewardship in the last 1,800 days to Lagosians, who commended his achievements and highlighted the areas the administration should improve upon, reports Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU.

Six years on, can Fashola sustain the tempo?

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INCE the mantle of leadership fell on his shoulders, Babatunde Fashola, a former Chief of Staff under the Tinubu administration, has been building on the foundation laid by his political leader in Lagos State. There has been no lull in performance. This, according to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has made Lagos State a model and Fashola government a reference point for others in the country.

However, the state has become another mini-country, shouldering enormous responsibilities as a supposedly haven for citizens seeking greener pastures. The former federal capital territory, which has been denied a special status, hosts Nigerians from over 250 ethnic nationalities. The huge population and pressure on the infrastructural facilities have increased the challenges of governance.

The challenging unemployment index triggered by the collapse of the manufacturing sector has turned warehouses and bandoned factory premises to worship places. Housing has remained a major headache to the state, despite government’s spirited efforts. The Fashola administration has an unprecedented record of heavy investment in security, but crimes have not taken a fainal flight from the state. Water schemes have been commissioned by the governor, but residents complain about dry taps once in a while.

Across the 20 local government areas and the 37 local council development areas, rehabilitation projects are on going in public schools. Since this achievement is not adequately publicised, many parents are not even aware of the turn-around maintenance in the schools. More classrooms are being built, yet it pales into a drop in the ocean, owing to the ever-increasing population of pupils now gravitating towards government schools.

As people gathered to vet the governor’s scorecard, it was evident that, in spite of the celebration of 1,800 days, Lagos had been thrown into turbulence by the resident doctors’ strike, which paralysed public hospitals. Government’s pleas to them fell on deaf ears. As the doctors apparently shunned dialogue, unless their demands were met, government also turned the hit on them, announcing their sacc and replacement with new doctors.

Fashola has been unrelenting in his infrastructure battle across the state. More roads are either being built or rehabilitated. But residents point out the stride is not being complemented at the grassroots by council chairmen, who hinge their lack of performance on limited resources.

Lagos monarch, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, who was at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium at the Alausa, during the presentation of the “1,800 Days in Office”, lamented neglect of the nation’s economic hub by successive Federal Governments, following the relocation of the political capital from Lagos to Abuja.

“The ports in Lagos are critical to the nation’s fortune. Here is the commercial nerve centre, but President Jonathan has not fulfilled his campaign promises to Lagosians”, he said, stressing that the state is in need of federal assistance to cope with the challenges of catering for diverse Nigerians living in the state.

Fashola, who was accompanied by commissioners, special advisers, legislators, party leaders and other aides, submitted his administration to scrutiny. Since he dedicated the 1,000 days ceremony to professionals, it was witnessed by artisans, peasants, plumbers and other members of the informal sector; accountants, engineers, doctors, bankers, architects, town planners and other members of the formal

• Fashola

• Oba Akiolu

‘When you are a governor in Lagos State, it is like you are catering for 36 states.

Look at the way people troop into Lagos everyday. How many of them go back?

Therefore, Lagos deserves a special status’ sector.

With delight and sense of fulfillment, the governor told the gathering that his administration has not let the state down.

“We have completed and commissioned a number of projects, starting from the Lagos Archives Bureau to the headquarters of the Office of Public Defender, Security and Command Centre, roads in Adelabu, Ogunlana and Akerele in Surulere,Iponri Mini-Water Works, and Maternal and Child Care Centre, Gbaja,” Fashola said.

In Agege, a Lagos suburb, the government is making progress with 14 out of the 15 inner roads earmarked for rehabilitation.

Also, in Badiya, Ijora area, 16 community roads are being rehabilitated. Fashola said that he had completed 11 drainages in Lekki, adding that attention has now shifted to Agege, Somolu and other parts devastated by last year’s rain.

In the last 100 days, the state commemorated the 10th anniversary of the bomb blast which wrecked havoc on the state with the contract award for the construction of the Ajao-Ejigbo Link Bridge. But government has problems constructing similar bridge and roads linking Ijegun, Isheri-Oshun and Isolo/Jakande Estate. “This project is enormous. It is a 5.5 kilometre road with a bridge of 500 metres that will require 1,018 piles driven to a depth of 19.5 metres. This project will cost not less than N10 billion, which

we are working assiduously to provide so that work can continue”, said the governor.

Fashola also spoke on plans to alleviate the suffering of those plying Mile 12Ikorodu Road, a 13.19 kilometre road, which includes several bridges. This project will cost N30 billion. “Tenders have been called for which have been reviewed by the Lagos State Tenders Board, and very shortly, the final award will be made,” he added.

To the delight of Lagosians, the governor disclosed that contracts for 177 inner roads have been awarded statewide. This is in addition to contracts for the construction of 17 new schools, renovation of 282 classrooms in seven schools, renovation and furnishing of 44 science laboratories, and provision of 15,000 students’ furniture and 1,986 teachers’ furniture.

Housing, which is capital intensive, is a critical issue in Lagos, a water-lodged environment where land owners threaten government with litigation over court cases.

Fashola has managed, nevertheless, to provide 1,980 housing units. His efforts are being stalled by communities in Agbowa, where certain people have taken his administration to court over the land that had been acquired many years ago. “The implication is that the 660 housing units meant for people in that community cannot start, until the case is resolved,” he lamented.

The governor alerted Lagosians to the temporary discomfort that may accompany

construction and rehabilitation of roads. In utter sensitivity to cries of despondency from the grassroots, Fashola has constructed 297 local government roads and work is ongoing in another 103 roads. To improve the traffic situation, there is an increase in the number of street lights, lane marking and provision of other infrastructure.

Fashola said, despite these efforts, maximun cooperation has not been forthcoming from transporters, from motorcyclists to truck and trailer drivers, who violate laws by turning the highways into parking lots. He promised to bring violators to book. besides, he labelled those fond of looting cables for street lights as security risks that must not go unpunished.

The governor drew further applause when he announced that LASUTH, following the flagship of its new medical facility, has successfully performed a coronary artery bypass graft to save the life of a Lagosian, Cynthia Onwurah, who may either have been taken abroad at great expense or lost her life. Fashola disclosed that pensioners in Lagos would not suffer again, disclosing that N1,720,596,964.28 bond certificates have been issued to 350 retirees, following verification in their local government areas.

Fashola told the stakeholders that the state has fought unemployment by employing 647 sanitation managers to keep the schools clean, adding that he has also increased the monthly wages of street sweepers.

On the issuance of new Certificates of Occupancy (CofO), the governor said: ‘The new certificate will be more secure, tamper and forge-proof document that is bar-coded and electronically readable.”

The governor spoke on plans to revolutionalise education by also emphasising vocational training. Also, he stressed that, in the last 100 days, the state recorded 65 per cent budgetary performance. He recalled that, during the recent Lagos State Economic Summit, the focus were agriculture, transportation and housing, urging the professionals to tap the vast investment opportunities in this sector.

The Publicity Secretary of the ACN in Lagos, Joe Igbokwe, who thanked the governor for doing the party proud, advised him to sustain the tempo of achievements to the end. “When you are a governor in Lagos State, it is like you are catering for 36 states. Look at the way people troop into Lagos everyday. How many of them go back? Therefore, Lagos deserves a special status,” Igbokwe said.

However, the party’s vice chairman, Alhaji Akanni Seriki-Bamu, highlighted “some areas of neglect in the state, which should be covered”. He said certain rural areas are suffering from years of neglect, urging Fashola to alleviate their suffering.

Citing Epe as an example, he said: “There is no infrastructural development in Epe. It is the most backward local government in the state. Poverty is growing in leaps and bounds in Epe. Our children now leave home for Ikorodu to reside and build houses there.The government is trying, but I demand for more attention for Epe.” Like Igbokwe, Seriki-Bamu flayed the Federal Government over its indifference to the plight of Lagos, despite warnings by world bodies that the city state of Lagos is critical to its economic survival.

Oba Akiolu shared his feeling. He lamented that federal roads in Lagos have become death traps which the state government cannot ignore.

“That is why I continue to insist that President Goodluck Jonathan should fulfill the promises he made to Lagosians. As the former federal capital of Nigeria, Lagos deserves better assistance and recognition,” the monarch said.

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

POLITICS Text of the speech of Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, at the opening of NASFAT conference on Islam and Peaceful Co-existence in a contemporary and multi-religious society, at Abuja on May 10, 2012.

Peace achievable with equity, justice, says Sultan

• Abubakar

I

T is with utmost thanks and gratitude to Allah [SWT], our Lord and Creator, that I stand before to say a few words at this august occasion, the opening ceremony of the National Conference on Islam and Peaceful Co-existence in a Contemporary and Multi-Religious Society. We must express our deep appreciation to the President of NASFAT and his executive council, the chairman of the organising committee and indeed to the entire membership of NASFAT, for having the vision and the foresight to organise this timely and strategic conference. NASFAT, as an Islamic organisation, has grown from strength to strength in the past few decades.

May Allah [SWT] continue to strengthen your efforts to better serve the Muslim Ummah and the entire nation. May Allah [SWT], in His infinite mercy, reward you abundantly for these noble efforts.

My brothers and sisters, our distinguished

A

SSASSINATION too many they cried. Nigerians don’t have confidence in the police they repeat. People are equally no more trusting the Federal Government that it can faithfully undertake credible investigations to, identify and prosecute the coldblooded murderers. Majority of the people are more than tired to listening to the empty promises of immediate arrest of the killers which has been a promise which the government has failed to keep.

Whenever government tells Nigerians that those of them in governments are on top of any situation, people are suspicious and they don’t even take them serious any longer.

The government’s instant reaction whenever there is a political elimination is to deceptively beat its chest and announce to the whole world that “the government will smoke out the perpetrators of the dastardly acts. That the killers will soon be found and will be made to face the full wrath of the law”. The government has failed to deliver on each occasion.

There is no doubt that political assassinations are usually allegedly sponsored in the highest places of political establishment. Such political killings cannot be undertaken by the ordinary citizens. In fact, there are several authorities that support the fact that the promoters of such violence usually don’t even allow their foot soldiers to remain alive for long. They are usually allegedly eliminated as soon as possible before they start spilling the beans, and reveal the names of their sponsors.

But, just to think of the regularity this heinous crime is executed, one is momentarily spur on to ask: (i) Why should the political gladi-

guests, the search for peace and mutual coexistence remains one of the greatest challenges that beset our society today.

Impunity has become the order of the day.

The values of tolerance and moderation which had provided the bedrock of our religious and collective existence are being trampled on, without let or hindrance. Much worse, the disregard for human life has not only become rampant but increasingly glamorized. These unfortunate events are not only confined to our society but extend to the industrialised world which usually preaches equality and the rule of law. The recent happenings in Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and other European countries give one much to worry about. It is for this reason that our gathering here today takes an added significance, not only to explore the relationship between Islam and Peaceful Co-existence but also to proffer cogent and realistic solutions which would help the Ummah to overcome its current challenges and to assist in the realization of its developmental goals and objectives.

Your excellencies, our distinguished guests, it also with this in mind that I wish to share few of my thoughts on the subject matter.

Firstly, the task of peace-building and of making peace among our people is an imperative which has been imposed upon the Ummah. As Allah [SWT] states in Surat ul – Nisa, verse 144: “There is no good in most of their secret counsels save in him who orders charity [Sadaqa] or Goodness [ma‘ruf] or conciliation between mankind.”

The promotion of understanding and conciliation is a noble task which Allah [SWT] Himself has placed on us. We must therefore strive as an Ummah to discharge

this onerous responsibility seriously and effectively. We must promote moderation and toleration in our society. We must equally open effective channels of dialogue with all segments of society, including those who hold contrary opinions to that of our own.

Our distinguished brothers and sisters, the second point I wish to raise is that the Muslim Ummah is necessarily a knowledge society. The pride of the Ummah has always been and remains the cultivation of knowledge in all its ramifications. Islamic civilisation, both here and elsewhere, had been predicated on the promotion of learning not only in the religions sciences but also in science and technology. The conflict between Faith and Science did not originate in the Muslim world. Muslim civilisation bequeathed to the world the Study of Science and Technology. The time has come for Muslims to strive harder to reclaim this golden legacy.

The third point I wish to raise is that peace cannot be fully established without an unflinching commitment to equity and justice. We must strive to promote these pivotal values in our society. Injustice and Inequity invariably leads to corruption which in turn breed poverty and dissension.

No society can thrive and prosper when afflicted with these deadly vices. It is undoubtedly for this reason that Shehu Uthman Ibn Fodio, of blessed memory, had to admonish leaders in the following words, “Seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force. It has been said that the crown of a leader is his integrity, his stronghold is his impartiality and his wealth is the welfare of his people.”

Fourthly, I must also point out that for the purposes of peace –building in our society, leaders on all sides of the religious divide, must act responsibly, and exercise utmost caution in both their actions and their utterances. We must endeavor to resist the urge for exhibitionism and brinkmanship.

We must as a nation develop a collective consciousness where the pain of any member of our society, regardless of creed and ethnic origin, shall be the collective pain of all of us. And we must all work together to ensure that we remove the cause of this point. Those who take to the pulpit to issue threats and ultimatums should be held entirely responsible for the dastardly consequences of their actions.

Your excellencies, our distinguished guests, may I, once again, thank the leadership of NASFAT for its painstaking efforts at organising this important conference on peaceful co-existence in our society. The activities of NASFAT in the mobilisation of the Muslim Ummah, its revenue–generation and extensive socio – economic development pro-grammes, its laudable education activities and its sterling efforts at institution–building, go to show what Muslim communities and organisations could achieve when they remain purposeful, united and focused. The NASFAT Success Story also demonstrates that communities and organisations, with the help and assistance of Allah [SWT], can positively change the condition of the society when their members act together and co– operate with one another for the betterment of all.

With these words, I thank you all for your kind attention and wish you successful deliberations.

Oyerinde’s assassination: Who is next?

The killing of Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s Principal Private Secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde has raised more questions about insecurity in the country. The Promoter of Coalition of Democrates for Electoral Reform (CODER) Ayo Opadokun takes a look at the development. ators ever consider that eliminating their political opponents in order for them to capture power and live on thereafter has no consequence? (ii) Why should any politician who claims that he is in politics to serve his constituent has to go to the extent of eliminating another political colleque when he could have found other avenues for service? (iii) Why should political operators adopt a do or die attitude to capturing political power if not for the juicy spoils of office that has no bearing with service to the people?

For some of us, the cruelty in the assassination of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde has several implications e.g (a) If Oyerinde, who was an intelligent, forthright, dedicated, loyal, peaceful and humble brother and colleque could to be so cut-off from his productive life by the political apostates, is it not an unpleasant reality that Nigeria is returning to the state of nature where they might rules? (b) Why should the Nigerian security always fail in their onerous duty of protecting lives and property, yet they are always too quick to unleash terror and mayem on defenseless citizens, misusing the legitimate weapons in their possessions to tyrannise those they were employed to protect and serve?

From 1999 till date, there have been assassinations of high ranking politically exposed persons.

Since the killers wickedly eliminated the then Attorney–General and Minister of Justice, Chief Ajibola Ige, on December 23, 2001, and the Nigerian government has disappointingly failed to arrest and prosecute the promoters and foot soldiers of such particularly cruel violence, other perverts have had a field day. Others like Chief S. B. Awoniyi (7/1/2002) Chief Marshal Harry (5/3/2003); Chief Barnabas Igwe and his wife, Abigael Amaka (1/9/2002), Aminasoari Dikibo (6/ 2/2004); Funsho Williams (7/8/ 2006), Dr. Ayo Daramola, (14/8/ 2006); Otunba Dipo Dina (25/1/ 2010); and others had their lives terminated by powerful clique which Prof. Wole Soyinka at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium Ibadan, described on the day under Bola Ige was buriedas “Nest of Killers”.

Let us appreciate again, that politics in Nigeria since 1999 particular has been the most lucrative business so enticing and promising that our political operators are too willing to break into bank vaults to steal enough money to finance their political campaign to “success”. Nothing is too much for our current political operators to do to capture power at all cost because “electing” them is the most guaranteed key to open the state and national resources.

Our people’s desire for credibility, honour and integrity from contestants, has been significantly over-

turned with the recent craze for money. Known criminals and people whose source of wealth cannot be ascertained have resorted to participating in politics to cover up their sordid past history.

The recent Boko Haram insurgency is of a different dimension in the sense that perhaps its operations has been diverted to serve a different objective in recent times. Many godfathers and political power gladiators have appropriated the energy and nerve of the Boko Haram sect to achieve selfish and pernicious purposes. It has become clear now that those of them who are speaking from two sides of their mouths by claiming that Boko Haram is not out to eliminate Christianity from the far Northern states are dishonest, given the open, public records of many of the attacks on Churches in the Northern states. Boko Haram, since over six months ago issued fatwa on Christians that they must leave most of the Northern states within specific duration. The consequence of ignoring them has been fatal, heavy punishment and elimination for many Christian families and congregations who remain.

There is no doubt that Nigeria cannot continue under this rudderless situation. The fact that no one is safe from political elimination, ought to encourage those in government to seize the initiative of consulting broadly for the purposes of ensur-

ing that there is an urgent need to convene a Sovereign National Conference, SNC so that genuinely nominated/elected representatives of the ethnic nationalities, and other critical stakeholders can discuss and conclude on the modus operandi; rules of engagement; and of the terms of our living together as a people in a nation, called the Nigerian project.

Whenever a nation has come to this kind of crossroad, dubious efforts of chasing shadows instead of dealing with the substance can be fatal. The promoters of government dialogue with the Boko Haram set are missing the point. Yes, Boko Haram is the main issue now in the Northern states. But the MOSSOP, the OPC, COSEG, the Egbesu are still active in their demands for equity and fairness in the distribution of economic and political resources. Nationalities like the Yoruba people of Kwara and Kogi States as well as the Ijaw that have been broken into five states are unrelenting in their demands. The Yoruba people of Kwara and Kogi states want to be returned into one state and grouped with other Yoruba speaking zone. The Ijaws equally wish to be restored into one state.

In a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi religious setting as we have in Nigeria, the best option to resolve our multi-dimensional crises is to call the peoples genuine representatives for genuine discussion and resolution of their national question.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

IN THE HIGH COURT OF LAGOS STATE OF NIGERIA PROBATE REGISTRY, LAGOS DIVISION WHEREAS the person whose names are set-out in the first Column under died intestate on the date and place stated in the said Column. AND WHEREAS the person or persons whose names and addresses and relationship (if any) to the deceased are set out in the second Column here have applied to the High Court of Lagos State for a Grant of Letter of Administration of the Real and Personal Properties of the deceased. NOTICE IS HEREBY given that Letters of Administration will be granted to such persons unless a NOTICE TO PROHIBIT THE GRANT is filed in the registry within (14) days from the date hereof.

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NAMES OF THE DECEASED PERSON:

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RASHEED ADEYANJU ADELODUN KNOWN AS ADELODUN AND RASHEED ADEYANJU LATE OF 96, GASKIYA ROAD BADIA IJORA-LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 11TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2011 AT LAGOS. MRS. MURIEL CHLORICE OKAGBUE LATE OF 1, BABATUNDE ANJOUS STREET,LEKKI, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 27TH DAY OF JUNE, 2011 AT LONDON. INYIAMA ROSE KNOWN AS NWABU ZOH LATE OF 37, NWOBI STREET, KILO, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 6TH JANUARY,2012 AT LAGOS. ALEXANDER SUNDAY MBUA LATE OF 6A, ADEYEMO LANE KIRIKIRI TOWN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 8TH NOVEMBER, 2011 AT LAGOS. MR. LEO TAYO SALAMI KNOWN AS TAYO LEO SALAMI LATE OF 1, ADEBOWALE STREET, IGBOGBO IKORODU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 30TH DAY OF JULY, 2005 AT ABUJA..

ALHAJA MONDIAT ADEBISI AGBOOLA KNOWN AS ALHAJA AGBOOLA MONDIAT ADEBISI AND MAMA SHERI LATE OF PLOT 234, BABS ABOSEDE CLOSE, AJAO ESTATE, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 28TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2010 AT IKEJA. MR. NWADIANI ISAAC LATE OF LINE A, BLOCK L, ROOM 2, IJEH POLICE BARRACK OBALENDE, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 22ND AUGUST, 2002 AT LAGOS. MUKAILA SADIKU OKESOLA KNOWN AS SADIKU OKESOLA MUKAILA LATE OF 2, OYEKUNLE STREET,BARIGA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 8TH DAY OF APRIL, 2011 AT LAGOS. OLANUSI OLUSOJI LATE OF 1, BABALOLA CLOSE IPAJA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 22ND DAY OF AUGUST, 2008 AT LAGOS. MR. CHUKWUEMEKA ONWUKANJO LATE OF 21, MABAYOJE STREET, OSHODI, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 13TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2011 AT LAGOS..

MR. EDWIN DICKSON KINGDOM KNOWN AS DICKSON KINGDOM LATE OF NO. 3, ONISHAPA STREET, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 5TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2011 AT LAGOS. MR. STEPHEN IKECHUKWU IBE KNOWN AS STEPHEN I. IBE LATE OF 23 ROAD, FLAT 2, BLOCK I, V CLOSE, FESTAC TOWN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 30TH AUGUST, 2010 AT LAGOS. MR. SAMUEL FELELE EFENEDO LATE OF 85, EZEAGU STREET, OFF OJO ROAD AJEGUNLE, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 31ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2010 AT LAGOS. MR. SHADRACK OLUWASEYI ORE-OFE LATE OF 6A, AJINDE SANNI CLOSE OFF OLA ADESHEFA STREET, OREGUN LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 2ND DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2010 AT IBADAN. MR. THANKGOD OGBAIDE KNOWN AS OGBAIDE TARRY THANKGOD LATE OF 6B, LAYINKA STREET, AJEGUNLE, APAPA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 9TH DAY OF MAY, 2011 AT LAGOS. SAMUEL ADEBAYO IDOWU FAPOHUNDA KNOWN AS IFAPOHUNDA SAMUEL ADEBAYO IDOWU AND MR. SAMUEL FAPOHUNDA LATE OF CLOSE 2, HOUSE 2, SATELLITE TOWN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 30TH DAY OF MAY, 2007 AT LAGOS. JOHN OMOYEMWENSE EGBON LATE OF 125, OLESIRI STREET, IRANLA AJAH, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 17TH DAY OF JULY, 2010 AT AUSTRA. .CHIDI NWACHUKWU KNOWN AS NWACHUKWU CHIDI LATE OF 7, IGBAJA STREET, AMUKOKO, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 8TH MAY, 2011 AT LAGOS. MRS. ROSALINE BALOGUN KNOWN AS MRS. R. O. BALOGUN LATE OF 145, ADEKUNLE KIYE STREET, SURULERE, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 15TH DAY OF APRIL, 2008 AT LAGOS..

MICHAEL ERIMOSEI LATE OF 70, ORA STRET, OKOKOMAIKO, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 5TH DAY OF JUNE, 2010 AT LAGOS. SAMSON OKONKWO EMONE LATE OF OBA IDEMILI SOUTH L.G.A. ANAMBRA STATE WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 31ST DAY OF DECEMBER, 2003 AT OBA ANAMBRA STATE. AUGUSTINE EITOKPAH LATE OF CLOSE 66, HOUSE, SATELITE TOWN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 23RD DAY OF MARCH, 2008 AT LAGOS. BARASIONPRE IZU KNOWN AS IZU BARASIONPRE LATE OF 8, RAMOT GIWA CLOSE ADO AJAH, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 1ST DAY OF JULY, 2007 AT BRASS BAYELSA STATE..

EHIABHI GODDAY OSAGIE KNOWN AS OSAGIE EHIABHI LATE OF 7, ANU-OLUWAPO STREET, ILASAMAJA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 17TH DAY OF JULY, 2011 AT EDO STATE..

MR. PETER NNANNA NWOSU LATE OF FLAT 6, PLOT 16, BAKARE ESTATE LANGBASA AJAH, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 30TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2008 AT LAGOS. MR. ADU RASAKI OLATUNDE KNOWN AS ADU BABATUNDE RASAKI AND AKANNI LATE OF NO. 9, ADELEKE CLOSE ISOLO LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 28TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2009 AT LAGOS. OGUNNOWO OLAWOLE OGUNYEMI KNOWN AS OGUNOWO OLAWOLE LATE OF NO. 16, ODUNFA STREET, EBUTE-METTA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 22ND DAY OF AUGUST, 2008 AT LAGOS. MR. EKPENISI JUDE OBIAJURU KNOWN AS JUDE EKPENISI LATE OF 23RD ROAD, I CLOSE, HOUSE 17, FESTAC TOWN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 26TH DAY OF MARCH, 2010 AT LAGOS. SOLOMON AKPAN KNOWN AS AKPAN SOLOMON LATE OF 3, OLADEJO CLOSE IFAKO GBAGADA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 14TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2011 AT LAGOS. MR. DENNIS NWIKPO LATE OF 22, ADESINA STREET, OKE-IRA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 18TH DAY OF MAY, 2010 AT LAGOS. AGBOOLA OKE LATE OF BLOCK 23, FLAT 4, DOLPHIN ESTATE, SHOMOLU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTSTATE ON 17TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2005 AT LONDON. MR. ANTHONY ADEREMI IDOWU KNOWN AS IDOWU REMI LATE OF 1, LOBU STREET, ALAGOMEJI STREET, YABA, LAGOS WHO DIED ITESTATE ON 26TH DAY OF APRIL, 2010 AT LAGOS. JAIYEOLA SEYI RUTH KNOWN AS JAIYEOLA SEYI LATE OF PLOT 8, ORIADE CLOSE OFF BABS AYORINDE CRESCENT AYOBO IPAJA LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 30TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2010 AT LAGOS. TARI KWATRI KNOWN AS JACOB TARI KWATARI AND TARI JACOB JOSEPH LATE OF COQ 27, FLAT 6, COMP. 1, OJO BARRACKS, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2011 AT BAUCHI. MR. USMAN ALIYU LATE OF 23, SYLVATUS AKINTAYO STREET, GBAGADA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 11TH DAY OF MARCH, 2011 AT LAGOS. MARGARET OLAYINKA ADELEKAN (NEE AKINOSHO) LATE OF 36B SAVANNA STREET, AGUDA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 22ND DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1994 AT LONDON. BAKWENYE O. ANTHONY LATE OF 9, AYISATU STREET, IGBOGBO IKORODU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 24TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2010 AT LAGOS. ALHAJI OLAIYA AFUNSHO SHUAIB KNOWN AS SHUAIB AFUNSHO OLAIYA LATE OF 10, JINADU STREET, OJO ROAD, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 24TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2009 AT LAGOS..

PIUS EGEONU MBAERI KNOWN AS PIUS EGEONU LATE OF 67, QUEEN STREET, ALAGOMEJI YABA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 21ST DAY OF MAY, 2011 AT LAGOS. CLEMENT AMODU LATE OF 24, IMOLEYE STREET, ORILE IGANMU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 4TH SEPTEMBER, 2001 AT LAGOS. ABDUL GANIU ADIO FASOLA LATE OF 27, BALE STREET, OTTO EBUTE-METTA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 5TH DAY OF JUNE, 2006 AT LAGOS MRS. ADENOWO SABINAH IDOWU KNOWN AS SABINAH IDOWU ADENOWO LATE OF 11, ABUDU STREET, OGUDU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 8TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1991 AT LAGOS. MRS. FOLASHADE IYAMU LATE OF PLOT 25, BLOCK 112 ADEBISI OGUNNIYI CRESCENT LEKKI PHASE 1, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 1ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2011 AT LAGOS. VINCENT EJIM LATE OF 13, AROWOIYABUNA STREET, OLODI-APAPA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 5TH DAY OF MARCH, 2010 AT LAGOS. LANCE CORPORAL DAZI DANLADI LATE OF BLOCK 8, ROOM 13, BONNY CONTONMENT VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 23 RD DAY OF DECEMBER, 2011 AT KEBBI STATE. MR. OJO DAVID OLAOYE LATE OF 64, OSUNBA STREET, IKOTUN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 23RD DAY OF MARCH, 2006 AT LAGOS..

PA. FREDRICK UWANGUE KNOWN AS UWANGUE FREDRICK LATE OF IDUMU UWANGUE PRIMARY SCHOOL. UROMI EDO STATE WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 11TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2008 AT UROM EDO STATE. OYEBANJI LAWRENCE M. KNOWN AS LAWRENCE M. OYEBANJI LATE OF 6, IFEOLUWA CLOSE, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 20TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2010 AT LAGOS. MR. JEREMIAH OKWU ONYELOWE KNOWN AS OKWU JEREMIAH LATE OF B71, APAPA STREET, MOBIL ESTATE SATELLITE TOWN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 20TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2006 AT ABA. MADAM ASHENUGA MARTHA ADEBUKOLA KNOWN AS MADAM ASENUGA MARTHA ADEBUKOLA, M. A. ASHENUGA AND MARTHA ADEBUKOLA ASHENUGA LATE OF BLOCK 214, FLAT 1, LOW COST HOUSING ESTATE OKE AFA ISOLO, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 8TH DAY OF MAY, 2005 AT LAGOS. HON. JUSTCIE MAHMED BABATUNDE BELGORE KNOWN AS MOHAMED BABATUNDE BALGORE,MOHAMMED BABATUNDE BELGORE LATE OF 31, CAMEROON ROAD, IKOYI LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 20TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2010 AT LAGOS. MR. MOSES OJIRO EBEH KNOWN AS MOSES EBEH LATE OF 61, TAIWO STREET, OLODI – APAPA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 2ND DAY OF MAY, 2007 AT LAGOS. OLUFEMI ODANAOGWU KNOWN AS ODANAOGWU OLUFEMI LATE OF HOUSE 1, CLOSE 2, NEPA AKUTE, WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 28TH DAY OF MAY, 2009 AT LAGOS. MAGARET EYO HOGAN LATE OF 96, AGBOYI ROAD ALAPERE KETU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 1 ST DATY OF JULY, 2011 AT UYO. LADIPO AKINOLA KOTUN KNOWN AS KOTUN LADIPO AKINOLA LATE OF 46, ABU STREET, ORILE IGANMU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 9TH JANUARY, 2006 AT LAGOS. ALABI SHOBOWALE LATE OF 50, IMOLE AVENUE AJASA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 6TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2011 AT LAGOS. OLADIPO ABIODUN PATRICK KNOWN AS ABIODUN OLADIPO PATRICK LATE OF 3, AYINDE BISI CLOSE, AKOWONJO, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 2ND DAY OF JANUARY, 2010 AT LAGOS. UDO AKPAN ISONG KNOWN AS ISONG UDOH LATE OF 3RD AVENUE, G CLOSE, HOUSE 9, FESTAC TOWN,LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 2ND DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2007 AT LAGOS. MR. MICHAEL OBAJE LATE OF 4, JEMISU STREET, BARIGA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 19TH DAY OF APRIL, 2011 AT LAGOS. IBIBIO JOHN UDOH LATE OF 29, ILAJE ROAD, BARIGA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 9TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2010 AT LAGOS. AUGUSTINE OLANIYI AWOSANYA KNOWN AS AWOSANYA OLANIYI AUGUSTINE LATE OF 7, OLANIYI STREET, BARIGA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 24TH DAY OF MARCH, 2007 AT LAGOS. COL. BENSON IWEKA EZEH KNOWN AS BENSON IKECHI EZEH AND COL B. I. EZEH LATE OF 27B ST. JOHN ‘S WARD STREET, NORTHERN ‘F’ SHORE ESTATE LEKKI, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 8TH DAY OF JULY, 2010 AT ABUJA. PETER OLUSOLA DADA LATE OF 27/28 GANIYU OLUBUSE STREET, AJAH, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 17TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2010 AT LAGOS. ALLI-OWE OLAKUNLE LATE OF 22, ONITIRI STREET, SURULERE, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 22ND DAY OF OCTOBER, 2010 AT LAGOS..

JOHN PAUL BABATUNDE KISSIEDU KNOWN AS KISSIEDU JOHN PAUL BABATUNDE LATE OF 4, WESLEY CLOSE, FRIEND, COLONEY AGUYI LEKKI, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 10TH DAY OF JUNE, 2011 AT LAGOS. MISS AGATHA ADEJOKE TUGBIYELE KNOWN AS TUGBIYELE AGATHA LATE OF 1, SONI AJAYI STREET, AGBALA, IKORODU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 4TH DAY OF JULY, 2005 AT LAGOS..

SOLOMON OLAGOKE KNOWN AS OLAGOKE SOLOMON LATE OF 12, ORENAIKE STREET, ORILE LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 26TH DAY OF JUNE, 2010 AT LAGOS. EMMANUEL UGEN KNOWN AS UGEN EMMANUEL LATE OF 17, ISHOLA OOKUN STREET, OKOKO, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 7TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2003 AT LAGOS. MRS. TOYIN COKER LATE OF 12, UNITY CLOSE, OJODU, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 31ST DAY OF MARCH, 2007 AT LAGOS. BLESSING AKPAN KNOWN AS AKPAN BLESSING LATE OF 2, ONISA OGOMBO AJAH, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 14TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2011 AT LAGOS. BALOGUN FATAI ADEKUNLE KNOWN AS F. A. BALOGUN & SONS LATE OF NO. 2, OLUWATOMI STREET, ANTHONY, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 18TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2011 AT IJEBU-ODE OGUN STATE..

CHRISTOPHER IGBEKELE FAPETU KNOWN AS FAPETU CHRISTOPHER I. LATE OF 5TH AVENUE Z CLOSE HOUSE 3, FESTAC LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 23RD DAY OF JULY, 2011 AT LAGOS. ELIZABETH ADEDOYIN SHAW KNOWN AS ADEDOYIN ELIZABETH SHAW LATE OF 16, OKESANYA STREET, PAPA AJAO MUSHIN, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2000 AT LAGOS. MRS. BLESSING CHUKWU KNOWN AS BEC WONDER WORD LATE OF 4, IKOYI CRESCENT, IKOYI, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 28TH FEBRUARY, 2011 AT LAGOS. MATTHEW EJEBA LATE OF GREEN HOSTEL, OJO MILITARY CANTONMENT, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 1ST FEBRUARY, 2011 AT OTUKPO, BENUE STATE. MR. ADEBAJO TIMOTHY LATE OF NO. 1, OLOWU STREET, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 9TH JANUARY, 2008 AT LAGOS. KALU NDUKWE OBASI LATE OF 48, MOSHABOLAJE STREET, OKOTA, LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 5 TH JANUARY, 2009 AT AGBOR, DELTA STATE. ATOYEBI MICHAEL AKOLAWOLE LATE OF 16, EVIE STREET, OFF OJO ROAD, AJEGUNLE,LAGOS WHO DIED INTESTATE ON THE 21ST NOVEMBER, 2010 AT LAGOS.

NAMES OF APPLICANT APPLYING FOR THE GRANT

1. ILYAS ADEYANJU AND LOOKMAN JIMOH OF 96, GASKIYA ROAD, BADIA LAGOS AND 13 ODUMADE STREET, AMUKOKO, LAGOS. THE FATHER AND COUSIN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 2. SAM OKAGBUE AND NINE OKAGBUE BOTH OF 1, BABATUNDE ANJOUS STREET, LEKKI, LAGOS TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 3. INYIAMA DENNIS AND INYIAMA IKECHUKWU BOTH OF 37, NWOBI STREET, LAGOS. THE WIDOWER AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 4. FELICIA MBUA AND SUNNY MBUA BOTH OF 6A ADEYEMO LANE KIRIKIRI TOWN, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND SON OF THE SAID DECEASED. 5. ROSALINE SALAMI AND JUDE TAYO SALAMI BOTH OF 1, ADEBAOWALE STREET, IGBOGBO IKORODU, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 6. TANIMOWO SHERIFAT JOKOTOLA AND AGBOOLA SHAMSIDEEN ADENIYI BOTH 234 BABS ABOSEDE CLOSE AJAO ESTATE, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 7. MR. WILSON CHISOM NWADIANI AND MISS CHINELO NWADIANI BOTH OF LINE A, BLOCK 1, ROOM 2, IJEH POLICE BARRACK OBALENDE, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 8. SAHEED OKESOLA OLUWATOYIN A. ADEYEMI (MRS) AND NURUDEEN W. OLUWA OF 2, OREMEJI STREET, AGURA GBORIGBE AND 21, TAIBAT IPAYE STREET, IGANDO, LAGOS. CHILDREN AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 9. MRS. OLANUSI ADEYINKA AND MR. OLANUSI OLUWATIMILEHIN BOTH OF 1, BABALOLA CLOSE IPAJA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 10. MR. WILLIAM ONWUKANJO AND MISS MOURINE C. ONWUKANJO BOTH OF 21, MABAYOJE STREET, OSHODI - LAGOS. THE BROTHER AND SISTER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 11. REGINA OGOLO AND DANIEL OGOLO BOTH OF 5, ADEYEMI CLOSE OGIDAN ROAD, LAGOS. THE STEP SISTER AND STEP BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 12. MRS. SUSSAN NKEM IBE, MR. EMMANUEL OGECHI IBE AND MRS. UCHECHI ODEH ALL OF 23ROAD, FLAT 8, BLOCK I, V CLOSE, FESTAC TOWN, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 13. MR.FREEBORN OTIS EFENEDO AND MR. EJIRO EFENEDO BOTH OF 85, EZEAGU STREET, OFF OJO ROAD AJEGUNLE, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 14. MRS. FLORENCE FOLUKE ORE-OFE AND MR. DANIEL OLANREWAJU ORE-OFE BOTH OF 6A AJINDE SANNI CLOSE, OFF OLA ADESHAFA STREET, IBADAN OYO STATE. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 15. MR. MIKE OGBAIDE AND DOUYI OGBAIDE BOTH OF 6B LAYINKA STREET, AJEGUNLE APAPA, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 16. MRS. JANET FAPOHUNDA AND MR. OLATUNJI FAPOHUNDA BOTH OF CLOSE 2, HOUSE 2 SATELLITE TOWN, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 17. MRS. CECILIA EGBON AND MR. HARRISON EGBON BOTH OF 125 OLASIRI STREET IRANLA AJAH, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 18. MR. FABIAN NWACHUKWU AND OKECHUKWU NWACHUKWU BOTH OF 7, IGBAJA STREET, AMUKOKO, LAGOS. THE FATHER AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 19. MRS. AMA FAYEMIWO AND MR. RICHARD BALOGUN BOTH OF A.O FAYEMIWO & CO 8/10, BROAD STREET, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 20. ANDREW ERIMOSEI OF 70, ORA STREET, OKOKOMAIKO, LAGOS THE ONLY SURVIVING SON OF THE SAID DECEASED. 21. AGNES N. EMONE AND OBIORA O. EMONE BOTH OF 6, OKPUMO UMUAGELI OBA ANAMBRA STATE. THE WIDOW AND SON OF THE SAID DECEASED. 22. EVELYN U. EITOKPAH, HELEN O. ONOMERIKE AND AKPOVIOHA EITOKPAH ALL OF CLOSE 66 HOUSE, SATELLITE TOWN, LAGOS. THREE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 23. ABIBARA IZU, ALLEN HOPE THOMAS JONAH AND DIGINENI ISAAC ALL OF 8, RAMOT GIWA CLOSE ADO AJAH, LAGOS. ONE OF THE CHILDREN, NEPHEW AND COUSIN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 24. EHIABHI CARO AND EHIABHI GEORGE BOTH OF 1, OLAOLUWA CLOSE AKINLADE STREET, ALAGBADO LAGOS. THE SISTER AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 25. VERA O. NWANNA AND ANTHONY NNANNA BOTH OF PLOT 6, FLAT 16, BAKARE ESTATE LANGBASA AJAH, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 26. MRS. AINA ABU AND MR. SIKIRU ADU OF 53, ODUNFA STREET, LAGOS AND 18, AKINGBETI STREET, ISOLO. THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 27. FUNMI OGUNNOWO AND YETUNDE OGUNNOWO BOTH OF 16, ODUNFA STREET, EBUTE-METTA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 28. MRS. EKPENISI STELLA AND MR. OGOCHUKWU EBITE BOTH OF 23RD ROAD I CLOSE, HOUSE 17, FESTAC TOWN, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 29. MRS. MERCY AKPAN AND PRIEST AKPAN BOTH OF 3, OLADEJO CLOSE IFAKO GBAGADA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED..

30. MRS. FELICIA DENNIS AND MR. EMEKA OKOYE BOTH OF 22, ADESINA STREET, OKE-IRA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND UNCLE OF THE SAID DECEASED. 31. AYOOLA BABATUNDE AND ABIMBOLA OLUFEMI IKPEFAN OF 13, POMONA STREET, ABUJA AND 5, ELELENWEN STREET, G.R.A. PORTHARCOURT. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 32. MRS. GRACE ADEREMI IDOWU AND MISS SARAH ADEREMI IDOWU BOTH OF LOBI STREET, ALAGOMEJI YABA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 33. MS. IJUMAKINWA FOLASHADE AND MR. OLASUNKANMI IJAMAKINWA BOTH OF PLOT 8, ORIADE CLOSE AYOBO IPAJA, LAGOS. THE SIBLING OF THE SAID DECEASED. 34. MRS. PATRICIA ONOHOOMEN TARI AND MR. JOSEPH TARI BOTH OF COQ 27, FLAT 6, COMP. 1, OJO BARRACKS, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 35. MR. SALIF HASSAN AND MR. HASSAN ALIYU OF 253, EL-SALIF BUILDING APAPA AND 24, BREAD FRUIT STREET, LAGOS THE COUSIN AND ELDER BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 36. MR. IBUKUNOLUWA ADELEKAN AND MR. OLUWAGBEMISOLA ADELEKAN BOTH OF 36B SAVANNA STREET, AGUDA SURULERE, LAGOS. ONE OF THE CHILDREN AND DAUGHTER IN-LAW OF THE SAID DECEASED. 37. ANTHONY BAKWENYE AND PATRICK BAKWENYE BOTH OF 9, AFUSATU STRET, IGBOGBO IKORODU, LAGOS TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED..

38. MR. ABDUL AZEEZ O. SHUAIB AND MR. MUSBAU SHUAIB BOTH OF 18, SOLEC STREET, ADOFT IBA, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED..

39. MICHAEL EGEONU AND VINCENT EGEONU BOTH OF 67, QUEEN STREET, YABA, LAGOS TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED..

40. MR. SULEIMAN AMODU AND FOLABI AMODU BOTH OF 24, IMALEYE STREET, ORILE IGANMU, LAGOS. THE BROTHER AND SISTER OF THE SAID DECEASED..

41. MISS AFUSAT FASHOLA AND MR. SAHEED FASHOLA BOTH OF 1, SALU COURT, LAFIAJI, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 42. TEMITOPE OLATOKUNBO IJAODOLA AND OLAJIDE ADENIYI IJAODOLA BOTH OF 11, ABUDU STREET, OGUDU, LAGOS. THE SIBLING OF THE SAID DECEASED. 43. MR. OSAMUYI IYAMU AND MISS RONKE RAJI BOTH OF PLOT 25, BLOCK 112, ADEBISI OGUNNIYI CRESENT LEKKI PHASE 1, LAGOS. THE WIDOWER AND YOUNGER SISTER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 44. CHINEDU AKWAMANTI AND MICHAEL AKWAMANTI BOTH OF 13, AROWOIYABUNA STREET, OLODI APAPA, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 45. MRS. MARIAM DANLADI AND SHEHU MUSA BOTH OF BLOCK 8, ROOM 13, BONNY CANTOMENT VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 46. MRS. FOLASHADE AMOPE OJO, MR. SOLOMON OMOTOLA OJO AND MRS. ELIZABETH OMOLOL A LAWAL. ALL OF 64, OSUNBA STREET, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 47. JOHN EROMOSELE UWANGUE, COMFORT SHOLARIN AND ROSE EMILUMOSE UWANGUE ALL OF 1, AKINLADE CLOSE OLOGURO SANGOTEDO, LAGOS. THREE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 48. OYEBANJI CECILIA OLUWATOSIN (MRS), OYEBANJI REBECCA A. (MISS), OYEBANJI DEBORAH O. (MISS) AND OYEBANJI ESTHER O. (MISS) ALL OF 6, IFEOLUWA CLOSE, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED..

49. MRS. ROSE I. O. ONYELOWE, MR. EDWARD O. O. ONYELOWE AND MR. IKECHUKWU O. ONYELOWE ALL OF B71, APAPA STREET, MOBIL ESTATE SATELLITE TOWN, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 50. OLAYEMI ADEWUNMI ASENUGA (MRS) AND ABOSEDE OSAYEMI (MRS) OF BLOCK 214, FLAT 1, L.C.H. ESTATE, OKE-AFA ISOLO AND 3, ODOFIN OLOWE ILASAMAJA MUSHIN, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 51. MOHAMMED DELE BELGORE, MS. BILIKISU BELGORE AND MRS. ADENIKE TAIWO BELGORE. ALL OF 226 ROAD, BANANA ISLAND, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 52. MRS. MARIA EBEH AND MR. BLESSED ORIKRI BOTH OF 61, TAIWO STREET, OLODI-APAPA, LAGOS. THE BROTHER AND SISTER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 53. MR. KEHINDE ODANAOGWU AND MRS. MAGARET O. ODANAOGWU BOTH OF HOUSE 1 CLOSE 2, NEPA AKUTE. THE BROTHER AND SISTER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 54. ARIT EYO HOGANAND DOREEN OBONGANWAN EYO OF 96, AGBOYI ROAD, ALAPERE KETU AND 52, SAM SHONIBARE STREET, SURULERE, LAGOS. THE SISTERS OF THE SAID DECEASED..

55. MRS. MOSUNMOLA O. FASAWE AND MR. OLUKUNLE KOTUN OF FLAT 7, BLOCK 3, C. CLOSE, 542 ROAD, FESTAC TOWN, AND 46, ABU STREET, ORILE IGANMU, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 56. MRS. CHRISTIANA SHOBOWALE AND VICTORIA SHOBOWALE BOTH OF 50, IMOLE AVENUE, AJASA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 57. MRS. OMOBOLANLE MORENIKEJI BALOGUN AND MR. OLALEKAN ALI BALOGUN BOTH OF 11, ANOOGI STREET, ONIKE IWAYA, YABA, LAGOS . ONE OF THE CHILDREN AND SON-IN-LAW OF THE SAID DECEASED. 58. MRS. MILDRED UDO ISONG AND UWEMEDINO UDO ISONG BOTH OF 3RD AVENUE 1, CLOSE HOUSE 9, FESTAC TOWN, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND SON OF THE SAID DECEASED. 59. MRS. ALICE OBAJE AND MR. AYEGBA OBAJE BOTH OF 4, JAMISU STREET, BARIGA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AD BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 60. MR. SUNDAY JOHN UDOH AND MISS HELEN JOHN BOTH OF 27, ARAROMI STREET, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 61. MR. JOSEPH .S. OLANIYI AND MRS. TITILAYO OLANIYI BOTH OF 7, OLANIYI STREET, BARIGA, LAGOS. THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 62. MRS. EBERE EZEH OF 27B, ST JOHN’S WARD STREET, NORTHERN FORESHORE ESTATE LEKKI, LAGOS. THE WIDOW OF THE SAID DECEASED. 63. OYEWOLE O. DADA, OLADAPO O. DADA AND MRS. OLAMIDE O. OSHO ALL OF 27/28 GANIYU OLUBUSE STREET, AJAH, LAGOS. THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 64. ALLI-OWE BOLANLE OF 22, ONITIRE STREET, SURULERE, LAGOS. THE WIDOW OF THE SAID DECEASED. 65. MRS. ADEWUNMI OMOLOLA KISSIEDU AND OLUDAMILOLA JOHNMARK KISSIEDU BOTH OF 4, WESLEY CLOSE, FRIENDS COLONEY AGUYI LEKKI LAGOS. THE MOTHER AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 66. ANTHONY ADEMOLA TUGBIYELE AND PHILIP YEMI TUGBIYELE BOTH OF 68, IJEDE ROAD IKORODU. THE BROTHERS OF THE SAID DECEASED. 67. OLANIYI OLAGOKE AND FOLASHADE OLAGOKE BOTH OF 12, ORENAIKE STREET, ORILE. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 68. MRS. VERONICAL UGEN AND MISS MARY UGEN BOTH OF 20, ISHOLA OOKUN STREET, OKOKOMAIKO, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 69. JAIYEOLA COKER AND MRS. FADEKE OLANIYAN OF 1, OLASENDE STREET, PAPA AJAO, MUSHIN AND 12, UNITY CLOSE OJODU, LAGOS. CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 70. OGUGUA AKPAN OF 2, ONI STREET, OGOMBO AJAH, LAGOS. THE WIDOW OF THE SAID DECEASED. 71. BOYE BALOGUN, DOLAPO BALOGUN AND OLUWASEUN BALOGUN ALL OF NO. 2, ALHAJA OLUWATOMI STREET, ANTHONY, LAGOS. THREE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 72. WEMIMO SUSAN FAPETU AND TUNDE TOSIN FAPETU BOTH OF 5TH AVENUE Z CLOSE HOUSE 3, FESTAC, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 73. MRS. REGINA EBUN ADEBO OF 1, ADELOWO ADEDEJI STREET, LEKKI, PHASE 1, LAGOS. THE DAUGHTER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 74. MRS. JULIE CHINYERE CHUKWU AND MR. DICKSON CHUKWU BOTH OF 4, IKOYI CRESCENT, IKOYI, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND BROTHER OF THE SAID DECEASED. 75. JOHN ITODO AND EJEBA JANET ITODO BOTH OF GREEN HOSTEL, OJO MILITARY CANTONMENT, LAGOS. TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 76. MRS. MOJISOLA ADEBAJO AND MR. BAMIDELE ADEBAJO BOTH OF NO. 1, OLOWU STREET, LAGOS. THE WIDOW AND ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED. 77. CHINASA KALU NDUKWE OF 48, MOSHABOLAJE STREET, OKOTA, LAGOS. THE WIDOW OF THE SAID DECEASED. 78. MR. JAMES A. ATOYEBI, MR. OLABISI J. ATOYEBI AND MR. SUNDAY ATOYEBI ALL OF 16, EVIE STREET, OFF OJO ROAD, AJEGUNLE, LAGOS. THE THREE OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAID DECEASED.

G.A. SAFARI (ESQ.) PROBATE REGISTRAR

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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2012

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 15-5-12

Sterling Bank’s shareholders get N1.6b TERLING BANK’s cash dividend of bad loans to total loans and board has approved

S

distribution of about N1.6 billion as cash dividends to shareholders for the 2011 business year.

Shareholders at the annual general meeting of the bank in Lagos said the performance of the bank was a reflection of the farsightedness and commitment of the board and management to shareholder value creation.

Citing significant improvement in profitability of the bank and the quality of the bank’s balance sheet, shareholders commended the bank’s unflinching commitment to good governance, accountability, integrity and shareholder value.

President, Association for the Advancement of Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), Dr. Faruk Umar, said the performance of Sterling Bank amidst the challenges in the operating environment reinforced shareholders’ optimism that the bank would continue to grow.

National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, said the performance of the bank vindicated the growth strategy being implemented by the management.

“It gladdens my mind that the management is working to achieve our bank’s corporate goals,” Nwosu said.

A shareholder, Mr. Nonah Awoh, said the significant increase in the deposit base of the bank provides further opportunity for growth urging the bank to maintain its historic core competence in corporate banking.

He advised the bank to optimize the strategic relationship between the bank and

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

State Bank of India, which holds a major equity in the bank noting that the bank could leverage on the experience and expertise of the foreign bank.

President, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Mr Boniface Okezie, said shareholders were delighted with the board and management for the N1.6 billion dividend payment urging them to use the payout as benchmark for future growth.

In his comments, president, Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association (NSSA), Chief Timothy Adesiyan, said the results showed prudent management and commitment to long-term growth.

Audited report and accounts of Sterling Bank for the year ended December 31, 2011 showed robust growths in incomes and profitability as well as improvements in assets quality and returns. Gross earnings rode on the back of 110 per cent growth in noninterest income and 23 per cent growth interest-based incomes to N45.2 billion in 2011 as against N30.4 billion in 2010, indicating an increase of 49 per cent.

Interest income had increased from N24.5 billion in 2010 to N30.2 billion. Operating income also grew by 32 per cent to N27.0 billion in 2011 compared with N20.4 billion in 2010. Profit after tax and extra-ordinary income thus jumped by 60 per cent to N6.7 billion in 2011 as against N4.2 billion in 2010.

The bank emerged with a stronger and healthier balance sheet as the proportion

advances surpassed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s industry target of 5.0 per cent at 4.8 per cent.

Non-performing loans had stood at 10.7 per cent of gross loans in 2010. Sterling Bank’s total balance sheet nearly doubled from N259.6 billion in 2010 to N504.4 billion in 2011.

Total deposits doubled by 104 per cent to N406.5 billion as against N199.3 billion while the bank expanded its risks assets as net loans and advances including rose by 60 per cent to N163.5 billion from N101.9 billion in 2010.

Shareholders’ funds also grew by 56 per cent from N26.3 billion to N41.0 billion.

In his address, chairman, Sterling Bank, Alhaji Sulaiman Adegunwa, assured shareholders that the bank entered the new business year in a position of strength anchored on unbroken leadership continuity, sound governance structure, adequate liquidity, a thicker capital cushion, a well-advanced effective integration programme and a wider national coverage.

According to him, the benefits from the recent acquisition of Equitorial Trust Bank and the consolidation and focus of the bank on core commercial banking should catalyse growth in the years ahead.

“I can assure you that all hands are on deck to ensure a sustainable and profitable future for our bank. In doing so, we are guided by a number of founding principles.

First, a deeply held and unwavering focus on our role as prudent, trusted custodians of financial security; second, a thorough-going discipline on long-term shareholder value creation, irrespective of the turbulence of market cycles; and third, a vision of constant regeneration to grow the bank to become more relevant, marketdriven and customer-centric,” Adegunwa said.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 15-5-12

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

51

MONEY LINK

Banks’ stock highly undervalued, say analysts •Probe affecting market performance A

LL indicators show that stocks are extremely undervalued on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company (FDC), Bismark Rewane has said.

Speaking at the FDC Bi-Monthly Economic and Business Update, Rewane said banking stocks are trading at historically low prices with most banks trading at a priceto-book value of less than one,

By Collins Nweze

even as equity valuations on many measures remain very cheap.

He said the consistency of strong corporate earnings will ensure a strong second quarter performance. As the NSE remains undervalued in terms of the equity pricing, it would be a surprise if the

‘Pay attention to audit quality’

T

HE quality of audit carried out in an organization should be effectively monitored by regulators, , especially the Financial Reporting Council, should pay attention to audit quality, Chairman, Audit Committee Institute Nigeria, Christian Ekeigwe, has said.

Speaking yesterday at the first annual national conference on audit quality assurance, he said improved audit quality will yield more reliable financial information for the markets and bring better returns for shareholders.

According to him, there is need for intelligent regulatory efforts aimed at entrenching high quality audits, which will serve the market better. This, he said, should include issuing audit quality guidelines and inspection of audit quality in auditing firms as well as internal audit department of companies.

“Also, smart incentives and vigorous enforcement regime will assist in getting the work done. But above all, given the developmental stage of our society, the first step should be educating the mar-

ket participants’ auditors, regulators, investors, accounting scholars and audit professionals in audit quality,” he said.

He said that educating the principals officers and companies on the need for quality auditing will be more effective in the long run than regulatory sanctions and incentives.

According to him, companies should support auditors, who are expected to understand what is happening within their organisation.

“Auditors need to understand what is happening in their companies especially the information technology, company policy and other infrastructure to be able to function effectively. The audit quality is critical even as there is need for the regulator to ensure the audit council is well organized,” he said.

President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Francis Ojaide said the global accountancy profession is facing a lot of credibility crises associated with breaches of corporate governance issues by players in the financial chain reporting.

ment. The NSE is dominated by institutional portfolio investors and international investors who favour the use of fundamentals. These investors are in search of a point of inflection, where stocks are fundamentally cheap and at a bargain,” he said.

He said many investors are surprised by the recent surge in the stock market, thereby questioning its sustainability. He said stock market history confirms that equity valuations are a slave of earnings, and the history of corporate earnings has shown that they are a derivative of the underlying economic environment. “To some extent, this year’s torrid advance is simply the NSE playing catch-up.”

He said reports on the capital

equity market does not cash in that value by the end of the year.

Rewane said the price/earnings ratio for the NSE stands at 7.10, which is very low compared to historical values and lower in comparison to other frontier markets, such as Ghana and Kenya. Typically though, attractive valuations alone are insufficient to drive prices higher, he argued.

The analyst said it is the presence of an improving economic backdrop and liquidity being injected into the market that led us to view the current rally as being more durable.

“Stock market by nature is cyclical and oscillates between peak and trough, depending on investor’ confidence and economic environ-

Skye Bank concludes divestment from subsidiaries

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By Collins Nweze and Tonia Osundolire

HE Managing director of skye Bank, Keinde Durosinmi-Etti has said the bank would complete divestment from all its subsidiaries by the second quarter of the year.

Durosinmi-Etti, who spoke at the bank’s pre-annual general meeting in Lagos, yesterday, said the bank has divested its holdings in some of the firms while others are ongoing. Also, the bank has concluded process of adopting the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) for their reporting standard. He said the bank has 100 per cent holding in Skye Finance Services and has fully divested same applies to Skye Trustees where the bank has fully divested.

Others include Law Union and Rock Insurance where the bank has 51 per cent equity and also, for Skye Stockbrokers said the divestment is ongoing and should be completed soon. He said the bank has received $100 million in tier two capital and is exposed to the tune of $1 billion to the oil and gas sector.

He said that lending to the agricultural sector is fraught with risks, and that the bank is cautious about lending to the sector.

He said that the Land Use Act, poor seedlings among other factors remain big challenge in lending to the agricultural sector. He said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and

FGN BONDS Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 150m 150m 138m 138m

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 8-5-12 SYMBOL

PRESCO TRANSCORP DANGFLOUR BAGCO CADBURY PAINTCOM CAP LAWUNION GOLDINSURE GTASSURE

O/PRICE

14.33 0.61 6.31 1.85 15.00 1.10 24.30 0.50 0.55 1.55

C/PRICE

15.04 0.64 6.62 1.94 15.70 1.15 25.30 0.52 0.57 1.59

113m

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

Current Before

O/PRICE 4.47 5.92 3.50 4.75 5.25 2.23 0.68 1.15 11.10 1.25

C/PRICE 4.25 5.63 3.33 4.52 5.00 3.08 0.65 1.10 10.63 1.20

CHANGE 0.22 0.29 0.17 0.23 0.25 0.15 0.03 0.05 0.47 0.05

29-2-12 27-2-12

113m

155.7

22-2-12

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

Dec ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 12.6%

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

NSE CAP Index

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

Date

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

LOSERS AS AT 8-5-12

SYMBOL ETRANZACT INTBREW SKYBANK UBN FCMB ETERNAOIL NEIMETH IKEJAHOTEL FIRSTBANK STERLNBANK

Exchange Rate (N) 155.8 155.8

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

CHANGE

0.71 0.03 0.31 0.09 0.70 0.05 1.00 0.02 0.02 0.04

113m

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

INTERBANK RATES OBB Rate Call Rate

banks are also working with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and other key stakeholders to develop an innovative financing mechanism, tagged Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

The scheme is expected to provide farmers with affordable financial products, while reducing the risk of loans to farmers under other financing programme offered by the financial institutions. The initiative will build capacities of banks to expand lending to agriculture, deploy risk sharing instruments to lower risks of lending and develop a bank rating scheme to assess banks based on their lending to the agricultural sector.

DATA BANK

Tenor

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

market probe of the stock market crash have gone some way in tempering investor’ confidence, adding that a probe more focused on crucial issues would serve to increase market efficiency, as transparency and governance improve.

“While these remain challenging times for investors, the combination of attractive valuations, strong economic growth and liquidity, combined with the robust financial positions of many Nigeria companies, lead us to be positive for the months ahead,” he said.

Rewane said the creation of market makers should deepen the market through creating liquidity and increasing market activity. The market makers, he explained, will also act as ready buyers for securities which are viewed by investors as illiquid and therefore spur on local investors to participate more in the capital market.

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE 9.17 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE 123.90 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 105.44 THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.75 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.08 BGL NUBIAN FUND 0.89 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,706.44 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 9.42 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 7,883.04 THE DISCOVERY FUND 193.00 FIDELITY NIGFUND 1.67 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

9.08 1.00 123.77 104.82 0.72 1.08 0.88 1,699.65 8.96 1.33 1.80 7,672.11 191.08 1.62

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous 04 July, 2011

Current 07, Aug, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

NEWS

Ruler’s rape trial: Osun suspends 34 pupils HIRTY four pupils of the Ifelodun Grammar School, Kiloru, Osun State, have been suspended indefinitely by the government for participating in a protest allegedly sponsored by the Alowa of Ilowa, Oba Adebukola Alli.

The monarch is on trial for the alleged rape of a former National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) member.

Kiloru is a neighbouring community to Ilowa.

The pupils allegedly participated in the protest at the premises of the State High Court, Osogbo, during school hours; an offence against the Child Rights Laws.

Led by the Co-ordinating Director of the Ministry of

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From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Women Affairs, Mr. Femi Ayedun, officials of the ministry went to the school on Monday and ordered the pupils’ expulsion.

It was gathered that the ministry officials went to the school with pictures of the protesting pupils, but the pupils denied involvement in the protest.

The head teacher, Mr. Amos Adedeji, said pupils from Ilowa did not come to school on the day of the protest.

The students were told to stay at home until they are ready to tell the truth.

The school was founded by six communities: Ilowa, Idoka, Iregun, Ibala,

Idominasi and Kiloru.

Adedeji said: “When officials of the ministry spoke with the pupils that were absent from school on the day the protest, the children were uncooperative.

The officials suspended them and asked them to bring their parents to the ministry to get clearance before they can return to the school.

“Right now, there is no pupil from Ilowa in the school. We have been directed not to allow them into the classrooms until they produce a clearance stamped by the ministry.”

Speaking on behalf of Ilowa community, Ganiyu Babalola, a youth leader, condemned the suspension.

LP’s allegation is mischievous, says Ondo ACN

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HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State yesterday condemned the state government’s allegation that opposition parties are planning to cause mayhem in the state.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Agbede, ACN described Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade’s allegation as “the ranting of a sinking government”.

It said: “The allegation by a man who is ignorant of party politics is an attempt to cover up for the orgy of violence and unprovoked attacks on ACN members in the last two months.

From Damisi Ojo,Akure

“While ACN would have preferred not to dignify the Labour Party (LP) government with a response, we reasoned that the allegation that opposition parties are planning to use hoodlums wearing vests with LP inscription to cause violence is a pointer to their next plan of action.

“This is due to the fact that they have failed to stop the ACN’s rising profile with their dastardly acts.

“Apart from the attack on ACN members at the Fifth Adebayo Adefarati Memorial Lecture, an ACN meeting in Idanre, Akinmade’s hometown, was disrupted

and members were arrested on trumped-up charges.

“Our members, who were in the convoy of new members who defected from LP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were also attacked in Ogbagi-Akoko and Okitipupa, while on their way to the rally at Igbokoda recently.

“With these orgy of violence unleashed on ACN members, the allegation that opposition parties are planning to cause mayhem is mischievous.”

Agbede said ACN would not be a party to violence, but members would defend themselves whenever they are attacked by political thugs.

Akeredolu decries victimisation of opposition From Damisi Ojo, Akure

•Akeredolu

F

ORMER Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Rotimi Akeredolu’s (SAN) campaign organisation, Aketi Campaign Organisation (ACO), has condemned the alleged unlawful arrest and detention of members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State.

It said a “people’s chamber” will soon be established across the state to defend ACN members and other oppressed persons.

ACO said Akeredolu, an

ACN governorship aspirant, is the brain behind the proposed masses’ court.

ACO Director-General Mr. Banji Ayiloge told reporters that the chambers would be sited at Akure, Ikare, Ondo, Owo, Okitipupa and Ore, and lawyers would be provided to defend the oppressed.

Ayiloge alleged that the state government has been persecuting opposition members using the state apparatus.

He said over 25 ACN supporters are in prison custody over alleged trumpedup charges of robbery and public disturbance.

The former commissioner for information said even though the offences are bailable, the Commissioner of Police and some judges have refused to grant the suspects bail.

He said: “Because of the dwindling fortunes of the Labour Party (LP) and the

soaring popularity of the ACN, the government is terrorising people, so that the electorate would stay away from the polling centres on the election day to facilitate rigging.

“But we will ensure that every voter comes out to vote without harassment or intimidation. Ondo people have a history of fighting oppression. The oppressors should remember the chain of events when the civilian government in the Second Republic was truncated.

“The people’s resistance against rigging was remarkable then, and I am sure it would be stronger this time.”

Ayiloge said peace cannot be guaranteed, if the rights of citizens are trampled upon and urged President Goodluck Jonathan to caution the state government and the Police Commissioner against heating up the polity.

Police kill two robbery suspects in Ogun

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WO gunmen were killed by the police yesterday at Fidiwo on the Ogun State stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while robbing passengers of a commercial bus marked BRA 445 GWA. It was learnt that the Ibadan-bound bus was hijacked by three of the passengers. Sources said the hoodlums ordered the driver to park in the bush and started dispossessing passengers of their belongings.

It was gathered that a towing vehicle driver

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

observed what was happening and alerted the Isara Divisional Police Headquarters.

Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident.

He said two of the hoodlums were killed while trying to escape.

Adejobi said three locally made short guns, eight life cartridges, two blackberry phones, two Nokia phones, a laptop and wraps of Indian hemp were recovered from the hoodlums.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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NEWS Ijaw to celebrate Boro Day

Rivers council chiefs summoned

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HE Ijaw have been urged to emulate the late Isaac Boro in the struggle for justice and equality in the nation.

The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw Affairs, Felix Tuodolo, his Information counterpart, Mackson Fafegha and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Daniel IworisoMarkson, spoke at a briefing on Monday.

Tuodolo said: “Isaac Boro never killed any Ijaw person. He was a symbol of liberation and unity for the region and the nation.

“We are calling for peace and unity. Let us use Boro as a symbol of unity. “ The government will no longer celebrate the Day abroad. All celebrations will be done at home.

There will be no wasteful and frivolous spending.”

Delta to partner Singapore firm

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HE Delta State Government is to partner with Crimson Logic, a leading e-government solutions and technology services provider for effective service delivery.

The agreement was reached when Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan led a delegation to visit the Crimson Logic office in Singapore.

Uduaghan said the early training and exposure of students to internet technology will prepare them to face the global challenges of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The governor said Singapore is recognised as a leaders in e-government that is why the state is partnering with the ICT firm to ensure self sufficiency in implementing electronic service to deploy e-governance successfully.

The Vice-President Crimson Logic, Tan-Sian-Lip, said the company will send a team of experts to visit the state to see areas where the company can immediately rollout its services.

Deadline for projects ROSS River State Governor Liyel Imoke has set a November 2014 deadline for projects completion in the state.

Imoke announced this at the on-going retreat on the state’s Action Plan holding at the Obudu Ranch Resort.

He said to achieve the objective, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must collaborate.

The governor said his administration would work to make a difference in the lives of the people.

He urged political appointees to see their appointments as a call to service, which, according to him, is the greatest honour and privilege.

Imoke advised them to focus on the people, adding that the retreat provides an opportunity to reflect on the way business is done .

Papers were delivered by Special Adviser on Religious Matters, Pastor Eyo Ekpo-Ene on “ Governance and Spirituality”and others.

C

From Clarice Azuatalum, Port Harcourt

FOLLOWING the refusal of local government chairmen in Rivers State to pay severance packages to ex-political office holders in the local governments, the House of Assembly is to summon them to a meeting.

This followed a motion by Andrew Anderson Miller (Opobo/Nkoro), in which he complained that many expolitical office holders, including chairmen, vicechairmen, supervisors and councillors are being owned their severance packages years after they left office.

Speaker Otelemaba DanAmachree said the meeting, scheduled for next Tuesday, would be attended by principal officers of the House as well as the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government.

•The suspects at the police headquarters in Asaba...yesterday

Suspected killers of policemen arrested

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HE police in Delta State yesterday paraded three suspects alleged to be involved in Monday’s killing of eight security operatives.

The suspects are Odili Stephen Wilson, Ojade Sunday and Princely Oba. Suspected robbers laid siege to the Onitsha-Benin Expressway, killing eight security operatives and terrorising motorists for over two hours.

The Divisional Police Officer, Abraka, Steve Chigbufue, ASP John Danladi, an officer attached to the Ibusa Police Division ,a military officer attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF) patrol team and a woman traveller were killed.

Commisioner of Police Ikechukwu Aduba said the suspects robbed two banks and carted away an undisclosed amount of money.

Aduba said the bloody confrontation started after detectives from the Ogwashi-Uku Divisional Police Headquarters stormed a suspected robbers’ hideout in Igbodo, Ika North-East Local Govern-

Six arrested over failed bank robbery From Osagie Otabor, Benin

S

IX suspects have been arrested by the police in Edo State over a failed bank robbery.

Abdulmalik Aliu, Isiaka Mohammed, Hassan Isah, Mallam Mohammed (a native doctor), Isiaka Mohammed and Abdulwahib Ogehen, all from Kogi State, were part of a 12-man gang.

The gang attacked a police station at Igarra in Akoko-Edo Local Government and made a failed attempt to rob two banks.

It was learnt that the arrest of the suspects followed Aliu’s arrest. Aliu was one of the suspects holed up in the Igarra caves where they ran into after stiff resistance from policemen and vigilance groups.

Aliu confessed to having carried out three bank robberies in Ajaokuta and Okene in Kogi State.

He said three robbers killed by policemen were taken away by other members of the gang.

Commissioner of Police Olayinka Balogun said more investigations would be carried out to arrest other members of the gang.

• N2million recovered From Jude Isiguzo and Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

ment.

Aduba said following a gun duel, his men retreated after the robbers responded with “unconventional weapons”, including general purpose rifles, rocket launchers and assault rifles.

“The police, in conjunction with youths and vigilance groups from Ibusa/ Ogwashi-Uku communities, killed four of the suspects and arrested three others,” he said.

Ninety four loaded magazines of AK47 rifles, three bullet proof vests, one rocket

launcher, one rocket propelled grenade, five AK 47 rifles, one 9mm Zastave pistol and 11 rounds of live ammunition, 3,550 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered.

The sum of N2. 71 million, one Toyota bus, YB 58 MUS Lagos and two computer hard drives were recovered.

Also recovered were a network PVR, charms, one green Lincon Navigator snatched from Kenneth Nwagwu in Benin and a Toyota Hiace bus marked XC412AGB. Aduba said: “I want to use this medium to extol the exemplary courage of the men and the supreme sacrifice made by the officers and men of the Delta State Police Command and the Armed Forces in the call to national duty.

“Also, I appreciate the zeal and salute the immense cooperation given to us by the youths and vigilance groups of Ibusa and Ogwashi-Uku communities.

“This is a practical display of the often repeated aphorism that “security is every one’s business.”

Six policemen held for alleged beating of colleague

T

HE six policemen accused of beating up Corporal James Ameh are being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Rivers State Police Command.

Ameh, who is of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) 56 in Ogoni, was beaten to a coma last Thursday when he cautioned six policemen against extorting N5,000 from the driver of the bus he boarded from Ogoni.

The police yesterday foiled a robbery at a bank

•Bank robbery foiled From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

on the East-West Road.

Commissioner of Police Mohammed Indabawa urged the people to be security conscious.

He said: “Ameh was in my office on Monday. We are investigating the matter and appropriate action will be taken against the six policemen, if they are found to be guilty.

“They are all in detention at the state CID. It is unfortunate that the action took place. The victim can sue the suspects, if he likes.

“If they are found guilty, appropriate action will be taken against them, but I have limits.

“I cannot punish them, by virtue of my rank. I have to pass their case directly to the Force Headquarters in Abuja or Zonal Headquarters in Calabar.”

Indabawa said his command would not condone indiscipline and lawlessness.

Commenting on the failed robbery, Indabawa said: The robbers did not succeed in getting the money, but they took away two of our arms.

“One of the policemen was shot in the leg.

“He was the one who attempted to dislodge them.

They did not succeed in getting to the vault, but they got some money from the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).”

Court to rule on bail application for 13 civil servants

A

Federal High Court in Yenagoa will tomorrow rule on the bail application filed by the 13 civil servants arraigned by the Bayelsa State Government over their alleged involvement in the bloated N6billion wage bill

From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

scam .

The 13 workers, who appeared in court yesterday, pleaded not guilty. They have been in custody since last month.

Their counsel, U. Saiyou,

Iwolo Ibeni and E.M Figilo, urged the court to dismiss the arguments of the prosecuting counsel.

They insisted that their affidavit were served on May 9 which was enough for the prosecuting team to file a

counter affidavit.

But the prosecuting counsel, Henry Ogbeiwi, argued that some were served on May 9 and others the following day.

Justice R.M Aikawa, however, fixed ruling for tomorrow.

College of Agric closed From Osagie Otabor, Benin

EDO State Government has ordered the temporary closure of the state-owned College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi in Ovia South West Local Government Area.

This followed a protest by the students, who called for a reduction of tuition fees.

The government said the protest was illegal and unjustifiable as the students did not give any notice.

Students marched on the Government House, alleging infrastructural decay in the institution and calling for fee reduction.

A statement by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Abdul Oroh, said the students’ demand cannot be addressed as the N43,000 fees sill stands.

Oroh said the students’ action smacks of a politically motivated action.

He said steps were being taken with the National Board for Technical Education (NABTEB) for the accreditation of HND courses in the institution.

NBC, SSS warn Edo politicians From Osagie Otabor, Benin

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has warned politicians in Edo State against further use of children in political jingles.

It warned broadcast stations of dire consequences, if broadcast codes on political campaigns are violated.

NBC Director-General Yomi Bolarinwa, addressing parties and stakeholders at an interactive forum in Benin, observed that some of the governorship candidates have violated the rule that stipulates that campaigns can only start 90 days before the election.

Also,the state Command of the State Security Services (SSS) has cautioned politicians against violence in the July 14 governorship election.

State Director Bello Tukur Bakori met with political leaders and other stakeholders in Benin City.

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NEWS Belgore files N5b libel suit against Kwara Herald •Court adjourns hearing to June 26

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USTICE Ayinla Bamigbala of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has adjourned till June 26 hearings in a N5billion libel suit the Kwara State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), filed against Kwara Herald, the state-owned newspaper of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Belgore, who was due to enter the witness box to testify in the case, arrived the courtroom at 9am in company of leading chieftains of the party and a crowd of ACN supporters, including his running mate, Joshua Adeyinka, and Alhaji Hassan Atanda of the Emirate Vision.

The libel suit followed a front-page news story in the Sunday edition of Herald on April 17, last year, with a headline: “Kwara guber polls: Tinubu invests N7.5b on Belgore.”

The story alleged, among other things, that Belgore signed a bond with the ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to be given N7.5billion to prosecute his governorship election campaign in return for patronage and redemption of the loan.

A part of the report Belgore considered libelous reads: “In his determinant to win the coming gubernatorial election, the ACN candidate for the governorship election, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), has reportedly signed a bond of 7.5b with the ACN sole financier Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Sources close to the ACN leader revealed at the weekend that Tinubu allegedly offered to provide massive funding for the prosecution of the campaign...

“Following the loss ACN suffered in Kwara last week, Belgore allegedly left Ilorin for Abuja where he reportedly declared that he had exhausted his financial resources on the National Assembly election. He allegedly told ACN chieftains, who were in Abuja to work out alliances with CPC and that he would need a massive financial support if ACN must win the guber race in Kwara. At a meeting with Tinubu later, Belgore was allegedly promised a whopping N7.5billion to deliver Kwara. The money allegedly came in the form of a bond which Belgore reportedly needed to sign.”

The trial would have started yesterday but the judge told counsel to both parties that he had an official Bar event to attend.

Though he offered to resume hearing in the afternoon, counsel to Belgore, Mr. Babajide Ogundipe, said he was returning to Abuja in the afternoon to appear for a case today.

Kwara Herald was represented by Wahab Bamidele.

Both parties had filed their pleadings and issues for determination before the court, paving the way for full trial.

•The newly installed Nigerian Mayor of London Borough of Enfield, Councillor Kate Anolue (middle) with some members of the Nigerian Community in London.

Enugu Airport resumes operation

Suspected intruder held at Ebonyi Govt House A T

From Chris Oji, Enugu

MAN has been arrested for attempting to enter the Ebonyi State Government House in Abakaliki, the state capital, illegally.

Police spokesman John Eluu said the suspect was arrested about 6.30am last Wednesday, while trying to climb over the Government House fence with a ladder.

He said the suspect’s family claimed that he has mental problems but that would be determined in court.

Eluu said two suspected

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki

robbers were arrested at the weekend at the State Hatchery, Nkaliki, while trying to escape after stealing a cold room compressor valued at N1 million.

One of the suspects, Uchenna Oghele, confessed to the crime. He said: “I do not know what led me into committing the crime. I am

begging the government for forgiveness and I promise to be a good citizen henceforth.”

The second suspect said: “I did not steal and I have never stolen before. Oghele is my master; I am his apprentice. On that fateful day, he told me to follow him somewhere and since he is my master, I did not question him.

“But after we got there, the

police arrested us and said we were trying to steal government property. I do not know anything about the crime.”

Eluu said another suspect was arrested for illegally falling trees at the Government Reserved Area (GRA).

He said the suspects would soon be arraigned.

Eluu said some yet to be identified persons vandalised vital parts of the electricity generator at the National Fistula Center, Abakaliki, and warned criminals to steer clear of the state.

Apex court upholds Rep’s victory

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HE Supreme Court, Abuja, has upIt dismissed the appeal filed by Mr. held the election of Mr. Victor Chukwuka Onyema.

Afam Ogene as the representative Onyema is challenging the On March 29, the Court of Appeal upof Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State in the House of Repre- held Ogene’s election, but Onyema challenged the judgment at the Supreme Court. sentatives.

The Apex Court said it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter because the Appeal Court has the final say on the National Assembly election.

It affirmed the Appeal Court’s judgment and dismissed the appeal.

Ladoja not in accord with himself, says Lam Adesina ORMER Oyo State Governor Lam Adesina has described his successor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja as a political contradiction.

Besides, the former governor predicted doom for the country, if the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the centre refuses the people’s wish on constitution amendment and state creation.

Adesina, who is the Leader

F

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, noted that Ladoja has been in the news for controversial reasons.

According to him, Ladoja was in the PDP when he was governor, then moved out following his impeachment and later formed the Accord Party (A) to contest last year’s election.

Adesina noted that this

unsteady politics of the former governor portrayed him as a person not in accord with himself.

The former governor spoke at the inauguration of a solar-powered borehole constructed by the Senator representing Oyo South, Olufemi Lanlehin, in Kudeti, Ibadan South East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

He said: “The only profit-

able political party, not only for Oyo State, but the entire South-West is ACN. He said nine years after he left office, nobody has queried him, as being done against former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.

Adesina added: “In a sane society, both Ladoja and Akala are not worthy of walking freely in the streets because of their antecedents.”

Senator to immortalise slain women, 83 years after

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HE SENATOR representing Akwa Ibom South District, Mrs. Helen Esuene, is to immortalise slain women, who fought against the colonial taxation policy in the 1929 Women’s Riot.

Mrs. Esuene, who is the Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Women and Youth Development, said a memorial hall would be built in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, in honour of the women, who were massacred 83 years ago.

The senator stated this while speaking with her constituents in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.

She said the project would remind people of

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

the women’s struggle for freedom.

Mrs. Esuene said the hall would serve as a tourist centre and generate revenue for the state.

She said: “The building will correct the erroneous impression captured in history books that the protest was in Aba, in the present Abia State.

“The riot started in Ikot Abasi and many women of the present day Akwa Ibom State died while protesting the taxation of women by the colonial masters.”

The senator said she intends to build classroom

blocks and solar-powered boreholes and street lights as part of her constituency projects in Urue Offong, Oruko and Udung Uko local government areas.

Other projects she plans to execute this year include a mini oil palm mill to be located in Esit Eket and an iron factory in Eket.

Mrs. Esuene said the rehabilitation of the major road in Iquita, Oron Local Government Area, which has been swept away by erosion; and the Ikot AbiaNdiya Road in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, which was built by the colonials; have been included in the 2011 budget of the Niger Delta Devel-

opment Commission (NDDC).

On the proposed constitutional amendment, Mrs. Esuene urged her constituents to sending their contributions to the ad-hoc committee on the review.

She said it was an opportunity for them to air their views on issues affecting the country.

Correction The headline of the story on page 6 of yesterday’s edition should have read: Amnesty International’s verdict on Nigeria’s human rights records: situation deteriorating, worrisome.

HE Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, has resumed operations today.

The airport was closed a month ago to enable the authorities upgrade the Control Tower.

Airport Manager Chuma Nwobi said the facilities have been upgraded to international standard.

He said a mobile control tower has been put in place temporarily until the permanent one is ready.

It was learnt that there was controversy between the Nigerian Airforce and the Civil Aviation Authority over the ownership of the land where the new control tower would be sited, but sources said the matter has been resolved.

DAAR to open outlet in Abia From Ugochukwu Eke, Umuahia

D

AAR Communications, owner of the African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower Radio Station, will soon establish a broadcasting outlet in Abia State.

The company’s management team, led by the Chairman, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, visited Governor Theodore Orji in Umuahia yesterday.

Governor Theodore Orji thanked the company for its decision to invest in the state and assured the management of security.

Praising Dokpesi’s achievements in the industry, Orji said: “This wonderful man has done well in the broadcasting industry, despite the fact that he had no formal training in that area. I know him as an engineer and not a mass communication expert.”

Dokpesi said the company is expanding to meet the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC’s) directive that all broadcasting outfits must be digital by 2015.

He said the new outlet would cost N1 billion.

Dokpesi thanked the governor for his support.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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NEWS

Man to die for killing family members A KANO High Court yesterday sentenced a man, Bello Garba Bello, to death by hanging for killing five of his family members on September 13, 2010.

Justice Abdullahhi Muhammad Haliru, while delivering the 66 pages judgment that was read for one and a half hours, condemned Bello to death by hanging for culpable homicide, invoking Section 221 (b) of the Penal Code.

He said: “In the end, I find the accused guilty on all the five heads of charge and convict him accordingly on each of the five heads of charge.”

Justice Haliru said: “I

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

hereby sentence the convict to death on each head of count of the five charges. The sentence is to run concurrently.

He will therefore be hanged.”

He said regarding the age of the accused and his being one of the two survivors in his family, relevant executive authorities would consider these.

Counsel to the accused, Saidu Mohammed Alkali, who held the fort for Ahmed Raji, told The Nation that though the court has deliv-

ered judgment, “we will study it and appeal”.

Bello, on September 13, 2010 at MA 173, Zoo Road, Housing Estate, Kano when he was 21, was accused of killing Garba Bello, his father; Habiba Garba, his mother; Hafsat Garba, sister; Khalifa Garba, brother; and Murjanatu Garba, sister.

About seven witnesses testified against him.

Bello’s younger brother, Mustapha, escaped his onslaught as he jumped the fence while the other family members were being massacred.

‘Security challenges not enough to dismiss us’ From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

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•Bello

HE northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), said in Kaduna yesterday that the security and developmental challenges facing the North are not enough reasons for anybody to dismiss it as irrelevant.

The group urged those who claimed to know how to stop the violence of the Boko Haram members or who could stop them, to act patriotically by informing the intelligence community of the identities of their sponsors.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Anthony Sani, who was reacting to the criticisms by Mallam Shehu Sani and Dr. Juniad Mohammed, said the alleged failure of the ACF should not stop the two men from contributing to finding solution to Nigeria’s problems.

He said: “I actually read both Mallam Shehu Sani and Juniad Mohammed berating the ACF and northern leaders. To me, the attacks were uncalled for and even unhelpful, since the two gentlemen can still contribute effectively to the search for solution to the myriad of problems confronting the North and the nation –without casting aspersions on any group.”

members of the non-teaching staff, said the VC had a blueprint, which he was unable to complete before his death.

He said: “We cannot quantify our loss. The VC actually had a blueprint for us and he

was in the process of implementing it.”

Quoting the VC, he said: “He used to tell me, ‘Olu, I am just in the second stage, I have about five steps to go’. Here we are today mourning him.”

UNILAG holds candlelight for Sofoluwe

By Medinat Kanabe and Ramat Musa

S

TUDENTS of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) yesterday held a candlelight procession for the late Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe.

Many of the over 2,000 students, wearing black dresses, carrying candles, wept. They were joined by principal officers, non academic staff and other members of the university community.

The candlelight procession was part of the three-day mourning declared for the late VC. The procession started from the Senate building, through Moremi Hall, to the Health Centre and returned to the Senate building where the candles were dropped.

Commander of the Man O’ War, Balogun Adegbayi, said the candles were dropped at the Senate building because that was where the VC usu-

•Students at the procession...yesterday.

ally parked his car before taking the elevator to his office.

He described Prof.

Sofoluwe as “a lost diamond” who gave his fatherly love and support to

all. He said: “We are not just here to make sure everything goes on well, but we are also here to honour him.”

The registrar, Mr. Oluwarotimi Shodimu, who visited the lodge with over 40

PHOTO: MEDINAT KANABE

Niger Assembly impeaches Speaker

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IGER State House of Assembly yesterday impeached its Speaker, Mohammed Tsowa Gamunu, while a new Speaker, Isah Kawu representing Bida 1 Constituency, was sworn in.

An impeachment move has been rocking the House in the past few weeks due to the refusal of the leadership to call for the sitting of the Assembly since April 17 for fear that they may be impeached.

Gamunu, the third Speaker to be impeached in the past five years, was removed when the House sat yesterday in Minna. At the sitting, the Chairman of the House Com-

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

mittee on Information, Bashir Lokogoma, was prevented from raising a matter of urgent public importance by Gamunu, who suspected that the issue Lokogoma was about to raise revolved around his impeachment.

He said it should be postponed till the next sitting.

This decision was not supported by the majority of the members. They insisted that Lokogoma should be allowed to move the motion, a situation which caused rowdiness.

A fight broke out when supporters of the Speaker and the Sergeant-at-arms rushed to

move the mace out of the House after the Speaker had adjourned the sitting, which was not accepted by other members.

During the fight, supporters of the Speaker and the Sergeant-at-arms were overpowered by those who were in support of the impeachment, and the mace was returned to its position. This prompted Gamunu to walk out of the House in anger.

A member representing Mokwa Constituency, Usman Adamu, then told the House that the Speaker had walked out. He cited a law which stipulates that the Speaker can not walk out while the House

is sitting. He added that it was wrong for him to do so.

The leadership of the Assembly was dissolved, while it was asked to nominate another person to sit as the Speaker. Isa Kawu of Bida 1 Constituency was nominated and immediately sworn in as the new Speaker.

Also nominated were Abdulrahman Gambo from Borgu as the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Kure as the Majority Leader, Bala Faruq as the Chief Whip, Rahaman Lawan as the Minority Leader, while Mohammed Nurudeen from Kontagora 1 was nominated as the Minority Whip.

Other principal officers present at the procession were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (now Acting VC), Prof.

Rahman Ade Bello and the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Mr. Kayode Amund.

CIPM Abuja chapter holds AGM, elections today HE Abuja chapter of

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the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM), elections and swearing-in of the new executives today.

A statement by Mrs. Beluchi Nwanisobi, the Publicity Secretary of the branch, said the meeting is open to those who wish to make a career in Personnel Management and the public.

Northern governors meet over From Jide Orintunsin, New Nigerian Minna

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HE revival of the troubled New Nigerian newspaper will take the centre stage at the meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) scheduled to hold tomorrow at the General Hassan Usman Katsina House, Kawo,

Kaduna.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Coordinating Chairman, Forum of Secretaries to the Governments of Northern States, Mr. Daniel Clifford Shashere, in Minna, Niger State capital.

Early fuel price increase would have saved capital market, says minister

M

INISTER of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawal Ngama, yesterday said the sorry state of the capital market would have been averted if the recommendations of the Presidential Steering Committee on the Global Financial Crisis set up in 2009 by the late President Umaru

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

Musa Yar’ Adua had been implemented in a timely manner.

According to Ngama, who spoke before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the near collapse of the capital market, the recommendation of the

committee included “full deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry, the privatisation of our refineries and the removal of fuel subsidies.”

The minister noted that other areas of government intervention to stem the global crisis that led to the near collapse of the capital market

was “the reforming of the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), the adoption of a common year-end for commercial banks and the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by all banks in the system, among others.”

Ngama also gave the Director-General of the Securities

and Exchange Commission (SEC), Arumma Oteh, some hard knocks, saying she had not performed well in oversighting the capital market sector.

The minister said the SEC as a regulator could have done better.

His words: “The performance is true and I am telling

you it is true. It should be better and far better than what it is. SEC ought to work as a team. But that body is not one.

The moment the body is not working together, may be the head is different from the hands. SEC did not help matters. SEC could have informed the CBN of the irregularities taking place in the capital market.”

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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

61

NEWS Hollande sworn in as French President We are a leading steel pipe and pipe fitting Chinese manufacturer.

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N

EWLY sworn-in French President Francois Hollande has arrived in Berlin for key talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after his plane was apparently hit by lightning.

The plane was forced to turn back to Paris.

Hollande later completed his journey on a second plane.

During his inauguration speech earlier in the day, the

Socialist president appealed for “a compromise” over the German-led focus on austerity.

He called for an emphasis on “growth”.

Describing the incident with the first plane, Hollande’s spokesman said that the aircraft “could have been hit by lightning”, the AFP news agency reports.

“For security reasons, it turned back,” he said, adding that no-one was hurt.

BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott says it is very common for planes to be hit by lightning: most pilots will experience two strikes a year, some many more.

Planes are designed to dispel the electricity out through the wingtips, our correspondent says, so that it is rare to have to turn back after a strike.

Analysts are watching to see how German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Hollande can overcome their differences on how to resolve the crisis.

Stock markets and the euro have fallen amid continuing political uncertainty in Greece.

Rebekah Brooks charged

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EBEKAH Brooks and her husband, Charlie, have been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice over the phone-hacking inquiry.

Three of Mrs Brooks’s staff, and News International security head Mark Hanna, are also charged with the offence.

Mrs Brooks said: “I can’t express my anger enough that those closest to me have been dragged into this unfairly.”

They will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 13 June.

They have been charged with offences including concealing documents and computers from police.

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www.thenationonlineng.net

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.7 NO.2127

TOMORROW IN THE NATION ‘If you add the duo of Ms Arunma Oteh and Mrs Okereke-Onyiuke to Diezine Alison Madueke, a very resourceful PDP minister for oil deals who supervised NNPC that was recently asked to refund N310 billion..., we can easily see that PDP women like their men are birds of the same feather’ JIDE OLUWAJUYITAN

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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HEY said private newspapers couldn’t survive outside the Lagos/Ibadan axis, the economic and political artery of the country. Outside this axis, the North, the country’s economic and (Western) educational backwater, was, by the reckoning of these doubting Thomases, hopelessly barren, press-wise, precisely because it was the country’s economic and educational backwater.

Then along came, first, Malam Kabiru Yusuf with Trust in 1998, followed by Mr. Sam NdaIsaiah with Leadership six years later, and the theory of a press-hostile North hasn’t looked so valid anymore since.

About three weeks ago, May 1 precisely, Sam celebrated his 50th birthday. The celebration was marked by a well attended colloquium on the state of the nation chaired by General T.Y. Danjuma, arguably the greatest army chief the country has had.

The straight-talking general did not disappoint when, in his brief remarks as chairman, he chose to blame the Northern elites, more specifically the region’s governors, for fiddling while their region literally burned as a result of the apparent Boko Haram terrorism.

Those remarks have since stirred heated controversy in the media and elsewhere.

As a prelude to his weighty remarks, he said he had worried that Sam’s baby might be stillborn considering how it carried virtually no adverts in its early years. The general was right to have been worried given the fact that those who doubted the viability of the press, particularly the private press, in the North, had History on their side; between 1859, when the first newspaper in Nigeria, the Iwe Irohin, appeared in Abeokuta, and Independence in 1960, the vast majority of the country’s newspapers were within the Lagos/Ibadan axis, and these were almost all private, driven by the spread of Western education, increase in commerce and the rise of disaffection with colonial rule.

The longest running of these private newspapers, mostly published in Lagos, were the Daily Times, which first appeared in 1926, the West African Pilot, first published in 1937 and flagship of a nationwide-wide chain Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was to eventually establish, and Tribune, founded in 1947 by the Awolowo political dynasty. Tribune, based in Ibadan, capital of the old Western Region, has been the only one left standing of all the pre-independence private newspapers.

The most commercially and professionally successful of the lot was the Daily Times founded

by Sir Adeyemo Alakija and 32 other shareholders. Under the late legendary Alhaji Babatunde Jose who rose from the shop floor in 1941 to become its executive chairman in 1976, it became the biggest newspaper company in Africa, boasting no less than a dozen titles and making good money for its shareholders; the Daily Times alone had an average print run of around 200,000, while on a good Sunday the Sunday Times would do half a million copies. Naturally these huge print runs attracted huge sales and advert revenues which Jose used to diversify the portfolio of the company into commercial printing, property and entertainment.

Then in 1976, following a management crisis in the company in which Jose found himself at war with some of the newspaper’s top editors, the Federal Government appropriated

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People and Politics By MOHAMMED HARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

Sam ‘The Blunt’ Nda-Isaiah at 50

•Nda-Isaiah

60% of the company’s shares. This action marked the beginning of the newspaper’s gradual decline. The decline was accelerated by the return of civil rule in October 1979 when some officials of the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) under President Shehu Shagari began to actively interfere with the editorial judgement of the newspaper’s management.

That decline eventually created a vacuum in the country’s Lagos/Ibadan dominated press. Nature, they say, abhors vacuum, and so before long Concord, The Guardian, Vanguard, Thisday and Newswatch news magazine and several other sundry publications, appeared to fill in the vacuum created by Daily Times’ decline. Almost all of them were published from Lagos.

However, even before Daily Times’ decline had started, The Punch had appeared in Lagos with a lively and entertaining variety of Journalism that threatened to undermine Daily Times’ dominance of the Nigerian press.

In sharp contrast to this active press scene along the Lagos/Ibadan axis between 1859 and 1960, the North was relatively very quiet. Of course it had the Nigerian Citizen, the Mail, the Daily Comet and several other fly-by-night publications, in the fifties.

Above all, it had Gaskiya tafi Kwabo (1939), the country’s longest running vernacular newspaper and one of its most influential under the editorship of the legendary Alhaji Abubakar Imam. There were also other vernacular newspapers in Kanuri, Tiv, Nupe, Fulani and Igbira, etc.

All these were, however, either owned by the regional government (Citizen and Gaskiya

and the other vernacular newspapers), by the ruling Northern Peoples’ Congress (Mail) or by proprietors outside the region (Comet). None of them was any match to their Southern counterparts in circulation.

Then along came the New Nigerian in 1966 and suddenly the North didn’t look so barren, newspaper-wise, anymore. Barely a fortnight after it was launched on January 1 by the region’s premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the army staged its first coup in Nigeria. The premier was its greatest casualty. Being on the ground, the newspaper reported his assassination like no other. From then on it never looked back as, arguably, the most reliable and authoritative newspaper in the country. And before long it came second only to Daily Times in circulation.

Trouble was, while the New Nigerian proved equal to its original task of defending the North, at least between its first ten and twenty years, the region still lacked a viable private press that could act independently of the government, especially as the command structure of the military regime meant there was a limit to how far the newspaper could carry out its original brief of defending the North within the context of Nigerian unity.

If the region lacked independent newspapers that could defend it, it was not for lack of trying by the region’s elites. Beginning from 1980 there were several such attempts, notably by Alhaji Hassan Sani Kontagora (Hotline news magazine in Kaduna), Alhaji Umaru Dembo (Telex in Zaria), Alhaji Hassan Adamu (Abuja Newsday), the late Alhaji Abidina Commassie (Today first in Kaduna before it eventually moved to Abuja), Alhaji Ismaila Isa (Democrat in Kaduna), the late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (The Reporter in Kaduna), General Ibrahim Babangida (Heritage and Chrystal news magazine in Abuja), Lieutenant-General Aliyu Mohammed (Nation in Abuja) and this reporter (Citizen news magazine in Kaduna).

Most of these lasted less than five years. Citizen, which arguably held the greatest hope of surviving partly because, like Newswatch, it was founded by four seasoned journalists - Kabiru Yusuf, Adamu Adamu, Bilkisu Yusuf and this reporter - lasted all of only four years, beginning from 1990. The two longest running of them all were Commassie’s Today (14 years, beginning from 1986) and Isa’s Democrat (12 years

HARDBALL

T

HE Justice Ayo Salami whirlwind is still blowing, and it is still consuming the high and mighty. For a crisis that began unobtrusively as a misunderstanding between two top jurists, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Salami, it came as a shock that it quickly metamorphosed into a huge entanglement.

First, were the unseemly brickbats between the two top jurists; then Salami was suspended; and after series of panels and committees deliberating on the crisis, the PCA was eventually recommended for reinstatement.

The problem now is not how easily the president approved the recommendation to suspend Salami, nor the poor politics that presaged, nor yet how difficult it has become for him to follow the same judicial council’s recommendation to reinstate the jurist. In Nigeria’s highly partisan political environment, this sort of abnormality is not unexpected.

Reports indicate that the National Judicial Council (NJC) is divided over the straightforward case, and so it is not surprising that even among justices and leading

Ebino Topsy shocks ‘em politicians some have chosen to ardently pursue the cause of injustice in this unprecedented case.

But if some top politicians in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could be indifferent to the idea of punishing a jurist, not for juridical error but for apparently disfavouring the ruling party, it is beguiling that so-called longstanding progressive politicians like Chief Ebenezar Babatope, alias Ebino Topsy, could fail to draw the line between justice and politics.

Asked by reporters in Benin, Edo State, on Sunday what he thought of the NJC decision to ask for Salami’s reinstatement, Babatope, who had worked closely with Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nigeria’s leading and archetypal progressive, cynically said he wished the judiciary the best of luck if it went ahead to reinstate someone he described as a “bad example of what a proper judiciary should be.”

Babatope added that he never liked Salami, as if

after he took it over in 1985 from the original founders).

In short, only Today of all the private newspapers in the North survived as a newspaper worthy of that name beyond 1999 when the current Republic was ushered in. This was enough to discourage anyone with even the deepest pockets to invest in the private media in the North.

Obviously it must have taken uncommon courage and determination for Sam, like Kabiru before him, to have plunged into the newspaper business, given this history of failure of the press in the North. That he has succeeded where even more seasoned journalists and investors with deep pockets have failed, is a tribute not only to his courage and determination.

It is also a tribute to him as one of the most powerful writers in the country. As anyone who has kept faith with his column, first in Trust, and now in his own newspaper, would testify, the man hates to beat about the bush; a blunter columnist is hard to find.

Pick any of his articles and you can see a young man impatient with leaders who make promises and fail to keep them. “There should be honour even among thieves,” he thundered in a piece he entitled “A GOVERNMENT OF LIARS”, when President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had promised transparency in governance, denied having a hand in an attempt to insert a dubious clause in a bill on the 2003 elections after it had been passed by the National Assembly. This was typical Sam. Not only is he as blunt as they come, he has been one of the most consistent columnists in the land. Almost alone among the country’s columnists he has, for example, consistently argued that government has no business talking to terrorists whether they are of the MEND, OPC or Boko Haram variety. Again, he has consistently argued against the zoning and rotating elective offices, because he says it is the anti-thesis of democracy.

In an interview in his newspaper marking his birthday, he said he was a writer and a proprietor, not a journalist. That Leadership has survived its teething problems and is today one of the best in the country for its literary and printing quality and reliability, is evidence that he has been a successful proprietor.

In the interview, he said his ambition is to make Leadership, “the most authoritative newspaper in Nigeria.” Whether he achieves that ambition or not will depend on his re-examination of the business model he has used so far, obviously with great success. That model seems to be the Rupert Murdoch model of an ambivalent cosiness with the rich and powerful.

There is a lesson to learn from the well publicised predicament the old man has found himself in as the last of the great newspaper barons left standing.

Here’s a belated Happy Birthday to a promising proprietor and many more returns.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above it was a badge of honour to openly declare his malignant hatred for the jurist, and hyperbolically accused him of stealing the PDP’s victory and creating most of the country’s problems. Babatope, a member of the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT), had at a different forum incredulously described the ruling party as progressive.

However, justifying apostasy is one thing; defending injustice in the name of politics, especially for a self-professed progressive, is unforgivable. But what does Babatope care; his rebellion against the moral values and political principles that brought him fame, and so far, in national life is so complete that it is hard to expect him to go anywhere but down into infamy. In any case, having remorselessly served the dictatorial Sani Abacha regime as Minister of Transport, the decline of Babatope was not only predictable, it was bound to fetch up at the bottom with a resounding and conspiratorial thump. Ebino Topsy sarcastically wished the country the best of luck if Salami was reinstated. Why, we also wish him the best of luck in his betrayal of progressivism, assuming he was ever truly a progressive.

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